** A bit of Scotland **
and about
of Ayr and
WWI Bride who
came to Australia as
( of Mayfield NSW )
PRELUDE: (This is webpage under construction/correction still ...)
Written by one of Janet's grandsons, John.
There are many snippets of genuine real-and-researched relationships to be found herein. All of which are "thanks very much" to others who have done this research as the writer has not done any careful research on things Scottish and comes from a Burns/Byrnes line in which we are uncertain if it goes back to Scotland (from Northen Ireland) or not .. but do much suspect that it does. But even if it doesn't, at the very least a Scottish bride Janet Gibson Graham married into one Australian strand and gives at least that tiny strand of a wider from-David/Ann Burns Australian family some Scottish flavour. So with all such vagueness in mind, this page reflects how one Australian sees Scotland and Scotland's 'complicated' history from afar, across a large gap of space and years.
If you spot errors or have additional information please tell me at john.mail "at" ozemail.com.au
My middle name happens to be "Graham", and I always thought that this was not just accidental but followed the surname of my grandmother Janet who was Scottish, spoke with at least a 'slight' accent by Australian standards all her life, and liked Collie dogs of the "Lassie" variety (which I much did too). I was aware that they were said to derive from the Scottish highlands - but for many years this remained about the limit of my very slight knowledge of anything at all to do with Scotland. At school of course it sometimes got asked - are you related to Robert Burns the poet - but of course there was no way of knowing any correct answer to that.
After arranging two meeting of the descenants of ancestors David Burns/Byrnes (from Ireland) and Ann Reffin (from England), at Castlereagh where they and other early family members are buried, and putting much of the historic findings known thus far onto the internet this material was found by others and I was contacted by Grahams family members who found webpages of mine. Thanks to them, most of the photos and much of the information herein is possible.
I soon came upon indications that the names Burns and Graham are well known in Scotland, seeing that time and time and again the Graham name comes up in Scottish history.
An early 'John Graham' (of Dundaff) was William Wallace’s right hand man. Another John Graham (of Claverhouse) was created Viscount Dundee (“Bonnie Dundee”) and was a loyal Jacobite campaigner who led the Scottish Highlanders in the Jacobite uprisings.
John Graham, Bonnie Dundee, died fighting at the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689 and the uprising Scotland suffered inconclusive defeat at the Battle of Dunkeld. On their way home from this battle, the MacIains of Glencoe, a sept of Clan MacDonald (one of the great 'rebel' clans group), together with their Glengarry cousins, looted some lands belonging to Robert Campbell of Glenlyon and drove off Campbell cattle. This incident was to lead directly towards the massacre of the people living in the glen of Coe, mainly MacDonalds, by units of the British army - under command of a Campbell. The greatest Graham foe of the Campbells was James Graham, the 1st Marquis of Montrose (and the current chief of Clan Graham is of the Montrose line). James Graham the 1st Marquess of Montrose (1612 -1650) lead 'rebel' forces in the battles against the then most powerful man in Scotland on the government side - the 1st Marquis of Argyll, Archibald Campbell.
So, I am learning a little Scottish history maybe ...?
~ John Graham Byrnes, November 5, 2008.
.
Janet Byrnes
(née Graham)
Birth record: Born at Abercrombie Cottage in Doonfoot, district of Ayr, Ayr County, 21 May 1898. Her father was Robert Graham, artist.
Her mother was Helen Fraser Brown; and they were married on 22 Octorber 1897 in Glasgow. Earlier on, a Janet Gibson had married John Graham, i.e. this Janet's grandparents. (Copy thanks to: Carol Kwan, further information from Georgina Clements).
Janet's mother's name is given above as 'Helen Fraser Graham M.S. Brown'. It is known to family researchers in Britain that there may be some confusion on this. Her christening record cites her as Sarah Ellen Brown, so the 'Helen' is probably just an error for Ellen. She also had nickname of Nellie. Then on her marriage certificate to William Burns Dewar in 1885 she gave her name as Sarah Ellen Fraser Browne. Her father she gave on that certificate as Thomas Fraser Browne, occupation Surgeon Major; and her mother as Sarah Lawler m.s. Stewart. Apparently her father (then deceased at the time of her marriage, had actually been a Hospital Sergeant, not Surgeon Major as she had stated.
Sarah Ellen Browne was born on 19 July 1860, in Kandy, Sri Lanka. She married William Burns Dewar on 8 September in Edinburgh. Their first child was Ellen Stewart Dewar, also known as "Nellie". Fourth child was Mostyn Henry Dewar (my father's name again ... 'Mostyn').
Janet Graham
Doonfoot and Ayr, Firth of Clyde, Scotland. Just southeast, the "Burns Cott" near Alloway was the
home of Robert Burns.
Home of Robert Burns (viz. "Burns Cott" on above map).
Although I do not know them, it is easy to find (as below) that Grahams still reside in the Ayr district:
A batch of Graham kin surround Adam Graham of Kirkoswald road, Maybole. Adam reached his 100th birthday in 2008 but died not long
after this party for him which was held at Carrick Sports Club where he was was joined by family and friends attending from
Scotland, England, Holland and the United States. Councillor Brian Connolly presented Adam with a card from the
Queen, another from the Department of Works and Pensions, plus a card and a gift from South Ayrshire Council.
BURNS KIN: - There appeared to have been little social stigma attached to reiving; being a professional cattle thief just became a way of life, a means of earning a living and surviving. Scot stole from English and Scot stole from Scot – and sometimes even Scot and English would unite to steal from their neighbour. The allegiance was not to one’s King or country, but to a family or clan. No trust could be put in another unless he was a close relative. Blood feud was endemic. The governments of both countries tried to enforce some sort of law and order, but it was almost impossible. It was indeed an age when the English Queen Elizabeth 1st ruled the seas around her realm – but she could not control the edges of her own land ( http://www.thereivertrail.com/history.asp ). Burn or Bourne. Scottish, East Teviotdale. A most predatory and vicious family of the Middle March whose raids and murders reached a peak in the 1590s when they were under the protection of Robert Kerr. They were the worst of the East Teviotdale Reivers and are supposed to have killed 17 Collingwoods in revenge for the death of one of their own men. Notable name: Geordie Burn - his confession is detailed elsewhere
( http://www.electricscotland.com/history/other/border_reivers3.htm ).
Very similar distribution of Burns and Gibson families in the 1891 census. Lankashire had 38% for Gibsons
and 69% got Burns. Ayrshire had 18% for Gibsons and 13% for Burns.
The family of David Burns/Byrnes in Australia first traces back to Ireland, maybe northern Ireland. Whether or not it then goes back further to the Burns of Scotland is not know. However many Burns in northern Ireland are believed to be Scots Irish in derivation.
Also there is a slight peripheral Burns connection found in the fact that Janet's mother married William Dewar Burns before marrying Robert Graham.
The allegiances of David Burns are not known with certainty. He is known to have deserted from the Londonderry Regiment. Maybe he never wanted to be part of it in the first place? Maybe he did not agree with England's conquest and subjugation of Ireland. Maybe he even resisted it, in the war of 1798? This is not known, other than that he is supposed to have been trialled at the end of 1798 - as a suspected "Rebel" (United Irishman). His (first) wife petitioned the lord high protector of Ireland to set her husband free to return to his small (six children) family - as they were starving or reduced to living on charity, and she herself was bed-ridden. According to how she presented things, everyone loved the English or pro-English rulers, and prayed that they and theirs would rule Ireland forever. Her pious pleas did no good at all, however - for David was still exiled to Australia and she never saw him again. That first family of David's is totally lost track of, apart from this one Irish document surviving; but even in that, wife number one did not state her name even - so we know nothing at all of David's first family or what happened to them. In Australia he married an English convict girl, Ann Reffin/Ralphin, and the story from then on is much better known. Even if we do not somehow relate back to Burns kin in Scotland it is still interesting that Janet Burns came from very close to Bobbie Burns' cottage - which is quite a place of national heritage.
Robert Burns was born in a small cottage in Alloway on 25 January 1759. He died early, at the aged 37, on 21 July 1796; not before he had become Scotland's best-loved poet and a writer on things that were both national and transcended the national for the brotherhood of man. Perhaps only Shakespeare and Homer have achieved similar universal appeal as Burns.
William, Robert's father, was very poor man and in 1750 had moved to the area in search of work. This he had found at Doonholm market garden. (pronounced Doon-Home) William Burnes, (pronounced Burn-iss but later changed to 'Burns' by Robert Burns himself) was granted a tenancy or lease over a small area of the farmland where he worked as Head Gardener of Doonholm.
William met and married Agnes Broun (pronounced Broon, the old Scots for Brown) a local girl.
Following William Burnes' death, in 1784, the family moved to farming at Mossgiel. Robert had also received some education as a surveyor, plus he found work as a flax-dresser in Irvine. But overall he had little success, so early in 1786, Burns decided to emigrate to Jamaica to seek out better fortune.
By this time Burns had already having fathered one child by a servant girl, Betty Paton. Also, he had pursued Jean Armour. Jean became pregnant with what were to be twins but he father repudiated Robert as any potential son-in-law and instead determined to take court action against him. Unable to marry Jean Amour, Robert was moved to repudiated her and her father; and he also then became infatuated with a young highland woman named Mary Campbell. Robert "secretly married" Mary (exchanged vows) in a Gaelic ritual at Stairaird Craig.
Romantic depiction of a Gaelic practice, the exchange of bibles across the burn, between Robert and Mary.
It is believed that such book/bible still exists, and is held at Burns Cottage heritage centre.
Robert planned to take Mary with him to Jamaica, and organised her going to Greenock to await him. This too did not work out. When in September 1786, Jean gave birth to her twins, named Robert and Jean, Burns delighted in them.
In October, still waiting for Robert who by this time had twice postponed his departure, poor Mary Campbell died from a fever.
And so it goes .. such were the times.
THE GRAHAMS: - Graham is a common surname in Scotland and England.
This name is of double interest to read about by the current writer. This is because of a double connection - the most obvious of which (closer in time) is that the writer's grandfather Arthur Byrnes married a Graham, Janet Graham. But there is another indirect connection, not a family relationship but still vital - further back in time. This is that it was also a judge "Graham" who sentenced to death (but then reprieved to transportation instead - fortunately) the greatgrandmother of Arthur (wife of David who was father of Samuel who was Arthur's grandfather) - Ann Reffin. Ann Reffin and others were sentenced by Robert Graham in 1803, at the Nottingham Assizes.
Sir Robert Graham - English Judge and Baron. Portrait painted in 1804 by artist John Singleton Copley (1738-1815).
In full size it is visible that his right arm is resting at a letter addressed to "Mr: Baron Graham London."
[ History/repository: The current owner, since 1942 is the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. Provenance - The painting was originally owned
by Sir Robert Graham. It thereafter passed, as follows to a number of people - Sir George Henry Smyth (Colchester, Essex, England); Thomas
George Graham White (Colchester, Essex, England) and auctioned at Christie, Manson & Wood in London [Christie's auction of March 23,
1878, item no. 25] to then pass to Mrs Charles Amory (Martha Babcock Greene, of Boston, Massachusetts); Charles Amory (Boston,
Massachusetts); Mrs Franklin Gordon Dexter (Susan Greene Amory of Boston, Massachusetts; Gordon Dexter (Boston,
Massachusetts); Mrs Gordon Dexter (Isabella Hunnewell) who gave it as a gift to the National Gallery in 1942. ) ]
In Scotland the clan Ghaman has various members well known in Scottish history. The clan had territories in both the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands. They have long fought the English and were early inhabitants along the border lands.
See - Clan Graham Society Inc. for Scottish details - http://www.clan-graham-society.org
Theories differ as to how the clan was established in Scotland, solid information has established a Norman descent of the original Grahams. These Normans were originally of the Vikings who landed on Scottish soil in ancient times and thus the Graham lineage goes back into Scandinavia. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Graham
The first recording of the name appears at the time of King David I (1084-1153) who granted lands at Abercorn and Dalkeith to William de Graham a few years after he was crowned king in 1124. His name is recorded as having witnessed the founding of Holyrood Abbey in 1128. Throughout the 12th and 13th centuries the Grahams were granted more lands including Clifton in Midlothian and from William the Lion the lands of Charlton and Barrowfield in Forfarshire. The lands of Dundaff and Kincardine were also gained around this time. From this period the Grahams were known as ‘the Gallant Grahams’ due to their bravery to the causes they pledged their lives. Sir Patrick Graham was killed at the battle of Dunbar in 1296 while carrying the Kings Standard.
Sir John Graham of Dundaff was William Wallace’s right hand man and died at the battle of Falkirk in 1298.
William Wallace, captured and executed by the English in 1305. Walllace was in recent years
portrayed by one of the world's best known "Gibson's" - 'Mad Max' Mel
Gibson, in the movie Braveheart.
Mel Gibson. A noted traditionalist Cathollic, Mel is an American-born man but is also widely thought of as Australian
(and who has described himself as plagued in life by a booze problem). He is surely one of the world's best-known
"Gibsons". He is shown here in 1990 and later on as Braveheart (William Wallace).
On the map below the land of the Grahams north of Glasgow is shown. The Grahams had variously held lands in the borders since the mid 13th century. Sir John Graham ‘with the bright sword’, banished from Scotland by the crown for some unknown quarrel is given to be the ancestor of Lang Will Graham who planted his sons along the banks of the river Esk throughout the debateable land stretching into England. By 1552 the clan numbered some 500 warriors with thirteen peel towers across their territory. The Grahams lived in several settlements and were organised into ‘bands’ under ‘headsmen’ such as Graham of Rosetrees, Graham of Netherby and Graham of Kirkandrews. Forced in the 1590’s to sign a bond with the English government of Elizabeth I (1558-1603) similar to those forced on the Irish Clans a generation earlier, the border clan was fiercely persecuted when James VI (1567?) took the English throne. A border commission was set up and many Grahams were executed or banished to the Low Countries and Ireland.
The house of Graham of Montrose stems from the younger son of William de Graham, a descendant of whom acquired Old Montrose and lands around it from Robert I (the Bruce) in 1325. Twice the Montrose Grahams, however, married into the royal family and were preserved from royal persecution. From these came some notable men. First among them was Sir John de Graham, right hand man to William Wallace, killed during the Wars of Scottish Independence in 1298. The Clan Graham fought at the Battle of Dunbar in 1296 where Sir Patrick Graham of Kincardine was the only man of all the Scots not to retreat and instead fought to the death. The Clan Graham also fought against the English at the Battle of Durham in 1346, in support of Robert the Bruce.
The Grahams acquired the lands of Mugdock north of Glasgow, where they built a stout castle around 1370, later destroyed by the English or pro-English forces, currently being slowly restored.
Mugdock Castle in East Dunbartonshire. Ancient Seat of Clan Graham, 1372-1700
Sir John de Graham, hero of the Wars of Independence, rescued William Wallace at Queensberry, becoming one of Wallace's few close friends and perhaps his most trusted advisor. William Wallace was at his side when Graham was killed in 1298 at the battle of Falkirk, where his name is still perpetuated in the district of Grahamston.
In 1504 Lord Graham, on account of his gallantry was made 1st Earl of Montrose. He would go on to lead part of the Scottish Vanguard against the English at the Battle of Flodden Field in 1513, part of the Anglo-Scottish Wars where he was slain. The Clan Graham were among the clans who fought against the English at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in 1547, where the eldest son of the second Earl, Robert, Lord Graham was slain.
Another prominent member of the family was John Graham of Claverhouse (1648-89), created Viscount Dundee (“Bonnie Dundee”). A great opponent of the Covenanters, he was a loyal Jacobite campaigner and died fighting at the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689. In 1370, the Grahams gained the lands of Mugdock, north of Glasgow - acquired by David de Graham. In 1504 the hereditary lands of Auld Montrose were erected into a free barony and earldom of Montrose
An Greamach Mor (Chief of All the Grahams) and his dog.
His Grace the 8th Duke of Montrose, James Graham, is the present day chief of the Graham Clan. See The Origins of the Grahams,
by Nellie Graham Lowry, Clan Graham Society Genealogist, for more information.
An earlier James Graham, the 1st Marquess of Montrose (October 1612 - 21 May 1650).
The 1st Marquis of Argyll, Archibald Campbell - arch enemy of James Graham the 1st Marquess of Montrose.
THE BEAUTY OF GLENCOE: Place of the infamous massace of the MacDonalds under Campbell-lead troops..
A closer view looking down into Glen Coe.
Views down in the glen at Glen Coe (“Gleann Comhann”).
Eve Graham at Glen Coe - Song title "Glencoe".
(The New Seekers were a British / German / Australian pop group, formed in 1969 by Keith Potger after the break-up of his group,
The Seekers. The idea was that the New Seekers would appeal to the same market as the original Seekers.
The New Seekers line-up included Eve Graham, Lyn Paul, Marty Kristian, Peter Doyle and Paul Layton. (Their hit songs
included: "What Have They Done to My Song Ma?" and the global hit of "I'd like to teach the world to sing
[in perfect harmony]". Eve is second from left in this photo - date 1975. Peter Doyle died aged 52,
on 13th October, 2001 in Castlemaine, Victoria. He is buried at Muckleford Cemetery.
Eve Graham is now (2008) aged 65. She was for a time a global superstar in a band that sold 25million records, mixing with
Bob Dylan, Henry Kissinger and Paul McCartney. Later on, income faded and she was forced to leave singing for a time.
She has since returned to singing as the above publicity photo at Glencoe shows.
Members of the 1st Marquis of Montrose Society in Glen Roy during their Inverlochy trip.
GIBSON KIN: - Gibson may be a Scottish sept of both Clan Buchanan and Clan Cameron - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_(sept). From very early times, the family is known from southwestern Scotland. The patronym arrived after the Norman invasion of 1066. The Norman name was originally found as "Gislebert" or "Guilbert," and is composed of the Old Germanic elements gisil, meaning "promise" or "noble youth," and beraht, meaning "bright" or "famous." Clan Buchanan has occupied the lands surrounding the shores of Loch Lomond since 1225. During the Civil Wars Clan Buchanan supported the royalist cause of King Charles. The Clan later fought at the Battle of Dunbar in 1650 on the side of the Scottish Coventanters. During the Civil War, Clan Cameron fought on the side of the Royalist Scots and Irish led by Clan MacDonald who defeated the Scottish Covenanters of Clan Campbell. Later on, the Clan Cameron fought as Jacobites at the Battle of Sheriffmuir in 1715 during the initial Jacobite uprisings., and at the Battle of Glen Shiel in 1719. Their chief John Cameron of Lochiel after hiding for a time in the Highlands made his way to exile in France. The Clan Cameron fought again on the side of the Jacobites against the British Army at the Battle of Falkirk in 1746, and on the frontline at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. After the Battle of Culloden the chief, Donald Cameron, also known as 'Gentle Locheil', took refuge in France. One of the world's best known Gibsons, Mel Gibson (see above), played Scottish hero William Wallace in the movie Braveheart.
Traditional clan lands. Note "Graham" north of Glasgow. In 1325, the Grahams were confirmed in the lordships of Kinnabar
and Old Montrose. In 1370, they acquired the lands of Mugdock, north of Glasgow. Sir William Graham married Princess
Mary Stewart, a younger daughter of Robert III, and, in 1451, their grandson Patrick was created Lord Graham. James,
5th Earl of Montrose (1612-50), elevated to become 1st Marquis of Montrose, was a staunch supporter of Charles I
and Charles II against Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth. He was betrayed, captured and
executed in Edinburgh in 1650.
The Highland Boundary Fault - The fault divides the Old Red Sandstone and Devonian deposits (brownish, no. 23, at centre)
from the Metamorphic and Archaean deposits (pinkish, no. 27, above the brownish).
The Highland Boundary Fault that traverses Scotland from Arran on the west coast to Stonehaven in the east. To the north and west lie hard Precambrian and Cambrian metamorphic rocks. To the south and east lies the Old Red Sandstone, ad sedimentary formations of the Devonian and Carboniferous periods. The Highland Boundary Fault was active during the Caledonian Orogeny, from Mid Ordovician till Mid Devonian (520 to 400 million years ago), marking the closure of the Lapetus Ocean.
JANET'S FAMILY HISTORY:
(More might be added about ancestry back along lines distal/backwards from Janet's time ... e.g. nothing on Janet's Dewar family has been added here yet.)
Also more information elsewhere needs to be integrated - but see some links below.
Janet was a nurse in Glasgow in WWI.
Janet married an Australian soldier who returned from France, Arthur Byrnes, and their first born child - after Arthur brought Janet back to Australia, was my father - Mostyn Arthur Byrnes.
For more on Arthur and Mostyn see: http://www.lachlanhunter.deadsetfreestuff.com/JB/default1.htm
More on the writer's parents and some family history -
Byrnes family, family of Mosytn Arthur Byrnes, my father (default1.htm)
Mostyn's burial at Upper Castlereagh 2007 (order-of-service.htm)
Arthur Gervin Byrnes, father of Mosytn (arthur-byrnes1a.htm)
Some snippets of Irish history (irish-history.htm)
Doreen Phyllis Byrnes, my mother (doreen-phyllis-byrnes.htm)
Doreen's life (dp-byrnes-life.htm)
Clout family, Doreen's mother's family (the-clouts.htm)
Steiner family, Doreen's father's family (the-steiners.htm)
Steiner family 150 years (the-steiners-150-yrs.htm)
My parents are:
Mostyn Arthur
Where some of this was "up to", along various threads, in October 2008 is that two hard disks have failed and pending data recovery attempts I am not sure what I have and what I have possibly lost. My cousin has been to Ayr and has collected information regarding Janet's family and where they lived etc. Some of this may need to be recovered(?).
BYRNES
23/1/1920 - 7/1/2007
Doreen Phyllis
BYRNES
(nee Steiner)
15/1/1916 - 22/2/2007
Longers term aim has been to get all onto DVD so that it cannot be so easily lost, but this has not happened yet.
Contacts in the UK have been Carol and Georgie of late.
Georgie Clements (Georgina Clements, nee Homewood) is granddaughter of Percival Graham, whose father was Robert Graham, same father as for my grandmother Janet Gibson Graham:
The "georgie-link", Georgina Clements (nee Homewood), via Percival Graham, thence back to Robert Graham.
Percival and Dorothy Graham (Photo: Per Georgina Clements)
Percy much later, still smoking a pipe. (Photo: Per Georgina Clements)
Gwen and the twins
This one is James Byrnes
