Jennet (Hendryson) Runciman (bef. 1700)

Born before 11 Feb 1700 in Dunbar, Haddingtonshire, Scotland

Wife of Alexander Runciman — married 1720 in Dunbar, Haddingtonshire, Scotland

Descendants

Biography

Birth & Baptism

Jennet Hendryson [sic] was baptized in Dunbar Parish on 11 February 1700. Her parents are recorded on the baptismal register as George Hendryson and Priscilla Spence: "Geo Hendryson in Dbr. & his w. Priscilla Spence had twins bapt. the one namd Jennet and the ote. Isobell"^[1]

Janet had a twin sister named Isobell who was baptized with her.

Marriage & Children

Janet married Alexander Runciman abt 1720 probably at Dunbar, Haddingtonshire (now East Lothian), Scotland. She would have been aged about 20 years. The first record of a child being born to Alexander and Janet was James who was baptized in February 1721.

Six children born to Alexander and Janet are recorded in the baptismal registers of Church of Scotland parishes between 1721 and 1740 in the National Records of Scotland ScotlandsPeople Births and Baptisms database:

1. James bapt: 5 February 1721^[2] parents: Allexander [sic] Runsiman
2. Elisabeth bapt: 24 December 1722^[3] parents: Alexander Runsiman
3. Helen bapt: 26 September 1724^[4] parents: Alexander Runsiman / Janet Henry
4. Margaret bapt: 5 February 1727^[5] parents: Alexander Runciman / Janet Hendry
5. Thomas bapt: 22 December 1728^[6] parents: Alexander Runsiman / Janet Hendrie
6. William bapt: 11 April 1731^[7] parents: Alexander Runsiman / Janet Hendrie

Janet's life in Dunbar

Janet's connection to the Parish of Dunbar, in the (old) County of Haddingtonshire is long and extensive. Her parents were married in the Parish in 1686, and she and all her siblings (twin sister, two other sisters and brother) were baptized there. She married her husband Alexander Runciman there in 1720 when aged 20 years, and all her six children were baptized there except the third, Helen, who was baptized in the neighbouring Parish of Spott.

The rapporteur for the return for the Parish of Dunbar in the Old Statistical Account of Scotland, Rev, George Bruce makes the following observations about the Parish:

"The soil is rich, and the parish of Dunbar is perhaps the most fertile spot in East Lothian, which is the most fruitful province in North Britain. ... It is well cultivated, and produces great crops, chiefly wheat, barley and beans, but little oats, and less rye. Rich crops of broad clover and rye-grass are raised ... The fields are inclosed, some with stone walls, some with thorn hedges ; and some of them are still open. The greater part of the land is dry, and the seasons are early."

Written in 1792 this suggests that the Parish was more prosperous than some of the Highland parishes which had agricultural land use and tenancy systems which disadvantaged tenants, specifically rigrun field systems^[8] which persisted in some parts of Scotland into the mid 19th century. Runrig field systems existed in Haddingtonshire from mediaeval times as evidenced by remnants recorded around Spott^[9] but these appear to have been replaced by larger tenancies from the 17th Century.

Prof. Devine in his recent study The Scottish Clearances notes (p. 87) that in the early 18th century (when Janet and her family lived in Haddingtonshire):

"While the population of Scotland as a whole remained overwhelmingly rural, the five counties of the south-east, in and around the valley of the River Forth, had a surprising high level of early urban development. The number of small towns and large villages in East Lothian, Midlothian, Fife and Clackmannan meant the area had more urban dwellers than any other part of Scotland."^[10].

Janet and her family would have close and ongoing contact with population centres such as Dunbar and Haddington. Alexander's occupation as a farm servant is only stated once in the parochial registers (in his daughter Elisabeth's baptismal record) when his residence is given as Meikle Pinkerton. He was a hind. The Scottish National Dictionary (1700–) defines hind as "A farm-servant, a ploughman ... Specif[ically]. in s[outh].Scot[land]. and n[orth].Eng[land]. applied to a married skilled farm worker who occupies a cottage on the farm and is granted certain perquisites in addition to wages"^[11]. Devine (Scottish Clearance p. 199) notes, that in the south-eastern Lowlands:

"most permanent farm workers were married ploughman, or hinds. As far as life's necessities were concerned, they were insulated from the [labour] market when fee'd. The allowances of the hind included stipulated measures of oats, barley and pease, the keep of a cow, and ground for planting potatoes. The rental of the cottage was paid for by the labour of his wife and daughters during harvest. Fuel was carted from town at the master's expense and, by law, he was also obliged to provide for the hind for six weeks when he was unable to work because of ill-health"^[10].

Janet and her family were thus by the standards of the day reasonably well provided for.

Janet and her husband and six children seem to have lived, for part of their married life, at Meikle Pinkerton which was a small hamlet (fermtoun^[12]) about three miles south of the parochial town, Dunbar.

Janet was born into a time of profound change in Scotland, the Treaty of Union had been agreed upon in July 1706 and was followed by the two (English and Scottish) Parliaments Acts of Union which commenced on 1 May 1707 ^[13]. The Treaty and subsequent Acts united the two countries into "into One Kingdom by the Name of Great Britain". In her father's time in 1654 Oliver Cromwell in England had ordained the creation of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland. It freed up trade between Scotland and England which effected the border counties. Despite these political events, in the 1690s economic hardship severely impacted on Scotland. The Seven ill years ^[14] resulted in widespread suffering and hardship, if not famine and starvation, particularly in 1695-97, including in Haddingtonshire^[15]. To what extent these impacted on the Hendrie family is unknown, however, it is notable that Janet's two oldest siblings were born in 1687 and 1689, and then her next oldest sibling was born 8 years later in 1697. This gap of 8 years may indicate the stress the family may have endured.

Janet's grandparents, if they were residing in Haddingtonshire in 1650, may very well have witnessed one of the defining events in the relationship between Scotland and England: the Battle of Dunbar in 1650 ^[16]. This intimately affected the Pinkerton fermtouns (Little Pinkerton, Meikle Pinkerton and Easter Pinkerton). The English New Model Army and a Scottish army commanded by David Leslie met in battle on 3 September 1650 in the area between Meikle Pinkerton and Dunbar. Historic Environment Scotland (HES) have listed the area around Meikle Pinkerton a designated battlefield which is included in their Inventory of Historic Battlefields^[17]. The Scottish army was routed by the English and its right flank may have be pushed back through Meikle Pinkerton which is described by HES as "Great and Little Pinkerton, the main area of the battlefield". The HES Inventory for Dunbar Battle extensively discuss Meikle Pinkerton as the location of the battle and the terrain to the west, Doon and Pinkerton Hills, over which the Scottish army retreated.

Janet's twin sister Isobell and her husband Robert Gayler lived for some time at "The Lochs" near the village of Spott. This was under the western flank of Doon Hill upon which General Leslie and the Scottish army encamped and around which the Scottish army was pursued. The Old Statistical Account for Spott in 1793 observed^[18]:

"From this strong entrenchment Leslie was persuaded, contrary to his own opinion, to come down, and was defeated by Cromwell, who was just about to embark his troops at Dunbar for want of provisions, and pursued with great slaughter. Musket bullets, swords, human bones, and pieces of scarlet cloth, are still found in the neighbouring fields; many of the killed were buried in and about Spottdean."

It was in these contexts that Janet and her siblings lived their childhoods. One wonders whether any of her grandparents' family were involved in the battle, and if so what stories and legends about it a young Janet may have heard recounted.

Note on Pinkerton farms

The Scottish Ordnance Survey Name Books for East Lothian^[19] describe Meikle Pinkerton in 1853 as follows: "A large farm house two stories high and in good repair, with extensive offices, threshing machine, Work people's houses, and a large arable farm attached, occupied by Mrs Anderson, the property of the duke of Roxburgh." Meikle (from Meikill signifying "large"^[20]) Pinkerton is located at British National Grid NT 70279 75685 and shown on Ordnance Survey Six-inch to the mile map sheet Haddingtonshire, Sheet 12 (published 1854)^[21]. Nearby are Easter Pinkerton and Little Pinkerton (to the west).

The name Pinkerton is derived from the Barony of Pinkerton located in what was to become Haddingtonshire and which in the late 13th Century was held by Nicol de Pynkertone (styled "del counte de Hadingtone" in the so-called Ragman Roll). He swore his submission and fealty to Edward I King of England in August 1296^[22]. The extent of his barony has not been ascertained but it almost certainly included the area to the south of Dunbar where Meikle Pinkerton is located. The association of the name Pinkerton with Haddingtonshire was ended by the start of the 18th Century. Only the name of the hamlets in which Janet moved retained the Pinkerton association.

Research Notes

Information about Janet's death and burial has not been located. This is despite the fact that the Dunbar Parish registers includes deaths in the period 1737-1819^[23]. A comprehensive search of the Church of Scotland parish registers for Haddingtonshire (East Lothian) for records of the death of females with the surname Runciman (and its name variants, including soundex) between 1731 and 1790 failed to locate any records. Similarly comprehensive searches of Find-a-Grave failed to identify any memorials for Janet Runciman in the same period; and her death does not seem to be indexed in the FamilySearch databases.

Sources

1. ↑ Church of Scotland: Old Parish Registers - Births and baptisms database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 16 May 2021), Jennet Hendryson 11 February 1700, Dunbar; citing Parish Number 706, Reference Number: 10 105
2. ↑ Church of Scotland: Old Parish Registers - Births and baptisms database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 16 May 2021), James Runsiman 5 Feb 1721, Dunbar; citing Parish Number 706, Reference Number: 20 48
3. ↑ Church of Scotland: Old Parish Registers - Births and baptisms database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 16 May 2021), Elisabeth Runsiman 24 Dec 1722, Dunbar; citing Parish Number 706, Reference Number: 20 58
4. ↑ Church of Scotland: Old Parish Registers - Births and baptisms database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 16 May 2021), Helen Runsiman 26 Sep 1724, Spott; citing Parish Number 720, Reference Number: 10 120
5. ↑ Church of Scotland: Old Parish Registers - Births and baptisms database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 16 May 2021), Margaret Runciman 5 Feb 1727, Dunbar; citing Parish Number 706, Reference Number: 20 85
6. ↑ Church of Scotland: Old Parish Registers - Births and baptisms database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 16 May 2021), Thomas Runsiman 22 Dec 1728, Dunbar; citing Parish Number 706, Reference Number: 20 99
7. ↑ Church of Scotland: Old Parish Registers - Births and baptisms database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 16 May 2021), William Runsiman 11 Apr 1731, Dunbar; citing Parish Number 706, Reference Number: 20 116
8. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Run rig," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Run_rig&oldid=951491176 (accessed May 31, 2021) Wikidata: Item Q3942681
9. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland, Canmore National Record editors, Spott: Enclosure (Period Unassigned), Rig And Furrow (Medieval) accessed 30 May 2021
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Devine T.M. The Scottish Clearances: a history of the dispossessed 1600-1900. London: Penguin Books, 2019
11. ↑ Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 26 May 2021 "Hind n.1, v.1".
12. ↑ Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 20 May 2021 "Ferm n.1, v.".
13. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Acts of Union 1707," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Acts_of_Union_1707&oldid=1025979373 (accessed May 31, 2021) Wikidata: Item Q193515
14. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Seven ill years," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Seven_ill_years&oldid=1013003680 (accessed May 31, 2021) Wikidata: Item Q16934103
15. ↑ Cullen, Karen. Famine in Scotland - the 'Ill Years' of the 1690s. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2010. p.166
16. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Battle of Dunbar (1650)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Dunbar_(1650)&oldid=1023279778 (accessed May 31, 2021) Wikidata: Item Q2605977
17. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland Battle of Dunbar II BTL7 accessed 31 May 2021
18. ↑ Sinclair, Sir John. The Statistical Account of Scotland, Spott, Haddington, Vol. 5, Edinburgh: William Creech, 1793, p. 456. University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow. (1999) The Statistical Accounts of Scotland online service: https://stataccscot.edina.ac.uk:443/link/osa-vol5-p456-parish-haddington-spott accessed 31 May 2021
19. ↑ Ordnance Survey of Scotland. East Lothian OS Name Books, 1853-1854 East Lothian, volume 49 OS1/15/49/33 accessed 20 May 2021
20. ↑ Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 20 May 2021 Mekil(l adj.
21. ↑ Ordnance Survey of Scotland. Six-inch to the mile [map series]. Haddingtonshire, Sheet 12, surveyed: 1853 Southampton: Ordnance Survey Office, 1854 available online accessed 20 May 2021
22. ↑ Bain, Joseph ed. Calendar of documents relating to Scotland preserved in Her Majesty's Public Record Office, London Edinburgh: Her Majesty's General Register House, 1884 Vol. II AD 1272-1307 p. 210 available online accessed 20 May 2021
23. ↑ National Records Scotland Coverage of the Old Parish Registers Dunbar Parish accessed 31 May 2021

Acknowledgements

The genealogy of the Runciman family has been extensively researched by Lorna Henderson. In June 2010 she received correspondence relating to the family tree of Alexander Runciman and Janet Hendie, originally received by D.W. Harry in 1993 from Margaret Taylor nee Blake, Perth, Scotland. Her foundational work on the Runciman family is gratefully acknowledged.

Further details of Alexander Runciman, spouse of Jennet Hendryson are available in his page on the Runciman One Name Study.

As the Last Name at Birth (LNAB) was changed to Hendryson, a new profile was created in place of the original profile Hendrie-15. The work on this original profile by Lorna Henderson is gratefully acknowledged.

The original WikiTree profile Hendrie-15, on which this profile is based, was created through the import of RUNCIMANAlexanderHENDRIEJanet4RWebMyHeritageWikiTree.ged on Oct 18, 2011 by Lorna Henderson. Full details are recorded in the Changes tab above. Stewart-39100 12:22, 31 May 2021 (UTC)