Charles John Thomson Runciman Sr (1881 - 1969)

Born 25 Dec 1881 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth Armstrong — married 5 Jun 1914 in Kelvin, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Descendants

Died 4 Jul 1969 at age 87 in Saltcoats, Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Alan Runciman [send private message]

Biography

This biography was initially auto-generated by a GEDCOM import & later edited with additions & research by Alan Runciman, a grandson.

Name

Charles John Thomson /Runciman/. His wife called him 'Charlie'. ^[1][2]

Birth

Date: 25 DEC 1881. Typical for those with Christmas Day birthdays, Charles always felt 'robbed' of his birthday as it was overtaken by the events & excitement of Christmas Day.

Place: Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. At his parents' home, 259 New City Road. ^[3][4][5]

Marriage

Husband: Charles John Thomson Runciman

Wife: Elizabeth Armstrong

Child: Arthur Alan Runciman

Child: Charles John Thomson Runciman

Marriage:

Date: 5 June 1914

Place: Kelvin, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland^[6]

The marriage took place in the bride's home, 36 Simpson Street, Glasgow, fairly customary for the time, 'after Banns according to the United Free Church.' Charles was described as bachelor, aged 31 and a scientific instrument maker (journeyman). Elizebeth is recorded as a dressmaker. (All 3 of the Armstrong girls were talented dressmakers / seamstresses). The couple's witnesses were Henrietta Armstrong (a sister of the bride) and Melvin Edgar, a friend of the groom who was probably a work colleague at Barr & Stroud where Charles was recorded in 1921 & is believed to have served his apprenticeship. Research indicates that Melvin was the son of a Melvin Edgar Sr who hailed originally from Maybole, Ayrshire but had relocated to Glasgow. The Edgar family had come across from Ireland in the 1800s, just as had the Armstrong family. In the 1901 census Melvin was transcribed as a scientific mast maker and in 1911 as an 'Instrument Maker' in the Electrical industry.

The officiating minister was Rev Robert A Lendrum, a minister of the United Free Church of Scotland. In 1912 Rev Lendrum gifted to Charles a book ‘The Psalms in Human Life’ by Rowland E Prothero which remains in the family today. Although it is now no longer clear why the gift was made one explanation may be it was on the couple’s engagement or on inviting the minister to officiate.

It's not known how the couple met but living in the same area suggests local socialising or possibly the same church.

Occupation

Scientific Instrument Engineer^[7] Charles relocated his family (wife Elizabeth Armstrong, sons Charles and Alan) to Gourock when he took a big step in taking employment at HM Torpedo Factory.

In Glasgow the family lived in a tenement property. The move to Gourock was a major family decision as they decided whether to take the big financial step of moving into a beautiful detached bungalow on a hillside overlooking the Firth of Clyde, but an area completely new to them. Eventually, after considerable debate, this ambitious move was made.

I don't think the "Torpedo Factory" had any other name. Originally based in Woolwich, London it was transferred to Greenock in 1911. "Clyde Built" had a global reputation and its products (ships & associated engineered products) equipped the world. Workers from Woolwich were transferred along with the workload. Apparently they were not impressed by the accommodation available in Greenock, where there was a history of considerable poverty. It seems to have come as a culture shock to the incomers to come up against damp housing and, for example, the "recess" - beds kept in a 'hole in the wall' (a concept of recessed bedding, which saved space in the sitting room during the day, folded up and recessed against the wall). Instead, transferred workers chose nearby Gourock where the quality of housing stock was so much better. In this short period of transfer from Woolwich the modestly sized town of Gourock's population grew by 2,000.

The siting of the Royal Navy's Torpedo Factory at Greenock made the whole area of Greenock, Gourock & Port Glasgow a prime target for Germany's intensive bombing campaigns, most notably the blitz in 1941. Old footage of what Greenock was like in Charles' time during WW2 is linked here Greenock Blitz.

As a scientific instrument maker, Charles input would have been a crucial part of production. After retirement and post-WW2, Charles volunteered to HM Coastguard to monitor the waters of the Clyde for sunken & unexploded mines. This continued until 1958 when the couple, noticeably older, moved house to live with their son Alan & family in Newton Mearns, a suburb of Glasgow. Another interest of Charles was learning foreign languages. He was learned in Latin & Greek from a young age & in retirement became proficient in reading 7 languages. He was well-read & an avid reader of both non-fiction & classic novels.

Although he was no longer associated with it by this stage, the Torpedo Factory was transferred to Alexandra, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, eventually closing completely in 1960.

Census Data

Census:

Date: 1891

Place: Glasgow Barony, , Lanarkshire, Scotland

Note: RUNCIMAN: James 50; Mary 38; Children: Annie 17 pupil teacher; James 15 electrical instrument maker; William 13, Jeanie 11, Charles J 9 scholars; (all b Glasgow); Daniel 4 b Partick, LKS; Mary 6mths b Glasgow^[8]

Census:

Date: 1901

Place: Glasgow, Dist of Kelvin, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Note: RUNCIMAN: James 60 engine pattern maker b Glasgow; Mary 49 b Murrayfield Edin; Children: James T 25 electical engineer; William M D 23 theological student, Jeanie S 21 teacher, Charles J S 19 elec instrument maker app; (all b Glasgow); Donald S 14 heraldic engraver app b Patrick, LKS; Mary S 10 scholar b Glasgow; Lodger Elizabeth L ROBERTSON 24 tailoress b Helensburgh Argyllshire; Visitor: Jane M ROBERTSON 30 cook dom^[9]

Census:

Date: 1911

Place: Glasgow, Dist of Kelvin, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Charles is one of 4 adult children (the others are Jeanie 31, Donald, 25 and Mary 20) living with their widowed mother Mary Runciman, 59, at 188 St Georges Road, Glasgow in the eighth, or Park, ward. As head of the household his mother Mary presumably was responsible for providing the information recorded. Charles is stated to be an optician in the optical industry. Places of work were not recorded until the 1921 census.

Census:

Date: 1921

Place: Glasgow, Dist of Partick, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Charles married in 1914 so this census records him with wife Elizabeth and their two children Charles & Alan (recorded as ‘Charles JT’ & ‘Arthur A’ Runciman). The family are living at 37 White Street in Partick, Glasgow. Their tenement flat consists of 3 rooms (excl kitchen & bathroom). Charles is a scientific instrument maker(?) with Barr & Stroud, a renowned Glasgow company. This is almost certainly the company which gave him his apprenticeship, though no research for a such a record has been undertaken.

Runciman residence from 1914 to c1930.

This photo is taken 100 years after the Runciman family lived there. In 1927 several adjoining burghs were absorbed into Glasgow. Because many road names ended up duplicated an exercise in renaming & renumbering took place to absorb them into the enlarged Glasgow burgh. White Street was extended and renumbered; No 37 became 81 which is the case in this photo.

Death

Date: 4 July 1969

Place: Saltcoats, , Ayrshire, Scotland^[10]

While taking a holiday on the Ayrshire coast sadly Charles died during the night at his boarding-house.

Burial

The grave is one of 3 lairs in a Runciman plot purchased by Alan Runciman Sr in 1956.

Charles is buried in the family plot in Mearnskirk Cemetery. The plot consists of 3 adjoining lairs. The cemetery is about 1/4 mile from the parish church known as Mearns Kirk whose original Kirk yard burial ground is full. There's been a religious settlement on the site since the 800s.

Ancestors of Interest

John Potter, a Scottish Covenanter captured after the Battle of Airdsmoss & hanged at the Mercat Cross, Edinburgh in 1680.

William Runciman of Crail, who drowned with 7 other fishermen in the Crail Fishing Disaster, 1765.

More information about the Crail Fishing Disaster & its 250th Anniversary Commemoration is here Disaster.

WikiTree Profiles of Interest -

Runciman histories in associated profiles:

A comprehensive list of links to the profiles of Runciman family people, events & places on the Crail lineage is available here.

Sources

• Source: S212 Title: 1891 Census for Scotland, Record Type: Census transcripts, Location: Scotland, Record Info: via Ancestry.com Abbreviation: Census: 1891 SCT via Ancestry Publication: 1891 Repository: #R121
• Repository: R121 Name: Ancestry.com Address: Country: USA
• Source: S2970 Title: Statutory Registers Index: SCT, Subject: Births deaths marriages index, Location: Scotland 1855+, Film Number: http://scotlandspeople.gov.uk Abbreviation: SCT: SR Index Note: (index searches)
• Source: S3027 Title: EM RUNCIMAN/WISHART/JAMIESON ex Alan R, Address: Ayr, SCT, Author E-mail: Abbreviation: EM RUNCIMAN/WISHART/JAMIESON ex Alan R Author: Alan RUNCIMAN
• Source: S3222 Title: "Scotland and Beyond" (2004) plus subsequent research by Alan RUNCIMAN, Ros RUNCIMAN, Lawrence FLETCHER, Lorna HENDERSON & many, many others, Compiler Address: UK, Australia and New Zealand Abbreviation: "Scotland and Beyond" (2004), plus subsequent research Author: Diane Middleton Jen Jelley Alan Runciman Ros Runciman Laurie Fletcher Lorna Henderson and many others Publication: Jul 2013 Note: imported on 2013/07/24 at 15:44:27.
• Source: S3223 Title: Birth Registration Abbreviation: Birth Registration
• Source: S3224 Title: Old Gourock Abbreviation: Old Gourock Publication: Stenlake Publishing

1. ↑ Source: #S212 Page: Kelvin, Glasgow Barony, LKS, Reg 644/9 ED 9 Pg 17 Sched 88, hsehold of James & Mary RUNCIMAN, extracted Jun 2007
2. ↑ Source: #S3027 Page: Birth 1881 Dth 1969 Charles John Thomson s/o James RUNCIMAN & Mary THOMSON, extracted from MyHeritage William of Crail tree, Jun 2011
3. ↑ Source: #S3223 Page: Kelvin, Glasgow (from the original extract; no filing references shown) CONT 6 JAN 1882
4. ↑ Source: #S2970 Page: Birth reg. 1882 Charles John Th RUNCIMAN , reg. Kelvin, Glasgow City, LKS, 644/09 0027, extracted from index Jan 2012
5. ↑ Source: #S212 Page: Kelvin, Glasgow Barony, LKS, Reg 644/9 ED 9 Pg 17 Sched 88, hsehold of James & Mary RUNCIMAN, extracted Jun 2007
6. ↑ Source: #S2970 Page: Marr. 1914 Charles J Thoms RUNCIMAN & Elizabeth ARMSTRONG, re.g Kelvin, LKS 644/13 0145, extracted from index Jan 2012
7. ↑ Source: #S3222
8. ↑ Source: #S212 Page: Kelvin, Glasgow Barony, LKS, Reg 644/9 ED 9 Pg 17 Sched 88, hsehold of James & Mary RUNCIMAN, extracted Jun 2007
9. ↑ Source: #S214 Page: Kelvin, Glasgow Barony, LKS, Reg 644/9 ED 13 Pg 9 Sched 57, hsehold of James & Mary RUNCIMAN, extracted Jun 2007
10. ↑ Source: #S2970 Page: Dth 1969 Charles John T RUNCIMAN , aged 87, reg. Eastwood & Mearns, RFW 562/00 0324, extracted from index Jan 2012

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Alan Runciman for creating WikiTree profile Runciman-598 through the import of RUNCIMANAlansPaternal4WikiTreeAug2013.ged on Aug 29, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Alan and others.