Anna Rynsiman (bef. 1715)

Born before 14 Feb 1715 in North Berwick, Haddingtonshire, Scotland

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

Biography

Anna is the 6th and last child observed in the OPRs born to William Rynsiman & Jean White.

Name

Anna is an unusual choice but examination of her baptism record (below) indicates quite clearly that there has been no indexing or later confusion with the more usual Ann or Anne with spurious pen strokes or 'curly' writing and her name is indeed Anna.

Another baptism of an Anna Runciman occurred in the same period. The second baptism occurred just 4 years later in nearby Haddington to a William Runciman & Barbara Innes. This couple had another two children, Margaret and Alexander. It is believed this couple has not been researched, or at least established, for lineage. Given the appearance of Anna in addition to a Margaret baptism its not impossible that the two families are related.

Baptism

Anna was baptised at North Berwick Parish Church on 13 February 1715. No reference is made to her date of birth. It was common practice to baptise within days of a child's birth (in some parishes, on the day of birth) but this cannot be assumed. Hence her date of birth is stated on this Profile as 'before 14th February...'

North Berwick Parish Church - Filing Ref No 713/20/341.

On 13th February 1715 the register records:

'William Rynsiman & Jean White in this parish had a child baptised here named (Anna) Witnesses Richard Richeson & James Watson.'

It is not known whether the two witnesses are family relatives or family friends. Richard Richeson in particular witnessed a number of the couple's childrens' baptisms. Also to be seen on the same page is a witness named Richard Richardson. Perhaps this is the same person although the Runciman witness has been consistently spelled as Richeson throughout the baptisms.

Other Records

A search of Registrations in the Old Parish Records for Marriages and Deaths reveals there has been only one marriage of an Anna in the appropriate timeframe (1737) and no deaths were recorded. There were two baptisms in the same era as Anna's so the marriage record cannot be deemed with any certainty to belong to this Anna. As one of the baptisms occurred in Haddington and the other in Perthshire (where the marriage occurred) at least one of these is a stronger candidate, although the Perthshire Anna would have been very young, having been baptised in 1722, only 15 years before the marriage.

So it is concluded that nothing more is known of the life of Anna after her baptism.

Sources

• Old Parish Register of North Berwick Parish Church - Filing Ref No 713/20/341 available online @ www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk