Janet (Peden) Richmond (abt. 1734 - abt. 1754)

Wife of Matthew Richmond — married 20 Dec 1751 in Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland

Died about 20 Dec 1754 at about age 20 in Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland

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Biography

She married Matthew Richmond in Mauchline, Ayrshire on 20th December 1851. ^[1]

Children

• James Richmond
• James Richmond
• John Richmond
• Matthew Richmond
• Janet Richmond

A similar document as the one confirming Matthew as his father's eldest son and heir makes a reference to his marriage to Janet. ^[2] This may refer to Matthew's estate however it is un dated.

Another is dated 9th April 1755 and confirms her death which occurred the previous year. ^[3]

She is believed to have died in December 1754 and was buried in Mauchline, Ayrshire on 20th December 1754. ^[4]

Research Notes

There is no record of Janet's birth and 1734 is an estimated date based on her husband's date of birth. They would therefore both have been about 17 when they married - young, but credible in a time when the legal age for marriage for boys was 14 and girls 12.

A search of Scotlands People Old Parish Records only reveal 11 Peden births in any Ayrshire parish between 1700 and 1750 and none of them occur in Galston, Mauchline or Loudon parishes. Between 1700 and 1800 there were 25 Peden marriages in Ayrshire; three of these were in Loudon and four in Mauchline, including Matthew and Janet.

Their first child, James was was born in 1752 and thereafter there is a long gap until the next child, also James was born in 1761. This is not credible.

The record of the burial of Janet Richmond in Mauchline is not the only Richmond burial. There were three others and there is a case for arguing they were all the same family.

• Mary Richmond, Mauchline was buried on 29th January 1754
• James Richmond, Mauchline was buried on 2 February 1754
• Janet Richmond, Mauchline was buried 20th December 1754
• Mary Richmond, Mauchline was buried 20th December 1754

There is no information about these people, not their ages or relationship, only that they lived in Mauchline and were buried there. We know from the above Probate documents that Matthew was a 'merchant in Mauchline' as opposed to the farmer at Roughdyke Farm, so bearing that in mind the data below can be interpreted as follows:

Mary was born after James (1752), in December 1753 or January 1754 and died soon after birth on 29th January 1754. Her brother James also died on 2nd February 1754. Their mother, Janet, was again preganant and when the girl was born November/December 1754 she was named Mary in memory of her sister and possibly Janet's mother. Both child and mother died and were buried together on 20th December 1754. All this information can be found on the same OPR Deaths and Burials record. ^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ “Church of Scotland: Old Parish Registers – Banns and Marriages” database, National Records of Scotland, Scotlands People (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 2 Sep 2023), Matthew Richmond and Janet Peden, 20 Dec 1751, Mauchline; Parish Number: 604, Reference Number: 10 192.
2. ↑ “UK, Extracted Probate Records, 1269-1975 [database on-line; Original data: Electronic databases created from various publications of probate records; Name: Matthew Richmond/Janet Peden, Date: 13 Jan 1761; Place: Mauchline, Ayr, Scotland; Book: Marriages; Collection: Ayr, Lanark, and Stirling: - The commissariot record of Glasgow Register of testamenis, 1547-1800; Volume: The Commissariot Record of Glasgow; Chapter: Register of Testaments, 1547-1800; Text: Richmond Mathew, merchant in Mauchline. See Peden Janet.
3. ↑ “UK, Extracted Probate Records, 1269-1975 [database on-line; Original data: Electronic databases created from various publications of probate records; Name: Peden Janet/Matthew Richmond, Date: 9 April 1755; Place: Mauchline, Ayr, Scotland; Book: Marriages; Collection: Ayr, Lanark, and Stirling: - The commissariot record of Glasgow Register of testamenis, 1547-1800; Volume: The Commissariot Record of Glasgow; Chapter: Register of Testaments, 1547-1800; Text: Peden Janet, spouse to Mathew Richmond, merchant in Mauchline 09 Apr 1755.
4. ↑ “Church of Scotland: Old Parish Registers – Deaths” database, National Records of Scotland, Scotlands People (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 04 Mar 2024), Janet Richmond, 20 Dec 1754, Mauchline; Parish Number: 604, Reference Number: 10 198.
5. ↑ “Church of Scotland: Old Parish Registers – Deaths” database, National Records of Scotland, Scotlands People (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 04 Mar 2024), Janet Richmond, 20 Dec 1754, Mauchline; Parish Number: 604, Reference Number: 10 198.