Seldom do we not know the names of male portraits, unlike female portraits whose identities are soon forgotten.Anyway, this miniature is clearly a momento for…

For centuries, letters were secured with wax seals which were stamped with appropriate designs. Three seals survive, the oldest may indeed have started as a…

Arthur Balcarres Wardlaw Ramsay was apparently taken back to discover that his Wardlaw ancestors had been far more eminent than the Ramsays whose papers he…

This delightful portrait was acquired by the National Gallery of Scotland. It’s of Katherine Hall of Dunglas, and was painted in 1736, just before Allan…

Admiring Sir John’s fine suit of armour leads me to take another look at his son’s breastplate. Sir Andrew’s appears to consist of overlapping copper…

It’s always a happy moment when an old portrait comes back from the restorer looking a million dollars! This is especially the case with our…

The medieval church was under Ramsay patronage, so deceased family members were presumably buried inside the church. Thus, when it was demolished in 1711, a…

The sun was shining as I walked along the newly-mown lane to the old cemetery. To my surprise, the whole area had been mown, exposing…

First, James arranged to borrow 3000 merks from William Robertsone of Edinburgh (Bond dated 20 August 1664) to pay the fee.  When the Patent was…

Large families were ideal, given the high mortality rate. Male heirs were essential for preserving the baronetcy (purchased 1665) so younger sons were important. William…

The previously hidden necklace Who knew this necklace had a story to tell? First of all, it was discovered by the restorer, who removed a…

A letter from Archibald Campbell dated Wednesday morning lands in Whitehill, reminding Major Ramsay that his Grieve has delivered only 2 carts of coal to…

The defence strategy adopted in 1798 was to present the invaders with a desolate hostile landscape, empty of people, animals, houses and crops. The Pioneers…

We meet all the adult male inhabitants of Bannockrig in one schedule. The list features 52 names, many of them related. For instance, the first…

We’re told that agricultural labour relations were changing radically at this time. Farms were being reorganised into larger divisions, tilled by servants, many of them…

Two schedules provide information about small farmers. One lists a group of 14 men, who include 5 Wilsons and 2 Ramages, living on 6 farms….

A letter to Major Ramsay in Whitehill House casts light on the schedule process. It’s from James Brown in Newbattle; he was clearly another of…

The lists that Scott sent to Major Ramsay were collated into a single schedule. It records a cluster of tenant farmers south of Cockpen. One…

Revolutionary France declared war on Britain on 1 Feb 1793, but it was the imminent rebellion in Ireland (aided by France) that prompted the 1797…

For recruitment purposes, these places were ideal as so many men gathered there. Take North Mill, founded in 1750 (later called Polton Paper Mill). The…