Menu

4. The Quest for a Cultivated Mind

The Victorians lived next to their factories and mines, but the Wardlaw Ramsays preferred Tillicoultry House, on the edge of the town, with the Ochils rising steeply behind. It was a plain building, designed to be a shooting lodge, but proved a perfect family home. There, the aristocratic Anne Lindsay could play with her children, and have fun sketching them and their surroundings. She was a keen botanist and surveyed the local mosses. She enjoyed music and could play the piano. Guests included Sir Walter Scott, botanists, and a great many men of the cloth. Anne and her husband were both keen teetotallers, allowing no alcohol on the premises. They attended the Charlotte Church when in Edinburgh, where they had a large town house. The couple was also planning to build a large representative country house at Whitehill, and spent many evenings poring over plans by Burns. This house was not built in their lifetime, but their son Robert spent a fortune on it. He can’t have known that the family’s fortunes were about to change.

Balcarres Wardlaw Ramsay

As a younger son, Balcarres (1822-1885) was given a good education and secured a commission in the army, where his amiable nature and intelligence were…

William’s humorous sketches

The family albums contain a few such sketches by the young William, which were evidently prized. They show an eye for a humorous situation, and…

Tillicoultry house – early photo

This house was lived in by the Wardlaw Ramsays in the first half of the 19th century because Whitehill was let to relatives, and was…

Sketch of the daughters of George Linsday

Lindsday girls at Tillicoultry House

George Linsday sent his daughters to stay with his sister Anne. The climate in Calcutta was affecting their health, so they sailed back to Scotland…

Mrs Wardlaw

Robert’s mother with her grandson, William, sketched by Lady Anne. A charming scene from the early years of Anne’s marriage to Robert. She can’t have…

The Lindsay connection

Lady Anne’s father brothers and home

Lady Anne’s Sketchbook

Mrs Martin, reading When Anne Lindsay married Robert Wardlaw Ramsay, she took her sketchbook to Tillicoultry and found time to draw…

Lady Anne’s sketchbooks

Anne Lindsay started this sketch book when she was still living in Balcarres with her sisters and extended family. These sketches show her young relatives…

Watercolour painting by Lady Anne Ramsay

Lady Anne’s album – Tillicoultry

Ann filled several albums with a miscellany of prints, drawings and humorous tales and poems. Some of the drawings were contributed by visitors, and some…

Hypnum.

Mosses of Tillicoultry

Musci tillicoultrienses Frontispiece dedication to Lady Anne Mosses collected on the estate of Tillicoultry by J.B.H [James B. Howison] during the year 1833. This delightful…

Anne Lindsay as a widow (d.1846)

After her husband’s death in 1837, Anne went to live at 24 Landsdowne Place in Royal Leamington Spa, with Balcarres and John, who were still…

Charles Robert Lindsay of Calcutta, Hon

Comptroller of the Customs at Calcutta Charles was brother to Lady Anne, and joined the East India Company in his teens. His breakthrough came when…

Margaret Martin, widow

Mrs Margaret Martin, Widow Mrs Martin was a clergyman’s widow; she had been a companion to Lady Anne since before her marriage and went with…

Missiri

Missiri was a resouceful Coptic courier, whose services were engaged in Cairo by Alexander Lindsay and William WR during their Tour. They were impressed by…

Ann Barnard

Barnard, Lady Ann (1750-1825), author and artist Godmother and aunt to Lady Anne, she was born Anne Lindsay, one of nine children in the family…

Anne Lindsay with Balcarres and John

This lovely family group was painted by Sir John Watson Gordon soon after her husband Robert had travelled post haste to Lucca, to prevent their…

John Wardlaw Ramsay

The youngest child of Lady Anne and Robert Wardlaw Ramsay, shown in this silhouette still in his petticoats, and holding a whip. As a younger…

William Wardlaw Ramsay

The oldest child of Lady Anne and Robert Wardlaw Ramsay, William was the repository of their hopes and dreams. His mother drew many pictures of…

Anne Lindsay; music and art

Lady Anne was talented draughtswoman who spent many happy hours filling her sketchbooks with drawings of her children and friends, generally seated with slightly desperate…

Family silhouette

A survival from the nursery – this picture was snipped by the celebrated silhouettist Auguste Edouard shortly before he sailed to New York to make…