William Raeburn 1810-1868

1810. William Reburn baptised to Charles Reburn & Elspet Anderson in Gamrie Banff on 5/2/1810- FMP, IGI &-Ancestry Irvine family tree . Gamrie~14 k E of Banff

His parents had married in 1795. A James Raeburn was baptised to a Charles Raeburn & Elspet Anderson in Ordiquil in 1792- IGI- this 3 years before their marriage. Other children were: baptised Gamrie Banff: Charles 1797; Margaret 1798; Elspet 1800; Elizabeth 1801; Isobel 1803; George 1805; John 1807; William 1810; Robert 1812; - FS

The family lived in Gamrie, Banff until 1812 at least, but then moved to Macduff, probably ~1820.

1838. William Raeburn, merchant Macduff, of Gamrie parish, married Eliza Bannerman, of Banff parish, on 3/6/1838 in Banff Parish Church - Banff-Ancestry. Bought off SP but, as I feared, does not tell me her parents

"Little is known about Eliza except that she came of well to do people. It was likely her money that paid for the Banff property, for the property in Macduff- that of Charles Raeburn 1770??- remained in the family till ~1920 "

1841C. William Raeburn, 30, is living High Street Banff with his wife and firstborn.

William	Raeburn	Male	30	1811	Banffshire, Scotland
Eliza	Raeburn	Female	25	1816	Banffshire, Scotland
Charles	Raeburn	Male	2	1839	Banffshire, Scotland
Margaret	McPherson	Female	15	1826	Banffshire, Scotland

1842. . William Raeburn baptised to William & Eliza in Banff on 4/1/1842, born 22/12/1841 -F S

1841-1851. His wife, Eliza Raeburn, dies . In Charles Raeburn's family history Eliza Raeburn died 1844 - this just does not appear on SP. Her death was actually 23/9/1844- from their joint gravestone- at end of page

"The children were brought up by a housekeeper servant who lived to a great age, looked after by Charles 1839 and remembered by his son Charles 1876 as a frail old lady living on endless cups of strong black tea and forever knitting stockings"

1846. William Raeburn subscribed 10s 6 d for the Church Spire- FMP Newspapers.

A few years before his father's death, 1854, William bought a property in Banff and opened a business on the same lines as that of his father. It was a better centre, being the county town, and having a weekly corn and produce market of some importance. He also leased a couple of acres on the outskirts of the town where he grew feed for a pony as well as market produce .From the accounts of those who knew him, William was a much respected man, always ready to help anyone in distress. It was said of him that he was ever more concerned lest he should overcharge than that he made a profit from any deal. He took no interest in Church or town affairs, but he was diligent in his business as long as his health permitted, and he carried himself well in spite of the early loss of his first wife and the tragedy of his 2nd marriage

1851C.William Raeburn, 39, seedsman, widower, born Gamrie, Banff , is living with his 2 young sons at 27 High Street Banff.

William	Reburn	Head	Widower	Male	39	1812	Seedsman	Gamrie, Banffshire, Scotland
Charles	Reburn	Son	Unmarried	Male	11	1840	Scholar	Banff, Banffshire, Scotland
William	Reburn	Son	Unmarried	Male	9	1842	Scholar	Banff, Banffshire, Scotland
Christian	Smith	Servant	Unmarried	Female	15	1836	House Serv	Gamrie, Banffshire,

"After a time William married again but, unfortunately it seems to have been an unhappy union. His son, Charles 1839, never spoke of his stepmother[ one of his principles was to keep silent when no good could be spoken]. But contemporaries later remarked often on how sad it was that such a kind man should get such a bad 2nd wife . After only a few years a separation took place and the 2nd Mrs William Raeburn disappears from the story!" Irvine family tree led me to 8/7/1862 remarriage to Mary Ann Gosnell- see certificate below . I guess that this marriage only thus lasted 1-3 years . The only reference to his 2nd wife- that Charles 1876 discovered in a box of his grtandfather's papers after his own father's death in 1894- , was lawyer's statements of account in which half-yearly payments of £35 were recorded as having been paid to Mrs Raeburn. This did not appear in statements of later date than[as far as I can remember] 1850- this obviously a false recollection as the marriage did not take place until 1862!!

The business in Banff seems to have prospered at first. Anyhow, both boys got as good an education as one would expect sons of such a businessman to get in those days. Charles was kept at school till he was then the abnormal age of 15. Besides a very thorough grounding in the 3 Rs, he had learned a little Latin, the elemnts of land surveying and some botany. On leaving school he was taken into his father's business. William had a similar education and was articled to a lawyer in town

1858. William Raeburn, seedsman, of 28 High Street, Banff, advertised several times in the Banff Journal

1861. William Raeburn, 49, born Gamrie, Banff, seedsman, employing 1 boy living 29 High Street Banff. Who is Elsie Raeburn?? - not in 1841 or 1851C- just a coincidence? Certainly not baptised to William & Eliza. An Elspet Raeburn is baptised 1839 to James Raeburn & Isobel Milne in Macduff - SP . So, she could be a niece, william having a much older brother, James 1792.

William	Raeburn	-	Widower	Male	49	1812	Seedsman-Empg 1 Boy)	Banff, Banffshire, Scotland
Elsie	Raeburn	-	Unmarried	Female	21	1840	House Keeper	Banff, Banffshire, Scotland
Alexander	Anderson	-	-	Male	13	1848	Shop Boy

1862. He remarried , widower, aged 58, on 8/7/1862, Mary Ann Gosnell . Purchased this marriage to ensure it was he. Also found the marriage mentioned on FMP Newspapers, Mary Ann being the youngest daughter of John Gosnell, of Newport, Shropshire, England

1864. His son, William Raeburn, 22, - always a sickly child, died of consumptionon 16/5/1864- brief mention in Aberdeen Press-FMP. His other son, Charles, returns north for the funeral and found that his father was not at all well. His health was so poor that he could not give sufficient attention to the business & he begged his son to return home. This he did in October 1867

Gravestone Banff of William Raeburn, merchant, died aged 22, in 1864, of Charles Raeburn, died aged 55, July 1894 and of his wife, Margaret Henderson, died aged 84, in 1926

The business, which had once been so prosperous, had suffered much through his father's long illness. On top of that was the fact that his father had become security for more than one neighbour in financial difficulty and had been left to pay up. Indeed, if all had to be sold up the estate would have been bankrupt.

1868, William Raeburn dies 15/5/1868 at 28 High Street, Banff - from Irvine Family tree & FMP Newspapers . Also in the Aberdeen Journal, a very brief notice, on the 15/5/1868, at Banff, aged 56. No probate. Certificate on SP would only confirm his parents , who we have from his 1862 marriage anyway

Not sure from the inscription on whether this headstone is in the Old Churchyard, or another one, in Banff