Robert Bow and Marion Rankin

If you stumble across the following address, then a James BOW lived there. He travelled to New York, landing on 11th October 1909, aged 22, and was a journalist.

3 Albany Crescent, Glasgow
 
Mutters said:
There is a wonderful civil history of Kilsyth.
http://www.paperclip.org.uk/kilsythweb/history/archivesources/IICivilHistory.htm
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What a good find, Mutters, thank you. :) From that it looks as if Bogside was earlier the home of the Rankin/Ranken family and that the Bows were at Auchenrivoch (which is where my 'Family Register' says Robert Bow was born).

Mutters said:
If you cannot find a family to give the register to perhaps the parish would be interested.
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That is an excellent idea. I hope to visit Kilsyth, as my ancestor George Park was a doctor there for many years; it would be good to take the Bows back home at the same time.
 
Ma-dotcom said:
So very sad Huncamunca, & who knows? perhaps the 'lunatic' conditon was something familiar to us today like epilepsy or similar. Even cysts on the brain which may well have been hereditary.
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I am hoping that I may be able to find out more, Wendy: I have discovered that there are many surviving records for the asylum where Robert spent so much of his life. They include 'admission warrants' and case notes. I shall be writing today to find out if I can obtain copies. They may make grim reading, but I feel I need to know why Robert was locked away for so long.
 
Some updates from Scotland's People . . .

The statutory death register tells me that 29 year old John Bow was single when he died of phthisis pulmonalis on 29 March 1892 at 383 St George's Road. The informant was his brother James E. Bow of 158 Woodlands Road, Glasgow (which is also given as John Bow's 'usual residence').

In his will he left everything to his brothers William Rankin Bow, Peter Bow and James Ebenezer Bow.

Peter Bow was still living in Larbert in March 1894 when he made his will, in which he said 'I Peter Bow son of the deceased Robert Bow Coalmaster Kilsyth . . . do hereby leave and bequeath to my brothers William Rankin Bow and James Ebenezer Bow and their respective issue whom failing to the survivor of them and his issue. All and sundry Means and Estate heritable and moveable real and personal of every kind and description...'

By the time Peter died, in that New Zealand asylum in 1898, his brother William Rankin Bow had succumbed to the same disease that killed John Bow in 1892.

James Ebenezer Bow did not leave a will, but after his death in 1899 my great-great-aunt Jane Bow (by then a widow) is mentioned in documents on Scotland's People as the 'Executor dative of the deceased', along with her children 'Robert Rankin Bow, Marion Bow and George Clark Bow', they as next of kin and she as their administrator in law. James Ebenezer Bow's inventory included half the value of the estate of his late brother Peter. I have to conclude that neither Peter nor James had any children of their own.

Thus despite having seven children and three grandchildren, Robert Bow and Marion Rankin probably have no living descendants at all.

Out of curiosity I have obtained details of the marriage of Robert Bow and Marion Rankin from Scotland's People. They married at Bogside 'according to the forms of the Free Church of Scotland' on 3 December 1857. The marriage register gives more detail than English registers, telling me the names of both parents of the bride and groom. Marion Rankin was the daughter of William Rankin and Agnes Cleland, while Robert Bow was the son of John Bow and Helen Robertson (deceased). Perhaps I will start looking for more distant relations now . . .
 
Methinks you will have a convoluted journey ahead, although surely there must be some connection between all the Bows and Rankins? I'll have a look at the papers for anything which may help.

Best wishes
Ann
 
Well, I've been looking, but needle in haystack springs to mind :(

The names Bow and Rankin aren't exactly uncommon in Scotland! The only notices I have found, so far, don't really tell us much - except how unlucky the family was as regards children.

Glasgow Herald
7.12.1857
At Bogside, on the 3rd instant, by the Rev. William, Burns, Mr Robert Bow, coalmaster, Kilsyth, to Marion, daughter of William Rankine, Esq.

Dundee Courier
14.9.1869
At Bogside, Kilsyth, on the 12th inst., of scarlatina, Robert, aged 3 years, son of Robert Bow, Esq., coalmaster.

Glasgow Herald
21.9.1869
At Bogside, Kilsyth, on the 18th inst., of scarlatina, Agnes Clelland, aged 5 years and 4 months, only daughter of Robert Bow, Esq., coalmaster.

Robert Bow was obviously a pillar of the local community as he was on about every committee going, but that doesn't help!

Will keep looking.......
Ann
 
Thank you Ann, it is very kind of you to plough through the newspapers for me. ():-)

Don't be surprised if this thread is in a different place next time you see it: I have asked the mods to move it to Stirlingshire. Not sure what made me put it in Lanarkshire in the first place.:confused:
 
There's a long obituary for William Rankin Bow in the Falkirk Herald of 1 February 1896 [under heading 'Kilsyth']:

DEATH OF MR WM. BOW, LARBERT. - By the death of Mr William Bow which took place at "The Hollies,", Larbert, on Saturday, a link connecting the present with the past has been severed. The family with which he was connected have been known here for generations. Deceased's father was tenant of Bogside and a mine owner in the district, and in his day took a part in the public affairs of the town. The son, now deceased, carried on the colliery for a time, but being inexperienced in that line of business, he soon gave it up, and apprenticed himself to Messrs Galbraith, writers, Glasgow, latterly setting up in business on his own account in Glasgow. About seven years ago he was appointed secretary to the Larbert Asylum, in which position he has all along discharged his duties to the satisfaction of the directors. In April last he was laid aside from work by an illness, and was confined almost wholly to his bed until his death. He was married to Miss Jane Park, second daughter of Dr Park of this place, who has been left with three children to mourn the loss of a husband who has been cut down in the prime of life, and in her sorrow she will have the sympathy of a large section of the community, as her husband was held in high esteem by all who had any dealings with him. He was buried here on Wednesday, the funeral being private.​

I have only just noticed that the previous news item in that issue of the Falkirk Herald is a report of the funeral of Dr Hugh Park. He was the brother of the Jane Park who married William Rankin Bow. Poor Jane lost a brother and her husband on consecutive days. :(

The Scottish War Graves Project has a photograph of a memorial at Kilsyth to William Rankin Bow, his widow Jane (who remarried, and lived to be 90) and their youngest son George, who was killed in action in 1917:

http://
scottishwargraves.phpbbweb.com/scottishwargraves-ftopic511-0-asc-30.html

(see post made on 17 June 2008 at 12.17 p.m.)
 
I found the obit for William after I signed off yesterday and was going to post it today - but I must admit to not noticing the mention of Dr Park. As you say, poor Jane. I think you really are going to have your work cut out to find any family members who survived what life seems to have thrown at them.

Ann
 
I'm still looking :)

I found the following in the Edinburgh Gazette of the 17th July 1849

The Copartnership of the Subscribers, the Sole Partners, hitherto carrying on business under the Firm of WILLIAM BOW & CO., in the Parish of Kilsyth, as Coalmasters and Manufacturers of Roman Cement, &c, and at Port-Dundas, Glasgow, as Coal and Cement Merchants, is this day DISSOLVED by mutual consent; which Dissolution being occasioned by the retirement of William Bow, the Business will be continued as formerly by the other Partners, under the Firm of Bow & Co,, who will pay all debts and received all payments due by and to the late Firm as well as fulfil all their engagements.

PETER BOW
WILLIAM BOW
EBENEZER BOW
ROBERT BOW
George Muirhead, Witness
Thomas Stirling, Witness
Auchenrivich, Kilsyth, July 2 1849

I am presuming this is Robert, his two brothers and his father?

I'm sure there must be more to be found in the Edinburgh Gazette. You will find the above at http://www.
edinburgh-gazette.co.uk/issues/5875/pages/671

Ann
 
AnnB said:
I'm still looking :)
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oh, thank you Ann
{-(^^)-}

That notice you found in the Edinburgh Gazette is most interesting. It ties up very nicely with a will I've found for a Peter Bow, coalmaster at Port Dundas, who had siblings Ebenezer, Robert and Marion according to the results listing in Scotland's People (he was dead by 1870). (I will need to buy more credits to see the will as I just spent my last ones on probate records for their father John Bow, who died in 1872. Will report back on that a bit later.)

I suspect the William Bow who was retiring in 1849 is another brother of Peter, Ebenezer and Robert. The baptism entries indexed on FamilySearch have a gap between Elizabeth (born and bapt. 1813) and Ebenezer (born and bapt. 1818), so perhaps that is where William belongs. Indeed there is a tree online which says he was baptised at Kilsyth in 1816:

http://www.
shaweb.net/kilsythscotland/2/20218.htm

so I have pencilled him in but am still looking for confirmation.

Thank you again for your help, Ann. The more we look, the more it seems that this whole family just fizzled out. I'm afraid the Parks didn't fare much better, but that story will have to wait for another thread.
 
Huncamunca said:
It ties up very nicely with a will I've found for a Peter Bow, coalmaster at Port Dundas, who had siblings Ebenezer, Robert and Marion according to the results listing in Scotland's People (he was dead by 1870).
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Glasgow Herald 18th July 1869
Suddenly at 17 Holmhead Street [Glasgow] on the 17th inst., Peter Bow, coalmaster.

Ann
 
AnnB said:
I've had a look at the newspapers to see if I could find anything of use, but not had much luck. However there are several mentions of a Mrs Rankin Bow who appears to have been the widow of a Dr Rankin Bow and was a Martin before she married. Her mother's obit in the Dundee Courier for the 8th January 1924 reads -

WILL BE MISSED IN ELIE. Last Tributes to Mrs Martin. The interment took place in Elie Churchyard yesterday of Mrs Martin, Breakwater House, Elie, and was attended by a large and representative concourse of mourners. A funeral service was held in the Parish Church, and. was conducted by Rev. D. M. Bell, Elie, when a large congregation met to pay their last tribute. The pall-bearers were—Mr Hardie D. Martin (son), Mr P. W. Martin (grandson), Mr J. D. R. Bow (grandson), Mr P. Handyside (cousin). Sir Robert Greig, Mr lan Maclntyre, Mr J. C. Munro Kerr; Mr N. Munro Kerr. Mrs Martin died in Edinburgh at the house her daughter, Mrs Rankin Bow, with whom she had been staying for the past few months. News of her sudden demise came as a great shock to her many friends Elie. Closely Identified with Elie, Mrs Martin, who was a descendant the Bennets of Broomlees, was closely identified with Elie and its interests. Her early days were spent Liverpool, where she married Mr John D. Martin, shipping agent, who predeceased her by about 30 years. Local love was so strong a characteristic of Mrs Martin's personality that she returned to the scene of her childhood days, and had since made Elie her home. Benevolent and large-hearted, Mrs Martin will be missed far and near. Her unassuming generosity was a household word. She had a large circle of friends, who delighted in the ready wit and repartee which she inherited from her Irish mother. She was a keen lover of animals, particularly of dogs, and strongly denounced vivisection. Mrs Martin is survived by her son, Mr Hardie Martin, stockbroker Liverpool, and by her daughter, Mrs Rankin Bow, widow of Dr Rankin Bow, Edinburgh.

Do you think there is any connection? Or is this a totally unrelated Rankin Bow?

Best wishes
Ann
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Thank you very much for posting this It has help me greatly put some date in order the Martin family is descended for Provost John Martin of Greenock who married a Macfie of the sugar Macfie family of Greenock
 
Well i am not sure of my lineage I would have to verify with the cousin calculator on Ancestry

But i can tell you the information i have put on the web page site freepages.rootsweb.com/~macfie/genealogy/Martin.html

is information that was recorded my Lady McClure before her death in 1906 my grandfather Robert Macfie had the book in his possession so i started with what was written down in some places i have been able to expand on family records , but those are mostly the direct line of Macfie

I see one record i have here is Mary Hardie Martin marrying Maxwell Rankin Bow in 1898
I do not know id that is what you are referring to if so then I came from the Martin Macfie line at the beginning



Douglas Macfie
Moncton New Brunswick
Canada
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