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The furthest back ancestor I can trace direct descent to so far is a John Brand, who married Jonnet Miller in 1674, in Fossoway and Tullibole, Kinross. His son, William Brand, born 1680, married Janet Syme or Sim in Beath in 1713. William and Janet's son David was born in 1725, the 5th of six children I know of. David entered the Incorporation of Weavers in Dunfermline at the age of 13 in 1738, and he is mentioned several times in the manuscripts of that organisation. One son (illegitimate, from his relationship with Dinah Inglis), was also David, born 1746. James Brand was born to that David and his wife, Christian Brown, in 1769 at Dunfermline. He carried on the family tradition of illegitimacy, and I quote here from the Old Parish Records, Dunfermline, 1796 : "Baptisms, May 1797 - Barbara Sands, Residenter at the back of the Rood, brought forth a son in fornication on the 2nd day of Oct 1796, and gave as the father James Brand at Bellyeamont. The said child was baptised May 7th 1797, and named William. Witnessed." Bellyeamont Farm exists today, although the name is spelt differently now. William married Anne Margaret Swan, and they had 6 children. He was a farm labourer at Croftgary Farm, outside Aberdour, when most of the children were born, but had moved to Burntisland by 1841, where his fourth son, William Inglis, was born in that year. All 4 sons, James, John, Henry and William, worked on the railways, being employed by the North British Railway Company. John's son, William, also worked for North British Railways, and achieved the distinction of driving the first train across the Forth Bridge. He was also said to have been on the last train to make it across the Tay Bridge on the night that it collapsed, although I have found no documentary evidence to back this up. His grandson, Archibald, still alive and living in the Borders area, remembers him telling the stories of these journeys. Archie retired at 65 from British Rail, having spent his working life on the railways, carrying on the family tradition, and I am exchanging family information with both his son and grandson. William's cousin, Ann, married a young man called George Ness, who boarded the train to travel from Ferry Port On Craig to Dundee to work in the railway yards there. His body was recovered from the River Tay some 16 days later, leaving Ann with a 10 week old baby daughter. The following entry is from the Dundee Register of deaths : August 13, 1880 : Register of Corrected Entries for the District of St Mary in the Burgh of Dundee. The following report of the result of a precognition has been received touching the death of "George Ness", registered under No. 79 in the Register Books of Death in the year 1880 : Name, Age and Sex : George Ness, 21 years, male | |