The Librarian's link to the picture of John George Weymss-Dalrymple has finally opened. He was in The Masterton Rifles. The Army theme carries on. He was a very handsome man and was blond! That's got to be part of where my Daughter's blondness and fair skin has come from.

Dear Shizara, I must tell you I gave Mum a copy of your transcript this morning. She read it with great intent and with a smile on her face. I think it sort of made it even more real for her- Thank You. On from that I then sat her down infront of the computer and brought up the picture of her great uncle John George Weymss-Dalrymple- she literally beamed. She'd never met him let alone seen a picture of him and she kept saying I can see Granny- he's got the same eyes. Hers were apparently a piercing blue colour. She went off home armed with the copy and the package sent from Palmerston North Library quite clearly more than happy with the day thus far.

Hello, I must say I've been feeling somewhat lost since Tuesday's events. I was looking through FIBIS stuff today and found the following info;_
Notice of Death for Hon. Mrs Murray, wife of Hon. Keith Murray in East Indies - 25-12-1804. That is rather premature I think. There are also records of movements of HDE Dalrymple to and from India. He is entered as 'Mr' so we know that much. Just not sure who he is. McBean wrote to him didn't she?

Rootschatter tells me The Hin Mrs Murray didn't get over the birth of her daughter Jane. Jane married twice. I have no idea about her sources but this is so very sad. Weymss Murray died on Christmas day- how do you get over that?

Dear Shizara, I really have been feeling very flat since the revellation of your transcript.That is that at the best, James was a decent man and bound by the law, dictates of his time. He sought to provide for all he cared for.It has left me flat because it has made me realise that since him, it really doesn't seem that any of his offspring have done the same for thier own. Its not all about inheritance but heritage- they didn't pass it on. I really can tell by the NZ history stuff that there is next to nothing about them. JGWD in the Mounted Rifles- that is all wrongly referenced. He would be the last line from James from what we know. We still haven't found out who GWD was:- either Durood or a Watson and who was McBean? It does seem she was the girl Watson.
My Mum is such an amazing lady, so aristocratic in her own way- a lady. Elegant,charming, intelligent; she'd whip any 'stupid' man into touch verbally!!!!
I take those qualities from her. The only thing she says she didn't get was 'street wise and present day where with all'.Anyway, I don't quite know where to go now except I can't stop. Any news on The McBean/Noorjar letters?

Am so sorry, I haven't meant to neglect the transcriptions but have been busy with work again.. we have some union stuff going on at the moment so it has been diverting my attention. Will likely be able to get back on to it tomorrow.

I'm so glad that all these revelations are giving your mother so much to think about, remember and ponder upon.

It's hard when there are times that you feel flat. Some days the news comes tumbling in and other days the searches continue and you hear nothing and feel down about it all. Then, along comes something else.

Oh Dear Shizara, I don't mean to be pressuring you. I'm sorry if the reply reads like that. I am still amazed at this heritage. It really seems that Granny Agnes either didn't know it all or didn't mention it. Either which way, I have found that her Husband JH Hankins was obviously well placed in New Zealand life as you have said. I think he featured so prominently,Somehow, she seems to have been in his background. The Law firm doesn't even have her name right. She's been recorded as Agnes Eleanor Dalrymple. If they didn't have it right - goodness knows who else has got her wrong. Hoepfully not too many people. I have asked them to correct the entry and gave her DOB and origin etc. I think tht's only right for posterity's sake, don't you?
I'm not sure where to go next but Christian's Annals at the NAS may yield more info re: Watsons etc. I can't find a Will for JAne Murray but there is one at NA for LGK Murray.

I've solved the Midshipman William Dawson bit of the story. He was married to Isabella; GWD's step-Daughter. GWD's wife Eliza Thomson-Hall had been married before to a Captain Dawson whose christian name was possibley Reid but its hard to read. They were divorced at some point. Hence Isabella was GSWD's older half-sister After more thought- Did Isabella Dawson marry a man with the same name; midshipman Dawson except the entry after her name says a word beginning with 'W' but it is hard to decipher.She is listed as child of Eliza and her 1st husband Captain Dawson.
Finding GWD's last resting place is prooving very difficult. I'm not really suprised about that especially as Eliza is recorded by Scotland's People's BDM's as Eliza Dalrymple but her other names are given as Dawson Hall. Where the Thompson Hall has come from, I really don't know but it is clearly Thompson-Hall in GWD's Will. She's buried at Sighthill Cemetary, Glasgow. She was registered as living there for 7 months prior to her death which was 11th April 1855. She died of Apoplexy and something I couldn't decipher. Her address was given as what looks like 14 Holmestead Street, Glasgow. This street has since been renamed Cunningham Street.GSWD was the informant.Thankfully,the Cemetary still exists.
I have also established that John George Weymss-Dalrymple; Agnes Sophia's younger brother had issue. The worrying thing is it seems as though he is shown to have married a Mary Ann ?Thoreton(may have that bit wrong)Dalrymple. I have a record of him marrying Amelia Ann Cook in 1916. I perhaps need to look for a divorce for them. Amelia Dalrymple died in 1958.

Bah.. The week got away on me!

I have finished transcribing the 2 letters. Just like the will there are words I couldn't decipher, especially the Indian words which is why it would be helpful for you to have the documents I have here.

So, if you go to the place I have been putting them for you they will be there.

I have some data on John George Wemyss Dalrymple, though you may have seen it already:

Embarkation database - NZ in the South African ('Boer') War

John George Wemyss Dalrymple
Reg No: 0
SURNAME: Dalrymple
GIVEN NAMES: John George Wemyss
UNIT: North Island Regiment - Regimental staff
RANK: Honorary Captain and Quartermaster
CONTINGENT: Tenth
SHIP: Drayton Grange 14 April 1902
OCCUPATION: engineer
COUNTY/CITY: masterton
ADDRESS: Masterton
NEXT of KIN: Dalrymple, Mrs Daisy
NEXT of KIN ADDRESS: Same
RELATIONSHIP to SOLDIER: Wife

Daughter:
DALRYMPLE, Valerie Ethel Wemyss on 04-Nov-1909
of: Kelburn
Born: 23-Dec-1895
Father: John George Wemyss
Mother: Daisy Emily Maud Bertha Wemyss
Officiating Minister: AWH Compton

Aww, you are not pressuring me at all, so have no concerns there. Have just had a particularly busy week this week on the work front. But, a couple of days off and I am catching up on the things I want to be doing. This mystery tour is so amazing and as each page unfolds it drives you on to the next. Just like reading a captivating novel, except, this is real life.

Shizara, Thank you again.These letters need some digesting. It seems then that my hunch was right that, GWD was a 'Watson' except who was E McBean? That's going to take some digging- probabley India next stop.Perhaps a search for Kitty Lee McBean? I'm tinged with a sadness for Noorjah as she writes asking for help in 1870. Her brother was long dead and his own son was hot footing it out to NZ with his own grown-up children; Agnes,Emily,John. It makes me wonder if GWD ever looked back or was allowed to.How much did he remember of his siblings and Mother? More questions with more answers to find.I wonder about 'the several letters' still not copied and Christian's annals. More digging. I'm certain this has to be made into something except where to start I really don't know. There are so many layers to it which all intertwine.(1870 Noorjah in India, GSWD in NZ- whacky) India had undergone a huge transformation in the time since 1800. As the Union with James and Mooti was not recognised by the British establishment,I fear Noorjah's pleas were unheard. I can't bear that. Its cruel. What had LGK Murray been up to I wonder? Weymss Murray again was long gone. (1804) Murky water to wade through some where.

I agree, there is much more information out there and it is a matter of perseverance and patience. Both of which you seem to have.

I've had to learn patience. It wasn't a class I got to much when younger Seriously though, This story is amazing. I'm well and truely gobsmacked from many elements of it. I still have this vision of Noorjah alone in India with her children of course but they would be grown-ups then. She was holding her hands out- its so sad. I have noted many of HDE Dalrymple's movements. He went back and forth regularly.It would seem a reasonable request except that Noorjah was searching for people she'd never met and wouldn't know the names of. Its so sad. What is more they as I said GSWD was already on his way to NZ so HDE Dalrymple if he did know of the story from GWD etc wouldn't have found him easily.

Guess what? I've got a rootscahtter in Morbihan,L'Orient who has just messaged me in french to say he/she has discovered a grave for General Samuel Dalrymple there. He/She is wanting to know whythe Dalrymples were there? I must say it's a question we have asked too. He or she has said the Messrs Besne et Hebert were rich 'negociants'. I've asked ' negotiating what to who about what etc?' This is really sureal.

I need to say that a very clever couple we know said tonight that 'Wat' means citizen in old times speak and is a very common name in Scotland. It seems right then if you want to hide people to call them 'Wat' and then 'son' son of a citizen.

see Nécrologe de 1832 ou notices ... - Google Books page 95 re: gen Sam Dalrymple's obituary. He too seems to have been well thought of.