William Runciman
Life History
1758 |
Born in Roxburgh, Scotland |
17th Sep 1758 |
Christened in Roxburgh, Scotland |
1st Dec 1791 |
Married Catherine Barbara Stewart in Piccadilly, London |
11th Nov 1792 |
Birth of son William Runciman in Covent Garden, Westminster, London |
1793 |
Birth of daughter Jane Runciman in Covent Garden, London |
20th Dec 1794 |
Birth of son Charles Runciman in Covent Garden, London |
22nd Aug 1796 |
Birth of daughter Cathe Moody Runciman in Paddington, London |
31st Jan 1798 |
Birth of daughter Mary Ann Runciman in Paddington, London |
8th Nov 1799 |
Birth of daughter Anne Runciman in Woburn, Bedfordshire |
9th Dec 1800 |
Birth of daughter Sophia Runciman in Woburn, Bedfordshire |
20th Mar 1802 |
Birth of daughter Elizabeth Runciman in Woburn, Bedfordshire |
17th Jul 1803 |
Birth of daughter Frances Runciman in Woburn, Bedfordshire |
13th Apr 1805 |
Birth of daughter Isabella Runciman in Woburn, Bedfordshire |
July 1817 |
Death of daughter Mary Ann Runciman in Paddington, London |
1820 |
Died in Woburn, Bedfordshire |
8th Jan 1821 |
Buried in Woburn, Bedfordshire |
Notes
William's Christening, 17th September, 1758.
(in 'Scotland's People') shows William's father as Walter Runchman of 'Heitone' (now Heiton) on the outskirts of Roxburgh, close to the English border.
Walter had at least 2 other children – John 1757 and Walter 1762
The Marriage Bond, 10th October, 1791.
The Marriage Allegation, 10th November, 1791.
From Lorna Henderson's notes::
"William Runciman of the Parish of St Paul Covent Garden & Catherine Barbara Stewart of this Parish were married in this church by Licence from the Bishop of London this first day of December in the year 1791 By me Richard Hainsby Curate."
"This marriage was Solemnized between us Wm Runciman Catherine Barbara Stewart - In the presence of Jn Jes Le Jeune, Sophia Stewart, Cath Stewart"
I believe that John James Le Jeune was a jeweller in London at that time. Sophia Stewart is presumably Catherine's sister and Cath Stewart possibly the wife of Cosmas Stewart.
"Boyds marriage index records the marriage as being at the Bavarian Embassy Chapel (RC), Westminster.
Their marriage allegation, 10 Nov 1791, shows William as 'of the Parish of Saint Paul, Covent Garden, batchelor aged thirty two' and Catherine Barbara as 'of the Parish of Saint James, Westminster, in the same county aged twenty six years'"
Runciman & Co, Coachmaker
Barker & Co were a very well established coach makers in Chandos Street, Covent Garden, going back to 1710. They supplied coaches to distinguished people and Royalty. Later on they built bodies for Rolls Royce and others well into the 20th Century. The Company records in Graces Guide give a lot of info after 1802.
Sometime before 1757. a William Runciman went into partnership with Charles Barker – probably William’s father, the year before this William was born. The company was based at 66, Chandos Street and evidence suggests that this William Runciman continued the partnership after his father died.
In 1757, according to 'The History of Coaches', Runciman and Barker built a State coach for the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Charles Asgill. It was refurbished each year for successive Mayors including Sir Richard Glynn. It is apparently still in use today as the Lord Mayor’s coach (to be checked out as Wikipedia gives a different builder).
[Source: www.gutenberg.org]
A polling record in 1788 records a William Runciman as coach maker in Chandos Street.[www.londonlives.org]
In 1790 a bill for £166.19.0 is paid to Runciman & Co, Coachmakers, by the Royal Household of Queen Charlotte (George III's wife)
[The account book is in findmypast.co.uk]
In 1791 an advert in a French magazine offers a coach made by Runciman and Barker for sale.
[Source: www.thecarriagefoundation.org.uk]
An insurance document is drawn up in 1792 in the name of William Runciman and Charles Barker, coach makers at 66, Chandos Street, Covent Garden. [nationalarchives.gov.uk]
In 1794 a similar document is in the name of William Runciman, Chandos Street, coach maker. [nationalarchives.gov.uk]
In Traders in the Cities of London and Westminster 1794, we find "Runciman & Barker, Coach-makers, 66, Chandos-str., Covent-g. "
In 1798, William Runciman was named as joint executor in the Will of Cosmas Stewart. At that time Cosmas gave William's address as "Chandos St, Covent Garden".
In 1798, Mary Ann is the last of the Runciman's children to be born in London.
In 1799, Anne is the first of their children to be born in Woburn.
In 1813, when he updated his will, Cosmas altered William Runciman's address to Birchmore, Bedfordshire. (3 or 4 miles from the Duke of Bedford's Woburn Estate).
William worked on the Woburn Estate.
The Gentleman's magazine, Volume 88, records that William was a contender at the in the 'Woburn Sheep Shearing' in 1800.
The 'Woburn Sheep Shearing' was a famous annual agricultural fair started in the 1790's by Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford, at a time of great interest in developing 'modern' agriculture. The four day events included "ploughing contests, cattle sales, wool auctions, dances and banquets" (Simon Winchester, in 'The Map That Changed the World'). The thousands of attendees included royalty, nobility, farmers and shepherds and the "great and good of the English rural universe." (ibid.)
A National Archives Web page contains the following reference:
"Photograph of Woburn sheepshearing by George Garrard.
Section of the print showing the Woburn shepherd in his smock frock and behind him to the right, William Runciman, one of the Duke of Bedford's tenant farmers."
"Garrard .. painted a large picture called 'Woburn Sheep-shearing in 1804' .. containing eighty-eight portraits of agricultural celebrities of the time." (Wikipedia)
See Large Photo of the Painting and A Description
William seems to have been good at farming.
The cutting on the right shows that he won a number of prizes in 1811.
Thomas William Glanvill "was placed by his guardians to study farming under Mr William Runciman of Birchmore Bedfordshire." This was before 1820, since in that year, Glanvill married Cathe Moody Runciman, one of William's daughters.
There are more references to William at Woburn in a National Archives Web page:
R3/2090, 22 Jan 1817:
"What of exchanging him for Runciman's pupil?"
(Could this be a reference to Glanvill?)
R3/2151, 17 May 1820:
William Runciman - Superintendent of works.".
R3/2146, 1821:
Runciman on care of woods , 16 foolscap pages.
In Findmypast:
William RUNCIMAN
Date of burial: 8 Jan 1821
Age at death: 63
Calculated year of birth: 1758
Place of burial: Woburn
Dedication: St Mary
County: Bedfordshire
In IGI: The only approprate Christening record:
William RUNCHMAN - Christening: 17 Sep 1758, Roxburgh, Scotland
William died insolvent.
The notice of the creditors meeting, on the right, is from The Northampton Mercury, March, 1822.
"As Mr Runciman, of Birchmore-house, near Woburn, was putting a gun into a bag, he shook it to get it in, and his man having been entrusted with it to shoot a dog, he had imprudently left it cocked, it went off, when the muzzle was close to his left foot, which was mangled in a most shocking manner. In this dreadful state he had the fortitude to ride to Woburn on horseback, to a surgeon, when he was obliged to undergo an amputation of the great toe and adjoining one. He is now in a fair way of doing well."
William obviously recovered as his death was 20 years later; Jackson's Oxford journal recording him as "an eminent agriculturalist, breeder, and grazier".
The 'Index to Death Duty Registers 1796-1903' has William's death year as 1821. His executor was his son William.
See Origins of the Runcie name for Runchman-Runciman connection.