My GGG Grandparents John Cumming and Mary Wilson

My GGG Grandfather John Cumming is the son of farmer James Cumming and Margaret Thompson, John was born in 1776 and was a shipbuiler at Kippford, Scotland. He died aged 62 on the 11th of Nov 1838 at Kippford. In his will he left £191.17. More information relating to the Cummings can be found here. http://www.buittle.org.uk/scaur.htm

John married Mary Wilson in c. 1811 at Colvend and she is the daughter of farmer William Wilson and Mary Mckeand. Mary Wilson was born on the 17th of Dec 1788 and died at Kippford aged 69 on the 4th of April 1858; her death certificate says "Supposed to have been disease of the heart- sudden death while in bed- not certified. Her son James was the informant.

They are buried in Colvend Church yard, buried next to them are John Cumming's parents.

John Cumming and his younger brother Henry where very successful carpenters and shipbuilders at the Scaur, (Kippford) Henry who never married died aged 92 at Kippford on the 9th of May 1877 from old age, his nephew James Cumming was the informant. James inherited his uncles money- which ws £580.4.8, that is worth £40,400,00 using the 2005 retail price.

One of the first vessels they built was the "Jean & Margaret," a sloop which they finished in 1816. The brothers went on to build several others including the: "Jessie," "Jordan and Smack" and "Freedom."
John's future son in law Andrew McCulloch Murdoch was the Master of the Freedom in 1832.

John Cumming and Mary Wilson had ten children.

(1) Shipbuilder and Captain James Cumming was born on the 17th of April 1812 and died aged 73 on the 20th of April 1885 at home in Kippford from bronchitis, fatty degeneration of the heart and valve disease. His brother in law John Wilson was the informant.
James married Mary Clachrie on the 8th of April 1864 at Colvend, he was aged 51 and Mary was 28 at the time. She died at home aged 45 on the 3rd of June 1881 of tuberculosis consumption of lungs (TB) which he had for 8 years. In the past, tuberculosis was called consumption
They had 5 daughters. (1) Hannah Millward Cumming was born 22-7-1866, she married farmer David Boyd in 1896 at Ayr and they had two children. She died at home in Kippford at 9 pm aged 72 on the 25th of Jan 1939 from senile decay, her cousin James Cumming was the informant. Her husband David died aged 61 at Kippford on the 06/10/1928. (2) Mary Cumming was born on the 5th of April 1868 and died aged 51 on 23rd of September 1919. She married Charles Murdoch on the 21st of Dec 1897, she was aged 29 and Charles was 35 and the marriage certificate said he worked as Mason, he later became the Burgh Surveyor at Dalbeattie and he died aged 64 at "Albany Cottage," Rockcliffe on the 23rd of Dec 1926.
(3) Janet Cumming was born 14-11-1869 and died at Kippford aged 26 on the 13-2-1896 of TB, her sister Hannah was the informant. (4) Margaret Rae Cumming was born 1-3-1872 and died at Kippford aged 3 on the 30th May 1875 of tubercular meningitis (TB) her father was the informant and (5) Annie Donaldson Cumming was born 16-6-1873 and died aged 23 on the 14-5-1897.

Found on Dalbeattie town history, history of Kippford.
There had been boat repair at Kippford for a long time, but in the early 1800s there was construction of small sloops on the shore. By 1860, this was successful enough for Mr. James Cumming to take over some gardens and a section of the beach and to construct a ship, - the Try Again - over some seven years. She was followed by the construction of the Balcary Lass in 1881; the Balcary Lass was lost in 1883 on a voyage from Goole to St. John's, Newfoundland, whilst carrying coals; it is possible that the coal caught fire, as the ship was in good order.

John Cumming and Mary Wilson's other children.

(2) Margaret Cumming was born on the 03 of May 1814 at Kippford and died aged 58, on the 13th of June 1872 from Cancer of the stomach at St Cuthbert Cottage, Colvend, her husband was the informant.
She married Captain and ship-owner Alexander Rae on the 21st of July 1840.
For the family tree click here.

(3) Mary Cumming was born at Kippford 03 of Oct 1815; and died aged 77 on the 20th of Dec 1892 from Senile debility at 13 Station Road, Dalbeattie, Scotland. She married Captain Andrew McCUlloch Murdoch.

(4) Agnes Cumming was born on the 18th of Jun 1818 at Kippford, she married James Murdoch the brother of Andrew McCulloch Murdoch. Her death certificates says she died in Kippford aged 72 on the 16th of May 1891 from Fatty Degeneration of the Heart, which she had for many years and Congestion of the Brain 8 days.

(5) Jane Cumming was born on the 11th of Jan 1822 at Kippford, and died at Kippford aged 76 on the 13th of March 1897 of old age and is buried in Colvend. She married ships carpenter John Wilson at Liverpool in August 1845 and they came back to live at Kippford at "Phoenix Cottage." John died aged 83 at Kippford on the 5th Jan 1899 of cardiac failure, his brother in law John Cumming was the informant.
Phoenix Cottage is a 4 bed roomed detached house and was for sale in 2006 for offers over £270,000. Their children are Janet Wilson born the 12th of May 1846 and she died at Kippford aged 53 on the 18th of April 1900. Jane Wilson wasborn the 2nd of April 1849. Mary Wilson was born the 2nd of June 1852. William Wilson born the 3rd of May 1855. Elizabeth Cumming Wilson was born the 7th Nov 1857 and died aged 87 on the 20th Dec 1944. James Wilson was born the 9th of Feb 1861 and died at Kippford aged 7 and a half on 31st of August 1868 of Diphtheria and Margaret Wilson was born in 1863 and died aged 83 on the 4th July 1947, at Phoenix Cottage,Kippford. Margaret was totally blind from birth.

(6) Elizabeth Cumming was born on the 24th of May 1823 at Kippford, and died of Enysipelas aged 31 on the 3rd of May 1855 at her home in Saltflatts, Colvend. She died 12 days after giving birth to her son John. She married Captain George Blair Sloan and he died aged 62 on the 10th of May 1869. Their two children are Samuel Lindsay Sloan, born c. 1851 an he died aged 4½ at Thornhill, on the 5th of March 1856. He is buried with his parents in Colvend. And John Cumming Sloan who was born in Saltflatts,Colvend on the 21st of April 1855 and he died aged 48 at Farm Ernsheenie, near Fort Jackson, South Africa, on the 17th June 1903.

(7) Janet Cumming was born on the 1st of Dec 1825 at Kippford and died aged 12 and a half on the 9th of June 1838.

(8) Shipbuilder Henry Cumming was born on the 13 of May 1828 at Kippford and died aged 70 on the 10th of Jan 1899 at Kippford from General debility, which means lack of strength of a human being.
He never married and his brother John was the informant.

(9) William Cumming died aged 7 on the 29th of January 1838.

(10) Ships Builder and Captain John Cumming was born the 27th of May 1834 at Kippford and died aged 72 on the 19th of Feb 1907 at home in Kippford of chronic pneumonia, his daughter Mary was the informant.
On their marriage certificate he married Ann Collins Donaldson on the 3rd of Feb 1865, in the parish of Colvend. He was aged 30 and Ann was 35 and she worked as a domestic servant, her father James was a seaman. Ann was born the 27th of Oct 1829 and died at home aged 75 on the 23 of Nov 1905 of chronic asthma and bronchitis.

On the 1891 census John and Ann where living at the "Post Office" in Kippford and their son James was aged 17 and a sailor. On the 1901 census they where still living at the Post Office and their daughter Mary Elizabeth Cumming was the Post Mistress assistant and their other daughter Margaret was in domestic service. The following was found on the internet. The name 'Kippford' came into being during 1870 when a Post Office was opened in a house five doors south of 'The Anchor', which by 1900 dignified itself with the name of an hotel.

The following information was written by Samuel Murdoch Crosbie in 1923.

For several generations the best-known schooner connected with the Water of Urr was, perhaps, the "Gallovidian," belonging to the late Captain John Cumming, and sailed by him for a number of years until he was required at home to carry on the shipbuilding business when his brother, Mr. James Cumming, passed away, respected an revered by all. Many clever sailors from Galloway received their early training on the "Gallovidian." When near the end of her long career, she lay on the Scaur beach until she was sold into Maryport, where she was accidentally burnt.
Two sons of Captain John Cumming became sailors. One of them, Captain Henry Cumming, was lost a sea during the war. He received his earlier training on the "Gallovidian," but afterwards joined the Mercantile Marine. The other, Captain James Cumming, began his seafaring life in the "Gallovidian," but like so many of our young sailors, left the coasting trade for deep-water navigation. After sailing the seven seas in windjammers and steamers, he left the sea in 1914, and since that time has made himself useful in many ways at the Scaur, especially in connection with his yacht and with those of the Solway Sailing Club, which he looks after with great assiduity. Occasionally he does a little fishing on his own account.

Gallovidian" - schooner - rigged - owned and sailed by Captain Rae, Kirkcudbright and Liverpool, then sold to J. Cumming, Scaur.

Shipbuilder and Captain John Cumming and Ann Collins Donaldson had seven children and they are.

(1) Mary Elizabeth Cumming who never married was born in Kippford at 2 pm on the 3rd of Dec 1865 and died aged 74 on the 23rd of Jan 1940. She ran the post office with her niece Hilda.
Samuel Murdoch Crosbie wrote the following in 1923.
(Post office) The amount of correspondence carried on by letters, wires and telephone, or the number of parcels received and sent away during the whole year but more especially during the summer months. The burden of the work falls necessarily on Miss Cumming, the postmistress, who has most capably filled that honourable and very responsible position for quite a number of years. Miss Cumming is a daughter of the Scaur, (Kippford) her father being a member of the firm of shipbuilders

(2) Jane Cumming was born at Kippford on the 16th of April 1868.

(3) Jemima Cumming was a twin to her brother Henry and was born at Kippford on the 25th of June1871.

(4) Twin Margaret Ann Cumming was born at Kippford on the 16th of Jan 1870 and died aged 75 at "Magnet Cottage" in Kippford on the 5th of April 1944 from Senile decay. She married Mathew Logan at Colvend on the 15th of June 1906, she was aged 36 and her husband was 10 years younger and he worked as a rabbit trapper.
Matthew died aged 42 on the 3rd of May 1920 at Drummodie, Sorbie. They had two children, Elizabeth Logan married John Graham and Hilda Logan, she died in 2003 aged 91.

(5) Twin Agnes Donaldson Cumming was born on the 16th of Jan 1870 and died aged 6 on the 7th of May 1876 at 3.30 PM at Kippford from Phthisis (TB) her father John was the informant.

(6) Captain Henry Cumming was a twin and was born at Kippford on the 25th of June 1871 and was lost at sea during the First World War. He received his earlier training on the 'Gallovidian,' but afterwards joined the Mercantile Marine.

(7) And Captain James Cumming was born at Kippford on the 30th of August 1873, he was known as Jimmy. After his wife died -he went to live with his daughter in Dumfries. He died aged 74 on the 14th of June 1948.
Just after his death there was a Memorial Seat erected directly opposite the house in which James Cumming was born and bears the following inscription:
"In memory of Captain James Cumming, Kippford, who died 14th June 1948."

James married Jane Geddes Donaldson at Colvend in 1906 and she died at Colvend aged 55 on the 8th of July 1934. They had a daughter Hilda and she married policeman Alexander Wright and they had three children, Jean who was born in 1935, Margaret and Alistair.

James was educated at Barnbarroch School. He enjoyed smoking a pipe and aged 19 he served as an able bodied seamen on the 'Iquique', his cousin Samuel Murdoch was master of her.
Aged 23 he served on the 'Annie Fletcher' for three years and during that time became a 2nd mate.
The Annie Fletcher was an iron barque built in March 1868 by the Lune Shipbuilding Company at Lancaster. Originally named Gressingham, by 1885 her name had been changed and she was registered in Liverpool and was owned by A. Rae & others (1887) and by J. & J. Rae & Co. from 1891-4.

James Cumming said of his cousin William McMaster Murdoch (Titanic) that he had a great name among sailors at being the "best and smartness sailor afloat." James said that when he was an AB -Able Bodied Seaman, just after 1902 he was walking down Lime Street, Liverpool, when he met a crowd of White Star Officers in their best uniforms and him in his working gear. Will shouted to him "come and have a drink Jimmy" and there he was sitting in the lounge of the Adelphi Hotel with all the swells of society and him just a common AB.

The following information is from Jean Cameron. We knew James has Jimmy and he always went around the village in his seaman's jersey, cap and sea boots. He always spoke to us children and gave me some foreign stamps, since I was a keen collector. He used to visit my great aunts for a wee dram (drink)

Obituary
Captain James Cumming, Kippford.

It is with regret that we record the death of Captain James Cumming, retired master mariner, the last of the old sea-going generation of Kippford. A son of the last Mr John Cumming, who built sailing ships at Kippford for many years, he naturally took to the sea for his career. Serving before the mast he voyaged to most parts of the world. He qualified as a master mariner and served for many years in that capacity with the Holt Line. With the advent of steamships he abandoned his sea-going career and returned to live in Kippford. There he spent his time working with small boats, becoming good friends and wise counsellor to many learning to sail. To very many summer visitors, Kippford was always linked with the name of "Jimmy" Cumming and his pawky humour, world-wide experience and gifts as a raconteur earned him many friends in all walks of life. About ten years ago-Mrs Cumming having died some years previously-he went to love with his married daughter in Dumfries. For the past few years his health had been failing and for the past six months he had been confined to bed. He died on Monday at the age of 74.

There is a picture of James on my photo page.

James wrote his life story, if you want to see it, Click here

Back to Family Information