IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Mansewood Drive, DUMBARTON, G82 3EU

A quiet residential area of Dumbarton.

This was a garage, and then a vehicle rental centre; it is seen here from the other side of the A82 (compare Image, where part of the same building appears at the far right; my picture was taken from on foot). By March 2014, the site was again in use: a car wash and takeaway cafe were based there. The houses in the background are on Mansewood Drive.

A82 heading west

The Rankin Memorial is the tall structure on the left; for a closer look, see Image The cemetery's listed building report – http://portal.historic-scotland.gov.uk/designation/LB24913 (at Historic Environment Scotland) – mentions this "tall, Gothic monument" and its architect. Donald MacLeod, in "The God's Acres of Dumbarton" (1888), does provide some biographical details of Janet Rankin, but her life is described there as being fairly uneventful. She did, however, make many generous charitable donations. "In Memory of Janet Rankin Daughter of William Rankin Shipowner in Dumbarton Born 29th March 1789 Died 1st February 1867." The smaller monument on the right, shown largely in shade here, commemorates several members of the Dixon family. The first named is John Dixon, who was born at Rock, Northumberland, but who died at Dumbarton on the 27th of October, 1858. Named next is "Allan Dixon, who died at Dunbritton, Pollokshields, 23rd January 1871, aged 19 years, from the effects of a shock to his system received in saving a girl from drowning". Five others are commemorated in the inscription. Behind the Dixon monument is a wall, a Image; see also Image

For the main description, see Image Above the inscription, a shield in a roundel bears a small symbol of a ship, surrounded by the Latin words "providentia virtute"

This imposing structure is situated at the western edge of Dumbarton Cemetery. For a closer look at the memorial, and for details of those who are commemorated here, see Image

This imposing structure is situated at the western edge of Dumbarton Cemetery (near what was at one time the north-western extremity of the cemetery, before the latter was expanded). For a view of the structure from a distance, see Image The memorial commemorates the Campbells of Barnhill (Image), some of whom served in the capacity of Sheriff, and their relatives. There are five panels within the monument, each listing several names, so that, in total, upwards of twenty individuals, too many to discuss here, are commemorated. Instead, only a few prominent individuals will be discussed, as well as the marriages by which particular surnames entered the family, since these are key to understanding what would otherwise be a rather confusing list of names. Those listed here are descendants of the Colquhouns of Barnhill, and the Colquhoun surname appears several times in the inscriptions. The association of the Colquhoun name with the lands of Barnhill began sometime before 1543. In that year, John Colquhoun of Luss granted a feu charter of the western half of the lands of Barnhill to another John Colquhoun (perhaps a relative) and to his wife, Janet Lang. In the 1730s, their descendant Humphrey Colquhoun (separated by five generations from the above John and Janet) came into possession of the lands of Barnhill. Humphrey was a bailie of Dumbarton, and, by his second wife Margaret Williamson (d.1802), had a son, Walter (his heir), and two daughters, Margaret and Janet. This Janet married James Oliphant, who became the minister of Dumbarton Parish Church (his gravestone is located there, in the adjacent churchyard: Image). As for Walter, the heir, he died, unmarried, in 1827. The other sister, Margaret Colquhoun, married Neil Campbell, the Sheriff-Substitute for Dumbartonshire, and the lands of Barnhill passed to their children. It was by means of the marriage of Margaret Colquhoun and Neil Campbell that the Campbell surname entered the family, and it is with their children that the names on the inscription begin. ● The first of these is Alexander Campbell of Barnhill, who next came into possession of the Barnhill estates. He was born on the 4th of May, 1776, in Dumbarton. He went on to study at Glasgow University. After that, he went to Edinburgh, where he served his apprenticeship with Mr James Ferrier, Writer to the Signet, and studied law under Baron Hume. In 1802, he was appointed Sheriff-Substitute of Renfrewshire, and he served in that capacity for nearly 45 years. He retired from office in 1847, and took up residence in the mansion of Barnhill. He died on the 2nd of October, 1862. He was married to Fanny Orr, daughter of Robert Orr of Lylisland, and left two sons and six daughters, on whom more is said below. ● Next to be noted on the inscription is Humphrey Walter Campbell of Crosslet, the brother of Alexander. He was born at Dumbarton on the 4th of March 1782, and was educated at Dumbarton, then at Edinburgh. He began his professional career as Parliament House Clerk to Lord Stonefield, a Lord of Session. He was admitted Procurator in Dumbarton on the 21st of August, 1802. He managed Lord Stonefield's estate of Levenside (these lands were later renamed Strathleven; see Image). He was appointed Registrar of Sasines for the counties of Argyll and Dumbarton in 1810, and was created Sheriff-Substitute for Dumbartonshire in 1820 on the death of Sheriff Gray. He married Jane Isabella, the eldest daughter of John Dixon of Levengrove (see http://www.geograph.org.uk/snippet/5911 for more on the latter family); she died in 1837, and he did not marry again. In 1839, he resigned from the post of Sheriff, and spent his remaining years at, first of all, College Park House (see Image), and then at Image (both of which are in Dumbarton). He died at Crosslet House on the 15th of May, 1864, aged 82. ● A sister of Alexander and Humphrey Walter Campbell is also mentioned in the inscription, namely, Elizabeth Anstruther Campbell (c.1792-1872). She married Robert Mackenzie of Caldarvan (c.1792-1872), father of the R.D.Mackenzie who is discussed in the item Image It is by reason of this marriage that many Mackenzies are also listed in the inscription. ● Returning to the aforementioned Alexander of Barnhill, the eldest of his two sons was Neil Colquhoun Campbell of Barnhill, who was born on the 17th of October, 1813. He was appointed Sheriff of Ayrshire. He married Mary Paterson, daughter of William Orr Paterson of Montgomerie, Ayrshire. Neil Colquhoun Campbell died on the 3rd of April, 1883, and the Barnhill estate passed to his daughter, Annie Colquhoun Campbell, nine generations removed from the John and Janet who were originally granted the lands of Colquhoun. ● Of the six daughters of Alexander Campbell of Barnhill, one of them, Fanny Campbell, married the industrialist James White of Overtoun: Image Their son, James Campbell White, would became Baron Overtoun, better known as Lord Overtoun. Elsewhere in the cemetery, they are also commemorated by the Image ● Another of the daughters of Alexander Campbell, Susan Campbell (c.1815-1856), married R.D.Mackenzie of Image (see that item for further details). Consideration of the family tree (see comments, above, on Elizabeth Anstruther Campbell) shows that she was his cousin. - - • - - References (apart from the inscriptions themselves): Joseph Irving: "The History of Dumbartonshire", second edition (1860), pp477-478, for genealogy from John Colquhoun and Janet Lang of Barnhill (c16) to Annie Colquhoun Campbell (c19). William Fraser, "The Chiefs of Colquhoun and Their Country", Volume 2 (1869), pp263-264, covers the same period, and sets out the family tree visually, including some additional information. Donald MacLeod: "The God's Acres of Dumbarton" (1888), for biographies of the Campbell sheriffs. Donald MacLeod: "The Clyde District of Dumbartonshire" (1886), pp142-146, for additional biographical information.

For context, see Image, where this wall can be seen centrally in the background, behind another memorial. The first person named on the memorial wall is James Ewing of Strathleven, LL.D. (7th December 1775 to 29th November 1853); see Image for more on him and his estate. He is buried in Glasgow Necropolis: Image Also mentioned are Humphrew Ewing Crum Ewing, Lord Lieutenant of Dumbartonshire, and Member of Parliament for Paisley (1857-74), born 16th August 1803, died 3rd July 1887; Helen his wife (27th February 1792 to 27th August 1883), daughter of John Dick. Alexander Crum Ewing of Strathleven (9th October 1826 to 30th December 1912), who died in Jamaica and was buried there (in Half-way Tree Churchyard); Jane Elizabeth his wife (1st May 1833 to 25th October 1903), only daughter of Admiral Hayes O'Grady. Also, another Humphrey Ewing Crum Ewing of Strathleven (24th August 1866 to 27th November 1946), who was the son of the above Alexander, and who also died in Jamaica and was buried in Half-way Tree Churchyard; Eva Constance his wife (died 7th December 1938); and some later descendants. The structure in the background, on the right, is Image

Both memorials commemorate people called William Babtie; their relation is not made clear by the inscriptions alone, but they were father (left memorial) and son (right memorial). The inscription on the obelisk on the left is as follows: "William Babtie, in memory of Margaret Taylor his wife, who died 2nd October 1858, in the fifty-eighth year of her age. William Babtie died 2nd December 1865, aged 76 years. Alexander Babtie, their second son, died 8 May 1868 aged 38 years. James Turner Babtie, their fourth son, died 11 May 1869, aged 32 years." This William Babtie (senior) was born in 1789, and was the son of the calico printer Alexander Babtie. William became Dean of Guild, and he was one of the partners in the Dumbarton Steamboat Company. William and his wife had four sons and five daughters. One son, John, would become Provost of the Burgh. Another, William, is described next. The inscription on the right is as follows: "In memory of Eliza Cadenhead, wife of William Babtie, writer, Dumbarton, who died 12 November 1857, aged 35 years. Of William Alexander Babtie, their only son, who died 5 February 1876, aged 25 years. And of the above William Babtie, who died 21 March 1905, aged 83 years." As is usual with inscriptions of this era, "writer" has the sense of solicitor. The William Babtie who died in 1905 was the son of the William Babtie named on the other memorial. He became Dean of the Faculty of Writers, and Procurator-Fiscal for the County. The memorial was designed by town architect John McLeod (Image), and is about 11½ feet high, with a carved monogram at the top: Image