Anne Murray and a sailor

 

Anne Murray and a sailor

4^th Feb 1833 Latheron Parish

Thereafter compeared Anne Murray of Knockally of this parish confessed herself with child in fornication and being earnestly exhorted to tell the truth and being asked who is the father of her pregnancy gave up Christopher Burns a sailor on board a vessel trading to Limekilns and son of a Mrs Burns at the shore of Inverness. She said the guilt was committed about the beginning of June last in the house of William Sutherland Master of the sloop Fairly in whose service she was at the time. A copy of this minute was ordered to be transmitted to the Session of Inverness.

Limekilns to Inverness

Limekilns Or Inverness

It was either at Limekilns or in Inverness that Anne Murray succumbed to the attentions of Christopher Burns, a sailor working the route from Inverness to Limekilns. As Anne was in the service of William Sutherland Master of the sloop Fairly she probably had plenty of opportunities to meet sailors and associated people. She was working away from home and in harm’s way. I am not sure why Mrs Burns in Inverness is mentioned but I suspect the Latheron kirk elders were at pains to find an excuse to send the problem of Anne Murray to Inverness, not wanting to add an unmarried mother and her baby to their already stretched poor list. Maybe Mrs Burns could get her sailor son to support his child.

The shore of Inverness

Anne was well into her pregnancy before she went home to Knockally in Latheron to have her baby. But as neither the Inverness nor the Latheron parish seemed to want to take any responsibility for her, unless she had family support Anne would be in serious hardship. Neither Anne’s sailor seducer Christopher Burns nor her employer William Sutherland appeared to offer to the kirk session any support for Anne.

The Port at Limekilns

Founded in at least the 14^th century, Limekilns (now a village) was a very old port which got its name from local limestone quarries. By the end of the 18^th century coal was shipped in to Limekilns to be used as a fuel to convert lime to quicklime for mortar to be worked into stone buildings. The quicklime product was exported along the east coast of Scotland. It was a busy port.

Red Row at Limekilns

The ruins of massive limekilns still exist at Charlestown near the village of Limekilns

The Ship Inn at Limekilns

The building at 8 Red Row now known as the Ship Inn was established in1818 along the Limekilns promenade facing out to the Firth of Forth. It is believed it was once the Custom House where the sailors received their pay – although the story goes that the only evidence of that use was a great many corks found under the floor boards. I wonder if Anne worked here.

I have not been able to locate any minutes that tell what happened next. It doesn’t bode well for Anne or her baby. The only people who seem to have come off without consequences are Christopher Burns the sailor father, and Anne’s employer William Sutherland the sloop master.

https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/virtual-volumes/volume-images/volume_data-CH2-530-3/GAZ00760?image_number=67