James Burnet

James Burnet was listed at No. 4 in the Post Office Directory of 1889-90¹ and at 1 St Bernard’s Crescent the following year.² He was born at Cramond on 21 July 1845, son of Charles Burnet and Janet Gillespie.³ His father, a farmer at Lauriston, died three years later.⁴ In 1871, James Burnet was farming with his uncle, James Gillespie, at Craigie, Dalmeny.⁵ He later farmed at Dolphington, West Lothian, but by 1889 had become a Superintendent of Insurance Agents.⁶ He died 14 September 1890, shortly after moving to St Bernard’s Crescent.⁷

James Burnet married Emma Ferguson, daughter of merchant James Ferguson and Joanna McHardie, on 20 April 1875, in Edinburgh.⁸ She was born 07 January 1852⁹ and died 05 January 1937 at Bellingham, Whatcom, Washington, USA.¹⁰

They had nine children. Emma Dorothy Burnet, the youngest, was born at No. 4 Malta Terrace on 04 November 1889.¹¹ She emigrated to Whatcom County, Washington, USA where she married Ralph Stanley Turner on 21 June 1916,¹² and died 22 February 1944.¹³

Six of James Burnet’s other children were recorded in the 1891 census living with their widowed mother at 1 St Bernard’s Crescent.¹⁴ They may also have lived at No. 4 Malta Terrace in 1889-90. They were:

• James Gillespie Burnet, born at Dalmeny, West Lothian on 24 February 1876.¹⁵
• Edith Joanna Burnet, born at Dalmeny, West Lothian on 26 August 1877.¹⁶
• Janet Binnie Burnet, born at Dalmeny, West Lothian on 16 June 1879.¹⁷
• Charles George Burnet, born at Dalmeny, West Lothian 10 August 1880.¹⁸
• Frank Burnet, born at Dalmeny, West Lothian on 25 September 1883.¹⁹
• Frederick Stanley Burnet, born in Edinburgh on 15 September 1887.²⁰

1. PO Directory 1889-90.
2. PO Directory 1890-91.
3. Baptisms (OPR) Scotland. Cramond, Midlothian. 21 August 1845. BURNET, James. 679/ 50 138. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 16 August 2021.
4. Testamentary records. Scotland. 15 June 1848. BURNET, Charles. Inventory. SC70/1/68. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 08 August 2021.
5. Census records. Scotland. Dalmeny, West Lothian. 02 April 1871. GILLESPIE, James (Head). 665/ 02/ 08. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 15 August 2021.
6. Births (SR) Scotland. Edinburgh. 12 November 1889. BURNET, Emma Dorothy. 685/1 1847. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 13 August 2021.
7. Deaths (SR) Scotland. St George, Edinburgh. 19 September 1890. BURNET, James. 685/1 982. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 08 August 2021.
8. Marriages (SR) Scotland. Edinburgh. 21 April 1875. BURNET, James and FERGUSON, Emma. 685/4 107. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 16 August 2021.
9. Births index (SR) Scotland. Edinburgh. 07 January 1852. FERGUSON, Emma. 685/1 610 39. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 15 August 2021.
10. Deaths (CR) United States of America. Whatcom, Washington. 05 January 1937. BURNET, Emma (aged 84). https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 15 August 2021.
11. Births (SR) Scotland. Edinburgh. 12 November 1889. BURNET, Emma Dorothy. 685/1 1847. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 13 August 2021.
12. Marriages (CR) United States of America. Whatcom, Washington. 23 June 1916. TURNER, Ralph Stanley and BURNET, E. Dorothy. Whatcom County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1891-1995, Washington State Archives. http://digitalarchives.wa.gov: accessed 16 August 2021.
13. Deaths (CR) United States of America. Whatcom, Washington. 22 February 1944. TURNER, Dorothy Emma. Department of Health, Death Certificates, July 1, 1907 – December 31, 1995, Washington State Archives. http://digitalarchives.wa.gov: accessed 16 August 2021.
14. Census records. Scotland. Edinburgh. 05 April 1891. BURNET, Janet (Head). 685A/2 18/ 08. https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 12 August 2021.
15. Births index (SR) Scotland. Dalmeny, West Lothian. 1876. BURNET, James Gillespie. 665/ 10. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 15 August 2021.
16. Births index (SR) Scotland. Dalmeny, West Lothian. 1877. BURNET, Edith Joanna. 665/ 17. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 15 August 2021.
17. Births index (SR) Scotland. Dalmeny, West Lothian. 1879. BURNET, Janet Binnie. 665/ 20. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 15 August 2021.
18. Births index (SR) Scotland. Dalmeny, West Lothian. 1880. BURNET, Charles George. 665/ 23. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 15 August 2021.
19. Births index (SR) Scotland. Dalmeny, West Lothian. 1883. BURNET, Frank. 665/ 26. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 15 August 2021.
20. Births index (SR) Scotland. Edinburgh. 1887. BURNET, Frederick Stanley. 685/1 1520. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 15 August 2021.