"Ancrum, Roxburgh Border Area"

"The Lime Burner a sketch by Whistler"

"A parish situated nearly in the centre of the county of Roxburgh.  It stretches 6 miles in length along the N. side of the river Tiviot; its breadth does not exceed 4 miles.   The rivulet Ale runs through the parish, which, with the Tiviot, contains plenty of trout.  The soil is rich, consisting of clay and sand, and in some places of a loam.  There was formerly a great extent of wood in the parish; but none of long standing remains, except in the environs of Ancrum House, on the banks of the Ale.  Several young thriving plantations, however, are now beginning to embellish the country.  The site of Ancrum House is very picturesque.  Free stone of an excellent quality is found in the parish; and shell marl has been got in some of the mosses.  The Roman road from York to the Forth passes through the N. corner of the parish.  There are the remains also of a Roman encampment.  The district of Langnewton is annexed to this parish.  Population in 1801, 1222." [From Gazetteer of Scotland published 1806, Edinburgh.]

A lime burner is described as one who burns limestone, shells, etc to make lime.    Lime was heated in the kiln to change its chemical composition so that it could be used as a combining agent in mortar and plaster.  Kilns were tended by lime burners who usually lived nearby.  The lime burner would thrust a bundle of burning twigs into the 'eye' or fire grate which was usually covered with a heavy iron door.  The door would be shut fast and sealed to ensure slow burning.  One ton of limestone would produce 11cwt of high quality lime after eight hours burning.

During the 19th Century lime burning was so widespread across many areas of England that whether regionally or locally the entry "lime burner" would be an extremely weak indicator of the likely place of residence.  The term "lime" applies to two different products with greatly differing properties and uses: Quicklime and Slaked (or hydraulic) lime.  Both were produced and used in vast quantities, quicklime in building, slaked lime in agriculture and many other minor uses.  The lime burning itself was carried out (usually) in tall stone towers called lime kilns and used large amounts of coal.  The positioning of the lime kilns depended on the economics of transporting both coal and limestone but also on the way in which the resultant lime was to be used.  The primary product of lime burning (apart from a great deal of smoke and heat) is quicklime (CaO) a whitish powder with an enormous avidity for water which gives it ferociously "caustic" properties, making it really nasty to handle.  When "slaked" with water it gives out huge amounts of heat but remains a dry powder with much gentler causticity: Slaked lime, Ca(OH)2, is the form in which it was used in vast amounts in agriculture for "sweetening" acid soils.  It was relatively easy to handle and did not degenerate in damp air or in ordinary sacks.  Limestone was a prime ingredient in the making of Iron and Steel.  Blast furnaces need three main ingredients Coal, Limestone and Iron Ore.

Comment:  This Branch may be linked to branches 30A and 29M. Like Branch 30A an early ancestor is described as a "Lime Burner and Road Labourer".   Another interesting fact is the marriage of cousins and the researcher should not have too much difficulty in linking these ancestors to members of the family alive today.

You may view the family tree for this Branch here. 

You may view the family tree for Branch 30A here. 

You may view the family tree for Branch 29M here.