Thursday 26 January 2012

Francis Sievwright, 1795-1872

I've been looking into Francis Sievwright, army surgeon ca 1795-1872
First of all, I have no reason to believe he is related to "my" Sievwrights from Angus, but since I have done the research, I thought I would share it. Maybe someone else will find it useful.
Since there is an older Francis Sievwright and a Colin Sievwright, surgeon,  in my tree I thought it was possible that this man was related. I've added them to my tree anyway as it is easier to make sense of it. link to Francis

Sources
A lot of information on his life came from Edinburgh newspapers, army documents and medical reports found online. The University of Edinburgh Archive http://www.archives.lib.ed.ac.uk/  gave his years of study and qualifications. 1851 and 1861 Scottish censuses transcribed by Ancestry.com gave dates and places of birth for Francis, Mary and 2 children. Familysearch.org provided records of some of his children and gravestonephotos.com helped tie it all together with photos and transcription of 3 gravestones in Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh.

Birth, Marriage and Death
1795 born in Edinburgh. No record. Date from census and death certificate. No parents on his death certificate Started university of Edinburgh in 1811. That would make him 16.
 25 March 1824 at Trinity College, Edinburgh marriage of Francis Sievwright Esq. 59th Regiment to Mary Henderson  dau of Wm Henderson Esq.
23 Jan 1872 Francis died in the Royal Edinburgh Asylum, Morningside.

Wife
Mary Henderson
born 16 Jan 1799 Edinburgh
died 9 Aug 1867 Edinburgh parents William Henderson and Barbara Rutherford

Known Children

William Edward Paget Suvwright (sic)
born:
christening:            04 Jun 1825            Cawnpore, Bengal, India
parents:            Francis Suvwright, Mary
burial:            02 Aug 1825            Cawnpore, Bengal, India
parents:            F. Seivewright (sic)
Death reported in the Edinburgh Magazine:
Death on 1 Aug 1825 at Cawnpore William Edward Paget infant son of Francis Sievwright Esq. Assistant Surgeon 59th Regiment of Foot

Francis Seivewright (sic)
birth:            27 Apr 1826            Cawnpore, Bengal, India
death: abt Dec 1845
He had a son Francis who died after the Battle of Ferozshah - 21st-22nd December 1845. Lieutenant Francis Sievwright - 9th Foot - died of wounds, 3rd January 1846. Aged 21. Son of Assistant-Surgeon Francis Sievwright (59th Foot). His will is in the National Archive

3 Andrew Sievwright no record other than his gravestone.

4 Allan Sievwright
b 1826
d 1870 gravestone in Dean Cemetery

Charles Edward Whitefield Sievwright
recorded as Lievwright
birth 21 Apr 1830 Cawnpore, Bengal
in Edinburgh in 1851 and 1861 censuses
died 1867 single

Mary Rozalie Sievwright
as Mary Royaline Sieveright
birth:
15 Apr 1835 Meerut, Bengal
married John Birkmyre Wingate on 11 Dec 1860 in Glasgow
died 1901

7 male child
born  05 Apr 1841 in Edinburgh died same day, father Francis Sievwright. From the gravestone information below I have deduced that this is Theodore.


Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh, photographed by a volunteer for the excellent Gravestone Photographic Resource http://www.gravestonephotos.com/
They are always looking for volunteers to photograph local graveyards.




William Sievwright died 1825

Francis Sievwright  age 20 died 1846  brother of William Sievwright

Andrew Sievwright age 36 1862 brother of William Sievwright

Theodore Sievwright died 1841  brother of William Sievwright



Charles E W Sievwright age 37  1867

Mary Henderson  age 68 died 1867

Francis Sievwright age 77 1872

Mary Rosalie Wingate age 66 died 1901

a third stone bears the legend
Allan Sievwright age 42 1828 died 1870
Harriet Pain Langland age 73 1831 died 1904 wife of Allan Sievwright
Mary Jessie Harry Sievwright age 3 1859 died 1862 daughter of Allan Sievwright
Their marriage certificate reveals that Allan too is a child of Francis Sievwright and Mary Henderson and was a Captain in the Royal Artillery when he married Harriet in 1859.
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Major Sievwright served in the Crimean campaign from July 1855, including the siege and fall of Sebastopol  (Medal with Clasp, and Turkish Medal)
from THE NEW ANNUAL ARMY LIST,  MILITIA LIST,  AND  INDIAN CIVIL SERVICE LIST,  1870


Francis's Career from various magazines published online

1813 enrolls in RAMC Royal Army Medical Corps from University of Edinburgh record. Ties in with 31 years service in 1844

1818 assistant surgeon in India

1819 writes a report on smallpox in India (doc in Glasgow university archives)

1823 does further study at Edinburgh University

1827 Francis Sievwright of 59th Regiment to 11 Dragoons

1844 31 years service


Census information

1851 census Scotland
5 Rutland Place, Edinburgh
no Francis but wife Mary age 50
and their 2 surviving children both born E Indies, British subjects
Mary R Sievwright 15
Charles 20 clerk in HM Exchequer

1861 census Scotland
Milton Shore Victoria Terrace, Dunoon and Kilmun, Argyll
Francis Sievwright age 63 born Edinburgh army medical officer
Mary Sievwright wife 56

1861 census
25 India Street, flat
Charles E W Sievwright 30 clerk in civil service

Francis died in Edinburgh Royal Asylum in 23 Jan 1872 of exhaustion due to a large carbuncle. His death was recorded by an attendant who got his wife's name wrong (Mary Rosalie Deuchars instead of Mary Henderson)  and didn't know his parents' names. His father was recorded as a merchant.

It looks like Mary Rozalie Sievwright's husband John Birkmyre Wingate's sister Jane Wingate married John Langlands in 1862 brother of Allan Sievwright's wife Harriet Pain Langlands. Allan and Harriet had 2 other children. After Allan's death, Harriet lived with Langlands family members in England.

If anyone has any further information, please leave a comment or email me via my profile.