Graymecham

[Hibee]

Looking through the burial lists for Newton, Midlothian, I see quite a few entries listed as inhabitants of Graymecham. Mostly around 1750-1760.

Any idea where this was? It's not producing anything in Google.

Thanks.

Hibee

[AndrewP]

Hi Hibee,

I see no sign of Graymecham (or anything similar) on the old maps on the NLS website. I guess it was an individual house rather than a farm or a mine, both of which were prolific in that area.

All the best,

AndrewP

[Hibee]

Thanks, Andrew.

I'd considered that, but closer examination showed so many different surnames (and occupations such as weaver and coalhewer) that a hamlet seemed more likely.

Odd that it's not showing up in search engines.....somebody, somewhere, must have a genealogical connection.

Regards

Hibee

[Currie]

Hello Hibee & Andrew,

”The Geology of the Neighbourhood of Edinburgh” published 1861, has, on page 106, a reference to a coal seam by name of “Greymecham”.
http://books.google.com/books?id=4zgAAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA106

Maybe a place called Greymechan was where the seam was first discovered or maybe there was a mine given that name because it was working that seam? Apparently Greymecham was part of a group of coal seams “principally wrought” at Brunstone?

I’m not sure how that fits into the picture but because coal seams can be very many miles long it’s possible for a mine with the name of the seam it’s working to be many miles from the actual place the seam was named after.

Hope that’s useful,
Alan

[Hibee]

Thank you, Alan.

All the burials were between 1740 and 1767. As the seam is still being referred to in a book of the mid 19th century, maybe the "hamlet" changed its name.

I note that there is another seam called "The Jewell". I saw "The Jewel" on a bus destination sign when in Edinburgh last week. Can't say I recall it when I lived in the city (1947-73), but I would think it might be named after the coal seam.

Regards

Hibee