Wm Dumbreck RN 1790
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William Francis Maxwell Dumbreck was born 6th Nov 1790 at the Canongate, St Cuthberts Edinburgh.  At the age of 12 he joined the Royal Navy and he fought at the battle of Trafalgar (21st October 1805) aged 15 on board H.M.S. Defence.

His rank then was Midshipman, (a rank intermediate between naval cadet and sub-lieutenant).

He also served on board H.M.S. Victory at the battle of Corunna in 1809 and was invalided out of the Royal Navy as Captain in 1814 at the age of 24.

In 1816 he married Jane Inglis of Lasswade Midlothian.  On the 17th July 1817, Jane gave birth to a son who was baptised on the 21st as William Francis Maxwell   (registered at the Canongate 685-3 Vol 11, page 505). This first child died and two years later they had another son born 19th May 1819 also called William Francis Maxwell Dumbreck.

**Jane died around 1820, and a newspaper article mentions that William had lost his wife in the sinking of a Leith packet off the coast of Fife while on the way to join him in Aberdeen where he was working as Chief Surveyor for the Government, and that an infant William was the only survivor. ** Date to be confirmed.

 

In 1820 William married his second wife Margaret McNicol of Glenarchy. They had one son John Edward Lord Dumbreck christened 30th June 1821 at Duddingston Edinburgh.

In 1824 William joined the Excise and was posted to the care of  ''Collector Dumbreck''  (Thomas Dumbreck) at Perth and qualified in 1825 when he was transferred to Glasgow.  In 1825 his known address was Candlemaker Row Edinburgh, home of Robert the Hatter, son of William the Hotel keeper.

On the 8th August 1855 (after being widowed) William married his third wife Christina Ferguson who was born in August 1817 at Kinclaven, Stanley, Perthshire, she was 38 and William now 65.

A Census taken in 1861 of 90 Cumberland Street, Glasgow shows William and Christina resident.

On the 25th August 1862 William died of disease of the liver at the age of 72.

 

William Dumbreck b. 1819  now continues the family name.