Postcard published by John R Russel of Edinburgh (JRRE)

19th Century

'The Coble' Cottage

This is the earliest information I have about the ferry at Cramond. It came in an email from Lorry Venetta, now living in North Carolina, USA.

Lorry wrote:

"I've been working on my Grandmother’s side of the family, with her help. She is a Henderson and turns 90 in November this year. She tells me stories that she remembers from her Grandfather, Archibald Henderson.

She gave me a small card with a sketch of ‘The Coble’, boat-house cottage at Cramond and a typed note that read:

'Archibald Henderson (1786-1854) lived in the Coble, Boat-house Cottage for several years after retirement. During this time, he operated the ferry to and fro across the Almond River.

Cramond is at the mouth of the Almond River on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, about eight miles west of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Archibald Henderson married Janet Ritchie, 28 September 1813, and their children were ...'

We can trace our family directly to Archibald Henderson and Janet Ritchie, who lived in the The Coble and ran the ferry. I've searched on line for history about the Cramond boat-house and ferry, but found no mention of the Hendersons."

Lorry Venetta, Concord, North Carolina, USA: October 10, 2008

Question

Do you know anything about the early history of the boat-house and ferry at Cramond? If so, please email me, then I'll pass on the information to Lorry.

Thank you. - Peter Stubbs: October 11, 2008

Answer

Thank you to Noeleen Sutton, Auckland, New Zealand, who wrote:

The Cramond Ferryman

Archibald Henderson

"I note with interest your reference to the Ferry and Ferryman, Archibald Henderson of Cramond on behalf of Lorry Venetta (above).

I have traced this Henderson family for some years and Archibald Henderson is my 3xgreat uncle.

My Henderson family lived in the end house of the row of white houses on the Almond River opposite the ferryman's house in your postcards.

There is a family tree for Archibald Henderson family on the Rootsweb web site for the First Hendersons to America. It includes a family tree for Archibald. I have tried for some time to get the names and dates corrected as they are wrong.

Despite my providing parish records which link Archibald Henderson, born 1790, to my family, the Rootsweb web site has still not been corrected.

Perhaps Lorry can prove I am wrong in my research

Noeleen Sutton, Auckland, New Zealand: July 12, 2009

20th Century

Early Postcard

This postcard has the 'J R Russel, Edinburgh' name on the back, but it is in the style of a Valentine card and has a James Valentine number on the front, '43242 JV'. From this number, the negative can be dated to 1904

21st Century

Ferry Closed

The ferry continued to operate until 2000, but is currently [2008] closed.

There has been talk of building a bridge across the river just upstream from the position of the ferry, but no agreement on this has yet been reached with the landowner.