Elizabeth Campbell Honyman

1814 - 1886  (71 years)

• Name	Elizabeth Campbell Honyman  [1]
  Born	27 May 1814	Smyllum Park, Lanarkshire   [1]
  Gender	Female
  Died	17 Apr 1886	1 Albert Terrace, Trinity, Edinburgh   [1]
  Person ID	I11604	My Relatives
  Last Modified	15 Nov 2021

  
  

  Father	Bart Richard Johnstone Bemptde Honyman,   b. 4 May 1786, c 31-5-1786 St Cuthberts, Edinburgh ,   d. 23 Feb 1842, Edinburgh, Midlothian stone in Dean Cemetery  (Age 55 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Dowager Lady Honyman Elizabeth Campbell,   b. 1786, Kirkwall, Orkney ,   d. 31 Dec 1874, 1 Albert Terrace, Trinity, Edinburgh  (Age 88 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Married	Jun 1813	SEE Her Notes   [1]
  Family ID	F4448	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	William Gillespie,   b. 11 Mar 1808, Barony, Lanarkshire ,   d. 8 Mar 1875, New Killorn, near Stirling  (Age 66 years)
  Married	11 Apr 1836	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [1]
  Last Modified	15 Nov 2021
  Family ID	F4529	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  at 1841 census at East Viewfield, North Leith of Torbanehill, Linlithgow at 1851 census at Torbanehill, West Lothian at 1861 census at Torbane House, Bathgate, West Lothian at 1871 census at 1 Albert Terrace, Leith address 1875 and at death in 1886, 46 Melville Street, Edinburgh Torbanehill A locality and former estate in West Lothian, Torbanehill is located a quarter-mile (0.4 km) east of Tippethill and a half-mile (1 km) north of Whitburn, on the opposite side of the M8 motorway. Taking its name from Torbane Hill, all that remains of the estate today is Torbanehill Mains Farm, but this once included Torbanehill House, home of Elizabeth Honyman and her husband William Gillespie (1808-75), and a further farm called simply Torbanehill. These were demolished c.1928 to make way for a new road, although a doo'cot survived until the 1960s. The locality also included several coal, fireclay and ironstone mines. It gives its name to Torbanite, or 'The Torbanehill Mineral', which formed the basis of a valuable oil industry in West Lothian and North Lanarkshire. This new mineral, also known as 'boghead coal', became the focus of much scientific investigation and a notable court case in 1853, which centred on the definition of the term 'coal'. Gillespie had leased the rights to mine coal from his wife's estate but, realising the value of the oil which was being produced, brought a case to the Court of Session seeking to prove that the couple were being unfairly recompensed because the mineral being extracted was not coal. The case proved very difficult, involving the opinions of various scientists and engineers and eventually came to the view that Gillespie and his wife were being treated fairly. He appealed to the House of Lords, who agreed with the lower court, but the case was finally settled with Gillespie receiving a better price from the mining company. Torbanite is now accepted as an intermediate between oil shale and coal.

  
  

• Sources

  [S4] Honyman.FTW. Date of Import: 5 Dec 2007