Russian connection

[DorothyCoe]

I know you experts will have a lead to help me...
I've had an email from a previously unknown relative of my husband's Ramsay family, giving me information about his Christina McGregor Ramsay (1840 - 1927) . It seems she was governess to the Russian royal family and had to escape from Russia to Turkey. This is oral history. Where would I begin to find evidence for this? I know she was married in the British Embassy in Constantinople, on 14th June 1862, to Alexander Ramsay who was born in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire in 1832.
How could I find out where she was before this? Anyone any idea?

[Currie]

Hello Dorothy,

As the Russian Revolution was in 1917 there may not have been any particular need to escape from Russia prior to then. She would have been quite elderly in 1917. Where did she die in 1927 and were there any children of the marriage whose births may clarify her whereabouts at different times.

There’s an article in the New York Times 16th May 1909 concerning attacks on the Taxim Barracks in Constantinople on 27th April during the Turkish Revolution of 1908-09. There’s mention at the bottom of the second column of a Mrs Alexander Ramsay, an old Scotch lady, handing out bandages for the wounded etc.
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-fr ... ref=slogin

It’s possible she is your Christina.

A bit about the Turkish Revolution 1908-09 here
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/boshtml/bos126.htm

There’s a series of photographs here
http://www.gerty.ncl.ac.uk/photos/O_236.htm

Hope this is useful,
Alan

[DorothyCoe]

Hi there
These were fascinating links, particularly the Gertrude Bell one. Once again your genius astounds me! Yes, this Mrs Alexander Ramsay handing out bandages would indeed be our Christina. The photos, diary entries and letters on the GB site were very informative. I do love contemporaneous accounts.

It turns out however that my informant had her wives wrong (easily done with this lot) and the Russian governess and escapee only married a Ramsay after all her exciting adventures! I've yet to find out which one she was and what the dates really were.

Thanks once again for all your excellent help.

[HeatherH]

Hello and Welcome to Talking Scot Dorothy,
Perhaps your Christina was Governess to an earlier Romanov or to a family member.
Margaret Eager was the scottish governess to the last czars children (though there were many more over the years they were not from the UK)
Margaret was dismissed from Royal service before the revolution ( possibly for not keeping her eye on a royal princess while in her bath as she ( Margaret ) was gossiping about a fellow staff member.
The Dowager Empress, her daughter Xenia, and Xenia's whole family, including son in law Felix Yussoupov and Felix's parents, all left the Crimea on the British ship HMS Marlborough along with other members of the royal family such as Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mavrikiena and their retainers. Perhaps your Christina was among them.
Emma Datlen Governess-tutor to Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovitch's children so as you see british servants were quite common. It is said the Czarina would not allow a french governess and that is why the 4 princess' spoken french was so poor.
There are a number of books on the Romanov family both the Imperial family and those closely related. One that may be of help is "When Miss Emmie was in Russia"
Margaret Eager also wrote a book of her time with the royal children and it gives a great insight into their daily life.
You may want to have a look and perhaps post your question on this site ...

http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php

Hope this is of some help.
Happy Hunting,
HeatherH

[Currie]

Hello Dorothy,

I don’t think I could handle so big a promotion, that’s a huge step for me all the way to genius. Don’t you have to be able to match up more than one face of a Rubik’s Cube or something to make it into that category.

Alan

[Montrose Budie]

Hi Dorothy

Could I suggest that you contact Rhona Brudenell at rhona.brudenellATbbc.co.uk , - replace AT with '@', - as this story could well interest BBC Radio Scotland in Aberdeen for use in the 4th series of 'Digging up Your Roots' starting early in January 2009!!

mb