Hunnisett Family History

Richard Hunnisett (1811 - 1890) Policeman of Edinburgh

Richard, son of Joseph and Mary, was baptised in Stone-in-Oxney on 7 March 1811. How he came to be in Scotland is still a mystery but he is known to have married in Edinburgh and lived in Edinburgh and Tranent.

Proclamations of marriage were recorded in Edinburgh during April 1834 for Richard Hunneysett, a tailor, and Jane Anderson both residing in Greenside Street, St Andrew’s parish. In subsequent records Jane’s name was sometimes given as Joan or Johnann and her surname sometimes as Sanderson. In 1881 her place of birth was given as Prestonkirk, Haddington.

They appear to have had the following children:

In 1841 Richard Honysett, 30, was recorded as a police officer at Canongate Police Station, Edinburgh.

In 1851 Richard and Johnann and their children; Mary, Joseph, John and Alexander were living in Tranent.

In 1881 Richard, a jobbing gardener, and Johnann were at New Row Tranent, Haddington.

Joan, of New Row, Tranent, died of apoplexy in 1888 aged 77.

Richard died at 55 Blackfriars Street, Edinburgh, at 7:30am on 27 April 1890. He had suffered from bronchitis for 2 years and was said to be 79.

Of their children:

• A Mary J Honeyset married John Walker in Edinburgh on 8 January 1858. She may have died in 1912 aged 75.
• Joseph married Jean Bowie and they had 5 daughters, one of whom died in infancy. He worked as a labourer and died in 1909.
• John married Jemima Grieve in Tranent on 20 November 1868 and they had a daughter Elizabeth Grieve Honeysett on 7 August 1869. They emigrated to Michigan, then Illinois where John was a labourer in Chicago in 1880 with his wife, Mima, and their children; Lizzie (10), Richard (9), Josie (8), Maggie (5) and Kate (1).
• Alexander had a daughter, Henrietta Bridges Honeysett on 22 October 1867. She married William Learmonth, an engineer from Stronsay, Orkney, at Tranent on 5 January 1872. In 1881 they were in Tranent with their 6 children, 4 of whom had been born at Stronsay, and William’s step daughter, Henrietta.  Alexandra died in 1923. Henrietta married James Livingstone in 1889.
• Alison married James Stevenson, a coal miner, at Tranent on 19 March 1869. In 1881 they were at Cambusnethan, Lanark, with 3 children.