Blantyre Project reader, Andrew Wood sent in this message this week, adding, “Hi Paul. I found this ring in the woods next to David Livingstone Memorial Park. Inscribed with initials that I can’t make out and the surname weselmann 24 /12/1904. Is that a Blantyre name?”

Well, what a great find and one which presented a mystery! I spent some time trying to investigate but with little luck. The name is most certainly German and the 1900’s was a time many Germans came to Scotland. They usually ended up changing their names in order to get employment so the name may have existed only briefly. There are several spellings Weselmann, Weiselmann, Wesselman etc but all turn up a blank for Scotland.

Indeed, as far as I could see, there is nobody in valuation rolls, census information around 1901 or 1911 or marriage records in Scotland for that name. However, there are three possible results in England and the name Jacob is interesting and a possibility. I’m left to conclude this person married outwith Scotland and wasn’t in Blantyre for long. E.g If they came in 1906 but left before 1911, they wouldn’t be in any valuation or census records, but could have stayed here only for a few years. It makes me wonder how it was lost, and why it was in the woods by the river. Perhaps somebody was out a walk?

It’s a nice find and I hope somebody is able to conclude who this belonged to.