William Roy Lonie

The following information on the Lonie / Auchterlonie family was supplied by Mr. Walter Savige who has researched the Ochterlony, Auchterlonie, Lonie, and other variations of this family's name for over 26 years. Although there is a wealth of information on these Lonie / Auchterlonie, and Cunningham families from Walter Savige and Ian Cunliffe, not much is known about William Roy Lonie's life, and Golf Career!

If anyone knows anything relating to William Roy Lonie / Auchterlonie, please email Tracy J Yarid.

William Roy Lonie, born in 1863, was the son of John Lonie / Auchterlonie (1822-1901) & Grace Wallace (1829-1913) who married in St Andrews 3rd of Oct. 1846.
Parents of John:- Andrew Lonie/ Auchterlonie (1798-1885) & Mary Greig (1796, alive in 1891) married in Ceres May 9th 1819.
Parents of Andrew:- John Auchterlonie (1762-1817) & Christian Morgan (born 1765 year of death not stated) married in Ceres 14th of Feb. 1789.
Parents of John:- James Auchterlonie (1729-1788) & Jean Leslie or Lesles (born 1733 death not stated) married 9th of Sept.1733 in Ceres.
Parents of James:- David Auchterlonie & Christian Thomson married 1715.
David Auchterlonie & Christian Thomson are the ancestors William Roy Lonie shared with Willie Auchterlonie of the Prestwick Open in 1893 & brother Laurie Auchterlonie of the U.S. Open in 1902 (along with other siblings), and their ancestor was Charles (brother of James, and son of David & Christain Thomson Auchterlonie). Charles Auchterlonie married Katherine Howie 2nd of Oct. 1762 in Ceres.

William Roy Lonie (1863-1948) married Betsy Cunningham (1870-1955) in 1890 in St Andrews. Betsy was the only daughter, and youngest child, of Alexander Cunningham (1833-1910) and Jessie Philp (1830-1875) who married 25th of Oct 1859 in St Andrews. Betsy's Cunningham family lived at #3 or #13 North Street (according to the actual hand written census, but it is hard to determine the number). North Street is a main street connecting to Golf Place which leads to St. Andrews Royal & Ancient Golf Course, and these homes are at the opposite end of North Street, near the Cathedral ruins. Some of these homes still exist, and a Mr. Ian Cunliffe, who has researched the Cunningham family for over 25 years, and his wife Mary, derived from the same ancestors as William Roy's wife Betsy. Ian has pictures of #1 & #19 North Street, so #3 & #13 may still exist. David Inksman Cunningham (one of Betsy's older brothers) lived at #1 with his wife Mary Fenton in 1880, which is where Mary Cunningham's (wife of Ian Cunliffe) grandmother, Annie Hopkins Lister was born in 1896 (her grandfather was James Wilson Cunningham).

 

1 North Street

19 North Street

27 North Street

 

Jeffrey Bird was born June 17th 1935 in Ipswich Suffolk, the youngest son of Charles Walter Bird and Jessie Lonie. Charles, born 1895, legally dropped his first name and went by Walter. He was left an orphan along with siblings, and his parents were Walter William Bird, and Sarah Elizabeth Johnson. Sarah died giving birth to her last child Grace in 1901, and Walter William died just a few years later. After his father died, he was placed into a military school, and from there went straight into the military. Whether Charles, and Jessie met while they were in the service, is unknown.

Jeffrey was unexpected, being born to his Mother at the age of 44. Jessie was the second oldest, and oldest daughter of William Roy, and Betsy Cunningham Lonie, born in 1893 in St Andrews. Her siblings were John Lonie born 1890 in St Andrews, Edith G. Lonie born 1898, and Rose M. Lonie born 1899. The Bird family do not know of the name Rose, so she may have chosen to be called by her second name Mary (assuming this was her second name), which is the name they all remember. The youngest two were born in Sussex England. The oldest child of Jessie was Phyliss (the first grandchild of William Roy and Betsy), and her father was said to have died in the war, and we do not know what his name was. We assume she was born in St Andrews. Jeff's other siblings Dorothy Bird Price, William Roy Bird, Betty Bird Hughes, and Les Bird, lived most of their lives in Colchester Essex England.

Jeffrey went to visit his Grandparents when he was nine years old, and remembers going to the golf shop where William Roy Lonie made golf clubs. He is certain the shop he visited was in Kinghorn, where William Roy died in 1948. Whether this is the case, or he worked with the famous Auchterlonie brothers, is unknown.

Jeff insists his grandfather was a professional golf player. Jeff saw his Tooting Bec Cup (for the lowest single round in the British Open), which was a bowl shape. William Roy Lonie tutored the game of golf, and helped construct golf courses in England as well as Scotland, which is believed to be why the two youngest Lonie girls were born in Sussex.

William Roy Lonie is buried in Kinghorn along with Betsy Cunningham Lonie, and a Dorothy Lonie (she is believed to be John Lonie's wife (son of William Roy), who went by the nick-name Dolly).

John Lonie / Auchterlonie lived at 17 Mid Road when he purchased the burial plots in Kinghorn. This may be the house where Jeffrey remembers visiting William Roy Lonie - described as the last house on the left going up a hill (or going up a hill, the last house on the left of Lair Road), overlooking the Firth of Forth on one side, and the (I believe now called) Kinghorn Municipal Golf Club on the other side.

The pictures have all been supplied by the Bird Family in Colchester, sent via email by Stephen Bird. They have been cleaned up and repaired where needed using photoshop.

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