[for Andrew’s parents and siblings see page ‘ORMSBY’ at top of screen]

[this post last edited, new information and / or images added 18 March 2013]

Andrew ORMSBY was born on 19 August 1848 in St. Quivox, Ayrshire, Scotland, the first son and second child born to James ORMSBY and his wife Helen STEEL.

Left: Andrew Ormsby, at Brickrow Farm, Ayrshire, Scotland, on 30 October 1924 at the wedding of his niece Jane (Jean) Muir ORMSBY to James McGUIRE. This photograph is now in the collection of an Ormsby family descendant who still lives in Ayrshire, Scotland.

Andrew lived an uneventful life at Brickrow Farm and a short distance away at Gibbsyard. The census recorded Brickrow Farm as his residence and listed his occupation as ‘farmer’, ‘agricultural labourer’ or ‘farm labourer’. For a brief period he considered leaving farm work as the 1871 census listed his occupation as ‘clerk’. Perhaps it was the death of Andrew’s father on October 12, 1871 that altered Andrew’s career choice and he was required to help run Brickrow Farm with his widowed mother Helen and his younger brother John [John ORMSBY], 15.

Andrew likely had no option but to return to farming. His brother Richard Steele [Richard Steel ORMSBY] had already left home and his brother James [James ORMSBY], who reached the age of 21 on 16 November 1871, had received the £100 from his father’s will and had no intention of staying on the farm. Andrew was not mentioned in his father’s will, perhaps it was assumed he would take over the running of Brickrow Farm. Whatever the situation, by 1881 Andrew was listed as a ‘farmer’ and so was to remain for the rest of his life.

Andrew lived at Gibbsyard, Auchincruive from 1901 until at least 1913. The move to Gibbsyard likely occurred after Andrew’s brother John brought his new wife Helen Ramsay MUIR to Brickrow in 1894. The 1911 census listed Andrew (61) sharing a home at Giibsyard with his widowed mother Helen (89), widower brother Henry [Henry ORMSBY] (52) and Henry’s two sons James [James Henry ORMSBY]  (21) and Robert [Robert Lamont ORMSBY] (19). In 1913 Andrew, as eldest son, signed the death registration of his 92 year old mother Helen. Sometime after 1913 Andrew moved back to Brickrow Farm and continued to help his brother John and family with farming activities. He died there on 07 January 1928, 79 years old of ‘heart disease’’ only three months after his brother John.