A Bookshop Romance.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 19, 17 October 1907, Page 10

A Bookshop Romance.

Sir "William Ramsay, tho famous'scientist, is 011' a visit to Finland to ".mejof widely-sepa-rated.'members' of His family, with whom ho has got into touch in a curious manner.' Tile old Scotch houso of Ramsay lias had a Swedo-Finmsh branch' from tile titho when a Ramsay, together 'with many other Scotch noblomen, took part in tho thirty years' wax, undor the banner of tho Swedish King, Gustavus Adolphus, and afterwards settlccl in Sweden. . Sir AVilliam' Ramsay was woll aware of tho existenco of these relatives in Sweden and Finland, though ho was not in communication with them. But last year, when he visited Stockholm for . tho : reception of 'tho Nobel Prize, ho one day, in the window of a bookshop, noticed a book the author of which had the same name' as his' own granfathcr, tho famous geologist, Andreas (Andrew) Ramsay. The book was "From Childycars to Silvorhair," a well-known work in Sweden. Sir AVilliam bought the book, and read it with the greatest interest. As a first result, he wrote to'tho'author and asked for further information-in regard to tho Finnish branch of the family, niul then there followed an exchange of letters. Finally, Sir ■AVilliam expressed his desiro to visit his Swedo-Finnish relatives, of which tho family head is the ; above-named Andreas Ramsay, and this was met with a hearty invitation. Thus a remarkable rc-union of tho two widoly--soparated branches of an illustrious' family is duo to a moro accident. Tho foundor of tho Swedo-Finnish branch of tho Ramsay family was Joan Ramsay, who .in 1633 became a naturalisod Swede.