OLIPHANT papers – Mr BAXTER, Gray Street, Newington, 1825

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To give a little background context to this document, the information that I have is that a George DOUGAL (or DUGAL) married Agnes BARKER in 1762, and I have note of them having 3 sons. Agnes BARKER had 2 sisters (Mary and Christian), who married brothers from the OLIPHANT family – both of whom are my direct ancestors.

EDIT; At first glance I took the surname to which this letter is addressed, to be “BARKER”! But having transcribed it, then looked closer at what it says, and done a little digging into other records, I’ve found that George DOUGAL and Agnes BARKER’s oldest son (also ‘George’), had a daughter (Elizabeth, chr.30/7/1819 at St Cuthberts, Edinburgh) outside of marrage, with an Elizabeth BAXTER. So this letter (and 2 other documents HERE and HERE) appear to relate to the custody of that child.

OLIPHANT papers; envelope 1; document 9;

Cover – address;

Transcription of cover – address;

Mr Baxter # Gray Street # Newington

inside – left page;

Transcription of inside – left page;

Edin. 17 Dec 1824. The Lords having corse #
[dered] [the] [mutual] memorials & whole [cause] #
before answer appoint the [trustees] of the #
said George DOUGALL to lodge a [con…] [.] #
[stating] [what] [sum] they propose to pay to the #
[pursuer] Elizabeth BAXTER in name of [Alim.] #
for Elizabeth DOUGALL in case she shall #
[persist] in [claiming] the custody of her the #
[con…] to be [prented] & […] on or #
before the […] day in the [needs] under an #
[amend] of Ten pounds sterling –

inside – right page;

Transcription of inside – right page;

Edin. 5 July 1825.
The Lords having resumed consideration of this #
cause and advised the [mutual] memorials for the #
parties with the [condescendance] for Mr DOUGALLs Trustees #
Defenders and the answers thereto for Mrs Elizabeth #
BAXTER [pursuer] they find the said Trustees Defenders #
liable to [furnish] to the pursuer as aliment for his [daughter] #
the yearly sum of One hundred & Fifty pounds stirling [&] #
that from George DOUGALLs death 26th August 1823 to #
be paid to her in advance and by half yearly payments #
as also in the yearly sum of Forty pounds sterling for the #
[rents] of a house and that by half yearly payments #
as also in the yearly sum of £40 sterling for the [rents] #
~~~ house and that by half yearly payments & [de~~~] #
~~~. Find the Trustees liable to the [pur…] #
in expences appoints an account to be given [in] #
and [comit] it when lodged to the auditor to [take] #
and report and [find] that all the expences [incurred] #
in the [discussion] are to be paid out of and charged #
by the Trustees against the Trust funds and also [find] #
the said [defenders] liable in such reasonable [forms] #
of expence as may be necessarily laid out or incurred #
in the education of the said Elizabeth BAXTER such sums #
to be paid on a regular account with sufficient vouchers #
being [exhibited] and that half yearly and […]. #
two words delete #
signed 8[th] July – [C] Hope [J.P.D.]

Back page;

Transcription of back page;

Mr A Scott with Comp~ to MRS BAXTER begs to #
enclose copies of the Interlocutors [pronounced] by the #
court & signed ^ today in the [process] between her and Mr Dougall’s #
Trustees, – and to congratulate her upon the success- #
-ful termination of this cause. – [Mr.] will call upon #
[Mrs] B. some day soon.

17 George Street #
8 July 1825

Notes on terms used in the text;

• Aliment (Wikipedia)
• Interlocutor (Wikipedia); an order of any Scottish Court.