This is my fifth blog post in a series about some old papers of the WALKER family, from Kirkliston, West Lothian, Scotland. See a list of these papers HERE.
Below is one of several documents from an envelope labeled “Old Wills etc. of the Walker family”, which is part of a box full of family papers that I received from my aunt at a family gathering in January 2014. The contents of this envelope all date from the 1700’s.
This letter is from a James Gray, to James Walker, tenant in Hiddlefaulds, in Kirkliston, West Lothian, regarding the farm at Overtoun, Kirknewton, which had previously been occupied by James’ brother Thomas Walker. (James Walker was my 4x Great-grandfather).
Please click on the images to see the scans at full resolution. Transcribed text appears in a Maroon colour below each scanned image. At the bottom I’ve made some notes of my own about the document.
Letter; 
Transcription;
[Ed.] 7th [December] [1785]
[Sir]
I remember to have got from you some #
Considerable time ago an obligation by Mr [David] #
Wauch of Easter Newton to pay to you Two hundred #
pounds [Sterling] at the first term after you [the cold] #
put Mr Wauch in possession of the farm of Over- #
-toun [lately] possessed by the deceased Thomas #
Walker your Brother And which #
obligation is just now falen by so that I #
cannot presently lay my hand upon it #
And I am [Sir]
your obed. Servant
James Gray
To My James Walker }
tenant in Hiddlefaulds }
Notes;
David Wauch; I suspect that “Wauch” could be a mis-spelling of “Waugh”.
The farm of Easter Newton lays just to the east of Kirknewton village, Mid Lothian.
Family;
I believe that Thomas Walker (b. 1735) married Janet Brown (or Broun), in Kirkliston, West Lothian, on 16/10/1761. They had 8 children christened at Kirknewton, Mid Lothian, between 1762 and 1776. So Thomas Walker must have died at some time between 1776 and the date of this letter (1785). Following Thomas’ death the tenancy of Overtoun of Kirknewton was (according to this letter) transferred to a David Wauch (or Waugh).
A Family History Blog 