This is my tenth 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.
I have previously posted all those documents that are by, or speak directly about my Walker ancestors. I am now posting some documents where I am unsure of the nature of the connection to the Walker family. Please see my notes at the bottom.
This Disposition is by John Samuel, in Newhouses – which is a near neighbour to the west of Hiddlefaulds, and southwest of Kilpunt. I don’t know of any direct family relationship to my Walker family. As far as I can tell, the Samuel and Walker families were just neighbours.
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 people and places in the document.
Cover; 
Transcription of cover;
Disposition
John Samuel
To
Spouse & Children
======
1798
======
Page 1; 
Transcription of page 1;
Know all Men by these presents me John Samuel #
Wright in Nuehouses Kinpount having resolved to #
setle my Means and Effects in my own Lifetime #
So as to prevent All Contraversies thereanent after #
my decease Do therefore by these presents for certain #
considerations me moving Asign Dispone & make #
over from me and all others my heirs and successors #
To and in favours of Janet Black my spouse In #
Liferent for her liferent use only / Incase she survives me /#
and continues my widow and To John, Thomas, Walter, #
Marion, and Elizabeth Samuels my children of my first #
marriage to each of them One Pound Sterling #
at the first term of Martinmas or Whitsunday #
after her decease and To Henry, David and #
Margaret Samuels my Children of the present, #
Existing mariage all Goods Gear debts & sums of #
Money Corns Cattle outsight & insight and Every Other #
thing of what ever kind presently pertaining & belonging #
adebted & Owing to me or which shall pertain & belong #
and be addebted & Owing to me the time of my Decease #
by what ever Person or persons Dispensing whth #
the Generality hereof and Admitting these presents to #
be as valid and Effectual to all Intents & purposes #
As if every particular hereby conveyed were herein #
ingrossed reserving Nevertheless to my self my life:- #
-rent right of the premissice & full power & Liberty #
to use and dispose thereof at pleasure and to alter or #
Inovate these presents in whole or in part as I shall #
think proper Surrogating & substituting My said spouse #
and Children according to their respective rights #
and Interests of Liferight and fee above mentioned #
with and Under the faculty & reservation foresaid / in #
my full right & Place of the Promissies / with / #
John Samuel
Page 2; 
Transcription of page 2;
Page second
with power to them respective According to their #
said rights Immediately after My Death to Intromit #
with use and dispose upon the whole subjects hereby #
conveyed and generally to do every other thing #
Anent the premissies as fully & freely in all respects #
as I could have done myself in my lifetime and #
I hereby nominate and Appoint Henry Black resident #
at Burnside & John Black, gardener at Kinpunt sole #
Executors of this my Will & Testament And I hereby #
Declare that these presents shall be a Good and Valid #
Deed in their ffavours Tho found lying by me at my #
Death of found in the custody of any other Person #
In case it is not altered be me by another deed #
Consenting to the registration hereof in the Books #
of Council and Session or any Other judges books #
competent therein to remain for preservation there #
Letters of [Homing] and all other Execution needfull #
My pass hereon in form as Effeirs And these to #
——- [constitute] My #
Prorators I witness whereof I have subscribed these #
presents written upon this and the preceeding page #
of Stamped paper by John Miller schoolmaster #
of Uphall at Newhouses Kinpount this fifteenth #
day Of October, One thousand Seven hundred and #
Nintey Eight years before these witnesses #
James Walker, farmer at Hiddlefaulds and #
the said John Miller, writer hereof —
John Samuel
James Walker, witness
John Miller, witness —
Notes;
Nuehouses (or Newhouses); lay on Newhouses Road, about where “The Astor” now sits – just north of the M8 motorway. It was west of Hiddlefaulds, and southwest of Kilpunt (“Kinpount”).
Searching the IGI transcriptions of parish registers suggests that John Samuel first married Marion Fraser, in Kirkliston on 10th Dec. 1757, and had the following children christened;
- John Samuel – chr. 11/4/1760
- Thomas Samuel – chr. 6/12/1761
- Walter Samuel – chr. 28/5/1764
- Jean Samuel – chr. 28/8/1768 (might this be the “Marion” named in the document above?)
- Elizabeth Samuel – chr. 2/5/1773
The IGI then shows the marriage between John Samuel and Janet Black, in Kirkliston on 10th Dec. 1785. They had the following children christened;
- Henry Samuel – chr. 6/5/1787
- David Samuel – chr. 17/1/1790
- Margaret Samuel – chr. 25/3/1792
If you could shed any more light on the family of John Samuel in Newhouses, Kirkliston, please leave a comment below, or use the Contact Page to get in touch. I would be particularly interested in anything more that might show the relationship between the Samuels, and the Walkers in Hiddlefaulds. Thanks.
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