Scotland trip – May 2017 – day 8 – and the big family gathering

I’m aiming to write and post a little bit each day about the family history research I’m doing, and what I find, during a week staying​ in Edinburgh. But for personal privacy, the posting of these travels on AFamilyHistoryBlog will be delayed by a few days, and will not necessarily be in day by day order! Some of these posts may be given later tweaks, with added photos, etc.

(Note; Sorry! This post was drafted at the time, but was not properly scheduled for posting like the previous posts. And when I got home I got busy catching up with many other things. So this slipped! Hence the big delay in posting!)

Update; You can now see all the posts from my May 2017 Scotland trip, here;
Day 1 – day 2 – day 3 – day 4 – day 5 – day 6 – day 7 – & day 8 & the big family gathering.

I had a final half day in Edinburgh, so I went back to the National Archives of Scotland, at the General Register House. Security had been visibly stepped up since my previous visit to the archives, due to the terrorist attack in Manchester. So there were now bag checks at the front entrance of the General Register House.

General Register House, from North Bridge, Edinburgh.

I spent a couple of hours in the search room using the archive’s “virtual vault”. It took a while just to work out the system. Then I used the virtual vault to look up old maps of the Carlowrie estate, at Kirkliston, West Lothian; which includes Puncheonlaw, where the WALKER family are first recorded to have lived. I did my best to draw my own copy of the plan.

At lunchtime I was picked up from the flat where I had been staying, by an uncle and aunt who had been staying in Edinburgh for a couple of days, and headed for our big HUTCHISON family gathering in South Ayrshire.

We all had a fun week together. During the week the family group included;

• my gran,
• her 5 children & 4 spouses,
• 8 (out of 10) grandchildren (including me), & 4 (of 6) spouses/partners, and
• 9 (out of 14) of my gran’s Great-grandchildren.

A view of the main house on the site where we were staying, with the hilltops across the valley in the background.

We spent time together around the site (which was nice, and worked well for the group of us that was there, but might have been a squeeze if the whole family had been able to come!), and on trips out around Ayrshire. On the first whole day there, 9 of us (half of the adults there at the time) climbed up the hill (283 meters high) just behind the site. Here we are at the top (I’m behind the camera!).

Some of the family, on top of the hill.

On the last full day of the holiday we had a “Circus” themed party, and I got a fun photo of my gran and all 5 of her children standing together, all dressed up.

The Hutchison family in circus costumes 😉

Scotland trip – May 2017 – day 3

I’m aiming to write and post a little bit each day about the family history research I’m doing, and what I find, during a week staying​ in Edinburgh. But for personal privacy, the posting of these travels on AFamilyHistoryBlog will be delayed by a few days, and will not necessarily be in day by day order! Some of these posts may be given later tweaks, with added photos, etc.

Update; You can now see all the posts from my May 2017 Scotland trip, here;
Day 1 – day 2 – day 3 – day 4 – day 5 – day 6 – day 7 – & day 8 & the big family gathering.

On Saturday morning I attended a class at the Scottish Genealogy Society’s family history library in Edinburgh. The subject was “Kirk Session Records”, led by Bruce Bishop. I found this very interesting and informative, and learnt a lot about the Scottish Kirk, how it functioned, what kind of records were (and weren’t) kept, and the limitations of those records. It was very useful in understanding how to make good use of these records in family history research.

During the afternoon I used the Edinburgh Central Library, to look at the OPR microfilm for Kirknewton parish – looking for the WALKER family at Overtown. I made some notes and printed off some images from the records, but I didn’t identify anything particularly new there!

Scotland trip – May 2017 – day 2

I’m aiming to write and post a little bit each day about the family history research I’m doing, and what I find, during a week staying​ in Edinburgh. But for personal privacy, the posting of these travels on AFamilyHistoryBlog will be delayed by a few days, and will not necessarily be in day by day order! Some of these posts may be given later tweaks, with added photos, etc.

Update; You can now see all the posts from my May 2017 Scotland trip, here;
Day 1 – day 2 – day 3 – day 4 – day 5 – day 6 – day 7 – & day 8 & the big family gathering.

I began the day by going to obtain a readers ticket for the National Records of Scotland Historical Search Room. I arrived at the General Register House just before their doors opened at 9am. The registration process was quick and easy (as I had come fully prepared). So I was done and out again in just 20 minutes.

General Register House, from North Bridge, Edinburgh.

My plan is to return to the Historical Search Room later during my week in Edinburgh, to see some records I’ve identified from the National Records of Scotland catalogue, that look to be of interest to me. Some of these records are listed as being “off site” and need to be ordered in advance. So before leaving I made my request for those documents, so that they will be available to view on the day that I plan to go back there.

I then headed to a bus stop and caught a bus out to explore a bit of West Lothian. My first stop was Kirkliston where I had arranged to meet Joe Henderson, who was able to open the church building for me to see inside. I have visited the Kirkliston churchyard a couple of times before, but not previously seen inside the church. Joe appears to know a great deal about the history of Kirkliston church and the parish. He gave me a copy of “Kirkliston; A Parish History” by Donald Whyte, and I gave him a copy of the history I have about my WALKER family.

After a little while inside the church, we went out into the churchyard, where I went particularly to look at the WALKER family gravestones there, and to take some new photos of them. Unfortunately (as you will see from the photo – below) a bush has been allowed to grow up right in front of the oldest gravestone – that of “William WALKER, late tenant in Hiddlefold, who died on Jan.1st 1768, aged 73″. But I was able to pull the branches away enough to check the inscription, which is still readable.

3 Walker family gravestones in Kirkliston churchyard; the oldest (on left) of William Walker, d. 1/1/1768, aged 73; on right, William’s son and daughter-in-law, James Walker & Janet Flint, and centre, James & Janet’s grandson, also James, his wife, Margaret Johnston, and several of their children.

Joe was then able to give me a lift to Kilpunt. I had a good look around there, taking a number of photos, and wandered down to the nearby site of Hiddlefaulds, where the Walker family had farmed from about 1745. There is now just a pile of stones on the site of Hiddlefaulds (which I believe was demolished in the 1890’s), and all the farm buildings at Kilpunt have been converted into houses.

View of Kilpunt, from the south

From Kilpunt I went on to Broxburn, then Livingston. In the afternoon, on route back to Edinburgh, I got off the bus in Kirknewton, where the Walker family also farmed, to have a look at the old graveyard there. I didn’t really expect to find any Walker gravestone inscriptions there, but thought I’d have a good look anyway! So I looked, but didn’t find anything of family interest there!

Scotland trip – May 2017 – day 1 – traveling

I’m off to Scotland where I’m staying for a week with a relative in Edinburgh, and going to do some research, in Edinburgh, West Lothian, Glasgow, and elsewhere. Then I’m going on to a big family gathering (on the HUTCHISON side of my family), staying in Ayrshire.

I aim to write and post a little bit each day about what I’m researching and what I find during my stay in Edinburgh. But for personal privacy, the posting of these travels on AFamilyHistoryBlog will be delayed by a few days, and not necessarily in day by day order!

Update; You can now see all the posts from my May 2017 Scotland trip, here;
Day 1 – day 2 – day 3 – day 4 – day 5 – day 6 – day 7 – & day 8 & the big family gathering.

I set off this morning from my home in Norfolk, by bus to Peterborough, then by train (on a pre-booked ticket) to Edinburgh.

I expect to be doing some research on both the WALKER and HUTCHISON sides of my family, but probably with the greater focus on the WALKERs who came from the West Lothian area.

Markers of know places of birth of my ancestors in the WALKER and CADZOW branches

Some old photos of the WALKER family

This is one in a series of blog posts about some old papers of the WALKER family, from Kirkliston, West Lothian, Scotland. See a list of these papers HERE.

Here are a few photos that I have, of members of my WALKER family. These are currently the oldest photos that I know about, of members of this branch of my family. I found this group of photos together inside a plain blue envelope, aprox- A6 sized. The images are all about 2⅛ x 3¾” (54 x 95mm).

James WALKER (standing)

Margaret JOHNSTON (m. WALKER), standing

Margaret JOHNSTON (m. WALKER), sitting.

John Johnston WALKER (son)

Although the photos of James WALKER and Margaret JOHNSTON are not dated, the details on the back, naming the studio where they were taken, can give us some indication of a date range. It seems clear that these 3 photos were all taken at the same time, during the same studio sitting.

The backs of these 3 Photos are all labled “ROSS & THOMSON, PHOTOGRAPHERS, 90 Princes Street, Edniburgh”. Websites with information about early photographers (for example HERE) indicate that this studio opperated at this address between 1848 and 1864, which suggests that the photos must be from this date range. I suspect that they date from fairly soon after James and Margaret’s marriage, at Bathgate in February 1847 (so earlier rather than later in the possible date-range).

James WALKER (standing)

Back of Photo of James WALKER, noting his date of death; May 6th 1881.

Margaret JOHNSTON (m. WALKER), standing

Back of Photo of Margaret JOHNSTON, noting her marriage at Bathgate in 1847.

Margaret JOHNSTON (m. WALKER), sitting.

Back of Photo of Margaret JOHNSTON, noting her date of death on 15th Sept. 1890.

The 4th photo in this group is of James and Margaret’s oldest son; John Johnston WALKER. John was born in January 1848, and went to New Zealand in 1869 where he was manager of a large Sheep Station at Edendale until 1877, when he decided to start on his own, and took up a virgin block of land on the Otamakapua Block, North Island. He died at Feilding, Manawatu District, NZ, in November 1891.

The back of this photo is labled; “J Horsburgh, PHOTOGRAPHER, 131 Princes Street, Edinburgh”. This photograhper’s name, at this address, appears to suggest a date between 1868 and 1898 (not earlier than 1868) (see HERE). So the year written on the reverse, “1869”, is probably accurate, suggesting that the photo was taken shortly before John left Scotland, for New Zealand.

John Johnston WALKER (son)

Back of Photo of John Johnston WALKER, noting that he left Scotland and went to New Zealand in 1869

In the envelope, along with these photos, there is a hand-written list of all the members of this generation of the Walker family (including the children’s birth dates). (I have shared this note previously). This is on the back of an old envelope addressed to James and Margaret’s youngest son (and my Gt-Grandfather), Thomas George WALKER, in 1891. I believe this list to have been written down by Thomas George Walker.

Front of an envelope, addressed to Thomas George Walker, at Kilpunt. Postmarked 31st December 1891.

Back of the envelope, noting the date of James Walker & Margaret Johnston’s wedding, and DoB of their children, written (I believe) by their son – Thomas George Walker.

Transcription of note (with added details);

James Walker b. 24/1/1818, d. 6/5/1881. and
Margaret Johnston b. btw. Apr & Sept. 1818, d. 15/9/1890. married
23rd Feb. 1847 at Bathgate.

John Johnston	Walker,	born	21st Jan. 1848	d. 19/11/1891 – aged 43 – in N.Z.
Margaret Young	“	“} and		d. 13/ 5/1891 – aged 41.
James (twins)	“	“}	19 Oct. 1849	d.   4/ 5/1851 – aged 18 mths.
Isa(bella) Neill	“	“	3 May 1852	d.  8/11/1916 – aged 64. Married
Jemima Janet	“	“	30 Mar 1854	d. 24/12/1892 – aged 38.
Mary	“	“	9 Feb 1856	d. 25/ 6/1903 – aged 47. Married
Thomas George	“	“	4 Mar 1858	d. 19/10/1951 – aged 93. Married
Elizabeth Barron	“	“	7 Oct 1860	d. 14/10/1882 – aged 22

Note that several of these children have middle names which are the surnames of their Mother, Grandmothers, and Gt-Gt-Grandmother. This was common with many of the earliest recorded middle names, which can sometimes cause confusion knowing just who is being referred to. It is to avoid such confusion that on this site I tend to write SURNAMEs in CAPITALS, to distinguish actual Surnames from this kind of middle name.

Of these 8 children, only 2 have any descendants; Mary WALKER married John BRASH, and had 1 daughter. Thomas George WALKER married Helen Black CADZOW, and had 7 children.

For futher details please see A history of the WALKER family.

WO Hutchison portrait of Queen Elizabeth II to be sold at auction in Edinburgh

I have heard this evening (from an uncle) that a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, painted by my Great-Grandfather; William Oliphant Hutchison, is due to be sold at auction by Bonhams in Edinburgh on 12th April 2016.

Here is the press release from the Bonhams website;

Sir William Oliphant Hutchison PRSA RP (British, 1889-1970) Portrait of Her Majesty the Queen

A portrait of Her Majesty the Queen by the Scottish artist, Sir William Oliphant Hutchison, is to be sold at Bonhams annual Scottish Sale on 12 April. It is estimated at £30,000-50,000.

Until it was acquired by its current owner, the painting hung for many years on the walls of the former Police Staff College at Bramshill House in Hampshire.

Sir William was born in Fife in 1889 and studied at Edinburgh College of Art (1909-12) under E. A. Walton, one of the Glasgow Boys group of artists, whose daughter he married. He also spent time working and studying in Paris.

On leaving college in 1912, he founded the Edinburgh Group which exhibited for three consecutive years before the First World War intervened.

As a painter, Hutchison specialized in portraits and after the retirement of Sir James Gunn assumed the mantle of Scotland’s premier society portraitist. The Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh owns five of his works including a study of the Queen dating from 1956. The BBC owns another portrait of Her Majesty also from 1956 and Hutchison painted Prince Philip in the late 1950s. One of these is owned by the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, and one by the Defense Academy of the United Kingdom. His well-known portrait of the novelist Dorothy L. Sayers hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Bonhams Head of Scottish Art, Chris Brickley, said: “Sir William was a pillar of the Scottish art establishment – Director of the Glasgow School of Art from 1933 to 1943 and the President of the Royal Scottish Academy during most of the 1950s – but he also was a very fine artist. His works rarely appear at auction and I expect his portrait of the Queen to attract considerable interest.”

William Hutchison who was an Honorary Royal Academician, was knighted in 1953 and died in London in 1970.

Bonhams’ annual Scottish sale is now in its 17th year. As usual it will feature works by leading Scottish artists as well as a huge range of objects related to Scotland from highland dress and weapons to silver and glass; from books and furniture to ceramics. The sale will take place at Bonhams Edinburgh saleroom, 22 Queen Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1JJ over two days, 12 and 13 April.

Another website describes the painting as an “oil on canvas, 245cm x 153cm (8ft ½in x 5ft ¼in), in a carved giltwood frame surmounted by a coronet”.

Other details of the auction are available here; http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23492/

Images of a selection of William Oliphant Hutchison’s paintings, that are owned by public collections in the UK, can be seen on the BBC’s “Your Paintings” website; http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/artists/william-oliphant-hutchison

I have just found a piece about W.O. Hutchison, with photos of him (including one with the Queen), and of some of his paintings, here; http://tweedlandthegentlemansclub.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/sir-william-oliphant-hutchison.html

What I know about my Great-Grandfather W.O. Hutchison’s ancestry, I have posted here; https://afamilyhistoryblog.wordpress.com/family-trees/hutchison-tree/ or please see the Hutchison tag, and the HUTCHISON and OLIPHANT categories of this site.

Old WALKER papers – letter from James Kettle, re £200 Bond

This is my eleventh 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 the last of a number of documents that I’m posting, 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 letter is rather ambiguous! It is not clear who it’s addressed to. My assumption is that it was addressed to my ancestor, James Walker (b. 1731), a farmer at Hiddlefaulds, Kirkliston. But I’m not at all certain of that!

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.

Letter; Transcription of letter;

Edin. 2 Oct.1801

Sir
I have to intimate that at or about #
Mar[ch] first, I will be ready to pay you the Two #
hundred pounds Stg, which the late [..] [Calderwood] #
of [Colton] owed you by bond . ~

If you choose I will give you Mr [..] Durham’s #
own Bond for it, which will be the same thing to you #
only I must have up [..] [Calderwood’s] Bond as #
all his debts must be paid off. I am
Sir
your most […]
James [Kettle]

Notes;

The names in this letter are not very clear! I’m not entirely sure about my transcriptions of them, and I’m not at all sure who they are! I’ve not yet seen any similar names in other family documents!

“[Colton]” – might be “Clifton”, laying south of Hiddlefaulds, on the other side of the River Almond.

If anyone has any better, or alternative ideas of how to transcribe these names, or you have any further insights into this document and who/where it relates to, please leave a comment below, or use the Contact Page to get in touch. Thanks.

Old WALKER papers – Discharges from the heirs of John Lishman, to William Walker

This is my ninth 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 is the second of two “Discharges” to William Walker (my ancestor) from the heirs of John Lishman, and he widow – Isobell Gray. I have previously posted John Lishman’s Disposition. John was a witness to the marriage contract of my ancestors; William Walker and Elizabeth Barron, in 1728.

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;

Discharges
the airs of John Lishman
to
Walker
——-
1754
——-

Inside, left page; Transcription of inside, left page;

I Archbald Kleland indueller in Roustoun Mains grants #
me to have receved from William Walker tennant in Hidlefolds #
full and Compleat payment of fifty merks Scots money given #
in Legacy to my spous Margraet Mitchell by Isobl Gray relex #
of the Deceesed John Lishman [lett] tennant in Craigiey and #
therfor I Archbal Cleland and my heirs do warrand this my #
discharge to William Walker and his hiers and all proseedings #
detted the 26th day of Jun 1754 years at Edn. before these #
presance and Discharges the said William Walker and #
all Proceding the [death] by me.   Archbold [Clie]

I David Lishman indueller in Eidn. grants me to have receved #
from William Walker tennant in Hiddlefolds full and Compleat #
payment of one hundred pounds Scots monie given in legacy to me #
by Isobl Gray relex of the diceesed John Lishman [lett] tennant #
in Crgiey and therfor I David Lishman and my hiers do #
warrand this my Discharg to William Walker his hiers #
and all proseedings [detted] the 26th day of Jun 1754 years befor #
thes presance and Descherges the said William Walker and #
all proceding [these] [Death] by me David his mark D Leshman

Inside, right page;

Transcription of inside, right page;

I Isoble Alexander spous to the discesed Andreu Lonnie #
indueller in Ednburgh grant me to have receved from #
William Walker tennent in Hiddlefolds full and Compleat #
payment of fifty merks Scots given to me in legacy by Isoble #
Gray relex of the diseced John Lishman Lett tennant in Craigiey #
and therefor I Isoble Alexander and my hairs do warrend this my #
Discharg to William Walker and his hairs and all prosidings #
dated the 26th day of Jun 1754 years at Edinburgh before #
thise presane and Discharge the said William Walker and #
all Proceding the [Death] by me Isoble her mark x x Alexander

I Jean Alexander spous to the dicised Thomas Jack #
indueller in Whithous grants me to have receved from #
William Walker tennant in Hidlefolds full and #
Compleat payment of fifty merks Scots given to me in #
legacy by Isobel Gray relex of the dicesed John Lishman #
Lett tennant in Craigie and therfor I Jean Alexander and #
my hiers do warend this my Discharg to William Walker #
and his hiers and all prosedings deated the 26th day of #
Jun 1754 years at Edn. befor these presenee #
and Discherges the said William Walker and all Proceding thes #
Death by me – Jean – her mark x x Alexander.

Notes;

Craigie; a farm laying southeast of South Queensferry, and northeast of Kirkliston village.

Roustoun Mains; is (I think) Royston Mains, in the Granton area of Cramond, Edinburgh.

Whithous; this might be where Whitehouse Road is, in Cramond, Edinburgh.

People;

Searches of the IGI transcriptions of parish registers reveal some extra details about some of the people named in this document;

Archibald Cleland (or Kleland) married Margaret Mitchell at Kirkliston, on 18th Oct 1729. See HERE. They appear to have 6 children christened at Kirkliston, between 1730 and 1747. See HERE.

Andreu Lonnie and Isoble Alexander; The IGI has two remarkably similar records –

• Andrew Aucherlonie m. Isabell Alexander, at Cramond, on 16th May 1719.
• Andrew Auchterlony m. Isabel Alexander, at Saint Cuthberts, Edinburgh, on 3rd Jun 1719.

These two records are so alike that I think they must be for the same couple. Andrew and Isobel also appear to have 6 children, christened between 1720 and 1735; the first in Corstorphine, and the rest at St Cuthberts, Edinburgh. See HERE.

Thomas Jack and Jean Alexander married at Corstorphine on 30th May 1723. They too appear to have had 6 children, christened between 1724 and 1739; the first at Corstorphine, and the rest at St Cuthberts, Edinburgh. See HERE.

There are presumably family relationships between all these couples, and the other individuals named in this document. I presume that Isobel and Jean Alexander were sisters. But in most cases I have yet to work out what the relationships were exactly.

OLIPHANT papers – Memo re. Henry OLIPHANT, by his settlement

For some context, and an index to these documents, please SEE HERE.

If you can help with the transcription of these documents please get in touch.

Please click on the images to see the scans at full resolution.

This is one of several documents relating to the estate of Henry Oliphant.

OLIPHANT papers; envelope 2; document 3;

Memo;

Transcription of memo;

[Memo]
[In] Henry Oliphant by his settlement directed #
his Trustees to [buy] out £800 [upon] good heritable or personal #
security for [behoof] of each of Mrs Beveridge & Mrs Rob’ #
Oliphant taking [bonds] for the same payable to each #
in life rent and to the Children [procreated] or to #
be [procreated] of their bodies equally amongst them #
share & share alike in fee exclude the fees […] #
of [mrs] Beveridge & [Mrs] Oliphant [..] #

My opinion is that the most simple and #
the best mode for the Trustees to carry the […] #
of the [trustee] into effect is that each of [Mrs] Beveridge & #
[Mrs] Oliphant should grant bonds either heritable #
Bonds or personal bonds with one or two responsible persons #
as sureties for the £800 these Bonds to be Conceived #
in the terms directed by the settlement; the Ladies #
with the consent of their husbands respectively #
beclaring that the security for the £800 [so] granted #
is accepted of in full of all they can ask or claim #
through their fathers decease or the decease of #
their mother or their Grandfather by the Mothers #
side in any manner of way.

The security ought to be such as the Trustees #
or any other prudent man [could] be inclined to #
accept of were it their own money they were #
laying out.

Signed, A Forsyth
Edinburgh, 3rd December 1821

OLIPHANT papers – Betty or Elizabeth BAXTER

For some context, and an index to these documents, please SEE HERE.

If you can help with the transcription of these documents please get in touch.

Please click on the images to see the scans at full resolution.

See 2 more, closely connected documents (with additional notes) HERE and HERE.

OLIPHANT papers; envelope 1; document 10;

Cover;

Transcription of cover;

Betty [or] Elizabeth BAXER

Inside – attached certificate;

Transcription of attached certificate;

I X Robert Jameson {x Allan Grant}, Messenger at Arms, by virtue of letters in supplement of the # Sheriff Depute of the Shire of Fife his Precept # [interponed] to the [summonds] therein mentioned # [where]of the foregoing is a full double to the will /- # which […] [there] are … # dated and signeted the twenty second day of December [barrent**] # at the instance of Robert Oliphant shipowner in Kirkaldy, Mrs # Janet Oliphant his wife, John Spittall merchant # in Kirkaldy and Alexander Forsyth writer in Edinburgh # tutors & curators nominated & appointed by the lately # deceased George Dougall Esq of Kirkcaldy to his infant # daughter Elizabeth Dougall during her minority [complainers] # in his Majesty’s name and authority, summon, warn, and charge you Betty or Elizabeth # Baxter mother of the said pupil #

to compear before the said Sheriff Depute or his substitutes at # Cupar #

within the ordinary court-place where they are in use to sit for the administration of justice, the # […] day of […] in the hour of cause, with continuation of # days, to answer at the instance of the said complainers in the matter and to the effect mentioned # in the said letters, with certification as effeirs. This I do, upon the twenty third day of # December One thousand eight hundred and twenty three years, before these witnesses, # Peter M’Niven, William Butter, George Dippie, James Thain, Charles Wilson, [William Forrest], # [Kenneth Morison], – indwellers in Edinburgh. # Rob Jameson

Inside – side 1;

Transcription of side 1;

Andrew Clephane Esq advocate Sheriff #
Depute of the Shire of Fife to #
[Maids] of officers of the said Shire #
[conly] and [seally] specially constituted #
Greeting Whereas it is humbly meant #
& [shewn] to me and my substitute #
by Robert Oliphant shipowner in #
Kirkaldy, Mrs Janet Oliphant #
his wife, John Spittal merchant #
in Kirkaldy and Alex Forsyth writer #
in Edinburgh  Tutors & curators nominated #
and appointed by the lately deceased #
George Dougall Esq of Kirkaldy to his #
infant Daughter, Elizabeth Dougall #
[conform] to Deed of conveyance #
executed by him [upon] the #
12th Oct 1820 & recorded in the Books of #
Council & session, as a probative writ, the #
5th of September 1823 whereby for the #
causes therein mentioned he the said #
George Dougall gave granted assigned #
and conveyed to & in favor of John #
Pratt manufacturer in Linktown #
of Kirkaldy (who declined to accept) – #
Alex Forsyth writer in Edinburgh, John #
Spittal, merch[ant] in Kirkaldy & #
Robert Oliphant shipowner there #
and the [acceptors] & [acceptors] of #
them & the [survivors] or survivor #
of those who might accept all #
& sundry his whole moveable #
Estate and Effects [Debts] & sums #
of money as therein mentioned #
to be held by his [said] trustees #
for the behoof* of the said Elizabeth #
Dougall his daughter during her #
minority, as in manner therein #
mentioned

Inside – side 2;

Transcription of side 2;

mentioned, and also [he] [herely] con-#
-stituted & appointed the said #
John Pratt who declines accepting #
and the said Alex Forsyth, John #
Spittal and Robert Oliphant; #
and also the said Mrs Janet #
Oliphant and such of [these] #
as should accept & the survivors #
& successor of them, to be the tutors #
& [educators] to his said Daughter; #
as the said deed of conveyance #
here [with] [produced] more #
fully leaves; And it being #
incumbent upon the [com-#
-planers] to give up [inventorie] #
of the said Elizabeth Dougall’s #
means and Estate as prescribed #
by act of Parliament anno 1672 #
Entitled “Act Anent Pupils #
“and Minors and their Tutors #
“and Curators” It is necessary #
thereto that the persons #
after named & designed #
nearest in kin to the said #
pupil on the father’s side #
and mother’s side [be] #
lawfully summoned #
to [con…] with the #
complaniers as tutors #
and curators forsaid #
in making up the said #
[Inventories] [Heerefore] it is #
my Will [x.. x..]

Notes on terms used in the text;

• “Messenger at Arms” (Wikipedia). [Although I could not decipher the surname of “Robert Jameson” from this document, a bit of web-searching for “”Messenger at Arms” “Edinburgh”” revealed records for Robert Jameson, HERE, and for the death of Allan Grant (who’s name is crossed out) on 1st January 1824. HERE ]
• “Sheriff Depute” (Wikipedia)
• “barrent” (Wikipedia); third-person plural.
• “behoof” (Wikipedia); meaning ‘benefit’ / ‘advantage’.

I’ll try to add a brief family tree to explain some of the people and relationships contained in this document.

George BARKER, b. 1704, married Christian BELL (or BETT) in 1732, and they had 3 daughters;

• Mary BARKER, b. 1733, m. 1763 to William OLIPHANT (b. 1728).
• Agnes BARKER, b. 1736, m. 1762 to George DOUGALL [1].
• Christian BARKER, b. 1741, m. 1766 to Henry OLIPHANT (b. 1741).

Mary BARKER and William OLIPHANT had 5 children, including Robert OLIPHANT, b. 1765 (who is named in the document above)

Christian BARKER and Henry OLIPHANT had 4 children, including Janet OLIPHANT, b. 1777 (named in the document above, and who was married to her cousin Robert).

Agnes BARKER and George DOUGALL [1] had 3 sons, including George DOUGALL [2], b. 1763, who is the “father” named in this document.

A search of the IGI suggests that Elizabeth DOUGALL (the “daughter” named in this document), was christened. 30/7/1819, at St Cuthberts, Edinburgh, to George DOUGALL and an Elizabeth BAXTERS. [IGI batch no; C11987-7, Microfilm; 1066756  103059]