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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Aberdeenshire => Scotland => Aberdeenshire Lookup Requests => Topic started by: bethkealey on Friday 18 January 08 18:23 GMT (UK)
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I need information on the Tillery/Tillary families in Aberdeen in the early 1500-1800 period. The fartherest back records I have is to a Margaret who was christened in Aberdeen on Nov. 25, 1582. My ancestor, John Tillery b. 1625 in Scottland, is the first record I can find a Tillery living in Virginia, USA. I would like to find his parents and siblings if possible. There was a small estate in the parish of Foveran that was sold in 1788 to John Chambers from the USA. Any information on this family would be most appreciated. If there is any cost involved, I would be glad to reimburse. Best Regards.
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Hi Beth,
Try the ANESFHS.
They have ancestor charts of members, you can request copies of them. See http://www.anesfhs.org.uk/download.htm#AncChart for the index.
Good luck,
Grothenwell
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Hi Beth, Welcome to Rootschat!
Aberdeen City Archives may have some information that you could use, in particular the Church of Scotland Records ( which go back to 1562) and the General Band of Relief, 1639 - the documents for which contain many names of local residents. http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/ACCI/web/site/LocalHistory/RM/loc_CatalogueInformation.asp
There are certainly a lot of Tillerys listed on the IGI for that period. I'm sure people would be pleased to help you sort through to work out which belong to your family if you could give a few details of what you already know to save duplication of efforts.
Do you have any more information about the Estate in Forveran? Do you need any further information on it? Was it owned by the Tillerys or did they just live there?
If you can give us any more information that you have it might help narrow down the search or give us a better idea of which archives might hold something relevant.
You have been really lucky to have traced the family back this far, it is quite rare to find records in Scotland that can reliably follow a family line hundreds of years back without brick walls and dead ends!
Good luck
Kirsty
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I am interested in this estate for a different reason - one of my great grandmothers, Margaret Ruxton was born there I assume her father David was a tenant farmer on the estate. I visited the area last May and have some pictures.
From an e-mail dated 3 Nov 2003 from the Aberdeen Archives:
"Tillery Estate was bought from the Udnys of Udny in 1788 by John Chambers (formerly Chalmers) a retired planter from the southern USA. His grandson William Chambers-Hunter built a house at Tillery in 1826 by Archibald Simpson. The house was rendered uninhabitable by a fire in the 1950's."
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Hello Peter and all others
My gggrf John John Mackie was born at Tillery, Foveran,1 August 1815. His father John Mackie Snr was a farm worker(?) I need to check that again.
I went there a few years and have taken pictures of the severe looking house. We met the present owners who had a great knowledge of previous owners and the history of the place.
The house has been 'done up' inside but the kitchen still has the original set of maids' bells which worked. I have photos of the driveway (like yours) and the kitchen.
The owner also let me take a photo of a photo she found of the Tillery Staff and farm workers, posed in front of the front of the house which came out amazingly well. It is sepia coloured and I think she gave me a timeframe of that photo.
All this data is filed away but I am happy to share it with all who would be interested - I just need time to unearth it.
She did pass on to me that a 'noted' visitor to the house and the family there at one time was ?Oswald Mosely, the one involved with Fascism and obviously part of the family in England where one has been in the headlines in recent times. Down here in the uttermost ends of the earth - New Zealand- it all didn't mean much to us but I remembered the Tillery connection.
Cheers, Faith Green
New Zealand
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Faith,
I would be interested in the photo you mention, although it is probably from a time after my family were connected with the estate - but you never know.
When I was at Aberdeen last year, I came across a book at the Central Library with a longer history of the estate which I give below. It appears that both the comment which led off this thread (that Tillery was named after the writer's ancestor - more likely the reverse), as well as the short version of the estate's history sent me by the Archives are incorrect. As I found in another document the estate passed, through an act of parliament, to the Forbes family in 1681 for having supported the right side during the time of Charles II.
EPITAPHS AND INSCRIPTIONS - FOVERAN 317-318
TILLERY.
This estate originally formed a portion of the barony of Foveran, and belonged to the Turings.
In 1530-40, Andrew Udny, second son of Ranald Udny of Udny, is designed as proprietor.
About the middle of the following century, the Setons of Minnes acquired the property, and erected a mansion-house upon it.
Shortly afterwards it was in the possession of Sir Samuel Forbes of Foveran, who, before 1715, erected a new mansion-house. William Forbes, a succeeding proprietor, married Elizabeth, daughter of John Urquhart of Meldrum.
About 1750, the Forbeses sold the estate to James Ligertwood, a magistrate and merchant in Aberdeen, and for some time convener of the county. He married Jean (not Marjory as inadvertently stated by numerous writers), daughter of John Robertson of Pitmillan and Foveran. Of their family, John was a physician in Aberdeen; Alexander was an officer in the army ; Margaret married (contract dated 21st November, 1775) Sir William Seton, sixth Bart. of Pitmedden; while Jean and Barbara died unmarried.
In 1788, the estate was purchased, at the price of £9500, by John Chambers, who had acquired wealth in South Carolina. He married Agnes Cooper, niece and sole heiress of James Hunter, merchant in Aberdeen, and laird of Darrahill, Middle Ardo, and Gateside. He subsequently assumed the surname of Hunter, and became proprietor of the additional estates of Coldwells, in Ellen, and Auchiries, in Rathen. His eldest son, William Chambers Hunter, succeeded. He married Rachel, daughter of James Thom, formerly merchant in Halifax, Nova Scotia; mid they had a family of four sons and four daughters, of whom John died in 1867; James died in early youth; William, who was an advocate in Aberdeen, died in 1871 ; and Alexander, who was a captain in the army, died 24th March, 1901.
On the death of the last-named, William Chambers Hunter, son of Dr Keith Jopp and of his wife, Rachel, eldest sister of Captain Alexander Chambers Hunter, succeeded, and is still the proprietor.
These notes upon Tillery and its lairds are based upon Mr A. J. Mitchell-Gill's MSS., Temple's " Thanage of Fermartyn," pp. 576-79 ; A. Dingwall Fordyce's Family Record, pp. 40, 172, etc.; and Notes from the Register House.
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Hello Peter
Thank you for all the informative data about Tillery. It's very similar to what the owner's wife told us when we were there in 1998. We were so appreciative of the limited time she spent with us as we only went to get permission to photograph the house. Her husband was an architect (I think) in Aberdeen and he had done research on the house and Estate.
There were just a couple of extra points she mentioned which I had jotted down as she talked about them. There had been a house on the site since the 1200's.The oldest part when we were there on the house was the 1790's bit on the back. There were once 1000 acres of tenanted farms. Joffe lost an arm in WW1 and was a leading fascist. We saw a photo of Oswald Mosely hanging near the kitchen. She said there was a fire in 1936/9. Then I had a reference in my
notes relating to 6 June 1936 in a Paper titled "Press and Journal" which I've never followed up.
She said 'Tilly' meant a hill. Tillery was pronounced Till-er-eye.
Did you go down the drive to see the newer house which is joined to the shell of the burnt out original? I will list the photos we took and if you would like any of them, let me know and I will to try and post them on here.
The drive and gateway.
The burntout shell of original home.
As above with newer living quarters attached to shell.
The renovated original kitchen showing servants' bells.
Closeup of most of servants' bells.
The old Tillery Staff photo.
She had been unable to date the old photo she had found of the Tillery Staff. It is taken in front of the original Tillery's front doors consisting of about 50+ people in 3 /4 rows. The probable? owner and his family are seated in the centre, the well dressed upstairs staff are arranged either side and the downstairs staff behind them. In the back row are it looks like the farm workers etc in simple clothes. My ancestor would have been gone by the time this was taken.
The old photo was taken with my SLR camera of the time but did come out rather well and I was pleased I had this bit of history.
Perhaps the timeframe could be worked out by the clothes worn and the arrival of photography in the outdoors. I now remember that the faces in the original photo were indistinct.
All this sort of thing adds a bit of reality to our family research and we are lucky to be able to travel and do these things. Without exception, we have found people so kind and willing to assist us! Whether it is the fact we have come from so far away with a 'sob' story in our antipodean accents which captures their interests, I don't know but whatever it is we have had some wonderful encounters with such kind people!
Let me know about the photos and I'll have a go at it on here - I haven't done it before only on email letters. EEEK!
Faith Green ::) ::) ::)
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If anyone's still interested in the Tillery/Tillary family of Foveran please let me know. I can send information from the burial records of Foveran Churchyard.
flst
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Hi Flst, I would be interested in the burial records for Tillery/Tilleray Thank you, I am following my GGrandmothers family she was born a Tillery from the aberdeen area, and I think I have found one of my ancestors in Forven (sp) in the 1841 census. Thank you
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I've returned the book to the library but will do a look up when I'm next in Ellon.
Regards,
flst
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Thats OK, I thought it was info you had, I didn't realise it was a book. so no worries.
Thanks anyway, I need to do more work on the Tillery line as most of the info I have has come from other people and I am hoping all the info is correct.
Thanks again
Julia
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No problem,will still do a lookup & let you know if I find anything. Do n't know when though,the roads are terrible. Will wait until the weather improves before venturing out!
flst :D
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Found all the information on this thread quite fascinating as my Gran was born at Tillery, Foveran.
We went to have a look a few years ago and witnessed the burnt out shell of the mansion house, but we did not wander about or knock on the door of the building alongside as we felt we were trespassing on 'Private Property' as the sign read :-[ ... wish I'd knocked on the door now!
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Thanks for commenting on this post. I will go & put in a request for that book from the library right away! :-[
flst
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Thank you for your prompt response, flst. :)
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Hi Beth, I would be interested in knowing what you found out as John is my great grandfather down the line. My grandfather is Orval Henry Johnson, who married Olive Elizabeth Tillery. Thank you,
Renee, New Orleans, LA
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Hello, all,
My ancestor, Peter Udny of Tillery, moved to Viborg in what was then Sweden, later Finland, now Russia, in the 17th century. Apparently members of clan Udny took the name Tillery after the estate. Please correct me if I'm completely off the mark.
Any information on the Udny's of Tillery would be most appreciated!
Best regards, Tryggve
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Hello,
I would be interested in knowing any more information about Tillery if anyone would be able to help. I actually don't know very much at all, despite that my grandmother inherited the Tillery estate from when her father died when she was still quite young. She grew up in part of the house that wasn't burnt down lol, and then moved when she was in her late teens I think (might be wrong on the age).
I know that she sold the house, but I think she still owns some of the land. I've never been there. I didn't even know much about this estate at all, or really anything about that side of the family history until recently. There were mentions from my dad once when I was young of let's say... some odd political family history to put it mildly. My dad is nothing like that as my mum & dad count as the lowest 10% of UK earners, so they have had a very different life experience than my dad's ancestors. I live in central scotland, and my dad (who's the son of my grandmother), moved down here to go to university/get work when he was young.
My mum's family was the complete opposite & from Irish descent, I had relatives who fought for Irish independence with socialist backgrounds in the early 1900s & my maternal grandad was a miner, so it's a bit amusing how different their backgrounds are lol. I have mostly have been around my extended Scottish-Irish family, so I recently have been interested to know more about my grandmother's side as I know very little.
I will try ask her a bit more next time I see her, but I only see her about once a year recently as she has been ill for a while, lives quite far away and can't handle a lot of visitors because of her illness. I don't think she knows very much about her family history, her dad died when she quite young. I know there were a few photos left in the house when she sold it, but she couldn't get them back because I think she handled it in the wrong way lol. I don't know much of the details as it happened when I was a child. So I don't have very many photos, but I would love to see some if anyone has any ;D I do have one photo of the house, but I took it on my phone so the quality could be better:https://imgur.com/AQDBfuq (https://imgur.com/AQDBfuq)
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Hi, Interesting to read about your family connection to Tillery. I have done no more research on Tillery since '09 as I had all the information I needed plus the photo. (I do hope I sent the photo to Peter M Smith !!). Don't worry about not being 'landed gentry!!'. Good heavens, most our ancestors from Scotland who were those first settlers in New Zealand in the early and mid 1800's went out to get a job to survive! Our ancestors made the most of it, survived earthquakes for the first time (my ggf used it as a time line - things that happened before the big earthquake (?1880's) and things that happened after the big earthquake) etc. They had to build their own houses, find/grow their own food etc. To survive was in their blood. Good luck with your research. Faith Green