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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Perthshire => Topic started by: Anste on Tuesday 03 June 08 07:58 BST (UK)
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Can anyone tell me if there was Rental tax for homes back round 1800 in Perth. Where would I find these and did they keep names on records. Any information would be a help, Annie
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Hi Annie,
I can't really answer your question but you could have a look at the catalogues and indexes of the National Archives of Scotland website. It seems to be working much faster these days.
Rae
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Thank you, I will try that, Annie
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In 1800 there were different feudal superiors in charge of certain parts of the town. Some areas were feued out, others given out on leases. I've just studied the role of the King James VI Hospital in Perth for the 19th C for a university dissertation and have had access to chartularies from 1759 to 1900 and rental books from 1848 to 1900 which are held by the hospital to this day. As a result of his I have several Excel databases filled with entries from the records. From 1569, the Hospital basically managed all the lands that used to be in the hands of monasteries before the Reformation in 1560 - so a lot of the south west of the town, all the Blackfriars area, some of Craigie, some properties around the Kirk etc. I'll happily do a look up if you have a name?
Chris
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Chris,
You wouldn't have come across any Torbet/Torbit families in your research would you, they were the ones who went to Kildare as part of the response to the newspaper ads, which you kindly sent me over the last few days.
Rory
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Hi Rory,
I'm afraid not, I've checked the KGVI Hospital records and my weavers database, and no sign of the family in either. The Ancestry.co.uk site has a newspaper card index for Perth, and there are dozens of Torbets, Torbits and Tarvet entries, but none for the 19th C, they are all much later.
Sorry! :)
Chris
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Hi Chris. The names I am looking for are James Gowan, Isabella Sorlie, their children Margaret, John, James, Elizabeth, Christian b 1802 and Mary b 1906.
Christian is my line and she married Peter Fisher.
Thank you, Annie
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Sorry Chris, Trying to hurry this, Mary was born in 1806. Think they lived in Pomarium in Perth. Not sure if this was a place or not. Annie
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North side of High Street below the Cross: Dr James Gowans, was listed as a proprietor 1862 - 1869: ground annual payment due to the hospital was 1s 11d
1870 - 1876 he had other properties. The same property in High Street, he's now listed as James Gowans, druggist. Also two properties on Skinnergate, east side - one with ground annual to hospital of 1s 8d, and the other at 3s 4d.
1877-1884 - Dr Gowans, High Street, same property, and again two in Skinnergate, where he is listed as James Gowans Esq. Also 1885-1892. Same in 1893-1900, though additional property for a Jas Gowans found at St. Paul's Chapel Yard, where he is recorded as a feuar.
A William Gowans Esq, druggist, is listed as a feuar of a lot on the former Hospital Gardens, located at King Street. The Instrument of Sasine was granted in 1864.
A property at Carr's Croft, Craigie (v. near to Pomarium) was let to James Gowans after 1860. Coincidentally, the propety had been for a considerable time before this leased to my five greats uncle John Paton by the Weavers Incoproration, who had the property on a 50 years lease from the Hospital until 1848. The Carrs Croft cottages were in a terrible state at the end of this lease, and much of the area was redeveloped under a new feuing plan by the Hospital when they regained sole superiority over it. Annual rent £4.
Don't know if any of these are yours!
Chris
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Sorry I am so slow Chris, No too late for my lot. My James Gowans was married in 1790, and is not in the 1841 census neither is his wife, Isabella Sorlie, their son James I think may have died in infancy. Son John married Ann Morris, no James. Cannot find their daughters Elizabeth and Mary born 1806.
Running out of places to look, Annie
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Hi Annie,
The A. K. Bell Library in Perth has directories going back to about 1836 or 1837, which slightly predates the 1841 census, but might be worth a look. There was also a militia act survey taken in 1802, where all men fit for military service in Perth were recorded, and earlier censuses in 1766 and 1773 - all at the Perth and Kinross Archive, inside the A. K. Bell building. These are all indexed.
I don't know what James' occupation was, but I've gone through previously and extracted names of weavers from these earlier censuses, and there is a James Gowans of Craigend in 1802 who states he has five lawful children. Unfortunately the OPRs for the period reveal a few candidates for a James Gowans at that time. There is also a David Gowans in Pomarium - related? No weavers with the Gowans surname were found in 1773.
For more on my weavers study, see www.perthweavers.bravehost.com - there's some free to view collections on the site.
Chris
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Thank you Chris, I did have that information re James Gowan with 5 lawful children and I believe this maybe him (Militia Act Survey). I had tried the A.K. Bell library ages ago and had difficulty getting much information but I will try again re the directories you have mentioned. He was noted as a Carter on his marriage so could have become a weaver as a lot of them did. I believe he may have come from Dunning as he fits into a family from Dunning but cannot verify this, then they must have all moved, I guess to work in Perth etc. This is all I have for his family.
First daughter Margaret married a John Gloag but must have died pre 1841 too. Not verified.
Son John married an Ann Morris, have his death certificate etc.
daughter Christian married Peter Fisher, my line.
Thank you for your assistance and I will have another go, Annie
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This James Gowans, weaver in Craigend, is actually one of mine. He was born in Perth in 1767, the only son of Samuel Gowans and Janet Pitkeathly. He married twice - first to Helen Allan and had 8 children, then to Jean Pitkeathly and had a further 7 children. He was a handloom weaver at Craigend and Shoebank, and then later moved to Upper Craigie where he died in 1861. The family remained in Craigie for another 80-odd years.
More information can be found at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gowans
Ursula
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Hello Chris
My line is Penny from Dunning and Auchterarder - they were weavers who went on to become dykers and stone masons.
Not sure yet of a link to George Penny - Traditions of Perth - do you have any info on Penny weavers?
Heather
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Hi Ursularuth, Noted re your James Gowan re Craigie, Perth. I had just assumed that that chap might be mine.
James Gowans & Isabella Sorlie had their children in Pomarium. I will just have to keep looking, Thanks, Annie