Elizabeth Salmond testament, 1685

[jimmain]

Robert Salmond, son of Peter Salmond, portioner of Balquhatstone, married Elizabeth Manuel 1681, Slamannan. He died 1685 and Elizabeth married Robert Howie, 1686. Robert and Elizabeth had at least one child, a daughter Elizabeth. There is a testament for Robert dated 1May 1685. There is also a testament for Elizabeth, his daughter, dated 20May 1685. It is written in Old Scots, but I was able to identify the following names: John Salmond in Balquhatstone, Patrick Salmond, portioner of Balquhatstone & Robert Salmond. I’m puzzled by this testament, as it would indicate that Elizabeth died shortly after her father, and would have been about 5 years of age.  I’m hoping that someone might be able to clarify this for me. I’m also wondering if Robert and Elizabeth Manuel had other children, in particular, a son Robert, who married Elizabeth Clerk, 1704. They had four children in Slamannan, including a son Patrick, who I suspect married Ann Baird.
I have also recently reviewed a testament dative and inventory of Robert Salmond who died 1777; Robert was the son of Patrick Salmond, Balquhatstone/ Ann Baird.

[Forfarian]

I take it that you are referring throughout to Robert Salmon(d) rather than Robert Howie?

I have no information about any children of Robert Salmon(d) and Elizabeth Manuel, but it does seem strange that a child not yet 5 years old should have made a will. Is it possible that Elizabeth Manuel was a second wife of Robert Salmon(d), and that Elizabeth Salmon(d) was his adult daughter by a previous marriage?

I have a document dated 1710 executed by "me Robert Houie [of Ruchrig] only laull son and aire to ye deceast Robert Houie younger portioner of Easter Glentore ... speciall advice and consent of Robert Houie elder there my grand father and of Robert Mannuall of Murhead my uncle my curators ... In witness yrof thir presents written be me ye said Robert Houie minor"

From this I deduce that Elizabeth Manuel had a son Robert by Robert Howie her second husband, and that this Robert must have been born after 1689, because he was still a minor in 1710. I do not know who his eventual wife was, but he would hardly have been old enough to marry in 1704. I suppose it's possible that she had two sons both named Robert, one by Robert Salmon(d) and one by Robert Howie, but it seems unlikely.

My own line goes back to Joseph Howie of Meikle Drumgray, who according to the index to the Register of Sasines was the son of Robert Howie, portioner of Easter Glentore. Joseph married in 1717, so he can't be a son of Robert Howie of Ruchrig, and as Robert Howie of Ruchrig was an only son, he can't be a brother either. He could be a brother of Robert Howie Younger of Glentore, but if so he married very late compared with his brother, who married in 1686.

There is in the National Archives a document I have yet to see, relating to the adultery of Robert Howie of Glentore with his servant Janet Johnston. I wonder if Joseph is a descendant of that relationship, perhaps?

[mosstrooper]

When I read these reports, one wonders what these places were in the past.
Glentore is a Farm, come Riding School today and Meikle Drumgray is a
landfill site.

James.

[Forfarian]

I thik they were all quite small farms.

Much of Lanarkshire would be unrecognisable to the folk who lived there before the industrial revolution. I have been having a wander around there off and on, and it's all been churned up by coal mining and its associated infrastructure of railways, bings and so on.

Stanrigg, which was occupied by Waddells from at least the 1660s, and its neighbours are now completed obliterated by what looks like a settling pond, though I have yet to go and look at it from close by.

Meikle Drumgray is still there, but greatly altered http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3638879 and with landfill nearby http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1501003

Easter Glentore too is still there, but it's anyone's guess which part was occupied by the Howies 300 years ago
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4405681
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4405602

[jimmain]

The puzzle continues to be, for me, the fact that Robert Salmond was 30 when he died in 1685. (His testament was only 1 page, so I didn't bother downloading it.) He married Elizabeth Manuell 1681, and his daughter Elizabeth was born 1684. Her testament, dated 1685, claims that she was the daughter of Robert, portioner of Balquhatsone. I didn't find any evidence that Robert had married prior to his marriage with Elizabeth Manuell.
As far as Easter Glentore, there is a wonderful B&B there now & I had a chance to stay there a couple of years ago when I was touring Scotland. My ancestors, John Main/ Jean Steel were farming there between 1780-1800.

[Forfarian]

Elizabeth must have been a daughter of an earlier generation, then.

[mosstrooper]

Here is a Map of the area concerned which shows "The Lost Villages" and also Meikle Drumgray as I remember it in 1945 ish.

James.

[jimmain]

Thanks for this, Mosstrooper. The map is useful for me as it nicely shows the relationship of where my John Main of Ballochney families were living.

[DonMcA]

I'm interested in Joseph HOWIE m 1717 Elizabeth HAY.  Onomastically they could well be the parents of Rebecca HOWIE m 1755 William HENDRY, watchmaker and portioner of Aidrie.

William HENDRY was a witness in 1774 of a sasine between John STORY & Elizabeth HOWIE [dau above Joseph & Eliz HAY]

Robert HOWIE, of Meikle Drumgray witnessed the 1735 marriage contract of above John STORY to Ann CLELLAND.  This Robert is PROBABLY not son of above Joseph who was alive in 1768.

A lot of this info coming from the GeneaNet tree of Gavin WADDELL.

Regards, Don