YOUNGER SON AND DAUGHTERS

OF

GEORGE GRAEME  (6^TH BARON)

George, the sixth baron, married in 1665, Margaret Nicholl, heiress of Royston and Granton, and daughter of Patrick Nicholl, merchant in Edinburgh, who bought those baronies with which he endowed Mrs Graeme of Inchbrakie; she was co-heiress with her sister, Mrs Alexander Rochheid, who owned the other half of her father’s wealth.

The Graemes had four or five children; their eldest son Patrick who succeeded as seventh baron, and

George, an officer in Lord Carmichael’s Regiment of Dragoons.Their daughters were:

Margaret Graeme of Pitcairns;

Mary, Mrs Traill, wife of Doctor George Traill of Aberdalgie.

The second son George was ushered into the world under sunny auspices; his father and mother were in the heyday of their youth and wealth, and an influential gatherine of relations assembled for his baptism. When of an age he leaves his home to enter the army, and obtains a cornetship in the Regiment of Dragoons, called Lord Carmichael’s, and in it he serves till his death in 1716. Only once or twice does his name appear in the family records; the first time is his baptism in 1673, and when eighteen years of age his name appears as witness to a receipt for his eldest brother Patrick, with that of their father in 1691.

In 1707 when his brother, now Laird of Inchbrakie, was forced to be out of the country for a period, owing to the feud with the Rollos of Duncrub, George Graeme is called on to prove his great uncle John’s will. There is a confusion about the place this John Graeme took in the family generations, as explained in a former sketch. In this Will George is described as a cornet in Lord Chamberlain’s Regiment of Dragoons, and as "brother’s son" nearest of kin to the deceased John; he was, however, grand-nephew, not nephew.

Hitherto, George’s appearance on the public scene had been on behalf of others; in 1710 he is doing a little business for himself. William Graham of Duntroon is a friend, and possibly comrade in arms, any way, George has lent Duntroon 100 pounds, and formal bond acknowledging this is drawn up at Dundee, 17 February 1710, signed by Alexander Graham and his two "brothers german" David and Alexander Graeme, "George Jackson, writer", is also a witness.

In 1716 he has died at the age of about 42 years, unmarried, and still a cornet; promotion was slow in those days unless purchased, and George’s father, the sixth baron, had been too reckless with his money to leave much spare cash to a second son! Cornet Graeme died in June 1716, but the will was not proved until December 1722, when his sisters, Margaret, widow of the late George Graeme of Pitcairns, and Isabella, widow of William Bryce, Stewart Clerk of Strathearne, undertake the duty, as sisters germane to George, and nearest of kin, and heir to his patrimony.

David Graeme of Pitcairns (afterwards of Orchill, and son of Margaret), stands cautioner to his uncle’s will. This Margaret, daughter of the sixth baron, married her second cousin in 1693, George Graeme of Pitcairns; their son David subsequently possessed Orchill, and was thus an Inchbrakie Graeme, through both father and mother; his father, George Graeme of Pitcairns, being great grandson of the third baron, and his mother, Margaret, daughter of the sixth baron; further details of her life may be found in Sketch XXIX.

Mrs Isabella, the second daughter, married Mr Alexander Bryce, who held office as the Clerk Stewart of Strathearne; they had a son George, and two daughters, Margaret and Jean; the elder, Margaret, married Mr William Drummond, second son of Drummond of Culdies, and Jean married Mr James Anderson of Bellicloan; of this Jean we read nothing further, but of Margaret, receipts are found from her eldest son, James Drummond of Croftnappock, dated 1763, to Patrick Graeme, eighth Laird of Inchbrakie, acknowledging the annual sum due to "my mother now decesist Margaret Bryce" being the annual interest on her dowry at 4½ per cent.

A receipt of the same nature from her daughters dated 1766 and docketed by the eighth laird, their cousin, "Discharges from the Misses Drummond" mentions their names being Margaret, Elizabeth and Mary Drummond.

A family note states that a third daughter of the sixth baron, Mary Graeme, married a Doctor George Traill of Aberagie, a member of the family of the Traill of Holland, Orkney. I have found a few references to them, though investigation of the interesting old MSS. Of Orkney pedigrees compiled by Mr Robert Nicholson might refer to them. He signs a declaration on the binding that they are correct according to his knowledge, and they are in the Advocates’ Library, Edinburgh; on page 18 of the MS. is given a full genealogy of Traill; time prohibited further search on the author’s part.

There are receipts in 1826 from the family physician, Dr. G. Traill, to the 9^th Laird, who had been indulging on his own account in the new fad of a vapour bath; in sending his annual cheque, the Laird has asked some question concerning it, and it evolves rather a testy reply from his medical attendant, "As I have never seen a Vapour Bath," writes Dr Traill, "and consequently know nothing of its construction, I cannot give you any instructions about its machinery."

The following year, a Dr Thomas Stewart Traill is in attendance at Inchbrakie, and being an antiquarian of no mean standing, he writes out what he has deciphered of Father Graeme’s pedigree, which it will be remembered Fre’re Archange drew out, to prove his right to hold so important a position as Superior of the Convent at Boulogne.

If a Mary Graeme, daughter of the sixth laird existed, she must have died previous to the death of her brother George of Lord Carmichael’s Dragoons, as no mention is made of her in the share of his estate as is the case with Mrs Graeme of Pitcairns and Mrs Bryce.