Sketch XIX
GEORGE GRAEME
"Fiar" (heir
apparent)
8th
in line of Patrick
Graeme 7th
Great Baron
of Inchbrakie
and Aberuthven
His wife:
Catherine Lindsay of Cavill
And younger
sons and daughters of Patrick
George Graeme, the heir to the Barony of Inchbrakie, died
before his father and made the one exception in which the estates did not pass from father to son, as George was married and
the line was carried on by the "Fiar’s" son. George was born 1692; his father the seventh baron and Jean, Miss Pierson
of Kippen Ross, having been married in 1691.
It will be remembered
he was born just after the death of young Rollo, of which his father was accused of being the cause, who very soon after had
to leave the country and go abroad, and so far no very authentic record has been found of his return before 1715.
Where George’s
young life was passed we do not know, but by some notes his marriage took place early in 1715 or 1716 to Catherine Lindsay
of Cavill, the daughter of William Lindsay of Cavill and Miss Murray of Furdbray (?) his wife. The Lindsay’s of Cavill
or Keavil were a branch of the old house of the Lindsays, and flourished at Keavill from the fifteenth century.
The young husband
and wife partly restored Ryecroft after it had been burned down in the 1715, at which period also the old Castle of Inchbrakie
was absolutely demolished.
In nine years
a flock of seven little ones surround them! But before Ryecroft was quite ready for them the son and heir appears and a friendly
welcome is accorded to the young mother and her babe at Gorthie.
The note-book
relates: -
"Patrick Graeme
my eldest son was born at Gorthie about 2 o’clock of the morning, Saturday, 25th January, 1717.
"My daughter
Helen was born………………………………….."
Next come twin
daughters;
My daughters
Ann and Katherine, born at Ryecroft upon Monday, 16th Day of February 1719."
The hour of
their appearance is not worthy of record as the son and heir’s had been!
"George was
born at Smidyhaugh upon Thursday the 13th day of January 1720.
"John was born
at Ryecroft the 5th June 1723.
"Jean was born
at Ryecroft upon Monday the 7th day of June 1725."
The little Helen’s
birth is a blank unfilled; probably she died at once, but her place was soon taken by the twins, of whom the elder, Anne,
is so famous in the Jacobite story, where we are told in a letter from Lawrence Oliphant of Gask, how she inveigled his coat
belonging to the Uniform of the Royal Company of Archers from the soldiers besieging Gask. I think no apology is required
for copying the tale as told by Gask in full.
The letter is
addressed to Martin Lindsay Esqre., who is endeavouring to revive the Royal Archers; it would be interesting to know if he
was a cousin of "Miss Anny!" on her mother’s side.
Dear Martin
I lose no
time in acquainting you that my Archer’s coat is still preserved, and shall be sent by the carryer, directed to yr lodgings
in Edinburgh. I desire you will make my compts. With it to whoever is precess to ye company. I think myself happy to have
it in my power to contribute my mite in forwarding a March which I think is an appearance that does honor to our countrie;
it is pretty odd if my coat is the only one left, especially as it was taken away in ye 46 by ye D. of Cumberland’s
Plunderers, and Miss Anny Graeme, Inchbrakie, thinking it would be regrated by me, went out to ye Court and got it back from
a soldier, insisting with him that it was a Lady’s riding habit: but putting her hand to ye Briches to take them too,
he with a thundering oath asked, if yr Ly wore briches. They had green lace as ye Coat; ye knee buttons were more loose, to
show ye white silk puff’d as ye coat sleeves; the officers coats had silver lace in place of green, with the silver
fringe considerably deeper; fine white thread stockings; the men blue bonnets, ye officers were of velvet, with a plate japan’d
of white iron, representing St Andrew, in ye middle of a knot or cocade of, I think, green ribbons. An old embroidery of a
former generation I have sent in case it may be of use; ye Bonnet was tuck’d up and ye St Andrew placed in ye middle
of ye brow; ye Bonnet rim watered with a green ribbon and tyed behind. Ye bonnets of a small size, to hold the head only,
scrog’d before to ye eyebrows; ye hair and wifs were worn during ye march as sashes about ye waist, and two arrows stuck
in them; ye Bow carry’d slanting in ye left hand."…………………………..
Miss Anne was a plucky girl thus to beard one of Butcher
Cumberland’s soldiers; but the oath and the sneer about the breeches daunted even her brave heart and modesty, and she
could not save the beautiful things with "green lace as the coat" and "more loose to shew the white silk puffed as the coat
sleeves."
Anne was just
26 when she ran out to face the plunderers; the interest is added to by the fact that she was staying at Gask for company
to Margaret Oliphant, her freat friend, who was engaged to marry Anne’s brother Patrick, now the eighth Baron of Inchbrakie;
both the elder and younger Jacobite lairds were in France and perhaps Anne had a penchant for the gallant young Sir Lawrence,
any way she liked him well enough to guard his fine clothes, in which he must have looked very handsome.
George Graeme
and Katherine Lindsay had two other sons, George and John, born in 1720 and 1723; a little daughter Jean closes the list,
in 1725. This little one, with Anne and their eldest brother Patrick, afterwards eighth baron, are the only children who lived
on to the end of the century.
In 1776 we find
the eldest brother, now eighth laird, making a better provision for his sisters lest he predecease them; their mother, Miss
Lindsay, is dead, and nine years later he adds to Miss Jean’s annuity. David Graeme of Orchill and his son William Graham
sign the document.
Miss Anne in
1776 had made an assignation, failing heirs of her body, of her portion of 4000 merks to her sister Jean, and failing her,
to the eighth baron, their brother.
In August 1796
Miss Anne is staying at Orchill after her brother’s death, with her niece Amelia of Inchbrakie, now Mrs Graeme of Orchill.
When she signs the receipt she states that she allows Colonel Graeme, her nephew (ninth baron) a certain sum for her board
and lodging; so she continues for the present to reside at Inchbrakie.
After their
brother Patrick’s death (the eighth laird) Miss Jean receives a letter from Mr Rutherford, their man of Business in
Perth, dated 26th April 1794. After referring to business, he congratulates Miss Jean on the birth of a great nephew,
wishing her and his parents, Colonel (ninth laird) and Mrs Graeme much joy of him. This little boy was the tenth baron, George
Graeme, and made his entry into the world a few weeks after his grandfather left it.
The letter is
docketed by Miss Jean:
"with a fine
large Cold,
"i/o noted to
Colonel’s acct."
Both the sisters
were alive in 1796, when their eldest brother dies, but in 1800 we find the account of Miss Jean’s funeral, which her
eldest sister has paid some of the items for, it gives an idea of the customs of that day. The runners (3) for delivering
the "burial letters," two shillings. The account for the grave clothes date from Perth. Mr Stirling, the minister, is given
2 pound for the poor. James Bayne, the Crieff Kirk officer’s account contains an item for removing and replacing the
seats in the kirk on August 7th, 1800, where she lies buried.
Among the delicacies
provided for the invalid were sponge biscuits on the 4th August; and Dr Stewart and Mr Traill were her medical
attendants. She was 75 years, Miss Anne, who survived her, being 79 years. These two sisters were George Graeme’s and
Catherine Lindsay’s daughters.
Of their widowed
mother, Miss Lindsay of Cavill, we find one or two quaint entries. In 1737 she sends for "cloath" to John Pitkethlie; he renders
an account "on Mrs Graeme of Inchbrakie for:
"small linen
at fourpence the el.
"round linen
21 el a babee the el."
This account
is checked by "Kat Graeme."
In 1738 Mrs
Katherine Lindsay leaves Ryecroft, and a "roup" of her goods and "gier" takes place. The account is made out to Madame Graeme,
relict of deceased George Graeme, younger, of Inchbrakie. Modern innovations are creeping in, and fashionable married ladies
are signing in their husband’s name instead of their maiden one.
The following
year when receiving money obtained for goods which belonged to her late husband, she is spoken of as Mrs Graeme, "sometime
in Raycroft now Huntly."
In 1746, another
receipt from her in a more formal style; she now calls herself Katherine Lindsay, relict of deceased George Graeme, younger,
of Inchbrakie, and acknowledges her annuity settled on her by her son, and for which she now discharges Captain Patrick Graeme
at Inchbrakie (her brother-in-law) signed Kat Graeme, and dated Crieff, where she now resides.
One more receipt
shows her still living at Crieff in August 8th, 1770, when John Chrystie acknowledges full and complete payment
of "all I can seek, ask, or crave from the Lady Inchbrakie:" poor Catherine Lindsay, the honour of Lady Inchbrakie had never
been hers, and she lives on to see her son’s wife queening it, where she had only worn a widow’s weeds living
quietly, while her daughters visited their relations and friends.
We will now
follow the other sons of Patrick and Miss Pierson as far as we can.
George, who
occupies the first part of this sketch, was the eldest son.
Then Patrick
was born, (it will be remembered at Ryecroft,) the year before his father went abroad; he remained in the country during his
father’s lifetime, and after it, carried on all his young nephew Patrick’s business, ministering to his estate,
keeping his accounts, and in every way a helpful, kind relation. He married Helen Pierson, daughter of Kippenross, his cousin
germane, and for a time they lived at Orchill and also at Inchbrakie, various letters and communications being dated from
these residences.
They had an
only daughter, who married Robertson of Faskally, near Pitlochry, which had been the home of her great,great,great,great,grandaunt,
130 years before!.
In 1745 Drummond
of Callendar dissents on the part of himself and the other heritors, to the Presbytery dividing and englarging the Kirk of
Crieff, stating that the burial place of himself and Antony Murray of Dollerie, had been railed off from the choir, and requests
this may not in any alteration made, be encroached on. The document is signed by Patrick Graeme, Captain.
He was commonly
addressed as Captain Patrick Graeme, and the following letter from Gask points to the fact of the sea being his profession.
The letter is
addressed to:
Captain Patrick
Graeme,
To the care
of Mr Adam Mercer,
"Writter" in
Edinburgh,
and is written
in 1739.
From Lawrence
Oliphant, 1739
Addressed to:
Captain Patrick
Graeme,
To the care
of Mr Adam Mercer,
Writter in Edinburgh.
Sir,
As I have
but small acquaintance tho’ you’l allow I can insist upon a relation in blood, tetwixt us; I give you the trouble
of this to inform you that Lord Nairne’s son Mr Robert wishes much to make a voage or two as a commone Sailor in your
ship. He has been about three years in the Mediterranean and Levant, and his Master Cap. Wood who has proved a very worthless
spark to the Owners, was well pleased with him while apprentice. His uncle Mr Wlm.Nairne is to take him with when he sayles
to the East Indies, but the young man wishes to be employed in the mean time, and I hope he’l prove as right a hand
to you as any of your sailors. If you comply with taking a tryall of him for a voyage or two if you think fitt at the ordinary
wages it will much oblige.
Sir,
Your affect.Cousin
& Humb: servt.
Law: Oliphant.
Gask, Novr.26th,
1739.
If Patrick,
his father, the seventh baron was out of the country in the 1715, then it must have been this Patrick, his second son, who
made the effort to save poor Kate McNiven, the so-called witch who blessed the family and gave them her relic and stone, unless
of course the seventh baron’s son, George may have acted that good part.
Patrick’s
death is recorded in 1753 on the 5th August, aged 57 years, as taking place at Orchill.
One more son,
John, is recorded; his name it will be remembered appears in his father’s life as receiving money from their factor,
Cunningham, to be spent by him on his father’s "behoof."
Then again when
his nephew George dies in 1727, he owed a small debt to his uncle John, who followed the life of arms which so many Inchbrakies
had done, and were still to do.
George Graeme,
"fiar," lived to welcome his father home, to assist and help him in the building of the new mansion of Inchbrakie, but not
to see it finally capped with the handsome marble pediment with the coat of his father and mother carved on it.
In 1735 he witnesses
the marriage contract of one of the Inchbrakie servants, and in 1738 his widow signs the receipt for the sale of his effects
in Ryecroft where they had resided.
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