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Author Topic: Polmont burial 1837/portioners  (Read 299 times)
rjknott
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Polmont burial 1837/portioners
« on: Monday 17 July 06 09:34 BST (UK) »
The burial index for Polmont states that a James Gaff was buried on 21 July 1837. Is there any way of finding out how old James was when he died?

On a more general note I am interested in the contrast between James' lifestyle and what he left in his will.
He was a builder and made 'no mortcloth payment' (although his wife may be the Helen who died in 1833 paying for 'best' mortcloth); his eldest son was a carpenter. Both their wills refer to them as portioners, inheriting land that had been left to their (gt) grandfather James Gaff in 1741 by John Gaff, and had been given to John Gaff by James, Duke of Hamilton and Brandon in 1719. Their wills suggest they are leaving assets worth over 1500 pounds.
This sort of money doesn't seem to fit with their professions.

Can anyone explain this?
And how could I find out more about the land bequests?

Richard
« Last Edit: Thursday 20 July 06 18:09 BST (UK) by rjknott » Logged
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runner
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Re: Polmont burial 1837/portioners
« Reply #1 on: Monday 17 July 06 13:41 BST (UK) »
Hello Richard

If James was a builder he was a man of some substance within his community.
The nearest equivalent in the present day would be a combination of Clerk of Works and the financier who put up the money.
James would employ masons, joiners, labourers to carry out the actual work while he would be the link with the farmer/ estate manager/ purchaser of the actual house or work building he had been commisioned to build. He would work from a sketch or drawing with a rough floor plan rather than use detailed architectural drawings and have to call on his understanding of building design & principles to interpret these to complete an acceptable building.
His carpenter/joiner son would also be skilled and capable of building carts, fitting doors and windows, making furniture, repairing farm machinery such as ploughs and harrows, and probably be called on to make coffins when
required required.
In other words a crucial member of the local community.
That's why they had enough money to not need the hire of a mortcloth and left a sizable legacy.

A possible source of info on the land bequests might be the Register of Sasines which have been maintained since the 1500's recording land sales and ownership transfers across Scotland.
Use the search facility in RootsChat to find one or two interseting entries on the topic.

Russell
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apanderson
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Re: Polmont burial 1837/portioners
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 19 July 06 22:17 BST (UK) »
Hi Richard,

I had a wee look through the pre-1855 MI's for Polmont Churchyard but although there's other Gaffs, there is no mention of your James. This doesn't mean he's not buried there, just that there's no stone.

There is one James Gaff listed - James Gaff and Anne Reid with a date on the stone of 1787, which could be a date of death for one of them, the date they purchased the lair or the date of death of one of their children.

Most of the Church records were lost in a fire some years ago - it seems they were kept in an out-building in the Church grounds.

If you want details of the other Gaffs listed, just let me know.

Anne.
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rjknott
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Re: Polmont burial 1837/portioners
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 20 July 06 18:13 BST (UK) »
Thank you for looking: I have the Gaff entries in the index.
James Gaff/Ann Reid may just be the grandather James Gaff (see above) who inherited land in 1741, but I expect I shall never know.
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Knott,Boutell,Warman,Winder,Webster,Uings,Evans,Drage
Pike,Pike,Watson,Pratt,Homewood,Stephenson,Brown,Pattison
Holmes,Tomlinson,Moorby,Cardus,Gill,Lambert,Binns,Emmott
Fenning,Pudney,Wilson,Walker,Hine,Treeby,Knox,Butler
Jack,Carswell,Gardiner,Alexander,Gibb,Watson,Naismith,Telfer
Gray,Inglis,Gibb,Watson,Taylor,Taylor,Gaff,Henderson
Gayford,Clarke,Palmer,Jessup,Smart,Hutson,Lloyd,Northover
Ridley,Lee,?,Mingings,Moore,Colthart,Lawson,Hind
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