Kirklands estate, Ancrum

[Garethboxing]

Does anyone have any info on Kirklands estate, Ancrum, around the 1800 mark. An ancestor of mine, William Scott, had worked his way up from being a humble ag lab to being steward of the estate by about 1805. I believe the owner at the time was a retired admiral - can anyone supply any details?

  Gareth

[Terie]

Hi Gareth,Kirklands is a large house just outside Ancrum on the Lilliesleaf road, at the time you mention it was owned by John Richardson Esq, born 1780 died 1864,buried in Ancrum Churchyard, when Ancrum House was demolished in the 1960's the land became part of Kirklands estate.There may be mention of it in the Statistical Account of Scotland.

Amanda,Canada.

[Garethboxing]

Thanks, Amanda.
 I had discovered from Google that a John Richardson had hired an architect to build a new house at Kirklands in 1830, but didn't realise he was there at the turn of the century.
  Since I posted I've heard (also from across the Atlantic) that Ancrum parish records in 1805 described William Scott as steward to an Admiral John Elliot. Was the admiral perhaps a tenant of John Richardson, I wonder?
  It would be good to know if any records of the estate around that era have survived.
 
  Gareth

[bolttail]

Sorry Gareth, I can't help you with you question, but you may be able to help me as I also have an interest in the said William Scott. Could you get in touch with me for a mutual exchange of information? I have some information re William's family but  it's not solid enough to print on this forum.

[Garethboxing]

Hi Bolttail,
     It's amazing how RC suddenly comes up with a reply to(or at least in connection with) a question I posted  three years ago. I've been tied up with other things and let family history drift a little, but I will get in touch by PM in a few days. I've been away for the weekend and have a load of urgent stuff to sort out first.
     Gareth

[Sunlaws]

  Since I posted I've heard (also from across the Atlantic) that Ancrum parish records in 1805 described William Scott as steward to an Admiral John Elliot. Was the admiral perhaps a tenant of John Richardson, I wonder?
 
 
Hi Gareth
Admiral John Elliot was a son of Sir Gilbert Elliot, 2nd Earl of Minto. He was a tenant of Lord Lothian at Mount Teviot (Monteviot) in 1800 (mentioned in a letter from Lady Louisa Stewart), in 1805 (when his sister died there) and in 1808 (when he himself died there), so perhaps your ancestor worked at Monteviot rather than Kirklands?

regards,
Lesley

[alan14578]

gareth do you have more details re william scott  ie dob wife children.etc.

[Garethboxing]

Hi Alan,
    According to what I have (no guarantees), William Scott - who seems to have been known as John - was born at Ancrum on 15 August 1773. He married Helen Dodds (don't know when) and they had at least: Isobel (1796), Mary Anne (1797), Thomas (1800),  my gt x 3 grandfather, Robert Dodds Scott, born c1803, and Charles (1804). 
    Regards, Gareth

[kininvie]

Hi Gareth,

My great great grandfather was the said John Richardson who owned Kirklands. I'll run a check through the family records to see if there's any mention of yr ancestor, but I doubt there will be, as it's mostly family letters to/from the next generation. John Richardson, who was an Edinburgh lawyer, is always said to have moved to Ancrum to be near his friend Sir Walter Scott.

Minto (Elliots) was the next 'big hoose' up the road from Kirklands, and the families were close friends, so it's entirely possible that your ancestor moved employment from the one to the other.

Minto was demolished, but Kirklands still stands & is, I think, once more owned by Scotts.

There's also a collection of Richardson family papers in the National Library of Scotland. I've only trawled through them for stuff of direct interest to me, but they may well have something of interest to you

Andrew