Fifeshire Cavalry

[jf99]

Lizzie this is a little late but there are some  strange parallels between your family history and mine. My ancestor William Ranken (g.g.g.g grandfather) was born in Edinburgh to an exciseman  who was also a nurseryman. John Ranken's will details the hundreds of trees in his nursery. His brother James and father William were also both gardeners. Family tradition states that they were involved with the gardens at Saughtonhall, but the only reference I have found is to William Ranken  being gardener at Lord Somerville's  house at Gilmerton (Liberton Parish) also known as 'The Drum.'

 There is a circumstantial link with the Baird's of Saughtonhall in that my ancestor enlisted in the   regiment where the notorious Captain Sir James Baird of Saughtonhall commanded a company, the 71st or 'Fraser's Highlanders', raised for the American War in 1776.  My ancestor had already formed a connection with another officer of the 71st, Colonel Sir William Erskine, a relation of the Bairds, having run away as a rebellious 17-year old to join the regiment Erskine commanded previously, the 15th Light Dragoons.

Under Erskine's  patronage my gggg grandfather rose to be a successful staff officer in America.  At the end of the war he retired to Fife as tenant of a farm let him by William Erskine where he lived quietly until 1793 when he joined the Fife-shire Fencible Cavalry (commanded by another Erskine).  After serving on the Regimental Staff, he took over as a troop commander until he fell ill and died of causes unknown in 1799.

 That is how a gardener's son from Edinburgh ends up in the Fifeshire Fencibles!

if you have any details about Saughtonhall in the period, I should be delighted to read them. 

For a brief overview on the Fife Fencibles, see here:
http://thaneofife.org.uk/fencible-cav.html

Fencibles weren't militia but regular regiments raised specifically for domestic defence and  serving only in the British Isles. Patriotic worthies were authorised to recruit regiments locally in Scotland, as indeed were many regular Line regiments raised in Scotland in the second half of the 18th. This gave them a distinctly local character resembling that of the militia but, despite starting out essentially as groups of neighbours in uniform, Fencible Cavalry regiments, unlike the Yeomanry, were not merely glorified Home Guard units but operated under standard rules of military discipline. They could be moved to anywhere in the British Isles the government required.


 

[LizzieW]

jf99 - Unfortunately, I don't know anything about Charles Gilchrist's background until he joined the Fifeshire Cavalry.  I don't know where he was born etc.  I just know that he was a gardener at the time of his death and a possible baptism for someone of the same name and approx date of birth that I found on Scotland's People had a father who was a gardener.

Lizzie

[jf99]

Ah, Lizzie, I understand. So, am I right in thinking it is the father of the Charles Gilchrist whose baptism you found at Scotland's People who was a gardener at Saughtonhall ?

[LizzieW]

I found what could be Charles Gilchrist's baptism.  It is possible that Charles was born in 1770.  There is a baptism record of a Charles Watson Gilchrist, born on 29 January 1770, in New Saughton (Edinburgh) baptised 4 inst (February) 1770.  His father was John a gardener and his mother was a Betty Struthers.  The name of Struthers appears as a family name in later generations of Charles Gilchrists ancestors which might suggest that the baptism is correct.  His age was given as 59 on the records of his death in 1829 which ties in with a birth in 1770.

Payroll records of the Fifeshire Cavalry at the National Archives, show that Charles joined the Cavalry in 1795 and on the records for the second half of 1795, he is listed as "attested Sept 9".   He served as a private until 1800. Charles arrived in Boston, Linconshire in the spring of 1798.  In the summer of 1798 the troop had moved to King's Lynn, before returning to Boston, where Charles married in September of the same year.  It doesn't seem as if he had known his wife very long does it.  After his marriage, he was stationed at various places on the east and south-east coasts of England but his wife appeared to have accompanied him to some of the places as the payroll records show that he received a billeting allowance.  The troop was eventually disbanded in 1800.

From the place he was baptised (and I don't know Scotland at all), I assume this is the same area as your ancestors were employed as gardeners but whether Charles' father was employed there, I don't know.  If you have any info about Charles Gilchrist or his possible father John, or can advise me where to look, I'd be very pleased to receive it.

From what I've read, Provisional Cavalry Regiments were raised under an Act of 11 November 1796, - although the Fifeshire Cavalary was actually raised on 29 May 1794, - to be embodied  in case of emergency, for service in Great Britain only.  On 13 August 1799, they were converted to Fencible Cavalry.  In March 1800, they were ordered disbanded.  I thought they were under the command of Commander Major Cmdt. John Anstruther Thompson, although you suggest it was someone called Erskine.

Lizzie

[jf99]

 Lizzie, thanks for filling in the details

From a quick look, I haven't been able to find any references to New Saughton from the mid- C18th. In the 1750s on the Water of Leith  just west of Edinburgh Old Town were the properties of Saughton and Saughtonhall. 'New Saughton' may have been established later as a division of one of these or might have been an alternative name for either. Place names could be quite fluid at this time.

As for Charles' marriage in Lincolnshire, do you know that she was a local girl?  Could he perhaps have met her earlier on the Fifeshire Fencibles' travels? By the way, if it is useful, I have a falrly detailed note of the Regiment's travels following their departure from Fife.

You are quite right about Anstruther Thompson being the CO. I was writing off the top off my head. There were, though, two officers surnamed Erskine serving in the Regiment.

As for the Fencible Cavalry being "Provisional Cavalry Regiments" when first raised, that could well be although I never came across that term before. Certainly, for what it's worth, the Regimental  Paylists and Muster Rolls are mostly inscribed 'Fife-shire Fencible Cavalry'
 
If I turn up any useful information on C18th Saughton,  or the Gilchrists, I shall of course  pass it on.

JF
 

[LizzieW]

Hi JF

Yes Charles Gilchrist did marry a girl from Boston, Lincolnshire.  He arrived in Boston in Spring 1798, left Boston for Kings Lynn in the summer, then returned to marry Catherine Robinson in August 1798.  I don't know why such a quick marriage, she wasn't pregnant - unless she had a miscarriage, so I wonder if they thought he might be away for a long time.  They were married by licence and he signed with a X, she signed her own name.

If you do turn up anything useful about the Gilchrists, I'd be happy for the info.

Regards
Lizzie

[jf99]

Lizzie, you may already know this from Regimental pay & muster rolls but I'll share it anyway. Re:my error concerning officers named Erskine, it looks like Charles Erskine, Lord Kellie, (who inherited the Earldom of Kellie while the FFC was stationed at Sheffield in June 1797) was Charles Gilchrist's troop commander.

This is from a letter my ancestor wrote home from Stilton in Leicestershire in May 1797:

"Three troops under the command of the Colonel are ordered from Lynn to Norwich and Lord Kellie will bring his from Boston and Major Patterson [?Paxton] from Wisbech and are now under orders to march to Lynn. Your humble servant with his troop remains here for the present"

Reading between the lines, it seems Erskine lived something of a dissolute life. He died in October 1799 aged 35 when the Fencibles were at Hythe  and is buried in the church there.

[LizzieW]

I've not actually seen the pay and muster rolls, they are at National Archives but I don't know how much info is on them.  I know they show that Charles was given a billetting allowance, so presumably his wife travelled with him on occasions. 

Thank you for the further information, it is all very interesting.

Lizzie

[dkwilliams]

I don't know if you have found out more about Saughton and New Saughton, but I have been doing a lot of research about it and can help.

Saughton outside of Edinburgh was the hereditary holding of the Watson clan, along with Corstorphine, and the original Saughton manorhouse was built and enhanced over generations.  In 1737 the Watsons purchased the house and estate of Cammo, in Cramond parish, which they named New Saughton. The original manorhouse was called Old Saughton until it burned in 1920 and was demolished. The site is now occupied by Broomhill Primary School and grounds.  (It is not be confused with Saughton Hall held by the Baird family).

Cammo House was originally built in 1693 by John Menzies of Cammo, then sold to Sir John Clerk in 1710.  In 1741 the house was bought by Charles Watson; it was renamed New Saughton.  and it became their principal estate.  In 1872 Cammo House was acquired by Alexander Campbell, then the Clarks who held it until it burned down in 1977. 

Hope that helps get a picture of the area!