Register of Sasines need to translate

[Forfarian]

Sorry, but I cannot read it because it's too small and if I try to enlarge it it goes out of focus.

[goldie61]

As Forfarian has said, you will need to download a bigger file so that it is readable, as these images pixelate when enlarged.
You are allowed up to 500KB for each image.

Some info here about attachments if you haven't seen it
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,130922.0.html

[Archivos]

Here is page 1 and 2; page 1 is the full page of the early clip. I 'm hoping for information on his children James, Agnes, Helen or his wife Celecia and any information about India. I hoping to find out how old the kids are or when they were born or where. Or any information about the purchases of his property of any mention of relatives. There are twelve pages in total.

Thanks again all
Melba

While there might be something mentioned about his family, it's doubtful it will have the level of detail you're looking for. 

The National Records of Scotland have an information page on sasines at www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/guides/sasines, and it has this to say on what can normally be found in an entry:

"The basic structure of a sasine is straightforward. It will begin with the date, and thereafter sets out the principal parties (usually with the grantee/buyer named first), the type of transaction, including the land involved, the precise time that it took place, and the names of the witnesses."

[Forfarian]

I 'm hoping for information on his children James, Agnes, Helen or his wife Celecia and any information about India. I hoping to find out how old the kids are or when they were born or where. Or any information about the purchases of his property of any mention of relatives.

If he was in fact 'in the capacity of sheriff ....' there may not be any information at all about him.

I have never seen a sasine that gave the date of birth of anyone. The nearest I've seen to that is a sasine that talks about Robert Howie, a minor - in other words he was under the age of 21 on the date of the sasine.

[josey]

I 'm hoping for information on his children James, Agnes, Helen or his wife Celecia and any information about India. I hoping to find out how old the kids are or when they were born or where.

Sorry, but question time 

Have you already looked for baptisms in the early parish registers on ScotlandsPeople?

Do you actually mean Cecelia for Peter's wife's name? Easy finger slip to make if so .

What do you already know about a connection to India?

Josey

[DonM]

Win 10 users open the attachments it up in your photo app (the mountain thingy) click on edit (top right) then enhance the file enough to read it.

Don

[DonM]

Lands of Hayfield were sold by public roup at the British Coffee House, Edinburgh on Wednesday, July 28th 1784 between 5 and 6 in the afternoon. Hayfield consisted of those lands in West/Mid Calder 16 miles from Edinburgh with superiority over the lands of Tolcross in St. Cuthbert's. You could decline the superiority and bid only on Hayfield.

The advertisement goes on and on but it was substantial in size, the mains laid on 120 acres and it had suitable offices.  Archibald Todd the writer identified so I assume he will be named on your Sasine.

Interesting it had been on the market since at least 1793 and in 1770 Archibald Todd is the executor in the 1770 Directory of Landownership of Scotland. 

However, on Wednesday 16 November 1795 its back on the market and Archibald Todd is once again in charge.

So either Mr. Thomson failed to met the obligations of the contract (Sasine) and the deal fell through or this is not the same Hayfield. I spotted 3 others that were for sale during this period.  Inverness, Renfrew and Dumfries all were sold at the British Coffee House.  So matter where the property laid it would have been executed in Edinburgh.  The description within your Sasine will clarify this.

Caledonian Mercury is the source.

Don

[Forfarian]

I have been wondering about the description "Petrus Thomson apud Hayfield". The Latin word 'apud' means 'at'.

In most Scottish sources the word 'of' (Latin 'de') indicates the owner of a piece of land. 'In' implies that the person was normally resident there, but did not own it. 'At' implies temporary or relatively short-term residence.

If the writer who drafted this sasine stuck to similar usage, it might suggest that Peter Thomson did not in fact occupy Hayfield House.

Also, if the sasine is from the 27th year of the reign of George III, it post-dates that sale in 1784 by about three years.

[Forfarian]

I had the opportunity today to take a look at the Abridgment of this Sasine. It says, "James Pitullo of Hayfield, Seised, Mar 24, 1787, in Hayfield, comp Wester Hairburnhead, Easter Hairburnhead, Middlemuir of Hairburnhead, Haymains and Blackhill, par West Calder and Mid Calder; part of Towcorse or Tollcross etc, par St Cuthberts; on Ch Resig G S, Feb 3 1787. PR 307.264."

The abridgments usually contain a brief description of the land involved, and tell you who acquired the land, and from whom. This one is unusual in that it does not say from whom James Pitullo acquired it. More to the point, there is no mention of Peter Thomson in the abridgment.

I also discussed this document with a Latin-literate archivist. He agrees with my interpretation of the words 'apud' and 'tanquam'. In other words, that Peter Thomson was probably some sort of intermediary in this transaction, not one of the principals involved in the change of ownership.

There is a later sasine, dated 14 January 1796, in which ownership of the same lands passed to Alexander Young WS. They are described as "the fourth part of Over Williamstone called Wester Hairburnhead, Easter Hairburnhead, Middlemuir of Hairburnhead, fourth part of Over Williamstone called Haymains, and part of the Barony of Marjoribanks called Blackhill, all of which lands are now called Hayfield".

So it looks as if Hayfield may have been a name bestowed relatively recently on part of what was once an estate of four times the size.

I got a bit lost after that because the 1796 sasine refers to one in Kirkcudbright in (I think) 1795. I am at a loss to explain why a sasine in Kirkcudbright is relevant to one in Midlothian, and I couldn't find the Kirkcudbright abridgment anyway as you need a name to locate them and it didn't show up under either Young or Pitullo.

I have been told of two researchers who are skilled at making transcriptions and translations of Latin documents. If you want their names please let me know.