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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Aberdeenshire => Scotland => Aberdeenshire Lookup Requests => Topic started by: O1dgobbo on Sunday 20 December 09 19:55 GMT (UK)
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Hi
I am researching William Kelman, who was Baillie of Fraserburgh about 1800, and I was wondering if anybody has access to a list of Baillies and dates of office covering William's tenure.
At present I have just the following information about William. ScotlandsPeople has baptism records for three children of William, Janet 1797, John 1798 and William Dalrymple 1800: all these records describe William as Baillie. SP also has a copy of his will and I have managed to retrieve page 1 but unfortunately so far not the other 20 pages: page 1 refers to the presentation of an inventory of the property of William Kelman Baillie of Fraserburgh in Aberdeen on 29 Sep 1812 by his relict, Jean Kelman, and Alexander Kelman Baker of Aberdeen. William wrote his "latter will"in 1808 describing himself as Baillie sso I presume his death fell some time in the interval 1808-1812. At the moment I presume that he remained Baillie up to his death. He is mentioned, as Baillie, on a number of records, held by Scran and which I can access; these cover problems with fishermen and also a lost lighter and cargo of wood.
All the best
Gobbo
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Sorry Gobbo don't have an answer but it might be worth contacting the family history society of Buchan:
fhsb.org.uk
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Hi Grothenwell
Thank you for your suggestion - I have just joined the fhsb.
All the best
Gobbo
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Aberdeen City Archives, who hold records on behalf of Aberdeenshire Council might have records relating to the burgh.
Their website is at www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/archives and there is a link to information about records held for Aberdeenshire, including Fraserburgh. I'd try contacting them.
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Hi Archivos
Thank you for the suggestion. I have chased up a lead with the Aberdeen City Archives and they do have a number of records describing William Kelman's role in the volunteer militia in the early 19th century. One muster roll looked particularly promising since it listed all the men with some biographical details such as civil occupation and birth: unfortunately William was listed as an Officer and the biographical details of the officers were not included.
The British Library on-line newspaper archive, 1800-1900, includes the Aberdeen Journal and I was able to locate William's death as some time between March 1811, when he was placing advertisements as Baillie and the end of April, 1811, when a meeting considered the appointment of a replacement. Unfortunately there seems to be no death record on SP.
I don't properly understand how the administration of Fraserburgh worked in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The account in the Scottish statistical reports talks of two baillies being nominated by a town council and appointed by the Superior, who was the mostly absent Lord Saltoun. The Kelmans must have been quite loyal to Lord Saltoun since William's son, William Dalrymple Kelman, named his Australian estate Kirkton after part of the Saltoun holdings just South of Fraserburgh.
Thank you very much for your help - I seem to be making some progress but it would be very slow without the help of RootsChatters.
All the best
Gobbo
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Hi - I thought I had more on William Kelman but all I can add is that he was "Factor" (Land Steward) to Lord Saltoun, prior to being appointed "Baillee" in Fraserburgh. There is the suggestion in family papers that he died in Europe while serving with the Fraserburgh Voluteer Artillery Company.
His son - William Dalrymple Kelman - completed his apprenticeship under Lewis Chalmers while Lewis was serving as "Factor" to Lord Saltoun, prior to emigrating to Australia.
Good luck with your research.
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Hi Xenasdad
My Australian relatives are descended from William Dalrymple Kelman and I had hoped to help them research their tree by pushing the line back a bit further. My family thought that William Dalrymple Kelman had been Mayor of Fraserburgh and had fled to Australia after some dodgy business. This story was a bit of an embellishment and your information that he was an apprentice factor to Lewis Chalmers is very interesting and much more likely.
William Kelman's will shows that on 14 Dec 1805 Lewis Chalmers was his clerk. In 1824 a Lewis Chalmers married Janet/Jessie Kelman, who was the elder sister of William D Kelman. Their eldest child, also called Lewis Chalmers, became Baillie of Fraserburgh but took the title, Chief Magistrate. He seems to have given this up for work in London and then became a silver miner in California before returning to London at the end of his life.
I have not managed to find any information on William D Kelman's elder brother, John, beyond his birth in Fraserburgh about 1798. I wonder if he was the Kelman who died in Europe.
All the best
Gobbo
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Gobbo -
I too am a descendant of William Kelman, but have not had much luck in researching the Kelmans back beyond William Kelman. I have the an unsubstantiated line that goes back 3 further generations - James K, William K, William K, William K, William Dalrymple K - but it requires more work to validate.
As to William Dalrymple Kelman - I have detailed & confirmed information on him and his descendants in Australia. It seems unlikely that he fled from Scotland after dodgy business, as he arrived in Australia (aboard the Triton in 1824 with a servant, equipment and livestock), with appropriate letters of introduction, and received a land grant first in Van Dieman's Land (Tasmania), which he subsequently swapped for a land grant in the Hunter Valley in NSW. He also married well - Catherine Busby - whom he met on the journey to Australia.
His elder brother John served as a surgeon with the British army in India.
His sister Jessie married Lewis Chalmers.
His sister Harriet married a Mr Crocker.
And one source indicated he had a younger brother Lewis, but I have no information on him and he is not mentioned in William's will.
Does this help - I have heaps more on the Australian end of things.
Xenasdad
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Xenasdad
Thank you very much for all this information. I had no idea of John's career as a surgeon with the army in India.
Henry Crocker was a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. The Crocker family moved about the UK quite a bit, presumably because of his work. After his death Harriet seems to have moved back to Fraserburgh.
In his will William Kelman mentions five siblings, Mary, Elizabeth, James, George and Alexander. I looked for Kelman families with these children in Aberdeenshire and found the family of William Kelman and Elizabeth Club but I don't think this is more than an indication. The family could come from outside Aberdeenshire and there are gaps in the Old Scottish parish registers plus William Kelman and Elizabeth Club had other children not mentioned in Baillie Kelman's will.
All the best
Gobbo
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Gobbo,
Thanks for the PM - I'll contact you direct by email - this was was my 1st experience/trial with RootsChat so I'll feel more comfortable back with a medium I know.
Look for an email within the next day.
Xenasdad
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Hi, and welcome to rootschat! You'll soon get used to rootschat. Everyone's so friendly & helpful.
Regards,
flst
:)
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I wonder if this inscription from Moulin Churchyard, Perthshire, relates to your Kelmans? I have a photo if it's of interest.
Erected by WILLIAM KELMAN in loving memory of his wife JANET MCINTOSH who died at Balnakeilly 8th May 1908 aged 68 years. The above WILLIAM KELMAN landsteward died 20th Nov 1919 aged 82 years also their sons JAMES accountant Bombay died 3rd Nov 1919 aged 45 years
GEORGE bank agent Canada Captain 179th Cameron High. Lieutenant 16th Batt. Canadian Scottish died 8th Novr 1917 aged 33 years
ALEXANDER landsteward died at Greenock 29th January 1927* aged 48.
*Engraved “aged 48” but overwritten 1927
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Hi Isabel
Thank you for this very interesting information. The names William, Janet, James, George and Alexander are used quite frequently among the descendants of Baillie Kelman. However, it looks from the 1901 and 1851 census that the William Kelman, who died in Moulin aged 82 in 1919, was born in Gamrie, the son of George Kelman, a shoemaker also born in Gamrie but living in Pitsligo in 1851. With not much evidence I think that Baillie William was the son of a William Kelman and Margaret Club, who moved about a bit between Pitsligo and Old Deer but as far as I know never got as far as Gamrie. William Kelman, buried in Moulin is probably a cousin in some degree of Baillie William Kelman but I cannot at present see the exact connection.
Thank you very much for your interest in my problem.
All the best
Gobbo
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Hi Gobbo,
I am related to the Kelmans by marriage, and have copies of a lot of Kelman and Busby family correspondence and documents, together with medals won by Kelman wines from the C19, etc. It appears that a nephew of William Dalrymple Kelman, a Patrick Dalrymple, also emigrated to Tasmania, but left under a financial cloud for New South Wales. Does anyone know anything of this Patrick? It is, by the way, certain that there was no dodgy business in Scotland; numerous letters from WDK to his mother, his parson, sister, and merchants while he was waiting in Edinburgh for the Triton to sail show an eminently respectable man. I also have a cabin plan for the Triton, showing the accomodations for the passengers. WDK was in the cabin next to Catherine Busby; he married her in St James' in Sydney after a lengthy courtship.
Cheers,
Geebung
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Hi Geebung
Welcome to RootsChat. We usually greet newcomers with a sentence or two offering to help their research but it looks as if you know a lot more about the Kelmans than I do. Thank you very much for the information. I shall try to keep in touch.
I have no knowledge of Patrick Dalrymple. If Dalrymple was his surname then I think he would be a cousin rather than a nephew of William Dalrymple Kelman. The only nephews (and nieces) of W D Kelman that I have managed to trace were the children of his two sisters and had surname Chalmers or Crocker. I have been told that the elder brother of W D Kelman, John Kelman was a surgeon in India but I have not managed to trace him so far and do not know what family he had.
All the best
Gobbo
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Patrick Dalrymple was the nephew of Jean Dalrymple, wife of Baille William Kelman.
Patrick was born in Fraserburgh on 15th November 1801, and died in Launceston, Tasmania, on 31st January 1840. He was a Commissariat clerk in Launceston.
He was the son of John Dalrymple (1763-1840), shipbuilder in Fraserburgh, and probably Isobel Leslie.
With regards the Kelmans, I know that Jean Dalrymple, Mrs Kelman, died in Fraserburgh on 9th July 1864 aged 96 years. There is a gravestone for her in Kirkton Cemetery, Fraserburgh. I will check if there is any mention of William Kelman if this can be of use to anyone?
I am not related to the family, but am looking into the family for local history purposes. Captain John Dalrymple (1801-1881) gifted the Dalrymple Hall to Fraserburgh. He was a cousin of Patrick Dalrymple, and a nephew of Jean Dalrymple (Mrs Kelman) through her brother James Dalrymple, a (Wine) Merchant in Fraserburgh.
Windsor87
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Monumental Inscription - Kirkton of Fraserburgh.
In memory of William Kelman, Bailie of Fraserburgh died March 1811 age 34, his spouse Jean Dalrymple died Fraserburgh 9th July 1864 age 96 years, their son John, surgeon H.E.I.C.S died Fraserburgh 21st October 1830 age 32, William Dalrymple died Kirktown Sydney May 1863 age 63.
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You may also like to join the Fraserburgh list on Yahoo.
Fraserburgh Past & Present by John Cranna has several references to Baillie KELMAN. His tenure is given as 1793 - 1811. This book has been digitized and you may be able to find it by searching online.
I am descended from an earlier Baillie, Alexander RITCHIE whose term in office is recorded as 1750- 1781.
Regards,
Christine
Hi
I am researching William Kelman, who was Baillie of Fraserburgh about 1800, and I was wondering if anybody has access to a list of Baillies and dates of office covering William's tenure.