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Messages - David Geddes

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Moray (Elginshire) / Re: knockando house
« on: Friday 06 June 14 13:07 BST (UK)  »
Hello- you still interested in Knockando House?  My grandfather 9 generations back was the Factor (general manager) to the estate owner - Captain Grant of Knockando House. My gfatherx9 was Lachlan Macbean, himself related to the lairds of Tomatin- and he died 1784 at Knockando. He lived in the tack (estate tenancy) at Upper Borlum (Borland) farm. After he died early within weeks of Capt Grant dying, his wife took up with the tenant of Upper Tomdow , Charles Miller, tenant on the same estate. The Rev at the manse - another Grant - was Guardian to Lachlan and Janets 6 children. Janet had at least 2 more with Charles Miller at Upper Tomdow. Our family gravitated then to Aberdeen. The Grants were important and rich but not the main sept of that family.  I believe Capt Grant may have fought in the American Wars of Independence possibly at Ticonderoga. There are certainly stories about the military Grants to do with the aftermath of Culloden and the subjection of the Highlands, and he seems lucky to avoid at least one attempted assassination. I'm just scratching around the edges at Knockando as my blood line dies there and the sons and daughters move away, but I believe there is plenty history to be found. Hope this helps. I'm at david.geddes@ymail.com

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Durham / Re: 18thC Scottish Miller family in Durham
« on: Sunday 23 March 14 19:15 GMT (UK)  »
I can add a bit to this thread concerning Janet McAlaster (also known by her father's occasional surname McDonald). Janet b1758 and Lachlan Mcbean b 1749 are my GGGGG- Grandparents. Lachlan's father also Lachlan b 1725 was probably the younger son of the Mcbean clan laird of Tomatin. I have from Canada a 20 page doc transcribed from the memories of William Mcbean 1796-1883. It has helped me open up more history on Janet McAlaster (his spelling). She is described a marrying at age 16, being beautiful, clever, tolerably capable with Latin, and determined to marry Lachlan from an early age. Lachlan is appointed factor to the Grant estates centred around Knockando and is given the tenancy of Upper Borlum(e) farm. The farm animal inventory describes the stock belonging to a wealthy young man. Lachlan dies very shortly after his feudal superior- the Grant laird of Knockando. Janet McAlaster sort of disappears from factual history after the early death of her husband Lachlan. Why does the Rev Francis Grant take the guardian role of the 4 young children (3 survive) when Janet is well and it seems (for some time) retains the Upper Borlum(e) farm  tenancy?  Why is Janet not buried in the sizeable Mcbean family lair in St Peters, Aberdeen - although she is buried elsewhere in St Peters. There was a lot of bother endured to keep the many Mcbeans together in death. Some of this is explained by the fact that Janet has a child by the neighbouring farmer Charles Miller of Nether Tomdow - another Grant tenancy farm only a mile away - conceived 11 months after Lachlan was in laid in the ground.  This child  is Sarah Miller, and she is followed by James Miller in early 1787. As the Parish recorder wrote on the judgemental birth certificate  - Sarah - 'begat in fornication'.  James, some 2 years later is more sparingly described on his entry to the world. What was Janet's working relationship with the guardian of her children by Lachlan - the Rev Grant of Knockando - also her judge on the cutty stool on a sunday?  He was probably  a younger brother to the Grant Laird - the clergy was the next best career prospect to land owning - the third son generally went to the military. Sarah marries the son of a Grant family - her mother in law being loosely related to the Rothiemurchus Grants of Aviemore - a very powerful, eventually titled, and wealthy family. From the marriage of Sarah to William Grant there are an enormous number of Grant descendants who carry some shared genes via Janet McAlaster - whose father was known as a McAlaster or a McDonald. So there are now MacGregors and McGrigors in my  Morrison mix too at other points in the history.  Add the Mcbeans and the Clan Chattan affiliation - its a very blood thirsty lot on this side of the family  It may be recalled that  it was the Chattans incl McBeans who cut the Camerons down from their 30 best warriors to a single survivor in front of the King Robert 3 at the North Inches, Perth in an arranged pageantry of gore in the 1300s. Well Knockando seems to be an interesting wee place where folk in the late 1700s must have been whistling a happy tune as they watched the bairns play - but just whose bairns?  A lot of them were Janet's!  The proximity of son Ludovick’s parents' in law home (Bremners) to the castle gates at the Duke of Gordon's Castle at Fochabers makes for some interesting speculation as to patronage of his bespoke weaving. William Mcbean describes the Bremners as 'stiff and bigoted Catholics' - and his father Ludovick - thereafter referred to as 'Lewie' - as 'not over acceptable'  as a son in law- since he was Protestant . But as the Mcbeans fought valiantly in both the 1715-19 and 1745-6 Jacobite team,  Ludovick's family must have changed faith after the 1745 Rebellion. Understandably politically expedient to do so.  The Grants were Hanovarian supporters and provided officers for the Black Watch Regt- set up to police the Highlands post 1745. Ludovick and Isabella were married twice in the same day - RC and Presbyterian  - on the 1 May 1797- a day on which it snowed heavily. (I am currently attempting to complete an OCR translation of the original old scanned typed document of the McBean/ McAlaster story.

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