Hello,
While investigating an oft-repeated claim of my ancestor Alexander Sutherland's origins, I came across some records from
https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ that might be of interest. I've abstracted a few of them there.
13/07/1676 - Duffus (this record is partly worn)
Groom: THOMAS SUTHERLAND
Bride: ELSPETH SUTHERLAND
I have seen it claimed in some trees that Thomas Sutherland of Keam, son of William Sutherland (by Agnes Allan), younger son of William, 10th of Duffus, married his cousin Elizabeth Sutherland, daughter of the 1st Lord Duffus.
06/08/1686 - Duffus
Child: THOMAS SUTHERLAND
Father: THOMAS SUTHERLAND in Keame
Mother: ELSPETH SUTHERLAND in Keame
Witnesss: JOHN SUTHERLAND, [I can't quite make out the other name]
I have seen it claimed in some trees that this younger Thomas Sutherland of Keame married Margaret Rhind with children William, Alexander and Robert, but I've found no record to confirm this as of yet.
29/12/1723 - Edinburgh
Groom: WILLIAM SUTHERLAND, son of THOMAS SUTHERLAND of Keam, dec'd in the parish of Duffus; now in SE parish
Bride: EUPHAM EASON, daughter of DAVID EASON, merchant in SSE parish
06/03/1725 - Edinburgh
Child: DAVID SUTHERLAND
Father: WILLIAM SUTHERLAND, merchant
Mother: EUPHAN EASON
Witnesses: MR DAVID WALKER, advocat, ALEXANDER PETRIE, writer, DAVID EASON, merchant
Born 4 March 1725.
03/10/1726 - Edinburgh
Child: ALEXANDER SUTHERLAND
Father: WILLIAM SUTHERLAND, merchant
Mother: EUPHAM EASON
Witnesses: ALEXANDER PETRIE, writer, DAVID EASON and JAMES SPITTALL, merchants
Born 30 September 1725.
This Alexander is claimed in many trees to be my ancestor, though without direct proof.
07/05/1728 - Edinburgh
Child: JOHN SUTHERLAND
Father: WILLIAM SUTHERLAND, merchant
Mother: EUPHAM EASON
Witnesses: MR. JOHN HEPBURN, one of the ___ of the city, MR JOHN SUTHERLAND, student in Divinity, DAVID EASON and JAMES SPITLE merchants
Born 4 May 1728.
From this we establish that Thomas Sutherland of Keam, who was probably from a cadet branch of the Duffus line, had a son, William Sutherland, merchant in Edinburgh. This William married Eupham Eason and had David, Alexander (often claimed to be my ancestor, but without substantial evidence to my knowledge), and John.
17/06/1747 - Edinburgh
Testament Dative and Inventory of WILLIAM SUTHERLAND of Rosecommon, sometime merchant in Edinburgh and late residenter in the Abbey of Holyroodhouse at the time of his decease (in March 1747).
Executor dative: ALEXANDER MCKENZIE of Fraserdale, Esq.
Debts owed to GEORGE DUGUID, merchant in Edinburgh.
Had goods in the house of BENJAMIN MILLER, gardener and brewer on the precincts of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, sold at public auction. The balance of the sale was in the hands of GEORGE ROBERTSON, Clerk of the said Palace.
Confirmed by MASTER JAMES LESHE.
Cautioner: ANDREW CHALMER, writer in Edinburgh
Dated 17 Jun 1747.
If William Sutherland of Roscommon, son of Lord Duffus, really did die shortly after 1715 as is widely claimed, then it appears there was a second William Sutherland designated "of Roscommon", who was a younger cousin of the earlier Hon. William Sutherland of Roscommon who married Helen Duff. And since this William Sutherland of Roscommon was described as a merchant in Edinburgh, one might suppose he is the same person as William Sutherland, son of Thomas Sutherland of Keam, who married Euphemia Eason. And as this William Sutherland definitely had at least three children, he could have been the "Roscommon" progenitor of the Sutherlands mentioned in this thread.
That is one possibility. But to make things a little more confusing, there was a William Sutherland, brewer of Edinburgh, who had a servant named Euphan Eason and a son Alexander of Woodend who married Helen Muirhead. This William Sutherland, brewer, died 16 May 1759. I of course have to wonder if William Sutherland the merchant later became William Sutherland the brewer (which would mean he was not the same William Sutherland, merchant of Edinburgh, who died in 1747). Or if they were two distinct but possibly related individuals.
For what it's worth, the amusing family lore is that my ancestor Alexander Sutherland (who, for reasons that will soon become apparent, was clearly not the Alexander Sutherland who married Helen Muirhead) was a university student in Edinburgh. One night, he and a few of his classmates went rough-housing on a docked ship. I would assume there was plenty of alcohol involved, because they didn't come to their senses until long after the ship had set sail with them on board. And that was how Alexander and his friends accidentally emigrated to what is now Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
Alexander married a widow, Elizabeth Williams. His brother John later joined him in the colonies. Both eventually migrated to upstate South Carolina with their families. Alexander's daughter Jane, born around 1752, married Peter Acker, the progenitor of the Acker family of the American South from which I descend in a female line.
