Whitson Old Rattray & Parkhill

[dunvr]

I'm looking for any Whitson family trees, particularly with connections to those Whitson's of Old Rattray and Parkhill. Any info on early Scottish Whitson's appreciated. I am aware what can be found on google already, I am looking for Whitson genealogy info not yet posted on the web. Burial info also wanted. Thank you for any help.

[PJB]

There is a new Whitson YDNA project

https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/whitson

[robertnoblet-stone]

Hello. I have a fair bit of information regarding the Whitson and Hill-Whitson family of Parkhill, Blairgowrie. My grandparents owned Parkhill in the 1980s so have a few pictures and quite abit of info regarding the house, family and former estate.

Thanks
Rob

[buckhyne]

In the pre-1855 MIs for Blairgowrie Churchyard there is only one gravestone for the Whitson family.
64 Thomas Whitson writer here 19.6.1843, wife Jessie Mustard 13.3.1836, 41 children Patrick & James predeceased them infants.
note: I have the book 'Writers to the Signet' of 1890 and he is not mentioned.

[Forfarian]

Thomas Whitson writer here
note: I have the book 'Writers to the Signet' of 1890 and he is not mentioned.

Not all writers were Writers to the Signet.

A writer was simply a local lawyer, the kind who would now be called a solicitor.

Writers to the Signet were lawyers who were members of the Society of Writers to Her/His Majesty's Signet. Originally they were clerks or assistants to the office of the King's/Queen's Secretary. I am not entirely certain what one had to do in the 19th century (or later) in order to become eligible for membership.

I have a copy of the Register of the Society of Writers to the Signet, published in 1963. The only Whitson listed in this volume is David Shiress Whitson (10 January 1872, Edinburgh -  1 January 1932, Forfar), brother of Sir Thomas Barnby Whitson CA (10 March 1869, Edinburgh - 1 October 1948, Edinburgh), sometime Lord Provost of Edinburgh. Their father Thomas Whitson was born in Blairgowrie in 1834, so they may well be related to your Thomas who died in 1843.

[robertnoblet-stone]

I believe Thomas Barnaby Whitson was a second cousin of the Parkhill Whitsons. The line of succession I have so far is:
1. Alexander Whitson
2. His nephew Alexander Whitson b1806 (through 1. Alexander's brother Thomas (writer in Perth)
3. His brother Thomas Hunter-Whitson d 1881
4. His nephew Capt. Charles Hill-Whitson b1840 d 1913 (built the present Parkhill Mansion after inheriting the Hill, the Whitson and a Drummond Estate).
5. His son Col. Thomas E. L. Hill-Whitson b1877 d1925
6. His daughter Aline M. N. Nunn-Whitson (inherited due to her brothers death being before her fathers and the disentailment of Parkhill stopping her cousin Torquil Hill-Whitson inheriting.

More family names available. They have a burial ground in Rattray church yard and a private burial ground and underground vault on the former estate which is now sealed shut.

Aline sold Parkhill Estate in the late 30s to Samuel Wallace Smedley, a large fruit and jam merchant. It was subsequently sold to the McIntosh Family, eventually being bought by my grandparents. Following my grandparents selling Parkhill, the house was ransacked with all of the marble and cast iron fireplaces, staircase and gallery, radiators and doors being ripped out. A family I'm in contact with has just began the immense task of restoring it back to a family home.