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Ownership.
The farm seems to have been in the possession of the Don family since at least 1709 when the liferent of Ravelaw was settled on Margaret Carr, wife of Sir Alexaner Don, the 3rd banonet. There are sasines in favour of James Don of Newton younger in 1733 (Margaret's youngest son) and then in favour of Master Alexander Don in 1750. The National Library of Scotland holds a sasine in favour of Alexander, son of Sir Alexander Don of Newton Don of 10 husbandlands in Ravelaw and 4 husbandlands in Easterlaws following a crown resignation on 1 October 1773. From this time, the two farms seem to have been used as a single unit, although Easterlaws was still mentioned at times. Writing in the 1st Statistical Account for Whitsome, the Rev Cupples (Minister of Swinton and son-in-law to the elderly Minister of Whitsome, decribes them as a single farm of 466 acres, some of which was wet and marshy, but mostly it was "good, fertile, dry, and well exposed ground, well improved and skillfully cultivated". Henceforth, "Ravelaw" will be used for both farms, unless specified. The prosperity of the farm in the 18th century is reflected in the facet that the tenant, John Roughead, was one of only 5 residents of Whitsome & Hilton parish to pay tax on a clock and a watch. The house was rated for Window Tax from 1888 (10 windows), but not in 1887 or before.
Ravelaw remained in the possession of the Don family for 4 generations. However, the 6th Baronet, another Sir Alexander, got a bit carried away with the rebuilding of the family's main seat at Newton Don and the remodeling of the grounds. Unfortunately for his son, William (who inherited at the age of 11 months), the debts were enormous and much of the estate was sold off. By 1847, there was nothing left. At about this time, Ravelaw came into the possession of the Marquis of Tweedale, in whose family it remained until after WW1.
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