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1: The Mullins. The thing that initially caught my attention with the Mullins was
the fact that Agnes ended up having her first baby in a tent, in the
Borders, in December. She survived, and went on to have many other
children. As I traced them, two other points increased my interest
- the wanderings of the family, and the improvement in their
fortunes - from rat catcher to horse dealer in only 20 years! The
baptismal locations of this family provides an interesting lesson for those
who assume that our 19th century ancestors didn't move around very much.
2: The
Halls: I have to confess that my interest in
the Halls is tinged with amusement and incredulity. Of the 4 children of
Adam Hall and Alison Gray, only 1 (their son) married. Their 3 daughters
lived together, working on the same farm as agricultural labourers, and
between them managed to amass 6 children. I've only been able to identify 1
father--when the mother took him to court, but would love to hear if anyone
can identify others.
3: Alexander Hepburn was probably one of the most powerful men to have come
out of Whitsome. He was the third son of Patrick Hepburn, Lord Hailes (who
died about 1483).
It was a very influential family. Alexander's oldest brother, Adam, was the
father of the first Earl of Bothwell, and the Great, Great Grandfather of
James, 4th Earl of Bothwell, Earl of Orkney and husband to Mary Queen of
Scots. Alexander's next younger brothers, John and George, were Deans
of St Andrews and Dunkeld, respectively. Of Alexander's two sons, one
was heir to Whitsome, the other was Treasurer of Scotland 1515-1516 and
Bishop of Moray 1516-1524.
Alexander was Sheriff of Edinburgh
(1483-1485), Sheriff and Seneschal of Fife
(1488-1493), Sheriff of Stirling and Dumbarton (1490).
It's impossible to tell what "of Whitsome" represented in the
15th century, but it seems likely that there was an Estate, possibly with a
manor house. Alexander was the first to be styled "of Whitsome",
and the title was carried for at least the next 4 generations.
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