Censuses were taken in Perth as a result of riots in the town on occasions such as the
King’s birthday. It was hoped that the census information might make it easier to
identify and apprehend culprits in any future riots.Index to Heads of Households, Perth 1766
Quarter/page no.
Baxter William Heelmaker 2/320Neismith Andrew Merchant 2/269
Neismith Mrs 3/73
The census in contained in one volume and is tabulated in a clear hand.2/320
William Baxter, heelmaker: No. of heads of household - 2
No children or servants, Cessession Church.2/269
Andrew Neismith, merchant: No. of heads of household - 2
No children or servants, Established Church.3/73
Mrs Neismith: No. of head of household - 1
No children or servants, Cessession Church.
Index to Perth Inhabitants 1773
Document No.
Baxter William Heelmaker 46
Nesmith Andrew Shoemaker 109
Neasmith Mrs Merchant 95(This census consists of numerous documents (slips of paper) written by many different
people).Perth 30 Jany 1773 Document No. 46
These do certify that Mrs Robertson has at present as tennants Lawrence Andrew,
brewer. Baillie Rintoull, glover. Charles Auchinlect, ale seller. Samuel Wallace,
brewer. David Mathewson, touns serjant. John Halls widow Helen Wooderspoon. John
Paton, glover. Willian Baxter, heelmaker. As man servant George Sewster.
Hellen Robertson.Document No. 95
A list of the tennantry belonging to Jno Shepherd.
Thomas White, sailor from America.
William Scott, merchant and wife.
David Hutcheson, fisher from Scone.
Beatrix Stewart, from Balthayock.
William Neasmith, merchant from Kinclaven Parish.
John Shepherd
Document No. 109A list of tenants in the Wrights Lane
Richard Davidson cowper
Alexander Forbes mercht.
James Ross, writter.
Elizabeth Brewhouse, indweller.
Andrew Nesmith, shoemaker.
Isobel Hardie, relicit of Dav: Couper, shoemaker.
Docr Wood.
James Mclaren subtennant to Jas. Ross in a shop.
Andrew Mitchell
Febr 1st 1773.
304. Ancestors of John Duncan who married Elizabeth Smith
The normal sources give no further help in tracing the family and the accompanying chart relies on the following extracts from the 1899 edition of “Balmerino and its Abbey” by Rev. J Campbell, onetime minister at Balmerino. The reasons for thinking that the chart records the correct family are firstly, the family are living at Cultra. Although they no longer own the land, the sale, in 1791, seems to have been part of a drive by the Estate of Balmerino to enlarge by buying up all the little parcels of land that have existed since pre-reformation. David may have received an offer he couldn’t refuse to part with the ownership of the land but the family may have thereafter rented the land. Secondly, the naming pattern of John and Elizabeth’s family, is consistent with the suspected ancestry and, in particular, the name Helen Watson given to one child help to make the line plausible.
Appendix No.XXVII Two acres in Dochrone. Watson acquired these probably from the last Abbot. In 1595, Alexander Watson. Afterwards, James Watson. 1631, David Watson, son of the last. 1635, Euphemia and Margaret Watson, sisters of David. 1674, James Duncan in Cultra got ½ of the two acres, as grandson of Margaret Watson’s sister. Andrew Rawitt (1650) seems to have got the other half. Afterwards Thomas Morton. Now, Naughton.
Transmission of Landed Property.
§ 1.Estate of Balmerino.
(7). Two acres in Bottomcraig.
Before 1568 occupied by Jonet Bane and William Watson (her son?). In 1568 Commendator Hay and Convent give charter of this land to said W.W. and Jonet Gagy his spouse, in whose favour Jonet Bane resigned it, reserving for herself free possession one acre on west side, occupied by her. In 1630 William Watson’s heirs. 1631, Thomas Glen……
§2. Abbey lands now included in the Estate of Naughton.
(7). Dochrone.
§5. Henderson’s Lands of Cultra. Six acres in Cultra. 1624 David Watson. 1635 Euphemia and Margaret Watson, sisters of David, get each half of these lands, and of the two acres of Dochrone belonging to their late father, James. In 1674, Andrew Rawitt, probably the son of one of the Watsons, has two of the six acres in Cultra and James Duncan, ‘Great-grandson of Margaret Watson’s sister’ has the remainder. Then Andrew Rawitt makes over his share to James Duncan. 1680, James Duncan his son. 1712 David Duncan, son of James, who in 1719 sells the property to Henry Mitchell….
Other, possibly connected, events in the parish are:
Balmerino 409/1
1754 FR 376
June 21st A child was baptized to James Duncan at ye Ch…… named John.
1755 FR378
August 13th A child baptized to James Duncan in Boghall named John.
FR 370 1752
October 4 James Duncan in Boghall had a daughter baptized called Margret.
FR 389 1760
Feby. 17th A child baptized for James Duncan, Boghall named David.
FR 395 1762
14th Feby. A child baptized to James Duncan at Boghall named Jean.
FR 380 1755
October 3rd A child baptized to James Duncan at Norham and named George.
FR 367 October 11th 1751
….also James Duncan and Jean Cupar both this in parish gave up their names for proclamation in order to marriage and was ordrely don and marriad ye 1 Novr.
FR 292 David Duncan married Elspline 9 June 1714 Balmerino
No trace of Elizabeth’s ancestry has been found.
The following series of extracts from “Balmerino and its Abbey” gives some background nformation about the people in the tree.
Page 615Appendix X Two aikers in Bodincraig in ye bar. of Balmerinoth set to Watson for 4 puld. & 15s. 4d.
Rental of the Abbey of Balmerinoth
(From a MS. Volume, 31.3.14, in the Advocates’ Library)
1.-In the County of Fife.
Two aikers of ye toun & lands of Docheron in ye barony of Balmerinoth set to Watson for 4 puld. & 15s. 4d.
Page 624
. Excerpt from copy rental of the feu duties of the Barony of Balmerino in sederunt book of High Commission in Tiend office. Page 28.
Entry on Page 626:Douchron 32 aikers , wheirof the airis of James Watsoun to, paying 15s 4d Item of powtrie 4Page 627 Valuation of the teinds of the parish of Balmerinoch 13 July 1631. From certified copy (these valuations show also the rental or at least the estimated annual value in 1631 of the lands named in them they are here re-printed from teind court papers).David Watsoune 6 aikers of land in Cowtray and two in Deuchrone ilk aiker in stok and teynd 6 firlots bear
Inde ye teynd 2 bollis 1 firlot 2 bekes 1/5 3 pekes bear.
Page 631Appendix XXVI
Stent roll of heritors contributions for the schoolmasters salary of 100 merks in 1658. (from Kirk session records).
Margaret Watson £0-6s-8d.
Andrew Rawit £0-3s 4d
(note: This was out of a total of £66-13s-4d)Appendix XVII,
Farmers and rental of the parish in 1694.
[From the revaluation or valued rent of Fife in the Sheriff Clerk’s office. The rents were then paid in the value of certain quantities of grain which are here reduced to sterling money according to the prices assumed by the comissionars: the chalder of wheat £5, 11s- 11/3d.; the chalder of bear, £4; the chalder of oats, £3, 1s 8d.; The chalder of meal, £3, 6s 8d.; the chalder of meal of miln rent and black oats £2-15s-62/3d.; sterling but given in Scots money in the original.] then:
Page 633. Listed under “Alexander Preston’s portion of Kilburns”, among small feuars are:
James Duncan (Coultra) £2-5s-5d
Andrew Rawitt (Dochrone) £0-17s-81/2d
James Watson £2-0s-5d
From Hearth Tax records 1694 the only possibly connected names seem to be:
Dav: Dunkan – 1.
Rob: Dunkan – 1.
Geo. Dunkan – 1.
370. Alexander Speirs and Jean Grindlay
Once again we are indebted to the anonymous author of the family history of the Spiers family of Loch Green. He gives the following information:
Alex Spiers married Jean Grindlay on 15th August 1729 in Seabegs parish of Falkirk, married again Elizabeth Ronald. He staid for a time in the parish of Slamannan, and afterwards returned to the parish of Falkirk. He may have been a farmer.
His family:
Mary Spiers, baptized 28th June 1730, died about 1820 at The Linn, near Slamannan; married John Russell, probably baptized 4th June 1732, died 1772; farmer near Slamannan; probably son of Alexander Russell, par. of Falkirk, and Jean Hart, who were married 29th July 1726. After his death she had to leave the farm. Latterly, after her family were all grown up, she kept a school about Falkirk until she became nearly blind. In her old age she staid with her son-in-law, William Dickson at The Linn.
William Spiers, (named after his father's father), baptized 24th Sept. 1732, would die a child.
Janet Spiers, died about 1780-90; married about 1763 John Hamilton, died before 1815, farmer, Righead, parish of Falkirk, (lying between Cumbernauld and Loch Green). He also farmed the neighbouring farm of Thrashbush, and kept sheep on East Forrest, Mid Forrest, and West Forrest, a stretch of moorish land nearer Cumbernauld, lying west of Fannyside Moor. He was of a family known to have been on Castlecary Estate for two hundred years.
William Spiers, (ff), baptized 2nd March 1738, died at Springwells an old man. He was a chapman and went about selling books etc. When at home he staid with his half brother John Spiers at Springwells. He had a small property at Camelon which he left to his nephew William Russell, Kilsyth.
_______
Robert Spiers, born 19th Feb. and baptized 17th March 1745, grew up but probably died a young man.
Alexander Spiers, (f), born 11 March 1747, died about 1836; married 21 Nov 1770 Agnes Morrison, died at Dykebrae; daughter of a farmer at . Borland near Denny. In the earlier years of their married life they staid in Denny parish, afterwards they had the small farm of Dykebrae, on Lochgreen Estate. After his wife's death he left Dykebrae for another place in the country. Latterly he staid with his son James at Underwood, on the canal side near Dennyloanhead.
John Spiers, baptized 6th March 1749; died at Stirling before 1830; married Janet Lamond, died at Stirling before him; He was a small farmer at Springwells on the Loch Green Estate. They removed to Stirling about 1816. (They had no family).
David Spiers, (f.b.)baptized 15 May 1754, perhaps he died a child.
Ann Spiers,baptized 28th Jan. 1759, died at Laightoun in 1848; married James Danskin, died about 1836; small farmer at Hawkies Dubs on Loch Green Estate, son of George Danskin, farmer Roughrigg, parish of Slamannan. She left Hawkies Dubs with her family in 1841, and came to Laightoun, Banknock, near Dennyloanhead.
Addendum: Alexander and Jean possibly farmed Dykerig (also known as Dykebrae), west of Forresterquarter and north west of Lochgreen House. This was on Alex's father's estate of Lochgreen).
"Of Headswood." Ordained an Elder in Dennyloanhead Secession Church 19th August 1752.
There is some doubt about who his William's parents are. The OPR indicates that they are as given here but a sasine from 14 Aug 1761 (RS83/59 vol 21, page 209) shows William, his wife Margaret and their son William getting property in Denny from James Cuthill, son of deceased James Cuthill, Taylor in Borrowstonness, who had been married to Isobel Cameron. It seems very likely that these people must be close relations but what relation is not known. A further sasine from 6 Mar 1745 RS83/6 has a James Cuthill son of James Cuthill, Sailer in Barrowstonness. This James is married to Isobel Jamieson. Further searches in the minute books of Particular register of Sasines (Stirling) (RS83/9 i.e. from 18 April 1758 to 20 April 1765 have yielded nothing further. The drop line chart assumes the OPR to be correct.
Farmer, Muirhead near Loanfoot, south west from Craigieburn (east of Loch Green), afterwards probably Bandomnie, west of Lochgreen.
Nothing found to date.
In preparation.
Marriage also recorded in Fowlis Easter 14 Jul 1763.
occupation: Labourer.
occ: linen weaver.
Referred to as William of Kinnell. Occupation: road contractor.
Occupation road contractor. Tenant in 1799 of Woodend, Rescobie. Crudie Acres Arbirlot in 1804 and in Kinnell in 1802.
Parish of Barry when married.