The Story behind the Stone – the families, estates and stories of Kirkmichael, Cullicudden, the Black Isle and beyond
The Solution to the Abertarff House Initials:
Alexander Stewart and Hellen Pape,
Parents of Bailie John Steuart of Letter-book Fame
text by Dr Jim Mackay
documents with references beginning “HCA” are held within the Highland Archive Centre, Inverness,
documents with references beginning “NRAS65” are held within Elgin Library
and all other documents, unless specifically stated otherwise, are held within the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh
Introduction
Visitors to the oldest residential house in Inverness, Abertarff House, look at the initials over the fireplace and on the wall panel outside. They may wonder, as I did, who the AS and HP were who once lived here in conjugal harmony symbolised by the beautiful hearts on the wall panel outside and on the mantel of the fireplace inside, carved in 1681.
photo by Jim Mackay
One of the most referenced historical books of social and mercantile life in the Highlands in the 1700s is The Letter-book of Bailie John Steuart of Inverness 1715-1752 (ed. William Mackay, 1915). A letter-book is a copy of all the correspondence despatched by someone, usually a merchant who needs to keep a close record of his commitments. And as Bailie John Steuart had a multitude of deals going on both home and abroad, and was a Jacobite sympathiser, you can see why The Letter-book is so prized. The Editor, William Mackay, provided an excellent Introduction and many helpful notes to his compilation of key letters, but he could not identify the mother of Bailie John Steuart and his notes contain multiple errors regarding the family.
photo by Jim Mackay
To add to the confusion, the web contains fantasy family trees for Bailie John’s parents, hitching up his father, Alexander Stewart, to any lady in Scotland who married an Alexander Stewart in anything like the right timeframe. Research was therefore needed to uncover and confirm from several primary sources the correct mother for Bailie John.
Resolve these two problems and the solution to the Abertarff House initials appears. AS and HP are the initials of the parents of Bailie John Steuart, Alexander Stewart (c1644-1720), “skipper burges” and later Bailie of Inverness, and his wife Hellen Pape (-1728), sister of Reverend Hector Pape of Loth and descendant of the Papes of Culllicudden, Episcopalian ministers there in the early 1600s.
We do not know who first built the large and attractive building, erected in 1592, now known as Abertarff House, The house received its modern name when owned as his Inverness town-house by Colonel Archibald Campbell Fraser of Beaufort and Abertarff (1736-1815). He was a Member of Parliament and a distinguished statesman – and son of “the Old Fox” Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, executed in London on Tower Hill on 9 April 1747 for his part in the ’45 Jacobite Rebellion, But we now know Abertarff House was owned and occupied for 90 years from 1681 to 1771 by the family of Alexander Stewart and Hellen Pape when it was first known as “Alexr Stuart’s House” and then “Bailie Stuart’s House”.
Gifted in 1963 by the National Commercial Bank of Scotland to the National Trust for Scotland, Abertarff House has been restored and maintained beautifully. At one time it was at risk of being torn down like so many other fine buildings in Inverness, but the Inverness Field Club successfully fought for its retention. It is now a great asset to the City of Inverness and the Highlands, and it has been a pleasure to work on a little bit of its history.
Abertarff House; photo by Jim Mackay
Alexander Stewart, Origins
Alexander Stewart was an important man in Inverness in the late 1600s and early 1700s in mercantile, administrative and church contexts.
From information provided by his son, Bailie John, included within The Letter-book, I calculate that Alexander was born about 1644. On 8 September 1749 John wrote: “I was 73 years of age the 2d instant, and my Father was not 3 years older than I am now when he dyed, and keept health verie well all his life untill the time of his disolution came.” I take from this (admittedly after some concentrated thought) that Alexander was 75 when he died on 22 April 1720.
Alexander’s parents were Robert oig Stewart of Kincardine, south of Inverness, and a daughter of Angus Williamson, Tutor of Macintosh (see Appendix 2). He was descended from the Barons of Kincardine.
Alexander Stewart, Shipmaster
Alexander was a shipmaster as well as a merchant. For many years he was associated with the trading vessel known as the Amity of Inverness. The first record of him in this context I could locate is from a 1693 charter contract within the Cromartie papers, although I assume he held her much earlier than this.
GD305/1/147/27
Charterparty betwixt James Innes chamberlain to the Lord Register (Sir George McKenzie) on the one part and Alexander Stewart Skipper in Inverness and Master of the Ship called the Amitie of Inverness on the other part [date] 20 June 1683 Whereby the said Skipper freights his Ship to said James Innes from the Shore of Inverness for the purposes and upon the terms therein specified
ships in Inverness harbour in the 1600s; Modified from the original drawn by John Slezer at https://maps.nls.uk/view/91169199 by Jim Mackay. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland. CC-BY (NLS)
He still held the Amity in 1700, as I found a bond pursued that year:
HCA/BI/1/10/5 Burgh of Inverness Register of Deeds
Bond Farqr Ross to Alexr Stuart
At Invernes the threttieth day of December one thousand seven hundred years in presence of James McLean one of the baillies of Invernes compeared Thomas Fraser writter there pro[curato]r of Farqur Ross… I Farquhar Ross mer[chan]t. in Invernes grants me to be justly resting oweing and addebted to Alexander Stuart Skipper of the Amadie [sic, Amity] of Innernes all and haill the Just somme of fourty six pounds Scots money … [bond signed at Inverness 20 July 1700]
Alexander was one of the signatories to a charter recorded in the Register of Deeds (HCA/BI/1/10/5) on 20 December 1698 by the society of skippers, mariners and seamen of Inverness to establish a common box into which sums would be paid for the benefit of the society. One of the charges is of particular interest: “Tertio that all Skippers and Seamen in tyme comeing resident in this place who shall be desirous to sitt in the Seamens Loaft in the Church of Invernes (which loaft was erected and built upon the proper charges and Expenses of the deceast William Geddes, sometyme Skipper in Inverness and Alexander Stuart Skipper in the said burgh, and first painted upon the charge of the deceast Lauchlane Mcbean sometyme Skipper in the said burgh allenarly [solely] without the assistance of any persone or persones) shall at their entry pay in two dollars to the forsaid box.”
The generosity of the devout Alexander Stewart in jointly creating the loft with Skipper William Geddes (who died in 1690) is clearly revealed. The loft was built in the New or Gaelic Church (which became, in a re-constructed form, Greyfriars Free Church, and is now Leakey’s Bookshop, the largest second-hand bookshop in Scotland). It lies at the very north end of Church Street, adjacent to the Old High Church, and is a Category B Listed Building. The Seamen’s Loft was upstairs, on the east side of the building.
the New or Gaelic Church, now Leakey’s Bookshop; photo by Jim Mackay
There is a most interesting apprenticeship indenture, also within HCA/BI/1/10/5, entered in the Register on 6 February 1705 but written on 3 December 1703, between Donald Fraser and Alexander Stewart “Skipper burges of Invernes”. By this, Donald became bound prentice and servant to Alexander “& to such oyr [other] Skippers as Shall in his name dureing his Stay at home navigate his Ship from time dureing the Space after specifit In his art & vocation of the Seafearing trade & Imployment & oyr [other] his Lawfull affairs And that for & dureing the full & Compleat Space of Four years”. Donald was to be instructed in seafaring and was to be provided with a suit of clothes but was obliged amongst other admonitions not to “play at cards or Dice or any Unlawfull game And that he shall not be guilty of furnication or Contract Matrimonie dureing the forsaid Space”!
We can see, then, that by this time at least Alexander was trading using his own ship but utilising other captains instead of venturing to sea himself. He appears to have been a successful merchant. His son was later to say that his father had a much easier time of it than he had, but it might just be that Alexander was a better businessman.
Skipper Alexander Stewart had two brothers, John and Angus, both also merchants in Inverness. It isn’t always possible to distinguish between those I shall call the Amity Stewarts and those relations of merchant John Stewart, father-in-law of merchant and entrepreneur William Trent, whom I shall call the Trent Stewarts (the extraordinary story of these Trents and Stewarts may be read here). The two families shared several of their first names so care is needed when dealing with them.
I have therefore included in this story only information which I know is definitely related to the Amity Stewarts.
In 1702, there is a record in the Burgh Minutes which shows the respect Alexander the Skipper was given within Inverness. A seized French ship had sunk in Inverness harbour and presented a risk to shipping.
HCA/BI/1/1/8
At Inverness Monday the fyfth day of January Jaivii& and tuo years [1702] … That Day annent a Complaint given in be [by] Alexr Stuart Skipper shewing the great danger the towns shipps, barks and boats are in throw [through] the French ship now lyeing at the peer and the bade consequences to follow on the same if not tymeously prevented The Counsell ordain Alexr Stuart Skipper wt [with] Baillie Barbour to make ane Dock for righting the sd [said] French shipp and the thesaurer to pay the expenses yrof [thereof] Qron [whereupon] act
Alexander Stewart marries Hellen Pape
Skipper Alexander must have married Hellen Pape about 1675 as their first child, who would become Bailie John, was born the following year. How had he met Hellen? It depends on whether she was the daughter or grand-daughter of Reverend Charles Pape of Cullicudden in the Black Isle – the relevant documentation makes the relationship unclear (see Appendix 1).
Charles Pope ceased to be minister of the Parish of Cullicudden in the Black Isle in 1662, when Cullicudden was united by Act of Parliament with Kirkmichael, becoming in time the Parish known as Resolis. James Houston became the minister for the united parish, but what happened to the displaced Reverend Charles Pape and his family? Did they perhaps move to Inverness? Alternatively, there is an argument that she was the grand-daughter of Reverend Charles Pape and daughter of his son George Pape, “a merchant and trader in Brora” by his wife, Jean Munro, in which case I can only guess that they met in some trading deal!
Cullicudden churchyard and remains of Cullicudden church where Reverend Charles Pape and before him Reverend Thomas Pape preached; photo by Andrew Dowsett
our Kirkmichael Trust work party pruning ivy growing on a remnant wall of Cullicudden church a few years ago; photo by Andrew Dowsett
The first child of Skipper Alexander and Hellen Pape was a boy, John, born in 1676. No less than six daughters followed and I set out below entries for all the children recorded in the Inverness Register of Baptisms just as they occur. The Register is very faded in parts, and the Session Clerk was not the best of writers, so I have indicated with questionmarks where a word is not clear, but we should be glad that a record at all still exists. The witnesses to the baptisms are a fine collection of relatives and influential merchants and magistrates in town.
Inverness Register of Baptisms
13 of Sep
Alexr Stewart seaman had a child baptized named Jon Findlay Fraser dmigill [Dean of Guild?] Jon Stewart brother to the said Alexr James Stewart witnesses
26 of December 1678
The said day Alexander Stewart Skipper had a child baptized named (Magdalen) James McLaine James Thomsone mer[chan]t Donald Fouller mer[chan]t witnesses
31 day of Agust 1680
That day Alexander Stuart Skipper had a child baptized named (Christan) James Stuart Thesaurer [town treasurer, of the Trent Stewarts] Charles McBean Thomas Hosack & Wm Duff mer[chan]ts witnesses
14 of Agust 1682
Alexander Stuart Skipper had a child borne & was baptized one 14 of Agust 1682 the childs name is (Heline) James Stuart bailie Wm Bailzie comm[is]s[a]r[y] Donald Fouller mer[chan]t Charles McLaine witnesses
17 of Sepr 1683
That day Alexr Stuart Skipper had a child baptized named Margret Jon McIntosh James McLaine mert[chant]s Jon Monro mess[enge]r witnesses
December 5 1689
That day Alexr Stuart Skipper of that ship called the Aimity off Inverness and Hellen Pape his spouse hade a childe baptised named Jean wittness James McLean one of the p[rese]nt baillies Mr David Polson portioner of Kinmylies James Stuart late baillie James Keilach ship-carpenter & burges in the sd brugh
No further children are recorded, but yet another daughter, Marjorie, who was later to marry James Russell of Earlsmill, must have been born in this period.
Alexander also acted as witness at many other baptisms and I include three to illustrate the type of person with whom he was rubbing shoulders and to demonstrate some family connections.
At the first, Skipper Alexander and his son Bailie John were both witnesses to the baptism of a child to Alexander’s first cousin, David Stewart (-1728), merchant in Inverness, who would become Collector of Excise in Inverness, and his first wife. As David’s father, merchant John Stewart, had died in the mid 1690s, I think Skipper Alexander often stood in for him.
At the second, Skipper Alexander’s wife Hellen Pape and his daughter-in-law Hellen Rose became godmothers to another child of David’s, but this time by his second wife.
And at the third, Skipper Alexander, by this time a Baillie, was a witness to the baptism of a child born to another of his first cousins, writer John Stewart (-1750). By this time John Stewart was already a Writer to the Signet and Commissary of Inverness, was the Edinburgh “doer” for the Earl of Moray and would be someone with whom Bailie John would frequently correspond for legal advice. As an aside, Mackay in The Letter-book states that the Commissary and David Stewart were brothers; there is much evidence that they were in fact first cousins but perhaps the most amusing is this entry from the Kirk Session minutes of 16 December 1695: “Ther was a Letter sent be [by] John Stewart wr[i]ter at Edbr [Edinburgh] qrin [wherein] he acknowledged his guilt of furnicatn with Janet McDonald, his unqll [uncle] Alexr Stewart and David Stewart his Cousigne [cousin] promised to pay his penaltie upon demand, the sd John is referrd till it please God he Com home”. At this time, both Alexander and David were Elders so they must have been mortified! Anyway, here are the three baptism records:
9 October 1696
David Stewart mer[chan]t & his spouse Isobel Stewart hade a childe baptised be Mr Alexander Dunbar minister of Oldearn named (Hellen) wittnesses George Cuthbert of Castelhill William Duff of Diple p[rese]nt baillie Alexander Stewart Skipper burges & John Stewart his son & Captain William Richardson of Sir John Hills Regiment
19 November 1700.
David Stuart mer[chan]t & his spouse Beatrix Thomson had a childe baptised be Mr Robert Baillie min[iste]r at Lamingtoun named (Helen) wittnesses George Cuthbert of Castellhill William Baillie of Dunain George Duncan & James Thomson mer[chan]ts. godmoyrs are Hellen Pape spouse to Alexr Stuart Skipper burges Helen Duff daughter to William Duff of Diple Helen Baillie spouse to Dunain & Helen Polson daughter to Kinmylies & Hellen Rose spouse to John Stuart Alexrs son mer[chan]t.
7 August 1712
John Stewart Writter to the Signet & Commissar of Inverness & Helen Polson [daughter of David Polson of Kinymylies and Marjorie Stewart] his Spous hade a child born called Anne who was baptised by Mr Hector McKenzie upon the twelfth current Alexr Grant your. of that ilk Alexr Duff of Drumoor Alexr Stewart baillie of Inverness Mr Alexr Clerk late baillie there The Right Honble Anne Countess of Murray Mrs Anne Stewart daur. to the Honourable Mr Francis Stewart Anne Lady Mcintosh Anne Grant Spouse to Coll. Wm Grant witnesses
Hellen Pape
Alexander’s wife, Hellen Pape, you will note, is mentioned twice within all these baptisms, once as the mother and once as a godmother. Pape is a most unusual name in the area. Can we identify her origins?
Well, Hellen Pape’s son Bailie John Steuart in his letters refers to his cousin, Reverend Alexander Pope of Reay in Caithness (who famously visited The Rape of the Lock poet Alexander Pope in 1732, riding from the Highlands all the way to Twickenham). Reverend Alexander Pope was the son of Reverend Hector Pope of Loth in Sutherlandshire. Now, Bailie John sometimes used the term “cousin” to describe relatives who were more distantly related than first cousins. But if when he referred to Reverend Alexander Pope as cousin he did indeed mean first cousin, which in the context seems very likely, then Hellen Pape was a sister of Reverend Hector Pope of Loth. And as it is known that Reverend Hector Pope of Loth was a direct lineal descendant of Reverend Charles Pope of Cullicudden then in turn Hellen was the direct lineal descendant of Reverend Charles Pope of Cullicudden. Q.E.D.
Reverend Charles Pape’s father, Reverend Thomas Pope of Cullicudden, had been one of the three brothers attacked in the notorious Pape Riot in the graveyard of Dornoch on 1 July 1608. Thomas, then minister of Rogart, was seriously injured, as was eldest brother William, then minister of Dornoch. But the third Pape brother, Charles, Sheriff Clerk of Sutherland and portioner of Meikle Rhynie in Easter Ross, was killed. For more on this incident see my appendix on the Pope family.
The entry for Hellen’s brother Hector Pope under the Parish of Loth in the Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae (Hew Scott, 1928) reads:
HECTOR PAIP {POPE}, educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen; M.A. (1672); adm. [to Loth] before 13th July 1682; died 15th Jan. 1719. He was the last parish min. who appeared in the pulpit clothed in a surplice. He marr., and had issue – Alexander, min. of Reay.
Old Loth graveyard
white surplice as worn by Roman Catholic priest
Here are the references Bailie John makes to Reverend Alexander Pope within The Letter-book. I include within the Pope appendix his references to other Pope relatives.
8 August 1738.
Coppie of Instructions to Donald McKenzie, master. … and my Cousin Mr. Alexr. Pope, Minister of Rea, is to assist you to receive the same, so send my letter howsoon you arive … You are to grant recepts for the meall, when shipped, to Mr. Francis Sinklair; and my Cousin, Mr. Alexr. Pope, will supply you with anie Mony you want.
The Pape or Pope connection crops up again unexpectedly when Alexander Pape of Dantzig (nowadays Gdansk) of Poland appears as a witness at the baptism of a child of Bailie John’s, with grandfather Skipper Alexander Stewart also present:
Inverness Baptism Register
1701 … John Stuart Alexrsone [Alexander’s Son] Mer[chan]t and his spouse Helen Rose hade a childe born upon the sixth day of September and baptised the 23 sd moneth by Mr Hector McKenzie min[iste]r. att Inverness named Alexander wittnesses Alexr Pape Mer[chan]t att Dansick Alexr Duff of Drumoore Alexr Stuart Skipper mer[chan]t and Mr Alexr Clark mer[chan]t
Merchants in Scottish and English towns commonly traded with the Baltic States in this period. From the evidence within Bailie Steuart’s Letter-book, he exported many cargos of herring (and one rather unsettling cargo of lamb skins, fox skins and otter skins) to Dantzig, and imported cargos of iron, oak and fir planks, linen and pipe staves from Dantzig, although he does not mention the Papes in his dealings there.
photo by Jim Mackay
I set out the antecedents of Alexander Pape of Dantzig in Appendix 1. He must have been home from Dantzig, perhaps working up some trading deals with the merchants of Inverness, when as a near relative called Alexander he was invited to be a witness at the baptism of Bailie John’s child. The Bailie practised a baptism convention with the baptism of his son Alexander – he invited four men all called Alexander to be witnesses, and even ensured that he himself was named “Alexander’s son”.
I have provided further information on the Pape family, including their connections to Kirkmichael and Cullicudden, within that appendix. But just to note that Hellen’s aunt or perhaps great-aunt died in Inverness in 1710, and I assume she was living with the Stewarts in Abertarff House. This is pure supposition, but it would be in keeping with the time. You would expect to find in the households of the well-to-do an elderly relative or orphan or two.
Inverness Register of Deaths
1710 … 2 September Peap
Departed Margrat Peap Lawfull daughter to the deceast Mr Thomas Peap Minister at Cullicudden
Bailie Alexander Stewart and the Church
When he became a Bailie or Town Magistrate, Alexander Stewart participated in the division of the Church Poor’s Fund, as recorded in the Kirk Session Minutes (CH2/720/11), but he had become a Church Elder away back on 21 October 1690 (“That day, Alexr Stewart Skipper [and several others] wer Chosen and sworn Elders to the Kirk Session”). Earlier that year he had lost a daughter, and his faith perhaps helped to soften the pain. The Church within which he worshipped was the Old High in Inverness. Part of the original building is still there in the modern structure, albeit the building has an uncertain future at time of writing.
I mentioned earlier that he and another skipper had altruistically created a Seamen’s Loft in the adjacent New or Gaelic Church, now Leakey’s Bookshop.
Old High Church, Inverness; photo by Jim Mackay
He was made Church Treasurer (“Thesaurer”) on 21 March 1694, specifically I believe so that he could apply his financial expertise in prosecuting the repair of Inverness Churches. The new Treasurer was given clear direction on this aim: “Alexr Stewart Skipper burges was Chosen and appointed Church thesaurer, who was seriously exhorted to looke to the repairing of the Churches”.
The relevant accounts over 1692 to 1696 were contained as a bundle within the Dunbar Family Papers (NRAS65/Box 6/8) now held in Elgin Library, but at time of writing neither Library staff nor I could find it. When the collection was transferred from the NRS, I was told, the contents of many boxes did not match up with their labels. However, you may see “Account Alex. Stewart, Skipper, Burgess in Inverness, and Church Treasurer thereof, for repairing the Church here, June 2d, 1694” laid out over pages 367 and 368 of Charles Fraser-Mackintosh’s Antiquarian Notes (1865). The detailed account is fascinating, with every activity of the difficult job laid out: “Item, for 14 fathom of ropes, at 3s p. fathom, for the slater [Scots] 002.02.00” and “Item, for pointing both churches, 40 marks and a boll meal [Scots] 31.00.00”.
Alexander efficiently discharged his duties as Church Treasurer for more than seven years but gave up his role in November 1701.
This was in the period when the scandal over Dunbar’s Hospital (on the opposite side of Church Street to Abertarff House and still in active use, currently as a restaurant) was beginning to simmer. Provost Alexander Dunbar in gifting the building to the town in 1668 had intended it to be used to house the most needy in the community, but in reality it was used for every other purpose but the intended one. The main culprits seemed to be subsequent members of the Dunbar family, who were bailies and merchants and had much influence on both the Town Council and the Kirk Session. The Session, with its strong component of bailies and merchants and, indeed, Dunbar family members, never seemed capable of satisfactorily addressing the issue.
Provost Alexander Dunbar’s Hospital, Church Street; photo by Jim Mackay
pediment on Dunbar’s Hospital of weary, poor man seeking refuge; photo by Jim Mackay
Related to this were two bonds made out by Provost Dunbar for the hospital amounting to 2000 merks each, with interest, resting by ex-bailie and relative James Dunbar of Dalcross. The usual difficulties in extracting the money from Dunbar were experienced – he was away from Inverness, he was ill and so on. He had been an investor in the just-failed Darien Scheme, so he was feeling the pinch. A Committee having finally met with Dunbar to no avail, the Session on 10 November 1701 issued an instruction: “Annent the Last referr given in agst Baillie Dunbar the Session appointed Alexr Steuart Thesaurer to proceed agst him before the magistrates and that he give him Citatione”. Alexander gave up the position of Church Treasurer later that month, and I suspect it was that instruction by the Session that was the cause.
James Dunbar of Dalcross’s house on Church Street, erected 1700, taken down 1900
pediment bearing the initials of James Dunbar of Dalcross
By coincidence, or perhaps not, James Dunbar of Dalcross (despite the Darien Disaster) had completed building a large house at the corner of Church Street and Queensgate in 1700, thus becoming a near neighbour of Alexander Stewart. In style it was more similar to Dunbar’s Hospital along the road rather than Abertarff House which was, of course, much older. Dalcross’s House, photographed here shortly before its demolition in 1900, bore a carved stone triangular pediment above each of the four dormer windows. The first pediment bore the letters I D for James Dunbar and on the second was carved a five pointed star or mullet. When Dalcross’s House was demolished, the second pediment was built into the wall above the doorway into the Clydesdale Bank Building that replaced it (and which was known as Dalcross House). But since the Clydesdale Bank moved location and the building was converted to a café bar in 1988, that pediment seems to have disappeared. Inverness Museum holds several attractive pediments, but none from Dalcross’s House.
Anyway, I can’t help but think the difficulties of Alexander Stewart being asked to instigate legal processes against a fellow merchant who was also a near neighbour on Church Street led to him immediately giving up the post of Church Treasurer. In the months following, the Session attempted to get the Hospital Treasurer to take legal action without success.
to demonstrate how near neighbours they were – this is the shadow of modern Dalcross House falling across the wall of Abertarff House, 5 March 2024; photo by Jim Mackay
Some of the Inverness merchants did, however, take action a couple of years later against Dalcross’s son, Alexander Dunbar of Barmuckitie, for his debts. They had him imprisoned and sold off his household goods – at which sale, at Inverness on 28 June 1704, Alexander Stewart bought several finest quality plaids, “4 Chaires, at 13sh 4d” each and “a feather bed & bolster” for £10 15 shillings (NRAS65/Box 12/5). No doubt those found their way into Abertarff House!
The Committee who, as a routine, examined Alexander’s church accounts reported on 19 January 1702:
after reviseing of the accompts of Alexr Stuart Late Church Thesaurer, The Session approves the report of the Comittie excepting the money bestowed upon the building of the magistrats Loft in the new Church wch amounts to ane hundredth and nyntie seven pounds fourteen shilling Scots And appoints the balance wch lyes in Alexr Stuarts hands being Eighty Eight pounds seven shilling eight pennies Scotts to be given to James Thomson present Thesaurer…
That reference to a new Church is complemented by several other references in the Sessions Minutes around this time to an Old Kirk and a New Kirk. The Old Kirk, of course, was what is now known as the Old High Church. The New or Gaelic Kirk was built immediately beside the Old High, and nowadays in fact they are linked together. After several re-structurings it became the Greyfriars Free Church and is currently the magnificent Leakey’s Bookshop.
the gap between the Old High on the left and the New or Gaelic on the right; photo by Jim Mackay
We know that Alexander’s family worshipped in the Old Kirk, and that their pew was close to the west door. This emerges because Archibald Geddes (26 January 1714) “gave in a Petition showing that he had obtained a Right & Disposition from Robert Robertson of Shipland to a Pew of his in the Old Church”. He was authorised to possess “the sd Pew Bounded by & adjacent to the seat of the Dean of Gild & Merts. of the sd Burgh at the North, the entrie at the west door & the seat belonging to Thomas Fraser Mert. at the South end of the sd Desk, the fore pew or Desk belonging to the sd Robert Robertsone at the east & Baillie Alexr. Stuart his seat at the west”.
interior of Leakey’s Bookshop, the former Free Church and before that the New or Gaelic Church; photo by Jim Mackay
Alexander’s double position as a Bailie or Magistrate and a member of the Church was deployed by the Kirk Session on occasions such as these:
9 August 1715
John Fraser weaver … confessed guilt with Margaret Polsone … & this being his second fall Baillie Alexr Stuart decerned him to pay ninteen pound six shill. eight pennies of fine but in regard he was designed to marrie the sd Margaret he was to have some ease of the fine…
1 May 1716
Jannet Ross now spous to Donald Duff in Inverness being accused of Adulterie with Roderick Mackrae shoemaker in Tain & severall times appointed to return thither & satisfy the disciplin of the Church but has not yet obeyed The Clerk is appointed to acquaint B. Alexr Stuart as a present Magistrate to obleidge her to returne in order to satisfy the disciplin of the Church. … The Clerk made report that he acquainted Baillie Stuart to obleidge Jannet Ross to return to Tain in order to satisfy Disciplin who Promised to call for her.
Curiously, Alexander’s son, Bailie John, belonged to the Episcopalian church and was an ardent Jacobite sympathiser. From the above records, Alexander demonstrably was a pillar of the Church of Scotland. I do wonder if John was influenced by his mother, Hellen Pape, in his religion. Her brother, Reverend Hector Pope, was the last Episcopal minister of Loth, and they were both children of Reverend Charles Pope, Episcopal minister of the parish of Cullicudden. And in the Inverness household, I believe there was also Hellen’s elderly aunt, Margrat Pape, daughter of Reverend Thomas Pape of Cullicudden, who died in Inverness in 1710. The Episcopalian Church looked to the exiled Stuart dynasty to restore its position as the Church of Scotland. The Episcopalian influence in the Stewart household I think would have been very powerful.
Alexander Stewart as Councillor and Bailie
With just a few breaks, Alexander Stewart served on the Council from September 1690 right through to September 1716, a remarkable length of time. He and his brother John both came onto the Council on 22 September 1690. This was the same year that he became a Church Elder, and perhaps as a successful merchant he could now afford to look beyond the day to day trading and aim for a wider role in society. Brother John of course did not remain on the Council long due to his early demise.
Alexander was elected Bailie to serve for a year in September 1710, September 1711, September 1714 and September 1715, so in fact he acted as a Magistrate for longer than his son, Bailie John, who was elected Bailie in September 1713 and September 1714. You will note that for one year father and son were both Bailies, so this must have been a heady time for the family. The role of the Bailie was a most responsible one.
The 1715 Jacobite Rebellion and the Siege of Inverness
Alexander Stewart’s final period as Bailie, and son John’s final period in the Council, coincided with the occupation of Inverness by Jacobite rebels in the 1715 uprising. We do not know how Alexander stood politically, but John was a dedicated Jacobite, later becoming a volunteer for Bonny Prince Charlie in the ’45. But back in 1715 his role was much less overt. For an account of the subsequent brief Siege of Inverness by Government forces, see The Last Highlander: Scotland’s Most Notorious Clan Chief, Rebel & Double Agent (Sarah Fraser, 2012) and Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Inverness_(1715).
Inverness had been seized for the Jacobites by the Mackenzies under Sir John Mackenzie of Coul in September 1715. The exiled Lord Lovat, who would become known as “the Old Fox”, despite being a staunch Jacobite, saw his chance to restore himself. He returned to Scotland and offered his services to the Government side, and so Lord Lovat, John Forbes of Culloden and Hugh Rose, chief of Clan Rose, formed up their forces on the side of the River Ness, opposite the Jacobite-held Inverness Castle. The Inverness Burgh Council (which included both Alexander Stewart and son John at this time) according to Sarah Fraser supported the Jacobites and sent out a messenger asking for help from the chief of the Clan MacDonald of Keppoch. The MacDonalds approached the Frasers from the rear but Lovat sent the Reverend Thomas Fraser of Stratherrick to parlay with them and as Keppoch MacDonald did not want to fight his way into Inverness he headed away south through the hills.
Inverness Castle in modern times. Some of the old curtain wall can be seen in the foreground, while the castle building itself was rebuilt in 1836. Inverness Castle, 2011, source QuintusPetillius
A younger son of Rose of Kilravock attempted to infiltrate the Castle and succeeded in getting the door of the guard house open, but when the alarm was given was shot and jammed behind the door. He was the only fatality of the siege. Kilravock was distraught and would have reduced Inverness to ashes in retribution.
Next day Sir John Mackenzie of Coul agreed to surrender Inverness on the condition that he could go and join the Earl of Mar, the leader of the Jacobite army. He and his men immediately escaped by boats from the pier of Inverness, leaving all their baggage behind them, in a hurry to avoid contact with the approaching Frasers. Lord Lovat was restored by the grateful government the following year. Thirty years later, “the Old Fox” would come out with the Jacobites in the ’45, and would be beheaded in London.
The Council minutes that year contain some extraordinary material. The Council met on 7 November and a letter from Rose of Kilravock and Forbes of Culloden was read out:
Wheras wee are credibly informed, that you the Magistrats Town Councill and Community of the Burgh of Inverness, have collusively and deceitfully admitted in to your Castle a Garison of about a Hundred rebells commanded by Sir John McKenzie of Coull, who stiles himself Governour for the Pretender under the designation of King James the Eight of Scotland; and as such avowedly uplifts & intrometts with all publick money for the maintinance of his rebellion which Governour and Garison, you dayly intertain, converse with, openly aid comfort and assist, alleadging upon your parts that you are overawed and forc’d therto…. [the Government authorities then order them] to apprehend arreast and secure the person of the said Sir John McKenzie and the other rebells his accomplices … Certifieing you, that if ye ommitt or failzie in any article of the premisses, Wee will look upon and demain you, as aiders assisters, maintainers and Comforters of rebellion, and as Traitors and open enimies to our Severaign King George and as such will anoy and prosecute you with fire and sword and the outmost rigour of warr, Given at Culloden this fifth day of November
The merchants of Inverness had been happy to be Jacobite supporters in principle, but they suddenly woke up to the realities of civil war. The two Stewarts were signatories to the alarmed response which was worked up. They could do nothing, they protested, as they were disarmed and their ammunition taken from them. The town was not fortified and would be reduced to ashes if they resisted. They would be only too pleased if the party which was now lodged in it was removed.
On 12 November the Hanoverians occupied Inverness. Lord Lovat marched into the town supported by 800 men from Clan Grant and 400 men from Clan Munro.
A letter dated 15 November demanding what was evidently a punitive sum of money was received from Rose of Kilravock, the Deputy Lieutenant of the Shire of Inverness, and various dignitaries and military men. The town had to raise £500 sterling to pay His Majesty’s forces “for suppressing the Rebellion which for severall months has prevailed in the North, for expelling the Garison of rebells posted in the Castle and Steeple of Invernes, and for subdueing and maintaining in as farr as in us lyes the neighbouring shyre to His Majesties obedience”.
The Council decided to ask the Guilds if they could raise this frightful sum. As this was November Alexander was still a Bailie. Young John was not – he had recently been made Dean of Guild! This was not good timinig. “And to that end that the Dean of Gild should call and conveen the Gild bretheren & the severall vistors theire respective Incorporations, and to report their severall opinions and consents for raiseing of the said sum again[st] ten of the Clock tomorrow morning.”
The Guilds agreed that the money had to be raised, but pointed out that practically it could not be done proportionally across the community as many people simply did not have the money, and that it should be raised initially from those who actually had money and then recovered from the whole community later.
The Magistrates were then instructed to go amongst the people and raise the money, which must have been a most challenging task. Eventually Bailie Alexander contributed £20 sterling himself and Dean of Guild John contributed £10 sterling, and over the next few months there was much activity to recover money proportionally from all the inhabitants of Inverness. The extent to which this was ultimately successful I know not.
After their service ran out later in 1716, neither father nor son served on the Council again.
The Children of Alexander Stewart and Hellen Pape
As we have seen, Alexander Stewart and Hellen Pape had John, about whom more later, and at least six daughters. I have found records subsequent to their baptisms for only three of the daughters.
1. Jean died young.
Inverness Register of Deaths
1690 … 15 Janry Departed a childe to Alexander Stuart skipper burges named (Jean)
2. Marjorie married the distinguished James Russell of Earlsmill, near Darnaway Castle, in 1710.
Inverness Register of Marriages
1710 [contracted] July … 7 James Russel younger of Earlsmill & Marjorie Stewart daur. to Alexr. Stewart Mert. in Invrns. [married] 27
Although they had several children, I see only one baptism in the Inverness Register of Baptisms – the witnesses indicate the status of the Stewart family at that time:
Inverness Register of Baptisms
5 July 1712
James Russel yor. at Earlsmill and Marjorie Stewart his spous had a child baptised by Mr. Hector McKenzie called Anna Mr. David Polson of Kinmylies Alexr. Stewart Baillie of Inverness James Russel Elder at Earlsmill David Stewart Collr. of Excise Jo. Stewart Mert. wit[nesse]s. Anne Countess of Murray Anna Robertsone spous to Jo. Taylor Baillie
Note the presence of the Countess of Moray. Bailie John Steuart for a long time acted as factor on the Earl of Moray’s lordship of Petty, whose mansion – Castle Stuart, about four miles from Inverness – is now a luxury hotel associated with the Castle Stuart golf course. He was often at Castle Stuart carrying out his usually unpleasant factorial duties. He had started acting as factor for the Earl of Moray before 1715, the date of his first extant letter-book, and continued to act for him until 1734.
Castle Stuart; photo by Dave Conner from Inverness, Scotland, CC BY 2.0
On 7th April 1721 Bailie John was to write James Russell, who was at Edinburgh, giving him detailed instructions regarding a herring debenture and payment of various people including the Earl of Moray. He added “Your wife and childerin are well, and Ile see them to-morrow. 100 bolls of the Morray bear is come up here, which proved very good, and Good Measure. I payd the Fraight and the boat. Alex McLeans barque goes down tomorrow to Findhorn to carry up 300 bolls, since dispatch is necessary now in the Malting Season. Recepts will be regularly returned your father, as the bear come there; so you may be easy and not hurry yourself too soon home. I am, Your aff. Brother.”
You can see that James Russell was working closely with Bailie John, primarily in relation to the Earl of Moray’s business. Russell died unexpectedly in 1739 and it is revealed that financially he was in very comfortable circumstances. From an undated fragment of a letter from about 1739, Bailie John was to write: “My Brother in Law, James Russell, died about 14 days past of a high fever and Pleurecie, and of 4 days ilness, without time to setle his Affairs. He has left about £3000 sterlin, of which my Nephews will fall the largest share. I beleive his son James, who is a good prettie lad, will succeed In his business with the Earle. This a seekly mortall time here.”
3. Margaret
Margaret married merchant George Urquhart, son of Urquhart of Newhall, who would become in due course George Urquhart of Greenhill, the old name of Rose Farm, just outside Cromarty. The marriage contract was dated 9 November 1705, and is referenced within a sasine (RS38/6 folio 392 verso to folio 394 recto) registered on 14 May 1706:
and also compeired John Stuart mert. in Inverness [the young Bailie John Steuart, born 1676] as actorney for & in name & behalf off Margaret Stuart eldest laull daughter to Alexr Stuart Skipper burges of ye burgh off Inverness now spouse to George Urqrt merct yr, and laull son to umqll Alexr Urqrt off Newhall (whose letter of actorney to the effect underwrittin was sufficiently known to me notary publict undersubscryvand) upon ye grounds of ye lands & oyrs after mentioned, having and holding in his hands ane contract matrimoniall of ye deit the nynte day off November last bypast made & past tuixt ye sd George Urqrt & ye sd Margaret Stuart with advyce and consent of her sd father, and he as burden taker in & upon him for his sd daughter, on ye ane & oyr prts qrby & for ye causes yrin specifit the sd George Urqrt band & obleigt him his aires & oyrs yrin exprest to provyde & sufficiently secure the sd Margaret Stuart in lyffrent during all ye days off her lyfetyme, after his deceis in caise she shall happin to survive him, and ye aires male to be procreat tuixt them, whilk failling his oyr aires male laull, whilk also failling his aires & assignayes qtsumever in fie after both yr deceisses, in & to ye soume off fyve thousand punds Scots money
The sasine goes on to list many parcels of land in and around the town of Cromarty which were to provide Margaret with liferent. Alas, she must have died within the next few years for George Urquhart married for a second time, probably in 1711. His bride this time was Elizabeth McLeod, daughter of Rorie McLeod of Cambuscurrie (between Tain and Edderton), their first child being baptised in February 1712. But the association between the Stuart family in Inverness and George Urquhart, now established in Cromarty as merchant there and factor for the Cromarty Estate, continued long afterwards. Indeed, the association with George Urquhart of Greenhill proved to be a great embarrassment to Bailie John as George struggled with debt for most of his life, actually becoming insolvent about 1724.
He owed the Bailie a great deal of money. When the Bailie was in need of money himself, he wrote increasingly pointed letters to his brother-in-law. Other merchants began to take proceedings against Urquhart. Bailie John was to write embarrassedly on 17 April 1722 to George Falconer who was pursuing Urquhart: “You’ll please know that he was Maried to my sister, so that it will look ill in me to medle in this affair.”
I see a case in the NRS of George Falconer v George Urquhart and others in 1722 (AC9/837) which would reveal more detail of the proceedings, although I think the outcome would have been inevitable.
Bailie John Steuart (1676-1759) and his Two Wives
John Steuart became a burgess of Inverness in 1704. We know this as there is an entry in the Burgh records that year:
HCA/BI/1/1/8
Inverness The Third day of Apryll Jaivii& and four years … That day John Stuart mer[chan]t. was created and admitted Burges and Gild brother of this burgh as his father’s eldest sone for pay[men]t. of the ordinary dues
Bailie John Steuart was thus establishing himself for a long business career in Inverness. You needed to become a merchant burgess in order to trade independently out of the town. He married twice, and curiously Mackay gets the Christian names of both wives wrong. He says:
He was married, first, to Marion [sic, should be Helen], daughter of Bailie Robert Rose of Merkinch, Inverness – of the family of Kilravock. She died early, and for his second wife he took Ann [sic, should be Christian], daughter of Norman Macleod of Drynoch in Skye, who survived him.
The definitive position regarding Helen may be found within her marriage contract, buried in the Burgh of Inverness Register of Deeds, which sets out much useful additional family information. The marriage contract is dated 1699.
HCA/BI/1/10/5
Att Invernes 28 Feb 1706 … In presence of William Duff of Dipple one of the Baillies of the said Burgh … Be it Known to all men be thir pnts [by these present documents] me John Steuart merct burges of Invernes Forasmuch as by contract matrimoniall bearing date the twenty seventh day of May Jaivi& and ninty nine years [1699] past betwixt Allexr Steuart Skipper burges of the above burgh my father and me therein designed his only lawfull son on the one pairt and Robert Rose one of the Baillies of Inverness and Helen Rose his eldest lawll daughter on the other part in contemplation of marriage then contracted and therafter solemnized … two thousand five hundred merks Scots money … pro[curato]r for Allexr & John Steuarts & Thos Fraser writter … as pro[curato]r for Robert & Hellen Rose and given in the minute of contract undertaken betwixt Allexr Steuart Skipper burges of Invernes & John Steuart his only lawll son on the one part and Robert Rose one of the Baillies and Hellen Rose his only lawfull daughter on the oyr part as follows… Marion Ritchie her mother or of the said Baillie Rose … written be John Taylor wr[i]ter in Invernes att Inverness the 27 May 1699 before thir witnesses David Polson of Kinmillies Robert Rose younger Burges of Invernes David Rose Lawll son to umqll Robert Rose late provest of the said burgh & the sd John Taylor & Wm Bailly Comisar of Invernes & David Stuart merct there sic s[u]b[scribit]ur John Steuart Hellen Rose Alexr Steuart Robert Rose Da. Polson wittnes Rt. Rose wittnes Da Steuart wittnes Dav. Rose wittnes William Baillie wittnes Jo: Taylor wittnes …
Helen Rose died in March 1713 and John swiftly, surprisingly swiftly, married Christian McLeod in October of that year:
Inverness Register of Deaths
1713 … 27 March Departed Helen Rose spouse to John Stuart Mert. burges in this Burgh
Inverness Marriage Register
[contracted] 5 September 1713 John Stewart baillie in Inverness & Christin McLeode there [married] 15 October 1713
And if that marriage entry isn’t enough positively to identify her, Christian is named in several baptism entries, such as:
Inverness Baptism Register
16 December 1714 John Stewart Baillie & Christyn Mcleode his spous hade a child baptised by Mr Hector McKenzie called Christin [witnesses] John Barbour Baillie Mr Alexr Clerk Baillie Alexr Stewart Baillie
Why Mackay should have given the wrong names for the Bailie’s wives is a mystery.
I shall not go through the many children born to the two wives of Bailie John. Most of them are recorded in the Inverness Church of Scotland Baptism Register, several without being named in rather curious partial entries that may have something to do with his being in the Episcopalian church. And the baptisms of several of his children are not recorded at all. But I shall mention his eldest child Helen. She married the famous Captain John Reid, shipmaster of Cromarty, who was to become the best friend of Bailie John in his later years and who crops up right at the end of this story of Abertarff House. A business letter by Helen may be found in The Letter-book, indicating that John Reid’s trading had two driving forces behind it. And I have included an appendix on his son John, who would become Colonel John Stuart, father of Count Maida, and for whom the splendid National Historic Landmark “Colonel John Stuart’s House” in Charleston, South Carolina, was built in 1772.
Alexander Stewart and Hellen Pape and family move into Abertarff House
Alexander and Hellen must have moved into Abertarff House on Church Street, Inverness, in 1681, the date on the fireplace lintel. They also had a panel inserted on an external wall. As is usually the case, the marriage lintel celebrates the marriage of the couple, but the date is when the building was built, restored or extended, or when it was acquired by those whose initials appear on the stone. This was the conclusion of two studies of lintel stones in Jersey and Galway, and is thought to be the case generally (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_stone).
Children arrived over the period 1676 to 1689, so young John and his many sisters would have had the run of the large house. No doubt they would have been clattering up and down the stone turnpike staircase until sent out to the garden. Back when Invernessiana was written (Charles Fraser-Mackintosh, 1875) there were only two buildings with projecting turnpike stairs left. An image of Abertarff House was provided with the text:
Ancient Turnpike Stair in the Court north of the Commercial Bank, Inverness. These Stairs were common at one time. Only one other specimen is known to exist in Inverness, that in the Castle Wynd. This last has over an arched window these words here modernised, “Our dwelling is not here, but we hope for a better in Christ.”
external view of the turnpike stair on Abertarff House from Invernessiana (1875)
and an internal view of that turnpike stair nowadays; image courtesy of National Trust for Scotland
The pediment bearing those words was first recorded in 1727/28 by Burt in his Letters from a Gentleman in the North of Scotland to his Friend in London (Edmund Burt, 1757) and is now stored in Inverness Museum as the building in the Castle Wynd is no more. And so the two last examples of Turnpike Stairs identified by Charles Fraser-Mackintosh in 1875 are now reduced to the single precious one at Abertarff House. Outside the house, the garden extended down to the river and according to Mackay:
For the large garden which stretches from his house in Church Street to the river, he [Bailie John] gets from London the finest dwarf pear and apple trees, laurels, yews, and variegated hollies; and onion and other seeds from Campvere.
Old High; photo by Jim Mackay
I have annotated this sketch from about 1660 to show Church Street stretching up to Bridge Street with the gardens on the west side stretching down to the River Ness. Sketch by James Gordon of Rothiemay; CC-BY (NLS). Modified from the original at https://maps.nls.uk/view/00000738 by Jim Mackay. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland
It is surprising that Mackay didn’t consider whether or not the Steuart family residence could have been Abertarff House. The marriage lintel, of course, didn’t appear until the restoration in the 1960s. But other clues were there. A prominent house near the middle of Church Street, on the side towards the river. If he had identified Bailie John’s mother the initials on the external wall stone should have been a give-away, if he knew about them. As it is, he notes:
In those streets the merchants and lawyers had their residences and shops and offices– Bailie Steuart’s house being about the middle of Church Street. It appears to have been a prominent building. In September 1721 the magistrates, in appointing constables for the ensuing year, allocated the part of Church Street above the Bailie’s house to Alexander Fraser and William Binnie, and the part of the street below it to John Gibson and John Munro
In fact, the annual appointment of constables, carried out in late September or early October each year, shows that both Alexander and John were residing in the same prominent house on Church Street over at least the period 1696 to 1730 inclusive. Before 1696, “Kirk Street” was policed as one patch. In 1696, it was broken into two thus:
28 September 1696
That day the magistrats and counsell nominats & appoints the persones following to be Constables this insueing year from Michaelmass Jaivi& nyntie six till Michaelmass Jaivi& nyntie sevin years viz … Kirk Street Thomas Neilsone John McCra to attend above Alexr Stuarts hous and William Keilloch & John Fraser smith to attend betuixt Alexr Stuarts hous and the shoare…
After a few years the wording was simplified to Kirk Street above Alexr Stuarts house and below Alexr Stuarts house and so it continued until 1716 when it became simply above and below “Bailie Stuarts”. John Steuart was always known as Bailie Stuart, even when his days as a Bailie were long past. The description remained like this until 1731 when Kirk Street began to be policed as one unit again.
This is conclusive evidence that Bailie John had continued to reside in the family home, first with his parents and then after his parents had passed away. This is what you would have expected as he was the eldest child and only son. He worked with his father on business deals and often mentions both father and mother in his letters in a manner compatible with their residing together.
photo by Jim Mackay
photo by Jim Mackay
Final Days of Alexander Stewart and Hellen Pape from the Letter-book of Bailie John Steuart and Other Sources
Here are a few excerpts from The Letter-book and sources such as the Inverness Register of Deaths to document the last days of Alexander Stewart and Hellen Pape.
24 May 1715.
… I wrot you the 23d Aprile last, as did my Father the 6 instant
Inverness, January 29th, 1718.
To Mr. John Steuart, Commissar of Invss. [but who resided in Edinburgh at this time; he died in Inverness on 30 November 1750]
Dear Cousin,
I thought to have been ready to take jurny South in 8 days hence, but my honest father is fallen so seekly and tender of Late that I can not think of Leaving him untill I see how God pleases to Dispose of him. He has been ill all this winter of a cough and Sore ays [eyes], but for this 8 days past he is mostly confined in his bed with a Louness; but I thank God this day he is somewhat better. But I fear he would not hold out Long, and itt was the apprehension of this that made me so earnestly wish for your coming to this country of a long time past, that you might se his affairs put in a Clear and Just fotting. But I hope god will spair him till you se him.
In fact his tough old father was still going strong and giving instructions for another two years, including:
Inverness, l4th March, 1718.
Messrs. Majoribanks and Couts {Dantzic}. … P. S. – Give my Service to Thomas Gregory, and tell him that Alex. Steuart, my Father, Desirs him, if can spare so much time, to Girdle the ship wt. oaken planck at Danzick, that is, one strock above, the one strock betwixt the bands, and a third under the bands; and not to stir without Convoy.
Inverness Register of Deaths
23 April 1720 Departed Alexr Stuart Late Baillie in this burgh
There is a gap in the letters for a month in the period around the death of Alexander, and then Bailie John makes a rather sad reference to his father’s clothing:
30 Septempter 1720.
To Alexr. my Son, Edr. … Your Grandfathers drab coat, wt. all his other cloath, are disposed off, being but of very litle value.
There are three old graveyards in Inverness in which Bailie Alexander Stewart may be buried, but the most likely one is here at Chapel Yard. Like other merchants and baillies of the time, he would have had a memorial on the perimeter wall.
the oldest memorials in Chapel Yard, many now unreadable, are in the graveyard wall; photo by Jim Mackay
Burt mentions: “A little beyond the Churches is the Church-Yard; where, as is usual in Scotland, the Monuments are placed against the Wall that encloses it”.
His gravestone inscription presumably is too eroded for modern Highland Family History Society recordings to have picked up on it, but fortunately his epitaph, suitably devout, was recorded in an old book of inscriptions within its Inverness section (Collection of Epitaphs and Monumental Inscriptions chiefly in Scotland, 1834). The position of the epitaph relative to other Inverness epitaphs in the book suggests its location is in the Chapel Yard, but we cannot be sure:
B. ALEXANDER STEWART’s Monument
Here we lie asleep, till Christ the world surround
This sepulchre will keep, until the trumpet sound.
memorial in Chapel Yard to David Fouller of Inverness, contemporary of Alexander Stewart; photo by Jim Mackay
memorial in Chapel Yard to Provost William Duff of Inverness, contemporary of Alexander Stewart; photo by Jim Mackay
His worthy father being buried, Bailie John carried on his merchant business by himself. His mother, though, was clearly still residing with him and crops up in his letters. Hellen Pape’s interests would have been protected by her matrimonial contract.
16 April 1722.
Mr. George Urquhart [Cromarty].
Afft. Br., – Att my Mothers desire I have sent the bearer express to acquaint you that having agreed with a Gentleman in our neighbourhood to pay him a Considerable sum of Mony again Whitsinday nixt upon ane heritable Security on his Lands, in which my Mother is to have a Lyfrent right, I will lay stress on the 3000 Merks for which you and Glastilich are bound by bond to my Deaseased Father, without which I will not be able to make good my project. Therfor I will expect your punctuall Complyance. You may remember it is above a year since I called for this mony, and now I hope to find no Dissapointment….
5 June 1722.
[George Urquhart, Cromarty],
My Mother desires to know if you can spare her ten bolls of bear, and a gross of chapin botles, and the price of both.
13 November 1725.
To the Earle of Murray.
I expected to have seen your Lop. ere now at Dunibirsle, but, my old Mother falling ill and like to dye, I could not in duety think of going so farr from home untill I seed how it pleased God to dispose of her. She is still in a languishing condition, confined to her bed…
Like his father, though, his mother Hellen Pape lived longer than he expected and made it through to 1728. Bailie John mentions her death in a fragment of letter to cousin Donald Stuart which refers to the wreck in Orkney on 2 September 1728 of the ship Agnes of which he was master.
… Your Spouse and all friends are well, but my old Mother departed this life about fourteen days past.
And confirmation of the identity of his mother, should any more be required, may be found in the Register of Deaths:
Inverness Register of Deaths
1728 … 10 September Departed Helen Peape [Pape] relict of the deceast Alexr Stuart Baillie in this Burgh
The Letter-book and Abertarff House
The later original manuscript pages of The Letter-book are held in the Highland Archive Centre in Inverness (HCA/D291/1 Letter Book of Baillie John Steuart 1735-1752) but nobody seems to know where the earlier ones are held. Even the later pages in the Archive Centre are “provenance unknown”. However, they must have come from family descendants. At the time The Letter-book was published (1915) the editor said of Bailie John: “His daughter Ann married Richard Hay-Newton of Newton, East Lothian, and it is to her descendant, Mr. W. Hay-Newton, the present proprietor of Newton, that the writer is indebted for the Letter-Book.”. Given that the hundreds of letters within the published book are simply selections from the 37 years of letters that were then extant, it would be valuable to discover the unpublished material within the earlier pages.
Virtually every letter within the copious Letter-book would have been written in Bailie Steuart’s office within Abertarff House. First he would compose the letter itself, then he or a servant or one of his children would copy it into the Letter-book (which is in multiple handwriting styles) and later the day’s mail would be taken over to the Post-master’s house, in 1772 at least on the north corner of Bank Lane and Church Street (Miscellanea Invernessiana). You can visualise him in Abertarff House, probably upstairs, writing industriously with his quill pen at his desk to his family and business associates throughout Scotland, Europe and even America to pass on news, arrange deals – and to recover debts.
A Guest in Bailie John’s House, and a Challenged Marriage
The focus of this story is on Alexander Stewart and his wife Hellen Pape, about whom there is nothing in the popular histories. Bailie John Steuart, however, presumably because of his presence in The Letter-book features not only in many antiquarian books but also in moderm publications.
Bailie John appears in this modern riveting biography of Lord Lovat, the Old Fox, The Last Highlander (Sarah Fraser, 2012)
… and even appears as a character in the recent historical thriller The Bookseller of Inverness (S.G. MacLean, 2022)
I should draw attention to that quaint collection called Miscellanea Invernessiana (John Noble,1902), nowadays readily available to download on the internet, which draws upon a famous legal case of the time. The papers, several hundred pages of them, may be found in the NRS under CC8/6/253 Conjoined Processes of Declarator of Freedom, etc.: John Stewart and another v Sybella Barbour, 19 December 1732.
Noble sets out the story of the young rake, John Steuart, nephew of Charles Earl of Moray, who in 1730 was visiting friends in Inverness. With whom should he be residing (when he did find time from his drinking and card-playing to sleep) but his relative Bailie John Steuart in his house on Church Street, now known to be Abertarff House. The young Steuart met and fell for Sibella Barbour, daughter of the deceased John Barbour, late bailie of Inverness. He wished to marry her immediately, and secretly organised this. Late one night they left Inverness, crossed the ferries at Beauly and Brahan, and were married (after a fashion) by Master AEneas Morison, the non-juring Episcopalian former minister of Contin, at Logie.
John Steuart, the Earl’s nephew, later attempted to claim there was no proper marriage, Sibella claimed there was, and the conjoined legal case took up most of a year in Chancery. Witnesses came down to Edinburgh, including Bailie John Steuart himself, the ferryman at Beauly, the servant of the minister, Kenneth Happie the gardener at Logie, many of young Steuart's drinking companions. The decision was that they were indeed married. It emerges from a letter in Letters of two centuries chiefly connected with Inverness and the Highlands from 1616 to 1815 (Charles Fraser-Mackintosh, 1890) that Sibella had had a baby, so it is to be hoped that Steuart provided for wife and child.
The Bailie’s evidence comes over as biased, as does that of his cousin, John Stuart Commissary of Inverness. They were both, of course, financially involved with the Earl of Moray. The Bailie said that he “did exert himself as a friend and servant of the Earl of Murray’s in expiscerating the truth of that story, though he was not desired to do the same by any person; but the Pursuer being lodged in his house, he thought himself obliged to take some care of him.” He set out what he knew of the case but I have to say in reading it he did more harm to the case of his lodger than good. It would be useful to go through the several hundred pages of the evidence to see if any further information about life in the house in which the Earl’s nephew was lodging emerges!
Bailie John Steuart and the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion
Bailie John’s strong support for the Jacobite cause led him, surprisingly, at the age of 66, to join up in the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion. His letter to his son John of 13 September 1745 intimates what he was up to without spelling it out: “ Dr. Son … In the mean time I am under the most pressing necessity of going immediatly southward as far as Eder. [Edinburgh] and Newtoun, and therefore could not avoid borrowing a little money”.
He is subsequently named in A List of Persons concerned in the Rebellion transmitted to the Commissioners of Excise by the Several Supervisors in Scotland in Obedience to a General Letter of the 7th May 1746 and a Supplementary List with Evidences to prove the same (Scottish History Society, 1890). A short biographical note is added in the book.
[Names.] John Stuart [Designations.] Late Baillie [Abode.] Inverness [Cause of Knowledge.] Informn from Mr Finlay [Acts of Rebellion and Circumstances.] a Volunteer in said Rebel Army & very active, now at Newtoun [Where they now are.] Mid Lothian.
John Stewart, late bailie, Inverness.– A cousin of the noted rebel leader, John Roy Stewart. The bailie was a leading merchant in Inverness. His grandson was General Sir John Stuart, Count of Maida. His daughter Ann was married to Richard Hay Newton of Newton, Haddingtonshire, with whom he found refuge after Culloden.
Yohana and Carlann view the battlefield at Culloden Moor; photo by Jim Mackay
Carlann and Peter rest on Culloden Moor; photo by Jim Mackay
I am not clear as to his movements in this period and how he escaped reprisals. He later wrote to Bishop Forbes (The Lyon in Mourning, ed. Henry Paton, 1895, volume ii, pages 211 to 212):
Inverness, 16 November 1748.
Reverend and Dear Sir … I should have wrot you long befor now annent what I could learn with certainty of the bloodie, barbarous transactions in this country for a long time after the memorable batle of Culloden, but as I was absent at that dismall period …
His young son Francis, presumably residing within Abertarff House at the time, wrote to Bishop Forbes regarding the bloody aftermath of Culloden. He personally witnessed horrors as he was present during that period, whilst Bailie Steuart himself was seeking refuge elsewhere.
It is clear now that Abertarff House during its occupation by Bailie John Steuart would have witnessed many’s a Jacobite intrigue leading up to the disaster that was Culloden. And no doubt Jacobite toasts continued in the house when Bailie John felt it safe to return.
When did the Stewart family depart Abertarff House?
We have seen from the constable appointment records in the Council minutes evidence that in September 1730 Bailie Stewart was still in the same house on Church or Kirk Street as his father had been in 1696. It is a pity that the policemen’s “beat” was changed in 1731, but given there is no mention in his letters of moving house we can assume that Bailie John remained put.
But in his later years Bailie John Steuart was in reduced circumstances. Many deals had not proved profitable and he had tremendous difficulty recovering debts owed to him. He was casting about for sources of money and he wrote to his cousin, John Stuart, Commissary of Inverness in Edinburgh, on 18 September 1741, to advise him, as his cousin german, to come back to Inverness, not least because jointly they could seek some of the proceeds of the estate of their deceased mutual cousin, David Stuart, Collector of Inverness. You can sense the desperation in his letter.
When my son in law, John Reid, went to Eder, in spring last I gave him orders to speak to you about some particulars, particularly about the balance of reversion on David Stuart our Cousins Esteat may be due. Jam. Stuart, the President principall servant and trustee here, says that the balance due on the seall [sale] of the house is still in the Presidents hands, so that I bleeve, if you were here, wee could easily persuad Evan Bailie to yeeld up his pretensions that way; and, besides, that I fancie ther are other funds resting of our sd. Cousin effects to which wee have just title; and God knows I for my part want very much at present help and support of that kind.
Caledonian Mercury 28 April 1724
Caledonian Mercury 12 August 1728
The Collector himself had suffered financial catastrophe which at one time threatened to bring down the Bailie himself, and had voluntarily put his property in Inverness up for sale in 1724, as seen in the advertisement on the left (Caledonian Mercury 28 April 1724). The background may be found in GD23/2/47. The sale was put on hold, but came back on following his death in 1728, as in the adverisement on the right (Caledonian Mercury 12 August 1728). Bailie John was hoping that the sale might have raised more than enough to repay the Collector’s debts, and as a relative he was seeking some of the balance in 1741! I see that the Collector also owned “2 Tenements of Land in the Church Street of Inverness, with the Gardens and Pertinents thereof” so the Bailie’s family had further property on Church Street.
Given how desperate he was for money, how was Bailie John able to keep Abertarff House? Such a big house would be difficult to maintain if there was little money coming in but there is evidence that his son-in-law John Reid was helping out:
8 September 1749.
It is true my freind John Reid is now here repairing his ship; but then I know he is prettie much stratned for mony at present, and I have run verie laitly so much in debt to him that I am ashamed to truble him anie more, especialy as realy he has been verie kind and generous towards the mantainance of my house of lait years, besides the lending a litle mony at some times.
In order to help with funding, he rented out part of his house; I think the wallpaper mentioned in the second extract following may have been to smarten up the rooms he was renting out:
27 September 1749.
I wrot of this dait to my son John … I have also advised the reason has induced me to draw for this mony, which [is] to provid some necessarys for ane officer [who] is to take a pairt of my house at 8 shillings pr. week
7 April 1750.
I wrot likeways to John Reid inclosed in which I requested him to bring 12 piece of painted paper for 2 rooms in my house
His later letters do not mention his moving house, although he was in financial straits. Instead, he seems to have rented out the house and actually temporarily moved to Boulogne until finding he could not live there so cheaply as he thought:
Inverness 17 January 1752.
… And now I have to advise, in prosecution of my son Johns propossall that I and family should goe over to France and resid at Bulloigne, and that he was to afford £20 sterling yearly for that purpose, which, with what might arise from our house rents, would do much to mantine us in a low way there. In consequence of this consert I went over to Bulloigne
In the very last letter in his letter-books, and in low spirits, he tells of the poor situation of his youngest children, still residing with him in Inverness:
28 September 1752.
And nothing gives me greater pain than that your 2 brothers William and Henry have been for almost a year confin’d in the house for want of cloath and linnins, and, which is still worse, quit idle for want of proper education, tho both have good capacities, and have taken a fancy of draughting landskips and pictures to very good purpose
In an earlier letter (17 January 1752) he had previously mentioned these paintings by his young sons: “and some of their works in our house are verie prittie and well esteemed, particularly Land skips.” It is lovely to think that the landscapes of the young Steuarts were bedecking the walls of Abertarff House.
Although the Bailie himself was now in poor circumstances, several of his numerous children went on to become financially successful. Despite being somewhat infirm by the time of his last recorded letter in 1752, the Bailie held on for quite a few years yet. I hope that his elder children as they became established in their own careers contributed to their parents’ comfort in their final years.
Inverness Register of Deaths
1759 … April … 20th John Stuart Baillie Burges of Inverness
I assumed that the association of the family with the house would have ended on his death. But I was wrong, seriously wrong. The house was sold as late as 1771, when a series of advertisements appeared in the Caledonian Mercury. I think it had been occupied by at least one of his children, the unmarried Margaret, who died in November 1771. On her death, the house was immediately put on the market.
Inverness Register of Deaths
1771 … Novr. … 18 Departed Margaret Stewart Daughter to Baillie Stewart in this place. Big Bells.
The rare annotation that the Big Bells were to be rung at her funeral indicates the standing of the family in the town. The house would be shown by none other than Captain John Reid, who you may remember had married Helen Steuart, daughter of Bailie John. The further history of the house, building on the solid foundation of its time with the Stewart family, should be easy enough to trace via the sasine record, but it is a story for another day.
Caledonian Mercury, 21 December 1771
Appendix 1: The Pape, Pope or Paip Family and their Kirkmichael and Cullicudden Connections
>The Pape Riot in Dornoch in 1608
Three Pape or Pope brothers, including Hellen Pape’s grandfather or great-grandfather Thomas, moved north from Ross-shire to Sutherland. They did well, as the sasine record shows them holding property in the area. They were attacked on the evening of 1 July 1608 when they were walking in Dornoch graveyard in what has been termed a riot but was in reality a savage assault by a group of drunken bullies. Two of the brothers, William Pape, Minister of Dornoch and Thomas Pape, Minister of Rogart, were badly injured. The third, Charles Pape, portioner of Meikle Rhynie in Easter Ross, messenger at arms, notary public and Sheriff-Clerk of Sutherland, was murdered in the incident.
At this time, and for centuries to follow, the graveyard around Dornoch Cathedral where the crime took place also served as the market place. Donald Sage in his Memorabilia Domestica writes of the booths for fairs being erected in the graveyard, the stakes to hold the canvas booths driven deep into the soil. The fairs continued even after the building of the wall in 1814. The wall did not take in the whole graveyard and bodies were found at relatively shallow depths in more recent times when the path outside the wall was excavated.
Dornoch Cathedral – used as the parish church – within which Reverend William Pope preached; photo by Jim Mackay
Kirsty at the Mercat Cross of Dornoch, outside the graveyard wall – but still inside the graveyard! photo by Jim Mackay
William Pape remained in Dornoch a few years, but then, for a relatively short time before his death, served as minister at Nigg. Thomas also moved back to Ross-shire, becoming for a long period the minister at Cullicudden. His children included his son Charles, who became in turn minister of Cullicudden. Hellen Pape, whose initials adorn Abertarff House, is descended from this line of Papes.
You might think the Pape Riot is one of those stories that has grown in the telling, but in fact there is strong factual evidence for the detail. The surviving brothers, wife and children of the murdered Charles Pape petitioned the Privy Council for action against the criminals. Killing a Sheriff-Clerk and assaulting two Ministers was a serious affair, and the Privy Council issued several directives in 1608 and 1609 ordering the seizure of the culprits and preventing their friends from resetting (protecting or sheltering) them, but it is understood that they fled the area. A convincing case is given in The Pape Riot and its Sequel in Lewis (William Matheson, 1974, in Transactions of the Gaelic Society for Inverness volume 48) that at least one of the murderers settled in the Isle of Lewis.
Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, first series, volume 8.
Edinburgh, 3rd November 1608. Fol. 15, a.
Commission to apprehend William Murray and others, sued for slaughter.
William Murray, bower, in Dornoche, Hutcheoun McPhaill, brother of the late Thomas McPhaill, citizen in Dornoche, Johne McPhaill, son natural of said Thomas, and Alexander Poilsone, his servant, remaining as yet unrelaxed from a horning of 1st October last, at the instance of Margaret Gordoun, relict, Gilbert Pape, son, Barbara Pape, daughter, Mr William Pape, minister at Dornocke, and Thomas Pape, minister at Kilmalie [the ancient name for the Parish of Golspie was indeed Culmalie, according to the Old Statistical Account, but Thomas was actually minister of the adjacent parish of Rogart], brothers, of late Charlis Pape, portioner of Mekle Reny, for not finding caution to answer on 2nd December next before the justice for the wounding of the said ministers and for murdering the said Charlis, commission signed by the Chancellor, the Earl of Louthiane, and Lord Halieruidhouse, is given to George, Earl of Caithnes, within the bounds of Caithnes, to Johnne, Earl of Sutherland, Hucheoun McKay of Far, and Johnne Gordoun of Gospitour, within the bounds of Sutherland, to Johnne Urquhart of Cromartie, within the bounds of Cromartie, and to Johnne Monro, Tutor of Foulis, and William Ros of Innerchadoun, within the bounds of Ros, to apprehend the said rebels, put them to the knowledge of an assize, and administer justice on them accordingly.
References to the Pope or Pape family within The Letter-book
I have already included the key references that Bailie John Steuart made within The Letter-book to his cousin, the Reverend Alexander Pope, Minister of Reay. These are the further references to other Popes under their variant names.
Charles Pape
In a letter of 13 January 1721, one Charles Pape is identified as mate to a ship master who regularly sailed the Steuart ships Janet Dunbar and Marjorie, David Stevenson. Mackay mentions that David Stevenson was Bailie John’s brother-in-law, but I think he was just a good friend of the family – both skipper Alexander and Bailie John were witnesses at the baptism of one of his children (his spouse is named as Sarah Nicolsone) in 1713, a child who would die later that year. But Charles Pape I'm sure would have been a relative. I think it will be the same Charles Pape who crops up as “Charles Paig”, now skipper of one of Bailie John’s boats, in a letter dated 21 April 1725. Charles had not been following orders.
I am Surprised Charles Paig is arrived with you contrair to my last orders sent him to Portsoy… But now that Charles Paig is with you, I doubt not but you‘ll unload the full 200 bolls… But as to your proposeall of giving 5 lib. Scots pr. boll, payable again Reidcastle 2 market, I cannot goe into it; but if you’ll take Charles Paigs whol Cargoe of meall, which is only 330 bolls, I am willing to let you have it at … only that you advance the Skipper £20 Ster. just now for purchassing his loadning of scleat at Mull and paying his mens wages
Given that Charles was mate and then skipper in the 1720s, I thought the Charles mentioned in the following letter of 6 November 1736 was unlikely to be the same one as he is referred tp as a midshipman. However this “Charles Peip” is indeed revealed as “a near relation of mine”. Despite the relationship, Bailie John orders his London agent Patrick Mackattie to use threats of imprisonment to get money owed to the Bailie out of “the poor man”:
I give you the trouble of the inclosed bill … for £1 : 15 ster., and, as it is protested, and a horning raised and execut on it, the interest and charges will amount to 20 shillings more, in all £2 : 15 str. I hear Charles Peip, the drawer, is now in London; he is laitly come home from the East Indies, where he served as a midshipman. He is a near Cousine to Doctor Ross, who frequents the Rainbow Coffee house near St. Martain’s Church; and no doubt youll be inform’d from said Doctor where to find him; but need not let the doctor know what you want him for. I have indors’d the bill for your recovering the payment, but would not willingly put the poor man in Gaol, he being a near relation of mine; but may threaten hard and areast his wages.
I think Charles Paip before heading to the East Indies as a midshipman must already have been in dire financial straits. In my digging around in the records of Council and Session in Edinburgh I found a record of him from 1730 successfully securing money owed to his father, the second Gilbert Paip Portioner of Meikle Rhynie, back in 1689!
RD7/1/7/1 1728-37 DAL
17th June 1730 Discharge Paip to Ross
Be it kend to all men by these presents me Charles Paip shipmaster in Inverness second lawfull son and executor dative qua nearest of kin decerned and confirmed before the Commissar of Ross upon the twenty fourth day of September by past to the deceast Gilbert Paip sometime portioner of Merklerainy forasmuchas the deceast David Ross of Inverchasely by his bond (wherein he is designed writer in Edinburgh) dated the second day of October one thousand six hundred and eighty nine years mentioning that my said father had granted to him the said David Ross ane assignation to one hundred pd Scots money yearly due for the speace of eight years to my said father for maintaining of Catherine Corbet daughter to James Corbet of Balnagall … Whereupon I raised process at my instance before the Lords of Councill and Session against David Ross now of Inverchasley eldest son and heir of and otherwise representing the said deceast David Ross his father and upon the twenty fifth day of February last by past obtained Decreet before the said Lords Decerning and ordaining him to make payment to me of the sume of eight hundred pound Scots for the said eight years aliment with a fifth part of the said sume in name of penalty deduceing therefrom fourty merks Scots money formerly paid to my said father as also decerning him to Deliver to me the other assignation above mentioned formerly granted by my said father in manner contained in the said decreet as the same bears and now seeing the said David Ross now of Inverchasly has made payment to me of the sume of seven hundred and seventy three pound six shillings and eight pennies Scots money only resting of the said aliment after allowance of the said fourty merks Scots money formerly paid and hath also made payment to me of the sume of fourty pounds Scouts oney of expenses depursed by me in prosecuting the said process and extracting decreet therein of which sums I Grant the receipt and hold therewith contented and paid renouncing all exceptions in the contrare … At Inverness the eighteenth day of May one thousand seven hundred and thirty years …
John Pape
On 9 August 1729, the Bailie writes to his cousin Duncan Baillie, master of the Christian, one of the Bailie’s ships, who has arrived with his cargo at Leith. He writes: “You may tell John Pape I depend he will carefully notice my intrest aboard ye Bark, that nothing be embazeled or lavishd”.
The context suggests that John Pope was a relative at Leith. He is perhaps the same John Pope, a cousin, who later nominates Bailie John his Executor, as per Bailie John’s letter of 17 March 1744:
17 March 1744.
I have a letter from on[e] John Pope, a Cousin of mine, laitly, dated the 27th of January last from on board the Buckingam Man of War then in Admiral Mathews fleet, lying at the Island of Hieres near Touloun. In this letter my freind, forseeing that immediatly ane engagement would happen with the French and Spainish Squadrions in sd. Harbour, apoints me his Exiquitor, and impowers me to uplift and receive what wages is due him on board the sd. ship in case of his Death, which, he says, will amount to £80 str., haveing received non for 4 or 5 years past. He says the Capts. name of sd. ship Buckingam is John Towerie, who will, on presenting his letter, assist and deret me how to receive his wages in case of his Death. Now the favour I am to request of you is to enquir if my sd. freind and Cousin, John Pope, has survived the sd. bloody battle, which I heartly wish he may have done. But, if it has hapened otherways, that you’1 stop at the Navie pay office any wages due to my sd. freind, which may happen to be falsly claim’d by any acquentance of his at London or any other. And I will, when ever you advise, send you his letter, with power to me only to uplift his money, with a power from me to you negotiate the same.
The Popes of Cullicudden
The Papes, Paips or Popes of Sutherland, Caithness and Inverness are all of the one family. Key to this story are Reverend Thomas Pope of Cullicudden in the Black Isle and his probable son Reverend Charles Pope of Cullicudden. Before the parishes of Kirkmichael and Cullicudden were united in 1662 and became in time “commonly known as Resolis”, Thomas Pope and Charles Pope were in turn the Episcopal minister in the Parish of Cullicudden.
the fertile fields of Cullicudden, and its graveyard with the remains of its ancient church within which the two Popes ministered; no memorial to them has been found in the graveyard – yet; photo by Andrew Dowsett
Charles Pope was one of the three ministers against whom the eccentric Sir Thomas Urquhart of Cromarty railed in one of the longest and most bitter pieces of invective to be found in the English language. In The Jewel (1652) he first identifies them:
I think there be hardly any in Scotland that proportionably hath suffered more prejudice by the Kirk then himself; his own ministers, to wit, those that preach in the churches whereof himself is patron, Master Gilbert Anderson, Master Robert Williamson, and Master Charles Pape by name, serving the cures of Cromartie, Kirkmichel, and Cullicudden
and then he cuts loose (the whole extract may be read here). In actual fact, all that Charles Pape had done was to ask for an increase in his stipend and the church administration then implemented due process to chase Sir Thomas for the money!
The Reverend Donald Sage, Minister of Resolis from 1822 to 1869 also mentions Charles Pape or Pope in his fine book Memorabilia Domestica (1889), albeit he places him in the wrong half of the united parish:
[Donald Sage’s father] now resigned the school, and was employed for several years as assistant to the Rev. Alexander Pope, minister of Reay, which office he held until Mr. Pope’s death in 1782. […] Mr. Pope was a native of Sutherlandshire. His father [Hector Pope] was the last Episcopal minister of Loth, and he was the lineal descendant of Charles Pope, Episcopal minister of the parish of Kirkmichael, now united with Cullicudden. […] When a young man he [the Rev. Alexander Pope] became acquainted with his namesake, Alexander Pope, the poet. He went to England purposely to visit this celebrated man. Their meeting at first was rather stiff and cold, arising, it is believed, from his having taken the liberty of calling in travelling attire. After he had come in contact with the strong and well-furnished intellect of his Scottish namesake, however, the poet relaxed, and their intercourse became cordial. Their correspondence was kept up. A copy of his poems, published in 1717, the poet sent to his friend at Reay, which, at the auction of Mr. Pope’s books, after his death, was purchased by Mr. Thomas Jolly, minister of Dunnet,
Alexander Pope, attributed to Charles Jervas oil on canvas, circa 1713-1715 NPG 112 © National Portrait Gallery, London
Now, Sage’s father had been Reverend Alexander Pope’s assistant and had also worked on his collections of Gaelic poetry, and hence Sage must have known the Pope family well. He wrote a biographical sketch of Alexander Pope for Pope’s translation of Torfaeus. I therefore put great reliance on his statement that Reverend Hector Pope was the lineal descendant of Reverend Charles Pope. He does get the parish wrong (and repeats it in his Second Statistical Account of the Parish of Resolis), saying Charles was the curate of Kirkmichael instead of Cullicudden, but as they were both parts of Sage’s parish of Resolis that is understandable. But the connection with Charles Pape I take as solid.
The Popes or Papes of Cullicudden are well documented. I see in the long list of witnesses to a Charter of Confirmation by the bishop of Ross dated 1630 (GD103/1/127) “Mr Thomas Young, rector de Kirk[michael]; G Monro, cancellarius Rossen; Mr Joannes McKenzie, archidiaconus Rossensis; Mr Thomas Pape, rector de Cullicuddin”. And I see in the Presbytery of Dingwall (CH2/92/1) minutes:
Dingwell, 4 Janry 1653.
Anent the Gleib of Dingll.
Conforme to the ordenance of the brethren at Dingwall, 23 Novemb. 1652, Johne Bayne of Tulloch compeired, quho declaired ingenuously in pbrie. that the gleib of Dingwell was mett and measured be the brethren of the kirk of Ross, such as Mr. George Monro in Chanrie., Mr. Jon Malcome, Allexr McKenzie at Containe, Mr. Robert Ross at Alnes, Mr. Robert Monro at Urquhart, Thomas Pape at Cullicudden, and divers wyrs in Mr. Jon McKenzie his tyme.
Sicklyke Jon Kaird, burges of Dingwell, and Jon McZlassich, quho in theas dayis was kirk officer to Mr. Jon McKenzie, Minister at Dingwell, deponed solemnly that the gleib nowe in Mr. Jon Mccra his possessione was the gleib be designation mett and measured be the abovewrytin brethren.
At Roskeine 28 August 1655 Mr George Monro Moderator … Mr Gilbert Andersone, Mr George Munro and Mr. Wm. Calder assessors for correspondence with the said pbrie. from the pbrie. of chanrie. … and diverse wyr brethren of the Province of Ros, namely, Mr. Robert Monro, minister at Roskaene, Mr. Hector Monro at Eddertayne, Mr. Wm Ross at Ferne, Mr. Thomas Ros at Kincarden, Mr. James Mcculloch at Kilmuire, Mr. James McKenzie at Nig, Mr. Coline McKenzie at Killernan, Mr. George Dunbar at Suddie, Mr. Charles Pape at Cullicudden, and Mr. Robert Wmsoune at Kirkmicheal, did meit day and place foresaid …
And the sasine records clearly confirm that both Thomas Pape and Charles Pape ministered at Cullicuddin. This from the Index to the Particular Register of Sasines, under Pope, Pape or Paip:
Thomas, minister at Cullicudden, IV.174.
Charles, minister at Cullicudden, VII.29: his spouse, see Monro, Christina.
The only query then is whether Hellen was daughter or grand-daughter of Reverend Charles Pape of Cullicudden. The relative dates of the pair would allow a further generation to be squeezed in. And in the North Star of 1 February 1906, in an article entitled “Pope the Poet. His Highland Ancestors. Kinsmen in Ross and Sutherland” by Alexander Munro we read:
In 1610 the Rev. Thomas Pope, Rogart, was translated to Cullicudden where he died in 1636, and was succeeded there by his son Charles, who studied at King’s College [sic, actually Marischal College], Aberdeen. The Rev. Charles had two sons, the Rev. William and George, “a merchant and trader in Brora.” … George Pope, merchant in Brora, by his wife, Jean Munro, had a son Hector, who became minister of Loth in succession to his grandfather, the Rev. Hector Munro, in July 1682. Hector Pope married Barbara Grey, probably a daughter of William Grey of Clyne, and had a numerous family of sons and daughters, the eldest of whom was the Rev. Alex. Pope, M.A., who was minister of Reay for the long period of 48 years.
Munro provides in his article no references, but presumably he had based this information on some source.
Now, an intriguing find which I came across purely by accident.
Inverness Register of Deaths
1710 … 2 September Peap
Departed Margrat Peap Lawfull daughter to the deceast Mr Thomas Peap Minister at Cullicudden
Although I do not have supporting evidence, I think it is almost certain that Margrat, the aunt or great-aunt of Hellen Pape, would have been residing with Hellen in Abertarff House. This would be in keeping with the times. She must have quite some age when she died.
Another Paip is recorded in Cullicudden in 1644. Charles Fraser-Mackintosh, in his Antiquarian Notes (1897), sets out the Valuation Roll of the Sheriffdom of Inverness, including Ross for 1644. Within the Parish of Cullicudden, at a modest Valuation of 29 pounds 3 shillings and 4 pence Scots, is given “Gilbert Paip”. I assumed he was a brother of Reverend Charles Pape, but inspection of the sasines revealed that this Gilbert was in fact the only son of the murdered Charles Pape, portioner of Meikle Rhynie. Gilbert inherited Meikle Rhynie but passed it on to his own son Gilbert and moved to Cullicudden himself, where he owned the land referred to by Fraser-Mackintosh. The connection between the Pape family and Cullicudden was strong.
It would be a fascinating exercise to trace Hellen Pope and her family of Popes, Paips and Papes, with their many ministers, through the Highlands and beyond. I have seen much conjecture about the family on the web and it would be good to sift out the hard evidence to set out what is definite!
The Dantzig Connection
I pointed out that Alexander Paip of Dantzig cropped up at a later Stewart baptism in Inverness. There are several sasines involving Papes within the Index to the Particular Register of Sasines, and one of them actually mentions this very merchant of Dantzig:
Pape Alexander, merchant, Dantzig (Dantzegk), V.571. [RS38/5 (1679-1684) folio 571]
As I say, there was much trade with the Baltic ports in those days, and the Scottish element was in fact focused in a building erected by Alexander Pape. This from a recent book – Scotland and Poland: Historical Encounters 1500-2010 (eds TM Devine, D Hesse, 2011).
… Alexander Paip was one of them. A son of Gilbert Paip of Muckle Rainy near Tain and Anne Munro of Petconnoquhy near Avoch on the Black Isle, Paip was a merchant and guild member in the city of Lublin from 1668, dealing in grain and wine. In the 1680s, he settled in Danzig and, in 1706, along with his son, also Alexander and likewise a burgess in the southern Baltic port, joined with a Thomas Leslie in order to purchase the house that would subsequently serve as the city’s “Brittons Chapell”. Both Paips were buried in the St Peter and Paul Church there.
In fact, the editors had mis-read the text from the Royal State Archives at Dantzig here, as a much earlier book Scots in Eastern and Western Prussia (Th. A. Fischer [Ernst Ludwig Fischer], 1903) by a linguist and historian correctly transcribes that Anne Munro was one of the Munros of Pitonachy in Easter Ross which is supported by the sasine record, albeit “Agnes” instead of “Anne”:
Fischer
Al. Paip, from the town of Tania (Tain) in Ross-shire, son of Gilbert Paip of Mickle Rainy and Anne Munro, daughter of John Munro of Pitonachy.
Index of Sasines
Monro, Agnes, spouse of Gilbert Paipe of Mikle Rany, V.34.
If you have a good memory, you may remember from the Pape Riot story that the murdered man was Charles Pape, messenger at arms, notary public, Sheriff Clerk of Sutherland – and portioner of Meikle Rhynie. Gilbert was his son and heir, as can be seen from this entry in Volume 2 of the abbreviated Inquistionum ad Capellam Domini Regis Retornatarum (Retours of Services of Heirs, 1811):
Dec. 18. 1629.
GILBERTUS PAIP, haeres Caroli Paip, patris,– in dimidietate orientali davatae villae et terrarum de Mekill Rany, infra abbaciam de Feirne:– E.11l. 19s. 9d. &c. feudifirmae:– quarteria sive quarta parte davatae terrarum de Mekill Rany, extendente ad 2 bovatas terrarum, ex parte australi dictarum terrarum et villae de Mekill Rany, infra parochiam de Tarbart et abbaciam praedictam.– E. 5l. feudifirmae. xi.130.
Are you good at working out relationships? Alexander, Merchant of Dantzig, was thus the son of Gilbert Pape of Meikle Rhynie, who was the son of the murdered Charles Pape of Meikle Rhynie, who was brother of Reverend Thomas Pape, the grandfather or great-grandfather of Hellen Pape. Challenging!
Reverend Popes
Paip stone from house in Dornoch, now in Dunrobin Museum, celebrating Master William Pape and spouse Christian Monypenny. The Pape combination of three boar heads and a flower is most distinctive; from Bentinck’s Dornoch
For the sake of completeness, here are all the Fasti entries for the early Pape ministers.
Parish of Cullicudden
THOMAS PAPE, born Ross-shire, younger brother of William P., min. of Dornoch; adm. to Rogart in 1590; was a member of Assembly in 1610; trans. and adm. [to Cullicudden] in 1614; still min. 29th May 1634.- {Orig. Charter Antiq. Museum; Orig. Charter at Killearnan; Mackay’s Presb. of Dingwall, 249; Reg. Mag. Sig., vi., 799.]
CHARLES PAPE, probably son of preceding; adm. before 2nd Nov. 1638; was clerk of Presb.; still in the charge 28th Aug. 1655. The parish was vacant in 1662.- [Mackay’s Presb. of Dingwall, 270.]
Parish of Dornoch
WILLIAM PAPE [or POPE], M.A., min. in 1588; trans. to Nigg about 1613. [In the Dunrobin Museum there is an old stone with coat-of-arms and initials, M.W.P. and C.M., probably those of P. and his wife (see p. 65).].– [Illustration in Bentinck’s “Dornoch,” 174.]
Parish of Nigg
WILLIAM PAPE [or POPE], brother of Charles P. of Meikle Reny; educated at Univ. of St Andrews; M.A. (1587); app. schoolmaster of Dornoch in 1585; adm. to Dornoch in 1588; was commissioner for Sutherland from 1593-99; pres. by James VI. to Chantory of Caithness 22nd Nov. 1599; app. by the General Assembly constant Moderator of Presbytery in 1606. In endeavouring to quell a riot with his two younger brothers in June 1607 [corrected to on 1st July 1608], he and Thomas P., min of Rogart, were badly wounded, while Charles P., sheriff-clerk of Sutherland, was killed; was a member of Assembly in 1610; trans. and adm. [to Nigg] about 1613. He marr. Christian Monypenny.– [P.C. Reg., viii., 189; Reg. Mag. Sig. ix., 1967; Gordon’s Hist of House of Sutherland, 256, 257.]
Parish of Loth
HECTOR PAIP {POPE}, educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen; M.A. (1672); adm. [to Loth] before 13th July 1682; died 15th Jan. 1719. He was the last parish min. who appeared in the pulpit clothed in a surplice. He marr., and had issue – Alexander, min. of Reay.
Parish of Reay
ALEXANDER POPE, born about 1706, son of Hector P., min. of Loth; educated at King’s College, Aberdeen, a contribution being recommended for him by the Synod in 1720 to enable him to prosecute his studies for the Church; M.A. (1725); became schoolmaster of this parish shortly afterwards, as appears from an instruction given by the Presb. of Caithness to their commissioner to the General Assembly of 1721, who bore with him a recommendation for “the encouragement of Alexander Pope, schoolmaster of Reay, a hopeful young man having the Irish language” elected session-clerk and precentor at Dornoch 28th July 1730. In the summer of 1732 he rode his pony from Dornoch to Twickenham to visit his namesake, Alexander Pope, the poet, who presented him with a copy of the subscription edition of his Odyssey in five quarto volumes, along with the Abbot de Vertol’s History of the Roman Republic, and an ornamental snuff-box, all which mementoes have been preserved. He was licen. by Presb. of Dornoch 19th. Feb., called unanimously 2nd April, and ord. 5th Sept. 1734; pres. to Halkirk 26th Sept. 1743, but withdrew his acceptance Jan. 1744; died 2nd March 1782, having been sometimes afflicted with paralysis, which compelled him to be carried to the pulpit in a sort of litter. At his admission here the parish was in a state of semi-barbarism. Donald Sage says, “they were not only ignorant, but flagrantly vicious – Episcopalians in name but heathens in reality. P. soon discovered that they required a very rough mode of treatment, and being from his strength furnished with a sufficient capacity to administer any needful chastisement, he failed not vigorously to exercise it. He usually carried about with him a short thick cudgel, which from the use he was compelled to make of it, as well as a sort of delegated constabulary authority he had from Sinclair of Ulbster, the sheriff of the county, he was known as ‘the bailie.’” Sage relates several incidents in which “the bailie” figured prominently. In course of time the habits of the people changed for the better, the parish gradually conforming to the arts of civilised life. A man of considerable literary talent and much intellectual vigour, P. was a popular preacher and a learned archaeologist. He mar. (1) 3rd July 1735, Margaret (died 22nd Dec. 1744), daugh. of Andrew Sutherland of Pitgrudy, and had issue– William, born 5th April 1736; Alexander, born 7th Nov. 1737; Harry, born 9th Jan. 1739; (2) 2nd Dec. 1745, Janet Ross, who died 13th Feb. 1793, and had issue– Abigail, born 7th June 1747 (marr. James Campbell); Thomas, born 20th Nov. 1749; John, born 14th Dec. 1750, died 9th Jan. 1752; James (twin), his assistant and successor; Charles, born 14th Aug. 1752. Publications– Ancient History of Orkney, Caithness, and the North, by Thormodus Torfaeus, translated with copious notes (Wick, 1866). {This translation of Torfaeus’s Orcades seu rerum Orcadensium Historiae {Havniae, 1697 and 1715} was prepared by Pope for the press in 1780, but owing to his death its publication was delayed. After a lapse of sixty years the MS. was printed in instalments in the John O’ Groat Journal. When it was nearly completed, the transcriber died. The remainder of the copy, along with a biographical sketch of the author, by Donald Sage, minister of Resolis, went amissing. Failure to find the lost portion resulted in the sheets already in type being then bound together and issued as above in 1866. In 1905 the original MS. was discovered in a London bookseller’s catalogue, by John Mowat, compiler of A Bibliography of Caithness, and purchased for Wick Free Library, where it now is.} “The Description of the Dune of Dornadilla” (Archaeologia, v., 216); Appendix V. (Pennant’s Tour in Scotland) {deals with statistics and antiquities of Caithness, Strathnaver, and Sutherland}. He made the first Albano-Gaelic collection of Ossianic literature about 1739. Found in a drawer in the Advocates’ Library in 1872, it was printed in Leabhar na Feinne, vol. i., edited by John Francis Campbell (London, 1872). See also Reliquiae Celticae, i., 393. He gave much interesting information to Bishop Pocock for his Tours in Scotland– {Beaton’s The Rev. Alexander Pope {Viking Club} (Coventry, 1910) {has facsimile of Pope’s MS. of Torfaeus}; Sage’ Memorabilia Domestica (1899), 32-36; Proc. Soc. Antiq. Scot. (1855), 19 and 21; Acts of Assembly, 1727; Trans. Gael. Soc. Inverness, xxii., 288; Dict. Nat. Biog.; Cordiner’s Antiquities; Mackay’s Memories of our Parish (Reay), 1-22; Northern Ensign, 6th and 13th May 1902; Calder’s Caithness, 192; Memorial Slab at Reay; Sinclair’s Caithness Events, 128-37.}
memorial commemorating Reverend Alexander Pope of Reay within a vault at Reay Churchyard, Caithness; photo courtesy of Reid Matheson
Appendix 2 The Stewarts of Kincardine
For Kincardine on Speyside, to the south of Inverness, see Wikipedia Parish of Abernethy and Kincardine (formed from the merger of the two parishes in the 1500s) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abernethy_and_Kincardine.
Kincardine Church cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Mike Searle - geograph.org.uk/p/1870223
Having researched the family of Skipper Alexander Stewart, I stumbled across a section within a truly unusual book which confirmed several key relationships and set out the Kincardine background of these Stewarts. I understand that some of the most ancient material referenced in the book may not be wholly reliable but as the book was written in 1739, the contemporary material is spot-on. The book goes by the snappy title of A Short Historical and Genealogical Account of the Royal Family of Scotland, from K. Kenneth II, who conquer’d the Picts; and of the Surname of Stewart, from the first Founder of that Name (1739, Duncan Stewart). I wish I had read this before starting research on the family.
Robert, third Son to Walter late of Kinchardin, had a Son designed Robert oig Stewart, who married a Daughter of the famous Angus Williamson, Tutor of Macintosh; and by her had three Sons; 1. Alexander; 2. John; and, 3. Angus. Alexander was Father to Baillie Stewart in Inverness; John was Father to David Stewart late Collector in Inverness; and Angus had several Sons, one of them Commissary John Stewart in Edinburgh.
The Letter-book of Bailie John Steuart contains many hundreds of letters written by the Bailie, but these were just a small sample of the correspondence in the original multiple letter-books. My correspondent Alistair Ross, for his post-graduate dissertation with the University of the Highlands and Islands, examined in 2023 the later original letter-books (held within the Highland Archives in Inverness) and found many more letters of interest than in the published book.
The great historian and genealogist, Charles Fraser-Mackintosh, published yet another letter by Bailie John Steuart. This was a letter late in life from the Bailie (found within Letters of two centuries chiefly connected with Inverness and the Highlands from 1616 to 1815 (1890)) to old family friend merchant John Mackintosh, whose name crops up often as a witness at family baptisms. The letter itself is of interest, but the introduction to it sets out the Kincardine dimension very clearly so is reproduced in full.
[Letter] No. CXXXIV. ANNO 1749.
BAILIE JOHN STEWART, INVERNESS, OF THE FAMILY OF KINCARDINE.
In Mr. Duncan Stewart’s History of the Royal Family of Scotland, published in 1739, he gives the descent of the family of Kincardine through Alexander, Earl of Buchan, whose son, Sir Walter Stewart, first of Kincardine, got a charter of the lands of Kincardine from Robert III. in the tenth year of his reign. The genealogy then is shown from Walter, for succeeding generations, down to John Roy Stewart, who is described the twelfth Baron, and “now an officer in the army.” The historian, Shaw, narrates that about the year 1683 John Roy, the last Baron (a silly, ignorant man), was in a manner cheated out of his estate by his brother-in-law, Alexander Mackintosh, called the Sheriff Ban, who made him sell it to the Marquis of Huntly for a very trifle; and the family, he says, is extinct.
It is too true that the Stewarts lost their fine Barony of Kincardine in the manner mentioned; but it is not true that the family is extinct, for many representatives, both male and female, are now living, and some of them have lately come well to the front. It is very gratifying to Highlanders that, in the old burial-place, a fitting memorial of the Barons has now been erected.
Mr. Duncan Smith [sic, Stewart] records that Robert, third son of Walter, ninth of the genealogy, had a son, Robert Og Stewart, who was father of Alexander, which Alexander was “father to Bailie Stewart in Inverness.” Bailie John Stewart was a prominent merchant in Inverness for many years. He was an ardent Royalist, and a keen Episcopalian. His name will be found among those calling Mr. James Hay as their pastor in the year 1734. He was concerned in the rising of 1715, and unhappily risked almost his whole estate in the ’45. The letter after given, written in 1749, shows to what straits he was reduced. It is gratifying to be able to state that his request was not refused. It is a pity we have no information as to the person “in power and place” who so shamefully used the old man. … Though not of great extent for a Highland estate, Kincardine, of old Kincairne, and now commonly called Glenmore, is a gem. Mountain, wood, lake, and river abound, but unhappily man, now and for many years, has been estranged from its bounds. Follows the letter referred to:–
Dear Sir, – It is great necessity makes me renew my address to you for your help at present. I am in pain and ashamed at the too frequent trouble I give you, but now I must desire you to let me have a little as you can spare, and make out a bill for what you send me now, and the thirtie shillings I formerly gott, payable in a month, again which time I hope I’ll be able to pay it thankfully. I should not have needed to trouble you nor anie friend at present, but that a certain gentleman now in power and place has failed to pay me some money justly due me contrar to his oath and promises repeated times; this, and my son, John, his not being yet returned to England that I know, occasions my being greatly straitened. I give my best wishes to my cousin, your spouse, and beg pardon for my too great freedom, and I am, dear sir, your verrie affectionate cousin and obliged servant,
(Signed) JOHN STEWART.
Inverness, 6th June, 1749.
Addressed – “ Mr. John Mackintosh, merchant in Inverness.”
Fraser-Mackintosh mentions that John Stewart was one of those calling Mr. James Hay to be their pastor in the year 1734. He provides the text of that call in his Antiquarian Notes (1865):
We, the members of the Episcopal congregation in Inverness, considering that whereas by the decease of the Reverend Mr Robert Jameson, our late worthy pastor, we are deprived of the benefit of the public worship… And being well assured of the good character, prudence, ability, and other qualities of you, the Reverend Mr James Hay, minister of the Gospel to the Episcopalian congregation at Lockehills, in the Diocese of Moray, do therefore nominate, call, and invite you, the said Mr James Hay, to officiate and act as our pastor… (Signed) … John Stewart …
Appendix 3 Colonel John Stuart’s House, Charleston, South Carolina
John Stuart (baptised 24 September 1718, died 21 March 1779) was one of the sons of Bailie John and Christian McLeod and was the recipient of many of the Bailie’s letters. He had an adventurous life, circumnavigating the world on Lord Anson’s Centurion and engaging in numerous mercantile enterprises. He became “Superintendant of Indian affairs for the Southern District” of the American colonies in 1762 and was later deeply embroiled as a loyalist in the War of Independence. However, the reason I mention Colonel John Stuart is because, having grown up in one famous house in Inverness, he became associated with another famous house, one which is nowadays a designated National Historic Landmark.
The building now known as “Colonel John Stuart’s House” was built for him in 1772, four years before the American Revolution. This splendid building is located in historic downtown Charleston, at the northwest corner of Tradd and Orange Streets. There must be a case for Abertarff House in Inverness, where Colonel John Stuart, his father and grandfather lived, and Colonel John Stuart’s House making some connections!
Colonel John Stuart’s House, National Historic Landmark; attribution: ProfReader, CC BY-SA 3.0
photo of entrance to Colonel John Stuart’s House by Spencer Means; Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA 2.0)