Helen Blair McDougall (1819-1889)



Visit to the Scottish Borders, August/September 2010

A visit was made to Northumberland and the Scottish Borders in late summer 2010, partly to investigate places associated with my Carss and McDougall ancestors.

1) Carss

Document 154 describes key information about my Berwick-on-Tweed Carss ancestors. They evidently descended from one individual, Thomas Carse, a farmer at Flemington Hill in the “shire of Berwick” (D. 154, p.4). Little is known about Thomas Carse, for instance when/where he was born, who he married, how many children he had (other then his son, John), and when/where he died. As noted in Document 154, a Thomas Carse married Elspeth Madder at Eyemouth, near Flemington, 28 July 1733, but it is not known if this is “our” Thomas (see also Document 159).

Flemington was now visited. It is a rural area about one mile inland from Burnmouth on the Berwickshire coast (approx. 6 miles north of Berwick-on-Tweed). Today the busy A1 passes close by, as does the main-line railway from London to Edinburgh. A left turn was made, off the A1 on to a minor road, just beyond (north) of the railway bridge that crosses the A1. Almost immediately another left turn was made, up the hill and over the railway, to reach a small collection of farm houses and buildings marked on the modern map as Flemington. The hill beyond is today called Ayton Hill. It is presumably here-abouts that there was, in the mid-18th century, a farm described as at Flemington Hill. The general area is pleasant enough, good farming land, with a view east of north towards the sea at Eyemouth.

We doubled back towards the village of Ayton, and parked near the large, relatively modern, rather austere church by the side of the B6355 (adjacent to the bridge over the Eye Water). This is approximately one mile from Flemington. The old burial ground is beyond the church (which is gloomily surrounded by high trees). There are remains of even older chapels in this extensive burial place.[1] There is a vast number of old headstones, but none was seen bearing the name Carse or Carss. It would be a difficult task to locate such a headstone, amongst so many, assuming one does stand here (see footnote 22 on p.16 below).

Beyond this burial ground can be seen, in the trees above the valley, the roofs of Ayton Castle. Historically one must suppose that it was the family at Ayton Castle that owned the surrounding farms.[2]

A visit was also made to Eyemouth, an attractive small port. No attempt was made to discover burial grounds here. In summary, nothing was found to cast light on our family’s connection to these places.

2) McDougall

Document 173 (p.1) briefly deals with recent discoveries about our McDougall family, more fully set out in the complete family history (trees on pp.133-136 therein). A journey from Belford in Northumberland was made via Wooler into Roxburghshire, with the following findings.

a) Kirknewton

This small settlement lies on the B6351, below Yeavering Bell. Margaret Davidson, the mother of Isabella McDougall, was described as of the “parish of Newton, Northumberland”, when she married John McDougall at Eckford in 1769. By Newton is presumably meant Kirknewton, a parish that abuts Roxburghshire, yet over the border in England. The modern settlement of Kirknewton is small, no more than a few houses. The church lies to the south of the road and has a large burial ground. No Davidson headstones were discovered, although there is a large mausoleum for members of the Davison family. One member of this Davison family (Alexander) achieved distinction as a friend of Admiral Nelson; he evidently accumulated some wealth, perhaps in dubious ways, for his career came to an ignominious end. Details can be found on the internet (e.g. footnote 19 on p.15 below).

b) Cessford

The road is followed from Kirknewton to Kirk Yetholm and thence on the B6401 to Morebattle (crossing into Scotland). Here the country is open and rolling, with good, well-watered farming land. The Kale Water passes Morebattle on its way to join the Teviot at Kalemouth, immediately north of Eckford.

Before reaching Kalemouth a right-turn can be made to Caverton Mill, just off the B6401. This is today a substantial farm with a number of houses and outbuildings. Beyond Caverton Mill the minor road runs to Caverton Mains. Doubling back to the B6401 a left-turn can soon be made to Cessford. This minor road runs west of south, and shortly has a long strip of woodland on its left-hand side. Unseen through the trees the land falls steeply into a deep clough in which flows Cessford Burn. Here, unmarked by any sign today, is the site of a cave, used in ancient times as a place of refuge. A little further on the tiny settlement of Cessford is reached, marked by a terraced line of what appear to be estate houses for farm workers. The road makes a sharp turn to the left to cross Cessford Burn. In olden times this was no doubt the position of the ford, but the approach to the crossing must have been very steep on both sides, dropping down into the deep clough. At some point a bridge has been placed over the burn, and the space above filled by a form of embankment; thus the crossing from one bank to the other is now essentially on the level.

On the opposite side is a large farming complex, evidently a major centre for the surrounding agriculture. Taking a left turn along an even smaller road, up and round the shallow hill, brings one to Cessford Castle.

Cessford Castle was an important stronghold in this area. It is today much ruined, but the site can be visited and there are informative display panels. It is advised to keep away from the building, which is unsafe. The Castle was built by a man called Andrew Ker in about 1450. It was an important position close to the border with England, and thus was attacked by English forces from time to time, for instance in 1523. The main form of the “castle” is of a strongly fortified house and the Kers lived here for several generations, until 1607. With the unification of the crowns under James I, cross-border skirmishes fell away and a more peaceful time ensued. Sir Robert Ker now left the presumably draughty castle, building a new house near Melrose. Sir Robert became the first Earl of Roxburghe. His great great grandson, the fifth earl, built a new, grand palace by the Tweed at Kelso, initially known as Fleurs, but today known as Floors Castle. The Dukes of Roxburghe still live at Floors Castle, a magnificent home (said to be the largest in Scotland). Cessford remains within the ownership of the Roxburghe Estates; the Kers would have been the landlords for all here-abouts for many centuries.

The father of Isabella McDougall (born 1770), John McDougall, was tenant at Cessford Mains in the 1770s; thus Isabella would have been born on the farm of that name and would have grown up in this landscape, with the remains of Cessford Castle upon the hill. I was unable to detect the site of the farm known as Cessford Mains; it is not named on modern maps. Possibly it was on or near the site of the major farm by the crossing of Cessford Burn?

[Since returning from my trip to the north I have made contact with Lisa Wilson, who is also descended from the Eckford McDougalls.[3] She has kindly sent much material, some of which is discussed below. Amongst this is an old map of the Eckford area; this shows the farm called Cessford Mains. The topographical layout seems quite accurate on this old map (of unknown date), various features correlating well with the modern map. Cessford Mains is shown as due south of Cessford Castle, say about a quarter of a mile as can best be judged. This would place Cessford Mains at an un-named building marked on the modern map which, unfortunately, I did not reach: it is just along the rough track that passes the Castle, where I was parked! I was initially doubtful about the accuracy of the old map, for it shows the main settlement of Cessford as either side of the minor road running north of the Castle, a site today of open fields. However, in a portion of her manuscript, Lisa Wilson speaks of Archibald McDougall (of whom more below) who “removed all the old offices and cottages and erected new ones in a better position, of a substantial and the neatest kind”. Possibly this refers to demolition of the old Cessford settlement north of the castle, and the building of the terraced estate houses observed today closer to the crossing of the burn.]

In any event Cessford and the surrounding area would have been well-known to Isabella McDougall as a child. Sadly her residence here was not to be a long one for it seems that both her parents died, her mother in 1779 and her father in 1782. Isabella and younger siblings were left as orphans. I have speculated that the 12-year old Isabella was taken to be a serving girl, perhaps a hand-maiden to a female member of the landlords, the Ker family. In this fashion she may have accompanied her mistress to the family’s Edinburgh town house; here I speculate that she met a servant normally based at the Edinburgh house, one Peter Kinlay. The couple were wed in 1784 when Isabella was only 14! If nothing else the young girl now had a husband and some security in her life.

Peter and Isabella were quickly back at Kelso where Peter became an officer in the Excise. I again speculate: that he was a place-man in the Customs for his employer, who would have considerable influence in the area. At Kelso, Isabella was once more close to her many McDougall relatives at Eckford, discussed below. In particular there was her younger brother, David McDougall, who became tenant of Roxburgh Barns, and who is also identified below. At Kelso Isabella had her first six children; it was to be about 13 further years before, in about 1797/98, Peter and Isabella moved away from Kelso, back to the Edinburgh area. Perhaps at this moment she took her leave of Cessford for ever.

c) Eckford

Leaving Cessford today, and returning to the B6401, a substantial house called Marlefield is past on the left. After a couple of miles a left turn can be made to the village of Eckford, today comprising a small collection of houses and little else. Further on the minor road joins the busy A698 from Jedburgh to Kelso. A right-turn at this point brings one, after about a mile, to the church for Eckford, on the left-hand side of the road. The church is curiously separated from the village of Eckford. It is very difficult to park beside the busy A698 at this point; a hundred yards beyond is the Teviot Smokery and Garden Centre and we were able to stop in their substantial car park, and to walk back to the church.

The parish of Eckford covers a large area, encompassing not only Eckford but also settlements like Cessford and Caverton Mill. The burial ground around the church is a big one, and there are many ancient headstones in addition to modern ones. Initially I was unable to spot any McDougall graves until, finally, I reached the westerly angle of the burial ground, “behind” the church itself. Here were found a number of McDougall headstones relatively close together; the inscriptions were photographed and are transcribed – and discussed - as fully as is possible below.

It is doubtful if the church at Eckford is much used today. Although I was unable to locate a specific burial for the parents of Isabella McDougall, John and Margaret, they no doubt lie here, either in an unmarked plot or beneath a well-weathered, but illegible stone.

d) Roxburgh Barns

From Eckford we drove a few yards towards Kalemouth and here turned sharp left to cross the small weight-restricted trestle bridge over the Teviot. We then followed the minor roads to the “modern” settlement of Roxburgh and thence northwards to Roxburgh Barns. This is a small farm marked on the modern map. The farm house, still bearing a sign “Roxburgh Barns”, is a solid building. It was no doubt here, possibly in an older building, that Isabella’s younger brother, David McDougall was tenant. Further on the minor road joins the busy A699 from St. Boswells to Kelso. Turning right towards Kelso brought us beneath the large mound on which once was Roxburgh Castle. Only a few remnants of the stonework remain, and the site is not accessible from this side. It was here-abouts that there was the original town known as Roxburgh. However the old town, and much of the castle, have long been destroyed.[4] At this point the road is adjacent to the Tweed and northwards, across the Tweed, can be seen the magnificent Floors Castle, home to the Ker family, now Dukes of Roxburghe. Continuing along the A699 soon brought us into Kelso, over the old bridge, thus entering the town where Peter Kinlay worked as an excise officer at the end of the 18th century.

[By the end of the 18th century this area of Scotland was substantially at peace. It had for centuries been fought over by the English and the Scots, and it had been an area of much dispute between individual Scottish families, notably the Kers, the Scotts, and the Douglases, well used to fighting amongst themselves! The Kers became Dukes of Roxburghe, while the Scotts became Dukes of Buccleuch. Probably the coming of Charles Stuart, the Young Pretender, in 1745, was the last period of any great alarums. This would have been recalled by our McDougall ancestors at Cessford and Caverton.[5] With the passing of this period it was possible to settle down to uninterrupted agriculture, for the land was well-watered and productive. The landscape took the form we see it today, no doubt yielding good rents to the landowners. To the modern eye it is an attractive, quiet area, the peaks of the Cheviots seen to the south-east. On the other hand, at the time of Isabella McDougall, it must have been – for the tenant farmers – a place of hard endeavour and little enough reward or amusement. The possibility of moving away, to Edinburgh, down into England, or even of emigrating, must have seemed attractive.]

I turn now to the burials at Eckford.

3) Eckford headstones

As noted above, the following headstones are within a few yards of each other (amongst other graves) at the westerly point of the burial ground, essentially “behind” the church building, and away from the main road. The quality of the inscriptions is very varied, some being perfectly legible, as if carved only yesterday; others are well-weathered and becoming completely illegible. This is a function of the type of stone used in each case. There are no doubt other McDougall burials here, either in unmarked graves, or beneath headstones now totally weathered. One or two stones have toppled forwards onto their faces and any inscription is thus invisible.

The weather was very mixed on the day of my visit, with squally rain. Only one full transcript was made in situ, that of David McDougall (1774-1837); otherwise I am relying on photographs that I took, not all of which are entirely clear. One advantage of studying the headstones themselves is that they can be viewed from differing angles, and in differing light, allowing interpretation of faded words. By comparison, a photograph, although in a sense more permanent, can not be viewed in the same way, when the lettering is difficult to read.

I commence with headstones relating to the family of the “other” John McDougall, known to have been a wright at Caverton. This tree is on p.135 of the full family history. No stone was seen for John and his wife, Janet Lergetwood (Janet is believed to have been buried in 1784), but two stones relate to their children.

William McDougall (1755-1799)

Photo 1217

[At top it may say “Erected (??) by Robert (illegible middle name?) McDougall”[6]]

[First line illegible but seems to end in word “father”[7]]

William McDougall [illegible word which will be a noun describing an occupation, such as farmer or tenant, except neither of these words fits for the discernible letters]

In Marlefield hope (??) who died (??? these last words very much faded)

25 Sept (?) 1799 aged 44 years (?? the actual age is very much faded)

Also Margaret Douglas their (the name is clear but the last word “their” is not)

Mother who died 24 (?) Oct (?) [the year is illegible]

Aged 50 years

Also William McDougall [no word can be read after “McDougall”, but perhaps the word “son” has been lost here?]

Of the above Robert who died

[The next line would commence with a date, but this is almost completely illegible] aged 9 (?) years

[There follow seven lines which are largely illegible; they are written in a smaller script, probably in capital letters. These are followed by five further lines in which occasional words can be made out.][8]

Discussion: This headstone is unfortunately very much weathered and the inscription degraded. It appears to have been set up by Robert and James McDougall, two of the sons of the William McDougall/Margaret Douglas marriage. These individuals can all be seen in my original tree (family history p.135). As discussed below it is perhaps the Robert McDougall here (b.1783) who married Linny Gray; Linny indeed had two sons called William, the first – the eldest child – born in 1810. It is perhaps the death of the first William, as a child, that is recorded part-way down the stone? It is sad that the lettering is mostly lost, since it would no doubt cast light on this family grouping.[9]

Robert McDougall (1765-1818)

Photo 1216

[There is something written above the following text, possibly a date in Roman numerals]

To the Memory of Robert McDougall [last word, the surname, not very legible]

Joiner (?) Caverton Who Died Jan 18 18— [?? The date, particularly the year, is difficult to read on the photograph]

Aged 87 Years (?)[10]

Also (?) Agnes Kersal His Spouse Who

Died Dec 27 (?) 1844 Aged 84 Years

Discussion: The Robert McDougall in this case would be uncle to the Robert McDougall (b.1783) mentioned on the previous headstone. The Robert McDougall/Agnes Kersell couple can be seen on the tree on p.135 of the family history. I had previously speculated that this Robert, born 1765, had married twice. However the inscription reveals that his wife, Agnes, was long-lived. Hence I now re-assign the marriage of Linny Gray to the Robert McDougall, born 1783, as explained above.

Robert McDougall/Agnes Kersell, according to my original tree, produced 8 daughters and one son. Unfortunately none of these off-spring are mentioned on the headstone.

I turn now to the tree shown on p.136 of the family history, that headed by David McDougall/Helen Blair. Again a burial was not discovered for this couple, but there are stones relating to their descendants.

David McDougall (1777-1833)

Photos 1219 and 1220

[In scroll above main lettering: To left of centre, illegible – possibly A.D.; to right of centre, 1844][11]

In Memory of

David McDougall

Late Tenant in Caverton Mill

Who Died Decr 19 1833 Aged 56 Years [? very worn]

And of

Rebecca Walker [“his wife” ? very worn]

Who Died [? the rest of this line too worn to read]

And of [? very worn]

[There are probably two more lines comprising a name and then the relevant date of death, but these are almost completely worn away]

Discussion: By my reckoning the David McDougall here is the third in a line; his father, David (born 1736), is known to have been called David McDougall Jnr., and he was tenant at Caverton Miln (i.e. Mill). Thus David McDougall III, born 1777, followed his father in the tenancy at Caverton Mill. David McDougall III married Rebecca Walker in 1812, as seen in the tree on p.136 of the family history. The couple had three children, although perhaps only one of these is mentioned – illegibly - on the headstone. David McDougall III would have been a cousin to Isabella McDougall. Of the various McDougall headstones at Eckford this one is by far the most ornate, and would no doubt have been expensive.

Archibald McDougall (1778-1840)

Photo 1218

In Memory of

Archibald McDougall

Tenant in Cessford

Who Died 15th September 1840

Aged 61 Years,

And of

Christian Archbald

His Wife

Who Died 10th October 1856

Aged 67 Years.

And of

Agnes Walker McDougall

Their Eldest Daughter

Who Died 30th April 1863

Aged 47 Years.

And of

David McDougall

Their Eldest Son

Who Died 30th April 1862

Aged 44 Years

Discussion: This inscription is still very clear and legible; the genealogy it sets out is also very precise, and accurately concurs with the portion of the tree I drew on p.136 of the family history, in that case based on information in the Scottish OPRs (for Eckford parish). It will be seen that all the family are mentioned, with the exception of the “youngest” child, Helen Blair McDougall, for whom information is given on a nearby headstone (described below).

We see that Archibald McDougall is described as tenant at Cessford. Given the general geographical precision of these various headstones, this is taken to mean that Archibald was based at Cessford rather than at nearby Caverton. By “Cessford” might be meant the farm known as Cessford Mains (see p.3 above). If this is the case, then Archibald would have followed – no doubt after an interval of one or more other tenants – the father of our Isabella, namely John McDougall (1730-1782). This John McDougall is known to have been tenant at Cessford Mains; the tenancy would, of course, have become vacant on John’s death in 1782, when Archibald was only 3 years old. According to the trees I have produced, John McDougall (1730-1782) was the uncle of Archibald McDougall, so the tenancy was staying within the family. We should note that Archibald’s father, David McDougall II (born 1736), was tenant at Caverton Mill, where he was followed by his son David III (see above). Thus, in the early 19th century, Caverton Mill was occupied by David McDougall III, while his younger brother, Archibald, occupied Cessford.

It is Archibald McDougall who is a direct ancestor of Lisa Wilson, who I was recently able to contact via the internet. Lisa sent me a partial family history she is putting together. Here is what she says about Archibald McDougall:

“Archibald McDougall was born in 1779 at Caverton Mill. On 1st July 1814 at the age of 35 yrs he married Christian Archbald, daughter of Charles Archbald and Agnes Walker[12], in Eckford parish Church. Christian was born in 1789. They had 8 children, Agnes Walker 1815, David and Francis 1817, Helen Blair 1819, Jane Archbald 1821, Robert Archbald 1822, Archibald 1827, Jessie Johnston 1830.

Archibald Snr died on 15th Sept 1840 at the age of 61 yrs. He is buried at Eckford. Christian died at Fram [sic] Cottage, Jedburgh Burgh, on 10th Oct 1856 at the age of 67 yrs. She was buried on 16th Oct 1856 in Eckford Kirkyard.”

And:

“The largest farm in the parish is the barony of Cessford, which consists of upwards of 2000 acres of land. In the 1841 statistical account of Eckford, the Reverend Joseph Yair (who happens to be my GGG grandfather) explains that this land had long been occupied by Mr Archibald McDougall, a gentleman whose ancestors resided for generations on the Roxburgh estate. He was well known to be one of the most skillful and intelligent agriculturists in the district. Between 1811-1841 he had made great improvements to the property. In the course of that time he had enclosed, at his own cost, the whole farm, drained it as efficiently as possible and cultivated upwards of 300 acres of moorland. He had also removed all the old offices and cottages and erected new ones in a better position, of a substantial and “the neatest” kind.

Independently of the expenses of liming the whole of this large farm, his outlay amounted upwards of £4000.”

Lisa subsequently assigns the farm she speaks of, to that at Caverton Mill; however, my own belief is that Archibald was at Cessford, while it was his older brother, David McDougall III, who was at Caverton Mill. Lisa’s account makes clear that Archibald had responsibility for the farm from about 1811, no doubt until his death in 1840, and that he made very substantial improvements at his own expense. As we shall see below, the Reverend Joseph Yair, mentioned in Lisa’s account, was Archibald’s son-in-law, marrying Helen Blair McDougall in December 1836.

Lisa says that Archibald and Christian McDougall had 8 children; I can only account for three of these, the three shown on my tree on p.136 of the family history, these same three being mentioned on two headstones at Eckford. Whether the remaining children died as infants, or whether they are mentioned on headstones elsewhere I can not say[13].

I now move on to Helen Blair McDougall, the third of these children.

Helen Blair McDougall (1819-1889)

Photo 1215

[At top] Sacred to the Memory of

The Reverend Joseph Yair A.M.

Sixty Three Years Minister of Eckford

Born 2nd September 1798 Died 25th April 1892

And his Wife Helen Blair McDougall

Born 11th July 1819 Died 27th Jany 1889

And their Children

Janet Elizabeth Colquhoun

Born 27th July 1842 Died 24th May 18--[14]

Elizabeth Colquhoun

Born 25th Jany 1848 Died 18th Feby 1890

John MacRea

Born 9th Dec 1854 Died 31st May 1903

Archibald McDougall

Born 30th Dec 1844 Died 6th July 1909

Agnes Archbald McDougall

Born 27th Dec 1851 Died 13th Aug 1912 (?)

Christian Archbald McDougall

Born 16th July 1838 Died 10th July 1921

David William

Born 28th Aug 1840 Died 9th April 1923

Helen Blair McDougall

Born 2nd March 1846 Died 1st Feb 1930

Joseph Yair

Born 20th January 1850 Died 22nd November 1939

[On plinth] Also Janet Paterson Relict of the late David Yair, Glasgow,

And Mother of the above Rev Joseph Yair

Born 28th May 1776 Died 14th Feby 1848

And Elizabeth Colquhoun Daughter of the said

David Yair and Janet Paterson

Born 6th Feby 1819 Died 4th Aug 1895 (?)[15]

Discussion: This fine headstone, made from a pink granite or marble, is right in the top corner of the burial ground at Eckford. The inscription is generally clear and it provides detailed information for a Helen Blair McDougall, born in July 1819. Reference to my tree on p.136 of the family history will show that there were two Helen Blair McDougalls born about this period, one (born 1816) being the daughter of David McDougall/Rebecca Walker, the second (1819) being the daughter of Archibald McDougall/Christian Archbald. It will be the second of these who is commemorated on the current headstone, for I show her (presumably) baptised on 16 August 1819, just over a month after her birth on 11 July 1819. This is confirmed by Helen naming her first child (and first daughter) Christian Archbald McDougall Yair, after Helen’s own mother, Christian Archbald McDougall.

We see that Helen made a significant marriage locally, to the Minister of Eckford, Joseph Yair. It is known, from information supplied by Lisa Wilson, that this marriage occurred 12 December 1836, when Helen was 17 years old (and Joseph was 38[16]). Helen and Joseph Yair then had the 9 children named on the headstone. Helen died in 1889, when she was 69 years old. Joseph died three years later, 1892, at the grand age of 94! He had been Minister at Eckford for a remarkable 63 years.

Lisa Wilson is descended from Helen and Joseph’s first child, Christian Archbald McDougall Yair, who married another minister, Rev. William Lamb, on 28 January 1869. William was the Minister at Ednam, a village about two miles north of Kelso. This couple soon had 6 children before the father, Rev. William Lamb, died in 1877 – after 8 years of marriage![17] Rather than moving back to Eckford it seems that the widowed Christian took her family to Dollar (Clackmannanshire), close to Oriel College where the children could be educated. Christian lived on until 1921, dying aged 82, and was buried at Norwood Cemetery in London. It is apparently from one of Christian’s sons, George Lamb (born 1875), that Lisa is descended. George Lamb subsequently emigrated to South Africa.

In summary, three of the McDougall headstones relate to the families set out on the tree on p.136 of our family history. They are linked by descent from the David McDougall/Helen Blair couple shown at the head of that tree. That David McDougall was born in 1736 and was, by my interpretation, uncle to our Isabella McDougall. I turn now to a final headstone, which I believe is that of Isabella’s brother.

David McDougall (1774-1837)

Photos 1221 and 1222

Erected[18]

In Memory of

David McDougall who died at Barns

On the 30th Sept 1837 Aged 63 Years

Also

Jane Archibald his Wife who died

At Sharplaw on the 22nd June 1820 Aged 39 Years

Also John their eldest Son, Tenant Craigie

Law, who died 18 Jan 1857 Aged 43 Years, and

Who was interred in Aberlady Churchyard,

East Lothian Also

Robert Archibald their second Son

A.S. in H.M.S. who died at Sierra Leone

On the 27 July 1839 Aged 24 Years

And

Agnes their Daughter who died

At Aberlady on the 9th May 1843 Aged – Years[19]

Discussion: This headstone is immediately adjacent to that of David McDougall/Rebecca Walker (see above, p.7). Unlike that weathered stone, the inscription here, on a grey slate, has remained clear. It refers to a David McDougall who died at “Barns”, aged 63, in 1837. Unfortunately the terms “Barns” is vague; however, the modern map shows no likely place in the immediate vicinity of Eckford. The nearest is Roxburgh Barns, roughly five miles to the north, in the neck of land at the confluence of the rivers Teviot and Tweed. My belief is thus that this stone commemorates David McDougall, born at Eckford in late 1774, and who was known – from Peter Kinlay’s will – to be tenant at Roxburgh Barns. This David was Isabella’s younger brother and thus became Peter’s brother-in-law. Peter made him one of the three Executors of his will (Document 132, p.5 et seq). By the time that Peter died in January 1822, David was the only surviving Executor, and it was he who then had to deal with Peter’s estate. We know from the archived documentation that David could not attend in Edinburgh, and that he was granted permission to deal with matters from Kelso (May 1822).

The name “David McDougall” is a very common one and, despite placing him at Roxburgh Barns, I had been hitherto unable to discover anything about him. Born in 1774 he would indeed be aged about 63 when he died in September 1837, consistent with the headstone above. Thus his age, his death at “Barns”, and his naming his first son John (after his own father), all fit for this being the David McDougall who was younger brother to Isabella.

If so, it is of interest that he is commemorated at Eckford; I have not investigated any burials closer to Roxburgh Barns (there is a church at Roxburgh).

Taking the identification as a firm one, it can now be seen that David’s wife was Jane Archibald. With this precise information to hand it was possible to use the web site to establish that David McDougall married Jane Archibald at Kelso on 30 March 1807. This same site then yielded the birth (with David as father) of John McDougall, at Roxburgh, on 3 May 1813; and of Robert Archibald McDougall (with Jane as mother), at Roxburgh on 17 July 1815. [I also used this web site to seek the birth of the daughter, Agnes, for whom unfortunately no age is given on the grave. The only likely match found was for an Agnes Walker McDougall, with father David McDougall, Agnes being born at Roxburgh, 12 January 1808. This may well be the correct birth, just over nine months after the couple married in 1807. The curious point about this finding is the middle name given to Agnes, for we have already seen an Agnes Walker McDougall born at Eckford parish in 1815 to Archibald McDougall and his wife, Christian (e.g. p.8 above). Christian’s maiden name was Archbold, and we see from Lisa Wilson’s information that Christian’s mother’s maiden name was Agnes Walker (footnote 11 on p.9). This leads to the intriguing idea that the Jane Archibald who marries “our” David McDougall in 1807 was actually the older sister of the Christian Archbold (sic) who married Archibald McDougall in 1814: both Jane and Christian would have as their mother the woman with maiden name Agnes Walker, both women thus naming their first daughters after their own mother. It is possible that research in the appropriate OPRs at the ScotlandsPeople web site would cast light on this idea, but I have not felt it worthwhile to buy any credits!] Returning to the headstone, it can be seen that the son John McDougall moved away from the Roxburgh area, becoming tenant at Craigie Law, near Aberlady on the Firth of Forth. His younger brother, Robert, (evidently an able seaman on one of His/Her Majesty’s ships) died young in Sierra Leone. The daughter, Agnes, was perhaps also living with her brother at Aberlady when she died in 1843.

David’s wife, Jane Archibald, died in 1820, just two years before Peter Kinlay. Jane is recorded as having died at Sharplaw; this was evidently a nearby place, for no further information is supplied about it. The internet reveals that Sharplaw is a farm (marked on modern maps) about one mile north of Jedburgh, thus about five miles from Eckford. Why Jane died here, rather than at Roxburgh Barns, is not known. Probably she was ailing and was being looked after by other relatives?

If my identification is correct then David McDougall lived on until 1837. This is six years after the youngest of Peter Kinlay’s children (Thomas) reached 21. Thus, under the terms of Peter’s will, David would still have been alive in 1831 to put the distribution of Peter’s estate into effect. Amongst those to receive their portion would have been David McDougall’s nephew (and namesake), David Kinlay, my great great grandfather.

In summary, there seems every likelihood that the David McDougall here is Isabella’s younger brother, the surviving executor of Peter Kinlay. Much more is thus now known about David and his family.

Overall Comments: A number of points can be made about the Eckford/Cessford McDougalls.

• All the observed McDougall headstones at Eckford church can be accommodated within the trees originally drawn up (based on the Eckford OPRs) in pp.133-136 of the Family History;

• There are no McDougall headstones at Eckford that indicate any other families of this name in the parish;

• No “early” McDougall headstones were detected at Eckford: by this is meant stones relating to the earlier McDougall generations, for instance our ancestors, John and Margaret McDougall, who are believed to have died in 1782 and 1779 respectively. The earliest death seen on the gravestones was that of the William McDougall who died, aged 44 (?), in 1799 (p.6 above). In other words, the inscriptions virtually all related to individuals who died in the 19th (and 20th) century. There are at least two reasons for this: firstly the older headstones have no doubt weathered so that any inscriptions are no longer legible: there are many stones of this type (plus some that have fallen forwards onto their “front” faces). Secondly it is possible that earlier burials, in more constrained times, were not marked by any permanent memorial. It must surely be the case that our ancestors, John and Margaret McDougall, lie in this burial ground;

• Two of the headstones relate to the descendants of the “other” John McDougall (wright at Caverton Mill), i.e. the tree on p.135 of the family history. Three of the headstones relate to the descendants of the David McDougall (tenant at Caverton Mill) born in 1736 (tree p.136 of the family history). This David McDougall is believed to be the younger brother of our direct ancestor, John McDougall, born 1730, tenant at Cessford Mains. Particularly as a result of information supplied by Lisa Wilson (to whom many thanks!), the descendants of this David McDougall are well-documented;

• Only one headstone can be linked closely to our John/Margaret McDougall family, shown on p.133 of the family history. This is for the David McDougall, born 1774, believed to be the younger brother of our ancestor Isabella McDougall. He was tenant at Roxburgh Barns, so-described in Peter Kinlay’s testamentary documents; by the date of Peter’s death in 1822, this David McDougall was the only surviving Executor. He must, therefore, have been responsible for resolving the final dispositions of Peter’s estate. That there is only this one headstone at Eckford relating closely to Isabella’s family can be explained in a number of ways: (i) the earlier generations have, as mentioned above, not been seen as recorded on legible stones; (ii) some of the children shown in the tree on p.133 of the Family History probably died as infants; (iii) the women, if they reached adulthood, no doubt married and received new surnames – this was certainly the case with Isabella, who married Peter Kinlay; (iv) some people no doubt dispersed from Eckford, as Isabella did (she is probably buried in the cemetery at Leith South);

• Such evidence as there is about the Eckford/Cessford/Caverton McDougalls indicates that these people were not landowners, or of large wealth. They would be tenants of the local great family, the Kers who by the late 18th century were Dukes of Roxburghe, at Floors Castle. Nonetheless these McDougalls were substantial people, typically running the major farms in the area, such as Cessford Mains. They would be important in their local communities, and no doubt responsible for employing a wide variety of other men and their families. It is notable that both our ancestor, John McDougall, and his younger brother, David (David McDougall II, born 1736), were provided the title “Mr.” when recorded in the Eckford OPRs, distinguishing them from other men who were not accorded any title. It is also of interest that John’s wife is similarly recorded as Miss Margaret Davidson, when the couple marry in 1769. Thus arguably Margaret too was from a similar stratum of society, in Kirknewton in Northumberland. Possibly she was related to the Davison family in that area, male members of that family figuring in the development of the new North American territory known as Canada.[20] The standing of the McDougalls at Eckford is illustrated by the way that Archibald (1778-1840) improved the farm at which he was tenant (p.9 above);

• Very probably the Eckford McDougalls were descended from a very small number of McDougall ancestors, possibly only one man of this name. Lisa Wilson traces a suggested history back to a James Mackdowgall, born at Kelso in about 1582. Later male descendants of James were baptised at Roxburgh, leading eventually to a great great grandson of the “original” James, called Thomas Mackdowgall, baptised at Roxburgh in 1684 (or 1689?). In the records the spelling of this man’s name changes to McDougall. Thomas married Margaret Rutherford, and the couple had 6 children, the first being named David. He was born at Caverton Mill and baptised at Eckford in about 1706. This David McDougall is the man of that name who heads the tree on p.133 of our Family History. He married Margaret Lillie in 1726, and it is notable that their first two children are named Thomas and Margaret, now seen to be the forename’s of David’s parents. There is no clue in this genealogy of any link to the important Hay-Makdougall family, resident at Makerstoun House, about 5 miles north-west of Eckford, on the north bank of the Tweed. However it is curious that when Peter Kinlay returned to Kelso with his new bride, Isabella McDougall, in 1784, Peter went not to Eckford but to Makerstoun, to record his “consignation”. The payment of his one shilling fee on 1 September 1784 is recorded, as it happens, on the same page of the Makerstoun parish register as the marriage of Sir Henry Hay Macdougall to Miss Douglass, second daughter of Sir James Douglass of Springwood Park (across the Tweed from Kelso); Sir Henry’s marriage took place 11 May 1782. It can only be speculation that there was indeed some ancient link between the Makerstoun Hay Makdougalls, and the McDougalls at Eckford;[21]

• When Peter Kinlay married the apparently 14-year old Isabella McDougall in 1784 he evidently provided some security to the recently orphaned girl. Isabella produced her first child the following year when she herself was but 15; this child, a daughter, was named Margaret, after Isabella’s deceased mother. Isabella went on to have, in total, 14 known children! Her Kinlay sons and daughters – latterly living at Leith - must have been told of their McDougall relatives at Eckford, people with some standing in their own communities. They must certainly have known of their uncle, David McDougall who, after Peter Kinlay’s death in 1822 (Isabella had died earlier, at an unknown date), was the sole remaining Executor. It fell to David McDougall, who was at Roxburgh Barns, to settle their father’s affairs. In this way, in the first half of the 19th century, the McDougall name and history would have been well-known to the Kinlays. Our own direct ancestor, David Kinlay (born 1809), was no doubt named after his uncle, David McDougall. This David Kinlay was the grandfather of Grandma Conway (Emma Conway née Kinlay). David Kinlay died in 1874, seven years before Grandma Conway was born. Thus there was no possibility of direct contact between these two.[22] Nonetheless the McDougall name was recalled by Grandma Conway and told to me in the 1950s. Sadly, apart from this knowledge of the surname, all other information seemed to have been lost over the years: who these McDougalls were, where they lived, their social standing, etc. The information would have remained lost to us had it not been for a single record: the calling of the banns between Peter Kinlay and Isabella McDougall, at St. Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh, 27 August 1784. “…Isobella McDougall Residenter there, Daur of the Deceas’d John McDougall, late tenant at Cessfurd, in the Shire of Roxburgh…”

I close by noting that the latest entry on the Eckford “McDougall” headstones was for Joseph Yair (son of Helen Blair Yair née McDougall), Joseph born in 1850, died in 1939. Thus these families were still being recorded at Eckford as late as the mid-20th century. Whether any McDougalls (or their female descendants) live in the parish at the present day I know not.[23]

Updated trees are provided at the end of this document.

Note added November 2010

Following completion of pp. 1-16 above I discovered that the Borders Family History Society (mentioned in footnote 22 on p.16) had transcribed, and published, the inscriptions on the headstones at Eckford kirkyard. I accordingly purchased a copy of their booklet and, from this source, comment on the McDougall graves as follows (in the same order as on pp. 6-12 above).

William McDougall (1755-1799)

This is entry no. 51 (p.15) of the Eckford booklet.

“Erected by Robt. and James McDougall in memory of their father William McDougall late tenant in Marlefield Hope who died 25.9.1799 aged 44 years also Margaret Douglas their mother who died 24.10.1799 aged 55 years also William McDougall son of the above Robert who died 20.4.1878 aged 6 years. The above Robert McDougall who died at Harden[24] 13.8.1858(?) aged 75 years also Appelena Gray his wife who died at Harden 20.10.1864 aged 75 years also John McDougall their son who died at Upper Nisbet 7.6.1884 aged 71 years also Margaret Hermiston wife of the above John McDougall who died at Linton 17.10.?”

Comment: The Borders FHS transcribers have done an excellent job in untangling this inscription, which is very weathered. Following comparison with my own efforts on p.6, and with the photograph I took, I now agree almost entirely with the BFHS wording. There are perhaps two points at issue:

i) the photograph suggests that the age of Margaret Douglas at death was 50, rather than 55;

ii) the year of death of young William McDougall given above (1878) can surely not be correct. The Robert McDougall/Linny Gray couple (see below) had two sons named William, one born in 1810, and the second in 1817. If the child recorded on the headstone was indeed 6 years old, this fits best for the first of these children, William born in 1810. If he then died in 1816 we can see why the next son, born in 1817, might take William’s name.

It can be seen that the Robert McDougall, who died aged 75 in 1858 (at Harden/possibly Hadden), would have been born in about 1783, exactly as shown on my original tree (p.135 of the Family History). We also see that his wife is named as Appelena Gray, consistent with her being described as Linny (or Leny) Gray in other sources. This confirms the revision of my earlier suggestion regarding which Robert McDougall it was that Linny Gray had married.

Robert McDougall (1765-1818)

No. 55 (p.15 Eckford booklet).

The booklet wording is mostly as I have it with the exception that the supposed Roman numeral at the top is read, probably correctly, as “Erected”, and the year of Robert’s death is given as 1848. Re-examination of the photograph would be consistent with these interpretations. If Robert died aged 87 in January 1848, this places his birth probably in 1760. In fact it seems he was born in 1765, in which case he was 82 when he died.

David McDougall (1777-1833)

No. 24 (p.10 Eckford booklet).

The booklet suggestion is that it reads: “Erected by ----- Caverton Mill in the year AD 1844 In memory of…”, with the following text much as I have it. The Eckford booklet suggests the date of David’s death is 1st December 1833, but the photographs are more consistent with my reading of December 19 that year. No mention is made of any text beyond “…Rebecca Walker”, but again the photograph suggests my reading is accurate.

Archibald McDougall (1778-1840)

No. 50 (p.14 Eckford booklet).

The inscription on this stone is very clear and our wordings agree, with the exception of Christian’s surname, given as “Archibald” in the Eckford booklet. In fact it is quite clearly “Archbald” on my photograph.

On the other hand, the Eckford booklet records that there is an inscription on the reverse of this stone which I had missed. It reads: “In memory of John Archbald late tenant in Sharplaw who died at Marlefield 9.10.1829 aged 31 years.”

Comment: It is of some interest that there was a John Archbald at Sharplaw. This place is mentioned on the headstone (p.12 above) of “our” David McDougall, younger brother of Isabella. This David’s wife was called Jane Archibald, born about 1780; I have considered above (p.13) that Jane might have been an older sister of the Christian Archbald who married Archibald McDougall in 1814. Christian had been born in about 1789. We now see that there was also a John Archbald, born about 1798. Was he a younger brother of Jane and Christian? If so it may well account for Jane having died at Sharplaw in 1820; was she at her brother’s house when she died in 1820? Sharplaw is a farm, just north of Jedburgh; given that this is such a small settlement, it seems likely that there must be a family connection between these various people with the surname Archibald/Archbald. It is also intriguing that they became linked to the Eckford McDougalls.

Helen Blair McDougall (1819-1889)

No. 57 (p.16 Eckford booklet).

There is mostly agreement about the text on this monument. The Eckford booklet has Janet Elizabeth Colquhoun Yair dying 24 May 1856 (I could not read the year). My photograph shows that the year of death of Elizabeth Colquhoun Yair was 1890, not 1899 as the booklet has it. The second name for Agnes and Christian is “Archbald”, confirmed by the photograph – not “Archibald” as the booklet has it. Finally, Elizabeth Colquhoun (right at the foot of the monument) was born in 1813, not 1819 as I had read it – this year was mostly off the bottom of the photograph.

David McDougall (1774-1837)

No. 25 (p.11 Eckford booklet).

There is agreement about this headstone although the Eckford booklet has not recorded the final phrase about Agnes, after the year 1843, that she was “aged -- years”, where the mason has omitted her age.

The above are the six Eckford memorials that I had found on my visit. The Borders FHS booklet has a seventh McDougall stone. The reason that I missed this one is that it is much more modern than the others, and thus in a quite different part of the Kirk yard. It is no. 439 (p.67) of the Eckford booklet and reads: “In memory of William Lawson Eckford died 26.9.1954 Jane McDougall wife of the above died 22.12.1961 Elizabeth Lawson daughter died 21.8.1952 and of their daughter Margaret who died at Kelso 12.12.1987 aged 87.” It is not known whether the Jane McDougall here was in any way related to the much earlier Eckford families of this surname.

Eckford Parish Hearth Tax

The Borders FHS booklet also contains a transcription of names in SRO E69/21/1, the Eckford Parish Hearth Tax. There is no precise date given for this original document, except that it was late “seventeenth century”. Thus it would be about the period 1680-1699. The hearth tax was a method for raising revenue, based on the number of hearths in a given household; such documents provide a kind of census of the population, long before the more usual type of census came into existence.

I estimate there are about 200 individuals named in this hearth tax list. As far as I can see none has the surname McDougall. This would be consistent with the idea, from the listing given by Lisa Wilson, that the first McDougall to move into the parish of Eckford was probably Thomas McDougall. Thomas must have arrived at Caverton Mill at the beginning of the 18th century, his first-born son, David, being born there in about 1706. David was evidently baptised at Eckford. This David McDougall is the one shown at the head of the tree on p.133 of the Family History, he who marries Margaret Lillie in 1726. Prior to Thomas McDougall coming to Eckford he was presumably at Roxburgh; possibly the McDougall name would therefore occur in the list for the Roxburgh hearth tax?

The David McDougall/Margaret Lillie marriage led to two of the three McDougall trees I provided in the Family History, i.e. that on p.133 (where Isabella McDougall was grand-daughter to the couple, Isabella in turn marrying Peter Kinlay, thus yielding our Kinlay family); and the tree shown on p.136, where the David McDougall who marries Helen Blair at the top is a son in the David McD/Margaret Lillie family.

It remains unknown where the John McDougall (who marries Janet Lergetwood; tree Fam Hist p.135) fits into this Eckford McDougall picture. This “other” John McDougall was a wright at Caverton and it is reasonable to suppose that he was related to the other McDougalls in this parish. Possibly he represents an earlier branch from the family, from its Roxburgh days. This “other” John named his first son William, and this could suggest that John’s own father had been named William McDougall. Lisa Wilson records that the Roxburgh/Caverton Thomas McDougall above was born in 1689, and that his younger brother (born 1691) was indeed called William. If this William had married about 1720 he might well have had a son named John in, say, 1730. That son, John, might well have been the one to marry Janet Lergetwood in 1754. This argument would make the “other” John McDougall, wright at Caverton, a cousin of the David McDougall who married Margaret Lillie. It is notable that the “other” John McDougall makes use of the forenames William, James, Robert, and Thomas for his sons; these all occur in the McDougall lineage given by Lisa Wilson for the earlier Kelso/Roxburgh McDougalls.

Final word on the Eckford McDougalls

Taken together the evidence shows that there was a growing family of McDougalls in and around Eckford parish from about 1700 and into the 19th century. They are probably descended from a Thomas McDougall who arrived at Caverton from nearby Roxburgh in the early years of the 18th century. Another strand is represented by the “other” John McDougall, a wright at Caverton, who marries Janet Lergetwood at Eckford in 1754; this John may well be a nephew of Thomas.

From Thomas, and particularly from his first-born son, David (who married Margaret Lillie at Eckford in 1726[25]), there descended further McDougall branches in this parish. Probably a number of the children died in infancy, but others certainly reached maturity, some of the sons becoming hard-working tenant farmers at Caverton and at Cessford. Unfortunately there are no legible headstones representing the burials of the early Eckford McDougall generations. However, by the late 18th century, and into the 19th century (and 20th), the Eckford headstones provide useful records of several individual McDougall families.

Utilising the Scottish OPRs, the headstone inscriptions, and data from Lisa Wilson (to whom many thanks again) it has been possible to construct trees showing the relationships of these McDougall families. Updated versions are appended on the following pages.

Amongst the sons of David McDougall/Margaret Lillie was John (born 1730), who became tenant at Cessford Mains. This John McDougall married Margaret Davidson at Eckford in 1769 and their first-born (1770) was a daughter, Isabella. Another surviving child of John and Margaret was a son, given the family name David McDougall, born in 1774. John and Margaret evidently died when their children were still very young; for instance John died in 1782. It is not known with any certainty what became of the young children at this point; I have speculated that young Isabella was taken as a serving girl into the household of the local landlords, the Kers, by then the Dukes of Roxburghe, at Floors Castle. In this way she might have found her way to Edinburgh, there meeting a servant in the “town house” of the family, by the name of Peter Kinlay. The couple were married when Isabella was still only 14 years old!

Peter and Isabella Kinlay returned to Kelso where Peter’s employment changed from “Gentleman’s Servant” to Excise Officer. Amongst their eventual 14 children was to be a David Kinlay (born Edinburgh 1809); it seems likely that this David took his forename from the Eckford McDougall Davids. If so he gave his name to many subsequent David Kinlays in our family, reaching right down to my own brother, David Kinlay Turner!

Isabella’s brother, the David McDougall born in 1774, married Jane Archibald, at Kelso in 1807, and David became tenant at Roxburgh Barns. He was eventually to be the only surviving executor of Peter Kinlay’s estate.

Isabella’s late father, John, had a younger brother, also bearing the family name David McDougall (!). This David, born at Eckford in 1736, married an Edinburgh girl, Helen Blair, at Eckford in 1770. This David Jnr. evidently in turn took over from his father, David Snr., as tenant at Caverton Miln. From the David McDougall/Helen Blair couple there resulted at least two sons: David McDougall III who married Rebecca Walker at Eckford in 1812 and who was subsequently tenant at Caverton; and Archibald McDougall who married Christian Archbald at Eckford in 1814, and was subsequently tenant at Cessford. Christian Archbald, incidentally, was very probably a younger sister of the Jane Archibald who married “our” David McDougall at Kelso in 1807.

Amongst the children of Archibald McDougall/Christian Archbald was a daughter (b.1819), named Helen Blair McDougall - after her grandmother. This girl married the Reverend Joseph Yair, minister at Eckford, in 1836; it is from this branch of the family that Lisa Wilson is descended.

Eventually the McDougalls began to disperse and to disappear from Eckford. An example of the daughters is Isabella who, by marriage, became a Kinlay. Isabella was finally in Leith, dying there somewhere between 1810 and 1820. Her children, the Kinlays, in turn dispersed, throughout Scotland, England, and further afield.

Another example is Isabella’s brother, David. To be sure he was not so far away from Eckford, at Roxburgh Barns, but we see that his son, John, was eventually tenant at Craigie Law, in East Lothian, while another son, Robert Archibald McDougall, died in Sierra Leone.

Thus, after several generations, there were probably no longer any McDougalls left at Eckford. Correspondingly their stories died out within the families. In our case, by 1950, only the surname McDougall was left to us – the name of Grandma Conway’s great grandmother. We now know that this lady was Isabella McDougall; we also know much more about her origins close to the ruined castle of the Kers at Cessford. On this last topic the Eckford Parish Hearth Tax listing records nine hearths at the Castle, saying “The castle of Cesfoord waste”. Walls and family links, they all fall away with time!

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[1] In ancient times the Great North Road passed through Ayton, making it a place of some importance on journeys between England and Scotland. A number of significant meetings of the Scottish and English Kings, and their representatives, took place, for example in the old chapel at Ayton, now ruined.

[2] The Ayton Castle seen today was built in 1851, replacing a fortified house burnt down in 1834. In more ancient times the family that owned Ayton House were the Homes.

[3] Lisa’s partly developed McDougall website is at: mcdougallfamily.html

[4] The old town of Roxburgh, and the castle, had at one period been essentially the capital of Scotland, a royal residence. The site was eventually obliterated to prevent its again falling into English hands, for it was too close to the border.

[5] Of this period Lisa Wilson says: “… David McDougall …. was tenant in 1745 when the Jacobite Army was marching south, and that he … was one of those called by night by the Duke of Roxburghe to convey the Floors castle treasure chests to Caverton Mill where they were concealed in the stockyard until any danger from looting soldiers was past.”

[6] My best guess/interpretation is that the top portion reads “Erected by Robt and James McDougall”.

[7] Following on from the previous footnote, this line probably reads “In memory of their father”.

[8] My best guess-timate for the first seven lines is: “The Above Robt McDougall/Who Died At XXXXXX/[Date] Aged ZZ Years/Also (? Presumably his wife?) YYYYY (illegible forename) VVVV (illegible surname which might be “Gray”?)/His Wife (?) Who Died At ZZZZ/[Date] Aged 75 (?) Years/Also ZZZZ (illegible forename) McDougall (short word at end? Possibly “His”)/”. The final five lines may be: “Son (??) Who Died At Morebattle (?)/7th June [Illegible year] Aged 71 (?) Years/Also Margaret [illegible surname which seems to end in “ston” or “stone”] relict (??)/The Above John (??) McDougall Who Died At/[Illegible place] [Date] Aged XX Years (?).”

[9] finds the marriage of Robert McDougall to Leny (sic) Gray on 28 May 1809. It took place at Eccles, Berwickshire; this place is about 8 miles north north east of Kelso, hence certainly within a day’s walk of Eckford. In addition to the children shown in my original tree (Family History, p.135), finds two further children: Margaret, b./bpt. 24 July 1822, and James, b./bpt. 23 September 1824.

[10] In brief notes made directly from the headstone I have written the year of death of Robert McDougall as 1818 (?); however he is believed to have been born in 1765. Thus, if he was 87 when he died, the year of his death would be 1851 or 1852.

[11] Close inspection of the photographs reveals that there is also some lettering on the plinth above the main part of the memorial. Lisa Wilson had evidently noticed this on her visit to Eckford in 1997 and she suggests this portion reads: “Erected by the people of Caverton Mill in 1833 (?)”.

[12] We can now see why Christian McDougall named her first daughter, Agnes Walker McDougall! It was after her own mother. We should also note that Archibald’s older brother, David McDougall III, married Rebecca Walker; possibly Rebecca was another member of this local family?

[13] It should be noted that the son, David McDougall, is described on the headstone as the “eldest son”, which infers that there were indeed later sons. Note also that Lisa states that the mother, Christian, died at Jedburgh, suggesting that at least one of her children had settled here, caring for Christian as she approached her end.

[14] These transcripts are from my photographs of the headstones, and the numerals, etc., are not always legible. The year is possibly 1856 or 1888??

[15] The final line is only partially visible on the bottom of my photograph.

[16] There is an interesting parallel here with Isabella McDougall/Peter Kinlay, except that Isabella was even younger – probably only 14 – when she married Peter. Helen’s father, Archibald McDougall, was Isabella’s cousin, though it is likely that Isabella McDougall Kinlay was already dead (in Leith) by the time that Helen was born at Eckford in 1819.

[17] William Lamb was evidently much older than his wife; when they married in 1869 he must have been about 60, while Christian was 30.

[18] Unfortunately both photographs are rather blurred; however, for this headstone, I wrote a full transcript at the time of my visit.

[19] The age for Agnes was omitted: presumably the stone mason was not provided with a number to insert.

[20] Regarding Alexander Davison, and his younger brother, see for instance: monuments/davisons-obelisk

[21] On the wider importance of Makerstoun, the eldest daughter (and heir) of Sir Henry Hay Makdougall married (in 1819) a man who then took Makdougall as part of his name: Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane (1773-1860). Makerstoun thus passed into his ownership. Sir Thomas had been a friend of Arthur Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington), and had fought – amongst other places – in the Peninsular War. Sir Thomas took up important responsibilities in the new Australian colonies, and the city of Brisbane is named after him! See for example: adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010141b.htm

[22] There would, of course, have been contact between Gandma Conway and her own father, William Kinlay, David’s son. David Kinlay’s widow, Eleanor née Carss (died 1912), would also have been known to Grandma Conway. Some of the McDougall history could, in theory, have been passed on by these individuals. It is likely, however, with the passing generations, that only a little oral history survived, exemplified by 1950 by the knowledge of the surname alone!

[23] The foregoing pages describe six McDougall headstones at Eckford. The Borders Family History Society web site indicates that there are seven legible McDougall headstones at Eckford. I therefore missed one! This same site states there are no McDougall headstones at Roxburgh, so presumably David McDougall of Roxburgh Barns is not recorded there. For Ayton the web site finds no Carss or Carse headstones, confirming my fruitless search at this place (p.1 above). See: .uk [note that all web sites mentioned in the current Document were accessed in October 2010.]

[24] Possibly the place is Hadden, a few miles north-east of Eckford.

[25] David evidently took over from his father, Thomas, as tenant at Caverton Miln.

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