Robert Lauder of Beilmouth

Last updated

Sir Robert Lauder of Beilmouth, Knt., (died 24 June 1709) was an armiger, lawyer and Clerk of Exchequer in Scotland. In 1683 he was made a Justice of the Peace for Haddingtonshire. [1] In 1685, under the title Robert Lauder of Belhaven, he was a member of the Scottish parliament for Haddington, and in 1704 as Sir Robert Lauder of Beilmouth. He was also Commissioner of Supply for Haddington in 1689 and 1690. [2]

Contents

Lauder of Beilmouth Arms Beilmouth Arms.jpg
Lauder of Beilmouth Arms

Family

The son of Robert Lauder of Belhaven and West Barns, Dunbar (d. c. 1672), by his spouse Marie (d. before July 1657), daughter of Patrick Douglas of Standingstone [3] by his wife Christian, daughter of Andrew Leslie, of Inverdovate, Fife, [4] Robert jnr is mentioned in his mother's Testament. Some time between 1672–1677 Robert Lauder, portioner (landowner) of Belhaven and West Barns, matriculated Arms as a direct descendant of the family of Lauder of The Bass. [5] The motto over the crest means it sprouts forth again. It is unclear if he then changed his designation to 'of Beilmouth' or whether he did so when he was knighted, some time in the 1690s.

In December 1672 George Norvell, advocate died and was replaced by Mr. Robert Lauder of Belhaven as Agent for the college (Edinburgh University) and town, by Act of the town council, a few days later. [6]

"Robert Lauder, portioner of Belhaven, and Agent for the good town of Edinburgh, and college therein, was admitted a Burgess of Edinburgh by right of his wife Jonet, daughter to Thomas Young of Leny, WS., who himself was admitted as a Burgess of this Burgh as spouse to Margaret, daughter to James Primrose, Clerk to HM Privy Council of Scotland, 7 April 1675". [7]

A copy of the Test dated November 1681 subscribed to by advocates and other lawyers, was provided to the Privy Council by "Robert Lauder, Agent for the town of Edinburgh, and Notary Public". [8]

Lord Fountainhall notes that Robert Lauder demitted office in 1686: "Mr.William Gordon made Agent to the town of Edinburgh, in place of Mr.Robert Lauder, at the Scots Parliament dissolved 8 October 1686". [9]

Clerk of Exchequer

Sometime before 1677 [10] he was made one of His Majesty's Clerks of Exchequer. [11] Robert Lauder of Beilmouth is mentioned many times in relation to bonds and actions relating to the Exchequer, and he was still in office in 1697. [12]

Witches

Robert Lauder of Beilmouth's father, also Robert, had been on a Commission to try witches in 1661 and 1662, and on another to try a murderer on 5 January 1664. [13]

The son continued in pursuit of witches: Lord Fountainhall relates that "Mr.Robert Lauder, and some other gentlemen at Dunbar, by commission from the Privy Council of Scotland, upon some presumptions, condemned ane old woman for a witch. She was brought before the Councill, and they enclined to assolzie her, and sent her back to prison; for the main thing proven, was her threatening such as refused to give her money, and some evil accidents befalling them shortlie thereafter. But, on 12 July 1688, being brought again before the Councill, she was remitted back to Dunbar, to be burnt there, if her Judges pleased, because she had confessed once, though she retracted". [14]

Burgess of Canongate

In The Roll of Canongate (Edinburgh) Burgesses, dated 2 October 1705, Sir Robert Lauder of Beilmouth was made a Burgess of Canongate "for many good services done by him to the burgh".

Marriages and death

Sir Robert died at Edinburgh, where his Testament was proved on 9 February 1710. He married three times: (1) before 1673, Jonat, daughter of Thomas Young of Leny, W.S., by his spouse Margaret Primrose. Jonat died 18 August 1687 and was buried in Greyfriars Churchyard, Edinburgh, leaving children (i); (2) 19 August 1688, at Dunbar, Lilias Brown, with no children; (3) 25 April 1694 at the Tron Kirk, Edinburgh, Helen (d. 9 January 1714), daughter of George Ogilvy, 2nd Lord Banff (d.1668) by his spouse Agnes, daughter of Sir Alexander Falconer, 1st Lord Falconer of Halkerton. They left children (ii):

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Hamilton, 1st Earl of Haddington</span> Scottish judge, administrator

Thomas Hamilton, 1st Earl of Haddington, designated before his peerage as 'of Drumcarny, Monkland, and Binning', was a Scottish administrator, Lord Advocate, judge, and Lord Lieutenant of Haddingtonshire.

Sir Robert Lauder of the Bass was a Scottish knight, armiger, and Governor of the Castle at Berwick-upon-Tweed. He was also a member of the old Scottish Parliament. The Lauders held the feudal barony of The Bass, East Lothian, Edrington Castle and lands in the parish of Mordington, Berwickshire, Tyninghame in Haddingtonshire, and numerous other estates and properties elsewhere in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edrington</span> Castle in the UKs Scottish Borders

Edrington is a medieval estate occupying the lower part of Mordington parish in Berwickshire, Scotland, five miles (8.0 km) west of Berwick-upon-Tweed. From probably the 14th century, if not earlier, a castle occupied the steep hill above the mill of the same name on the Whiteadder Water. The castle ruin is still marked on today's Ordnance Survey maps, and still appears in locality references in The Berwickshire News. The principal farm of the estate is Edrington Mains.

There has been one baronetcy granted to the Lauder family. The baronetcy of Lauder of Fountainhall, Haddingtonshire, was created for John Lauder, last surviving male representative of the Lauders of that Ilk, a rich merchant-burgess and sometime Treasurer and baillie of the City of Edinburgh Council, and an armiger. He purchased the estate of Newington, Edinburgh, and subsequently the lands of Woodhead and Templehall near Pencaitland, which along with others in Edinburghshire and Haddingtonshire, were erected by Crown charter into the feudal barony of Fountainhall on 13 August 1681.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sir John Lauder, 1st Baronet</span> Scottish baillie

Sir John Lauder, 1st Baronet, of Newington and Fountainhall was a notable Scottish baillie and Treasurer of the City of Edinburgh Council, who was raised to a Nova Scotia baronetcy in 1688.

Sir John Lauder of Fountainhall, 3rd Baronet was born 3 and baptised 5 December 1669 at Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. He died in February 1728 at Fountainhall manor, near Pencaitland, and was interred in the Lauder burial vault within Greyfriars. He succeeded his father John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall in the baronetcy in September 1722.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall</span> Scottish jurist

Sir John Lauder of Fountainhall, 2nd Baronet, Lord Fountainhall was one of Scotland's leading jurists who remains an oft-consulted authority. He was knighted in 1680 and matriculated his Arms with the Lyon Court on 15 June 1699.

Sir Alexander Home of that Ilk, 1st Lord Home was in 1448 Sheriff Deputy for Berwickshire, and was made a Lord of Parliament on 2 August 1473. He is an ancestor of the Earls of Home.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garvald, East Lothian</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Garvald is a village south-east of Haddington in East Lothian, Scotland. It lies on the Papana Water south of the B6370, east of Gifford. The combined parish of Garvald and Bara, borders Whittingehame to the East, Morham to the North, Yester to the West, and Lauder to the South. It is mainly an agricultural parish. The red freestone once constantly mined in this parish was well known throughout the whole country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Lauder</span>

Colin Lauder, Worlds End Close, Edinburgh) was a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh FRCSEd, and a burgess of Edinburgh. His portrait was painted by Sir Henry Raeburn.

Sir Thomas Burnett of Leys, 3rd Baronet,, Lord Clerk Register, PC, MP. He was, at Stonehaven, 21 April 1664, retoured as heir to his father, Sir Alexander Burnett, 2nd Baronet who had died the previous year. The 3rd Baronet is the grandson of Sir Thomas Burnett, 1st Baronet, who completed the reconstruction of Muchalls Castle and the great-grandson of Alexander Burnett of Leys, who completed the construction of Crathes Castle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Ramsay, Lord Abbotshall</span>

Sir Andrew Ramsay, Lord Abbotshall, Privy Counsellor, was the first Lord Provost of Edinburgh and a judge of the Court of Session.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Douglas of Whittingehame</span> Scottish judge, died 1595

William Douglas of Whittingehame was a Senator of the College of Justice at Edinburgh, and a Royal conspirator.

Robert Lauder of The Bass was an important noble in Haddingtonshire, the Merse, and Fife. Stodart remarks that "to 1600 the barons of the Bass sat in almost every parliament". He was a firm supporter of Mary, Queen of Scots whom he accompanied to Carberry Hill on 14 June 1567, and fought for at the battle of Langside.

Sir Alexander Lauder of Blyth, Knt. was Provost of Edinburgh almost continually from 1500 to 1513. He was Commissioner to the Scottish Parliament, 1504–06, and an Auditor of the Exchequer in Scotland. He appears to have been on terms of intimacy with the King, James IV, with whom he played cards and to whom he occasionally lent money. "He led the men of Edinburgh to join the King's host" at the battle of Flodden, and fell there.

Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughton and Luffness was a Scottish laird and notable Covenanter from East Lothian. In 1639-1641 Sir Patrick was a member for Haddingtonshire in the Scottish Parliament.

Sir Robert de Lawedre (Lauder) of Edrington & The Bass, Knt., was a Burgess of Edinburgh and a confidant of King Robert III and sometime Guardian of his son, the future James I of Scotland.

John Drummond of Milnab was a 16th-century Scottish carpenter in charge of the woodwork of the palaces, castles and guns of James IV of Scotland and James V of Scotland.

Sir Robert Murray of Cameron was a Scottish politician.

John Arnot of Birswick (Orkney) (1530–1616) was a 16th-century Scottish merchant and landowner who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1587 to 1591 and from 1608 to death. He was Deputy Treasurer to King James VI.

References

  1. Brown, P.Hume, MA., LL.D., The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, Third Series, volume VIII, Edinburgh, 1915: 279
  2. General Index to the Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland, Edinburgh, 1875
  3. Nisbet, Alexander, Systems of Heraldry, Edinburgh, 1722, vol.1: 433
  4. The Great Seal of Scotland, 1 November 1648: 1995
  5. Paul, Sir James Balfour, An Ordinary of Arms, Edinburgh, 1903, 2nd edition: 203
  6. Crawford, Donald, editor, Journals of Sir John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall, 1665–1676, Scottish History Society, Edinburgh, 1900, p.222.
  7. Roll of Edinburgh Burgesses, 1406–1700, Scottish History Society: 299
  8. Brown, P.Hume, MA, LL.D., The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, Third Series, volume VII, Edinburgh, 1915: 721
  9. Lauder, Sir John, Lord Fountainhall, Chronological Notes of Scottish Affairs 1680–1701, Edinburgh, 1822: 194
  10. Deeds of Council & Session dated 19 October 1677, ref Mack/41/592
  11. Lord Fountainhall's Decisions, Edinburgh, 1758, vol.1: 278
  12. Kelsall, Keith & Helen, An Album of Scottish Families 1694–96, Aberdeen University Press, 1990: 42,94,119,137
  13. Brown, P.Hume, The Privy Council Registers of Scotland, Edinburgh, 1908: 33,34, 143,477
  14. Lauder, Sir John, Lord Fountainhall, Chronological Notes of Scottish Affairs 1680–1701, Edinburgh, 1822: 260