Thomas Blair (abt. 1590 - 1653)

Born about 1590 in Balthayock , Perthshire, Scotland [uncertain]

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1653 at about age 63 in Perthshire, Scotland [uncertain]

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Biography

Thomas was born about 1590 eldest son to Alexander Blair of Balthayock by his wife Elizabeth Haliburton daughter of Sir George Haliburton of Pitcur.

Thomas was mentioned as apparent of Balthayock when he witnessed a charter of William Blair of Balgillo in February 1615.

His father died about 1619 and Thomas was served heir to his father on 9 May 1620 when he was retoured heir to his father in the lands of Goddens and in the barony of Ardler and a part of the barony of Ardblair. ^[1] At this time he was also retoured heir to his gt-gt-grandfather Thomas Blair of Balthayock in the office of Custodian of the River Tay up to the Heids of Strathearn. He also had charters for the lands of Balthayock in 1621 and the Temple Lands there in 1622. ^[2]

Thomas married firstly about 1623, Margaret, eldest daughter of Andrew Ayton of that ilk, in Fife. The terms agreed earlier with her father were confirmed after their marriage by a charter dated 25 Jan 1623. ^[3]

Thomas and Margaret had three sons and five daughters:

• Alexander
• Andrew
• John
• Elizabeth
• Agnes
• Helen
• Margaret
• Jane

Secondly, Sir Thomas married Nicolas Dundas at Kinfauns on 4 June 1643. The witnesses to this marriage were John Dundas of Fingask and James Clephane of Carslogie. By a previous marriage Nicolas had a son, George Fairlie. This was to be a brief marriage for she died within a year, her testament dative and inventory of her goods held in common with Sir Thomas being dated 3 July 1644. ^[4]

Thirdly in 1644, Sir Thomas wed Margaret, daughter to Sir Alexander Gibson of Durie and relict of Thomas Fothringham of Powrie and mother of Elizabeth Fothringham who later married his son. Sir Thomas had a son and daughter presumably by this marriage:

• Thomas, baptised 25 August 1645 at Kinfauns.
• Cathren, baptised 18 June 1647 at Kinfauns.

Thomas was knighted by Charles I, having paid to the clerk of His Majesty's Privy Council at Edinburgh on 7 August 1634, a sum of £40 for the honour of Knighthood. ^[5]

Designed as Sir Thomas Blair of Balthayock, he received a charter under the Great Seal on the lands of Gairdrum, Perthshire dated 13 March 1637. ^[6]

Due to interference from King Charles I in London, religious troubles broke out and the Scottish Parliament made preparations to defend the Protestant cause. At the Convention on 22 June 1643, they appointed colonels of horse and foot from the various Sheriffdoms throughout Scotland. Heading the list for Perthshire was Sir Thomas Blair.^[7]

This War of the Three Kingdoms was to prove expensive for Scotland for the English broke their promise to pay for the Scottish army even though their assistance was invaluable. It may also have proved expensive to Sir Thomas and his neighbour George Hay, Earl of Kinnoul for whom he and others stood surety. Papers in the family muniments record a list of disbursements to soldiers on behalf of the Earl in January 1644. Another is an intimation dated 9 May 1644 to Sir Thomas Blair in relation to the Committee of Estates and arms sent to England and Ireland. The earl was accused of treason and a detailed account of expenses and disbursements for 1644 connected with him is among the Balthayock papers. Sir Thomas Blair had a receipt for 1,000 merks to be delivered to the Earl of Kinnoul on his going to France. With the departure of the earl, Thomas appears to have managed the estates of Errol and Kinfauns, the rental books for 1643 and 1644 to 1646 being kept by him. Sir Thomas and Patrick Lord Deskfurd had stood cautioners for George Hay and now found themselves burdened by a great debt.^[8]

Sir Thomas Blair of Balthayock was Sheriff Principal of the County of Perth by 1646 and during the Commonwealth, he and Col.William Daniell were described as Sheriffs and Commissionars of Perth on 20 August 1652.

The "Rentall Book of Perthshyre" for 1650 shows Thomas Blair was assessed at £500 for his lands of Balthayock in the parish of Kinnoul whereas for his two thirds of the Barony of Kinfauns his assessment was £2073. 6s. 8d ^[9] Lord Deskford disponed the lands of Kirkton of Errol to Sir Thomas by a contracted dated 10 September 1652 and it appears he was still alive when it was registered three months later on 13 December. Sir Thomas died within the next five months. The list of his debts, resting at the time of his death, amounted to 384,752 merks and so were to burden the next laird. ^[10] His testament dative was confirmed on 23 December 1658. ^[11]

A fuller account of the life of Sir Thomas Blair is contained in "The Blairs of Balthayock and their Cadets" by A Groome and Jack Blair published by The Clan Blair Society in 2000. That also contains an Inventory of the Balthayock Charters Nos 1 to 543 edited by Noel Blair McCullough. ^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ Forfar Retours no.127 see [1]
2. ↑ Balthayock Charters 358 and 363
3. ↑ RMS Vol.viii. 586 see [2]
4. ↑ Balthayock Charters 419
5. ↑ Balthayock Charters 401
6. ↑ R.M.S. Vol.ix.1145
7. ↑ Records of the Parliaments of Scotland see [3]
8. ↑ Records of the Parliaments of Scotland see [4]
9. ↑ Rentall Book of Perthshyre see [5]
10. ↑ Balthayock Charters 456
11. ↑ Balthayock Charters 480
12. ↑ Clan Blair Society see [6]