John Farquharson (abt. 1535 - abt. 1610)

Born about 1535 in Invercauld Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Janet Pigot — married about 1570 in Glenisla, Angus

Descendants

Died about 1610 at about age 75 in Glenisla

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Biography

John Farquharson is a member of Clan Farquharson.

John, born about 1535, was the fourth and youngest son of Finlay Mor Farquharson by his first wife, a daughter of Baron Roy Stewart of Kincardine (near Boat of Garten).

He married firstly to a daughter of Forbes of Towie, presumably Alexander. The Broughdearg Manuscript states that by this marriage John had a daughter, Elspet also known as Bessie, who married to James Gordon of Pronie by 1604. ^[1] It is however probable that Bessie was born to his second wife.

Master Thomas Keir, John Farquharson of Newton and twelve others were accused on 28 February 1565/6 of having invaded on the property of Lord Saltoun and his servants. This case of Hamesuckin however, was abandoned as the judge suspected collusion between the parties and the jury. ^[2]

After the death of his first wife, John left Braemar and settled in Angus, probably in the late1560's. There he was also known as John Mackintosh. NRS GD16/9//11 see [6] Initially John may have had a tack of the Cottarton of Craignity.

In 1566 , Andrew Hall and his wife were granted a wadset of of the Shadow (north) half of Craignity by Mr Nicol Campbell of Dalvanie.^[3] A few years later Andrew Hall died and his widow, Janet Pigot married as second wife to John Farquharson. John Farquharson then arranged with Mr Nicol Campbell to renew the tack of the shadow half of Craignity to Janet and her son John Hall for 11 years and for himself to share the tack for a further eight years after completion of that. ^[4] The contract signed at Edinburgh on 1 Feb 1576 / 77 , also granted John a tack of the sunny half of Craignity for 19 years.^[5] John Hall appears to have occupied the sunny half of Craignity following this and by 1584 was heir to his father and mother. John Hall was obliged to renounce his claim to the sunny half of Craignity which had been purchased by Lord Ogilvy and his so. In June 1584 by the terms of a contract made with the Master of Ogilvy, John Farquharson entered Craignity. John Farquharson's second wife, Janet Pigot deceased in 1584 and on 27 July 1584, by a decree arbitral, John Farquharson of Craignity took on the burden for his daughter Bessie on the one part and John Hall portioner of Craignity took on the burden of the remaining executors of the umquhile Janet Pigot, his mother. ^[6] This indicates that Bessie Farquharson was under the age of 21 and therefore born in the mid 1560’s or later and it also raises the possibility that being an executrix of Janet Pigot’s testament, Bessie may have been her child.

By this time, John already knew his future father-in-law for in the above contract of January 1583/4, surety was provided to Lord Ogilvy by William Ogilvy of Keilor , Archibald Ogilvy his son and Thomas Oliver fewar of the Mill of Innerharity.

It was probably about 1585 that John married thirdly. His wife and mother of his sons is given in the Broughdearg MSS as a daughter of Keilor. His wife Margaret Ogilvy is named in the Perth Protocol Book in a transaction on the lands of Pitlochrie, Glenisla on 3 August 1595. She thus may have been a daughter of the aforementioned William Ogilvy of Easter Keillor (1530c-1594) and his wife Isabel Forbes (d.1577). In a contract dated at Keithock 9 April 1586, William Ogilvy in Keilor with his son Archibald, purchased a wadset of Meikle Keilor from Mr Nicol Campbell of Keithock.

By Margaret, his third wife, John had four sons and probably a daughter.

• William his eldest son and heir.
• Donald who was described as son of the late John F. in Craignity in 1623 and who lived then in Finegand. The Broughdearg MSS gives no further information on him although there is a heading suggesting that more was intended.
• Robert who lived in Braedownie in Glen Clova, married Agnes daughter to Alexander Kinnimonth minister at Kirriemuir, presumably by his wife Anna Ogilvy (1574 - 1605) the daughter of John Ogilvy fiar of Inverquharity and sister to Janet Ogilvy who married Donald Farquharson of Castleton of Braemar. The family marriage bonds are interestingly intertwined. Robert was deceased by 1656.
• Lachlan who was described in a charter dated 24 January 1624 as lawful son to the late John F. in Craignity. He married and had issue. One son was father to David Farquharson in Corb and James his brother.
• Margery. The above Lachlan was attorney to Margery Farquharson when she with her husband, David Ogilvy in Tulloch, were granted a charter of the east side of Glenmarkie. Margery may have been sister to Lachlan. She and David probably had a son called David as the Broughdearg MSS states that Margaret, the eldest daughter of Donald Farquharson son of Broughdearg, had married first to Robert Farquharson in Ravernie, and secondly to David Ogilvy of Glenmarkie. He was later known as David Ogilvy of Tulloch. Margery survived her husband who was deceased by 1678.

John's business associations were mainly with neighbours in Glenisla and still to the north in Glenshee and Mar. When Alexander Maxwell of Tealing granted an Instrument of Tolerance in favour of John M'Comie for pasturing on the lands of Corrydon, near Finegand in Glenshee, those present at Finegand on 11 November 1577 to witness the instrument were George Drummond of Blair, John Rattray of Dalrulzian, George Maxwell son of the grantor, John Farquharson in Craignity and Donald Farquharson in Castleton. Interestingly, John was placed ahead of his half brother, Donald who, some years later, was considered chief of the family in Mar. Presumably John was in senior order as the elder brother here.

At Boghall on 7 July 1595, Leonard Commendator of the Abbey of Coupar set a tack for 19 years of the "teindshavis and vicaregis utherwayis callit hallowbrokis" of the lands of Craignity. ^[7]

Soon after this John and his wife Margaret Ogilvy entered a contract regarding the lands of Pitlochrie in Glenisla. ^[8] James Master of Ogilvy and his son James granted to John MacIntosh or Farquharson of Craignity a wadset of Craignity, its forest and wood there under reversion for £1000 Scots. This contract was made on 13 March 1602 and was signed at Inverharrity, Acharrach, Forter and Alyth, the lands to be held of the Crown.^[9] He may also have had a wadset of the Milton of Freuchie although evidence is lacking.

It is not determined when John Farquharson died but it was probably about 1616 and certainly before 1618. His wife Margaret Ogilvy survived him and was alive in April 1619 when she and their eldest son registered his testament.^[10]

His eldest son William was heir to the wadset of Craignity.

Sources

1. ↑ Broughdearg MSS; Aberdeen Sasines
2. ↑ Pitcairn, Criminal Trials in Scotland
3. ↑ NRS GD16/9/7 see [1]
4. ↑ NRS GD16/28/13 see [2]
5. ↑ NRS GD16/9/7 as above
6. ↑ Cal. Of Deeds Vol.22.309
7. ↑ NRS GD16/48/44 see [3]
8. ↑ Perth Protocol Book 3 Aug 1595
9. ↑ NRS Gd16/9/11 see [4]
10. ↑ Brechin Comm. CC3/9/4 p.692 see [5]