George Paterson (1734 - 1817)

Born 1734 in Dundee

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Biography

George was born in 1733. George Paterson ... He passed away in 1817.^[1]

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George Paterson, who was born in Dundee in 1734 and having studied medicine began his working life as a member of the medical faculty. Later he was to serve in India as official secretary to Sir Robert Harland where he displayed great diplomatic and administrative talent. The great contest between France and England for supremacy in Hindustan was then at its peak, and the victories of Clive over Dupleix were looked upon, even by British statesmen as merely accidental triumphs. After Clive’s daring exploits in Ascot, where from that spot the terror of his name was to spread across India, he placed Mahammed Ali on the throne as Nawab. Paterson, who displayed a considerable administrative capacity, was to support Sir Robert in the important negotiations and diplomacy necessary in settling and defending the Nawab of Arcot.

Paterson amassed a large fortune in the East India Company and returned to Scotland in 1776 and in the November of that year was to marry Anne, youngest daughter of John, 12th Baron Gray. It is said that when a friend of the family remarked to Lord Gray that he was surprised at the engagement of his daughter to a commoner, Lord Gray replied — "Weel, she has the bluid and he has the fillings, so between them they will mak a guid puddin."

Paterson purchased the Castle and estates of Castle Lyon at the price of £40,000 being as many pounds sterling as the 40,000 merks (about £2,200) which Earl Kinghorne paid in 1614. In honour of his wife who was a direct descendant of the long line of Grays who had owned the castle, he changed the name back to Castle Huntly.

When Paterson took over the castle it was in a very dilapidated condition and the alterations which the Lyons had made were quite out of date. He spent vast sums of money in repairs and additions, building the fine Georgian wings to the NE side. The Old Statistical Account records. "The wings, embattled walls, round tower and corner turrets were added to the original building by him and many improvements were effected in the interior making very fashionable apartments suitable for modern requirements."

Paterson was a man of great ability and many interests. He was a pioneer in agriculture, most notable for two developments. He is credited with introducing the steam melon pit to the gardens, and in 1788 is reputed with the inauguration of the first threshing mill in the area. He was greatly interested in education and gave a yearly allowance of £30 to increase the salary of the local schoolmaster to £50 per annum; made an allowance to pay the fees of poor scholars; presented Bibles, Testaments and prizes to poor scholars and in 1825 set up a new school. He was good to the tenants in the village and the workers on his estate. During the winter following the bad harvest of 1795 he and Lord Kinnaird obtained 400 quarters of mealing oats from England which were supplied free to the poor. His presence was felt in Dundee where in 1775 he presented three lustres to the Town House; in 1776 he was Master of St David’s Lodge of Freemasons at the laying of the foundation stone of Trades Hall and in 1777 Deacon of the Nine Trades and the Weavers.

By his marriage with the Hon. Anne Gray he had seven sons and three daughters. He died in 1817 having reached his 83rd. year.

All of the first laird’s sons with the exception of one who died in infancy chose careers of adventurous activity and attained distinction in the Army or the Navy as the following summary indicates:- George (Jan. 1778-1846) who succeeded to the estates was Colonel of the 3rd Foot Guards and was at Waterloo; John (Dec. 1778-1858) was a Captain in the Royal Navy; David (1781-1813) holding rank as Lt Colonel in the 53rd Rifles was Aide-de-camp to Lord Raglan during the Peninsular War and fell in action at Vittoria; William (1783-1838) was a Captain in the Royal Navy; James (1785-1856) was a Captain in the service of the East India Company and spent his life where his father had won distinction.

Colonel George Paterson born 1778, died 1846, was laird for twenty-nine years but spent most of his life in the Army. His son George, born 15th. June 1819 succeeded in 1846. This George Paterson after taking his degree as M.A. was admitted, in 1842 as an advocate at the Scottish Bar. He took a keen interest in the estate and became an authority on the subject of Firs. His writings upon questions connected with agriculture and the law aroused great interest and are still quoted as authoritative. George Paterson died on 25th. February 1867.

George Frederick son of the third laird succeeded in 1867. There is not much known about this fourth laird as it appears that he left the district and the Castle and policies were leased to Mr J Martin White whose family were the Whites of Balruddery. On his death in 1890, George Fredrick bequeathed the estates to his younger brother, Charles James George Paterson.

In 1886 the castle and policies were leased to Lady Annitstead who remained there until her death in 1913. While not an owner she did a lot to improve the castle and grounds and was responsible for the opening of the new avenue to the main road west of the village. She maintained a large staff at the castle and was a generous benefactress to the district. She bore the cost of the erection of the fine church of St Columba at Invergowrie.

Although Castle Huntly estate was one of the richest in the carse Charles lived principally in Palmerston Place in Edinburgh, and the castle being let, had a cottage in Longforgan in which he stayed when visiting the district. He died in Edinburgh on 24th. July 1937 at the age of 79, leaving practically the whole of his estate to charity, and by his will dated December 1936, he directed the trustees to sell the lands of Castle Huntly.

On the 18th March 1919 the whole estate including the village of Longforgan was put up for sale in the Royal Hotel in Dundee. Previous to the sale most of the farms and the cottages in the village were sold privately and a large portion of land was purchased by the Board of Agriculture as a centre for small-holdings for exservice men. The castle and policies were put up separately and were purchased for £6,400 by an estate agent from Edinburgh on behalf of Mr Charles Paterson the former owner who retained them until his death in 1937.

As he had never married he was succeeded by a distant cousin Colonel Adrian Gordon Paterson DSO, MC. This the last laird carried out many improvements at the castle in anticipation of taking up residence but died three years after succeeding in 1940 having never resided in the castle proper. His heir a young lad had been drowned in a tragic yachting accident in the Tay and the family moved to London.

https://electricscotland.com/history/kenneill/huntly/the_people.htm