Thomas Watson (abt. 1690 - aft. 1757)

Born about 1690 in Scotland

Husband of Euphan (Scott) Watson — married about 1720 in Hawick, Roxburgh, Scotland

Descendants

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Biography

Thomas was born in the late 1600's. He was a writer (i.e. lawyer) at Burnfoot in Wilton Parish.

In 1720 he married Eupham (or ‘Euphan’), daughter of William Scott of Burnhead and Agnes Widderstain, and sister of Robert of Burnhead. This was an ‘irregular marriage’ at Kirk Arthur, with a licence being given by the Bishop of Carlisle, which suggests that he was a supporter of the Episcopalian church. They may have had as many as 11 children including:

Agnes (b.1721);

William (b.1724), who became heir of Burnhead when his cousin Margaret (wife of Rev. Dr. Charters) died without any children;

John (b.1730);

Thomas (b.1732).

He was recorded as Clerk to the Regality of Hawick in 1721. He was appointed one of the Commissioners overseeing the construction of the Teviot Bridge in Hawick.

He was recorded as a writer in Hawick in 1735.

Thomas was one of four men who proposed building a stillhouse and brewery (probably in Hawick) in 1737, possibly becoming the original ‘Whusky Hooses’ on Slitrig Crescent.

He witnessed a baptism (for weaver George Swan) in 1737 and another (for Robert Oliver, shoemaker) in 1738.

In 1744 he leased from the Buccleuch Estates the lands of ‘Reidmoss’ and others in Castleton, plus Gerwald and others in Eskdalemuir Parish.

He is mentioned in an Edinburgh marriage record of 1750 when his daughter Marion (born in Hawick circa 1726) married Thomas Weir, Commissary of Lanark.

Thomas is described as ‘clerk to the regality of Hawick’ (i.e. the Baron’s agent in the Town) when his son Robert became a merchant’s apprentice in Edinburgh in 1742 and still has the same title in 1757 when John Horsburgh of that Ilk tried to recover a debt from him. He notarised a sasine relating to lands in Hobkirk Parish in 1757.

Unknown when he passed away but after 1757.

Notes

WATSON OF BURNHEAD

The family of Watson of Burnhead are the heirs and representatives of the family of Scott of Burnhead, the property having passed in descent through the female branch of the Scotts to the Watsons in the year 1815. This old Border family claims descent from Scott of Kirkurd. James Scot, the progenitor of this family, was proprietor of these lands, and was designated by that title. He afterwards, in 1484, acquired the lands of Over and Nether Newhall, now called Burnhead and Burnfoot, from David, 3rd Lord Lindsay of Byres, and resigned the estate of Kirkurd to the family. He also acquired, from the family of Glencairn, the lands of Hassendean.

James Scot left three sons, to each of whom he bequeathed an estate. To David, the eldest, he left Hassendean ; to Robert, the third son, Nether Newhall; and John got Over Newhall (or Burnhead) by a charter dated 1492. John Scott of Burnhead lived to a great age, and died in 1582, leaving issue, a son and successor " Robert Scot of Burnhead, who died in 1609, and left three sons " William Scott of Burnhead, who, during his father's lifetime served in Holland in the Scotch brigade. He married Margaret, daughter of Nicol Cairncross of Hislop, by whom he had a son, Robert. He died about 1640.

Robert Scot of Burnhead married, in 1636, Marion, daughter of Ragnal Bennett of Chesters, by whom he had two daughters. He married, secondly, in 1643, Elizabeth, daughter of Hector Tumbull of Clarilaw, by whom he had four sons, William being his heir. He died in 1677. William Scot of Burnhead married Agnes, daughter of Archibald Widderstain, merchant, of Dalkeith, by whom he had three sons and several daughters. One of the daughters, Euphan, married Thomas Watson, writer in Hawick, and had a son, William.

Sources

• http://www.electricscotland.com/history/nation/scott.htm

• Hawick Word Book (p. 2755) by James Scott

• https://thehawickpaper.co.uk/2016/09/05/dram-busters-a-brief-distillation-of-hawicks-whisky-making-past/
• Roxburgh: Services of Heirs, 1638-1841. John Calduell M. J. Calduell William Watson, Esq. William Watson, Mrs. Margaret Scott Charteris, Reverend Samuel Charteris, William Scott, Esq. (in the Roxburghshire, Scotland, Extracted Parish Records. #655
• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/M64J-8X7 (many birth records for children born between 1721 and 1739)