Gilbert Eliott (abt. 1566 - 1634)

Born about 1566 in Roxburghshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Scott) Elliot — married 1600 (to 1634) in Harden Scotland

Descendants

Died 24 Jun 1634 at about age 68 in Stobs, Roxburghshire, Scotland

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Biography

Gilbert Eliott is a member of Clan Elliot.

Gilbert Elliot of Stobs

Gibbie wi' the Golden Gartins

Gilbert Elliot bought Stobs in 1607 from the heirs of his stepfather Gavin Elliot of Stobs. Stobs Castle is in the parish of Cavers, in the county of Roxburghshire.

The parents of Gilbert Elliot are uncertain (Elliot records having been lost in a fire at Stobs), several suggestions are in circulation. Some say Gilbert was the son of Elliot of Larriston whose wife was a Scott of Buccleuch. Another suggestion is that he was the illegitimate child of a William or Robert Elliot of Larriston or of Redheugh and Maggie or Helen Kidd [1] though Gilbert's seal disproves this idea, its design clearly demonstrating that he is related to the Elliots of Redheugh. Some have thought that he was the son of an earlier Gavin of Stobs.[2] However, a family tree by the Dowager Lady Eliott of Stobs and Sir Arthur Eliott 11th baronet of Stobs presents the family history most in use by Elliot/Eliott historians. This family tree shows Gilbert of Stobs as the third child of Robert the 15th chief who married Jean Scott daughter of Buccleuch (and widowed, next married Gavin of Braidlie and Stobs. Here, Gilbert is annotated as "Gibbie wi the golden gartins" who married Margaret Scott (Harden) and bought Stobs in 1634. [3]

"Sir Gilbert Elliot" first Laird of Stobs is remembered as “Sir Gilbert Elliot and young Falnash” the two responsible for the arrest of William Henderson (remembered in a popular ballad as “Rattling, Roaring Willie”) for the slaying in a quarrel in 1627, of the musician William Elliot called "Sweet Milk".

From Sir Walter Elliot [4] "The Sir Gilbert of the ballad ..... Though a man of great influence, is only called Sir Gilbert in the ballad. It was his grandson who was created a baronet of Nova Scotia in 1666, but his son was dubbed a knight bannaret at the Battle of Scone in 1643. As his death occurred between 1632 and 1637 (the exact year is not known), it is clear that he was the individual named in the ballad."

Gilbert Elliot married Margaret Scott nicknamed Maggy Fendy for her resourcefulness, a daughter of "Auld Wat o Harden" A much loved story of their marriage is told of their first night together, when, wanting to stay on at his new father-in-laws home, Gilbert was allowed to stay over on condition, that he must repay his board and lodging from “half a Michaelmas moon” in other words, half the produce of his next reiving foray under a harvest moon.

• they are supposed to have had eleven children - the children of Gilbert Elliot of Stobs and Margaret Scott are -
• William Eliott d. Jul 1654 married Elizabeth Douglas, Elizabeth of Cavers (they had three sons and a daughter - Gilbert was the heir)
• Gilbert Eliott of Craigend d. Feb 1690
• Archibald Eliott of Middlestead, married Elizabeth Lermont
• Gavin Eliott of Midlem Mill and Grange, is the ancestor of the Minto line.
• John Eliott, an advocate, married Marion McCulloch, daughter of David McCulloch of Godistree or Goodtrees
• James Eliott d.19 Jul 1661 of Redheugh : married Margaret the heiress of Lariston, daughter and heiress of Robert Elliot of Redheugh and Lady Jean Stewart his wife.
• Elizabeth Elliott married Turnbull of Minto, who sold the estate in 1673 to Scott of Harwood.
• Margaret Eliott
• Ann Eliott
• Esther Eliott
• Jean Eliott

Notes

Stobs is the site of a military training camp [5] Stobs military history dates from the early 1900s, when it was purchased by the War Office from the Elliots of Stobs Castle, to be used as a training camp for the British Army. [6]

Sources

• family tree by Lady Eliott & Sir Arthur Eliott http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/dtog/elliot_mark.pdf
• THE PEERAGE 397082
• http://thepeerage.com/p39709.htm
• LIFE AND LETTERS OF SIR GILBERT ELLIOT FIRST EARL OF MINTO [7]
• Rattling, Roaring Willie by Sir Walter Scott with additional Notes by W. Eliott Lockhart Esq.http://lbps.net/lbps/matt/rrw/willie.htm

• http://www.elliotclanusa.com/pdfdocs2/elliot_book.pdf (Family 755B)

See also

• click here to hear Luke Kelly sing the ballad Rattling Roaring Willie [8]
• click here to read the lyrics and the story of the ballad [9]

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Wayne Elliott for creating WikiTree profile Elliot-745 through the import of Elliott Bleakley Tree.ged on Nov 1, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Wayne and others.