William Geddes
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William Geddes (abt. 1770 - 1816)

William Geddes
Born about in Kirkmichael, Banffshire, Scotlandmap
Ancestors ancestors
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married about 1792 [location unknown]
Husband of — married about 1802 (to 1816) in Glamis, Angus, Scotlandmap
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 46 in Glamismap
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Profile last modified | Created 13 Nov 2018
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Biography

Wiilam was born in 1770 son to John Geddes and Chirstan Fraser in Tombreck the parish Kirkmichael and Tomintoul, Banffshire. He was baptised on 19 Mar 1770. [1] Tombreck was a remote group of crofts in Glen Brown near Tomintoul, When about two years old the family moved just over six miles due west as the crow flies to live in a croft named Awnroy in Clachaig in Abernethy SE of Nethy Bridge.

It appears that he married a Banffshire girl surname Ogilvie. She may have been Margaret Ogilvie three years younger than him and born in Gardenstown, daughter to Charles Ogilvie and Helen Imlach. He moved south to Angus and lived in the Glen of Denoon in the parish of Glamis. There they had a son John born in 1793 baptised 15 May. She died soon afterwards and William the following year on 2 May 1794 enlisted in the Army. Although we have no picture of him the army records describe him as aged 24 , 5ft 6 1/4 inchs in height (1.683m), fresh complexion, round faced with blue eyes and brown hair. The baby John was returned to relatives in the Banff area where he remained all his life.

William was recruited by Col. Grant at Glamis on 2 May 1794 when he enlisted in the 97th Regiment of Foot which was established By Col. Sir John Grant earlier that year. He was probably paid about 10 guineas as the Government target of five guineas was insufficient to attract recruits. He probably then went with other recruits to the Inverness HQ but as there was no fort barracks, they were billeted in private homes. Daily patrols in and around Inverness kept watch for any who might choose to desert. On 8 July 1794, the Inverness Highlanders comprising 769 privates and 69 non-commissioned officers and 20 drummers embarked at Fort George to sail to Portsmouth where they would undergo further training. The transports were at sea for a month during which sickness and small pox broke out, the latter claiming fifteen lives. Sickness continued when they marched from Gosport to Netley Camp. At Netley they trained alongside the 68th, 90th, 98th and 100th Regiments. The over-crowed accommodation was abominable with fifteen or sixteen men sharing a five man tent. The wet weather added to the suffering causing fever and rheumatism. Sir James Grant managed to place them on Guernsey where they remained as part of the garrison until the end of April 1795. They were recalled to the Hillsea Barracks at Plymouth. Thereafter the Inverness Highlanders effectively became marines and were dispersed over a dozen warships of the fleet. The government decided to disband the regiment by the end of 1795 and thus in November many were discharged upon volunteering for the marines. A further 112 men on 28th November were transferred at Hillsea barracks to the 42nd Regiment and these were mainly the genuine Highlanders judging for their names. It appears that after one and a half years service in the 97th, William Geddes found himself in the Black Watch in Captain Stirling’s Company.[2] The Black Watch were serving in Gibraltar at this time and William joined them there on 2 Feb 1796 serving under Captain John Raitt and later in the Company of Capt. William Thomas. In September 1798 the Regiment was posted to Minorca [3] and served there till 1800 [4]when the regiment were ordered to take part in a major expeditionary force force to drive the French out of Egypt and moved to assemble at Malta. Sailing from Malta in December 1800, they travelled in two divisions and assembled at Marmorice on the coast of Greece where they rehearsed the landings that were to take place on the coast of Egypt. The whole of the British land forces amounted to 13,234 men and 630 artillery. The French force amounted to 32,000 men, besides several thousand native auxiliaries. The fleet anchored off Aboukir Bay on 1 Mar 1801 and had to wait a week for a severe storm to subside. In the early hours of the 8th March the boats full of soldiers formed up ready for the landing. At 9 am the signal was given for the sailors to row hard for the shore. The 42nd were in the centre with the 28th and 58th regiments. The French were well equipped with artillery and fired on the boats packed with soldiers who were in light marching order. Sir John Moore led men ashore from the boats. While the Welsh Fusiliers and men of the 40th charged up the heights on the extreme right, the centre battalions rushed up the sand hills, the Highlanders among them, in the face of artillery grape-shot, and musket fire. They drove the French off their positions at the point of the bayonet. The French were forced to retreat to Alexandria. The losses to the 42nd were heavy: 31 killed. The wounded included the CO James Stewart and 7 other officers, 7 sergeants, 4 drummers and 140 men. Two more battles ensued at Mandora on 13 March and Alexandria on 21 March 1801. It was during one of these battles, probably in the landing at Aboukir, that William Geddes received wounds to both thighs. Thus having served honestly and faithfully in the 97th and 42nd Regiments of Foot for eight years William Geddes aged 32 was, due to the injuries received in Egypt, discharged on 24 Feb 1802 becoming a Chelsea Out- Pensioner.[5] [6]


William Geddes and ( ? ) Ogilvie had a son:

  • John born Glamis 1793 [7]who grew up in Banffshire and married Ann Black in 1824. He died at Whitehills, Boyndie in 1872. His death report gives his mother's name as Ogilvie. He named his eldest child Margaret probably after his deceased mother.

About 1802, William returned to Glamis working as a contractor and married to Margaret, daughter to contractor Donald MacDonald. They lived at the Hatton of Glen Ogilvy.

He had five sons and two daughters by Margaret MacDonald:

  • Donald b.1803 [8] named after his maternal grandfather. Joiner at Hatton of Ogilvy. Was also known as Daniel. Died in Dundee Infirmary of Typhus Fever 21 Jan 1851.
  • James b.1804 [9] probably named after his paternal grandfather. Stone mason in Blairgowrie mar. Catherine Stewart. He died at Blairgowrie 17 June 1884.
  • William b1806 [10] mason in Blairgowrie mar. Agnes Ross
  • Margaret b. 1807
  • Fanny b. 1809
  • Alexander b. 1812
  • David b. 1814 [11] mar. Margaret Burns

William Geddes died on 9 October 1816. [12] In 1829 his three eldest sons of the second marriage erected a gravestone in Glamis Kirkyard in his memory. The gravestone inscription gave an erroneous age at death as he was 46 yeas old. His widow continued to live in the Milton of Glen Ogilvy [13] until she died on 17 January 1837. [14]


Sources

  1. Kirkmichael and Tomintoul Old Parish Register 160 ref. 10 / 57
  2. "Great Britain, War Office Registers, 1772-1935," database with images, FamilySearch ( 27 May 2020), William Geddes, 2 May 1794; Glamis, Angus, Scotland, United Kingdom, 2 May 1794, TNA WO 25. The National Archives of England, Kew; FHL microfilm
  3. The National Archives, Kew WO 25/379 42nd Reg of Foot 1 Battn 1795-1799
  4. The National Archives, Kew WO 25/380 42nd Reg of Foot 1 Battn 1799-1804
  5. War Office WO 121: Discharge Documents of Pensioners 1802 p.75
  6. The National Archives, Kew WO121/48/72
  7. Glamis OPR
  8. Glamis OPR
  9. Glamis OPR
  10. Glamis OPR
  11. Glamis OPR
  12. Family Search deaths
  13. 1841 Census Glamis
  14. Glamis OPR 299/3




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