James Geddes (abt. 1841 - 1923)

Born about 1841 in Kirriemuir, Angus

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Anderson) Geddes — married 31 Jan 1868 in Aberlemno, Angus

Descendants

Died 19 May 1923 at about age 82 in Kilry, Glenisla, Angus

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Biography

James, the second child and first sion of David Geddes and Margaret Burns was born at Easter Kinwhirrie, Kirriemuir where his father was a corn miller.^[1] When about one year old they moved to the Mill of Kinnettles where his father was undermiller.^[2] Next, about mid-1840's they moved to the Dam of Tillywhanland at Aberlemno.^[3] By 1851 David Geddes had died leaving a widow with four young children. James as elder son left home by nine years of age to be a farm servant nearby at Turinhill with Alexander McRae, a shoemaker who worked a croft of ten acres.^[4] James took fees on farms in Angus and when he was on Boghead, Inverkeilor, Margaret Bell from the Fues of Colliston bore his child James Giddes on 10 Jan 1859.^[5] He remained at Bogside living in the bothy for a number of years with other unmarried ploughmen employed on the 216 acres by the farmer James Jackson. His brother David Geddes was a ploughman nearby in Bandoch Cotton Bothy.^[6] In 1868 when a ploughman on Flemington, Aberlemno he married on 21 January to Margaret Anderson ^[7]who had a six year old daughter Jane Anderson. Their first child Margaret Ann was born in September 1868.They lived at Reekit Lane next to Carsegrange and Turinhill at Aberlemno up to 1871.^[8] They moved to Battledykes, Oathlaw and remained there until about 1878^[9] when James changed occupation, becoming a gardener on Gardyne Estate, Kirkden.^[10]About 1885 ^[11]they moved to the West Gate House , Middleton when James became coachman on the Middleton Estate.^[12]

Children of James Geddes:

• James b. 1859 d. 1935
• Margaret b.1868 d. 1887
• Matilda b. 1870 mar. William Williamson
• David b.1872 mar. Margaret Raitt d.1942
• William b.1874 died in Canada
• Susan b.1877 mar. John Davidson d. 1943
• James b. 1879 mar. d. 1966
• Alexander b. 1882
• Betsy b.1883 mar. William Walker d.1954
• Jemima b.1886 mar. Thomas Proctor d. 1959

By 1901 James had moved as coachman to Parkhill Estate, St Vigeans when only their youngest daughter Jemima remained at home.^[13] Margaret died in 1905 at Parkhill. His unmarried daughter, Betsy, came to live with him as housekeeper and about 1909 his youngest daughter now Jemima Proctor joined them with her two sons.^[14] Betsy left on marriage in 1911. After James retired about 1913 he moved into Park Street with his daughter Jemima and family. Her husband served in the Army. In 1918 Jemima took ill and killed both her sons with an axe in a state of depression. James came home from his market gardening job to discover this tragic event.^[15]

Late in life aged about 80, James moved to Blackdykes, Formal, Kilry to live with his daughter Betsy and her husband William Low Walker. After and illness of six weeks James died there on 19 May 1923.^[16]

The family regarded Coachie Jim Geddes as a likeable rogue. He was too fond of drink and wasted much of the family money on this. Indeed, the inheritance left to his son David by Jim's mother, Margaret Burns, on her death in 1897, was intercepted by Jim and blown on drink. A story told about him when he was coachman at Middleton says that he drove the employers to a dinner at Glamis Castle and there he was entertained in the kitchen too liberally. On depating he could not find the way out of the Glamis Castle grounds until his employer joined him at the reigns to guide them out. His reputation was also that he had entertained the women too but this is possibly an exageration based on his early illegitimate son, James, whom at first he denied but then admited after trial at Forfar. That James stayed friendly with the family and his family too were still in close contact in the 1930's.

Sources

1. ↑ 1841 Census Kirriemuir
2. ↑ Kinnettles reg. of Births1843
3. ↑ Aberlemon Reg. of Births 1847
4. ↑ 1851 Census Aberlemno
5. ↑ Statutory Reg. of Births St Vigeans 1859 319 entry No 6
6. ↑ 1861 Census Inverkeilor
7. ↑ Statutory Reg of Marriages Aberlemno 1868 Dist 269 Entry no 1
8. ↑ 1871 Census Aberlemno
9. ↑ Stat. Reg. of Births Oathlaw
10. ↑ 1881 Census Kirkden
11. ↑ Scotlandspeople Valuation Rolls Kirkden Angus see [0=1885]
12. ↑ 1891 Census Kirkden
13. ↑ 1901Census St Vigeans
14. ↑ 1911 Census St Vigeans
15. ↑ NRS AD15/18/75 and JC26/1918/10 see [1]
16. ↑ Stat. Reg of Deaths 1923 Kilry Dist 294L Entry No. 1