Charles (Hay) Hay of Rannes 6th (abt. 1688 - 1751)

Born about 1688 in Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Helen (Fraser) Hay — married 23 Mar 1710 in Forres, Moray, Scotland

Descendants

Died 1 Apr 1751 at about age 63 in London, England

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Biography

Introduction

Charles was born in 1688 and died in London in 1751.These dates are inscribed on the Memorial to the Hays of Rannes and Lenplum at Ruthven Graveyard (see details below).^[1]

The Hays of Rannes

The Hays of Rannes had been in possession of the Rannes estate for many years when Charles was born. In 'A Jacobite Exile', a biography of Charles's son Andrew, Henrietta and Alistair Tayler note that in 'the 'Collections on the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff there is the following curious entry: “Ranis, the seat of Hay of Ranis, the first of which family was descended of the Lord Yester; and, after having been a Roman Catholick priest, becoming a Protestant minister at the reformation, was made parson of Rathven.” The Hays of Rannes claimed descent from the Tweeddale family.' ^[2]

Marriage

Charles married Helen Fraser of 23 March 1710 at Forres, Moray, Scotland. He is described on the marriage document as 'Charles, Baron of Rannes, Hay'.^[3] The marriage is also mentioned in The Book of the Duffs. ^[4]

Children

Charles and Helen had seven children.

Nickname

'The Giant'

On page 287 of The Book of the Duffs (1914), the authors Alistair and Henrietta Tayler describe Charles as 'the famous giant, whose stockings were long exhibited at Duff House'.^[5] At the time of publication, these stockings were in the Banff Museum, and his portrait at Hatton. However, in a later work by the Taylers, 'A Jacobite Exile', published in 1937, they attribute these stockings to his son Andrew.^[6] Of course it is very possible that both men, father and son, were very tall, and/or there were two pairs of stockings!

Death

Although Charles is memorialised on the Hay Family memorial in Rathven, he appears to have been buried in London, where he died on April 1 1751.^[7]

The Derby Mercury of Friday 05 April 1751 reported that:

On Monday fev'night died, at his House in Bury-street, St James's, aged 63, Charles Hay, Esq of Rannes in Scotland, nearly related to the Marquis of Tweedale: he came lately to Town to take possession of the late Lord Bamff's estate; to whom he was Heir. And on Saturday Night his Corpse, after lying in State at Mr Stephenson's, Undertaker, in the Strand, was attended by a great Number of Noblemen and Gentlemen to St Margaret's, Westminster. The Pall-Bearers were the Duke of Gordon, the Earl of Moray, the Lord Advocate, Lord Lyon, Col Abercromby, and Mr Charles Hamilton Gordon.^[8]

Memorial Inscription

Part of the memorial 'To the memory of The Hays of Rannes and Lenplum' describes the family of Charles Hay as follows:

The above Charles Hay of Rannes married Helen, only child of Dr Andrew Fraser, Inverness. Their children were –

1, Andrew Hay of Rannes;

2, Alexander Hay, died 1771, aged 47;

3, Mary, married to Leith of Leithhall;

4, Catherine, married to Gordon of Shilagreen;

5, Clementina, married to Duff of Whitehill;

6, Margaret, married to Russell of Montcoffer;

7, Jane, unmarried. 1789

This memorial was commissioned in 1797, and the documents regarding its commission, including the genealogy are in the collection of the National Records of Scotland.^[9] It is also described in Monuments and monumental inscriptions in Scotland by Charles Rogers. ^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ Memorial Inscription 'To the memory of The Hays of Rannes and Lenplum' at Rathven Graveyard recorded at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/126495476/andrew-hay
2. ↑ Tayler, Alistair and Tayler, Henrietta, 'A Jacobite Exile'. London: Alexander Maclehose & Co., 1837, p. 7.
3. ↑ "Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYW4-R43 : 10 February 2018), Charles Baron Of Rannes Hay and Helen Fraser, 23 Mar 1710; citing Forres,Moray,Scotland, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 990,804.
4. ↑ Tayler, Alistair and Tayler, Henrietta The Book of the Duffs, Edinburgh: William Brown, 1914,, p 57 via https://archive.org/details/bookofduffs01tayl/page/n161 accessed 1 May 2019
5. ↑ Tayler, Alistair and Tayler, Henrietta The Book of the Duffs, Edinburgh: William Brown, 1914,
6. ↑ Tayler, Alistair and Tayler, Henrietta, 'A Jacobite Exile'. London: Alexander Maclehose & Co., 1837, p. 10.
7. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #181413484
8. ↑ Derby Mercury 05 April 1751
9. ↑ 'Genealogy of the Hays of Rannes and Lenplum, 1421-1790, for use in monument inscription for deceased Andrew Hay of Rannes [see GD36/273], with copy covering letters [from William Rose] to Charles Hay, advocate, Edinburgh, and General [Alexander] Hay', 17 Jul 1797, Ref GD36/271 at http://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrsonlinecatalogue/overview.aspx?st=1&tc=y&tl=n&tn=n&tp=n&k=&ko=a&r=GD36%2f271&ro=s&df=&dt=&di=y
10. ↑ Rogers, Charles, Monuments and Monumental inscriptions in Scotland, Grampian Club, 1825-1890, pp 359-360 accessed via https://archive.org/details/monumentsmonumen02rogeiala/page/358

Links

The Book of the Duffs by Tayler and Tayler can be found here

The Leith-Hay family website can be found here

Note

New profile created 2 May 2019 for Charles Hay, spouse of Helen Merrilees, in order to de-conflate two people who had been mistakenly conflated. Marriage to Helen Merrilees removed from this profile.