LAIDLAW, William Tenant in Horsburgh Castle ¹

   Other names for William were LAIDLAW, William tenant of Common ² and LAIDLOW, William.¹

  General Notes:

"Nov 3 1835 (died) Mr William Laidlaw tenant in Common"

The Inventory of his possessions that formed part of his last will and testament in 1836, referred to William Laidlaw as "the late Mr William Laidlaw formerly Tenant in Horsburgh Castle afterwards residing in Peebles who died on 30th October 1835". The value of the estate left by William Laidlaw was between £5000 and £6000. Elsewhere in the document he is referred to as "William Laidlaw Writer in Peebles", "Writer" being a Scots term for a man educated as a lawyer or solicitor. Towards the end of the document it refers to the debts owing to "Umquhile William Laidlaw formerly Tenant in Horsburgh Castle afterwards residing in Peebles at the time of his decease which happened at Peebles on the thirtieth day of October last.." ^{2 3}

  Research Notes:

SHIFTS IN FORTUNE

The sudden fall in the price of grain at the close of the Napoleonic Wars around 1815-1816, severely affected many tenant-farmers and may have pressed heavily on Laidlaw too.

William married Sarah ANDERSON, daughter of Adam ANDERSON and Margaret BALLANTYNE, on 9 December 1806 in Innerleithen, Peebleshire, Scotland.¹ (Sarah ANDERSON was born on 5 November 1779 ¹, baptised on 8 November 1779 in Innerleithen, Peebleshire, Scotland,¹ died in September 1827 in Horsburgh Castle Farm, Innerleithen, Peeblesshire, Scotland ^{4 5} and was buried on 13 September 1827 in Innerleithen Churchyard, Peeblesshire, Scotland ⁶.)