LEITH, Barbara ¹

   User ID: P334.

Barbara married William LINDSAY of Culsh, writer (solicitor) in Edinburgh.¹ (William LINDSAY of Culsh, writer (solicitor) in Edinburgh was born about 1635 and died in November 1694.)

  Marriage Notes:

"Leith (Barbara), the first wife of William Lindsay of Culsh in the Parish of New Deer, Aberdeenshire, was infeft 20th May, 1674, 'in the middle plough of the lands of Culsh.' She had three daughters - Jean, Ann, and Isobell - noticed particularly in the account of their father (662). She must have died before 1678."

"662. Lindsay (William) of Culsh in the Parish of New Deer, Aberdeenshire (who acquired that estate), was son of William Lindsay at Mill of Tollie, and grandson of Mr. James Lindsay of Cushnie, both in the Parish of Auchterless. The matriculation of his armorial bearings at the Lyon office shows that he was descended from the family of Dowhill in Fife. He was a writer in Edinburgh, and in 1659 had advanced between 5,000 and 6,000 merks to John Irvine of Kincausie on the security of Culsh, which Irvine possessed as the husband of Elizabeth Ramsay, daughter of the former owner. In 1663, on the payment of 3,000 merks additional, he acquired all the Irvines' interest in the property, and in 1673 became uncontrolled proprietor of Culsh by the resignation of the teinds which, till then, had been held by the Earl Marischal. He died in November, 1694, having been three times married : first to Barbara Leith, then about 1677 to Agnes Mercer, and then in 1693 to Barbara Guthrie. By the first marriage there were three daughters, Jean, Anna, and Isobell. Jean became the wife of John Gordon of Myrestown and of Coynach, Old Deer. She was alive and a widow in 1719. Anna married Alexander Gordon, a son of the family of Nethermuir, who occupied successively Culsh, Brucklay, and Mill of Aberdour. She died in 1699. Isobell was married in 1693 to John Fordyce of Gask, merchant in Turriff. The parentage of Barbara Leith is not known, nor that of Agnes Mercer, although a conjecture is hazarded in the Appendix (Mercer) regarding it. She was the widow of Mr. Alexander Youngson, son of the minister of Durris, when she was married to William Lindsay. She died ist March, 1690 or 1691. They had a son, William Lindsay, who succeeded to Culsh, and three daughters, Christian, Margaret and Lilias, who in 1696 resided with their sister Isobell in Turriff. Christian married John Byth in Glassley, and at one time resided with her nephew, Mr. William Mair, Secession minister at Muckhart, near Kinross. Margaret was married i8th April, 1723, to Mr. George Mair, minister of New Deer, and had one son, of whom and other relatives some particulars will be found in the Appendix. Lilias Lindsay, the youngest, died unmarried 13th April, 1740. Her well-worn, oil-stained folio Bible is in the possession of the compiler of this Record. By her last will, faihng other legatees, she destined one thousand merks to the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge. Barbara Guthrie, the third wife of the subject of this notice, was a daughter of Sir Henry Guthrie of King Edward. Their marriage contract was dated 12th July, 1693. Their child, Barbara Lindsay, was married in 1718 to Roderick Dingwall of Cambuscurry, near Tain in Rossshire, the contract being dated 12th July of that year. Her mother was then wife of James Sutherland of Evlock. Some particulars regarding the last William Lindsay of Culsh will be found in the Appendix (Lindsays of Culsh)."

from Family Record ¹