GRAY, Andrew of Cluny, then of Schivas ^{1 2}

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  General Notes:

"Andrew (Gray), 'scutifer regis,' who had a charter of the lands of Cluny on the resignation of Sir Andrew Gray of Kinneff on 13 April 1466. He is said to have had several sons, one of whom, Alexander, merchant in Aberdeen made a considerable fortune, and married Elizabeth Hay. He had a charter of the lands of Newton of Schives in Aberdeenshire on the resignation of William Gordon of Schives on 27 November 1512. He (Andrew) is said to be the ancestor of the Grays of Skibo."

from Scots Peerage (vol 4)




"This William (Gordon of Gight) in 1512 sold to Patrick Gordon of Methlick the half lands of the Chapeltoun of Schives and this was the first land in the parish of Tarves held by the ancestors of the Earl of Aberdeen. In the same year he sold Newton of Schivas to Alexander Gray, burgess in Aberdeen. But, however it may be explained, there were Grays in Schivas before this time for I find that in July 1476 Patrick Gordon was pursued before the Lords Auditors by Andro Gray of Schivas for 200 merks due to him by the said Patrick's father, James Gordon, being of the males of the lands of Schivas. This Andro Gray died between 1492 and 1494, for in the former year there compered before the Lords Auditors:

'…William Dumbreck for him self and for Conny Gordoune his spous and protestit that becauss Andro Gray of Schewis gert summond thaim at his instance for the wrangwis occupatioun of the landis of The Qwiltis of Shewass as it contenit in the summondis and walde nocht compere to follow thaim he beand oft tymmes callit thairto That thairfore he sall nocht be harde in judgement in the said actioun quhill he refound and pay to thaim xx schillingis for their expenss and tha be new summond.'

And in the latter year 1494, Andro Lord Gray, executor of the said umquhile Androw, had Patrick Gordon ordered to preif sufficiently that he had paid the above mentioned 200 merks \endash the writer of the view of the Diocese of Aberdeen says the Grays held Schivas for 200 years, but it seems to me that the original barony of Schivas was divided among a number of proprietors each of whom was designated 'of Schivas'...."

from History of Tarves ^{1 2}

  Research Notes:

PARENTAGE: WHICH ANDREW GRAY?

Other sources, rightly, state that there may be some confusion between Andrew Gray of Cluny and Andrew Gray of Muirtown, and some state, more questionably, that Alexander Gray was the son of the latter..

However, there is something of a problem if Alexander is held to be so. Scots Peerage, volume 4, cites Crawfurd on page 288, to the effect that Sir William Gray of Lessendrum's father, Thomas Gray of Brighouse, was "the nephew of Andrew (? Alexander) Gray of Scheves in Aberdeenshire", presumably the merchant of the 1512 document.

From the charter referred to of 1512, as outlined in Gight, one supposes logically that the purchaser, Alexander, was by then possessed some degree of wealth ("made a considerable fortune", above).

That scenario would suggest that Alexander was more likely, chronologically, to be a contemporary of Andrew Gray of Muirtown, rather than his son. For example, Andrew Gray of Muirtown's older sister, Elizabeth, married in 1487, and his older brother, Gilbert, married in 1493.

It is improbable, therefore, that Andrew Gray of Muirtown had a wealthy merchant son buying property in 1512. ^{1 3}

Andrew married.