STRACHAN, John minister of Kincardine O'Neil parish, Tutor of Thornton, Reverend Mr ^{2 4}

   Other names for John were STRACHAN, John of Phesdo,^{4 5} STRACHAN, John of Hauchheid,⁴ STRACHAN, John of Haughheid,⁴ STRACHAN, John parsone of K-----,¹ STRACHAN, John of Goislie,⁴ STRACHEN, Johne ⁶ and STRATHAUCHIN, John of Clune.⁷

   User ID: F114.

  General Notes:

"On the 9th March 1617, confirmation was given to a lease for nineteen years, granted by the College of Aberdeen, to Alexander Strachan of Thornton, of the teinds of Hauchheid, Mains of Thornton, etc., in the parish of Aberluthnot. The lease descrilies Mr John Strachan, parson of Kincardine, as rector of the college (Privy Council Records, Ixxxvii., fol. 3)." (page 39)

"On the 18th April 1634, he (Sir Alexander, Laird of Thornton) granted a bond to John Wood of Craigniston for £3166, 6s. 8d., 'borrowed money,' the cautioners being 'John Strachan in Glenfarquhare,' described as the granter's uncle, Mr John Strachan of Muretoun, Robert Middeltoun of Caddon, and Alexander Strachan of Goislie. Among the witnesses are 'Thomas Strachan, brother to Mr John Strachan, in Glenfarquhar,' and 'John Strachan, son to the tutor of Thorntoun' (Register of Deeds, vol. 512)." (page 41)

from Memorials of the Families of Strachan and Wise (1877)




"The parson of Kincardine was John Strathauchine, or Strachan, a man of much consequence, being a leader in the Church Courts, a member of the Privy Council, and of the Court of High Commission. There were many Strachans in the Church at that time; one, a relative of the parson of Kincardine, was minister of Logie-Coldstone, and the first minister of the united parishes."

from History of Logie-Colstone ^{4 8}

  Research Notes:

TWO JOHN STRACHANS LINKED TO KINCARDINE O'NEIL PARISH

1 The Records of Aboyne denotes John Strachan, son of Andrew Strachan of Tillifroskie and Christian Sibbald,, as 'Rector of Kincardine'. The 'Tutor of Thornton', son of Alexander Strachan, younger, of Thornton, and Isobel Keith, is designated 'persone', that is parson, of Kincardine O'Neil parish.

2

The Blackhalls of that Ilk and Barra also distinguishes one John Strachan from the other:

"The deed by which Alexander Blackhall of that Ilk parted with Blackhall to his son, and in virtue of which the latter became William Blackhall of that Ilk during his father's lifetime, is in the following terms :

It is a deed for the fulfilment of a contract of marriage entered into by Alexander Blackhall and his eldest son and heir apparent William Blackhall on the one part, and John Strathauchin designed of Clune and sometime Tutor of Thornton and his 'sister german' Elizabeth Strachan as principals on the other, with Mr. John Strachan, rector of Kincardine O'Neil, David Tulloch of Craigneston and William Strachan sometime of Tillifroskie as cautioner. This marriage contract is dated, as I have said, at Invercannie on September 4th, 1609, and the deed was presented at Aberdeen on November 23rd, 1610 ; the whole being confirmed by the King, as I have stated, at Edinburgh on April 4th, 1620 (Reg. Mag. Sig.)."

3

It was the church structure in Aberdeenshire itself which allowed there to be two John Strachans holding offices in Kincardine O'Neil parish simultaneously, for in 1330, the hospital and church of Kincardine O'Neil were incorporated with the cathedral establishment of Aberdeen. By this, the rector was raised to the dignity of a prebend. After that period, he had a manse assigned him within the chanonry, while a perpetual vicar resided at Kincardine, and discharged the duties of the benefice. So while the rector is an administrative leader, he may appoint as his employee someone to perform the duties of his office, a vicar in other words, termed such because he acts 'vicariously' on behalf of the church leader or rector.




MARRIAGE AND CHILDREN

There is some lack of clarity and sound information about the number of wives of John Strachan, and of their names. There is also a lack of detail about which children are from which marriage. In particular, Fasti Ecclesiae offers a confusing and at times erroneous picture. An added complication is that the Tutor of Thornton had a son named John, so confusion increases when the date of death of the elder John Strachan is not firmly established. Fasti Ecclesiae places his death in the 1620s whereas Memorials of the Scottish Families of Strachan and Wise put it in the 1650s, so there is much room for overlap of wives and offspring. The plethora of designated titles, some of which passed on to the sons, does not make for greater precision.

The family historian should beware. ^{2 7 9 10}

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Appointed: Rector, 1600, 1602, 1605, 1608-10, 1612-14, King's College, Aberdeen. ^{2 3}

2. Acted: Executor of his father's will, 14 May 1601. ⁷

3. Appointed: Member, 1602, Assembly of Church of Scotland. ²

4. Appointed: Moderator of the Synod, 20 February 1606. ²

5. Party: to contract of marriage of his sister Elizabeth, 4 September 1609. ⁷ "The deed by which Alexander Blackhall of that Ilk parted with Blackhall to his son, and in virtue of which the latter became William Blackhall of that Ilk during his father's lifetime, is in the following terms : It is a deed for the fulfilment of a contract of marriage entered into by Alexander Blackhall and his eldest son and heir apparent William Blackhall on the one part, and John Strathauchin designed of Clune and sometime Tutor of Thornton and his 'sister german' Elizabeth Strachan as principals on the other, with Mr. John Strachan, rector of Kincardine O'Neil, David Tulloch of Craigneston and William Strachan sometime of Tillifroskie as cautioner. This marriage contract is dated, as I have said, at Invercannie on September 4th, 1609, and the deed was presented at Aberdeen on November 23rd, 1610; the whole being confirmed by the King, as I have stated, at Edinburgh on April 4th, 1620 (Reg. Mag. Sig.)." (Blackhall of Barra)

6. Acted as: member of Court of High Commission, 1610-1619. ² "He was a member of the Court of High Commission 15th Feb. 1610 and 15th June 1619"

7. sponsor at baptism: sister's child, John Blackhall, 11 March 1617, Inverurie parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ⁷

John married Catherine STRATON, daughter of Alexander STRATON of that Ilk and Agnes ARBUTHNOTT, by 29 March 1599(Register of Deeds).^{1 2} (Catherine STRATON was born about 1563.)

  Marriage Notes:

(at Kincardine O'Neil in 1582)

"John Strachan, granduncle of Alexander S. of Thornton ; pres. to the vicarage by James VI. 17th April 1582 ; was rector of King's College, Aberdeen, 1600 ; a member of the Assembly in 1602; Moderator of Synod 20th Feb. 1606, and app. by the General Assembly, 12th Dec. 1606, a member of a Committee to advise the ministers condemned for holding the Assembly at Aberdeen, to submit to His Majesty. S. was also appointed by that Assembly as Constant Moderator of the Presbytery, who were charged by the Privy Council, 17th Jan. 1607, to accept him as such within twentyfour hours after notice under pain of rebellion. He was a member of the Court of High Commission 15th Feb. 1610 and 15th June 1619 ; died before 7th Oct. 1625. He marr. (1) Catherine Straiton, and (2) Isabel, daugh. of John Symmer of Bratherisch, who survived him, and had issue Alexander of Dalhakie ; Robert, apprenticed to Andrew Purves, merchant, 26th July 1626; John; Katherine (marr. cont. 7th Oct. 1625, Alexander, son of Andrew Strachan, min. of Dun) ; a daugh. (marr. James Forbes of Cloak) ; Jean (marr. Adam Forbes). He is said to have had also a son, Robert, min. of Colvend. [Reg. of Deeds, cccxcviii. 202, ccccviii. 356 ; Lumsden's House of Forbes ; Aberdeen Sas. Sec. Reg., ii. 88, iii. 427, 481.]"

from Fasti Ecclesiae (vol 6)

Note:

Fasti Ecclesiae, volume 8, eliminates "Robert, min. of Colvend" as being a son of the Tutor of Thornton.



(at Kincardine O'Neil in 1582)

John Strachan, son of John S. of Thornton and Margaret Livingston, and brother of William S. of Kirkton of Kincardine O'Neil and Tilliefroskie; pres. in 1582 on death of Robert Witherspoon; canon and prebendary of Aberdeen; rector of King's College, Aberdeen, 1600, 1602, 1605, 1608-10, 1612-14; died after 6th Aug. 1621. Marr. before 19th Nov. 1604 Isabel Symmer and had issue Robert; Thomas; Isabel (marr. James Forbes of Cloak). Marr. (3) Agnes Troup and had issue Jean; his son, John, M.A., served in Muirton as heir of his father Oct. 1628. [Reg. Mag. Sig., iii, 2893; v, 1142, 1786, vi, 726, 1256, 2186, viii, 222; Retours, iv, 130; Aberdeen Sas., ii, 265, 267, iii, 421, xvi, 207; Reg. Pres. Bene., ii, 136; Aberdeen Inhib., 11th Oct. 1636; Books of Adjournal, viii, Old Series, 798, 5th April 1650; Kincardine Sas., iii, 107.]"

from Fasti Ecclesiae (vol 8 Addenda et Corrigenda)

Note:

Fasti Ecclesiae, volume 6. states that Isabel Symmer survived John Strachan. The in Fasti Ecclesiae, volume 8, an 'Agnes Troup' is also married to a John/Alexander Strachan, who supposedly succeeded this John Strachan in Kincardine O'Neil parish, and of whom Fasti gives a confused account as being minister of Lumphanan parish. This being so confused, Agnes Troup is not added here as a wife of the Tutor of Thornton. She is not named elsewhere as his wife.




"Records

Page: 638

Date:1599/3/29

Parties:George Barclay of Matheris - Catherine Strattoun relict of Thomas Barclay son of sd George B & Mr John Strachan parsone of K----- now sp of sd Catherine S

Notes: Kinneff? "

from Register of Deeds in Brechin

Note:

Since there was no John Strachan who was parson of Kinneff parish, it is likely that the note above suggesting 'Kinneff' as an explanation of 'K-----' is wrong. There was a James Strachan, minsiter of Kinneff but he did not marry Catherine Stratton. It is therefore more likely John Strachan above was parson of Kincardine O'Neil parish. ^{1 2 3}

John next married Isabel SYMMER 'of Bratherisch" by 19 November 1604.³ (Isabel SYMMER 'of Bratherisch" was born about 1580.)

  Marriage Notes:

"John Strachan, granduncle of 1582 Alexander S. of Thornton ; pres. to the vicarage by James VI. 17th April 1582 .... marr. (1) Catherine Straiton, and (2) Isabel, daugh. of John Symmer of Bratherisch, who survived him, and had issue"

from Fasti Ecclesiae (vol 6) ²