STRACHAN, James 3rd Baronet of Thornton, Minister of Keith parish, Sir ³

   Other names for James were STRACHAN, James 2nd of Inchtuthill ⁵ and STRAWCHEN, James.¹

   User ID: R493

  Research Notes:

SOURCES

There are a number of inaccuracies circulationg in various secondary sources, regarding this family and its various members, so the family historian should be cautious in using them.

James married Elizabeth FORBES 'lady of Thornton', daughter of Thomas FORBES 1st of Waterton and Jean RAMSAY, on 24 January 1654 in Ellon parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.¹ (Elizabeth FORBES 'lady of Thornton' was born in 1637,⁵ died on 10 January 1661 ⁵ and was buried in 1661 in Marykirk parish, Kincardineshire, Scotland ⁶.)

  Marriage Notes:

"STRAWCHEN
JAMES
ELIZABETH FORBES/
24/01/1654
192
30 / 18
Ellon"

from Index of Marriages




"On the 24th January 1654, James Strachan, second of Inchtuthill, subsequently Sir James Strachan of Thornton, Baronet, married his cousin Elizabeth, third daughter of Thomas Forbes of Waterton, by his wife Jean, daughter of David Ramsay of Balmain, and sister of Sir Gilbert Ramsay, Bart. (Parish Register of Ellon). In the Waterton Papers, the marriage-contract is noticed thus: '1654, 5th January. - Contract of marriage between James Strachan of Inchestuthell and Elizabeth Forbes, with consent of her mother, Jean Ramsay, by which he settles the liferent of his lands on her, after the death of his mother, Margaret [Mary] Ramsay, in consideration of a portion of 8000 merks.' Elizabeth Forbes, Lady Strachan, died on the 10th January 1661, soon after giving birth to her third child ; she was in her twenty-fifth year. To her memory. Sir James Strachan, her husband, erected an elegant marble tomb in the family burial aisle at Marykirk. [...] By his wife, Elizabeth Forbes, Sir James Strachan was father of a son, James, and two daughters. In the Waterton Papers is the following entry :

' 1665. - Jeane Ramsay summons Sir James Strachan of Thornetoun, complaining that soon after the death of Elizabeth Forbes, his wife, he had neglected his affairs and abandoned his three children - James, Jean, and \'97\'97¹ Strachan - whom the said Jean Ramsay, their grandmother, had taken in and educated. She requires that he should make her an allowance for the same.'

¹The name of tbe younger daughter was Grizel. She married the Rev. Ludovick (see Note below) Grant, minister of Duthill, and had a son Ludovick (Reg. Mag. Sig., lib. xvi., No. 103, fol. 170)."

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

Note:

Grizel married Sweton Grant and their son was Ludovick.




"1654. 5th January. Contract of Marriage between James Strachan of Inchestuthell, and Elizabeth Forbes, with consent of her mother, Jean Ramsay, by which he settles the life-rent of his lands on her, after the death of his mother, Margaret Ramsay, in consideration of a portion of 8000 marks : it is signed by Alexander Ramsay, and David Ramsay, as curators."

from Memoranda Relating to the Family of Forbes of Watertown




(at Keith in 1665)

"Sir James Strachan of Thornton, 1665 Bart., born 1644 (see Note below), only son of James S. of Inchtutlill and Thornton, and Mary, daugh. of David Ramsay of Balmain; succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his kinsman, Sir Alexander S., in 1659; educated at King's College, Aberdeen; M.A. (28th March 1660); licen. by the Archbishop of St Andrews; pres. by Sir John Forbes of Craigievar; ord. (at Elgin) 25th July 1665, and inst. before 3rd Oct.following ; deprived by Decreet of the Privy Council, 7th Nov. 1689, for not reading the Proclamation of the Estates, and not praying for King William and Queen Mary, but praying for the restoration of King James. He set up an Episcopal meeting house in the parish in which he was encouraged by many Jacobites within the district, particularly the laird of Boyne, against whom a proclamation had been issued for his participation in the Invasion of 1689. In 1703 being inhibited by the Privy Council, Sir James retired to Inverness, where he died before 1715.

He marr. (1) 24th Jan. 1654, Elizabeth (died 10th Jan. 1661 aged 25), daugh. of Thomas Forbes of Waterton, and had issue James, died 1686; Mary; Grizel (marr. Sweton Grant, min. of Duthil) :

(2) 1663, Katherine (died in childbed 6th April 1689), only child of John Rose of Kellas, and Margaret Douglas, and had issue John of Kellas [which he sold in 1690 to John Farquharson of Binns], said to have been killed in the Rising of 1715; George, Episcopal min.; Hugh, born 1672, entered Douai College, 31st Jan. 1693, returned as a missionary to Scotland in 1701, died at Douai 1745; Kenneth Francis, schoolmaster of Rothiemay, 1695-7, entered Douai College July 1700. [Catholic Spectator, v.; Tombst.; Peterkin's Constitution of the Church; Gordon's Chronicles of Keith, 202; Cramond's Church of Keith.]" from Fasti Ecclesiae

Note:

As James Strachan married in 1654, 1644 as his year of birth is clearlyy erroneous. ^{1 3 5 7}

James next married Katharine ROSE, daughter of John ROSE of Drakies and Pittendreich and Margaret DOUGLAS, in 1663.^{2 3} (Katharine ROSE was born about 1640 and died on 6 April 1689 ^{3 5}.). The cause of her death was childbirth.

  Marriage Notes:

"His (John Rose's) second wife was Margaret Douglas, daughter and heiress of Douglas of Pittenriech, in the parish of Elgin. By her he had only a daughter Katharine, married to Sir James Strachan of Thorntoun."

from Family of Rose




"Sir James Strachan of Thornton .... marr.... (2) 1663, Katherine (died in childbed 6th April 1689), only child of John Rose of Kellas, and Margaret Douglas, and had issue John of Kellas [which he sold in 1690 to John Farquharson of Binns], said to have been killed in the Rising of 1715; George, Episcopal min.; Hugh, born 1672, entered Douai College, 31st Jan. 1693, returned as a missionary to Scotland in 1701, died at Douai 1745; Kenneth Francis, schoolmaster of Rothiemay, 1695-7, entered Douai College July 1700."

from Fasti Ecclesiae ^{2 3}