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

   Other names for James were STRAQUHANE, James of Thorntoun, Sir ⁵ and STRAWCHEN, James.¹

  General Notes:

"SIR JAMES STRACHAN of Thornton, 1665 Bart., born 1644, 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




James Strachan succeeded in 1659 to the baronetcy of Thornton. He was also an ordained minister, incumbent at Keith, and a freeholder in the parish of Grange.

In one text James Strachan was described as "James Ramsay of Thornton, alias Sir James Strachan, Episcopal minister at Keith, ejected at the Revolution". Ramsay was his mother's maiden name. He was deposed as a nonconformist in 1690; his memory, however, was for a long period cherished at Keith.

" Oh ay ! he was weel kent -
The beltit Knicht o' Thornton,
An' Laird o' Pittendreich ;
An' Maister James Strachan,
The minister o' Keith ! " ⁶

  Noted events in his life were:

1. ordained: to the episcopal priesthood, 25 July 1665, Elgin, Moray, Scotland.

2. Thornton as a property was sold, 1687.

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

  Marriage Notes:

"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

James next married Katharine ROSE, daughter of John ROSE of Drakies and Pittendreich and Margaret DOUGLAS.² (Katharine ROSE was born about 1632 and died on 6 April 1689 ⁷.). 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 ²