TAYLOR, Helen ¹

   User ID: L580.

  General Notes:

NB These two accounts contain some easily identified inaccuracies, and information that has not been verified, but are included here because they also contain items of information that deserve consideration:

"There are two notes regarding Helen Taylor from the Rose MSS., printed in the Aberdeen Notes and Queries. The information given is somewhat contradictory.

' I. Genealogy of Helen Taylor, Lady Braco (taken July 1784. by Mr. Stewart of Edinglassie and given in before his death in Sept. 1786). Slie was daughter of Robert Taylor who resided at the place of Fintry in Fintry parish. He was the representative and grandchild of Taylor of Whitemires, who sold the lands of Whitemires in Newhills near Aberdeen, now an estate of about 3000 merks of rent and the property of the town of Aberdeen. Helen Taylor's mother was daughter to Rev. M. Cheyne, parson of Kinoull, brother to the Laird of Esslemont. Iler grandmother, Mr. Cheyne's wife, was daughter to Sir John Jonston of Caskieben, and Sir John Gordon of Haddo, afterwards Earl of Aberdeen and Chancellor of Scotland, was married to Mr. Cheyne's sister. Sir John Johnston's wife was daughter to the Laird of Drum, and Drum's lady was daughter to the Earl of Marischal.'

' II. Lady Braco, Helen Taylor, was married in London about 1706. Her daughter Margaret, Lady Premnay, born 1710. Lady Bracco was born in Fintray. She keepit the sheep at Cook in the Parish of King Edward. Before her marriage she wrought a harvest with John Durno at Mill of Likliehead, in Premnay, for which she got 4 merks and a pair of shoes. She served John Hay, sacrist at King's College and Margaret Tamiell his wife, where her acquaintance with Bracco begun. Bracco went to Prussia after the marriage, and exposed himself on the walls of Belgrade. He had four children by her. Bracco died in the old castle of Balvenie by suicide January 1718. Her husband insisted on her wearing plain and low mutches. She lay not on feathers, but on a hard bed of Baken hair called a pallet. She ate oat buttered bannocks. She was about thirty when she married. If so, and if she married in 1700, and died after 11th and before 22nd November 1780, she must have been over one hundred years old (See Note below). It is certain she died November 1780, for Lord Fife contended her halfyear's annuity.' "

from Book of the Duffs

Note:

There are no baptisms or marriages found as yet in the old parish registers that might confirm the birth and marriage dates of William Duff, his wife Helen Taylor and their daughter Margaret. Only the death dates of William and Helen appear fairly certain, 1718 and 1780 respectively.

The received view is that William Duff was born about 1685 and married Helen Taylor about 1706, he being at age twenty one, presumably.

Helen's birth year is very uncertain. As the extracts above suggest, she was said to have been over one hundred years old at death in 1780, which would have made her at least five years older than her husband. If she was 'about thirty' at marriage, as the second extract claims, she would have been up to nine years older than her husband.

These dates may be conjectural, no sources being given, even though the family is generally well documented. Moreover in Baird's volume, there are some snide comments about Helen:

"He married about 1706 to Helen Taylor, a woman of much inferior rank to him, tho' come of very honest parents. It is affirmed by his friends that his penitence and anger at himself for making so low a match was the Cause of his unhappy death."

Clearly the match was something of a talking point, but possibly also something that, for whatever reason, needed tidying up, maybe for the sake of the daughter Margaret and her position in society.

Oddly, or not, in the parish registers, is to be found a baptism for a Helen Taylor, with a similar parentage to the one outlined above, but dated 1696:

'TAYLOR
HELEN
ROBERT TAYLOR/ISABEL CHAIN
F
10/05/1696
231
10 / 93
PETERCULTER"

Is it possible that Helen Taylor was actually not a hundred years old at death, but younger than her husband? Or that their marriage was later than 1706, since their daughter Margaret was said to have been 'but eleven years of age' at her marriage in June 1721 to Patrick Duff? If this baptism was that of the Helen Taylor who married William Duff, the late date would then cast doubt on Margaret Johnston being her grandmother, though it is not totally impossible, depending on Margaret Johnston's age at marriage.

The safest conclusion is that all the details, surrounding Helen's origins, as outlined in the books about the Duff family, should, in this researcher's view, be treated very cautiously. ^{1 2}

Helen married William DUFF of Braco, son of Alexander DUFF of Braco, WS and Margaret GORDON.¹ (William DUFF of Braco was born about 1685 and died in January 1718 in Balvenie, Banffshire, Scotland ¹.). The cause of his death was suicide.

  Marriage Notes:

"4. William (Duff), born circa 1685 (he was apparently not ' of age ' at his father's death), died 1718." [...]

"(according to Baird) 'He married, about 1706, Helen Taylor, a woman of much inferior rank to him, tho' come of very honest parents." [...]

"William's wife, Helen Taylor, as already stated, survived him and drew her jointure for sixty-two years, being over one hundred years old (see Note below) when she died.

A portrait of her in middle life is at Rothiemay House, and one in extreme old age was in the Duff House collection. Her tombstone in St. Nicholas Churchyard, Aberdeen, bears the following inscription :

'Helen Duff, relict of William Duff of Braco, who died (at Forrester hall) 20 Nov, 1780.' "

from Book of the Duffs

Note:

There are questions to be answered regarding Helen Taylor's age. For a fuller discussion see the General Notes section in her file. ¹