BURNET, Thomas of Sauchen ¹

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  General Notes:

"It was probably with the death of Alexander, Matthew Lumsden's great grandson, by 1672 that the Lumsden connection with Tillycairn ended. At some stage the property seems to have been in the hands of Thomas Burnett of Sauchen and to add to the confusion Tilleycairn in the parish of Cluny is sometimes confounded with a Farquhar property of the same name in the parish of Glentanar."

from Tillycairne Castle, Aberdeenshire




"Thomas, of Sauchen. In February, 1642, when this Thomas could not have been above seventeen years of age, his father was party to a contract for his marriage (or that of one of his younger brothers) on conditions which at the present day appear rather singular. The other contracting party is Mr. William Burnet, laird of Sauchen and Cairnday, and parson of Kinnerny (a parish now conjoined with Cluny), who had two daughters, Bessie and Helen. The elder of the two young ladies is, when of a marriageable age, to be offered to Thomas, and in the case of his refusal or of his predecease, to William, next younger brother to Thomas, and on William's refusal or predecease, to the youngest brother, James. On the contingency of the refusal or predecease of Bessie, Helen is to be substituted for her. Whichever brother accepts the lady offered to him is to get his father-in-law's inheritance ; and in the case of the nonacceptance of all the brothers, that inheritance is to go to Bessie, or, failing her, to Helen, provided these young ladies marry in accordance with Sir Thomas' wishes. If the sisters die, the whole is to go absolutely to Sir Thomas Burnett. Mr. William reserves his own liferent of Sauchen, and his own and his wife's liferent of Cairnday. On 22nd March following Sir Thomas was duly infeft in Sauchen and Cairnday on a charter by Mr. William embodying the terms of this contract Thomas and Bessie were duly married in 1648, and the former was put in possession of Sauchen, which he held from the Huntly family. There seems to have been some litigation regarding Cairnday, probably with his mother-in-law. Thomas also owned Tillicaim, formerly the property of Matthew Lumsden, author of the 'Genealogie of the House of Forbes,' eventually wadsetted to and afterwards approved by James Rose of Findrack. He seems to have acted as factor for his father. His two younger sons, William and Alexander, seem to have died young, and he had a daughter married to Master Lodovic Gordon, minister of Aboyne."

from Family of Burnett ^{2 3}

Thomas married Bessie BURNET, daughter of Reverend Mr William BURNET of Sauchen, Minister of Kinairney and Catherine REID, 10 February 1642(contract) married in 1648.^{1 2} (Bessie BURNET was born about 1625.)

  Marriage Notes:

"He (William Burnett) marr. Catherine, daugh. of James Reid, min. of Banchory-Ternan, and had issue Bessie, contracted in marriage on 10th Feb. 1642, to Thomas, eldest son of the second marriage of Sir Thomas Burnett of Leys, Bart., whom failing, William, whom failing, James, also sons of said Sir Thomas (she marr. 1648 the said Thomas)"

from Fasti Ecclesiae ¹