HOWIE, Robert elder, of Glentore ^{3 4 5}

   Other names for Robert were HOWIE, Robert in Glentore ⁶ and HOWIE, Robert portioner of East Glentore.⁷

   User ID: C721.

  General Notes:

Robert Howie clearly paid a price for an extra-marital relationship as these to excerpts indicate:

"RepositoryNational Records of Scotland
ReferenceJC66/15
Title
Letter of gift under the Privy Seal to Alexander Neill in Eighterglen of both the moveable and real estate escheated from Robert Howie in Glentore for the crime of adultery committed with Janet Johnston, his servant. Issued at Edinburgh
Dates8 Sep 1660"

from National Records of Scotland

"1787 (presumably year of donation of this item to the collection)
by Mr James Pirie, Writer.
A Remission under the Great Seal of King Charles II. in favor of Robert Howie in Glentore, of the crime of Adultery, committed by him, in the year 1664, with Janet Johnston, then his servant; dated at Edinburgh the 28th July 1665"

from Transactions of the Society of Antiquaries

Note: It seems, from the two quotations above, that "the crime of Adultery" took place before 8 September 1660, and also in 1664. The totality of these documents have not been researched, and a clearer picture might emerge if they were.

"HOWIE, ELIZABETH ROBERT HOWIE/ELIZABETH GRAY F 01/12/1689 495/10 9 Cumbernauld"

from Births and Baptisms

A "Robert Howie" and his son in Glentore were listed on page 48 of the Hearth Tax Records of Lanarkshire, (1691-1695), for the parish of "New Munkland" as having paid 9 shillings of Hearth Tax for himself and his son:
"Glentore
Robert Howie and his sone thr [there] -- 9"
It is likely to have been this Robert Howie.
Also mentioned in the same list are John Thom and William Thom:
"John Thom in glentore -- 1
William Thom thr [there] -- 1"

from Historical Tax Rolls Hearth tax records 1691-1695 (Hearth tax records for Lanarkshire, volume 1 E69/15/1/48)

"Robert Howie, son of Robert Howie younger of Glentore and grandson of Robert Howie elder of Glentore, describes himself in a document [RS42/XII.123]* in 1710 as the only lawful son of Robert Howie younger. He also refers to his uncle Robert Manuel."

from Forfarian on Rootschat ^{1 3 4 6 8}

  Research Notes:

HEARTH TAX

"Hearth tax, 1691-1695
In 1690 Parliament granted a tax of 14 shillings on every hearth in the kingdom payable by both landowners and tenants to raise money for the army. Only hospitals and the poor living on charity from the parish were exempt. There were huge difficulties in collecting the tax, particularly in highland or remote areas. Collection dragged on for several years until August 1694 when a proclamation called for all hearth lists to be sent to the treasury before 1 October."

from National Records of Scotland

PARISH REGISTERS

In looking at the Howies of Glentore it is important to remember that our information about them is only as good as the records we have available. Moreover, there are three counties that abut each other nearby: Stirlingshire, Dunbartonshire and Lanarkshire.

"Nigh the N.W. end of the parish, there is a point where the three shires of Stirling, Dunbarton and Lanark meet; and at the S.W. end, the shires of Stirling and Lanark meet with the shire of Linlithgow.(East Lothian)"

Glentore is about three miles or so from the town of Slamannan. Airdrie, in Lanarkshire, on the other hand, is about six or seven miles from Glentore, as is Cumbernauld, originally in Dunbartonshire, though in a different direction. Residents of the area would clearly move freely around, as convenience, employment and opportunities dictated.

There were also Howies at Meikle Drumgray. It is situated closer to Cumbernauld and Airdrie, than Glentore, and further from Slamannan.

For Slamannan, in Stirlingshire, the Family Search resume of the Church of Scotland registers is as follows:

"Births: The records are blank March 1688\endash July 1691, December 1692\endash March 1694. There is an imperfect leaf at 1761, 1768, and 1801.
Marriages: The record prior to 1688 is intermixed with the births. The records are blank April 1688\endash September 1699. In a large proportion of the entries after 1730, the fact of marriage is not recorded.
Deaths: Burials and Mortcloth Dues are mixed with births and marriages for the same period. The records prior to 1688 are described as the 'Minute Book of the Session of St. Laurance.'"

For Cumbernauld, in Dunbartonshire, the Family Search resume of the Church of Scotland registers is as follows:

"Births: Early pages were injured by dampness and entries are partly illegible. There are only two entries for December 1699\endash January 1701. The record is blank July 1710\endash July 1727, except for five irregular entries 1714\endash 1727. Mother's names are omitted 1727\endash 1734 inclusive. Except for 13 irregular entries, the record is blank July 1752\endash January 1761. The page for 1778\endash 1779 is imperfect. A portion for 1782\endash 1792 is found after the record for 1819.
Marriages: Leaves prior to 1710, very much wasted, and most of the entries partially illegible. No entries December 1695\endash August 1696, nor October 1701\emdash November 1702. Records are blank August 1710\endash October 1727. There is an imperfect leaf at May 1736. Records are blank June 1752\endash January 1761 and excluding one entry for 1769, March1768\endash December 1783; also, excluding one entry December 1791\endash October 1798, and June 1800\endash January1802.
Deaths: Burial records terminate, May 1800. The New Statistical Account for 1839 states a burial register was well kept from 1817, but perhaps it has been lost. According to the Account, 1823\endash 1831 the average number of burials was under 49. In 1831 there were 74 burials. The number in 1832 was equally high, but those years were not the norm."

The interested researcher may compare other parishes that are relevant. The main point to remember is that not all births or marriages or deaths are available to us in record form. Sometimes it is necessary to try to build a hypothesis from what we have, then test it to try to prove it or disprove it by means other than simply looking up Church of Scotland parish registers. ^{9 10 11 12 13}

Robert married HOWIE MS UNKNOWN before 8 September 1660.¹ (HOWIE MS UNKNOWN was born about 1635.)

  Marriage Notes:

There is no hard evidence as yet for this marriage, except that Robert Howie, elder of Glentore, appears to have been father to the children named. They may have had the same or different mothers; some or all may have been legitimate or born outside marriage. Inferences are what we are dealing with at present. ¹

Robert had a relationship with Janet JOHNSTON before 8 September 1660 (relationship).¹ (Janet JOHNSTON was born about 1645.)

Robert next married Jannet FERGISON November 1687 ? in Slamannan parish, Stirlingshire, Scotland.² (Jannet FERGISON was born about 1665.)

  Marriage Notes:

"FERGISON
JANNET
ROBERT HOWIE/FR87 (FR87)
06/11/1687
489/10 83
Slamannan"

from Index of Marriages




Old Parish Registers
Slamannan parish Stirlingshire
Marriages

"Sab novr 6 1687
The minister told the session that Rot howie had given a bond that (? end of page torn) fergison whom he intends to mary and given up there (sic) names to be (end of page torn) giving 30 shilling for poor and that the woman shall give satisfacti (end of page torn) for her fornication and pay what pennaltie shall be Imposed (next word unclear then end of page torn) that in this (? next word "louse" unclear) times we most tak what can be gotten and be (word unclear end of page torn) the minr as he should think meet"
Then further down:
"Sab novr 13 1687
Jannet fergison not having satisfied for her fornication with Joh(end of page torn) Scoular she now being proclaimed upon a bond given she is appe (word unfinished as end of page torn) to stand in place of repentance next sabbath to pay a dolar"
"friday novr 18 1687
Rot howie brings dollar.. telling he h(end of page torn) for his bridall to be on tuesday next and yt Jannet fergison w(end of page torn) ("grant"?) all satisfaction according to the bond"
Then further down:
"Sab novr 20 1687
Jannet fergison not coming (rest unclear and may not be a continuation of this episode)"

Note: Apologies for lack of clarity, as the text is difficult to read and one subject merges into another in the text. Anyone interested should check it. The research for this has been done online via Scotland's People, but the actual parish registers would warrant a much closer look. It is not clear that Robert Howie actually married Jannet Fergison, at least not in the Church of Scotland. the date indexed on Scotland's people is the date of the first entry ("Sab novr 6 1687") and not the date of an actual marriage.

^{2 14}

Robert next married Elizabeth GRAY before 1 December 1689.³ (Elizabeth GRAY was born about 1655.)

  Marriage Notes:

Although there is no marriage listed for Robert Howie and Elizabeth Gray in the Old Parish Registers of the Church of Scotland, the baptism record of their daughter Elizabeth refers to the child as "daur lawll", a "lawful daughter", which means the couple had been regularly married according to the norms of the Church of Scotland. We should not assume that this was the only child of this marriage because no others are found in the Church of Scotland registers. An absence of Howie baptisms in the 17th century registers appears to be the rule rather than the exception. It was an extremely turbulent time politically and religiously in Scotland, so an absence of records is unsuprising. Other Presbyterian churches in Scotland kept registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, but from 1716 onwards. Some of these, but not yet all, are available through Scotland's People website.

"Robert Howie" is surely the elder Robert Howie, since Robert Howie younger of Glentore had been married to Elizabeth Manuel since May 1686. We know that in 1710, on 12 December, their son Robert, of Ruchrig, was not yet 21 years old; he is referred to in a document of that year as "minor", and acting on the advice of his "curatores", namely his grandfather and a Manuel uncle. This fact points to him being born after the 12 December 1689. Since this Robert Howie of Ruchrig was also a 'lawful' child, there must have been two different Roberts Howie marrying at that time in that area. ^{15 16 17}