McWILLIAM, William in West Gauldwell ^{1 2 3 4}

   Other names for William were McWILLIAM, Will,^{1 4} McWILLIAM, Willia,⁴ McWILLIAM, Wm,⁴ McWILLIE, Will. ¹ and McWILLIE, Wm.^{1 4}

   User ID: G28.

  General Notes:

"A careful scrutiny of the entries in the parochial registers has led me to conclude that there were two distinct families in Boharm, one invariably called McWilliam, and the other McWillie or McWilliam. Although the name McWilliam first appears in the registers in 1647 (thirteen years after their commencement), it is not until 1694 that the form McWillie is found, which may perhaps indicate that the McWillies settled in the parish about that date.

William is apparently the 'Will. M'Willie' who, on Sept. 23, 1694, was a witness at a baptism, and is probably also the 'William Mckwilliam in Newtoun' writer of a bond, dated Sept. 17, 1695, in favour of John Grant of Boat of Fiddich (of the Tomnavoulin family, Glenlivet), recorded in the Elgin Commissary Records. He would, indeed, seem to have been the only William of the name in the parish during the period ending 1783. His two sons named William are not mentioned after the entries of their respective baptisms. William's own baptism is not recorded in the registers, which may perhaps be regarded as confirming the view that he had removed to Boharm from some other parish.

He certainly had brothers named Thomas and David, and possibly also brothers named Alexander, James, and John, and sisters Isabel and Christian, all of whom married and had issue. William and Jean Cuming, his wife, are last mentioned in the registers in 1738, when, on Feb. 25, they were witnesses at a baptism at Easter Galdwall, William, by himself, having witnessed a baptism at Newton on July 5 following. He seems to have died in 1739 (Moray Commissariot Record). Remarkably enough, between the years 1741 and 1783, there is no mention in the registers of a single male representative of any of the families of the name in either of its forms, and it seems, therefore, reasonable to suppose that they removed to other parishes... The McWilliams in Boharm in 1647 I have, fortunately, just traced back to the parish of Mortlach, where the name prevailed in that form in 1550."

from Scottish Notes and Queries ⁵

William had a relationship with Margaret ANDERSON. (Margaret ANDERSON was born about 1685.)

  Marriage Notes:

There is no evidence that William McWillie and Margaret Anderson married:


Old Parish Registers
Boharm parish Banffshire
Baptisms

"25 Jary 1703
John McWillie S.N. to W^m McWillie & Marg^tt anderson was baptised" ¹

William next married Bessie GORDON, daughter of William GORDON 2nd of Farskane and E. HAMILTON?, about 1703.¹ (Bessie GORDON was born about 1682 and was buried on 31 December 1709 ⁵.)

  Marriage Notes:

No marriage record has been found for this couple but their daughter's baptism record notes her as "D. L.", that is "Daughter Lawful", meaning her parents were married before her baptism:

Old Parish Registers
Boharm parish Moray
Baptisms

"22 Septer 1704
Kathrin McWilliam D.L. to Wm McWilliam and Bessie Gordon in West Galdwall was baptised Jerom Spens James Gordon Kathrin ffarqrson witnesses" ¹

William next married Jean CUMMING, daughter of Reverend Mr George CUMMING Minister at Essil parish, Moray and Jean GEDDES, on 13 April 1714 in Boharm parish, Banffshire, Scotland.^{2 3} (Jean CUMMING was baptised on 20 July 1690 in Speymouth parish, Moray, Scotland ⁶.)

  Marriage Notes:

"CUMING
JEAN
WILLIAM MCWILLIAM/
13/04/1714
128/A
10 287
BOHARM"

from Index of Marriages



"... Jean (marr. 13th April 1714, William McWilliam, Wester Gauldwell, Boharm)..."

from Fasti Ecclesiae ^{2 3}