STRACHAN, William ^{1 2 3}

   Another name for William was STRACHEN, William.^{3 4}

   User ID: M12.

  General Notes:

"STRACHAN
WILLIAM
JAMES STRACHAN/MARJORIE TAVENDALE
M
08/10/1702
168/A 60 410
Aberdeen"

from Births and Baptisms


Old Parish Registers
Saint Nicholas parish Aberdeen
Baptisms

"Strachan
October 8^th 1702 James Strachan burger and piriwigmaker and Marjorie Tavendale his spouse had a son named William baptised by Mr William Forbes Minister of the Gospell at Leslie William Sympson merchant and Postmaster, William Burnet Merchant, William Rag son to bailie Rag, and William Cruickshank Merchant Godfathers"


William Strachan was a witness at a baptism on 10 January 1745:

'Margaret daughter to Margaret Couts Wm. Strachen sponsor.'

Margaret Couts married Peter Smith in 1748 in Glenbucket.


In 1775 this William Strachen and Arthur Thom, were witnesses at the baptism in Glenbucket of John Strachen, their grandson, son of James Strachen and Jean Thom:

"Baptisms in the year 1775
(missing Apr)il 29
St(rachen missing)James Strachen in Drumnagarie (missing ha)d a son baptised named John before (missing wi)tnesses Arthur Thom in Bellamore and William Strachen in Drumnagarie" ^{4 5}

  Research Notes:

ORIGINS

In the Appendix to the Strachans of Glenkindie 1357-1726 by Colonel James Allardyce LLD, printed in Aberdeen, in the nineteenth century for private circulation, there appears this quotation which undoubtedly applies to the family under review here:

"FAMILIES OF THE NAME OF STRACHAN
Several families of the name of Strachan, in the parish of Towie, claim to be descended from the old Strachan of Glenkindie, viz., the Strachans at Mill of Culfork, and the Strachans at New Mains. The claim rests on tradition: there is no documentary proof.
There was also a family of Strachans at Drumnagarrow, in Glenbucket, (now, it is believed, extinct,) which was understood to be of the Glenkindie stock. The last of this family was a famous violinist, and had a great reputation as a player of strathspeys."

The editor, John A. Henderson, of Aberdeenshire Epitaphs and Inscriptions, also refers to a 'claim', as he terms it, by the family at Drumnagarrow that they were descended from the Strachans of Glenkindie:

"The farm of Drumnagarrow was for a considerable period occupied by a family named Strachan, who claimed descent from
the Strachans of Glenkindie. The last of the family was an expert violinist, and had a deservedly high reputation as a player of
strathspeys. (See Colonel Allardyce's Strachans of Glenkindie, p. 43.) Indeed, many hold that he was the finest player of dance music that ever existed."

The violin player referred to was James Strachen (1783-1874), also known simply as 'Drumnagarrow', the grandson of this William Strachan. It is unclear what is meant by "The last of the family", since James Strachen was not the last of his family line, but it may mean the last of the Strachans to live at Drumnagarrow in Glenbucket.

MR WILLIAM FORBES

This Mr William Forbes, who baptised William Strachan, later became Minister of Tarves parish. His parents in law were James Gregory and Mary Jamesone. He was the nephew of Lady Isobel Forbes of Waterton, whose husband was Sir James Strachan, third baronet of Thornton, also Minister at Keith. ^{6 7}

William married Barbara SMITH, daughter of John SMITH in Towie, Kearn and Kildrummy and Jeane RENNEY, in October 1736 in Glenbucket parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.¹ (Barbara SMITH was baptised on 2 October 1709 in Clatt parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland ^{3 8 9}.)

  Marriage Notes:

"SMITH
BARBARA
... STRACHAN/FR201 (FR201)
00/00/1736
200/ 20 17
Glenbucket"

from Index of Marriages

There is no day and month recorded for this marriage, only the year. Nor is there a given name recorded for the groom. However circumstantial evidence of various kinds suggest that William Strachan is the male partner in this marriage.

The entry for this marriage is incomplete in the OPR because of damage to the manuscript.

Old Parish Registers
Glenbucket parish Aberdeenshire
Marriages

(indexed as 1736)
" -------Strachan in this and Barbara Smith in the parish..."

There follows, among notes of texts and other parish business, the three times that Barbara Smith and partner were proclaimed. The date of the third proclamation, from internal evidence appears to be 2 October.
¹