MELVILL, Robert Minister of Durris, Reverend Mr ¹

  General Notes:

"ROBERT MELVILL, born 1691, son of Francis M., min. of East or Second Charge, Aberdeen; licen. by Presb. of Aberdeen 20th June 1716; pres. by Sir Peter Fraser that year; ord. 31st Jan. 1717; in his absence his house was
robbed on 28th Feb. 1747 by five armed men, the chief of whom James Davidson was executed and hung in chains. [In Feb. 1747 Davidson and his confederates robbed in one night the manses of Kinnell, Farnell, and Kinnaird. Next day they entered the manse of Fettercairn, which was gallantly defended by the minister, who kept Davidson a prisoner for some time until he was released by his associates. From Durris manse they took away the Presbytery Records of 1598-1610, the volume ultimately falling into the hands of the Faculty of Advocates, Edinburgh, by whom it was restored to its original owners in June1891.] M. died 29th May 1758. He marr.
(1) Isabella (died 1719), daugh. of George Fordyce, Provost of Aberdeen, and had issue Ann, bapt. 19th May 1718, died 15th March 1737; Elizabeth, bapt. 2nd July 1719 (marr. John Harper, schoolmaster) :
(2) 30th Dec. 1734, Janet Greig, who died 8th Nov. 1752, and had issue Katherine, born 13th Oct. 1736; Isobel, born 20th Dec. 1737; Francis, M.A. (Marischal College, 1756), merchant, Amsterdam, born 12th Dec. 1739;
Margaret, born 9th Nov. 1741; Sarah, born 29th Aug. 1743; John, merchant, Amsterdam, born 25th Feb. 1747; Jean, born 21st Oct. 1749. [Family of Dingwall-Fordyce]"

from Fasti Ecclesiae ¹

Robert married Isabella FORDYCE, daughter of George FORDYCE Provost of Aberdeen and Isobell WALKER. (Isabella FORDYCE was born about 1700 and died on 5 September 1719 ².)