STRACHAN, John of Sevydlie, Minister in Aberdeenshire, Reverend Mr

   Another name for John was STRATHAUCHIN, John of Sevydlie.

  General Notes:

The family connections between this Strachan family and the Leslies are close and Sevydlie should be seen in that context:

"Queen Mary issued a precept, directed to John, Archbishop of St. Andrews, to receive and admit William Leslie of Balquhain and his heirs male as hereditary tenants and feuars of the lands of Seveedlie, lying in the barony of Keig and Monymusk, and regality of St. Andrews, as the same were formerly held by George, Earl of Huntly, attainted; dated 22d June 1563."

from Historical Records of the Leslie Family


From the Family Record of the Name of Dingwall Fordyce in Aberdeenshire

"William Dingwall, 'servant to Mr. William Leslie, of Sevilie,' was referred to formerly..., as having been concerned with others in proceedings which led to complaints against them being laid before the Privy Council, between 1587 and 1595. Fourteen others were included with William Dingwall in one of these complaints. One of these 'Mr. John Strathauchin or Strachan,' is designated in Scott's Fasti Eccles. Scotticanae, ' Mr. John Strathauchin, of Sevydlie or Seveidlie.' He was minister in succession of the Parishes of Forvie, Alford, Leochel Cushnie, Tough and Keig, between the years 1567 and 1597. The property called Sevilie or Civilie (the orthography varying considerably) is situated in the Parish of Keig, in Aberdeenshire, in which great part of Lord Forbes' property lies."


'Sevydlie' may be, alternatively rendered, 'Civilie'. In Memories of the Arbuthnots of Kincardineshire and Aberdeenshire there is a refrence to Civilie:
"...Retracing our steps, we find that in 1605 John Arbuthnot of Cairngall, with his brother William (who died the following year), was called as next of kin to Andrew Leslie, son of his sister Helen, who had married John Leslie of Boigs. The next-of-kin on the father's side were John Leslie of Balquhaine
and his brother, Wilham Leslie of Civilie."


These entries are from Fasti Ecclesiae. It is difficult from the little evidence available to determine if all of these are the same person. Where his full designation is used are highlighted in bold:

(at Logie Buchan listed in FE vol 8 addenda & corrigenda in 1563)
"JOHN STRACHAN, exhorter. [Comps. Sub Coll. of Thirds, Aberdeen, etc.]"

(at Tullynessle and Forbes listed in FE vol 8 addenda & corrigenda in 1563)
"JOHN STRACHAN, min. in 1563. [Comps. Sub Coll. of Thirds, Aberdeen, etc.]"

(at Forvie listed in FE in 1567)
"JOHN STRACHAN, min., with Slains and Logie-Buchan also in the charge;
trans, to Alford in 1569."

(as listed at Tullynessle and Forbes listed in FE in 1567)
"JOHN STRACHAN, trans, from Forvie, with Keig and Towie also in the charge in 1567; trans, to Alford Nov. 1569."

(at Alford listed in FE in 1569)
"JOHN STRACHAN of Sevydlie, trans, from Tullynessle and adm. Nov.1569; trans, to Tough before 1574; returned here before 1585, Keig, Leochel, Kemnay, and Leslie being also in his charge; trans, to Leochel before 1588."

(at Tough listed in FE in 1574)
"JOHN STRACHAN of Sevydlie: trans. from Alford in 1574; with Tullynessle, Leslie, Fettercairn, and Kemnay also in the charge; re-trans, to Alford before 1585."

(at Leslie)
"JOHN STRACHAN, reader from 1574 to 1579."

(at Keig listed in FE in 1576)
"JOHN STRACHAN, min. of (Leochel) Cushnie in 1574; trans, with Alford, Leochel, and Kindrochet also in his charge before 1576; still min. 6th Dec. 1603. He marr. Margaret Dunbar. [Aberdeen Sheriff-Court Records, i., 385"

(at Keig listed in FE vol 8 addenda & corrigenda in 1576)
"JOHN STRACHAN, died before 13th Nov. 1603. [Aberdeen Sas., iii, 91.]

(at Leochel and Cushnie listed in FE in 1588)
"JOHN STRACHAN of Sevydlie, removed from Alford in 1588, having Kemnay, Alford, Leslie, and Keig all in the charge; still min. in 1594; returned to Keig before 1595."

(at Alford listed in FE vol 8 addenda & corrigenda in 1591)
"JOHN STRACHAN, min. here, pres. to vicarage 31st March 1591 on depr. of James Smyth. [Reg. Sec.Sig., Ixii, 35.]"

  Research Notes:

FORVIE

This was a parish in Aberdeenshire until 1975, and was sometimes known as Slains and Forvie.

SEVYDLIE

"Cividly (Keig). 1696, Siwdly, Poll Book ; 1638, Schevedlie, Retour 242; 1563, Seveedlie, Rec. Fam. of Leslie, III., 43. Probably suidhe, (suie or see), " a seat," is the first syllable, but I do not know what veedlie represents. Cf. Pitvedlies, Kincardine"

from Place Names of West Aberdeenshire ¹

John married Margaret DUNBAR, daughter of John DUNBAR of Bennetsfield and Margaret LESLIE. (Margaret DUNBAR was born about 1543.)