Ormidale Memorial
Below we bring you, bit by bit, a memorial that Ormidale wrote in 1798 laying out his grievances against his brother (“the late Otter”) in an attempt to have his will overturned. We have done our best to decipher Ormidale’s scrawl but please feel free to offer corrections of any word you think we have misread. We are quite sure that there will be a few.
Excerpt 31
Otter is again using a friend as a go-between and on this occasion his ploy seems to have had some success, at least until Hayfield made a throwaway remark as he left.
7th Matters rested here till the 3rd day of May 1792
When said Allan McDougall of Hayfield came to
the Memorialist house and Intimated that Otter was
Willing to settle a difference with the Memorialist by
A Generall Submission to be submitted to Mr McLeod
Banatine to which the Memoriallist Agreed but When
said Mr McDougall was upon Horseback he said
that Otter said he had payd upon the account of forsaid purchases
£200 Sterling to Mr Patrick Campbell merchant at Glas
=gow or that Otter had given it to the Memorialist to be
given to said Patrick Campbell who was to send it to
the said Mr McDougall whur in McDougall made away
Excerpt 32
This explains why Orimdale was unhappy with Hayfield’s departing remarks from yesterday’s extract. He responded by trying to proceed with his court action against Otter.
the Memorialist was forcibly struck with this new Asser=
=tion of Otters that he wrote by past after Mr McDougall to
Stop writing out every Submission as he the Memoriall
=ist had payd that money by a draft upon the Ship Bank
Glasgow to said Patrick Campbell as is also Insert
as said Memoriall wrote in 1795 years this was
a New Assertion of Otters in Order to make the World believe
that his Brother the Memorialist was a Vile Worthless Man
Again these matters rested Excepting that the Memorialist
Till February as constantly at no purpose Pressing the aforesaid Mr Dougall
1975 years Campbell Writer to Charge Otter with a Summonds in Order
Page 13th Note 8 Order to disprove the aforesaid Assertion and that
After February 1795 till as said two days when at Inveraray
before Otters death the Memorialist took said Memoriall
Out of said Mr Duncan Campbells hands and gave it
and a copy of the Representation mentioned in Note 4th
To Mr Archibald Bell Writer Inveraray
Excerpt 33
Otter’s response to Ormidale’s threatened legal action was to cut him out of his will.
9th When in Aprile or sometime after said Memoriall was
Wrote said Year in February 1795 It is presumed that Otters
Agent at Inveraray saw said Memoriall And Communicated
Said Memoriall the Contents thereof to Otter who could see
Plainly that his aforesaid Assertions were Confuted when
same time said year It was reported that Otter went to
Edinburgh and made out a deed Excluding the Memorialist
from being his Heir to his Landed Property But for what Cause
Or right he has excluded his Brother is an other Question
But also it is presented from the aforesaid true history
of Otters humour and transactions that he was Dissembled
as pleasing himself to certain Executions as aforesaid