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 40

Ormidale is determined that anyone reading his memorial should be quite clear on his position, if they hadn’t worked it out already.

as also Mentioned in the above Memorial As a proof he was

Constantly in a Most turbulent Disposition of Mind ever

Since (as said the 26 Day of May of 1786 years) how he could with

a good grace overturn his fathers deeds without him being

Detected afterwards and a Disgrace to himself At all hands

But such as he favoured by his Deeds Subsequent thereto

sean after as said February 1795 Years He took upon

^When blind himself without rime or reason ^ At one Stroke to Over

Unfirm and turn his Fathers Dieds by making out from his Own Mind

with a malicious as said a Most Disgracefull Died in favour of Mrs Black

Heart afterwards Mrs Bruce her Children and Others to the Priju=

=dice of the Memorialist and all his Fathers Deeds as said

It is Hoped Notwithstanding If properly Attended to

that no Stone shall be left unturned by the Memorialist his

Agent Mr George Andrew Writer at Edinburgh and Others

Named by the Memorialist his son for the desired purpose

Of reducing such Unfair Deeds as have been made Out

by the Memorialist his Most Unaturall Brother and Accord=

=ingly is Reffered to Lawers by

Alexander Campbell Ormidale

by his son

Excerpt 41

Mr George Andrew

Ormidale, 30th January 1790

Dear Sir,

The forsaid written Memorial written be me

Consisting of fourteen pages in Notes And the following Remarks

wrot upon the forgoing half sheet I have made out for your in=

=formation so far I intrust you will be pleased to read Over with

due attention which you may feel will be of service to revise

Your Memory in helping you to go On in a regular Judicious

Manner by Coviering On the proprest modes to the Effect in

getting Reduced at Edinburgh before the Court of Session after

getting the best of Councill, any Unaturall Deeds Made Out by my

Most Unaturall Brother which may be Contrary to the Interest of

Me and My Familie and from time to time I beg you Communicate

to me in a fair hand of Write Your Opinion which I rely On

Excerpt 42

And now the remainder of the covering letter. Like many of us, Ormidale was concerned about his legal fees mounting up when he was already short of money.