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 46
Ormidale seems to be saying that he fully expects his case to be successful because Otter’s actions are not within the expected norms of society, and there were other options for taking care of Mrs Black’s children.
It is the greatest wonder if Late Otter his said Unaturall
Deilination of his Landed Property Shall not be
Reduced if not it is Very Strange in a Civilised
Kingdom as Great Britain
Atend to this Postscript with due Care
Upon the Whole that Late Otter did not satisfie
himself by giving as said to Mrs Black afterwards
Mrs Bruces Children as Other people daes upon the Like
Events by Allowing such Children a Reasonable Allowance
in Cash (though a Burden upon his Estate after his
Death would be far less Wander than as he did
by Overturning every Reasonable Duty Incombant
Upon an Old Worn out Man as he was by
A Life he must have laid in Disipation and Debaritilory
which Life he proves by his aforsaid Unaturall Transactions
A: C:
Excerpt 47
Presumably Ormidale had by this point received a letter from his solicitor saying that nothing could be done.
Since perusing Mr George Andrews Letter of the
26th January 1798 And After Seeing every Article Sett forth
In late Otters Intaill It is still the Opinion of Ormidale
that Otter was much Difucullted And Accordingly Patched up
his Intaill from time to time in a Very Extraordinary Way And
At Last he gave his Son a power of excluding Ormidales Son
And also his Nephew Ardmarnock from any share of said
Intaill This Evidently shows Otters persone Disposition
Against his Nearest Relation Ormidale and his Famillie
Determined Never to give Offence Any Manner of Way to Otters
Son nor Daughter nor any Other
Person or Persons Whilst he lives
Alexander Campbell
Excerpt 48
And, one last comment from Ormidale that someone has done something fraudulent.
Ormdale is positive that his
Brother Wrote out two Letter
Wills What is become of them
As they did not appear Amongst
late Otters Papers when Inspected
by Mr Archibald Bell and Other
Writers lately at Otter It is positive
ly Dreaded that said Letter Wills
have been Industriously retired
[?] the way when Late Otter
Dacceded from Ormidale as said his Memoriall
Within when in Duncan Campbells
hands at Inveraray that He Otter
Would be Deponed Anent said Letter
Wills of his Fathers
Alexander Campbell
One of the aforesaid Letter Wills was Wrote ane Year or two before
Late Otter his Fathers Death by Doctor Alexander Glass of Bogany
in Buteshire And the Other was wrote by James Campbell of
Rudall
Alexander Campbell
