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 10
Again we see family history information that is not recorded in the standard records. The marriage of Alexander Campbell and Marion Campbell, daughter of John Campbell of Strachur, took place at Otter House in the parish of Kilfinan. The earliest surviving marriage register for that parish dates from 1779.
Vide means “see”, so Alexander is directing the reader to another memorial that he had written in 1795.
In the year 1750 the Memorialist seeing that it was Un=
=certain when he could get away Clean of his said Brothers slavery and
Constant Abusive Language It being full time to be Employed
to his own advantage he thought of going abroad there to work
as many others did for a comfortable living in the year 1750
he went to Glasgow in order to revise his bookkeeping and Arith-
-metick then go abroad in some Merchants Employ As
Mentioned in a Memorial wrote in February 1795 Vide the
same which explains as said and herewith produced
In the year 1752 the Memorialist married a daughter
To the deceast John Campbell brother to Colin Campbell of
Strachur and Seppeus to the Memorialist his Father
And by his said Fathers speciall consent Vide the Contract of
Marriage When the Memorialist did not get ane Shilling of
Money nor one Shilling worth of any thing else before or
After his Marriage to give his Intended Wife before his Marriage
Excerpt 11
This relates to what we were saying in excerpt 7, that Ormidale had to make payments to Otter (first of all to his father and then to his brother). He is complaining again about all of the work he had to do for Otter for no pay, having done the same for his father for many years, just on the promise from his father that one day the estate of Otter would come to him.
before for wier and when by said Contract the Rentall of
the lands granted to the Memorialist were Including
Feu Duty Cess and other taxes not above £87 Sterling yearly of rent
Out of which the Memorialist was to pay his Father whilst he
lived Yearly out of said besides as said Feuduties, Cess and Other
Public Burdens £40 l Sterling every Martinmas When as said was
payed yearly during the Memorialists Fathers life the Memorialist
had not £30 l Sterling nearly to live upon with his wife and Familie
said Period the Memorialist was obliged to have a recluse life
Studeing the operations of Nature upon his small properties and
Wood Land which last was nothing at all excepting a Constant
Attendance at Otter Writing for the Old Man there and also his
Other Affairs there
8 About the year 1758 or 1759 Mr William Willson
Claimed the Estate of Otter which processes before the Court of
Session ten or eleven sessions and One Session before the
British Parliament which said Periode the Memorialist
Was constantly employed in Writing and Managing his
fathers (and his brothers Stipends in his Absence at all times)
For which the Memorialist got neither fee nor reward for
his attendance from his father nor brother but his Affairs at his
home going to ruin and Wreck with Servants &c
The Memorialist Father died upon the 29th September 1763 Years
And from the Year 1744 as mentioned until his Death he as said
the Deceist while living for the period of 19 years time he
frequently in private told the Memorialist to have
patience that he was Shure his son John would never marry
And that his whole Landed property was made over to the
Memorialist and his Heirs the Memorialist walked conform
to the Old Mans wishes at all times and always slaved for his
Brother as his Father requested of him at all times to study to please him
Excerpt 12
Again we have family history information (or maybe gossip) that we couldn’t normally expect to find elsewhere.
We can also see why Ormidale was so furious at doing all of the estate work while his brother treated life as one big party. The name “Olardry” is one of the words that we’re not sure about so if anyone has any alternative suggestions we would love to hear them.
10 After the old man died as said the Memorialist mother and
Sister stayed at the house for one or two years and keeped Otters
House with a Constant Growling from Otter that everything was
going to ruin and frighted them away but before they went
away he Otter brought a girll from Mr Harron of the Black Bull
Glasgow when the said Girll had an Infamous Character she was
Called at Otter Ann Campbell where she stayed from early in
Spring till the next fall but when she was at Otter She was so
Abandoned that several Country Fellows were see in Bed
Page 5th Bed with her Viz: One Dugald Macfarlane a Fox Hunter
And One Alexander McPherson Otters Servant Man but after
Said Ann Campbell went away Otter purchased a
House at Olardry where he spent a good part of his time
Yearly with the same woman who went under the name
of Mrs Black
