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