Robert Keith, the minister of Ecclesmachan (circa 1609 to 1661) was the son of Alexander Keith the minister of Strathbrock (died c.1633), in turn the son of James Keith of the Ravenscraig Keiths. His mother was Jean Gudlad. Robert was the brother of Alexander Keith, also minister of Strathbrock after their father. Robert was appointed to Ecclesmachan in 1639, succeeding his uncle, David Gudlad.[1]
The testament dative below, register almost four years after he died, unfortunately gives us little further details on his extended family or possessions, besides a view of the produce of the glebe and the substantial amount of backpay he was owed.
Edinburgh Commissary Court CC8/8/70 Transcription and Translation
Transcription
[Margin] Mr Robert Keith 22 of Februrii 1662
The testament dative and inventar of the goodes, geir, sowmes of moneys and debts perteaning to umquhill Mr Robert Keith minister at Eglismauchane the tyme of his deceis, Quha deceist In the moneth of [+]jm cjc thrie scoir ane yeirs
Faithfullie maid and given up be Maroen Rollok his relict spous, only executorix dative surrogate to him, In place of the procurator fiscall be decreit of the commissars of Edinburgh, As the samyne of the daitt the [+] day of Februarii 1662 yeirs at mair lenth proports.
In the first the said umquhill Mr Robert Keith had the goodes, geir, and uthers following of the avails and pryces eftermentionat perteaning to him the tyme of his deceis foirsaid, viz:
Sowen on the gleib cropt and yeir of God abovewrittin ane boll oats half ane boll beir and half ane boll peis, estimat to the fourt corne (the oats excepted Being only valued [page 2] to the thrid), inde twa bolls peis, twa bolls beir and thrie bolls oats, pryce of the boll oats with the fodder, ten marks; And of the boll beir with the fodder tuelf markes; And of the boll peis with the fodder uther tuelf markes, summa of the haill lij lib usuall Scottes money
Item ane hors worth xx lib
Item ane know worth xx markes
Item the plenisching of his duelling house with the abulzements of his Bodie estimat to the sowme of xl lib money foirsaid.
Summa of the Inventar —- jc xxvj lib vjs viijd
Followes the debts awine to the deid
Item ther wes restand awand to the said umquhill Mr Robert Keith the tyme of his deceis foirsaid
Be Jon Hamilton of Bangour as ane pairt of the defunts stipend yeirlie the yeirs of God 1658, 1659, 1660, and 1661 yeirs last bypast, the sowme of jc viij lib xiijs iiijd, inde the saids four yeirs extends in the haill to the sowme of iiijc xxxiiij lib xiijs iiijd
Item moir be him of victual stipend cropt 1658 yeirs, twa bolls twa furlots and twa pecks of eall at x markes the boll, inde twentie sevene merks vjs viijd
And for the cropt 1659 the lyk quantity of meall at vij lib the boll is xviij lib vijs vjd
Item mair be him for the cropt 1660 yeirs four bolls beir, four bolls twa furlots twa pecks meall, pryce of the boll meall vij lib, summa xxxij lib vijs vjd
And for the cropt 1661 four bolls beir at viij lib the boll and sex bolls twa furlots twa pecks meall at vij lib the boll, Inde lxxviij lib vijs vjd
Item be the laird of Binnie and his tennents for the defuncts stipend cropt 1661 yeirs foirsaid jc lib money with aught bolls meall at vij lib the boll and four bolls beir at viij lib the boll, inde lxxxviij lib
Item be the lord Ross and his tennents of Watterstoun for the defuncts stipend cropt foirsaid jc xv markes money, thrie bolls meall and sex furlotts beir, pryce immediatlie above rehearsed, inde xxxiij lib
Item be the ars of Lyne of the laitt lord Ross by precept jc xij lib Scottes
Item be the laird of Kirkhall of stipen for the said cropt 1661 foirsaid of moneys vj lib vs with vj pecks of meall and thrie pecks of bier [page 3] pryce foirsaid, inde iiij lib ijs vjd
Item be Jon Mowbray for his lands of Bulzeon yeirlie, the yeirs of God 1659 yeirs 1660 and 1661 yeirs iij lib xvijs money with ane furlot of victual at vij lib the boll overheid the said yeirs, inde both money and victual, in all extends to xvj lib xvjs
Item be James Ramsay for the defuncts stipend 1661 yeirs foirsaid jc xij lib viijs viijd with four bolls beir and aught bolls meall, pryce of the boll as is above mentionat, Inde lxxxviij lib
Item moir be him of money for the cropt 1660 yeirs the lyke sowme of jc xij lib viijs viijd.
Summa of the debts awine to the deid jm iijc xxxj lib vjs 8d
Summa of the inventar with the debts jm iiijc lvij lib iijs 4d
Followes the debts awine be the deid
Item ther wes restant awand be the said umquhill Mr Robert Keith the tyme of his deceis foirsaid
To Jon Andirsone servand for his yeirs fie and bounteth xviij lib
To Angnes Jamesone servand of fie and bounteth uther xviij lib
To Jonet Wallace servand of fie and bounteth xiiij lib money
Summa of the debts awine be the deid l lib
Restis of frie geir, the debts deduced jm iiijc vij lib iijs 9d
To be divydit in 3 parts, deids part is iiijc lxix lib js jd
Sir Jon Nisbitt etc, understanding etc, we decerned etc, conforme to the quhilk, etc, Thomas Bankes pypmaker in leith and Thomas Ker chirurgiane ther Become cautioners, as ane act beirs.
[Addition in margin of page 2]
Edinburgh the 30 of August 1665 yeirs
Eik maid hereto as followes, viz:
Ther wes justlie adebted and restand awand to the said defunct Be Mr Charles Craufurd now present minister at Eglishmauchane or be the heretors of the said paroishe for the pryce of the manss house thairof belonging to the said kirk, the sowme of vc markes Scottes money, sek being divydit in 3 parts, etc, deids part is jc xj lib ijs vjd
And gives and commits etc reservand compt etc quhairupone Hercules Rollo merchand burges of Edinburgh Become cautioner as ane act beirs.
Translation
The testament dative and inventory of the goods, possessions, sums of money and debts belonging to the late Mr Robert Keith, minister at Ecclesmachan, at the time of his death, who died in the month of [+] 1661.
Faithfully made and given up by Maroen Rollok, his surviving spouse, sole executrix dative, appointed in place of the Procurator Fiscal by decree of the Commissaries of Edinburgh, as the same decree, dated [+] February 1662, more fully states.
Inventory of the deceased’s goods
First, the said late Mr Robert Keith had the following goods, possessions and other things, of the values and prices mentioned below, belonging to him at the time of his aforesaid death, namely:
Grain sown on the glebe, in the crop and year of God above written: one boll of oats, half a boll of barley, and half a boll of peas, estimated to produce fourfold [i.e. four times the quantity sown] except the oats, which were valued at only threefold. This therefore amounted to two bolls of peas, two bolls of barley and three bolls of oats. The price of a boll of oats, including the fodder, was 10 merks; a boll of barley, including the fodder, 12 merks; and a boll of peas, including the fodder, likewise 12 merks. The total value of all this was £132 Scots.
Item: One horse, worth £20.
Item: One cow, worth 20 merks.
Item: The furnishings of his dwelling house, together with his clothing and personal apparel, estimated at £40 in the aforesaid money.
Total of the inventory: £126 6s. 8d.
Debts owing to the deceased
Item: There remained owing to the said late Mr Robert Keith at the time of his aforesaid death:
By John Hamilton of Bangor, as part of the deceased’s annual stipend, for the years 1658, 1659, 1660 and 1661, the sum of £108 13s. 4d. Thus, for the said four years, the total amounted to £434 13s. 4d.
Item: More owed by him in victual stipend for the crop of 1658: two bolls, two firlots and two pecks of meal, at 10 merks per boll, amounting to 27 merks 6s. 8d.
Item: For the crop of 1659, the same quantity of meal, at £7 per boll, amounting to £18 7s. 6d.
Item: More owed by him for the crop of 1660: four bolls of barley and four bolls, two firlots and two pecks of meal, the price of the boll of meal being £7, amounting to £32 7s. 6d.
Item: For the crop of 1661: four bolls of barley, at £8 per boll, and six bolls, two firlots and two pecks of meal, at £7 per boll, amounting to £78 7s. 6d.
Item: By the laird of Binnie and his tenants, for the deceased’s stipend for the aforesaid crop of 1661, £100 Scots, together with eight bolls of meal, at £7 per boll, and four bolls of barley, at £8 per boll, amounting in total to £188.
Item: By Lord Ross and his tenants of Waterstoun, for the deceased’s stipend for the aforesaid crop, £115 Scots, together with three bolls of meal and six firlots of barley, priced at the rates immediately stated above, amounting to £33.
Item: By the heirs in the line of successors to the late Lord Ross, by precept, £112 Scots.
Item: By the laird of Kirkhall, for stipend for the aforesaid crop of 1661, £6 5s., together with six pecks of meal and three pecks of barley, at the prices stated above, amounting to £4 2s. 6d.
Item: By John Mowbray, for his lands of Bulzeon, annually for the years 1659, 1660 and 1661, £3 17s. in money, together with one firlot of victual at £7 per boll, over and above [the cash payment] for each of the said years; both money and victual together amounting to £16 16s.
Item: By James Ramsay, for the deceased’s stipend for 1661, £112 8s. 8d., together with four bolls of bere and eight bolls of meal, the price of the boll being as stated above, amounting to £188.
Item: More owed by him in money for the crop of 1660, the same sum of £112 8s. 8d.
Total of the debts owing to the deceased: £1,331 6s. 8d.
Total of the inventory together with the debts: £1,457 13s. 4d.
Debts owed by the deceased
There remained owing by the said late Mr Robert Keith at the time of his aforesaid death:
To John Anderson, servant, for his wages and gratuity for his years of service, £18.
To Agnes Jameson, servant, for wages and gratuity, likewise £18.
To Janet Wallace, servant, for wages and gratuity, £14 Scots.
Total of the debts owing by the deceased: £50.
The remainder of the free estate, after deduction of the debts, was £1,407 13s. 9d.
To be divided into three parts; the deceased’s part was £469 1s. 3d.
Sir John Nisbet, etc., having understood, etc., we decreed, etc., in accordance with which Thomas Bankes, pipemaker in Leith, and Thomas Ker, surgeon, became cautioners, as an act bears.
Addition to the inventory
Edinburgh, 30 August 1665
An addition was made to the foregoing as follows:
There was lawfully owed and remaining due to the said deceased by Mr Charles Crawford, now minister at Ecclesmachan, or by the heritors of the said parish, for the price of the manse belonging to the said kirk, the sum of 500 merks Scots money.
This being divided into three parts, etc., the deceased’s part was £111 2s. 6d.
And gives and commits, etc., reserving account, etc., whereupon Hercules Rollo, merchant burgess of Edinburgh, became cautioner, as an act bears.
[1] Hew Scott, Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae, vol.1 (1915), page 203.