Janet Alexander

From curator Pam Wilson: I retrieved History of the County of Ayr by James Paterson (Edinburgh, 1852), which has two volumes. In Volume 2 beginning on page 509 is the following account of the heirs of Robert Alexander of Blackhouse: (Note: The text was copied from https://archive.org/stream/historycountyay00pategoog/historycountya..., which has a very poor scanned electronic transcription; it was corrected from viewing the scanned PDF of the text available at https://archive.org/stream/historycountyay00pategoog#page/n5/mode/2up.)

p. 509 ALEXANDERS OF BLACKHOUSE.

Robert Alexander of Blackhouse in the parish of Mearns, a small estate of about fifty acres. He was born in 1604, and apprenticed to John Quhyt, writer in Paisley. He had a long and prosperous career: writer and Town-clerk about 1636, and Bailie of Paisley in 1648, and again at various times in subsequent years.

He acquired the lands of Blackhouse, near Ayr, in 1648. The feucharter, by James second Earl of Abercom, is dated 17th June of that year, in favour of Robert Alexander, Esq., of all, &c., the two merk land of Blackhouse, with houses, &c., glebes, fishings, used and wont, in the water of Ayr, parts and pertinents; and all and whole the lands of Chappellands, comprehending therein the lands of Dykes and Smiddyhill, and the mill of Dalmilling, lying in the barony of Monkton and Dalmilling, regality of Paisley, bailliary of Kyle-Stewart, and shire of Ayr. Mr. Alexander acquired various other properties in the vicinity, all of which were incorporated under the designation of Blackhouse. On the 25th May 1668, he had a disposition in favour of himself in liferent, and of his son, James Alexander, in fee, of the 42s. land of Woodquarter, called Thomyflat, from Allan Hunter, who had a feucharter of the same from John, second Lord Barganie, 31st May 1665.

He had also a disposition and assignation, in the same terms, of the lands of Boghall, from John Cuninghame, Esq. of Baidland, and Robert Gordon of Boghall, and John Gordon, his eldest son, dated 22d June 1665. These lands were formerly held by the Lockharts of Boghall, a branch of the Lockharts of Bar, who appear to have obtained them from the Earl of Abercorn, successor to the Abbots of Paisley. John Lockhart of Bar was served heir to his grandfather, Alexander Lockhart of Boghall, in all and whole the 16s. 8d. land of Taitsquarter, with the pertinents, &c. ; the 3 merk land of Dalmilling of old extent, also called Taitsquarter ; the 16s. 8d. land of Dalmilling, of the same extent, called Jaspersteumstead, with the pendicles, &c ;

p. 510 as also the merkland now called Chappelland, &c., 24th June 1630. These lands were alienated by John Lockhart of Bar to Robert Gordon, Provost of the burgh of Ayr, and John Gordon, merchant burgess there, his eldest son, dated 25th June 1647. They had thereafter become the property of John Montgomerie, whose son, Patrick Montgomerie of Blackhouse, disposed of them to John Cuninghame of Baidland, 11th June 1663. On the 28th of April 1664, a decreet of apprising of the lands of Boghall was obtained by Mr. Cuninghame of Baidland, for payment of the money he had some time before advanced upon them; hence the sale of the lands by the parties concerned to the Alexanders in 1665.

Robert Alexander, of Blackhouse and Boghall, married Marion Hamiltoun, and had issue : —

1. Master James, his successor. [see below]

2. Claud, of Newton (ancestor of Alexander of Ballochmyle.)

3. Mr. Robert, writer in Paisley, from 1677 to 1699.

4. John. He and Robert are mentioned as the *' breither-german" to Claud, in a document in 1678.

1. Jonet, married to Robert Love, maltman in Paisley. Her "breither" Claud, Mr. Robert and John, were bound to give the soume of 3000 merks In 1676, if Marion, as under, should die before her marriage. Robert Love died before 1678.

2. Marion, married John Maxwell of Braidieland, parish of Paisley, in 1678. Braidieland consisted of 20s. old extent, and and another mailing of 40s. She brought a tocher of 3600 merks, and her jointure was 400 merks.