John Bell-Irving, of Whitehill

Obituary:

http://archive.org/stream/irvinestheirkinr00boyd#page/n83/mode/1up

http://archive.org/stream/irvinestheirkinr00boyd/irvinestheirkinr00...

John Bell-Irving, the recent Laird of White Hill, etc., was born in 1813, and was the only survivor of the family of twelve, in his ninety-first year.

He was educated for the law in Edinburgh, but after taking up his residence at White Hill he became widely known as one of the most enterprising and successful agriculturists in the South of Scotland. He was a J. P. for the County of Dumfries for over half a century. His name was ever associated with the sports of a country gentleman, and he was the only one left of the group of original founders of the Dumfriesshire Fox Hunt, established about fifty-nine years ago.

He married, in 1843, Mary Jardine (sister of Sir Robert Jardine, Bart., of Castle Milk), daughter of David Jardine, of Muirhousehead, Applegarth — whose wife was Rachel Johnstone, daughter of William Johnstone, of Dalton Hook, Lockerbie.

The venerable and much respected couple celebrated their Diamond Wedding (sixty years) on November 13, 1903. When they were married, in 1843, there were no railways into Scotland, so that on their honeymoon they went South by the mail packet from Annan waterfoot to Liverpool, and returned by mail coach from York. He passed away in the following year at the age of 94.

They had issue:

1. John, born February 2, 1846.

2. David Jardine, born August 12, 1847.

3. William Ogle, born July 8, 1851.

4. Andrew, born July 9, 1855.

5. James Jardine, born December 24, 1857.

6. Rachel Johnstone Jardine, born August 12, 1844.

7. Margaretta Ogle, bornApril, 16, 1849, died March 11, 1850.

8. Margaretta Ogle, born June 1, 1853, died 1899.

9. Mary, born May 13, 1860.

10. Jessie Elizabeth, born July 6, 1862.