John Smollett

From http://lengenealogy.com/getperson.php?personID=I648&tree=tree1

In 1638, John SMOLLET grandson of John SMOLLET of Kirkton, was admitted as a Burgess of Dumbarton.

This purchase helped to establish the SMOLLET family and they became the principal landed family in Dumbarton.

He was admitted as a Burgess of Dumbarton in 1638. He passed an apprenticeship with James WALLACE, a merchant in Edinburgh, and on returning to Dumbarton, was several times chosen a Bailie of the burgh, and on one occasion Dean of Guild.

He was also Bailie-Depute of the Regality of Lennox and Provost of Dumbarton for a number of years.

John SMOLLETT was infeft in Stainflett 19 June 1659; and in 1666 he acquired Pillanflatt and Rosruvan from William LINDSAY of Bonhill, and his wife Anne.

The affairs of John SMOLLETT falling into disorder, he resigned the management thereof to his son James, in 1672

By his first wife Jean, second daughter of BONTINE of Ardoch, he left only one son, James. He also appears to have had a daughter Jean, who married William CORRUTH, Burgess of Dumbarton in 1665.

By his second wife Mary SEMPILL (probably of Fulwood) he had no issue.

He died in 1680 according to the booklet "Smollett's Scotland."

In the Council Records of the burgh of Dumbarton, 7 August 1638, there is created a Burgess,

"John SMOLLETT, son to James SMOLLETT, in Sanchar (Sanquhar), and oye (grandchild) to umqhill John SMOLLETT, eldest, sometyme in Kirktoune." Attached to a notorial copy of the Burgess ticket, among the SMOLLETT Papers at Cameron House, in a memorandum written in 1676, to the following effect:- "The reason of extracting this Burgess ticket was, because it was allegit be the laird of Fulwood in his debait before the Presbiterie with John and Mr James SMOLLETT anent a seat and buriall place belonging to thaime thair, that they had no interest in the old antient SMOLLETTS who lived in and about Dumbartane, and this information was gevin be some invidious person who had taken friedome to vent that malicious untreuth, Bot this ticket, being marked in the town register by old David WATSOUN, who was both the most honest and intelligent of all of that race, and knew well the genealogies of all remarkable persons about Dumbartane, it putt these calumniators to silence, and restrained those traducing the said John and Mr James as to their extraction."

This and other evidents produced by John SMOLLETT, the son of James of Sanquhar, appears to have satisfied the Kirk-session, and also the Presytery, which, on the 23 May 1676, came to the conclusion, that he being in actual possession of the disputed seat and burying-ground, should retain the same till he was legally dispossed.

There is a note in Inquisitiones Generales supplied by Nancy Lennox:-

Jan22 1647 (entry 3228 in index)

Joannes Smollatt, burgensis de Dumbartan, haeres Jacobi Smollatt, praepositi di Dumbarton, fratis .xix.2
(John Smollett, burgess of Dumbarton, heir to James Smollett, Provost of Dumbarton, his brother.?)

Bonhill now forms part of the town of Alexandria between Dumbarton and the village of Balloch on the Southern shores of Loch Lomond.

DUMBARTON COMMON GOOD ACCOUNTS 1614-1660, edited by Roberts, F and MacPhail, IMM. Published by the Lennox Herald 1972.

John Smollatt was Treasurer from treasurer from Whitsunday 1650 to Whitsunday 1651

1651-52 Item the 20 of March givin to John Smollat as Commissioner wha in his first and secund voyages to Dalkeith was superexpendit conform to his compt 31 06 08

Item the 5 of June, givin to Colone Smyt and Alexander Spittell for going doune to Newwark with John Smollats bote tua severall tymes and cairying up thairin this Burghs proportione of the salt and vinegar out of the said shipp 12 00 00

1652-53 Item givin to Johne Smollat as being superexpendit in his accomptes of the first and secund levie which was approvin be the counsall 15 lib.

Item to twa boyis that caryed John Smollat doun into ane shippes boat to newwark and bak again as Commissioner for this Burgh to stoppe Mr Listoun, Inglishe merchant to meassor his salt with the firlot of Air and to caus him to mak his entrie heir. 00 12 00

Item for lending his hors in wintter to John Crum to putt into his plowye thrie dayis, John Crum his awin hors being borrowed from him be the magistrats for John Smollet to ryde to Edinburgh anent the townes effairs 01 04 00

1655-56

Item givin to to John Conynghame, baillie, for his charges and debursments as Commissioner with John Smollat to Edinburgh anent McWilliam and anent the renewing of toun letters for thair priviledges and against forstallers and unfrie trading and for consulting anent the tounes removeing against thair tennents and for several petitounes anent McWilliam, warlock 54.14. 00

Item givin to John Smollat ( who went in the same commission of his awin accord haveing other buseness of his awin 9 lib and to John Clerk for ane hors hyre to him, 6lib. 15.00.00 Item the 29 of November givin to John Smollat, Gabriell Porterfield and uthers to ane accompt of thair charges and convoyed McWilliam to Edinburgh 40.00.00

1657-58 Item to Adame Colquhoun in Maines, for tilling the beir land of the Meikill Aiker in Overbog perteneing to this Burgh unsett this year, 4 merks, with a quart of aill at the sowing thairof, 40d., and for ane boll, 2 pecks beir to sow the same at 2 merks the boll is 6 lib., and fro 50 load of muck thairto at 8d the load boght fra John Smollat, 33s.4d. and for spreddinf of the muck 6s., and for mucking the commoun stabill for that use, 12s. 11.08 00

1659-60 Item from Johne Smollat, merchand, for the rent of the meikle aiker of land in Overbog, set to him from Witsounday, 1659, to Witsounday 1660 12.00.00

Item from Johne Smollat, merchand, for the commoune landes of Hilbrae, set to him from Beltane, 1659 to Beltane 1660 13.06 08.

Item from Johne Smollat for his infeftment in the lands of Steinflete and Gruelbog, the quadrupling of his few dewty for his entrie thairto 10.00.00

Item from him for his infeftment in the landes of Lidgait, the quadrupling of his few dewty for his entrie thairto 00.06.00

Item givin Johne Cuninghame, baillie and Johne Smollat, be vertew of ane act of Counsell for thair jurney in going to Edinburgh to meit with the rest of the Barrowes in obedience to ane letter direct be the Lord General Monke to every burgh for that effect 40 00 00

Appendix A James Smollatt baillie was assessed at 12.00.00 in the stent roll drawn up for national taxation in 1643 and John Smollatt was assessed at 02.00.00. His entry is marked P (presumably for paid).

John Smollett, Burgess of Dumbarton

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Notes:

• generation filler. Lineal succession assumed but by no means guaranteed.

The name that became synonymous with Cameron House [on Loch Lomond] for the best part of three centuries was Smollett. The Smolletts were a family of merchants and shipbuilders in the town of Dumbarton, where they had a mansion house in High Street. John Smollett, a burgess of Dumbarton, acquired a number of estates in the 1650's and 1660's, and his son, James Smollett, extended the families landholdings with the purchase in 1684 of Bonhill, an estate in the Vale of Leven. (http://www.incentives-scotland.com/history.html)