William Moodie of Melsetter

WILLIAM MUDIE OF MELSETTER (afterwards WILLIAM MOODIE OF MELSETTER)

William Moodie of Melsetter is the son of James Moodie of Melsetter. His mother seems likely to be Margaret Bellenden, daughter of Adam Bellenden of Stenness. According to the Marquis of Ruvigny and Raineval, he was born before 1640 and succeeded his father on 4 July 1681.The Moodie Book

Death

According to the Moodie Book, William Moodie of Melsetter died before 6 July 1704 The Moodie Book

First Marriage

William Moodie of Melsetter married Barbara Stewart. She was the daughter of Robert Stewart of Brugh and his first wife Barbara Halcro. The marriage was booked for proclamation at Kirkwall on 23 November 1670 Scottish Marriages but they did not have the approval of their respective fathers and there was a great deal of objection and argument about their intention to marry. Notwithstanding the parental disapproval, because they were of legal age and did not require parental consent, they were afterwards married. The Moodie Book

Second Marriage

William Moodie of Melsetter married for a second time to Jeam McKenzie, the widow of John Kennedy of Carmucks, the elder. They were married before 16 July 1689, the date upon which he gave his wife a liferent which was secured on certain of his lands in Orkney. National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Scarth Family of Breckness, Orkney, reference GD217/19

Children

William Moodie of Melsetter appears to have had children by his first wife only:

1. Colonel James Moodie of Melsetter
2. Margaret Moodie

William Moodie of Melsetter had a third child. The name of the child's mother is not certainly known but there is good reason for believing that it was Barbara Stewart:

1. Elizabeth Moodie

Evidence from the National Records of Scotland

                   1

3 June 1668: Commission by Andrew [Honyman] Bishop of Orkney to Thos. Wilson, Bayliffe of Kirkwall, to receive in the Bishop's name caution from James Mudie of Malsatter and his two sons Wm. and Francis M. for the indemnity and peace of David Sinclair of Ryssay conform to Act of Privy Council National Records of Scotland, James Brown Craven bequest relating to local and ecclesiastical history of Orkney, reference GD106/202

                   2

11 October 1676: Copy summons directed to William Spence, messenger at arms, at the instance of David Sinclair of Ryssay, against James Mudie of Melsetter, William Mudie, fiar thereof, John and Charles Mudie, his sons, Francis Murray his son in law, John Sandisone, his son in law, Robert Mudy, his servant, Malcolm Adamesone in Wardi, Francis Hutchesonem now in Air, son of the deceased James Hutchesone, and Joseph Jack in Kirkwall, who "having conceaved ane deadlie fead and heatred against the complener without any just reasone or provacatioun, and having ane purpose to take from him his possessiones and just inheritance within the Ile of Orkney" in spite of acts of Parliament, Privy Council, and decreets of the Lords of Session in the complainer's favour, and also cautions of lawburrows, "have by oppen force and convocatioun with our leidges violentlie thrust themselfes in possessione of the mylne, multures, sucken and sequells of Ryssay belonging to the said complainer and compelled these thirled thereto to come to his mylne and grind ther cornes therat and pay the accustomat dewes to himselfe and his myller, which has casten the compleners mylne voyd and useless. Lykas the fornamed persones, upon the last day of December, 1667 years, did come to the compleners hous of Ryssay with ane number of armed men, horse and great boats and brack oppen the meall girnells, emptied them, went to the barne yaird and caryed away the whole corne, bear and oats then standing in the yaird, which in all will extend to upwards of ane thowsand pounds Scots money, conforme to ane particular inventar therof produced in presence of our Privie Counsal. And also upon the ..... day of September, 1674, or ane or other of the dayes of the said moneth, the fornamed persons did violentlyenter the compleners ground and lands of Ryssay at tuo severall tymes and threw doun and hous wes building for the compleners miller and carried away the stones therof. And sicklyke upon the ..... day of October 1674, or ane or other of the dayes of the said moneth, the said Charles and Robert Mudies, accompanied with the forsaid persones and others ther associattes, being hounded out by the said James Mudie, did come to the compleners fishing watters and mylne burne of Ryssay and ther did cary away his whole fishing nets to his awin hous of Melsetter, which he yett keeps and detaines. And also upon the ..... day of May 1675, or ane or other of the dayes of the said moneth, the said James Mudie, accompanied with the saids persones and ane armed partie with ane pypper playing befor them in warlick posture and with tuo ferrie boats, did come to the compleners lands and didbrack uo the doores of the houses and robbed and away took furth therof quhat they pleased; and having seized upon the compleners persone they caried him to ans strong hold in his awin hous and keeped him ther for the space of fyftein dayes or the, thinking therby to caues him discharge and sentences ordecreets recovered againest him; and in the meantyme did robb and away take from . . . . . , ane of the compleners servants, the number of tuentie ane peice of peapper, and therby hes forced the complener to pay debts formerlie payed by him for want of the discharges. And also upon the . . . . . dayes of August, 1675, or ane or other of the dayes of the said moneth, the compleners mylner of Ryssay having bought ground leave of William Mudy of Melsetter for winning of mylne stones for the said mylne, and having winne tuo stones out of a verir dangerous hewgh and brought them tuo or thrie myles from the hewgh towards the mylne of Ryssay, the said James Mudie, with severall armed men, came in a great ferrie boat and violently caryed away the saids mylne stones to his awin mylne, making therbt the said compleners mylne ineffectuall. And upon the sextein day of March last the said James Mudie did hound the saids Francis Murray, John and Charles Mudies his sones, John Sandiesone and Joseph Jack, with ane number of other armed men, being abou fyftie or sextoe persones, and in the complener and his familes absence in Edinburgh did cary away als much bear and oats as wold have yeilded sextie bolls of malt and meall and severall oxen and kyne, besyds other plennisching about the said hous, to the value of fyve hundereth pounds and upwards. And the saids persones have committed severall uther outrages, ryotts and oppressione, to the compleners ruine; nather can he keep the countrey and his possessione for fear of his lyfe by the crueltie of the saids persones". The complainer craves that the defenders ought to be punished and make good his damage. Order is given for their compearance before the Council on 22 February next, and for the citation of . . . . . as witnesses. Dated at Edinburgh 11th October 1676, Copy signed by Will. Spence, mssr. At the foote is note of execution by him against Francis Murray at Edinburgh, 11th October , 1676. The Register of the Privy Council. Edited and Abridged by P. Hume Brown, MA., LL.D., Fraser Professor of Ancient (Scottish) History and Palaeography in the University of Edinburgh. Histographer-Royal for Scotland. Third Series Vol. V. AD. 1676-1678 (H.M. General Register House, Edinburgh, 1912), pp. 599-1600

                   3

27 February 1677: Petition by Francis Murray, son in law to James Mudie of Melsetter, the said James for himself and William, John and Charles, his sons, John Sandisone in Walls, Joseph Jack, Malcolm Adamsone and Francis Hutchisone, all indwellers in Orkney, as follows: - They were charged at the instance of David Sinclar of Rayssay to compear on Thursdat, 22nd inst., and answere to several charges maliciously made by the said David, "of purpose to tak advantadge of the said James Mudie his old age, weakness and infirmitie, he not being able to cum this lenth bot upon the heazard of his lyfe. as ane testificat under the ministers and eldars hands in the parochin wher he leives and the nixt nibowring parochines, and under the hands of the haill most considerable gentlemen in Orkney heirwith produced to your Lordships, fullie bears: - and lykewayes the said David knoweing verie weill that ther is captiones upon verie unjust grounds against Francis Mrrray and William Mudie, two of yoy said petitioners, and therby promissis to himself (?) that they wold not therfor have compeired, the said perseware being debitor to them in considerable sowmes of money, did desyre aither to compell them to agrie in his owen termes at home, or to gett ther certificatione of his letters against hem for not compeirance ; and for evedenceing the trowth heirof, albeit that his said letters befor yowr Lordships was raised in the begineing of October last, was never execut till about the eight of February instant, to compeir the twentie twa of the said moneth, they having only about fyfteine dayes or therby betwixt the giving if the charge and the said day ; and who fynding that your Lordships sais petitioners, even tho to the heazard of ther lyfes, intending peremptorlie to keep the said dyet, they knoweing their innocencie in the said matter, the said David knowing verie weill he wo;d sucumb in his probatione hath failled to com up himselfe and insist in the said matter, notwithstanding of the great expense and trwbell he hath put your petitioners to in this seasone of the yeir be [coming] upwairds of 250 myles besyde ferries." Therefore they crave large expenses to be modified to the petitioners present, "the most of them being gentlemen," and that they may be represented by proxy in future, if the matter is insisted in, and that protection may be granted to Francis Murrat for a time. - Edinburgh, 27th February, 1677, - "The Lords of his Majesties Privy Councill doe grant personall protection to the petitioner for the space od siz weiks, discharging messenger at armes etc." Edinburgh, 1st March, 1677. - The Lords having considered the petitione, they modifie one hundred [pounds] Scotts of expenses to each of the petitioners cited who compeared, viz. Francis Murray, Johne Mudie, Malcolme Adamsone, Francis Huchesone and Joseph Jack, to bee payed by David Sinclair, persewer ; and ordaines letters to bee direct against him for that effect (Signed) Rothes, Cancell., I.P.D. The Register of the Privy Council. Edited and Abridged by P. Hume Brown, MA., LL.D., Fraser Professor of Ancient (Scottish) History and Palaeography in the University of Edinburgh. Histographer-Royal for Scotland. Third Series Vol. V. AD. 1676-1678 (H.M. General Register House, Edinburgh, 1912), p. 612

                   4

12 March 1684: Execution of letters charging Harry Graham of Breknesse to flit from lands pertaining to William Mudie of Melsetter. National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Scarth Family of Breckness, Orkney, reference GD217/926

                   5

1 April 1685: Notes of information for Harry Graeme of Brecknes against William Moodie of Melsetter anent 20¼d. land in Stromnes, disponed, 1630, by Francis Moodie to Marion Crichtoun, grandmother of said Harry, in liferent, and to his father, in fee National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Scarth Family of Breckness, Orkney, reference GD217/18

                   6

16 July 1689: Disposition by William Mudie of Melsetter to Jean McKenzie, relict of John Kennedy, elder, of Carmucks, now his spouse of liferent annuity from 9d. land of Osmondwall, 6d. land of Kirbuster with a cow's worth of land there, 3d. land of Wairds, 2 merk and a cow's worth of land in Fea, 3d. and a cow's worth of land in Aith, 4½d. land in Brimms, 15 merkland in Melsetter with 2 quoys called Meiklequoy and Dowisquoy, with another quoy called Kirbyster, 9 merk and a cow's worth of land in Thurvo with quoy called Annaquoy, lands and room of Ryssay and milne, 7d., 3 merk king's land with quoy called Pultisquoy in Utterstromnes, 3½d. kirkland there, 7½d. udal land there, ½d. land in Stanneigar there with house and biggings of Done and 1/3 merkland under said house, 1/3 of a house in Liagar and two part of yard thereof, with house and biggings of Brecknes, with house of Lesia (? Lefea) called Gentle John's house, 6 merkland in island of Gramsey and town of Sutherland, house of Gorne and house of Banks with mansion house of Brecknes, and milne multures thereof, 3 merkland in ? Antawork in island of Gramsey, all lying in islands of Waalls and Gramsey, parish of Stromnes, 4 meils mailing and 3 cow's worth of udal land in towns of Lynnes and Thurvo, in said island of Waalls, and parsonage teinds of said island National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Scarth Family of Breckness, Orkney, reference GD217/19

                   7

December 1690: Copy diligence at instance of Sir Alexander Mckenzie of Broomhill, eldest son of deceased Murdoch, bishop of Orknay, against William Mudie of Melseter for payment of superior duties of his udal lands in island of Walls, crops 1677-87 National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Scarth Family of Breckness, Orkney, reference GD217/932

                   8

1693: Compt made by George Ritchie, chamberlain of the bishopric of Orkney, with William Mudie of Melsetter of the superior duty of his king's lands, crop 1693. National Records of Scotland, Sir Alexander Brand of Brandsfield, reference, RH15/53/10

                   9

1697: Answers for William Mudie of Melsetter to bill given in by Sir William Craigie of Garsay National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Scarth Family of Breckness, Orkney, reference GD217/633

                  10

9 December 1698: Copy of charter to Captain James Mudie, brother of William Mudie of Melsetter of lands in Melsetter and others National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Earls of Morton, reference GD150/1691B

Evidence from the Orkney Archive

William Mudie son to James Mudie of Melsetter. [Orkney Archives, McCrae and Robertson Collection: Balfour Mortification, reference D34/D/1/1/13]

Genealogy

1. The Moodie Book
2. The County Families of the Shetland Islands