AdditionalReturn to table of contents for further sections
- My mother's family:
The transcription linked from this page is of the documentation of the estate and effects and heritable property of Ann Fisher, the aunt of my great-grandmother Marion Fisher. Ann was daughter of Mary McCulloch and William Fisher. She was born in Linlithgow Bridge, in the small part within Muiravonside parish, that is across the river Avon which formed the boundary of Linlithgowshire (now West Lothian): it seems likely that she was born in the room above the Bridge Inn. Her grandfather William McCulloch had died in late 1812, shortly after the marriage of her parents. Her brother William, my great-grandfather, was born in 1817, also in Muiravonside parish in Linlithgow Bridge.
Ann married Robert Stewart, from Bridge of Earn, Perthshire, who became 'vintner' at the Inn. Her mother Mary however was not present in the Inn for the 1841 census; she was in Edinburgh, in St Colme Street, with occupation 'female servant'. Mary shared a household there with another servant. However, Ann's will speaks of 'subjects (i.e. heritable property) I acquired from my mother' which seem to relate to several cottages or houses in the Muiravonside part of Linlithgow Bridge, presumably including the Bridge Inn. The inventory of Ann's effects includes rents due to her from several people including Mrs Battison, the current Innkeeper. The will or Trust Disposition indicates an agreed sum for which Ann's son Robert Stewart may buy property from her Trust. He may have done this, then sold the Inn to the Battison family, or the Inn may have sold directly to them by the trust.
There is an anomaly in the affidavit accompanying the Disposition and Settlement, which concludes:
"That the foregoing Inventory signed by the Deponent and the said Justice of the Peace as relative hereto is a full & complete Inventory of the personal Estate and Effects of the said deceased Ann Fisher or Stewart wheresoever situated and belonging or due to her beneficially at the time of death, in so far as the same has come to the knowledge of the Deponent. That the said Deceased had no heritable Estate in this Country in so far as Known to the Deceased Deponent That the value at this date of the said personal Estate & Effects including the proceeds accrued thereon down to this date, does not exceed Three Hundred pounds ."
It seems very odd that 'the said Deceased had no heritable Estate' as six pages of the Trust Deposition indicate where her heritable property has come from and what shall be done with it. Is there an error here? Is something missing? Should it say ' no heritable Estate ... other than..' It seems that her mother had both liferent and use in fee from properties, and that Ann herself has not only the ability to determine who shall have use of these but to place 'burdens' upon them; this would seem to constitue heritable property.
Ann's son William Stewart was in Victoria, Australia in 1888. Did he remain there?
If anybody has further information about this - including details of the Instruments of Sasine indicated, or others that may have related to the properties in Linlithgow Bridge - please do get in touch. The Bridge Inn is a fascinating building, though part of it - a restaurant - has been quite recently built. The old part includes an upstairs which is now not occupied as the ceiling is too low for present-day standards: it is likely that Ann and her brother were born in these upstairs rooms.
Return to table of contents