Meek family of Campfield papers

Primary maker
Trustees of Mrs Elizabeth Meek or Andrews
Production date
1660-1889
 Description
Meek family of Campfield papers. Including various Title Deeds for Subjects in Grahamsfield, Grahamsmuir, Bleachfield and Campfield estate owned by the Meek family of Campfield.

Object detail

Department
Archives Collections
Administrative History
Dr John Meek (1758-1802) was the fourth and youngest child of John Meek and Janet Miller of Watersough, in Lanarkshire. He studied for the medical profession, and, on, qualifying as a surgeon, settled in Falkirk about 1756. In the following year on the 30th June he married Agnes Muirhead (1738-1816), daughter of John Muirhead, Maltman, of Burnside, Falkirk, and Elizabeth Miller, his wife, who was a daughter of John Miller, merchant in Stirling. Dr Meek practised as a surgeon for a period of forty years. He was buried in the grave of his wife’s relation, Patrick Muirhead of Rashiehill, of which he had sasine in 1793, on Disposition by Sir Charles Preston of Valleyfield. Mrs Agnes Meek is buried in the same tomb. Dr Meek was one of the founders of the Falkirk Banking Company. In addition to the large profits paid to the shareholders in that concern, Dr Meek inherited from his mother the estate of Watersough. Mrs Meek, who was an only daughter, came into large possessions, which were further accumulated by her being served heir to Patrick Muirhead in Mungall, her grandfather. Having abundance of wealth at their command, Dr Meek and his wife gradually purchased land and property in Falkirk, especially in Grahamston district, changing whatever name it previously had to that of “Campfield,” he becoming known as “Dr John Meek of Campfield.” The house in which he lived and died was at 66 High Street, which was occupied till about 1888 as a place of business by the late Mr William Hamilton, saddler. This was known as “Campfield House.”


Of Dr John Meek’s union with Agnes Muirhead there was a family of two sons and five daughters. John, the elder son, (1759-84), became a merchant in Glasgow but died a young man at Falkirk; Elizabeth was born 5th July, 1760 and in 1779 married Michael Andrews, son of John Andrews of Comber, Ireland; Janet Meek was born 10th August, 1762 and died in 1816. George Meek was born June, 1764; In 1785, the third daughter, Marion Meek (1766-1818) married Dr. John Corbet, son of John Corbet (head of the Excise in Leith) ; Margaret was born 1769 and seems to have died young; Ann was born 1770 and in 1791 she married John Miller, “formerly of the Island of Jamaica.”

George Meek, the youngest son of Dr John Meek was educated at the Grammar School of Falkirk, under James Meek, who was probably his uncle. He passed to the University of Glasgow, where he matriculated in 1792. After a five years’ course he graduated M.A. in 1797, and intended entering the Church, but this he abandoned. With his father dying in 1802, he devoted his attention to the various properties to which he had fallen heir. George Meek’s connection with the Masonic Lodge of Falkirk began on 27th December, 1802, when he was made an apprentice Mason; a year later. Fellow Craft and Master; Junior Warden, 14th December, 1804; Senior Warden, I3th December. 1805; and Master of the Lodge in 1806, 1807, 1808.

On 18th October, 1819, George Meek married Janet, the fourth child of John Heugh of Gartcows and Helen Stark, his wife. After the wedding, the newly married couple left for London to spend the winter. In the spring they went to Italy, and left Rome to return to Scotland on the 26th July, 1820. At the “Eternal City “ he contracted malarial fever, but was not laid up till they reached the Hotel of the Tre Mori, at Bologna. Here he died, and Mrs Meek, after giving birth to a child, died also, and so did the child. The question as to which family, whether that of the husband or the wife was to benefit by their deaths, led to a close examination of the actual time at which each died, and it was proved that Mrs Meek died half an hour before her husband. By this circumstance George Meek’s sisters, just named, came into sufficient wealth to be termed heiresses.
Record level
Sub-collection
Collection
Meek, John & George of Campfield/Russel & Aitken/Business Group
Primary maker
Production date
1660-1889
Measurements
87 items
Archives finding aids
This catalogue entry provides a summary of a sub-collection of the Russel & Aitken Collection. Please use the search tools on the Collections Browser to look for information about individual items in this collection.

Catalogues for clients of Russel & Aitken are being added regularly to our website. http://www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org/heritage/archives/finding-aids/russel-aitken.aspx
Restriction
Open - no restriction on access
Accession number
A1848

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