Mair and Rankine family papers
Primary maker
1. Trustees of Miss Marion Mair Trust
2. Trustees of Thomas Mair of Pottishaw Trust
3. Trustees of John Rankine of Loanrig Trust
4. Isabella Rankine
Production date
1808-1859
Description
Executry and Trust Papers of Patrick Mair, Thomas Mair of Pottishaw, and descendants. Documentation for the purchase and sale of subjects at Smellie’s Land, West Bow, Edinburgh. Trust Dispositions and Settlements of Patrick and Thomas Mair. Inventories of Rankine properties in Falkirk. Papers relating to the estate of John Rankine and the Trust of Mrs Isabel Mair or Rankine. Correspondence from Rev A C Rutherford about disputed succession. Summons of Multiplepoinding and Exoneration. Vouchers of Miss Marion Mair. Papers, vouchers and discharges relating to Miss Marion Mair’s executry. Papers relating to Thomas Mair of Pottishaw’s Trust properties and accounts and vouchers relating to that Trust. Administration of the continuing executry until the beneficiary became of age. Affidavits as to the presumed death of Thomas Rankine.
Object detail
Patrick Mair had heritable properties in Edinburgh and Falkirk and made provision for his wife and his daughters Isabel, who married John Rankine, bookseller and stationer in Falkirk, Margaret, who married Thomas Johnston, printer, Falkirk, and Marion, who did not marry. After a liferent to his wife, Isabel received a property in Smellie’s Land on the south side of the High Street above the Bow in Edinburgh (which she later disponed to the Edinburgh Commissioners) as well as Patrick’s whole stock of books. Margaret received a tenement of houses lying to the south side of Falkirk High Street in Logan’s Close as well as all the printing equipment and materials. Marion received a tenement on the north side of Falkirk High Street and the west side of Kirk Wynd. Thus Thomas Johnston took over his father in law’s printing business and John Rankine took over the bookseller and stationer’s business. Whether his sons-in-law were formerly Patrick’s employees is not apparent. Thomas Johnston died in 1835 and was succeeded by his son Archibald Johnston who purchased the Falkirk Herald in 1846, one year after it had been started by James Hedderwick, a Glasgow printer.
Patrick’s younger brother, Thomas Mair of Pottishaw, (1743-1808) was a banker in Bathgate, being agent there for the Falkirk Banking Company. Following that he became a partner of the Falkirk Union Bank. He died before the Bank’s failure. After a liferent to his wife, Thomas left half of his estate to his great-nephews, Thomas Johnston and John Johnston, and left a quarter to his great-nephew Thomas Rankine, and a quarter to his niece, Marion Mair.
Patrick’s daughter, Isabel, and her spouse John Rankine of Loanrig had six children who were Janet (or Jessie, who married the Reverend A C Rutherford), Patrick, Thomas,(a seaman, who was estranged from his family for unknown reasons, lost touch and was eventually presumed dead), Jane, James and Isabella.
John Rankine of Loanrig, Isabel’s husband, died in December 1832, having made a complicated will. He held ownership of various lands in the Parish of Slamannan which can be traced in this family’s name in the Valuation Roll of 1691. His executors were his widow, his eldest son Patrick, and James Russel. Patrick was to be the eventual heir. Isabel Rankine had a liferent till her death but Patrick on her death was burdened with making payments to Jessie, Jane and Isabella. Isabel Rankine died on 28th July 1838 predeceased by the elder son and heir, Patrick, leaving James Russel as the only surviving Trustee. He accordingly assumed the Reverend A C Rutherford to act with him. James Rankine, the other son who is described as “sometime stationer” had been left with little discretion to deal with his small share of his father’s estate for reasons which are not clear. Patrick had died intestate and the result of this was that James was entitled to the whole residue of the estate subject to the burden of provision for his sisters. The executors were able to get James to execute the necessary deeds to provide this protection. This was not the end of the confusion. James was married to Euphemia Watson and had made a will in her favour. James died on 30th April 1839. A child was born to Euphemia in May 1840. The child was “believed to be illegitimate”, but it was thought that the child might nonetheless have a claim on his or her supposed grandfather’s estate. The Executors required to resort to the well known Victorian expedient of raising in the Court of Session a Summons of Multiplepoinding and Exoneration.
The John Rankine Trust estate included subjects in the Randygate, Awells, Grahams Road, High St, Loanrig, Westrig and Back Row. Russel & Aitken acted on behalf of the Trustees at least until 1842.
Thomas Rankine’s share in the Thomas Mair Pottishaw Trust was assigned to his mother, Isabel, as his factor and she sold it to Adam Smith, Writer, Falkirk.
Patrick’s unmarried daughter, Marion Mair, inherited a tenement on the north side of Falkirk High Street and the west side of Kirk Wynd which was managed by the Trustees of Patrick Mair’s Trust. Marion Mair along with Russel & Aitken, managed her own assets including her house (originally John Rankine’s) in Graham’s Rd. She left her estate principally to charities but left her house and some funds to her great nephew, James Rutherford, the son of Janet Rankine and Rev Alexander Cumming Rutherford, Minister of the Burgher (Auld Licht) congregation in Falkirk.
Catalogues for clients of Russel & Aitken are being added regularly to our website. http://www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org/heritage/archives/finding-aids/russel-aitken.aspx
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