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- of Hartree, near Biggar
THE DICKSONS OF HARTREE
Little is known of James Dickson, who was the eldest son of Lord Hartree's second marriage; he had a charter of Hartree from his father in 1657, and he transferred these lands in 1663 to his younger and only surviving brother, David.
David Dickson was born in 1644, and married (contract dated 30th May, 1665) Helen, third daughter of Sir Alexander Wedderburn of Blackness, and died in or before February, 1668, leaving two sons, John (who succeeded) and David. He acquired in 1665 from his uncle, James Dickson, the lands of Stane.
John Dickson was born in 1666, and married (contract dated 13th December, 1692) Anna daughter of Sir William Murray, first Baronet of Stanhope. Her toucher was 3,000 merks. He entailed the lands in 1695, and died in 1706, survived by a son, John, and four daughters, Henrietta, Helen, Anne and Agnes. The son, John, succeeded, and was infeft in Hartree on 15th May, 1707, on a precept of clare constat from the superior, William Dickson of Kilbucho. He also succeeded to Stane, and increased his possessions in 1722 by the purchase of the lands of Anniestoun, in the parish of Symington, from George Lockhart of Carnwath for 15,100 merks. He also acquired about the same time the lands of Eastfield in the same parish. There does not appear to have been any issue of his marriage (post-nuptial contract dated 31st October, 1727) with Susanna Lockhart, daughter of William Lockhart of Wygateshaw, and he was succeeded by his three surviving sisters, Helen, Anne, and Agnes, who were served his heirs portioners of line and provision on 13th June 1744.
A few months before 'the Ladies of Hartree,' as they were called, entered into possession, a clamant of the estates appeared on the scene. This was David Dickson, grandson of their uncle, David, the younger brother of their father, John Dickson of Hartree. David, the uncle, had married out of his class and disappeared; he had a son, John, who was an officer of Excise, and the claiment, John's only son, was a footman in the service of William Robertson, writer, Edinburgh. While he was waiting one day at dinner, he heard one of the guests say that the Ladies of Hartree knew of no heir to the property, although it was not unlikely that their uncle might have left descendants. After dinner the footmen went to his employer and told his story, and the guest, who proved to be his relative, David Dickson, afterwards the Rev. David Dickso11 of Kilbucho, lent him money wherewith to purchase a commission and prove his claim. In security of this loan David, the footmen, assigned his rights to Hartree by a disposition dateed 2nd April, 1744. Later in the same month he was served as heir to David Dickson of Hartree, his great-grandfather, and on 10th November of the same year he had a of clare constat from his superior, William Dickson of Kilbucho. He did not however, attempt to disposses the ladies, but they paid off the loan he had contracted to David of Kilbucho, who trabsferred to them the disposition in his favour.
The ex-footman became an ensign in Lieutenant-General Handysides's Regiment of Foot, and rose to the rank of Captain. He made his home at Hartree, and after his retirement acted as factor to the ladies there, with whom he was on the friendliest of terms. His wife was Jean Bell, a housemaid, whon he had married when he was a footman, and of this marriage there was one son, Alexander. In 1753 the 'Ladies of Hartree' executed a disposition of their lands - Hartree, Thriepland, Anniestoun, Stane and Eastfield - to themselves and their issue, whom failing to Ensign David and his heirs. The ladies never married. Helen seems to have died in 1756; Anne's name disappears after 1759. Agnes, the remaining sister, on 20th March, 1779, bought the mid-superiority of Hartree and Thriepland from the Laird of Kilbucho for £329 11s 10 and 2/12d. stg., and thereafter these lands were held direct of the Crown. Agnes Dickson died in 1794, and was succeeded by Alexander Dickson, the only son of Captain David Dickson, who died in 1791.
Alexander Dickson, who became Colonel of the 16th Regiment of Foot, was born in 1743, and was served heir to his three cousins, the ladies foresaid, on 11th July, 1794. He married Susanna Jane, daughter of Sir Henry Moore, Governor of New York, and afterwards divorced her. The old tower of Hartree was demolished by him, and he built the older part of the present house on an adjoining site. As he had no children, he intended a cousin, Major Andrew Douglas, who lived with him at Hartree, to be his heir, but he outlived him, and died in 1817, leaving his lands in Kilbucho to his relative, John Dickson of Kilbucho and Coulter, subject to a liferent in favour of Euphemia Helen Smeaton, the widow of Major Andrew Douglas.
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- Yes, date unknown
d. 6 Jun 1756, Morton Church, Dumfriesshire, Scotland