Thomas Drummond, eighth son of Colonel Sir James Drummond of Machany, was said to have perished in the wars, as did five of his elder brothers, John, Patrick, George, David and William.

However, we present evidence suggesting that Thomas actually lived until December 1686, leaving a widow, Elizabeth Graham, and an illegitimate son, John Drummond, to whom he left 800 merks.

Thomas Drummond in Auchterarder

Our ancestor, Thomas Drummond in Auchterarder, was a younger son of John Drummond 8th of Colquhalzie and his wife Barbara Blair. He married Elspit Scot, daughter of Alexander Scot and Elspet Morrison and went on to have eight children with her, three sons and five daughters.

While looking through the Wills & Testaments on ScotlandsPeople, we noticed a Testament Testamentar for a Thomas Drummond in Auchterarder dated 18th August 1687. Could this be for our Thomas Drummond?

Surname	Forename	Date	Description	Type	Court	Reference Number
Drummond	Thomas	18 / 8 / 1687	in Auchterarder	TT	Dunblane Commissary Court	CC6/5/20

It seemed unlikely as our Thomas Drummond had a daughter named Isobel who was baptised on 18th July 1688 in Auchterarder. But the possibility existed that she had been born posthumously and only baptised some time later, or even that we had the wrong wife and family for our Thomas Drummond.

In order to investigate, we purchased the document and began to transcribe it.

The Testament Testamentar of Thomas Drummond in Auchterarder

The Header or Preamble

This established that Thomas Drummond had died in December 1686 in Auchterarder, Perthshire. He was testate, having made a will on 7th November 1686 and appointed executors. His will was proved (the Scottish equivalent of Probate) in the Dunblane Commisary Court on 18th August 1687.

The Inventory

This section of the document meticulously calculated Thomas’ net movable estate (“ffrie geir’” after deducting his debts from his assets, leaving 249 pounds Scots as his estate.

Debts Owed to Thomas Drummond

This section revealed that James, Earl of Perth owed Thomas Drummond a considerable sum, including a bond of 1000 merks.

The orginal value of the merk minted in the reign of Charles II was 13 shillings and 4 pence; but in 1681 it was raised to 14 shillings.

Duncan McGregor, a resident of Auchterarder, also owed Thomas money.

Debts Owed to Creditors by Thomas Drummond

Those to whom Thomas owed money included

The late Patrick Syme, notary in Auchterarder.

John Din, servant to Thomas, who was owed wages.

Thomas Sinclair in Tullibardine.

James Reid in Auchterarder &

James Fenton.

The Latterwill

This was written while Thomas was “in perfect health“, noted his wishes for burial and appointed his wife, Elizabeth Grahame, as his sole executrix. She was to receive a life-rent of his estate.

This part of the document names several additional people who would be key to identifying this Thomas Drummond.

John Drummond: He is described as the “naturall sone” (i.e. illegitimate son) of Thomas Drummond. He is to inherit 800 merks after the death of Thomas’s widow, Elizabeth Graham.

Catherin Drummond: She is described as the late sister of Thomas Drummond, and is the only other Drummond mentioned.

Agnes & Magdalen Scot: These appear to be relatives of unknown relationship who are to inherit the 800 merks equally if John Drummond dies without heirs.

David Scot: He is mentioned in relation to Agnes and Magdalen Scot.

Mungo Grahame: He was a witness to the will, and resided in Auchterarder.

John Donaldsone: Notary public and witness.

Hary Kippen: Writer in Doune, witness.

John Balvaird: Cautioner (guarantor) in Auchterarder, recorded on 18 August 1687.

Who was this Thomas Drummond in Auchterarder?

The Date of Death

This Thomas Drummond in Auchterarder had died in December 1686, while our Thomas Drummond in Auchterarder had seemingly still been alive at the baptism of his daughter on 18th July 1688.

This appears to confirm that there had been at least two people of the name Thomas Drummond living in Auchterarder in 1686.

James, Earl of Perth

The mention of James, Earl of Perth, the head of the Drummond family and one of the most powerful nobles of the period, is extremely significant.

In December 1686, the Earl of Perth was James, 4th Earl, who had succeeded his father in 1675. He served as Lord Chancellor of Scotland, the senior Officer of State, from 1684 to 1688. He had been appointed as a member of the Scottish Privy Council in 1678 and after the Duke of Lauderdale’s retirement in 1680 became one of a Committee of Seven that ran Scotland on behalf of the King. The Earl of Perth was appointed Lord Justice General and an Extraordinary Lord of Session in 1682.

The Scottish monarch in 1686 was King James VII (also II of England), having succeeded his elder brother, King Charles II in the previous year. However, on 4th April 1689, the Scottish Convention of Estates declared that King James VII had “forefaulted” his right to the crown and on 11th April 1689 his nephew and daughter, the Prince and Princess of Orange officially became King William II and Queen Mary II of Scots.

Like most Drummonds, James, 4th Earl of Perth remained steadfastly loyal to the House of Stuart. This was perhaps unsurprising given that the Drummond family had supplied two queens (Margaret Drummond, second wife to King David II and Annabella Drummond, wife to King Robert III) and two royal mistresses to Scottish kings.

In 1701, King James VII’s son, the titular King James VIII further ennobled him as 1st Duke of Perth, 1st Marquis of Drummond, 1st Earl of Stobhall, 1st Viscount Cargill, and 1st Baron Concraig in the Jacobite Peerage.

The large debt of 1000 merks might suggest that Thomas Drummond had been a significant relative, tenant, factor, or associate of James Drummond, 4th Earl of Perth and later 1st Duke of Perth. Our Thomas Drummond in Auchterarder was only the 5th cousin of the then Earl of Perth and it seems unlikely, although not impossible, that he would have been in a position to make such a loan. It seems likely that the Thomas Drummond who died in Auchterarder in 1686 was a closer and richer relative.

The Relatives of Thomas Drummond in Auchterarder, died December 1686

This Thomas Drummond was married to an Elizabeth Graham, and although he did not appear to have any surviving children with her, he did have a “natural” son named John, who was to succeed her in the estate.

The fact that a Mungo Graham in Auchterarder was a witness to the will is of interest. Might he be the brother of Elizabeth Graham, wife of Thomas who died in December 1686?

The involvement of a Mungo Graham suggested a possible problem with our current tree. The elder brother of our Thomas Drummond, John Drummond, 9th of Colquhalzie had married Anna Graham, sister of Mungo Graham, 3rd of Gorthie.

Could Mungo Graham 3rd of Gorthie be the witness named in the testament of Thomas Drummond who died in Auchterarder in December 1686?

And might Elizabeth Graham, wife of that Thomas Drummond be the sister of Mungo Graham.

If so, then had Thomas Drummond, son of John Drummond, 8th of Colquhalzie actually married Elizabeth Graham rather than Elspit Scot?

The mention of Agnes, Magdalen and David Scott in the 1687 testament only appeared to confuse rather than clarify the issue.

Catherine Drummond

It was the fact that the Thomas Drummond who died in Auchterarder in December 1686 had a late sister named Catherine that helped clarify the issue. Apart from his natural son, John, she was the only Drummond mentioned, suggesting that all the other close Drummond relatives of Thomas had passed away.

That reminded me of the story of the sons of Sir James Drummond of Machany, most of whom were reported to have died in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

And Sir James had a single recorded daughter – who was named Catherine.

Was Thomas Drummond who died in Auchterarder in December 1686 the son of Sir James Drummond of Machany?

Everything appeared to fit, apart from the fact that Thomas Drummond, eighth son of Sir James Drummond of Machany had died in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

According to Viscount Strathallan’s 1681 manuscript, “The Genealogy of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Drummond“, Thomas Drummond, eighth son of Sir James Drummond, 1st of Machany, “dyed young in the warrs, some at home, some in France.” as did several of his brothers.

Or had he?

However, the 1911 version of the Scots Peerage, edited by Sir James Balfour, is more cautious, suggesting that “even in those unsettled times it is hardly likely that there would be so remarkable a family holocaust.”

The testament of Thomas Drummond who died in Auchterarder in 1687 provides good evidence suggesting that Thomas Drummond, eighth son of Sir James Drummond of Machany and brother of Catherine Drummond did not die in the wars, but survived until December 1686, leaving a widow Elizabeth Drummond and a natural son, John Drummond.

Relationship of Thomas Drummond who died in December 1686 to the Earl of Perth

Thomas Drummond was the son of Sir James, 1st of Machany, grandson of James, 1st Lord Maderty and great grandson of David, 2nd Lord Drummond, making him the second cousin once removed of James Drummond, 4th Earl & 1st Duke of Perth.

In addition, to this blood relationship, Lilias Drummond, niece of Thomas was married to James James Drummond, 4th Earl & 1st Duke of Perth.

These relationships by blood and by marriage to the Lord Chancellor of Scotland would have presumably put Thomas in a much better position to lend 1000 merks to the then James Drummond, 4th Earl of Perth than our Thomas Drummond.

Conclusion

The Thomas Drummond who died in Auchterarder in 1686 appears likely to have been the eighth son of Sir Thomas Drummond of Machany, and the statement that he had died, along with a number of his brothers, in the wars appears to have been unfounded.

However several issues have yet to be clarified:

Firstly, was Elizabeth Graham, wife of Thomas Drummond the sister of Mungo Drummond?

Secondly, what happened to John Drummond, natural son of Thomas?

And thirdly, who were Agnes, Magdalen and David Scot who were mentioned in Thomas’ testament and were they related to Elspit Scot who married our Thomas Drummond in Auchterarder?

The research continues…

Postscript: Connections between the Drummonds of Machany and of Colquhalzie

DRUMMOND THOMAS JOHNE DRUMMOND/BARBARA BLAIR M 29/10/1646 396 10 / 16 Trinity Gask.
Copyright ScotlandsPeople, National Records of Scotland.

As noted in a previous article, we believe that one of the witnesses of our Thomas Drummond may have been:

“Sir James Drummond, 1st of Machany, who died in July 1675, or perhaps less likely, his son, Sir James Drummond, 2nd of Machany. Lilias, daughter of the 2nd laird of Machany married firstly James Murray 2nd Earl of Tullibardine and secondly James Drummond, 4th Earl of Perth (and 1st Duke of Perth in the Jacobite peerage). It can be seen from the maps below that Machany was just to the south of Colquhalzie (with Tullibardine a little further to the south) and having a fellow Drummond laird and neighbour as witness would make sense.“

Location of “Colqulhyllie” with “Machyny” just to the south, “Tyllybardin” further south. Drummond Castle (seat of the Earls of Perth) can be seen to the west while “Auchterardour” is in the south east corner of the map.
From John Adair’s The Mappe of Straithern, Stormont, & Cars of Gourie with the rivers Tay and Ern dated 1683.
Used with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.

Given the closeness of Colquhalzie and Machany, it would be unsurprising for the two families to have interacted and the fact that both James Drummond, 1st of Machany and John Drummond, 8th of Colquhalzie had sons named Thomas who ended up in Auchterarder is interesting.