James Caldwell of Scotland
Lived in Nantwich, Cheshire
Died 1791
Born:
Assumed born before 1727. Died July 1791. Presumed to
have been born in Scotland possibly in the Beith area.
Son of:
Not known.
Brother of:
1. Thomas Caldwell (died before 1775).
2. John Caldwell.
3. William Caldwell.
4. Susanna Humble nee Caldwell who
married Mark Humble.
5. Margaret Gibson nee Cadlwell who
married Alexander Gibson.
6. Angnes Kirkwood nee Caldwell who
married William Kirkwood. They had a daughter Jean Cochran nee
Kirkwood who married Robert Cochran of Beith (son of Patrick Cochran).
James married: Hannah
Armstrong.
James and Hannah had 13 children, 4 of
whom survived into adulthood:
1. Ann Caldwell (1758?-1826).
2. James Caldwell
(1759-1838) of Linley Wood who
married Elizabeth Stamford (1755-1831).
3. Elizabeth
Caldwell, (Bessy, Betty, 1766?-1842).
4. Margaret
Skerrett (nee Caldwell, 17??-1805?) who married Joseph
Skerrett (1745?-1832).
James Caldwell of Scotland: An Overview
We know of James from the following sources:
1. Anne Marsh-Caldwell's diary (his grandaughter).
2. An official document on vellum confirming James Caldwell 'of
Nantwich' being elected a Burger of Paisley, 1747.
3. A brief mention in the book 'A History of Nantwich' by James Hall,
pub 1883.
4. A brief mention in Joseph Priestly's autobiography.
5. A letter written by James to his son James congratulating him on
the birth of a daughter.
6. Notes regarding the execution of the will of James Caldwell 'of
Manchester' (presumably the same person).
7. A note from Nantwich
regarding the inscriptions of James Caldwell 'of Scotland' and his
family on a tomb.
Ann Marsh Caldwell's diary reads as follows:
"To return to my brief but vivid recollections of those early days: I used to sit on a little stool at Grand Mamma's feet. I remember her sending me across the room one day "to tell that girl" -meaning Aunt Bessy- "to uncross her legs!". I remember following her (Grand-Mamma) into the back kitchen often... (she had the 'gravel', I believe - and I heard her father suffered dreadfully from it in his old age.) Her maiden name was Armstrong; her father was, I believe, a stay-maker; a very remarkable man he was thought for sense and love of literature - She had been very handsome - they say she and my Grand-Papa Caldwell were the handsomest couple almost ever seen in Nantwich. I never saw him; he died after suffering two years from a dreadful nervous complaint aggravated I suspect from the harsh treatment adopted in those days as the proper method with these. My Grand-Mamma had been the mother of 13 children, of which four only grew up; my Aunt Skerrett, the eldest, my Aunt Ann, my father, and my Aunt Bessy, seven years younger than, was the youngest child. Of these children three, I think, died of putrid throat. It must have been ill understood in those days. Most of the others appear to have died as infants. There were I think three Jameses before my father - who had been a most beautiful child with long curling flaxen hair and was a perfect idol by his mother."
The book 'A History of Nantwich' by James Hall, pub 1883.
James Caldwell (the elder) gets several mentions and on p.228 he is
recorded as 'linen draper' and a shareholder in the new workhouse
which was built 1779-80. Joseph Skerrett, who married his daughter
Margaret Caldwell is mentioned on p.53 as an upholsterer.
Joseph Priestly's autobiography
There is a quotation from Joseph Priestly's autobiography - he was
Unitarian minister in Nantwich 1759-61 and ran a school there
p.390 'In my congregation there was --- hardly more than one family
in which I could spend a leisure hour with much satisfaction, and
that was Mr James Caldwell, a Scotchman. Indeed, several of the
travelling Scotchmen who frequented the place, but made no long stay
at any one time, were men of very good sense. There are various
footnotes that make it clear that this is James Caldwell of Scotland.
There are other odd references and a transcription of the inscription
on the family tombstone. It would appear that 'Travelling
Scotchmen' were known for selling drapery goods. It seems
likely that James started off as a traveller and then married and
settled down in Nantwich. It sounds as if he kept open house for his
ex-colleagues. An endorsement of his good sense and intelligence from
Joseph Priestly.
His Burger ticket on Vellum reads as follows:
James Caldwell His Barges Ticket, Paisley, 1747.
At Paisley the twenty six day of August
Fajoy and fourty seven years
The which day James Caldwell merchant in Namptwich
for his good Deeds done and to be done for the Utility of
the Burge of Paisley was by the Majestrates
and Council there of Made and Created a free Burger
of the Said Burgh And Admitted to the whole prive
ledges of the Same as a free Burges there of in all
time comeing Who made faith as of is One therentered
Instruments Estracted By
Thomas Simpson Clerk
A series of notes written in the early 1800s relate to the will of James Caldwell of Manchester and the fact that when he died his estate was split into six equal shares between his three sisters and three brothers. Why he did not leave his estate to his three children is not known, perhaps an oversight. These notes state the names of the three brothers and three sisters.
I also have a related note in the form of a receipt signed by Margaret Caldwell (sister of James), dated June 1775, confirming that James Caldwell had paid her £139 in his capacity as executor of the will of the late Thomas Caldwell.
There is a Thomas Caldwell of Roebank who was listed as a "Thread Manufacturer" in Pigots Directory of Beith 1837. Is he related?
A portrait of James Caldwell of Linley Wood records on the back that the family originated from Beith near Glasgow and moved down to the Cheshire/Staffordshire area in the early 1700s. There is on scottishdocuments.com a record of the will of a John Caldwell, Innkeeper in Beith, who died in 1755 and left everything to his relick Elizabeth King (presumably his wife), but no mention of a James Caldwell.
There is to the east of Beith an area called Caldwell near the village of Lugton. Presumably this is where the Caldwell name originated from and meant "Cold Well". No village exists at Caldwell but there is an old house called "Caldwell House" and I understand that this was once lived in by the Mure family. I understand that nearby there is the Hall of Little Caldwell which belonged to some Caldwells up untill about 1668 when the holder fled abroad after the Pentland Hills Rising of 1666. I understand that various Caldwells appear in the "Cairn of Lochwinnoch" by Andro Craufurd written in the 1700's (kept in the Paisley Library).
I have received the following notes from Peter Caldwell
Caldwells are mentioned in the 1100s, already “of that ilk”, an honorary title perhaps given them by the Stewarts. The title usually implied that the holder had lands of the same name. It also included the right to have supporters bearing arms. The Caldwell lands are part of the larger Montgomery holdings in Ayrshire and Renfrewshire in early maps. A William Caldwell of that ilk was a Chancellor from Renfrewshire from 1350-52 and his daughter married Gilchrist Mure (also More) and took with her into the marriage most of the lands of Caldwell in Beith (in Ayrshire). That family then became Mures of Caldwell and survived until 1918. Younger Caldwell men (cadets) retained part of the original Caldwell lands. See History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton Volume 111, Part 1, pp 89-95, by James Paterson, Published by James Stillie, 79 Prince Street, Edinburgh 1866.
In Ayrshire Its History and Historic Families by William Roberston.
(Vol 1, p. 177 ff, Kilmarnock and Ayr, 1908) there is an account of
the murder of Sir Thomas Kennedy of Culzean in 1602. John Mure of
Auchendrane was involved in the plot. He imprisoned the only
potential witness to his involvement and then resolved to march to
Edinburgh to confront his accusers. The story reads: “&ldots;he
persuaded a number of lairds &ldots;.to ride with him to Edinburgh.
These included Lainshaw, Rowallan, Auchinleck, Blair, Caldwell,
Bombie, Hazelhead and Blair younger, and these represented not only a
considerable force in influence and in striking power themselves, but
also, in several instances, the greater influence of important
families and feudal combinations that were behind them. They made a
brave show as they set out from Ayr to the Metropolis. They were all
well armed, and powerfully escorted, and they rode as men who felt
they would have to be reckoned with before misfortune should be
permitted to befall John Mure. When the case was called, Auchendrane
(John Mure) boldly protested his innocence, and demanded of the Lord
Advocate that he should give proof of the charge which he had brought
against him. This, as Mure well knew, was what Lord Advocate could
not do; for he had the one and only witness who was essential, safely
confined in his own tower on Doonside&ldots;.The group of Western
Lairds added their protests to those of Mure, and clamoured loudly
for his release&ldots;.The Court, accustomed to such scenes, but
realising that nothing more could meantime be done, ordered Mure to
find caution in a thousand pounds Scots for his subsequent
appearance; and this having been done, he and friends trooped out
into the High Street of Edinburgh and returned to Ayrshire.”
Subsequently, a John Caldwell of that ilk forfeited Caldwell lands in 1685 as punishment for his participation in the Pentland uprising in 1666 (See below).This Caldwell died in 1700 and his son had no children, and thus ended the Caldwells of that ilk. “The Caldwells of that ilk & Associated branches” by Mrs. L.A. Gordon in The Scottish Genealogist Vol. 28, p.185, 1982.
In Woodrow’s History of the Church , Book II, Chps. 1&2: “The Caldwell estates had been forfeited in 1666, in consequence of the laird (William Mure) having appeared in arms, at the head of his tenantry and some neighboring gentlemen, in support of the ‘Rising of Pentland’. The Caldwell estates were gifted to the celebrated General Dalziel of Binns, but restored in full to the Mures at the Revolution in 1688.” See also the account in Parish of Beith by the Reverend George Colville, pp.584 ff
Finally, I read in Glasgow Past and Present of a John Caldwell, who was a prominent Glasgow merchant, distiller and Dean of the Guild in the 1660’s. He and others built a distillery there. He was appointed Councillor of Ayr by the crown in the 1680’s.
We haven’t been able to link Charles (?1697-1765, our direct ancestor) and John (1688-1734) who came to Boston in 1718 to these earlier Caldwells. We had a search done of the muster rolls (records of military service) at Kew which did not come up with anything for John and Charles Caldwell for the period.
From the Scottish Church Records in the Mormon library file I find
the following:
Charles Caldwell christened 13 Oct 1697 in the Parish Church (Church
of Scotland), Riccarton, Ayr. Father William Caldwell.
John Caldwell christened 23 Feb 1690 in High Church (Church of Scotland), Glasgow. Father William Caldwell. Mother Isobel Drew.
John Caldwell christened Sept 1694 in Parish Church (Church of Scotland), Dundonald, Ayr. Father William Caldwell.
We do not know if these christenings are for our Charles and John.
The baptism records from 27 May 1694 to 12 September 1701 are missing from the records of the parish of Beith (or thereabouts) at Kilmarnock’s Dick Institute, but other records there are:
1693 William son lawfull to John Caldwell and Joan Carr in Newtown born April 24 baptized 26.
1692 Feb 28 Robert lawful son to John Caldwell and Joan Stewart in Whitpoint was baptized and born Feb 26 did die Feb 28.
1691 Nov 11 Robert lawful son to William Caldwell and Margaret Gann in Engglod was baptized publically before the congregation.
1694 Joan lawfull daughter to John Caldwell and Joan Kerr was born in Newtown Oct 7 and baptized on the llth.
1694 William Caldwell son to William Caldwell Feb 18
1691 Oct 24 William son of Pembroke Caldwell gave up his name to be married and solemnized
1692 Oct William Caldwell in this parish and Janet Caldwell in this parish gave up their names to be proclaimed in order of marriage.
The Parish records of Renfrewshire at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow
have the following entries for births of John Caldwells, but there
were no entries for Charles Caldwell:
1683 Feb 16 Parents John Caldwell/Jean Boyll Kilbarchen.
1683 May 6 Parents John Caldwell/Margaret Arthur Kilbarchen.
1699 Feb 16 Parents Patrick Caldwell/Katherine Hanable Abbey
(Paisley).1699 Mar 9 Parents Robert Caldwell/Janet Orr
Abbey (Paisley).
1694 Nov 4 Parents John Caldwell/no mother listed Abbey (Paisley)
Records from Neilston are only fragmentary before 1700.
If you have any information to add to what is listed please contact
me on jj@jjhc.info
(Home) (Note
of Memorial)