Cairncross-Home-Pilliner-Cundell connections.
During the course of compiling my family history, the following letter has come into my possession through a relative:
Nephew
Your giving out money to that wasting clamorous woman, the Mrs of Colinsly being neither justice nor charity and by God ye will but create personal trouble to yourself. I assure you I will not allow it in your accounts, but for the disposal of Colinsly itself, I am very well pleased, and ye know I would have accepted of Mr Cairnevoce his offer when I was last in Edinburgh, and am well content ye commune with him again. But why ye neglect the pursuing Mr Gommery for the recovering that money, or why give me not the least account of its delay, I do not understand. Being your mind is otherwise deviated I have often desired you to employ some knowing and diligent agent about parliament house to manage this. If it be my fortune to purchase any property, I wish so far to gratify my fancy in it, to have it pleasant and so not either Edu’im nor houndwood or such dull remote places, but I confess Manderstone is my choice if it could be affected, but though in my last two letters not long since, I both entreated and pressed your taking Colenkoes advice on it, and what was the legal and official way to finish the purchase ye have made, yet I have never got an answer about it. I hope ye will get my Ld. Hume’s bond for that six hundred merks ye advanced him, though I have little hope ever to recover it, but shall lose both my friend and my money. Though I thank God I am pretty well recovered, yet the many warnings I have of my frailty, and the daily instances of sudden deaths of others, makes my former resolutions frequently recur of disposing of the little thing I have, seeing especially I cannot fairly obtain a little convenient and pleasant retirement to which I might now and then make a retreat for a few months in the year from the fatigues of business, and to enjoy a little more both health and peace. If that business of Manderstone (or failing that of Mordingstone) could be accomplished, I would willingly come over about May or June ensuing, therefore I desire as full and as speedy account as ye can of both, without keeping me either in the dark or suspense of mind, and doing I believe this would be but small trouble to you, and give much satisfaction to me. I might reasonably presume ye would not fail to send it, but I must take things as I find them and still continue. Do not advise that young man Mr Pennion to come over till I come to Scotland myself. Geo. Barker is fallen in consumption, and I fear will not recover, but if the weather were anything seasonable, I would send him home for he longs to be at his parents.
Your affectionate Uncle,
Alex: Raphoe.
For the benefit of any who might be philatelists, the letter is written on one half of one side of a piece of foolscap and folded over. This is then folded three times to form an ‘envelope’ on which is written the address as follows:
For
George Hume of Whylford. Postage here is written as 10d.
To be left at Commissar Hume
His writing chamber in Edinburgh
Scotland.
A. Raphoe
On the reverse side is the postmark STRABANE. Postage on this side is 1/3d
And the Episcopal seal which appears to have PRORE CRECE as its motto.
Alexander, son of George Cairncross, litster and burgess of Canongate entered the Church, provided 19 June, 1684, consecrated 10 Aug, 1684, Bishop of Brechin, became Archbishop of Glasgow 6 Dec, 1684, but was deprived of the on 13 Jan, 1687. After the Revolution he was appointed Bishop of Raphoe in Ireland in 1693. In 1699, he purchased Manderstone in Berwickshire, but died on 14 May 1701.
Alexander’s sister had married David Home of Whitfield, a cadet of Ninewells, and their son George inherited both Whitfield from his father on 24 July 1686 and Manderstone from his uncle in 1701.
George Home was Commissioner of Supply for Berwickshire from 1686 –1704: MP for New Galloway
1703-7. He married Margaret daughter of Sir Andrew RAMSA of Abbotshall, Lord of Session and by her had the following Children:
1. Alexander who inherited Manderstone; sold the property and purchased another between Edinburgh and Leith called Whitfield. He married the heiress of Drummond of Kildees but died without issue on 20 Nov 1722.
2. George, of Bristol who succeeded his brother.
3. David, who joined Prince Charles, in 1745 and was taken prisoner at Carlisle.
His eldest son George, lieutenant, Royal Navy, who married Ann Aubry, succeeded George Home of Bristol. Their eldest son Alexander of Whitfield also lieutenant, Royal Navy, married Elizabeth Gurney by whom he had one son, Alexander George, before he died in 1805.
Alexander George, having inherited Whitfield, purchased Mount Aeolus Portobello, Midlothian. He qualified as a doctor and was for a time surgeon to the 2nd Dragoon Guards. He married in 1844 Hannah Priscilla, daughter of Josiah FAIRBANK by Sara CARBUTT, his wife. They had two sons, George born 1849 and Eugene 1860.
Elizabeth (Gurney) HOME married secondly Benjamin Pilliner of Monmouthshire and by him had two children.
1. Caroline Home who, at an advanced age married Henry CUNDELL of 45, Ladbroke Square in February 1883, three years before his death aged 76. She was of course his second wife, the first being Lucy MUNBY by whom he had 11 children.
2. Alfred Colerick born 1821 who married Emily Marion KING, daughter of Charles King and Marie SPONG; MP and banker, whose principle residence was Craven Cottage Fulham, now the famous football ground, and by her had one daughter Agnes Emily who on 30 December 1896 married Henry’s youngest son Wilfred CUNDELL, stockbroker and for many years President of both the Stock Exchange Art Society and Amateur Dramatic Society.
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