STIRLINGS OF ARDOCH AND GRAHAMS OF AIRTH FAMILY LETTERS: A PERSONAL VIEW OF THE VALUE OF KINSHIP Transcribed and Edited by Sarah Harrison 1 Introduction This book is about the search for the man in the photograph on a carte de visite taken in Exeter, date unknown. His name was Thomas Stirling and the little I knew about him came from a biography of his son, Waite Stirling, Bishop of the Falkland Islands1. The author, Frederick Macdonald, hinted at some reticence on Waite's part to reveal very much : “The story of his life, so far as he allowed it to be known...” but that his father, “Captain Thomas Stirling, belonged to the family of Sir Henry Stirling, created a Baronet in 1666...” From his granddaughter, Minnie's, Birthday Book I found that Thomas was born 6th October 1792, but that was all. One of the great joys of living in the age of the Internet is that it has become possible to do research without having to travel to archives or to spend weeks on fruitless hunches. Using online resources, I discovered from the 1851 census that Thomas was born in Jamaica . I traced the Stirling Baronetcy to that of Ardoch but could find no mention of any Thomas born in 1792. I had found that the Stirlings of Keir and Kippendavie had estates in St James Jamaica so searched for Thomas there. Then, by chance, I found the burial of Charles Stirling Esquire 18 January 1795 in St Catherine's Cathedral, Spanish Town. Through the Jamaican almanacs I traced him to Ardoch Penn in St Ann's. From the St Ann's register I found a baptism of Charles Stirling, son of Charles, 22nd October 1791. Unusually for this register no mother's name was given. I found another son, William, “son of Charles Sterling by Rebecca Ash was born on the 5th of June last and baptized on the 22nd of October 1794”. However, there was no mention of a son Thomas in that register or in any other Jamaican registers around the given birth date. The breakthrough came in December 2010 when I found a reference in the Graham of Airth papers in the National Library of Scotland to “letters from Charles, William and Thomas Stirling, natural sons of Charles Stirling of Ardoch Penn, Jamaica, mostly relating to their naval careers, 1808-1835”. It is as a result of transcribing these and other related documents and letters that I can now give a fuller account of the background to the life of Thomas Stirling. [A link to the ancestry of the Stirling and Graham families www.alanmacfarlane.com/wstirling/index] ISBN 978 15327 16607 The Letters What follows is a largely unedited selection of letters, given in chronological order rather than by writer, from people tightly or loosely connected with the Stirling family of Ardoch and the Graham family of Airth living in the Lowlands of Scotland, over a period of some eighty years. The writers tell their own stories, with a little background information by the editor in the form of endnotes, so that the reader is left with the pleasure of a researcher trying to make his or her own assessment of the historical past, and how different or similar our lives are to theirs. Letter from Thomas Stirling2 to his brother Sir William Stirling3 of Ardoch GD24/1/458/1 Camp at Montreall 9th Sept 1760 Dear Willie I had the pleasure of your Letter of the 14th Aprill, Yesterday morning acquainting me of your intention, and near approach to marraige I will not use many words to assure you how very 2 agreable it is to me, your good choice in one who is endowed with so many good Qualifications & so much sweetness of temper, convinces me that you will enjoy all the happiness that you can wish for or the state will admit of, which is the only objection I ever could have had against your entering into it As I make no doubt at our having thoroughly studyed your affairs I very much approve of your following the dictates of a well grown deep assion, on which the happiness of your future Life depended that sacrifising that, for money which would only have increased your Misery wt your fortune by not being able to enjoy it. With regard to Mally4 and Annies5 marraiges all that a womans friends has to say in that is to take care that she does not marry below herself nor to one who cannot maintain her, as neither I believe is the case wt them, I am very well pleased, they are the only judges on regard to happiness in that affair and therefore ought to be allowed to make their own choice. may you all three be happy, May you enjoy every Satisfaction & pleasure that can be wished for, from the Company of an agreable friend or the conversation of a Sensible Companion, and may your familys encrease wt your happiness and that as long your lives, is the sincere and ardent prayer of one who desires nothing so much as the Prosperity and Welfare of his Brothers and Sisters I wrote you from Oswego6, I hope it came to hand as in it was enclosed a draught on the agent Mr Henry Drummond7 for 159£ 15sh in case you have not got it you should write immediately to Mr Drummond to stop payment, as I have now got out of the break I have set myself to follow the Soldier trade and at same time I have as much money ready that I may purchase when an opportunity offers wtout being an burthen to my friends that is my only reason for having saved and as soon as I can command that of my own than I propose to live up to every shilling of my income I wrote you from Oswego of my just setting out wt the advanced of the army, I was luckily detained two days after them by being on a Genll Court Martiall, for of three boats that my Comp. was in two of them was overwhelmed by [unclear] the waves and Dashed to pieces against the rocks in crossing the Lake the boat I should have been in was one of them, in it I lost my field stores, wine, biscuit, smoke beef &c. which we are obliged to carry wt us, as we sometimes cannot be supplyed wt any kind of necessary otherwise the Army left Oswego the 10th the 17 came before [c.o. Oswe] La Gallotte took one of their Vessells, by the 25th we took their fort after battering four days at it, Christened it Fort William Augustus, the 1st Sept left it and proceeded down the river St Lawrence but I believe we are the first that attempted to go down so loaded, for the Current is prodigious & the falls high, I lost one of my boats being dashed again the banks to pieces, then carryed by the Current out to the middle of the stream that was foaming wt the fall, there was Lt Mackay & 16 men in her, McKay & 13 were providentially saved the other 3 were never seen in short to recapitulate the horrors of that voyage would shock you too much, to see your fellow Creatures floating on the wrecks and you passing then wtout being able to assist would pierce the most obdurate heart, however after all we lost only 86 men drowned in that way & indeed we were more surprised that we had not lost 2 or 300 than at the loss of 86 on the 6th landed on this Island wtout opposition marched wtin a Mile of the town & encamped, the 7th had a Cessation till 12 oClock & on the 8 the whole Country surrendred & the remains of 8 French Battns and 20 Compys of the Troupe de Colonie laid down their Arms wtout firing a shot thus ends the war in North America and long may Peace reign here for sure god never intended any war should be carryed on, by any other beside the natives for the soldiers are wrought like horses and the officers can acquire no honour in a Country where as the New England people says, every Tree is a fort and every man a Genll so much do they despise our regular method of acting, I hope to god we will be sent for home & then for Germany for I am heartily tired of this Country as is every officer in it, this comes by Francis Mclean8 who is appointed Governor of Mary Galante & major in America he has some hopes of seing you, Seton & all your acquaintances are well & congratulate you Im very sorry for poor George9, I wrot him from La Gallette and shall be glad to hear from him. Remember me kindly to all my Friends and in particular manner to my new Sister I dont despair of standing Godfather to her 3 first Child, as they must call home some Regts. be that as it will, I shall be happy to hear of her being in a fair way I am your most Affect Brother Thos Stirling ____________________________________________ Letters from Thomas Stirling to William Graham10 at Airth House MS.10943, ff.26-27 Ballyshannon11 Aprill 9th 1769 Dear Airth I received yours of 22d Janry which gave me great pleasure as I learned by it of Annies being quite well and the Bairns which I hope will always be the Case, as for my own health it is far from being reestablished & I am afraid will never be as my Complaint has stuck to long to me, I intend to try what native air & a Strict regimen will do, but I have great doubts of my getting leave we are to be quartered in Dublin, and expect to march for that about Middle of next Month If I come over I have got a most excellent bitch, & a number of fine dressed Flies, did you receive some hooks from Jock Hamilton12 last year I sent him a parcell & bid him share them wt you in the account you sent me you forgot one years Interest as the bond commences Martinmas 1763 to Martis: 1768 makes 5 years, I sent you some time ago a Letter to receive from Davie Erskine13 £25- 6-9 both of mine in his hand and to give him a receipt if he required it tho there is no occasion as I have nothing under his hand for it now what I propose if agreable to you is throw the whole into one Sum as below & to give me a bond for it to bear interest from Whitsunday 1769, and to make it square sum the bond shall be for £400, as it is wt in £3-8-3 which I should give in to you at Meeting at which time I can receive the bond from you and give the discharged for the Interest & your bill up.