Ref K2
Sheena’s gr-gr-grandmother was Janet Baillie, the wife of John Keith I (see Ref. K1). Repeating a good deal of what we say in the Keith story, their eldest child was born in 1812 but we could find no matching marriage indexed in the years just before that. However, there was a John Keith marriage 2.1.1811 at Canongate, Edinburgh, to a Jean Baillie, the daughter of William Baillie, mason, of Borthwick. Although the forename is wrong, both the date and the Borthwick connection hit the mark because that is where our Janet’s first child was born the very next year (taking the old prayer book list that we inherited as gospel, as regards the date!). Researching the said William Baillie, we found that he also seemed to be the father of a Janet born 3.9.1788 at Jedburgh as well as a Jean born 6.11.1792 at Borthwick. Unfortunately, we have no record saying where our Janet was born but we are minded to adopt this Janet, if only because she would, indeed have been 50+ in 1841 as our ancestor said she was. Our theory is that young Jean was bridesmaid to her sister and whoever filled in the register mixed them up.
We believe that Janet Keith nee Baillie died in the decade after the 1841 Census (when she was Dalhousie Chesters, Cockpen, Midlohian, with two sons), but we have not seen any evidence.
Baillie Dougal/M cDougal family
William Baillie married Isobella Dougal at Borthwick, Midlothian, 2.10.1787. Janet was their first child, born in Jedburgh. Son John was also born in Jedburgh then we know of six other children. Details are at Appendix I. We are accepting that at Jedburgh and Cockpen Isobella was referred to as McDougal. As yet we do not know when William and Isobella died.
Baillie Wilson family
The records clearly point to William Baillie being part of a clan of masons operating at or from Borthwick at that time. We are inclined to agree with other researchers that William Baillie was baptised at Borthwick 24.9.1762, the third son of John Baillie, a brazier, and Jean Wilson (see Ref. K22) who had a large family at Middleton, Borthwick, per Appendix 2 and must have married in 1748 or 1749 when Jean would have been 18 or 19. There was a death of John Baillie at Borthwick 18.7.1790 that might well have been “ours” and other researchers suggest Jean Wilson died 27.11.1816 at Kirkmaiden on the Rinns of Galloway – rather far from Borthwick!
Bailie Johnston family
John Baillie’s first two children were named Mathew and Rachell, so we felt inclined to follow other researchers in accepting that John Baillie was born at Borthwick 25.8.1730, the son of Mathew Bailie and Rachel Johnston. However, as yet we have seen very little on this family, especially the marriage, we cannot say much more.
December 2017
Appendix 1 to Ref. K2
William Baillie and Isabel Dougal Family
William Baillie and Isobel Dougal married at Borthwick 2.10.1787. They had at least the following children:
Janet Born 3.9.1788, baptised 28.9.1788 at Jedburgh. Married John Keith I – see main text.
John Born 23.7.1790, baptised 29.7.1790 at Jedburgh.
Jean Born 6.11.1792, baptised 11.11.1792 at Borthwick.
Not named boy Buried 2.8.1796 at Cockpen
Margaret Baptised 17.12.1797 at Cockpen.
William Born 18.10.1803, baptised 28.10.1803 at Borthwick.
Alexander Born 23.3.1806, baptised 5.4.1806 at Borthwick.
Margaret Born 31.7.1808, baptised 14.8.1808 at Borthwick.
We speculate that between Jean and William there were other children born elsewhere, on the assumption that William senior was despatched from the Borthwick base to take charge of a long-lasting building project, as, perhaps, at Jedburgh.
Appendix 2 to Ref.K2
John Baillie and Jean Wilson Family
John Baillie and Jean Wilson must have married in 1748 or 1749, we think. They had children baptised at Borthwick:
Mathew 6.4.1750
Rachell 8.6.1753
Margaret 10.6.1759
Henrietta 31.5.1761
William 24.9.1762. Married Isobella Dougal – see main text.
Henrietta 10.2.1765
[James 20.5.12767 according to other researchers]
John 22.6.1769. Married Isobel Dickson July 1794, with entries in Edinburgh and Dalkeith. Children baptised in Cockpen, Borthwick and possibly in Lasswade and Dalkeith. 1851 at Bellmains, Borthwick, with unmarried daughter Janet and a grandchild.
Peter 25.8.1771
Alexander 26.12.1773
Agnes 16.12.1775
Young Family History 