James Syme, Esquire of Northfield --Inventory 1819

The Symes have been quite the family to research. They were by no means extremely famous from what I can see but they certainly had some part to play in the life of Lowland Scotland. One member that seemed to have some monetary pull and interesting business connections was James Syme. Defined as a slater in other documents , I can't imagine, with the title of Esquire following his name, that he was a lowly gronk roofing houses. I'm guessing he was the employer rather than the employee. At least at the end of his life that was probably true. I have NO clue who his father and mother were yet.

There are four will-related documents connected to James Syme--an inventory/trust/settlement/disposition document(1819), an additional inventory (1822), a testament (1820) and an Eik [an addition or supplement to a testament added some time later] (1822)-- in the Scotland's People site.

The original inventory (1819) happened about a month and a half after James' death. It is certainly one of the easier of the four to read as the handwriting is legible. It includes money owed to James from others, including his own family. I find this all very interesting because they weren't small sums of money for the time. It also tells me a lot about potential business and personal connections James had with moneyed or titled people.

People mentioned in the inventory:

Re: accounts of principal sums and interest owing --

Mr. Alexander Kettle, W.S. (writer to the signet)
Right Honorable William, Earl of Mansfield
James Calderwood Durham, Esquire of Largo (deceased at the time)
General James Durham, Esquire of Largo
John Anstruther, Esquire of Ardit, advocate
Right Honorable John, Lord Elphinstone
James Syme the Younger, Esquire of Northfield
Ramsay, Boner & Co. Bankers in Edinburgh
James Kettle, Esquire, W.S., factor to the deceased
Mrs. Baillie of Lamington
Mrs. Ann Miller Horn (deceased) regarding the estate of Craigintinnie
Mr. Archibald Knox, late of Mayshiel
George Carphin, Deputy Clerk of the Commissariot of Edinburgh

People mentioned in the main body of the text--

Robert Dundas, Esquire of Arniston, Lord Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer in Scotland
Sir John Ross of Balnagowan (deceased)
George Miller, manufacturer in Edinburgh
Robert Horn, Tenant in Fillieside Bank, late husband of Ann Miller Horn
William Francis Hunter, Esquire, advocate
Reverend Doctor Andrew Hunter of Barjarg (deceased)
Christian Syme or Kemyss, his daughter
William Kemyss, her husband, writer in Edinburgh
George Syme, his son
Andrew Syme, his son
Thomas Syme, his son
David Syme, his son
Catherine Syme, his daughter
James Syme, Merchant in Leith, his eldest son
James Anderson, Clerk to the said Alexander Kettle, W.S.
Robert Crumbie, James Syme's servant



Mentioned in his will are others who act as his executors. I've used the internet to research all of them. Some are related to James Syme but for some, I do not know how they are connected.

Trustees of James Syme

Helen Knox or Syme, his spouse
Thomas McMillan, Esquire of Shorthope
Joseph Outram, merchant in Leith
John Dodds, farmer at Saughton Mills
William Dodds, farmer at West Bank
Alexander Kettle, W.S.

It isn't easy to find almost any pictures of the people mentioned in the inventory but one is more likely to find some pictures of the places and homes mentioned. I'll include them if I find them.

Places mentioned in the text:

-Northfield (in Prestonpans, East Lothian)
-Largo (I believe it is just north of the Firth of Forth and below Dundee)
-Ardit
-Cumberland Turnpike
-British Linen Company
-Lamington
-Craigintinnie
-Mayshiel
-Shorthope
-Saughton Mills
-Leith
-West Bank
-Newton
-Wiston
-barony of Wiston
-Restalrig
-Fillieside Bank
-Edinburgh(head of New Street, north side of High Street, Canongate)--James' offices and home
-Barjarg