Testament and Eik of William Gordon, died 1802
William Gordon died, without leaving a will, in 1802. He was a vintner in Dundee and later at Woodhaven. There are 2 documents here : 1. his testament - 1802 and 2. an eik (addition) - 1804.
Both documents relate solely to the details of 2 vessels which the deceased owned, the Lyon and the Active.
The originals can be purchased & viewed at the ScotlandsPeople website, Wills and Testaments: CC20/4/28, William Gordon 1802, and CC20/4/28, William Gordon 1804
This page has both a translation into modern vocabulary and transcripts of the original Scots further down.
First, a modern translation of the documents:
The testament dative [he left no will] and inventory of the goods, gear and debts of the deceased William Gordon of Woodhaven in the parish of Forgan and Sheriffdom of Fife at the time of his death which was on the [blank] day of [blank] 1802 faithfully made and given by Susanna Syme, widow of the deceased, as executor of the deceased after due citation [public announcement] and as decreed by the Commissary of St Andrews 7 April 1802.
The executor gaives up for confirmation the sum of £90 - 10 shillings sterling as the proceeds of the roup [auction] of the passage boat the Lyon of Dundee which was sold by public roup on Saturday 24 July 1802 to Stewart Shepperd at Balmerino, the registration of the said passage boat is as follows:
Certificate of British Registry no. 4 in terms of the Act of George III, 1786, 'An act for the increase and encouragement of shipping and navigation', William Gordon, vintner of Dundee in the County of Forfar swears that he is the sole owner of the vessel the Lyon of Dundee, of which William Patrick is presently the master, and which was built at Dundee in 1746. Alex Blacks and Leslie Douglass, surveyors, have certified that the vessel is British built, has 1 deck and 1 mast, the overall length, stem to stern, is 30 feet 6 inches, her beam at the broadest part is 11 feet 1 inch, the height of the hold is 7 feet 4 inches, her tonnage is 14 and 46/94th tons, she is a square-stemmed sloop and has no gallery and no figurehead. The owners have agreed the above measurements and have given sufficient security to allow it to be registerd at Dundee and placed afloat, signed with the seals of office at the Custom House of Dundee on 11 March 1793 by Robt. Hunter, collector, & Alex Wite for the Controller.
The total of the inventory is clear.
The foregoing testament is confirmed on the 29 July 1802 and Alexander Syme, merchant in Dundee, and John Ogilvie of Dundee, have stood security for the executor.
and the eik:
When the testament was confirmed on 28 July 1802, I, Susanna Syme, widow of the deceased William Gordon of Woodhaven and his executor, omitted to give up, as I had then no knowledge of it, £40 sterling as part of £80 sterling being the proceeds from the sale of the sloop Active of Woodhaven, the registration of the said boat is as follows:
No. E8 in terms of the Act of George III, 1786, 'An act for the further increase and encouragement of shipping and navigation', William Gordon, vintner of Dundee in the County of Forfar, and Thomas Patrick of the County of Fife, mariner, swear that they are the sole owners of the vessel the Active of Woodhaven, of which the said Thomas Patrick is presently the master, and which was built at Dundee in 1787, was formerly registered at Dundee on 6 September 1790 for certificate no. 8 given up and cancelled (the vessel having got a deck in place of a half-deck, and also part of the ownership being transferred), Alex Black and Leslie Douglas, surveyors, have certified that the vessel is British built, has 1 deck and 1 mast, the overall length, stem to stern, is 34 feet 2 inches, her beam at the broadest part is 11 feet 3 inches, the height of the hold is 6 feet, her tonnage is 17 and 3/4 tons, she is a square-stemmed sloop and has no gallery and no figurehead. The owners have agreed the above measurements and have given sufficient security to allow it to be registered at Dundee, signed with the seals of office in the Custom House of Dundee on 30 April 1796 Robt. Hunter, collector, & Pat Maxwell, Controller.
Therefore I beseach you to add this sum to his already confirmed testament. This testament is confirned on 7 July 1804 and Alexr Syme, merchant in Dundee, and John Ogilvie, writer in Dundee, have stood security for the executor.
Secondly, transcripts of the original Scots:
Testament William Gordon 1802 CC20/4/28 St Andrews Commissary
[in the margin] Testament umqle William Gordon
The testament dative and inventary
of the goods gear & debts of umqle William
Gordon of Woodhaven within the
Parish of Forgan and Shire of Fife
the time of his death which was upon
the [blank] day of [blank] Eighteen
hundred & two years faithfully made
and given up by Susanna Syme relict
of the said defunct and executrix dative
qua relict decerned to him after due
cetation by public edict &c. By decreet
of the Commissary of St Andrews dated
the seventh day of April Eighteen
hundred and two years.
The said executrix
gives up for confirmation the sume of
ninety pounds ten shillings sterling being the proceeds
of the roup of the passage boat the
Lyon of Dundee belonging to the defunct
which was sold by public roup upon
Saturday the twenty fourth July curt
to Stewart Shepperd at Balmerino & the
register of the said passage boat the
Lyon is of the following tenor Certificate
of british Registry no 4 In pursuance of
an act precessed in the twenty sixth
year of the reign of King
George the third intitled, an act for the
increase and encouragement of shipping and
navigation William Gordon vintner of Dundee
in the County of Forfar having taken and subscri-
bed the oath required by this act and having
sworn that he was sole owner of the ship or
vessel called the Lyon of Dundee whereof
William Patrick is at present master, and
that the said ship or vessel was built at
Dundee aforesaid in the year one thousand
seven hundred and forty six and Alexr
Blacks and Leslie Douglass surveyors
having certified to us that the said ship
or vessel is British built has one deck
and one mast, that the length from the
fore part of the main stern [sic, should be stem] to the after part
of the stern post aloft is
thirty feet six inches her breadth
at the bredest part above the main wales
eleven feet one inch her height of hold
seven feet four inches admeasures fourteen &
46/94th tons that she is a square stemed
sloop has no gallery and no figure head,
and the said subscribing owners have conscented
& agreed to the above discription and
admeasurement & having caused sufficient
security to be given as is required by
the said act the said sloop Lyon
has been duly registered at the port of Dundee
incasured afloat given under our hands
and seals of office at the Custom house
in the said port of Dundee this
eleventh day of March one thousand
seven hundred and ninety three years
signed Rob. Hunter a Collector
Alex Wite for the Controller
Summa Inventary patet
the foregoing testament was confirmed
upon the twenty ninth day of July
eighteen hundred and two years
& we Alexr Syme merchant in Dundee
and John Ogilvie there is become
cautioner for the said executrix
Eik William Gordon 1804 CC20/4/28 St Andrews Commissary
[in margin] Bill & Eike umqle Wm Gordon
My Lord Comy of St Andrews un-
to your Lord. humbly means & shows
your servitor Susanna Syme relict
of the deceased William Gordon
of Woodhaven & executrix
dative qua relict confirmed
to him upon the twenty eightth
day of July eighteen hundred
and two years that in the said
defunct his confirmed testament
I omitted to give up & confirm
as not having then come to my
knowledge the sum of £40
stg as part of the sum of £80
stg being the proceeds
arising from the sale of the sloop
Active of Woodhaven, and the
Register of the sloop Active is
of the following tenor number
E eight in pursuance of an act
passed in the twenty sixth year
of the reign of King George the
third intitled an act for the
further increase and encourage-
ment of shipping & navigation
William Gordon vintner in
Dundee County of Forfar and
Thomas Patrick of Woodhaven
County of Fife mariner having
taken & subscribed the oath
required by this act and having
sworn that they the said
Willm Gordon and Thos Patrick are
sole owners of the ship or vessel
called the Active of Woodhaven
whereof he the said Thos Patrick
is at present master and that
the said ship or vessel was built
at Dundee in the county of
Forfar in the year seventeen
Hundred and eighty seven
was formerly registered here the sixth
day of Septr seventeen hundred and
ninty for certificate no 8 delivered up
and cancalled, the vessel having
got a deck she having formerly
a half deck and also part of the pro-
perty being transferred legel vendi-
tions thereof presented and Alexr
Black & Leslie Douglas surveyors
having certificated to us that the said
ship or vessel is British built
has one deck and one mast that
her length from the fore part of the
main stern [sic, should be stem] to the after part of the
stem [sic, should be stern] post aloft * is thirty four
feet & two inches, her breadth
at the broadest part whether a-
bove or below the main wales eleven
feet & three inches, her height of
hold six feet, and admeasures
seventeen and three fourth tons,
that she is a square stemed sloop,
has no gallery and no head and
the said subscribing owners having
consented & agreed to the above descr-
iption & admeasurement and having
caused sufficient security to be given
as is required by the said act, the
said sloop 'Active' has been duly
registered at the port of Dundee then
given under our hands and seals of
office in the said Custom house in
the said port of Dundee this thirtieth day
of April in the year seventeen hundred
and ninety six (signed) Robt Hunter
D Collectors Pat Maxwell compt-
roller. Therefore I beseach your Lord.
to like and add the fore
said sum to the said defunct
his principal confirmed testament
seventh July eighteen hundred and
four years. Fiat ut petitur.
The foregoing testament was con-
firmed upon the seventh day
of July eighteen hundred and four years
Alexr Syme mercht in Dundee
and John Ogilvie writer there is be-
come cautioners for the said exec-
utors
[*should read: from the fore part of the main stem to the to the after part of the stern post aloft]
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