Glad they weren't my parents...

[Shona]

Originally Posted by tenterfieldjulie

Was it normal in those days for parents to choose the husband? Lots of cultures have arranged marriages and still do. Was it part Scottish culture in the 1700s?

Royalty and nobility had arranged marriages to enhance power and protect land and property - same all over the UK. The merchant classes in Scotland tried to do the same, particularly if they'd made money, as the McNair's had. But is that any different from anywhere else? It would have been unlikely that the daughter of a solicitor married the son of an illiterate agricultural labourer. Even if the McNairs disapproved of Jean's marriage, it seems a bit much to me to denounce her and threaten the other children via an advert in the newspaper.

You don't think that it could have been a clever ploy to get publicity!!!
These days it is scandal etc that makes the news .. and it certainly would have brought people into the shop ......

[BlueSavannah]

I am curious to what the parents' 'special advice' was that they wanted to give to their offspring along with their consent

[gentlemuse]

I am a descendant of Robert McNair and Jean Holmes. In fact the John Mennons mentioned here was also a descendant - he was a son of the very same Jean they complained about. When Robert McNair died in 1779 he left a will designed to give money to his descendants in perpetuity! In other words every year all the cousins had to get together for a handout - so he was not as much of a tyrant as he might at first appear. However the will was considered unworkable by his sons and grandsons (I have a miniature of one grandson, John, who was my 3x greatgrandfather) and was set aside shortly after the birth of my great great grandfather Robert in 1795. Of the 3 grandsons one, another Robert, built Belvedere which is now a hospital and another, James, built Calder Park which is now the zoo.

Nicholas McNair

Originally Posted by Shona

Robert McNair died at the age of 76 on 7 June 1779 at Jeanfield House. The house and estate stayed with in the family until 1797 when it was sold to John Mennons, editor and printer of the Glasgow Advertiser. However, he quickly sold on to John Finlayson, who was married to one Robert and Jean McNair's daughters. As far as I can make out, the family fortune went to a son named Robert and was eventually lost in speculative coal mining ventures.

Welcome Nicholas,
Thank you for very kindly replying to our interest in your ancestors. They were certainly very intriguing complex characters.
Can you tell us what the family thought about putting that item in the newspaper? Did the marriage that they didn't approve of work out?
It appears that their descendants not only worked hard, but contributed generously to their communities, which I am sure Robert McNair and Jean Holmes would have been very proud of. Cheers Julie G

[strikealimey]

Hi ,I think I may be a descendant of Robert McNair and Jean Holmes as well.One of my paternal great-grandmothers was Harriet Rosa McNair (B-01 Sep 1845 • Umballa , India.D-30 October 1882 • Canterbury, Kent, England).Her father was LT Col Robert Nelson McNair , grandfather was Robert MacNair who married Helen McCall and great great grandparents were Robert McNair and Jean Holmes.

by the way my name is Michael Dennis

[strikealimey]

No reply, sad

[Merry]

Michael, perhaps send Shona a personal message? Just click her user name and you will see the option.

[kiterunner]

Or was it gentlemuse you were trying to contact, Michael? In which case the same applies.

[Shona]

Sorry. Not been too well of late, hence my lack of activity on the forum. But thank you for posting and for sharing the information.