John Glasgw's Testament Testamentar 1637 · Glasgow surname archive

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Secure family evidence
John Glasgow, sailor in Saltcoats, was the father of Katherine and Agnes Glasgow. The testament calls them his lawful bairns and says the deceased was their father. Isobell Gray was John's widow. Her relationship to John and the daughters' relationship to John are explicit; the document does not expressly call Isobell the girls' mother.

Record boundaries and dates

John's entry begins near the bottom of register page 478, continues through page 479 and ends at the top of page 480. Text outside those boundaries belongs to other testaments and must not be folded into his estate.

The entry is a testament dative and inventory: a court-appointed administration following a death without a surviving will, rather than John's personal statement of wishes. It identifies him as a sailor in Saltcoats, within Ardrossan parish, and says that he died in December 1636. The following court proceedings belong to 1637. The day in April appears to be [21?] April 1637, but the Roman numeral remains tentative.^[1]

Family

Person	Relationship stated	Assessment
Isobell Gray	John's relict or widow; she gave up the inventory on the children's behalf	Secure. Her surname recurs more clearly in the closing clause.
Katherine Glasgow	John's lawful child and executor-dative	Secure direct father–child evidence.
Agnes Glasgow	John's lawful child and executor-dative	Secure direct father–child evidence.

The decisive opening language identifies Katherine and Agnes as bairnes lawfull and continues to the defunct thair father. The closing bond again calls them lawful bairns and names Isobell Gray as relict of the deceased. Neither the shared surname nor appointment as executors is being used as a substitute for relationship wording.

No compatible existing profile has yet been established for either daughter. In particular, Mary Glasgow of Saltcoats is not the child named by this reading; her separate identity and sources must be assessed without using this testament as parentage evidence.

Working transcription

This is an expanded working transcription. [word?] marks a tentative reading and […] unresolved text.

Opening: pages 478–479

The Testament dative & Inventar of the guids geir debts & sowmes of money quhilk perteinit to umquhile Johne Glasgw sailler in Saltcoittis within the parochin of Ardrossane the tyme of his deceis quha deceist in the moneth of December jaj vjᶜ threttie sex zeirs, faithfullie maid & gevin up be Issobell gray his relict

In name & behalf off Kathrein & Agnes Glasgw, bairnes lawfull & executores dative decernit to the defunct thair father Be decreit of the Commissar of Glasgw the [xxj?] day of Aprile 1637 zeirs As the […] beiris.

Inventory and accounts: page 479

The first inventory item appears to concern an old fishing boat and its equipment, but overlapping and show-through ink make that reading tentative. Household contents, utensils, furnishings and John's clothing follow. The valuations and total have not been securely transcribed.

Under debts owed to John, Johne Broune in Saltcoittis is securely named as owing borrowed money. Further entries may name [Agnes Stewart?] and Thomas [Broune?], but those readings should remain qualified. Under debts owed by John, the creditor's first name is Johne and the surname may be [Russall?]; the purpose and sums remain unresolved. The net estate was to be divided in three parts, with the deceased's part calculated separately.

Court confirmation: pages 479–480

Johne Boyle of Kelburne, Commissar of Glasgw approved and confirmed the administration after public notice and granted authority over the estate. The bond of caution then begins:

The quhilk day compeirit personalie Johne Broune sailler in Saltcoittis And of his awin consent actit him self as cautioner and souertie for Kathrein & Agnes Glasgwis lawfull bairnes, executores [confirmit?] to umquhile Johne Glasgw sailler in Saltcoittis.

That the guids & geir contenit in thair testament sallbe furthcumand to all pairties haveand entres thairto as law will And Issobell Gray relict of the defunct, gevar up of the said Testament, […]

John Brown's financial and surety roles do not, by themselves, establish kinship.

Modern-English summary

John Glasgow, a sailor in Saltcoats in Ardrossan parish, died in December 1636. Isobell Gray, his widow, submitted the inventory for Katherine and Agnes Glasgow, his lawful children. The court had appointed the daughters to administer their father's estate. John's possessions apparently included an old fishing boat and equipment as well as household goods and clothing, but much of the valuation remains difficult to read.

John Brown in Saltcoats owed the estate money and a sailor of that name and place later became guarantor for Katherine and Agnes. The two occurrences may concern one man, but the record does not explicitly say so. The court confirmed the administration on an uncertain day, apparently 21 April 1637, and Isobell undertook to protect the guarantor against loss.

Identity and research cautions

John Glasgow remains a possible existing-profile candidate for the Saltcoats sailor, not an established match. His documented Glasgow household with Jonet Mathie has not been connected to Isobell Gray, Saltcoats, the sailor occupation or the two daughters.
This record does not prove that John was the brother named in Ninian Glasgow's 1613 testament.
Do not restore the former readings Isobel Young, Marie/Mary, an April 1637 death or a definite 11 April confirmation date.
The most valuable next records are Saltcoats maritime, property and kirk material naming Isobell Gray, Katherine or Agnes, plus later testaments using the same associates.

Sources

Scotland Sticker

Source references

National Records of Scotland, Glasgow Commissary Court, testament dative and inventory of John Glasgow, sailor in Saltcoats, NRS CC9/7/27, register pages 478–480; working transcription of the original manuscript. Scotland's People wills search.

WikiTree and this edition

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Local replacement text

[[Category:Glasgow Name Study]]
<small>'''Glasgow Name Study:''' [[Space:Glasgow Name Study|project home]] · [[Space:Glasgow Research|research directory]] · [[Space:Glasgow Wills & Testaments|wills and testaments]] · [https://glasgow.phenotype.dev/ digital workbench]</small>

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; background:#f8fff8; border:2px solid #8DB600;"
! style="background-color:#E1F0B4;" | Secure family evidence
|-
| '''John Glasgow, sailor in Saltcoats, was the father of Katherine and Agnes Glasgow.''' The testament calls them his lawful bairns and says the deceased was their father. '''Isobell Gray''' was John's widow. Her relationship to John and the daughters' relationship to John are explicit; the document does not expressly call Isobell the girls' mother.
|}

== Record boundaries and dates ==

John's entry begins near the bottom of register page 478, continues through page 479 and ends at the top of page 480. Text outside those boundaries belongs to other testaments and must not be folded into his estate.

The entry is a '''testament dative and inventory''': a court-appointed administration following a death without a surviving will, rather than John's personal statement of wishes. It identifies him as a '''sailor in Saltcoats, within Ardrossan parish''', and says that he died in '''December 1636'''. The following court proceedings belong to 1637. The day in April appears to be '''[21?] April 1637''', but the Roman numeral remains tentative.<ref name="NRS_Will">National Records of Scotland, Glasgow Commissary Court, testament dative and inventory of John Glasgow, sailor in Saltcoats, NRS CC9/7/27, register pages 478–480; working transcription of the original manuscript. [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/search-records/legal-records/wills Scotland's People wills search].</ref>

== Family ==

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="padding:5px; width:100%;"
|-
! style="background-color:#E1F0B4;" | Person
! style="background-color:#E1F0B4;" | Relationship stated
! style="background-color:#E1F0B4;" | Assessment
|-
| '''Isobell Gray''' || John's ''relict'' or widow; she gave up the inventory on the children's behalf || Secure. Her surname recurs more clearly in the closing clause.
|-
| '''Katherine Glasgow''' || John's lawful child and executor-dative || Secure direct father–child evidence.
|-
| '''Agnes Glasgow''' || John's lawful child and executor-dative || Secure direct father–child evidence.
|}

The decisive opening language identifies Katherine and Agnes as ''bairnes lawfull'' and continues ''to the defunct thair father''. The closing bond again calls them lawful bairns and names Isobell Gray as relict of the deceased. Neither the shared surname nor appointment as executors is being used as a substitute for relationship wording.

No compatible existing profile has yet been established for either daughter. In particular, [[Glasgow-3539|Mary Glasgow of Saltcoats]] is '''not''' the child named by this reading; her separate identity and sources must be assessed without using this testament as parentage evidence.

== Working transcription ==

This is an expanded working transcription. '''[word?]''' marks a tentative reading and '''[…]''' unresolved text.

=== Opening: pages 478–479 ===

: The Testament dative & Inventar of the guids geir debts & sowmes of money quhilk perteinit to umquhile Johne Glasgw sailler in Saltcoittis within the parochin of Ardrossane the tyme of his deceis quha deceist in the moneth of December jaj vjᶜ threttie sex zeirs, faithfullie maid & gevin up be '''Issobell gray his relict'''
:
: In name & behalf off '''Kathrein & Agnes Glasgw''', bairnes lawfull & executores dative decernit to the defunct thair father Be decreit of the Commissar of Glasgw the '''[xxj?] day of Aprile 1637''' zeirs As the […] beiris.

=== Inventory and accounts: page 479 ===

The first inventory item appears to concern '''an old fishing boat and its equipment''', but overlapping and show-through ink make that reading tentative. Household contents, utensils, furnishings and John's clothing follow. The valuations and total have not been securely transcribed.

Under debts owed to John, '''Johne Broune in Saltcoittis''' is securely named as owing borrowed money. Further entries may name '''[Agnes Stewart?]''' and '''Thomas [Broune?]''', but those readings should remain qualified. Under debts owed by John, the creditor's first name is Johne and the surname may be '''[Russall?]'''; the purpose and sums remain unresolved. The net estate was to be divided in three parts, with the deceased's part calculated separately.

=== Court confirmation: pages 479–480 ===

'''Johne Boyle of Kelburne, Commissar of Glasgw''' approved and confirmed the administration after public notice and granted authority over the estate. The bond of caution then begins:

: The quhilk day compeirit personalie '''Johne Broune sailler in Saltcoittis''' And of his awin consent actit him self as cautioner and souertie for '''Kathrein & Agnes Glasgwis lawfull bairnes''', executores [confirmit?] to umquhile '''Johne Glasgw sailler in Saltcoittis'''.
:
: That the guids & geir contenit in thair testament sallbe furthcumand to all pairties haveand entres thairto as law will And '''Issobell Gray relict of the defunct''', gevar up of the said Testament, […]

John Brown's financial and surety roles do not, by themselves, establish kinship.

== Modern-English summary ==

John Glasgow, a sailor in Saltcoats in Ardrossan parish, died in December 1636. Isobell Gray, his widow, submitted the inventory for Katherine and Agnes Glasgow, his lawful children. The court had appointed the daughters to administer their father's estate. John's possessions apparently included an old fishing boat and equipment as well as household goods and clothing, but much of the valuation remains difficult to read.

John Brown in Saltcoats owed the estate money and a sailor of that name and place later became guarantor for Katherine and Agnes. The two occurrences may concern one man, but the record does not explicitly say so. The court confirmed the administration on an uncertain day, apparently 21 April 1637, and Isobell undertook to protect the guarantor against loss.

== Identity and research cautions ==

* [[Glasgow-1030|John Glasgow]] remains a possible existing-profile candidate for the Saltcoats sailor, not an established match. His documented Glasgow household with Jonet Mathie has not been connected to Isobell Gray, Saltcoats, the sailor occupation or the two daughters.
* This record does not prove that John was the brother named in [[Glasgow-3188|Ninian Glasgow's]] 1613 testament.
* Do not restore the former readings Isobel Young, Marie/Mary, an April 1637 death or a definite 11 April confirmation date.
* The most valuable next records are Saltcoats maritime, property and kirk material naming Isobell Gray, Katherine or Agnes, plus later testaments using the same associates.

== Sources ==

<references />

{{Scotland Sticker}}