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Katherine Glasgow, wife of Thomas Weir: testament dative and inventory
| Genealogical result |
|---|
| Katherine Glasgow was the wife of Thomas Weir in Stevenston parish. She died in January 1603. Thomas submitted her estate account in the names of William, James and probably Jonet—Janet—Weir, the executors-dative. The confirmation expressly refers to the executors' minority. They were therefore very probably Katherine and Thomas's children, although the surviving wording does not expressly call them sons, daughter or bairns. |
This page is a working transcription and modern-English rendering of the Glasgow Commissary Court testament dative and inventory of Katherine Glasgow, National Records of Scotland CC9/7/4, images 6–7.[1] It is not a complete diplomatic edition: unresolved words and sums remain marked rather than reconstructed from formula.
Katherine's entry begins at the bottom of image 6, after the preceding testament, and continues through most of image 7. A different person's testament begins at the bottom of image 7. Text outside those boundaries does not belong to Katherine's estate.
The document is a testament dative—a court-appointed administration and inventory—not a personal will stating Katherine's wishes.[2]
People and relationships
| Person | Role stated in the record | Genealogical assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Katherine Glasgow | Deceased; explicitly spous to Thomas Weir | Identity, marriage and death in January 1603 are direct evidence |
| Thomas Weir | Katherine's spouse; gave up the inventory in the executors' names | Directly proved husband; the document is not a marriage record |
| William Weir | Executor-dative; one of the executors described collectively as minors | Very probably a son of Katherine and Thomas; parentage is not explicitly stated |
| James Weir | Executor-dative; one of the executors described collectively as minors | Very probably a son of Katherine and Thomas; parentage is not explicitly stated |
| [Jonet?] Weir | Third executor-dative; one of the executors described collectively as minors | Probably Janet and very probably a daughter; the forename and parentage remain qualified |
The significant wording is approximately:
… be the said Thomas Weir hir spous, In name [and behalf?] of William, James and [Jonet?] Weiris, executouris dativeis decernit …
and, in the confirmation:
… in respect of the executouris dativis minoritie …
Minor children were the natural people for a surviving husband to represent in their mother's intestate estate. The combination of shared surname, Thomas acting for them and their minority makes the child relationship strong. Nevertheless, executor status alone is not an explicit kin term, so the profile relationship should be labelled probable/uncertain unless another record supplies it directly.
Dates and place
| Event | Reading | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Death | January 1603 | Stated in the opening; this is Katherine's death date |
| Executor-appointment decree | An unreadable day in the preceding April | Do not assign a day from the faded line |
| Confirmation | 9 May 1605 | Fresh original-image reading: “the nynt day of may 1605”; prior [26?] reading superseded |
| Household locality | Parish of Stevinsoune | Stevenston, Ayrshire |
Fresh visual review on 10 September 2026 of NRS CC9/7/4, image 7, reads “the nynt day of may 1605”: 9 May 1605. This supersedes the earlier [26?] reading. Francis J. Grant's printed calendar and the Findmypast transcript both give 9 May 1605.[3] The manuscript's written ordinal now agrees with these sources. This is a confirmation date, not a marriage or death date.
Working transcription
Abbreviations are expanded where reasonably clear and punctuation is supplied. […] marks unresolved text; [word?] marks a tentative reading; [sum] marks a figure not securely read.
Opening: bottom of image 6 to top of image 7
The Testament dative and Inventar of the
guidis, geir, debtis and sowmes of money quhilkis pertenit to
umquhile Cathereine Glasgow, spous to Thomas Weir, in the
parochyn of Stevinsoune, quha deceist in the
moneth of Januar 1603 ȝeiris, faithfullie maid and gevin
up be the said Thomas Weir hir spous, In name [and behalf?]
of William, James and [Jonet?] Weiris, executouris dativeis decernit
[Image 7]
to hir guidis and geir be decreit of the Commissar of Glasgow […]
the […] day of Apryle lastbypast, as the decreit thairupone
beiris.
The collective surname Weiris applies to all three forenames. Jonet is the preferred reading of the third, but is less secure than William and James.
Inventory
Inventar
Item, the said umquhile Cathereine had in hir possessioun the tyme
of hir deceis foirsaid the guidis and geir following, of the availl
eftermentionat, viz.: Twa gray hors, price thame [sum]. Item,
ane auld blak naig, price thairof [sum]. Item, twa kye, the
price of the peice [sum], Summa [sum]. Item, ane forrow kow,
price [sum]. Item, in beir […] bollis and […] firlotis, price
of the boll with the fodder [sum], Summa [sum].
Item, […] aitis, at the boll with the fodder [sum],
Summa [sum]. Item, the insicht of hir hous, with the abulȝement
of hir body, estimat worth [sum].
Summa of the Inventar foirsaid — [sum].
Na debtis awand In.
The estate contained two grey horses, an old black nag, two cows, a farrow cow, bere or barley, oats and fodder, household contents and Katherine's clothing. A farrow cow was one which had not calved that season; the word does not necessarily mean that it gave no milk.[4] No debts owed to Katherine were recorded.
Debts owed by Katherine
Debttis awand Out
Item, awand be hir to James erle of Glencairne, hir maister,
of mailles the said 1603 ȝeiris, [sum]. Item, to Mr Alex[ande]r Campbel,
minister at Stevinsoune, of teynd corne the said ȝeir, vj bollis,
price of the boll [sum], Summa [sum]. Item, to [Bryce?]
Blair of [Lochwod?], [sum]. Item, to Archebald [Muir?],
[…] [sum]. Item, to Johnne Weir in nether [place-name unclear],
[sum]. Item, to Johnne [Wicht?], hir servand, of fie the said
ȝeir, [sum]. Item, to [Jeane Doun?], hir uther servand, the said
ȝeir of fie, [sum].
Summa of the debttis Out — [sum].
Et sic debita excedunt bona.
[In the margin:] Quota nulla.
The Latin means, “And thus the debts exceed the assets.” Quota nulla records that no confirmation quota was due. The liabilities place the household within the Glencairn estate and Stevenston parish economy: rent was owed to James, Earl of Glencairn; teind grain to the parish minister; other private debts and two servants' unpaid wages were also recorded. The uncertain personal names should not be used as firm identities.
Confirmation
At Glasgow the nynt day of may 1605 ȝeiris, I Robert
Chirnsyde of Over Possill, Commissar of Glasgow, constitut be our
Soverane Lord, eftir dew warning maid be edict oppinly as
effeirit, Be the tennour heirof ratifeis, approvis and confirmis
this present testament and inventar, in sa far as the samyn is
dewlie and trewlie gevin up, etc. And gevis and committis full
power and intromissioun with the guidis and geir abonewrittin
to the saidis executouris dativis abonespecifeit allanerlie, with power to
thame to call and persew thairfoir. [Ordanis?] the upgivar
to mak faith as use is, in respect of the executouris dativis minori-
tie. And hes fund Johnne Craufurd in Glen
cautioun that the guidis and geir salbe furthcumand to all […]
[…] entres as law will. And the upgivar become actit
to releif his said cautioun of the premissis.
Robert Chirnsyde of Over Possill approved the administration after public notice and granted the executors authority over the estate. Because the executors were minors, Thomas, as the person submitting the inventory, made the customary oath on their behalf. John Crawford in Glen acted as cautioner or surety; neither man is identified as kin.
Other named people
| Person | Role | Caution |
|---|---|---|
| James, Earl of Glencairn | Landlord; rent creditor | Maister describes the estate relationship here, not kinship |
| Mr Alexander Campbell | Minister at Stevenston; teind-grain creditor | Surname reading should be checked against the original hand |
| [Bryce?] Blair of [Lochwood?] | Creditor | Forename and territorial designation tentative |
| Archibald [Muir?] | Creditor | Surname tentative |
| John Weir in Nether [place unclear] | Creditor | Possible relative, but no relationship is stated |
| John [Wicht/Wight?] and [Jean Doun?] | Servants owed wages | Names tentative; their employment, not kinship, is stated |
| Robert Chirnsyde of Over Possill | Commissary | Court official |
| John Crawford in Glen | Cautioner | Surety; no kinship stated |
John Weir is worth pursuing because his surname and locality may connect him to Thomas or the minor executors. The debt entry alone proves only a financial association.
Modern-English summary
Katherine Glasgow, wife of Thomas Weir in Stevenston parish, died in January 1603. Thomas submitted the inventory for William, James and probably Janet Weir, who had been appointed executors-dative. The court later described the executors collectively as minors. That pattern makes them very probably the couple's children, although the document does not expressly say so.
Katherine's estate comprised horses, cattle, grain, fodder, household goods and clothing. No money was recorded as owed to her. Her liabilities—rent, teind grain, private debts and servants' wages—exceeded the estate's assets.
The testament was confirmed on 9 May 1605 by Robert Chirnsyde of Over Possill. Fresh image review on 10 September 2026 reads “the nynt day of may 1605” on image 7, superseding [26?] and agreeing with the published calendar and Findmypast index. John Crawford in Glen guaranteed the administration.
Fully paged WikiTree searches completed on 8 September 2026, including the principal historical spellings of Weir and each given name, found no compatible existing profile for William, James or Jonet/Janet. Each is therefore a separate profile-creation candidate. Their links to Thomas and Katherine, estimated birth ranges and inferred Stevenston birthplaces must remain uncertain; Jonet's forename is also provisional.
Research priorities
- Search Stevenston parish, Glencairn estate and commissary records for William, James and Jonet/Janet Weir with Thomas Weir, Katherine Glasgow or the same locality. The profile duplicate audit is complete; the remaining target is an explicit parentage, tutory, marriage or inheritance record that could upgrade the probable child relationships.
- Confirmation-day question resolved by fresh image 7 review: “the nynt day of may 1605” agrees with 9 May in the printed calendar. Retain the earlier [26?] only as a superseded reading.
- Resolve John Weir's Nether … residence and test whether he appears with Thomas or the three minor executors elsewhere.
- Keep Katherine's possible relationship to the Corsinkell Glasgows and to Geillis Glasgow as a locality-network hypothesis. This testament names no parent or sibling.
Sources
Source references
- National Records of Scotland, Glasgow Commissary Court, CC9/7/4, images 6–7, testament dative and inventory of Katherine Glasgow; original register images accessed through Scotland's People, wills and testaments.
- Scotland's People, “Wills and testaments”, explanation of testaments dative and testamentar.
- Francis J. Grant, ed., The Commissariot Record of Glasgow: Register of Testaments, 1547–1800 (Edinburgh: Scottish Record Society, 1901), p. 196, “Glasgow, Katherine, spouse to Thomas Weir, par. of Steinstone 9 May 1605”; Findmypast transcript SCOT/WILLS/057453.
- Dictionaries of the Scots Language, “farrow”.
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