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Glasgow archive/Cuthbert Edstoun
Catalogue · 08 Sep 2026
Person dossier · Edstoun-4

Cuthbert Edstoun

before 1578 – Death unrecorded

WikiTree destinationView on WikiTree Edstoun-4 ↗

Current conclusion

The existing profile Edstoun-4 uniquely represents Cuthbert Kaddell/Keddell of Croftmalloch, whom Margaret Glasgow (Glasgow-3613) directly called her son and who acted as her executor-dative. His current Edstoun surname is a manuscript misreading. The opening spells his surname Kaddell and the confirmation spells it Keddell. Use Keddell for LNAB and current surname, preserving Kaddell as an other-surname form, rather than creating a duplicate.

Cuthbert was born before his mother's death in December 1578. Croftmalloch is a supported uncertain birth location because the record places Cuthbert there. Margaret is his proved mother. Her sometime husband John Edstoun (Edstoun-3) is not called Cuthbert's father; preserve the existing attachment but mark it uncertain.

Edstoun-4 · Read the complete current assessment

The research account
Birth
before 1578Croftmalloch, Whitburn parish, Linlithgowshire, Scotland
Death
Not recordedPlace not recorded

The family

Parents

Recorded attachments are distinguished from documentary proof in the research assessment.

What would move the research forward

Evidence and next steps

What the current conclusion does not establish

Cuthbert was born before his mother's death in December 1578. Croftmalloch is a supported uncertain birth location because the record places Cuthbert there. Margaret is his proved mother. Her sometime husband John Edstoun (Edstoun-3) is not called Cuthbert's father; preserve the existing attachment but mark it uncertain.

Read the complete assessment

Recommended amendments

Use the complete replacement draft in Edstoun-4.md (also preserved in the resolved evidence draft 1578_Scotland_Croftmalloch_Cuthbert_Edstoun.md). Change LNAB and current surname to Keddell, record Kaddell as another surname, use birth before December 1578 and Croftmalloch as uncertain, retain Margaret as confident mother, and mark John as uncertain father.

Read all current research questions

The research behind the story

Current research conclusion

Current conclusion

Edstoun-4

The existing profile Edstoun-4 uniquely represents Cuthbert Kaddell/Keddell of Croftmalloch, whom Margaret Glasgow (Glasgow-3613) directly called her son and who acted as her executor-dative. His current Edstoun surname is a manuscript misreading. The opening spells his surname Kaddell and the confirmation spells it Keddell. Use Keddell for LNAB and current surname, preserving Kaddell as an other-surname form, rather than creating a duplicate.

Cuthbert was born before his mother's death in December 1578. Croftmalloch is a supported uncertain birth location because the record places Cuthbert there. Margaret is his proved mother. Her sometime husband John Edstoun (Edstoun-3) is not called Cuthbert's father; preserve the existing attachment but mark it uncertain.

Case-file source findings

Source findings

Edstoun-4

SourceFindingAssessment
National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh Commissary Court, CC8/8/8, images 355–356; printed testament index, p. 108Cuthbert is surnamed Kaddell in the opening and Keddell in the confirmation, is repeatedly called the son of the late Margaret Glasgow, and acted as her executor-dative at Croftmalloch. The decree appears dated 16 October 1580.Direct evidence for his surname variants, place, mother and executor role. It does not name his father.
Findmypast, `SCOT/WILLS/057454`Identifies Margaret as sometime spouse to John Edstoun in Croftmalloch; index date 8 November 1580.Supports the household and spouse context only. It does not identify John as Cuthbert's father.
Identity and relationship assessments

Duplicate and surname audit — 8 September 2026

Edstoun-4

Searches for Cuthbert Keddell, Kedell, Kaddell, Caddell, Cadell and Keddle found no compatible profile. Edstoun-4 is the already-created profile for the same executor named in Margaret's testament. The safe action is an LNAB/current-name correction on the existing profile, not new creation.

Relationship assessment

Edstoun-4

  • Margaret Glasgow-3613: proved mother.
  • John Edstoun-3: possible father only; retain attached as uncertain.
  • James Estoun/Easton: a debtor in Margaret's estate; no relationship stated.
Unresolved questions and next steps

Recommended amendments

Edstoun-4

Use the complete replacement draft in Edstoun-4.md (also preserved in the resolved evidence draft 1578_Scotland_Croftmalloch_Cuthbert_Edstoun.md). Change LNAB and current surname to Keddell, record Kaddell as another surname, use birth before December 1578 and Croftmalloch as uncertain, retain Margaret as confident mother, and mark John as uncertain father.

Unresolved priorities

Edstoun-4

Search Croftmalloch property, court, kirk and testament records for Cuthbert Keddell and for a direct statement of his father.

Research tools and original material

Prepared WikiTree updates — Needs updated on WikiTree

Needs updated on WikiTree

Paste-ready revised profile

Significance 78/100

Replace unsupported Edstoun surname with Keddell, retain Kaddell as another surname, use the supported pre-December 1578 boundary and Croftmalloch uncertain, retain Margaret as confident mother and John Edstoun as uncertain father.

Compared with Edstoun-4, captured 2026-09-10T00:48:16+00:00 · 2026-08-26.

Additions and removals from the live profile
+ [[Category:Glasgow Name Study]]
+ {{Estimated Date}}
+ 
  == Biography ==
+ '''Cuthbert Keddell''' lived at Croftmalloch in the late sixteenth century. His surname is written '''Kaddell''' in the opening of his mother's testament and '''Keddell''' in its confirmation. He was the son of [[Glasgow-3613|Margaret Glasgow]], spouse or sometime wife of [[Edstoun-3|John Estoun or Edstoun]]. The record repeatedly calls Cuthbert her son and says that he gave up her inventory as executor-dative. The decree appointing or surrogating him in place of the procurator fiscal appears dated 16 October 1580.<ref name="MargaretTestament">National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh Commissary Court, CC8/8/8, images 355–356, testament dative and inventory of Margaret Glasgow; ''Commissariot of Edinburgh: Register of Testaments, 1514–1600'', [https://archive.org/details/scottishrecordso01scotuoft/page/n117/mode/1up p. 108].</ref>
  
+ Cuthbert was born before his mother's death in December 1578. Croftmalloch is a reasonable uncertain birth location because the record places him there, but no birth record has been found.<ref name="MargaretTestament" />
+ 
+ == Research Notes ==
+ The manuscript gives both '''Kaddell''' and '''Keddell''', not Edstoun. Keddell is used as the principal surname and Kaddell should be preserved as another-surname form. This profile represents the same executor already attached to Margaret, so its surname should be corrected rather than a duplicate created.
+ 
+ John Edstoun was Margaret's husband and is a natural candidate for Cuthbert's father, but the testament never calls Cuthbert his son. The existing father attachment should remain uncertain pending direct evidence.
+ 
+ The derivative index dates Margaret's entry 8 November 1580 and calls her sometime spouse to John Edstoun in Croftmalloch.<ref>[https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=SCOT%2FWILLS%2F057454&tab=this Findmypast, Scotland, Will and Testament Index 1481–1807, record SCOT/WILLS/057454], Margaret Glasgow, 8 November 1580.</ref> That index date does not change Cuthbert's birth boundary or identify his father.
- Cuthbert was a son of Margaret Glasgow, spouse of John Edstoun in
- Croftmalloch. Margaret's testament dative says that she died intestate in
- November 1578 and that the inventory was given up by Cuthbert, `hir sone
- executour dative`. The Commissaries of Edinburgh had surrogated him as executor
- in place of the procurator fiscal by decree dated 17 October 1580. The writing following Cuthbert's forename has not been read securely, so the existing Edstoun profile name does not prove his surname. John Edstoun, Margaret's record-proved husband, is a natural father candidate, but the testament does not call Cuthbert his son; John Edstoun is retained as Cuthbert's uncertain father under the profile-preservation rule; the testament does not prove that relationship.<ref>National
- Records of Scotland, Edinburgh Commissary Court, CC8/8/8, image 355, testament
- dative and inventory of Margaret Glasgow; diplomatic transcription preserved
- on [[Glasgow-3613|Margaret Glasgow's profile]]. The printed index is
- ''Commissariot of Edinburgh: Register of Testaments, 1514-1600'',
- [https://archive.org/details/scottishrecordso01scotuoft/page/n117/mode/1up p. 108].</ref>
  
  == Sources ==
  <references />

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