"Don't Leys Me Out!"
Gordons o' Girnoc
'Camlet John'
The Girnoc Farms
Past Research
Location Map
Gordon Tombstones
Sources
1. Children of James Ley and Margaret Gordon: (Torgalter - Crathie)
1) John Ley christened 4th February 1735
2) Anna Ley christened 15th March 1737
3) James Ley christened May 1739
4) Helen Ley christened 3rd January 1747 (married? John Clerk 12th August 1770 C/B)
February 4th 1735 James Ley in Torrygalter (sic) and Margaret Gordon his spouse had a child baptised named John
March 15th 1737 They had another child baptised named Anna.
?? 1747 James Ley in ??? (Kintore? Perhaps Rintin??? - Frame 92) and Margaret Gordon his spouse ????? Hellen
2. Children of William Ley and Jean Gordon:
1) John Ley christened 23rd June 1744 Glenmuick
2) William Ley christened 10th July 1746 Glenmuick
3. Children of Peter Gordon1 and Barbara Leys (Ballindory - Glenmuick)
1) John Gordon christened12th March 1747
A call for banns that never reached matrimony:
4. Nathaniel Gordon4 and Margaret Leys - dated 23rd July 1757 (Ballater & Tullich)
5. Children of Francis Ley and Mary Gordon: (Inver - Crathie)
1) Charles Leys christened 20th February 1757
2) William Ley christened 7th October 1862 (only Francis Ley the father mentioned)
Oct 7 1762 Francis Ley in Inver had a child had a child William baptized
6. Children of James Gordon and Ann Leys (married 22nd September 1786)
1) William Gordon* born circa 1788 (married Helen Fletcher)
2) Donald Gordon christened 12th May 1791
William Gordon*
Farmer, married to Helen Fletcher
Died on the 2nd March 1875
At Aucholie, Glenmuick
Age 87yrs
Father: James Gordon - farmer (D)
Mother: Ann Leys (D)
Death Cause: Chronic Bronchitis (2yrs); Acute Bronchitis (6 days)
Informant: William Gordon (son) - present
So what does this tell us? Well firstly one could postulate that James, William, Barbara, Margaret and Francis (1 to 5 above) might have been one sibling group. If not one sibling group - one would speculate no more than two.
This Gordon coalescence may be crucial to understanding the Leys entry into the parish. Furthermore could it be that these Gordon spouses were of Abergeldie?
Could Francis Ley who married to Mary Gordon be the father of Charles Leys, who was later to tenant Crathienaird? This Francis Ley married May (Marjory) Fleming, who in turn were the parents of Margaret Leys, the mother of John Brown, Queen Victoria's Highland Servant. The tombstone evidence to this effect is certainly indicative that Charles Leys, father (or perhaps grandfather) was 'Francis Leys of Inverarder.'
A further point is worth making here: the Leys family carried through several names: on the female side this was most notably 'Barbara,' on the male side most notably 'Francis' and 'Charles.'
It is for this reason, and the Lawsie connection, that the following parish entry raises some intrigue. The year and month, February1872, in which Barbara Gordon's illegitimate child was born, was exactly the same date that 'Camlet John' married Euphemia McAndrew!
1782 February 12 Barbara Gordon in La(w)sie a natural son, John.
Next door, James Gordon in Rintarsin (Lawsie), who was married to a Brown (!) - Mary Brown, had several children:
1782 Mar 24 Jas Gordon in Rintarsin a daughter Jean
1784 August 11 James Gordon and Mary Brown in Rintarsin Lawsey had a daughter baptised named Margaret.
This writer believes it was the 'Leys family' that brought the name 'Francis' into the Camlet Gordon line. Was it then a brother of the 'Mary Gordon' who married Francis Ley that was the father of 'Camlet John?' Was Peter Gordon who married 'Barbara Leys' a further brother? This writer is inclined to speculate so!
In the following chapters a Coaching Inn of central importance to Upper Deeside will emerge as the true bastion of the Leys family - that was the Inver Inn. It is highly likely that the first proprietor was the Francis Leys mentioned above.
