Help proving or disproving hypothesis regarding Archibald Erskine, 7th Earl of Kellie

[Currie]

Hello Matias,

In the 1820 Register of Shipping in the East India Company’s Service there’s a ship, Thais, 443 tons, built Dartmouth 1808, captained by an A. E. Robson.
https://books.google.com.au/books?id=83 ... 22&f=false

In the Morning Post, London, 4 October, 1821, there’s an article about the ship Thais, Captain Albert Robinson, anchoring at Valparaiso. If they got the surname wrong perhaps also the first name.
https://imgur.com/a/w71PH1y

See also the advert in the Leeds Intelligencer, Leeds, Thursday, Feb. 13, 1823, for the Ship Sesostris, A. E. Robson, Commander, to sail for Valparaiso and Lima.

The Register of Shipping for 1823 has A. Robson as the captain of the Sesostris. Also in 1824 and 1825.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=_TQ ... &q&f=false

More copies of the Register of Shipping here.
http://www.maritimearchives.co.uk/lloyds-register.html

A mention from 1824 in this book.
https://books.google.com.au/books?id=bC ... le&f=false

In Parliamentary papers there’s a debate in the Commons on 9 April, 1821,about the fall in price of ships that briefly mentions the Sesostris. “The Sesostris, launched in 1818, 480 tons, cost 12,175l.; was sold in 1820, after making one voyage, for 6,300l.”

All the best,
Alan

[Moray_Lass]

Good catch Alan

On the ship side - would Lloyds have any records we can access if his ships were insured with them?

Thoughts on the Robertson/Robson - could it come from a transcript somewhere of Robertson to Rob^ertson, that just carried on as Robson?

Would still be interesting when he acquired the land near Kellie, might shine some light on if he was gifted it.

[Currie]

Hello Maggie,

Here’s a bit more.
The Times, 10 April, 1819.
https://imgur.com/a/ruToJA6

I’m off to the Land of Nod.
Alan

[matiasfortuno]

Hi Alan, thank you very much. I had lost those images, that I once had when suscribed to Ancestry. It is very nice to see your ancestor on the press!

Is it possible to know who is the owner of the Sesostris?

The books that tell about the origin of the Nitrate mining industry in Peru (afterwards would be Chile), says that AER sold 'his' ship to finance the investment.

On other matters, I agree with Maggie regarding the Robertson-Robson change. I'm thinking that AER was indeed a little gifted by his father's patron, (AE7) and this "Sir John Sinclair" that appears in his baptism, and that probably for his plans of traveling to Southamerica, it was better for him to remove his "relation" with his parents, as they were 'servants'.

[WilmaM]

Hi Matias,

I've just got a newsletter from scotlandspeople [ you may have done too]
They mention that they now have various Tax Records for free viewing.

That includes Male & Female Servant Tax Rolls for the 1700's.
Of course I thought of the Earl of Kellie!

I was delighted to find this:

Lord Kellie at Kellie Charles Robertson My servant
Duncan Stewart Footman
Robert Fyall Gardner

that was 5 Aug 1790
1791 has Charles as 'Butler' with another 3 male servants a cook Marion Scott and Cook Maid Jean Caution

Further down that same page is Sir John Sinclair of Carnbee.

There are a host of other records of Taxes, Horse, Cart, Hearth etc that I'm sure will help add colour to your tale.
They can be found here: https://scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/records .