Person:John Smollett (1)

John Smollett

• Irving, Joseph. The Book of Dumbartonshire: A History of the County Burghs, Parishes, and Lands, Memoirs of... (Dumbartonshire,: W. and A. K. Johnston, 1879), Vol. 2, Pages 179 to 181.

IV. John Smollett of Kirkton was entered as heir of his father, William, to certain tenements in Dumbarton, in 1571, and to others in 1587. In 1582 he was infeft on a precept from Esme Duke of Lennox, in the twenty pound land of Craig of Neilston, in Renfrewshire. He married Agnes Montgomerie, on the 6th of December, 1572. John Smollett obtained a conjoint infeftment of the glebe lands of Cardross from Thomas Archibald, rector thereof, at an annual feu duty of 4 pounds 4 shillings Scots. He was examined before the Privy Council in December, 1591, on the charge of being concerned in Bothwell’s consipiracy for seizing the King in Holyrood House, and was kept for some time in confinement. It is probably to him the tradition refers regarding the blowing up one of the vessels belonging to the Spanish Armada, off the Island of Mull, 1588. The trading capabilities of the family are further brought out in the career of this John, who undertook to supply the Western Isles with victual, the burgh of Dumbarton becoming security on his behalf. On the 14th February, 1600, John Smollett, “elder,” burgess of Dumbarton, resigned his lands of Glen, with certain tenements in the burgh of Dumbarton, in favour of his cousin, Tobias, and his heirs male, whom failing, to himself and his heirs male. Soon afterwards, however, Cunningham of Gilbertfield instituted proceedings, showing that John, Tobias, and William, the persons specified in the destination, had all died without male heirs; and that the estate, in consequence, lapsed to the Crown. It was thereupon bestowed by the King upon Captain Robert Cunningham of Gilbertfield, who was infeft on a Crown precept, 26th March, 1603. The only known interest Cunningham had in instituting the proceedings wich led to this grant, arose from the circumstance that his relative, Elizabeth, was married to John Smollett, a natural son of James of Over-Kirkton. Upon the acquisition of the property referred to in the deed executed by John Smollett in 1600, Cunningham of Gilbertfield gave infeftment to his natural son John, and Elizabeth his wife. On the death of Tobias Smollett at Glenfruin, the five pound land of Kirkton and Clerkhill fell into the hands of Margaret Smollett, and her husband, James Bontine of Succoth. The Crown precept in favour of Gilbertfield narrates that neither John, Tobias, nor William left male heirs; and, considering the nature of the plea set up, it is certainly singular that any son of John who executed the conveyance, should be overlooked. Yet this appears to have been done. In the Council Records of the burgh of Dumbarton, 7th August, 1638, there is created a burgess, “John Smollet, son to James Smollet, in Sanchar (ie. Sanquhar), and oye (grandchild) to umqhill John Smollett, eldest, sometime in Kirktoune. Attached to a notorial copy of this burgess ticket, among the Smollett Papers at Cameron House, is a memorandum written in 1676, to the following effect:

"The reason of extracting this burgess ticket was, because it was allegit be laird of Fulwood in his debait before the Presbiterie with John and Mr. James Smollett anent a seat and burial place belonging to thaim thair, that they had no interest in the old antient Smolletts who lived in and about Dumbartane, and this information was gevin be some invidious person who ahd taken friedome to vent that malicious untreuth, Bot this ticket, being marked in the town register by old David Watsoun, who was both the most honest and intelligent of all that race, and knew well the genealogies of all remarkable persons about Dumbartane, it putt these calumniators to silence, and restrained those traducing the said John and Mr. James as to their extraction."

This and the other evidents produced by John Smollett, the son of James of Sanquhar, appears to have satisfied the Kirk-session, and also the Presbytery, which, on the 23rd May, 1676, came to the conclusion, that he being in actual possession of the disputed seat and burying-ground, whould retain the same till he was legally dispossessed. It is from the John concerned in this action we have to trace the house of Bonhill, the descent of which from this point is quite clear.

• The Scots Peerage by Paul, James

Page 544 – William, of Bruntschiels, who is mentioned in 1584, was denounced in 1589 for resetting John Smollett, burgess of Dumbarton. He had a son,

Hew, who was one of the heirs in succession to Hew Sempill of Craigbait 11 June 1618.

1.   Irving, Joseph. The Book of Dumbartonshire: A History of the County Burghs, Parishes, and Lands, Memoirs of... (Dumbartonshire,: W. and A. K. Johnston, 1879)
   Pages 175 to 208.

   Family of Smollett of Bonhill

2.   Paul, James Balfour. The Scots peerage: founded on Wood's edition of Sir Robert Douglas's ‘Peerage of Scotland’ containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom, with armorial illustrations. (Edinburgh: D. Douglas, 1904-1914)
   Vol. 7, Page 544.