My wife's ancestors - Noltie - Contents
Henry Noltie
- Sources yet to be consulted:
- Records of Charles, Prince of Lorraine and Bar.
- Records of the Earls of Erroll.
- Records of Farquharson of Haughton.
Slains Castle, Aberdeenshire.
See full size and original.
Photo 2008. From here.
Henry Noltie,
born c.1740, Germany,
well educated, spoke a number of languages,
trained as a barber surgeon,
|
[Noltie family memoir]
says he
went into the service of the
"Prince de Baar"
as a page or valet,
and travelled on the continent with the Prince's young son (he had a tutor)
"Count de Baar",
this might refer to Charles, Prince of Lorraine and Bar (also here and images, born 1712, died 1780), only he had no son, another possibility is Stanislaw Leszczynski, Duke of Lorraine and Bar (and images, born 1677, died 1766) only he also had no son and in any case his children would be middle-aged, not young, at this time, [Noltie family memoir] says Henry once saved the life of the Prince's son, the Count: "when crossing a river, being pursued by some German, or Prussian Hussars ... in which skirmish my father received a cut in his hand from a hussar's sword, for which service the Count became much attached to my father, as all the rest of the Count's retinue fled and left the Count and my father to defend themselves, the best way they could.", note that during the Seven Years' War (1756–63), Charles, Prince of Lorraine and Bar, commanded the Austrian army at several battles in 1757 against the Prussians, and in 1757 retired, [Noltie family memoir] says that Henry and the Count and his tutor fled to England, and took up abode in "the Cannon Hotel, Cannon St, Cockspur St, London", this place is unidentified, Cannon St and Cockspur St are far apart from each other, Henry left the Count's service after an incident with the tutor, "My father having charge of the Count's wardrobe and jewels, the Count's court dress, with the necessary jewels, was laid out for the Count to dress, to go to Court in, and the room being on the ground floor, the tutor opened the window, and some thieves entered, and stole the court dress and jewels. The tutor denied opening the window, and my father insisting that he did, angry words passed, which ended in my father leaving the Count's service, much against the Count's will, and although repeatedly requested to return, he would not so long as the tutor remained, and as the tutor was engaged by the Count's father, the Count had it not in his power to discharge him", |
Henry, with the help of the Count, gained a position as valet to
"the Honourable Captain Boyd",
with whom he stayed for some years,
given his later service to
James Hay (formerly Boyd), 15th Earl of Erroll,
this is probably one of his brothers
Capt. Charles Boyd
or Capt. William Boyd,
stayed with Capt. Boyd
"till the Captain went to the E. Indies,
his master pressing him, and making him handsome offers to go with him
...
my father repented afterwards in not going to India with so generous a master.",
he then travelled on the Continent with several families,
as a courier and interpreter,
then c.1768 became valet to
James Hay, 15th Earl of Erroll,
"with whom he stayed for upwards of 10 years till the Earl's death"
(Earl died 1778),
Henry settled in Scotland,
he would have worked at
Slains Castle, Aberdeenshire,
he met Mary Hopper
1770, she was working as maid to
Isabella Carr, wife of 15th Earl,
note that
Dr. Samuel Johnson
and James Boswell
were guests at Slains Castle in 1773,
after the Earl's death 1778, Henry
"remained with the Countess of Erroll, as her butler, till he married my mother"
[Noltie family memoir],
the Countess of Erroll is
Isabella Carr, widow of 15th Earl,
her sons were only children at this time,
the marriage of her butler and maid
"displeased the Countess, as my father would stay no longer with the Countess,
but bought a house in .. Edinburgh"
and left her service to set up business,
and of course her maid left too,
mar 10th Jan 1780, Greyfriars church, C Edinburgh,
to Mary Hopper [born 18th Feb 1754],
they lived
South Frederick St,
New Town, Edinburgh,
in the 2nd house N of the junction with Thistle St,
on the W side of Frederick St
(see map
and satellite),
he ran a business as a tea and spirit merchant at this location for several years,
she ran a fancy millinery
and dress-making business,
it "offended the Countess [of Erroll]
so much that they both should leave her that it was
some years before she would speak to them",
but she got over it,
and eventually
"was particularly kind to them, and recommended them to the principal
nobility and gentry in Edinburgh",
they were also on good terms with the Countess' children,
Henry was persuaded perhaps c.1790
to go abroad with
Francis Farquharson of Haughton
(born est c.1770,
died 1808)
as his valet and interpreter,
[Noltie family memoir]
says Henry spent
several years travelling on the Continent with Francis Farquharson,
when they reached Italy, Francis Farquharson became ill with a fever,
and his younger brother Alexander Farquharson
joined them at
Rome
(this is NOT the father Alexander Farquharson who died 1788),
"and then [young] Mr. Alexander took the fever, and died near Rome in my father's arms,
but Mr. Francis recovered, and returned home.",
while Henry was gone his business in Edinburgh failed,
he was declared bankrupt, the house was sold,
in c.1792-93 Mary and her only surviving child Henry went to live with
her parents
in Durham,
Henry returned to Scotland
and remained in the service of Francis Farquharson,
and ran his household in Edinburgh until he died in Feb 1808,
in 1800 Henry's son became servant to Francis' brother
John Farquharson of Haughton (born 1779, died 1854),
after Francis died 1808,
Henry also served his brother John Farquharson,
from apparently 1809 until his death 1811
Henry lived at the Farquharson country seat of
Haughton,
Alford, Aberdeenshire,
he died at Haughton, 11th Sept 1811, age c.71 yrs,
his son on one sheet
says Sept 1812, but the context suggests an error for 1811,
his son on multiple other sheets says Sept 1811,
bur near Haughton in the old Kirkyard of Alford,
this is some distance out of the village on the W road (the A980,
see map),
his son Henry said he wanted to be buried
"beside my father in Alford Churchyard, where he is buried in the ground formerly occupied
by the old Andersons of Dorsell.
I think his is the 3rd grave from the Minister's garden dyke",
this is exactly the spot where his son Henry's gravestone now is,
in the NW corner of the graveyard,
so this is the spot where his father is buried too,
Mary died in London, 21st Nov 1814, age 60 yrs,
had issue:
- James Noltie,
named after James Hay, 15th Earl of Erroll,
died young. - Henry Noltie,
named after his father,
died young [there is another Henry]. - William Noltie,
[Noltie family memoir] says named "after the Earl's brother", this is after a reference to the 15th Earl,
this would seem to indicate named after Capt. William Boyd,
however another sheet says named "after the Honourable Mr. Hay, Lord Erroll's brother",
this would seem to indicate named after William Hay, 17th Earl of Erroll,
died young. - John Noltie,
named after John Smirk,
died young [there is another John].
- Henry Noltie,
named after his father,
born family home, Frederick St, Edinburgh,
he himself says on one sheet that he was born 22 Nov 1788,
and on another sheet he says he was born 18 Nov 1789,
settled in Alford, Aberdeenshire.
- John Noltie,
named after John Smirk,
died young.
Charles, Prince of Lorraine and Bar, 1756.
Note it is not certain that this is who Henry Noltie worked for.
From here.
