Who was'Papa Camlet?'
Clue 5 - The Ardoch Cousin
Gordons o' Girnoc
My Family - 'Camlet John'
The Girnoc Farms
Past Research
Location Map
Gordon Tombstones
Sources
This writer spends his working days closing wounds, not re-opening them! So why then would he return to the 'Leys mystery' rehearsed so fully within the manuscript "Inextricably Camlet"?

Indeed has any evidence been found to back John of Crovie's statement that the mother of 'Camlet John' was Mary Leys?

Time then to explore one of the further statements contained in Dr Bulloch's turn-of-the-century writings on Camlet: where he recorded that John Gordon of Loinveg, son of 'Camlet John' married his second cousin Mary Downie of Ardoch.

Mary Downie appeared at Loinveg alongside her husband John Gordon in the 1841 census, but by 1851 was no longer listed. It seems that she had predeceased her husband and lived only just long enough to see her two sons, John and James, into adulthood. For this reason there was to be no statutory death record for Mary Downie as she was dead before the compulsory enactment of 1855.

A search of the Crathie Parish Register though was to identify Mary Downie's birth in Ardoch in May of 1789. Her father was recorded as James Downie and her mother as 'Mary Leys.' This was obviously corroboration for John of Crovie. Yet this Mary Leys COULD NOT be 'Camlet John's' mother: for very clearly she was of the wrong generation.

So now we had a double search - to trace our doppelgangers - Mary Leys one and two! The first stop in this regard was to be within the sheltered confines of old Crathie Churchyard, where a weathered tombstone could be read thus:

"By JAMES DOWNIE Tenant in Crathienaird in memory of his mother ELSPET COUTTS d. 25th June 1782 aged 62 and of JOHN DOWNIE d.29th? June 1775? Aged 25 and of 2 young children. The said JAMES DOWNIE d. 26th September 1819 aged 71. And his spouse MARY LEYS died 26th December 1851 aged 94."

Thus it was revealed that Mary Downie's mother, Mary Leys, died on Boxing Day 1851 at the astonishingly good age of 94. So this Mary Leys was born circa 1757. For the 'second cousin' assertion to comply, this Mary Leys must have had an aunt (also named Mary Leys) who was Camlet John's mother.
The chart (above) appeared to demonstrate a relatively neat fit, though still lacked connecting validity. The writer was certainly wary for he knew that the early Leys origins were vague and feared equally that the parish records for this family would not be entirely extant given that the period to which they pertained was the mid 18th century - exactly the time when the Crathie Registers suffered a mysterious blank (1750-1763.)

For the record, this writer would like to say that he believes Camlet John's mother was 'Mary Leys.' Such confidence in this regard relates to John of Crovie.  Every family detail that was ever recorded by John of Crovie, has, in the experience of this writer, later born true. It should not be lost upon the reader that John of Crovie was the most important Grandson of Camlet John. He would have known his grandfather intimately - with their lifespan crossing over a long 30 year period! Like his grandfather he regaled in the Girnoc… the land to which he dedicated his family history.

Now the next resurrection should, the writer promises, fascinate.

John Brown: 'You'll never have an honester servant'
In truth, this writer had heard rumours of family connections with John Brown, long before he heard other branches mouth the same.
The connection, it was said, was with John Brown's mother. Dorothy Sellors,  explained how this whisper on the braes came her way…

"An elderly relative who used to visit the area met Gordon relatives when she lived in Berkshire. Some of them moved there when Queen Victoria bought the estate as they worked at Windsor Castle. John Brown's mother or grandmother was a Gordon and he was related - so they told her."

For once the starting point was clear:  the well trod path to the
Crathie grave of John Brown.

"This stone is erected in affectionate and grateful remembrance of JOHN BROWN the devoted and faithful personal attendant and beloved friend of Queen Victoria in whose service he had been for 34 years.

Born at Crathienaird 8th December 1826 died at Windsor Castle 27th March 1883.

That friend on whose fidelity you count, that friend given you by circumstances over which you have no control, was God's own gift. Well done good & faithful servant"


The reader will by now, have noted that Crathienaird has emerged as a 'bed-fellow' of sorts to dear old Camlet (see 'Inextricably Camlet').  Furthermore it will have been noted from the tombstone inscription, that John Brown, the Queen's Highland Servant, was born at
Crathienaird. Could it be then, that the utterly fascinating story of John Brown was to reveal one more secret: the secret to Camlet? Well the intrepid eyes of the researcher had to scan no further than the next tomb to find the stane memorial raised by John Brown in memory of his parents and siblings:

"Here lie the remains of JOHN BROWN sometime farmer in Bush of Crathienaird died at Wester Micras 18th October 1875 aged 86 and MARGARET LEYS his wife died at Craiglourigan Cottage 2nd August 1876 aged 77.

Also of their 5 children FRANCIS died 1st March 1831 aged 3, FRANCIS died 27th November 1849 aged 10, MARGARET died 12th December 1849 aged 14, CHARLES died 27th December 1849 aged 17, ANNE died 1st November 1867 aged 37.

This stone is erected in affectionate remembrance of his parents, brothers and sisters by JOHN BROWN."


So at last (I hear you say) a link has emerged. Yes indeed, John Brown's mother was
Margaret Leys and she was born at the very end of the 18th century.

At last this writer felt he was close to pulling the pillow from between the potential bed-fellows: of Camlet and Crathienaird. The link to prove was thus between:

1) Mary Leys (1757-1851) mother of Mary Downie and full cousin of 'Camlet John.' Her husband James Downie was tenant of Crathienaird.

2) Margaret Leys (1799-1876) mother of John Brown.

Furthermore if the link with Crathienaird was through the 'Leys family' did this debunk the earlier postulation - the postulation that the link to Camlet was through John Gordon and Isobel Shepherd?
Margaret Leys (1799-1876)
Mother of John Brown
Fortunate we are that a photograph of Margaret Leys survives: here she is seated outside Bush of Crathienaird, with her son Archie. Now the writer urges you to look closely, for only just visible on Margaret Leys left hand is her wedding ring: 'but that is just to be expected'….I hear you say… indeed…indeed!

In the mid-summer heat of 1876 Margaret Leys left us. She died peacefully in a cottage within the Queen's Balmoral Estate. The completed death certificate informs us of her parents:
Charles Leys a farmer, and Marjory Fleming.

What then of Margaret Leys ring? Well, when John Brown died at the end of March 1883, Queen Victoria, in a state of mourning took his mother's ring and wore it as her symbol of enduring love. It never left her finger. Unknown to the Queen's close family the ring was on her wedding finger when she was interred within the ornate marble Mausoleum of Frogmore.

So that was how the ring of Margaret Leys was to grace eternally Queen Victoria.

This Section takes you to "Don't Leys Me Out!"
It traces the Gordon-Leys families of Crathie