Genealogical Collections : The Baird Seals

The Commissary, who very early turned Protestant, joined the Covenanters, and, according to Spalding, appears to have taken an active part in promoting their interests. In writing to his brother the Laird (Letter XXIX.), he playfully alludes to the mistaken religious views of his uncle and brother, who were greatly attached to the Church of Rome: " I have ressavit sum word, but no letters, from our uncle Mr. Andrew and our brother Mr. Thomas; they are both in lyfe and weil, feeding upon fische only, like sea-fowls."

The Commissary purchased the estate of Byth in Aberdeenshire, but it was afterwards sold by his son Sir John Baird (Lord Newbyth),¹ who purchased the lands of Foord and Whitekirk, in the shire of Haddington, and got them erected into one barony by the name of Newbyth. Among the other letters comprised in this collection, the most interesting are two (XLV, XLVI.) from Archbishop Sharp,² and one (XLVII.) from his son, Sir William Sharp of Stonyhill, to Sir James Baird of Auchmedden. The letters of the Archbishop are those of a man of amiable disposition, who was anxious to promote the welfare of his friends.

That of his son is peculiarly interesting, as containing an account of the murder of the Archbishop from the most authentic source. The details given regarding this foul murder are worthy of attention, both on account of the picture they afford of the heroic and Christian-like conduct of the venerable victim in his last moments, and the light thrown on the character and motives of his assassins. The defence which has been set up on behalf of the murderers, that they were actuated entirely by religious zeal, can scarcely be maintained in face of the fact, that they committed robbery as well as murder. With such evidence before us, it is difficult to conceive how any apology can be offered for the perpetrators of this deed, even on the ground of mistaken zeal, and surely no sect of Christians would be desirous to identify themselves with a set of ruffians who not only dared to murder, but could condescend to steal.

The original orthography of the Letters has been preserved. In these the writing goes on continuously, without any division into sentences, and without the distinction of capital letters; but in printing it has been thought better to supply these deficiencies, and make an arrangement of paragraphs and sentences. Mr. Baird was at the trouble of making at least two copies of his manuscript, one of which is in the Advocates Library, and the other is at Findrack, in Aberdeenshire, where also is an amulet or charm which is said to have been in the family of Baird since the year 1174, and bears an inscription to that effect.

W. N. Fraser EDINBURGH, 41, ALBANY STREET, February, 1857.

Description of the three ancient lead seals roughly sketched by Auchmedden on his title-page:

1. The Seal of ANDREW BAIRD of Lavoroklaw, afterwards of Auchmedden, where he died l0th February 1543. He was son of BAIRD of Posso, in the County of Peebles. He appears to have carried a "Bear" passant, which corresponds the tradition mention in this "Collections".
   
   
2. The Seal of GEORGE BYRD of Ordinhnivas, great-great-grandson to JAMES BAIRD, of the family of Cambusnethan. He married JANET FRASER, daughter to the Laird of PHILORTH and died in 1557.
   
   
3. The Seal of WALTER BAIRD of Ordinhnivas (son of the preceding). He married CATHERINE GRANT daughter to the Laird of BALLINDALLOCH, by whom he had an only daughter, LILIAS married 16th August 1578, to GILBERT BAIRD, of Auchmedden.
   
   
4. There is still in existence the book-plate of WILLIAM BAIRD Esq, last of Auchmedden, the compiler of the "the Collections" who married ANNE, daughter of WILLIAM DUFF, of Dipple, and sister of the first Lord FIFE. He died 1777, and his daughter, HENRIETTA, married FRANCIS FRASER, of Findrack, Aberdeenshire. The plate shows the shield, gules, a boar passant or, crest, a griffin,s head, with motto, " Dominus fecit."
   
   
5. And the Seal of the preceding. It has the addition of supporters-two winged Griffins, which he was entitled to bear as head of the family. On the reverse side there is the head of Charles I very well cut.

Footnotes:

(1) Sir John Baird was admitted Advocate on 3rd June, 1647. Upon the restoration of Charles II., he was created a Knight Baronet and admitted an Ordinary Lord, and he was also nominated one of the Justice-Deputes, 11th January, 1667. He was chosen one of the commissioners appointed in 1670 to treat with those of England for the then projected union of the countries. Lord Newbyth was superseded in 1681. He entered heartily into the Revolution, and was included in the new nomination then made He died at Edinburgh on the 27th April, 1698, in the seventy-eighth year of his age. Lord Newbyth collected the decisions of the Court from November, 1664, to February, 1667, and practiques from 1664 to 1681, with an appendix to 1690, the MSS. of which are preserved in the Advocates Library. Brunton and Haig's Account of the Senators of the College of Justice.
(2) Dr. James Sharp, Archbishop of Saint Andrews, and Primate of Scotland, was born in the month of May, 1613, in the Castle of Banff. He was the son of Mr. Sharp, Sheriff-Clerk of Banffshire; his mother was a daughter of the Laird of Kinninvie.