George Sutherland Dunbar and the Latheronwheel estate.
To finish the series about the Hon Captain Robert Dunbar here are some extracts of his will and a timeline of his son George Sutherland Dunbar.
1830 May George Sutherland Dunbar, the illegitimate son of Captain Robert Dunbar and his servant Elizabeth Gunn, was baptised.
1841 Latheron Census shows George Dunbar, a boy of 11 years old, living with the local school master and his household. Maybe his father the Hon Robert Dunbar is supporting George’s schooling.
1851 England and Wales Census George S Dunbar had left Caithness and was found in the 1851 England and Wales census, age 21, a Lodger, employed as a Clerk to a Wine and Spirits merchant in Berwick on Tweed - a town in Northumberland, England. Living nearby were John Pratt a landed proprietor and Magistrate and his wife Amelia Pratt. Their son William Pratt became a friend of George.
Berwick on Trent
England & Wales census 1851
1855 George Sutherland Dunbar was living in Thurso, Caithness and was a Custom House officer there.
1857 Meanwhile back in Latheronwheel, Caithness, the Honourable Captain Robert Dunbar, was having heart problems. First he called in his doctor, then he called in his trustees and wrote his will dated 18 April 1855 and registered on 2 September 1857. The system of male line primogeniture inheritance in which a person’s property passed to their first born legitimate son upon their death was customary at this time. Robert Dunbar was unmarried, as was his brother George. Robert had at least four illegitimate daughters and one illegitimate son, George Sutherland Dunbar.
Death of Hon Captain Robert
Dunbar 11.08.1857 Scotlands People
1857 Extracts of the Will of the Honourable Captain Robert Dunbar
Robert Dunbar died 11 August 1857 age 56 at Hempriggs house. The will which came into effect immediately upon Robert’s death, was, as one would expect, a carefully considered and detailed legal document. The will is available on Scotland’s People. In the absence of his own and his brother’s legitimate issue, Robert named George Sutherland Dunbar as a beneficiary. Robert’s daughters are not mentioned and get nothing.
At Edinburgh on 20 April 1858 in the presence of John Leamonth JP for Edinburgh, David Smith Esq Writer to the Signet solemnly swore that Hon Captain Robert Dunbar had died. David McBeath Esq Wine Merchant Berwick, and David Smith residing at Pennyland Thurso, and David Smith Esq Writer to the Signet entered upon the management of the deceased estate as Trustees and executors.
Next came the Inventory of the very substantial personal estate of Robert Dunbar.
The farms and assets were valued by a professional valuer. Itemised was a long list of townships, occupiers and rents being paid. There was also a long list of Robert’s assets in Latheronwheel including the church and manse, a mill, an orchard and a quarry etc.
The Trustees are to pay Robert Dunbar’s lawful debts, deathbed and funeral expenses and pay themselves the expenses of executing the estate.
Robert left his mother Lady Duffus assets (she died before him anyway) and his brother Sir George Dunbar part of the estate of Latheronwheel but they had to meet certain conditions and any expenses that might arise.
“And after my decease my said Trustees shall give and allow to George Sutherland Dunbar presently residing in Thurso and a Custom House officer there in the event of his surviving me during all the days of his life the liferent use and possession of the said Mains farm of Latheronwheel as presently possessed by myself, the farm of upper Latheron as possessed by James Sutherland, the farm of Lyhaid, excepting the portion there possessed by John Campbell, Donald Bain and Benjamin Miller and sons and the farm of Auchingoul excepting the portions thereof possessed by James McCormack and Angus Gunn so long as the said estate of Latheronwheel is not sold In virtue of the powers hereinafter written and paying all public and parish burdens and local taxes for or forth thereof. Declaring always that such liferent shall not be burdened with payment of the interest of any debt secured on said estate at the time of my death or with the interest of any sums which my Trustees find it necessary to borrow on the security of said estate in carrying out the purposes of this trust it being my desire that the said George Sutherland Dunbar should enjoy said liferent free from such burdens and I further direct my said trustees to convey and make over to the said George Sutherland Dunbar the whole crop and stocking on the said Mains farm of Latheronwheel, farm of Upper Latheron farm of Lyhaid and farm of Auchingoul under the exceptions foresaid at the time of my decease in order to assist him in cultivating said farm….declaring always as it is hereby expressly provided and declared that the said George Sutherland Dunbar shall be bound by the acceptance of the liferent above provided to him to reside at the said Mains farm of Latheronwheel or Upper Latheron and in the event of his neglecting or omitting to reside he shall forfeit his right to said liferent in which event I hereby direct my said Trustees to give and allow to my said mother and after her decease to my said brother the liferent use and possession of said farm of Latheronwheel and Upper Latheron farm of Lyhaid and farm of Auchingoul all as herein before directed to be liferented by the said George Sutherland Dunbar along with the rest of the said estate of Latheronwheel as in manner above set forth...my said trustees …shall allow my brother to express his interest to reside on the Mansion house & offices…or the same shall be offered to the said George Sutherland Dunbar in the first instance at such rent as may be considered etc..in case they fail to agree...my said trustees shall make payment to George Sutherland Dunbar of the sum of three thousand pounds sterling which sum shall be payable to him at Whitsunday or Martimas after my decease…in addition to the sum of one thousand five hundred pounds stirling secured to him..by the policy of insurances on my life. If the trustees find it necessary to sell… the provision ..shall be increased in favour of George Sutherland Dunbar the additional sum of five thousand pounds to be paid..they shall provide for five hundred pounds in building and furnishing a farm house and offices..and give and allow the said George Sutherland Dunbar the liferent use and possession of said house…but providing and declaring that George Sutherland Dunbar reside in the Mansion house then the trustees shall not lay out the sum in building and furnishing such farm house and farm offices
The farms to be liferented by George Sutherland Dunbar under the exceptions foresaid shall not be burdened in any manner in anyway during the lifetime of George Sutherland Dunbar in the event of his surviving me except in so far as regards the public parish and local burdens”.
The said trustees had power to control and administer the estate.
So George Sutherland Dunbar the illegitimate son of Robert Dunbar and Elizabeth Gunn his servant, stood to inherit a hugely substantial estate. He could also live in the Mansion house if he wanted or build a new farm house and offices. There is a massive cash injection to be paid including the life insurance of Robert Dunbar.
Latheronwheel house
A Catch 22 Situation
Is there a catch? Yes. A big one. To take advantage of this inheritance George had to live on the Latheronwheel estate for his lifetime. He would also be subject to the management of the estate by the trustees who had ultimate control. This would have been seen as reasonable by most people at the time, particularly in light of the habit of many Landed Proprietors leaving estates in the hands of a tacksman and living the high life in London at the gambling tables.
What did George do?
In 1860 George left Latheronwheel and Thurso and boarded the ship Arabia in Glasgow bound for Liverpool and on to Boston. The passenger list included many other young single people also heading to United States for a new life.
Entry document George
Dunbar 1860
Passenger list ship
Arabia, Glasgow to Liverpool to Boston
1861 census Canada
In the 1861 Canada census for Hamilton in the county of Northumberland in Central Ontario is George S. Dunbar born in Scotland and age 31. Hamilton Ontario surrounds the town of Cobourg on Lake Ontario’s northern shore. Cobourg was, and still is, a resort community. Next on the census list is a William F Pratt born in Berwick on Tweed, age 34, his wife Mary Pratt and 3 young children. George had met the Pratt family when he was living in Berwick on Tweed in England. William Pratt was the son of John Pratt and Amelia Pratt of Berwick on Tweed, George’s neighbours.
Canada West Census
1861 George S. Dunbar Extract
What were George Dunbar and William Pratt doing in Canada together? There was development work available in the lumber and railway industries. Scottish and Englishmen had long been known to go to Cobourg to work on the Cobourg and Peterborough Railway which opened in 1854 having a 2 ½ mile long bridge spanning Lake Rice. The bridge was not built safely and collapsed in 1861. George’s friend William Pratt died in 1861. Could his death have been associated with the bridge accident? After his friend’s death George stayed on in Cobourg,
1864 June 21st North American Hotel Cobourg several Scottish newspapers published the following:
Deaths “At the North American Hotel, Coburg, Canada on the 10th alt., George Sutherland Dunbar Esq formerly from Latheronwheel, Caithnesshire in the 33d year of his age”.
Death George Dunbar,
Coberg. Banffshire Journal 21 June 1864
George died! What Happened?
I have been unable to find a cause of death for George Sutherland Dunbar or a cemetery record.
Why was George Sutherland Dunbar in Canada? Did he find the conditions of the Latheronwheel Estate where he would be controlled by the trustees too restraining? Once accepting the conditions of the will and settling in to his inheritance there was no escape. Did George make a deliberate decision to turn his back on the Latheronwheel estate and leave for Canada a free man or was he shunted out by others such as his uncle George or the trustees? Did they pay him to go? Did he want to travel and see the world? I suppose it was possible that George was able to access some of the money from the Latheronwheel estate and do a runner – but there is no evidence for that.
So the Hon Captain Robert Sutherland Dunbar had his way with at least five Latheron women who bore his issue. They were Elizabeth Gunn, Janet Simpson, Henny Sinclair, Marjory Miller and Margaret Miller.
But ultimately Robert Dunbar did not have his way with his only son George Sutherland Dunbar. The will stated that upon the death of George Sutherland Dunbar and his lawful heirs (of which there were none) the estate was to go to Captain Benjamin Duff the nephew of Captain Robert Dunbar. Captain Benjamin Duff was a recluse and would have nothing to do with either the titles or the estates and whose sons later fell in the world wars.
It is likely that there are now direct descendants of Robert Dunbar and the women he took advantage of. Their DNA along with the Kirk Session records have some interesting stories to tell them.
Source: https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/image-viewer/wills/ 1858 Dunbar, Honorable Capt. Robert (Wills and testaments Reference SC/40/5,Wick Sheriff Court) image 431 Last image 451
