Week 12: Membership #52Ancestorsin52Weeks

Nowadays most of us are members of something - a gym, a sports team, a political party, a trade union..

Our ancestors may have belonged to a trades guild, a church community, a political movement... Although it would have been great to say that I have found a suffragette or even a Jacobite rebel among my ancestors, I'm afraid I haven't as yet. What I have found, however, is a 17th century baillie.

In Scotland, a Baillie was a 'civic officer', akin to a magistrate. My 7 x great grandfather, Patrick McCarra (Mccara, McAra), was a Baillie in the Canongate. The Canongate, now one of the most touristy parts of Edinburgh, grew up as a little burgh, dating back to the 12th century, which was separate from the city of Edinburgh. In the mid 16th century it was ruled by "four baillies, three deacons, two treasurers and four councillors." This ruling body of which Patrick was a leading member met every week in the meeting rooms of the Tollbooth. It was here that the political decisions were taken and justice was meted out by the baillies. The Tollbooth thus functioned as a meeting place, a courthouse and also a jail for those burghers whom the Baillies decided merited imprisonment. Many Covenanters were held here, convicted of treason. People were tortured here too.

A tanner to trade, Poll Tax records show Patrick was a Baillie by 1690, though I do not know how long he held this position. The records below have him heading the list of those present at meetings in February 1690.

His wife Helen Watson's death is recorded in the Parish records of December 1690. His son John McCara (my 6 x great grandfather) was baptised in the Tollbooth Meeting House on December 28th of that year, two days after his mother's death.

That left Patrick with a newborn, another son Patrick and a daughter Mary. The family were still living in the Canongate in 1694 along with a servant, who might possibly have been looking after the children.

Patrick McAra died in 1700, ten years after his wife. He was buried in Canongate cemetery on the 20th of January 1700.

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