Mungo Chapman was born on 16^th August 1820 and baptised on the 28^th, both at Bathgate:

Augt 16

John Chapman and his spouse Eliz. Anderson had a child Born - Baptd 28th Currt named Mungo Chapman

It may be observed that Mungo is a Christian name which has been handed down in the family. Mungo Chapman had a son of the same name and a grandson, Mungo Chapman Stuart, who was born in 1871 and died in 1883. He also had an uncle, Mungo Chapman, born in 1781.

At the time of the 1841 census, Mungo was a grain dealer, aged 20, apparently in partnership with his elder brother, James, and residing in the ‘outhouse or stable’ at Ballancrieff Mill, Bathgate, the main part of which property was occupied by his father, John Chapman.

Mungo Chapman married Elizabeth Waddell on 14^th June 1842. This event was recorded in the Torpichen Parish Register, in an entry dated 5^th June 1842:

Proclamation of Mungo Chapman in the Parish of Bathgate and Elisabeth Waddell in this Parish twice in one day

A payment of 5/- appears in connection with this entry.

An entry was also made in the Bathgate Parish Register, also headed 5^th June 1842

Chapman & Weddel

Mungo Chapman of this parish and Eliz. Weddel of Torpichen parish, proclaimed and married 14th June by the Revd W. M. Hetherington

Torpichen and Bathgate are both parishes in the county formerly known as Linlithgowshire and now as West Lothian.

The record of the life of Mungo Chapman, as it emerges from Parish Register entries and certificates of birth, death and marriage, can be supplemented by a number of newspaper articles and advertisements, relating for the most part to his commerical activities as a flour miller and auctioneer. The earliest of these was an entry in The Era,on 13^th March 1844, headed ‘Scotch Sequestrations’, which indicates that as a mill master he was not as successful as one might hope:

A similar notice was posted in the Sheffield & Rotherham Independent three days later:

In the Edinburgh Gazette and the Caledonian Mercury, both dated 18^th April 1844, there appeared apparently identical notices relating to a further stage in the bankruptcy process of Mungo Chapman, mill-master at the Bathgate Flour Mills, due to take place in the Sheriff’s Office at Linlithgow on 26^th:

When his son, the first James, died in 1850, Mungo was designated a ‘Merchant & Publican Bathgate’.

The 1851 census found Mungo and family living in Main Street, Bathgate. The full entry runs:

Mungo Chapman, married, 30, auctioneer & appraiser, born Bathgate Elisabeth, wife, 29, born Torpichen John, 7, scholar, born Bathgate Marion, 4, born Bathgate

Mungo Chapman is twice referred to in the Disposition and Settlement subscribed by his father-in-law, James Waddell, on 2^nd February 1853.

Firstly, ‘Mungo Chapman Merchant in Bathgate’ is referred to as the spouse of the testator’s daughter, Elizabeth.

Secondly, he was referred to in connection with a certain two-storey house, on Bathgate High Street, with the backhouse belonging to it, owned by James Waddell and ‘at present possessed by the said Mungo Chapman’. These were presumably the same Main Street premises which had been the family home at the time of the 1851 census.

He was designated an auctioneer when his daughter, Jessie, died in Bathgate High Street in 1855.

Further legal difficulties arose a dozen years later, as recorded by the Caledonian Mercury of 10^th March 1856, when Mungo was convicted by Edinburgh Sheriff Court of ‘reckless and furious driving’ in the village of Hermiston. There can be no absolute guarantee that this is the same man but as the name is a fairly unusual one, it seems reasonably probable that there was at least a connection:

He was designated an ‘auctioneer and miller’ when son Henry was born at Bathgate Flour Mills in 1856.

The following year, a notice appeared in the Glasgow Herald, 11^th February 1857:

Presumably, Mungo was acting on behalf of a client; otherwise, it is hard to explain why, just five days later, he had apparently abandoned the idea of emigrating to Van Dieman’s Land (now Tasmania) and was advertising in the Glasgow Herald, 16^th February 1857, for a pair of second-hand malt rollers:

He was styled ‘Mungo Chapman Auctioneer &c.’ on son Henry’s 1857 death certificate; Henry died at Bathgate Flour Mills.

Mungo Chapman acted as one of four witnesses to the marriage of his sister-in-law, Jessie Weddell, and John Ferguson in 1858.

In addition to the references already remarked upon in connection with James Waddell’s 1853 Deed and Settlement, Mungo Chapman was twice mentioned in the Inventory to his late father-in-law’s personal estate, as presented to Linlithgow Sheriff Court on 7^th December 1858. Firstly, ‘Mungo Chapman, Licensed Auctioneer and Appraiser Bathgate’, undertook the valuation ‘of Farm Stocking, Crops, Implements of Husbandry, Dairy Utensils, Household furniture &c.’ which had belonged to the deceased. Secondly, Item 6 in the list of James Waddell’s assets was a Bill drawn by the deceased upon ‘Mungo Chapman Auctioneer Bathgate’, dated 13^th August 1857, to the value of £100.

In 1861, Mungo and family were living at ‘Bridge end’, Bathgate, in premises having five rooms with one or more windows. The full entry runs:

Mungo Chapman, head, mar, 40, Mill Master & Auctioneer, born Linlithgow Bathgate Elisabeth, wife, 39, born Linlithgow Torpichen Marrion, daur, 14, scholar, born Linlithgow Bathgate Elisabeth, daur, 8, scholar, born Linlithgow Bathgate Mungo, son, 2, born Linlithgow Bathgate

He was again styled ‘Mungo Chapman Auctioneer &c.’ on the second James’s 1861 birth certificate; James was born at Bathgate Flour Mills.

In the Glasgow Herald of 14^th December 1864, Mungo advertised the Bathgate Flour Mills for sale or let:

Mungo Chapman, of Flour Mill, Bathgate, acted as the informant on the death certificate of his mother, Elizabeth Anderson, in 1865.

An advertisement, relating to Mungo’s auctioneering activities, appeared in the Glasgow Herald of 24^th October 1868:

When his daughter Elizabeth Chapman married Peter Stuart Brown in 1870, Mungo Chapman was designated as an auctioneer.

By 1871, Mungo had removed from the nearby Bridgend Cottages to Millburn Cottage; his continuing upward trajectory in life is attested by the fact that this new property contained ten rooms with one or more windows. He was now concentrating his activities on auctioneering, having ceased to operate as a miller. The full entry runs:

Mungo Chapman, head, mar, 50, auctioneer, born Linlithgowshire Bathgate Elizabeth, wife, 49, born Linlithgow Torpichen Marion, daur, unm, 23, born Linlithgowshire Bathgate Mungo, son, 13, scholar, born Linlithgowshire Bathgate James, son, 8, scholar, born Linlithgowshire Bathgate

Mungo Chapman, of Millburn Cottage, Bathgate, was the informant on the 1873 death certificate of his father, John Chapman.

At the time of the following entry in the Glasgow Herald on 14^th June 1876, Mungo was a Secretary of the Bathgate Agricultural Association:

A further ‘Public Roup’, or auction, to be conducted by Mungo Chapman, was advertised in the Glasgow Herald of 7^th August 1880:

In 1881, Mungo Chapman was living at Millburn Cottage, Bathgate, West Lothian. He was designated as an auctioneer, born Bathgate. He was stated to be the head of the household, aged 63. This latter statement appears from other evidence to be inaccurate; in fact, he never reached that age. Elisabeth (sic) Chapman appears at the same address, 59 years of age, and Mungo’s wife, born Torpichen. Also resident at the same address were their son James, aged 18, unmarried, auctioneer’s clerk, born Bathgate. Janet Shields, aged 13, born Bathgate, was employed as a resident housemaid.

Mungo Chapman died just a few months thereafter, on 7^th September 1881, at 3^h 50^m am. He died at home in Millburn Cottage, Parish of Bathgate, aged 61. The cause of death was certified by J. Balfour Kirk M.D. as typhoid fever, from which he had been suffering for one month and fourteen days. The informant was the deceased’s son, also Mungo Chapman, entered as present.

Mungo Chapman was recalled on his son Mungo’s 1885 marriage certificate, son James’s 1891 death certificate and son Mungo’s 1909 death certificate as an auctioneer (deceased).

Mungo Chapman was recalled on his wife’s 1902 death certificate as a ‘licensed auctioneer and evaluator’.

Testamentary Writings

The final disposal of Mungo Chapman’s estate was determined by a Trust Disposition and Deed of Settlement (Wills and testaments Reference SC41/53.13, Linlithgow Sheriff Court, pp. 293-301), subscribed by the testator at Bathgate on 25^th November 1879, and by a codicil subscribed on 15^th May 1880, also at Bathgate. On each occasion the witnesses were Charles Allan, Solicitor, Bathgate and John Shields Simpson, the writer thereof, designated in the first instance as apprentice to Charles Allan and as his clerk in the second.

Following the testator’s death on 7^th September 1881, the Trust Disposition and Deed of Settlement, together with the codicil thereto, were presented for registration for preservation in the Books of the Lords of Council and Session at Edinburgh on 5^th November following.

Inventory

The following entry appears in Confirmations & Inventories, 1882, p. 133:

Chapman, Mungo Value of Estate, £485, 16s. 5d.

7 July.- Confirmation of Mungo Chapman, Auctioneer, Millburn Cottage, Bathgate, who died 7 September 1881, at Bathgate, testate, granted at Linlithgow, to John McNab, Distiller, Glenmavis, near Bathgate, Mungo Chapman, Auctioneer, Millburn Cottage aforesaid, his son, and William Russell, Merchant, Bathgate, Executors nominated in Will or Deed dated 25 November 1879, and Codicil, dated 15 May 1880, and recorded in Court Books of Commissariot of Linlithgow, 5 July 1882.

This is particularised as follows:

Personal Property
1 Household furniture and other effects in the deceased’s house, con- form to Appraisement by William Roberts, Auctioneer, dated 3rd October 1881	118	12	6
2 Twenty shares in the Armadale Gas Light Company at 7/6d per share, being present value	7	10	-
3 Policy of Insurance No. U/4070 on the life of the deceased by the Scottish Union and National Insurance Company, dated 16th August 1851 200   -   - Bonus additions thereto   49   2   9	249	2	9
4 Sum at the credit of the deceased in Account current with the Union Bank of Scotland in Bathgate     4 18   4 Interest to date of Oath     -   -   2	4	18	6
5 Debt due by James Russell, formerly merchant now farmer Uphall Including interest to 19th January 1882 £98-5-9 Stg compromised for 50 - -	50	-	-
6 Sum due by Robert Chapman Bill fr £50 dated 19th May 1881 @ 4 m/d @ 6d per £ Note this person is bankrupt	1	5	-
7 Amount of Bill by Robert Brechin Woodmerchant, Boness dated 30th July 1881 @ 1m/d £190-17-6, Balance due 40 18   2 Interest to date of Oath   2   2   6	43	-	8
8 Amount of Bill by Mr and Mrs William Hunter, West Morham, Haddington, dated 19th May 1881 £19-16-6, Balance due 10 16   6 Interest to date of Oath   - 10   6	11	7	-
Gross amount of Personal Estate in Scotland	485	16	5
Schedule of Debts due and owing from the deceased at the time of his death to persons resident in the United Kingdom and Funeral Expenses:- Debts
Bill by the deceased to James Weddell at present residing at Wood: cockdale near Linlithgow due 4th June 1882 300   -   - Interest to date of death     3 15   -	303	15	-
Sum due the Scottish Union and National Insurance Company, being advance on Life Policy 60   -   - Interest to date of death   2   8   6	62	8	6
William Meikle, West Breich fr. Bill and receipt	50	-	-
William Russell, merchant	-	17	6
“Scotsman” for advertising	3	11	3
James Shaw, painter	-	18	4
Bathgate Foundry Coy	-	2	-
“Falkirk Herald” for advertising	-	19	4
James Prentice, potatoe merchant	-	12	-
John Simpson & Sons, Brewers	-	15	-
Gray, Sons & Co, Wine Merchants	-	18	-
John Waugh, Birkinshaw	-	17	11
West Lothian Courier, for advertising	1	-	6
James Lamb, merchant	5	12	11
James Johnston, Printer	5	1	4
William Brodie, butcher	4	13	5
Thomas Walker Junr	-	10	-
Alexander Stewart, for hires &c.	2	13	10
John Addison, Wairdlaw	10	7	2
John Dick Junr Slater	1	7	6
Bathgate Agricultural Association	54	1	8
	510	13	2
Funeral Expenses James A. Reid, druggist     1   6   4 John Speirs & Sons for Coffin &c.     4   4   - Alexander Stewart for hearse &c.     - 10   - Female Nurse     6   5   - J. Johnston for funeral letters &c.     1 10   5 Funeral Bread and Wine     1   5   -
	15	0	9
Total Amount of Debts and Funeral expenses	525	13	11
Abstract
Total Amount of Personal Estate, as per foregoing Inventory	485	16	5
Total Amount of Debts and Funeral as per Schedule	525	13	11
Excess of Debts and Funeral Expenses over amount of Personal Estate }	39	17	6
(Signed) Mungo Chapman (Signed) D. T. Sutherland, J. P.

Mungo Chapman’s liabilities, therefore, exceeded his moveable assets. However, the overall context of his Trust Deed and Settlement seems to require that he additionally owned heritable property, although neither this itself nor its value is specified.

Trustees & Executors

The trustees appointed in the first instance were:

John McNab, Distiller, Glenmavis near Bathgate, John, (sic) Wright, Banker, Bathgate, and Mungo Chapman, my son presently residing in London and... any other person or persons whom I may hereafter nominate and appoint or who may be lawfully assumed into the trust and to the acceptors and survivors and acceptor and survivor of them

John Wright, for reasons which were not disclosed on the face of the document, was removed from office by means of the codicil subscribed on 15^th May 1880 and ‘William Russell merchant in Bathgate’ was appointed in his place.

The trustees were granted wide-ranging and substantial powers to intromit with the estate for what was clearly intended as an ongoing and protracted process. The precise details of the scope of this authority are of little consequence for present purposes.

‘Mungo Chapman, Auctioneer, residing at Millburn Cottage, Bathgate in the County of Linlithgow, eldest son and one of the Executors of the deceased Mungo Chapman, Auctioneer, Millburn Cottage, Bathgate’, appeared ‘In presence of Donald Tulloch Sutherland Esquire, one of Her Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for the County of Linlithgow’ at Bathgate on 4^th July 1882 and, upon being solmenly sworn and examined, deponed to the usual matters.

Confirmation in favour of Mungo Chapman, John McNab and William Russell was issued on 7^th July 1882.

Beneficiaries

The trustees received the usual direction to pay:

In the first place... all my just and lawful debts sickbed and funeral charges and also... the expenses of this Trust which debts expenses and others my said Trustees may pay without requiring legal constitution

In the second place:

I direct my said Trustees and Executors to give to to Mrs Elizabeth Waddell or Chapman my wife in the event of her surviving me the liferent use and enjoyment of the whole residue and remainder of my means and estate Heritable and moveable including my whole Household furniture and plenishing bed and table linen books paintings and engravings and to pay to her the whole annual rents profits and produce of my Estate Heritable and moveable and that during all the days and years of her life after my decease and that at two terms in the year Whitsunday and Martinmas by equal portions beginning the first terms payment at the first term of Whitsunday or Martinmas after my decease

In the event, Mrs Chapman lived until 1902, surviving her husband by rather over 21 years. The above provision would thereforefore have applied.

The next phase in the execution of the Trust Disposition and Deed of Settlement was scheduled to take place on Mrs Chapman’s death, in the event of her surviving her husband, or, otherwise, on the testator’s own demise; actually occurring when Mrs Chapman died in 1902.

The trustees were then directed to obtain a valuation of the testator’s heritable property and to offer it for sale to his son, also Mungo Chapman; if he did not accept it within the period of one month, the heritage was to be sold either by public roup (auction) or private bargain, at the discretion of the trustees.

Upon the heritable estate being converted into cash, ‘my son James Chapman at present residing with me’ was to receive a legacy of £150 and the aforesaid Mungo £100.

The rest and residue of the estate was then to be distributed equally among the testator’s four children still surviving in 1879, namely the aforesaid sons, Mungo and James, and also two daughters, identified as:

Mrs. Marion Chapman or Thomson wife of Thomas Thomson Merchant Susann (sic, this should read ‘Lausanne’) Road Peckham London (and) Mrs. Elizabeth Chapman or Brown wife of Peter Stuart Brown Chemist at present in Leven Fife

This was stated to apply even if James had not yet arrived at the age of twenty-one; indeed, he was still seven months short of his twenty-first birthday when his father died but in any case his legacy did not take effect until his mother’s death in 1902, by which time James had long since attained the age of majority and had himself died.

This four-way division of the residue between the testator’s four children was further qualified by a clause to the effect that the share of any of Mungo Chapman’s four children who had died fell to be divided equally among the predeceasing child’s issue, if any; failing which, the predeceasing child’s share would revert to the residue of the estate, for division amongst the survivors.

Codicil

The codicil dated 15^th May 1880 altered the earlier deed in two essential respects.

Firstly, the provision in favour the testator’s daughter, Elizabeth Chapman or Brown, was revoked, since she and her husband, Peter Stuart Brown, had already been paid their share of the estate in advance of the testator’s demise. The remainder of the estate therefore fell to be divided equally between Elizabeth’s three surviving siblings.

Secondly, for reasons which were not made apparent, the appointment of ‘John Wright Banker in Bathgate’ as a trustee was likewise revoked and annulled; ‘William Russell merchant in Bathgate’ was appointed in his stead.

Brothers and Sisters

From the census records, it emerges that Mungo had a number of brothers and sisters:

James, born 1815; Janet, born c. 1825; Robert, born 1828; Thomas, born c. 1832; Henry, born c. 1834; and Elizabeth, born c. 1837

All were born in Linlithgowshire. Henry’s exact place of birth is unconfirmed; all others were born in Bathgate.