The Cardross Parish Register records the birth of James McAuslane:

James son to William McAuslane & Janet Kennedy in Renton was born 14th Augt 1792

Some initial difficulties were encountered, largely due to there having been no settled spelling of McAslan / McAuslane/ McAuslan. It is clear that McAuslane, with several variants in spelling, is a well-established Dunbartonshire name. In this particular line, there appears to have been a fairly definite pattern of evolution, even within James’s lifetime and no doubt assisted by limited literacy skills, veering from McAuslane, to McAslane and then McAslan. One has to be arbitrary to a certain degree in deciding which to favour; there is no definitive version.

Yet another in this series of variants appears as an entry in Scottish Surnames by George Mackay (Lomond 1998):

MacAusland ‘Son of Absalon or Auslan’. A Dumbartonshire (sic) clan allied to the Buchanans.

James married Christian Ritchie, as recorded at Cardross on 4^th April 1818:

James McAuslane and Christian Ritchie both in this parish, gave in their Names in order to proclamation of Banns and were married

From the fact that at least seven of his eight known children were born in Glasgow, it may be taken that a large part of the intervening years was spent there. In connection with the Parish Register entries for the births and baptisms of daughters Janet, a second Janet and Christina in 1821, 1822 and 1823 respectively, James was a ‘grocer Anderston’. In connection with the birth of his son William in 1827, James was a ‘Printer Finniston’ (Finnieston). In the corresponding entries for daughters Margaret, Elizabeth and Helen, in 1829, 1871 and 1834 respectively, he was a ‘calico printer Duke Street’.

In the 1841 census, James McAslan was living in Susanna Street, in the ‘Parish of Alexandria quoad sacra formerly part of Bonhill’. He was a ‘lab Prin J.’ It is taken that ‘lab’ stands for labourer,‘Prin’ refers to some kind of fabric printing and that ‘J’ stands for journeyman. Both James and his wife Christina were entered as 45 years of age (the usual approximation) and born in the county, i.e. Dunbartonshire. Living with them were Ann, 20, a dressmaker; Janet, a straw hat maker, also aged 20; Christina, 15, a dressmaker; and William, aged 13; Jane, 15, a straw hat maker; Margaret, 11; Elizabeth, 9, and Helen, 7. None of the children were born in the county. It may be noted that Jane is problematic; a child of the family of that name is not otherwise known. It may be that the census enumerator has misheard James’s name, as Jane is specifically entered as female. Within the usual limitations of the 1841 census, of course, her relation to the head of household is not stated.

James McAslan executed a Trust Disposition and Settlement on 29^th November 1848, ‘with the advice and consent and approbation of Mrs Christina Ritchie, my wife’. This was therefore, in effect, a joint will. The strategy adopted was to dispone his entire estate, both heritable and movable, to his son William, under reservation of liferent. The two tracts of ground belonging to him at that time were delineated in the following terms, as per measurements made by Donald Macintyre, sometime Land Surveyor in Renton:

In the first place, all and whole that piece of ground situated in the village of Alexandria and forming part of the lands of Overton or Upperton of Bonhill and of the Estate of Bonhill in the Parish of Bonhill and County of Dumbarton, containing twenty two poles and six tenth parts of a pole or thereby imperial measure, being equal to eighteen falls or thereby Scots measure : bounded on the north by ground let on building lease to John McIndoe, along which it extends fifty eight feet, four inches or thereby : on the west by ground let on building lease to George Nicholson, along which it extends one hundred and two feet, nine inches or thereby : on the south by Susannah Street of Alexandria, along which it extends fifty seven feet, four inches or thereby : and on the East by a passage separating the said piece of ground from ground possessed under building lease by Jean, Agnes and Mary Donald, and from ground belonging to Hugh Bain, along which passage it extends one hundred and three feet, eight inches.

In the second place all and whole that piece of ground situated in the village of Alexandria, and forming part of the said Land of Overton or Upperton of Bonhill and of the Estate of Bonhill, in the Parish of Bonhill and County of Dumbarton, containing fifty two poles and two tenth parts of a pole or thereby Imperial measure, being equal to forty one falls and five tenth parts of a fall or thereby Scots measure : bounded on the north by Susannah Street of Alexandria, along which it extends one hundred and sixty seven feet, nine inches or thereby : on the west by ground held on Building Lease by the Heirs of Thomas Miller, along which it extends ninety eight feet or thereby : on the south by ground let to Adam Lindsay, along which it extends one hundred and fifty six feet of thereby, and on the East by the Navigation Towing Path along the River Leven, along which it extends seventy feet or thereby. As the said two pieces of ground were measured by Donald Macintyre, sometime Land Surveyor in Renton.

The disposition of these portions of ground was however made subject to ‘the conditions, provisions and obligations specified in an Instrument of Sasine in my favor recorded in the Particular Register of Sasines at Dumbarton on the third day of November, Eighteen hundred and forty eight’, and also to the reservation of the right to revoke or otherwise alter the Trust Deed and Settlement. This was less than a month before the making of the Trust Deed and Settlement and, pending sight of the actual deed, it has to be suspected that the said testamentary writing was prompted by the need to make proper provision following the (then) recent acquisition of the ground.

In the 1851 census, he appears living with his wife and seven children in the village of Alexandria, aged 58. He was designated as a ‘victualler grocer’. Christina’s age is entered as 59. The address appears to read ‘Susannahp’ but is presumably to be taken as approximating to Susannah Street. Both were entered as having been born in Dunbartonshire, Cardross. The seven children, all entered as unmarried and having been born in Glasgow, were Ann, 29; Christina, 27; and Janet, 25, all dressmakers; James, 22, a draper’s clerk; Margaret, 20; Elizabeth, 18, and Hellen, 16, none of whom have an occupation entered.

Note that a clear ex facie contradiction is that although Janet was ostensibly older than Christina in 1841, Christina appears to have overtaken her ten years later. The explanation appears to be that in 1851 Janet’s age was entered as 25, whereas she was actually almost 30.

In 1859, James McAslan acted as the informant on the death certificate of his son-in-law, John Steele.

At the time of the 1861 census, James McAuslan was living in McAuslan’s Land, Susannah St, in the village of Alexandria, in premises having four rooms with one or more windows. There were six other households living on McAuslan’s Land. He was a grocer, aged 68. Christina was now aged 69 and on this occasion the place of birth for both was more specifically given as Renton. Living with them were unmarried daughters Annie, 36, Christina, 31, and Margaret, 26, all milliners born in Glasgow; and Marion Luke, a domestic servant, aged 16 and born in Luss, Dunbartonshire.

At the time of the 1871 census, James McAslan was residing in McAuslane’s (note spelling on this occasion) Land, ‘Suzsannah St’, in the village of Alexandria, on premises having five rooms with one or more windows. He was a house proprietor aged 78. There were seven other families also living on McAuslane’s Land; these were presumably his tenants. Christian was now 79 and both she and James were again entered as having been born in Renton. Living with them were unmarried daughters Ann, 49, a dress maker; Christian, 45, a milliner; and Helen, 35, apparently without occupation. All three were entered as born in Barony Parish, Glasgow.

James McAslan, a grocer, married to Christian Ritchie, died on 25^th August 1872 at 3^h 30^m pm at Main Street, Alexandria, Parish of Bonhill. He was 80 years of age. The cause of death was entered as general debility, from which he had been suffering for some time; there was no regular medical attendant. The informant on the 28^th was Robert Mossman, undertaker, not present.

The Trust Deed and Settlement as originally executed in 1848 appears to have survived without amendment or codicil, since none is referred to. Following the testator’s death, implementation proceeded in the following stages.

On 22^nd October 1872, William Craig, writer in Dumbarton, as Procurator for James McAslan, compeared in the presence of Robert Bogle Blackburn Esquire, Sheriff of Stirling and Dumbarton. Mr Craig’s application for the Trust Disposition and Settlement to be registered in the Sheriff Court Books of Dumbartonshire was granted.

On 8^th November, The Inventory of James McAslan’s personal estate was signed by William McAslan, teller, City of Glasgow Bank, Glasgow, trustee and sole executor, and by Alex. Stronach Esquire J. P., one of Her Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for the County of Lanark.

On 23^rd December 1872, William Craig, writer, Dumbarton, presented the Inventory and Extract Registered Trust Disposition and Settlement at Dumbarton.

The Inventory in its concluded form ran as follows:

The household furniture and effects were valued by John Dewar, Licensed Appraiser, at £33 16/6d.

The deceased held an accout with the City of Glasgow Bank, Glasgow, with a credit balance of £46 6/11d. With 2/- interest added to the date of oath to the Inventory, this yielded £46 8/11d.

Under ‘shop and other debt’ he was owed £40 by David Sinclair, plasterer; £12 by Robert Wilson and £14 by Walter McAdam, total £66, together valued at £19.

The rents of heritage were as follows:

Houses, Susannah Street, Alexandria
Thomas Darlington	half year	11  -  -
James Cowan	ditto	2  7  6
Donald Cameron	ditto	2 10  –
William McKinnon	ditto	2 10  –
Allan Jardine	ditto	2  7  6
Small rents, six tenants		8  4  6
Houses Main Street, Alexandria
David Glen	half year	4 10 –
William Dymoch	ditto	2 12  6
George Nicolson	ditto	2 12  6
Robert Gourlay	ditto	3  -  -
George Malcolmson	ditto	2 12  6
Total		£44  7  -

The testator’s wife, Christian or Christina McAslan or Ritchie, was to receive;

in case she shall survive me (an eventuality which was in fact realised), during all the days and years of her life... the free yearly proceeds of my said whole estate, heritable as well as moveable, after deduction of Taxes, expense of repairs of houses and all other charges incident to a proprietor, and also under the burden of contributing to the maintenance of such of our children as may be unable to maintain themselves.

At the first term of Whitsunday or Martinmas following the death of the surviving spouse (in the event, Christina), the whole estate, both heritable and moveable, fell to be divided and apportioned to the children of the marriage ‘equally share and share alike’. It is significant that only William, as executor, is specifically mentioned by name. This was subject to the following minor provisos.

In the event of any of his children not having reached the age of majority by the time of his death, distribution was to be postponed until all had attained majority, with, in the meantime, the yearly proceeds of the estate being applied to the education and upbringing of the minor child or children, or such as them as were unable to provide for themselves. However, as thirty-nine years had elapsed since the birth of the last known child of the marriage in 1833, this does not appear to have been a consideration.

As the testator specifically desired that his heritable properties and bank shares be retained in the family, it was provided that they would in the first instance be successively offered to his children in order of seniority. The price of the heritable properties was to be fixed by agreement among them, failing which ‘at a price to be fixed by two neutral arbiters to be appointed by the Sheriff of Dumbartonshire’. The banks share were to be sold at the current price.

In the event that none of the childen wished to take up these options, then the executor was directed to dispose of these items by public roup (auction) or private bargain as he saw fit, the proceeds of which to be divided equally, share and share alike, among the children.

It was also provided that William as trustee / executor was to receive an additional £10 for his trouble in so acting.

Finally, in the event of any of the children predeceasing the division of the estate, leaving lawful issue, then such grandchildren were to succeed equally to their parent’s share; in the event of any of the children predeceasing the division of the estate, without issue, then his or her share fell to be distributed equally among the other children or their issue.

On his daughter Janet’s death certificate in 1904, he was recalled as James McAuslane, grocer, (deceased).

Forebears

James McAuslan’s parents were recorded on his 1872 death certificate as William McAslan, an outfield worker, and Janet McAslan MS Kennedy, both deceased.

William and Janet’s marriage was recorded at Bonhill on 15^th April 1791:

William McAuslane at two markland came this day and intimated his purpose of Marriage with Janet Kennedy there desiring the Same to be duly published in the Kirk of Bonhill which was done married 22