Fourth Generation

4. John RHYND was born about 1540. He died on 1 Apr 1596 in Craigie, Leuchars, Fife, Scotland.⁴ John Rhynd who married Margaret Bruce could be one of the four children of John Rhynd and Agnes Imrie, and so a grandson of Thomas Rhynd and Bessie Gourlay. Taking into account the approximate dates of birth if the children were in their majority in 1581, then Craigie farm passed to the son of John Rhynd and Agnes Imrie, rather than to the cousin of the same John Rhynd. This is especially true when one considers that John Rhynd and Agnes Imrie did definitely have another son – the Peter Rhynd who ended up in St Andrews. In her will, Agnes Imrie does not mention John Rhynd, huband of Margaret Bruce, but this may be because he had already been established at Craigie, and not indicative that he is not her son. She may have felt that her son at St Andrews needed the money more, as did her unmarried daughter Bessie.

The Rhynd line that I am now suggesting goes as follows:

Thomas Rhynd, b. abt 1480, d. 1542, POSSIBLY father of Thomas Rhynd, b. abt 1500, m. Bessie Gourlay, d. 1581, POSSIBLY father of John Rhynd, B. abt. 1540, m. Margaret Bruce, d. 1595, DEFINITELY father of William and Thomas Rhynd, b. abt. 1560, Probably the ancestors of the later Rhynds of Leuchars. One of them could be the grandfather of John Rhynd who married Jean Elder.

I also know exactly when the Tack of Craigie passed from Thomas Rhynd (husband of Bessie Gourlay) to his son John. In the register of the Great Seal of Scotland, there is a reference to Thomas Rhynd and a John Imrie tenents in Craigie, in October 1556, who were mentioned in connection with the sale of the land they farmed. Two years later it was up for sale again, and by this stage John Rhynd was the tenant. It was often the case that Tacks were renewed at Martinmas (11th November) and so it seems that the Tack of Craigie passed from Thomas to John on 11th November 1556 or 1557. It is a stroke of luck to be able to so precise.

I have also done a bit of work on the Imrie family. They left a lot of wills, and the only Agnes Imrie mentioned in them was an Agnes Imrie, daughter of William Imrie in Scotscraig, Leuchars, who died on 26th March 1574. He had a brother, John Imrie in Fordell, who was a “Portioner” (i.e. a small feu-holder) of that farm – a step up, actually, from being a tenant – one begins to understand where Agnes Imrie obtained her money. Between 1551 and 1614 there were actually ten Imrie wills in Leuchars Parish – showing the wealth of the family as a whole. Once again, they were in the same strata of society as the Rhynds – Smout's “Peasant Aristocrat”. Once I have these wills and the contracts we shall have a much better picture of the family as a whole – both Rhyns and Imries.

You also asked when I think Rhynd itself came back into the family. One thing I do know is that, whatever happened in 1595, it would have been very hard for the Rhyns to pat their high rent at Craigie farm, since they had almost no farm produce left to feed themselves.

Andrew Simpson

John RHYND and Margaret BRUCE were married. They lived Tenant famers in Craigie, Leuchars, Fife, Scotland until 1596. They lived in Rhyndyards, Leuchars, Fife, Scotland 1596 onwards.³ Margaret BRUCE died on 1 Apr 1596 in Craigie, Leuchars, Fife, Scotland.⁵ John Rhynd who married Margaret Bruce could be one of the four children of John Rhynd and Agnes Imrie, and so a grandson of Thomas Rhynd and Bessie Gourlay. Taking into account the approximate dates of birth if the children were in their majority in 1581, then Craigie farm passed to the son of John Rhynd and Agnes Imrie, rather than to the cousin of the same John Rhynd. This is especially true when one considers that John Rhynd and Agnes Imrie did definitely have another son – the Peter Rhynd who ended up in St Andrews. In her will, Agnes Imrie does not mention John Rhynd, huband of Margaret Bruce, but this may be because he had already been established at Craigie, and not indicative that he is not her son. She may have felt that her son at St Andrews needed the money more, as did her unmarried daughter Bessie.

The Rhynd line that I am now suggesting goes as follows:

Thomas Rhynd, b. abt 1480, d. 1542, POSSIBLY father of Thomas Rhynd, b. abt 1500, m. Bessie Gourlay, d. 1581, POSSIBLY father of John Rhynd, B. abt. 1540, m. Margaret Bruce, d. 1595, DEFINITELY father of William and Thomas Rhynd, b. abt. 1560, Probably the ancestors of the later Rhynds of Leuchars. One of them could be the grandfather of John Rhynd who married Jean Elder.

I also know exactly when the Tack of Craigie passed from Thomas Rhynd (husband of Bessie Gourlay) to his son John. In the register of the Great Seal of Scotland, there is a reference to Thomas Rhynd and a John Imrie tenents in Craigie, in October 1556, who were mentioned in connection with the sale of the land they farmed. Two years later it was up for sale again, and by this stage John Rhynd was the tenant. It was often the case that Tacks were renewed at Martinmas (11th November) and so it seems that the Tack of Craigie passed from Thomas to John on 11th November 1556 or 1557. It is a stroke of luck to be able to so precise.

I have also done a bit of work on the Imrie family. They left a lot of wills, and the only Agnes Imrie mentioned in them was an Agnes Imrie, daughter of William Imrie in Scotscraig, Leuchars, who died on 26th March 1574. He had a brother, John Imrie in Fordell, who was a “Portioner” (i.e. a small feu-holder) of that farm – a step up, actually, from being a tenant – one begins to understand where Agnes Imrie obtained her money. Between 1551 and 1614 there were actually ten Imrie wills in Leuchars Parish – showing the wealth of the family as a whole. Once again, they were in the same strata of society as the Rhynds – Smout's “Peasant Aristocrat”. Once I have these wills and the contracts we shall have a much better picture of the family as a whole – both Rhyns and Imries.

You also asked when I think Rhynd itself came back into the family. One thing I do know is that, whatever happened in 1595, it would have been very hard for the Rhyns to pat their high rent at Craigie farm, since they had almost no farm produce left to feed themselves.

Andrew Simpson
John RHYND and Margaret BRUCE had the following children:

+7	i.	William RHYND.
+8	ii.	Thomas RHYND.