Sir Charles Halkett

SIR CHARLES HALKETT, the eldest son, was born at Pitfirrane on 6th Sep 1639 and entered Military Service in the 21st Dragoons. There is a Marriage Contract of 5th August 1675, to Janet, eldest daughter of Sir Patrick Murray of Dryden, Knight, also designated as of Pitdinnie and Saltcoats. By this marriage, he had seven children to follow.

Sir Charles received a patent of baronetcy of Nova Scotia on 25th January in 1672 and in 1677 received a charter into a barony, as well as ratified by Parliament in 1681, erecting Pitfirrane into a barony as well as referring to a holding of Nether Kelso in the Sheriffdom of Ayr. The Barony gave him the right to hold a court and to erect markets, though there is no indication that Crossford or Cairniehill ever had the privileges of either weekly market or annual fair. They were too near Dunfermline to infringe on their ancient rights. He was M.P. in 1681-2 and Provost of Dunfermline 1678 and Burgess. He also acquired the neighbouring property of Pitdennis, the modern Pitdinnie which he feued to his father-in-law, his wife and his son James. The development of his coal seams continued n the possession of the convenient neighbouring port of Limekilns was assured by confirmation of his half from John, Earl of Tweeddale in 1684 which were resigned by him in 1686. (W.662) The family tradition was that the family had from an early date the privilege of exporting coal free of duty, a right confirmed to it by Queen Anne in 1706 and ratified by Parliament the following year. No mention of this grant appears in he records except that in 1565, Mary Queen of Scots grants licence to Patrick Hakket of Pitfirrane and others to sell and export the smithy coals from Knockhouse and Crombie.

When the Crown bought back the privilege in 1788 the sum of £40,000 was paid. It was to facilitate this trade that Sir Charles built a pier at Limekilns in 1676. His business activities extended further than Dunfermline, for in 1675 he was admitted Burgess and Guild Brother of Edinburgh line. In addition he as the Member of Parliament at the Revolution, raising a troop of Fife horse against Claverhouse.

He was a member of the committee of convention formed by the Scottish Parliament at the Revolution, being then Burges (The committee consisted of nine out of each of the three estates , Nobility, Knights of shires, and Burgesses.) for Dunfermline, and also, in 1689, as one of the Commissioners appointed to treat regarding the Union with England. He was one of those patriotic characters who opposed Dundee, in his attempt to support the cause of James VIII, a professed Papist, by putting himself at the head of his friends in Fife, Kinross &c.

Sir Charles died in 1699 and was succeeded by his only son James, who appears to have been in such obviously bad heath that immediate steps were taken to ensure the succession. In 1700 his eldest sister Janet Halkett, secured the possession of Limekilns from the Earl of Tweeddale, and her husband assumed the name of Halkett in virtue of his wife being heiress presumptive. From this we must assume that all the male descendants in the succession had died, unless the collateral lines could not succeed until the failure of the issue of Sir Charles (the patient of baronetcy specifies only heir not just male heirs).

1) Sir James Halket, b. 12 Dec 1680 and d. 1779 “non compos mentis” d.s.p.

2) Dame Janet Halket, b. 14 Apr 1676, m. 13 Jul 1694 Sir Peter Wedderburn of Gosford, who changed his name to Halket. Morel later -

3) Elizabeth Halkett, Authoress, b. 15 Apr 1677, m. 13 Jun 1696, Sir Henry Wardlaw of Pitreavie, she d. in 1727 Dunfermline.

4) Mary Halkett, b. 24 Apr 1678, married Robert Murray, Earl of Dunmore.

5) Anna Halkett, b. 21 Oct 1670, married 1) David Drummond of Culmalundie and

2) Col James Cathcart of Carbiestoun.

6) Margaret Halkett, b. 29 Apr 1662, m. 16 Feb 1710, Sir John Erskine of Balgonie, with issue. (Stephens Hist. p. 29)

7) Barbara Halkett, b. 14 Feb 1684, d. 11 Mar 1749, unmarried.

8) Charlotte Halkett, married Sir John Hope-Bruce of Kinross.

b. 26 Sep 1639