Sir James Halkett

SIR JAMES HALKET, only son of Sir Charles and Janet Murray, b. 12 Dec 1680, appears to have been in such obviously bad health that immediate steps were taken to ensure the succession. In 1700 his eldest sister Janet secured the possession of Limekilns from the Earl of Tweeddale, and her husband Sir Peter Wedderburn 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 he collateral lines could not succeed until the failure of the issue of Sir Charles (the patent of baronetcy specifies only heirs not just male heirs).

Sir James died in 1705 and Sir Peter Wedderburn-Halkett became Sir Peter Halkett of Pitfirrane, resigning Gosford to his younger son stipulating that the two baronies must ever remain separate.

Sir James had made generous gifts to the city of Dunfermline. One was a foot mantle for the Provost to wear at the riding of Parliament; the city had a special cupboard made to store it when not in use. For his generosity the city of Dunfermline discharged him from the payment of various annual rents paid by him to the city, both present and past.

Sad to relate the Provost, Sir James Halkett of Pitfirrane, died as a result of a fall from his horse only a few months later in 1705, d.s.p.. There is some speculation that Sir James's death occurred while he was riding a horse around the Pitfirrane estate. At some point he caught his wig a low-hanging branch that pulled him off his horse backwards and killed him.

As a result of Sir James death the Baronetcy became extinct. James had six sisters. Janet the eldest succeeded to the estates. She was married to Sir Peter Wedderburn of Gosford who had been created a Baronet in 1697and assumed the name of Halkett.. He was the eldest son of Sir Peter Wedderburn, a Lord of Session under the title of Gosford. As a consequence of Peter's marriage to Janet Halkett he, and his descendants inheriting Pitfirrane, were obliged to take the Arms and name of the Pitfirrane family.

b. 12 December 1680