History of the Kinlochs of Gilmerton

For those of you with a historical appetite, below is a scant history of the Kinloch family, which hopefully does not prove too indigestible!

The Kinlochs were originally wealthy merchants from Edinburgh and Francis Kinloch, Lord Provost of Edinburgh purchased Gilmerton House, East Lothian in 1655. He was knighted in 1686 for lending £300 to James Duke of York. Thus was founded the Kinloch Nova Scotia Baronetcy of Gilmerton.

It was around the time of the uprising in Scotland of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745 when Francis Kinloch was disinherited from the 4th Kinloch Baronetcy and sailed for America and his brother took over the title.

After his death in 1767, his grandson Francis Kinloch, aged eleven, with his younger brother became wards of Governor Thomas Boone. Boone sent them to his old school, Eton College in England where Francis saved Admiral Lord Nelson's son from drowning and became a good friend of the family. Following confiscation, a large part of Boone's property was acquired by Francis. He married Mildred, grand daughter of Thomas Walker, guardian of Thomas Jefferson, and secondly Martha, daughter of the Governor of South Carolina. Francis became a secessionist and was captured coincidentally by his first Cousin from Scotland (also named Francis) who was serving for the British Army under the infamous Colonel Banastre Tarleton. Francis of Carolina became a member of the Continental Congress and Francis of Gilmerton inherited the Kinloch Baronetcy.

It was with the death of the 5th Baronet, Sir David Kinloch in 1795, that a tragic event took place at Gilmerton. Two months after he had succeeded to the title, Francis was murdered on the front stairs by his deranged brother Archibald whose health had declined after service in the West Indies. Sir Archibald was not hanged after his trial but released into the care of his family. It was to prove a very controversial plea and which is known to be one of the earliest recorded defences on the grounds of insanity. He died 5 years later and was buried in Greyfriars Church in Edinburgh.

The details on the Kinloch tomb, which have not been used since that time, are now almost obscured. There remains only the epitaph in Latin, of Magdalene McMath, the wife of the 1st Baronet, Sir Francis, who was buried there in 1674.

Gilmerton House remains today as it was then, as are the Kinlochs of Gilmerton, Sir David, 13th Baronet and his wife, Maureen, living in far greater tranquillity than can be said for their forebears!