The Christie family who lived at Baberton House can be traced back to the Christie family who were landowners in Over & Nether Stentoun, Kinglassie, Fife which now lies within Glenrothes new town, Fife.
James Christie a Writer to the Signet came across the river to Edinburgh and bought land at Whitehouse in the parish of St Cuthbert (near Whitehouse Loan, Bruntsfield). In 1671 he was succeeded by his son James who died only 5 yrs later in 1676 to be succeeded by his son, also James Christie, who was a Writer to the Signet.
This James married Janet Foulis of Ratho in 1671. The Foulis name is well known in Juniper Green as they were local landowners and Foulis Crescent is named after them. Until fairly recently they owned the land that the tennis courts stand on and did try to sell it to have flats built there. Fortunately, the Council stepped in and put a compulsory purchase order on it and we can now still enjoy a game of tennis locally.
James Christie and Janet Foulis had a son, again called James Christie, born in 1675. This James became a Commissioner of Supply for Haddingtonshire and resided at Newhall House, in the parish of Yester. (Gifford). Newhall House was unfortunately demolished in 1909 but there is mention of it as far back as the 1500’s when the then owners fought at the Battle of Flodden.
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| Baberton House showing the semi-octagonal bay |
James marries Catherine Dick in 1698, Catherine is the daughter of William Dick of the Grange, Edinburgh another prominent Edinburgh family. They went on to have 7 children. The second son John Christie born 1710 at Newhall served in the Army and rose to the rank of Captain. John’s Colonel very kindly bought him a lottery ticket and this won John £10.000!! (the equivalent of £1.25 million in today’s money!) With this money John bought Baberton House. It was John who had the semi octagonal bay added to the house in 1769.
John never marries and dies in 1789 and leaves Baberton House to his nephew Alexander Christie b 1750. Alexander served in the Royal Navy and became Rear Admiral Alexander Christie. Alexander had married Elizabeth Braithwaite in 1783 in London. Elizabeth was the daughter of Admiral Richard Braithwaite. Richard was the cousin of Cuthbert Collingwood whom he trained and then both served under Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar 1805 where Cuthbert was 2nd in command to Admiral Lord Nelson.
Elizabeth dies in 1820 in Belmont, Walcot, Bath, Somerset, leaving 4 living sons and 4 living daughters. Alexander dies in 1822 in Belmont, Walcot, Bath. After their deaths, their two spinster daughters, Annie & Ulrika lived in Belmont until their deaths. 11, Belmont, Walcot, Bath is still in existence and is part of a beautiful Georgian Terrace.
Their eldest son Archibald b 1785 appears to be living at Baberton House before Alexander’s death. Archibald did not follow his father in a naval career but served in the army as a Captain in the Scots Greys. He had married Maria Reeves in 1812. Maria is the daughter of George Reeves of Langley, Wiltshire. Archibald and Maria have one daughter Elizabeth b 1815 at Baberton. Maria dies just 3 yrs later in 1818. Maria is buried in Currie Churchyard and the stone is now incorporated in the new session house there.
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| "The Golfers" a painting by Charles Lees |
Elizabeth must have been quite a character as she elopes to Gretna Green in 1832 and marries Charles Lees, an artist from Cupar, Fife who is 15 yrs older than her. They go through another ceremony 3 weeks later in London probably to keep the family happy! Charles trained under Henry Raeburn, and was elected a Royal Scottish Academician in 1830. You can see two of his paintings hanging in the National Portrait Gallery, Queen Street, Edinburgh.
Elizabeth & Charles spend most of their married life living in Scotland Street, in the New Town district of Edinburgh. Although they had 9 children, it is only through the descendants of, Archibald Romulus Reeves Lees their 1st son who was born in Rome in 1834, that the Christie family is still in existence today.
After the death of Maria Reeves Archibald marries Sarah Wilmer in 1819 in Baginton, Warwickshire. Sarah is the daughter of Dr Bradley Wilmer of Coventry, Warwickshire. The Wilmer family can be traced back to the time of John of Gaunt and so can claim connections to royalty! Archibald and Sarah have 5 children but only three survive to adulthood, Alexander b 1821 d 1868, Sophia b 1823 d 1889 and Braithwaite b 1830 d 1906.
Sarah dies in 1833 and Archibald in 1861. They and some of the children who died in infancy are buried in Currie Churchyard now incorporated in the wall of the new session house. Archibald seemed to have financial problems and rented out Baberton House while he lived in 25, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh. The most famous client to lease the house from Archibald was Charles X of France who was exiled and lived in Edinburgh and came to Baberton House to escape an epidemic of Cholera and enjoy the hunting.
Braithwaite marries Mary Ann Major in 1852 in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire and they have a son Braithwaite Collingwood Christie b 1853 in Edinburgh. Braithwaite Christie tried to site his brother Alexander as being mentally unfit to oversee the House when their father died. Braithwaite lost the case but Alexander died 7 yrs later after marrying a local mill lass Agnes Mossman in 1864. Braithwaite fell heir to the house anyway. He then sells it to Sir James Gibson- Craig in 1882. Braithwaite is listed on the following censuses as “living on his own means”.
Sophia dies in 1889 in London and in her will makes it very clear that nothing is to be left to her brother Braithwaite after the way he had treated the family!
Braithwaite & Mary’s son Braithwaite Collingwood Christie marries Sarah Cameron Mackenzie in 1875 in Edinburgh but is found in the 1881 census back living with his parents in their home in Ann Street, Edinburgh and listed as unmarried as he is in all following censuses. There is no further trace of his wife Sarah anywhere. Sarah was the daughter of William Mackenzie 9th Baronet of Coull sometimes known as the 9th Baronet Nova Scotia.
Braithwaite Collingwood Christie (sometimes known as Collingwood) dies in 1931. A mystery waiting to be solved!
