The Story of Baberton House
John Scott, Currie Local History Society
Baberton House
There wasn't a free seat in the house when John Scott of Currie Local History Society gave his talk on the history of Baberton House as part of the Juniper Green 300 celebrations
On Thursday 29th March, as the next in the JG300 History series, John Scott of Currie Local History Society, told the story of Baberton House.
He illuminated his talk with some wonderful images of the house and its owners. The earliest mention of Kilbaberton can be found in the Register of the Great Seal where in 1320 it is shown that a Hugonis Cissoris was granted a charter to the lands pre-dating Woodhall by less than ten years.
One owner of Baberton House in the early seventeenth century was the architect James Murray the designer of Parliament House
John explained more about the lives of some of the residents of Baberton House including their part on the wider Scottish stage. For example, the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland records that William Wardlaw, senior of Riccarton, acquired the lands of Kilbaberton from his kinsman Henry Wardlaw sometime before 26 January 1610; and resigned them together with Whitelaw on 10 July 1612 to James Murray, the King's Architect.
James Murray was responsible for the majority of the construction of the house as we see it today.
The rubble-built house is a traditional Scots mansion. Conveniently the age of the structure is written in several places on the walls.
John Christie, a captain in the army, was presented with a State lottery ticket that won for him a prize of £10,000 (£1.25M at today's value). With this windfall he acquired Baberton not later than 1749 and set about extending Murray's imposing mansion.
Around 1830 Baberton House was leased to a stranger who wanted it as shooting quarters. Baberton was to be honoured as a seat of royalty, the sporting tenant being Charles X, the dethroned and exiled King of France.
Larch Fraser and her brother Sandy Cullen former residents of Baberton House give their memories of their home in the 1960s
John brought the story up to the present day by introducing three members of the audience who had their own special memories of the house in former times: Sandy Cullen, his sister Larch Fraser and John Fisher whose father had been a gardener at Baberton House after the Second World War.
The garden had always been a special delight.
Mr and Mrs John Fisher, John's father worked as a gardener at Baberton House after the Second World War
Then, another member of the audience with links to Baberton House, John Fisher spoke about his father who had been a gardener at Baberton House after the Second World War.
Derek Douglas presents a bottle of Juniper Green gin to the speaker John Scott at the end of an excellent talk
The talk concluded in a now traditional fashion with the speaker receiving a bottle of Juniper Green gin with thanks to our sponsors.
A sociable cup of tea after the talk on March 29th in Juniper Green Parish Church
Another tradition that is gathering momentum is the social time after each talk when past and present residents of Juniper Green can mingle and share their stories of yesteryear.
If you want to read more about Baberton House then download John Scott's notes (pdf).