The following information was provided by Mrs. Anne L. Buchanan of 17 Craigmore Road, Rothesay, Bute PA20 9LB back in the late 1970's or early 1980's:
"Thomas Maclachlan (Doctor of Medicine) Married to Janet Macrae. Died 27th June 1871 at 6 Bishop Terrace (Blythswood), Rothesay, 78 years of age. His father was Thomas Maclachlan, Capt. in the Army and his mother Isabella Maclachlan, maiden name Kennedy.
"In Fowler's Directory for Bute 1834 - 35, Dr. Thomas Maclachlan's address is given as Colbeck Square, Rothesay so presumably your great? Grandmother [actually
great great] Isabella was bom there in 1836. There was indeed a dreadful cholera epidemic in Scotland in 1832 and Bute suffered. There is a gravestone at the gate of the High Kirk which names a child of nine who died in Rothesay of 'spasmodic cholera' in 1832 after 'eight hours severe affliction.'
"Dr. Maclachlan possessed, all his life, one of the three manuscript copies of John Blain's famous History of Bute which was not published in book form until
1880 although it was written in 1818 or thereabouts. This manuscript came to him from his brothers in law Mr. Charles Macrae and Mr. Ivie H. Macrae of London who may have transcribed part of it.' (introductory Note to the 1880 publication). Needless to say this volume is now out of print and copies are very rare, but it can be borrowed from the Moat Library if signed for, - I think.
"Mrs. Thomas Maclachlan, the widow was still alive in 1876 residing at 7 Bishop Terrace according to Fowler's Directory and she must have given the manuscript
of Blain to Mr. Neil MacKellar after the death of her husband
"The following passage I have taken from an article entitled 'Rothesay 100 Years Ago' which was published in the Transactions of the Buteshire Natural History Society Volume II and written by the late Mr. R.D. Whyte in 1933:
"The health of the inhabitants was attended to by six doctors whose residences were distributed over the town. Dr. Maclachlan then lived in Colbeck Square. He was a native of Ayrshire and came here about 1818. He was subsequently a Town Councilor - (as was also his son Charles) and, as acting Chief Magistrate he presented the address to the Queen on her visit to Rothesay Bay in 1847. He was a very popular doctor as was shown by a presentation to him of £300 on the occasion of his jubilee. He died in 1871 aged 78. It is said that Mr. George Hicks was encouraged to start business in Rothesay by Dr. Maclachlan."
"The son Charles was a bachelor. He was Captain Commandant of the Bute Volunteers and had an imposing military funeral. It would probably be possible to find the gravestone in the Churchyard here.
"I got this information from a book of newspaper cutting which we have in our museum library."
Mrs. Anne L. Buchanan enclosed a sheet of paper with some notes:
"Entry No. 33/1871. Charles Fellowes Maclachlan (Doctor of Medicine) - Single Died 28th February, 1871 at 7 Bishop Terrace, Rothesay. 37 years of age.
"Entry No. 113/1871. Thomas Maclachlan (Doctor of Medicine) - Married to Janet McRae Died 27th June, 1871 at 6 Bishop Terrace, Rothesay 78 years of age.
"Father Thomas Maclachlan Capt. in the Army (deceased)
"Isabella Maclachlan m.s. Kennedy (deceased)
"both deaths registered by Dr. James Maclachlan Lockerbie
"In 1876 Mrs. McLachlan (the widow?) was at 7 Bishop Terrace."
I found a reference to Thomas Maclachlan in the History of the County of Bute by Rev John Eaton:
"1847. August 13th. - Great preparations in expectation of Queen Victoria visiting Rothesay, on the occasion of her being in the neighbourhood. Monday, the 16th to be kept as a holiday. The Queen did not arrive on the 16th, but on the following day, when, in the absence of the Provost (Neil Jamieson), Dr Maclachlan presented the addresses on board the Royal Yacht, the Queen not having landed ... "
In a book called 'Rothesay and its people 50 years ago' there is a mention of Dr.Thomas McLachlan;
"Blythswood was the residence of Dr Thomas McLachlan,a well-known medical man. He was an old man then. His son, Dr Charles McLachlan, a most popular doctor, predeceased his father, and some will recall the imposing military funeral he got'
In Extracts from Council Records I found that a list of the officials of the county of Bute in 1863-64 shows Dr. Thomas Maclachlan as J.P. for Bute.
My great aunt, Mrs. Walker, has a silver salver, inscription nearly worn off:
"Presented, to Thomas Maclachlan M.D. by the inhabitants of Rothesay as a mark of personal regard and an acknowledgement of eminent services during the epidemic of cholera in the year 1832"
The following information was provided by Tom McLachlan of the Maclachlan Society:
"Dr. Thomas McLachlan born in 1794 at St Quivox, Ayr was the son of a private soldier who rose to be a captain. The doctor qualified in medicine at both Glasgow and Edinburgh becoming both an MD and FRCS. In June 1827 he married Janet, daughter of William McRae, merchant, in Rothesay and his wife Susannah McKechnie. Dr Thomas became a Justice of Peace for the County of Bute and had homes, consecutively, at 5 Battery Place and 7 Bishops Terrace, Rothesay. He died in 1871 and his wife in 1878."
Doctor Thomas Maclachlan continued ... >
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