"Don't Leys Me Out!"
Gordons o' Girnoc
'Camlet John'
The Girnoc Farms
Past Research
Location Map
Gordon Tombstones
Sources
"An elderly relative who used to visit the area met Gordon relatives when she lived in Berkshire. Some of them moved there when Queen Victoria bought the estate as they worked at Windsor Castle. John Brown's mother or grandmother was a Gordon and he was related - so they told her."
For once the starting point was clear: the well trod path to the Crathie grave of John Brown.
"This stone is erected in affectionate and grateful remembrance of JOHN BROWN the devoted and faithful personal attendant and beloved friend of Queen Victoria in whose service he had been for 34 years.
Born at Crathienaird 8th December 1826 died at Windsor Castle 27th March 1883.
That friend on whose fidelity you count, that friend given you by circumstances over which you have no control, was God's own gift. Well done good & faithful servant."
The reader will by now, have noted that Crathienaird has emerged as a 'bed-fellow' of sorts to dear old Camlet (see 'Inextricably Camlet'). Furthermore it will have been noted from the tombstone inscription, that John Brown, the Queen's Highland Servant, was born at Crathienaird. Could it be then, that the utterly fascinating story of John Brown was to reveal one more secret: the secret to Camlet? Well the intrepid eyes of the researcher had to scan no further than the next tomb to find the stane memorial raised by John Brown in memory of his parents and siblings:
"Here lie the remains of JOHN BROWN sometime farmer in Bush of Crathienaird died at Wester Micras 18th October 1875 aged 86 and MARGARET LEYS his wife died at Craiglourigan Cottage 2nd August 1876 aged 77.
Also of their 5 children FRANCIS died 1st March 1831 aged 3, FRANCIS died 27th November 1849 aged 10, MARGARET died 12th December 1849 aged 14, CHARLES died 27th December 1849 aged 17, ANNE died 1st November 1867 aged 37.
This stone is erected in affectionate remembrance of his parents, brothers and sisters by JOHN BROWN."
So at last (I hear you say) a link has emerged. Yes indeed, John Brown's mother was Margaret Leys and she was born at the very end of the 18th century.
At last this writer felt he was close to pulling the pillow from between the potential bed-fellows: Camlet and Crathienaird. The link to prove was thus between:
1) Mary Leys (1757-1851) mother of Mary Downie and full cousin of 'Camlet John.' Her husband James Downie was tenant of Crathienaird.
2) Margaret Leys (1799-1876) mother of John Brown.
Furthermore if the link with Crathienaird was through the 'Leys family' did this debunk the earlier postulation - the postulation that the link to Camlet was through John Gordon and Isobel Shepherd?
Fortunate we are that a photograph of Margaret Leys survives: here she is seated outside Bush of Crathienaird, with her son Archie. Now the writer urges you to look closely, for only just visible on Margaret Leys left hand is her wedding ring: 'but that is just to be expected'�.I hear you say� indeed�indeed!
So that was how the ring of Margaret Leys was to grace eternally Queen Victoria.
It was in the high summer, of a century before that Margaret Leys parents married: that was in the year of 1797. It was recorded within the Glenmuick Parish Register that Charles Ley (at that time without the 's') married his sweetheart Marjory Fleming upon the 19th day of August 1797.
