On the 11th of January,1858, Miss Agatha Shedden died at the Cross of Beith, aged 74 from influenza.  In her will she bequeathed £2,250 (around £133,000 in today’s money) to support both the deserving poor of Beith and the Free Church of Beith.  The money was to be divided as follows:

  • £1,000 to the deserving poor of Beith, half of which was to pay for the education of their children;
  • £800 to be invested to provide stipends for the Ministers of the Free Church in Beith
  • £200 to clear the remaining debt of the Free Church in Beith
  • £250 for the Aged Minister’s Fund of the Free Church

Not much is known about Agatha, so we thought we would take a quick look at her maternal family history.  Agatha Shedden was born 30 January 1784 at Craufield, Beith, the third of six children born to parents John Shedden, a proprietor and farmer, and Beatrix Shedden.  Her siblings were Thomas (1799-1807); William (1781-1809); Robert (1786-1815); John (1788-1853) and James (1791-).  Three of her brothers died in their twenties, her brother John became a merchant and underwriter and moved to London.  Her youngest brother James emigrated to Jamaica.  John and Beatrix Shedden’s marriage wasn’t registered.

Agatha’s mother Beatrix Shedden was born 03 January 1744 in Beith, the fourth of five children born to parents William Shedden and Beatrix Dobie.  Her siblings were:  Jean, born 21 January 1737; Ann, born 17 September 1738; Robert, born 31 December 1741 and John, born 06 March 1748.  William Shedden and Beatrix Dobie, daughter of Robert Dobie, Chamberlain of Giffen, were married 23 February 1736 in Beith. 

Their son Robert emigrated to Virginia, British Colonial America with his cousin William in 1859, where they were later joined by William and Beatrix’s youngest son, John Shedden.  Robert married Agatha Wells Bridger Goodrich, daughter of John Goodrich Esq. of Nansemond Plantation, Virginia in 1767.  In 1783 he returned to Britain and established the merchant firm of Robert Shedden & Sons.  Robert bought the estate of Paulerspury Park in Northamptonshire. 

John Shedden married Molly Goodrich, another daughter of John Goodrich, on 29 January 1772 in Nansemond, Virginia.  John died at sea off the coast of Whitehaven in 1778 during a voyage from Ireland.

William Shedden was born 19th August 1708 in Beith, the last of seven known children born to Robert Shedden of Roughwood, and Jean Harvie, daughter of John Harvie of Greenend, Beith who were married on 20th June 1685.  His siblings were: John born about 1690, Robert born about 1695, Elizabeth born about 1700, Jean, born 04 March 1702; Margaret, born 12 May 1704 and James, born 10 September 1706.  His siblings Jean, Margaret and James died young. 

His brothers John and Robert both attended the University of Glasgow.  John married Jean Ralston and succeeded to Roughwood, Millburn and Coalburn following the death of their father.  His brother Robert died without issue (i.e., he had no children).  William inherited the lands of Auchingree in Dalry.  His sister Elizabeth married George Brown of Knockmarloch, Riccarton, on 2nd December 1719. William’s father Robert Shedden was a successful merchant.  He bought several properties and land in Ayrshire including Millburn in Tarbolton; Coalburn and Auchingree in Dalry and Kerse in Lochwinnoch.  According to George Roberston’s “Topographical description of Ayrshire, more particularly of Cunninghame” published in 1820, Robert Shedden bought the old manor house and lands of Roughwood in Beith from Matthew Hammil in 1690.