Sir Thomas Nicolson of Carnock, 1st Baronet (Before 1605 – 8 January 1646) was a Scottish lawyer, landowner, commissioner for

Stirlingshire Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling, gd, Siorrachd Sruighlea) is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration countyRegisters of Scotland. Publications, leaflets, Land Register Counties. of Scotland. Its county town is Stirli ...

, and postmaster.

Early life

He was the son of John Nicolson of

Lasswade Lasswade is a village and civil parish in Midlothian, Scotland, on the River North Esk, nine miles (14.5 kilometres) south of Edinburgh city centre, contiguous with Bonnyrigg and between Dalkeith to the east and Loanhead to the west. Melville C ...

(d. 1605) and Elizabeth (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Henderson) Nicolson. His father was a practising advocate at

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. His elder brother was Sir John Nicolson of Lasswade (grandfather of Sir John Nicolson, 2nd Baronet), was created a baronet in 1629 and died in 1651. His paternal grandparents were James Nicolson (the

Burgess __NOTOC__ Burgess may refer to: People and fictional characters * Burgess (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Burgess (given name), a list of people Places * Burgess, Michigan, an unincorporated community * Burgess, Missouri, U ...

and of Sheriff Clerk of Aberdeen) and Janet (née Swinton) Nicolson and his maternal grandparents were Edward Henderson (son of George Henderson, 2nd of Fordell) and Helen (née Swinton) Henderson. His grandmothers were sisters, both being daughters of Sir John Swinton, 18th of that Ilk.

Career

An advocate from 1612, in 1623 Nicolson was rewarded with the office of postmaster of

Cockburnspath Cockburnspath ( ; sco, Co’path) is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It lies near the North Sea coast between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Edinburgh. It is at the eastern extremity of the Southern Upland Way a long-distance footpa ...

for his assistance to

John Murray, 1st Earl of Annandale John Murray, 1st Earl of Annandale (died 1640) was a Scottish courtier and Member of Parliament. Career He was known as John Murray of Lochmaben or Lincluden, and John Murray of the Bedchamber. John Murray was the 6th surviving son of Sir Charle ...

. In 1634, Nicolson bought Carnock House near

Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...

from John Drummond the grandson of

Robert Drummond of Carnock Sir Robert Drummond of Carnock (died 1592) was Master of Work to the Crown of Scotland from 1579 to 1583. This was the responsibility for building and repair of palaces and castles. His appointment was made to be "as Sir James Hamilton of Finnart ...

. His son John Drummond of Drummondshall married Margaret Rollock, daughter of his business partner John Rollock, and their lands became the Bannockburn estate. Nicolson was said to have been a great patron and encourager of the minister James Guthrie. He was created Baronet Nicolson of Carnock,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

on 16 January 1637, and he decorated his house at Carnock with his new heraldry in stone and plasterwork.

Historic Environment Scotland Historic Environment Scotland (HES) ( gd, Àrainneachd Eachdraidheil Alba) is an executive non-departmental public body responsible for investigating, caring for and promoting Scotland's historic environment. HES was formed in 2015 from the mer ...

has some plasterwork from a ceiling from the house including the Nova Scotia arms of Nicolson of Carnock. A number of Nicolson's letters and charters are held by the

National Archives of Scotland The National Archives of Scotland (NAS) is the previous name of the National Records of Scotland (NRS), and are the national archives of Scotland, based in Edinburgh. The NAS claims to have one of the most varied collection of archives in Europe ...

Personal life

Carnock House Stirlingshire plaster ceiling

Nicolson married Isobel Henderson, a daughter of Walter Henderson of Granton. Their children included: * Elizabeth Nicolson, who married Thomas Drummond of

Riccarton Riccarton may refer to: New Zealand * Riccarton, New Zealand, a suburb of Christchurch ** Riccarton (New Zealand electorate), the electorate named after it ** The location of Riccarton Race Course * a locality on the Taieri Plains in Otago Scotlan ...

. * Ann Nicolson, who married Sir George Stirling, 6th of

Keir Keir or Kier () is a Gaelic name derived from Ciar. Notable people with the name include: Surname *Andrew Keir (1926–1997), Scottish actor *Colin Keir (born 1959), Scottish politician *David Keir (1884–1971), British actor *David ...

and 3rd of Cawder, son of Sir James Stirling, as his third wife in 1654. * Sir Thomas Nicolson (1628–1664), who married Lady Margaret Livingstone, daughter of

Alexander Livingston, 2nd Earl of Linlithgow Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants li ...

and Lady Mary Douglas (daughter of

William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus William Douglas, 10th Earl of Angus (15543 March 1611) was a Scottish nobleman. He was the son of William Douglas, 9th Earl of Angus (1533–1591). He was a direct descendant of King James I through his paternal grandmother, Agnes Keith, a d ...

). * Sir John Nicolson of

Tillicoultry Tillicoultry ( ; Scottish Gaelic: Tulach Cultraidh, perhaps from older Gaelic ''Tullich-cul-tir'', or "the mount/hill at the back of the country") is a town in Clackmannanshire, Scotland. Tillicoultry is usually referred to as Tilly by the loc ...

(1629–1683), who married Sabina Colyear, daughter of Colonel Walter Colyear. * Jane Nicolson, who made her brother John her heir. Sir Nicolson died on 8 January 1646 and was succeeded by his eldest son, who became Sir Thomas Nicolson of Carnock, 2nd Baronet.George Edward Cokayne, editor, ''The Complete Baronetage, 5 Volumes'' (); reprint,

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...

, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 1983), volume II, page 424.

Descendants

Through his eldest son Sir Thomas, he was a grandfather of Margaret Nicolson (mother of Alexander Hamilton of Ballincrieff, MP for

Linlithgowshire West Lothian ( sco, Wast Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Iar) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and was one of its historic counties. The county was called Linlithgowshire until 1925. The historic county was bounded geographically by the Av ...

and Margaret Nicolson, wife of

William Kerr, 3rd Marquess of Lothian William Kerr, 3rd Marquess of Lothian, ( – 28 July 1767) was a Scottish nobleman, styled Master of Jedburgh from 1692 to 1703 and Lord Jedburgh from 1703 to 1722. Early life He was the son of William Kerr, 2nd Marquess of Lothian and Lady Jean ...

) and Thomas Nicolson (1649–1670), who married Jean Napier and succeeded Sir Thomas as the 3rd Baronet in 1664. The 3rd Baronet was the father of Thomas Nicolson (1669–1688), who became the 4th Baronet as well as the 4th

Lord Napier Lord Napier, of Merchistoun, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1627 for Sir Archibald Napier, 1st Baronet. Earlier that year, he already held the Napier Baronetcy, of Merchistoun in the County of Midlothian, created in ...

, which he inherited from his maternal uncle,

Archibald Napier, 3rd Lord Napier Archibald Napier, 3rd Lord Napier (died 1683) was a Scottish peer. Family Archibald Napier was a member of the Napier family of Merchiston, Scotland, and was the great-grandson of John Napier, the inventor of logarithms. He was the son of Ar ...

. As the 4th Baronet died in 1688, unmarried and childless, the Carnock estate and the baronetcy passed to his paternal uncle, the 1st Baronets grandson, Sir Thomas Nicolson, 5th Baronet (d. 1699).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicolson, Thomas 1646 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia Members of the Faculty of Advocates Scottish knights 17th-century Scottish people Year of birth uncertain