Papers of Hay of Leys family

The papers include legal, financial, personal, estate papers and titles and correspondence and are gathered from various sources. Most of the papers relate to the family of Hay of Leys and its estates of Leys and Mugdrum, and to the family of Paterson of Carpow which later acquired the Hay property through inheritance. The main concentration of the documents is 1650-1750.

Other seventeenth century groups of documents relate to Ogilvie of Carsegrange, Lindsay of Kilspindie, Broun of Fordell and John Lepar, provost of St Andrews. The Paterson papers also include documents, 16th to 18th centuries relating to property in Perth, the Carse of Gowrie, Newburgh, Craigie and Jamaica. There is a nice series of receipted household and personal accounts, 1778-1820 and papers relating to repairs to and rebuilding of Carpow House, 1751-1820.

The Hay of Leys family are a junior branch of the Hays of Errol, Perthshire. The estate of Mugdrum including the island of Mugdrum (formerly Reid Insche) in the River Tay was purchased by Peter Hay, younger of Leys, kinsman of the Earl of Errol in 1737. He also purchased Lindores Abbey and grounds, Newburgh in 1753.

No attempt was made to sort the documents which are listed in the order in which the bundles were removed from the boxes.

By appointment with the Archivist. Access to unpublished records less than 30 years old and other records containing confidential information may be restricted.

Rough genealogical notes are included with the finding aid.

Description compiled by Rachel Hart, Archives Hub Project Archivist.

Full hand-list available. The collection was used as a pilot study for the prototype manuscripts database.

Applications for permission to quote should be sent to the University Archivist. Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use and condition of documents.

This material has been appraised in line with standard GB 227 procedures.

The first 1275 documents were deposited in the University Library for examination by Messrs Pagan, Osborne and Grace, WS of St Andrews in 1969. These were gifted to the University of St Andrews by Mrs Amy B Hay Neave in 1970. An additional 641 documents were added to the gift thereafter.

This material is original.