Provost John Molison of Brechin: colour schemes and roup rolls in the 1770s (MS1013)
John Molison was one of three provosts from the Molison of Brechin family. He was the son of Provost John Molison elder, and father of Provost Thomas Molison who “wanted an arm”. His brother David was a bailie of Brechin.
John Molison was from an important and powerful Brechin family who produced 3 Provosts and bailie, and were engaged in a great deal of different manufacturing ventures in the 18th century. Much is known about the political career of the family. John the younger was admitted as a burgess of Brechin in 1744 and became a town councillor, making steady progression through the offices: bailie for the decade 1752-1762, Dean of Guild 1762-1766 and then Provost of Brechin between1768-1789. Earlier he held the office of Postmaster of Brechin c1753.
Like his father, another Provost John, he was a merchant dealing in skins, hides, peas, molasses, seed bear, meal, lint seed, flax, onion seed etc amongst other things. His business dealings were "on an extensive scale". John dealt in flour too and to aid this venture he built a flour mill on the West Muir, the first in the area.
He was a partner in James Innerarity and Co. in the Ford Mouth Tinworks, and in the leather trade at the Meikle Mill with James Souttar, John Lyon junior and David Allardice. He also had interests in a distillery with Alex Durie elder and tried a distillery at the Pathfoot with Bailie David Allardice but this was given up in favour of a similar venture with his brother David Molison.
While much can be gleaned about a prominent individual in town records, often very little survives which informs us of their tastes and preferences. Occasionally we can catch glimpses of this through the survival of odd documents. A recent donation of a bundle of dirty and tattered receipts (MS1013) revealed Molison’s choice of colour scheme for his house. An estimate for the painting of three rooms in Molison’s High Street house reveals that he chose to have his largest room painted yellow, another painted blue and a room with a closet was to be repainted in green.
Another document in the bundle contained the details of the roup roll of the household goods of David Molison after his death in 1770. He was a bailie of Brechin and John’s younger brother. Some of the items sold included a cheese toaster and flamer, 2 pewter salts, a copper tea kettle, 2 Delft plates, various brass candlesticks and 2 crystal candlesticks and furniture including a large dining room table in walnut.
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