Panton File     John Panton and Barbara Wemyss are the first well documented ancestors of the 
Panton family. Unfortunately, there are no records their parents. 
The information about their lives comes from three sources: 
the record of marriage in the parish book of Aberdour, Scotland; 
the baptism records of their children; 
and the tombstone inscription on their graves in Aberdour . 

The information about the birth of John and Barbara comes from their tombstone 
in the Aberdour church yard. The tombstone inscription indicates that 
Barbara was probably born in 1719 and John was born in 1716 or 1718. 
The confusion about his birth year is because it is impossible to read his age on 
the two hundred year old tombstone. It is either 83 or 85 

There is no record in the Aberdour parish book of Barbara being born in 1719. 
However, it has been noted in the Memoranda of the State of the Parochia Registers 
of Scotland, by William B. Turnbull that the Aberdour "parish baptismal register is 
very defective, owing to the extreme negligence of parents in getting their children's 
names inserted. " Barbara was born in 1719 and there were only three entries of 
births in Aberdour between May 1 714 and March 1719.2 It is possible that 
Barbara's name was not inserted even though she was born in Aberdour, or that
she came from a family of Wemyss that lived outside of Aberdour Parish. 

One can only speculate about the birth of John Panton. His marriage record states 
that he was from Monquhitter, Scotland. Although there is no John Panton 
baptized in Monquhitter in 1716 or 1717, there is a John Panton baptized in
St. Nicolas Parrish, Aberdeen City, Aberdeen on 21 March 1717. He was the second 
child of William Panton and Margaret Grier,(4)

One of the children of John and Barbara, Henrietta Panton, later lived in 
Saint Nicholas Parish in Aberdeen City. She may moved back to the birthplace of 
her father. 

On the other hand, in the same year as John's marriage in Aberdour, is the 
marriage of Isobel Pantoun to James Gerrard. There was an Isobel Pantoun who 
was born in Monquhitter. Witnesses to Isobel's wedding were John Wemyss of 
Mains of Aberdour and Alexander Gerrard of Tonie.(5)   Isobel may have been a 
sister or of John Panton. The parents and birthplace of John Panton and Barbara 
Wemyss can simply be conjecture today. 


The other source of information is the marriage record. It states that John Panton 
was from Monquhitter, Scotland, and Barbara was from Aberdour, Scotland. The 
witnesses to the marriage were Mr. John Whyte of Ardlachill and Thomas Forbes 
of   Mill of Aberdour.(6)   One could suppose that these were witnesses from the 
bride's family. As there was no man named Wemyss perhaps her father and 
brothers had already died . *

The Whytes and the Wemyss had a history in Aberdour back to the 17th . The list 
of taxable people for the poll tax of 1696 in Aberdour lists one family by name of 
Weems. Since she was born in 1719 Barbara is not mentioned. John Whyte was 
listed as a gentleman farmer in 1696 living at Ardlachill.(7)   Perhaps he is the 
man who was the witness to the marriage of Barbara Wemyss and was her 
grandfather.   Thomas Forbes is interesting because John Forbes, the man who
took over company of Panton, Leslie and Company, was born a few miles away in 
Gamrie, Baniff, Scotland.(8)   The Forbes may have been related to Barbara Wemyss. 

The parish record book of Aberdour recorded the marriage of John and Barbara:

          April 25, 1738
          John Pantoun in the Parish of Mountwhitter was (upon testimony thence)
          married to Barbara Wemyss in this Parish. Witnesses Mr. John Whyte of 
          Ardlachill and Thomas Forbes at Mill of Aberdour. **

Nine years later on August 18, 1747 in Aberdour another John Panton was 
married to Margaret Byth. (9) This could have confused the question of the children, 
Panton and Barbara Wemyss since only the fathers were named in the records. 
However, the residence of the father was always written into the record, so it is 
possible to say with certainty who John and Barbara's children were. 

John and Barbara lived at Sealscroak Farm about one half mile from Monquhitter 
for the first two years of their marriage.(10)   Their first two children were baptized 
there, Christian Panton on March 25, 1739, and Magdalen Panton on 
November 19, 1740. (11) 

After that time the family moved to a farm at Mains of Aberdour. The birthplace of 
their children Henrietta Panton, William Panton, and Catherine Panton is not 
known. But, at least four other children were baptized in Aberdour. At that time 
only the father's name was listed along with male witnesses. The children baptized 
were the children of John Panton from Mains of Aberdour. Often George Gall of 
Killoheun was one of the witnesses. This is a difficult situation because the mother
is not named, however it seems likely that these were the children of John and 
Barbara especially since the Mains of Aberdour was a very small place, and George 
Gall was typically the witness. 
Thomas Panton was baptized on July 31, 1755, 
Robina Panton on May 30, 1758, 
John Panton on July 2, 1760,     and 
James Panton on May 25, 1763. (12) 

We know the names of the surviving Panton children because of the will written by 
William Panton which stated that he had five sisters:
Christian, 
Henrietta, 
Catherine, 
Magdelene,   and 
Robina. 
John, Thomas, and James were not mentioned. (13) 

John Panton is named as an executor in the will of his son William Panton who 
died in January of 1801. A few months later on August 18, 1801 John Panton died. 
He was 83 or 85 years old. Barbara Wemyss had passed away on March 26, 1780 at 
the age of 61. They were buried in the old church yard of Aberdour . 

Nicholas Parish, Aberdeen City, Aberdeen on 21 March 1717. He was the . 
child of William Panton and Margaret Grier .4 One of the children of John and 
Henrietta Panton, later lived in Saint Nicholas Parish in Aberdeen City. 
She may moved back to the birthplace of her father . 

A stone was placed in the churchyard in memory of Barbara Wemyss husband 
John Panton. Behind the stone is another that is upright but face is gone. ***

TOMBSTONE OF JOHN PANTON AND BARBARA WEMYSS IN THE OLD CHURCH 
CEMETERY, ABERDOUR, SCOTLAND.**** 

Stone erected by JOHN PANTON in Mains of Aberdour to the memory of 
BARBARA WEMYSS his spouse d. 26 Mar. 1780 aged 61. 
Said JOHN PANTON d. 18 August 1801 aged 83/85 (?). (15) *****

1 Aberdeen & Northeast Scotland Family History Society, The Kirkyard of 
  Aberdour shire), (Aberdeen, 1987). 
2   William B. Turnbull, Memoranda of the State of the Parochia Registers of 
    Scotland, 
3   Samuel Lewis, Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, (London,1849). 
4   Genealogical Society of Utah, Church of Scotland Parish Records, Saint Nicholas . 
5   Genealogical Society of Utah, Church of Scotland Parish Records, Aberdour Parish 
6   lbid. 
7   Aberdeen & Northeast Scotland Family History Society, The People of Aberdour 
    & Tyrie, (Aberdeen 1991 ), p. 63. 
8   William Coker and Thomas Watson, Indian Traders of the Southeastern Spanish
    Panton, Leslie & Company and John Forbes and Company, 1783-1847,
    (Gainesville, 1986) 
9   Genealogical Society of Utah, Church of Scotland Parish Records, Aberdour
    Parish , 
10 Coker, p. 18. 
11 Genealogical Society of Utah, Church of Scotland Parish Records, . 
12 Genealogical Society of Utah, Church of Scotland Parish Records, Aberdour 
      Parish 
13   See William Panton's Will 
14 Aberdeen & Northeast Scotland Family History Society, The Kirkyard of 
    Aberdour shire) , (Aberdeen, 1987) .. 
15   lbid. 
16   Photos courtesy of Lorraine Ennis 
17   Samuel Lewis. 

* Map of Northeast Scotland
** Map of Parishes of Aberdour and Tyrie
*** Old Church at Aberdour
**** Tomstone of John Panton
***** Cemetary

From the Book:
Made Glorious Summer
Jacqueline Sue Morris