My post on Thomas Watt and his family is still in progress, but I have discovered the will of Sophia Watt's "Aunt Taddie", who, according to Edith Kilgour's Oliphant Family History, was the sister of William Watt and left her niece Sophia a legacy. It is an immensely useful will as it confirms she is really Sophia's aunt, as Edith Kilgour stated, and it names other family members as well. It turns out that she got her nickname "Aunt Taddie" through her marriage, which took place in St. Andrews, Scotland, on 19 November 1802, to James Toddie (Scotland Marriages, 1561-1920, FamilySearch.org). She is a widow at the time her will was made, and her wealthy brother Thomas Watt is her executor, although her own legacies are quite modest. Her husband James was a mason by trade. Isabella, or Aunt Taddie, died in St. Andrews on January 13, 1841.
Here is a transcript of the relevant section of the will of Isabella (Watt) Toddie:
"To my sister Mrs. Elizabeth Watt or Mayhew wife of William Mayhew Esquire of Raydon in the County of Suffolk two pair of my Linen sheets--two pair of my best tweeled (sic) sheets and two Table clothes. To my niece Isabella Watt oldest Daughter of the said Thomas Watt one dozen of my silver Tea spoons, one pair of my Tea Tongs, and one silver milk pot. To my niece Josephine Watt second Daughter of the said Thomas Watt and wife of George Thomson Esq. Wine Merchant Leith eight old Silver Tea spoons, and pair of Tea Tongs and two Table silver spoons. To my niece Elizabeth Watt daughter of the said Thomas Watt the best white counterpane I may be possessed of at the time of my death, with one pair of my best unmade sheets. To my niece Louisa Frances Watt fourth daughter of the said Thomas Watt my Tea Box. To my niece Mrs. Sophia Watt or Oliphant Daughter of William Watt my Brother and wife of David Oliphant presently residing in America, in the event of her being resident in this Country at the time of my death, but no otherways all my body clothes....and I request that the said Thomas Watt and Mrs. Louise Antoinette Josephine Dubois or Watt his wife may give at their discretion any memorandum they please to my cousin Catherine Wallace daughter of the late Louis Wallace..."
I don't know if Sophia ever collected her legacy of all of her aunt's clothes, but she must at least have known about the intent. It is interesting to me that Isabella's will names only one sibling apart from her brother Thomas. I wonder if the others were all dead by that time? Sophia's parents certainly were. And it's going to be useful to have the name of one of the Wallace cousins since I currently have no leads at all on the family of Agnes Wallace, William Watt the elder's wife. Thanks, Aunt Taddie!
