The Duke of Atholl's List of Fencible Men, aged between 16 and 60 years, shows that in 1706 there were no men by the name of Cumming living in the Bohespics.
Robert Robertson and Jannet Cumming in Over Bohespic (Wester Bohespic)
In 1721 Robert Robertson and his wife Jannet Cumming in Over Bohespic had a daughter baptised and named Margaret. They had further children baptised in 1729 and 1738. It can be assumed that Jannet Cumming was born around 1700.
In 1738 Thomas Bissat, Commissioner at Dunkeld fined Robert Robertson in Over Bohespic, £10 for taking wood from David Stewart's Wood of Kynachan.
The Blair Atholl Kirk Session minutes dated 2nd September 1764 record that "An attestation was given to Janet Cumming, widow in Bohespic, that one Alexander Robertson, her son, and brother to Duncan Robertson in Grennich, alias Don, listed himself in the Royal Regiment of Highlanders and went to America in the year 1757".
So, Duncan's parents appear to have been Robert Robertson and Janet Cumming in Over Bohespic. There is no record of Duncan Robertson nor Alexander Robertson so they were either born before 1718 or the parents could not afford to pay the fee for registration in the OPR.
The Children of Robert Robertson and Jannet Cumming in Over Bohespic
| Name | Born | Married | Date | Residence | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duncan | ~1720 | Susan McDonald | Dec 26 1754 | Grennich | h. w. |
| Margaret | Oct 22 1721 | . | . | Over Bohespic | d. |
| Alexander | ~1727 | . | . | America | d. |
| Elspeth | Mar 11 1729 | . | . | Over Bohespic | d. |
| George | May 6 1738 | . | . | Over Bohespic | d. |
Angus Stewart and Elspeth Cumming in Nether Bohespic (Easter Bohespic)
In 1722 Angus Stewart and his wife Elspeth Cumming in Bohespic had a daughter baptised and named Jannet. There were several settlements in Bohespic, but in 1738 Thomas Bissat, Commissioner at Dunkeld fined Angus Stewart in Easter Bohespic, £10 for taking wood from David Stewart's Wood of Kynachan, and this is most likely to be the same person.
On 10th January 1768 Elspeth Cumming in Nether Bohespic was given charity by the Blair Atholl Kirk Session. This was repeated on 23rd October 1768, 12th November 1769, 10th June 1770 and 20th October 1771. It is assumed that she died in winter of that year, aged in her seventies.
The Children of Angus Stewart and Elspeth Cumming in Nether Bohespic (Easter Bohespic)
| Name | Born | Married | Date | Residence | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janet | Jul 22 1722 | . | . | Nether Bohespic | d. |
The Children of Alexander Robertson and Elspeth Cumming in Over Bohespic (Wester Bohespic)
In 1737 Alexander Robertson and his wife Elspeth Cumming in Over Bohespic had a daughter baptised and named Jannet.
| Name | Born | Married | Date | Residence | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jannet | Jan 28 1737 | . | . | Bohespic | d. |
It is possible that this is an error by the Registrar, and should be John Robertson (as follows).
The Children of John Robertson and Elspeth Cumming in Over Bohespic (Wester Bohespic)
In 1743 John Robertson and his wife Elspeth Cumming in Over Bohespic had a daughter baptised and named Margaret. They had further children baptised in 1746 and 1749.
| Name | Born | Married | Date | Residence | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret | May 15 1743 | . | . | Over Bohespic | d. |
| Elspeth | Mar 16 1746 | . | . | Over Bohespic | d. |
| Ann | May 21 1749 | . | . | Over Bohespic | d. |
Allan Cumming in Bohespic
15th February 1761, Blair Atholl OPR
Allan Cumming in Bohespic and Isobel Robertson, in Bohespic, had an illegitimate daughter baptised and named Janet.
One oddity is that this breach of Church Discipline is not mentioned in the minutes of the Kirk Session. Normally the guilty parties were called before the Session Elders to confess their crime, were ordered to appear before the Congregation on at least two Sabbaths to be publicly rebuked, and fined. However, in this case, there is no mention of any of these actions which would have taken place over several weeks. Curious.
It tended to be the younger men who had illegitimate children, youths in their early twenties. If this was the case here, then Allan Cumming would have been born around 1740. The Blair Atholl OPRs go back beyond this date, as do the Logierait OPRs, but the Fortingall OPRs do not. As his baptism does not seem to appear in any of the OPRs, this suggests that he was born in Fortingall parish, and probably was working at Bohespic or staying with a relative. In addition, it is unclear as to which of the Bohespic settlements is being referred to.