Balgone House (3 of 3)
Balgone has belonged to various families over the centuries. The Renfrewshire family of Ross of Hawkhead owned it at an early stage, it later passing, by marriage no doubt, to another Renfrewshire family, the Sempills or Semples. An heiress of that family carried Balgone, in 1680, to her husband George Suttie of Addiston. He was of Dutch ancestry but based as merchant in Edinburgh. In 1702 he was created a baronet. The main extension to the tower-house was added by this laird - who was obviously not just a merchant, but a successful one!
The 4th baronet succeeded his aunt, the Countess of Hyndford, in 1818, in the Grant estate of Prestongrange, also here in East Lothian, and assumed the additional name and arms of Grant.
The 5th baronet's eldest son Sir James inherited the title and passed it on to his son, Sir George, who died in 1947 withot children, whereupon the line of succession passed back to the 5th baronet's eldest son, Captain Francis Grant-Suttie RN.
Francis' eldest son, Major George, fought in the Boer War and the Great War before migrating to Canada. His son, George Philip Grant-Suttie, inherited the baronetcy from his father's first cousin when he was 8, becoming the 8th Baronet in the process. Between the death of the 7th baronet in 1947 and the arrival of the new 8th baronet from Canada in 1959 (on reaching the age of 21), the house became very run-down. The estate had also to deal with death duties and outstanding mortgages incurred by the previous baronet. As Balgone House had two 'ancient aunts' living in it, Sir Philip chose to live at Sheriff Hall, one of the houses on the estate and although the estate was large enough to survive financially, the decision was made in 1990 to sell the house.
I don't know who lives there here now, but I suspect it has been divided into at least 3 separate houses.
Balgone House (3 of 3)
Balgone has belonged to various families over the centuries. The Renfrewshire family of Ross of Hawkhead owned it at an early stage, it later passing, by marriage no doubt, to another Renfrewshire family, the Sempills or Semples. An heiress of that family carried Balgone, in 1680, to her husband George Suttie of Addiston. He was of Dutch ancestry but based as merchant in Edinburgh. In 1702 he was created a baronet. The main extension to the tower-house was added by this laird - who was obviously not just a merchant, but a successful one!
The 4th baronet succeeded his aunt, the Countess of Hyndford, in 1818, in the Grant estate of Prestongrange, also here in East Lothian, and assumed the additional name and arms of Grant.
The 5th baronet's eldest son Sir James inherited the title and passed it on to his son, Sir George, who died in 1947 withot children, whereupon the line of succession passed back to the 5th baronet's eldest son, Captain Francis Grant-Suttie RN.
Francis' eldest son, Major George, fought in the Boer War and the Great War before migrating to Canada. His son, George Philip Grant-Suttie, inherited the baronetcy from his father's first cousin when he was 8, becoming the 8th Baronet in the process. Between the death of the 7th baronet in 1947 and the arrival of the new 8th baronet from Canada in 1959 (on reaching the age of 21), the house became very run-down. The estate had also to deal with death duties and outstanding mortgages incurred by the previous baronet. As Balgone House had two 'ancient aunts' living in it, Sir Philip chose to live at Sheriff Hall, one of the houses on the estate and although the estate was large enough to survive financially, the decision was made in 1990 to sell the house.
I don't know who lives there here now, but I suspect it has been divided into at least 3 separate houses.