William Gammell

1732-1818/19?

William was the third child and eldest son of William the shipmaster and Margaret Scott and was born on 20 June 1732. He was educated firstly at Greenock Grammar School, and later graduated at Glasgow University 'Filius Gulielmi Navachae in Greenock' or 'Son of William, shipmaster in Greenock'.

We do not know much about what happened to him later in life, except that he is described as a merchant in a land deal in April 1765 in Greenock which is recorded in the books of Sasine (No.422) in Register House in Edinburgh, and in 1820, his younger brother James, the banker, established himself as his heir (Succession of Heirs in Register House 1820). This document tells us very little except that the fact of his brother establishing himself as sole heir, must make it certain that William left neither wife nor children, even if he ever married. The document also indicates that he must have died only a year or two at most before 1820, the date of the document in question, but no record of activity in Greenock has been found, although he may well have been in business there all his life; on the other hand it is even possible he emigrated and died overseas.

He is commemorated on his father's memorial stone in Greenock West Churchyard but without dates of birth or death.