Givons Grove 1859 To 1865

A Memory of Givons Grove.

Givons Grove was owned between 1859 and 1865 by my great grand uncle by marriage Duncan Fletcher, He was born in Glen Orchy, Argyll, the son of a farmer. He was sent to Glasgow in to business from where he went to Hong Kong in the early days of the colony where he was in business. After retiring from Hong Kong he returned to Scotland and took on the tenancy of Glenaros Estate (also called Achadashenaig) on the Isle of Mull in 1853 on an 11 year lease. On the expiry of the lease he renewed it for another 11 years and bought it a year later in 1865. As well as his Mull property he purchased Givons Grove, Letherhead. He had carried on in business in the city after retiring from Hong Kong. He used to send highland cattle from Glenaros to Givons Grove. He married my Grandfather's Aunt Jane Scott, known as Aunt Jeannie. I was brought up with the story that his business partner defrauded him and he was bankrupted in 1865, One assumes that Givons Grove was sold at that time. He was popular in the city this Gaelic speaking highlander, and none of his creditors wanted to be too hard on him and he was allowed to keep his pictures and plated. He had inherited his pictures and silver from his older nephew Alexander (Sandy) Fletcher of the 12th Lancers.
My father used to say that Duncan bought Glenaros Estate to celebrate his bankruptcy! His Father in law John Scott bailed him out allowing him to keep the Mull property on condition that the property was left to his wife's nephew. He died in in 1879. Jane Fletcher carried on living in Mull until her death in 1908. Her nephew Henry Scott, who had been in business in Madras, inherited Glenaros. Duncan and Jane Fletcher were childless.

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