A Perth shoemaker’s legacy continues to go from strength to strength more than 250 years after his death, thanks to a generous bequest worth thousands of pounds.
The trustees of Charles Cairnie are seeking two teenage boys who can prove that they are blood relations of the businessman, who died in 1744.
If they are successful, the boys will receive a grant totalling around £20,000 over the next 10 years because of their place in the family tree.
Every five years, when a vacancy arises, the trustees select the applicant whose 14th birthday lands closest to November 11.
Clerk to the trustees, Graham Mackenzie believes that the significance of the age comes from the traditions of Mr Cairnie’s era.
“I think it was set at 14 by Charles Cairnie because there would be very few people who could carry on with further education after that age in 1744, ” he said.
“The money could also be used to send the boy into a trade, because 14 would be the typical age for youngsters to start an apprenticeship.
“However, there is no stipulation as to what the money should be used for and it is up to the parents to decide.
“The cheque is not made out in the name of the boy, it is sent out to the parent who has the blood connection with Charles Cairnie.”
Born in 1683 at Fowlis Wester, the shoemaker was married to Isobel Laing, although it is understood that the couple had no children.
Instead, he established a legacy in his will that would support the futures of his five brothers’ male descendants.
The recipients of the bequest are shrouded in mystery, as only Mr Mackenzie, his secretary and the successful applicant’s family know their identity.Mystery winnersMr Mackenzie added, “Not even the trustees know who wins it. I just tell them that someone has been given it and that is all they ever know.
“We don’t want the risk of them discussing it between each other, because Perth is such a small town that it would soon get out.
“As the parents get the cheque each year, sometimes the boy who receives the bursary never finds out that they have won it.”
Over the years 55 boys have received the bequest, although no one bearing the Cairnie name has claimed it since 1870 and many applicants come from outside Perth, with some living as far away as America.
Despite placing advertisements in local newspapers, Mr Mackenzie admitted that very few, if any, people respond to them.
The majority of those in line are direct descendants of previous claimants, as their parents write to the trust as soon as they are born.
This makes it easier to verify their claim and over the last few weeks, the clerk has been writing to the families to confirm they are still interested in the bursary.
The money comes from the rent paid by the tenant farmer at Scones of Lethendy farm, part of which was owned by Mr Cairnie.
The trustees are all Church of Scotland elders in Perth and the money is collected by the King James VI hospital, of which Mr Mackenzie is hospital master.
Mr Graham Mackenzie, Clerk of the Trustees of the Cairnie bequest, at King James VI Hospital, Perth.