Lt. Col Peter Littlejohn - Two Peter Littlejohns

Researching into the Littlejohn branch of the family tree, I am confident that two different and unrelated Peter Littlejohns have been merged into one person in the family lineage. As the current family tree depicts, Lt Col Peterjohn was born on February 22, 1762 to baillie and magistrate William Littlejohn and Mary Dauney/Downie, was the husband of Jane Richardson and Margaret Walker and the father of ten children. Lieutenant Colonel Peter Littlejohn can be found in several sources which is interesting for an individual from the eighteenth century, but my investigation suggests that these are two separate Peter Littlejohns.

A List of the Officers for the Bengal army, 1758-1834 provides the following biographical information for Lt Col Littlejohn:

“LITTLEJOHN, Peter (1762/63-1834). Colonel, 57th N.I. h. 1762/63. Country Cadet 1782. Admitted 21 Jan. 1782. Ensign 28 Apr. 1783. Lieut. 21 Mar. 1790. Capt. 13 July 1803. Major 4 Sept. 1811. Lt. Col. 4 Mar. 1816. Lt. Col. Comdt. 1 May 1824. Col. 5 June 1829. d. in a shop at Devonport 13 Jan. 1834, of apoplexy, aged 71.

Sometime of Grosvenor PI., Bath. Son of Bailie William Littlejohn, merchant burgess of Aberdeen, m. Calcutta 15 Dec. 1795, Jane, sister of David Thomas Richardson, q.v. {See also James Doddington Sherwood.) Father of William Douglas Little¬ john, q.v., Eliza Jane, wife of Ivie Campbell, q.v., and Maria, wife of Peter Young, q.v.’

Lt Col Peter Littlejohn was the husband of Jane Richardson and the father of William Douglas, Eliza Jane and Maria, but no mention of wife Margaret or any more children. The last will and testament of Lt Col Peter Littlejohn is held in the British National Archives and informs us of a third daughter, Jemima, who had pre-deceased her father, explaining her exclusion from the above list. The will does not make any mention of any more children outside of the four children of Peter and Jane.

Additionally, there is conflicting death data. The Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette’s death notice for Lt Col Peter Littlejohn says he died in January 1834 in Devonport, England following a stroke, and his last will and testament was released the following March. This differs from the information found on a grave in Chapel of Garioch, Aberdeenshire. Peter Littlejohn and Margaret Littlejohn are buried together marked by a headstone raised by their son John. It gives a completely different death date for Peter as the 15th February 1835, aged 77. Additionally, the person who has updated this information agrees that this is a different Peter Littlejohn than the son of William and Mary. From his death notice, the death notice of his daughter Jemima, and the List of Officers, it seems Lt Col Littlejohn spent and ended his adult life in the areas of Bath and Devon. From the information in his will and the military titles he acquired it seems that he was a man of considerable wealth and influence whose legacy would have afforded his own headstone in and around the area he lived in. I do not believe this is his grave, nor that he was ever married to Margaret Walker. Peter Littlejohn and Margaret Walker were married on the 17th November 1785, by which time Lt Col. Peter Littlejohn was already an ensign in the Bengal army. The records for Lt Col Littlejohn reflect his military location as his marriage and the births of his children occur in India. Mr Peter Littlejohn’s children were all born locally, showing no evidence of ever having left Aberdeenshire.

There is no evidence to suggest that Lt Col Peter Littlejohn, and Mr Peter Littlejohn of Chapel of Garioch are the same person. Their families are distinct with no evidence of overlap, and their death details are different. Two distinct lineages emerge – that of the Aberdeen Littlejohns, including the lineage of Baillie William Littlejohn; and the Littlejohns of Chapel of Garioch, from whom I believe the relatives of this tree are descended from. I believe this confusion has arisen from the relatively sparse information for Peter Littlejohn of Chapel of Garioch and the absence of any birth or death records for him. In the interests of accuracy I have updated the family tree to reflect the information I have found and I am willing to answer any questions regarding my claims.

List of the officers of the Bengal army, 1758-1834, part III, By V.C.P. Hodson, 1928
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D261712
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/170889834/peter-littlejohn