Lyon register: "Descended from the antient family of Prentonan".

In Burke's Landed Gentry of 1914:
"Alexander Trotter, of Kettilsheill, Berwickshire, is first mentioned in public records as holding in 1665, lands in Blakerstoun from Alexander Douglas, owner of that barony, and his sister Elizabeth, wife of Sir Robert Sinclair, of Longformacus.  He acquired later, in right of his wife, a small estate known as the Kirklands of Preston, and in 1671, bought the estate of Kettisheill and other lands in the parish of Longformacus.  He was Sheriff (vice comes) of that county.  He m. 21 June 1661, Elizabeth, dau. of George Hume, of Abbey St Bethans, and widow of James Colvill, portioner of Preston.  She d. 1705. He d. 1702"
_______________________________________________________

Louisa Lilias Forbes née Trotter, in her Stuart genealogy, writes that Alexander Trotter of Kettlesheil and Blackerstone died in 1693 and married Elizabeth, dau. of George Home of Abbey St Bathams.
_______________________________________________________

Here’s the Alex Trotter births found on Scotland’s People from 1620 to 1730:

No  Date  Surname  Forename  Parent Names  Frame No.  Sex Parish  City/County  GROS  Data

1 27/11/1620 TROTTER ALEXANDER JHONE TROTTER/MARGARET BOISUILL FR116 KINGHORN /FIFE 439/00 0010 0109
2 03/03/1633 TROTTER ALEXANDER ROBERT TROTTER/ELSPETH CRECK FR43 M DUNS /BERWICK 735/00 0010 0068
3 11/02/1644 TROTTER ALEXANDER PATRIK TROTTER/ELSPETH POOK FR1298 M EDINBURGH EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 685/01 0050 0082
4 29/08/1644 TROTTER ALEXANDER ROBERT TROTTER/ M MELROSE /ROXBURGH 799/00 0010 0009
5 17/08/1650 TROTTER ALEXANDER ADAME TROTTER/JEANE BRUNTFEILD FR18 STICHILL AND HUME /ROXBURGH 808/00 0010 0025
6 30/11/1656 TROTTER ALEXANDER ALEXANDER TROTTER/AGNES NISBIT FR33 STICHILL AND HUME /ROXBURGH 808/00 0010 0054
7 06/09/1657 TROTTER ALEXANDER JARED TROTTER/MARION TRENT FR34 STICHILL AND HUME /ROXBURGH 808/00 0010 0057
8 04/07/1658 TROTTER ALEXANDER JOHNE TROTTER/ COCKBURNSPATH /BERWICK 731/00 0010 0045
9 22/01/1660 TROTTER ALEXANDER ALEXANDER TROTTER/ALISON STEVINSONE FR40 STICHILL AND HUME /ROXBURGH 808/00 0010 0067
10 06/03/1660 TROTTER ALEXANDER THOMAS TROTTER/ M FOGO /BERWICK 740/00 0010 0003
11 26/01/1662 TROTTER ALEXANDER ALEXANDER TROTTER/ELSPETH KER FR44 STICHILL AND HUME /ROXBURGH 808/00 0010 0075
12 22/04/1662 TROTTER ALEXANDER ALEXANDER TROTTER/ELIZABETH HOME FR45 STICHILL AND HUME /ROXBURGH 808/00 0010 0076
13 18/01/1663 TROTTER ALEXANDER GEORG TROTTER/ M FOGO /BERWICK 740/00 0010 0006
14 19/03/1665 TROTTER ALEXANDER ALEXANDER TROTTER/BARBARA HAY FR1809 M EDINBURGH EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 685/01 0060 0409
15 19/11/1668 TROTTER ALEXANDER HARIE TROTTER/MARION DALMAHOY FR156 M LIBERTON (MIDLOTHIAN) EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 693/00 0010 0293
16 29/12/1674 TROTTER ALEXANDER JOHN TROTTER/AGNES WADDELL FR2216 M EDINBURGH EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 685/01 0070 0495
17 03/03/1678 TROTTER ALEXANDER PATRICK TROTTER/ISOBELL RIDPATH FR162 M LONGFORMACUS /BERWICK 750/00 0010 0139
18 16/02/1679 TROTTER ALEXANDER THOMAS TROTTER/ STICHILL AND HUME /ROXBURGH 808/00 0010 0146
19 31/03/1679 TROTTER ALEXANDER GEORG TROTTER/ M FOGO /BERWICK 740/00 0010 0023
20 24/04/1679 TROTTER ALEXANDER GEORG TROTTER/ M FOGO /BERWICK 740/00 0010 0023
21 07/08/1679 TROTTER ALEXANDER RICHARD TROTTER/MARION GREINLAW FR2552 PRESTONPANS /EAST LOTHIAN 718/00 0100 0129
22 17/01/1681 TROTTER ALEXANDER ROBERT TROTTER/JONET ALANE FR2628 M EDINBURGH EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 685/01 0090 0062
23 20/05/1689 TROTTER ALEXANDER JEREMIA TROTTER/MARGRET PRINGLE FR110 STICHILL AND HUME /ROXBURGH 808/00 0010 0207
24 10/03/1690 TROTTER ALEXANDER THOMAS TROTTER/JENAT HOGG FR111 STICHILL AND HUME /ROXBURGH 808/00 0010 0208
25 03/04/1692 TROTTER ALEXANDER ALEXANDER TROTTER/ISOBELL SHIRREFF FR83 COCKBURNSPATH /BERWICK 731/00 0010 0165
No  Date  Surname  Forename  Parent Names  Frame No.  Sex  Parish  City/County  GROS  Data Image

26 07/01/1694 TROTTER ALEXANDER ALEXANDER TROTTER/ISOBELL SHIRREFF FR89 COCKBURNSPATH /BERWICK 731/00 0010 0177
27 18/05/1698 TROTTER ALEXANDER JOHN TROTTER/ELIZABETH WILKINSONE FR361 M LIBERTON (MIDLOTHIAN) EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 693/00 0020 0009
28 16/10/1699 TROTTER ALEXANDER NINIAN TROTTER/ ECCLES /BERWICK 737/00 0010 0003
29 15/12/1700 TROTTER ALEXANDER WILLIAM TROTTER/MARGARET GRIB FR1205 M LEITH SOUTH EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 692/02 0040 0161
30 23/08/1702 TROTTER ALEXANDER JOHN TROTTER/ M FOGO /BERWICK 740/00 0010 0050
31 01/02/1704 TROTTER ALEXANDER JOHN TROTTER/JULIAN M DUNS /BERWICK 735/00 0020 0182
32 23/11/1704 TROTTER ALEXANDER ROBERT TROTTER/MARION GILKIE FR347 M DUNS /BERWICK 735/00 0020 0187
33 18/08/1706 TROTTER ALEXANDER JOHN TROTTER/JANET YOUNG FR21 MAKERSTOUN /ROXBURGH 797/00 0010 0015
34 09/12/1707 TROTTER ALEXANDER JOHN TROTTER/ELIZABETH WILKINSON FR418 M LIBERTON (MIDLOTHIAN) EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 693/00 0020 0121
35 09/12/1707 TROTTER ALEXANDER JOHN TROTTER/ELIZABETH WILKINSON FR418 LIBERTON (MIDLOTHIAN) EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 693/00 0020 0121
36 01/02/1708 TROTTER ALEXANDER THOMAS TROTTER/ALYSON STEVENSON FR57 ECCLES /BERWICK 737/00 0010 0048
37 27/10/1708 TROTTER ALEXANDER ALEXANDER TROTTER/ISABELL ARMSTRANG FR58 ECCLES /BERWICK 737/00 0010 0053
38 11/12/1709 TROTTER ALEXANDER ALEXANDER TROTTER/ M FOGO /BERWICK 740/00 0010 0057
39 28/03/1711 TROTTER ALEXANDER ALEXANDER TROTTER/ISABELL ARMSTRANG FR66 ECCLES /BERWICK 737/00 0010 0069
40 29/11/1713 TROTTER ALEXANDER JAMES TROTTER/ M FOGO /BERWICK 740/00 0010 0062
41 12/02/1714 TROTTER ALEXANDER ALEXANDER TROTTER/JANAT RIDPATH FR156 M STICHILL AND HUME /ROXBURGH 808/00 0010 0296
42 25/10/1719 TROTTER ALEXANDER JAMES TROTTER/MARION THOMSON FR2373 M CANONGATE EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 685/03 0080 0011
43 26/06/1722 TROTTER ALEXANDER PATRICK TROTTER/HELEN LUNHAM FR31 GREENLAW /BERWICK 743/00 0010 0023
44 05/07/1722 TROTTER ALEXANDER NINIAN TROTTER/ANNE CALENDAR FR1499 M LEITH SOUTH EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 692/02 0050 0209
45 04/12/1724 TROTTER ALEXANDER ALEXANDER TROTTER/ M EDROM /BERWICK 738/00 0010 0009
46 21/02/1725 TROTTER ALEXANDER HUGH TROTTER/ M HUTTON (BERWICK) /BERWICK 745/00 0010 0226
47 01/02/1729 TROTTER ALEXANDER THOMAS TROTTER/BETTY TURNBULL FR175 ECCLES /BERWICK 737/00 0010 0254
48 21/08/1729 TROTTER ALEXANDER ALEXANDER TROTTER/ EDNAM /ROXBURGH 788/00 0010 0044
_____________________

Kettleshiel looks like it is in Greenlaw, Duns, Berwickshire, Scotland.
_____________________

TFPL, 2015,

Lesley n RootsChot on a thread about Alexander Trotter of Kettleshiel b1663 wrote:

I see there was a connection between Mortonhall and Kettleshiel. Helen and Keith Kelsall transcribed and published part of the diaries of George Home covering the years 1694-96. I quote from their notes on the Trotters:
"Although Mortonhall in Midlothian is an important Trotter seat, Alexander Trotter... was the new laird of Kettleshiel in Berwickshire, who succeeded his father in 1693 and lived in Charterhall, which with office houses was assessed for nine hearths.(.....) Some years after George Home died, this Alexander married a daughter of Sir Robert Steuart, 1st baronet of Allanbank. Another member of this branch of the family.... is Dr Trotter, who was to marry George Home's sister Julian in 1698."

The book is “Home, George, An Album of Scottish Families, 1694-96, being the first instalment of George Home’s diary”, eds Helen and Keith kelsall (Aberdeen University press, 1990).

Their probable marriage:

groom's name: Alexander Trotter
bride's name: Margarett Home
marriage date: 29 Dec 1661
marriage place: Gordon, Berwick, Scotland
indexing project (batch) number: M11742-2
system origin: Scotland-ODM
source film: 1067898, 0103231
_______________