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•
IJEING AN ACCOUNT,
HISTORICAL, ANTIQUARIAN, AND TRADITIONARY,
OF THE
CASTLES AND TOWNS VISITED BY EDWARD I..
AMD OF THE
BARONS, CLERGY, AND OTHERS,
WHO SWORE FEALTY TO ENGLAND IN 1291-G;
ALSO, OF
Eije aibbeg of Cupar, anli tfje ^riorg of EojStinotJj.
TO WHICH IS ADDED
AN APPKNDIX OF ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.
BY ANDREW JERVISE.
fOKREbrOSDIXO MKMIlKR OK THE S'^vCIEt/oK ANTHiUARlI-aj OF yCOTLAND,
AUTHOR OF THE "LAND OF IHE LINDSAYS," LTC.
EDINBUR(;iI: ADAM & CIIAULES BLACK.
MIH'('( LX[.
ABEHDEER I
PRINTED BT JOHN AVERY,
»T. CATHEHIIIK'!! WTSD
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE
FOX, EAfiL OF DALHOUSIE,
BARON BAMSAY OF MELBOSE, AND BARON RAMSAY OF KERINOTON;
BARON PANMURE OF BRECHIN AND NAVAR ;
K.T., O.C.B., AJPRIVY COUNCILLOR, LORD PRIVY SEAL FOR SCOTLAND,
LORD-LIEUTENANT OF FORFARSHIRE, ETC.,
THIS VOLUME,
OMTHB
iBi0tor9 avU 9ntiqttitte0 of 9ttgu0 Atill tlft Mtatm,
IB,
BY PERMISSION,
MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED,
WOT 80 MUCH FBOM THE HIGH POSITIOH WHICH HIB L0BD6HIP 80 DB8EBVEDLY H0LD8 IH
HEB MAJESTTIB 00UH0IL8, AVD IK TUB aOYESVlfCIT OF HIS VATIYB OOUHTT,
AS, FROM
A SINCERE SENSE OF ORATTTUDE BY,
UIS LORDSniP'S MOST OBEDIENT HUMBLE SERVANT,
THE AUTHOR.
CONTENTS.
Preface, vii
PART FIRST.
INTBODUCTION— Outline of the Eaklt Hiitobt aed Ahtiquities
OF Ahodb aed the Meabhb, •d-*32
PART SECOND.
CASTLES AND TOWNS VISITED BY EDWAUD I., a.d. 1296.
Chapter I. — The Castles and Town of Forfar, 8-34
II. — ^Famell Castle, and Kinnaird, 35-45
in. — Castle, Convent, and Town of Montrose, . . . . 46-81
tlV. — Castles of Kincardine, Glenbervie, and Darns, . . 82-105
fV.— The Round Tower, Cathedral, Castle, and Town of Brechin, 106-145
VI.— The Abhey, and Town of Aberbrothoc, .... 146-176
VII.— The Church, Convents, Castle, and Town of Dundee, ' . 177-230
PART THIRD.
THE BARONS WHO SWORE FEALTY TO EDWARD I.,
A.D. 1291-2, 233-281
PART FOURTH.
THE BARONS OF ANGUS WHO SWORE FEALTY TO
EDWARD I., A.D. 1296, 285-352
PART FIFTH.
THE BARONS OF THE MEARNS WHO SWORE FEALTY
TO EDWARD I., a.d. 1296, 355-389
PART SIXTH.
THE ABBEY OP CUPAR, AND THE PRIORY OF ROSTINOTH.
Chapter I.— The Abbey of Cupar, . . . . . 393-411
„ n.— The Priory of Rostinoth, .412-121
t Misprinted V. tnd VI. respectively.
VI CONTENTS.
PART SEVENTH.
THE CLERGY OF ANGUS AND THE MEARN8 WHO SWORE FEALTY
TO EDWARD I., a.d. 1296; al80, THE TEMPLARS, HOSPITALLERS,
LADIES OF DECEASED BARONS, AND OTHERS.
CoAPTER I. — The Churcbcs of Danlappy, Idvies, KincttleB, and Logic,
in Angns, 425-435
,, n. — The Churches of Crarvock, Elnnefi^ and Danottar, in
the Mearns, 436-447
„ III. — Knights Templars, and Hospitallers of St John, the
Holy Trinity, and St Germans, .... 448-451
„ rV.— The Ladies of Deceased Barons, A J>. 1296-1306, . 452-457
„ v.— Homages of Barons, A.D. 1306, 458
Appendix, 461-483
ADDmoss AWD CoKBEcnoNB, 484-486
Gevebal Index, 489
The following to he added to page 475 : —
19. o. View of a bridge and town from the water, a boat on the right with a sail.
"MareDitat." Ex. "1797."
H. A woman spinning. " Sure aro the rewards of industry." Ex. " Mon-
trose."
E. " London, Liverpool, or Montrose."
PREFACE.
In compiling this volume, tlie Autlior may state that the chief
objects he had io view were — firstj to give aa account, historical
and traditionary, of the different Towns and Castles in Angus
and the Meams at which King Edward I, resided when on his
subjugating tour through Scotland in 129G ; and, i*econdly,
notices of the faniilies and possessions of such of tlie Barons,
Chni'chinen, and others, as recognised the supremacy of England
aa well during that year, as in 1291, and subsequently in 1303,*
Ihn*ing the period of the disputed monarchy^ when Scotland
was prostrated under the sway of King Edward, and when every
person of note had sworn allegiance to England— Sir William
Wallace alone excepted — nearly a hundred of the chief men
of Angus and the Meams are recorded among the rest ; the
history, and even the names of the greater part of whom have
been hitherto unknown to ordinary readers. Still, as they had
all a greater or a leaser share io the achievement of our National
* Auioug the many aatliorities regard! tig these times^ the following are the
chief:—
(1.) ** A Diary of Edward the First [liis] Journey into Scotland, in the timo of
Jobu Kinge of Scottis. A° Regni 24, 1296." This ig printed in Korman' French
and Endiflh^ with Introduction and Is'^otes, hy P. F, Tytler, Esq., in the Bannatt/7iA
Club Anisci:Uamf, vol. i. In the Arcka^lcKjia, vol. xxi., an Kiigliah Terdoa is printed^
with IntroJiiction and Notes, by Sir K. llams Nicolau.
(2.) **The History of King John, King Henry IK, and tho moat Hlastriona
King Edward tho L" by Williara Prynno, Keeper of tho Reconla in tho Towijr of
Icndon. 13US pp. fol, 167U.
(3.) Kymer'8 ♦•Fcpdcrn/' The 3rd edition (Hague, 1745) of tbia celebrated
work has been used in the compilation of this vol.
(4.) '*IiistTuraenta Pahlica sive procosBUB anpor Fjdclitfltihus et nomag^is
Scotorom Domino Reci Angliiu facti«, a.o. MCCXCl— MCCXC\1,/' or " I&g-
man Rolls." Printed oy the Bannatyne Club, 4to, 1834.
5.) '*Dociimenta and Records illnstrating tho Hi ato nr of Sootlandt and the
Transactions between the Crowns of Scotland and England, prt^served in tho
Tre«8ury of Her Majesty's Exchequer/' with 1 tit rod net ion by Sir Francis PaU
grave, K,H., Keeper of the Rcconls, Printed by Royal Command, royal 8vo, 1837,
t
^ viii PREFACE.
11
■1
Independence, the Author trusts that the notices of them and
their estates, which occupy so much of the present volume, may
not only be read with interest, but be looked upon as an humble
attempt to supply a deficiency in our local annals during one of
the most important periods of the national history.
The volume was at first intended merely to embrace compa-
ratively short accounts of persons and places, and a history of the
period of the Interregnum; but, on second thoughts, the Author,
considering that so much had already been written regarding
the Wars of the Independence, believed that the work would be
of much more value and interest were it exclusively devoted to
a collection of particulars regarding personal and territorial his-
tory, rather than that any part of it should be a repetition of
&cts which could neither be improved upon, nor added to with
safety. This change of plan^ it need scarcely be said, incurred
a vast amount of labour and research beyond what was at first
contemplated — so much so, that with other unavoidable causes
of delay, it has not only been the means of retarding the publi-
cation of the volume, but has nearly doubled its size.
To shew how far these remarks are applicable, it need only I
stated, that instead of a few pages being allotted to the history
each of the towns and castles, as was at first proposed, this p
tion of the work alone extends to about 230 pages, embra
an account of all that is most interesting, trust worthy, and
regarding each place (in most cases to the exclusion of '
generally known), extending from the most remote dow?
latest times.
From the length of time which has unavoidably ela
tween the printing and the publication of certain porti^
volume, as well as from a desire to take advantage r
tion which sometimes came under the Author's noti<
MS. was prepared for press, a sameness in style and
will not infrequently be noticed. For these, and
comings (of many of which the Author is but too
craves the indulgence of the reader, trusting thf
PREFACE*
IX
outweighed, to some extent at leasts by the mass of facta which
has been collected together, and which he has done hia best, by
the occasional introduction of traditiona, to make as readable an J
MA attractive as possible.
The Author mmt not forget to mention that during the pro-
greas of the work, he has been indebted to literary fi-iends and
others for some important commumcationsj which will be found
acknowledged in their proper places. In an especial man-
ner, he begs to acknowledge the deep obligations under which
he lies to Joseph Robertson, Esq*, Superintendent of Searches
in the Literary and Antiquarian Department of the General
Eegister-House, Edinburgh, not only for the trouble which Mr
Bobertson has so kindly taken in revising the sheets before going
to press, but for many valuable suggestions and additions, for
which his extensive acquaintance with the literary and anti-
quarian history of Scotland renders him so well cjualified,
ITie Author has also to express his gratitude to the Bight
Honorable the Earl of Dalhousie, for the kind and courteous
manner in which his Lordship granted the use of many valuable
family and other MSS., in which, as h well-known, the Pan-
mure library is peculiarly rich. To tJohn Inglis Chalmers, Esq.
of Aldbar, the Autlior is likewise greatly indebted for the use
of his large and excellent library, as well as of many of the valu-
able MSS» of his late lamented brother, by whose death the
science of Scottish Archaeology lost one of its best patrons, and
its students one of the warmest triends.
To the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland| the Author is
obliged for the use of some valuable wood-cuts, among which
are those of the beautiful seal of the Chapter of the Cathedral of
Brechin.
Iji conclusionj the Author conceives that some apology may
be necessary for the numerous attempts which have been made
tliroughout the volume to interpret the Gaelic names of places.
Probably no branch of Archaelogical study is more intercstmg
Principal Rivers — Lakdi — Ancient aod Modem Towns — Origin of Tow as — ^Cbiefii, or
MAormora — Origin of yheriffilouis and Slitjriftk-^Heredilftry Sheriffs — Liati of
Sheri£& Prioeipal — ^Roy&l Huating Foreiitfl — Origin of TLi4nt2domfl aud Thunea
— Ltjcal Tbonedoms.
Angus and tlie M earns, or the slnrcs of Fai'far and Kiiicardinej
are situated in the north-eaat of Scotland, between the rivers
Tay and Dec,
The principal rivers arc the North Esk and the Sontli E»k
— tiro Tina and Esica of Kunmn geograpb}^ Both rivers* rise
in Angus. The first forms the bonndary between that county
and the Mearns for a distance of several niilcHj coinmeneing near
Dooly In Glencsk, and terminating at Kinaher, near Montrose;
while the latter traverses the whole length of Angus, passing
the city and castle of Brechin, and joining the sea at Montroi*e.
The chief tributaries of the North Esk are the Mark and the
Tarf, the Dve, or the West Water, the Cruick, aud the Luther,
the last of Avhieh rises in the Mcarns ; while those of the South
Esk are tlie ProseUj the Carity, the Lenmo, the Noran, and the
Pow. There are good waterfalls on the Noran, in Olen Ogil ;
and the North Esk is remarkable fur its picturesque scenery,
and richness in geological and bfitanical peculiarities, particu-
larly between the burn of Murran on the w*est, and Arnhall on
the east.
Next in importance to the E.-^ks is the river Isla, wliich risea
in the pasttjral district of Glenisla, and joins the Tay near Kin-
claven in Perthshire, The waterfalls of Reeky Linn, and Slugs
of Auehranny are upon the Isla, and it receives in its course the
waters of the Melgara and the Deao, The tirst of these rises in
i
4* MEJfOEIAl^ OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
Lcjstdusn parish ; the Utter flows from the loch of Forfar, and
i* yjzij^ m its course by the Kerbet.
The lesser rivers are the Dichty, the Lunan, and the Elliot.
Tl*e first issues from the lochs of LuncUe, the second from those
of Bescobie and Balgavics, and the third from Dilty Moss, in
Carmyllie. The Elliot joins the sea to the west of Arbroath,
the Lunan at Redcastle, and the Dichty falls into the Tay near
Mouifieth village.
Besides the Luther, which has its source among the hills in
Fordoun, and traverses the Mearns for a distance of 12 or 15
miles, the waters of Bervy, Carron, and Cowy are all considerable
streams, wliich rise in Aore northern parts of the shire, and join
the sea — the first at Inverbervy, the others at Stonehaven. The
Cowy passes in its course the mansion houses of llickarton
and Cry, and the Carron the old church of Fetteresso — one of
the most romantic spots in the district. This church was dedi-
cated to St Caran, bishop, whose feast-day is variously stated as
the 21st December, and the 10th of the kalends of January.*
Through Strachan run the Dye, the Aacn, and the Feugh.
The first are tributaries to the latter, which falls mto the Dee at
Banchory-Teman, where the channel, wild and rocky, shaded
by mountain pine, birch, and copsewood, presents a singularly
romantic appearance.
Although the more important of the Angus rivers have their
origin in lakes or lochs, many of the smaller and some of the
larger of the lochs have been almost completely drained within
the last sixty or eighty years, among which have been those of
Hyndcastle, Baikie, and Bostinoth in Angus, and Leys in the
Mearns. Leys seems to have been the most considerable of the
lakes in the Mearns ; and, from the fact that it contained one of
those singular works called crannoges^ ox artificial islands, of
which there are still some interesting specimens in Ireland, it had
doubtless been a place of note in old times. The greater portion
of the island still remains, and some curious bronze pots, in good
preservation, and other relics of antiquity, have been found in its
neighbourhood.
• Collect, on Aberd. and Banff, 55n ; Reg. Ep. Abcrd., i. pref. 86 ; Proceed, of
So. of Antiq. of Scot., ii. 272.
INTRODUCTION — ^LAEISS, OR LOCHS. 5
The priuoipal locha in Angus are those of Forfar fof which
Bome account will be found in tlio next chapter) ^ Lintrathen^
Lundie^ Rc>»C(jhie, and Bal;j;avies. Tradition says that the ceU^-
brated Ahin Dmnvard bad castles near the lochs of Lintratheu
and Lnndie ; and those of' liescoble and Balg-avies are supposed
to have been within the boundary of the old hunting forest of
Drimmic*
The loch of Feithie, near Forfar, and that of Kinordy, near
Kirriemuir^ present some interesting' points. The ^eolo^^ical
features uf the tirst, according to Sir Charlen Lyell, are uiuque,
for although it contains neifcber springs nor shell-marl, it is sur-
roimded by calcareous deposits, and is otherwise favorably
situated for the presence of the one, and the production of the
other. The latter lake abounds in peat and shell-marl, and about
forty years ago an ancient canoe was found embedded among
the peat-moss.
But whether for its extent, grandeur of natural scenery, or
historical interest, the lake or loch of Loo, in Angus — the chief
source of the North Esk — is probaldy the most remarkable. It
is nearly two miles loug by about half a mile broad, and is sur-
rounded by almost perpendicular n»cks. At the north or npjicr
end it receives the waters of the Unich and the Lf^e, also those of
the interesting little lake of Carlochy, which lies in the bosom
of the rugged rock of Craigiua^keldy, somewhat resembling that
of Luclmagar. At the ca.nt or lower end are the old parish
church and churchyard, and the picturesque tower of InverTuark,
m which were enacted some interesting feats by *Mhe lichtsome
Lindsays,'" ancient lords of tlie dis*trict ; while, in pleasing con-
^trast to this hoary ruin, perched upon the side of a grassy moun-
tain on the north, surrounded by natural birch and pine, stands
tlie modern shooting lodge of Lord Painnurc, commaiidiug a
varied and extensive \new of the valley of the Ksk. It wsis by
the side of this romantic loch, when Christianity was in its in-
fancy in Scotland, that St Drostan planted a church. Near the
same spot, in modern time;*, tlie author of *' The Fortunate
Shepbenles?^,'' taught the youth uf the parish, and preserved, by
liirt writings, nnich of the old Doric language of his native
countrv which otherwise wuuld have been lost.
0^ MElfOBlALg OF ANGUtf AND MEARNS.
Little lA recorded rif the ancient towns of the district Brechin
zppHMrn Uf have been a considerable place towards the close of
the rei^ of Kenneth III. ; and a few years later, when the
fiouniry was invaded by the Danes, we are told that they burned
the t/iwns of Brechin and Montrose.' It is much more certain,
however, that Montro^, Forfar, and Dundee were places of some
tra/le in the time of ^lalcolm the Maiden, since that prince made
grants from the revenues of these towns towards the support of
the Priory of It^istinoth.
It was around the seats of kings, bishops, and abbots that
t/iwns and villages were originally planted. The first were ao-
cjtutiU'A royal burghs, the others burghs of bishops and abbots
remH»^;tively. (H the first class were Forfar and Montrose —pro-
bably almi Kincardine, of the next Brechin, and of the third
(*ii(iar and Arbroath. Brechin, from having been the seat of a
rathf'^lral and biHhop, has the style of a city,
lii'MuUzn numerous populous villages in Angus, the bhief seats
of *'/;mrrierei! now-a-days are much the same as they were in
Mii''u'.ut time4. From c^rlicrit record Dundee appears to have
)h'4'.u the largest tiiwn ; then Montrose, Brechin, Forfar, and
Arbp/ath. Hut the pOHition of tlio four last-named burghs is
now alti^ntil: Arbroath, wtcording to the number of its inha-
bitttrit^, raiiki rii-xt U) Dundee. ; then Montrose, Forfar, and
V,n'rhUt^ Ut whieh ought to be added the comparatively modem
but thriv'irij( \4twu of Kirriemuir, of which the old Earls of Angus
w<T#-. *ii|#<ri'^r4, Kirriemuir fancicutly Kil-marie)^ is a burgh of
\fiiThuy^ iw art' VA'/A'W^ (ilauiiM, and wnne other villages.
Vhfhr 14 tJMt <'.hl«^f neat of the rfujriff courts of Angus, and
HtofM'hftvMi of thoiuj of thi! MeaniK. Inverbervy is the only,
rnyit\ biir((li in the laite.r shint ; and the towns of Stonehaven,
LrtorerM'4ki»k, Iw^tlitreairn, and Auchinblw?, are the larger places
whirh, witli %*f%ut\ le^iMT haniletN, were erected into burghs r
lijiroo/ at i\\\h'Tt^ui lime*, and are hdd of dittWcnt proprietors.
Mfci, othiT di4tri't4 in H<'ot land, Angus and the Meams ;
naid l'» ha/'^ bii-n jr'/v<rned in old tinieM by hereditary Maormc
or VitnU. liMbi/«n, iIm- mm of I nil n^jhtaig, together with
HoM, M<i'»lln»d', t^ut\ rioMirht, the father of Lady KincUa, are
to have U'*'u M»//rn»or« of An^^.jn during the greater pai
INTRODUCTION — SHERIFFS PRINXIPAL UF ANGUS. 7
Uii' tr^iitli ceiitury* Finellfi, who i» believed to have been the
cause of tlio death of Kenneth III., is described as the wife of
the Maonin»r of the Mearns; and Mnlpender, or Maolpeder, tho
Maonuor of the piiriod, is said to have aswa^siiiated King Duncan
It IB supposed that sherift^ were Hrst appfiinted by Da%^d I.; hut
it was not nntil the time of David II., that tlie office became
hereditary in Scotland* Tlie heritable sheriffship of Angus*
appears to have been conferred first upon Kainsaj of Auchter-
house, from whom, through a ieniale, it waa carried to the
Ogilvys. On the resignation of the office by a female descendant
of that family, it \vm acquired by David, Earl of Crawford,
afterwards Duke of Montrose ; but from the part which he took
in favor of Janies III. against the rising of his son at Blackness,
he waa deprived of the office on the succession of James IV. It
was then given to the family of Gray, with whom it continued
down to the early part of the reign of Charles L, wlien it appears
to have been abolished as a hereditary right* The Keith-Maris-
chak were probably hereditary sheriffs of the Mearns — at leaat
they appear to have held the office from much about the same
time as the Rarasaya.
Though very incomplete, it is believed that the following lists
of the Sheriffs Principal of Angns and the Jlcaras^ — which extend
over a period of more than five hundred years — raav bo perused
with interest by the representatives of the older families of those
shires, if not by the general reader.
Stirilffg of Sngiitf.
William Ciimyn, justiciary of Scotknd, was sheriff of Forfar, in
1209.— />af/f/. Piser., i. 16L
Hugh Cambnin, 1214-25. — i?cj^, Ep, Brechin., ii 3 ; infra, 293.
Thomaa of Malherbe (of Koasy), 1227.— ifcj/. VeL de AberL, 163 ;
Acta ParL,l 81.
Wilham of Hwuctyruua (Auchterhouae), i2i5,—Iie<f. Vet. de Aherh.^
200.
R and W. Montealt (of Feme), 1264.-^^^6. RoUs, L 11,* 4L*
R. of Montealt, quondam sheriff, 1266.— 7)^., 54,*
John of Fenton (of Baikie), sheriff, V2m,—Chamb. EoUs, I 34.*
n%wmihiM or xn^iVfi aitd meabvs.
^^ Wm^xm JHhu^ *4 Pwunore wm ilieriff in 1286, mod at die desdi
'^AA«. IIL— /M<7, /V«r,, ii 350.
I>«.^>i ^>l li^^UMi ^'/EtiiM^Mit^Al, knight, I290.'-O^m6. JKottf^ 79*
%'AUi«AK '/ \U*^ ViKMU^ w^ytnuuA bjr King Edwmrd 1^ 1305. —
i^,<sUi ^^T#)^«<^ wm Amff, inh June lZ2S.—Chamb, BdU, I 12.
Hm^ '^^ fUm, mmA Willkm, Ecrl 'if R^ms, flfaerifiB and baiHes of For-
Ur^ lUly^Mi4rAa. AWms^., M8., 208.
l^^i^Art '^ UjMmy 04 AnchUfrhauMH), aberifi; 9th April 1359.—
J'f^t^ ^4 HMUimy^ titAUsffOjr f4 <me of the Qnartera of.Angna^
\W4^tlM., 355.
%i^^,^ .4 Ummmf, lA^fnW, 1359^.2.— /Weil, 352-9a
W^uWviUk ^ (i«MiMr, 1 Wn^Wtg, Mag SigUl, 42, 116. He was aUve
^ IfififiMr ^ ^f^Uy, Umpftnuj dufrift, 3lnt Oct USO.—Aniiq. of
iii^ ^Mfsm i^ AlMff^Umr mid fkmff\ iL 43.
hWi(jMA^-44iPt(^vy, \%i^M)^IUg. Ep. Brechin., xxL
M'W^^>^y/,|K^//A«liUjrhoiMe, 1300,— Beg, Mag. SigUl, 193, 2
mtm M ^;iM:f«A#r, iZ^t^WjrnUMi'$ Cran., iL 369.
j^<aa^/^m4«ii ^ ^^yy, W^^Jy^JJumfj. BdU, iL 634 ; Beg. Ma
k)^itm4^'*4iH^\yy, HWr-^Jh/mfj, Bdh, iiL 103.
^i t^j^^^'Mic //^>^|yy^ kt^Hl^fif tiA M^y Ii25.—Panmure Coll., V
WjWjj^A^ ^^}yf *4 Km^U^unm^,^ a/iU;rwardfl Countess of Br
/A«m^M»<^ rIm: 4^$ftj()hiff *4 At$f(UH, aliout 1464. — Spaldin
l>«v>l^ K<w< // i'/PM^ff/pA, t4UfrwMr*\M Diik^j of Montrose, app
l^ftofUijwy 44^'M *4 httmnHf Sty Jami5fi IIL, 19th Oct
^ /'/^I^IM t// pti^jf^ UU '>^;^ >/y Jntttim IV,, 29th Oct
///W /A/t/JU^j^0 lUy^fM f/n ifie MmUro^e Clmm, 519, 5f
Smh^y h/f4 lM4kr$iMt^4, Mts\ AUfXMtnUfr Guthrie of that
tU^ntU'^ tt// Umc Vdttti ^i*mwf/frtl TUf fimt apjiears ir
ituju^r Ui M>i\^ Afifi. A^L, H, 95,
Amirttw l^/f/i ^imy, fnf^f^^hU'A ii*cfMUlMry whwfT, on the ret
i^m iPnkit *4 M//^/M-/*«, ^/ili H*ty, \ iHK'^M(mtro§e Claw
t/tfUia WW hM >/y Um? t/fPfUt ih%y tin til Charles the ^
wliitii ihi? Mt l/ftA Or*y rm^t^$mi^ mt die promise
50,000 ni«rkK, Iffn^. /'4wr , I W2,
Whil« thit hifrMliMir)^«tM(f^MWiip w«m in the hand
INTRODUCTION — SHERIFFS PRINCIPAL OP THE MEARNS *9
their dc]jutes probably were, in 1494, William Monorgond
of that Ilk, and Alexander Boyis (Acta Aicd,, 206) ; in
1514, Henry Lovell of Ballumby, knight, and William
Ouchterlowny of Kelly (Miscdl. Aldbar,, MS., 47); in
1516, Gilbert Middleton of that Ilk (Doug. Peer., ii.
230); in 1541, John Stewart, Lord Innermeath (Account
of Senators of the College o/Jtistice, 82); in 1560 and 1578,
Ninian Guthrye of Kingenny (Beg, de FanrnurCy MS., L
422 ; Crawford Case, 178.)
Sir Patrick Maule, afterwards Earl of Panmure, was created " sheriff
principal of the shire of Forfar," by charter under the Great
Seal, dated at Holyrood, 5th Sept. 1632. — Beg, de Fanmure,
MS., ii. 53. He died in Dec. 1661.
Archibald Piersone of Chapelton, sheriff depute, 7th January
lQ4:2,'-Craw/ord Case, 131.
James, 2nd Earl of Southesk, d. sheriff, 1669.— i>oi^. Feer., ii 515.'*
John Lindsay of Edzell, sheriff, d. 1671. — Lives of the Lindsays.
Patrick, 3rd Earl of Kinghorn, who died 15th May 1695, was ap-
pointed sheriff, 1694. — Family papers at Glamis.
David, 4th Earl of Korthesk, sheriff, 1702.— Doug. Feer., ii 323.
i&l^etiffit of tit iMeamjt*
John of Ilastinkes (lord of Dun in Angus), was sheriff and forester
of the Meams, U G3-7 S.—Spald. Club MiscelL, v. 210; infra, 457.
Robert Senescald, sheriff of the Meams, 1214-25. — Beg. Ep. Brechin,
ii. 3.
Philip of Maleville (of Mondynes), 1222-40.— /?(?^. Vet. de Aherh., 88-9.'
Robert le Chein, 1263-6.— C/Aa7?i6. Bolls, i. 20.*
Reginald le Chein, 1266.— /6w?., 32 ;* infra, 453.
Richard of Dummor, appointed by King Edward I., 1305. — Acta
Farl., i 15.
Alexander of Stratoun (of Lauriston), sheriff, 9th June 1328. — Chamb.
Bolls, i 12.
Robei-t of Keith, marischal of Scotland, 11th August 1348-58.'*—
Ibid., 289-300.
•» The first Enrl of Sonthesk, who died in Feb. 1658, is also said to have been
high sheriff of Forfar. — Doua. Peer.^ ii 515.
* Although the story of a Melville having been sheriff of the Meams, and
boiled ill a cauldron at Garvock, is common, and given below (p. 94), tho above is the
only authentic notice I have seen of the Melvilles as sheriffs of the district.
*• Douglas (Peerage ii. 187), says that Robert Keith, marischal of Scotland,
fell at Durham, 17th Oct. 1346 ; but this is probably a mistake, since there was no
other Robert in the family until long subsequent to 1368.
(dj
10* MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
WiUiam of Keith, 1359, and on 15th March I39h—Ckamb. BctU,
I 338 ; ii. 175.
Robert Keith, knight, lord of Troup, 12th March UOS-l .—Beg, Mag.
SigiU., 223.
Sir William Keith, sheriff, 20th May U42 (d. 1476.)— Z>om^. Peer.,
ii. 189.
Patrick Barclay, sheriff depute, 1st April 1448. — Reg. Ep,
Brechin. <^ L 113.
William (?2nd) Earl Marischal, about 1483.— iV^«5^/'e Heraldry, iL
Appx. 238.
William, 3rd Earl Marischal, 7th July 1492. — Acta Dom. ConciL, 243.
William, 4th Earl Marischal, 22nd April 1525, (d. l5Sl.)—Doug.
Peer., ii. 191.
William, Lord Keith, 1621, (d. 1635.)— ilcto Pari, iv. 630.
It would appear from the list of sheriffs of the Meams, that tlie
offices of sheriff and forester were sometimes united. The royal
forester had jurisdiction in offences against the forest laws, and
had certain payments or privileges allowed for keeping or super-
intending these sporting fields, of which Cowy, Durris, and the
Month, were the more important in the Meams ; and those of
Montreathmont, Kingenny, Drinmiie, Plater, and Kilgary, in
Angus.
Apart from sheriffdoms, there were districts called thanedoms,
aud their possessors assumed the title of Thane. Thanes, origi-
nally stewards over king's lands, ultimately became hereditary
tenants of the king, and the title and lands descended accordingly.
The fine paid by a thane was a hundred cows, being the same
number as that payable by an Earl's son.
Probably these divisions were more numerous in this district
than in most other parts of Scotland, there being at least nine
of them in Angus, and seven in the Meams : —
^daneDomjt in ^nguji*
A charter of bounding infefbment of the thanedom of Abberlenoche,
or Aberlemno, was granted by Robert the Bruce to William
Blunt, a cadet of an old Dumfriesshire family.*
Sir Alexander Lindsay, knight, had the thanage of DoUNEY, or
DowNiE, from Robert II. in 1331.'
• Eobcrt8on*8 Index, 18. ' Ibid., 96.
INTRODUCTION — THANKDOMS AND THANES.
^11
Jolin de Logy (probably the father of Margaret Logy, Queen of
David IL), had the reversion of the thanedom of Glamis and
Tannabice from King David in 1363. The reddendo of the
first wa« a red falcon, to bo delivered yearly at the feast of Pente-
cost, and that of the second a sparrow-hawk. Both thanedom s
were afterwards given to Sir John Lyon» ancestor of the Earla
of Strathmore, in dowry with his wifcj Jtme^ daughter of
Robert IL*
Robert IL, with consent of his eldest son, John, Earl of Carrick, gave
Walter Ogilvy an annual rent out of the " thanedom of Kin-
OALTVY." This probably refers to Kinalty in the jjarLsh of
Tannadice, near the co^le of Cortachy, since the lands of Kin-
alty, in the parijsh of Airlie, are deacribed, in a nearly contem-
porary charter,' as being in the barony of Rethy, or Reidie.^
In the year 1220, Malcolm, Earl of Angus, grandson of Gilehri«t,
gave Nicholas, the priest of KiiTiemuir, and his heirs, the ab-
THKm LANDS OF MoNiFiETH. '*Patricju8 capital US medico,'* had a
charter of the lands of BaUegillaehie, or Balgillo^ in the thane-
dom of MoNiFiETn» from Robert 1/
Gylea^ thane of Ei>£vrN, Edevv, or Idvtes, flourished about the
year 1219."
In 1360, Andrew Dempster of Auchterlesa and Care^ton, and William
and John Collace of Balnamoon, granted confirmation of an
annual payment to the Priory of Rostinoth, out of the thanedom
of Mesmuir.^
In 1365, David IL gave Sir Alexander Lindsay of Crawford, father of
the fin?t Lindsay of Glenesk, **all the king's lands in the thane-
dom of Newdosk/"" Those lands lie in tlie Mearna poilion
of the pai-iah of Edzelb
The thanedom of Aberbothnet, or Arbuthnott was granted by
Robert I. to John Fraaer, a cadet of tlie Saltonn family."
Charters of the reversion of the thanedoraa of Aberlutiinot [Mary-
kirk,] Kincardine, and Fettercajkn, were gran tt^l from William,
Earl of Sutherland, by David II. to Walter Lesley,'
i WilHa' Current Not«j* for July 1854 ; Reg. Mag. Sigill,, pp. 32, 90.
^ RoberUon'B ItiHnx, 132. 137
* Reg. Vet. do Aberb., 330 ; Itobertaon's Index. 18. ^ Infra, 428.
Ihtd., 416. ** Eobertsoif s Index, 79.
Ibid., 65, 89 ; infnt, 86,
■ Hobertjoa t Index, IS.
iif ILEMOBIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
Wilijub Fraacr. and his spoiue, Margaret Murray, had the thanedoms
of Ojllt. or CowiE, and Durris, from David II., the first of
which had fireiiouHly }>elonged to Fraser's father. Robert, son
of William Keith, ^larischal, had a charter from Robert II. of
the forest* of Cowy and the Month, the lands of Ferachy, Gka-
t/>Ltr;h, Cmgj', and Clochnaliill, " which of old was in the thane-
dome of Cowie." Long before this, however, in 1281, Thomas,
i/jn of the Tliane of Kolly, is witness to a deed regarding the
division of the lands of Nigg.'
Darid II. granted John Gray five chalders of victual, and David
Fleming, an annual, out of the thanage of Meikle Morphie.'*
SECTION IL
r»it!e% : R^dcahtlc, and its siege by Gray of Damnald — Black Jack— Origin of the
pT'.ftfjfit <'a«tl<i of Glamis, and of the Paintings in the Chapel— Guthrie Castle
— Affl^k — Inverr|nharity, and a Royal License to Fortify the Castle — Bronghty
— JJunottar — Forter — Braikie — Newtyle — Balfour — CoUibton — Ballantyne —
Crathcs— Balbcgno — Careston — Inglismaldie — Muchals, &c.
With perhaps the exception of the ruins of the ancient castle at
Kincardine, in the Meams, there is no certain trace of any
stronghold which existed in either county before the fifteenth
century, during which period, it is supposed, the square tow^er
of three or four vaulted storeys was introduced into Scotland.
Although a few of the castles present interesting architec-
tural peculiarities, and have been the scene of historical events,
our limits will not allow us to enlarge upon these particulars
here. This, however, is the less to be regretted, since notices
will be found of the more important of them in different parts
of the volume, with the exception of those of Redcastle and
Glamis. As little has been hitherto written regarding Redcastle,
while on the other hand, much fable has been circulated as to the
age and origin of Glamis, a few facts respecting them may add
somewhat to the interest of the one, and place the history of the
other in its true, and not less agreeable light.
f Robertson's Index, 60, 66, 117 ; infra, 103 ; Reg. Vet. de Abcrb., 164.
t Bobertson's Index, 32.
INTKODUCTION — REDCASTLE.
ns
The ruins of Redcastle, which are aiiitJiig the oldest in AnguB,
occupy a Hsiuj^ ground on the west side of Luiuin Bay, about a
mile east of the parish kirk of InverkeiUor. They consist of
little more than a rooHess 8<|uui'e tower, much diliipidated. The
UiruU of InverkeiUor and tluj manor of RedcaHlle were given by
King William the Lion to his chamberlain, Walter of Horke-
ley, from w^hom, by a female, they were carried by marriage to
Ingleram of Baliol, ancestor of King John. A de^^cendant
of Baliol married ati Englis^hman of the name of F^hburn, whose
son po8se!?sed Redcastle in VMHL Subsequently it wa«t given by
Robert the Bruce to Donald Campbell, on the foiiciturc of
Heiiry Percy and Ingleram of Umphraville/ On the reftigiia-
tion of Sir Amh-ew Campbell, in 1366-7, the barony wm
acquired by iSir Robert Stewart of Innernieatb, father of the tirst
Lord Lorn, The tower of the castle was probably built by one
of the Lords Imiermeath — at least the family \vcre in posyeHaiou
of the lands from the last-named date, ami i>ccupied the house
down to about the close of the sixteenth century.
It was in the spring of 1579, daring the widowhood and old
age of Lady lunermeath, that Andrew Gray, son of Patrick,
Lord Gray, proprietor of the adjoining estate of Duninald, along
with a number of his followers, attacked the house of Redcastle,
for the purpose of plundering and burning it, and killing the
inmates* It was then occupied by Lady liinermeath, along with
a soil and daughter, the latter of wdiom, wife of Lindsay of
Vayne, is recorded to have been pregnant at the time ;• and
' Crawford's Off. of Stat^. 253 ; Robertson's Index. 18.
• 1 Imvo to tliiink P. At k lev, Esq. of DiininfiM, for tlie follo-oring intereRtiug
notlcns of the occiij/iers of Ue4kii»tlc^ lit tlie Itmo of Gm)?'g attack :— ** The Lady of
lonormeAtli was Elizabeth. Jtuijijliler of Sir Juhri Bctoun of Cr«ich» and widow of
John Stewart. Lrfird Innproif.^ath, Ut whom she was nmrrictl abont J 530. Before
then uhe had bom a daughter to Jauiea V. This daughter was thu well known
Jean, Couiitess of Argyle, who wan aitling wilL Qinten Mary when the mm J«rera
of Riz/io niahed in upon thoir victim ; And, in Df^c. 15117^ the General Assombly
aubicctnl hor to Htrlni^cnt dii^cip'ine because she hiiil o^ted ai proxy fur Queen
Elixabtith at tbo bapiiisni of James VI,. which w^m pbrrortncd according to the
Eonian Catholic manner. — f Book of Uie Umtyertud AiVit, p 9U.) It ia etated by
many writf:T«, that the mother of the Comittss of Argyle was Elizabeth, daoghttir of
Sir John Carmicha^l (Aftr!rward« wife of Sir John *Somervil]e of Cambngucthan), who
was mother, by Jami^a V,, of John Stewart, Prior of Coldin^ham. But this ia
an error, as it is cxpreBftly stated in the Counteaa^a legilifnation. nnder the" Great
Sflal, 18th October lafO, which I have examined in the i%c^i;svci' ili/Ubte^ that
she was the daughter of Elizabeth Betoun. Douglas (Pttrage, 1.9^2, 139), with
hi« uflual inaccuracy, in one place calls tbc Countess the dunghter of Eliaaboth
14* MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
Gray, haying succeeded iu getting possession of the whole build-
ings, except the tower of the castle, in which the inmates took
refuge, he burned down the rest, and, so it is stated, caused Lady
Vajne, almost suflFocated with smoke, to miscarry.
Notwithstanding that royal mandates were specially addressed
to Gray, ordering him to desist from his heartless, and, so far as
now known, unprovoked attack, he paid no heed to them, but
continued his "cruel invasion of said castle and persons" from
the 27th February till the 2nd March following, when matters
had assumed so serious an aspect that the provost and baiUes of
Dundee were ordered by the King to join Erskine of Dun, in an
attempt to relieve the inmates. This appears to have had, for a
time at least, the desired effect, for on seeing the approach of
Erskine and his followers, it is stated that Gray and his accom-
plices abandoned the siege, and betook themselves to Gray's
" locum de Dunenald, alias Blak Jack," carrying great spoil
along with them.
This secession of hostilities, however, appears to have been
only temporary, and Gray, watching an opportunity for further
revenge, made a second attack on 3rd February 1581, during
the absence of the family. He was then accompanied by seventy
followers, and the house being in charge only of two men and
one woman (all of whom he confined in the stocks or prison for
twenty days), he had no difficulty in making himself master of
the place, including the tower. At this time he burned and
destroyed a great part of the building, both within and without
the fortifications, and after having kept possession for some
weeks, returned home with the plunder.
A messenger was forthwith sent to serve an indictment upon
Gray at his house of Duninald ; but the messenger quaintly de-
clares that although Gray spoke to him " our the wall of Dun-
enald and out of the windois thairof, he causit hade the zett and
durris fast and wald not latt me in, [so] I deliuerit ane coppie of
this sumondis to the said Androis spous, and that eftir I hade
Carmichael, and in another of Elizabeth Betoun. John Stewart, who was in Red-
castlc along with his mother, was the 2nd son of Lord Innermeath. A charter of the
lands of Latheiis, in Aberdeenshire, was given to his father and himself in 1561.
Marjory Stewart, the daughter of Lady Innermeath, mast have been the wife of one
of the Lindsays of Vayne. '
INTUODUCTION^OLAMIS CASTLE,
»15
kiKikit nync kiiokis at the zett of tlie Haiti jilace/*^ Gray hav-
ing failed to answer to the charge preferred against him, hi^
lamU anil goojr* were confiscated to the Crown, and he himself
outlawed." fcJtiU, he seem.-* to have got quit by some moans of
the sentence of outlawry, for iji 1586, he was one of the assize
on the trial of Archibahl Uoogla^, ]>arson of (ilasgow, who was
accused of being eooccroed in the murder of Daniley/
Nothing else of interei^t is recorded of Redcaatle, The liouse
IB said to have been roofed^ and in pretty good repair down to
about 1770; aud the barony became tl»e property of Huthven of
Gardyue before the middle of the seventeenth century. It wa»
subsequently in the handn of the Earls of Northesk ; and has
formed a portion of the Panmure estates since the time of the
last Earl.
The caatle of Black Jack was in ohl times the residence of the
lairdii of Duninald. It occupied the top of a perpendicular rock
whieli rises 20U or 300 feet above the level of the sea, near a
place called Boddin Point. The foundations are still visible
upon the rock, which is reaehed by a narrow neck of land, where
there arc also tracer of a fo.sd or ditch. The Grays were in
possession of Duninald down to at least the year 1608. It was
afterwards in the hands of the Erskincs of Dun, from whom it
passed to James /Vlhirdyce, in part payment of his wife's por-
tion.'^ More lately it belonged to the descendants of an old
burgess family of Montrose, of the name of Scott ; aud is now tho
property of Patrick Arkley, Esq., one of the shcritfs of Edin-
burgh, w^hose father built the present mansion house, which h
in the English baronial style, and was designed by the late
Mr Gillespie Graham,
Although there was a royal residence at Glamis from a re-
mote date, and record shews that the noble family of Lyon were
settled there about the middle of tlie fourteenth century, it would
not appear that the present castle was begun to be built until the
time of the first Eai'l of Kinghorn, who succeeded his fattier in
1578. This Earl, who also built Castle Lyon, now Castle Hontly.
* In Spalding Club Miscoll, iv. 60-G8-9, Gray's aame is giTea as James, not
Aodrcvr,
" AoU Pari, iii. 206-10. ' PitcAiro^s Crini. TrinU, i. 148.
- • Inq. Ppoo. Forfw,, No. 60 ; Spalding Club Miftoell, iv, prof Iwtix.
16* MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
in the Carse of Gowry, unfortunately, did not live to finish the
work ; and the justly-admired ceiling of the great hall was not
completed until 1620 — at least such is the date it bears; and
the initials, in monogram, of John, second Earl of Kinghom,
and his Countess, Margaret Erskine, third daughter of the
Earl of Marr, correspond with that period. The fine iron
railing was put round the top of the centre tower in 1682,
and the paintings on the walls and ceiling of the chapel were
executed in 1688, by Jacob De Witt, the Dutchman who,
in 1684-6, painted the Kings in the Picture Gallery of Holy-
rood Palace. It was agreed between the Earl of Kinghom and
the artist, that each of the fifteen large panels in the roof of
tlie chapel should contain " a full and distinct storie of Our
Blessed Saviour, conforme to the cutts in a bible here in the
house, or the service book." The lesser panels were to be
filled "with the angels as in the skie, and such other things
as he (De Witt) shall invent, and be esteemed proper for the
work." The crucifixion was to form the altar piece, and " the
doore piece the ascenscione." Li the panels around the chapel
our Saviour was to be painted, and his twelve apostles, " in als
full stature as the panels will permitt," also "King Charles the
Martyr," and St Paul and St Stephen, all conform to the cuts
in the books referred to. Each picture was to have the same
name painted above, and " at the foot a scroll containing the
same words as are exprest in the cutt."
The agreement between De Witt and the Earl came to be dis-
puted ; and instead of the claim of 200 merks which the artist
made, the Earl writes, " I would give now, after full deliberation,
for the roofe of the chapel, £15 sterling : For Our Saviour, the
12 Apostles, the Bang's father, the 2 Martyrs, St Paul, and
Stephen, the altar and door pieces, £20 sterling."* Such are
some of the interesting facts relating to the building and decora-
tion of this fine chateau, which the Chevalier de St George, who
spent a night there in January 1715, is said to have declared to
be the finest he had anywhere seen.
It need only be added that, since 1620, many alterations and
* Family Papers at OlamU. — The scrollB and letters were executed by
William Bennie, a painter in Dandec.
INTRODUCTION— INVERQUHARITY CASTLE. *17
additions have from time to time been made upon the castle,
the latest being the work of the present Earl of Strathmore.
Apart jfrom the paintings in the chapel, other objects of interest
adorn the interior, such as historical portraits, and pieces of fine
tapestry ; and among the curiosities is an excellent specimen of
the dress of the domestic fool or jester, to the cap and other
parts of which the bells are yet attached.
To much the same age as Redcastle, probably belongs the
tower or older portion of Guthrie. Sir David Guthrie, who was
son to the laird of Kincaldrum, and Treasurer to James III.,
bought the barony of Guthrie from the Earl of Crawford, about
the year 1465, and became founder of the family of that Ilk.y
The castles of Affleck, or Auchenleck, in the parish of Monikie,"
and of Inverquharity, on the banks of the Prosen, near Kirrie-
muir, are among the best and most entire in Angus. They
are fine ashler buildings, and at both the old iron gates or
yetts are preserved, which were so needful for the protection of
life and property in feudal times, and for the erection of which
special licenses were granted by the king. One of these docu-
ments is preserved in the archives of the family of Ogilvy of In-
verquharity, and being somewhat rare, is here given from the
original, kindly commimicated, on a previous occasion, by Sir
John Ogilvy.* The date of the deed, which was granted by
James II., corresponds to the year 1444 : —
Rex — A Licence be the King to AL Ogilvy of Inercarity to
fortifie his house and put ane Iron yet therein.
JAMES be the grace of God Kinge of Scottis. To all and sindry
oure liegies and subdits to qwhais knawlage thir oure letterz sail
cum gretinge. Wit yhe vs to haue gevin ande grauntit full fredome
facultez and spe[cia]le licence to oure loued familiare sqwier Alex, of
Ogilby of Inuerquharady for to fortifie his house and to strenth it with
ane Ime yhet. Quharfor we straitly bid and comaunds that na man
take on hande to make him impediment stoppinge na distroublance in
the makiiige raisinge hynginge and vpsetting of the saide yhet in his
said house vndir all payne and charge at eftir may folow. Gevin
vndir oure signet at Streviline the xxv" day of September ande of cure
Kegne the sevint yhere. [Signet]
7 Land of the Lindsays, 295. * Infra, 331 . * Land of the Lindsajs, 275.
18^ MEMORIALS OF ANQUS AND MEARNS.
The older portions of the castles of Airly and Brechin, and
some others, possibly also belong to much the same period as
those previously noticed, as well as the interesting keep of
Broughty (which is now being restored), the tower of Dunottar,
in the Meams, probably erected by Sir William Keith, and that
of Lauriston, by the Straitons, together with tlie ruins of Ma-
thers, in the parish of St Cyrus, and the tower of Benholm, with
its thick walls and broad massive battlements and turrets.
Of a subsequent date to the castles just named, varying pro-
bably from about the middle of the sixteenth to the beginning
of the seventeenth century, are the Lindsay castles of EdzcU and
Finhavcn, and Famell, which was a residence of the Bishops of
Brechin, and Aldbar, which was built by Sir Thomas Lyon.
Powrie castle, near Dundee, was built by the Fothringhams, and
Forter, in Glenisla, by the Ogilvys. Forter and Airly were
both burned by the Earl of Argyle in 1640, and it was from the
former that Lady Ogilvy, in the absence of her lord, was expelled
by Argyle, an incident which gave rise to the fine old ballad re-
garding the burning of 'Hhe Bonny House o' Airly." Melgund
castle is believed to have been erected by Cardinal Beaton, and
Mains by the Grahams of Fintry . Hatton of Newtyle was erected
by the Oliphants, and Pitcur by the Hallyburtons. Braikie, built
by Fraser, a cadet of Lovat, bears the dat« of 1581, and Claypotts,
built by a descendant of Strachan of Carmyllie, has two dates,
the one 1569, the other 1588. The older portion of the castle
of Gardync was built by the family of that name ; and the
castle of Kelly, near Arbroath — one of the best specimens of
its kind in Angus — was probably erected by an Ochtcrlohy.
Balgavies, destroyed by order of James VI. in 1593, so that
some arches and foundations only remain, together with Vayne
and Invermark, were built by Lindsays. Possibly the old gate-
way of Dun — the only remaining portion of the castle where
Knox, MelvoUe, and others, so often met with Erskine to consult
respecting the best means of promoting the Reformation — belongs
to the early part of the sixteenth century. Balfour castle, in
Kmgoldrum, now in ruins, is said to have been built by Cardinal
Beaton. This, however, appears to be a popular error: Balfour,
which was held of tlie Abbots of Arbroath, was possessed by
INTRODUCTION — BALBEONO CASTLE. *19
Ogilvys from at least 1478, and the castle may have been the
work of Beaton's contemporary, Walter Ogilvy, third son of
Lord Airly, and brother of Marion Ogilvy, mother of Cardinal
Beaton's children. The castle of Colliston, near Arbroath (ap-
parently one of the latest examples of the age referred to), is
also said to have been erected by the Cardinal. This notion
seems to have originated in much the same way as that re-
garding Balfour castle, for the lands of Colliston were also held
under the superiority of the Abbey of Arbroath ; and, during
the Abbotship of the future Cardinal, they belonged to his re-
lative, Beaton of Creich.
Probably the castle of Ballantyne at Newtyle, was erected, or at
least enlarged, by Lord Ballantyne, or Bannatyne, there being a
contract extant " for building a house at Newtyle, betwixt Lord
Ballantyne and John Myle, and George Thomson," dated 1589.''
Lord Ballantyne was the elder brother of George Bannatyne,
the famous collector of the early poetry of Scotland, whose
name has been adopted by a well-known Scottish literary club.
Local story says that it was in the turret on the north-east
comer of the house that Bannatyne compiled his MSS., and that
he came here to escape the plague which raged in Edinburgh
in the autumn of 1568. But had the contract in question been
executed (a supposition which the style of the building rather
tends to favor), the most interesting part of this story is neccri-
sarily groimdless. Lord Ballantyne's father was a writer in
Edinburgh, and proprietor of the lands of Kirkton of Newtyle,
in which he was succeeded by his eldest son. This interesting
little castle is still inhabited.
But the finest examples of this period are the chateau of
Glamis, already noticed, and Crathes castle in the Mearns,
the latter of which was erected by one of the Burnetts, the first
of whom had charters of Crathes from Robert I. Li the same
county, the older portions of Thornton bear date in the earlier
part of the sixteenth century ; and those of Hallgreen, Arbuth-
nott, Tilwhilly, and Balbegno, of the latter part. Tilwhilly was
built by a Douglas ; and Balbegno, with arched hall, and medal-
lion portraits round tlie bartisan, was erected by a cadet of the
^ NoUfrom the laU D. Hill, Esq., per R. Thomu, Esq,
20* MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
knightly house of Bonington, in Angus — the date, "ano 1569/'
and the names of the erector, " i. WOD," and his wife, "e. irvein,"
being carved near one of the upper >viudows. This latter pro-
perty, situated in the regality of Kirriemuir, belonged of old to
the Earls of Angus.
Of the castles of the seventeenth century so many exist, either
in whole or in part, both in Angus and the Meams, that it would
be superfluous to enumerate the wliole of them — a few of the
more important need only be named. Carcston, built by one of
the Lindsays ; Ethie, by an ancestor of the Earls of Northesk ;
Craig, by a cadet of the noble house of Southesk ; and Dudhope,
perhaps by Scrymgeour, Earl of Dundee. In the Mearns are
Inglismaldie, built by Carnegie of Northesk ; Fiddes, by one of
the Arbuthnotts ; Monboddo, by an Irvine ; AUardice, by a
member of that family ; and Muchals, by one of the Burnetts of
Leys. The first and last named of these are probably the most
interesting: Careston contains some pieces of curious orna-
mental carvings in armorial bearings, and other insignia; and
the hall at Muchals has a fine stucco ceiling, containing portraits
of heroes famous in Old Testament and Komau history, with the
royal arms of Scotland over the chimney.
— 0 —
SECTION in.
Battles of Dunniclicn, a.d. 685 — Pitalpin, jl.d. 730 — Aberlemno, a.d. G07, and
A.D. 1012— Barry, a.d. 1012— Rostinoth, a.d. 833-6— Murder of Malcolm I.—
Kenneth III. — Duncan II.— Death of Donald Bane, and King Edgar —
Alexander I. surprised at Invcrgowrio — Battle of Stracathro, a.d. 1130 —
Sepulchral Kcmains found in these Districts — Notes regarding the AVars of the
Independence, and those of subsequent periods.
Apaut from the invasion of the Romans, which occurred about
the year 84, when, ix< conjectured by some writers, the celebrated
battle of the Grampians was fought in Angus, and by others in
the ileams (for neither of which notions, however, is there any
conclusive evidence), it is recorded that on 20th May, 685,
Egfrid, King of Northumbria, and Bridei, King of the Picts,
fought in the neighbourhood of Dunnichcn, when the former was
INTRODUCTION— BATTLES. *21
slain. This conflict is called Cath-Duin-Nechtan^ or the battle of
Nechtan's fort, because, it is said, Nechtan, who reigned King of
the Picts from 710 to 725, occupied a fort on the adjoining hill.*'
A swamp, or lake, in the neighbourhood, called Nechtan's Mere,
was only finally drained by the late Mr George Dempster.
Traces of ancient sepulture have been got in the neighbourhood,
and in a field called the Gaskel, or Castle Park, a well-known
sculptured stone monument was found, below which was a stone
cist containing bones.
It was in the year 730, that Aengus defeated Elpin, King of
Scots, in the parish of Liff, near Dundee. According to Boyce,
the latter Avas beheaded upon the stone on which he raised his
standard. The stone is still called the " King's cross ;" and
" Pit Alpin," the name of the mound upon which it stands, may
imply that the King was buried there. Some years ago, a human
skeleton was found about 18 inches below the surface. Towards
the close of last century, eight or ten graves, constructed of rude
flag-stones, were got in the same locality ; and a fine '* snake-
bracelet," now in the National Museum of the Society of Anti-
quaries of Scotland, was found there in 1732.^
According to the Annals of Ulster, a battle was fought at
Aberlemno, in the year 697, in which " Conquar MacEcha
M'Maldwin, and Aod, the tall king of Daleriaid," were slain ;^
and subsequently Malcolm II. defeated the Danes in the same
neighbourhood. On that occasion one portion of the Northmen
is said to have landed in the South Esk, at Montrose, another at
Lunan Bay, and a third at Barry. Apart from the slaughter at
Aberlemno, another is said to have taken place near Barry, in
' Johnstone's Extracts from Annals of Ulster, 59 ; Caledonia, i. 210.
•* Calcd., i. 211 ; Proceedings of So. of Antiquaries, vol. ii.
* Johnstone's Extracts, 59. Probably, it may be found that the district was
the scene of the battles of Moncarno and Drumderg-Blathmig, both of which are said
to have been fought in the year 728 or 729. In the former fell Ferach M'Monet,
and his son Fingan M'Drostan, and in the latter, Drust, or Drostan, King of the
Picts. The first happened at a place described as " Mon-na-cuma, near Loch
Loga," or " Month-curno, near the lake of Leogdae (Leogdye)," and the latter at
"Drom-dearg blathug," or " Dniim-dcrg Blathmig." -A place called Moncur, or
Monquhirr, is in the parish of Carmyllie, and near it Lochlair, and a farm called
Dustydrura, (? Drustydrum). Near Arbroath is the ridge, or rising ground, of Kin-
blethmont, the soil of which is of a peculiarly red nature. In Caledonia {vol. i. p.
211), it is conjectured that the battle of Moncur was fought near Inchture, and that of
Drumdcrg-Bhitliraig on the west side of the Isla : Others have suggested that Caim-
o*-Mount, and Glendye, in the Mearns, may bo meant by the Insh Annalist.
22* MEMOBIAIi) OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
wliich Camus, the reputed leader of the Northmen, was killed.
Tradition avers that the slaughter was so great here that a
neighbouring bum ran three days with human blood, as is com-
memorated in an old local rhyme : —
" Locbty, Lochty, it red, red, red,
For it has run three days wi* bluid/'
Be the cause what it may, it is certain that in no part of
Angus have there been found so many traces of ancient sepul-
ture, and tumuli, as in the districts of Carnoustie and Aberlemuo;
and below the cruciform sculptured stone at Camuston, where the
leader of the Danes is said to have been buried, Commissary
Maulc is reported to have found a large skeleton, with a part of
tlie skull cut away ; also a rude clay urn, and a thin bracelet of
gold. The two latter relics are preserved at Brechin Castle, and
are here represented.
It ought to be noticed (although there is no ground for such a
belief) that local tradition uniformly avers that the sculptured
stone monuments had their origin in the defeat of the Danes by
King Malcolm.' The peasantry also believe that the curious
symbols engraved upon the stones are a species of hieroglyphics,
and that those at Aberlemno were once read by a Danish soldier !
This tale has long been common, and the interpretation of the
figures is preserved in tliese rude couplets : —
*' Here lies the King o' Denmark's sou,
\Vi' twenty thousand o' his horse and men ;"
' For farther accounts of the sculptured stones of Angus, see Mr Chalmen*
work on the subject, and Mr Stuart's. In the latter ^vill be found notices of sepal-
chrnl remains which have been discovered at some of them, as well as at single on*
embellished boulders, and circles of stones. Notices of similar discoveries in Angm
and the Mcarns will also bo found in the *' Proceedings of the Society of Anti-
quaries of Scotland."
INTRODUCTION— BATTLES. *2.'J
And—
" Here lies the King o' Denmark sleepin* ;
Naebody can pass by this without weopin*/'
About a mile south-east of the church of Aberlemno, in a hillock
upon the estate of Pitkennedy, was lately found a rudely con-
structed stone coflin, containing a clay urn. Near the um were
scattered a number of beads, composed of jet or cannel coal,
of which upwards of a hundred were recovered. With the ex-
ception of four pieces of a square shape, and two of a triangular
form, the rest were oblong, and pierced laterally, the square
pieces being each pierced with four holes, and in the same way ;
but the triangular bits were pierced obliquely. The square and
triangular pieces are variegated on one side by a dotted ornament
resembling a lace pattern, very much the same as those found in
a barrow near Assynt, in Ross-shire, only that the spots of those^
unUke the ones found at Pitkennedy, are said to have been
studded with gold. The Pitkennedy necklace is probably the
most complete hitherto found in Scotland, and is in the posses-
sion of John Inglis Chalmers, Esquire of Aldbar, proprietor of
the lands upon which it was discovered.
But it is not with the transactions of the years 697 and 1012,
that the district of Aberlemno had alone to do, for Hector Boyce
tells us that, between 833 and 836, the Picts and Scots had a
great battle near Rostinoth, three or four miles to the westward.
In this encounter, in which both armies are said to have " fought
right fiercely so long as any day light was on the skie," Ferideth,
King of the Picts, is said to have been slain and his army de-
feated.K With this affair the two large xmembellished obelisks at
the Blackgate of Pitscandly, are locally associated ; and on one
of them being blown over some years ago, a clay urn was found
containing burned ashes.
It is related by old writers that Malcolm I, fell at Fettercsso,
in the Meams, in the year 953, in a contest with a band
of Morayshire men whom he met on their way south to revenge
the death of their Maormor, or chief, whom King Malcolm
is said to have killed.^ Traces of ancient burial are also common
in the district of Fettercsso : and Professor Stuart savs that in
* Infra, 420. ^ Caledonia, i. 390.
24* MEMORIALS OF ANOUS AND MEARNS.
a gravel hillock near the new manse, fragments of a human
skeleton were found imbedded in a vegetable substance. Over
the skeleton was a covering oT beautifully executed net-work, and
around it a nimiber of small black balls, of the form of acorns.
Bemains of hair, of an auburn colour, were also got, and pieces
of an oval shaped, andjelegantly carved box lay upon the breast.*
Most historians relate, that it was near Fettercairn that Ken-
neth III. came by his death; others, that it was near Stracathro ;
but all agree in attributing thtj cause of it to Finella, wife of the
chief, or Maormor, of the Meams.^
Duncan II. is said to have been slain at Mondynes, in that
shire, by Maolpeder, the Maormor of the Meanis. A rude un-
embelHshed boulder, near Mondynes, called the Goort Stane^
about 74 feet high, is supposed by Professor Stuart to have been
the place of his burial.^ It is much more certain, however, that
the name implies that the stone had been used as the site of the
barony courts of Mondynes, the lands of which were gifted by
William the Lion to one of his Anglo-Norman followers.
Donald Bane — ^from whom King Duncan had wrested the
government — being a second time overthrown, was finally im-
prisoned by King Edgar in the castle of Rescobie, in Angus,
where he died, having previously, ac<5ording to the barbarous
custom of the times, had his eyes put out by red hot irons."
Towards the south-west end of the Loch of Rescobie, there is a
long ridge or hillock, which, it is affirmed, was surrounded by
water in old times and joined to the land by a causeway. Here,
without, however, any apparent foundation, some have fixed the
site of the castle of Rescobie. On the summit of the adjoining
hiU of Turin, there are traces of a building called " the castle,"
but neither history nor tradition preserve any record of the
house or its occupiers.
Some say that King Edgar, the nephew and torturer of
Donald Bane, died at Dundee ; and it is recorded that his suc-
cessor, Alexander I., was surprised in his castle of Invergowrie
in 1107, by a band of rebels from Morayshire and the Meams,"
This castle is said to have occupied a tongue of land, formed by
» KssayR, 103. ^ Infra, Hi. ' Caledonia, i. 423 ; EsBnys, 115.
" Caluilouia, i. 424. ■ Wyutown's Crou., i. 282; 284.
I NTRODUCTION— BATTLES.
'25
I the junction of two burns, near tlie cliurch of Liffj at a place
rcalled Hurley Hawkin. The fomidations of an uld circidar build-
ing were lately discovered here, anion g^ which were pieces of
human and animal bones, and rings of iron and bronze.
In the year 1130, Kiiig David L defeated Angus, Earl of
Moray, in a battle at Stracathru, in which, it is aaid, the Earl and
nearly all his ftillowers were killed;' Quantities of stone ciata
have been found in this ncighboui'hood j and wlien tlio Re or jBye
Hillock, near the church of Stracathro, was being reduced some
years ago, a cai'efully constructed grave was found about two
■feet below the suiface, in which were hmnan remains. Accord-
ing to local story^ the grave contained the figure of a fish made
of goldj from 4 to 5 inches in length.
Notices of the occasional residence in Angus and the Mearns
of the foiur immediate successors of Da\id I., and their favor
for these districts, will be found in various parts of this volume,
as well as of the important transactions which occurred there
during the Wars of the Independence^ such as the progress of
King Edward I. — the preparations at the castle of Kincardine
for King John Baliors resignation of the crow^i — his implunng
mercy of King Edward in the churchyard of Stracathro, and his
final resignation of the kingdom at Brechin — also of the cap-
ture and recapture of the various garrisons and strongholds by
the Scots and their enemies, during the aamc period.
Tlie only warlike transactions of note which occurred in tlie
district during subsequent centuries, were the defeat of Lord
Montfort, near Panmure, by the Earls of Fife and March, in
1336-7 ; and the battles of Arbroath and Brechin about a hundred
years later.P The siege of the castle of Glenbervy by Adam
Gordon of Auchendown in 1571, and the ^'bourd of Brechin,'*
[ where it is said Regent Lennox had ^' 32 suddarts hangit,'' were
perhaps the most serious local affrays of the time of Queen Mary ;i
while the burning and besieging of the town of Dundee— the first
by the Marquis of Montrose, and the latter by General Monk—
were the more remarkable incidents which occurred in the dis-
trict during the Civil Wars/
■ HaUes* Annuls, i. 76.
1* Aberaroinbjr'a Ware, ii. 70 ; Guthrio's Scot,, ii. 395 ; infra, Vll, 17L
t LftmonU' Diary, 227. ' Infra, 209-12.
(f) ~o-
20* MEMORIALS OP ANGUS AND UEABNS.
SECTIOX IV.
Introduction of Christianity — SS. Palladius, Drostan, and Boniface — ^The Caldees
— Religious Houses Founded— Origin of Parishes— Ancient and Modern Elc-
clcsiastical Divisions — ^Ezamplcs of Ancient Church Architecture at Brechin,
liostinoth, Arbroath, Dundee, Cowy, and Arbuthnott — Tomb of Hew le Blond
— Arbuthnott Family Mausoleum — Sepulchral Slabs at Dundee, Finhaven.&c.
Although it is said that Christianity was introduced into the
Mcams by St Palladius, who settled at Fordoun during the fifth
century, and that St Drostan and St Boniface planted churches
in different parts of Angus during the two succeeding centuries/
little can be relied upon relating to the true ecclesiastical history
of the country till a much later dat€ — not until, at least, the ninth
century.
It was then that the Culdees were introduced into Scotland,
and among their houses appear to have been Abemethy in
Perthshire, and Brechin in Angus. They were a sort of canons,
and the principal officer of the convent bore the title of Abbotj
which appears to have been afterwards assumed by their descen-^
dants as a surname.* At least, such was the case with the Abbots
of Brechin, who became lay lords or proprietors of the abbacy,
which they had before held in trust for the church.
Brechin had doubtless been a place of ecclesiastical note in the
year 990, when King Kenneth is said to have given the town to
the Lord ; but apart from this, and the facts before adverted to,
little is known, as previously remarked, of the true state of the
church here, or in any part of Scotland until the time of David I.
His liberality in building and in endowing religious houses is
well authenticated, and among these were the Cathedral of
Brechin — probably also the Priory of Rostinoth. His successor,
Malcolm the Maiden, founded the Abbey of Cupar, and King
William the Lion that of Arbroath.
It seems also to liave been in King David's time that Scotland
was divided into parochial districts ; and, from about that period
down to the Reformation, there were eighty-one churches and
chapels in Angus and the Meams. Of these, fifty-two belonged
* Butler's LiveB of the Saints. * BegiHtcrs of Arbroath and Brechin.
INTltODUCTlDli — ECCLESIABTICAL KEMA1N8.
'27
to the diocese of St Anrlrewg, twentj-tlircc to that of Brechin,
four to that of Dimkeld, and two to that of Abcrdiicu,'' The
bishops of the different dioceses still adhere to this arrangement ;
while, under prcftbyteria! rule, there arc, besides quoad sacra y and
oUier recent ecclesia.stical dlvisiouB, fifty-live separate pariKbcs,
and four presbyteries in Angus — ^or, more properly, five presby-
teries, since only three of the fourteen paris^Iies which constitute
the presbytery of ilcigle belong to the county of Perth. In the
JUearns there are nineteen parishes and one presbytery, and the
six parishes situated ou Deeside, belong to the presbyteriea of
Aberdeen and Kincardine < J' Neil*
It was while the religious houses of tJie twelfth and thirtecntli
centuries were heiog reared that the Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-
Nonnan families came to Scotland j uf the lineage and possession
of the raoet of such as were in Angus and the Mearns, some ac-
count will be fuund in i\m volume, and whose liberality, com-
bined with that of the ditierent sovereigns, tended so much to
increase the wealth and influence of the church.
• It was also during tbe same period that tJie First Pointed, or
Early English style of architecture prevailed, of wbicli some good
specimens are to bo seen about tJie CatheJral and tbe Hospital,
or MaisonJieu of Brechin, the Priory of Rostinoth, and tJie Abbey
of Arbroath. With the exception of a portion of the w^est front
of that Abbey, which shews traces of the Eomanesqiie or ihe
Normaij, or tliat style which is supposed to have preceded the
Fireit Pointed, no other example of the kind is known in the
district; but the Ilouiid Tower of Brechin, whicli belongs to a
period anterior to the Nonnan style of building — probably to the
eleventh cei^iu'v — is yet in fine pitiservation, and a good example
of the high state of art in early time:?.
No such remfuns of ancient architectm-e as tliose in Angus are
to be met with in the Mcarns ■ indeed, with the exception of the
mere mention of a Priory, which is recor^led to have stood
at Ecdesgreig, or St Cyrus, and to have been ancient in the
days of King William the Lion/ there is no trace, even in
history, of any convent in die ilcai'us, if we except that of the
" Registcri of Arbroath «ik1 Bn?<tbin ; Arcticologift, xvii,
* Eeg. Prior. S. Aadr^e, 27.
28* MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
Carmelite Friars at Inverbervy, regarding the time of the
foundation of which, and the style of its architecture, nothing is
known.^
In specimens of the architecture of a later period, both Angus
and the Meams are comparatively meagre. Still, the bell-
towers of Dundee and Brechin contain some interesting ex-
amples, more particularly the first-named tower, of the Decorated,
or Second Pointed style. The old churches of Auchterhouse in
Angus, and of Arbuthnott in the Mearns, both of which have
been imfortunately long since demolished, had, so far as can be
gleaned from stray window mullions and other pieces of hewn
work, possessed more than ordinary interest for the student of
ancient church architecture. To these ought to be added the
picturesquely situated ruins of the chapel of St Mary of Cowy,
in the Meams.
The belfiy of the church of Arbuthnott (from an ill executed
drawing of which a late eminent English antiquary was so far
misled as to suggest a resemblance betwixt it and the old round
towers)* is still a curious, if not unique object, while the ad-
joining burial aisle of the family is the only structure in the dis-
trict entitled to the name of a mausoleum. It is in the Gothic
style of architecture, about 60 feet in height, and was built by
Alexander Arbuthnott, son of the laird of Pitcarles, afterwards
Principal of King's College, Aberdeen. The upper storey was
set apart as a library, which the Principal bequeathed at his
death to the clergy of the Meams ; but the books have long since
disappeared, and the ancient bier of the parish occupies their
place. In the lower part is the family burial place, and a recum-
bent effigy, shewn as that of Sir Hugh le Blund, the reputed
foimder of the Arbuthnotts. Fable says that he received large
additions to his estates in consequence of having killed some wild
animal that frequented the Den of Pitcarles, greatly to the danger
of the neighbourhood ; and a cannon ball, preserved in a niche of
the wall of the aisle, is shown as the stone with which Sir Hugh
killed the animal I
Sir Hugh's tomb is ornamented with certain armorial bearings,
which some heraldic writers have strangely interpreted, for it
* JnfrOf 441. * Pinkerton's Literary Correepondencc, ii. 420.
INTUODUCTJON — SBPLTLCHRAL MONUMKNTS.
»29
I a.
" til
I
a certain tliat, if the ftliield ever existed, wLich is said to Iiave
been charg'cd with three chevrons (upon wliidi lias been founded
the idea that Sir Hiigirs wife was of the old family of De More-
vUIe, constable of Scotland), it b not now to be seen, there being
only the Arbuthnott, the Durham, and the Lindsay coats. The
effigy, of which there are others of the san^e type at Maryculter
and Cupar- Ang'us, seems to l>e of an age with the ruausulenm ;
aod it is much more probable that the coffin-slah, which lies be-
ido that effigy^ embellished with a cross, two shields, and a
iword, had been the tombstone of Ic BlunJ. Its style, at least,
corresponds more with that of the funereal monuments of the
tliirteenth century, during which he flourished.
Of this class of monuments, though by no means common,
there are several good examples in Scotland, and probably the
est are at Dundee, Their chief feature is that of a cross, some-
times of exquisite design, and generally carved the whole length
of the stone. Along with the cross arc the more ordinary repre-
aentations of swords and hunting horns, compasses and squares^
doubtless indicating the favourite pursuits and occupations of
the persons over whom they were reared. One of the slabs at
Dundee bears the figure of a ship^ a ship-carpeu tor's hatchetj
and other interesting objects. Two of them are inscribed — one
contains a shield, charged with the Hay arms, and these words
are carved perpendicularly on the stone : —
+ P>k . beet * ^oannc^ . ftlibst . l^bUippi , diS^orb*
The other, adorned with a pair of actssora and a bodkin, contains
this pious legend —
+ <Dtatf : pro : anlm : i^lattlli : filla W : €6oma[f] :
The specimen (No. 1) here tigured, of which the original Is
^^^ (No. 1.)
I only about three feet long, is from a stone in the old kirkyard of
W
30*
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEABNS.
near the junction of the rivers Lemno and South Esk. It appears
to have been an early foundation, probably dedicated to the Nine
Mfudens. It was re-
built in 1380, and
granted by Sir Alex-
ander Lindsay of
Glenesk, to the ca-
thedral of iBrechin,
of whicli it was a
prebend.
Of the sepulchral
monuments of a suc-
ceeding age, or those
of the fourteenth and
fifteenth centuries,
that here represent-
ed (No. 2), is also
from the kirkyard of
Finhaven. This
slab, which so clearly
indicates the status
and character of the
person it commemo-
rates, is rudely in-
cised, and carved in
much the same style
as one at Cupar-
Angus, in memory
of a monk of that
(No. 2) place, dated 1400.
On the margin, left blank in the woodcut, in old English charac-
ters, commencing above the head of the figure, is the following
inscription : —
+ Vfit . iatet . j^onobtabdU . btr . t)n${ . xttitxV . 6t btcatibil . U
finitbj^n . qbi . obiit . 2^ . Die
The stone has been much broken, and unfortunately that part
containing the last letters of the surname is defaced and partly
wanting, and what may be deemed singular, neither the month
JNTRODUCrriON— SEPILCHUAL MONUMENTS.
^r y<*ftr nppearf* to liave been chiselled to record his decease.
The anus on tLe shield at the feet of the effigy appear to be a rode
representation of those of the Briiee family, a conjecture baaed on
ail old monument belonpnj^ to William Bruce uf Earlshall, at
LeuchnrSj in Fife.^hire, which has the same arras, with a fleur-de-
Jifi in chief for a difference. Bruce was possibly the name of the
^ncar to whom this tomb was erected.
Before closing these brief introductory remarks, it may be added
that, difiering in style both from the ancient sculptured stones
of the Aberlerano and
Mcigle type, and from
those just noticed, a
peculiarly interesting
example of an early
Christian monument is
preserved at the Manse
of Arhirlot, in Angus.^
This stone, which is
here represented, was
discovered in the foun-
dations of the old parish
kirk of Arhirlot, some
twenty -five years ago.
It is about 5i feet high,
by about 2f feet broad ,
bears the representa-
tion of a cross (probably
of the patted sort) near
the top and bottom of
the stone, of two open books, and a small circle. One of the
volumes haa a clasp, and probably the line which connects the
upper book with the cross below, is intended to represent a rope
or chain, thereby shewing that the custom of thus preserving the
Bacred writings and M^orks of the Fathers had been in use at
the time this stone was erected, but that period is, of coiu^e,
unknown.
Probably this is the monnment of some old ecclesiastic of
f Proceed, af So. of Antiqaunes of Soot., u* 449.
32* MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
Arbrilot, or Abereloth, as the name was anciently written, the
first recorded of whom is William of Eglisham, who flourbhed in
the time of Robert the Bruce. The church was in the diocese
of St Andrews, and dedicated to St Ninian.
During the thirteenth century, a person called " Maurice
Abbe de Abireloth," witnessed grants to the monastery of Ar-
broath, both by King William the Lion, and the Earl of Angus;
and in consequence of the suiniame Abb4 being assumed by
ancient owners of properties in this and other parts of the country,
some antiquarians are of opinion, as before shewn, that those who
bore this name were either hereditary lay Abbots, or descended
from the principal ruler of some Culdee establishment, such as
were the Abbes of Edale, or Edzell, and of Brechin.
MMOEIALS OF ANGUS AND MEAENS.
PART SECOND.
THE mSTORY AND TRADITIONS OF THE
Cototus anil iSasstlest
VISITED BT ElSra EDWABD THE FIBST,
▲J>. 1396.
PART SECOND.
CASTLES AKD TOWNS VISITED BY EDWARD L. AD. 1296.
CHAPTEB L
ffl:i)e ©astUss anU Coton of jforfar.
SECTION I.
Eecoril of Two Caatlos— Qu&en Margaret's Idch—PiirliaraentB— William I.—
Alexander II. and TIl.^ — Gardon«?r» of Forfar and Menmuir — ExpenweB of the
Koyal Household — Castle Surrendered to Edward I. — Ed ward ^s Visit — Coetle
Captured and Dcatroyed by Bruce — Aucieut Anuour^ Broiixe Celtit^ &c.— The
Constable's House— Tenui-ea of Old Farms— King*« Falooaer, &c.
The history both of tlio Castle and of the Towtx of Forfar i* lost
in tlic mists of antiquity, lltictor Boycc says that Foriar had a
castle at the time of the Roman Invasion under Agricola — an
assertion, it nued not be remarked, which is altogether apocry-
phal J while, on the other hand. Tradition, together with the
names of certain adjacent places, have hitherto been considered
as the only groinid for the idea of a castle having existed there
during the reign of ilalcohn Canraore.* But this latter point
may now be considered pretty well eBtablished, since, within a
hundred and fifty years after the death of that King, record shews
that Robert de Quincy made over to Roger de Argenten what
he terms '' my place of the oU castle of Foriar, which our lord
King William gave to me in lieu of a toft, to be held of me and
my heirs by him and his heirs, well and peacefully, freely and
quietly."^
This, the only charter evidence of an old castle at Forfar in
the time of William the Lion, is of much valuOj not only because
it proves that two castles were there at one and the same time ;
* i.e. KJng'e Muir, Palace Dyke«» Queen's Well^ Qneeu's Manor, Court Road,
Kiiig'fl Bam, King's S«ai| Wolf Law, &o. ^ Beg. Frioratua B* Andmo, 354.
4 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
but because it shews that, although the authority of Boyce is
often questionable, he is sometimes more accurate than is sup-
posed ; for, in regard to this point, he says, Forfeur was " streng-
thened with two roiall castles, as (he continues), the ruins doo yet
declare."*'
Probably the old caath given over by De Quincy was that of
King Malcolm. Perhaps it stood upon an island on the north
side of the Loch, called Queen Margaret's Inch, for foundations
of an extensive building are still visible there, among which, till
of late, was " an oven almost quite entire."** This was an arti-
ficial island, composed, as is yet apparent, of large piles of oak
and loose stones, with layers of earth above. Although now
accessible from the land, it is said to have been reached of old by
a draw-bridge ; and it may be inferred, with much plausibility —
particularly since it is believed that fortifications of this sort were
introduced into Scotland soon after the Norman Conquest — that
the reputed castle of Eling Malcolm, who flourished subsequently
to that time, and whose Queen was bom and educated in Eng-
land, had stood upon the Inch, while the more recent fort occu-
pied the Castlehill. That hill is a conical mound on the north-
east of the town, upon which also were the remains of a castle.
The mound is about fifty feet in height, had at one time been
moated, and upon it was placed, some years ago, a picturesque
tower of modem masonry.
Assuming, therefore, that the old castle of Forfar stood upon
Qiieen Margarets Inch, it had been there, according to Boyce
and others, that King Malcolm held his first Parliament, insti-
tuted titles of distinction, restored the children of those that
Macbeth had forfeited, and abolished the marcheta mulierum law
of the fabulous Evenus III., which apparently was nothing else
than a mere money payment on the marriage of a vassal. There
too, with still more probability, were enacted by Queen Margaret
many of those holy deeds for which her life was so remarkable,
and whose history tradition has linked so closely with the town
and neighbourhood of Forfar.**
It is not, however, until late in the reign of William the Lion,
« nollinebod's Chron., i. 11. «* Brown's Boyal Palaces of Scot., 266.
* Hailes* Annals, Appendix, No. I., and a.d. 1093. Butler's Saints, June 10.
FORFAR — THE CASTLE A IIOYAL RESIDENCE.
that tliere is any record of a Court liaTing been licid at Forfar
— ^ioJoeJ, not until between 1202-7, about which time King
William waa present and held an Assembly there. It ia also
well authenticated tliafe Forfar was a favourite residence of the
two last Alexanders*, and that, in 1225, the first of these monarchs
held a parliament there in person. Another Assembly took place
on the 14th of Janmiry 1227, but from that the King was ahsent/
Several charters of the same prince arc dated from Forfar to-
wards the close of his reign .^
But it was during the time of the last Alexander, while the
commerce of the kingdom, its agriculture, and even its horticul-
ture, were in a state of considerable advancement, that Forfar
was most patronised hy royalty ; and, but for a passing notice
relative to the King's gardenera at Forfar and Jlenmuir, the
interesting fact of the art of horticulture having heen known and
cultivated in Scotland in those days, would have been little else
than matter of conjceturc. The gardeners of Forfar and Jlen-
muir are the only gardeners nientiuocJ at the period ; and it is
probable that both places were resorted to by Royalty in sum-
mer, while fruits and flowers were in season. The yearly wage
of the gardener of FoHar was five marks, wliile the gardener of
Jlenmuir bad only one mark'' — a fact whieli perhaps indicates
the smallness of the labours of the gardener at Jlenmuur com-
pared with those of him of Forfar.
It is in 1263^ that those interesting notices occur, when
Alexander III. was but fourteen years of age/ and the accounts
of the two Jlontealts, ancient lords of Feme, and sheriffs of the
county, furnish some interesting particulars regarding the items
of rent received from the royal manors or Jemesnes of Forfar
and Glamis. During the year 1264, the return is 24 cows from
Forfar, and 13^ troni Glamis, exclusive of an an'car of 21, mak-
ing a total of 58^ cows, 48 of these were expended in the King's
service, and Montealt acknowletlged himself debtor for 10^ cows,
(Tut of 75 hogs received from the two manors, 25 were spent in
the King's service.
These interesting accounts also abound with Items of cheese,
' ActA Pari. i. 68. 59.
* Cbumb. RoJb, L •IS,
* Illtisl. of AbtTtl and Bnnff, ii. 109,
» Had., «J2. ^13.
6 MEMOBIAIil OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
butter, hens, and malt, which were in the same year received from
the demesnes of Forfar and Glamb. It appears that 4 chalders
and 10 bolls of barley meal were used in feeding seven whelps
and their dam for purposes of the chase. William of Hamyll,
hunting at Forfar with the Kmg's hawks, had, for the space of
29 weeks and two days, in the year 1263, 8^ chalders, with
three parts of a boll of grain, together with £8 128. 6d. in money.
During the same time, the King's horses hunting at Forfar had
14 chalders and 6 bolls of grain, and the grooms, besides being
found in forage, had £4 78. in wages. Still further, the carriage
of 16 pipes of wine from Dundee to the Castle of Forfar, a dis-
tance of twelve miles, cost £4 8s., and at Easter, 30 sheep were
brought from Barry, valued at 258., and 40 from the Grange of
Strathylif, now Glenisla, computed at 33s. 4d.^
Such are a few of the glimpses which the industry and intelli-
gence of learned antiquaries have given of the old value of cer-
tain commodities, and the economy and mode of living adopted
by our ancient sovereigns. Unfortunately, however, from the
above date until the year 1291, when King Edward demanded
and was refrised seisin of the castle of Forfar, nothing is recorded
of its history. We have already seen it was then held for the
Estates of the kingdom by Umphraville, Earl of Angus, and that,
together with the castle of Dundee, it was surrendered by him
into the hands of the English only on receiving a formal letter of
indemnity, guaranteeing him from all blame.
Soon after this, on Tuesday, the 3d of July 1296, King
Edward and his suite visited Forfar, and took up their abode in
the castle, where they resided until Friday the 6th. At that
time Forfar was, as now, the chief or county town, and, as already
noticed, the King of England, accompanied by Anthony Beck,
the celebrated Bishop of Durham, and others, came thither from
the secluded stronghold of Inverqueich, in Perthshire, a distance
of about twelve miles. During King Edward's stay at Forfar,
two churchmen and four barons, from difierent and distant parts
of the kingdom, went there and owned his superiority over
Scotland.^
> Bagman Rolls. 77^ ; Prynne. 650 ; Palgrave, 162^.
FOKFAR — THE CASTLE.
The castle had probably been then entii*e ; but in the follow-
ing year, while it was held by Brian Fitzadam, a retainer of Ed-
ward, it IB said (upon what authority is not apparent), that it
was captured by Sir William Wallace. If ho, it had soon again
fallen into the hands of the Englbh, who long afterwards kept
possession of it, for towards the close of the year 1308, King
Edward granted a mandate to Jolm of Weston, " constable of
our castle of Forfare," to supply it with the necessary provisions
and fortifications ;!" but booh after thid notice It yielded to the
conquering arms of Bruce.
The merit of its capture on that occasion, is said to rest with
Philip, forester of the forest of Platane or Plater, near Finhaven,
and the manner in which he accomplished the deed is thus
quaintly described by Barbour: —
" The CAfitell of Forfar was then
Stuffit all with Ingliimcn^
But Philip th« forefltar of Fbtans
HftS of Ilia fretirlJB with hini tanr,
And with Icdderls all prtn-clj
Till the caatcU ho can bim hy»
And clam out our the wrdi of fltAQf,
And togat has the castell tano
Thrtm fait of wach with liiill pane,
And syn all that ho fand has alane :
ISjn jhald the castell to the King
That mad hiin richt gude rcwarrhng^,
And Byn gprt bn?k dotin the wall,
And fordid this costell all.""
The castle thus destroyed, —
** And all iho towrij tnmlit war
Down till tho crd"— *
was never rebuilt, and when the court visited the neighbour-
hood aften^'ards, it resided either at Glamia ca.stle, or at the
Priory of Rostinoth, from both of which places charters were
granted in presence of royalty.** But during the visit of king
James in 1G17^ while enjoying the sports of the chace in Mon-
treiithmont muir, he lived at Kinnaird castle witli Lord Carnegie*
Tradition affirms that the murderers of JIalcolm II- while
flying from Glamia, tJie reputed scene of the regicide, were
^ Rotul. Scot., i. 61. " Barbour'g Bras^ 203.
• Beg. Mag. Sig , p. 116 ; Reg. Ep. Brechin., i, '29.
8
MEMORIALS OF AKGUS AND MEARKS.
drowned in the Loch of Forfar, mid pieces of chain and plate ar-
mour, le^a or moro entire, together with several other warlike
remains, including swords, battle-axes, and bronze celts, as also a
bronse cabinet ornament, have at various times been found while
excarating in and about the drained parts of the Loch, and near
the CastlehiU. The celts and cabinet ornament arc preserved in
the Museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland ;P and
tlie annour, some of which is at Glamis castle, is said to have
been that of the regicides, but the story of their fate being alto-
gether apocryphal J and given only by Boyce, it may be assumed
with greater probability that the armour had rather belonged to
Boldiei-s who fell at the capture of the castle of Forfar in 1308.
Of the size or appearance; either of the older castle mentioned
in De Qnmcy's charter, or of the mure modem one which Bruce
destroyed, it were idle to conjecture. It is true that the armorial
bearings of the towrij and also the
ornament which formed the top of
the cross of the burgh, erected in
1684 (here engraved), are said to be
representations of one or other of
these strongholds. Probably the ruins
of the two castles to which Boyce
alludes had not long survived his
time ; for within half a century after
the publication of his History, an
anonymous writer is altogether eilent on the matter of the Castle,
and only condescends upon the Constable's house:— ^' In Foir-
far/' he says, " I saw tua durs chekisj with ane myd trie be-
tuenc the durris maid verray clcnely and verray aubstantlous,
quhairin the eonstabill of Foirfair Castell duelt in the tyrae of
King Malcolme Kanmore : thay ar of blak aik, and appeirandlie
as thai war not maid v, aeir of eild.''<i
Perhaps there is reason to conclude, by the time the last-
quoted 1^Tite^ visited Forfar, both castles were heaps of ruins,
otherwise he would have noticed them. It is certain that in
1674, which is the next mention I have seen of the castUj it is
declared to have been **now long time ruinous/' About ten
f FltiCMd. of So. oi Aati^n ii* 64. % [15e&] Extnustao Crgu. Boocic, 250.
FOUFAB— CHIPEL OK THE ISLAND— ROYAL FARMS. 9
years later, Mr Ocliterlony says, tlic ruins of Caomore's castle
*'are yet to be seen;^* while another writer, w^ho visited the town
about five years afterwards, observes that " Forfar bad once the
King's Palace, tliough no\v we scarce see the ruins of it."'
But it ought to have been before mentioned, that whether the
island in the Loch of Forfar was wholly, or only partly artificial,
or whether it was the scene of some of Queen Margaret's good
deeds, or the si to of King Malcolm's castle, it is certiiin that a
religiou* bouse was e^tabli&lied upon it by Alexander II, in
1234, and that, besides money and other privileges, he gave the
two officiating monks pasture for six cows and a horse on his
lands of Tyrbeg/
With the exception of the traces of the building on the Island
before referred to, nothing remains there or on the CastlehiH to
shew that either had been occupied by strongholds, while the
constable's residence is now unknown. The hereditary con-
stableship of the king's hou^?e itself, which ultimately merged into
that of the burgh— long held by the noble family of Gray, and
more recently by that of Strathmore — was abrogated in 1748,
on the abolition of heritable jurisdictions.*
Still, it is interesting to find that record has preserved some
of the curious tenures by which certain of the royal farms were
held in old timeSj the same, doubtless, as were in use when the
palace was occupted by King William the Lion and the two
Alexanders* In the year 1372 it appears that the middle
landB of Kerringtonfields, now Ferridanliclds, w^ere held " pro
seruiciis debitia et consnetis manerio nostro de Forfar ;''" while
Tyrbcg, or Torbeg (the place of ** little hillocks'-), and Balnash-
annar (*Hhe high hill of the town"), were held upon the redcLndo
of furnishing the royal household with three hundred cartloads
of peats trom the muirs of these lands, wlien the Court should
have residence at Forfar— a holding which was subsequently
^ Ihper in Archives of Burgh; Spottiswoode Misccll,^ i. 321 ; Morcr's Acct. of
Scot., 104. MoaipQDDie (161*2) eive« this random deacnplion— '*The townc of For-
farpe, with ftn old caatle, with a looh and iwi imIo then in, with a tower/' — MisreU,
Scot., i. 103. • Breti. ArUiq. Reg. de Cuprv in A negus.
* It may bo noticed t!iat Walter, Lonl Astun, waH created Baron Forfar, hy
Charles I. in 1C27; and Archibald Diftiplnu, second Karl of Ormond, wm crtjalcd
, Earl of Forfar, hy Charles II. in 10(U. The first of these titlea became extinct in
, 1846; the latter in 1713. " Reg. Mag. Stg , p. 89,
10 XEXORIALS OF AK6US AJTD MEAMSS,
changed (whether owing to a scarcttj of peats, or other eaaae, is
not stated), to the famishing of a sufficient qoantitj of fuel in
general/ Tradition also avers that the neighbouring lands of
Heatherstacks (a name of which I have fomid no earlier trice
than towards the close of the fifteenth centnry '/ were held under
a similar tenure in regard to the furnishing and winnowing of
heather for the use of the royal kitchen, an idea, in the absence
of charter evidence, which the name may be held to corroborate.
As an instance of the manner in which fact and fiction are
sometimes comingled, it may be mentioned that among the officers
which belonged to the household of King Malcolm at Forfiur,
tradition speaks of sl falconer who was buried at Kirriemuir, upon
whose tombstone, it Ls said, were the figure of a plater^ and an
inscription to the effect that the stone marked the grave of a
fowler to that king, who dwelt at Pluckerston. It is further
stated, that Pluckerston, which is in the neighbourhood, had its
name because the feathers were there plucked off the birds which
were killed by the royal sportsmen. So much for tradition : It
appears that in old writings the name is written Locarstoun, or
Lockartstoun ;' and, although the gravestone referred to is said
to have disappeared, probably the curiously carved figures upon
the old sculptured stones in the churchyard (which, but lately,
were brought under notice), had given rise to the idea of the
plover, as one of them bears allegorical or other representations
of figures with birds heads/
It is quite certain that falconers were attached to the house-
holds of the Kings who resided at Forfar, apart from the menials
that kept the hawks. In the year 1327, King Robert I. granted
and confirmed to Geoffrey of FouUertoune and Agnes his wife,
the lands of FouUertoune in Forfarshire, with the office of Kmg's
falconer within the shire of Forfar, and entertainment in the
King's house at Forfar (when the King sojourned there) for the
Falconer himself, a servant, a boy, and two horses.*
♦ (nrnmliflrlain lUAU, i. 343 ; Rcff. Mag. Sig., p. 116. " Acta Dom. Con., 332.
« Acta Pari., ii. 379-82. 7 Sculp. Stooes of Scot., plate xliii.
• JIttdlngiTni (JoUeciion of Charten, MS. Adv, Lib. Edinb.
HeateiiifinT notioes of Rocdnotli-FoHki^-ClMngt of Caiibt Uad»— fiiaeripticiiij on
the Charcb bells — ^Funereitl mooaaients— Epi«ooptef — ^Declmrmtioa i^osl tb«
Soksm League and Covenant— Dr John JamieMii.
NoTWiTHSTAKDrxo that Forfar had a roval palace, and waa of
considerable aatiquicj as a to\*Ti, it waa of late erection as a se-
parate parochial district^ being at first a portion of the old parish
of Bostinoth, and ad such called Brntinoth-Forfar,* In the an-
cient taxatio the church of Kostiuolh and the chapel of Forfar
are rated together at the small sum of 24 merks, and both were
granted by David, bishop of St Andrews, during the reign of
Alexander IL, to the Abbot and Canons of Jedburgh, Rostinoth
belnfi^ the motlier church, and the chapel of Forfar, which was
dedicated to St Jame^ the Great, dependent thereon,** Both
were in the diocese of St Andrews ; and, so far as ascertained,
the names of John and Dyonisius, who were deacons, and Simon,
who was clerk, are the only traces that remam of the old ecclesi-
a-^tics/
In 1567s ^^ churches of Forfar, Bostinoth, and Aberlemno,
were served by one and the same minister, who had a salary
of £200 Scots, and In 1570, the reader of Forfar had the sum of
£20. But, from that time, down to 1648, when an alteration took
place in the situation of the glebe, there is no record of the clergy
of the town, with the single exception of Mr James Elliot, who
entered upon the office of the ministry in 1593, and as minister
of Forfar sat in the general assembly at Glasgow in IGIO.**
Until the year 1643, the glebe of Hostinoth-Forfar was situated
within the parish of Rustinotli ; and being fully a mile distant
from the kirk of Forfar— the original parish church of RosUnoth
having been previously supprenaed — Mr Thomas Pierson, the
clergyman at the period, succeeded in getting it removed nearer
to the town, and, in lieu of the ** glelb ullottit to hnu furth of the
landsofRestennett, belonging to JameaHetcher,*' hehad ** All and
• Tlie titymology of the nfiinc ih doobtfui — Fetnt/imt, ra^jins "cold paaturo,"
— harrfitar, '*acoKl prnntj a bd^lit." [? Tor/nar, ''the cold billocks/j
^ S^e notice of Robtixcth, below% part y\.
« Bee, Vet, de Aberb,, 31, U6, 93, 263 ; Eeg. Pnoratus S. Andrce, 346 ; Reg.
Ep. Brechin., 7. * Booke ol the Kirk, S04, 1086,
12 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
licall that croft of arrabill land callit the Bread croft I jand within
the territorie of the said burgh of Forfar, betuix the lands of
William Scott at ye wast, The lands of Jhon Morgoun on the
east. The Ferritoun fields on the south, and the Kings gait ledand
to Dundie at the north pairts. Extending to four ackers of arrabill
land or thairby , To be holden In fine burgage and heretage for ye
ycirlie payment of the Kings meall and wthers conmion anuella
and debbit furth yrof of befoir, by the said Mr. Thomas Plerson,
and his successors, ministers [of Forfar], serueing the kirk and
cuire y'of, as a constant gleib to him and them in all time com-
ing."" •
The kirk of Kostinoth had been suppressed sometime between
1576 and the date of the above deed, and the lands within the
burgh of Forfar, " great and small," belonged to the town fi-om
time immemorial. They were confirmed to it by the charter of
Charles II., together with those of the greater part of the parish
of Forfar-Rostlnoth, and also the patronage of the kirk of For-
far, which had been previously disponed to tlie town by Sir
George Fletcher, to whom, and his brother James, the patronage
of the same belonged.'
It ought to be observed that Forfar is only a single ecclesias-
tical charge, but in 1836, the western portion was created into a
qiioad sacra parish, called St James\ Both churches are plain
buildings, and the old kirk, erected In 1791, is conspicuously situ-
ated upon a rising ground on the south side of the town. The
interior is fitted up with galleries on all sides excepting the south,
and prior to the building of the present handsome steeple in 1814,
a short old tower with battlements and spire occupied its place,
which had added little to the beauty either of the kli'k or the
town.*
The date of the erection of that crazy tower is unknown ; but
in 1657, through the liberality of Robert and William Strang,
merchants in Stockholm, and natives of the burgh of Forfar, of
which their father was long provost, it received the addition of
three bells, all of which are still in use. The largest of these is
singularly handsome and profusely ornamented, bearing upon the
' Pajfcr (1048), in Arohives of Burgh. ' Acta Pari., Tii. 615.
f Siuclftif's Stat. Accl. of Scot., vi. 523.
FORFAR— CHURCH BELLS.
13
west side the armurial bearings of the faiuLly of Strang, and those
Words, —
*' THIS BELL 18 PKBPECTSO AKO AUGMENTED BT
WILLIAM iJlRANQ AND HIS WrFE MABaRET PATTILLO IN STOCKHOLM.
AM*0 1656."
Upon the east side is inscribed, —
" FOB THE GLOIir OF GOD
AND LOWE Ul£ DID OEABE TO BIS rtATIWE TOUKE
HATHE VMQ* ROBERT STRANG FRIELT GIFPTED THIS BELL
TO THE CHURCHE OF THE BURaHK OF FORFAR,
' VilO DECEASED IN THE LORD IN STOCKHOLM THE 21 DAY OF A PRILL.
ANNO 1651«*'
Surrounding the rim of the bell, at top and bottom respectively,
are these quotations from the Evangelist and the Psalmist,** —
"GLORIA IN EX0BL819 DEO
RT IN TERRA PAX HOMJNIBUB BONA VOLUNTAS.
ANNO 1656."
"LAETATUS sum in BIS QU.« DICTA SQNT MIHI IN DOMUM DOMINI
XfilHUB 8TANTES ERANT PEDES KOSTBI IN ATBllS TUI3 JEROSALKM,
ME FECIT QEROT MEYER. 1656."
Until the establishment of a cemetery some years ago, which
is eh^gantly kid out, and ornaiiiented by a handsome monument
to the memory of Sir Robert Peel, the firat, it is believed, that
was erected in Scotland to that eminent and patriotic statesman,
tlio limited space of ground which suiTounds the old kirk was the
only public place of burial in the parish. Although the tomb-
stones thiii'e are numerous, the inscriptions possess little general
interest, and the oldest id in memory of a " cordiner and burgess'*
called Woiid, with a carving of the arms of that old family,
and date 1607. There are, however, some neat marble tablets
within the church — three of these relate to the Camegys of Lour,
cadets uf the noble family of Northesk — one to the late Provost
Kerr, and another to quarter-master John Mhin of the 46th
regiment, who died in his native town while on a visit to it in
quest of health. This monument is one of those fine specimens
of "a soldiers gratitude' '^ — so characteristic of the benevolence
of the British warrior — ^^being " erected by Colonel Garret and
* Liikc, ii. 14 ; P§iilrai, cijtii, 1*2. Sm hIbo Ari'tifDU^ Ko. L
14 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEABNS.
the officers of the regiment in testimony of their esteem and re-
gard for their deceased brother officer, and in commemoration of
his services in the army for nearly thirty-five years, twenty-three
of which he served abroad with his regiment in the East and
West Indies, Gibraltar, and North America."
Besides the Established church, the Free, Episcopal, and other
dissenting bodies are highly respectable and influential, and some
of the recently erected churches are in tasteful styles of architec-
ture. The new Episcopal church contains a fine stained glass win-
dow, put up at the expense of, and thus inscribed by the present
laird of Guthrie : — ** fli^ Honorem Dei, et Memoriam Joannis
Gvthrie, de Gvthrie, Arm : Qui Obiit, 12. Nov. 1845. ^tatis
svse 82. Atqve in Memoriam Anns Dovglas, Conjvgis ejvs,
Qvae Obiit, 2 Deer. 1845, ^tatis sv« 75." Forfar has been
long a stronghold of Episcopacy, and during the time of Charles
II. the magistrates and council were staunch adherents of that
church, for at that time they declared openly against the lega-
lity both of the National and of the Solenm League and Co-
venant, and in the following firm and remarkable terms treated
the oaths and obligations which had been taken to maintain these
leagues as frivolous and unimportant : —
"Wee Prowest, Baillies, and counsellers of the burghe of
Forfar under subscryvand, and evry ane of ws Doe sincerly af-
firme and declaire That we judge it wnlawfuU To subjects vpon
pretence of reformatione or other pretence whatsoever, To enter
into Leagues and Covenants, or to take vp armes aganest the King
or theise commissionated by him : And that all theise gatherings,
conwocationes, petitiones, protestationes, and erecting and keip-
ing of counsell tables, that were used in the beginning, and for
careing on of the late troubles, Wer wnlawfuU and seditious, And
particularlie that these oathes wherof the one wes comonlie called
The Nationall Covenant (as it wes sworne and explained in the
yearj°»vj*= and thirtie eight, and therefter), and the vther enti-
tuled A aolemne League and Covenant^ Wer and are in themselfes
unlawfull oathes, and wer taken by, and imposed vpone, the svb-
jects of this Kingdome aganest the fundamentale Lawes and Li-
FORFAE— ORIGIN OF JAMIESON's SCOTTISH DICTtONAUy. 1 ">
And that ther Iveth
r^pono
C
bertics of the same: Ana that llier ijetti no obiif^atioiis
yf^ or any of tho aubjects from the saids oathe.^, or aither of theni,
to endeavoure any change or alteratione of the government,
aither in churche or state, as It is now established by the Lawes
of this Kingdom : In witncs wheroff wee put owr handis hcirto
att Forfar this Tuentie one day of December j™vj*^ thriescore thrie
yearcs.
Chakles Dickeson, prouest
T. Guthrie, bailie James Benny, counsellor
Charles thorntoune, balzie Jhone Morgan
A. Scott, counseller Th. Benny, Consvlcr
Da* Dickson, counseller Mr William SLTTiE,cownceller
James Benney, counseller II* Cuthbert, coonceller
Ro. Hood, Counsellar
JoHNE AiUTH Js* Broune^ jr
John Couk Jhon drandore."*
Dr John Jamieson, the well-known antiquary, and compiler of
the " Scottish Dictionaryj'- was pastor of the Anti-burgher con-
gregation of this place from 1780 to 1797, when he left for
Edinburglu lie laboured at Forfar for the small sum of ^oO
a-year, and before IcaYing for the metropolis had made him-
self popular by the publication of '* Sermons on the Heart/'
*^ Reply to Dr Priestly/' and other -works.
While at Forfar he had the good fortune to become acquainted
with George Dempster of Dunnichen, at whose table he was a
frequent gnest, and it was there that the happy idea of the
Scottish Dictionary waa fii-st suggested to him. This originated
with Grim Thorkelln, the learned professor of antiquities at
Copenhagen, before meeting w^ith whoin^ Jamieson had looked
upon the Scottif^h language merely as a species of jargoUj or at
most a eorrnpt dialect of the English and Anglo-Saxon.
The Professor having spent a few months in Hcothmd before
meeting with Mr Jamleson, had noted some hundreds of purely
Gothic words then in common use in the shires of Forfar and
Sutherland. Thesc^ he believed, were unknown to tho Anglo-
Saxon, though familiar to the Icelandic tongue; and it was this
hint which induced Jamieson to collect the more singular words
* Originitl Document in Archives of Burgh,
16 MEMORIALS OF ANQUa AND MEARNS.
and expressions of the inhabitants of Angus, and gave rise to
his Scottish Dictionaiy — one of the most remarkable monuments
of industry and learning, as well as of utility, of which any
country or age can boast J
SECTION III.
Forfar, a "Royal Burgh — Early Burgesses— Its place among Koyal Barghs— Roger
Cementarius de Forfar — BrogiLe, or Shoemakers— Johnstone's Panegyric —
Drummond's Satire — Provost Strang's Defence of Charles I. — Refusal of
Nobles to Subscribe the Convent and Stent the Lieges.
That the town of Forfar had a subsequent origin to the castle,
and arose under its protection, can hardly be doubted, but the
time of its erection into a burgh of royalty is unknown. Like
most Scotch burghs in the same position, it is believed to have
been so created by David I. It was certainly a recognised burgh
in 1261,*^ and as one of the " steddis of warranty in Scotlande,"
it dates as far back as the days of William the Lion.^ Before
1244 it was a place of considerable size, and in that year was
almost totally destroyed by accidental fire \^ but by the lime of
the visit of Edward I., it had so far recovered from the accident
as to receive the appellation of " bone ville'' in the Diary of the
journey of that King, which was far from flattering in its expres-
sions either towards the towns or the people of Scotland.
Among the earliest notices of the burgesses and magistrates of
Forfar, which occurs in 1372, are the names of Patrick of Rynd
(perhaps one of the Carse family), who was alderman, and he, along
with five other burgesses, named respectively William Adamson;
John Williamson ; William Kede ; Simon Armurer, and Hugh
Flesher, are parties to an indenture or agreement with the inhabi-
tants of Montrose regarding the freedo.n of both burghs.*^ Sub-
sequently, betwixt 1395 and 1434, the bailies were Philip Freck,
^ Dr Janiieson's son, Robert, an eminent lawyer, to whose memory the Faculty
of Advocates erected a fine monument in 8t Cuthbert's churchyard, Edinburgh, was
born at Foriar. [David Don, sometime Professor of Botany, King's College, London,
was also a native of that town, being bom there on the 21st Dec, 1799. His father
was a "watchmaker and botanist.' —i'br/ar Pariah HegUtcr.]
^ Chamb. llolls, i. •14. » Acta Pari, i. 51.
» Fordun, b. ix. 61 . ■ UisceU. AUbar., MS.. 90.
William Young ; John Wricht, and Alexander of Gutlirie —
the thi^ee last of which are common fturuames in the town and
neighbourhood at this day,''
The King had the disposal of the biirgli duties and mails, and
from thescj it is said, *^ he vertew of anc antient gift, dated
the 20th of February 1299," the minister of Fiiihaveuhad a small
annuity, P and in 1376, Robert II. granted 10 merks out of the
same to iyexander of Lindsay. Among the missing charters of
Robert IIL there is one to the town of Forfar for £8, IBs. 4d.
Scots often ;'* while, at a much earlier penod Willitim the Lion
and Alexander 1 1, gifted both lands and money therefrom towards
the support of the Abbey of Arbroath/
The population of the burgh is unknown at the early period
under review, but by contrasting the payments made to the King's
chamberlain by the bailies of Forfar and those of the other burghs
of the county, it appears that the payments of Forfar were least
of all. Nor docs the town appear to have advanced much dur-
ing the half century which followed ; for, by the modified burgh
tax of 1488, it 18 charged little more than a fourth part of the
amount allotted to Montrose and Brcehiji/
The only glimpse which we get of the trades carried on at
Forfar in early times is perhaps in the names of the burgesses
already noticed. In Simon Armurer, forexample, the name may
be traced to the occupation of a manufr^cturer of defensive wea-
pons, and Hugh Flesher, to that of a dealer in animal food ; but,
long prior to the date at which these parties flourished^-con-
temporary even with William the Lion — are found in connection
with the town the still more interesting personages Roger Ce-
raentarius de Forfar, and his son William, in whom, perhaps,
may be recognised the chief builders or superintendents of King
William's palace at Forfar, and of Ingelram de Bailors stronghold
of Redcastle in Lunan Bay, for both occur as witnesses to char-
ters by that baron, confirming the grant of the kirk of Inverkeillor
to the monastery of Arbroath,* Whether these were the builders
of the castles of Forfar and Redcastle, which is not improbable,
* Cliiwnb, Eoll«, i\ and iii, tvy. •* Pajter in Ar(Mve§ of BwrgK
* Beg. Mug. Sig„ p. 110 ; R/>l>ertson*a Imlex, p 144,
' Reg. Vet. de Aberb,, 7, 53, 201 \ Nig., 85.
* Spahlitig Miscellany, v. 27, ' Beg Vet. do Ab rb . 39.
18
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
it 18 more certaiQ that in Roger and his son, wc have in a Latin*
ised form, the now coinniou surnaLiie of Mason, whicli had ori-
ginated in that important business.
But from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century no trace is
foimd uf the occupatton of the inhabitants of the ohi couotj towHr
Doubtless the trades earned on were as varied in character as the
neeessitiea of the curinnnuity required, anxl the exports must have
been hmited. The first incorporation of trades toijk phice in 1653,
and these were four in nninbcr — shoemakers, tailors, glovers,
and wabsters — tlie first being the most ancient and wealtliy. The
deacons of all the crafts were ex-ojfieio councillorB of the burgh.^
Forfar is chiefly famous in the old annals of commerce for the
manufacture of shoes, and these were of a peculiar kind called
" brogues/' from the Gaelic word bro^, literally '^ a shoe/'
Light and coarse, made of horse leather instead of nolt, they were
admirably adapted tor travelling among the hills, and were a type
of the shoes worn by the old inhabitants of Scotland, which, in
more modem times, were denominated rou^h ruUionSj and dif-
fered from these only that the hair was taken off the brogues.
At what time the raannfacture of brogues was introduced into
Forfar is quite uncertain ; and, it will be seen by the following
translation of a fanciful epigram (in which a fabulous antiquity is
Bssigncd to the trade), by the learned Artlmr Jolmstonc, that we
are not made any the wiser upon the point ; but the town being
proverbially aesociatetl with it in Johnstone's time, it could not
have been introduced later than the sixteenth century : —
**Tlic ruitivH of a Paluce thee clt'ooio,
A rmitffill I^ake, mid frukfull Land mtich more.
Thy Precuicta (it*8 cotife&t) tniieh atmitfined b«,
Yet Ancient ScxjTULirp did give Power to tliee i
AngiiA and other plaices of the Lnnd,
Yeold to thy JunHdiclioT* and Comumnd.
Nobles untfi thf People Law^ du give.
By ILtndy CraftB tho Vulg^ir "sort c!o livu.
They pnll off BuHoc^kij-hydrB nnd nifike them meet
Wlien tiiiitiM, to cover hnndscmu^ Virgins fiet :
From thee arc Sandals to liglit Umbriuns sent.
And soUb with IntLdicts to R«pe Climbers !cut :
• By the old Sett of Ihe burgh of Forfar^ the town was governed by a provost,
two bttliea, a tfCAiurcr, and 15 couucillors. There lire now n provost^ tlirtje bHilics,
atfenfUcr, and 10 conucilluff.
POnFAB— PROVOST STRASO.
19
And EuIlJoTiB wberowitb the Bovm do go
To keep tlioir feet uDburt with Yco and Snow,
Tb«i RDcituit Greeks their Buuts frora t)m Towo ltmii(jlit
As )dso lieiice their Ladies allppefs fl^nght.
This the Tragedian*? did with Buski!igs fit»
And tht? Commediaii-elifHjes invcnled it.
Lot not Rome hencobrth g\ its PuiHsnnre Ix^aat
Nor SpartaBii vftiint murh of ihcir wurlidthost :
The^ Iftid their Yi>ak oti necks of other Lands
Farfivr doth Ije llieir teet Mid Iegg» wiili baiids/*'
There is a tradition that, during the summer of 1645, while
Bmmmond of ILawthorndcD, the celebrated liLMtorian and poet, was
joiirneylog through ScotlanJ he' %^isltcd Forftir, and was refused
shelter for the night, a mark of inhospitallty to be accounted for,
probahlj from a fear on the part of the inhabitants that he might
communicate the plague, w^hich was then raging in many parts
of Scotland. Be the reason what it may, Drummood found a
hearty welcome in the adjoining town of Kirriemuir^ aud learning
that a feud pended betwixt the iiihabitaots* of those two places
regarding the commonty of Mnlr Moaa^ he dcteimined to play oflF
a joke upon the raagistratca of Forfor, by addressing a letter to
the Provost on tlie day follow^ing. The Estates of Parliament
w^ere then sitting at St Andrews^ and believing the communica-
tion to be from that body, the chief magistrate had the council
and clergyman of the burgh convened, to hear aud dcliljcrate upon
the contents of the letter which, much to their ar^touishmeut aud
chagrin, they found to consist in the following reproachful rhyme
upon themselves, in which it will be seen there is a pointed al-
lusion to the brogue makers ; —
** Tho Kirrietnanans an* the ForfiinAns met tit Muir Moaa,
The KiniemarianB Wat thfl Forfarians b»ck to the Crotu ;
Sutors jre are, an^ Sutors ye*U bt^ —
FjG upo* Forfar, Kirriemuir b<&&r8 the greo !*'
The town of Forf^ir, famous in old times for the number of
souters or shoemakers, had among these craftsmen persons of
the highest integrity and independence of cliaracter — one in par-
ticular, who, in the face of the assembled parliatuent of the king-
dom, stood almost alone aud single-handed, and boldly denounced
the sale of Charles L to his English enemies— a fact thus (piaintly
' See ArrsuDix, No, IL (a.)
20 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEAKNS.
noticed by Sir Hemy Spottiswoode in his poem of The Bebell
States : —
" Neither did all that Parliament agree
To thiB abhorred act of treacherie.
Witness that still to be renowned tutor,
Foriar's commissioner, and the State's tutor
In loyaltie ; who being asked his vote,
Did with a tongue most resolotely denote
In loyal heart, in pithie words, tho' few —
' I disagree, as honest men should doo.* "
— This noble minded " sutor " was Alexander Strang, provost
and commissioner of the burgh of Forfar to the parliament
of 1647, ^^ in respect of whose faithfull testimony and dissent
against the passing of the Act concerning his Majestie*s persone,
and for diverse other good causes and considerations," Charles
II. ratified the ancient, and granted some new privileges, to the
burgh.''
Before this, however, in the memorable year 1639, the inha-
bitants of Forfar had a good example of loyalty set them by a
number of the nobles who there convened in Committee for the
purpose of having the Covenant subscribed which it was intended
should abjure Episcopacy, for stenting the lieges, and numbering
and arming the men — projects which completely failed owing
chiefly to the great firmness displayed by the Earl of Southesk,^
who boldly confironted his own son-in-law, the future Marquis
of Montrose, then on the side of the Covenant.
Subsequently, in 1644, Committees of the loyalists were held
daily at Forfar ; and in the following year, while General Baillie
was in pursuit of the Marquis of Montrose (now an Anti-Cove-
nanter), he encamped there with his army,y the night before his
inefiectual pursuit after Montrose, who, upon that occasion, ac-
complished his celebrated retreat, and took refuge among the
Grampians.'
" Acta Pari., vii. 616. In SpotHswoode Miscel^ i. Pref. p. iv., and 184, the
name of the Commissioner is erroneoasly given as Hunter, The only other hur^h
Comuiissioners that voted against the sale of King Charles were those of Brechin,
Tain, and Ross. There were also six peers and four commoners, making in all four-
teen.— Jiishop Quthry't Memoin, 237.
» 8palding*s Trobles, i. 136. r JUd.^ u. 347. * Land of the Lindsays, 237.
FORFAR — ^TOWN PILLAUEO.
21
SECTION IV.
Ijiipriiomj]Ci]tofa.ii£ngliiiU Spy — ^liis Retease — DeBtmcdon of the Biirgli Records—
Glatnift Caitlo garrisoiied — Condact of Mackay*^ troopa — Introduction of Linen
Tr*d« — Qenenil Improvement of the Town — Cotinty Hall aod its PaintingB —
M&rkcttA — Disputes coijoerniog the Cuitomci of St Jatuee' Fvlr — Noticcu of the
Town during the 1 7th contmy — D*tc of Ochtt-rlonj^a '"Account of tho Shyro
of Forfar" ascertained.
It was during the ware of the Commonwealth that the town
suffered most at the hands of the soldiery, and this arose finom a
wish on the part of the inliahitants to support the deposed mon-
arch. Ever ready in the cause of their unfortunate Kin^, and in
the punishment of his enemies, the raagistratea in 1651 discovered
Captain Buchan ** an intelli^eneer, and [one who] did keep cor-
respondenee with tho Englisli his Majestie^s enemies/' and had
him secured in their tolhooth* But before they had time to
come to a decision respecting his conduct^ the English had cap-
tured tlie neighhouring town of Dundee, and Colonel Ocky, hear-
ing of Buchan *s imprisonment, marched from thence to Forfar,
" with a consideraVde body of horse and dragoons/' and not only
liberated Buchan, hut pillaged and harrasscd the town ; and
breaking open the charter room, ** took forth all their rights and
records, and cancelled and destroyed the same.''* lleiice the
want of early records relative to the burgh of Forfar^thc oldest
extant bearing the late date of 1660^
Within four years from the time the burgh was pillaged by
Ocky, and its old records destroyed, a part of the army of the
Commonwealth were quartered at Glarais castle, during which the
bakers of Forfar were bound to supply them with '' fower dnsseii
of wheate breade for each day in the wecke," and the fleshera
** beefe, mutton orlambe, each Munday and Wedensday,'* under
pain of the same being forcibly exacted,''
The stay of the ganison at G lam is was short however, and so
far aa can be gleaned from the few remaining documents of tlie
period, little occurred for many years worthy of record, beyond what
has been already noticed — not until after the battle of Killiecrankie
when a detachment of the forces of William and llary were sta-
• Jhtper m Archhv$ <*/ ^ur^A— 1674. •• (1654)— AFPKifnjx, No. IIL
22 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
tioned at Forfar to watch the movements of the rebels that were
constantly passing along the front of the Grampians between
Brechin and Dunkeld, plundering as they went. But so far as
regarded honesty and decorum, the conduct of the royalists was
much on a par with that of the rebels, for during the short time
the former were stationed at Forfar they had " eattin and de-
stroyed " all kinds of victual to the value of £8000 — forced horses
and carts, and free lodgings from the inhabitants to the extent of
an additional £2000 — left the tolbooth and schoolhouse in a state
of ruin, and were guilty of other oppressive conduct, so that many
of the people altogether deserted the town.*'
Forfar does not appear to have borne a more conspicuous part
in either of the rebellions of 1715 or '45 than some other burghs
in the county. It is true that the accidental murder of the Earl
of Strathmore during day and on the open street (an interesting
local incident which I have elsewhere noticed),^ had its rise in the
first of these transactions. It is also certain that the number of
rebels in Forfar at the latter rising was great, and, as in the
curious case of Coimcillor Binny, they sometimes resorted to
strange plans for enforcing their purpose f still, oddly enough,
the town was selected as the place for confining the rebel lairds
of PItrichie and Echt.^ This was in January 1746, and within a
month thereafter, when the Duke of Cumberland's army rested at
Glamis, the Forfarians displayed their favor for the exiled family
by cutting the girths of the horses under night, so that the Duke's
progress northward might be retarded as much as possible.
The town may be said to have been then without rulers, it
being only after the return of peace that the council and magis-
trates found themselves safe to take the oaths of allegiance, being
prevented from doing so at the time of their election by " the in-
fluence of a military force, and also by the numbers of rebels.''
Soon afterwards, however, Forfar began to flourish ; and it is
curious to observe that previously to that date, even so late as the
beginning of last century, the number of business men was so
few that it was feared " a penury of fitt persons for representing
the magistracy may happen," and in consequence the council re-
« Burgh Becorda, 1689-90. ^ Land of the Lindsays, 1G2.
* AiTEADix, No. IV. ' Spalding Miscel., i. b69.
solved to continue the Banie persons as magistrates for two or
three consecutive years instead of one year as the law pro\id€d.*f
After the last rebellion, however, the population of the town and
paritfh ra|ndly increased, and within the past hnndrcd years it
hm received an addition of more than 7000 souls.
This increase has arisen chiefly from the introduction of linen
maniifacttireB, which followed the rehcUion of 1 745. The linen made
hei-e is of a coarse peculiar sort called osnahurgh^ for the superi-
ority of which Forfar has acquired considerable celebrity, a state
of matters amply exhibited in the opulence of many masters, and
the comfortable condition of their servants. It is also apparent in
tlie recently much improved state of the town, both in regard to
its public and private buildings. Jlany of the shops are spacious
and elegant, and some of the modern churches are built in taste-
ful and varied styles of architecture.
The town and county buildings, situated near the middle of
the High Street, are substantial and commodious, and the in-
terior of the county-hall is endjellislied with excellent portraits of
the noble hero of Caniperdown ; Dempster of Dunuiclien ; Scott
of IXmninald ; and the famous Henry Dundas, Lord Jlelville.
The first of these was painted by Opie, the last by Sir H. Ene-
bum. Soon after Melville's picture was hung up a county din-
ner t»M>k place in the hall, at which the late Lord Panmure, then
the Honourable Jlr llaule, was present^ aucl Dundas being, as is
w^eU known, an equally staunch supporter of the Tory party as
Maule was of the Whig, the latter, in an after dinner trolic, put
a lighted taper to ilelville's portrait. The picture was but little
injured ; and the Honourable Miss Wortley, a daughter of a
house of the same politics as Dundas, having heard of the circum-
stance^ wrote the following verse upon the subject : —
" Ti> vent lita spleen on Mblville'h patriot name,
Maul£ gave liis picture to ilie nitlilesB flame;
Nor knew thnt thiH was Mblvillk's fame to raise —
Censure from Ma^ulk is Melvu^lb's gretiteat pmiac,*'^
The weekly and other statutory fairs or markets, which ought
« 8cU of Royal BorghR of Scot. 41,
^ Copied by the Inte P- CbalraerH, Esq. of Aldbitr, from a poper at Drinnicben^
ill Uic Imudwriling of H DempHtpr, Emj^.
24
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
to have been before noticed, have long contributed to the interesta
of the cummunilj. The first of these, as bi other ancient towns,
coeval with the rise of the town itself, was held on Sunday, a
custom whieh originated at a very remote perifxi ; and from the
long time the practice continued, it had doubtless been found coo-
venient both for exposer and purchaser. Indeed the same coursa
was carried on even after the Reformation ; and it was not until
the year 1593, that Parliament thought of legislating upon the
point, when an Act was passed " to discharge, remove, and
put away all fairis and marcattis haldin on Soudayisf'* but the
people were so much prejudiced in fiivour of the custom that
nearly a centiu'y elapsed before the terms of the Act were even
generally complied with.
During the same year the burgh of Forfar had a special grant
of Parliament changing its weekly market from ** Sonduie to
Fridaie with the like priviledgcs and frcedonies '' as before ; and
subsequently^ notwithstanding that an Act had been previously
passed prohibiting the holding of fairs on Satm^days and Sundays,
upon the plea of their interfering with the sanctity of the Sab-
bath, and ** under the paine of ane hundredth merka/*J the
market-day of Foriar was again altered to Saturday, upon which
day the principal weekly market is now held.
The otlier statutory fairs are those of St Valentine ; All
Saints ; St Peter, probably held at ouc time near the Priory of
Eostinoth, to which saint that church was dedicated ; St James,
so named in honour of tlie patron of the old chapel of Forfar ;
and St TrodlinSj properly St Triduana, winch fair is said to have
been held originally at tlie kirk style of lloscobiej and removed
to Forfar so()n after the Earl of Kinghom, Kiiperiur of the regality
and patron of the kirk of lioscobie, succeeded to the office of con-
stable of Forfar. There was also the fair of St Margaret, in
honour of the Queen of Malcolm Caninore ; and St Etliernan, to
whom some chapel in the neighbourhood had probably been in-
flcribed.
St James's, however, has long been the chief market of the dis-
trict, and is continued over three days, but in old times it lasted
from the 20th to the 30th of July; and the magistrates were
1
» Acta Pftrljv, 16.
> Ibid,, IV.
Til. 481.
FOR FAR — HIOT AT ST JAMKS FAIRt
25
empowerc^d "toarmewith Ijalberta twenty four e men duermgthe
time of the faire, for kcepijig the peace^ and collecting the cus-
tomer thereof/'*' Although the terras of the Act of Charles ILj
already alluded to, seem to exclude the probability of the cua-
toiuH belougingto other thantlie burgh of Forfar, the right to them
was sometimes claimed by tho Constable, a proceeding which
produced much bad feeling in tho community.
Shortly before 1<)72 a serious dispute took place between the
town and Constable in consequence of the mai'ket being proclaimed
by William Trray of Iu\rercichty, hereditary Cdnstable, *' in his
Mftjestie'a name aud his owen, without mentioning the town of
Forfar;" and, it would appear by the magistrates' account of the
ra -liter, that Gray conducted tlie alFair In a truly bold and arbi-
trary style. Not contented with going through the mere formula
of proclaiming and '^ryding" the market (a cu?*tom which was
long kept up in Scotland, and bad its origin in the same principle
on which the King rode on horseback in procession to parliament),
Gray convocatcd together about eighty persons, and ** invaded and
assaidted the magistratB and burgesses, and committed several 1
deedn of outrage, by fyreing of pistolls, beating of them vnth
dra wen swords, and tradeing their baillies under foot." The
matter was brouglit under review of the Privy Council, and
they, favouring the pretensions of Gray, took as evidence against
the burgh, the testimony of several of his own tenants, some of
whom accompanied him upon the occasion complained of, and
** fyred the first pistolls, and drew the first swordn/*^ How this
matter was settled, we are left to conjecture; but it is certain, al-
though the issue is also doubtful, that in the course of another year
or two the Earl of Kingliorn — following up the object which
Gray had begun^also laid claim to the customs of the fairs as
Constable of the burgh, to which office he had been recently ap-
pointed. Lord Kinghorn's claim was denied upon the narrative
set forth in the Charter of 1660, and on the ground that the *' Con-
stabulary of Foriar imported no more but the keepiug of the
King*s house In Fortar while the same stood/'"
Such is a brief notice of the past and present state of Forfar.
^ (yrig. Warrant by Ralph Cobhctt, 1652, in Archivn of Burffh.
^ Paper, 1G72, in Archivts ojJJarffL « Paper, liii 1, ibid.
26
MEMOEIALS OF ANGUS AND MEAHNS.
With the cxceptiOQ of the notices in the Old and New Statistical
Accounts of Scotland, written the former in 179B and the latter in
1843, both of which are meagre in regard to the ancient history of
the place, I ana not aware that any other history of it exists, and
these have he en abridged for the numerons gazetteers since puh-
Hahcd. It IB true that Boyce speak» of it as harbig been ** in
time past a notahle citie, though now [1526] it is brought to little
more than a countrie village, replenished with simple cottages;'*
while a local writer towards the close of the century which fol-
lowed, passes over all notice of the town, merely remarking in
reference to the lakes of the county, that *^ the principal are those
of Dodd and Forfar, where there is a chain of thera adorned with
fishing boats and wears/' "^ But ilr Ochterlony of Guynd, who
wrote a few year^ later, shews more diAcriininatlon ; and in his
brief account says, " Forfar is a considerable little tonne, and
hath some little trade of cremerie w^are [small goods sold to ped-
lars], and linen cloath, and Bueh lyke. It is pretty well built,
many good stane houses sklaited therein, and are presently build-
ing a very stately Cross ; hath a large church and steeple well
plcnished with bells ; they have some public revenue, and a good
deal of mortifications to tlieir poor, doled by the bountie of some
of their touu's men, who going abroad hecame rich ; tliey have a
good tolbuith, with a bell in it ; they h:ive four great faires yearly,
and a weekly mercat. Tlie Shieref keeps his courts there ; and
all publick and private meetings of the sbyre, both in tyme of
peace and war arc kept there."** Soon after the period to which
these remarks rcter, the town of Forfar was visited by a Scotch
regiment of the line, and the English chaplain, in his published
notes of the towns he visited, describes it as ** a place of no
great noise, saving that it is a county-town, a royal borough,
and anciently tlie seat of several Parliamcnts/'p
Upon these, the only printed notices of Furfar in early times
(excepting a worthless and burlesqued story by Captain Franek),
little remark need be made. Its fast growing importance as a
town and burgh has already been adverted to, and there is no
doubt but the old writers just quoted, have given faithful ac-
» Edw^nl'i Deicrip, of Attgoji, 19. •» Spottiswoodo Miicpllanj, i 32K
^ Morer't Acct. ot bcoi,, 104*
FORFAH— NOTICES UF WITCHES*
27
count? of the place* With regard to the ** stately Cross," winch
beiDg erected in Ochterluny'B time, it ought to be remarked
that the peculiar way in which he mentions the subject, com-
pared with that in the burgh records, settles the exact date of his
valuable " Account of the Shy re of Forfar/^ which has hitherto
been matter of guess* It is given as being written circa 1682,
and as the treasurer's accounts of the burgh, towards the close
of 1084, contain several entries regarding the construction of
the Cross, such eb the hewing of the stones, and the carriage of
the chief or tup stone which was got from Glamis quarry, it is
clear that Mr Ochterlonj's pamphlet could not have been written
before the end of 1684, and was perhaps written early in 1685.^
SECTION V.
ITodcea of Witches — their treatment and trialB^Kinked, witch pricker^ miide no
lionomrj' burgcfis of Forlkr— Feuds between the FurquharBODB and the M'Comios
of Gkubla*
TllE trial and execution of Witches is a dark subject with which
not only the town of Forfar, but the whole British islands, and
many other countries, had unfortunately too much to do, and by
which a vast number of human lives were sacrificed to the cre-
dulity and ignorance of the times. That deplorable state of
matters evidently arose from a narrow and misconceived notion
of the words in Exodus—** thou shalt not suffer a witch to live''
i— and the literal manner in which that passage was mterpreted,
and its injunction enforced, leaves a stignta upon the old legisla-
ture of Great Britain, both civil and sacred, which can never be
effaced from her history.
The evils attendant upon the passing of the celebrated statute
of James VI. for the punishment of witches, and his work on De-
monology and Sorcery, are well known, and have been often al-
luded to» Suffice it to say that the last execution for witchcraft
in Scotland took place at Dornoch in Sutherland, in virtue of the
DO less heartless than illegal decision of Captain David Kosi
< Afpem>jx, No. V.
28 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AMD MfiAIUfS.
of Littledean, then gheriff-cnibstitate. The yictim apon that oc-
casion was a poor insane woman — so crazed that she gloried in be-
holding the fire that was kindled to consume her person ; and,
although, by that time, the obnoxious law upon which she was
condemned was erased from the statute book, no proceedings ap«
pear to have been entered agunst the illegality of the sentence.'
I am not aware that any executions for witchcraft took place
at Forfar later than the year 1662 ; but during the preceding
half-century they were numerous in this, and in every other town
of the county. Indeed, there is scarcely a presbytery or session
book of contemporary date that does not bear record of these de-
plorable proceedings, either in the form of precognitions and exa-
minations, or in the significant intimation of the ministers of rural
parishes being present in the chief town of their neighbourhood
'* at the tryal of witches and charmers,'* instead of attending to
their parochial duties.
Kecords of the declarations, and the details of the trials of some
of those unfortunate creatures, are extant in the archives of the
burgh ; and, however absurd these would appear now-a-days, were
they collected and printed, they would form a curious and not alto-
gether uninstructive chapter in the history of the district during
that really dark age. Meantime the minutiae of those trials shall
be allowed to repose in their native mustiness, since they are best
suited for a separate publication ; but, as some entries regarding
the treatment of "witches," and the care with which they were
sought after and watched by the authorities, occur in the records
of tlie burgh, we shall content ourselves with some of these no-
tices, convinced that, while they lack the sad disclosures of human
depravity contained in the more formal records of the trials, they
are sufficiently curious to be read with some degree of interest
by all.
It appears that in 1661, the town of Forfar was divided into
eight districts, with a councillor in each district, " for setting and
changing the gairds for the witches." It was also decreed that
** persones jmprisoned for witchcraft shall have no watch with
them jn ther prisones, nor fyre nor candle, but that sex men
nightly and dayly attend and watch them jn the vper tolbooth,
and that the quarter-master shall order the watchmen to wisit
' S<:ott'i \ Alien on Dcmonolgy and Witchcraft, 382.
FORFAR — NOTICES OF WITCHES.
29
them at evvy tliree lioures end iitgbt and day.'' It appears that,
ff>r the sin of lookhig out at the window of the prbon, two of these
unfortuuate womeu were ordered to be " put jn tht; stockea/' or to
have the window of their chamber nailed up. In such an arbitrary
state of matters it will not appear very wonderful to Jind the
eouneil, with all doe aolemnitj, approving of the ^' care and dili-
gence'' of Alexander Heigh, a dealer io ^' aquavitie'' (from whom,
as appears in evidLmce, much of the liquor wa** got that ** the
deviir' gave to the unfortunate dupes whom he met periodically
in the churchyard), ^* for his bringing over Johne Kinked, for
trying of the prisoners suspect of w^itch craft." Nay, so excoed-
ingly well pleased were the council with the manner in which
Kinked performed hh disgusting business, that withui ten days
after Keith of Cahlhamc, sheriff-depute of the county of Forfar,
and a cadet of the noble family of Keith-Marischal, had been
admitted a burgess and freeman of the burgh, the same honour
was coufen-ed by the same magistrates upon ^^Johno Kinked,
pricker of the witches in Trcnnent^' 1
About that time, the council appears to have had aume diffi-
culty in procuring an executioner j and the magistrates of Perth
sent their hangman to administer the extreme penalty of the Uw
upon two unfortunate prisoners. Having more criminals in view
who were to undergo the like awful punishment, a deputation of
the council were appoiuted to " speak with David Soutar to be
their executioner," to which was to be added the equally extra-
ordinary and heartless office of ** acourgcr of the poorc" I By
giving a free interpretation to this singular eutry, it would appear
that, in those days, tlie sin of being poor was sufficient ground
for being scourged and whipped; but, it is clear, that if Soutar
found himself honoured by the distinction which the council pro-
posed to confer upon him, he did not long retain the office, for
in the course of a few months, one of the burgesses had to whip
or scourge his own maid servant ** throw the towne,'' under pain
of being himself banished the same !■
Numerous other instances of the strange doings of the period
could be added from the same uneiTing record. Suffice it to say
• Jinrgh Ricards of Frnfar, ? d. Tlie office of "eoourger of the poor," wa»
p<*rB*ips synfjiijnious with tlmt of " ning tUe beggar*," — ft p«tty |n?lkpman.
30
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEABNS.
that the men and women of Forfar who were iso unfortunate a^ to
incur the petty spleen and envy of person* more opulent in clrcum-
Btances than themselves — and that the great ratajoritj of those who
were convicted of wlteheraft and suffered accordingly, owed their
misery to one or other of these heartless passioos, there is too
much reason to suspect^ — were executed and buried near the
present public washing green. The site of the gallows^ where
human bonej* have been fuund in great quarititieSj is now occu-
pied by a saw-mill and other works of industry^ all adding their
mite to the growing importance of the town. The branks,
or bridle — a well known instrument of puoidhment for scolds j
and those suspected of witchcraft — is still preserved, among other
curiosities, in the count v hall at Forfar* It is made of various
pieces of iron, united by hinges, and surrounds the head of tho
delinquent, while a large dart-shaped piece ia placed in the
mouth, to prevent the accused from speaking.
In little more than ten years after the last witch-burning at
Forfar, the immediate neighbourhood of the town was the scene
of a raid or foray between two Highland clans, which, as was the
case in most of these skinnishesj had a fatal termination. The con-
flicting parties were the Farquharsons and the 11* Cornier. The
former, owners of Brochdarg in Gtenshee, and Westmill and
Downey in Glcnisla, were ancestoi^s of the lairds of Baldovie in
Kingoldrum ; and the latter possessed the barony of Forther in
Glenisla, and the lands of FionygiUJ J in Glenshee, of which last
an ancestor had a charter as ** John M'Comy-Moir * (the big or
great M* Comic), 0th September 1571/ M*Comy-Mores family
are said at that date to have been ah antiqwQ ** tenants and pos*
eessors" of Finnygandj and under the name of Clan JrThomas,
they are specially aientioned in the HoU of the clans and broken
men, both in 1587, and in 1504.**
M'Comie liaving acquired a wadset of the barony of Forther
from the Earl i>f ^llrtie, he built a mansion house at Crandart,
about a mile to the north of the tine old castle of Forther. He
also appears to have received a right of forestry in the adjoin mg
forest of Glascorio, c^f which Air lie afterwards granted a tack to
* Oriif. Charier in (fhfiriir Vhest i}f MiȤ liatiray of JJulruhion.
* ActA P»rl., iii., 467 ; iv, 71. MThQtntA ii thvMJXM m M'Coiuie, and meini
" tli« *on of Tliarn*!."
FOEFAR — FEUD OF HIGHLAND CLAXS.
31
Farqiiharson of Brochdarg, upon Borae real or supposed right,
raost probably with the view of Curtailing M'Coaiie's influence
in the district, for he is de^M^ribed as *' havcing great power with
the lato Vsurpers as their intelligencer and favorite/'^ M'Coraio
denied the plea of reservation, upon which Lord Airlie appears
to have made the grant to Farquharson. Hence perhaps the
more immediate cause of quarrel, for it seems that Farquhareon
had seized some of M^Comie's property in that forests
irComie, opposing Airlie *8 proceedings, raised an action of
spiilzie against Farqiiharson, before the Sheriff of Forfar, and
succeeded in obtaining letters of caption. This, however, was a
much easier matter than the seizure of Brochdarg himself, which
was attempted often and vainly, for he had sworn that *' no mes-
Benger'' i^hould take him alive. After some little time, however,
the M* Comics, learning that he and several retainers were in the
neighbourhood of Forfar, mustered, along with followers, to the
number of eight, and proceeding thither, got Alexander Strachan,
** the messenger of the burgh ,'* put upon the alert ^ and they ulti-
mately met with Farquharson and his friends near the muir of
Forfar, on the 2Sth of January 1G73, As was to be expected
Brochdarg refused '* to lay aside his arms and become prisoner,"
upon which Strachan craved the assistance of the Jr Comics, and
John, the ehler brother, accordingly seized and held Farquhar-
son 80 firmly ** that he was not able to do any pret^ent hurt."
Upon this the Farquharsons fired and wounded JPComie, who
fell disabled to the ground, the same shot killing his brother Ro-
bert, and they ultimately despatched Jolm '* with their durks and
swords." Brochdarg had fled across the moss, but the 5I*Co-
mies running after him, he was soon overtaken, and there killed
in cold blood ; after which, the prevaricating messenger, who was
ultimately deprived of his office and imprisoned^ quaintly depones
that *' he broke hid wand of peace against them all/*
Both parties had tlieir retainers w^ith them— the Farquharsons
had eight, numbering altogether twelve, and the JPComles had
only four besides themselves. Brochdarg and his son Robert were
both killed, and two of the four M^Comies shared tlie same fate,
their father not having been engaged m the affair*
' Acta Pftrh, vii.. 193-4.
32 IfEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARN8.
Mutual prosecutions were soon afterwards raised by the sar-
viving relatives, which ended In the dyet being deserted against
both parties, while the sons of the Farquharsons and the M'Co-
mies, as well as the adherents of each party present at the fight,
were all outlawed. The subsequent fate of the Farquharsons is
not quite known ; but one of the M'Comies went to the south
country, and another, Donald, settling in the Highlands of Aber-
deenshire, became ancestor of the M'Combies of Easter Skene
and Tillyfour, and died (as intimated by his gravestone), at
Mains of Tonley, in the parish of Tough, July 9, 1714.
The feuds between the Farquharsons and the M*Comies were
of long standing. The first mentioned in the process occurred on
the 1st of January 1669, when the former with fifty or sixty ac-
complices, went to Crandart " under cloud and silence of night,
bodin in fear of war,'' and there lay in ambush " until, or near
the break of the day," that old M*Comie went abroad, when they
seized and carried him off to Brochdarg, and kept him there until
night. They then took him " to a certain place in a wildemesse
and desert called Tombeg in Glenshie," and kept him several days
and nights there, as also five of his sons who had gone to inter-
pose for his liberty, which was granted only on obtaining a bond
for 1700 merks. Ere long, however, the M'Comies resented
this injury in much the same way, and lying in wait for Broch-
darg, in the forest of Glascorie, they " pervaded and pur-
sued him" on one occasion ; but " by God's providence, he es-
caped at that time." They afterwards searched for him in the
house of Tombeg, by stabbing " the beds and other places with
their durks and swords" where they supposed he might be lurk-
ing ; and continued to hunt him down until they traced him to
the neighbourhood of Forfar on the day of the fatal occurrence.
Some striking instances of the insatiable nature of Highland
revenge are brought out respecting the elder M*Comie in course
of the evidence in this affair. On one occassion his servants had
met with Brochdarg in the forest of Glengamie, and on talking
over the matter at Crandart, old M*Comie got into a great pas-
sion, and upbraided them for not bringing to him " ane legg, ane
arm, or the lyfe" of Farquharson, declaring that " he should have
been their warrant" had they done so ; and to obtain him " dead
or alive** he sworo that he would '* ware two of hia best aoiis in
the quarrel -/'adding in the strain of a hold undaunted Highlander,
and bidding defiance to all law, " Who would or durst »peir after
it'' ! Angus M^Coinio, who Is charged as the chief party that
hounded out his kinsmen against the Ffirf|uhan?on3, appears to
have had much the same revengeful and aavage feeling as hia fa-
ther, for, ** when hia ai^^tcr was lamenting the loss of her two
brothers that had fallen in the flcuffle/* he coolly replied, *' tliat
she had no rea%on to lament for them, since thej had got the life
they were asking'* ! — meaning that of Broclidarg.'*'
Stories of " the scuffle'^ at Fortar, and of the great personal
strength and gallantry of the M^Comies, are nearly as plentiful in
Gleniala and (jrlenyheo even now, as they were a century ago.
There are also remains of M 'Comic's houae at Crandart, upon the
chimney lintel of which is the date 1660, and the initials of tlie
founder and his ^vife Catherine Campbell, a daughter of the laird
of Deahcad, near Cupar Angus, and these words — " the * i/jim *
DEFEND * THIS ' FAMILIE • *' UpoQ another stone, which was taken
from Crandart, and buiH into a house near by, is the same date,
and the following sentence, the first part of which may relate to
the animosity of the Farquharsons — ** i • shall* ovehcom • invy
vith ' gods ' help : to ' god • be ' al ' pea is * honovb ' and
glorie/'
The elder M^Comie, who died about 167G, was of great sta-
ture and strength p As was the case with most Highlanders of
that period, he was naturally auperstitious, and like the more
eelebrated Rob Roy Jlacgregor, considered that the chief part of
the education of his sons ought to lie in wielding the claymore,
or in feata of strength and daring ; and, both in regard to his cre-
dulity, and the novel manner he took to develope the latter par-
ticular in his family, some interesting stories still live in the High-
landB.
By the time alluded to, ** the big M^Comie" had attained a
good old age. He had seven aons. The eldest of these pos-
sessed, as he supposed, least of the courageous spirit of his ances-
tors, and for the purpose of testing his prowess, tlie old man
waylaid him one dark night, at a largo stone in the solitude of
34 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
Glenbaynie, known at this day as ifaP Comte^a chair j and ponnc^
ing upon him unawares, a dreadful tulzie took place betwixt
the father and the son. The father, finding his son^s strength
and courage fully a match for his own, at length discovered him-
self, upon which hb astonished son is said to have allowed the
sword to drop insensibly from his hand.
Camlochan, or '^ the crooked loch,'' a romantic and secluded
part of M'Comie's property in Glenisla, was a favourite place of
resort for this old Highlander. There he often joined his tenants
and servants in the well-known game of strength called " the put-
ting stone,'' and two round stones, each of great weight, which
he is said to have thrown far beyond any of his companions, still
lie there, and bear his name. There, also, he is said to have had
frequent interviews with a Mermaid^ who revealed some wonder-
fril stories to him, and on one occasion, like '^ witch Maggie" with
Tarn o' Shanter, it is told that she took advantage of his horse in
a trip down Glenisla, by leaping on behind him I Among other
prophecies, she warned him that he would die with his head upon
a certain stone which projected from the craig above his house of
Crandart, and believing in the weird tale, and afridd he might
eome by an untimely end, he had the stone removed, and laid
under the bed where he slept, and in which he died I^
' The death of " big MHISomie/' was looked upon by the Cateran, whom he al-
ways kept in check, as a great and fortunate event ; and it is popularly recorded
that one of their number returning from the Lowlands at the time, joyously exclaimed,
in answer to the Question — *'Ciod an sgeul?" *'SgeulI agus deagh sgcul !
Beannaichte gu robn an Oighe Muire ! Cna bheo MacOmie mor am braigh na
macharach, — ge'd bu mhor agus bu laidir e 1" t.e., " What news I" '* News I and
ffood news ! Blessed be the virgin Mary 1 The great M'Gomie in the head of the
Lowlands is dead, for as big and strong as he was 1"
CHAPTElt IL
SECTION I.
King Edward at Famell Castle — Dtincan of Fcni<*v<*l — Ciiallo of Fftruell a ** pala<:e,'*
and the lunda a Grange of tlie Bialiops of Breclilri^Dispute regarding the
Mtiir — mode of decliiring sentcnco by a Doomflter — Famell alienated liy 131-
»bop Alexander CampbLdl to the Earl of Argyll— Acquired by tlio first Eiwl of
Bfjutbesk — State of the Landjs, and character of Tenants m 1729 — the prcBonl
and improved itate of both.
So far as known the fact of King Edward ha\ing visited tlie
Ca&tle of Faniell, when on hh victorious march tliroughout
Scotland, is the only old historical incident of any importance re-
lating to the district. It was on the 7th of July that the King
rode from Forfar to Arbroath, and from thence he went to Far-
nell, or ** Feniovell caBtell,** aa it is written in the Diary, a dit^-
tance of about twelve miles. During his stay at Farncll, which
could not have exceeded an hour or two, for he went forward to
Montrose on the s^ame day, ho i-ecoived the homage of William
Fraser, who is designed son of the late Alexander Fraser,* indi-
viduals who caimot now, it would seem, be certainly identified.
From earliest record the lands of Famell belonged to the See of
Brechin, and the castle was a grange or residence of the Bishop.
Whether the Episcopal chair w^as vacant at the time of Edward's
visit, or filled by Bishops WiUiam or John, is uncertain, there
being no record of a contemporary bishop ; and although long
prior to that period the bij^hop had vassals that assumed their sur-
name from these lands, it is also uncertain whether they sub-
sisted down to that date, the only individual of the name, Duncan
of Ferncvclj bcLng a witness to charters of the old Earl of Angus
aa early as 1214 and 1227.^
The castle of Farnell, as it now stands, is a plam building
• Rag. RolK 82 ; Palgrtive, 166 ; Ptynae, 650. * Reg, Vet. d<? Aberb,, 34, &e..
MEMORIALS OP AKGUS AND MEAHN'S,
of three stories in height, with a ch'ciilar staircase on the south
side or front. It i» kept io good repair, having long been ap-
propriated bj the noble family of Southesk as an asylum for
aged female paupers. It is pleasantly situated npon the nortli
bank of the pretty den of FarncE, surrounded by some fine old
treesj and a park or lawn which the tenant has judiciously kept
under grass for many years, pastured by sheep and cattle of the
most approved kinds. The south-west or oldest part of the
castle seems to have been buUt during the sixteenth ccutuiy,
and two skew-put stones, on the north or back part of the house,
bear carvings of shields, charged respectively with the figures
here represented. The first of these,
being less wasted than the other, is
perhaps the more modcni of the two^
and bears the sacred monogram Sbs,
(Jesus Hominum Salvator), orna-
mented by a cross ; while the second
presents a croi^ii in chief, with a heart-shaped figure in base.
This figure is rather puzzling, and may be construed either into an
ill-shaped mitre, or a kind of buckle, which were variously
formed in old times, or it may be the initial 0L. If it is the
last-named object, it may be considered as referring to the time
of Bishop Mcldrum, who succeeded to the See about the year
1490, and cither died or resigned the office, 1512-1 ?• Perhaps
the idea of its belonging to Meldrum — whether the figure repre-
sented be the initial j^. or a bishop's mitre^is strengthened by
the fact that he was the only bisliop of the diocese who bore a sur-
name commencing with i*l., and the only one that conferred
the dignitiL'd name of a Palace upon the castle of Farnell, A
charter by him, granted in 1512, bears to be given '' Apud pa-
latium nostrum de Femevel."*'' Meldrum had three Eoman Ca-
tholic successors in office, of whom John Hepburn, of tlie noble
family of Bothwell was the first as well as longest lived, having
died in 1558,'^
* Reg, Ep. Brt'cliin., H. 169*
^ A fiomewbBt eiiyilar fi^re to tbat upon the Famell sliield^ is upon tlie bnac
of tUc flCftl of Hepburn, Bisbop of Monij, 1523» iind ib described bv Mr L/iins^ as " A
b«art-fthapd buckle,"— ^ol/i^A ikfdt^ p 157* PI 19, tig. 5. Tbia Bi«hop was
miole to iiitibup ric-^)bom of Brerliiti, and to i he bitter it migbt ako be »nppo8ed,
dju figure oil tht} likhM at Faruelt U^Iougrd. Tbire were ullicr ifbieldu upon tbe
PAENELL — LANDS ALIEKATED.
37
It has already been shewn that the lands of Famcll belonged
in property to the Bishoprick of Brechin, and it appears that in
1410 tho joint lairds of Klnnaird — a domain which had been car-
ried by the marriage of three co-heireases to the parties under-
named— laid clahn to the ** moir lyand to the Jlanyss of
Fern well/' a proceeding which Bi«hop Walter suceessfuUy
resisted in the courts of law, Tlio case was tried at the county
town of Forfar before the Duke of Albany, '* vpon the law
day eftir YuiU/' and it is worthy of remark, that in the
passing of judgment in the case, which was done through the
dempnter or doomster, we have one of the clearest notices
of the mode of declaring sentence through that ancient ftinetion-
ary. '* Eoiiine of Deere/' for such was the duomster's name, is
graphically described as briefly giving ^* dome in this forme saynd,
that the bischop of Brechin eia burroT^-is foirsaid ia of wertu and
force, and Dauid Panter, Dutho of Carnegy, and William of
Crammond in sic amerciament as thai aw to tyn into this court
for the wranguss recontreyng of tlie said broeh [surety], fundyiie
throu the bischop/''-"
This sentence put an end to all further encroachments on the
privileges of bishops m this quarter — at least there ia no furtlier
notice of any, and until 1566, the lands of Farad! were held as be-
fore. But at that date Bishop Alexander Campbell, brother to the
laird of Ardkinglass, comptroller of Scotland, unfortunately ac-
quired the power to dispose of all the benefices within the diocese,
and of that privilege he took full advantage. So far as concerned
Farnell he disposed of all the church property there, for he
not only resigned the lands, towers, fortalice, manor and mains
of Farnell, with fiur acres of land adjoining the church — now^
occupied as the glebe— together with the Croftheads, and the
whole lands of Maryton, with the salmon fishings, and the lands
of Ei^auxtoun, but also made over the office of bailie of the whole
lands belonging to, or under the jurisdiction of the bishop, to
his relative the Earl of Argyle. The rental of the property thus
alienated amounted to £'J57» 10s, 8d. Scots.' It was through the
interest of Argyle that Campbell received the bishoprick ; and,
uame LuildiiKr, but tbe»e, unfortunfltcly are eflkced. I liave t<> exprc«R my oblig^i^
tioufl to the Earl of Southt^Hk, in kirnllv giving me rastauf thonc oanons atoiiuB, fntm
whicU tbeeiigravjii^B are made. * Keg Ep. Brecbb-, i. 2% * IfeiU, ii. 43, 205
38
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND HEAUNS.
1
seeing the precarious state of eeclesiaatical matters, and desirous
at the same time to augment their own private resources, both
united their energies to reduce the wealth of the church, and con-
tinued to roh her coffers, until barely so much of the once exten-
sive revenue of Brechin was left as would maLntain an ordinary
uiinister.s
It was in this way that the castle and lands of Farnell became
the property of the Eai4 of Argyle, who, sometime before
1568, had granted them—upon what gronnd is not apparent —
to his own relative, Catherine, Countess of Crawford, for in that
year she gave *' the demesne lands of Fernwel " to her younger
sons.'* The Ogilvys of Airly are said to have had an interest in
theae lands ; but tliat is a popular error, contrary to all evidence.
The first Earl of Southcsk, whose wife was grand-daughter to
Catherine, Countess of Crawford, was the first Carnegie of
Farnell, In the hands of that family tliese lands have ever since
continued, with the exception of the time they were under the
bann of forfeiture, in consequence of the fifth Earl having es-
poused the cause of the Chevalier de St George.
From tliat time until 1764 these estates were possessed by the
York Buildings' Company, by whom a lease or tack of thera
was given in 1729 to Grant of Monimusk and Garden of Troup.
The lessees, aivare that almost every one of the tenantry was in
arrear of rent, mvestigated narrowly into their individual circum-
stances, and unhesitatingly reported upon each, in regard to his
financial and more private matters. In consequence of this a sad
picture is presented of the state of the agricultural tenantry of
the period, whether in i-cspect of their poverty or their lack of a
sense of honourable and straightforwai^l dealing. Some of these
memorandums are extremely quaint and curious: — Mains and
Mill of Farnell were then tenanted by a widow who declared
herself incapable to pay up any arrears ; but farther enquiry
brought out the bad features of her character, and it is accord-
ingly recorded^*' 'Tis uncertain what she may he able to pay,
but should by no means be spared, for she is a very cheeping
[plaintive or mui'muring] w^oman, and can do better tlian she lets
on [admits], her being of a very strange temper, and conveys her
» Ptfnmiere Caialoffue of BithQpt^ M8,, 110. ^ Crawford Peeragt Caa^j, 219.
FARNELL— THE TENANTBY OF 1720.
39
effects to her cbSldi-en, in order to defraud the heritor*" The
tonaiit of TUlyaoil adjoining was ground officer or bailiti' over the
property. With a view of gettiag quit of his arrears he dis-
poned his effects to a neighbour, and he is des^cribed as '* not
only poor, but also houseless and graceless, and [one] who cer-
tainly should be removed from being officer^ and made of what
can be*'* The farm of Egypt was then occupied by a father and
8un; the first is called " ane old sickly man, who may pay up
anjrthing that is resting/' and the latter, " a poor silly fellow,
good for nothing."
But it must not be inferred from this roll of delinquents that
the old Southesk tenantry were altogether bad, there being a few
well spoken of. The farmer of Greenlaw, for example, is de-
scribed as " a very honest like man, and has undertaken to pay
all : however/' adds the writer (who, be it told to his honor, never
faib to speak favourably of the deserving), ** 'tis alleged he is
fully as frank [desirous] as able at the bottom.'' The tenant of
Giitesidc is called '* very mean [poor] and cannot pay much, and
his wife is melancholy ;" while John Lyall, ancestcr of the pre-
sent factor on the estate of Southeak, then farming a part of
Meikle Carcary, is recorded as *^ a good tenant, and may pay
anything that is resting."^
These curious entries might be multipliedj for there are similar
notices regarding the Panmure and Marischal tenantry, but enough
has been given to shew the miserable condition of the country dur-
ing these unsettled times, when the husbandman could neither sow
nor reap in safety the little he had at stake. It is curious to con-
trast these with the present times. Tile draining, and the re-
claiming of marshes and other waste land, though as well known
to the Homans more than 2000 years ago, as in Scotland at tlio
present time, had fallen Into disuse, and only a dry gravel
liillock, or a patch on the margin of a bum or river, was now and
thenbr ought under the plough, Tlie hauk arC rig system was
in full force, by which one half of the groutid — ^good or bad it
signified not — was rendered useful only for depositing stones and
the larger weeds. Fences were considered cumbcrers of the
ground, and the time of able-bodied men and women loitered
^ T&rk Build. Ca,*4 Mem* Book, the property of Lord Fanmuro.
40 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEA8NS.
away in keeping a few illHStarred oxen from trespassing among a
sorry crop of grain, was deemed well spent. The coltiyation of
green crop was but little, and foreign and artificial manures,
not at all heard of, while half a dozen of what were then consi-
dered large farms, would scarcely^satisfy a modem farmer of
even humble ambition.
Between the housing of the husbandman and his cattle there was
then little difference : In the former the only light was admitted
by the same aperture in the roof of the dwelling as that by which
the smoke ascended. But now-a-days, through the philanthro-
phy of the minister of Oathlaw and others, and the kindness of
many landlords, farm labourers are lodged much more com-
fortably than were the great majority of masters within the
past hundred years, while the employer in his turn enjoys a
better residence and more personal comfort than did the great
mass of Scottish proprietors down till past the " forty-five.'*
It is only fair to add that in the improyement of agricultural
dwellings, as well as in that of the too much neglected school-
master, and also the parish church, the noble proprietor of Famell
has shewn an example which cannot be too much nor too soon
followed throughout the country, whether inJirespect to the per-
sonal comfort of the labourers, or the chaste style of the archi-
tecture of their cottages, elements which cannot fail to have a
salutary influence on the morals and habits of the people.
SECTION 11.
Origin of the name of Farnell — ^the Kirk — Ancient Sculptured Monument — Kirk of
Cuikstone — ^its removal to Kinnaird — Old Portioners of Cuikstone — ^Pottery
Work — Story of Young Eeiden— Easter Fithie— Account of the Camegiea of
Kinnaird^Oreation, Forfeiture, and Restoration of the Earldom of Southesk —
the now Castle, and Deer Park, &c.
The Kirk of Famell is picturesquely situated upon a rising
ground nearly opposite the castle. Upon the north side is the
bum, and finely wooded den of Famell, upon the south the stream
of the Pow,both of which are profiisely ornamented by am or alder
trees, particularly in the vicmity of the kirk, and as the Gaelic
FAUHELL— KIBK OF KUIK8T0NE,
41
words Fem-n-ald, or altj signifies ** the stream or burn of arns,"
the name of the pariah may have thua originated.
William Ilerwart is the earliest known vicar of the parish ;i
but the aaint to whom the kirk was inscribed is uuknown* Per-
haps the fine scnlptnrcd stone moouincnt found there some years
ago, upon which are represeuted a beautifully interlaced cross,
Adam and Eve at the forbidden tree, and other objects of more
doubtful interpretation^ may liave marked the grave of an old
ecclesiastic,^
In Episcopal times the vicar of Famell held the office of Dean
of the church of BrechiUj and in the old taocatio tlie kirk is rated
at 20 merks. As now constituted Famell is made up of two ec-
clesiastical districta, for anciently there was a chapel at Cuik-
fitone or Quygi^tone. The names of two of the rectors of it have
been preserved/ and the site is about a mile north of the pre-
sent parish churchy near a mound called Mttmea crosSj a name,
which although now of doubtful origin, perhaps referti to the
patron saint of the lurk.
The kirk of Cuikstone was supported by the tcinds of the landa
of Kinnaird ; Bahiamooa on the Sonthcsk ; Pantaakal, near Bal-
biruie mill ; Over Datgetty ; and by the vicarage and small teinds
of Middledruins, Greeuden, and others ; and having, towards the
close of the sixteenth century, become *' altogidder ruynous and
decayit/*^' it was rebuilt by Carnegie of Kinnaird about half a mUe
to the eastward, and in front of his own castle. From that time
the name of the kirk and parish were changed to Kinnaird, and
served by a separate clergyman until 1787 when the kirk was
suppi*es8ed. The northwest portion of the parish was then added
to Brechin, and the rest to Farnellp
The site of the manse of Kinnaird is yet traceablcj about three
hundred yards north of the kirk, and the road betwixt the two
places is known as the Manse Side, There was no schoolmaster's
house there in 1729 — perhaps no teacher was required,— and the
kirk and kirkyard dykes appear to have then stood sadly in need
of repair** The foundations of the kirk are yet to be seen, sur-
1 Reg. Ep. Brecliin,, i. 67. ^ Sculjid. Stones of Scot,, pUte bxxvL
» Beg. Ep. Brechin., i, 72.— Bobert WyscWt (14a5) ; Andrew Walter (1462.)
- Acsta ParL, iv, S58»
■ York Build. Co't Inventory Baoh M6\, the ^irop^rly of Lord Panffinr©*
a
42
MEMOfilALS OF ANGUS AND MEARXS*
rounded by several well sculptured gravestones, and an adjoining
apri ug called Fader , or Fater Welly in noticed m an old rhyrne
regarding the love story of a young lady of Kinnaird.
The lands of Cuikstone or Qiiygstonej like those of Famell,
were held of the Bishop of Brechin, Being divided into se-
veral portions, they were occupied in 1410 by parties called
John Williamson, Robert Adyson, John Alexanderson (Saun-
derson), and Nicholas Speid.'' The last named was ancestor to
George Speid, who had the lands of Auchdovie, or Ardovie^
from Robert Caniegie of Kinnaird, in exchange for his part of
Cuikstone in 1549,p and frora that date the Speids have continued
to possess Ardovie, Cuikstone was a pretty considerable hamlet
in old timeSj and bad a brick or pottery work from at least
the middle of the seventeenth century ,i down to within the re-
collection of some old neighbours ; and it is a fact worthy of
notice, that a number of the cinerary urns, found in ancient stone
coffins ua this quarter, are composed of the same sort of clay as
is got in tlie neighbourhood of Cuikstone.
Although Farnell is a place of considerable antiquity, it is poor
in traditionary lore. At Red Den, on the west side of the parish,
where curious traces of early sepulture have been found, the fine
spring, called Eeidens Welly is locally described as the scene of
the tragedy of ** Young Reiden,'* celebrated in the fine old bal-
lad of that name- This Idea, with the exception of the opening
atanza of the ballad, as rehearsed by the old people of Farnell, is
not home out by the context, and the notion had merely
originated in the peculiarity of the namCj and in the freak of
some local rhymster^ who (although he preserves ** Clyde water'*
and other associations of the older ballad), makes his version open
prosily thus : —
*' YoTing Beidcn was a gentleman,
A gent ]« man of fame ;
An he's awa' to East Fiihiej
To see biii comely dame/*
The lands of Fitbie gave surname to a family that held a re-
^ Reg. Ep. Brechin^f i. 84. Betides thefio iiuliTidoAls, I bare somowliore
i<»©n Dutfjac of C»nie^, who fell at Hftrlnw, deaigned of Knikftojte,
«• 'My Charter tn A r tiny Tf i.'kartiif Chest,
'« (1640)— iV(?a^iy*eri/ il^cmth qf Brechin.
gpectatlo positloti in the county from about tlie middle of the
thirteenth centory, until within these two hundred years/ These
lands also paid feu to the Bishop of Brechin, and probahly the De
Fit hies were vassals of the Bishops down to 1457, at which time
Lesl J of Rothes had a grant of Easter Fithies ; hut in little more
than a century afterwards the property came into the hands of
Sir Robert Carnegie of Kinnaird»* Once upon a day Fithie
could also boast of a castle, the last remains of which form the back .
wall of a cottar house ; and upon an adjoining knoll to the ea^t,
popular story avers that the *4ady fair'* was burnt for the murder
of young Reiden 1
But of al! these proprietors the Camegiea have been longest
settled in Farnell, and there they are still represented by their
chief, the Earl of Southesk. Their original surname was J)e
Bah'jidardy assumed from the small property of Balandardj or
Balanardj locally called Bonkardy in the parish of Arbirlot.'
Martin of Clermont says the first of the " Carnegies was con-
stable to the king's house at Fettercaim in WiUiam the Lion's
time, for which service he got the lands of Fesdow, and the
lands of Pitncmoone.'*"* As Balmdard they may have held
that office, but not certainly as Camegie, the surname appar-
ently being then unknown.
The earliest notice of the De Balindard family occurs about
the year 1230, when Gocelyn witnesses several charters to con-
temporary monasteries both in Angus and Fife* Jocelyn being
a common Norman name, perhaps the first of the family was
among the Norman settlers under Dai^d I, ; but John de Balin-
dard, the real progenitor of the Southesk branch, died about the
year 1280, and his property, which lay in the middle of the lord-
ship of Panmure^ was exchanged by his great-grandson for the
lands of Carnegie in the parish of Carmyllie, which he had from
Sir Walter de Maule about 1350. From these lands, as appears
by the charter,* the progenitors of Carnegie of KLnnaird first
assumed the surnamej and designation '' of that ilk."
Having elsewhere given an account of this ancient and noble
' Beg, Vet de Aberb., 322. • Douglaa' Peerage, ii. 425, 512.
BM^n-ard in Gaelicv oieaDS "the town on a height,'* — Kin-ardt n " high point,
or hofld,'
• Mae/wrlme't OoUee., Adv. Lib., Mdinr,
Tke namoB are quite descriptive of the po«iti<^n of hi\\\\ |)lacc8.
j.».>. /^^» J A. ¥ij. hU:^^ ' Land of Ihe Lindsays, 194,
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
44
faniilj,"^ it is superfluous to recount their lineage here, especially
aa it was lately so satisfactorily proven before the Ilouse of Lords.
Suffice it to say that Duthoc of Carnegie, a son of tlie laird ** of
that ilk,'' married one of three co-heiresses of the last male deft-
cendeiit of the old flimily De KLnuaird, and thus acqiiii^ed a settle-
ment there about 1409. Duthoc fell at Harlaw in 1411, and Sir
David Carnegie, sixth in lineal succession from Duthoc, being an
eminent lawyer and stateaman^ was elevated to the peerage, first
in 161G» as Lord Carnegie, and next In 1633, as Earl of Southeak.
He had four successors in the Earldom, all noblemen of tried and
approved loyalty ; but in consequence of the part taken by the
last of them against the Government in 1715, their titles, and
also their estates, which were scattered over seven counties, w^ere
forfeited, and the Earl died an exile in France in 1 729.
In 1704 the York Buildings' Company becoming insolvent,
the Southesk estates were bought back by Sir James Carnegie of
Pitarrow, great-grandfatlier of the present Earl of Southesk.
The Earl succeeded his father as seventh baronet of Pitarrow in
1S49, and prosecuting tlie claim to the Earldom of Southesk, pre-
viously raised by his father, the Committee of Privileges of the
llouse of Lords, on Tuesday, the 24th July 1855, finding ** tlie
claim proved in a very satisllictory manner,-' were pleased to
allow him, hh heirs male, and lineal successors, the dignity and
title of Earl of Southesk, Baron Lcucbars, in tlie peerage of Scot-
land, which were forfeited by James fifth Earl in 1710.^ The
brothers and sisters of the restored Earl were at the same time
placed in the rank of an Earls children. Unfortunately, however,
these honours camo too late to be shared in by bis Lordship's
osteemed lady, and mother of his family — three daugliters and a
son — the relentless nrm of death having, only a few months be-
fore, closed her earthly career at the early age of twenty-five.
The present castle of Kinnaird, which, from its elevated posi-
tion, overlooks a great part of the surroundijig country^including
the eastern portion of the fertile valley of Southesk, tlie town and
* Ltuul of i\\r> LiriilwiyB, 193^200. An omifliiion banng been tnadTertontlj
rando ill lhv> Holiun of Hiis f.imily in Lifnd of the Liiuitays, p. 195, line 29, read, and
iuin?rt lljiiK,— Sir Davi4 Camcgic married, Jir*<, Elixabeth Bwiisay, heirtjas of Col-
ImbiQ And LoucUarM, hjf wlutm he had two Jaughtcrs* By hit Mccomi wife, da*igkter
to JSir JamcM Wannu of Broqu^ he hadfmtr tons and thrt^e daughters. The eideti
iOfh iSir Pavid, km nutnff h*0h offi^u^ <0e. * Pubtiblied Eopiirt of ihe Cmo.
FABNELL — KINNAUU) CAS^TLE.
45
liasin of Jloiitrose — ^is supposed to occupy much the samti place as
the cifcstle wliich the Earl of Crawford burned down in 1452.
Nearly two hundred years ago, Klnnaird and Famell were
quaintly described as ** without competition the fyncst plac^, tak-
ing altogether, in the shyre;" and as regards the castle and park
of Kinuaird at least, the deseriptiou is not inappHcablo evon now*
Since the accession of tlie present nohle owner, the castle and
neighbourhood have undergone a complete change* The park-
wall has been rebuilt and greatly extended, so as to enclose 15(K>
acres within its bounds, aud aiTangcments are in progress by
which the deer-park (at present comprising half tliis area, aud
containing several hundred fallo^v deer of the old Kinnaird breed),
will nltimately occupy more than a thousand acres imperial.
The Castic has been remodelled, after the design of Mr Bryce
of Edinburgh, in the stylo of architecture which prevailed through-
out France towards the beginning of the 16th century, and which
differs from the usual Scottish development of the same type, in
ita larger openings, its higher and heavier roofs, its freer use of
Italiau and classical forms, and ita generally more ornate charac-
ter. The present building is nearly square. The west and prin-
cipal front looks towards the deer-park from which it is separated
by a baluetraded terrace wall, and a atone balcony of similar
character, with a double flight of steps at the centre, traverses
the greater part of its length, which altogether is 208 feet. The
carriage entrance b on the noiih side ; on the south is the con-
servatory and flower garden.
From the ground to the vano on the highest turret the height
is 115 feet ; hut the platform upon the central towor, which nearly
ranges with the tops of the comer towers, is 30 feet lower. The
interior is furnished with a well-selected library, and a still more
valuable collection of paintings adorn the walls* Among these
pictures are some choice originals by Filippo Lippi, the Ciirracci,
Dominichino, Poussin, Vandyke, Teniers, Leiy, and Jamesone
of Aberdeen, several curious historical portraits, aud also immer-
ous engravings by well-known ancient and modern maatera^
1
MEMORIALS OF ANGCTS AND MEAJIKS.
CHAPTER III.
Castle, <ffonbent, anti Coton of iQonfrose.
SECTION I.
CibHtle of MontrosiJ — Gaiekecpcr appoiDted by WilEam I.— viHiied by Edward L —
destroyed by Wftlldc<! — Temires of the lands of Inyantn^ Brjnnytou, Kiniiaird,
Skc. — ^Builie ntul BurgeflHon did homage to Edwatid 1. nt Ber\^"ick — Convent of
Dominican Friara founded by Alan Dtirward — ^Rcinovod nearer tUe town by
Pantcr of NewmwiswaJla — Di^conteDt of tho Friars— tbeip landj* of Caragownie
plnodered by the Earl of Crawford.
The Caatle of Montrose had a commanding position upon, or
near to the Forth ill, about a mile above the fall of the South Esk
mto the sea. The time of its erection h unknown ; but in the
year 980, the Danes are said to have obtained anchorage in that
river, and to have begun their predatory ineursions in Scotland^
which werc! ultimately checked by Kenneth III. at Luncarty, by
destroying both the town and castle of Montrose, and putting
the citizens to the sword."*
But the real history of the castle dates fi*om the time of WilUam
the Lion. He made it an occasional residence, dated eharters
from it between the years 1178 and llOS,"* and also appointed
a person named Crane to be its gatekeeper. For that office
Crane had the heritable fee of the lands of Inyaney, on the south
side of the river, and was succeeded by his son Swayne, and
grandson Simon, the last of whom died without male issue, leav-
ing five daughters. On the death of their father these daughters
made a joint claim to Inyaney, and their right being questioned,
the matter came before the courts of law. An inquest was ac-
cordingly instituted in 1261-2, and the assize, consiating of
eighteen of the chief barons of the county, gave decision in favour
of the five co-heiresses.'*
• Abercromby'B Martiiil AtchiovemcMitB, i. 179. ^ Reg. Vet. de Aberb.^ ii. 86,
• AcU Pari, i. dO, See ArPBKDix, No. VL
M0KTB08E — THE CASTLE.
From that time, until the Wars of the Tudependcnce, no trace
is found of the castle. It was captured and destroyed by Wal-
lace in 1297. In the previous year Edward and hia retinue went
there from Forfar, by xVrbroath and Farnell, on the 7th of July,
and remained until the 12th of the same month. During that
sojourn the English King received the homage of a great number
of baroQB and clergy from a!l parts of the kingdom, including some
from the immediate neighbourhood.'* lie aUo received the sub-
mission of King John Baliol, who, as quaintly remarked by the
writer of the Diary of Edward's expedition, *'did render quietly
the realme of Scotland, as he that had done amiss."*"
By that record, and several others, BaUol's submission is re-
presented as ha\ing occurred at Montrose ; but this account is
at variance with the instrument of resignation itself, which plainly
declares that the humiliating scene took place '* apud Brichin/'
on the 10th of July, in presence of the King, and the bishop of
Durham/ Edward visited Brechin at that time, solely to receive
Baliol's suhmbsionj as had been previously arranged, and returned
to Montrose on the same day, a fact, which had doubtless caused
the writers alluded to, to lay that scene at the latter place.
Although David IL was frequently at Montrose towards the
close of his reign,^ no further mention occmrs of the castle after
the visit of Sir WilHam Wallace, save the casual notice of it in
the patent of the original DukeJom of Montrose. That patent was
granted by James 111. to David Lindsay, Earl of CrawfinJ, in
1488, for his loyal services at the battle of Blackness, and it is
therein stated that along with ^' the greater and loftier title " of
Duke of Montrose » Crawford bad bereditarily the capital messuage
and castlestead of Montrose, the burgh and town, w4th the great
and small customs of its ports, harbours, and fisheries, &c.'' The
words of the patent — " castri de Montrose, vulgariter nuncu-
patum le Castelated '* — implies that the castle was then decayed
and that nothing remained excepting its site, or at most, the
ruins, the word ^tead being used in Scotland merely to signify
the area or marks of a bnild'mg. Probably the castle had not
been rebuilt after Wallace's time ; but, as already shewn, it was
^ RftgTuan Bf>ll9, 89-92 ; Prynoif. tiSl ; Palgrave, 167-73.
* lUnnatyne MIpc l, i. 277, ' Pryniie. 647,
* Ht^g. M»-, Sig., pp. 43-70. * lUtwrt on thu Moiitrww Cluim, aT6,
4
p
48 MEMORIALS OP ANGUS AN© MEARNS.
a place of much importance during, and for long after the reigii
of William L, and some estates hi the vicinity were held under
tonures of certain services to the King's court at llontrose.
Besides Inyaney or Aneny, now called Ananias^^ which Crane
and hi:s descendants held as heritable gatekeepers, the adjoining
lands of Bonny ton were held for supplying fresh fish to the royal
table ;J Kinnaird, Carcary, and some others, for keeping the
King's ale cellar;"^ and lluirniills, a httle to the westward went
with the keepership of the royal hunting forest of Montreuthmont,
with which the forester had fourpence for each spade casting
peats in that muir/ — all of which ancient properties, together
with a portion of Montreuthmont niuir, belonga to the lordship of
Southesk.
Soon after Edward retunied to Berwick in August 1296| no
fewer than twelve of the burgesses of Montrose went there and
took the oaths of allegiance to England, for themselves and the
community of the town/" This, it ought to be observed, is the
only instance of burgesses owning the superiority of Edward,
BO far as regards the towns of Angus, tliough those of almost
every other principal burgh in the kingdom did so at the place
where the King held court— a fact which goes far to shew that
perhaps no other town in the conuty had King*8 burgesses at the
same early date — or, in other words, were not ro^al burghs.
The names of those burgesses, given below, shew a mixed
lineage of Anglo-French, Saxon, and Scotch, and some persons,
bearing similar surnames are still in Montrose.
^jbt^niais ^ufocfe, and ^&«m Golli, the latter of whom was bailie
of the burgh. Of the first of tliese surnames I have found
no other instance— that of Gold is still common in Forfar-
shire, and is, doubtless, synonymous with Goold and Guild,
' The ortliogrnnby of tliis nnnie U various— - Aon and, Annnno, Aonanio, Inyaney,
luieneny, Invoney, liiyaiiee, luneane, and Inianey. Iktnnn^, in Gael,, meauB **tlie
blAud of birds," > Inf. from the late P. Chalmera, Esq., of Aldbar.
^ Charter btf Jas. VI. to i^irJohn Camegy of Kinnaird^ Oct. 14» 159^.
' Inq. Sp<:ciMlci, ForTariiih., No. B74. I am told hy John L ChalmerB, E»q., ot
AMbftf, who 18 proprietor of a purtion of t\m nvuir, thatLe has seen tbename ipelled
Mowrofmcmih^ which woald not inaptly signify ^' the royal moas <m the high ground."
The common pronounciation, Monrumou, in not very aissitoiJar to this.
" Pryniie (G53), ^voa Patrick, Abhot of MenroM, &e. ; Ra^miiti Rolls (117),
Mfitrm ; but aa the name appfam in the aajne deed with those id the Abbots of
Jiidburgh» Dryburgh tind Ktduo, it doublltaa rcfeis to tbo AbU)t of Mdro§e, which
IB Htili popularly called JiIeuroH.
MONTItOBE — BURGESSES OF 129G,
49
i^ent!! Dr f^aiflg, probably a local or territorial name.
Jobn fill ^Uam, ^tU It fitj i^aulelom, and ^otin '* fit? ©ItgWi or
John Adamsoiij Hugh MalcoLmaon or MacMalcolm, and Jobn
Alanson, or MacAlan, all personal or pateraal namea.
^Jijtltp tJf Hoggit, a well known territorial name, famous in
ancient history, and modem literature, assumed, perhaps
from the neigh bo uriog territory of Logy-Montro8c.
3Jot>n t>f ^ijornttoti, also a local or tcmtorial name, and perhaps
a cadet of the family of that ilk in the Mearns.
SSalter Ir iHrrcer, of which name there was also Stephen, a
bnrgesa of Berwick that did homage to King Edward m 1 291 ,
and Austin, and Bernard, respectively burgessea of Roxburgh
and Perth, who did the same service about the same time as
Walter of Montrose,*^ and from the burgess of Perth, the old
family of Mercer of Aldie claim their descent.
OBaltrt tif ilo^0|»» doubtless a scion of the family of that Ilk,
near Montrose, who had an early settlement there as vassals
of the old Norman family De Malherb, and in consequence
assumed tlieir surname from these lands.** The rem^ing
burgesses were
SBIIliAin Strong, and 3lof>a ZxQtt names now unknown in the
district.!' To these ought to be added
f {jomatf le ^^ortrv tt ^Lnnton^ This individual, recorded by
Palgrave only, had perhaps been connected lo some way
with the eristic; but of his history nothing farther is known,
although the surname is not uncommon even now.
Such are the few remaining traces of the old castle and burgesses
of Montrose, and it is to be regretted that those of its Convent
arc even still more obscure— the very site of the original founda-
tion being matter of conjecture. It was ^* biggit and foundit/'
and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, in 1230, by Alan the Dur-
ward or Ilostiarius^ the most daring and powerful Scotch mag-
nate of his time, and the last male representative of a family
eurnamed De Lundin, who had footing in Scotland under David
I,, from whom or Malcolm IV., an ancestor obtained the lands of
Lundie in Angus.' The Monks, of the order of St Dominic,
were, in consequence of the coloiur of their habit, commonly called
- Bag. Bolli. 12 ; 121, 122, •> R«g. Vet. de Alorb.. 42,
» Prynne, 654 ; Ritg. Rolls, 124. *» Palgrave, ly7. ' Chalmers* C*ka.»i.533.
H
MEMORIALS OF A KG US AND MEAKNS.
Black Friars, alio Fratres Prwiitcatores, bet-'ause they were allowed
to go abroad and preacb, and beg their living. Alexander IL
introduced them into Scotland, where they had fifteen Con-
vents ; and Spottlswood quaintlyre marks that though *' they pro-
fessed great poverty, yet when their nests were pulled down they
w^ere found too rich for mendieants."'
But although the site of Durvvard's foundation is not known
with certainty, we may conjecture that it atuud on that portion of
the common hnks of Montrose which still bears the name of St
Mary, patroness of the Convent, situated a little to the eastw^ard of
Victoria Bridge.^ This is mere supposition, ljo%vever, for beyond
incidental notices in 1245 and 1370, of certain annuities which
the conyent received out of the lands of Rossie, and others," no
farther record of it exists until the late period of 1510, when the
celebrated Patrick Pantcr, of the Neivnianwalls family, and Abbot
of Cambuskenneth, had liberty from Parliament to remove the
house to the innnediate vicinity of the town. For the better
maintenance of " the nciv place,'" as it is called, Pantcr made a
grant to it of the tcinds of Spittleschelis and Denside in Garvock^
and a payment from Balandro in Benholra» also the teinda of
Newmaiiis Wallls, and croft at Balkilly (Balkcelie^ In Craig ?)j
and those of Claysched and Sanndhaneh, and the fishings of the
nctt of the Virgin In the North Knk, called ** Marynett." To
tliesc he further added twenty raerks Scots irona the lands of Dun-
hasny (Dalhesney), Dabley (Dooly), Skannach (Shauno), and Cor-
niscorun {Corneskconi), in the lordship of Glencsk, which were
alienated by John, Earl of Crawford; fifty merks out of the
barony of Feme ; six merka out of the lands of Cukestoun, in the
barony of Roskoby, and parish of Famcll 5 and six merks from
the lands of Ballindoch and pertinents, at Inverkeillor ^reserving
to liiiuBclf and heirs the patronage of the hospital, and a bm'ial
place in the northern part of the choir/
■ Hist, of Religions Hnnsoe, 487.
* Thia bridf^v, whicb croHg-^s the milway, Bad its name in consequence of Queen
Victoria having lancknl there en route inmi Bahuoral to Londofl, Stpt, 28, 1848.
" Reg. Vut. ao Ahorb , 337 ; Cliamb RoOb, i. 541-5.
* Acta Purl, ii, 389-91. 8ir John Erwldno of Dun resifrncil tho lands of Spit-
talfichicllfi in fuvoiirof tbo liot^pitjil ol MontruHts, bt-'causc the Muster wished to baiid
n new chnrcb from tho fonndation, the Innda being rather iv Ions to Erskine iJiaii
othtTwiBe.^ — tSpalding Miscel.^ iv. p. x, John Atlaniaon, aftcrwurda ProTincial ot tho
order of St Bonnnic in Scotland, wa« AhUui oi tho Confeut uf AJontroac id I5J0.—
Jteeordi Dnw 0/ Oiaagow, p. itxiv.
MONTBOSE— THE CONVENT-
61
NotwithstaEding those additional revenues, it appears from
the moment the Convent waa removed, that diacontent reigned
within its walls, and in the courBe of a few years the Friars, dis-
satisfied with the lucatitj, craved Parliament to allow them to
return to their old abode. Their chief ground of complaint
was the nearness of the Convent to tlie public thoroughfare, by
which they were continually disturbed in their devotions by the
noise and traffic of horses and currocks to and from the town."^
Whether the prayer of this memorial waa granted is uncertain,
for barring the authority of Spottiswood, who says they *' were
brought hack to then* former dwelling by an allowance of Parlia-
ment in the year 1524/' I have foimd no notice of the matter.
Remains of the hospital founded by Panter were visible at no
distant date. These stood in the Bandhaugh above-mentioned,
about a mile nearer the town than the field of St Mary, before
alluded to, and within the garden ground upon the west side of
Murray Street ; but of the cliaracter of the architcetiure of the
fabric nothing ia preser\^ed. There is little doubt, however, that
if it had had any peculiar excellence in its style that had not been
allowed long to survive the llefoniiation, and evidence remains
to shew that previously, certain lands belonging to the Convent
did not escape the ravages of the notorious David Lindsay, eighth
Earl of Crawford, who, in his common deeds of oppression over
all classes of society in the shire, persecuted among others the
poor friars of Montrose in every manner of wpy, and by " master-
ful ejection " deprived them of then* crops and ** thair aught pairta
of the lands of Carsegowny/' for which a decree was passed
against Crawford at the instance of Friar Patrick Pillane and the
rest of the Convent.^
When tliese lands, which are situated in the parish of Aber-
lemno and barony of Finhaven, were sold, the right of a day's
shooting, and the use of the kitchen of" the house, wt-re reserved
in favour uf the trustees of the ho^^pital, as well as a small armual
payment. In virtue of that reservation the civic authorities of
Montrose, as trustees of that fund, occasionally take advantage
of their old right, without being restricted, we presume, cither to
the '* aught pairts of the lands/^ or to the kitchen of the house
of Carsegownic,
• Acta VhtI, ii. 595. * Ciftwford Pcorsgo Caw, 10.
52 MEMORIALS OF ANQUS AND MEAUNS.
SECTION II.
Old ChnFcli and Altarage* — Notices of the Reformation— Etakine of Dun cstabliifiei
a teacher of Greek— Wishart and MethTrcn — Kat. Jobn Daray — Inhiibitanti of
Tayock petition the Presbytery — a second Mimster appointed — Old Steeple —
Hearse gifted to the Kirk by Admiral Clark— Episcopal and other churchea^-'
Grammar School — grant to it by Robert 1, — Medaln, &c. — EroiQent Datives.
The parish church of Montrose, dedicated to St John the Evan-
gelist j was in the diocese of Brechin, and rated in the ancient
taa^atto at £20 Scots.* From the year 1214, tliat a person hearing
the christian name of Henry, subscribes himself '^ Chaplain of
Munros/' to a deed of that period, no further mention is found of
any of the old churchmen until the beginning of the fifteenth
century*^ There were several altarages in the churchy but the
names of two only survive — the Holyrood, raised in celebra-
tion of the exaltation of our Saviour's Cross, and tlie altar of
the Blessed Trinityj the latter of which was founded hy Elisco and
Thomas Falconer, burgesses of MontrosCj and supported by the
rents of certain landi* in the vicinity.*^
But J although the eccU^aiastical history of Montrose is thus
meagre in the time of Romanism, it becomes more interesting
during the stirring period of the Reformation, the inhabitants
being among the first in Scotland to embrace the cause and pro-
pagate its principles. This may be attributed to two sources,
—first, the influence that was brought to bear upon them by
Erskine of Dun ; and, next, the direct intercourse which their
chief merchants had with the Continent, from whence they
brought copies of the holy scriptures, then strictly prohibited from
being read or circulated in this country.
As will be shewn In a subsequent Section, down almost to the
very year that th© future Superintendent returned from abroad,
where he imbibed the spirit of religious liberty, a series of bitter
feuds subsisted betwixt the family of Dun and the inhabitantti.
Old differences were then forgotten, and Erskine shewed his fa-
vor for Montrose by establishing and maintaining at his own
exiTcnse, a teacher of the Greek language, until which time that
• R(5g. Vet. de Abwrb., 241. * Uetg. Ep, Brechin., iL 261. * Ibid., 39.
MONTEUSE — THE KEFOKMATlUN.
5a
tongue waB little known, and perhaps not publicly taught In
Scotland.
Upon the death or retirement of M. MarsilHera, the first teacher
of Greek at Montrose, he wais succeeded hy his pupil the cele-
brated George Wishart, who taught and circulated the Greek
New Testament among his scholars so openly, that Bishop Hep-
hum of Brechin, found it necessary to summon Iiim upon a charge
of heresy ; and deeming it more advisable to leave the country
than appear before HepburUj AVishart fled to England, where he
remained nearly six years. He returned to Scotland in July
1543 J and imoiediately thereafter commenced to preach publicly
*^ in Montrois within a private house next unto the church except
one/* After this he went to Dundee for a short season, but again
returned to Montrose, and on that occasion administered the com-
munion at Dun,** From these parts he was soon again ex pel led,
and the people, in coiisequeoce of tlie increased oppression and
tyranny whicJt were being constantly manifested towards them,
became doubly eager in the cause of the Reibrmation, and a
preacher of the name of Paul Mcthven, originally a haker in
Dundee (who although by no means a person of unexceptionable
character, appears to have been pretty well suited for the
times), was invited to Montrose, and having administered the sa-
crament ** to several of the lieges in a manner far different from
the divine and laudable use of the faithful Catholic cluircb, he waa
denounced rebel and put to the horn as fugitive/*'-' while the com-
munity themselves were commanded to attend mass, and parti-
cipate in the rites of the Roman church at Easter/
It ia needless to say that these injunctions, so opposite to the
conscience and feelings of the great body of the people of Scot-
land, were hut tardily complied with ; aud, by shewing a deter-
mined resisitence to those arbitrary measures, within ten years
from the date of the last mention od occurrence, the pulpits of
most of the churches were filled by reformed clerg}Tnen. The first
reformed minister at Montrose, was Mr Thomas Anderson, who
was assisted by Mr John Beatie, reader, the former of whom had
a salary of 28 merks, and the latter £60 Scots.s Both these gen-
J Wodrow'ft Bkg Coll, i- 431,
' TvtWs Hist, of Scot., Ti. 96.
* ritcaim'e Trials, i. *406.
• Rfig, of MiDisters, 14.
54 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
tlemen are worthy of notioe, in consequence of the kind attention
they bestowed upon the more celebrated James Melville, during
his school boy days. Melville describes the former as " a man
of mean gifts, bot of singular guid lyff ;" and the latter, as " a
godly honest man, wha read the Scripture distinctlie, and with a
religious and devot feilling, wherof," continues the truly excel-
lent Melville, " I fand my selflF movit to giff guid eare, and lem
the Stories of Scripture, also to tak plesure in the Psalmes, quhilk
he haid ahnost all by hart, in prose. "^ It was also at Montrose,
and under Mr Anderson, that Melville, at the early age of thir-
teen, became a communicant of that church, of which, at a fu-
ture period, he was so great an ornament.
Perhaps Anderson was succeeded by Mr John Duray, father-
in-law to James Melville. Like most of his reforming brethren,
Duray was educated in the Romish faith, and his own brother, the
Abbot of Dumfermline, was his preceptor. Expelled that con-
vent for heresy, he was imprisoned at Edinburgh for some time,
and then sent '' to ward'' in Montrose in 1583, a time when ec-
clesiastical matters were obtaining a more liberal footing, when
in the course of ten years the King — with what degree of sincerity
is questionable — ^gave the country to believe that he was so sen-
sible of the value of the preaching of the true gospel, and to the
sacrifices that had been made by reforming ministers that he
granted £140 a year to this same Mr Duray, who had long suf-
fered persecution. Duray died in 1600, and perhaps no greater
honor could be paid to the memory of any man than that set forth
in the simple narrative of the grant of his pension. We shall al-
low it to tell its own graphic story, according to which the grant
was made by the King in consideration of " the greit lang and
emest travellis and labouris sustenit be his louit orator Johnne
Dury, minister of Goddis word at Montrois in the trew preaching
of Goddis word, besydes the greit chargis and expenses maid be
him thir money zeirs bygane in avancing the publict affayres of the
kirk — ^thairwithall remembring the greit househald and famelie
of bamis quhairwith he is burdynit," which pension was granted
in favour of Duray, his wife and son, and " the langest levair
of thame thrc."*
^ Melville'i Diarj, 22. ' Acta Pari., iii. 551.
It does not appear that any of Mr Duray^s successorfl in the
ministry at MontroBC made theraselvcs oooRpicuoiis in the subse-
quent struggles of the ehureh; indeed they seem to have been lax
even in their parochial duties, and down to tlie close of the year
1642, the ecclesiastical boundaries of tlic parish were so ill defined,
and the spiritual welfare of the inhabitants ho little cared for,
that the people resident upon the lands of Tayoek, Newbigging,
and Piigiston, were not aware wlietber tliey belonged to the kirk
of Brechin or to that of Montrose, as they were never visited by
any minister, nor called ujjon to attend any church. Nor did the
presbytery seem to know them selves to which of these clnuThes
the people belonged, for when requested to decide in the matter,
they, without settliug the question of rightj merely declared that
the petitioners '* may be mor commodiouslie served at the kirk off
Montrose nor at the kirk off Brecheine/*J in the latter of which
parishes the lands and town of Tayock (however strange it may
appear now-a-days) were in reality situated,^
But this deliverance proved unsatisfactoiyi and about thirty
years afterwards, the smnie people^ if not in much the same dilemma
as to the parish of their domicile, were in an equally deplorable
position in regard to spiritual so peri n ten dance, for they again
complained that they " wer not looked after nor owned as parish-
ioners by any minister, whereupon the presbitcric deteiToined that
the inhabitants of Tayock should be parishioners of Montrose,
there to hear the Word and to be catechised, and to receive the
benefit of baptisme and marriage, and there to eommunicat when
the occasion Herved/'*
Thus far the dubiety of the parochial district of Tayock was
settled, but not permanently, for the^e lands and some others to
the west of the burn were afterwards disjoined from Montrose and
added to the parish of Dun, as had been previously the kirk and
emoluments of Egglisjobn (now Langley Park), which was ** of
auld ane chappell erectit for pilgrimage, '^"^
Hitherto we have been speaking of Montrose as a single ecclesi-
astical charge, for it was not until towards the close of the seven-
teenth century, during the time of the last Episcopal minister,
> BrecJdn PreMb. Mec, MS, ^ lU'g. Ep, Brecliln., ii. 239.
» {1^14}— Ibid, " Keg. Kp. BrecliJD.. ii. 34d.
I
I
i
MEM0EIAL8 OF AKGUS AND IfEAUXS.
that it became collegiate. It was so incorporated by special
grant of ParHamcnt, upon petition of tlie inhabitants, who craved
Governnient to allow them to tax themselves for the support of
a second miniater''— a proceeding which has since led to nauch
disagreeable feeling both in Montrose and Edinburgh, these being
the only towns in Scotland where the inhabitants are chargeable
with what ia called annuity tax,
A Mr David Lycll ivas then parochial minister, and a Mr Neill
was the first second or burgh minister. Of the latter I have
learned nothing; but the former, orighially a presbyterian, was
ordained at Aberdeen while Mr Andrew Cant w^as moderator of
that presbytery, and becoming afterwards an episcopalian, he
intimated the sentence of deposition upon his old friend Cant.
The latter J being in the church at the time, stood up and gave
utterance to the characteristic exclamation—*' Davie ! Davie I I
keut ay you wad doe this since the day I lyed my hands on your
head !** Lyell " was a thundering preacher,** and the same au-
thority says *' that some days before his death, as he was walking
in the Links about the twilight, at a pretty distance from the
town, he espyed as it wer a woman, all in white, standing not far
from him, who immediately disappeared, and he corning up
presently to the place, saw nae person there, though the Links be
very plain. Only casting his eye on the place where shee stood,
he saw tuo words drawn or written as it had been with a staff
upon the sand — 'sentenced and condemned! '—upon which
he came home pensive and melancholy, and in a little sickeni
and dyes.''^'
Prior to the erection of the present parish church, which is a
large plain house with two sets of galleries, the building was in
the Gothic style of architecture ** originally venerable and well
proportioned,*^ but latterly '* rendered very gloomy and irregnlar,
by large additions to the galleries, and to the building itself,*' J?
The present kirk was built in 1791, and the old square tower,
ivith octagonal spire, which stood at the w^est gable, gave place
in 1843 to the handsome Gothic steeple, now so great an orna-
ment to the town. It ought to be remarked, that the old steeple
• Acta Pari, ix. 188.
* Wodrow {Awtl€4*ia, L 107)^ had thii atory frwm Mr J. Guild, Mirir. of Pert.
f Old Stftt. Acct. of Sent, . V, 32.
MONTROSE— en AXDELIER OP THE KIRK.
fjl
was not only an object of unknown antiquity, but alBo of some
bifltorical note. It was from tbat **8tiple head'* that "tbo fyre
of joy '* blazed in Juno 1566, wben the news of the birth of King
James were announced ;*i and, upon a previous occajsion^ it was
the acenc of the murder of a young priest^ an incident whidi will
be subaequently referred to.
The chandelier, suspended from tlic roof of the church, is the
oldest esLi.sting relic of tlie kirk of Montrose. The eandleatick
or hearse h an article of great antiquity in churches, and pos-
sibly originated Ln tapers being lighted in memoiy of deceased
persons in Roman Catholic times. They received the Latin
name, arbores^ in consequence of their similarity to trees, the
lights being placed on the projecting branches ;— the earliest
were made of wood, and when metal eanie to be used, they were
variously and elegantly designed. The hearse at Montrose is
made of brass, about four feet in heiglit, and consists of a large
globe and shaft, surmomited by an elegant moulding of an angel
with uplifted hands and ontstrctched wings, resting on a dolphin.
The chandelier has sixteen branches divided into two rows of
eight each, the lower row projecting beyond the upper. The
figures of Justice, and of St George and the Dragon, with the
armorial insignia of the gallant donor and hi;* wife, Christina
Lamb, arc engraved upon the tmir nidos of the globe, and these
words are around the base :--
"aiCUABDVa CLARK MONinOSF. KATVS
KVnC AVTEM VICE-ADMI&ALIS UhLiil^ SVEDl.E
CURISTIANjE FIDKf TESTIMONIO HVIVS TEMPLl ORNAMENTO
C00NATI8 SVJS C.CTEBtfiQVK
UVIV» VRBIB INCOLia palSTI^'l FT INTEOai AUORIS PIONORl
JESMVM HOC CAXDELABKVM HIC B&IGI
FECIT AKKO MDCXXIIl,"
This candlestick, as intimated by the inscription, was presented
to the kb*k by Admiral Clark, of the Swedish fleet, a native of
Montrose; but so little was it respected by his fellow-citizens
that upon the introduction of gas into the church, it was thrown
aside as useless, and being altogether lost for a time, was
ultimately discovered in a blacksmith's shop denuded of iti
branches. A worthy citizen had it rcpaire:! and replaced in ita
t Melviirs Diarr, id.
I
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND BItlABNS.
old positiofi, and it was clumsily fitted up for gas, in the autumn
of 1854. The gift is celebrated in verse bj a local poet, who
thus speaks of it in the opeuiug stanza of hid poem : —
**The bless of Htivin be oti tliic hedde,
Thou pioufl, gutle, and iioLilk* Swede,
For gift so fnir and kind 1
I trow, bcforo we got tbj liclit,
We sate in darknt'Bs black aa nicht
And wanderil like Ibe blind/'''
The old burial ground, in which lie the remain» of MaitlanJ
the historian, and many of tlic old notable citizens of the place,
aun^oynds tlie kirk. It is over-crowded by monuments, some
of which are handsomCj and a few of the older stonca contain
quaint inscriptions, the more ancient of which were published in
Monteith'a Theater of Mortality, during the first half of last cen-
tuiy. The HouflF of Kinnaber, near the North Water Bridge,
Eosehill Cemetery, and the burial ground of St Peter's Episcopal
Chapel, are the only other places of interment in the parish.
iSt Peter's, founded in 1722, is an English Epiacopal Chapel^
and until lately, when it fell a prey to accidental fire, was the
same house which Dr Johnson describes in his Journey to the
Western Islands, as ''clean to a degree unknown m any other
part of Scotland, w4th commodious galleries, and what was le^
expected, with an organ/* This interesting edifice had been
greatly extended and repaired in 185G at a cost of nearly £3000,
and was re-opened for Divine service on the 21st of December
of that year, and upon the evening of the 7th of Februaiy
following, by overheating the flues of the stove, as is supposed,
the building unfortunately caught fire, and the flames spreading
rapidly, the internal furnishings, including the fine organ, and the
altar piece of Moses and Aaron, were consumed, and within a few
hours, little remained save the smouldering ruins. The Scottish
Episcopal Chapel, the quoad sacra, or 5Ielville Church, and more
particularly Free St John's, are tasteful buildings.
Apropos to the churches are the public schools. These have
long been famous as places of rudimentary education, aa is suflS-
ciently attested by the superior character and number of scholars
that have been there educated, it being a remarkable fact that
' Bowick'i Chamct^rt and SktitcliCB, p. G7, 8to., Montroee, 1837.
MONTROSE— GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
r>f)
at one and tlio same time, no fewer than four of them were
Fellows of the Royal Society of London.' We have already
seen that Montrose was the cradle of the Greek langTjage in
Scotland ; but it is not so generally known that so early as the
days of The Bruce, the seminaries had acquired so much celebrity
that he granted the mm of 20s. out of tlie public revenue to-
wards their support^ — a fact which proves that even in tliose so-
called days of ignorance, the legislature of Scotland took an in-
terest In the great and now engrosalng cause of education.
That grant is only once mentionedj but in more recent times
the grammar school has received many important benefactions.
A valuable library of the classics was long since gifted to it, and
besides the medals and book prizes of the Angus Club, which arc
common to all the more important schools in the shire, special
medals have been given by Sir James Duke, JLP., and by a
Masonic Lodge in Bombay, the latter in honor of Sir James
Burnes, long Grandmaster of the Scotch Lodge in India. Besides
these the interest of £100 was also left by the late Sir Alexander
Burnes, to be distributed in prizes to the most proficient of the
classical scholars.
The names of the early masters of the academy are miknown ;
but apart from Monsieur MarsiUiera, the first Greek master, and
George Wishai*t, who became his successor, the grammar school
had the honor of being taught by David Lindsay, son to the
laird of Edzell. Lindsay was afterwards bishop, first of Brechin,
and then of Edmburgh, and it was at his head that Jeanie
Geddes flung the stool when he began to read the Book of Com-
mon Prayer in the High Church of Edinburgh, in July 1G37."
' Thcac were Joseph Iliimo ; Sir Williii.ra Burnett, M.D. ; Sir James, ami tlio
late Sir Alexander Bumes. Beiridce tliese^ Montrose has given birth in many other
emitteiit mon, among whom are Juhn Lcech^ an old J^fitio Poet (Land of tfie
LiwkayHf 252) ; Dr Geo. Koith, auliior of the '' Farroor's HaV' ^om 174^> ; Dr Wm.
Iliintcr, Sec. tu l!ic Asiatic Society ; David BuchanaD, an cminont classical scholar
and printer; Wm, and Thoa. ChriKtic, the one compiler of a LatiQ Grammar, and the
other author of several Pliilosophical and other works. To these onght to bo added,
Alexander Suuirt, one of the most ineritorious of tht* living Scottish Poets, author of
"Ramhling Rliymes," in which are preserved many old romiDisceiiciB of his
nakire towo.
« Trior's Hist, of Scot., ii. 296.
* There wiia also a teacher of vocal music apfukintcd at Montrose, early in thn
t8th rcntury, tho art of sinpiig not being then taught ncjtrer MontroKe than
Edinhiirgb.— i?wr;/A Bccords.
.MEMOKIALS OF AXOt'S M(l> MEAHNS.
SECTION III.
S*lorlt, iLDil iLs KJrk — HarUjur of Stionuay — lacb Bmoch— Basin— Drainer's Dvktr
— Origin of names of Montmse, and Aid MoDtroae— Towii Biirnpd — a KingV
burgli — Trading Privil<^ge9^ — the Aldcrtuan an licnitagQ for David II, — lundiDg
of Sir William Wallace from France — Royal grants to Burgli — Earl of Crawfonl
created Duke of Montrose — Bnrgh Customs— Fairs.
P
BOTCK says tliat Montrose was first known by the name of
Celurcaj and without eoquirmg into the accuracy of the assertion,
future writers have advanced the same theory* The truth is,
Montrose and Salork were two totally different, though contiguous
places, and the earliest charter evidence of both shews that
Malcolm IV, gave at one and the same time, certain tithes out of
both districts, to the Priory of Eostinoth ; as also that Salork had
a ehureh of its owUj and that Montrose was even then a coni^^ider-
able plaee with some trade.
The next, and only other notice of Salork occurs in the time of
William I. It is given iu the very same order as in the charter
of Maleulin IV., and, iu enumerating the grants to Ko«tinoth,
these charters both say that the Abbots and Canons shall have
" lOd, out of Kinnaber, the whole teinds of the King's rent of
Salork, and 20s. for the light of the church of Salork itself,
as also the teinds of the King's rents of Montrose and Rosay."*'
No such place as Salork is now known in the neighbourhood of
Montrose, but I am inclined to believe, from the position which
the name has in both of these chartera^betwcen Kinnaber and
Montrose— that the well-known lands and hamlet, now called
Tat/ock (the situation of %vbicli tallies with that of Salork in the
charters), is a corruption of the ancicut Salork ; and, the church
may have stood in an adjoining part of the Linki^.
A charter in the archi%"es of the burgh, which, if not altogether
of doubtful character, bears better evidence of the time of David
II. tliau that of David L, to whom it h commonly attributed, dc-
8cribej3 tlie lands of Salork as '* lying and situated nigli to tlie
haven of Stronnay towards the south, measuring in extent four
* » * . " X solidofi dc K^TH'ber, ct lotam dcciiiuiin liniie mce de Sti-
Et XX BoIiiloA ad lnm<»n ipmua Eccl. d^ eadem Salorcli. Et dcL-imam finn<^
mc de Mtinros et de RoiiBin,"— Ori>, in Salioun Charter Chcsif coptf in MiittlL
AMhur.
jrONTRUHE — HARBOUR OF STRONNAV*
61
camcates of land and a-half/' or as mudi as four and a-lmlf teams
could plough io one year. But the site of the harbour or haven
of Stroimay is now unknown, although so late as the fifteenth
century the coUeetor^ of customii specify ships to have been
freighted there/' Perhaps, since Stron-i^ eignitica " the nose or
projecting pari of an island,'" it may refer to some point of the
ialatid of Inchbrayock, which is situated in the middle of the
South Esk, immediately south of the FortJilU and town of Muu-
trose. That island, separated from Monti'ose only by aa arm of
the river, and joined to the town by tlic suapenston bridge, now
forms part of the parish of Craig, but hi old thnes was an inde-
pendent cure, and the church, dedicated in honour of St Braoch,
gave name to the district.*
It ought to be mentioned, however, that the Island of St
Braoch Is nearly two miles to the south-west of Tayock, the sup-
posed site of the ancient Salork ; and that tradition (relying per-
haps upon certain points in Slezer's view of the town), says there
was a jetty or harbour in the Basin of the South Esk, near the
Forthilh Such may have been the case ; but the long piled
erection shewn in that engraving, as atretching across the Basin
from the back of the Forthill, is clearly the Drainer s or Dronner^s
Dj/key which was erected shortly before Captain Slezer visited
Montrose. That dyke was raised with a view to drain and make
arable land of about two thousand acres of the IJa^In which
belonged in property to Erakine of Dun, wlio dispoBcd of it
to certain parties who formed themselves into a co-partnei*y, of
whom the Earl of Kinghoni was one. Unfortunate ly^ however,
the speculation turned out to be unsuccessful, for *' the embaidc-
meut had been scarcely accomplished when, by a sudden storm,
it was thrown down/' and in consequence several of the projec-
tors were rendered bankrnpt.^ At low tides the Drainer s Dyke
ig yet partially visible ; and so far as relates to the beauty of the
Basin, its destruction is not to be regretted, as the Basin forms,
particularly at full tides, one of tlie grandest natural objecte of
"^ Chiimk Rolli, iu\ 222.
• R<ig. Vet. dtt Abarbr, 330. A inirioyBlj sculpturL-fl fttoiio monument, now
fWflcrved At the parihU kirk of Criiij<, la figured iu tho jScmZ/w/. M(/nt», of 6Vor. Tk,
Mino mAgnifioent voUiiiif alno eontains unino eonjcctiireB regarding St. Brnoch,
^ (l*i70) Ertrfrom the pUadin^f* fi/J. Et'skine of Bun tn (he *^t^kenei Ca$e,
in po^Besftinn of Adam Buriics, Euij., i^rittn. Moulrosu.
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEAUSS.
which any town in tlie kingdom can boast, being a fine ftheet of
water, nearly circular, and about three railcs in diameter.
Apart from the Basin, the leading topographical features of
Munros^ now Montrose, were of old three hilU, called respectively
the Fort, the Horologe, and Windmill hills ; but these, \rith the
exception of the first named, have given way to the improvements
of modem times. The town stands between the North and
South Esk rivers, upon a tongue of land hounded on the i^outh and
west by the last named of these streams, and by the German
Ocean on the east, and as the Gaelic word ros^ signifies "the
point, or promontory between two waters," whether that point be
high or low, and moine^ **a moss," the name most likely signifies
the " mossy j" or, it may be, the *' hilly *' point, for inmiadh means
" hills,'' The first is the more frequent rendering, and had per-
haps not been inappropriate to the site of the town, as it had also
been to the nearly adjacent lands of Aid, or Old Montrose, the
true etymology of which is perhaps Alt-mmne-ros — *' the burn of
the mossy point '* — for a rivulet, known as the bum of Aid Mon-
trose, traverses that estate, and falls into the Basin of the
South Eisk a little to the south-east of the Mansion House. The
transition from the Gaelic AM or AU^ to the Scottish " Auld,"
and the English " Old/' is easy and natural, and may account
for the fable of the town of Montrose being situated at that place
before the rise of the present burgh.
It has already been seen that Montrose is said to have been a
town in the tenth century^ and tliat the inhabitants were then mas-
sacred by the Danes, but it can be affirmed with more certainty
that in the time of Malcolm IV. it possessed both milk and salt
pans. In 1244 the town was consumed by accidental fire; and
the learned Camden, who follows Boyce in his theory* of Celurca
being the original name of Montrose, perhaps alludes to this con-
flagration when he says " the town is built out of the ruins ol
another of the same name.'''*
Although tlie period of its erection into a burgh of royalty is
unknown, it had burgesses in 1261-2, and in 1296, a bailie, and
several burgesses, as previously stated, did homage to King
Edward. Like many other royal burgh.-* of doubtful origin, its
' HailcB* Annals, i. 332, • BritanniA, Abridg., I 31.
MONTROSE— TRADINQ BOUKDABIEg.
63
creation is attributed to the time of David 1. ; but that could
hardly have been, since the earliest charters to burghs in Scotland
were not granted until the time of AYilliam the Lion, and these
were not chartei's, properly so called, but merely protective
writings, confinning certain privileges to commumtlcs held under
the superiority of the King, and the inhabitants were consequently
called burgenses regis. It ought also to be borne in mind that
such towns as possessed a royal rcsidciiec, were called King^s
burgles, and Montrose was one of these^ from at least the time of
King William*
In later times, when it was found necessary to grant bonajide
charters to burghs, these were either confiimations of the privi-
leges set forth in the writs of earlier monarclsij frequently con-
taiuing certaiu additions, proportionately great to the impor-
tance of the community of the place ; and of this sort the doubt-
ful charter of Montrose, just alluded to, may b€ taken as an ex-
ample. After confirming to the burgesses the prior grant of ^* the
whole lands of Salork/' which were to be held for over by them in
** free burgh/' the charter not only narrates that they shall have
*' all the rights of buying and selling lawfully pertaining to the
business and office of burgesses and merchants," but It also de-
Bcrlbes the boundaries of their trading privileges as extending
** from the water of Thawhoke as far aa Findoime, and from
Findoune through the north parts as far as the water of Carudy,
and 30 descending through the south part as far as the water of
Deychty, as it runs in Drumtay."'*
During the year 1369, King David was himself in Montrose
OB two different occasions, in the months of October and Decem-
ber respectively.'^ But previously, in 1352 (accordiug to the
charter just cited), he confirmed the reputed grants of David I.
It is evident that in the course of the year 1369, he granted
certain privileges to the burgesses, consisting of cniive and net
fishings in the North aud South Esks, common pasturages, and a
right to mill multures, and customs, &c.,** which were confirmed
and ratified by subsequent kings; but no mention is made by
them of the charter of 1352, nor of any such grants as those
attributed to David I. There had been older undoubted grants
" Charts in Panmure Mi$cd., MS,, I 5, ^ B«g. Mag. Sig,, p. 70. •« Ik, p. m.
MfiimmAI^ OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
to Moiitroae than that of 1369, although tliese are tiow lost, fur
the town waa in such a floiiriahing coDditioo, even m 1357, that
John Clark, then aldcmiaii of the town, was chosen as one of the
hostages for the ranaom of King David, and it had at that time
the middle position among the seventeen chief burghs of the king-
dom.* In a parliament, hehl ten years later, it was represented
by tAvo burgesses, being the same nnmber as was allowed to Edin*
biirghj Aberdeen, and other principal towns/
A great part of the early trade of Montrose had consisted in
shipments, for which it was rather famous from an early date,
although the common notion of its having been the port from
whence tlie good Sir James Douglas sc*t sail for the Holy Land
with the heart of The Bruce, is contrary to the averments of
some of our best historianB.^ It itn pretty clear, however, that Sir
William Wallace landed there in 1303, when solicited to return
from France to oppose the haughty arms of King Edward, and
being rather an important point in the life of the Great Patriot,
and locally interesting from the allusions made to certain persons
and places of the county, the passage which Bets forth that fact,
IS here given in full, and in the quaint language of the poet :■ —
" Na ma with liini lie brocLt off tliat cuntrcj
Bot Ills awti men, and Scliyr Tlinmaw the knjcbt.
In FlawTi«lrj'8 knJ tlmi fmst with jill thar myclit.
Gulhreitf barg waii at the SI us left sty 11 ;
To 8c tbai went wyih ftno fnll egyr wyll,
Bath Forth antl Tay thai left and pafl«>t ij
On the Dorth co«l, [pnl] ijuthre was tbar gr*
In MwmrotM Itawyn that brocbt hyni to tfui hmil ;
Till trew Soottia it was a blyth lit hand.
Sibjr Jhon Itamaay, that wortlii was and wychf,
Frac Ochtyrhouss the W4iy he Ldiesyt rycht,
To nieile Wallace with mi'n off amips Rtrang;
Off his dtiellyng thai hufl thocht wnnrlyr lang.
Til© trow Ruwan come als with outyn haid ;
Id Barnan worl ho had his lugjing: ttinid.
Biirklay bo that to Wallace semblyt fast ;
With thrc hundrctii to Ochtyrhous» he pa^t/**"
' Acta Pari, i. 157.
' Tjtlcr'n Hist, of Scot., ii. 234. It appeare that ia niodcni times female bur-
SBies were recogiiiaed at Montrose, for on 7 th Dec. 1751, Ladiea Jean, Mary, and
aijory, daaght4*rs of Ijord Falconer of Halkerstnne, were, along wilh their father
andaDclQ, approved of as biirgc98e»!— ^urj^^ It^orth.
t Barbour's BniH, 414. »• Blind Harry'ii Wallace, 243.
MOXTBOSE — ANCIENT PRIVILEGES.
65
The sliorediies and cuBtoma of the harbotir of Montrose, except-
ing Biich portions as were granted to Lindsay, Duke of Montrose,
were collected on bchtalf of the King until the early part of the
reign of James FV"., when the magistrates had the power of
levying the same, with anchorage and other payments for the
maintenance of the harbour — exactions which Charles II. per-
mitted to he doubled. James YI, also allowed them to tax
liquourg *' brewen and vented** in the burgh, to assist in build-
ing and repairing the harbour ; and, at a prior date, the same
King, in renewing certain privileges, gave the town an annuity
from tlie lands which had belonged to the Cannelite friars at
Inverber\'ie.^
As before remarked, the town and port of ilontrose had the
honour of giving title of Duke to Da\'id Lind.say, fifth Earl of
Crawford, and along with that dignity he had a confirmation of
a previous gi^ant which the family had enjoyed out of the great
customs of the burgh, together with another gift of the smaller
customs, and he also assumed the armorial bearings of the town
as a part of his coat. At that time the town possessed consider-
able powers, having the privilege or jurisdiction of a sheriffdom
or county, and although the customs were of little intrinsic valuo
to the Duke, they were essential in retaining the title, It being a
feudal custom to create titles by a grant of laud or other heritable
privileges.^
Tlie trading boundaries of Montrose, as set forth In tlie reputed
cliarter of David I», appear to have been afterv^^ards curtailed, for
in 1641, the Earl Mariselutl had a tack from the King of *^ the
customs of all portisj harberiei^, and creikis alonge the colste syde
frae the North Watter of the to\vne of Jloutrose to the watter
month of Spey,** and during the same year Erskine of Dun had
also a tack of the customs of the ** port and burgh of Mnntroia
and vthir portis, heberies and creiks along the coast syde" from
the North to the South Esk.'' But long prior to this, the Erskines
had a tack of the customs from David Earl of Crawford, who in-
herited them through his uncle, the Duke of Montrose. The
Earl granted a precept of infeftment to Dim and his heirs in 1525,^
^ Acta VmU iii. 604 : vii. App., 8i; x, 145.
' Reg. Mftg; Sig., p^ 293 ; R^'port on Montropc Clftimi 512.
»■ Acta Pari,, v, 565, 592,
Hpaldiug MiscdI., iv, 22.
r
MKMOIilAI-S OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
and of this right the charter above racntinned seem si to be a con-*!
tinnation, the Erskines having previously obtained that right
by purchase about the time that the fortuned of the Lindsays be-
gan to decline.
Apart from the old weekly markets of Montrose, for the
advancement of which the ** Staplehand '' Markets at BrecliiB
and FordouB were inhibited by David IL," the principal annual
fair was held upon the Rood Day (the third of May), from whic}i
it had the name of Ruid fair ;^ and upon petition of the magistrates
another market waJ3 granted to be held within the burgh in the
month of July, which w^as to " continue for the space of ffour daye«
yearly." A weekly market was also allowed ** upon ilk Thursday "
from October to Deeember "ffor selliog and buying of horse^
nolt, sheep, and all maner of cattle ycarlie," and of that the
magistrates had power to uplift the customs, Ac.** But all these
fairs, excepting a weekly market which is held upon Friday, are
now abolished, and the chief markets of the year are those at
Martinmas and Whitsunday, when the hireing of farm serviintSyJ
male and female, is the chief busineBS of the day*
SECTION IV.
MonttttBtt iatlie 17tli centurj^Arthur Johnst^jne's Epl^am — moiltim ImprovementM
— lacreiis* of Trade— Town Hall— Charitable Grants— Inflraiftr)— Lunatic
Asylum^Nortli Wntcr Bridgc^ — ^SaspciiBion Bridge, &c.
About the time that Parliament allowed the fairs to be estab-
lished, which have just been referred to, Montrose wa^SJ as it still
is, rather a pretty to^\T3 ; and, with the exception of Dundee, the
largest and most important in the county. Mr Oehterlony, who
gives the earliest account of it, describes it as " a very handsome
weU built toune, of considerable trade in all place*^ abroad ; good
housea all of stone, excellent large streets, a good tolbuith and
church, good shipping of their own, a good shore at the tonne, a
myle within the river of South Esk ; but the entrie is very dan-
" Rpg Ep. Bn^cliiii., ii, 380,
■ Tliii fiiir iH c<dcbrtttfnl in Bntiirt*» Bamhliug Mhifmes, p. W. Sec n\m Gro.
BcAttio 8 humourous poem l^^ John o Arnh^\ • Atta Purl., vii. 443.
MONTEaSE IN OLD TIMES.
67
gerous for strangers that know it not, by reason of a great Lank
of Band tliat lyeth before the mouth of the entrie, called Long
Ennellj but that defect is supplied by getting pilots from tlie
neighboiiriDg fisher-towns of Uliahavene or Ferredenc, who know
it so well that they cannot mistake. It is a very cheap place of
all things necefisary except house rent, %vhii'h is dear, by reason of
the great distance they are from stones, and makes their building
very dear; yet, notwithstanding^ they are constantly building
both in the toune,. aiul suburbs, which are at a considerable dis-
tance from the toune, In the Links, where are their raalthonscs,
and kills, and granaries for cornes, of thrie storeys high, and
some more, and are increased to sucli a nnniher, that in a sliort
ty mo it IB thought they will equall, If not exceed, the toune in
greattiess* They are well appointed of fleaches and fishes, which
are extraordinarc cheap In that place, and have them in great
abundance of all sorts. They have a good public revenue, two
wlnd-mlhies, ane hospltalc, witli some mortificationes belonging
to it J they are mighty fyne burgesses, and delicate and painfiill
merchants. There have been men of great substance in that
toune of a long time, and yet aro, who have and are purchasing
good estates in the countrey. The gcneralitie of the burgesses
and merchants do very far exceed these in any other toune in the
shyrc.^'p
The more celebrated Daniel de Foe, who made a tour through
Great Britain during the first decades of the eighteenth e4?n-
tory, speaks in much the same tcnns of the town and the in-
habitants as Ochterlony. It " Is a pretty sea port town," he
says, *^ and one street very good ; the houses well built, and the
town well pavM : The inhabitants here, as at Dimdee^ are very
genteel, and have more the air of gentlemen than merchants.''
Prior to the date of either of these notices, however, ]\Iontros>e
had its praises heralded in Latin verse by John, and Dr Arthur
I Johnstone, both of whom follow Boyce in reference to the an-
cient name Celurca, and begm by calling the town " the Mount
of RoBcs/' in allusion to the popular notion that tlie name was
assumed from the Latin Mons Bosanim, The Links, or com-
9 Spottifiwoode Miscell, i. 383. Mooip^imio (1612) ^i\y&, *- MoDtrogSQ ; ft oom-
modioai DArboFoiL^li for abippiag ; ttiii toune is all oi^iUleH wtlli stone, iind popiilou&i
abomidant with all fa'ndt' of «Bh©fl,**— Jf»#c:tt, .Sr^i/., i, 103,
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEAENS.
moiij alluded to in Arthur Johnstone^s Epigram (of which ao old
quaint translation is given below), are among the finest in the
kingdom, and the ancient exercise of the bow, noticed by him,
for which new butts were erected at the expense of the town
abotit the begimiing of last century^'' was lately re\ivedj the Cor-
poration of the hurgh having, in 1850, presented a fine silver arrow,
of the value of ten guineas, to the Royal Company of Archers
of Scotland, which has been twice shot for upon the Links, but
the old butts have long since disappeared. The amusements of
bowling and golf, particularly the latter, are also carried on with
great spirit, as are tlie more recently introduced pastimes of
cricket and curling, for the practice of all of which delightful re-
creations the Links arc well adapted,
"Tlio Nolle Town from KofiiE-Mocirr doth ckrni
Its Present, as from Heaven its Ancicat Name :
Kcar it' a a Hill by wblch a river glydes^
Both which to it Delicious Far« pnovyds ;
The Hill doth Flocks, Salmon the Flood brings forth.
Or what in Nero*» Pondla was of more worth.
The LiUiofl on the Banks refresh the night,
Th« Bosei on the Hills A^>rd de%ht.
Towardft iho East the Seas themaeWei do spread.
Which with ft thoDiuuid Ships are covered.
A liirge Field hy the Sea is streichad furtli,
Begirt with waters hoth at Soiiib and North,
Some Youths tmjja Horses hero^ some uue the Bow,
And aomo their Strength in rolling Great Stona show^
Some Wreetlep some at Pounie-stones do play.
The follinj^f Balk with Cluba some drive away.
Ethould JoTo or Venus view tlvi!^ Town, nure Ho
Hi& Capitoll, Ht^r Ida leave would She,"'
In equally lauditorv, but BtiU more hieid terms, although in
the less attractive style of prose, Montrose is called ** a beauty
that lies concealed, as it were, in the bosom of Scotland j most
delicately dressed up, and adorned with excellent buildings,
whoso foundatioDS are laid with polished stone, and her ports all
washed with silver streams, that trickle down from the famous
Ask 'M So wrote the pedantic Captain Franck in 1657-8.' But,
according to popular story these laudatory effiisions wiU be of
little avail in preserving the town of Montrose, for, as will be seen
^ Burffh Records, 1704. ' ArrsNont, No. IL (a ) • Norlhera Mcmair«, 233.
ItONTROBE IN OLD TIMES.
69
by the following verse, which is a reputed prophecy of Sir Thomas
the Khymer, it is doomed to deatruction, like the more opulent
town of Dundee, while the lesser burghs of Brechin and Forfar
arc prophccied to survive and flourish, when every vestige of the
first two are swept away ! —
** Bonny Munroea will be a moBS,
When Brechin'a a l)orougU town ;
An' Forfar will be Forfar itill»
IMion Dundee*!* a dung down ! '*
But to return. The shore of Ochtcrlony's time waa of wood,
and it so remained until about the middle of last century, when
the present *' old stone port ** waa erected. This last was a great
work for the period, and extended from the bridge along the
north side of the river, a distance of about 650 feet. It waa re-
cently much enlarged and improved by the addition of wet and
dry docks, but the Ennell or Ennet, still forma a dangerous
barrier at the mouth of the river.
Although the burgh of Montrose has less claim now-anlays to
the high rank assigned to it among the other burghs of the
county than it had either in Ochterlony or De Foe's time, the
population and shipping have been more than doubled since 1793.
Its yarn manufactm'e, which may be considered tlie staple trade,
lias been more than trcbblcd, notwitlLstandiug that since the intro-
duction of the railway, shipping has been rather on the decrease ;
but the loss of revenue in the latter department has been more than
compensated from sources not previously contemplated.
If the town waa worthy of commendation in old times for its
buildings and general appearance, it is more so now, the want of
water^ — one of the greatest drawbacks upon domestic comfort^
having been completely overcome ;^ and, as it was in the time
of Ochterlony, ao is it still the resort of families of independ-
ent fortiuie* Bums the poet, who visited his cousin, Mr Biinies
there in 1787, calls it " a finely situated handsome town;*' and
the broad High Street, which lately contained a number of old-
fashioned houses with picturesque wooden gables projecting
* Water was first broTiEht from Glenskenno to the town in 17-41 at a cost of
Burgh Becordt. The works for tlio present Bupply, from the Haagha of Kin-
£1300
niibor, on tl
commercial wants of tbe town, cost about £8,800,
. the North Eak, which is calenhited to be sufficient for all the domcBtic iind
TO
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEABNB.
:««»
»
\ »
%
towards the fitreet, such as are yet to be seen in many pai*ts of
England, now displays a series of subitantial dwelling houses and
ahops elegant in design beyond those of most provincial towns.
These wooden-gabled houses were prohibited from being erected
m 1739," and the only remaining examples are in Castle Street.
One stone house, on the north side of that street, with the legend,
[d]ominvs • PiioviDE[BfT], npon tho lintel of one of the upper
windows, is perhaps the oldest house in town. There is another
old house, at the top of Bridge Street, with monograms over the
windows and date 1688. A few years ago there was also an old
door lintel in Apple Wynd, but on looking for it some montlis
since, I was told that the date and letters which it bore, had
been eflFaced, as the proprietor ** cou'dna be bothered wi' qmcrfolk
gaun to look at them '' 1
The ** good tolbuith,'' spoken of by Gnynd, which stood in
the middle and south end of the High Street, is now re-
moved, and the gite occupied with goad effect by a fine colossal
statue of Sir Robert Peel. The town hall, a large building of
four stories, w^ith arcade below, and balustrade round the top,
decorated in front by the armorial hearings of the biirgh,'^ is a
haudsorae fabric, projecting into the street. The council chamber
is adorned bv some good portraits, the best of which arc those of
the kte Joseph Hume, and a full length of Sir James Duke,
robed as Lord Mayor of London, and presented by him to his
native tow^n.
It ought also to be remarked that Montrose contains a museum
of natural and antiquarian cnriosltica — perhaps one of the best
collections in the provinces. There are also two public libra-
ries, each containing large and valuable collections of books
in all classes of literatm-e. Besides these facilities for intellectual
improvement, few towns of a like size have so many charitable
institutions J or so large an araount of benefactions to the poor.
These have been left by natives and othei^s, and nearly the half
of the money, which araounta to about £11,000 sterling, was
granted by a cadet of Erskiae of Dun, and the whole is applied
■ Burgh Bttords,
» On n shield, arg, a rose seeded and barbed ; 9upp. two me rm aide pmpcr ; eresi^
A iinister band isHning out of clondi holding a branco of knrel \ rnoUo, marb uitat,
■0«A DE<X>IUT.
MONTROSE — BRlDilES.
71
for educational purposes, and for alleviating the wants of the dis-
tressed.
Dorward'a Seminary, and House of Refuge, were founded and
liberally endowed by a late wealthy inerchant of that name for
the education and protection of orphan children, as well as an
asylum for aged men and women. The Infinnary and Lunatic
Asylum were reared by public subscription. The last named es-
tabliahment, %vhich haa long been considered one of the best eon-
ducted in the kingdom (founded in 1779, and incorporated by
royal charter in 1810), was the first of the sort in Scotland, and
owed ita origin to the philanthropy and enterprise of the late Mrs
Carnegy of Pitarrow. A portion of this building was lately pur-
chased by the counties of Forfar and Kincardine for Militia depot
barracks, and a n&w asylum, on the most approved principles, is
in course of erection at Sunnysido, two or threo miles north of the
town, from which there is a fine view of ^* fiood and field."
But of aii the improvements connected with Montrose, the
bridges across the North and South Esks, both of which rivers
were previously crossed by boats, must be reckoned as those of
the greatest public utility, Tlie former, a fine stone bridge of eight
arches, projected by Thomas Christie, provost of Montrose, a
gentleman of shrewd busine&s habits, and of a literary taste, was
finished in 1775, after a laps© of five years, and while his son was
chief magistrate.
In consequence of the island of Inchbrayock being in the
middle of the South Esk, the river is there separated into two
channelsj the more northerly being about 430 feet wide, while
the southern channel is barely 90, Towards the close of last
century a wooden bridge was erected over the northern course
of the river, but within tliirty years it Wiis deemed unsafe, as
the water threatened to sweep away the piers ; and a suspension
bridge having been resolved upon, the fouudation stone was laid
in September 1829, and the whole completed in December
1830, at a cost of about £23,000, It was designed by Captain
Samuel Brown, R.N., and is one of the finest structures of the
sort any where to be seen ; but, unfortunately, it received severe
damage at two diSercnt times* These accidents both occurred
in the year 1838, The fir^^t was caused by a crowd of persons, who
MEMOBIALS OF ANGUS AND M EARNS.
had assembled to witness a boat race, making a sndden ruBh to
the east end of the bridge, wben one of the npp^r chains gave
way, and falling upon the lower one, several individuals were
caught between the chains and killed upon the spot. The bridge
was soon repaired; but upon the 11th of October following, a
fearful gale of wind tore np and destroyed about two-tliirda of
the roadway and iron work. The principal chains were fortun-
ately imijijured at that time, and at an outlay of some £3,000,
the damage was repaired^ and a roadway formed on a new and
more approved principle.*
On the erection of the suspension bridgCj the middle of the
arch of the stone bridge across the Bouthem or narrow channel of
the Esk was also removed and supplanted by a revolving draw-
bridge, by which means vessels pass up and down tlxe Basin to a
small port at Aid Jlontrose, where at one time goods were fre-
quently shipped and delivered, but since the introduction of the
railway that harbour is more rarely used.
SECTION V.
Feuds between the Inhabitanta; and the Ereldnca of Dnn— a PrieBt killed in tbe bell
tower — ^reconcjliiitjon of Joim Erekine witb tbc mbabitantB — hie defence of the
Town against Iho English — General AHserably at Montrose — Andrew Melrille —
Wars of the Covenant — Town invad*Ml by Irvine of Dmm — Dun plnJidered by
the Marqnia of Montroee^ — Chevaiier de St George enibnrkB for France— rebela
of 1745 pOBseia Montro8e^Caf>tftin Fenier capture b thu Hazard slnop of war
— Admiral Bing sitikii a French Ship at the Ennet — visit of the Duke of Cum.
berland.
The close proximity of Dun to the town of Montrose naturally
brought the Erskines and the iiibabitants into dose and frequent
contact with one another } and it has already been shewn that the
constabulary of the burgh 'ultimately became vested in that
family. Calderwoodj and others aay, upon what authority I have
failed to discover, that the Erskines were provosts of Montrose in
old thncs, and also represented tlie ahire of Forfar in parliament.
In neither capacity have I found any one of the family mentioned
in the public records. It is true, tbat in 1569, *' Dominus Dun
• See the local iicw»pnp<jrH of tbat prriml.
MONTROSE— FEUDS WITH THK EILSKIKES OF DUN. 73
pro Mootrose '' appear.-^ In the parliament held at Edinburgh on
the 17tli of November of that year.*
It 18 certain the family were no favoontes at ilrmtrose toward?*
the elpsc of the fifteenth century, fcr the laird of that period and
the iiiliabitaiits were at open war. The canae was trivial : In
1491-2, the younger Erskine, aa tutor for his relative, Henry
Graham of Morphte, took possession of certain eruives and fishings
in the North Esk against the will of the magistrates, who carried
the aflair to a court of law, and upon the case going to proof,
En^kine was declared to have done '* na wrang," and so kept pos-
session of the property .J^
It was in the month of June 1493 that young Dun obtained
this decision in his favor, and almost immediately afterwards, lie
begiui a series of reprisals upon the hihabitantjs, whitli afford a
striking picture of the nide cltaracter of the period. He had
previously rendered himself so obnoxious to the officials of the
burgh, that Stirling and Scott — two of the chief citizens^ — pro-
cured lawborrows against hiniy whereby they '* aallx^ bannelea
and scathlea of himj vnder the pain of two hundred pounds/'*
Heedless of the law, and emboldened by gatiihig the suit over
the Montrosians, young Erskine j accompanied by hia father and
three brothers, with several followers^ resumed his work of apoli-
atiou and insult, and as it is quaintly described in the cuniplaint
of the citizens of Montrose, he destroyed ^' ande etc all oorc corne
that grew apone our comone lande, and thia beandc done ondcr
cilence of nycht, eorae bodyu with spcris and bovis to youre saide
burgh, and bostit [threatened] oure alderman, he beandc in his
bed, sayand thai suld pul done his houss abuf his hede."'*
The atdcnnan and burgesses, however, preferred keeping tlieir
beds to an unequal trial of strength, and the marauders f[metly
returned home. Stilly ** day ley ande nycbtly '' they in%'aded the
town looking "* quharc thai may get vs at opin to stryk vs done,"
and on St Ninian's day [IGth September] of the same year the
Erskines attacked ** oure fyschars, thicr wyffis, and seruandis
» Acta Tail, iiL 57, r Acta Dom. Con., 278, 179.
' Attn Autl, 161. — Gcorgr Stirlitjjr is tlio firet nnnied commiEsioaor to the
Parliamciit for tlio borgU of Montrose, Blapuli 11, 1603» — Acta BarL, ii. 239.
• '' Walter Qg:ilbT, aldermnn of Mnntrofie, Atid Maistcr George Stcrueliag, pro^
ciimtora ufthe tcun of Montri>se/' &c. — Acta houu Con.^ 355.
74 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEAUNS.
[while] gaderynde thair bate to thir lynis, in yoare waiter, ande
Bpujlzeit thaim of thair claithis.'"*
A messenger was despatched with a comphunt regarding these
untoward proceedings, to Lindsay, Duke of Montrose, but the
messenger being overtaken and slain by the Erskines wlule on
his way to the Duke, another party was sent to the King at
Stirling, under an escoit of armed men. The petition had the
desired effect, and the defenders were summoned to appear at the
next Justiceair at Dundee under certain pains and penalties ; but
the result is not recorded.
These outrages upon the inhabitants of Montrose, which (if
judged of by the decision given in the first case), may be attributed
partly to inadvertence of their rulers, were scarcely forgotten until
another act of a most sacrilegious and fatal nature was perpetrated
within the precincts of the parish church by the future Superinten-
dent himself, who, in early life, appears to have exhibited mudi
of the proud domineering spirit of his ancestors. It is needless to
say that, trained up in the Bomish faith, he was long a staunch sup-*
porter of that church ; but the details of the sad occurrence al-
luded to, which, until lately was an unknown feature in the dia-
racter of Erskine, are unoertidn. Still, it appears that, whether
out of revenge, or in the heat of passion, be killed Sir Thomas
Froster, a priest of Montrose, within the campanile or bell tower
of that place, and in consequence, as was the fashion of the period,
Erskine granted a bond of assythment or blood money for the
offence, to Froster's father, who was a burgess of the town.°
Erskine was little beyond twenty years of age at the time of
this unfortunate affair, and perhaps it may have had an effect in
bringing about the change which took place in his religious
opinions, and future life. Whether he had been doomed to
undergo a penance for the crime by the church of Rome, and
thereby taken a distaste to her principles, is matter of conjec-
ture ; but it is certain that he left Scotland for the Continent
soon after the murder, and upon returning home in the course of
three or four years, he began to shew favor for church reform ;
and, as before more fully stated, brought along with him a teacher
* BowicVs Life of Erskine, 144; Wodrow*8 Biog. ColU 422-25.
•^ Spalding MisceD., iv. 27. See Afpbxdxx, No. VII.
MONTROSE— MEETING OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY
75
of the (xreek language, whom lie settled and maintained at JIou-
tro»e,
Frooi that time, the Erskines and the inhabitants continued
good ft'iendi?*, and in 1548, when the English attempted to land
their fleet in the .South Esk, Erskine, at the head of a, numljer nf
the inliabitants and uthera, vigorously defended the town and pre-
vented their landing. The loss of the enemy is varioualv stated
at eijiijht and five hundred, and the reader is referred to Buehanan
for a detailed aeeount of the trauftaction, who, it ia supposed, had
the particulars from Erskinc himself.''
Beyond the incidents ah'cady noticed relative to the Refor-
mation, little of much moment appears to have taken plaee in
Montro^ from the period just mentioned, until the year IfiOO^
when a General As^seinbly was held there, in presence of King
James. This was an Aaaembly of considerable importance, it
being intended to decide the fate of Presbytery ; and the presence
of royalty was expected to atrengthcMi the King in his wish to es-
tablish prelacy and himseli' as the head of the church in Scotland,
as was virtually the caae in England. But the attempt failed,
notwltliHtanding that aome of the more influential of the clergy
were apixjinted to vacant bishoprick?v, Mr Jamea Melville, w^ho
was present at the Assembly, quaintly says that Mr Blackburn,
the mrMlcratur, wlio had the see of Aberdeen, ** delyverit vcrie
guid doctrine befor noone, bot ho was brought in effect to i-ecant
it at the cfter noone befor tlie haill Asserablie, to the grait greifl' of
guid brcithring, a grait stepe from a preceise honest Minister to
a Bbchope of thi.^ new strak, quhilk ho becam theyeir cfter.""
The defeat of the King's party was owing, in a great measure,
to the power and influence of Andrew Melville, whom tlic King
sharply rebuked for being present at the Assembly ; and per-
haps no better picture exists in the annals of any civilized country,
of the independence and self-posdessioii of a subject in the pre-
sence of a king, than the stones related of Melville's conferences
with James, more particularly the scene which occurred at Mou-
trose upon this occasion* The sturdy informer, for Melville was
then in the prime of life, retiring from the presence of the King,
taking himself at the same time by the throat, replied — *' Sir, tak
*• Biidiaimn'fl IIibL of Scul. hy Aikrotiii, ii. 374. • Mchiirs Diary, 460.
76 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
yow this head, and gar cut it af, gif jie will ; yie sail sooner get it,
or I betray the cause of Chryst I And sa," continues his nephew,
^^ he remeanit in the town all the whyll, and fumisit arguments to
the brethering, and mightilie strynthned and incuragit tham."'
King James being at this time foiled in his wish, no sooner
entered upon the throne of England — and was backed in his
wishes by the churchmen of that country — than he tried to gain
his purpose in another way in Scotland, by having Melville, and
some of the other leaders of the church, removed to distant coun-
tries, under pretence of having them employed in preaching the
gospel. Though these plans were partially successful, they were
by no means so much so as the King could have wished, and not-
withstanding his partiality for his fellow-countrymen, he strained
every nerve to have the church subjected to his will.
It need hardly be said, that a desire to carry out these arrogant
and compulsory measures, led to the sad consequences which
followed during the reign of his unfortunate son and successor
Charles 1. Regardless alike of those statutes whereby Presbytery
was established as the religion of the kingdom, and of the opinions
of the majority of his Scottish subjects, Charles vainly attempted
to thrust a liturgy upon the country, similar to that used in Eng^
land. This was a form of religion to which Scotland in general
had a great abhorrence at the time, and the King persisting in
his views, and the people in theirs, they subscribed a Covenant in
May 1638, by which they bound themselves to maintain that faith
which had been so dearly bought by the lives of some of the
most talented and pious of their forefathers.
The hbtory of that important period — eventful alike in the an-
nals of Scotland and England — ^is well known and need not be
here dwelt upon. Suffice it to say, that the vacillating and stub-
bom conduct of the King rendered it necessary to take strong
measures to oppose him, and a party, composed of the more
influential noblemen, barons, and burgesses of the kingdom,
united themselves into a body for the government and protection
of the realm. They were commonly called Covenanters, more
properly the Estates of Parliament, and their army, which was
large, was placed under the chief command of the Marquis of Ar-
' Mflvill's Piarj, 485. Andrew Melville flicd at Sedan, in 1622, ajrod 77.
MONTROSE — INVADED BY THE K0YALLS1>4.
77
gyle and General Leslie, while the royaliiits were led latterly by
the Marquis of Slontrose, and the Earl of Crawford.
In those important proceedings the town of Montrose bore some
little part. A committee of the Covenantera met there in 1639,
when an abortive attempt was made by the royalbti^ to seize some
pieces of ordnance which had been placed for the defence of
the towTa. In the foUow^ing year, a ship landed from Hol-
land carrying ammunition and anns for the Covenanters.^ It was
not, however, until the month of April 1(544, that the town and
its lieges w^ere seriously endangered. This arose from a desire
on the part of the royalists to obtain possession of '* tua brassin
e^rtowis,** or small cannon, and, headed by young Irvine of Drum,
about three hundred soldiei-s, horse and foot, entered Montrose
with sounding trumpets, and drawn swords, about two o'clock in
the morning. The inhabitants, who had been apprised of the in-
vasion, alarmed the neighbourhood, by kindling fires upon the
steeple and ringing the bells, whilst they themselves stood In
arms. ** Bot all was for nochtj*' as quaintly remarked by Spalding,
who further says, that the royaUsts " dang the touneV people fra
the calsey to thair houssis, and out of the foirstaircs thay schot
desperatlic, bot thay war forssit to yeild liy many feirfull schotes
achot aganes thame ; fjuhair tnhappellie Alexander Peirsone, ane
of thair balleisj wcs slayne."
For a brief period Montrose was occupied by the royalists,
but fortunately for the town, an Aberdonian of the name of Bur-
net resided there, who, though ^* an anti-Coveuanter/' so far be-
trayed the cause as to allow the provost of the burgh, and many
others, with the '* tua brassin cartowia,** to be quietly taken on
board the \'ery ship w^hich he promised to place at the service of
the royalists. To this piece of treachery Drum and his friends
were strangers, and upon ncaring the shore, tiie deception became
too palpable, for, instead of stepping on board the vessel as they
expected to do, and getting possession of the cannon, tlie ** schip
schot fyvc or sJx peice of ordinans dispcratlie amongis thame, w^ith
about fourtie mvscattis, quhair by the giyte providcns of Cod
thair wes bot onlie tuo men killit, and sura hurt.*'
Drum now wi'cakcd his %'engcauce upon the wheels of the can-
f 8pali.ljng'3» Trablca, i. 148, 286.
78
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNH.
non, by break big tlitnii to pieces and throwing them into the
water ; and returning to the town, the int'urlated Pfililiers broke
up and plimdered the house!* and shops of the more important
mcrchaiits, and slaked their fliirst from ^'apype of Spanish wyne*'
which they "' drank hartfLdlio/' Having thus sacked the t<»wn,
they als^i carried off two of the principal citizens, both' of whom
were subsequently released/' and leaving about two in the after-
noon» they marched to Cortachy that night in hopes of l>eing re-
ceived by the Earl of Airlie ; but the approach of the llartjuis of
Argyle being announced, they returned to Aberdeen.^
The inhabitants of Montrose, afraid of being again invaded by
the enemy, had the more valuable of their goods removed to the
house of Dun, the laird being a friend to tlie Covenant ; hut the
fact becoming known to the Marquis of ilontroae, he, on inarcb-
iDg from Atholl through Angus soon afterwards, attacked and
plundered Dnn of its contents, amongst which were several
firearmSj and ''four feild braasin peicea'' which the CtHcnanlcrs
had captured from the Marquis of Huotly at the atfair of the
Bridge oflteein 1639-J
From the time just mentioned, the town of Montrose remained
bi a pretty tranquil state ; and altliongh it had little to do with
the stirring times of Charles II,, bt*yond most other towns, it was
not m fortunate in regard to the rebellions which occurred during
the following century, particularly that of the *' forty-five/'
With the first of theae afiairs Montrose had but slight connection,
it being mostly confined to the fact of the Chevalier de St George,
after a brief sojourn of six weeks in Scotland, stopping a night
tbore, and re-embark In g for France on the following evening.
The house in which he spent the last night of his ill-fated pilgrim-
^^^ age to Scotland is long since removed, and a new one built on its
^^H site; but the passage through which the Prince and the Earl of
^^H Mar went by the garden of the bouse to the river, where the
^^H vessel lay in waiting, is still pointed out, and had been, in every
^^H respect, most fitting tor the occasion.^ Tor ought the fact to be
^^^1 omitted^ that it was in this house, on the 4th of February 1710,
^^^B while waiting an opportunity to escape to the vessel, that the
^^H *• Spftldlng 3 Tmblrs. ii. 352. 3G<>. ' Jhi'd., 317-S. ^ J hid., 419.
^^^^M * Tliifl lujuse and gankn, dituated nt tlm soiitb <^Mid of the Iligli Street, are nnw
^^^B I lie pmpertj of Georgr Smnrtj Esq., corn mere bun L
MONTROSE — KEBELLI0N3 OF 171i>-45.
I
Clievalier wrote his admirable letter to tlie Diike of Argyle, in-
'timating tliat lie hud consigned a flura of money to certain magia^
trates to he expeodcd in rrpairing', to some extent, the loss whJeh
the country had sustained in the course of the reboEionj by tlic
bumitig of several villages.^
Ahhonj^h now-a-days there wonhl seem to hnvc been little hope
of the 8tiiart3 succeeding to tJic tlirone after thi.n untbrtnnate at-
tempt, both the King of France, and their friend;* in Britain appear
to havo thought otherwise, and accordingly, in 1745, when the
(JhevaHcr\s son, Pruice Charles Edward, had attained his twenty-
titlh year, the question of the Stuart Buccessiou was revived, even
with considerably more power and tact than upon the previous
Loccasiom But the evil day was at no great distance, and the
transient success which attended the arais of the Prctenderj by the
vietorica of Prestonpans and Falkirk, were blasted for ever by
their defeat at Culloden.
The progrcsd of Prince Charles in Scotland is so well known
that it %vere idle to trace it here. Unlike that of his father,
which wsla a series of disappointments from the time he landed
ill Seotlaud until the hour he left it, Charles^a was a mixture of
sunshine and cloud^ — ^^ictorious one day, and defeated the next^ —
L holding levees in the palace of Ilolyrood attended by all the
pomp and equipage of royalty, then wandering a lonely outcast
over trackless pathsj and clothed in the meanest apparel, sleeping
in desolate cave« by the seiijshoro, and subsisting on the humblest
fare, imtil chance favoured his escape to FrancCj where the
Stuarts ever found a welcome and hospitable asylum in the
many dangers and diHicultics witli which they had the misfortune
to be surrounded.
For a brief period, Montrose was made the head quarters of
the royalists during the rebellion of 1745^ From this position
they had probably been driven by the rebels, w^hose great strength
and influence lay mostly in Angus, and who subsequently selected
the town as their chief rendezvous. The royalists, aware of
the favourable character uf the position they had lost, attempted
to regain it, and for that piu-pose sent tlnthcr a sloop of war
called the Hazard, which was anchored In the river, opposite the
^ Tlib letter is printed in Ctirnnherg* MtheUttmi, 312.
80 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
village of FeiTyden. That vessel mounted sixteen guns and
some swivels, and contained a crew of eiglity men, eommauded
by Captain Hill.
Prior to Prince Charles going into Englandj he had, thi'ough
the solicitation of Captain Erskine of Don, appointed David
Ferrier, one of Lord C>gilvy*8 men, to be deputy governor of
Brechin and the neighbourhood, a post for which Ferrier proved
himself admirably well qualified^ and which he faithfully main-
tained,"* Aware that the Hazard sloop, which had kept up an
occasional fire for three days and three nights, was sent chiefly
to prevent his party from entering ^Montrose, he *4oiTncd the
design of capturing the vessel by raising a battery at the en-
trance of the river, and thereby to prevent her getting out to sea.
Id pursuance of this plan he entered Montrose oncnightj and pos-
sessed himself of the island [Inehbrayock], on the south side of the
town, opposite to where the Hazard lay* Next day the Hazard
attempted to dislodge the party from the isle by her fire, but
without success. In the afternoon of the following day a vessel
carrying French colours was observed at sea, standing in towards
the river, which turned out to be a transport from France, with a
party of Lord John Drummond's regiment, some Irish picpietSj and
six pieces of artillery. On observing this vessel, the Hazard fired
a gun to leeward as a decoy ; but, upon a signal from the party
on the island, the commander of the Freucli vessel ran her on
shore out of reach of the Hazard's guns. The crew then landed
the six guns, and a fire was opened from them upon the Hazard
next morning from botli sidei^ of the river, on each of which three
of the pieces had been planted. With the exception, howe%'er, of
having some of her rigging cut, she sustained no damage. Be-
fore the arrival of Ferrier's party, Captain Hill, the commander
of the Hazard, had taken four six-pounders, and two four-
pounders, belonging to the town, which he had put on board a
vessel in the harbour ; but, by oversight, he left his vessel at the
quay, and the consequence was, that she fell into the hands of the
insurgents. This circumstance was fatal to the Hazard; for,
finding that the guns lately landed were not sufficient to force the
" Ferrier, who ia iiippose J to liaTe filed in i^pain, wag furioer of Untlmuk, npar
Brechin, and a uierchaiil m tliat town.
H
MONTROSE — HEBELLION OF 1746,
81
Hazard to surrender, Captain Ferrier carried the foursix-potmdera
to the Dial'hill [liorolege], from which he fired upon the Hazard;
and her commander, seeing escape hopeless, after hoisting a flag
of truce, and making an ineffectual attempt for pemiisaion to
leave the river, surrendered.""
The capture of this fine vessel, afterwards named Prince
Charles, was one of the best and most timely successes that could
have attended the rebels, as they not only obtained possession of
the vessel and its vahiable contents, but were enabled to land
troops with impunity for some days to come. But Admiral Byng,
determined to cripple as far as possible the resources of the rebels,
and to reveuge the loss of the Hazai*d, gave chase to a French
gxm ship, %vhich he descried near the water mouth, and sunk her
long boat full of men, the corpses of whom were afterwards
washed ashore ; yet, heedless of the loss thus sustained, the
Boman Catholics are said to have quietly heard mass in the
town on the same day that the disaster occurred."
These transactions took place towards the close of the year
1745 ; and, in the month of ilay following, the Duke of Cumber-
land re- visited tlxe town, where he found the spirit of Jacohitism
reigniQg as strongly as before; for, on the 10th of Juno (the
Pretender's birth-day), a contemporary Diarist says that ** the
Jacobite gentlewomen in Jlontrosc got on white gowns and white
roses, and made a procession through the streets, where the young
boys had put on bonfires.*' This the officers of the anny considered
an afirout, but overlooked the matter ui consideration that the
ladies were engaged in it, Cumberland, however, was less
lenient, and had the commanding oflicer broken in consequence,
and threatened, ** because the inhabitants are nourishing up their
cbildreu to rebelliou, to cause them to be whipped at the cross,
to ftighten them from their bonfires/*^'
■ Browm/s HUt. of the HxMuntU, iii. 221. Tlio statement of llie Cliemlicr
JahnstoDe, that tho Hakard was tjoardod bj the Uighlandors, is quite crroneonti,
* SpaM MiecelL, i. 357-8» SCO. * Jhid., 397.
82 MEMOBIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
CHAPTER V.
CASTLES OF KINCARDINE, GLENBERVIE, AND DURRIS.
SECTION I.
Htncartitnet anH iTottroun.
Castle of Kincardine — occupied by WilKam I. and Alexander III.— twice visited by
Edward I.— Scroll of Baliol's resignation prepared there — Murder of Kennetli
III. — Proprietary history of the lands — old Hosteliy — Kincardine made the
County Town — its Decline— St Palladius — his Chapel — town of Fordoun— Dr
Bcattie — Auchinblae — Qlenferquhar — Friars* Glen.
The earliest authentic notices of the Castle of Kincardine occur
in the reigns of William I., and Alexander IIT., both of whom oc-
casionally resided there.* During the time of the first of these
monarchs, it was a place of considerable importance, to which
were attached all the officers common to a rojal household of the
period. The remote progenitor of the noble family of Kintore, was
chief falconer or hawksman, in virtue of which he held the lands
of Hawkerstown in the immediate neighbourhood, and adopted
the name of Faloanery It is also told, but on much less reliable
authority, that an early member of the noble house of Southesk
was Constable of the castle, and for that service, held certain
lands in the barony of Kincardine.®
The only other traces of the ancient greatness of the place are
the names of adjacent fields, such as the King's and Chancellor's
Parks ; the Chancellor's and the Dean's Croft ; the Deer, or
Hunting Park ; the Countess' Croft, and the Earl's Inns, as also
the Lorimer's, the Archer's, ajid the Palfreyman's Croft.^ These
• Reg. Vet. Jc Abcrb., 70, 95 ; Chamberlain Rolls, i. *19. These SoOs contain
accounts of rents received from the lands of the rojal manor of KincanHne during
the time of Alexander III., pretty similar to, although not so considerable as those
of Forfar and Glamis.
^ Reg. Vet. de Aberb., 100. * Ut sup,, p. 43.
** For these si^ificant old names which occur in the charters of the Fetter-
cairn estates, I am indebted to the kindness of SSr John Stuart Forbes, Bart.
KIKCARDIKE — THE CASTLE.
name."*, It will be seen, differ from the Durav, Bakehouse, Brew-
liouse, Gardener's, Hen, and other Crofts, which arc commim in
tlie vicinity of baronial entablrnhnients (but whi<:h are also to be
found at Kincardine) ; and, as the greater part of those places are
described as marching with lands belonging to some of the
more ancient and potent lords of ttie Meanis, these may have
filled certain offices in connection with the Court, as indicated by
the different names*
The castle was picturesquely flltnated upon a natural Iiillock in
the gorge or opening of the valley, de^cendluf^ {mm the Cairn-o'-
Mount, and on the cast aide of the jiarish of Fordoun. Three
fiides of the castle were inhabited^ and the chief entrance was on
the south-east, between t^vo round towers, with another gate on the
west. ** The sides of the great fire-place of the liall were, not
long ago, entire, and the lower steps of a staircase, leading to on
upper flat." No part of the ruin stands more than five or six feet
high, and the whole structure measures about a hundred and
thirty feet square. There was also a narrow entrance on the northj
on each side of which were two apartments, the one about fourteen
by fifty feet in size, and the other fourteen by thirty-five feet.
Two apartments on the east side measure respectively twenty-
two by sixty feet, and twenty-two by fomrtecn, the door to the
first being quite visible.
Record and tradition are alike silent as to the time the caatlo
became ruinous- It was probably during the Wars of the Inde-
pendence, after which it may have never been rebuilt, for subse-
quently to King Edward's visit in 129t>, all history is silent re-
garding it. It was one of the national fortresses of w^hich ho
had seisin prior to the settlement of the disputed monarchy, and
was governed for him by a person named John of Gildeford,"^
Edward L visited ** King Garden" on the llth^ or as some say
the 12th day of July in the above-named year. It was his first
stage after leitving Montrose, a distance of upwards of thirteen
miles, and is described in the Diary of his journey as " a farour,"
or more distant, " manour."' He received no homages upon that
occasion, but on retunaing southward, he there spent, according
to one aci'ount, the 2d and 3d dovs af Auffust, and accord in li to
Kynn.*r, ii. 590 ; Rotnli i?fot„ i, 11,
JgUS
Bftnrmtync MiKcdl . i. 277,
«i
MKMOKIALS Or ANOUS ASH MliARXH.
1
another, die 4th of the same month, aod re€eived the hom-
age of Ranulph of Kyonaril, chief of the nohle faruily of that
Burname and titlo in Perthahire.if It was in this castle ako that
the scroll of King John Bailors resignation of the crown of Scot-
land was w^ritten out, dated die 2d day of July of the same year,**
which day Ed\vard waj him&elf at the castle of luverqneich in
Perthshire.
Tradition assigns a remote antiquity to the castle of Kincar*
dine, describing it as the scene of the assassination of Kenneth
III., by the stratagem of FincUa, w^ife of the chief of the Meams*^
Finellaj it is said, was daughter of Conquhare, the Celtic Earl
or Maorraor of iVngus, and her son being convicted of treason was
put to death by order of Kenneth* Out of revenge she had
the King murdered within the walls of Kincardine, her reputed
residence, she having treacherously invited hiin into her castle
while he was on a pilgrimage to the shrine of St Palladium at
Fordoun,
Such is the story of Boyce, who relates the circumstances at-
tending the murder with all the minuteness of an eye-witness ;
bat less fanciful historians, such as Tjftler, are of opinion that the
King was w^aylaid or lured into a hunting match, and thus came
unwittingly by his death, not within the castle of Kincardine, or
by the poisoned darts of a brazen effigy, as related by B-jyee,
but by the swords of a band of hired asaassina. Wyiitown, allud-
ing to Finella's personal inability to put an end to the King,
says that
. . BClio couth nocht do tlmt be myclit
Scho made tliiuno trnjtouriti bu hyr slycLt ;
while, in the following quaint lines, he points to the niembers of
the King's own court as the perpetrators of the deed, and says that
it w^as done at Fcttercalrn ; but others believe he was killed in
the neighbourhood of Stracathro : —
" A» throw the Meni^'a ou a day
The Kyng was rydan bya hey way,
« BaniuUyne MIsccll, 279; Bag. Rolls, 112 ; Pfynno, 661 ; Palgruvc, 196.
■^ Bynn r, i. fjt. iii. 161,
' A Hmftll Brilifth fort, oti th« wuBtcrn slope of StrAflifinelln hill, nnw uluntpd, in
a(im enlied Mnelln^M Vanik ; am! the vitrified site of Grceii Ciurri, iieai lijilbcgiio, is
mmiLirlv nniiied.
fCABOINE— PBOPKlETARy H18T0KV.
85
I
I
Of hys awjB Curt al iudilunly
Agayne hym r&s a (^umpaiiy
Into thtj Towne of Fetliyrkeruc :
To feclit wyth liym thai ware bu yheme,
And he agaync tlifune fnticht m fast ;
Bot ha thiire iilajiiQ was at the ]a8t."l
The first mention of any portion of the barony of Kmcarrline
belonging to a subjectj occurs in the time of The Bruce, when
Sir William Oliphant had conlinnation charters of the lands of
Morehouse in Edinburghshire, in exchange for the " clau&ura
parci dc Kyncardin in Ic Mcrnis,"*^ The same King, in 1323,
granted to his brother-in-law Sir Alexander Fraaer, six acres of
arable land ui the tenement of Auchineairnie beside the King's
manor of Kincardine, bounded on the east by the old carl road of
the town of Auchtncairny, on the west by a new ditch, on the
north by tlie burn of Vethi, and on the south by the moor of
Cambou. The land was to be held in one free hostilage, with
common paBturagc in the King's thanage of Kincardine, for two
horsei^, ten oxen, twelve cows, and a hundred sheep, with their
tbllowers till these should be a year old, and with freedom to dig
peats and turves within the same thanage of Kincardme.'''^
During the following reign it appears that the thanedoms of
Kincardine and Fettercaim, with that of Aberluthnotj or Mary-
kirk, and the park and castle of Kincardine, belonged to William
Earl of Sutherland, who married Margaret, sister of King David,^
whose issue, it is said, David had a wish to prefer to the throne
rather than The Steward, idthough he was the nearest heir, in
right of his mother, the daughter and only child of The Bruce by
his first mam age.
The Earl of Sutherland survived till about 138H ; but long be-
fore his death he iiad exchanged these lands with David II. for the
barony of llrquhard in Inverncss-shire ;"* and, in 1367, Kincar-
dine 18 mentioned as held by Sir Walter of Lesley of Rothes,''
who married Euphemia Countess of lioss. In course of time the
male succession of Ross failed, and the grand-daughter of the
last named Lesley having taken the veil, her aunt, the wife of
Donald of the Isles, became her succeBsor.*^ For the purpose of
i Wyniowii'i* ( Vnnykk", i. 16'--i>» *" He^^ Mae^. Sig , p, 12,
'-'' WuhngtonU adl.nf Chart. M..S., Ath, Lib, fCilM,
' aiftmbcrlrtm Rolfs, I »33. '" Uobertiion'« Imkx. 10. " iWc*, 87.
" Ppuglns Pccriig^, ii. 411-15.
86
MEMOItlALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNa.
^
enforcing immetliate possessioii of the va«t estates of RosSj and
with the view of obtaining a still higher position in the nation,
Donald raised a powerful army in the Hebrides, and marcliing
southward, was checked in his premature and lawless enterprise
on the fatal field of Harlaw, but unfortunately^ not until a great
pai*t of the flower of Scottish chivalry were slain.
The Nim-Couiitess resigned the estates into the hands of the
crown, about the year 1415, and tho destination of the charter
which was then granted having failed, the lands ultimately be-
came a royal fief, much to the grarifieation of James L, the object
of whose life, and the ultimate cause of whose ruin, lay in a fool-
ish desire to crush the Scottish aristocracy.
During Lesley's time David IL twice visited Kincardine :
He presided at a jury court there in December 1375 ; and
there^ in January 1383, he gave, among other grants, a confirma-
tion charter of the lands of Uria in the Mearns, to his shield^
bearer, Thomas of Eait.P
Little is known with certainty of the proprietary history of the
barony of Kincardine from 1383, until a late date. It appears
to have been broken up into several sections, and of these the
Earls Marisehal and the old family of Strachan of Thornton, had
the principal parts. The last named had the caatehted and park,
and the greater part of the adjoining crofts which bear the signi-
ficant names already noticed ; while the Earls Marischal had
other crofts, together with the advowson of the Chapel of St
Catherine, and the liberties, &e., of the burgh of Kincardine,'! in
virtue of which, in 1473, Earl William gave the toft of Auch-
caimie to John Spalding, dean of Brechin, to be held by him for
the keeping of a free hostelry, or inn ; and, as the charter goes
on at length to state, he had the power and liberty of brewings
bakmg, buying and scirmg loaves, and all and sundry other things,
with fuel and pasture witliin the commonty of Kincardine/ But
most of these lands and privileges were subsequently held by tho
Earls of Middleton ; and the property of Kincardine, upon which
Btand the ruins of the ancient palace, was bought soon after the
fall of the Middletons by an ancestor of the present proprietor.
P Doup:. Pi'pr., ii 119; Reg. Mjig. 8ig., p. ll>l-2. PerUapfi Juiiiffs V> wa^ ait
Kincardine in 1526. — Ada Par!., ii. 815,
t Inq. Spccialest KincnrdinL'sli,, No», 1^, 70 ' Rrg. Kp. Brechin., ii. 384.
KINCARDINE — ST PALLAD1U8.
8?
It waa in 1531-2 that the fourth Earl Marmclial obtained a
charter tor making the town of Kincardine *^ the principal and
capital burgh of tbe county.'^* How shortly and sorrily it main-
tained that position h proved by the Acts of Parliament ; for
these sliow that in less than eighty years after it was made the
county town, the sheriff and his deputes petitioned for the removal
of the courts to Stonehaven, in consequence of the extreme
poverty of the accommodation at Kincardine, there being neither
a tolbooth, nor any bouse for " parties to ludge into for thair
intertenement," in which state, it is said, matters had continued
'* mony zeiris/^^^tbo free hostelry having been long previously
abolished*
The town of Kincardine had probably been in a poor state
even when tbe Earl Marisebal obtained the charter, although
a late writer supposes it was once a great place, extending
** from tbe groimd at the foot of the castle to near Fettercaim
House/'" a distance of at least an English mile. That idea had
been assumed in consequence of foundations of cottages being
often turned up in that line of road, which was the old highway
from Kincardine to Fettercaira j but tbe real extent of the town
in that direction had only been from the East to tbe West Ports,
a distance of about two hundred yards.
Although no bouse remains to shew w^here the town of Kin-
cardine stood, the site of both portSj and also that of the market
cross, are still pointed out, and the old burial-ground of St Ca-
therine is laudably preaervedj surrounded by a rude stone wdl,
and overshadowed by a few trees. It ought to observed that tbe
Crossj now preserved at the village of Fettercaim, is a memo-
rial of late datcj bavmg been erected by the celebrated John,
Earl of Middleton, and gifted by him to the town of Kincardine*
He was born near that place, and latterly assumed bis titles from
lands which he held in the same neighbourhood, and the Gross
beai-s his own arms and initial, with the Scottish lion, and the
date of 1670.
Apart from tbe stone circle on the bill of Ilerschaj the Eoman
Camps at Fordaun and Clattering Brigs,' and some other ancient
• DoTiglfw' Peerage^ li. 192. * Acta Pari., iv. 374.
^ " ~ i4, Iq 17i>0 Kincanlini:' ccutairicd only 70 or 80 hoiiIm,
if tlie cump at Clattering Brigs in Chalmers* Caled., I 178.
I cngrfiving (
88
MEMOEtALfl OF ANGUS AND MEARKS.
traoo8, the parish of Fordoun is remarkable as having been one
of the carhest seats of the Christian faith in Scotland, St
Palladius is said to have settled there iii the fifth century, and
his churcli occupied the same romantic site as the pari.sh kirk of
the prejjent day^ while a copious well at the same place still pre-
serves his name, as does also an annual market in the neighbour-
hood, Yidgarly called Paddy fair.
St Palhulius died and wasi buried at Fordoun, and, as tradi-
tion relates, many gi'eat personages made long and arduous pil-
grimages to his shrine. Among these were Kenneth TIL, whose
tragical death has already been alluded to, and Archbishop
Shevcz of St Andrews, the latter of whom collected together
the bones of Palladium, which appear to have been then scattered
about, and liad them put into a new shrine made of silver, or,
according to Butler, he had the old shrine ** enriched with gold
and precious stones."'*' Palladius' reUcs^ however, soon lost their
vnrtue, for t!ic lleformation followed within fifty years, and
Wishart of Pittarrow, the selfish and sacrilegioufl UomptroHer of
James V., is said to have enriched his own cofters by seizing the
holy casket, and scattering its still more revered contents to the
winds ; from whicli time, says an old writer, the family "never
prospered.'*
Tlie older part of the edifice in the ehurchyard, known as St Pal-
hidius* Chapel, wtks perhaps built by Archbishop Shevez, but its
architectural peculiarities are so few that the age cannot well be
ascertainetl. The east gable, is obviously the oldest portion. It
is ornamented by a small mutilated piscina, terminating m a inide
pointed arch, hewn out of a single stone ; and there also, wnthin
an arch now built up, the ashes of Palhidins are saiil to have re-
posed. The old families of llalkerton and Monhoddo bury in the
vault beneath this chapel, to one of the latter of whom there is a
monnment, with a quaint Latin inscription ; and there ako stands
the curiously sculptured stone which local story associates with
the murder of Khig Kenneth,*
The parish church of Fordcmn, adjoining St Palladius' Chapcb
rebuilt upwards of twenty years ago, is a handsome structure
wntli a square Gothic tower, and the churchyard contains some
" Lives <if the BaintB (PALLjiDivi), July (S.
Scalpd. Stooea Qf Scot,
FOEDOUN, AUCHINBLAE, AND ULEKFAilQUHAn
I respectable motiumcnts, the most conspicuous of which in a pillar
L of Aberdeen granite lately rai&cd to the memory of (reorge WifH-
^^^birt, the reformer and martyr, who was a cadet of the old family of
^^Pitarrow. These, together with tlie manse, the Rohool, aud tlio
new and old schoolhoufles — in the latter of which the cclebratrd
author of the "Minstrel*' lived several years, and taught the
youth of the parish, previous to his elevation to the chah* of
Moral Philoj*ophy at Aberdeen — and an old hostelry, constitute
what h now termed the toum^ or village of Fordoun**^ The
stream of the Luther washes the base of the rock upon which
tlie kirk stands, and the whole fu rras an enchanting and romantic
spot. Here^ it is believed, in the dcO between the church and
tlio rising ground opposite (the solitude of which has since been
broken by a public road), Dr Beattie composed the greater part
of tJie Minstrel, and he thus beautiftilly describes the imraediate
locality in his Ode to Retirement : —
** Tlijr aLndes, tbjr silctice, now be nitnc,
Thj cbdrms my only theme ,
iS^y haunt this hollow clilT, wLorc pino
Wives o*er the gloomy atream.
Whence the »earud owI» on pinions groy,
Breaks from the mat ling boughs,
And down tht; hne vale auiU awjiy
To more prolViund n'pcwe."
Apart from the fact of the quiet of this part of the vale of the
Luther QOt being then broken by a comraou highway, the village
of Auchinblae, on the east side of that stream, waa then also of
small importauce. Now-a-days, however, matters are different :
a consideralde trade in linen manufactures and general mer-
chandise is carried on in the village, which contains a neat Free
Church and manse, a post-office, branch banks, a gas work, and
Beveral inns, with a population of about 600 persons.
The pretty pastoral district of Glenfarqnhar, to tlic north of
Auchinblac— now studded with comfortable farm houses and
cottages — long ftirnished the old monks of Arbroath with sheal-
ing and pasture for their herds of cattle and swine. -^ In later
times an embattled fortalice of the Burncts and the Falconers
** John ^f) Fordiin, the cclehraicd author of tho Scoiichranicon, ih suppoaod to
hftvu hmn hijm at, and to have nssumrd his namis from, the village of Fordonn,
abotit the yenr 1350. "" Reg Vet do Aberb.» OU,
N
i
90
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AKD MEARN8.
stood tliere, shelterc J by a cluster of trees, amitlBt tie scanty re-
mains of wMeli are the fomidations of the birtJi place of Falconer^
Lord President of the Court of Session,
A little to the north west lies Dninitochty, and the beautifully
romantic gorge of the Bow Ghn^ separated from the valley of
Strathtuore by the hill of Strath*tinclla, so named, it is conjec-
tured, from the reputed murderess of Kenneth IIL Kear the
middle of the valley, and on the landa of Glensaugh, a short dis-
tance off the road, is the Friars' Glen, or Hermitage, surrounded
t>n all sides by mount aios, and watered by a transparent brook*
The remains of the dwelling house, barn, and byi'e, of the last
occupant stand in a corner of the glen, and theses tlie writer of
the old Statistical Aeenuut calLn '* the ruins of a small friaiy/' — a
mistake, whieh had originated from the fact that in 14(12, Fraser
of Frendraught granted the property to the Carmelite or White
Friars of Aberdeen, who continued to draw the revenues of it
down to the Kefomiation/
f
SECTION 11.
Casilr, anH ltir{t of €I^Icnbrrt)|).
Edwurd I, at GlenWrvy Castle — SiibniisBion of the Baron, and tlie Parson of the Kirk
— Kirkyard^DruuiIiihir^^Ghapel Imrntd^— Canon i ppiJapU on the Hasjwm, Oli-
fards, Melvillofl, AuchieckB, and DonglBRea — Accjaunt of tlie Melvilk" Faiuily— tlie
Sheriff boiled at Ganrock — the 9tli Earl of Angun— hii siicct'sstirs id Glcnbervy,
and failure of that lim; of tLu Dougliu»e»— Stuarts of Inehbreck — Ancestry of
Biirnfl tbu Poet — Burnt sea of Itontrose.
When Edward I* left the Castle of Kincardine, he passed to
*-^ tlie mountagne of Glowberwy/'* or Glenbervy, the parish ad-
joining Fordo un on the east, and there he remained for the
night. History and tradition both con*oborate the fact of a
eastle having been at Glenbervy from a very remote period, and
there is no doubt but the King made it Ins residence upon the
occasion referred to, although the silence of the writer of the
royal Diary on tliat particular point, might lead those unac-
• Rog, Eji. Br«chiti., ii. 386. * Bannatyne MiscelK, i 277,
HLKNUERVY — ECCLESUSTK'AL NOTlCi:s.
91
tjnaiiitrd with the locality to infer thai the party had ratljcr eu-
can>peJ among the mountaiiis ; the designation '' mount agnc''
being merely descriptive of the topographical appearance of the
district.
The old castle of Gleabervy is believed to have occupied nearly
the sarae site, on the banks of the Bervy water, as the present neat
mansion house; and at the time fjf the King's visit it belonged
to a branch of the old family of JlelviUc. Many barons of that
name did homage to Edward, and among these was the laird of
Glenhervy. His submission took place at Lnmphananj in Aber-
deenshire, on the 21st of July ; and, from the writs printed by
Sir Francis Falgrave, it appears that John of Stowe, parson of
the kirk of Glenbervy, performed the same service at the same
time and place. ^ Subsei]nently, after the King had returned
south ward to Berwick-upon-Twced» the same churchman repaired
thither, and again took the oath of allegiance ;*^ but nothing
further is known of his history.
The old kirk stood witinn the present burial ground, opposite
to tlie mansion house. A n€w church was lately erected in a
bleak tield by the road side. The name of the patron saint is
lost, and but a mere fragment of the old kirk remains. It ad-
joins the burial aisle of the Douglases, which is wholly covered
with ivy and shaded by a few good apoclmcns of the yew — a
beautiful tree, much too rare in Scottish graveyards.
The church, which beh^uged to the diocese of Brechinj is rated
in the ancient taxatio at £2U Scots. A chape!, situated at Dnmi-
lithicj was dependent upon the kirk of Glenbervy, the patron-
age of both of which livings went along with the estates,'^ The
first recorded parson is described sl^ ** Ilenrlcus persona de
Glenbernin," in a grant of the lands of Bractulloj in Kirkden, by
Raudidph of Strathccliyiij to the Cathedral of Brechin, about the
year 1222 ^"^ but, from the time of Stowe until nearly the middle
of the fit>eenth century, there are few notices of much moment
either of the kirk or its vicars. Some of the ^ncars, as tlien
frequently happened, were nearly related to the chief heritor or
patron* Towards the close of the century just named, while the
* rftlgmvp, 177. *" RnpnnaftTi RuHh, N2 ; Prynne, 057 ; Uy mer, i , jtl. iii, H11.
" Rr-, Ei«, Drcchin., ii. :U8, • Ibid., 3.
92
MEMORlALa OF ANQUrf AND MEARXift.
property belonged to the family of Auchinleck, and during tie
wardship or minority of the Ijeir apparent, an action was raised by
the King against Sir Jolin Audnnleck of that Ilk for *'the wrang-
wid vsing and disponyng apon the samyn kirk/^ whidi was " a
sequele and pertinentis of tlie said laudis,'' first ** to vmquhile
Maister WiUiaui jVuehinIek hi^ brother, and thereafter to Maister
Johne of Auchiulok Km aoue,'*^ — a dispute of which the issue is
not recorded.
Drumlithie has been the village of the parish from a remote
period, notwithstanding that the Douglases had the Kirkton of
Glciibervy erecterl into a barony* That village still keeps its old
position, and has a s^inall trade in linen and other manufactures ;
and the paroebial scliool, the Episcopal and Free Churches are
situated there. The former sect of Christians have been esta-
blished at Drumlithie ever since Episcopacy was introduced into
this country; and in 1746, when the Duke of Cumberland and his
forces were annihtlating the Jacobites in this quarter, he not only
burned down tlio chapel, but subsequently bad its parson seized
as a non-juror» and imprisoned in the county jail, because he
persisted in bis ministry, and '^ did not pray for his Majesty
i^ namCf Ilia bcirs^ and hucccssoi's, and all the royal family /'»
Although none of the monuments in the kirkyard of Glen-
bervy has any pretensions to beauty of design, few rural grave-
yards contain so many memorials of the ancestors of those who
have rendered themselves famous in the annals of their colmtr^^
Tlic most interesting to the historian and antiquary arc those
witbin the Doughis aisle— the one a mural tablet, and the other
clicat-shaped: the first need only be here noticed, the latter
being interesting uuly in so far as it contains the ashes of the
ninth Earl of Angus, and those of his lady iBgidia Graliam of
the old family of Morpliie. The first is a renewed monument of
date 168D, with some curious mortuary ornaments, and the
armorial bearings of tlio ancient families of llassaj Olifart,
Melville, Auclilcck, and Douglas, The inscription, which is in
old contrai^ted Latin, narrates the valorous actions, and the
matrimonial alliances, of the lairds and ladies of Glenberv-y, from
the remote pcriiul f>f A J), 730* About that time (accorthng to
' (t'IOa)-Artn Auil, ii ISO. * llkck Book i?rKifle«rdiiicf^}»., 41-(*.
1
QLIiNUEltVY — FAMILY OF DE MELVILLE.
93
the inscription), Hew llnssa, a Gemiau by lurtli, came to
this cQiititrj and married Germunda Dtfrvise, th« heiress of
Glenbervy, tlie last of whose male descendants fell at the
battle of Barric in 1012, while attempting to expel tlie Danes
from Scotland, Helen, the last of the Ilassas, riiiirried Duncan
Olipbartj a captain or soldier of the Me urns (Memtm Decutio)^
and from Jlargaret, his ^reat-gran J-daiighter, sprung the present
family of Arbuthnut. Walter < Mipbart, the son of Helen Hassa,
had by Matilda, daughter of Sinel, thane of Angus, an only son
called Oribeii, who fell in the Holy Wars witli Godfrey of Bon-
logiie^ whose only daughter married James Melville, an Hun-
garian noble, and bis son Hew married Gemarda, daughter of
Macpenderj the thane of the Mearns, who murdered Duncan II.,
in 1095*
Althongh little reliance need be placed upon any portion
of this sculptured oarrativcj which h one of the most singular of
its kind extant (its perpetuation of the sobriquet of the fifth Earl
of Angus, he being there designed *' Bell the Cat/' being perhaps
not the least curious of its features), tlie lands of Glenbervy
were in possession of a baron in the twelfth century, whose sur-
nsunc probably was JlclviOe, it being a common numc in the
district at that pcriodJ'
The Mclvilles c^me to Scotland with David I., under whom
they had a settlement in the Lothiuns, and theii- progenitor is said
to have borne the name of Male^ and so called his lands Male-
ville,* Chalmers holds that they were of Anglo Norman lineage,
while Crawford asserts, perhaps following the tablet in the burial
vault of Glenbervy, that they were from Hungary, where, he adds,
some tamilies bear the same name and arms.J The tamiiy had
settlements both in Angus and Mearns in WiQiam the Lion^s time,
for in 1189, Ilichard of ilelville made over part of the lands of
Kinblethmont, and the patronage of the chapel of St Lawrence
on that estate, to the Abbey of Arbroath > Nothing is re-
corded of the parentage of Richard ; but Philip, the founder of
the ilearns-shire branch, is called the son of Galfrid of Melville,
who was eminent during the reigns of David I., and the two suc-
^ Ik-K' Vet. do Al»frh., m.
* riuwlurd*?' ^€nrt|r^l'^ 324.
^ CliiiliijorH' Cidi^doiiiii, i. 52-L
^ Reg, Yi-t, de Aburb.. n.
94
MEMORIALS OP ANGUS AND MEARXS.
ceedint^ monardiJiJ Sume tune before; tlie year 120f), Philip n(
Melville, married Eva, daughter of Walter the son of Sibltakt,
with whom ho received the lands of Monethjn or Jlondynes in
the parish of Fordoiin,*" which were previously owned hy lueh-
ard of Frcuill.'^ His soUj also called Philip, was sheriff of Aber-
deen in 1222 J and subsequently siheritF of the Mearns* After-
wai'ds, in 1241, he was joint justieiary of Scotland proper, alon^
witli Hicliard of Monteait/' and from him was descended the
knight who did homage to Edward L at Lumphanan.
Another of the Melvilles was sheriff of Kincardineshire in the
time of Janiea L, and of his hoixible death by boiling in a caldron
on the hill of Garvock, Sir Walter t^cott, in noticing the similar
fate of Lord Sonlis, says — *' The tradition regarding the death of
Lord Soulisj however singular. Is not without a parallel in the real
history of Scotland. The same extraordinary mode of cookery
was actually practised (korresco referejis)^ upon the body of a
Sheriff of the Mearus. This person, whose name was Melville of
Gleubervy, bore his faculties so harshly tliat he became detested
by the barons of the county. Reiterated complaints of his con-
duct hariu|^ been made to James L (or, as others say, to the Duke
of Albany) J the monarch answered, in a moment of unguarded
impatience, * Sorrow gin the Sheriff were sodden and supped
in broo V The complainers retired perfectly satisfied. Shortly
after, the lairds of Arbutluiot, Mathers, LauristoHj and Pitarrow,
decoyed Melville to the top of tlichill of Gar vockj under pretence
of a gi'and hunting party. Upon this place, still called tlie
Sheriff's Pot, the barons had prepared a fire and a 1>oIlirig cal-
dron, into which they plunged the ludueky Sheriff, jVfter he was
' sodd^m^* as the King termed it, for a sufficient time, the savages,
that they might hterally observe the royal mandate, concluded
the scene of abomination, by actually partaking of the hell-broth.
The three lairds were outlawed for the offence, and Barclay, one
of their numlier, to screen himself from justicCj erected the Kaim
(/. €., the fortress) of ilathers, which stands upon a rocky aud
almost inaccessible peninsula overhanging the Gorman Ocean »
The Laird of Arbuthnot is said to have eluded the Royal ven-
^ Douglas' roeragn, ii. 110,
•Bcj. Vet ik Al»crl>., 6ip " Jffid,, «V2. *' Vow^hh lVcrflg«\ ii,, llU,
GLENBERATT — THE DOUGLASES.
95
geance, by claimiug the benefit of the law of the dan Macduff.
A pardon, or perliaps a deed of replegiation, founded on that law^
18 said to be still extant among tlie records of the Viftcount of Ar-
biUhnot."!'
Of the Angus-shire branch of the MelviUea, were the eele-
bra ted Andrew an J James Melville of the Refonnation, sons of
the lairds of Baldovle and Dysart, near Montrose ; but the origi-
nal or Meanis-shire br^uieh, survived in the male line only until
1468, when Alexander Melville's sole daugliter and heiress,
Elizabeth, was married to Sir Alexander Auchinleck of that Ilk
ill AyrHhire. A grand-daugbter of Elizabeth Melville in 1402,
married Sir W^illiam Douglas of Braidwood, second son of
Arcliibald Earl of Angus, and by her be had the barony of Glen-
bervy. These last were the grandfather and grandmother of
Sir William Douglas^ afterwards ninth Earl of Angus, /rom
whom were descended the Dukes of Uamilton and Douglas, and
many other noble hout^es/i
The lands of ( llenbervy passed to Robert, second son of the
ninth Earl of Angus, and a Nova Seotia baronetcy was ereated
in the family in 1625. There were seven baronets in lineal 8ue-
ccsion, and the sixtb^ Sii' Robert, was compiler of the Peerage and
Baronage of Scotland, He was succeeded by liis only son, Alex-
ander, the seventh and last baronet in the male line, who became
physician to his Majesty's forces in Scotland, and nuirried Bar-
bara, daughter of Caroegy of Finhaven, but left no surviving
isjsne, his only aon, Robert, having predeceased him in 1780,
The baronetcy was restored in 1831, to Kenneth Mackenzie of
Kilcoy, in Ross-shire, nephew of Sir Alexander Douglas, by his
only sister Janet, whose deseendents contiime to enjoy it, but
the estates have long since passed to other hands.
Here also is tbo burial place of the Stuarts of Incbbreck, where
a brass plate afMxed to a part of the ruins of the old kirk com-
memorates the names of the various lairds from the year Ir3j0.
Prior to the middle of the sixteenth century, these lands formed
part of the (ilenbervy estate, and were then granted by Sir
Archibald Douglas to Da\nd Stuart, out of gratitude for his care
p Bonier Mtnatrclsj, 4 112* [Tlie " Slir'riff'B Pot/* on tbe hill nf Garvnck, h pf fni-
Uvrlv rjillt'd Broirjil/a Kcdlel ^ Donglna* Pcomg^, ii. 110.
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARKi^.
of tlie gnuiter while he lay wounded upon the ficJd of Piukic.
Stuart subsuquently took part with Queen Mary's forces at the
battle of Corrichie, and, according to the ballad, he killed the cor-
pulent Earl of Hnntly with his own hand —
" Tbe Murmy cried tak the auld GordoDe,
An' monj ane ran wi* sp^id^
But Stuart o' Jnchbraick hud liitn Btiekit,
And Dut giifihit this Ui lurdanoB hleid."
Inchbreck, and the propertiea of Redmyre, and Caatleton,
which had been acquired by marriage, passed, in uninter-
rupted 8ucce8riion, from father to son until about the close of
last century J when the late Mr John Stuart, W,S., succeeded his
grandfather, and disposed of the whole. Kaii* had been previ-
ously sold, and Redtuyre and (Jastleton had passed to other fami-
lies ; but Mr Stuart ^8 uncle, Professor Stuart of AljcrdeeUj a na-
tive of the adjoining parish of Fordoun, and an industrious
antiquary, purchased the patrimonial estate of Lnchbreck. In
that he was succeeded by his elder son George-Andrew, who ba-
il ueathed it to hb surviving brother and sister*
The first Stuart of lnchbreck w^a^ a younger son of the then
laird of Johnston or Laurencekirk, and a lineal descendant of the
old family of Stuart of Morphie.^ The succeeding members of
the house of lnchbreck continued for many generations to eKhibit
that martial spirit, at home and abroad j which characterised their
founder. Captain James, after serving some time in Holland, re-
turned to Scotland in the memorable "forty-five," and enlisted
in the caUBe of the Pretender under Lord Ogilvy. Ho was pre-
sent at the carnage of Culloden, and from that time until his
escape to France, he shared in the privations and calamities of
his proscribed associates. Of this Interesting period of his life, he
kept a Diary, which is printed in the first vohnne of the Spalding
Club Miscellany* This soldier was created a knight of St Louis
of France, and died in 177(1
But, although last, it may not be of the least importance to
the general reader to know, that the parish of Glcnbervy was
the ** fatherland" of the Scottish Poet— RtiBEliT BuBNS — and
within its humhle graveyard lie the ashes of many of his sires.
' rroH Btuart's EsBAyii» p. xi.
OLENBERVT— AKCE8TEY OF THE POET BURKS.
97
Four of the old tombstones record the death of various members
of this interesting race, a brief aketch of whose family and name
may neither be uninteresting nor out of place in this volume.
William Burueg, father of the Poet, was the third son of Robert
Burnes, farmer, first of Kinmonth, in his native parish of Glenber-
vy, and then of Cloelmahill, in Dunottar* The Poet^s father, it is
well known, left his native county when about nineteen years of
age, *' upon which occasion, as he used to tell hia children, ht
took a sorrowful farewell of hm brother on the sitminit of the
last hill from which the roof of their lowly dwelling could be
descried/' He first went to the neighbourhood of Edinburgh,
and was employed as a gardener, but soon afterwards went to
Ayrshire^ where he married in 1757, and his illustrious son
Egbert, was born near AUoway, on the 25th of January 1759,
Of uncles and aunts the Poet hstd no lack, his grandfather
having had no fewer than four sons and six daughters, most of
whom arrived at maturity. We have not learned, however,
that either they or their offspring have materially departed from
the ** noiseless tenor of their way," save some of the descendants
of James, the eldest son, who, while his brother William went to
the west country, settled himself in Montrose, of which place he
was a burgess and town councillor, and where he died in 1761.
His son, who died in 1837, and grandson, who died at Edinburgh
in 1852, were both notaries public in Montrose, and the latter
was long its chief magistrate, and a Justice of Peace for the
county. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Provost Gtegg of
that burgh, and by her was father of the late Sir Alexander and
Lieutenant Charles Barnes, whose tragic and melancholy fate
at Cabool in 1841 is now matter of history, to which of late
there have been unfortunately too many painful parallels in the
same ill-fated region, Mr Bumes had also an older son (still
surviving), now Sir James Bnnies, Physician-General of the
Bombay army, who, ahke with his late lamented brother Sir
Alexander, has not only gained the frequent thanks of the Indian
Government for professional and diplomatic services, but has
written various important works upon the geography and man-
ners of the East.*^
" Adam Burnca, Em., wKler, Moiitro*ft iw tte lecond, aadonly other irarviviDg
brother, of the lal« Sir Akxftf»t!er Burnt §.
0
r
MKMORTALS 01- ANOLS AND MEARN.S.
Althougli tlie Poet is now best known by tlie name of Surn^\
it muy be proper to remark that Lis father alwaya signed Bur-'
nes, as well as did the Poet himself, dowii to within the last ten
years of his brief and eventful life, when, about 1786/ because of
the name being pronounced in Ayrshire, as if written Burns, he
and his brothers " consulted together and agreed to drop Bumes
and assume Burns*^' ^ Such is the family account of the change of
the name, which, as adopted by the Poet and his brothers, has no
claim to antiquity. Not so with the name they rejected, which can
be traced from remote times, through the records of both king-
doms, in all the varieties of spelling that individnal caprice, or the
peculiarities of ages could suggest. " The name of Bumes,** aaya
Sir J. B* Burke, Ulster King of Amis, '* is of great antiquity,
(jodric de Burnes appears in the Domesday book as the lord of
ample domains in Kent, in the time of Edward the Confessor ;
Raoul de Burnes made gifts to the Abbey of St Achenil, in France,
in 1189 ; aiid Godeholt and Eustace de Bumes and others of the
lame name are mentioned in the registers of the curia regis
of Richard I., and John, and in the rolls of knights' fees of
Henry IIL, and Edward I. In 1290^ John de Burnes miies^ was
Edward's envoy to Kome, and in a charter of Edward II.,
Willielmus de Burnes is included amongst the benefactors to St
Thomas's hoapital at Canterbury. Tn the sixteenth and seven-
tecnth centuries the name is agaui prominent iu StaftbrdBhire,
where John Bnmes of Aldershaw was of high consideration at
Lichfield, early in Elizabeth's reign, and liis gi-andson of the
same name, an active parliament-man and magistrate under
Cromwell. The name is supposed to have been carried into
Scotland, either by some of the followers of Edgar Atheling, in
1066, or during the time of Edward I. About 1500, the ances-
tors of Sir Alexander Bumes were settled as leaseholders of Bra-
linmuir of Inclibreckj in Kincardineshire/*^
It is certain that Edward I. had followers of the name in
Scotland as certainly as that he was in the parish of Glen-
ber%7/ Bernea appears there as the name of a place, in two
charters of Robert I., in which the word is variously spelled
' Letter to Mr Aitkcii, dated MoMgiol, 3d April nSiJ.
• Scrtttish Journnl of 1\»pogrnphv, &c., Nut. 6, 1847,
" Kurkv'i VUitfltion of Soatu i^imI Amis. ' ' lU^-iimn Rolk, 147,
PtLENBERVY— AXCESTRY OF THE TOET BURNS.
im
Bernis and Barnes, and the lands are described as lying ^^ within
the thanedoin of Aberbothnoth/' The same hmdsj it is believed,
were afterwards known as Burnhoua of Kair, in the barony of
Mondynes."*
It was close to this spot, that the present family of Burnes
are discovered iu the early part of the sixteenth century a»
leaseholders of the lands of Bralinnuiir and Bogjorgan, which
form the estate of Inchbreck, in the parish of Glenbervy. The
late Professor Stuart of Inchbreck, a man of considerable anti-
quarian research, who died at the age of 76, in 1827, averred
that his ancestors had found them there m the reign of Queen
Mary,* and some of them remained there till 1807; thus show-
ing an unbroken connection with the lands for about three cen-
turies. This 13 confirmed by the tombstones at Glenbervy,
and also by a deed of the Earl of Traquair, Lord High Trea-
surer of Scotland, to Alexander Straitown, dated 5th April 1637,
which is signed by John Burnes, residing at Thornetoun, in the
same locality.
Of the four torobBtonca which boloug to the Bumeses, the
most notable are those of James Burnes of Braliumuir, and
his wife Margaret Falconer, who were the great-grand-parenta
of the poet Robert Burns; and of William Bnmes, of Bog-
jo rgan, and his wife Christian Fotheringham, the great-grand-
parents of John Burnes8,y author of the popular poetical tales
of Thrummy Cap, The Ghaist o' Garron Ha', &c. There were
two younger brothers of the same family, of whom one,
Robert, settled in the parish of Benholm, while the other, Colonel
Jolm Burnes, was included in the Act of Parliament of AVilliam
and ilary, ^* rescinding the forcfaulters and fynes ,^incc the year
166r!),'^ as having been a partisan of the House of Stuart.*
The family of William Burnes continued, in the persona of
three succesBive Williams, to occupy Bogjorgan till 1784, when
John J the above-named poet, and son to the last William, quitted
that place for Stonehaven, near which, after a Hfe of penury and
* Robert«cm*is Indcr, 17, 23.
■ Ancestry of Burns, Edinburgh Churant, April 2iJ, 185 L
^ T\w irninc like Forbefl liaa frcqaently, but Botgetienill/ (m far aa 1 hairescen),
been ipclt with a double #. The Poet received the uingle « from liis fj»tlicr ; then
•idfipted the double *, and finally ended by abortening the name to Biirnii.
' Acta I'arl , ii. JtiG.
MEMORIALS OP ANGUS AND M EARNS.
hanlship he perished in a snow etorm in 1826, and his remains
were interred in the Spittal graveyard of Aberdeen,
The descendants of James Barnes and Margaret Falconer can
be more clearly traced by the records of the Lord Lyon's Court.
Besides two daughters, they had five sons, Williamj Robert,
Qeorge, JameB, and Thomas. The eldest and youngest died
early, and the former having left no issue, was succeeded at Bra-
linmuir by hia brother Jaines, whoso son only relinquished it in
1807. The second and third sons became leaseholders on the
domains of the Keiths Marlsclial, at Clochnabill of Dunottar, and
Elfliill of Fetteresso, and it is to them that Robert Burns, the
grandson of the former, particularly alludes when he says, ** my
ancestors rented lands of the noble Keiths Marischal, and had the
honour of sharing their fate* I mention this because it threw my
father on the world at largo* They followed boldly where their
leaders led, and welcomed ruin and shook bands with infamy, for
what they believed to be the cause of their God and their king,"**
The Earl Marischal, it is well known, proclaimed the Chevalier
King of Great Britain at the head of his retainers, on the 28th
September 1715, at the market cross of the neighbouring city of
Aberdeen, and again, after the battle of SherifFmuir, at the gate
of his own house of Fetteresso, in presence of the unfortimate Prince
himself, and his general, the Earl of Mar. Under such circum-
sfances it is obvious that the parochial tenantry, even if they
wished^ could not altogether escape the treason ; and although it
is said that they lost their all in the misfortunes which overtook
and scattered them, yet the dignity of their moral worth was not
subdued.
Robert Barnes married Isobel Keith (a circumstance which has
probably led the Ettrick Shepherd to call the family cadets of the
Earls Marischal) J and besides daughters, he was the father of three
sons, James, Robert, and William. As before noticed, the two
last named sons went to the south country, where William mar-
ried Agnes Brown, by whom he had his son Robert Burns the
poet. James, the eldest, settled at Montrose, and there died
in 1761, aged forty-four, leaving by his wife Margaret Grub,
an only son and daughter, the former of whom is the gentleman
" Letter to Dr Moore, 24 AugviM 1787.
DI:RR1S— VljSlT OF EDWABU I,
lUl
that all the Poets' biographera applaud, for having responded so
readily to the necessitous appeal of hiB then neglected but now
honoured kinsman* It waa he also who met Burns by appoint-
ment at Stonehaven in 1787, when the poet and his friend Mr
Ainslie were on a northern tour, and conducted him into the circle
of his paternal kindred ^"^
SECTION IIL
€a0tle of lioree, or Mmm.
BodU* and Yiril of Edward I. to Dwrria— itoiy of Hog of BUirydryne, &e. — Cattle
of Durris — viaited hj Alexandi?r III. — Tlianedom gifted to Sir Alexander
JTmaer — sold to Ilaj of Errol — Ijands lierricd, and Castle bumcd — lubsaquent
Proprietary History — Red Beard's Well — ^the Kirk.
The Castle of Dores stood on the south hank of the Dee^ upon a
rising ground, or rather a conical knoll, which in Gaelic would
be written and pronounced Torr, — hence probably the real origin
of the name of the parish or district. The eite ia about twelve
miles south-weat of the city of Aberdeen » the place to which
King Edward next repaired, and little more than the same dis-
tance north-east of the castle of Glenbervy.
In going from Glenbervy to Durris, Edward crossed by the
mountains of that parish, through a swampy pass, dreary even at
this day, called the Cryne Corse, and alighted upon the caatle of
Dores or Durris, which his Diarist describes as ** a manour in
the Downes, amange the mountayns,'''' — Downer being either a
misnomer, or doscnptive of the flat aspect of the country in the
neighbourhood of the castle compared with that tlirongh which
the royal party had been travelling some days previously. By
the route just named King Edward had passed the Stone House
of Mergio, crossed the Blackburn and water of Cowy at pretty
romantic spots, and on ascending the hill of Cairnmoneam, would
be in view of the sea, and the ancient town of Aberdeen* In the
• See BumH^ letter to hU bmilier Gilbert. 8*i>t, 17tlj, 17^9, ftiid Lwkharl'»Life.
*» Bamialyne Miicell» i. 278,
r
p
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND M EARNS,
8wamp on the cast, and almost at his feet, lay a trackless wild,
traversed tiow-a-days by the Slug road, by which Her Moat Gra-
cious Majesty has passed frequently to and from her Highland
retreat of Balmoral, via Stonehaven.
One of the places on Edward's route tlirough these momitain^
is called EshintilHe iSeyis,^ to distinguish it from another Esh-
xntiUie whieh belonged to a subject* It is said that James V.
travelled there incoffmtOy and from*the kinduoas shewn to him by
a person named Hog, then farmer of Blairydrjiie, the Earl Maria-
chal, who had a proprietary interest in Bores, gifted that farm to
Hog, one of whose descendants married the heiress of Skene of
Eaemoir, in a neighbouring parish/^ The family of Hog have
long since died out, but the name is preserved in the district
by a charity which was left by a parishioner so called for edu-
cational and other purposes, among which, with a kindly re-
membrance of the pleasures and scenes of his boyhood, was a
payment to the cattle herds on the hill of Calmshcc, upon which
he himself had tended sheep and cattle, for the purpose of raising
a midsummer fire/
The site of the castle of Dores, %vhich the agricultural improve-
ments of the present century has greatly reduced in size, appears
to have been moated in old times, and the castle itself was burned
by the Marquis of Montrose, but no record or tradition of it re-
mains ill the district, except the significant name of *^ the Castle-
hilL'' It was occupied as a residence by Alexander III,, and the
earliest mention of it occurs in the Chamberlain Rolls of that
period, when certain suras of money were paid fur repairs to the
houses of Coll}Ti [Cowy], and the vessels and bridge at the house
of Durres,^ but whether the bridge was of stone or wood is not
recorded— it may have been a draw bridge for the castle.
The visit of King Edward occurred on the 13th of July 1296 ;
but of the subsequent history of the castle little has been learned,
in 1373, King Robert IL granted to John Eraser, son of the
deceased Sir William Eraser, knight, the land of Wester Essyn-
toly (which John of Dalganiok had resigned), for the blench fcrme
of a silver penny yearly at the castle hill of Durris — *' apud castri
' Actn ParK, vii. 591 ; Inq. Spr^c. KincarrHriPsh., No. fiO.
•* CVIL in Aberdeen, &c., 638 : Tnq, iSpec. Kincnrdinpsh., No. 13/i.
• New SjIjiL Account, 177, ' Chftmbcrlaiu Rolls, i. *3t.
Jk
DURHTft — HEBRIED BY THE ROYALISTS.
108
montem de Durrp.^'s The lands of the Castletown of Dores,
which lie hut a short distance from Marycolter, where the
Knights Templars had a rcBidence, and which barony belonged
entirely to tliein, are called '' theTemplarle lands ;''*" hut Durria
proper was anciently a thanedom, and the collectors of the rents
of the King's lands take credit for payment of these,*
Sir Alexander Fraser, who was Chamherlain, and brotLer-in-
law to The Bruce, was the first baron of Dums, and received
that thanedom, and the old royal Imnting forest of Cowyj and
many other lands from the King for his acrvlces as a soldier and
statesman. These lands continued in possession of the Frasers
till about the end of the fifteenth century, although in 1413,
the pecuniary affairs of the kniglit of the period became so em-
ban^assed that, reserving only the life rent interest of his mother-
in-law, he agreed to sell the whole property **for euirmare/*
to Hay of Errol, Constable of Scotland, for, as the disposition
quaintly beaj-s, ** a sowme ofif sylurc before band io my mykyle
mistre [great necessity], to me payit/'^ Still, the estates did not
pass out of the family, fijr long subsequently in 1494, one of
the Frasers held an interest in them, for the bishop of Brechin
then raised an action before the Lords of Council setting forth
that William Fresalo withheld from him and the kirk of Brechin,
**the secund teynd of his relief of the landia of Durris,'' which
was claimed as belonging to that bishoprick,^
During Montrose's wars the castle of Durris was occupied by
Forbes of Leslie* whom Spalding descrilies as ** a gryte cove-
nanter," and fearing that his house might be plundered by the
royalistSj he had the greater part of his effects bidden, or carried
away to a place of greater safety. As anticipated, tlie castle was
soon afterwards assailed by the Gordons, who, in the absence of
better fare, regaled themselves upon **beif and aill,'' and "bruk
up girnellis and book [baked] bannokis at good fyres, and drank
mirreUie vpone the lairdisbest drink, synecareit away with tliaiue
alas mekill victnall as thay could beir, whilk thay culd not get
eitin and distroyit,"* This was in 1G39, and in 1644, the place
■* Acta Pari., vii. 591 ; Tcniplaria,
' Cliaraborrain liolla, v. y. ^ Antiq. of Shires of Al>erlji. and Bnnfl; iii. 364.
^ Actft Diim, <^ou., :Jo5; Atitiq, of Sbirea of Aberb. and Banff, Hi. 3G5-367,
' SpRldin|*»» TmblfB, i. 188.
* Rog. Mac. Sicr. p. 99*
'* ' ■ Kotia
104
MEMOEIALS OF ANGUS AKD MEARN8*
wa» siib}ectcd to a similar raid, and the house garrisoned by **t€n
Boldioims'- under command of Robert Irrine, for the purpose of
preserving the gimcUs or granaries which were well Btocked with
grain, during which *' thay leivit npono [Lord Frascr^s] nolt
and scheip and vther conimodeteia/'"' But it was upon Sunday
the 17th of March, in the following year, that Durris suffered
moBt severely, for the Marqois of Montrose, then on his march
Bonthward to Dundee, plundering and burning the lands and
houses of such of the CovenanterB as lay in hi» route, set fire to
** the place, lauche bigging, and haill cornea [of Durris], and spolzeit
the haill gi'ound of horsSj nolt, acheip, and other goodis.'* ^'
In the year 1669, Sir Alexander Fraser, who was many years
royal physician^ had a charter of confirmation of Durris from
Charlea II., upon the resignation of Lord Eraser,'' On the 2nd
of December of the same year we find John Burnett served heir
to his father Andrew Burnett *' of Dooris, merchant burgesa of
Aberdeen J " in these lands,i* over which it is probable he held a
mortgage.
Sir Alexander Fraser was twice married, and by his first wife
he had two sons and a daughter, the younger of whom Charles,
translated Plutarch's Lives, and is supposed to have been author
of the Turkish Spy; By his second marriage he had a son and
daughtcrj the former of whom became Sir Peter, and was the
last Fraser of Durris. Sir Peter*s daughter Carey, a maid of
honor to Catherine, Queen of Charles II., married the celebrated
Greneral, the Earl of Monmouth, by whom she luid an only daugh-
ter Henrietta M or daunt, who became the wife of Alexander,
second Duke of Gordon, by which means the estate of Durris
was carried to that Ducal house.**
The mansion house, built by a lessee of the Duke of Gordon,
is pleasantly situated near the Dee, and the entail being trans-
ferred to property in the neighbourhood of Gordon Castle, the
« Spnldi tig's Tniblos, il 338. ■ IbiiL, 4bS. ° Acta Pari,, tii, 591.
P Ina. Spec, KincartlineBh.j No. 115.
"i Thi» Indy bad four Bons nnd geveii dauehtora, Tho tjldest son succeeded aa
3d Buke of Gordon ; ttio 2d died a Cuptaiti ; tlio 3d waa *' Lord LeTFis Gordon,'' fa-
mous in Jacobite MinstrelHy ; mid the 4tli, Lord Adam, was Com mnodcr in 'Chief of
Ib^ Forces ia Scotland, ancl builder of the house of llio Bom, near Fctt«rcaini.
Tbe 3d and 6th daughters were married i-espeeti^rely to the Earls of Ahenteeii liud
Wemj98, all of whom were educated by tbeir moiber in the Protestant roiigioo, for
wbich abe bad a i>pnsion from George II. of £1000 a-year.— JDott^. Fecr^ i. 054.
DURUIS— THE KIEK.
105
liiiidi* of Durris were sold under the provisioiiB of an Act of Par-
liaiueut ill 1837, to the late Aathouy Slacteir, who was a success-
ful merchant in India, and by whose enterprise the estate has
been f^reatly increased in vahie.
The parish is meagre both 5n antiquarian remains and in
traditionary lore. The few prc-hiatoric traces that have been
found arc noticed in the New >Statistical Account, and coneist of
several tinnuU, one of which, by the side of the Dec, contained
stone coifins with human remahis. At the 'Spital Croft, a re-
puted seat of tlie Knight Templars, wliich hes to the south-east
of the church, an old bronze pot was Ibund some years ago, now
preserved at the house of Durris, It holda about a half gallon,
IS similar in form to the old-furtliirmed broth or kail-pots of Scot^
laud, having three feet to rest upoDj and two ears for fixing
the bow or handle to.
The chief tradition of the parish is one rcp^arding a freebooter
culled Bed Beardj who is said to have lived in a cave on the hill
of Cairnnioneani, where a spring- well preserves his name; but
beyond his dexterity In liftuag cattle and the Uke, nothing ia
recorded of him.
The ku*k, which is first mentioned in 1249, is rated in the
ancient iaxaiio at ten merks ; and the second temda of the rehef
of the lands of Durria belonged to the Bishop and church of
BrechinJ The church of Durris was in the diocese of St
Andrews ; but the names of the early pastors are unrecorded,
^vith the exception of Mr AVilliam Crychtoune, who was ap-
pointed to the parish church, by the xVrchbishop, in 1487,*'
The kirk J erected in 1822, is a plain building : it stands by the
side of the Dee, near the foot of the romantic burn of Shiach,
and two burial aisles arc attached to it — one is called limes'
aialcj the other Fraser's. The fii*st has its name from a lessee
of the estate, and the latter bears a rough carving of the Frascr
arms, and the initials, T* F.
' Rpg. Vet. de Aberb,, 169. 240; Acta Dora. ConciK, 355.
• Aotiq- of the ShiroB of Aberdeen uDd Banff, iii. 360,
-O —
106 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
CHAPTER VL
SECTION I.
First Notice of Brecllin — The Coldees— The Boand Tower— Pagan and Eastern
Origin Befiited — Christian Symbols, &c., on Doorway — Supposed Date, tod
Purpose of Erection — General Description — Saved from Destruction — Satirical
Poem suggesting the joining of the Tower to the Church.
The name of Brechin is first met with towards the close of the
reign of Kenneth III., and at that time it appears to have been
a place of some consequence. It is next mentioned about the
year 1012, soon after Malcolm II. defeated the Danes at Aber-
lemno, in honour of which victory he is said to have erected a
monastery at Brcchm, which he inscribed to the Blessed Virgin,*
but no trace of it now remains.
This was probably a Culdee establishment — a system of priest-
hood which was then but recently introduced, for, contrary to
popular bcUef, the Culdees are not mentioned in Irish history till
the ninth century, about which time also they first appeared in
Scotland. From what is recorded of them it is plain that they
were secular canons, whose system became common in various
Christian countries in the ninth century, and for whoso govern-
ment a great body of rules was drawn up by the Council of Aix-
la-Chapelle, in the year 816. Why they should have acquired
tlie name of Culdees both in Scotland and in Ireland is not cer-
tain ; but that they had the same constitutions, and performed
the same functions as the secular canons of other countries, is
now well established.^
• Butler's Lives of the Saints (Moloc), Juno 25. [An aecoont of the Round
Tower at Brechin, with illustrations, will be found in I^oceedingt of the Society of
Antiquaries of Scotland^ yol. iii.]
6 In our Sootch charters thev are called "Canonici qui Keldei dicuntur"—
*' Keldei qui se Canonicos gerunt ''* — "Keldei siye canonioi. *
BRECHIN — THE ROUND TOWER,
107
Tlic Culdeca were also at York, and In the hiBtory of the
fouadatioii of the Hospital of St Leonard of that city, it is stated
that when King Athebtaa was on his way northwards to fight
the Scots, he came to the church of St Peter's at York " where
the ministers of that church were as yet called Culdecs/' and on
his rotum after a victory he conferred on them valuable rights.*^
Two of the liest known scats of the Ciddces in Scotland were at
Aberncthy, near Perth, and at Brecliln, at both of which places
chapters of them survived down to the reign of Alexander II.
The most uneqnivocal traces of them now remalnmg either in
Scotland or in Ireland (in the last of which countries they exist-
ed at Armagh until the seventeenth century), arc their Round
Towers and Churches. So far as relates to Scotland, the round
towers of Abenietliy and Brechin still remain, but the colleges
or churches of botli places exist only in name, although ruins of
the houses were visible at Brechin in the time of Maitland the
historian, who was a native of that place, and those of Abernethy
are engraved l>y Captain Grose, '^
These round towers were long said to have had a Pagan and
Eastei'n origin, and some writers, even of our own dny, disregard-
ing the mass of evidence which has been accumulated to sub-
stantiate their Chi'istian origfu^ still cling to that Idoa, without
the least shadow of proof. They abo ascribe, without any better
reason, our ancient sculptured stones with their mysterious sym-
bols, to a colony of Bhuddists, who, strange to say, erected no
similar stones in their own countr}^, nor left any In the countries
through which they passed on their way to Scotland. In the
same way the Eastern Pagans, who are said to have erected the
round towers in Christian times in Ireland, have not left smiilar
memorials of themselves in their own country, for although we
are told of some round towers in the east, they do not conform
in character to those in Ireland,^'
The architectm*o of the round towers of Ireland agrees with
that of ancient churches erected there from the fifth to tlie twelfth
centuries* In one case a round tower is placed on a church as at
Glendalough, In another the tower is built into the walls of
'* Dugdoio's Mntittstico]], vi. 60S* "* Atitiqwities of Scot,, ii. 26L
' Ab an example of thi», icc tbe round tower of Bliaugiilpore, engraved in lord
ValmUUii Travels ^ I S5,
108
MEMORIALS OP ANGUS AND MEARNS.
the church as at Roscrca. At Donoughmore, and Antrim, as at
Brechin^ the towers have well-known Cjhrlstian styrabols, yet differ
in no respect in plan from those more niimeroua examplea whidi
are destitute of syrabok.^
Apart from the rcpref^entation of Christ upon the Cross, ^vhich
surmounts the door-way of the Brechin tower, two ecclesiastical
^s^ figures, arc sculptured near the middle of
the imposts of the door. These are consi-
denilily mutilatedj and^ as a diversity of
opinion exists regarding their appearance
- — ^Mr Gough supposing them to represent
the Virgin and St John, and Dr Wilson,
St Serf and St Coluraba^ — (conjectures for
which there is no foundation) , they are here
represented as they now appear. It will
be seen that both are habited in loose gar-
ments: the figure on the left grasps a crozier
or pastoral staff with both hands, while that
on the right has a cross-headed staff on which
rests an open book hehi by the left hand.
These figures, which are cut out of the same stones as form the side
lintels of the door^ are in bold relief, resting upon pedestals wliieh
project about four inches, and each of tlie figures are about eigh-
teen inches high. Both appear to have had beards, and some-
thing like a nimbus or glory had perhaps snirounded the head of
the fignre on the right, %vhich is altogether of a more portly mould
than its fellow. There are two nncmbellished blocks in the tower,
one on eacli side of the crucifixion, but outside the sculptured part
of the doorway, upon which it may have been intended to en-
grave some incident, perhaps illustrative of the life of the founder
of the tower, whoever that liad been.
There is also a diamond or lozenge-shaped figure, cut in low
relief, on the front and middle of the door sill of the tower, bear-
ing an illegible centre oniamcnt, from which possibly afleur-de-liH
had issnedj in four points, as one point of it is faintly visible in
the north-east angle of the diamond, Tlie two recumbent ani-
' There aro no pcculiJir symbols on. t!i<? Aberoothy tower, bat the four tipper
wliiflawd present trtt«:i*B of Norman arehitectnre.
« Arcli^'ologia, ii. 85 ; Prehtstoric Atinnls, f»97 ; nXm FennanfA Totir, 162.
mais Dj tne sides
described, are ranch worn,
and here engraved. Wood-
cut No. 1, whicli represents
that under the left-hand fi-
gure, has (de^^pite the laugh-
ter that Mr Gough's averred
credulity has furnished to
succeeding writers) much of
the form of the skull and
proboscis of an clcpliant, certainly not ** a fish in the auimars
mouth," as suggested by Dr Wilson, while the head and fore-
quarters of the object (No, 2), ^
have much the appearance of a
horse. But it is idle to specu-
late on the sort of animals which
these represent — most probably
they are only objects of the ar-
tist's owu creation, and there can
be no doubt that No, 1, which is on the north side of the door,
lias feet and claws pretty similar to those of the nondescript ani-
mal figured upon a stone built into the west and outer gable of
Meigle chureh>
A button-shaped border surrounds the door- way (a part of
which Is also figured, along with the two animals), and resembles
that upon some of the ancient sculptured nionumentsj particularly
that on the Farnell stone, and the fragment which was found in a
garden within the old boundary of the klrkyard of Brechin, upon
the latter of which are the Virgin and Child, and St Peter, and
allegorical representations of the Four Evangelists. Thase, how-
ever, arc greatly Inferior in execution to those upon the door-
way of the tower, for in these a good knowledge is shc^\Ti of pro-
portion, and of the joints and extremities, both in the human and
animal figures, while the others are the squat and unshapely pro-
ductions of untutored genius/
"WHietlier the old sculptured stone monuments and the round
towers of Scotland arc coeval I shall not attempt to determine,
^ f^enlpd. StoneA nf Sootlnnd.
Ihid,
no MEMORIALS OF ANOUS AND MEARNS.
the age of the former being as uncertain as that of the lat-
ter ; but it appears to me that both the towers and the monu-
ments had not only a common origin but also a common use.
The analogy of the architecture of the towers in Ireland to those
in Scotland goes far to prove this point, and some of the mys-
tical and Christian symbols on the sculptured stones of both na-
tions are quite alike. As the round towers are peculiar to Scot-
land and Ireland, so also are those monumental stone crosses.
The clergy, called Culdees, were, with the exceptions of
England and Wales, peculiar to Scotland and Ireland, and they
first appeared in the latter country and then passed over to the
former. These facts lead me still more firmly to believe that both
the Scottish round towers and the sculptured stone crosses were
the work of native artists who had been educated in convents
under the eye of the primitive abbots and canons who came
from Ireland to instruct the youth in the useful and ornamental
arts, among which, doubtless, had been that of building, and
carving in stone.
These secular canons, as before shewn, are first recorded in
the ninth century ; but written evidence shews that some of the
Irish towers have a much more remote antiquity. Dr Petrie
supposes that the Brechin tower was built some time about 1020,J
or during the reign of Malcolm II. Such may be the fact, and
without presuming to fix any period as the date of its erection,
we may be allowed to remark that thirty years prior to that date,
and only four years before the murder of Kenneth III., that
King is recorded to have given the great city of Brechin to the
Lord.^ May it not therefore be feasible to suppose, that in doing
so ho had commanded some lasting and stately memorial to be
erected at the place for which he E^ewed so great favor ? No-
thing could have been better devised for that purpose than the
erection of a Bound Tower, which the Culdees, who had re-
ceived this favour from the King, would naturally suggest, in
imitation of the monuments in their mother country.
Within the tower of Abomethy,^ and most of the Irish towers,
i Round Towers of Iroland, i. 406.
^ " Hie est qui tribuit magnam ciTitatcm Brechne Domino/' — Inne$' Crit. Es-
*«y, 788.
I SmaIVs Bonmn Antiquities in Fife, App. p. 12. [Mr Small supposes that
'' the Pictish r»cc of Kings" were buried within tne Abeniethy tower. This is not
BRECHI9 — ^TH£ SOOTD TOWER. Ill
sepuldinil remains have been ^scoTered** and in eome <
in that of Kilkenny, round towers have been erected in drarch*
yards after they had been Christian cemeteries, thereby shewing
that the round towers were generally used as places of interment.
But although the tower of Brediin was searched in 1&42, and
excavated down to the original soil, no socfa remains were found
there. Some believe that these towers were erected as beUreji,
It is certain many of them have been used as racli^ indading
those of Brechin and Abemethy.
The tower of Brechin is a spiral building, eighty-six fer?t nine
inches high, and the stones are neatly dressed and joined into one
another, in some parts resembling the twistings of a screw. It
gradually tj^rs from an external diameUr of about fifteen feet
two inches at the base or rail of the door, to twelve feet eight and
a-half inches at the four top windows of the tower, llie walhi are
three feet eight inches thick at the door sill, and two d^ Hvh
and a-half inches at the upper windows. It is divided into m^vim
unequal apartments (exclurave of the sjnre or upper portir/n , by
corbels of hewn stone, which project five or six in^Ji^^, and on
these the wooden floors and ladders are rested, by which the Vtp
is reached. The fourth and fifth nUmt^ are ea/;h ligtiu^ bv a
small aperture on the east and south respectively, and the M.'venth
by four apertures, or windows, fuing the four c^nYuisA \$itmU.
A comparatively modem octagonal spirti id aU/ut fift^^^n ft^-t in
height covers the top" (in which there are four anguIar-lKia/li^l
windows), making a total elevation td ^Mmt ouh hmArt-A and one
feet nine inches. The entrance Af,<n has an arch^^l top, i» wix
feet two and a-half inches high. ITie sill of the A(m is six feet
eight inches from the ground.
Local story says that this tower vibrates in high i^-inds, an idea
which had originated in the fact of the lime or cement frequently
giving way, by which it is Ix^und to the comer of the church to
the height of about thirty feet. It is also told, that with a view
of testing the truth of its movement in stormy days, parties have
so certain m tb« Uri tfiat there were hereditary lay Abbots of the Culdees at Aber-
nethy, who were abb lords of the manor of Abemethy. — Beg. Vet. de Aberh 256 1
■ Betham^s EtroriarCeltica, ii. 2 1 1-24.
• "The head of the Litl Steeple, blowen ower," 5th November 1683, was im-
mediately restored. — Brechin Setsum Beeords.
112 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
put knives into these fissures, and had them snapt across by the
tower suddenly reverting to its old position. These, although
stories of mere hearsay, may not be altogether imfounded ; but
it can with much greater truth be affirmed, that in 1807, when
it was proposed to make the present unshapely alterations upon
the cathedral, an Edinburgh architect, who submitted plans for
that purpose, gravely suggested that the Bound Tower be de-
molished, and the stones used to assist in building the new walls!
It is difficult to say what would have been the consequence of
this monstrous suggestion, but for the prompt interference of the
late Lord Panmure and the late eccentric Mr Skene of Caraldston,
who both felt so indignant at the spirit which dictated this out-
rage, that they not only rejected the plans of the architect, but
vowed to hang the first man from the top, that dared to remove
a stone of the tower I
The following Pharos loquitur^ written about 1807, satirizing
the joining of the Tower to the church, suggests an improvement
which might yet be acted upon with good effect : —
" In ages dark, when men bad light,
I rear'd my head on high,
And when they view'd me, to the sight,
I seem'd to reach the sky 1
In lighten*d times, when men were blind,
And priest-craft ruFd the roast,
A kirk they tuckl'd to behind.
And made me like a post I
In modem days, if men be wise,
Alone again I'll stand,
And long be deem'd by carious eyes,
The wonder of the land !
What tho' I shake in stormy days,
I*m hale and sound ye see,
While terra firma'B at my base,
There's little fear of me !"»
o In Old Stat. Acct.y t. 461 (xxi. 128) ; the tower *'is said to bend like a willow
in high winds, so as almost to touch the steeple P' The tower is about thirty-four
feet south of the steeple.
BRECHIN— THE CATIIEDRAJ..
113
SECTION II.
Foimdatioia of the CAtliGdral— tbc UuMuea — ilie CLapt«r of the Cutht'dral—Soul of
the Chapter— Roman Catliolic BiahopR — fiifb by Bishop Camock^Exttnt nnd
Kevcnueu of the Biishopricj^ — Reformed Bishops — the Cathedral — ^Weat Donr and
Window — Modern iLTteratioos — tho Steeple — Bishop*^ Palace — CauoUH* Housefl
— Fotiudatioii uf the HospitAl or Maimmdieu — Dispute regarding the Patron ago
of it — ttic Rontfl granted by the Earl of Paninure to tho Master of thij Grammai'
School — BuinH ol the Hospital^— Public Suliools — Eminent mcu, &c.
The cathedral cliureh />f Brechin was founded by David I. pro-
bably about the year 1150. The Culdees were then in a transi-
tion state, and tlio Chapter was eompoBed, in whole or in part, of
those canons who, by their opponentB the subsotinent bishops, were
spoken of with afFoctioii, as " KcWei nostri," and the names of two
of whom still survive. These were Brice and Mallcbryde : the
first flourished a,ik 1 178-98, and the latter A.D. 1202-22.^ After
the Culdees disappear, tho Chapter of the cathedral was some-
what differently constituted, eleven of the old benefices being
erected uito canonriea, as were those of Fothncwyen (Finha^Tn),
Irand Lethnot which were subsequently added, the first by Sir
Alexander Lindsay of Gleneisk, and the other Ijy hm eon Sir
David, afterwards Earl of Crawford, thus making a Chapter of
thirteen, exelusive of the Bishop, who sat a<3 rector of the parish.
This state of matters continued with but little change, down to
the Eeformation,
It was some time during the thirteenth century, before the
additions made by the Lindsays of Glenesk, that the beau-
tiful brasi? matrix was executed for the Seal of the Chapter.
It is one of the best examplcB of the aii of seal engraving of
the early period to which it belongs, and *' represents the Trinity
under a Gothic canopy. The Father seated, supports hot ween his
knees the Son extended on the Cross* Over the iiead of the
former is inscribed, on the under edge of the trefoil arch, the word
Pater : on tlie arms of the Cross, the word FlL : and between
them, over the head of the Son, is the Sacred Dove, with the de-
signation, s. SPB. The legend is : + s. CATITULI • SANCTE • TKINI-
t R<jg, Ep. Brechin, ii, 255-C9.
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
TATIS * D * BRECHIN." This beautiful seal is represented in the
woodcut No. 1 : tlie revcrae side, ag shewn in woodcut No. 2, is
richly omaraented with scroll work/
No. 2.
According to Keith, the first known Bishop of the diocese
flouriahed about A.D. 1155-6, and is designated by the initial T.»
Subscc|uently^ in vai'ious charters granted by Bishop Robert of
St Andrews, wlio died in 1 159, *' Sanisoiie Eplscopus de Brechin,"
appears afl a witneaa ;^ and although the succession of the Bishops
to this see is not so clear a.s could be wished, it is evident that
Samson had at least twenty-one successora in office down to the
period of the Keforniation.'* Some of these were of noble birth,
and eminent in their day, such as Bishops Leuchars and Shores-
* Proceed, of Society of A rUup., L T 8'J. fThia matrix, Atid also tljose of the seals
of tlie Official of the Provincial of tlie DomiiiicaiiB or Friiips Preachera of Perth, niul
BlKhop David Strachan, were found iti the offico of MesBrs W, & C. ADdersoD,
wrikM^, Bprcliin, nml presented by thum to tlic Society of Antiqoanes throagb tlife
lato P. Clialiuoni, E»q, Perhaps tlitis^c seals had been at one timo in th« posaessloQ
of 11 familv Burnanied SpeiKf, who h^ld the office ol Commiiisftry Clerk of Brechin,
from ItJlii till 1H15.]
A brtisn matrix, of tho IMh century, boaatifiiny eatectit^d, shows the front head
nf a niitrtd Bishc^p, probaWy St Teman. Iklow in a htinting liom Btringed, the
hrtik jrround being di.iptrod. The legend is: Sioh^um * f uma/ oppiciaui bib-
gixKK9i», This was found in tlie Linkiii of MoiitroBO in 1648. — Ibid*^ 73.
' Cfttalogin? of Scottish BishopB, 156.
l{cg. I'riomtUH 8, Andrce, 128,
" A lis! nf the BiHhopft in given in Heg. Kp, Brechin,, \. vi.-x\i.
BRECHIN— THE CATHEHRAL.
wood, both of whom were Chamberlaina of the kingdom, the one
in the reign of David IL, the other in that nf James III/
SIioreBwood^a immediate predecessor, Bishop Cariiock, was also
deeply engaged in State matters, and accompanied Princess Mar-
garet to her hickless man*kge with the Dauphin of FranoCt Car*
nock is the only one of the old Bishops of whose gifts to the church
there is any notice, and these c<>n8istcd of two silver candle^tickn
and seven silver cupi^. The cover of one of the cups in described
as having the rays of the sun spread over it fctim radiu solis
awperjj and it is ordered to be kept for the special nso of the
Dean and Canons at the ordinary festivals,"* Of these vessels
themselves which dre minutely describedj even to the colour of the
leather in which tliey were wrapped, tliere is now no trace ; and
valuable as they had been they do not seem either to have pre-
served the donor from the assaults of the members of his Chapter,
or to have incidcatcd a thorough system of morality amongst
tbem, for soon afterwards Bis!iop Carnock found cause to excom-
raunieate the Archdeacon for laying violent hands upon him,
and to threaten pains and penalties against the Dean for main-
taining a concubine in his house.^
The cathedral of Brecliin had twenty-three churches and chapels
attached to it, all situated within Angus and Jlennis, and so
curiously scattered over diflfcrent parts of botli shh'cSj tliat the
diocese may be likened to a piece of patchwork, for in every cor-
ner of the bishoprick^even to the very ports of the bnrgh —
parts of other dioceses iuter\'ene — a peculiarity in the capricious
disposition of ecclesiastical territory, which in Scotland has only
an analogy in that of the older diocese of Dunkeld.y Tlic annual
revenue or income amounted in 1561 j to £1850 Scots, exclusive
of payments in kind, which consisted of about 188 ehalders of
' Crawford's Off. of State, 20, 36. [A stone witli Bialiop Slioreiwoo»l*» armoml
bearings upon it— (1 and 4, three liung* faces, 2 and 3» licm rampant; crest (^r-
hapB) ft wreutb of thorns), — in built into ill© outer w»ll at the we«t g«t<* of the kirk-
yard of Brechiu.J
» Rc{,'. Ep, Brediiii,, i. ni. « nid., 121.
f BtMlchaefB Mount,* within the etick»siircb of Brechin Castlo, oppoeito Dcare-
hill gate, was iu the dioceac of Diinkeld. and there tlie Bishop hefa eonsintorfal
courts. — Inf. fram the latu P, CkabiiErs, Emq, The Archdefti nn's Bama, acurioagly
mofited place with ditches3» and Wftlln, on Ine fnrm of West Unims^ and estate of
Aid bar, is surrounded on all eidi^s, \\^ the diocese of St Andre wb» John, Arch-
deacon of Brechin, did homage to King Edward I. of Engltind at Berwick-upon-
Tweed, in Auh'UKt 1296.— J?a^. Rolh, tCt.
■ The hollrjw Ailjnfning Kt Mich. lel'it Mount it c«Ued M«^i<-I iHn,
116
MEMORIALS OF ANGIT8 AND M EARNS.
grain and meal, together with a quantity of salmon, caponBy
poultry, and gecso.*
Down to the episcopate of Alexander Campbcllj who, through
the intrigues of his kinsman the Earl of Argjle, was raised to the
see while jet a youth, the property of tlie church of Brechin was
of much the same extent as durmg ita best days. But, out of
regard to the extraordinary part which Argyle played at the Re-
formation, he succeeded in obtaining for Bishop Campbell the
unlimited power of disposing of all the benefices wtlnn the dio-
cese, a right which, as already pretty fully shown, the Bishop
unscrupulously exercised in favor of Argyle, ami other relatives.
Campbell died Bishop in 1606, after having held the office up-
wards of forty years. After a lapse of four years he was suc-
ceeded by Andrew Lamb, minister of Burntisland, who was one
of three bishops who received Episcopal consecration in England
by order of the King, He was translated to tlie see of Galloway
in 1619 J and four years previously he gifted the beautiful brass
hearscy or chandelier, which still ornaments the church. This
and the horologe or clock, which was given by Bishop Strachan,
and continued to warn the inhabitants of the ceaseless ** course of
time '* till nearly the close of last century, are all the recorded
gifts which the bishops of post-reformation times made to the
church,'^ of whom, inclusive of Alexander Campbell, thci*e were
eleven doivn to the Revolution, and ten subsequently, uicluding
the present bishop, who is a son of the late Lord Medwyn.
The Cathedral, now used as the parish church, was dedicated
to the Holy Trinity, and dow^n to the beginning of the present
century, presented much the same appearance as it did during
the Middle Ages, It was a stately fabric, partly in the Early Eng-
lish, partly in the Decorated styles of Gothic architecture, with
nave, side aisles, and chancel. The nave, as it now stands, is a hun-
dred and fourteen feet long hy fifty-eight feet broad, the roof being
supported hy a row of six pillars and five arches on each side. At
the late period alluded to, the aisles were demolished, the carved
capitals of the pillars plastered over, and new walls built on both
sides, tVoin which couples were laid to the top of the arches.'*
The windows and mouldings of the clear-storey were thus hid
• Reg. Ep. Brechin., n. 417. * Apfemdix, Not VIII.
** An engraving of th« kirk^ piiur to these &1t«ralion«, is giveo in Gro§e*« An-
ti^nitiu ofSiot., ii. 261.
BRECHIN — THE CATHEDRAL.
117
entirely from view, and gave place to an unseemly roof, which
has not been inaptly designated ** a quarry of slates.'^
The west door of the churchy although much decayed, still pre-
aenta some beautiful
pieces of carved work,
among which are tra-
ces of an almost unique
figure in Gothic archi-
tecture, called the reed
pattiirrij the only other
example of whichj so
far as I know, is on the
north doorway of the
splendid cathedral of
Ely, in Cambridgeshire,
The large west window
over the doorway (here
represented) with grace-
ful mullions and flam-
boyant tracery, is still
pretty entire ; and, al-
though little exists of
the east end or chancel
of the church, the re-
maining portion is a
fine specimen of the
/
\
\L
\
Early English style of architecture^ being decorated by tlie bay-
leaf and dog's-tooth enricliment.*
Some suppose that the church had originally extended further
towards the east, and in digging graves in that direction founda-
tions of walls have frequently been foundj and in these stone
coffins, hewn out of single slabs."^ Some part of the building is
also said to have been destroyed at the Keformation, which is
' Tlie west door and clmncel (with dctaila), are on graved io Ileff* Ep, Brechin.
' live Fomoins of some of these coffiinB, one of whicb id prettv entire, and the
Goriotiftlj onuuuciit«4 top of a ftarcophaffim, lie tn the kirk^'aid, Tlie latt«r is en*
graved in Mr Chalmers* JSmlpd, Stotie M&numtnti. y\Me siii. It had at one time
I been used ab ■» griYe«tODt: tho Tcmfdna of an iuscriptiun ' ' * ' fbaeed ' ood * AJti>
B8CHSTVD ' ILL * AS» * Hsr^iRtKD . , , are on the rev erne of the fitone* cut in charac-
tertofthe nth century.
118
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND HEARN8.
P
by no means improbable, and others believe that the structure
never was finislied* But these ide^s are merely coiyecturah
Better evidence remains to shew that in 1617^ *' the bischop
and haill sessione'' thought '' it good that all the ptctours be de-
stroyit off the loftis ;'^ and ako, that the alterations which took
place at the beginning of the present century did more to rob it
of its ancient appearance than anything that had been done pre-
viously. The pictaurs alluded to were perhaps the figures of
saints and other insignia of the different trades, but if these latter
were removed at that time they had again been restored, for
down to 1807-8 some such decorations were in existence.
Although a great want of taste is displayed in the alterations
which were made upon the kirk at that time, it had been previ-
ously an ill-cared for *ind comfortless place of worship. In the
uorth porch the incorporated trades met for the despatch of busi-
ness, and the aisles (ironically called the horse market^ in conse-
quence of childi'en being allowed to amuse themselves in them
during divine service) » were fiUed with all sorts of lumber, and
made a woodyard by tlie carpenters of the town/ The cold damp
earth formed the floor of the nave or area of the church, and loose
unseemly joistings of oak supported a shattered and leaky roof.
The graveyard was enclosed by a low ruinous dry stone dyke,
and the ground on the north side of the ehurchj now over-crowded
by graves and tombstones, was a common thorouglifare, occu-
pied by saw-pits and dungliills.
The square tower or belfrey is at the north-west comer of the
chureb, and with its octagonal spire, is a beautifully propor-
tioned and imposing object of a hundred and twenty-eight feet in
height. An octagonal staircase at the north-east angle leads to
the bartizan, from which there is an extensive and interesting
view. A fine floral moulding nms along the base of the barti-
zan on the west, and on the battlement, on the east side of the
baillzaiij is the date 1642. This tower may be said to he divided
• Br^ehin Seuum Mecorth,
' The pariib miaistura ami many of tUo beritors were buried in the south bibIc^
and llicro Jao He tho fifihcs of the celebrated Mr W Guthnc of Fcnwick, author «f
the Christian's Great Interest. Ho wob horn at Pitforthie, near Brechin, in 1620,
and died /Oct. 10, 1656. Mr David Blair, first minitterof the pariehi was alio buried
in th© south lli9k^ and according to the inscription on hia tombtttoin?, he instituted
at Brt^cliin, nhmi 1760, the first Sahbath School that was opened in Scotland.
i
J
BRECHIN — THE STEEPLE.
119
into several compai-tnients, and the lowermofttj in which the pres-
bytery and kirk sesBion meetings ar€ held, has a grohied roofj mth
arched springmg from sculptured corbels, termmating in a plain
circle. Tlie great and two Binaller bells are placed in the upper
compartment, from which springs thebase of the sph^e of the tower.
The four corbels on which
the base rests, bear beautiful
carvings in high relief. These
-.^
'>
^M.
In
n
sculptures are about seven in-
ches in height J and from ten to
twelve inc!ies in length. Three
of the ornaments are floral, and
bear no marked peculiarity, ex-
cepting the broad and eifective
manner in which they are exe-
cuted ; but the fourth^ here represented, is more remarkable. It
abuts from the north-east corner of the tower, and, as will he
seen, represents a whimsical iVcak in design, of a dog with its
tail strangely tiimcd over its hack, picking a bone, and supported
by a ram's head and horns.
The date of the erection of this tower is not ascertained, but
probably it was built during the episcopate of Bishop Lenchai-a,
1354-73. This may be inferred from the fact that, upon an in-
quiry being made at an after period regarding the non-payment
of an annual rent from the kirk of Lethnot, which was due to the
cathedralj the debt was declared to have been partly defrayed in
the time of that Bishop, by the debtor havmg given the use of
a white horse and cart to lead stones to the building of the cam-
panile or bclfty of tlie church.^ Doubtless, also, at the same timcj
the spire had been placed upon the Hound Tower.
The Bishop's Palace, of which no trace is now left, except a
very small portion of the arch of the gateway (on tlie inner and
south side of the Bishop's Close), stood near the site of the old
manse.*^ The ruins both of this edifice and of the Canons' houses
« Reg, Ep. Brechin,, i. 74.
^ Wlieii the old matiAe was takeo down in 1B50, a mutilated door or window
Hntel (dow preserved id the garden wall of the new manse), wm founds with the ini-
tials M. W. It. (Mr Wm. Rait— 17, ArPKNoxJt, No. VIIL)» dftled 1G44» and these wordfi :
. . . CRYX ' SKBRATA " MltU * IHSIONB * 1«T * CUV ......
9V9 ' arr • TVTKr.A * uim • crvjiqvh • corona - k ....
180 MEMORIAL OF AKOUS AMD MEARK8.
were to be seen towards the doee of the seventeenth oentoryy
and alao, in all probabiUtj, remains of Bishop Camock's tower,
which fonned part of the old city walL The mere localities of
the residences of the treasurer, and some of the other members of
the Chapter, which adjoined the cathedral, occupjing the space
from the Bishop's Close westward to the Chanonry Wynd, are
traceable only through the ancient writs of the church ; and in
the garden of the old treasurer (now the property of Mr Prain,
parochial schoolmaster-, is a carving in stone of a female dressed
in Koman costume* with a drawn sword in her hand. It ought
also to be noticed that in 1S4S. while workmen were dig^g the
foundations for a hou^e, on the east side of the High Street,
noariv opposite to the Biihop*s Close, the fragment of a carving
of the crucifixion, executed in rather a superior style, was found
;K'voral fixn below the ground. Rumour avers that the house
in which this xvlic was got belonged at one time to the church,
;4ud w jis {Kx«$esscd bv $^nuo member of the Chapter, and also that
by the acvidontal dij^wory of an image in the wall of the more
auoionc hou;K>. which i» |H^pulariy described as a lAiU JeauM ingddj
x\\c owner. prcvivHidy |Hv^r. became wealthy and independent !
The names of many of the altarages of the cathedral are lost,
and s\^ little remains relating to the chapels in the neighbourhood,
thai notivv* of all those tlnrndations arv reserved for the Ap-
|viuh\.' wl;h the exception v^f the Hospital or JIaiwondieu which
\^.^.^ the more imiMrtaui of the^o institutions, and fif\>m which
«{'niv.^ tho arrammar school. The ancient hospital, foimded in
r.N^4, bv Sir Williaiu of Urechin, grandson of David Earl of
Uuutiiii^lou aiul iJarivvh. lonl v^f Brechin and Inverbervie, bro-
tJier s^f Kiu^jj >>"liliam the lao:u was supported by the revenues
oc' kvv^uu lAud* in the jxarish. as described in the foundation ehar*
tor. aiul i\\r \\hio5i the "chaplain aud poor of the said house,
xwMv not to {MY auvshiuc exv.vpt ouly due and devout prayers
s^jid orU^us," The Ku:j;:ht of Urvchla K^und himself^ his heirs,
,*«d suv\\\s.v,-;>4 u: the lorviship. to prv^rev: all the lands, and other
ii^>;NiH, whuh Vo h,;.l c'vca to the hv>spitaL reserving to them
iho v»te i^Mvor ,^:* j^w^^nt:-,; the master to the house, the bishop
U.w i'.»^ ■,■.,« ,.irv .^f sv!v:t.:j^i thv/jT* ouly/"^ A charter by which
BRECHIN-
121
an ** i8ch and entry was given of a road thirty feet broad fvoin
the chapel towards tlie town of Brcclihij '■ was granted to the
hospital in July 1267, from which time until about the close of
the fifteenth century, when a dispute arose betwixt two parties*
regarding the raasterahip of the house, nothing interesting is
recorded of it. At that time the lordship of Brechin, previously
in possession of the Crown/ was held by the Duke of Ross, son
of James III., in virtue of which he had the right of presenta-
tion to the hospital.
This he appears to have exercised in favour of an Arcliibald
Pattonsoun, and in opposition to liim, James,, son of George
Kamaay of Foxtoun, claimed the office of master ** to pertene to
hhn bo presentacionn of onr souerano lord that last decest ; " but
the Uuke of Rosa being fouod '^ vndoutable patroune of the
semmyn,'* Pattonsoun was not only declared to have the proper
right to the emoluments ariMing trom it, but Ramsay was also
ordered to restore those which he had uplifted from the time
of Pattonsoun 's appointment. BesideSj t!ie ** king's liegis'' were
warned '^ that nain of thaim tak apone hand to mak ony maner
of persecucioune, or folowing of the said mater at the court of
Rome, sen it pertcnis to laud patronage, under the panis con-
tenit in the act of parliament proscripcioun and bannysing/'™
The farther history of this foundation is obscure until about the
time that the lordship of Breehin bec4ime tlie property of the family
of Paumnre, wheUj daring the preceptorship of Alexander Norrie,
the chapel underwent considerable repairs at Norrie's private
expense. These he agreed to waive on consideration that Sir
Patrick Maule, afterwards Earl of Panmure, was to '* apply the
fruits and rents" of the preceptory ** to the maintenance of the
schoolmaster of Brechin, and of ane second minister there," to
which he added the more selfish clause, '^ upon expectation of the
said laird of Panmure his favour.'' Immediately after this,
Robert Norrie, his son, had a presentation to the office of
preceptor of MaiBondieu, upon condition that he and " his suc-
cessors shall serve the cure of an aetuall and ordinar minister
within the Chapell of the said Preceptory j and also, should teach
the youth of the city of Brechin in grammar, and exercise the
I Acta Pari., li. V2. •* Acta Dom. Con., 103, 128.
122
MEMORIALS OF AXGU3 AND MEARNJ^
place and charge of ao master of the grammar school within the
samyne/'"
The right of preaentation continued with the Earlfl of Panmure
down to the forfeiture of 1716, when their property was annexed
to the erown ; and the revenues of the hoapital, in terms of the
original grant, belong to the rector of the grammar school, who
is officially designated Prwceptor Domus Dei,
Part of the front and eaat walls of the liospital still stands in
the Vennel {a lane in the Timber Market), preaonting several fine,
though decayed points of Early English architecture, i^-ith piscina
and ambry, and the original mason-marks are still visible on
many of the stones.*^ It had never been a building of great extent,
and probably these are the ruins of the chapel which was erected
by Sir William of Brechin, At a late period, it was appro-
priated to the humble use of a stable, during which a fire broke
out in it, whether by accident or otherwise is unknown , but the
wood work, and one or two horses, wcra burned to ashes.
As the hospital or Maisondieu was the parent of the grammar
school of Brechin, it may be well to remark, before closing this
portion of our notice, that an Alexander Hog, who also held
a chaplaincy in the cathedral church in 1485, is the fii'st indi-
vidual on record who assumed the title o( rector of that school.^*
The designation occurs frequently afterwards, and, as shown by
the presbytery and session records, the rectorship was often a pre-
limuiary to church preferment.
Several persona who have obtained distinction in sciences and
literature have been born in Brechin, and educated at the public
schools f but the Angus Club prizes are the only rewards which
" Meffistruni (U Panmure^ MS., li. 86» 2 voI». foL,— the property of Lord Patt-
mnre^ to whose kindneH» tind liberality I sun indebted for the use of t\m, and many
otber vftlnablt* MSS» and books,
° Detailed engravings of these miua are in Mea. Ep. Breehinentis, In ^rcA«e-
<Aogia \%%:s\v, 36, pbty 111), the ninson marks on tue HoBpital, Ronnd Tower, and
Steeples of Br«i:bin, &c., are enffnnred in connection witli ao excellent pap^r ** On
the use of Mason miirks in Scotland," hy the lato P* Chalmere, Esq* of Aldbar.
P Reg. Ep. Drecbin,, ii. 119, 121.
fl Among theae wore the Rev. William Guthrie of Fcnwick, already noticed ;
John Gleady, Ik^an of Caahel, and Prcljcnd of St Jlichaors of Dublin (see AfpSMOJx,
No. Vlil.J;* William Maitlaud, histonan ot Edinburgh and London ; William Ga-
time, compiler of the Geographical fJrauiniar; Or Jiinn Gi 1 1 ii*8, historian of Greece,
aiid bin brutlutr Adam (Lonl Uillici*), a Benatur of the College of JuBtice ; and Alex.
' ' ■ ~ ~ The Rev. l)r Thomas Guthrio of
Laiiis, antlmr of Seotliah Pocnta and Soucs-
EAljnTmrj;;h, and Ttr J. P. Nichol, author of t^e
among tbo more cmintnt uf living uaiiv«B.
le '* Architecture of the Henrena/' are
i
BttECHlN — ^TUE CASTLE.
123
the scholars liavo to compete for. As now constituted, these
schools are divided into three departments, taught respectively by
a rector, and by the parochial and bargh teachers. But, like
moat of the eatablished Hchoob of Scotland, the fees and emolu-
ments are ranch too amall to be at all remunerative ; and al-
thoughj as yet, theae schools have maintained their popularity,
it la to be feared that unless better encouragement is given, they,
and the great bulk of the pai'ochial and burgh schools in the
country, will sink into insignificance. The day, it is hoped, is
not far distant, when the mastei-ship of parochial schools will
be opened to aU denominations of professing Christians, and the
salary and status of the teacher put more upon an equality with
those of the preacher.
SECTION II L
Eiirl David of Hnntin^don LorJ of Brocliiii— F<imily of Brecliin — Sir David M
Brechin — liia liomiigw to EtiwArd I. — aervices to England — Sir David of Brccliio
©xecut4sd*-Sir David Barcljiy — tbo Earl of Attole— Edwanl T. at BrPchin
Castlo — aurrender of King John Baliol— Sir XliomaB MauVs defence of the
C«0tle — Bumed by EMward L— Us Piiat and Presont State — Buttle of Bredjiji —
tlie Caatle beeeigod by Regent licunox, and Gordon of Auchindown,
Althouqh there is no record of a castle at Brechin until the days
of Henry of Brechin, son of David Earl of Hnntingdon, it is pro-
bable there was a fort there when the Danes are said to have
burned the town, about the year 1012, and perhaps even at an
earlier period.
The lordship of Brechin was part of the appanage which Wil-
liam the Lion granted to his brother, the Earl of Huntingdon,
and the Earl would appear to have transferred it to his natural
son Henry, who assumed the surname Br^cMn, which his descen-
dants afterrv^ards bore. As Henry, son of Earl David, he wit-
nessed a grant by his father to the Canons of St AndrewSj of the
kanc, conveth, and service of the lands of Eglesglrg (Ecclesgreig,
or St CyruSj in the Mearna) ;i and, in Stephen of Kinardley's
charter of PItmengartenach (Pitten garden, in Fordone), dated
1221, he 18 similarly designed/
■> Bag. Trior. S. Andreo, 238. ' Reg, Vet. dr Ahtrb., 179.
124 MEMORIALS OF AXGUS AND MEAENS.
Edward I. is the first king, so fiur as recorded, who honored the
castle with his presence. It then belonged to Dayid of Brediin,
who subsequently did homage at two different times to that prince
— first at Berwick-upon-Tweed in August 1296, and then at Mac-
clesfield, in Cheshire, in May of the following year." David of
Brechin, although brother-in-law to The Bruce, entered into the
service of England, and for many years fought against the in-
terests of his native country, and took Sir Simon Fraser, one of
the Scottish patriots, prisoner at the battle of Methven, in 1306.
He was long a favorite with King Edward, but ultimately made
his peace with King Robert, and joined the Scots.
This Sir David was the third in succession firom Henry, the
first (of that race) lord of Brechin, and it was his son Sir William,
the fourth lord, who founded the hospital or Maisondieu at that
place, and became one of the most influential barons of his time.
He married a daughter of Alexander Comyn Earl of Buchan, and
by her he had Sir David, the baron who did homage, and was so
serviceable to, Edward I. This last Ejiight had two sons and
a daughter, and the eldest son, also Sir David, conmionly called
the " flower of Scottish chivalry," succeeded to the estate of
Brechin. The second son became Thomas of Lumquhat in Fife,
and the daughter was married to Sir David Barclay.
The last named Sir David distinguished himself in the Holy
Wars, asserted the Independence of Scotland as a Eingdom in
1320, and was otherwise one of the staunchest of Bruce's friends.
But having been made privy to the plot of William of Soulis
and others against the life of the king (beyond which Brechin
had no concern in the matter), Soulis having previously obtained
an oath of secrecy from Brechin which he unfortunately main-
tained, ho was executed as a traitor, along with his brother of
Lumquhat, only four months after he had subscribed the letter to
the Pope at Arbroath. Sir David Brechin was " jugit till hang
and draw,*' then a common death for traitors, and it appears by
the following lines, that his death was much regretted —
" And, an tlm drew him for till hing,
Tlio popill forly fast can thring
Him and his miHchof for to 8C,
That till bchald was grot pitc."
' i;.«;.;iiwin H<']|m, 12ft; Pnnno, CM ; Piilgrnvc, 193. ' Darbour's Bruf, 410.
BEECIUN^ — THE CA^LE.
125
Upon this imfortmiate oocanrencc, Tlie Brucej having implicit
confidence in Sir David Barclay, the husband of Margaret of
Brechin, gave him the greater bulk of these estates. Barclay was
filaiD at Aberdeen in 1350. and was succeeded by an only aon.
That son died in 1364 leaving an only daughter, who became
the wife of Walter Stewart, Earl of Athole and Caithness, second
son of Robert II., and Stewart being the chief actor ia the
murder of James L, **waa beheaded at Edbburgh in 1437, his
hoary head fixed on a spear, encircled with a crown of iron, and
his titles and extensive estates forfeited." It was on this occa-
sion, as will be more fully noticed in an after page^ that Sir
Thomas Maule of Panmure laid claim to the estates of Brechin,
in right of his mother Marion Fleming, daughter of Jean, sister
to the last Barclay of Brechin, In consequence of these alliances,
the family anns of l^Iaule of Panmure are quartered with those
of the ancient lords, Brechin and Barclay,
Sir David of Brechin, who did homage to Edward I., had his
castle garrisoned by the English in 1296. King Edward, while
marching towards the south, after having been as far north as
Elgin, reached ** the cytye of Breghan,^' on Saturday the 4th of
August in the same year.** There he abode for the night, but
neither upon that nor the former occasion did he receive any
homages, with the single exception of that of King John Baliol,
who, as clearly shewn by tlie deed of resignation, there sur-
rendered the Crown and Kingdom of Scotland into the hands of
the King of England on the 10th of July.*
•' Batho Scepter, Swcrd, Croflrn<*» and l^ytig,
Frft ilib Jlion, that he made Kjng,
Halyly im hjm be iuk tlxare,
And made bjtn of tbe Kynryk bare."
Ill the following year, while Sir William Wallace proceeded
towards the soutli^ leading a powerful array, he drove the enemy
from this castle and took temporary possession of it, but history
is silent as to the length of time the Scots then held it It was
certainly possessed by them in 1303, for Sir Thomas Maule,
younger brother of Sir William of Panmure, then governed it
for the Sc^ottlsli interest.
• BatmAtjirite Mbr<»TL, i. 278.
rryiine» G47 ; ut tup., 17
wm
126
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS*
Edward L is supposed to have placed his besieging eiiginea in
the field betwixt the river and Butherkill, on the south side of
the castle. The engine used on that occasion was ml led the war
wolf (h^C guerre)^ the same kind of inBtinimcnt whicli Edward
subsequently employed at the siege of Stirling, and which was
capable of discharging stones of two or three hundred w^eight.
It is worthy of notice, that stone coffins have been found in the
field alluded to, and a few yeara ago, while it was being ploughed,
a rounded free stone, of ah out the weight here noticed, was dis-
covered some inches below the surface. It appears to have been
fashioned by a hammer or some similar instrument, and is pro-
bably one of the stones which the English had intended to use
at the siege of the ciistle.
Although the gnrrii^onof Brechin was small, and the force was
great which Edward brought to bear against it, Maiile remained
undamitedj and held the enemy at defiance for the long ffpacc of
twenty days, wiping away the rubbish with his handkerchief, as
did Black Agnes of Dunbar a few years afterwards — until a
missile, thrown from the enemy's engine, struck him on the breast.
He survived the blow only until the evening of the day upon
which he received it ; and, notwithstanding the favourable terms
upon which the English offered to treat for a surrender, he dis-
dained to capitulate so long as life remained. As if to emu-
late their fallen general in bravery, the noble little band held out
until next day, but imable longer to maintain their position,
they were forced to let down the bridges and to throw the gates
open to the invaders.
This noble and solitary resistance which the English arms re-
ceived in Scotland at that time, had perhaps occurred in July or
August, immediately after which the castle appears to have been
destroyed by the English, for during the last*named month a pay-
ment of 38. was made by King Edward's Cliamborlain to Gerard
Dor and John do la Moille ** for sulphur for burning the castle
of Breghyn.'* Prior to that, however, car© was taken to ensure
the safety of the charters and other writings, and for these a
*' wooden coffer'' was made at a cost of 2s, Gd.'*' The castle had
been soon again restored, perhaps by Sir David of Brechin, for
• Roj^, Ep. Brocliin., xiti.
BRECIllX — THE CASTLE. ^
he took refuge in it a few years afterwards, when pursiiea u^
Bmce, wliofle service he then entered*
The bravery of Sir Thomas ilaule is extolled by all historians.
Even Matthew of Westminster, who ia slow to acknowledge any-
thing good or patriotic of the Scots, says that ** Maule was a
soldier of undaunted boldness and resolution of mind, that the
vigour and strength of hia body were very great, and that he did
not fear to hold out the small fortress committed to his charge
against a royal enemy,"*
The most ancient fortress of Brecliin had occupied much the same
romantic spot as the present castle, which stands upon a rock,
abont eighty feet in heightj overhanging the Soutli Esk. It was
surrounded by water in old times, and on the nortli and east was
a natural foss, which separated the castle from the to^^i, through
which the Skinner's bum still runs. The Esk formed tlie
southera defence ; and^ as represented in Captain Slczer's view,
there was a ditch on the west, whether natural or artificial can-
not now be BaidJ The river has encroached considerably upon
the rock on which the castle stands, for at one time there was a
cart road along the base of it, wlilch existed in the form of a foot-
path down to within these eighty years. Probably the western
foss had been filled up by the forfeited Earl, who, in 171 1, made
large additions to the house, and gave it a new front, upon which
are fine carvings of tlie Vallognes and Maule arms. The latter
are upon a separate shield, quartered with those of the ducal
house of Hamilton^ the forfeited Earl having married Margaret,
third daughter of the fourth Duke of that title. The castle wa*? still
farther enlarged by the late Lord Panmure near the close of last
century ; and since his death, under the direction of his second
son, the late Colonel Lauderdale Maule, both the Interior and ex-
terior were much improved. It is now the favourite residence
of the noble representative of the family, who was born there on
the 22nd of April 180L
From the time that Edward I. besieged the caatloj neither it
nor the district became the scene of any warlike deed of much
moment until about the middle of the following century, when
the battle of Brechin was fought betwixt the Earl of Crawford
■ Lonl ilailes* Annals, I 302-3. ^ TlnMitrum Scotin?, plate 53.
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARN9.
and the King's forces, an event which I have detailed in a pre-
viously published volume. It need only be here remarked that
this was a struggle between the Douglas party and the King,
and the tide of battle was luckily turned in favour of royalty,
chiefly in consequence of Earl Beardio refusing to grant CoUace
of Balnamoon some favour which he demanded from him when
on the battlefield, upon which Collace turned his arms against
Crawford, and so enabled Huntly to gain the day. This battle
was fought at the Harecaim, in the parish of Stracathro, about
two miles north-east of the town of Brechin, and a farm in the
immediate locality bears the name of Hundi/AiiLl, in honor of the
leader of the royalists.'
The next, and indeed the only other affair of note which
took place at Brechin (with the exception of some skirmishing
during the Wars of the Covenant, and certain inddents in the
rebellions of the following century — ^not very dissimilar to those
already noticed of other towns in the shire at the same period),
relates to the times of the unfortunate Queen Mary and the Regent-
Lennox, during which the town and castle were both captured
by the Earl of Huntly " in the Queines name and behalff."
Upon this Huntly gave the castle in keeping to Captains
Couts and Muir, and proceeded northwards himself for the pur-
pose of raising a larger armyj and Lennox, taking advantage of
Huntly's absence, besieged and captured the castle, and hanged
the two captains, and a number of their soldiers in front of it.'^
This was in 1570, and in the following year Earl Huntly's
brother. Sir Adam Gordon of Auchindown, also took Brechin,
and, in direct opposition to Lennox's brutality, displayed one of
the finest traits of humanity and chivalry on record, having, after
his defeat of the Earl of Buchan, dismissed nearly two hundred
prisoners, most of them gentlemen, without ransome or ex-
change.**
» Land of the Lindsays, 146-50.
' Gordon's Grcnealogy of the Earldom of Sutherland, 155.
«» Tytlcr'fl Hist, of Scot., vii. 280, 301.
liUrAll IN— EARLY K0TICE8.
I2y
SECTION IV
Breclilti in 99t^ &c. — tlie Town thrtp tinier* Iiwmp<l — Rtyynl Gratita — Weekly, and
Trinity mnir Markets — ^FiratrepreaeTJtcil inPnrliamctit — Disputes between tbi^
Bishop »nd the Earl of Panmure — Election of MiigiHtrjitcR^ — tho Biftiiop Provost
— tbe Eiirl (if Panmnre hercilitary Justiciary — the Bishop's power in civil mat"
tcra auDulkid — UHurpation of powor hy llie Ohurcli — Iiicurporation of Trades —
Hereditary Blacl^Minitbs, &c.
LiKK maiiy other old towns, a reniotc and dubiouB antiquity, and
unauthenticated dignity is often ascriljed to Brechin.*^ Not con-
tent with calling it the chief seat of Drnidisni iK'north the Forth ^
and the Pictish capital, tniditiou also affirms that itAvas anciently
the county town, A^ already seen it is first mentioned in the
year a*d* 990, being the earliest an then tic notice of any of the
towns in Angus, and at that time it is described as a large cttj/.
It was then a considerable seat of the Culdees, and being sub-
sequently the residence of a Bishop, he appears to have been
chief magistrate or ruler of the burgh down to a pretty late date,
Chalmers claaseB Brechin among the burghs royal of David
IL, and in tho charter of Charles I, it is stated to have been a
''frie burgh royall" when James III. granted a charter for levy-
ing petty customs in 1488.'* The first mention of a provost oc-
curs in the same act, but no person Is specially named as holding
that office until the year 1695.
The town was burned at three different times — first, It is said,
by the Danes In 1012; next in 1645 by the Marquis of Montrose,
when about sixty houses were destroyed; and tlie third time in
1672. The origin of the last fire is unknown ; but, as w^as then
customary, collections were made throughout the country in be-
half of the sufferers, and a considerable sum was raised for their
relief.*
It was a market place in at least the reign of David I., and in
an early grant by King William, the Bishop and Culdees had a
renewal of David's charter, which empowered them to hold a free
* Tlie Gaelic Bruujh-cheifi, signifies *'a hilly hrae," and i» quite descriptive
of tbo situ^itioii of the town at Brechin.
*• Caledonia* i. 776 ; Acta Pari , v. 631.
• Spalding's Tnihles, ii. 461 ; Brtichin S$ti. Records,
130 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEABKS.
market on Sundays, In villa of Brechin/ a term which seems
rather at variance with that of civitas in the Pictish Chronicle
already quoted ; but the name city was, and still is given to cathe-
dral towns, or those governed by Bishops.
This charter of right of market, and that regarding the trad-
ing privileges of the town, were confirmed by subsequent mon-
archs ; and upon the provisions of the latter charter, the inhabi-
tants continued to trade in various parts of the county, and to
c!irry merchandise to and from the waters of South Esk and
Tay, which were the most convenient places for shipments, with-
out interruption, until towards the close of the reign of David H.
At that time the burgesses of Montrose, proceeding on the narra-
tive of their doubtful charter of trading privileges before notic-
ed, questioned the right of the merchants of Brechin to traffic
with ships lying at their port, and a like objection was raised
against them by the people of Dundee in regard to their harbour
on the Tay. These difficulties were soon overcome, however, and
in 1372, Brobert II. not only confirmed the ancient privileges of
the burgh, but provided that the bishop and merchants of Bre-
chin should receive the protection of the King's officers if the
people of Montrose or Dundee disturbed them in these matters
at any future time.R
In 1483, the modified burgh tax of Brechin amounted to £4
Scots, being somewhat less than that of Montrose, and consider-
ably more than either Forfar or Arbroath ;^ but now the popu-
lation and revenue of both these towns greatly exceeds that of
Brechin. Still, notwithstanding the apparent wealth of Brechin
at the above date, its revenues appear to have been quite inade-
quate to meet the expenditure, for in 1488, King James III., in
consideration of the poverty, and (at the same time) the loyalty,
of the burgh, empowered the citizens to levy a small payment
(unum oholumj, as custom on all sorts of goods brought into the
town, and to employ collectors of the same.^ This is the first and
only time that mention is made of a royal grant concerning the
customs of the burgh ; and, in virtue of that charter, the petty
customs are still levied. So far as ascertained, the customs were
' Reg. Ep. Brechin., ii 3 ; «/ sup., 124.
» Reg. Mag. Sig., p. 65-6 ; Reg. Ep. Br., ii, 314, 380.
^ Spalding Club Miscellany, ▼. 27.
> Reg. Ep. Brechin., ii. 122. [ Unum oMum, or oholus, is If. Scots, or Id. ster-
ling,— Ruddiman'9 Vocah., 114.|
first let in 1580, at the aiiMal reot of £60 ScotSj^ since which
time they have naturally increased in value, aiul now affurd the
town a prettv conBiderable income*
The weekly markets were held on Sundays until the year 1466,
when they were altered to Monday. In 1640 the day was again
changed to Wednesday. Subsequently (perhaps about 1647), it
was altered a third time to Tuesday (now the weekly market-day) :
at least the kirk-session and magifttrates convened together that
year to consult regarding such a change,*' Besides the ordinary
weekly market, there were and still are otiier fair^ held within the
parish, particularly that of the Trinity j so named in honor of the
Deity to whom the cathedral is supposed to have been dedicated.
This fair, established by act of Parliaraent in lft95,^ but held in the
town prior to that date^ now stands upon a common about a mile
to the north. In old times it lasted for the space of eight days,
but is now reduced to tlirec, which are respectively devoted to
the sale of sheep, cattle, and horf>es* From time immemorial,
and until lately, the magistrates, who are superiors of the marketj
and attend it in a judicial capacity, went there in procession,
preceded by a guard of two free members from each of the
incorporated trades of the burgh, armed with halberts of various
devices, wlio had precedence in the procession according to
the dates of their respective incorporation. But tlie marching
of the guardj as well as the custom of ** taking in tLe market,"
at which there appears to have been a good deal of amusement,
may now be said to be obsolete.™
Brechin had no lay representative in Parliament until 1585 ;"
but they often occur after that period ; and the town's commis-
sioner to the celebrated Parliament of 1647, when Charles L was
Bold to the English, was one of the four commissioners of Scotch
burghs who voted against that transaction.** This had perhaps
been oiving chiefly to the influence of the Earl of Panmure, who
was one of King Charles' firmest friends, tor there was no bishop at
that date, the Scotch bishops not having been then restored from
the time of their deposition in 1638 5 but so soon as they were
y Min, of Bailie Court of JJ reditu ,
^ Acta Pari, V, 301 ; Brechin Setm. Eeeords.
■ Qhl Sut. AocL, xxi, Vii ; Hiet. of Brccliin. 102,
■ Acta Pari,, iii, A7i,
' At- 1 II Part, ij. 40X
132 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNB.
reinstated, the magistrates of Brech||, as had been previouslj the
case, were greatly influenced in their doings by the bishop and
his court. The bishop, not only sat as of old in the capacity of
provost or chief magistrate, but had at the same time the power of
electing one of three bailies, and so had little difficulty in carry-
ing matters according to his wish. Another of the bailies was
elected by the community of the town, and in that too the bishop
is believed to have had a considerable hand ; while fhe appoint-^
ment of the third lay with the proprietor of the lordship of Bre-
chin and Navar.
Soon after Sir Patrick Maule of Panmure bought these estates,
a misunderstanding took place Ibetween him and the bishop, an4
the elections became a source of great annoyance to the public,
being frequently attended by " ryot and bluid." With a view
of putting a stop to this untoward state of matters, the King
appointed a commission to enquire into the subject, and to ad-
just differences ; when it was recommended that the bishop and
the Earl of Panmure should mutually concur in making choice of
t>ailies, and that the latter should also ^' give ane deputation ''
of his hereditary office of Justiciary " to the person qwhome he
names to be Baillie of the toun."P
If this recommendation was at all acted upon, it had been only
for a very short time, for soon afterwards it became necessary to
pass a special act of Parliament, whereby the power of the bishop
m civil matters was annulled. It was likewise declared that Sir
Patrick Maule should continue as before to elect one bailie, and
that the community only should have the power of electing the
remaining magistracy and coimcil. From the bishop to the magis-
trates was also transferred, at the same time, the power of granting
charters over church and other lands in the town and neighbour-
hood, thus depriving the kirk of all power in the civil jurisdiction
and management of the affairs of the burgh.^ Still, with that
tenacity which has characterised the church in all ages, she clung
to her ancient powers, and, despite the prohibition of Parlia-
ment, successive bishops continued to sit in the councils of the
burgh, and to elect a bailie down even to the abolition of Epis-
p Beg. de Panmure, MS, ii. 81. [Tlie Earls of Crawford, and Mar, had been
previouBly Justiciaries of Brechin.] «» Acta Pari., v. r>.31 .
BRECHIN — THE TBADE8.
133
copacy. It is needless to say that the Faiimure family aply ceased
to exercise their right of hereditary Justiciary, and the election
of a magiatratej ou the occurrence of the unfortunate attainder
of 1716/
Although the trades were not incorporated until the year
1600, nor a guildry formed until 1620, there appears to
have been a oonsiderahle and varied traffic long previously
carried on ; and so early as 1580, a standard price was set
upon candles, and a committee was appointed " to prove flesh
meat J' Both were enactments by the Bailie Court ;• and al-
though there is no record of the special excellence of any of the
trades of Brechin in early times, it may be presumed, from the
fact that a load of " quhyt brcld '* was sent from Brechiu to
Aberdeen in 1603^, *'to try the baxteris witht," and that,
at a later date the community of the same city were charged
for **ano calsie maker/' who went there from Brechin, *Mbr
wndertaking the biggiug of the tonnes commoun calsies '* — that
those trades, at least were in good repute,* The first still stands
deservedly high, but tlie latter is now little known in Brechin ,
the old causeways of the town having, several years ago, given
place to the plan of Macadam, when, as if to verity the reputed
prophecy of Thomas the Kliymer — that the streets would one
day be turned over by the plough — the boulders were removed
by that means.
The guildry incorporation still exists in Brechin, and together
with tlic six trades (hammermen, glovers, bakers, shoemakers,
weavers, and tailors), forms a uumeroiis and influential body.
The glover trade has long ceased to be practiced. That of weav-
ing, or the linen manufacture, now the staple trade of the burgh,
is rapidly on the increase. The hammermen was the firnt incor-
porated of the trades, and the office of common blacksmith to the
■" Siibatquent to tlie last rebellion the t^^wn-coiincil coniisted, as at prcfient, of
13 ui€'tnkr«. iucludmg & provost, 2 baiiiee, dean of guildt troaRurcr, and hoapital
tiiaster. According to the Meport of Griet^aneet of Moyal Burghi, the afiaire of
Bi't'clnn, likt' those of too manj pl&cea, appear to haVo been sliamefiillv managed, it
bein^ hhcwti that tlie prtivoBt and others ** posaesacd thomseWei of laroe timcta of
the public ttirritory" whkh at one time extended to ''several thousaiia acres, and
that now (1789), it ia not posefaaed of an hundred,** for which tho town re^seivcd an
annual feti of £15 I
• Minuk^ of the BaiHe Court of Brechin^ houtid up toith the Minuiu of tJU
JTamtnermt'jif MS., tlie property of the Hfimmfrnien Tmdp.
• Spalding Cliil> MiM rllany, v. 7-1, 1 11.
134 MEMOBIALS OF ANGUS AND HEABNS.
lordship of Brechin had long existed under the bishops. It was
hereditary in the family of Lindsay, who held the appointment
for many ages until about 1616 ; and for the making and mend-
ing of ploughs and sheep shears, they had certain annual pay-
ments in meal and wool from various farms in the lordship, and
pasture for two cows and a horse at Haughmuir.^ The minute
book of the Hammermen, which begms on 2nd February 1579,
contains some curious entries, but the want of space precludes us
fr*om quoting some of these, as originally intended, as well as
from giving extracts from the records of the kirk-session, both
of which throw considerable light upon the ancient manners and
customs of the district.
— o —
SECTION V.
Almshouse establisbed by James YI. — Increase of Beggars — Prohibited from appear-
ing daring the King's visit — Privileged Beggars — Badges made for them, &o.
—The Plague— The Presbytery meets on Buthirkill hill (Burghill)- People
leave the town and live in huts — ^Murlingden — Weekly Markets held at Kin-
trocket.
Apart from the hospital or Mataondieu already mentioned, there
was also a bede house in the town, which was established by
James VI., 1572-87, and supported by the annual rents paid to
prebendaries and chaplains of the church prior to the Reformation.
These the King decreed should go in future towards the support
of an hospital or asylum for the accommodation of the destitute
and helpless of all ages, whether men, women, or children.^ But
this act of royal beneficence does not appear to have taken
eflfect until the beginning of the following century, it being
only then that the magistrates of the burgh, whom the King
constituted patrons of the hospital, found themselves at li-
berty to purchase a house for the purpose. ** Wnderstand-
ing,*' as the deed goes on to narrate, "that our Souerane
Lord hes erectit within thair citie ane hospitalitie for the ease
and sustentatioune oflf the edgit and puir placit and to be placit
■ Land of the Lindsays, 269. ' Rc«r. Ep. Brechin., ii. 224.
BKECHIN— ALMSHOUSE.
135
thairlnej and for thair intertinement hes dottit and gewiiie to
thame dyuerss rentis and beiiifices, and thai [the bailies and
council], being calrfull to haiff anc special! raansioun and residence
to the saidia puir in all tyme ciimming,'* resolved to purchase the
" mansionis *' of the chantor and the chancellor of the church.
These stood near the present manse of the second minister of
the parish, and were bought in 1608 ;^ but in less than eighty
years from that date, on account of the house bemg ** neither
wind nor water tight/* the inmates had to leave the building,
and were boarded in various parts of the town* Since that time
there has been no hospital, properly so called, in Brechin ; and
the rents belonging to that foundation are annually dispensed
among such of the poor as have a claim to them, the Hospital
Master being a member of the town-counciL
As is still customary in mauy such foundations, the inmates
of the hospital of Brechin had to wear a peculiar habit ; and at
one period, when a debauched member of the tailor craft applied
for admission to the house, the kirk-session granted his request
upon the wary provision ** that he be not fund a drunkard quhair-
untu he ia suspect to be given ; as also that he kcip the houss
and wear the habit suitable, and behave himselff modestlie and
soberlie thairin,^'^
About this tim©j the number of beggars, both local and ge-
neral, appears to have been greatly on the increase, and to
have made the church doors their chief place of resort, becom-
ing so obstreperous in their behaviour on Sundays, that it was
found " vnpossible for men to open thair pursis to servo the
broddis '* at the kirk door, without being '' violentlie ** attacked
by them ; while the collectors of the alms were unable to perform
their duty '^ becaus oiF the manic begguris that ouer hauled both
thame and the people.'' Still, anxious to makeever)^ person and
thing appear as feasible to royalty as possible, when the King
came to the town in 1617 (who, it appears was expected to
visit the church, if he did not actually attend worship in it, for
tae King's loft is mentioned in the records soon after that date),
the officer, who had a new "sout off blew as his livray'* for the
occasion, had strict orders to ** suffer neither uncouth nor couth
Rej;. Ep. Brerliin,, li., 236.
( 1 (319)— Sainon Bteord$,
136 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
^beggers to resort aither to the kirk-yaird or streitt," while the
King was in town.
It was daring the earlj part of the iMime year that a list
of the really poor was made up, and a pewterer instmcted ** to
mak ane number off badges to be marks to the puir off the
paroch/' it being declared that no other person shall have ^^ liber-
tie to begg but those that haue these marks/' This was the
origin of the staff of privileged beggctre, which, down to ihe first
change in the Poor-law in 1845, perambulated the streets in a
body upon Thursdays, on which day they paid a visit to the
merchants* shops, and to the houses of the more opulent inhabi*
tants, preceded by a gaunt crippled veteran, with a shining blaaon
dangling from his coat,
*' Whose spacioas scrip, and boandlcss conscience bore
A doable abns from many a bounteoas door."
Soon after the year 1617, we find the kirk-session busying
themselves as to the propriety of " bigging ane hous to lodge
puir young vnes" — ^perhaps the children of wandering beggars ;
and some years later, an " ordinance" having been passed by the
Justices of the Peace, prohibiting the poor from being allowed to
wander abroad in the streets, they again met to consider the best
means of complying with the order, and ultimately resolved upon
settling " the puir within honest menis housses."
In little more than twenty years from the date of the last of
these minutes, in 1645-48, Scotland was visited by a dreadful
pestilence, which is said to have carried off more than half the
population of the country. Like other parts of the kingdom
Brechin also suffered from that awful scourge, and, according
to an inscribed tablet in the churchyard, it appears that no fewer
than six hundred of the inhabitants fell victims to it in the short
space of four months. Labour of all sorts was suspended for a
time, the very streets are said to have been grown over with
grass, and no meeting took place of the people at churchy or of
the kirk-session, from the month of April to November. Nor did
the presbytery sit from the first of these dates until the 26th of
July ; and even then, fearing to meet in the town, they are re-
corded to have convened upon "Buthergill hill," on which occasion
they elected a ruling elder to the famous General Assembly of
BRECHIN— THE PLAGUE,
137
that year, it being their first meeting as a body ** because of the
pestilence.^' It was upon the 20th of January 1648, that the
presbytery first met together in the town, and on that occasion,
Mr David Cariiegy, minister of Farnell, preached '^ a sermon of
thaokBgieviiig for the mcrcifnl delyverance qnhilk the Lord did
grant to the city of Brechin from the pr^stilcncc/' choosing for
his text the striking words of the Psalmi^it — '- Fools, because
of their transgressions, and because of their iniquities, are af-
flicted/-*
E%*ery precaution was used, both in the town and landward
parts of the parish, to prevent the pestilence from spreading; and
parties, who acted as cleansers during the ravages of the same
contagion in Edinburgh, were brought to fumigate, or otherwise
purity the dwelling houses. In this work of cleansing the poor
not nnfrequontly lost their household furniture, which it was
sometimes deemed advi?>4ib!e to bum ; and after t!ie severity
of the pestilence had abated* collections were made throughout
the country to replace the lost articles, as in the case of a poor
woman at the Craigend of Aldbar, Among the inhabitants who
j peritihed at that time were the wife and two daughters of David
Donaldson, a baiHe of the town, and commissioner to Parliament
for the burgh in 1644 ;* also, a person of the name of Erskine,
to whose memory a stone is said to have been erected bearing
this rude verse : —
" Here lies Johk Ebbki»e,
Who died of the affliction j
No oae must diBturb h'w Loneu
UtitiJ the R<*Burrectioii,"
J It 13 said that the piece of ground on the north side of the
I church, kncnvn as the /ore kirk-yard, was aot apart for the burial
of those who died of the pestilence ; and from a superstitious be-
lief that the plague itself was interred in the graves of those who
died of it, and that upon these graves lieing opened it would re-
appear in the form of a bluish mist or vapour, and spread over
' Brechin Prtsbtftery Etconh.
' Acta Pari., vi. 96. A tombstoue, still extant, tbuB reoords the death of the
DoDalJsons — '' Heirlve« B<?«si« Walt» spova to David DonaldRODe, bailzie of Brechin,
and Elepcl Donaldaone, and lofin DonaldRcme, their dochtera. — 1047/* According
to the kirk-SfHSrion record**, David DoualdaoM and Btstay or Elizabeth Watt, were
married m 162Q.
T
138 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
the country with as much severity as before, that place was not
used for general burial until the spell was broken by the inter-
ment of Mr Patrick Bowie of Keithock, in 1809.
Although there is no account of the population of Brechin in
1647-8, the great number of persons who are recorded to have
died there in so short a space of time, goes far to confirm the
striking record of the ravages which the malady made in Leith,
where the number of the dead was believed to be greater than
that of the living.^ Tradition asserts that the more deeply afflicted
of the town's people were sent to the common muir, where huts
were prepared for them, and there they were allowed to die un-
heeded, and buried by their surviving fellow-sufferers. The latter
part of this story, however much it may savour of inhumanity,
is by no means improbable, and the first portion is corroborated
by fact, for both in the months of January and October 1648,
payments were made by the kirk-session to several parties who
are described as "lying in the seikness in the hwttSy^ — ^points
which but too clearly shew that many of the poor and plague-
smitten took re&ge in the fields, during the most inclement sea-
" son of the year.*' *
Record is silent as to the precise place of the exile of these
unfortunate creatures, but tradition affirms that the small estate
of Murlingden, which was feued off the common muir, and situ-
ated about two miles north of the town, received its name in
consequence, and was known, of old as Mourningden. A bum
runs through that den towards Cruick water, and the sides of the
den are here and there studded with artifical works about six
feet square, surrounded by low walls of mud or turf; but whether
they contain human remains, I have not ascertained. Tradition
also saySy that instead of the weekly markets being held in the
town at the time, they stood upon the estate of Kintrockat, about
two miles to the westward, also that a cauldron was used for
purifying the money which was exchanged on these occasions.
In commemoration of that event, a late proprietor is said to have
had a mound raised upon the site of the reputed market place.
** Robertson's Antiqaities of Lcitb, 84. <^ Appendix, No. X.
brechin^finduwrik's lodging.
139
SECTION VI.
BwcLin in the ITtli eenliiry — Johuiton's Panegyric — ^Oclitedcmy'i Account— Tim
Bridge — HiamoDBgement of Burgh AlFairs^-Metljanica' Infititution — Smitirn
Schools— Epiicopal Cliurcli antl library— Eflat Fi^ju CLorcli— Cemetery —
Modem ImproTementu — tbe Pen, &c.
In the preceding aections, we have attempted to give an epi-
tome of Bome of the more important incidents in the history of
the town of Brechin from remote antlqiiitj. Those desirous of
making themselves better acquainted with the more minute state
of the church and the bnrgh in old timcjs, are referred to the
recently published Be/jistrum Epucopatus Brechinenms — so fre-
quently referred to in these pages — ^tho last literary effort of the
late estimable and lamented Mr Chalmers of Aldbar, one of the
most indefatigable and accurate of Seottij^h antiquaries;'^ while
details of the more modern history and progress of the burgh
will be fomid in Mr Black's interesting History.'' Particulars of
the modern higtory of Brechin are not intended to be given here,
and this chapter will bo concluded by brief quotations regarding
the state of the town from trustworthy writers of the seventeenth
century, and a few general remarks cm its present condition.
Of ancient Brechin, apart from what baa been already noticed,
very little remains. A large three storey house, on the north side
of the Nether Wynd, is perhaps the oldest dwelling house in
town. Tradition says it was at one time the town residence of
the Earls of Crawford, and a spring- well in an adjoining garden
is called Beardtes WelL At a later date, during the memorable
Wars of the Covenant, it was the ** ludging*' of the taird of Fin-
dowrie, a great friend to the Covenant, and representative elder
for the presbytery of Brechin to the General Asscmldy. In
consequence, the JIarquis of Montrose burned and pbmdercd this
house, and the stablea wliich adjoined, in 1646, at the same time
that he set fire to the town/ But it is from Captain Slezer's view,
taken towards the close of the seventeenth century, that we can
^ Tliia invaluable lociil work— the uecoud coniributioti of itii tdtnted Editor to
tlio Baniiatvne Club— i» in 2 vols. 4to. See notice of Mr Chalmkrh, be!ov, imrt i?.
• JliBtory of Brccliin. by David D. Blaik, town clerk, (f. B\q. 1839.
' Land of the? Lin-l*ays» 270, 337.
140 MEMOEIALS OF ANOUS AND MEARKS.
form the beat idea of tlic appearance of tlic town in old tlraeir
No vestige remains either of the city cross, its walk, or its ports,
nor of the Catis cross^ which stood near tlie South Port.« Tho
sonth aide of the Caatle, as seen in Slezer's day, had, aa before
remarked, much tlie same appearance as at presentj but neither
the bridge nor cruivcs are shewn in bis prmt* The ruins of the
Bishop's Palace, however, and the Little and Meikle 5Iills, with
several houses along the line of road called the Cadger Wjnd and
Upper Tenements, arc indicated, as are also the tarm house of
Pitforthyj and the Grampians in the background, with the open-
ing to the valley and mountains of Glenesk.
Arthur Jolmatone is the only old poet who has celebrated tho
praises of Brechin , and it will be seen by the following transla-
tion of his poem, that it is characterised by the same fancy as the
rest of his Epigrams, particularly in regard to the Round Tower,
Among other points he alludes to the defeat of the Danes, which
is said to have taken place at Aberlemno ; and also mentions the
Bishop's Palace, the Bridge of Brechin, and the Bridge over
tho North Esk at Logie Pert, the latter of which is believed to
have been built by Superintendent Erskine of Dun i—
** Tljis fertile Town doUi 'twixt two RivcrB fitand^
One to tbo Nortli, one to the Southward hand :
Tht \Vtttt<?rs down betwixt tha Bockfi do gljde»
Boih Bridges have, and many Foorde beside.
The VictVit? of tht* Northern Kimq dotk mucli
Commend this City, since its men wore »ueh
Ab stood, and by their Valour vanquished.
When as their Neigbbours treacheroTisly tied.
Here is a Bishop's Hoase, and near to it
A Tower seems built by Pbidiaa' Art and Wit.
Its bulk «o little, and ita top m bigb,
That it almost doth reacb unto the aky :
IiH ^Structure's round, loolc to it from afar.
Yon would imagine It a Needle were :
IiH built BO strong, It fears no Wind or Rain,
And Jove's three-forked-Darts it dotb disdain.
Compare tbe Fahricks ; Breouix's Tower exceeds
(Proud EeJT*) ^^^ *^^T stately Pyramids/'''
Camden mentions little else than the mere name of Brechin ;
btit Ocliterlony describes tbe town as lying "very pleasantlie up-
on tlie north fljrle of the water of Southesk, which mnneth by tho
I lh%. Kp. Pnchin. li, 113. * ArrEiDix, No. 11. (c\)
BREUU IK—THE eKIL*GE.
141
walls. The toune is tollerablie well built, and hath a considerable
trade, by reason of their vicinity to Montrose^ being fyv© [eight
English] myles distant from it ; but tliat which most enriches the
place is their frequent faires and mercats, which occasion a great
concom^e of people from all places of the countrey, having a
great fair of cattle, horse, and sheep, the whole week after Whyt-
sunday, and the Tuesday thereafter a great mercat in the toune ;
they having a weekly mercat every Tuesday throughout the
yearCj where there ia a gi*eat resort of Highiaud men with timber,
peats, and heather, and abundance of muirfoull, and extraordi-
narie good wool iu its scasone,"^
Apart from the antiquities of the round tower, the church, and
the castle, Brechin has few attractions for the stranger, except-
ing the beauty of the surrounding scenery, and in that particu-
lar, especially when viewed from the south side of the river, as
thus advised by an anooymous rhymer, it has few rivals in tho
county —
*' The 6neit view of Breclun nmy bo got
From a Boft riBing ground beyond Ihe bridg©,
Wbere you may see the country every upot,
And tbe town rbing up a audden ridge ]
Tbs castle, old catbedrn), and what not|
And tlie spinj*8 grifliii 'minished io a midge."
The bridge is the same ** stately fabric" which is lauded by
Ochterlony and Slezer, though much too nan-ow for the increased
traffic of modern times; and the southern arch (the northern
havuig been re-built towards the end of the last century), is, so
far as known, the same that existed during the thirteenth century,
when a payment was made for the support of the bridge out of
the rents of Dmmsleld In the Sleams.'' Uutil within these eighty
years, the highway, which lead from the south to the north of
Scotland, passed along the ridge, and sloped down the Burghill
hUl, to the bridge, which was the only stone bridge on the South
Esk until 1796, when another waa erected at Finhaven.*
In 1789, the Committee of Burghs, in enumerating certain
grievances connected with Brechin, declared tliat, although the
** revenue of the burgh is not inconsiderable, it had no public
^ Spottiswoodo MIkccIL, i. 335^7.
* Eeg. Yet. do Aberb.» 184.
* Ikiidefl tbo suBpension and revolving bridcea at Montrose, tb ere are stone
bridges on tlie South Esk nt Cortachy^ .Tiistiubangbj Bbeilhill^ FinbuTpn, SUnngcby,
Brecbiu, tiud Dun.
MEMORIALS OF ANGU8 AND MEARNg
works either of ornament or utility. 'Tis true/' they continue,
"that water has been brought into town, and the streets paved,
but the water was brought in almost wholly at the expcnce of
Lord Panmure, and at present they are assessed for keeping wells
and fountains in repair. They were also assessed in nearly £200
before the streets were repaired.*' At same time tlie ccas of the
burgh waa levied at X80 a-year; but, says the Committee quaintly,
** let not the enormity of the fact prevent it from being believed
that the amount paid Into Exchequer does not exceed £40 *'!"*
Such were some of tlie evils connected with the rotten hurgh
system, which prevailed in Scotland, to a greater or less degree,
down to the passing of the Reform Act in 1832, when, like other
Scottmh burghs, Brechin had its counciUors chosen by the inde-
pendent voice of the people, and its accounts annually exhibit-
ed to public scrutiny. Although several public works existed
prior to 1780, they were limited in exteiitj and caused but little
stir in tlie town ; for an English traveller of the period (who,
however, seems to have been inclmed to find fault with every-
tiling Scottish), says that Brechin ^'is a place wliicli requires not
the obscurity of night to render it dismaL'^** Whatever truth
there may be in this laconical remark, it is clear that the Kepoii;
of the Grievance Committee held good even until a late date, so
far as the want of ornamental public buildings and works were
concerned. The public works, although not omamrntal even at
this day (and such arc scarcely to be looked for in provincial
towns), are now pretty extensive, and chiefly consist of linen
manufactories— a branch of trade, which, with some others, has
increased so much since 1790, that the population has been nearly
doubled.
But some ornamental buildings also grace the burgh, and the
earUcst erected of these was the East, or quoad sacra church.
It is a neat cruciform building with a spu*e of 80 feet in height,
and, as a whole, is perhaps the neatest and most commodious place
of worship in town. It was certainly the least costly, for although
fitted up for 860 sittings, the total expense, including the spire,
was something less than £1000. It ought to have been before
mentioned, that the parish of Brechinj apart from the quoad sacra
'" KrtwPt of Grievances, &c., 72, 80.
■ Georgt Colmftn's RaDdoni Rucolk'ctiuos,
1791.
lAk
BUECHIX — MODERN IMPR0VEMENT8-
ua
dtistrict, 18 a collegiate charge, and has be-en 8o since 1641, when
a second ininlster was appoiated by Charles I, after ** some of
the uobilitie and uthers'* had iiiaJo iuqiilrv% and reported up4)n
the state of the cluirt^h and the bishoprick*'*^
The quoad sacra kirk was followed, within two years, by tlie
Mechanics' Institute and public schools. These were buiLt and
endowed by the late Lc^rd Panraure, who also had the lecture room
ornamented by a number of paintin^ii^, he and his successors in
the peerage being hereditary patrons of the Inatitution. Lr*c-
tures arc delivered to the members on various subjects during
the winter months, and a re(*ding-room, and a pretty extensile
library, belong to it. This building, as well as the one which falls
next to bo mentioned^ is in the Perpendicular Domestic style of
architecture, that of the Sfechanica' Institute having a square
tower in the centi^ 80 feet in height, which is embellished witli a
fine carving of the annorial bearings of the noble donor* Both
houses are after tljc designs of Mr Henderson of Edmburgh, who
is a native of Brechin*
The other educational building just referred to, is now being
erected lu the lower, or Tenements district of the town. This
owes its rise to the generosity of Mr John Smith of Andover,
Massachusetts, who lately made the handsome gift of £150(K to-
wards the erecting and endowing of a school at Brechin, on
condition that other £500 should be raised by the voluntary
contribution of his fellow-townsmen within a given peroid. The
sum of £<3<)0 being speedily raised, Mr Smith, his brother, and
their partner in trade, Mr Dove, gave a further and joint dona-
tion of £G0€ tor the purpose of giving the editice an ornamental
character, whereby it will form a fine object in the otherwise
rather unattractive locality in which it is situated.
A sehool-room, schoolmaster's house, and library were recently
erected in connection with the Episcopal Church, to which it is
intended to add a Chapter House, The Library, built at the sole
expense of Bishop Forbes, is fitted up with oak shelvings, and
lighted by a Gothic window, with armorial bearmgs in stained
glass. Aji oak cabinet contains, among other curiosities, a richly
illuioiuated copy of the Offices of the Virgin, executed on vellum
"■ BeffiiUr qf Privif CouncU &alf ex. 56.
144 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
by Nicholas Vivien, at Paris in 1515 ; also an antique back-
gammon board, beautifully inlaid with ivory, and which is said
to have belonged to Mary Queen of Scots. The library consists
of a large collection of early and rare editions of the Fathers of
the Church, and many other valuable books, which were gifted
chiefly by Dr Abemethy Drummond of Hawthomden, for the
use of the clergy of the dioceses of Brechin and Dunkeld, of the
first of which sees the donor was bishop for a brief period before
his translation to that of Edinburgh. Externally, the Episcopal
Church itself has nothing to boast of in the way of beauty, al-
though the interior is neat and comfortable.
But of all the new ecclesiastical buildings in town, that of
the East Free Church is by far the most imposing, and, but for
certain peculiarities in the roof and the tower, would have had
an elegant appearance. It is in the Gothic style of architecture,
with a porch on the east side, and a spire on the south-west 140
feet in height. The principal dooi^way enters through the tower,
the basement of which forms the porch, and some good pieced of
carving ornament the doorway and other parts of the building.
The roof is constructed of plain heavy couples with open timbers,
and finished in dark staining. The north-west window, which
is filled with stained glass, is a good example of the Early Deco-
rated style in massive but elegant tracery, and, as a whole, the
fabric is highly creditable to the congregation.
The new cemetery, situated near the East Free Church, is ap-
proached by a stone bridge which spans the Den in a line with
Panmure Street, and has rather a pretty gateway, the top of the
arch of which is embellished by the appropriate figure of a phoenix,
and an emblem of silence on the keystone. The situation, conve-
nient for the town, yet completely separated from it, is in every
respect the best that could have been chosen, and no small credit
is due to the chief magistrate for the manner in which he com-
bated the numerous objections which were raised against it.°
Such is a brief account of the more important of the public
buildings of Brechin. These, it is to be hoped, will have a greater
influence than hitherto in inciting the public to adopt a more
*» The first interment was made on 26th October 1857, and on the 12th Novem-
ber following (after no little noise), a portion of the cemetery was consecrated by the
Right Rev. the Bishop of Brechin. — See the local Newspapers of the period.
BRECHIN — MODERN IMPROVEMENTS.
145
tasteful style of buildmg for domestic purposes, than the com-
mon and monotonous sort which has so long prevailed in Bre-
chin over that of neighbouring towns. But it most be admit-
ted that, ahhongh the inhabitants have been slow to adopt an or-
namental style of architecture in their dwellings, the streets and
lanes have been thoroughly repaired and improved. The sewer-
age of the town is now pretty good, and a larger supply of
water was recently introduced at comparatively little cost to the
public.
Little more than twenty years ago^ the ground now occupied
by the substantljil buildings in Paimiure Street was the site of
the Croji or weekly cattle raarkets, and the depository of the
town^s debris and rohbish, Southesk and Bank Streets had no
existence, and the only approach to the town in that direction
was by a narrow filthy footpath along the Denslde. The Wttch
Den J lately an impassible myre, is now the principal entrance
to the town from the south ; and the very place upon which tlie
fires are supposed to have been kindled which consumed the per-
sons of those unfortunate beings from wliom the locality had its
name, is occupied by dwelling-houses.?
The Latch, which was in an equally bad state, is now a clean
and favourite walk, decorated with villas and hedgerows ; and the
common Den — ^whither the freemen from an early to a late period
Bent their cattle to graze under the charge of a common herds-
man, who warned the respective owners to turn out and Uike in
their %€, by the sonorous blast of a nowfs horn^ — was converted
into a nursery about forty years ago. It teems with all that
is choice in trees and flowers, for the superiority of which it has
long been locally esteemed, and is a welceme and favourite resort
for the well-disposed, as are also the City Nursery grounds, which
are situated in another part of the town.
f The WitcJi hrank$ are still preserved in thcj archives of the bargh. This
Presbytery and Kirk Session books contain several accounts of witch trials and burn-
ings, whicb took place at Brechin during the 1 7th centniT'.
1 Tho Bailies and Council elected waltirr Erskine to bo common hfrd to their
nolt antU Allliailowdaj next, and requested aJl concerned to deliver their nolt unto
him aa nso h. — Mins, of BaUie Court of Brtchtf^ April 11, 1580*
MEMfiUIALS OP ANQUa AND 11EABN8,
CHAPTER VI
E^t ^iiUu, "tn^ ^oton of Sbcrfirotljor
SECTION I
Siwvd I, at ArliToath — Abt*ot Henry and tbe CouTent did homage to Edward I*
at Berwick— Foiimlatiou of the Abbey — its Dedicutioti to Tliciiuai i Bccket —
its »itn,4tioTi=-origin of Abbeys — stat© of Scotlutir] rluring: the Middli^ Agca —
Grantfi to, aiid RevcEues of* tlie Abboy^ — visited by Alexanders 11. iind UL,
Jamea v., &c. — Parliament lield there lu 1320 — Letter of the Baruna to Pojm?
Job II XX 11. — Abbut Bernard,
When Edward I. and his Court left Brechin, on the 5th of
August, tlioy went to the Abbey of Aberbrothoc, wliich is mis-
written "' Biirbrodoche '^ in the diary of the King's jouniey,*
Thiflj it will be remembered, was King Edward's second visit to
the plfue, although bis fir^^t is not recorded in his diary, for, as
before shewn, he travelled from Forlar to Arbroath, and from
Arbroath to Farnell, en route to Montrose, on the 7th of Jidy pre-
viously. Upon that occasion foor knights, together with Abbot
Henry and the whole Convent, performed homage to him ; but
Piynne is altogether silent in regard to the knights, although their
names are gi^cn iu the Ragman RolL^ Both aiitliorities agree,
however, that, on King Edward's second visit, a baron named
Jlark of Clapham touk the oaths of allegiance at Arbroath ; but
they differ in regard to the day upon which tlio oaths were taken.
The first authority gives it as the 5th, and the latter as the (ith of
August, on the last of which days the King passed from Ai^
broath to Dundee/'
It was Abbot Henry who placed King John BaboFs final re-
nunciation of the kingdom in the hands of Edward I,, and his
being thus a person of mark and influence, had perhaps been
the cause of his previously acknowledging the power of Long-
shanks, which he did at Berwick-upon-Tweed so early as 1292.**
Bannatvnr MiRcell , i. 280.
Jhid., in\ Jhid, r,-,t
" TTngmrn Bolls, 80 ; Prynue, 650,
•" rU-nT»n Rdli, 20; Kymer, i. pt. ih*. 105.
ABaiEOATH — POUNDATiON OF THK ABBliV,
147
Henn% m far as kuown, was the tenth Abbot from the pcrioil
of the foundation of the monastery, and his name is preservt'd
only in consequence of the part he acted during the Wars of the
Independence, there being no trace of it in the records of the
Abbey itself. If the writer of the royal progress is to be credited,
the King may have had came to suqiect Abbot Henry's loyalty,
for he appears to have lield up the English nation to ridicule,
by insinuations of cowardice and etfeminacy, making " the people
believ©/* as the diarist writes, ^* tliatt ther were butt women and
nuo men in England," an absurdity, it need hardly be said, wliich
was but too plainly disproved by the daring and martial spirit
displayed by the English during the period under review.
The Abbey of Arbroath, at which Edward I. rested while on
his subjugating tour through Scotland, was founded by William
the Lion in 1178. It was dedicated to St Thomas k Becket,
archbishop of Canterbury, ivho was slain at the altar of his own
cathcikal on the 20th of December 1170, by four knights, wlio
committed this nmrder in order to deliver the King from a for-
midable and obnoxious enemy. Tin 8 incident, it ought to be re-
marked, forms the device of the ancient seal of the (junvent of
Arbroath .*^*^
So far as I have ascertained, the nam*^ of Arbroath docs not
oecnr in any form until the foundation of the Abbe}'* It is true
that Buchanan says its old name was Abrinca ; but this seems
doubtful, and is perhaps merely a pun or witticism, since it was
at the church of tlie ancient city of Avranehes in Normandy, that
Henry IL did his first jienance for the death of k Becket.'-'
Various sunnises have been made as to the cause which in-
duced King William to inscribe the Abbey to that Saint, but no
satisfactory conclusion has been arrived at. Some suppose that he
and h Becket were pcraoBally acquainted, " when there was little
probability of the latter ever becoming a confe-'^sor, innrtvr, or
saint; '• and it is well kno^\m that the King invoked k Becket 's
help when led captive to Richmond/ But, whatever was the
cause of the King's favour for St Thomas*, or however various
the opinions may be upon that subject, only one idea can be en-
** See engravings of tlie »eal in Beg, Vet, dr AherhrotJiOc.
• The filoiy of a. mint hnving boon here, atui uf coins hc'iug fliniek with tho
word Abrittf}a Ik unfunnd^d. * Erg, Wt c!<^ Aherb , p, yi.
IIEMOBIALS OF ANGUS AND MEABKS.
tertained of the imposiDg situation of the Abbey, the ancient splen-
dour of Ita architecture, and the greatness of its revenues.
A fine view of Fifeshire and the Lothians, and of the country
more immediately surrounding Arbroath, is obtained from the
Bite of tlic Convent. The Komana, among the earliest of their
visits to Scotlandj had a small encampment in the vicinity, and
the Northern marauders were conquered, in the days of Malcolm
IL, within a short distance of the same place ; while, at the time the
Convent was founded, the neighbouring lands were possessed by
some of the more important of the Anglo-Norman families who
had acquired settlements under the two previous Kings ; and, ac-
cording to tradition, King William himself had an occasional re-
sidence in the same locality. Apart from the old historical im-
portance of the district, it had many natural and acquired advan-
tages, such as its proximity to the sea, and the long period the
surrounding lands had been under cultivation.
Prior to the foimdation of this Abbey, there was no similar
establishment on any part of the long and rugged coast of
Angus, nor within many mile^i of itj and the crazy huta which
were here and there scattered along the beach were ill adapted
for the reception of those whom natm*al and adventitious cir-
cumstances had destined to raise and improve the condition
of Scotland. It was, therefore, necessary that a proper asylum
should be planted in such a part of the country, so that travellers,
whether for devotional, commercial, or warlike purposes, should
have a place wherein to rest in peace and safety, and where
they could enjoy all the luxuries and necessaries of hfe, whicli
the intelligence and skill of the age conld afford.
It was for these among other purposes that monasteries were
established, although at the present time many look upon the
whole system of monachlam with suspicion and even horror, judg*
Iiig of it only from the polluted state into which it latterly felL
But those who have Btiidied the chartularlcs of the ancient
Abbeys, and the old history of the nation, will readily admit, that
when the Abbey of i\jrbroath was founded, and for long after-
wards, the monastic system was, perhaps, the best calculated of all
systems to meet the wants and intelligence of the people. Besides
tlie knowledge suitable for the different grades of olhccs in the
ABDROATH — SCOTLAND DURTNO THE MIDDLE AGEB.
churct, and in the government of the state, the youtli of the
country were also trained by the monks in the uBcful and me-
chanical arts ; and to those cloister-bred tradesraeEj m to apeak,
we owe most of the gorgeous, though now ruinous piles of religi-
ous buildiuga, which were erected in the country from the twelfth
to the fifteenth centuries*
Although the state of general intelligencej and the trafficking
interests of the country were at a veiy low ebb when the new,
or monastic scheme of religion became universal in Scotland
— ^tliat is during the period from David L, to the unfortunate
death of Alexander IIT. — the kingdom was making steady and
healthy progi'ess in the arts of agriculture, commerce, and
architecture, and also in letters and the fine arft, as is amply
testified by the few remaLning writings and ilhiminatcd missals
of the monks. Indeed, at tliat early epoch, it has been re-
marked by all historians, that Scotland was in a singularly
forward state ; roadi* and stone bridges-=the precursors of all
civilization— were then common throughout the country, and
everything seemed to be going forward as the best friends of
Scotland could wish ; but by the fatal divisions which followed,
improvements of all sort were suspended^ and the peaceful arts
were forgotten in a long reign of war and bloodshed. An acute
literary antiquary has well remarked, that at no period of the
nation^s existence, down to the Union in 1707, was it in a more
prosperous and civilized state than it was at the death of the
last Alexander,
The Convent of Arbroath was composed of Tyronensian
monks, so named from the first Abbey of the order at Tyron in
Le Perch, They were brought to Scotland in 1113 by David I.,
who built for them the Abbey of Kelso, lieglnald, a monk of
that house, was the first Abbot of Arbroath, but he died during
the first year of his incumbency .« By the original constitution
of the Abbey, its independence was secured apart from that of
Kelso; and the lands and revenues attached to it, by the founda-
tion charter ot King William, were so great, that with tlie grants
« There were six Coorcnts of TyTonpnwianB in Scotland. BesidHB thoac of Keli^o
and Arbroath, these were L«.'smahago, id Clyile«dale, foutidi^d hy David L, 1140;
KilwiDniDiE^, in Ayr, fouodi'd by Morevillct Conalable of Scotland, also in 1140 ; Liti-
doroR, m Fife, founded by the E^arl of Huntingdon, 1178; and Fyvie, m Aberdeen eh ire,
which was a cell of Arbroath, founded (it ia supposed) by the £arl of BtichaDi 1179.
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
that were made ta it by the liaroos tliroughoiit the shires of
Angus J Meams, Aberdeen, and el Be where, it aequircd a revenue
aad ioflueoce exceeding that of a^y other mona:stic establish-
ment in the kingdom, St Andrews alone excepted*
King William liimself gave the monks of Arbroath the terri-
tory of Ethie and Acbinglas, the shires or paiishes of Dunechtyn
and Kiugoldmm, fishings on the Tay, and on the North Eak, a
salt work in the Came of Stirling, with lands in llondvnes, and
a toft in each of the King's boroughs, with license to cut tim-
ber in his forests^ and the patronage of no fewer than twenty-
four churches. To these were added the custody of the con-
secrated banner of Brecbonnaeh or St Columba, and a toft of
land in Forgltn, which went with the office. This was one of
the most interesting of the Abbey's privileges, and underneath
that banner — the custody of which wa^ held under the Abbot by
the Knights of Mynymusk of that ilk, from whom it passed by
descent to the Urry* and Fra.^ers, becoming vested, about the
year 1420, in the Irvincs of Drum^tlie vassals of the Abbey
went forth to war>
Next in importance to King William'^i donations, were those
of the o!d Earla of Angus, w^ho gave it the patronage of four
churches, and various lands in tlic neighbourhood of Broughty
Ferry and Moniiicth. The Countess of Bucban also gave the
church of Turriti'; llalf le Naym, that of Invcriigy j the bishop
of St Andrews, Arhirlot j and the De Berkeleys, InverkeiUor,
together witli the lands of Balfeith in the Mearns.
Thomas of Luudyu the Durward, gave the church of Kinerny,
and the wood or forest of Trustach on the Dee ; and Robert of
LundreSj the King'^ bastard son, the kirk of Ruthveo— to which
gifts most of the minor barons in Angus, and adjoining counties,
added lands, fishing;^, money, and other privileges. The church
of Abernethy was also granted by Laurence, son of Orm of Aber-
nethy, with half the tithes of the property belonging to himself
and his heli*s, as hereditary abbot of the Culdees, and lord of the
lordship jmd manor of Abernethy. Among the more recent gifts to
the Abbey were the diui'cb and revenues of Kirkmalioe in Nitha»
dale J which were given to it by King Robert the Bruce,*
•» Ecg. Ytt. dc Abcrl., it x\, xxHi. ' Ri^^' V- 1 Ir Al" it.. 213>
I J
ARBROATH — PARLIAMENT OF 1320.
151
III 1561-2, the money ro venue of the Abbey was about £3064,
with upward:* of 422 chald^rs of victualsj 37 barrels of Balmon,
besides services, kane, capons, and other perquisites. Still,
notwithstaiuliiig the largeness of these revenues, it appeai^s
that in 1530, two years after King James' visit, when tliere
is no word of princes, or other great personages visiting the
convent, tlicsc payments in kind were not only insufiicient for
the maintenance of the Abbey and its visitors, but an extra pur-
chase was made of 800 weddei'Sj 180 marts, 11 barrels of
salmon, and 1500 dried cod fish, and 52 chaldera of victuals.^
The reasons for this enormous excess of oxpenditui^c are not
very clearly accounted for by any document now extant.
Though the revenues of the Abbey were great, the demands
npon its hospitality were ccjually bo. Even in t!ic time of the
founder, while the buildings were in progress, he and his court
met tliere to grant charters, and for the disposal of otlier matters
which concerned the imtion. His successors, Alexander IL and
III. mot there for like purposea, and the fonner had pecmiiary
aid from the monks while in difficulties, which he pledged himself
should not be to the disadvantage of tliem or tlieir Convent.'
Umung the interesting period of the Interregnum, Edward I,
and bis suit, as already mentioned, passed a night here when on
their return southward. James V., famiiiarty designated " the
king of the poor,'^ with his vast retinue, was two several times
entertained in the Abbey, in the year 1528 ; and Archbishop
Beaton of St Andrews, %vho8e train was nearly as great as the
King's, also visited his nephew, then Abbot and the futui'c cele-
brated Cardinal, no less than thrice in one season.
But by far the most impoi^tant assemblage that ever graced
its walls was that which was held on the 6th of April 1320.
That assembly, which was presided over by King Robert the
Bruce, it need scarcely be said, had its origin in a secret nego-
tiation between Edward II » and the Papal Court, when that
King prevailed upon Pope John XXII. to despatch a nuncio,
threatening The Bruce, and the whole nation, witli excommuni-
cation if they longer refused to own the superiority of the Eng-
lish King,
^ ru^g. Nig. d*' Ab«rb,, Appendix.
(1229) Reg, Yet, d^ A\w?rb., 79.
MEMORIALS OF ANGUB AND MEAEKS.
"^
The Pope, however, misealculateJ the character of the people
with whom he had to deal, and the message was met with all
the charaeterbtic boldness of the surviving heroes of Bannock-
bum. The assembly consisted of thirty-eight of the more pow-
erful of the magnates and barons of the age, of whom nearly a
third part were connected with the shires of Angus and Mearns,
and, in name of the whole community of Scotland, they framed,
and despatched, a singularly spirited letter to the Pope, setting
forth the wrongs which the country had sustained at the hands
of Edward Lj and maintaining the Independence of Scotland aa
a nation, declaring that they had been freed from their calamities
by the valour of Robert the Bruce, whom, with unanimous con-
sent, they had chosen to be their '^ chief and king* To him/'
continues tliis remarkable letter, '* in deience of our liberty we
are bound to adhere, as well of right, as by reason of his deserts,
and to him we will, in all things, adhere ; for through hijn sal-
vation has been wrought unto onr people. Should he abandon
our cause, or aim at reducing us and our kingdom under the
dominion of the English, we will instantly strive to expel him as
a public enemy, and the suLverter of our rights and his own,
and wc will choose another King to rule and protect us; for,
while there exist a hundred of lis, we will never submit to Eng-
land.''-
This noble appeal, at the reading of which Pope John is said
to have trembled, set the unfortunate question of our national
independence at rest, and as no representative of the English
Court appeared to debate the matter, as was suggested by the
Pope, Scotland was left free to assert its ancient privileges.
Bernard of Linton, then chancellor of Scotland, and Abbot of
Arbroath, was the writer of that manifesto. He was perhaps
descended of a family who assumed their surname from the
parish of Linton, in Roxburghshire, several of which name and
county did homage to Edward L in 1296, as did also Bernard
himself. " Tie was at that time parson of the kirk of Mording-
ton, in Berwickshire ; was appointed abbot of Arbroath in 1311,
and chancellor of the kingdom during the same year— both of
* Ori|;mal prinied and cnp'avcd in facRimile in Jcia Barl. Soot, l 114;
translated in Lord Hniles' Annah of Scotland, ii. 105-6. The ori^na! writing is
pregerved in tlie EetjiBter House , Edimbtirgln
• Il»gTn(in RoIIr, 134^9-67-62.
ARBROATH — DEDICATION OF TUE AIVBKV.
153
which offices lie held uutU the 30th ol* April 1328, when he
was promoted to the see of Sodor or the Isles, where he coii-
tiniiod down to tlie time of his death, which occured in 1331-2.''
Combined with the highest qualilicittioua as a di|ilomatiftt and
churehiuan, he also possessed those of a poet to no raean extent,
and celebrated the battle of Banoockbum in a heroic Latin poem,
a fragment of which has come down to our own times.t' Al-
though Bernard ceased to have connection witli the Abbey of Ar-
broath^ it is pleasing to find that, by penninsion of the bishop of
St Andrews, be had an annuity or pension from certain lands? be-
longing" to tlie monastery over which he had bo long presided '*—
a fact which shews that, even in those days of reputed darkness
and bigotry, the services of the worthy were not allowed to go
unrewarded.
SECTION II.
Tlie Abbey Church— Qmpt^jr or Cliarkr-housc — Armoriftl beinoga of Ablx^t PftO-
ter — Supposed cffit^y of King Willittm tlie Lion, and otber Sepule^riil Mona-
monta — Regality Tower — Tlio Abbot's ILiuae — The Abbey burned by ligbt-
ning— its Ropairt and Contract of the Plumber — ^Notices of iti bislory after the
R^forraation^AJtara — Cbapbiiinca — IlasjtitaJlleldi &c.
Although the ancient grants to the Abbey, and some other
interesting circuinstances relating to its history, can be traced
with much certainty, the names of many of its early Abbots
are lost, and little remains to sliew by whom the difterent por-
tions of it were built; still, it appeal^ that the Abbey Church,
begun in 117S, was not finished until 1233, a period of fifty-five
years^ when, on the 8th of the Ides of March, it was dedicated by
Ealph dc Laniley, who held the office of Abbot from V226 to
1233/ From that period until the time of Abbot Panter, who is
believed to have erected or repah^etl what is now variously called
the Chapter and the Charter-house, there is no recorded trace of
the building of any part of the edifice, excepting that of a new
dormitory, which was being erected about 1470, during the tinio
• Kfitb'e Cntalogue of Scotch BisbopB^ 302.
^ Hrjr. Vct.de Aberb., p 310.
*• Fordcun, ii. 248.
' Cbrou. dc Mailros, 143.
154
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS
of Abbots Brydj and Criithric, in the construction of wklcli it is
stipulated that Norwegian tiniber should be used.'
The Abbey was built chiefly in the Early English or First-
Pointed style of Gothic arehitecturo. The clinrcb was two
luHidrcd tT.nd aixty-uiue feet long, the iitave and side aisles sixty-
live feet broad, and about sixty-seven feet high. Only portion^?
of the nave and elioir, the east and west ends, and the soiitli
transept, now rcin-un. Sraiill a^ tlieiie are, they present some
lieautifnl mouldings and details. The Abbey Gateway, upwards
of sixty feet long, which was only unroofed about the beginning
of the present century, seeniSj with the exception of tlie Chapter-
House, to be the most recently erected iKjtrtion of the building, and
shews a dawning of the Decorated or Second- Pointed style^ which
followed that of the Early English, and prevailed down to the
reign of Robert 11/
The so-called CJhapter-House (Ji}v it is difficult to know for what
purpose the chamber was really used) is now made the depository
of such relics as are found among the ruins, and is by far the
most entire portion of the fabric, being two storeys high, with a
short spire at the tsouth-woat angle. The lower apartment mea-
sures abijut eighteen by twenty feet, and is surrounded on all sides,
except the north, by an arcade or oniamental dressing of arches,
which appear to have run round the whoh> edifice. The room
is about thirty-two feet high, and the groins of the roof spring
from four columns, two of the capitals of which are formed of
shields. Those on the south-east capital are wholly imembel-
lished: but tlie centre shield, or that on the north-west (as repre-1
sented in woodcut No. 1), is charged
wltli the armorial bearings of the
old family of Pantcr of Newmans-
walls, near Jlontrose, of whom the
Abbot m-as a cadet." The otiier two
N,v 1, shields, both charged as represented ^^^ g,
in woodcut No. 2, appears to be composed of a crozicr or
pastoral staff, and two old-fashioned keys formed into a St Au-
- R^p:. Ni^. de Al>erl>., 1 0.'?-?.
■ Rickriiftii'fi Fhkjiv on Outlii*: ArrLitprtnro, 381.
• On • fc9a witli iliroe rauiKlefj.', in rliii f. n cniKier \h tween two miiTletii^ vtith m
roM In baae. the latt- r U^nre porlinis for :^liirT(ro«c.
»]rew*ii croaa, tied together in the middle, aod united at the
bottoni by a chain. A shield bearing the Panter arms is in
.■mother part of thia room; and the not improbable idea has been
advaneed, that tliis portion of tlie Abbey was erected hv Abbot
Pimtcr, who held office from 1411 to 1473. The capitals of the
two remaining c^lnnrnj* represent floral ornaments, and the fanci-
ful freak of birds aittinj* npon trees, picking at the branches.
The relics preserved here consist entirely of tlie remains of
ancient tombs. The most intereating is, perhaps, the frag^nient
of a recumbent effigy in a dark spotted kind of marble, called
madre^}ore. Althongh the head is gone, and the figure otherwise
mutilated, there is a grace and elegance in the disposition iind
folds of the drapery, and a truthfulness in the remaining detailt^
of the lion at the feet, that indicates the chisel of no mean sculp-
tor. All history agrees that William the Lion, the foimder of
the Abbey, was buried before Its high altar fante mains aliare^
says Forduu), on the 4th of December 1214 ; and, from the fact
of this effigy having been found in the chauc-el of the church, im-
mediately in front of the supposed site of the high altar, and
covering a stone coffin, !u w^hich were the bt:)ucs of a person of
goodly stature, the grave and statue were presumed to he those
of King William. Apart from the figure of the animal at the
feet (which is a common aceompaninicut to such etEgie.s), a pouch
or purse is suspended from a belt un the left side which begirts
the waist; and fragmeuta of four armed Lihputian knights, with
Kpui*s on their boots, are on various parts of the figure, as if in
the act of aiTanging or adjusting the dress/
There is another mutilated statue, conjectured, on no very
plausible grounds, to be that of St Thomas k Becket, The
person repres<inted is in a devotional attitude, habited in riclily
carved sacredotal robes, executed in bluish sandstone. The folds
' TWft fttiitnOy and the one next noticed, ari> engraved In i?«^, VeL dc Aber^
brothoc, and tlie siipposeil grave* of Riog WilTiam ia dow covered by an old grave*
Etonr, bearing a monoj^Hiu, embodying the four initial letters — I. K. H. (\ — uiid m
elield cWri^tni with a erurj^^ the anuoriaUH'arirjgH of the old F«»rfur8bire FiuniU',
Ktimamed FfTiiiE. Perhaps the utoiie hjid belongr:-! to ft descetidrttit 'iC ibiit mco.
Kear the miiue place were found llirte Htone cofliiii, cut out of solid slaba, in one of
which wae Iho akdeton of a feinaU', »tjwtd "p in ft leather Bhmnd, dimilftr to, but
not (to entire, &a thai found in • ntune coffin nt tho Abl>cy of Dunfefniline, m Ifl-ty.
The hvticr di^tcorerj ifl deacribed in lYoceeding* of the iSodciff of A%H*i%i*xr%tM of
Scotland, ii. 75.
MEMORIALS OF ANGLTS AND MEARKS.
of th© drapery flow even more gracefully than those of the first-
mentioned fragment, while the oroamcntal parts of tlie dreas
are carved with a delicacy and finish, unsiirpasned, perhaps, by
any contemporary piece in Scotland. The effigy of an old priest,
^'ery mncli punilar to this, and nearly entire, the stole of the
robes being decorated by carvings of the sacred dove (?), lies m
the garden of Dun House, near Montrose, whither it was taken,
as one story says, from the Abbey of Arbroath, and according to
another, from the old kirk of Montrose,
Another sepulchral monument, with an inscription round the
sides, now nearly effaced ^ is embellished with a fulHength effigy,
in low relief, of one of the monk^ of the Abbey, as can be traced
from the remains of tliC logciuL The name and date nre illegible;
but there is a shield over the head, charged with two, or it may
be, three hendlets — ^donbtless the armorial bearings of the church-
man commemoratcd~and trom which, it may be inferred that
the surname had been Alexanderson, or Sanderson, although
there is no trace in the chartulary of a monk having any such
name,"^
The front of a mural tombstone, of a class commonly found
in old ecclesiastical buildings, sojnewhat resembling a chimney-
piece, is preserved in the same apartment. This fragment,
which was found near the site of the high altar, is divided into
four compartnicnts, each of which contains a figure carved in
bold relief. The first division is occupied by ati angel, with
outstretched wing?*, holding a shield, whicli is placed upon a
crozier, and charged with the Panter anns. The figure in the
second compartment holds a pitcher, and the aspersory, or brush,
for sprinkling the holy water. The third bears what seems to be
the paten, and the fourth holds an open book with both hantls. In
consequence of Panter's bearings being upon this stone^ it had
most probably formed a portion of the tomb of that Abbot ; and
as the style in %vhieh this fi'agmcnt is carved, is not very dis-
Biiuilar from that of the sii-callcd statue of St Thomas a Bccket,
that effigy may perliap'^ liave represented Abbot Panter, and
may, at one tunc, have adorned tins tomb.
* In liSfV n Willinm AlcxaniWrPcm field ilic f^^urlli pjirl nf ili« hintln of iIia
tnwn of Dnntnchlliin (rhmnicLen), nmlcv tlie AMwits of ArLniani,->/i*< r/ Nm, f/«
AIUiUOATH— THE ABBOTS UOrSE.
157
The remains of another di'aped statue, and the elbow of a
mailed effigy, are the only other remaining relics of the ancient
sepulchral monuments of Arbroath, %vitli the exception of three
stone slabs whicli lie in the graveyard, adorned with varionflly
designed crosses and swords, of a simihir type to thoae found in
England and Wales.'' These few traces of old mouiiracnts shew
that the ckstrnction which had taken place at i\j*broath about
the time of the Heturmation had been great, for doubtless the
statues and other works of ancient art which liad adorned that
magnificent place in its palmy days were much more numerous
than we have now the means of knowing.
But it ought to be added, that the Kegality Tower and adjacent
buildings, with the stone arched roofs of the lower storey, pre-
sent works of considerable extent, and strength of workmanship.
The Abbot's liouse is still occupied, and the ground floor, which
is evidently the oldest portion, is peculiarly constructed, the port
called the kitchen having a strong pillar in the centre from Avhtch
sprijig the arclies of a low groined roof. The upper portion of
this house is of mucli more recent date. Of the many pieces of
carved oak panellings which are said to have adorned it, even
down to a late period, two still remain. One of these repre-
sents the Annunciation, with the common attributes of the dove
descending on the sunbeam, and the cross-crosslet on the head
and breast of the angel. The figure holds a sceptre in the hand,
"Without the scroll or ordinary legend, and kneels on a geometri-
cal pavement, supporled by an oniamental pedestal, enclosed in a
Gothic arch*-' The other panel contains a carving of the Scottish
Thistle.
That the buildings of the Abbey suffered injuries from a va-
riety of causes long prior to the Reformation is matter of record,
and in these forays many of its earlier monuments had doubtless
perished. Although its position was favorable in many respects,
it was not so in others, for its proximity to the sea made it easy
of attack by foreign fleets, from which it frequently auflircd,
» See iljt? ChrUtian MonutwintM of Emjlami and Tfa/e* by tlio K*rv. Clmrlcn
Boiitcll, ill wliicli numerous cximipks aro cngruved. Having fuuiiil scvcnil mm*
larly Ciirved slabs in Anjua and Mcnrns, ito„ I prupvse. sliould time nud cireum*
fltanccs allow, to do my Bid f ibc plensiji^ of publistjin^ tliem ut Bonn3 Jifl^r pen*'*].
^ This pnnel is engraved in the Archil ct and Building OpertUive-f vob i., p,
1289. Uud. 1819.
MEMUlUAtS OF JLNGU& ANi) MEAilNS.
|>arUcukrly Ijv the Unglisli about tlie midJlc of tLc toiuieentk
ceiiturj,* and lu elevated situation and towering spires rendered
it lijible to be 8ti'uck by liglitiiln^. From the last of these
causea it auffered no has than twice within the apace of a hun-
drcil years* The firet aceideot occuiTcd in the winter of 1272, a
year whieh secmjs to have biveu peculiarly disastrous to Scot-
Lmd ; for ForduM, by whose chrooicle alone thi« burning id
known to have occurred, ^aya **thc land was barren^ the sea un-
productive, the air stormy, and sickness reigned among nien,
and niortahty among cattle/' The storm on tliat occa.Hiou earae
on upon a Saturday about midnight, with a violent wind blow-
ing from the north, accompanied by showers of hail, by which
many houses were blown down, smothering those that islopt
withiUj and the lightning having »et fire to the Abbey church of
Arbroath, it, and many others throughout the country, were de-
stroyed.*
On the next ocea-nion, which was* in 1380, the damage done to
the building was perhaps less serious, and chiefly c-onfined to the
roof; still, the monks bad to be sent to live in other establi^ih-
ments for a time, and that the injury might be speedily repaired, '
and the expenses dijscharged, the Abbot and his monks were en-
joined by the Bishop of St Andrews to relinquiah much of their |
ordinary comfort, and to practice economy in all things, until j
the repairs were finishcJJ' Tonching this part of the Abbey'a
history, a singuhtrly interesting document is preserved in the
form of the contract with the phunbcr f<>r " tlickyn the mekil
(juer wyth ledc." Thia indenture shews that in those days, as
now, there were inspectors of works, and that penalties were
inflicted where the stipulations of a contract were not corapHed
with, and alatJ that rewarda were given when its terras were duly
fulfilled. The contractor, ** Wilyaui Plumer of Tweddale^ burgoa
of the city of Andristoun'' (St Andrews), was *'to theke and
gutter the mekil quer wytli Icde," for which ho was to receive
thirty-five merks '^ at syndry termys as he is wyrkand,'' five merks
of which sum were to be kept in t!ie Abbot's hands until the
works were finished, when these were to be given him, as also
** a gown with a budc til hia rcuardc/* It was also provided
■ Rog. Nig. de AlcrL, 22. • Fonlan, b, i., 30. '■ Beg. Nig do Aberb., 86.
AUCIUiATIC — I)i:sTUU«TlON OF THE ABBEY.
m)
that *' ihe qucr be thekyt and alurrvt (or parapet(^J) al abowyt
with stmae^ and qwhen it is alunyt he sal dycht it about wytht
lede suff\*ciaQdlj as his craft askys.'^ The plumher was to pro-
vide one man, and the Onivent another, together with ** al
maner of gratht tliat perteynii to that werk quhil it Ls wyrkande/'
and the plumber was to have threepence, and " a stane of ilk
hyndyr that he fynys til his travel and that day he rnyrkis hu
sal haf a penny til hts noynsankys/'^
It is probable that the Abbey aim suffered at the hands of tlie
Lindsays and the OgilvicB in 1445, when the battle of Arbroath
took place in conscrjuence of the chiefs of these elaiis contesting the
o^Hce of bailie of the Abbey — a struggle which will be noticed in
another page. Of the destruction of the building at thi« time,
however, there is no record, neither is it known whether the plan
which was laid for a similar purpose, by Wislmrt and others,
ill the 8ub3<'queut century, was ever put in execntiou. This
attack which wtk^ to be made upon '^ the Abbey and Town of
Arbroath, in common with all the other Bishops and Abbots
houses on that Hide the water thereabouts," was to be the work
of several of the neighbouring barons, with the eounivance of
Henry VIII, of England, out of revenge, it is said, fVir the
wrongs which Cardhial Beaton had inflicted on the Prutcstant
reformers ; and to that cireunistance, perhaps, is to be attributed
the local tradition of Anchterlony of Kelly attempting to destroy
the Abbey about the same time/* But whether the demolition
of the Abbey and its relics is to bo attributed to the attacks of
the barons, or to its ha\ang been made a quarry, out of which
many of the houses in the town were built (for which last
purpose, it is feared, there is but tcio good authority that it
was used), it certainly maintained its high position among the
other monasteries of the country, down to the Refoniiation,
In 1541 it was given m t^t^mmendam to the second son of the
Kegent Arran, afterwards the first Marquis of Hamilton 5 but on
the attainder of that family in 1579, the King bestowed it upon
his cousin, the Duke of Lennox. Lennox died in 1583, In 1600
the Abbacy was restored to the Hamiltons, and a few years after-
«= Rcff. Nig. d<? Abfrii., 42,
" Tho «tory of Auclitorltmy'fl nttAck will he found in Hremner's gnido book—
The AbU;)* of Al>c'rLrotln>e, its Kuins, and Historical Asflociatioiii,
p
MEM0KIAL8 OF ANGUS A\D MEAHN.^.
wards, upon the King and Parliament rcf?olvLug to disjoin tlic
lands, patronage, and teinds, of the Abbey from tie Crown, they
were erected into a temporal lordship in favour of the second
Marquis of Hamilton^ with the title and dignity of a lord of
Parliament. Subsequently the Abbacy is said to have *' belonged
to the Earl of Dynert, from whom Patrick ilanle of Panmure,
gentleman of the bedchamber to King James VL, did purehaj^^e
it, w4th the right of patronage of thirty-four parish churches
belonging thereto,"'' and these the Panmm*e family continued to
hold until the forfeiture of 1716, when the whole reverted to the
Crown. The above grant, however^ did not inclu4le either the
monastery itself^ or ** the houses, biggings, j^eards, orchycards,
and others within its precincts,'' for these, together with a yearly
revenue of "fyve thousand mcrks Scots money,'* were decreed
by King Charles I. iu 1636, to be given, out of the first and
readiest of the revenues of his Majesty^s Exchequer of Scotland,
to the bishop of Brechin and his snct'essors in office — a grant
which w^as ratified soon after the llestoration/ but reverted to the
Crown at the Revolution.
Ever since the attainder of the Earl of Panmnre in 1716, the
ruins of the Abbey have been owned by the Commissioners of
Woods and Forests ; but it was not until a centurj^ after the
forfeiture that (iDvernnicnt paid any attention to their condition.
In 1815 the sum of £250 was granted towards their repair, at
w^iich tune the tower of St Thomas, a hundred and tft'o feet
high, was partly rebuilt, and the rubbish or debris removed, which
had accumulated to such an extent, that it was nearly on a
level with the base of the windows of the south aisle. The ruins
were in that half buried state, and bodies were interred among
the rubbish, when the Abbey was visited by Dr Samuel Johnson
in 177«i, w^ho expressed himself so highly gratified with its
appearance, even in that state, as to say " he should scarcely
have regretted his journey [to Scotland], had it afforded nothing
more than the sight of Aberbrothock.*' The mins have still a
very imposing appearance, and seem to he of much the same
extent as when sketched by Pennant, Grose, and Cardonnell,
the first of whom says that the year previous to his visit, ** a part
• SpottUwoodc*8 Keligioua Houses, p, 446. ' Acta Purl., vi. 432.
ARBROATH— THE ABBEY CHAPTER-HOtrSE.
161
adjoiuing to the west end foil suddenly down, and destroyed
much of the beauty of the place.''^
Several grants have been made by Govern ment since tliat of
1815, for tiie further repair of the ruins; and it is hoped, now
that they have survived so inauy chances and changes, that the
utmost care will be had for their preservation* The gi*ound ad-
joining on the nortli-east, together with the aisles and other parts
within the walls of the ancient ehurchj h used as a ceraeteryy and
19 the only place of public burial in the town. The whole ig
neatly kept, aud ornamented by trees and shrubs, and contains
some interesting moauioents with curious inscriptions. Henry
Edgar, of the family of Kcithock, near Brechin, long Episcopal
clergyman of Arbroath, and Bishop of the diocese of Fife, was
buried In the south aisle ; and near to the high altar was an old
burial place of the family of Oehterlotiy of that Ilk, now marked
by a marble tablet* Adjoinin ^ is a stone, commemorating the
death of an old burgess of the name of Picrson. It is dated 1589,
and lias a carvmg of the arms of that family which has been
connected with the town and neighbourhood of Arbroath, for
more than three hundred and fifty years.^' The proprietor of
Balmadies and the Guyiid is now its representative.
It b somewhat remarkable that there Is no account of the ap-
pearance of the Abbey prirtr to the days of Mr Ochterlony, who
wTote about 1684-5 ; and the oldest known engraving is that by
Captain Slezer, taken much about the same time, by which it
appears that the ruins were in a half-burled state even then.*
Mr Ochterlony 's notice is valuable, notwithstanding that he has
confounded the Charter, or Chapter-House as it is now called,
wuth the tomb of the royal founder, a mistake which had no
doubt arisen from its being then popularly believed to be the
real place of his interment. He describes the royal tomb as ** a
very stately piece of work of thrie storic high. The whole
fabrick of the buriall-place," he continues, ** is still entire as at
first, and if it be not thrown downe, may continue so for many
generations ; the laigh storey is the buriall-place, and the second
f Ponnaiifs Tout in Scot.. 1772, 134. ^ Reg. Nig. de Aberb,, 3G1> &c.
' Theatnim ScotiiP, jjUtt^ 41. EngTavings of tlw ruins af the Abbey of
Arbroath will also be faund in Peiimint'a Tour; Grose's Aritiquitica of Scotland;
CWdoiineirs AutiquiLiea ; Billiugs' Baiouial and E^desiaatictil Aaticiuiti«a, &o.
¥
p
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS A?JD MEARN3.
and third storeys were employed for keeping the chartours of the
Monastrie. There is one lodging remaining yet entire. It had a
most stately charcli, with two great steeples on the west end
thereof; most part of the church is mined, but %vas the largest
both for breadth and length, it is thought, iq Scotland. There
18 much of the walls thereof as yet standing in many places ; tlie
tower thrie storie high is standing yet entire, and the roof on it.
There was ane excellent roume, called the fi.sh-hall, standing, with
anc excellent oak roof; but that with much more of the building^
by the avarice of the town's people about there, were all brokea
down, and taken away/'*'
Besides the chief altar there were at least five others within
the Abbey church. Tliesc were dedicated to Hi Katherine, St
Peter, St Laurence, St James, St NicholaSj and the Virgin
ilary.^ The chapel of St Ninian^ bishop and confessor, long
since lost sight of, stood at Seaton Den, to the eastward of the
town ; ™ while that of Our Lady, in which were altars to St
Nicholas, and St Duthac," occupied the site of the old harbour,
and was swept away about a century ago to make room for the
better accommodation of vessels. The Almory Chapel j or place
where the poor were relieved, was at Almeriecloss. It waa^
founded in honour of St Michael, and supported partly by
the rents of the lands of Hospital field, ° It was possessed in
the days of Mr Ochterlony of Guynd by James Philip, a gentle-
man of learning aiul poetical talent, who wrote a Latin poem in
praise of Visscount Dundee, entitled '* Grameis,'* and two elegies,
one on the laird of Pitcur, and the other on Gilbert Ramsay, wlio
volunteered his services in favor of royalty, and fell witli his
leader at Killiecrankie, Mr Ochterlony says that the house of
Ahneriecloss was built of the stones of the chapel, and had ** all
the apartments belonging thereto. The fabrick was great and
excellent, having many fyne gardens and orchards, now converted
to arable ground, about which is a high stone wall.** In addition
to those chapels, there were other two situated at Kinblethmout
and Back Boath, both dedicated to St Laurence,'' and another at
^ SpottJ&woode MUcolL, i, 343, * Rccr. Nig, do Aberb., 227, &c,
" Hid., 271, 43G. The locality of St NioUm's chapel is celebrated by Alex,
Balfour, in his fM)etic4il tale of Mary Scoit of Edin^Krww.
" Reg. Nig . 356, 483, ' Ibid., 448, 66. f Reg. Vet, 99, 189 ; Nig., 166.
ARBROATH — EOSPITALFIELD,
163
Wkltefield of Boy sack j dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, all de-
pendant upon, and attached to^ the Abbey,
In conneetion with the Abbey was also an IIoBpital or Infir-
mary, of innch the same use as those of the present day* There
was attached to it a chapel, which appears, towards the close of
the fifteenth century, to have fallen into a state of great dilapida-
tion, and for the repair of which the rents of the lands of Abcr-
Bethy, and the chapel lands of Dron, were mostly appropriated.*^
The Hospital, dedicated to 8t John the Baptist, stood nearly
two miles north-west of the Abbey ; and, in 1325, when the
lands are first recorded as being let by the Abbot, the tenants,
Keginald of Diinbranan, and Ilngh Macpeesls, were bound to
build, during the first year of a five years' lease whit-h tliey had of
the lands, a barn and byre, each forty feet in length, and wliich
they were to leave in good order at the c:fcpiry of their term/
Upon the site of this old byre and barn is erected the fine hall
recently added to the mansion-house of Ilot^pltalfield ; and it is
believed that the agreement regarding the erection of the byre
and barn referred to fnrnii^hed Sir Walter Scott (who^ it ought
to be remarked, visited Hospitalfield at one timG)j with the
locality of Moftkbanis^ in hia celebrated novel of the Antiquary^
As a part of the Abbacy of Arbroath, the lands of Hospital-
field, belonged to the Earls of Pamnure down to the time of their
forfeiture, and were long held under them by Ochterlony of
Guynd. About the year 1664 they were acquired by James
Fraser, a cadet of the Philorth family, who had previously pur-
chased the adjoining lands of Kirkton, and from these, he and
his descendants long assumed their title.
Down to within the last few years, the mansion-house of
Hospltalficld had little pretensions to architectural beauty ; but
under the present laird it has assumed a fine castellated appear-
ance. Its principal internal feature is the great hall, which is in
the Scoto-Franco style of architecture; and Mr Allan-Fraser
being himaelf an artist, has introduced in the spandrils of the
roof, carved medallion portraits of some of the more celebrated
of the ancient painters. The terminations of the hamincr-bcaras
are ornamented by a variety of fignres carved in wood, each
' Rf*g. Nil;, de Aberb., 268* * Beg. Vet. d^ Aberb., 309.
MEMOfilALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
bearing a shield t:barged with the aniiorial bearings of the
Frasers of Kirkton, the Parrotts of Hawkcsbiir}^ Hall, in War-
wickshire, and those of the several houses to which they were
allied. It ought to be remarked that the present Mrs Allan-*
Fraser is the last descendant of the old families of Fraser and
Parrott.
There U a fine oriel window in the weiit end of the balk The
arch of it is decorated by carvings of the signs of the zodiac,
and the room contains a number of original paintings by per-
sonal friendn of the proprietor, and a few by himself. There
are also some pieces of good sculpture in marble, and carvings in
wood of game, and flowera, &c., and a collection of original
drawings by Fraiici^ Place (an ancestor of llrs Allan-Fraser) ,
and by Hollar, the celebrated engraver and painter. As a whole,
this is perhaps the most interesting modern hall in the comity
of Forfar, and, should it be properly cared for by posterity,
Hospitalfield cannot fail to become, in after ages, a favourite
resort of the curious traveller.
SECTION m.
Ofjglii of name, aud rise of Arbroatk as a Towu and Burgh — Earlj 6ai*gesaes-^
Cub torn 8— Grant by King John of Englantl — Origin, and Hnbsequent History
of Uio HuTbcmr — Magistracy And Incorporations— Weavefa Toast — Frogroas
of Mann fact u rips and Shipping — Modem Iroprovcmonta — Church of St Yigeans^ ]
and Ancient Sculp to red Stones — Ec<jle9ia8tical notices of Arbroalk
The town of Aberbrothoc, known ako by the modern name of
Arhroath^ is situated upon the margin of tlie German Ocean^ at
the point where the river Brotboe falls into the sea — hence the
origin of the name of the town* This stream rises In dlfterent
parts of the pariBhes of InverkeiUor and St Vigcans, and its tri-
butaries become united near the mansion bouse of New Grange,
in the latter parish, from whence it flows silently along a muddy
channel, skirting the old kirk of St Vigcana on the east, and
running through the town of Arbroath toward.^ the sea*
The town of Arbroath had donbtiesH risen under the protection
OIN OF THE HAHBOCR.
165
r --*• -^^'^^9^
'^M,\
-n^i
ra to have soori become a place of
gnised burgh even in the time of its
in the Lion, as several of his charters
^ho design themselves hurgessm of
turnaines, such as that of Roger of
*m to have been assumed from lauds
town.
ath paid dues into the exchequer of
J28, amounted only to 17s. Gd. Scots,
Btoms of the port or harbour, which
^otSj were uplifted by pernous sur-
the last of whom appears as sole
>bably the names of both of those
from the lands of Conon and Set on,
lay have held these as vassals of the
juted the sum of 40s. to the modified
tew levy of 10G9." Both thcao sums
ly of the Aogus burghs, Foriar alone
ay be inferrcdj notwithstanding the
enjoyed from being the seat of a rich
that King John of England made to
tl lowing them to buy and sell goods
all parts of England, the City of
at the trade of Arbroath had been
there was any harbour, except a
i that year, Abbot John Gedy, alive
town and district would derive from
itered into an agreement witli the
nding his successors to make and
ituation, according to the judgment
I J and in which, ships may come
1 safe mooring, notwithstanding the
he burgesses were also to contribute
3d, by clearing the place Jixed upon
» Chamb, Rolls, i. 12 ; ii. 224 ; m, 151.
ta Pari, vii. M2. • Keg. Vet d© Aberb,, 330.
MEMOiUALS OF ANGUS AND MEAKNS.
of Stones and sand, and to find certain of the working tools, such
as spades and iron pinclies. Over and above this tliej imposed
a voluntary tax upon themselves of three penaies sterling for
each rood of land within the borgh, in addition to the three
pennies which thcj already paid — the extra rent beginning so
soon as one ship took the harbonr.*
This haven, which was coostnxcted of wood^ waa known as
" the Abbotts harbour/' and stood at the mouth of the river
Brothoc, where, by being occasionally repaired, it long remained.
About 1654j it was either wholly renewed, or received extensive
repairs, as it appears that culiectlona were then made through-
out the county '* for helping to build the peir of Aberbrothoc ;'**
but, according to the Rev. ^Ir Edward of Murrocs, who wrote in
1678, this harbour wan then *' not mueli liked by mariners/' In
1725, the magistrates and merchants erected one of atone a little
to the westward ; and the difficulty complained of by ilr Edward >
was still further obviated by the erection of a long pier in 1788,
which was put up as a guard between the ocean and the har-
bour. Although ike bar^ a ledge of rock which runs along the
front of the harbour, and thereby forms a barrier to large vessels
etiteriug the port still exists, the access and safety of the port
have been ranch improved by late additions and alterations, con-
structed by Farliameotary Commissioners, and it is now found
pretty suitable to the growing importance of the burgh, and its
shippuig interests* Although a dependency on the custom house
port of Montrose^ and at one time a comparatively insignificant
adjunct, both the harbour revenue of Arbroath, and the immber
of vessels which belong to it, exceed those of Montrose.
From the year 1579 the burgh of Arbroath was pretty con-
stantly represented by laymen in the Parliaments and Conven-
tions of Estate-3, and the Commissioner of the town, during the
time of Charles L was a member of the Committee of Estates for
the north,> There is no mention of a provost until a late date ;
perhaps, the Abbot sat in the councils of the burgh as chief
magistrate, as did the Bishop in those of Brcchhi, It is certain
that by charter of James VL, the free burgesses and inhabitants
• Beg, Nig. de Aberb,. 40 ; xviii., ». « Brcrhin Kirk Settion He&frds.
r Acta Purl, iii, 121 ; ti. 91, &c.
ARBROATH — INTRODUCTION OF MANUFACTURES.
167
elected their coyiicJUors and magistrates until about the year
1700, when the system was changed, by which the Earl of Paii-
mure, as Lord of the Abbacy, had the power of clioosing the
first bailie. That privilege was auuulled by the forfeiture of
1716, and down to the passbg of the Reform Bill, various
changes were made in the mode of appointing the civil rulers of
the burgh, '
Besidoa the giiildry, which was hicorporated in 1725, there
are seven incorporated trades^ — tlie hammermen, weavers, shoe-
makersj bakers, tailors, wrights, and glovers. Of thei^e the first
is the most ancient, being incarporatcd in 1592, and the last Inis
long existed only in name. Although the weavers were an incor-
porate body in 1594j it was not until 1736 that the manufacture
of osnabnrgh, or brown linen cloth was Introduced into tlie town,
which has since become its staple trade. At convivial meet-
ings of the '^wabster craft'* the following comprehensive senti-
ment in rhyme, known as the Arbroatk Weaver s Toast^ h given
by the Deacon; and it is needless to say tliat in the prosperity of
the different pobits which It embraces, all countries, and classes
of men, are more or less interested : —
" Tho life 0* man, tlie death q fish ;
Tlie shuttle, soil, and plough ;
CorO) hora, linen, jaru ;
Lint, iin' tarrjr woo* I **
From 173G to 1772, when the town was visited by Mr Pen-
nant, the antiquary, it had advanced so much tbat lie described
it as a "flourishing place, well built, and still iucreasing.'^" The
Abbot's house, before referred to, was the first depository of flax
in Arbroath ; and altliough tlie town at that comparatively late
period, liad only a single street^ and some lanes, and houses
thatched with turf or heather, it has progressed so rapidly since
then^ as to take its place next to Dundee, in all the important
points of shipping, manufactures, and population,^
Unlike the rest of the Angus burghs, Arbroath has not had
its praises celebrated by Dr Arthur Johnstone, nor, so far as I
knoWj by any other old poet^ and the only key that we have
• S*5t8 of Royal Burghs of Scat, 1787, p. 51. • Tour in Scot., iii. 131.
•• In 1755. tho population of Arbroath was 2,0»8— in 1S5I, 17,008.
F
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEAKNS.
either to its ancient appearance or state, is Slezer's view, and
Ochterlony's account of the town/ ** It is a pleasant and
sweet place," writes the latter, " and excellent good land about
it, built upon the east syd of the water of Brothock ; they have
a shore, some shipping, and a little small trade : it hath one long
large street, and some by streets ; it is tollerably well built, and
hath some very good houses in it*"
The more recently erected manufactories are large and sub-
stantial. The streets are generally narrow ; and, as in niost I
places of trade and bustle, they are not remarkable for cleanli-
ness. Many of the shops, however, are spacious, and elegant,
and some of the private houses and villas in the town and
neighbourhood, are neat and tastefully designed; while thej
public buildings, such as the town hall, the infirmary, and the
new market, would do credit to towns of greater pretensions.^
The spire of the parish churchj which Is 160 feet high, took
the place of an old square tower in IH^U, It is a well-propor-
tioned object, adding considerably to the appearance of tlie town,
and the kirk itself though a plain, is a commodious building.
Apart from the recently erected church of Inverbrothoc, and
that of the United Presbyterian congregation in Horner's Wjmd,
the first of which is in the Grecian^ and the latter in the De-
corated Gothic style of architecture ; few of the other places of
worship, with the exception of the Roman Catholic, and Epis-
copal Churches, have much pretensions to architectural beauty.
The Roman Catholic chapel has rather a good Gothic front,
and a commanding position on the west or Dishlandton district
of the town. But the Episcopal Church of St Iklary's, which
was consecrated in August 1854, is perhaps the finest structure
of the kind in the county, excepting only the Bishop's new
Church at Dmidee. St Mary's is in the Decorated style of
Gotliic ai*chitecture, consisting of nave and chancel with north
* Thotttnim Scoti^e, plate 40 ; Spottiawoode Mi^coU^ i, 343,
•* In the hull nf this iiiiirk<?t place, on tlie 30tli December 1856, tlie gcntleraea
<jf the county of FortJar entortaiocd tbcir Lijrd Lieutenant, Lord ranmure, to a
Bplendid banuuet, in testimony of their personal respect for him» and of his efficient
Benricos as Minister of War, dnring the Russian eampugn. Tho hall was
appropriatfly decorated for the occasion, and about 1000 persons were present,
pre«idied over by Sir John Ogilvy, hart., BLP.^iS4J0 reports of tbia Banqaet in tho
Icraal newipiipeFt of th« period.
ARBROATH— ECCLESIASTICAL NOTICES.
169
aisle, and a handsome spire at the north-west end 130 feet in
heig'ht. The principal doorway enters through the tower, and
besides its rich mouldings, it presents some unique, and curious
carvings on the corbels. The chancel has a fine arched ceiling,
and the east window, which is a beautiful example of the De-
corated style, IB filled with stained glass — itself a gem of art —
representing the A.-iccnsion in large fignreSj with five smaller
panels containing the five principal scenes between the Eeaurrec-
tion and the Ascension of our Saviour,*'
Prior to the erection of this fine building (which was designed
by Mr Henderson of Edinburgh, as was also the spire of the
parish church), the Scottish Episcopalians worshipped in a plain
unpretending huuse, which thev left in the year 1806, when they
and the English Episcopalians became united. After this union
the old place of worship was used sometime as a theatre, next
converted into a dwelling house, and eventually purchased by
the heritors as a manse tor the parish minister.
Episcopacy appeal^ to have met with less opposition at
Arbroath tlian in some of the other towns in the county, arising
probably fi-oni the fiict that a great majority of the proprietors
in the neighbourhood, and the principal inhabitants, were ad-
herents of that church. Still it appears that Mr Edgar, who
w^as pastor in 1745, and afterwards hisliop of Fife, was charged
by the local authorities fur having infringed tlie statute by eitlier
praying for the Pretender, or omitting all mention of King
George. Jlr Edgar, it may be added, was a very likely person
to be suspected for non-compliance in such matterSj for the whole
of his family were uncompromising Jacobites, his elder brother
John being long private secretary to Prince Charles/
It ought to have been before noticed, tliat Arbroath is the seat
of a presbytery ; and, that down to about the time of the Refor-
mation, it formed merely a portion of the parish of St Vigeana,
from which it was then disjoined. Within that parish, a great
part of the population still live, and the extended royalty of the
burgh also stretches into it.^ The first mention of Arbroath
* See a detaik'd account of tliis churcli, and its consecraliotij in the Arbroath
Guide newspaper, 2d Sent^ 1854. ' Land of tlio Lindsajs, 27(>-2,
■ St Vigcans, one of the largest lowland pariahew in An^e, has lis namo from
St Vigean, who is aaid hy Hector Boyce to hav# floiiriflhed towards the end of tb*
Z
p
p
MEH0KUL3 OF ANGUS AND M£ABNS,
after the Reformation, so far as relates to its church, occiii'a iu
15G2, lu which year Superintendent Ernkhie of Dim intimated to
the Assembly that Itobert Cummmg, schoolmaster of Arbroath,
was " infecting the youth committed to hia cliarge with ido-
latrie ;"'' and the first of its clergymen that we have found, was
Mr Ninian Clcmctt, who had a sti^jend of 100 merks, while the
reader, Mt Thomas Lindsay, had 40J- llr Clcmett was probably
followed in tlie office of the ministry by Mr James Melville,
brother of the celebrated Andrew ilelville. He held the cure io
1574, and there resided for a considerable period, enjoyiiig " the h
vicaris gleibe and manse,'' as well as " the twa bolls ait meall'' ^^M
which Thomas Eamaay of Kirkton bound himself to give for Mr
Melville's ** awin eating," and to make as '^guid and fyne as
ony gentiU man sail eat in the country adjacent about him.^'J
Little has been learned of Mr MelvOle's successors. Mr
Ferguson, the first Presbyterian minister of the parish, is chiefly
remembered by the eccentricity of his preaching^ of which some
curious anecdotes arc preserved. He had much of the sarcasm
and indifference of character which marked many of liis contem-
poraries, and delighted to Indulge in witticisms and pei'sonalltlea
even from the pulpit He acquired, In conscc|uence, considerable
local celebrity among a certain clftss, so much so that his church
often contained persons from neighbouring towns, who went to
listen to his orations; but, from what is now related of them, they
not only appear to have been sitly in themselveB but altogether
unfitted for the pulpit
But, since the days of Mr Ferguson, a great change has taken
place in the parodiial superintendence of Arbroath* In addi-
tion to a permanent assistant in the parish church, whose salary,
lOtli century. The teinds of St Vigeana wore first gifted to the Ablnny of Arliroatb,
hy iliiglij Bishop of St Andrews, -who was uonietime cliaplain to Willittm tbe Lion,
TIjo church, which had h chapel helonpring to it dodicaled to St Sebastian {Eeg. Nia,
(h AberL^ 3G6}, ifl built upon a naturtd hillock by the siik of the river Brothoc. It
is in the Romanesque style of archi torture, with nave, arches, and Bido aisles ; aiid
iu the vaults below lie the remains of tSir Peter Y^oung ^^ Seaton, joint almoner w4th
George Bacbanan to Kiitf* James VL In ilie churchyard are several ancient stone
crosses, engravpd in the St<me Monuimnts of *Scotlarid. One of these haa an inscrip*
tion upon it, similar to those on the Iriah crosseB, which^ according to Mr Skene fJhro*
ce«d. of So. qfAntlq. of ^Scot.t I 81 3), would bo read in Irish — Oroith ar Scared et
for ocus) Fearchuir. Prayers for Vcred and Fercjuhartl, — being comniemorfttiTc of
two incyviduab, one bearing the Pictiah name of Voret or Veret, the other tb«
GacHc Danoe Fearchair. ■* Buoke of the Kirk, 25.
' (1567)— Wodrow Mi*»rcll., i 354. J M'Crie^B Life of Anrlrew MeWiile,
THE BATTLE OF iLRBBOATH.
171
With the exception of a nmdlX annuity, and the emoluments aris-
ing from other olficcs, is dependent upon the will of the people,
there are three churches in connection with the establishment,
called Abbey, Lady loan , and Inverbrothoe. There are also four
Free, and three United Presbyterian Churches, and other six of
different denominations, making in all seventeen, or a church to
nearly every thousand of the inhabitants,^
SECTION IV.
Battle of Arbroatli — Caplain FhU's luofiticccsaful Attempt to stonn the Town —
History and Traditwna of tLe BelJ Rock nnd Lighthouse.
Of battles or foraja, the neighbourhood of Arbroath has had its
share. The most important was that between the Lindsays and
the Ogilvys in January 1445-6. Alexander Ogilvy of Invcr-
quharity was clioaen by the chapter of the convent to act as chief
Juaticiur, or judge in ei%nl affairs throughout their regality, in
place of the Master of Crawford ^ afterwards the celebrated ** Earl
Beardle,^* whose extravagance had rendered a change necessary,
Crawford determined upon retaining the office of Justiciaiy,
and Ogilvy, equally bent upon asserting his right to it, it was
resolved to settle the contest by arms; and '* there can be little
doubt," says Mr Tytlcr (whose account of the battle wo now
quote), *' that the Ogilvys must have aimk under this threatened
attack, but that accident gave them a powerful ally in Sir
Alexander Seton of Gordon, afterwards Earl of lluntly, who,
as he returned from court, happened to lodge for the night at the
Castle of Ogilvy, at the moment when this baron was mustering
his forces against the meditated assault of Crawford. Scton,
although in no way personally interested in the quarrel, found
himselfj it is said, compelled to assist the Ogllvys by a rude but
ancient custom, which bound the guest to take common part
with his host in all dangei-s which might occur so long as the
food eaten under his roof remained in his stomach* With the
fimall train of attendants and frleuds who accompanied him, he
^ The six remainme denominatiotiB are Epboopaliana ; Boman Catfiolici -
CongTegationaliit* ; Old Soottwh IndependenU ; Wealeyans ; and BAptinti. '
1
172
MEM0EIAL3 OF ANGUS AND MEAJRK6,
joined the forces of Ijivcrquharity, and proceeding to the town of
Arbroath, found the opposite party drawn up in great strengtli
on the outside of the gates. The families thna opposed in mortal
defiance to each other, could number among their adherenta
many of the bravest and most opulent gentlemen in the county,
and tlio two armies exhibited an imposing appearance of armed
knights, barbed horses, and embroidered banners. As the com-
batents, howeverj approached each other ^ the Earl of Crawford,
who had received Information of the intended combat, being
anxious to avert it, suddenly appeared on the field, and galloping
up betw^een the two lines, was mortally wounded by a soldier,
who was enraged at his interference, and ignorant of his rank*
The event naturally increased the bitterness of hostility, and the
Crawfords, who were assisted by a large party of tlic vassals of
Douglas, infuriated at the loss of their chief, attacked the Ogilvys
with a desperation which soon broke their ranks, and reduced
them to irreclaimable disorder. Such, however, was the gal-
lantry of theii- resistance, that they were abnost entirely cut to
pieces ; and five hundred men, in el ud nig many noble barons in
Forfar and Angus, were left dead upon the field. Seton himself
had nearly paid with his life the penalty of his adherence to the
rude usages of the times ; and John Forbes of Pitsligo, one of hia
followers, was slain ; nor was the loss which the Ogilvys sustained
in the field their worst misfortmie; for Lindsay, with his charac-
teristic ferocity, and protected by the authority of Douglas, let
loose his army upon theb* estates ; and the flames of their castles,
the slaughter of their vassals, the plmider of tlieir property, and
the captivity of their wives and children, taught the remotest
adherents of the Justiciar of Arbroath bow terrible was the ven-
geance which they bad provoked.'' '
The Earl of Crawford died at Finhaven '* after a w^eek of
lingering torture," and as the sentence of excommunication,
which had been previously passed upon him by Bishop Kennedy
of St Andrews, for having harried his lands, and burned hia
granges, still hung over him, "no man durst earth him," until
it was withdrawal by order of the Bishop w^ho pronounced it.
The laird of Inverquharity was taken prisoner and carried to the
^ Tjtl^r'ft Hist of Scot* IT, 49.
ARBROATH— CAPTAIN FALLS ATTACK.
173
caatle of his antagonist, where he also died of his wounds, or,
iccording to tradition, was smothered with a down pillow by hia
own sidter, the Countess of Crawford, out of revenge for the loss
of her husband* It is, perhaps, iu reference to this fuul transact
tion, that the following couplet refers, embodying a well-known
pun on tlie suniame of Ogilvy —
** t*glff yoti MtcA, and UgJif you die,
And now in an UtfJff place you lie/*
The Lindsay party are said to have burned the Conven-
tual church of Arbroath before they left the town ; and tradi-
tion points out a patch of ground to the north of the Abbey, a»
" the yettis of Arbrothe/' or tlie place where the battle began ;
while the tumuli in the neighbourhood are supposed to mark the
graves of those who fell on the oceiision. The meUe wan uot
wholly confined to this point, however, for a detachment of the
Ogilvys fleeing in the direction of Leys, in the parish of Inver-
keillor, was surprised by the Lind?*ays, when the afl'ray was re-
sumed with great violence. The remembrance of tins battle
was long pre8er\^ed bi the measured strains of ru^c minstrelsy ;
but all trace of the rhyme is lost, with the exception of this
couplet, which refers to the latter part of the onset ; —
** At tlie L<^»an o' the Leja tlie play bo^n,
Au' the Lindsays o'er tlie Ogilvys ran." «
From the period of this fatal engagement — barring the un-
successful attempt which Cromwell made to disembark troops at
Arbroath in July Kljl," when tlie mhabitanta of the upper dis-
tricts of the shire went thither to prevent his army from lauding
— no warlike transaction of much moment is known to have oc-
cun*ed at Arbroath beyond tlie occasional attacks made upon the
Abbey, as previously alluded to. One circumstance, however,
which occurred in the summer of the year 1781, is deservmg
of notice. At that time the livet^ and property of tlie lieges
were threatened by the well-known Captain Fall, who, struck,
perhaps, by the amallucss of the town, and its exposure to the
sea, hoped to cairy hy threats and a few shots, the feelings
of the people In favor of France. He accordingly cast anchor
opposite to the town, and sent a peremptory message to the
• Land of the Lindftayn, 143^5. " BrccMn Kirk Se8$ion Beeortl,
1
F
p
p
MEMOHJALS OP ANGUS AND MEARNS.
magtBtrates, iutbrrain^ them, that if they did not ** bring to the
French colour in less than a quarter of an hour/* he would "set
the town on fire directlj*** To this an evasive answer was sent,
requesting at same time to know what terms he desired. In the
mterim a messenger had been despatched to Montrose for a com-
pany of soldiers, and such of the inhabitants as could bear arms
prepared to resist any attempt that Fall might make to land.
In the evening he intimated his demand, which he stipulated at
** £30,000 sterling at least, and six of the chief men of the town
as hostages ;'' adding, *' be speedy j or I shoot your town away
directly, and I set it to fire'M
With a courage worthy the best of causes, the authorities sent
a verbal message to Fall, to the effect that he might shoot as
much as he pleased en the town, and the best would be done
to prevent him from setting it in flames. On this he opened
a heavy fire which continued several hours, without, however,
*^ doing farther damage than heating down a few chimney tops,
and going through tl^e roofa of some houses," Kemaiuing at
aucbor all night, be renewed the attack by daybreak Ibllowmg ;
but, in course of the same morning he gave the inhabitants
another chance of coming *4o terms,'* which they answered by
hoisting a flag of defiance. That was again followed by another
brisk fire from Fall's cutter; and although admitted to be better
aimed than that which prcecdedj no great harm Tvas done.** Find-
ing the inhabitants thus determined to give battle, and descrjring
a ship in the ofhng, he weighed anchor and set sail.
Owing to the remarkable character of the Bell Rock Light-
liouBc^ aud its proximity to Arbroath, from which it is about
twelve miles to the south by east, some notice of it may be ex-
pected here. That, however, will be brief The dangerous
range of rocks upon which the lighthouse is built, is about
2000 feet long, by 300 feet broad. At high water the whole is
covered to a depth of about 12 feet, and at spring tide ebbs, a
space of about 427 feet by 230 is uncovered, and the rock visible
about 4 feet above the sea. It is then found to be covered with
fuci, and frequented by seals, gulls, shags, and cormorants.
On the appointment of a Lighthouse Board for Scotland, the
• AFrsiiPix, No. XI.
ARBROATH— THE BELL UOCK.
175
Commifiaioners contemplated the building of a lighthouse upon
this Bpot, and an Act of Parliament having heen obtained, opera-
tions were begun in the year 1807, under the aiiperintendence
of Mr Robert Stevenson, englueer to tjie Board* Commenced
on the 17th of August of that year, the work was finished In
October 1810, and the lights were first exhibited on the let
of February 1811. The lights are two in number — one is in-
tensely bright, and the other tinged by a red shade, both revolving
and shewing altcruately every two minutes ; and in foggy weather
two large bells are tolled night and day, the sound of whicli h
heard at a great distance- Sir Walter Scott, who visited the
lighthouse on the 30th of July 1814, alludes to the colour and
revolving nature of the lights in the following Pharos loquitur,
which he wrote in the lighthouse album : —
" Far in the bo&om of the deep,
O'er thefte wild uUelveB, my watch I keep ;
A mddy gem of cliRngcful light,
Bouod oa the duaky brow of ttight :
The Beamen hids my lustre hail,
And scorn H to strike his tim'mug sail."
The tower is circular, and solid to the height of 30 feet, the
outer casing being of Aberdeen granite, aod the inner work of
Myluefield stone, from near Dundee. From this height it is
divided into apartment (^ for the keepers, and the top or lantern
room, which is made chiefly of cast iron, with n copper roof, is
15 feet high, glazed with strong plates of polished glass, and
protected by a cast iron rail of curiously wrought net work.
The tower gradually dimioishes from a diameter of 42 feet at
the base to 13 feet at the point where the lantern rests. The
mean height of the lighthouse from t!ie base to the top is 115
feet ; the spray frequently rises 70 feet upon it, and in great
fitorms it has been known to rise upwards of 100 feet,^
One horse, the property of Jaracs Craw, a labourer in Ar-
broath, is believed to have dra^ii the entire materials of the
building. This animal latterly became 2l pensioner of the Light-
house Commissioners, and was sent by them to graze on the
Island of Inchkeith, where it died of old age in 1813, Dr John
» 6c« Mr SteTen^oB's Account of tlia BeU Bock Ughtbotise. The totftl coit of
the bmMing was £61,331 Os. 2d,
MEMORIALS OP ANGUS AND MEARN8.
Barclay, ttie celebrated anatomist, Iiad its bones collected and
arranged in his museum^ which ho bequeathed at hia death to the
Rojal College of Surgeons, and in their museum at Edinburgh
the skeleton of the Bell Mock horse may yet be seen.
According to tradition, this dangerous reef was well known
in old times, and one of the Abbots of Arbroath had a bell
fixed upon it, which was tolled by the action of the waves,
80 as to warn the mariner of his unpending danger. That bell,
it is added, was wantonly cut down by a Dutch pirate, who has
received the poetical name of Sir Ralph the Hover ; and as a re-
tribution for his deed, it is said that he and his lawless band iifter-
wards perished upon the rock* This tradition has formed the
subject of a popular drama, and also gave rise to Dr Southey'a
beautiful ballad of the Inch-Cape Bell: —
'* So tLick a bazo o'erapread the sky,
They could not see the stm on high
The wind had blown a gale all day ;
At cveaiDg it hatb died away.
On deck the Ri)ver iaken liis ttand^
80 dark it ia tlioy see no land.
Quotb be, * It will he brighter soon,
For there's the dawn of the rising moon/
* Canst Iiear/ eaid one, * the breakers roar ?
For yonder^ metbtokB, should be the shore.
Now, where we are, I cannot tell, —
I wish we heard the Inch-Cftpe bell !*
They hear no eouiid — the awtdl is etrong.
Though the wind hatb faUen they drill along^,
Till the vessel strikeB with a shivering shock,
' Oh, heavens I it is the Inch- Cape rock !'*'<*
« Balfour*s Character » ommitted in Craljbes JltrwA BtgUte^^ with other TaUs^
contains ** the Legend of the Bell-Rock" and some other poems of local interest {ui
9Up,^ p. 162 n.) Among these is the story of " the Piper of Dickmont-Law," a tale
lUuatrative of a tradition regarding a bagpiper who lost bis wny, and entered the
"Forbidden CaTe," to the eastward of Arbroath, and who was henid playing: his
?ipe« for some days, below the hearthstone of the kitchen of Dickuiont-Law ! The
?aves on this part of the Coast are nuuicroua, and interesting alike for their geo-
logical and botanical peculiarities, and for their pktureKque and singular perforations.
They are noticed in Edward's Description of Angns, a.d, 1678, in Lyelys Elements
of Geology, and in the Old and New Statistical Accounts of the Parish of St
Vigeaus ; also m Bremner s Guide to the Cliffs and Caves, near Arbroath^
DUNDEE — DAYIDi EA£L OF HUXTIKQDON.
CHAPTER VIL
Cfte ^ffuxti), Conhents, CtastUt anti
So^n of 3Buiiltee.
SECTION I.
The itoiiei of the preBervation of David, Earl of Huntingdon, Iiih landiog at Dun-
dee, and foanding a Churcli there — Notice of an Aiitit|ue Gold Ring— Probable
age of the Steeple — Church gifted to the Abbej of Liiidorca — Gift of Vesflelj
and Ornaments of the Altar^The First recorded Priefft of Dundee — Pri^scnta-
tion to the Vicarage by Popo CalialtiB III. — ITie First Minister a(\er the Re-
fonnatiou — Hr David Lindsay — Mr John Willison— Altars of St George and
All Saints, founded by Sir David Lindsay of Glencsk— Altar of St Salvator —
Altar of St Margaret, and Prcfientalian to the Chaplaiiicy— The Churchet—
Curious InBcriptiona — Churchea Burned— Eebnilt,
Although It is probable that Dundee was a place of import-
ancCj both civil aod eccleaiastical, long prior to existing record,
there is no authentic notice, even of the name, until the beginning
of the thirteenth century. As will be subsecjucntlj shown, it
was then a place of note ; and it is said that some yeai^ prior
to that date^ David, Earl of Huntingdon and Garloch, brother
of King William the Lion, founded and endowed a church there,
which he dedicated to the Virgin Marj.
Earl David, like many contemporary princes and barona,
joined Richard L of England in the third and luckless cmaade
to the Holy Lanth This, it will be reraembered, turned out an
unsuccessful entei-prise ; and but few of those that were engaged
in it, had the good fortune to return home. Earl David, how-
ever, was among those that survived, and his preserv^ation seems
to have been almost miraculous, for, according to the quaint,
if not always trustworthy historian of the Holy War, he *' was
by a tempest cast into Eg)T>t, taken captive by the Turks,
bought by a Venetian , brought to Constantinople, there known
and redeemed by an English merchant, and at last safely ^v-
A A
MEMORIALS OP ASGC3 AND MEARNS,
P
rived at Alectum in Scotland ; ivhioh Alcctum he in memorie
and gratitude of his return, called Dundee, or Dei donum, God*a
gift.'"
Fuller gives the name of Alectum^ as indeed the whole narra-
tive of Earl David^a romantic adventure, and the reason of his
building a church at Dundee, on the authority of Hector Bojce,
who was himself a native of that place, and during whose youth
the story had doubtless been generally told and believed in the
more minute manner in which it is related by that old historian.
We are also told hy him that the Earl landed in Duiidee at a
rock called Hi Nicholas' Craig, upon which there was then a
chapel, and that he built his church in a place near the town
termed *Hhe wheat field;'' while Mr Pennant again hiforms ua
that Earl David, unable of himself to erect the church in ques-
tion, obtained a mandate from the Pope, recommending a col-
lection to be made throughout Christendom, to assist in the
building.^ There is, however^ nothing to shew that this man-
date was issued, if indeed it ever had existence.
In addition to these stories j Tradition not only gives the very
year in which the kirk and tower were finished, hut also conde-
Bcends upon the name of the architect, and asserts that the work,
completed in 1198, so pleased King William the Lion, that he
presented Allan Dorward (for such is the reputed name of the
builder), with a gold ring, and Dorward, being afterwards at a
boar hunt in the SpaiTow Muir, now the Hawkhill of Dundea^l
there lost the ring, and offered a reward for its recovery, the
advertisement of which is said to be extant*
That a gold antique ring was found, about the year 1790,
while digging the foundations for Heathfield House, on the
Hawkhill, is matter of certainty. It is of pure gold, weigha
eight pe!ttiy weight and seven grains^ and is now in the posses-'
fiion of Mr Neish of Laws and Omachie, proprietor of Heathfield
House. It is ornamented by a beautifully engraved liead, n
presenting that of an old man^ with a crown ; and on the breaaffc^
is a mullet or star of five points. It is impossible to say at what
time, or by whom the ring was worn and dropt ; hut, in addition
to the story of its having belonged to an architect of WiUiam
• Fn11»t*i Holj WwT« (IWO), 2(58. »• Ftnnanf s Tour, 1772, ill 125.
DC K DEB — CHLRCH AND 8TEEFLE.
the Lion's reign, another version saja it was that of the master
mason of King David II., and that he received it from that prince^
and lost it in the manner before related**^
But of the truth of tiieae, and several such Btories, Tra-
ditioDj unfortunately, is the only voucher; and, so far aa yet
knowDj there h no record to shew that Earl David ever, in the
literal sense of the word, fomided a church at Dundee, and the
very name of St Mary's itself is not met with in any chart ulary
or other wrltuig until about the year 1406.'* In short, it is only
certain that the church of Dundee was granted by Earl David,
about the year 1200, to the monastery which he founded at
Lindores in Fife, on the opposite bank of the Tay.*
If the Earl built a church at Dundee, no vestige of It exists —
one story indeed, says it was destroyed by Edward L in 1303.
Be til IS as it may, it is mucii more certain that the old steeple is
not in the Early English, or First Pointed, style of architecture
which prevailed in Earl David's time, but in that of Decorated,
or Second Pointed, which was introduced in the reign of David
II,, of which several good examples are yet extant, such as the
church of St Monan« in Fife, of which Sir William Disschiiigton
was arclutcct or master mason/ It is also to this period, as be-
Ibre remarked, that the campanile or beU-towcr of the Cathedral
of Brechin is supposed to belong ; and it is worthy of notice, that,
whetlier for architectural or other services in Forfarshire, Sir
William Disschington, in 1366, had a grant from David II. of
the mill of Aberlenmo, and the adjoining lands of Tillywhand-
land and Balglassie, as also an annuity from those of Fleming-
ton J But whether the steeples of Dundee and Brechin were the
work of DIsscliiugton, is not so certain as the fact that the style
of both buildings corresponds, as before said, to that of the ar-
chitecture which was in use in his day.
The Steeple of Dundee is now, as It has been time out of
memory, used as the bell-towen It is a &quare massive build-
ing, a hundred and fifty-six feet in height, and the walls are
* Tbe late Mr Constable of Wallace Craigie, told tbe late posfiessorof tte ring
(Mr WcUater of Heathfield House), that ho fouad the advertie^ment alluded to m
one of the muBeuniB at Edinburgh. — NqU from Jum€» Neiah, E»q. of Laws.
'^ " *^ " ' * " ~ ' ■ Liber S. Marie de Limdorii, 38.
^ Reg. Ep. Brechin., u 24.
' ChAmb. EoUi, i. 496, 524.
9 Beg. Uag. 6ig.«p. 44, 121.
MEMORIALS OF ANGC9 AND MEARN8*
about eight feet thick, A fioe spiral staircase with an octagonal
top is on the north-east side of the tower, and a small slated
houaej used at one time as a prison, gives rather an odd termi-
nation to this otherwise imposing and elegant, though much di-
lapidated structure. In old times the principal entrance to the
church was from the %ve9tj by the door of the Steeple*
In virtue of the grant of Earl David, before referred to, the
Abbey of Liudores was entitled to the tithes of the whole of the
church lands of Dundee, and bound to maintain a perpetual
vicar there ; as also to uphold the fabric of the choir of the
parish kirk. By diocesan and papal authority, it was aftei-wards
arranged that the vicar should receive tlie altarage, or tlie bap*
tismal, burial, and certain other dues, instead of the vicarage]
teinds ; and subsequently, by consent of the bishop, the bnrgessea
bound themselves to maintain the choir and the church in gene-
ral, on receiving an annuity of five marks from the monastery
of Lindores.
The town being thus responsible for the raaintenance of the
church, the magistrates and council natnraUy became also the
custodiers of its donations, its plate, its vestments, and its books;
and when gifts were made at any period subsequent to the last
named agreement, which took place in 1442, they were always
made to the magistrates. Several donations are upon record,
hut the most considerable *^ adornement and honor'' which the
church of St Mary is known to have received, was, in 1491, from
George Spalding, a wealthy burgess of the town. This gift ap-
pears to have consisted of some of the more important vesseb
and ornaments of the altar, such as " ane Ewcaryst of syluer owy 1
gylt, ane gryt bell, ane syUier cbalyss owr gylt, ane new mesa
buyk/' as also " ane new war stall to keip the vestiamentis of
the hje altar in till, ane gryt kyst, and twenty sehilltngis of
annuell rent/* the custody of which was vested as above, it being
expressly provided that the *' buyk and chalyss" were only for
the service of ** the Lady preystJ'
The intrinsic value of the gift must have been considerable,
and that it had been viewed hi this light ^ at the period, is ap-
parent from the honours which the magistrates and council
agreed to confer upon the donor and his memory. The Lady
i
DUNDEE — EARLY CLERGY.
181
Priest was boand to exhort all the people to pray for Spalding,
" hya sawll, hys wyf, and for thar antecessowris and succes-
fiowriB " after hia own and hm wife's death, and to say psalms
and ** kast haly watter on thar grawys." An annual mass was
also to be said in the choir of the kirk, with '^ diregeis and torchya
at the sawll mesa/' and they were to '* gar ring thar bellia of the
kirk and the hand bell throu the tovnc as efferis/' Spalding and
his successors were also to have 'Marys'' or graves **iii the qner
of the kirk, under the farrast gree befor the hye altar.'"*
Althoup^h belonging in property to the Abbey of Lindores, the
church of Dundee was ecclesiastically subject to the Bishop of
Brechin, and rated in the ancient iaxatio at forty pounds Scots,
The first recorded pastor was William of Kcrneil, and as ^* per-
son de Dunde/' he witnessed a charter by Kannlph, Bishop of
Brechin, to the Abbey of Arbroath, about 1214 ;' but beyond hia
appearance at the time rcterred to, nothing is known either of
him or his family ; nor, from that early date, until towards the
middle of the fifteenth century, is there any other trace of the old
clergy; the vicar of the last named period being Richard CraigJ
Craig appears to have died soon after, aince, at St Peter's, at
Rome, on the 20th of April, 145»3, Pope Calistus IIL issued a bull
in favor of Gilbert Forster, archdeacon of Brechin, in virtue of
which he was to receive (notwithstanding that he held the said
archdeaconry, and also a canonry and prebend in the church
of Miiray, of the joint value of £60 sterling), the vicarage of the
parish diurch of Dundee, vacant by the decease of Craig, who
is described extra Romanam curiam — which grants had been
ordered to be conferred upon Forater, by the previous Pope,
Nicholas V-, in the event of the death of Craig.''
The only other notice of the clergy prior to the Reformation
occurs about A. D. 1490-5, when a person named John Barry,
was vicar of BnndecJ The first minister, after the abolition of
Popery, was Mr William Christison, whom Mclvill describes as
** a fathfull pastor,'' and a particular friend of his elder brotlier
Roger Melvill, who was a burgess of Dundee. Mr Christison
had a stipend of £160 Scots, which was payable out of the
•* Reg. Ep Brechin., ii. 316,
i lUg. £p. BrtehiQ,, i. 90,
' Ibid., 261 ; Reg. Vet. dc Aberk, 132.
* Ibid., ii. 4^e ^ Ibid., 134.
MEMOBIALa OF ANGUS AND MEARNS
F
thirds of the Abbey of Lindorea, in Fife, and of ** Scone, in
the baronye of Angus vndir the Bra/' which probably refers to
the lands of Kinoehtry, an isolated part of the pariah of Sconei
situated with in the parish of Kettlus, in Angus. William Kyd,
the contemporary ** reidare at Dundie,'' — an official who read
prayers or the Scriptures in the church, but could not preach —
had the small sum of £40 Scots,
Mr Christison probably died in or bofoi*© the year 1603* Per*
haps his successor in office was Mr David Lindsay, master of the
Grammar School ; it is at least certain that Mr Lindsay held
both the offices of schoolmaster and minister in 1606, during
which year he i-e signed the former on the ground *' that he wes
not habile to dischairge with ane giiid conscience bayth the said
offices.'' As master of the Grammar School he had a salary of
250 merks a year. He had for some time the same salary aa
minister j but it was afterwards raised, for various specified
reasons, to the sura of ^50 merks, £100 of w^hich were paid out
of the Hospital Fund. Again in 1013, in consideration of his
great service ** als welll in the educatioun and informatione of the
youth in letters and gude maneria as in tlie dischairge of his office
and calling of the ministrie/' and the difficulty which he had in
recovering the portion of his stipend payable out of the lordship
of Liiidores ; also, the burden '' he bears in the Bustentatlone of
his wyiif, bairn is, and famQie,'' the council resolved to pay hhn
or his heirs, betwixt and Whitsunday 1617, the ium of 500 merkB
over and above his stipend.^ Mr Lindsay, who was a cadet of
the Edzell family, remained at Dundee until 1619, when he
became Bishop of Bredun.
So far as known, the most eminent of Mr Lindsay's successora
In the mmistry at Dundee w^as ill* John Willison, author of the
Afflicted Man's Companion j Balm of Gilead, and mauy other
works of a like admirable character, and household fame. He
was first ordained minister at Brechin in 1703, but left that
charge in the course of a few years. Ever attentive to the first
great duties of a minister of the Gospel — ^by visiting the sick at
all hours, day or night, by relieving the poor and distressed by
the free administration of spiritual and bodily comforts, by follow-
* Appfmdix of DocumenU — Mr, Jnnet Report, Vi mp.^ 55>,
DUNDEE — ANCIENT ALTABAGES.
ing a uniform course In his walk and conversation towards tho
rich and the poor— he has left a name and fame behind him, for
consistency of principle and purity of motives, which fall to the
lot of few. Ho was one of the most active and zealous of the
Evangelical party of the period, and one of three of a deputation
which the General Assembly appointed, in 1735, to go to Parha-
ment with a view of having the Act of 1712 ahoHshed, whereby
lay patronage waa restored. It is needless to say that in this
they were unsuccessful, and that the existence of this Act in the
Statute bookj still forms a source of contention."
The old churches themselves were partly in the Early English
and partly in the Decorated style, cruciform in ahape^ and
contained several altarages, the most important and ancient of
which seems to have been that of St George the MartjT. It
was founded by Sir David Lindsay of Glenesk, afterwards Earl
of Crawford, in gratitude for the victory which he obtained over
Lord Wells, in the celebrated ^' tourney'^ at London Bridge.
That tournament took place upon St George^s day, 1390, in pre-
sence of King Hichard II., and of a vast assemblage of English
lordi and ladies, whither Lind^^ay went by safe conduct^
*' With kni gilts, squires, and other men
Of liiH awin retinue tlicn ;
Wlicro lie and oil his companio
Wju well Arrayed and dalntUie/*
The chantry of St George consisted of five priests; and the
Earl added anotlier altar dedicated to All Saints, with two
officiating prieets. These were amply endowed by the founder
and several of his successors, both out of their property within
the burgh of Dundee, and in other quarters, all of which grants
were continued by the Duke of Albany.**
Apart from several foundations of regular religious bodleg
which were within the burgh, and wliich will be noticed in an-
other page, there were a great many altarages, cliaplainries, or
chantries, within the church of St Mary, besides those of St
George and iVll Saints; and also a number of chapels in different
■ Dr Robert Small, autlior of the first StAtislicAl Account of Dundee, and of
an Explanation of tbe ABtronomieat Tbeories ot Kepler, waa long minister of Dun-
dee» and a native of tlie neiglilwuring pariBli ot CamjylHe.
* B«g. Mag. Sf^., pp. 219-22. ' Appsitdi^ No. XII.
XEMORlALa OP AXQU9 AJUn MEAEXS.
partM of the town, endowed for secnkr dergr, either bj fixed
annaal renU^ or hy UodB leased or feoed.' Little, however^ is
known of the historjr of theK, with the exception of the altars of
St Halvator, and of St Margaret, Queen of Malcolm Canmore*
The chaplain of St Salvator'a altar had an annuity of £5 for
praying for the soul of the yoang Dtike of Bothesav who was
fttarved to death at Falkland by hia uncle the Duke of Albany^
and also the third part of the lands of Millton of Cragy, and of
Westfield* The first of these grants was paid by exchequer, out
of the customs of the burgh of Dundee, and the lands were
granted by Patrick of Inverpeflfer, a burgess of the town.
These grants were confirmed by Robert III. In 1391, who, at
tame time, granted the patronage of the altar to the aldermazi
and twelve counciIlor5.P
The advowBon of the altar of St Margaret belonged to Scrim-
geotir of Dudliope, and during the Supcrintcndentship of Erskine
of Dun (15G2-15S9), Scrimgeour made a presentation to him, as
** bisL-liop and aupcrintendeut'' of tlie district, of Eobert Gray, son
of Patrit'k Gray of Baledgiirao, on '*tbe decess of vmquhle David
Ludc, rliai plane, last possessoiir of the samjTi." The deed which
confrrs this gift, describes Gray, in the quaint language of the
period, as a *^ scolar of gud Ingine, hable to cncress in liturature
and sciences, cuivile and diiiiue;'' and also narrates the extent and
locality of the different pieces of property, as well as their value.
Those, wliieh included houses and gardens, were all situated
within the town of Dundee, and Gray was to enjoy the annuity
derivable from iheni during his lifetime, **to support his burding
and cxpeuiiK at grammai' scolis, and scolia of vniversities in his
minority, and to by his bulks to help his stude, to the fine, that
he may cum to perfect ioun of kn aw ledge, and be plant it in the
kirk of Ood, to maintenn the religioun, and set forth the gospel
of iTcjiuH Clirist/''* Such wa^ one of the many laudable purposes
^tho education of poor and meritorious youths— to which the
revenue* of the old Roman Catholic altarages were applied from
the time of the lieforuiation, do^vn to nearly that of the Revo-
lution, after which tJiey went cliicfly to the sustenance of the
ministcjL^.
• Acta Ihirt, i. lift, 1 Ciairfbrd's OeSctn of State. 450 2.
DUNDEE— THE TOWN CHDRCHBBi
185
Tlio ancieut churchj aa before rcumrked, was In the Early En-
glish and Decorated styles, with nave, choir, and transept, and
the chancel roof was supported by twelve pillars. At no distant
date each of these five divisions was occupied by separate con-
gregationfl : afterwards they were arranged to accommodate
four, bnt since the cJinrches wore rebuilt (1842-7) there have
been but three.
That portion of the old edifice called the north transept, after-
wards the Cross church, is said to have been destroyed by
Edward I. in 1303, and to havo lain In ruins duwn to 1588-90,
when the niagistratcs resolved to have it *' buildit aud repaint/'
for which purpose a tax of 500 marks was imposed upon the in-
habitants, and private contiibutiona made in the town and noigb-
boorhood. Of these last a roll was ordered to be kept, and such
as gave largely to the repair of tlie kirk, and towards procuring
** ane knok/' were allowed to have monuments erected to them-
selves within the churchj intimating the extent of their liberality.
Some of these monuments were in existence down to 1841, the
most curious inscription, perhaps, being that upon the tombstone
of Captain Ilenry Lyell of BlacknesSj by which it appears the
merit of the whole matter was attributed to him—
" To Sormon's templej king lliram sent iVom Tyre»
Hue c«dar-wood, but upon great degiro ;
TIiiB oliupcli, tboD Hehby LrELL t^ repair,
Btdit freely give all that waa necusBar ;
Tho* til' TyiittD king gayo Sormon towns twice t^n»
Thoti greater than these all, and hest ol'inen/'*^
It IB said that this church was twice used as cavalry stables,
first by General Monk, during the Wars of the Commonwealth,
and next by the royalists, during the rebellion of ** forty-five.**
It was here that the chaplain and catcchiat of the Hospital
preached ; but it was not until after the year 1788, that eitlier
this or the Steeple Church were erected into stipendiaries of the
establishment.
The south transept is said to have been roofed anew when the
north one was repaired^ and tradition afiirms that the roof of the
' Many of tlioscf iDBcriplions aro preserved, wiili corioiie tranelations ofthc^ie in
Latin, in Monteith'B Thmter of Mortality, first printL'd at Edinburgh, the Isi
Part in 1704, the 2d Part in 1713; ropttbliahed at Glasgow, in 1 vol, with oddi-
tions, 1834.
BB
MEMORIALS OP ANGU3 AND MEABKB.
Abbey of Balmerino, in Fife, was taken off and used for tbat
purpose. Of thia there U no good erideDce. It is certatD, how-
ever, that a great part of the stractore was corporation and
private property j and the shoemakers were among the trades
that attended worship thercj and had their seat marked out by
the significant words—" hir sms TE cordnabs," The ma-
gistrates had pews in this division also, as they had in the
chancel- The fleshera and bakers also sat here, and I am told
that the former had painted npon the front of their loft the
rather appropriate quotation from Scripture—" MAN SHALL NOT
LIVE BY BREAD ALONE,'* an intimation which had stood in
humourous contrast to that of an equally applicable character
which was adopted by their neighbours the bakers — '* bread is
THE STAFF OF MFE.*^
Tlie fabric of the OW, East, or Parish kirk, seems to have been
in a bad state of repair about the year lr564, and probably there
were no funds to improve it, for the magistrates not only or-
dered certain fines to be paid towards *' the kirk wark/* but also
had special collections made on Sundays " for gaddering of sup-
port to the reparatioun of the kirk decay it/' They also gave
a "glasin wricht'* a ** maill-free** house or lodgings for having
repaired the "glass woundokis'' and for agreeing to '* uphold
the same haill duriug his lifctyme/* — but the fulfilment of the
latter point appears to have been no easy matter, in consequence,
as quaintly remarked, of " bairuls reclesslie breking the glass,'*
At this timej and do^vn to 1589, the ** auld kirk** was in much
the same state as in the days of Romanism ; but, at the latter
date, it was agreed, for the better accommodation of the people,
to have it *' repairit, and all impediment is within the samin
removit, and loftls maid tlierein,'' It was then, in all prubabilitj,
tliat many of tlio qnaint mottoa and other ornaments were intro-
diu-etl, which existed down to the burning in 184L
This was the principal place of worship, and contained some
fine carvings in oak, the work of a native artist. Several of the
incorporated trades also sat in this portion of the building, and
their respective pews were decorated with armorial bearings, and
quaint moltos, Bueh as tliose just referred to : the most curious
was perhaps tliat inscribed upon the wall adjoining the pew
DUNDEE — THE TOWN CHURCHES.
187
of the bomiet-makersj wliich ran thus : — ^' this I3 the bonet-
MAKERS SET QVHA LIST TO SPEYR."
It was in this part of tlie church that King Charles 11. heard
sermon shortly before the disastrous affair of Worcester, and in
memory of hira, and the way by which he entered the kirk, a
broad clumsy outside stair ever after bore his name. But, un-
fortunately for Dundee, the ravages of accident, more than those
of time, have been ever and again destroying its memorials of
the past, and the sad conflagration of the cburcbea on Sunday,
the 3d of January 1841, brouglit the work of dcstmction to a
crisis. It was then that every vestige of the old ecclesiastical
remains of Dundee was for ever lost, with the exception of the
venerable Steeple, which still forms the most prominent feature
of the town, notwithstanding the numerous rivals which the
growing wealth and population of the place liavc called into
existence.
The Steeple church, which escaped the fire of 1841, was built
80 late as 1789, to afford additional accommodation to the in-
hahitant"? of the to^Ti and parish. The Bite was that of the nave
of the original structure^ which had long lain In ruins, and the
burned churches were supplanted, in due time, by two fine Gothic
buildings of an imposing effect externally, and commodious and
comfortable in the interior, after plans by Mr Bum, late of Edin-
burgh* The large window of the East church is in the Decorated
style, divided into three parte, and filled with stained glass. In
the centre division are the armorial bearings, and other emblems
of the town of Dundee. The arms of the masons, wrights, and
slaters, with the motto, ** TRIA jvncta in vno," and those of the
malt-men occupy the southern part. On the north division is
inscribed — ^* FRATERHITY of master seamen,'' with their arms
(a ship fnll rigged), and the " aVlLDE TAODVNensis SIGILLVM/'
The shield also bears a merchant's mark, differing only from
that represented hi woodcut No. 8 (page 198), in so far aa it
wants the initial on the perpendicular line, and the St Andrew's
Cross at the right of the horizontal line»
MEMORTAUI OF ANOUa AND UEARNa
SECTION n.
Convent of Si Claro, or Frunciscan NaoB— Trinity Friars — HoBpitAl, or MaiioiuUeu
— Bhiiik Friars — Grey Friars — NaUonLil Aj»sf*mblj of J 300 — Detititulion of the
Grey Friiirs — Gifl to the Friars by the Countess of Errol — Valne of PronBiona
in tlie d4%r yeir, 1481 — The Burial Place of the Earls of CTawford— Destraction
of the Convent.
As previously remarked, tliei-e were a Dumber of other religious
houses in the town of Dundee, apart fi'oni the church of St
Mary. The names and sitea of most of them, however, arc
little else than matter of cr^njecture; lanes and streets of
present day, such as St Clement's, St PauFs, and St Eoque'a,
being supposed, with every probability^ to indicate the situation
of churches or chapels which were dedicated to samts of those
names.
The Convent of St Clare, Fraueit*can Nuns, or the Greysisters,
as they were variously termed, is believed to have been situated
in the Overrate, and a large pile of building, at the top of the
Methodists' Closs, is said to be the old abode of the nims. The
rooms of the house, now occupied by a number of poor families,
are large and lofty ; the ancient hmges, yet on some of the doors,
are of pretty floral pattei-ns; but a stone in the back of the
building bears the date of 1621, a period long subsequent to the
abohtion of monasteries in Scotland, and to that date the style of
the building corre^^ponds. It is, therefore, more probable, that thk
house had rather been built as the private residence either of a
country gentleman or of a wealthy merchant. Perhaps the re-
mains of the monastery, if any such exist, are the four vaulted
apartments, on the east side of the same entry, supported by
rude, hut not inelegant pillars. At the period of the lieforma-
tion, the rents of tlii.s Convent amounted to 28 shilhngs ; aud a
patch of ground, on the west side of the town, was called the
Greyaisters Acre.*
The Red or Trinity Friars, an order which is known chiefly in
coimcctiou with their llospital, had also a Coiivcut in l)uiidec.
About the year 1390, Sir James Lindsay of Crawford granted to
» Mr Innet* li^ort
DUNDEE— THE HOSPITAL, 189
the brethren of the Holy Trinity, his house or tenement in the
town to be an Hospitalj or Matsondieu^ in which the old and
infirm might reside. In confirming this charter of Lindsay^s
tbundation of the Hospital, King Itobert III, enriched it with a
gift of the church of Kettins and its revenues. Subaequently,
several other donations were made to it by diiferent parties ; and,
among others, it *m stated that William Duncan^ proprietor of
Templeton of Auchtcrhouse, granted the Master of tho Hospital
a donation from these lands, by a deed which h said to be thus
attested — " Villiame Diincane, with my hand twitching yo pen,
led be ye notarj becaus I can nocht vryte my self J '^
It need hai*dly be saidj that long prior to the date of this re-
puted grant (a.d. 1582), the regular religious orders in Scotland
were scattered, and their convents mostly destroyed; and among
other plana which government adopted to preserve the hospitals
and to relieve the poor, was that of appropriating tlic revenues
of tlie monastic establishments for these and similar purposes.
In this wise enactment the poor of Dundee, in common with
those in other parts of the kingdom, participated; and, the better
to carry out these objects, the council of the burgb, in 1/363,
appointed *' masters of the Alms-bouse;" but it was not until the
15th April 1567 J that Queen Mary made a special grant of the
old kirklands of Dundee and their revenues to tho magi.stratc8.
This grant, according to the charter, was given for two specific
objects — ^first, to provide for the ministers of God's Word at
Dundee ; and next, for the preeenration of hospitals within the
hurgh for tho accommodation of poor, mutilated, and miserable
persona and orphans^
ThiH grant was confirmed by subsequent raonarchsj and the
terms of the ratification cliartcr of Charles L, dated 12th July
1661, are not less distinct than those of Queen Mary as to the
appropriation of the funds, for it declares that the i-ents are
to be uplifted and applied for the two-fold purpose of *' inter-
tainlng of the poore within the Hospitall," and "for suste-
K tiaace of tho ministers aerveing the euro at the kirk of Dmidie,"
I •» Nevr Sut- Acct., 12; Thorasou^w Iltst, of Diimlee. 326.
■ * liwri Uultf 20. 18551. b^ Mr C. Innes^ in causa The JVab^t$ry of Dutukc^
MEMOBlALfi OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
excepting "the person'* (that is the minister of the parish), who, it
is espresslj declared, " shall have no parte of the forsaida 'vicc^w-
age, since he is otherwajes provided/*^ Tlie annual revenue of
this institution, known as the Hospital Fund, has, aa a matter
of course, become very considerahlej in consequence of a great
part of the lands situated within the hurgh, being now feiied
for building and other important purposes ; but by some unac-
countable means, that part of the provisions of the Act which re-
qaircH that a fair share of the funds be divided among the town-
ministers has been long overlooked, and the money withheld by
the magistrates. For many years past some of the non-endowed
clergy of the establishment have, in consequence, been miaer-
but the matter having been lately litigated befoi'e
the Court of Session, the ministers, eTidently in strict accord-
ance with the provisions of the Act, have had a decision in their
favor, 80 thatj in future, their stipends will receive considerable
augmentation from the rents of the properties which, as the
Act says, " belonged of befor to the Friers Predicants,, Domi*
nicants, Minorlts, and Franciscans, and other monkish friars,
ch apian ea, and prebends,"
The Hospital stood at the foot of South Tay Street, and was
burned in 1645, most probably by the Marquis of Montrose. In
1678, Mr Edward of Murroes, describes It as a large and splendid
hospital for old men ; and the cluster of houses, with the tower
in the centre, given in Slazer's views of the town, is supposed
to represent the building. In one of these prints it appears on
the left, and in the other on the right of the steeple,^ In 1 726,
it is described as a "handsome Hospital, with the Garden running
down to the River," and at that time the hall contained lists of ^
its benefactors.^ In 1746, the house was vacated by the pen-
sioners ; but, in 1757-9, a party of French prisoners occupied it,
the town receiving a handsome rent.
It would seem that in old times, as now, it had required con-
siderable interest to get admission into these establishments, for
in 1581, perhaps in consequence of the interest which the Lind-
Bays had taken in the prosperity of the institution, a citlssea of
• AcU Pari, Tii. 351. " Ttieatrum Scoti«, platet 58, 3S>*
^ B^ Foe' I Journey tb rough Scot , i. 97.
DUNDEE — CONVENTS OP BLACK, AND GREY FRIAES, 191
Dundee, applied to Sir David of Edzell, requesting him to re-
commend to tho magistrates and town-council, the admission of
a decayed burgess into the house, whom ho describes as "ane
agit iatber of Ixxiiii years, named Andro Michelsoun, wha is
your kinsman, his mother being ane dochter of the House of
Morphie — mj Lord,'^ continues the writer to Sir David, " your
father (the ninth Earl of Crawford), of gtiid memory, lovit him
Weill ; he has been ane honest merchant in this town ; but now
both agit and failzeit in substance**'* It may be added, that at
the time of the burning of the Hospital in 1645, there were nine
men in the house, and that from the earliest period on record,
down to 1746j when it ceased to be used as a receptacle for the
pensioners of the fund, the number of mmates never appear to
have exceeded twelve. Since the latter date there has been no
Hospital for decayed burgesses ; but the allowance has been paid
to out-pensioners.
The monastery of the Black or Dominican Friars was perhaps
one of the latest foundations of the kind in Dundee. It was
erected by a burgess named Andrew Abercromby,* probably the
same person to whose widow Abbot David Beaton of Arbroath,
in 1525, leased the teinds of the kirk of Monificth, and the fishmga
of the Craig, tbr a period of eleven years.^ Nothing further is
known of its history beyond the fact that the lands belonging to
it were included in Queen Mary's grant, and that its rent, after
the period of the Reformation, amounted to £6 38. 4d, The
Convent stood on the west side of Barrack Street, of old called
Friars Wynd, nearly opposite to the west gate of the Ilouif,
If the Convent of the Black Friars was the latest religious
foundation of Eoman Catholic times, it may be safely presumed
that that of the Grey or Franciscan Frtars was one of the earliest,
for it is said to have been founded by Devorgilla, grand-daugh-
ter of David Earl of Huntingdon, mother to King John BalioL
It was also the most important in the town, and occupied the site
of the Uowff^ near which was St Francis' Well. This house was
remarkable as the place where the great National Assembly met
in 1309, when the members declai'edj that seeing the kingdom
■ Lives of Ihe Lindsays, i- 337- * Bpottif wood's Religious Hon sea, 492*
^ Beg. Nig. de Aberb,. 450.
MEM0BIAL9 OP ANGUS AND MEABNS.
betrayed and enslaved, they had aasnmed The Bruce for their
King, and had willingly done homage to liim aB mich.'=
Although this Convent had a larger revenue than any of
the restj it appears that towards the close of the fourteenth cen-
tury, the Friars were so impoverished that they were compelled
to part with their sacred vessels and their books to procure the
necessai-ics of life, aud their house having fallen into niio, they
were unable to repair it* It was at this unhappy juncture that
Beah'ice Douglas, DoAvager Counters of Errol, made the wel-
come donation to the house of a hundred pounds Scots, for which
the Friai's bound themselves and euccessors *^ till saye or sjmge a
dayly mass perpetually and for evir," for the welfare of the soul
of the Countess aud those of her son and deceased husband. The
mass was to be pcrtormcd at the high altar of the Convent *' ay
and on to the tym it pleis the said Lady to big and rcparal ane
altar ui the said Kirk of the Three Kings of Golan, aftir the
whilk biggm the said mass to be done at the said altar of the
Three Kings, and to be callit the Couutis mass perpetually/'
It may bo remarked that the ** Three Kings of Colan/' here
alluded to, were the Three Kings of Cologne — tlie shepherds or
wise men who came to visit the Infant Saviour in his cradle at
Bethlehem. The legends of the Dark and Middle Ages re-
garded them as Kings, and gave them the names of Melchior,
Oaspar, and Balthaaar, They were in great repute throughout
Christcndomj and, being the patrons of Cologne Cathedral^ wore
popularly spoken of in Western Europe, as the Three Kings of
Cologne. There were altars to them in almost every large
church, and then* names were used as apells, and inscribed on
cliarms.** It is uncertain whetlier tliis altar was ever raised by
the Countess of Errol j but from the grateful record of the poor
Friars the more generally interesting facts are disclosed, that the
Countess made this gift in 1481, which is significantly charao-
terised as a ''deir yeir,'* and that the Convent then consisted of at
least fourteen friara, and a warden, the names of whom are also
given. To tho dearth and famine is perhaps to be attributed
the cause of tho destitution which prevailed in the Convent,
* Hailea* AiiniiU, iti. 221.
** Injormaiion kindly comm^«a$6d bif Jo»ej*k Bobertion^ Enj.t Edinhurffh,
:
DUNDEE — THE HOWFP.
193
for it appears that provisions were then uncommonly high
priced, it being shown by the deed abcady quoted that ** mclll
gives 24s.; mawt, SOs,; beir, 11 merka; qwhyete, 328.; a lytill
haddok, 7d, ; a kellin (large codfish), 30d. ; a gallon of hay 11,
32d. etc."«
A portion of the south wall of the Howff, is said to be part
of this monastery ; but all trace of the " grct aftir windows"
IS now lost, the " mcndyne ** of which u specially noticed a^* a
portion of the Countess' donation. Even the tombs of tlie
noble family of Lindsay Crawford (for it ought not to be for-
gotten that this Convent was long their place of sepulture, and
that they were among ita chief benefactors) were for over
swept away by the infuriated zealots of the Reformation — in-
cluding those of the celebrated ** Earl Beardie/' and his still
more illustrious son, the original Duke of Montrose. At the
Reformation the rents of this Convent were stated at £25, be-
sides a ehalder of bear.
SECTION in.
ITie Bomf—li9 Origin— Old Ttimbatonca^Curious Eijiraphfl — Mc^n^gratiiR, and
Mercbftntfl' Markd — New Cenitlcnee*
In the year 1564, Queen Mary granted the burgh a licence to
bury its dead in the yard or garden of the Convent of the Fran-
dscan or GreyfriarSj now called the Hoieff^ but previous to that
time it had been used for interments^ both by the Friars and
then- bcneiactors. Perhaps it wiis indifferently, if at all, enclosed
until 1601» during which year collections wore made at the kirk
doors for the purpose of fencing it with stone dykes, of whicli
the western portion is still partially entire. This part of the
wall waa a piece of fine ashler work, upon which the tombs of
the more opulent merchants seem to have been raised. Some
of the earliest of them are yet to be seen, such as that of the
• Panmure Mhe^., MS., iv. 133-5.
' Howff, hmtff, or hoif^ » haunt — a place of ffcqui-nt resort. '' Kirch-ftof, area
ante templum, n churchy aid/' X Jamieson^s Scottish DU% Uotr.
CC
MEMOIMALB OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
family of Miidicj which bears the initials of the erector and
his wife, and the words— in , MONVMENTVM , SepvltvBjE . fa-
MILI^ . BIVDEORVM . EREXIT . lACOBVS . MVDEVS - ANNO . 1602.
The names . , . zemane . . . thomas . iacobys * wedder-
BURN . . . MALCOlf . . * lONET * FRASEB , . . ALEXANDER
COPPING . . . GVTnRIE . . , With the legends— DOMINO • CON-
FIDU — SO , SAL . THE * LORD . BLIS . THE . IN . AL . THY
PROCEiDiNGis , ... are sculptured upon different parts of
1, and Bome of them had been once j^ilded* Several
were ornamented with armorial and merc^^ntile emblems and
monograms, remains of whiehj as represented in the following
woodcuts, are still to be seen. The two first are upon the Mudie
monument, and the third upon that of Copping, who had been a
burgess and seaman :—
^
With tlie exception of the old GreyfHars' churchyard of Edin-
burgh, perhaps no other burial place in Scotland possesses
a greater number of generally interesting tombstones j whether
we regai'd their antiquityj their quaint inscriptionSj or their
strange and elaborate caiTings. Collections of epitaphs from
these stones have been frequently, but not always correctly
printed, such as that from the rather famous stone of Epitt^ Pi/e,
which is commonly rendered thus :^
"HEKE UE I, EPirY PIE, MY TWENTY BAIRNS, MY GUDEMAN AND I."
The inscription of which this purports to be a copy, although said i
to ha%^e been effaced in 1819,^ ig still in existence, the monu-^
raent being No* 613, in the register of gravestones. It lies across
oac of the middle walks of the cemetery, la pretty entirej and
f In Ikimke BiUneaied (1822), p, 163, tUiB stone is not only eaid to bave been
effaced, but ilie name of the linsiband k given au ** Walter GonrlAj." Tticre j«]
another stoEie (registered No. 214), tt> uucb a porBon» ako ia existence, ^^^tb tbia
inscription: — " Heir lyis an e b on eat man Walter GovaLAT, maltman and bvrgets
of Dvmke, qvba decessit in 28 dnj of Apryil 1628, of tbe age of 46 xeires^ wilb by«
tweotic bsiirnii/'
DUNDEE — THE IIOWFF,
195
surely deserves a better place and fate than are tiow asaigiied to
it The true reading of the inscription h as follows ;—
HEre LYIS ANE GODLIE AND HONEST MAK lOHKE ROCHE
BRABENER AND BVttGE3 OF DVNDIE QVIIA DEPARTIT THia LYFE
THE 10 OP FEBRVAR 1616 ZEIRS BEING OF AGE 43 XEIR18
VITU HIS SrOVS EVFIAJ^E PYE
QVA UES CAV61T THIS TO BE MADE IN REMEHBERANCS OF HIM
AND TBAIR 14 BEARNtS.
—The macription is In raised Roman capitals, carved along the
margin and head of the stone, and some of the letti^rs arc in
the interlaced style common to the period. In the centre of the
stone are the armorial bearings of the families of Roche (Rough)
and Pyot. Above these are two rows of skulls and cross bones :
the first row contains two large skulls^ and a small one between
them, to the latter of which wings are attached ; the second
row is closely set with seven small skulls. Another row, near
the foot of the stone had originally contamed six skulls^ the
centre two of which have been nnluckily effaced, and a pair of
compasses and a barrel incised in their place.
Our hmits will not pennlt examples of these inscriptions to
be given, but we may notice snch of the more curious erablema
as may not have before been pointed out* It is needless to say
that here, as in other places, and from the earliest date, the
tombstones of many of the burgesses bear carvings of objects
illustrative of their crafis or trades. The scissors, or goose, is
found on the tomb of the tailor ; the glovCj on that of the skin-
ner ; the broad Scotch bonnet, on that of the bonnet-maker ;
the hammer and crown, or anvil, on that of the hlacksnilth; the
loom, or shuttle, on that of the weaver j the, circular knife, on
that of the cordiner or shoemaker ; the compasses and square,
on that of the mason ; the expanded compasses or saw, on that
of the Wright ; the axe and knife, on thiit of the flcsher j the
crossed peels, on that of the baker ; the ship in full sail, on that
of the seaman ; the plough, colter, harrows, or yoke, on that of
the farmer ; the millstone, pick, and rynd, on that of the corn
miller ; the lancet, or other surgical instruments, on that of the
chirurgeon. To these distinguishing emblems it not unfrequently
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
happens that accompanying mottos bear some quaint allusion,
such as the following at Dundee, of date 1628:^ —
'* Kynd Comarada heir CorTAOB corpa m layd,
Walteie by naKH\ a taiJxojr of hw trayde ;
Bothe kynd And tn:w, and stvt and honest b art it,
Coudol vith mii that he so sone Jepairtit,
For I avow^ ho never vetfld n sheir,
Haid beter pairta nor he thats bvrid heir*"
Apart from the mortuary emblems of the ** passing bell'' and
the hour glass, the scythe and dart, the mattock, spade and
shovel, the coflBn, the skull and crossed bones, and ^omctimeii
the terrific effigy of the grim messenger itself, which are in-
corporated with the representation of articles of every day life,
some of the older monumenis present the more interesting figures
known as monograms and merchants' marks.
Both are objects of high antiquity, particularly the monogram
or cypher, which is formed of interlaced letters. These were
known among the ancient Greeks, and from the sevcuth and
eighth centujics the Roman Pontiffs and Continental Sovereigna
used them as signatures. As signatures they were of compara-
tively recent introduction into Britain, one of tlie earliest being
that of King Henry V.^ Marks and monograms had, however,
been long before used m the se^s of private individuals, for in
«x« Scotland, so early as 1337, wo findj as represented in
J^ the accompanying woodcut, that the seal of Robert of
JJV' Glen, a burgess of St Andrews, waa composed of a
mark resembling a crosa, under which were curiously entwined
the initials H. c*
Soon alitor the introduction of printing into England, both
monograms and mcrchauts' marks were pretty generally adopted,
and placed by artists in the cornei*s of paintings and engravings ,•
by letterpress printers and publishers on the first aud last pages
of the books which they issued ; and tradesmen in general used
them, not onlv as signs or distinguishing marks over the doors of
their shops — a practice which has been superseded by the nam-
ing of streetSj and the numbering of houses— but as stamps or
■^ Foshrake's Encyclopaedja of Aniiqnitic«, (new edit., Lond., 1813), 482.
' Wilhs' Current Notf^a, liond., Jan 1857.
DUNDEE — THE HOWFP : MONOOEAMS.
197
labels oo the cloth or other gooda in which they dealt.-* This
custom had been long followed in the principal mercantile towns
on the Continentj before it was introduced into Britain ; and in
fashioning these marks after the initial letters or names of parties,
there h often great ingennitj displayed in the arrangement^ as
wxll as delicacy in the execution.
These monograms and marks are now occasionally found upon
town houses of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, but more
commonly an contemporary gravestones; and from the similarity
in the design of the merchants' marks to the marks of the Free
Masons, both may possibly have had a common origin> Although
these marks are to be seen in different parts of the country,
perhaps no single place contains so many, and such oddly de-
signed specimens, as the Hmcff of Dundee. Of these — a species
of the minor antiquities of our country, which has not hitherto
been much noticed — a few examples are subjoined. No, 1, is
from the tombstone of a burgess, named Thomas Simson, dated
1579, in which quaint design liis mark and iuitials may be
traced. The armorial bearings (on a fess, three cresceots, a
mascle in base), are also carved upon the stone, witli these
graphic and admonitory lines :—
" Man, tak bed to me, !iov tliov sal be.
QvhaD thoT art dead : —
Drye aa a trie, vcrmeB vol eat ye —
Thy great bovli sal be lik lead.
Ye time hfttb bene^ m my znvt grene,
That I VGB cleDe of l>odie as ye tu* ;
BH for my oyen, noT tvo boles bene,
Of me IB fleue, bvt bencB bare,"
WooJcuts Nos. 2 and 3 are the marks of two burgesses,
named respectively John Garden and Robert Peblis^ dated 1581
and 1582, The name is illegible on the stone from which mark
No. 4 ia taken — the initials p, a. e. 8- and date 1598, being only
^
^ Pj*per makcra alfto used these sort of figures in their waier fnarkg. Od tho
waste pAper of a copy of Biaschop's Siffnorvm Vtienmt le&nca (foolscap folio (158
plates) Hague, 167 1]» in my posaesfiion, a mark fiindlar to No. 20 (p. 200J, with
three circles; ^ instead of tlic letter M, hangs from the murk of tbe cap of the
l.^.^.*^ r^^f A r>iia,;nf fiiATirn wl^tinli craVA HAmA ii\ fKiH nifcrtirflltir m^vrn g^tf nnnnr Thm.
;'t fool, a Quaint fi^^ure which gave name to tbie particular nize of ^
iing of tbelJook b EugHsb, Qndftpp&roiitly of ftbout tbe end of the 17tti century
^ Sec engravings of Masons* marks io Archaxiloffia, iiiv. platflB 3, 4; and ir
n^ttvmgs
WilBon*i Prehistoric Anna!
, p. 640,
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
and No, 6 gives the mark and initiab of Thomas
Bover, skioncr aod burgess, 1603.
<k¥
No. 1, No, 3. No. S. No. 4*
" Robert Fairvedder,'* litster or wool-dyer, who died in 1609,
are represented in No. 6 ; and in No. 7, the oddly conjoined
initials, d, z., stand for the curious monogram of David Zemane,
or Yeaman, 1610, whose descendants were opulent, and long
exercised much influence in the affairs of the burgh. One of them
represented Dundee in the last Scottish Parliament, and the dis-
trict of burghs, in the first and second British Parliaments. The
Yeaman shore was named in honor of that gentleman ; and, till
lately, the family were landowners in the county. Upon Zcmane'fl
stone is the following couplet, not uncommon in Dundee: —
'• To lion or ye sppTltor ve may tie bald ;
Ve leme of Abraham ow fatlier avid.'*
Woodcutj No, 8, shews the pretty mark and monogram of
William Davidson, merchant and burgessj who died in 1617;
and Nos. 9 and 10 are the marks of John and James Goldman,
i
No. 5- No. 6. No. 7. No. 8.
the father and son, dated respectively 1607 and 1632. The
Goldman family were, in their day, the '* merchant princes'* of
Dundee, and owners of considerable landed estate. One of them
is also said to have been a poet of merit ; but their race, and even
their name has become extinct, the last of them, a female, having
died some years ago, so reduced in circumstances as to be depen*
dent on the charity of a neighbouring kirk*iession. In 1609,
John Goldman, above-mentioned, mortified the large sum of 800
merks ** to the puir resident within the Hoapitall ;" and suhse-
I
DUNDK&— THE HOWFF : MERCHANTS UAEKS.
199
quently, another of them, named \Villiam, also gave lOO merka
to the same charity— facta, which ffjnn a strange contrast with
the fate of the last recorded of the family.
No. n.
No. 12.
No. 9, Nov 10.
No. 11 is the monogram of Robert Kandow, also a burgess;
and No, 12 is upon a stone raised by William Chaplane in me-
mory of his wife, Agnes Dorward, who died in 1601. The ai^ms
of the Chaplane and Dorward families are upon this stone, at the
foot of which is the quaint intimation^ VI LIAME cheplane VuS
YE DOEIR OP TIS.
No, 13.
No. 14.
No. 15.
No. 16
The dates of Nos, 13, 14, and 15, are doubtful, but appear to
be of the early part of the seventeenth century, Tlie first is on
a stone to the memory of a David Blair, and the second is from
that of one Jolm Zoung or Young, who possibly was related to
Sir Peter Young of Seaton, co-tutor with Buchanan to King
James VL Sir Pcter'ti father was a burgess of Dundee, and died
there in 1583, The name and date on the stone, bearing mark
No» 15, are wholly illegible.
The stone from which No< 16 is taken, bears date 1617. No.
17 gives the mark and monogram of Robert Mureson, 1637; and
a slab, built into the wall at tho head of the stone, bears these
words— TO YE FAMILIE OF YE MVRES0N8. The initials and
- mark No. 18, are those of John Pierson, a burgess, and seaman,
I who died in 1660 ; but nothing remains to show to whom the
from a comparatively modern gravestone at the Cathedra! of
Dimblaiie, In PerthBhire, dated 1758, and h hero given merely
MEM0BIAL6 OF ANGUS AND MEARKS*
6
,4r 4
P
No. 17. No. 18. No. W. No. 20.
to shew the more common form in which these curious marks
are found throughout the country — those previously noticed be-
ing of much more rare occurrence.
It was during the year 1834 that the present walks were
made out in the Howff^ the handsome cast iron gates and rail-
ings erected, and the ornamental trees, shrubs, and flowers
planted, which contribute so much to its beauty, and render it
an interesting and pleasant resort^ both for tlie inhabitants of the
town and visitors from a distance. The ground was at the same
time levelled, the tombstones shifted and numbered, and placed in
lines. Many of the stones have unfortunately been renewed, and,
as may be supposed, none of them are of very old date ; indeed,
so far as I have seen, the monument of Thomas SimsoOj noted in
the previous pagCj is one of the most ancient, if wo except the
fine coffin slabs which were got sometime ago in the foundations
of St Mary's, sculptured with variously and beautifully designed
crosses. These, which arc still preserved at the old church, are
of the sort previously referred to as common in England and
Wales, and are unquestionably the most ancient sepulchral re-
mains now known to exist m Dundee.
Although the Eowff is the oldest place of burial in the town,
tradition says that the most ancient were those of St Faurs,
between Murraygate and Seagate; St Eoque'Sj at the east end of
the Cowgate ; and St Clement's, which occupied the site of the
present Town House. The church of St Clement, to which the
last-named place of burial was attached, seems to have been in
existence in the time of King James VI, It had a chaplainry
within it, dedicated to St Mary, to which was attached the third
part of the lands of Cragy.
DUNDEE— THE CASTLE. 201
But of these burial place.^ there is no trace save the names.
The older famillcB still bor^^ in the Howff^ and the Constitutioa
Road, and AVestera Cemeteries, are more generally used. Both
are tastefully laid out and ornamented^ and contain elegant
modem monuments ; among the more generally ijiteresting of
which, in the latter place, is perhaps that of the unfortunate
AVilliam Tliom, best known as "the Inverury Poet,'' who died
at Dundee in 1848.* Previous to the formation of these new
cemeteries* the revenue derived from burials in the Howff^ was
an important item of the Hospital fund, yielding frequently from
£300 to £400 a-year.
SECTION IV.
Caatlo of DuDi]c43 — Goveroed by Uroplimville, Earl of Angos— ObtaincJ by Edward
I.— King EJwanl there in 12H6 and in 1303— At Bnledganio in 1206— Cflstlc
of Dandee Captured and DefltroyeJ by Wannco— Scrimgconr, Ooufltftblu of
Dundee— DudbojM Castle — DunJeo taken by King Edward I. and II. — Re-
taken by Bruce — Rrnisoni for David II. — Preaching of Wishart— Vicar Wed-
derbiim — Paul Melliven — Provost Halyburton Mupports ibtj Reformation — Slain
near Edinburgh — His Son den nn need Rcbtl — Appointed a Lord ol" I be Articles
— King's ConiraiBiiionor to the Aaaombly, &c.
The Castle of Dundee Is said to have had a promiDent position
upon a rock at the head of Castle Street. The rock has been
almost completely removed, and the site is now occupied by St
PauFs Episcopal Chm*ch. The legend of Sir William Wallace
having killed the son of the English governor of the castle, when
both were schooIfellowB at Dundee/" is the first notice that occurs
of a stronghold at that place ; but it is not until the Wars of
the Independence that anything ia known of the real histoiy of
the castle, at which time it became the scene of some interesting
historical incidents.
In the year 1291, when King Edward I, received the kingdom
from the four regents, the castles of Dundee and Forfar were
' The other buriul gronnds are those at St Andrew*B otid St Peter's Cluircltea ;
Eood Yards, on the road to Bruugbty F«rrv (the stippOBcd aite of tbo cliapel of
the Holy Bood) ; and I/>gio, on the way to Locbee,
* JamicBon's Blind Hnrry; 7.
DD
F
MEMORIALS OF AXQIIS AND MEAUNB*
both in tlic keeping of Uinphravllle, Earl of Angus, who hcU
them froiu the Regent-^ of Scotland ; and, as has been before ad-
verted tOj while the governors of other national strongholds un-
conditionally resigned their charge, Umphraville refused to give
up his until he received a letter of indemnity from the claimants
to the Crown, and the guardiaus of tlie Kingdom. There being
little difficulty in obtaining such a guarantee, King Edward was
soon in possession of the keys of these foiiresse^, the care of
both of which he intrusted to an Englishman, named Brian Fitz-
Alan, who, about the same time, was also made one of the
governors of Scotland, the number of whom was thus increased
to five.
On Mondiiy, the 6th of August, 129G, King Edward is first
recorded to have visjited Dundee^ he having landed there after
leaving the Abbey of Arbroath ;■* and in the year 1303, when
he invaded and desolated Scotland, he again rested there on tho
2Dth of Octolier,'^ Mor^t probably he had also been there two or
three months earlier, perhaps when on his way from Perth to the
siege of the castle of Brechin, which, as before noticed, took place
either in July or in August of tliat year»F
It does not appear that the King received any homages on
the occasion of his visit to Dundee in 129(>, and his stay extended
only until the day following, when it is stated that he v^an **at
Baligernache," from which he went the day after to Perth.
This is clearly a place, now called Baledgarno^ whicli, from a want
of local information, the editors of the Diary of Edward*ft Pro- ,
gress, have been unable to identify. It is situated in the Carse of
Gowrie and parish of Inchtnre, about ten miles west of Dundee.
There appears to have been a castle at it, which was most pro-
bably built of the deep red coloured sandstone peculiar to the
district, for it is described in the Diary of the Ki Jig's progress, as
" the redde caatelU'i The Castle law or hill is still shewn.
In little more than a year after the first visit of King Edward,
Sb* William Wallace, taking advantage of the absence of the
King of England in Flanders, attempted to rescue the kingdom
• BftafMtjTio MfHPclL, u 280. " Piynne* 1015, ' Ut tup., It6.
*i " Balygernattbe, the reddo CaaU:\i:*^Archwoloffia, nil 497. For fcfurtJwT
notice of BiJetlgamo, see bolow, Part it.
DUNDEE — 6CRIMGE01TRS OF DUDHOPE.
203
from his grasp, and succeeded in expelling the English from the
castles of Fortar and Brecbin, and at same time laid siege to that
of Dundee. Ueariug, while there, that the enemy wei^ on his
track, under tlie command of the Earl of Surrey, he letlt the
citizens to continue the siege themselves, while he and his
army marched towards Stirling ; and, in a few days after, having
succeeded in gaining the celebrated victory of that name, the
garrison of Dundee unconditionally surrendered to him* The
inhaLitantB also rewarded him with a handsome gift of money
and arms • and, that the fortress might not afford shelter to the
invading army, Blind Harry says that WaUace had it imme-
diately destroyed—
" llaicmi, minourii. with Sorymgeowr furtU Bent!,
Kett doun Dumle^ and thAroff miiid auo eiuL''
Scriiugeour, the knight who ia so worthily mentioned hy the
blind poet, in connection both with the capture and dci^truction
of the castle^ is said to have been descended from a Imron who
rendered signal service to Alexander I.j by pursuing and routing
a band of rebels who had attempted to take the King*s life/
But it is in the person of the celebrated follower of WaUace
that we have the first authentic record of the family. Accord-
ing to tradition, King Alexander conferred upon it the office of
hereditary standard bearer of Scotland, at the time alluded to ;
and it is matter of record that, in consequence of the knight of tlie
period having carried the national banner before the armies of
Wallace, that great warrior, while govenior of Scotland, con-
ferred upon Scrimgeour and his successors the office of Constable
of Dundee, along with ceHain lands and houses on the north and
ivest sides of the town.* This curious grant is dated at Tor-
phichcn, on the 29th of March 129S, and the property of Dud-
hope is believed to be a portion of tlie lands conveyed by it.
The Scrimgeours erected a castle at Dudhope ; and, from
Slezer's view of the town' (c. 1G80), it appears to have then had
a large square keep, resembling those of the castles of the fifteenth
century. The house now remaining, however, is a much more
recent work, and has been long used as military barracks, for
which it is well adapted, whether in respect of its commanding
' WyntQwn's Ctronykil, i, 283. • AcU Pari, i, *97 ; it. 1H). ' Flute 38.
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARN3*
position, or of it?? healthy situation, being built on the Bouth side
of the Law, overlooking the town. Here the Scriingeours long
had their chief residence. The family were latterly ennobled,
first as Viscounts of Dudhope, in 1641, and next as Earla of Dun-
dee, in 1661 ; but the Earl djang witliout issue, the title became
extinct, and Chai'lea Maitland of Hattoii, brother to the Earl of
Lauderdale, acquired the hereditary estates and honors upon,
it would seem, rather questionable grounds."
Ab before remarked, King Edward recaptured Dundee in
1303, and, according to tradition, committed great havock in
the town, by destroying ajid sacking the churches and other
pubhc buildings, in the former of which the inhabitants are
said to have deposited the nioro valuable of their goods. The
castle appears to have been rebuilt after its destruction by
Wallace, and was perhaps spared by Edwaixl at the last-men-
tioned hivasion. If not, it had been rebuilt a third time. It
was certainly in existence, and in the hands of the English in
1312, tor the force which The Bruce brought againist it was so
great, that Sir William of Monfitchet, the governor, found it ad-
visable to enter into a treaty of surrender mth the Scots. Thia
80 annoyed King Edward that he ordered the treaty to be vio-
lated, and at the same time commanded David of Brechin (who
had again left the ranks of his uncle King Robert), to assist
Monfitchet in his emergency, and act with him as a joint warden.
Thus refortified, as it were, it was not until the subsequent year,
while Bruce himself was engaged in an expedition against the
Isle of Man, and Ulster in Ireland, that his brother, Sir Edward,
succeeded in capturing the town and caatle from the English/
From that time little, in fact, notliing with much certainty,
is known of it ; but it must not be supposed that, in conse-
quence, the town or neighbourhood were long allowed to slumber
ill quietness. Dundee, as one of the four chief burglis in the
kingdom, becume bound for the payment of £90,000 as a ran-
»om for King David 11. , who was taken prisoner by the English
at the battle of Durham ; and it was doubtless, also, o^ving to the
importance of the place, that it was attacked, and as some ac-
counts say, burned, by the army of the unfortunate Richard II,
* DooglM' P#er., i. 462.8. • TvtK*r'i Hiat. nf Scoi . i 266-
DUNDBE^ — THE REFORMATION.
205
of Eogland, in 1385.* More lately, the deep rooted animosity
and jealousy wliidi subsisted between it and the neighboiiriog
city of Perth, regarding the real or supposed infringement of
certain liliertieSj and the precedence of Dundee to Perth in the
royal processions, together with the tumults which took place be-
tween the Constable and the burgh, formedj from time to time^
good cause for retarding the progress of business, and not nn-
frequently cuded in scenes of riot and blood.
Apart from these forays, and the fact that it was off this port
that Adrah'al Wood, with only two sliipB, the Flower and the
Yellow Carvel^ encountered a fleet of tluree English vessels, under
the command of Stephen Bull, m 1489, and that be captured and
carried them into the harbour of Dundee (exploits which form
the ground- work of Mr Grant's popular novel, entitled *^ The
Yellow Frigate'*), and some of the skirmishes which took place
during the reign of Queen Mary — the only other hostile affrays
connected with Dundee may be said to relate to the times of the
lieformation and the Covenant, two of the most important epochs
in tlie more modern history of our country.
It is a well-known fact, that the Refonmation was warmly
espoused at Dundee, and that the inhabitants were greatly incit-
ed in the cause by the ministrations of Wishai-t and others. It
18 certain that the people, influenced by those preachings, de-
stroyed the houses of the Black and Grey Friars of Dundee, also
that they went to Perth, and overturned the fine sculptures in
the church of St John ; and tire magistratea of Dundee, fearing
the occurrence of still greater evils, succeeded in prevailing upon
Wishart to leave the town. His absence was short, however, for
as soon as he hoard that Dundee was atBictcd by the plague,
he hastened back, and there preached and visited the sick with
all the devotion and energy of u friend and an entlnisiast.
It is said that he preached from the top of the East Port, or
Cowgate, an ancient fabric which is laudably preserved in me-
mory of that event ; and there, as tradition informs us, the lame
and sick stood without the gate, and the hale and healthy within.
It is added that, on these occasions, Wishart was often in danger
of being murdered, and that he was always accompanied by a
* ActA Pftrl, i. 165 ^ FroiMftft'B Chron,, ix. 147,
206
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEAHNS.
strong guard of personal friends, one of whom was armed with a
two handed sword, which, it h said, was borne by John Knox
upon one occasion. Nor had theae precautions been altogether
naeleas, for the Popiah party were equally an x ions to obtain the
life of Wiiihart, a^i it niu^t be admitted the Reformers were to
obtain that of Beaton. It is told that one day while preaching,
Wishart observed a priest in the crowd with a dagj^er secreted
under Ins cloak, ready, whenever an opportunity afforded, to
strike him to the heart, Wishart himself is said to have wrested
the instrument from the prie!?t, and then kindly shielded him
from the hand.** of the infuriated mob.
But this severity of conduct, and determination on the part of
the Papists, to stifle liberty of conscience, only subverted the
cause it was meant to foster, and produced, even in the town of
Dundee, many new advocates of the reformed doctrines. Among
these were the vicar, Weddcrburn, and his two brothers, whose
writings of *^godlie play is and ballatis,'' which were acted and
sung in many parts of SeotJand, contributed greatly towards the
advancement of the cause ; and so deeply did these incur the dis-
plea'iure of Cardinal Beaton and bis party, that the Vicar had to
flee the country, to which he only returned after the CardinaPs
death. But a much more conspicuous propagator of the cau&e
was one Paul Methven. He wa?j originally a baker to trade, and
not only was he destitute of almost the rudiments of an ordinary
education, but even after he had assumed the garb of a prieftt,
his conduct was far from eircumspcct ;* still, possessed of an
extraordinary power of natural elotpience, and an intimate ac-
quaintance with the Holy Scriptures, he rendered so good service
to the Protestant cause, that ho became obnoxious both to the pre-
lates and to the Secret Council, the latter of whom not only issued
an order for his apprehension, but also forbade the people to
listen to his orations, or to harbour him in their bouses.^ Meth-
ven escaped apprebeneion only through the intrepidity of Provost
Hally burton, who was one of the firmest, most politic, and cour-
ageoua of the promoters of the Keformation ; and, to shew their
disappointment at the escape of Methven, the Secret Council
fined the town of Dundee in the sum of £2,000,
■ Booke of the Ktrk, I U, &c. " I't tup., 53 ; Pitcaim's Crim. Triiilji, i. n06.
DUNDEE— THE PROVOSTS HALLTBURTOH, 207
Ilallyburtuii was among tlie first to join the Protestant As-
gemblj at St Andrewa, iu June 1559 j in October following he
was appointed one of the Council of the Congregation for civil
affairs ; hiitj unfortunately, on the 5th of November thereafter,
while atteniptiugj in company with the Earl of Arran and Lord
Jaines Stewart, afterwards the Regent Moray, to route a party
of the French, near Lcith, he and many of his f^jllowera were
slain in a marsh hetween Restalrig and Holyrood park. The
son of this brave man succeeded to the Provoitship and proved
hhusclf well worthy of the hujxor, being a keen and consistent
supporter of the cause for which his father fell. Within five
years from the time of his father's death, the Assembly appointed
hira commissioner for the district of Angus. During the follow-
ing year ho was denounced an enemy and rebel to the Queen ;
aud^ two years later, we find him one of the committee of the
Lords of the ArticleSj sanctioning the Queen's demission of the
crown, the King's coronation, and the appointment of a regent.*
He does not appear to have taken any part in the General Assem-
bly which was held at Duudce in 1580, by which the office of Bishop
was annulled J but in the following and subsequent years he was
appointed to the high office of King's commissioner to it ; and
down almost to the very day of his death, he took an active part
in the procecJiugs of that courts in which he appeared for the last
time, on the 6tb of August 1588, as '' the Tutor of Pitcur,*'» to
the head of which family he was uncle.
It was in " this raervelus yeir," as that of 1588 has been well
termed by Mclvill, that this excellent man died at the ripe age
of seventy, having been thirty-three years Provost, Unluckily
the monument wliich perpetuated his name was one of those
which perished at the burning of the churches in 1841 ; but we
cannot help tbiukiug that the town of Dundee w^ould confer no
small honour on itself, as well as on its old Provosts Hallyburton,
by raising a monument In some conFtptcuous part of the town to
shew t\itiire generations that although those who gained for it
the enviable name of a second Geneva, and fell in attempting to
■ Bookc of tbe Kirk, I 47 ; Pltcnim'fl Ciim. TriaU, i. •4G7 ; Tytlera Hiat. of
BcoL, vii. lU.
• Melvill s Diar)% 80 ; Booke of the Kirk, ii. 585-729, From ISBO to 1598»
there were four General Asaemblies of the Cbarch held at Dundee*
MEHOBIALS OF ANGUS AND MEABNS*
achieve the glorious cau^e of religious and social liberty, are
long since gone, such noble deeds are still appreciated, and
gratefully remembered.
SECTION V.
Wars of the Covenjuit-*A Roja! Messctjgcr Impriaoned— Dande© Soldiers at Bridge
of Dee — Tho Town Fioed, and two of it§ Merchnntii Robbed — Captured and
Burned by the Marquk of Montroso^Stormed by General Monk — Inbabitants
and Soldiers Slaughtered — Hilltown Bnrncd by Vkcount Dundee^-Obovalicr
do St George— Prince Cbarles,
From the decided part which the inhabitants of Dundee took in
the EcformatioBj it may naturally be supposed that they also
became deeply engaged in the affair of the Covenant, and, not-
withstanding that the hereditary Constable of the burgh favored
the opposite slde^ the people contributed largely towards the
cause, both by supplying men and money. The first decisive
step which they appear to have taken was on the 5th of January
1639, when a messenger came to intimate, at the cross of the
hurgli, the proclamation of the King against the Acts of the cele-
brated Greneral Assembly of the previous year, upon which two
of the bailies not only protested against the proclamation being
made, but violently seized the messengerj and had him put in
prison, *' quhair," says Spalding, " he remainit a long tyme."
The Earl of Montrose was, at this period, a supporter of tho
Presbyterians, andj in the month of March of the same year, he
led an array against the town of Aberdeen, and forced the in-
habitants to take the Covenant, very raucli against their will,
upon which occasion Dundee mustered so strong that its soldiers
carried two of the five banners which were then borne by the
army. Soon afterwards tlie same force was emploved against
Lord Aboyne at the Bridge of Dee, whom they routed with great
loss* It may be added that, apart from other considerations,
Aboyne had incurred the vengeance of the Dundee portion of
the array, by carrying off some pieces of ordnance which
Montrose had sent fur the protection of the town,'* But it
»■ Spalding* Tniblea, i. 128-200,
DOMDEE — BESIEGED BT 1IONTS08B.
209
I
soon suffered for the part it took in this matter, for the in-
habitants were not only forced by the King^s party to pay the
large sura of 10,000 merks ; but two of it5 merchants were way-
laid while travelling to St James' market at Elgin, and **reft
and spoilzeit'' of nearly as much agidn in money and goods**^
Before the time of the last mentioned of these transactions,
the Earl of Montrose (notwithstanding the Presbytery of Brechin
had elected him one of their commissioners to the General As-
sembly of 1639),** having deserted the cause of the Covenant, had
become one of its most violent enemies ; and, accordingly, aa
a general in the King's army, he appeared before the town of
Dundee on the 6th day of September 14*44, and commanded its
surrender. Bemg then strongly garrisoned, both by soldiers and
others, who had fled to it for protection, he was set at defiance ;
but, unfortunately, upon the occasion of his next visit, which
happened on Friday , the 4th of April following, it was altogether
defenceless ; and, chagrined, as is said, by the rebuff he re-
ceived on the previous occasion, Montrose forced an entrance
at four different points, and, overpowering the inhabitants, left
his soldiers to their own will. Inftiriated by rage and intoxi-
cation, they committed all sorts of depredation and bi*utality ;
the Bonnet Hill, then a populous suburb, is said to have been
nearly reduced to ashes ; and several houses were fired in other
parts of the town.
Willie thus employed, ilontrosc was apprised of the approach
of the Covenanting army under the command of General Baillie ;
and so close, it Is said, were they upon him, that before he cotdd
muster his debauched followers to march out at the cast end of
the town, his pursuers had entered at the west. But, by making
that dexterous movement, whicli is characterised by historians
and soldiers of all shades of politics, as one of Ihe noblest speci-
mens of generalship upon record, he made a successful retreat,
and gained the fastnesses of the Grampians before the Covenan-
ters well knew the course he had taken .^
The walls of the town, which were demolished at this time,
« Spakiing'i Tmblea, i, 339; li. 392.
^ JrtfcAm PreAhtdemj BecordM, July IS, 1639.
• Bpnlding, ii. 4(H, 462.
EE
F
210 &1EH0BIALB OF i^NGim AND MEABNS.
were rebuilt soon after;' but, in the course of three or four ycai^s,
they were again assailed by the soldiers of Geueral Monk, who
were even more merciless in their conduct than were those of the
Marquis of Montrose- The burgh had, at this time, incurred the
vengeance of Cromwell, in consequence of having given shelter
to Charles II., after his coronation at Scone. This ceremony
took place on the 1st of January 1651, and, on the 7th of Sep-
tember following, after a brief siege, the town was entered by
the enemy, who followed up the captiune in the most savago
manner, for it appears that, by 3Ionk and his army, the ftbu^hter
of innocent women and children waa regarded more ag a work
of delight than of horror. Tradition says that it was not until
the third day of the carnage, when the moving spectacle met
the eye of the general himself of a living child lying on the
itreet, sucking the cold breast of its murdered mother, that his
heart relented*
The local verBion of thiA assault, excepting several exag^era*
tions as to the length of the siege, and the number of those
miaaacredj diifei's little from the fact. Altogether, the transaction
seems to have been a disgrace both to the inhabitants themselveB
and to Monk ; for, by the undisguised narratives of contemporary
historians, it is evident that the former had been so intoxicated
by drink, as to he utterly unable to offer resistance to the latter,
whose conduct was inhuman and severe. *' The tounesmen,"
says Sir James Balfour, ** did no dewtcy in ther auen deffence,
but wer most of them all dninken, lyko so maney beasts ;" and
Dr Gumble remarks, that both the strangei's and soldiers within
the walls took "such large Homing draughts, that before the
Twelfth (hour) they were most of them well drenched in their
Cups." The latter authority gives but few particulars regard-
ing the conduct of the English soldiers after the capture ; but
the former informs us that *^ Jlouncke commandit all, of quhat-
sumeuer sex, to be putt to the edge of the suord," by which
about two hundred women and children perished, and about
eight hundred of the inhabitants and soldiera. Eobert Lumsden
of Moutquhaney, governor of the town, although quarters were
' "ReWiltUng wrIIb demoliiihed nt aiege of the town, &c., £lfi2 10s."— Jc-
co}wt*^ 1 046 47.
DUNDEE— BI
D¥ MONK.
211
at first granted liim, abo fell a victim to their cruelty ; and Sir
John Lesley of Newtoo and his servant, who were accidentally
in Dundee at the timOj were both killed. Two of the clergymen,
who, it appears, had opposed *' hoUding out the tonne, knowing
that Buch a drunken, debosht people could doe no good aganist bo
wigilant and aetiue ane enimcy," were sent by Bca, along with
some others, as prisoners to England ; and it m graphically told
that 00 one of them attempting to speak in his own defence,
Monk told bim in a rage, that if be presumed to say a word, ''he
wold scobc his moutbe/'«
The plmider on this occasion was great, Balfour pays it ex*
ceeded two and a-half millions Scots ; while Gumble affirms thai,
in consequence of people going from Edinburgh and other un-
fortified places with their wealth, in hoj^jes of being more safe,
among whom were many of the nobility and gentry of Scotland,
Dundee aSbrded 'Hbe beat Plunder that was gotten in the Wars
throughout all the Three Nations/' The same writer remarks,
that most of the spoil was shipped for Leith and England
** upon several Ships that were taken in the Harbour, and that
the Ships were cast away within sight of the Town, and tlie
great Wealth perished without any extraordinary storm''— a
orcumstance upon which Gumble briefly comments, and closes
with the appropriate adage, **ill got; soon lost,''
Monk appears to have remained sometime at Dundee after
capturing the town. It is certain that he was there on the 19th
of October following, as on that day he received a letter from the
Marquis of Argyll (whom the news of the massacre had reached at
his castle of Inverary), imploring that a meeting of the respon-
sible parties of both kingdoms might be held at some convenient
place, **as a meius to stope the sheding of more Christian blood/"*
To this Monk refused to accede without an order from Parlia-
ment ; but soon after Im army was w^ithdrawn, and the garrison
occupied by a set of fresh soldiers from England, who appear to
have been well-behaved and humane in their conduct.
From thia time until the imhappy reign of James VII., Dun-
" Balfour's Annals of Scot., iv, 315 ; Gumltltj's Life of Gen. Monk (1671), 42-4.
Dt SmiUl (SkU, Acct,, p. 21), give* an btcreftdng nccount of ilie poRthnmoue cWl-
droD wUicli VTBTG bom at Dantke after tliiu Biogo.
^ Balfour's Annals^ iv. 316,
212 MEMOBIAL8 OF ASGCS ASI> XEASS3.
dee w» compar^rivelj trazK^uIL Anj £ssffDctiao whidi miXMe
at that timf; appears to have been owing cUeflT to Grnham of
Clarfrrhoo.^. who, in a determination to enforoe certain real or
landed rights bj the strong arm of might, b said to hare bomed
the hoojes of that part of the town c^Ced the HiDtim, and com-
mitted «cferal other outrage* upon the burgh. ProbaUj iiuB
was a means of bringing the authorities into his yiews r^arding
the establishment of Episcopacy, for, in 1678, thejr received the
thanks of the Privy Conncil for having diqiersed a conventide,
and imprisoned the preacher. It has been said, that at that intole-
rant period no person was allowed to live in the town bnt such as
attended upon the ministrations of the Episcopalians, and family
worship, conducted in any other form, was strictly pnJiibited,
and the performers and abettors imprisoned.^
Soon after this, the bluidy ClaverSj as Viscount Dundee is
sometimes derisively termed, had a gift from King James of
the castle of Dudhope and constabulary of Dundee ; but, in the
course of four or five years afterwards, he. and the cause of his
bigoted master ended with the famous battle of Killiecrankie,
fought on the 17th of January 1689, at which, as is well-known,
Dundee was mortally wounded. His body was buried in the
Athole family vault at the church of Blair- Athole ; but no stone
marks the spot — indeed, the site of the vault itself is now very
much a matter of conjecture.
Ilio events which followed this battle settled the crown firmly
on the heads of William and Mary of Orange, during whose reign,
an well as that of their successor, Queen Anne, the nation had
commenced to settle and prosper; but soon after the death of
tlin latter, the peace of the country was broken by the Che-
valier d(j Ht Ocorge, eldest son of King James VII., who set
U[) a claim to the throne of his ancestors. He landed at Peter-
lirad, from France, on the 22d of December 1714; and, although
f(ui(lo(l by a more sincere, generous, and humane spirit than his
fatlu^r, \m hucccjrs was equally hopeless. Travelling by easy
Mtap;<*H from the north, ho reached Glamis Castle on the 5th of
.January; and, next day, accompanied by the Earls of Mar,
I'annmn*, Marischal, Southesk, and a great many others, he
• VVodrow'i Snfferingx of the Church (Bums* edit.), ii. 481 ; iii. 191 ; iv. 455.
I
DUNDEE— THE CHEVALIEB, AND IMMNCE CHARLES. 213
made a grand entiy into Dundee on horseback, where be was
heartily welcomed by tlie J;u;obite magistratea. He remaiMed
at the cross about an hour showing himself to the people ; after-
wards he held a court in a house adjoining the old lIo8pital,J and
then retired to the town-mansion of Stewart of Grandtully, where
he remained for the night, travelling next morning to tlie camp
at Perth.
While the magistrates and theur friends were enthusJafttIc in
their reception of the Chevalier, the great mass of the inhabi-
tants are said to have looked on in silence ; and, contrary to the
will and proclamation of their rulers, they repaired without
the boundaries of the burgh on the 28th day of May thereafter,
and celebrated tixe birth-day of King George I. Next day the
magistrates celebrated the anniversary of the Restoration of King
Charles II, ; and, on the lOth of June, the Chevalier's birth-
day^ the more zealous of the coq>oration went to the cross and
publicly drank to him as King James VIIL^
The connection which Dundee had with Prince Charles and
his cause was comparatively ^Ught. He does not appear to have
been there personally ; but m soon as he landed at Perth, on the
evening of the 4tli September 1745, he sent a party of the Mac-
doiialds, commanded by the lairds of Keppoch and Clanranald,
to Dundee, when they captured two of the King's vessels, con-
taining ammunition and arms, wliteh they sent to the army at
Perth. Some of the clergy were also ejected from their pulpits at
this time, because they refused *' not to pray for King George ;''
and the town being in the possession of the rebels, many of their
"gentlemen prisoners '' were sent there** It is also told that
w^hen the Prince received his first supplies from France, tlie
houses were Illuminated, and such of the windows as did not
display the loyal taper were broken by the Jacobites.
^ D<? Foe's Journey, i. 97, ^ Aikman's Hbt. of Scot.| vi, 188.
' Chambers* Hut. of tUe HcbelHon, 58 ; Spalding Club MisceU., i. 367.
su
MEMORIALS OF AN0U8 AND MEARNS.
SECTION VL
Soppoeed site of Ad Taimm — Law or Rill of Dandee, a Titriffed site— Trnditionary
?fotfce8 r^srdiDg the Town — ^E^ymologT' fii the Vi^mt — l>strnction and Be-
ftswal ©f the Town'§ Retiords — Shippings— The Harboar — Liucn Mnniifactarwi
— Foptilatioa — Trajca — ParljAmentaTy ComnussioDers — The Town's Mason,
A.D. 1530-7 — Ilia Wages — IIoDrs of LaWar — His Appnjtitice, &c*
The stories of Doiidee being a town when the Romans Invaded
Scotland under AgrLcola, and of its having once borne the name
of Akctum^ fleem to be suppoiied by no better evidence than the
fancv of Hector Boyce — at least, no writer prior to the publica-
tion of hift Uistory of Scotland (1526)^ makes allusion to either
incident. It is true tliat the Roman station. Ad Tavum^ is placed
by some writers at Broughty Ferry^ about three miled to the
east of the town f^ while others, perhaps more correctly, suppose
it to have been at Iiivergowrie, about as far to the north-weaf»
and at the latter place the remains of a Eoman camp^ witli high
nuaparta and spacious ditches, were visible in Maitland's time,"
As an additional proof of ibc eai*ly importance of tlie immediate
diBtricti it may be added, that there is still evidence that the Law
or Hill of Dundee had been a vitrified site ; and, but for the
fact that both the Marquis of Monti'ose and General Monk occu-
pied and altered the surface of the gi'ound to suit their own pur-
poses, remains of the vitrification would have been greater.
Boyce also states that Donald I. and his cornt visited Dundee,
A,D. 860; that Malcolm II. lodged liia army there the night be-
fore he is said to have attacked the Danes at Barry, in 1012 ;
and also, that it was the scene of the death of King Edgar, in
1106, &>me say that Edgar died at Edinbiurgh ; but Wyntown
tliua favors the claim of Dundee " : —
** Edgarer oare nobil Kyng-,
The dajifl wyth honowro tuk end^g :
Be-Bortli Tay intil Dundo
Tyl God the Spyryto than yhald he-
And in the Kjrk of Dwnfcnuljne
Solemply tie wos entoryd eyne/'
■ Ro^'b Miliiiiry Antiqaitics, 130.
* MaiihiDtrtt Hist, of Scot. (1757), i. 215 ; Richurd of CireiiceBter*fl DcBcrip. of
Britain, Lend. 1809, 136 (54) ; ChalmerB* Caled., u 123.
• Wjntowo'i! CrOD., i. 282 ; Balfour't Annals, i. 6.
\
DUNDEE^ — OBIGIK OP NAME.
215
It ne^d scarcely be said that these incidenta are purely tradi-
tionary ; and it is a matter of certainty that the name of Dundee
does not at all occur, nor any other by which it can bo identified,
until about the year 1200, when David, Eari of HuntingdoD,
gifted a toft in the burgh to the llonastery of Arbroath, about
which time, as before seen, he also gave the parish church and
chnrch land** to the Abbey of LmdorcB.i* The name was then
spelled ** Dundc"-— the same form, it will l>e seen, which it still
retains — the other names and spellings, which tradition assign to
it, being altogether fanciful, and the invention of later timei.
Like the ancient names of most places in Scotland, that of Ihtn-
dee had doubtless been given to the district by the Celtic, or
early inhabitants, as descriptive of its leading topographical
features, and had probably been conferred upon it either aa
characteristic of the Law and its fort, or of the more modem
castle, which, as before noticed, stood upon what is said to liave
been a high dark-coloured rock, at the head of Castle Street,
The Law, however, had been in old, as it is in modern times,
the most i^triking natural object in the district It is an insulated
conical hill, rising about 525 feet above the level of the sea, im-
mediately behind tlie town, A magnificent and varied prospect
is obtained from it, not only of the north-eastern portion of
Angus, but of large tracts of the counties of Perth and Fife,
with the windings of the Tay ; and no place, for many miles
round, had been so well adapted, either for the site of a fortifica-
tion, or for the lighting of sacrificial or beacon fires, which are
elieved to have formed part of the early warlike and domestic
storas of the ancient inhabitants of Scotland, Although the
jfiw has now a verdant hue, in days of yore it must have had a
dark bk-ak aspect, when sunoounted by the vitrified fort, and
clad with stunted heath, through which peered large masses of
the conglomerate rock, of which the hill is composed, and from
whicli — as the Gaelic words Dun-duhh^ mean cither the '' black
fort*^ or the " black hill/' or " law," for dan is applicable either
to a fort or a hill— the name had most probably originated, and
been transferred to the town or diatrict.i
' Reg, Vet. de Abcrb., 95,
't DuH^o (the hill or fort ftt tho monlh of the riyer), is another, itnd act tm-
216
MEMORIALS OF AKOUS AXD MEARXS.
In consequence of the ravages to which the town was subjecled
daring the Wars of the Independeoce, the Covenantj and the
Commonwealth, the greater part of its aocient munimenta and
charters were destroyed. The oldest of these papers appear to
have been lost during the first of these traDsactlons, and seem to
ha^e belonged to the reigns of Kiogs William the Lion and
Alexander IIL These writs were subsequently renewed by
King Robert the Bruce, and added to by several of his succes-
sors ; and we are further informed that, during the siege of 1651,
these writs were also taken out of " the charter kist of the burgh
which wes broken vp by the English souldiers,'* when most of
them were ** brunt and destroyed, and verie few of them gotten
bakJ^ Fortxmatelyj the ratification charter of Charles XL, passed
in the year 1661, contains a recital of the honors and privileges
which the burgh had from the different monarchs, to the terms
of which it is needles.^ to refer here/ Suffice it to say that Dun-
dee appears to have been made a burgh, but not a royal one,
much about the time that Eaii David gifted the church to the
Abbey of Lindorcs.
Apart from the notices in the charter referred to, the oldest
records which relate to the burgh, are thofie In the Chamberlain
Rolls, from which it appears, as perhaps indicating the import-
ance of Dundee as a place of trade in early timcs^ that, during
the residence of iUexander III. at Forfar, in 12G4, a charge was
made for the transmission of sixteen pipes of wine from Dundee
to die county town. At that period there had doubtless becm a
port or harbour at Dundee, although there is no reference made
to it in any public document until about a century afterwarda,
when certain persons were appointed to collect shore dues ; and
probable origin ^
that the word deo, la a term
»hich might bo 8«g(fest*id, for 1 am told by good Gaelic ecbolara,
o, is a term applioible to tbe emboucbure or place wbere a river
ontere » lake or sea. The older cognomen, Alee^ or Akctum, which is perhaps a
Gorruptioti of tbe Gaelic aiiUaeh (bcaotiful or handsome), and tbe Saxon tun (a town),
(for tne word Aledumhaa been translated " a beautiful place**), is said to have been
the name of Dundee in Agricola's time, bat no such name is either in Hichard of
Cirencester's /ter, or in Tacitug. Bd-donum (God*8 gift), is its reputed name in
the Earl of Huntingdon's dor, for which alao there is no autbority ; and Tachdunum^
' the hill of Tay/' was ^iven to it by Buchan ~
in Gaelic, dgnifies ** the bouse fort, or hill/' which, Jt will be seen, is not very dis-
which has beeo reolered '
f Buchanan, Dundnjh
Bimilar to the rendering adopted in the text. All Highlanders with whom I'havu
spoken on the subject render ti4jh, tt% or toy, " a house f but the mcaniog of the
word, aa applied to tbe river Taj, ia more doubtful,
' The charter is printed in Acta naH., tu. 350-3 ; vide also iii. 44 ; r. 546.
DUNDEE — NOTICES OF THE SHIPPING.
217
aUo the customs which arose from breatl and animal food, the re-
venues of which, even then, were pretty considerable.'
Notices of the shipping of Dundee frequeiitlj occur after the
date of these entries. It was a vessel of tliis port, called St Marr/,
80 named, probably , in honor of the patron !^aint of the town,
which conveyed the Earl of Crawford and his suite to London, to
the celebrated tournament in 1390; and in 1491 » another ship,
bearing the name of "Marie of Dunde,' appears to have been
owned by more than one Individ nal.^ It is also affirmed that in
1567, when a fleet was despatched in search of the Earl of
Bothwell, who had adopted the desperate life of a pirate on the
north coasts the three beat vessels employed in that expedition
belonged to this port."
But there is no means of knowing the real state of the shipping
until 1652, at which time the record of the Seamen Fraternity
begins. It is said^ but evidently erroneously, that about a
hundred ships belouged to Dundee prior to the capture of the
town by General Monk in 1051 ; and, although Dr Gumblo says
that there were sixty vessels " of all sorts'' in the harbour at
that time, the greater part of them had doubtless belonged to
other y»laceSj and been brought there by parties who then took
refuge at Dundee. It is certain that, in 1654, there were only
ten vessels belonging to the port; and fifty-two years afterwards
there were twenty-two. In the course of twenty-tive years that
number was more than doubledj and a simlU^r result followed to-
wards the close of the last century. The number lias continued
to increase ever since, and on 31st December 1858, there were
two hundred and seventy-five ships belonging to the portj in-
cluding nine steamers, of a registered tonnage of 51,200 tonsj
manned by 2764 mcn.^
Of the state of the harbour in early times there is little record,
Monipennie brieBy describes it, 1612, as *^ a commodious haven."
In Octoberj 1668, in common with many other places, the har-
bour and shipping suflered severely from a violent storm, and
Parliament recommended a collection to be made throughout the
• Chamb. Rollii, i. *13 ; ii., iij.» v.tf.
^ Livf fi of the LindsAVH, i, 88 ; Actn Aud.» 154.
■ Dr bnoall's Stat. Acct. of Dandee, 7L ^
' Note per Mr Neish of Lawt, from CapL Trail of Dundee Marine Board,
PP
218
MCMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
P
kingdom to aid io the repair of the former. Ten years after ,
thi3 disaster, llr Edward of MaiToes, says that *' the harheur, by
great labour and expense, has been rendered a very safe and
agreeable station for vetjseb ; " while a few yeard later, ilr
Ochterlony describes It as " a good shore, well built with hewn
stone, with a key on both sydca, whereof they load and unload
their ships, with a great house on the shore called tlie Pack House,
where they lay up their merchant goods/^ An author, who
visited the place about 1728, says "it is rather a mole than a
harhour, having no hack water to clean it ; and that there are three
entraDcea into it which may contain a hundred sail of ships, but
not of any great burthen,"* But since these days, the har-
bour has been entirely changed, and the *^ soft clay or slike/' for
the removal of which " by flat -bottomed boats, as in Holland,''
he says, there was then no revenuej is now carried oft* by the
most approved apparatus — the harbour being, as a whole, one of
the best in the kingdom, whether in respect of size or of safety.
As the chief seaport of the comity, Dundee has also been, from
earliest record, the principal seat of its commerce. For upwards
of two centurieSj the staple trade has consisted hi the manufac-
ture of linen cloth, of wliich it is now the greatest and most
approved mart in Britain. Many of the manufactories and
warehouses are in elegant styles of architecture, and of gre^t
extent. The population of the town and neighbourhood has
naturally increased with the growth of trade ; and, with the ex-
ception of Glasgow, no other Scottish town has grown so rapidly.
In 1801, the population was 27,396— since then it has been more
than trebled J amounting in 1859 to about 94,299, of whom it is
supposed that a fuurth part are Roman Catholics from Ireland.^
A want of space will not allow us to give detailed accounts
either of the different trades that have been, or that still are,
carried on in Dundee, nor of the rise and progress of the popula-
tion. This is the less to be regretted, however, as detailed infor-
mation on this subject will be found in other publication. But it
may be remarked, that although there was a Lodge of Free-
* Journey throagh Soot,, l. 96. Tbia book in comiuonlj attributed to D© Foe,
but Lrm'ndeii says the author of it was John Mackay.
' Tbu JncludeB Locbee^ a populoui mADufactunog: village, about a uiilo and a-
half N,W. of the town, but wittiin th« Purliamentary boundary.
DUNDEE— COM SflSSTONlLRS TO PARLIAMENT. 219
masons, at least diiriiig the early part of the sixteenth centaiT,
it is probable that here, as in most other places, the weavers were
the earViesit incorporated body* The date of the incorporation
of none of the trades is known with certainty, but is supposed to
vary from 1555 to about 1610,3^
The exclusive privilege of trafficking in '* wooU, skins, and
hides," which was granted to the town by David 11., must have
added greatly to the prosperity of the burgh ; while the more
modern and peculiar departments of manufactures, such as those
of men's bonnets, which were made of worsted, and of buckles,
and more lately of thread, particularly the first mentioned, gave
the town a name which wdll not soon be forgotten* None of
these trades are practiced now-a-days; but the Bucklemaker
Wyndj and the Bonnet Hill, are supposed to liave been the places
where the manufacturers of these two articles chiefly resided/
It should have been previously observed, that it is not until
1467 that we meet wuth a commissioner of the town sitting in
Parliament ; hut from that time, do\^^l to the Union, the burgh
was pretty constantly represented* The first comraissioner
was named David Aherkerdour ; and in the Parliament held
at Edinburgh In 15(50, when the proposition was made by the
Estates to the haughty Queen Elizabeth of England, '* to juno in
mariage with the Erll of Arrane," the representative of the burgh
(Mr Halyburton) subscribes himself '*Prowest of Dundij,'' ■
We have already seen that there were recognised provosts in
the time of Queen Mary, and even before that, for the designa-
tion occurs both in the confirmation charter of the guildry of
1527, and in the indenture or agreement between the town of
Dundee and its master mason in 1536-7, previous to which, as in
most other burghs, the chief magistrate bore the title of alder-
mun. The first of these documents shows that there was also
a Dean of Guild, by w^bose sanction and advice only ships ^ould
be freightedj and by whom freights were collected.^ The other
r ThoinBon*fi Hi«L of Dnndec, 217,
• The foUowiiag popular rhyme, whtcli has reference to the BoTunt'tmaTters, laaT
bo taken as w^ificant both of their dirty, and at the aame limcj of their iDduetn-
ous habits :—
" UHe byko— wUo bw j—
The Gkmnetmalcera n' nondee."
• Acta ParL. ii. 89. 606.
220
MEMOlilALS OF AKQL'S AND MEAKNS.
document contains many interesting points not elsewliere to be
found, in regaRl to *' the mason craft" of the period, siich as
the moJe of payioent, the hours of hibour during the two sea-
sons of summer and winter, provisions for the workman in case
of distress, the term of yeara of masons^ apprentices^ their wages,
and the like.
At the date of this deed, it appears that the hox-mastcr of *'the
paroche kirk of Our Lady-' was the *'maister of warkis" for
the town, and under his superintendence '* the mason" obliged
himself to *' cxerceiss the heat and maist ingenlouss poynti:* and
practikis of his craft," whether *' at the kirk werk or commone
werkis of the said burgh, or at ony other wcrkis that the said
toun plesis best to command liym thairto oney tyme quhen neid
beis," llis hours of labour, which w^re an hour and-a-half
longer each day than those now in use, 'were regulated accord-
ing to the " aid vss and consuetud of Owr Lady luge of Dunde.'*
He began work at five o'clock in the morning, and continued
until eight, when ho had *' ane haf hour to his disuine*' or
breakfast ; from nine ho v^Tought till half-past eleven, when he
probably had dinner ; then from one to four when he again had
*' ane half hour to his none schankis/' a meal which was per-
haps equivalent to that of tea (vulgarly called Jhur-hours) ; and,
finally, resuming work at half-past four, he closed for the day at
sevcn.*^
In winter, which was calculated to begin and close at Ilallow-
day and Lady-day respectively, he was bound to enter upon his
work '* ilk day als sone as he ma se, and wirk as long as he may
se at eweyn,'' during which time he was to labour constantly,
having " na tyme of licence of dcnnar nor noneshankis, causs of
the shortnes of the dais.'* He had few holidays. On '* Foistryns
dayis" he Avorked till four o'clock, and on Christmas, Pask,
Whit, and Assumption days, he dropt work at twelve. His wage
was settled at £20 Scots yearly, payable by instalments ^YQvy
six weeks. If employed at any time, by other parties than the
burgh, bis wage was paid under deduction of that time; and,
^ Th(iruson*H Bht of Dundee, 277-80,
^ Nom>»chanku, or ncnysanlcM, htm aIm been tuid to tignUj
I
' luiicbeon/* —
DUNDEE— LUDaiNG OF THE ABBOTS OF ARBROATH, 221
in the event of bt^iog unable, from ill health, to atteBcl to his
work for a period of not more than forty eonsecutive days, he
was to receive his full wage ; but, if his illness exceeded tliat tiracj
Km pay was stopt. The town allowed him an apprentice, who
was to be sufficiently big and strong for the hni^incss^ and *^ nocht
ane small child,'^ the terra of whose apprenticeship was fixed for
seven years. During the first year the apprentice had no wage?*,
but the town agreed to pay him XlO Scots, or 16s. yd. sterling
a-year, during the rest of his engagement, and he was also pro-
vided for in cases of sickness, io much the same manner as was
his master.^
SECTION VIL
Lodging, or Hostilago of tlio Abbots of Arbrontli— Its Funiisbiiiga — Lodging of the
EarU of Crawford — Argj'Ugate and Port — Whitehall Clom — Rcpultd PalAca
— JrtmeB VL at Dundee — The Mint — Ancient Hous^^s — The CmHs — JohiiBtoo's
PftT^egyric — 014 Notices of the Town^Tuwci Hull— Public Scniinivriefl— New
Improvements— Queen Victom'B Viisit — Rojal Triutupbal Arch, Ac.
Although little remains to be noticed regarding the history of
Dundee in old tiincsj there are fitill a few additional traces both
in written record and in its buildings, whlcli may be interesting.
The lodging or hostilage of the Abbot and Convent of Arbroath
was the abode of the Abbot and hit^ followers, when on the
business of the Convent at Dundee, and, perhaps, stood upon
the toft which Earl David granted to the monastery at the time
of its foimdation.
Prior to the year 1327, it was held of the Abbey by Stephen
Fairburn, a burgess of Berwick-upon-Tweed, who then made it
over to William of Irwyn, and ilariot his spouse, tlie charter
being confirmed by tlie celebrated Abbot Bernard.^ This docu-
ment throws some interesting Itgiit upon the domestic man-
ners and customs of the period, and shows that, apart from a
small money rent, which the tenant paid to the superior, and
after the house had been provided by the Convent with kitchen
* Reg Ep, Brechin,, ii. at7-19, • Reg. Vcl, d© Ab<jrb.. 315*
222
UEMURIALS OF ANGUS AXD MEARNS.
utensils, which the occupiera were ever after bound to uphold^
thej were obhged to furnish the Abbot and nionks, according
to their respective ranks, when they visited Dundee, with a
hall plenighed with tables, and trestles or stooU, with white
tallow or Paris caudles to huru in the evenings, and white
aalt to use at table. Besides this, they were to have a spense,
with a buttery ; sleeping charabers, and a kitchen ; a stable ; and
also litter, which probably included straw and rushes. The
first was perhaps used chiefly for their horses, and the latter
for strewing upon the floors of the haE and hedchamhers. This,
it may be added, was lung previously the fashion, not only in
Britain and on the Contbent, but also in the East, and con-
tinued in use in our own country, among princes and nohlcsj
down to the hitroduction of carpets. Shakspeare oftener than
once mentions the fact; and when the celebrated Thomas i\ Becket,
Archhlshop of Canterbury, had hts apaiiments strewn daily with
fresh hay or straw, it was accounted one of the luxuries en-
joyed by that prelate.
Next in point of antiquity and importance to the lodging of the
Monks of Arbroath, was that of the Earls of Crawford. It is
probable that this house belonged, at one timCj to the good Sir
James Lindsay, uncle to the first Earl of Crawi'ord, and the great
benefactor of the Hospital, " It is variously described in ancient
records as the * Palatium Comitis,' the * Earl^s Palace/ tlie ' Great
Lodging,' or the ^ EarFa Lodging/ and formed a vast and an-
tique edifice, part of which was still standing about sixty years
agOj w^ith the letters HtnUtBdp embossed on the battlements.
It stood in what was formerly called the * Fluckergait,* now the
Nethergate, west of the High Street or Market-place, occupying,
with its offices and * viridarium,* or garden, the whole space be-
tween that street and the river, A chapel, or oratory, dedicated
to St Michael the Archangel, was attached to the palace, and
served for the daily devotions of the family."^ Many of the
Earls of Crawford were born in this town residence ; among
whom, it is believed were Earl Beardte, and his sou, the original
Duke of llontrose. Here also, it is said, Archibald, fifth Earl
of Douglas and Duke of Touraine, was married to Lady Margaret|
' LiTW of the lindsuvi, i. 110 ; i 104.
DUNDEE — WHITEHALL GLOSS.
223
eldest daughter of the first Earl of Crawford, "with sic porap and
triumph,'^ Pitscottie quaintly remarks, "that never the like was
seen at no man's marriage."
The old Earls of Argyll, it ia said, had also a residence in
Dundee, but all trace of it has lung since disappeared. It stood
in the OvergatCj and is fliipposed to have given the name of *' Ar-
gilisgait/^ or ** Ergayli?igat,*' to that street, which it bore from at
least the middle of the 15lh century. At the west end of it there
was a Port or gate.K The site of the house ia preserved only
by the name of Argyll Closs ; and, unlike that of the Earla of
Crawford, no description of it has been handed down.
In a house in Whitehall Gloss, the Convention of Royal Burghs
met at one time, and Charles II. is also said to have lived there
during his short stay in Dundee, On a house fronting the
street, which, however, is of a date long posterior to King
CbaHes* time, there is a good carving of the royal aons, en-
circled by the legend—'* honi soit qvi maly pence/' with the
words *'GOD SAVE THE KING,*' and the royal initials C.R.G.,
and date 1660. In all probability this shield had been put up
by the loyal owner of the house at the period of the ** glorious
Mestoratiou,'* who perhaps named the closs at the same time.
In the same entry ia a grotesque carving, in stone, of the
Fall of our First Parents, represented in the ordinary way, with
a serpent twisted round a tree, over which hovers the not un-
graceful figure of an angel. On the opposite side of the closa,
also built into a wall, is part of an old carved door or chimney
lintel, dated 1589, ornamented %vith the crown and royal lion of
Scotland, and bearing the following remains of a legend inscribed
upon a ribbon : —
OBAY . ZE - KINQ - . - ^ KINO . lAMIS -6 IN ^ DE [fenc^l . .
According to some writers there was once a palaee of the
Scottish kings at Dundee. This idea had perhaps arisen from
the existence of the royal emblems just noticed, for otherwise
there is no e\^dence or record of it ; and when it is borne in
mind that it was fashionable for the more opulent burgesses and
merchants, as well as tor private gentlemen in all parts of the
» Reg. Ep. Br«cbin , i. fl3, 185 ; ii. 353.
r
224 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEAEXS*
kingdom, to have their hou-^cs Jecorate*!, both within and with-
out, with the national anus and loyal legend^j it will he seen that
no faith need be plac^ed in this popular rumour.
Ahhough it is certain that King Robert the Bnice and hiA two
immediate successors on the throne were frequently in the town,
and that David II. Iield at least two state councLb and one par-
liament there,"* it is most probable that these monarchs not only
transacted business in the Mona^jtery of the Greyfriars, hut also
lived in it.
It is said that when King James VL landed in Dundee, on the
21^t of May 1(j17, he passed the night at Dndhopc Castle, the
residence of Sir John Scrimgeour, hereditary constable of the
town. At that time the King only remaiucd a night in the
neighbourhood^ having left early next morning for Kinnaird
Castle, near Brechin, the seat of his favourite Lord Carnegie**
The King returned from Kinnaird to Dundee after an absence of
ten days, when he gave audience to the magistrates and chief
men of the town and iti vicinity ; and, the better to ev'mce their
loyalty and attachment to him, it is said that they presented him
with two Latin poems, in celebration of his vbit.
But although there is no good evidence of a royal palace hav-
ing been here, it is certain that Robert IIL established a mint
at which groats were coiuedj The mint ceased with that King,
however, and was not again resumed until May 1585, when,
in consequence of the severity of the pestilence in Edinburgh,
the "cunyie house" was removed to Dundee. But it was
^ ActA PatL, i. 100 j 60 ; Reg. Mag. Sig., vjy.
* This ba» been mi«Uken by aome tor KiuniLirci, in the Ciiise of Qowne ;
VuttbeRirk Seision Rcicord* of Brechin, &c., set the matter at rest. The King
•eemfl to havo spent niticb of hiH time in hunting with Lord Carnegie in Montr^ath-
moot Wnir (fAind of tkt Liudsay$, p. 195), and he was ofienrirthan once in tho
town of Brechin, where prep«ratJonii were kept np fnr his reception fut gup., p. 135.)
He also held court iMith tbero and at Kinnaird. which was attended by the Pres-
bytery of br^cbifi. Hifi la«t visit to that town appear* to have been madron the 27 th
May, and on tho day following^ being unable to rmt the city of Aberdeen himself,
no fewer than twenty of the royal suite went there in st tad ctf the King, and all of
them, from Sir Thoraag Gerard, bait., down to Archie Armestrang, the King's pUa-
mjU or fooU '* wer er^'att, maid^ and admittit bargeiwes of gild.'*^^«r^A Hee, of
Aberdeen, SjfiriUUnfj Club.
J CardouneVa Nurnhniata ScoiioTt 51, The front of the coin had the royal head^
with the aceptre before the face, BUrraunded by the woixlfl — iioiiraiTVa hkiora, rex
aoorroBv,, and the revcraa bore a St Andrt»w*B crosB^ with a spur rewel of five pointa
in the angle of tbe croes, and the legend— dxb ftsctok ub et lidatoh m» vili^a
DVNDB.
DUNDEE— ULD BniLDlNGS.
225
here only until the mouth of October foUowhig, when the io-
fection having broken out, the mbt was removed to Pcrlb.
Duinng the short period referred to, gold, silver, and alloyed
pennies were coined, and the words OPriDUM DUNDEE, were
suhstituted on the coin for OPPiDUM edixburgi> The mint h
paid to have heen in St Margaret's ClosSj and a portion of it
was visiblo withiu the last hundred years. But, apart from the
regular coinage, it onght to be noticed that Dundee, like many
towns of less importance In Britain , had, towards the middle and
close of last century, an issue of local coins and medals, among
the former of which was the rather uncommon piec-e of a stiver
shillinfj. These, as will be seen from the Appendix, contained
views of remarkable buildings in the town and neighbom'hood,
such as Broughty Castle, the Cross of the burgh, the Churches,
the Tower, the Town House, and many other public edifices, to
the dates of the building, improvement, or destruction of some of
which, they ibrm valuable keysj
The ilauchlluj or Jtcchlin Tower, supposed to have been a
part of the old wall which surrounded the town, stood a little
to the east of the narrow of the Mun'aygate, where an adjoining
Court still bears the name. Common story says that the Tower
was named from some unrecorded exploit of one of the Lords
Mauchlln ; but it is more probable that the name had origin-
ated in consequence of the seamen and merchants of the
town of Mechhu, in Belgium, who visited the port, making
that locality a rendezvous.
The place in the Seagate where Girssal Jaffray was executed
for witchcraft, on the 1 1th of November 1669, is still pointed out.
Near it is the house in which the Pretender lodged in 1716, and
where the celebrated Admiral Duncan was born, fifteen years
afterwards. The Wisbart Port stands near tlie east end of the
same street. The house in whiebi General Monk had his resi-
dence, after capturing the town in 1651, occupies the foot of the
Overgate, nearly opposite to which are the so-called remains of
the Nunnery of the Greysisters. These, and the picturesque
building in the Green JLarket, once used as the custom house,
together with those in the adjoining street, and in the Vault,
■> Chambers* Dom. Aonals of Scot., i. 158. ^ Affiitpix, No. XIII.
no
MEMUBIALS OK ANGCS AND MEABNS.
(popularly called the Howffjf bchiud tlie Town llouee. in which
atanclB the stately tenement of '*»Strathmartio's LoJgliig/' at one
time a r^sidenco of the lairds of that place, arc perhaps the only
remaining traces of the ancient houses of Dundee, if we ercept
the old-faahioned hiiildingg, with eurioiisly plastered and wooden
gables, resembling those on the Continent, which are to be Been in
diftercut parts of the streets and closes of the Ovorgate, Seagate,
and other portions of the town. The Uroaa of the burgh was taken
down in 1777, and is now preserved within the tower of the
cJxurch. Tt was surmounted by a carving of a unicorn, and
stood originally in front of the Town Hall, but latterly at the
door of the old steeple. The shaft of it bore a rude representa-
tion of the arms of the town, "the pot and tho lily," (which is
the badge of the Virgin Mary), with the motto, DEI DOKUM,
and date 1586.
Like some of the towns previously noticed, Dundee had a
Latin panegyric written in its praise by Dr Arthur Johnston of
Abcrdeeuj and another by John Johnston of St Andrews, Both
poems are mere curiosities in their way — for they throw no light
either on the antiquity or history of tlie place — and the following
quaint translation of tho lines by the Aberdeen poet may suffice :
" An ABcient Town to wliich Tay's cutrie do
Willing obedience, Mid eubjeetion ahew.
T\\\i bunes of conquer'tl and slain Danea aru found
Hero seattoroJ, ill burinil in Ihc ^oand.
Wlien Genoa thee viowsi it doth despise
Its marbles, nor dotU l>arbarouB Egypt pry so
[IiT Pyran^ids, and Gargara doth dc&m
Its Hiu^vcBta to deserve but small esteem.
T!ic Lybume Land thinks not ber veshollfl fair
Wlten Afl sho thoai dofeb with thy shipB oonlplln^
Venice her aolf in poverty thmka lost.
And Cnidua of her Fiwhea daro not Iwast.
The SpartAn Youth to cqiiall thino doth fail ,
Eomo*fl Senators unto thy Con Bain vail.
M^ w an Ah less fool nhonld branded be,
Whjo from Tay's-Gnlpli ilid bi^g :i naiuc to Thee ;
Since Thoii by more tlmn HiimaJi Art arc fram'd
DoN-Dtt the ijijt of (lOD llioi) shuold W named,*'"
• Arresnix, No. IL (n.) llio ranegyrio by JuUu Johiirton i« printed in
BlezL r's Theofmm Scoti(% and a traDHliilfon, with additiuuR, wUI bo found tn Dun- <
de^ Dd%mat*d,
DUKDEE IN OLD TIMES.
227
The notice of the town by Captain Franck, who, in his usual
pedantic and inystcrioua style, speaka of having been transported
from "the beautiful port of Dundee to the fragrant levels of
Fife,'' in a boat ** steer'd by a compass of straw," h compara-
tively valnclcsa, while the description of the town by Mr Edward,
thoygh quaint and curious, is rather too long to quote in this
place*" Mr Ochtcrlony, the most trustworthy and correct of the
local writers of the period, says Dundee ** is a largo and great
townc, very populous, and of a great tratlc, and hath many good
ships. The buUdbiga are large and great, of thrie or four stories
high ; a large merkat place, with a very fyne tolbnith and cross ;
two great churches, with a very high steeple well furnished of
bolls, as is also the tolbnith. They have thrie miniatera, whereof
the towno presents two, and the Constable of Dundio one ; their
Magistrates are a Provost, four BailieSj Dean of (jild, and others,
arc shirrcffs within their own bounds : they are joyned in noth-
ing to the shyre except the militia, whereunto they furnish 150
foot. It lyeth upon the water of Tay very pleasantlio, and hath
good yards and meadows about it. They have four great fairs
yearly, two mercat days everle week, and a great fish mcrcat
dayly. There is a great consumption there of all kynd of
victualls ; the excyse of malt there being little short of the whole
excyse of the shyre and burghs, besyd a great victuall mcreat
twice a week for service of the townc, besydes great quantities
of all kinds of grain, coft by the merchants, and transported, by
which returaes they import all kynd of commoditic from Ilolland,
Norway, Denmark, and the east countrey. They export lyk-
waycs all other our native commodities, and import other things
necessary for the service of the conntrey, which serves above 20
myle^ round about their towne."**
Mr Jlorer, who visited the town, as chaplain to a Scottish
regiment, in 1689, observes that ^* the buildings are such as be-
speak the substance and riche^s of the place ;^* and adds that
he and his companions were entertained by the corporation, and
• Franck's Northern MetDorni (c, 1G69-70J, 238-9; Edward's DcBcm), of Angus,
1G78, 21. In Acta IhrLt u. 48(5^ the *'ferryan9** charges bt-lwepn Dumlee and New
Port^ arp time stated — •** gif ane raan deififTia atic l>nit be huoficU", to jifty for hia
IKiTtag<% 4e. ; and eucr ilk mjni and bnrHa, 8d, : an*! ilk inao or woTnati bo thttmc tolf,
4d " Tborc is now hourly commanicatioa on thia Ferrj br slc^amere*
• Spottiawood MisccU., i. :i26 7
r
p
228 MliMORlALS OF ANOUS AND MEARN9.
made burgesses,!* "The town is the best built of any 1 have yet
seen/' say;* an EogliHh traveller in 1728, *' except Edinburgh,
and hath a great face of trade: It is good two miles in cir-
cumference : its market place is almost as spacious as that of
Nottingham J and the town bouso^ a stately venerable pile of ft'ee
fltonej 18 a great ornament to the market. The City runs in four
large Streets, each from this Market Place/' He also alludes
to the Church and the Tovyer, the latter of which, he says, is like
that of Wrexham in Wales ; also to the Hospital, the monu-
ments in the Ihwffy and to Dudhope Castle. But one of the
chief beauties of Dundee at that time appears to have been ^^ a
pleasant walk'* from theharbom* to the towTi, ''pav'd with Flag-
stones, and with Rows of Trees on each side,*' which, he con-
tinues, " serves for an Exchange to the luerchants and masters
of Ships." The restoration of such a walk in the ncighhour-
hood of the harbour, and the lut reduction of trees about such
places as tlic New Exchange, the Meadows, and other parts
where they could be planted without interfering with public
thoroughfares, would, perhaps, be one of the most pleasing im-
provements that could be eflfected in the burgh.
It is only natural to infer, from the growing wealth of the
town, that the style of the bouses and shops in the new streets, and
other buildlng^*J puld'ic and private, correspond with the advance-
ment of the times, and with the increase of the trade and popula-
tion of the burgh. The Town Hall, erected in 1734, is a fine
specimen of the arcbltcctural genius of the elder Adam ; and the
Grammar School or Public Seminaries, at the top of lieform
Streetj is a good example of the Grecian style of architecture.
These were built in 1833, aod lately received additions in keep-
ing with the original plan, chiefly for the accommodation of the
recently established Goverumeut School of Design.
In speaking of this institution, it may be mentioned that the
schools of Dundee are of old date, and have long and justly
enjoyed celebrity as places of elementary education, BHud Harry
says that Sir William Wallace was taught there ; but this is not
so certain as the fact before adverted to that the grammar school
had long for its rector the learned David LindsaVj afterwards
' Short Account of Srot,, 105.
DUNDEE — QUEEN VICTORIAS VISIT.
229
Biahop, first of Brechin and theti of Edinburgh, whose attempt to
lutroduoe the Liturgy into tlic chui-ch, in 1637, contributed bo
much to the overthrow of Episcopacy. 'i
But it was not merely the departments of reading and writing
which were attended to at that early date ; for the delightful
and humanising art of music formed also an element in the edu-
cation of youth; and, contemporary with Mr Lindsay, in 1603,
waa one John Williamson, who is designed " master uf the sang
schole,^' for which, '^ w^itliin the burgh," he received a salary
from the magistrates of 16 marks yearly.^ It is said that the
grammar school \vm lield at one time in the nave of the old
church. Of this I have seen no record ; but it is certain that, so
early as 1435, which is the first authentic notice of the public
schools^ a new school and school-Iiouse were built by Laurence
Lownan, then master, and that, in consequence of his having
erected the buildings without consulting the Bishop of the dio-
cese, he incuiTcd hla displeasure, and received the censure of the
church.* Prior to the erection of the present fine building, the
school waa held near the town's churclics. Many of the masters
liave been men of first rate abilitiesj and the school has produced
a number of eminent schulars,^
It is not intended to describe the different public buildings,
more particularly as notices of them have been recently pub-
lished,^ But it may be remarked that, unlike Edinburgh and
Glasgow, where there are statues and colunma to perpetuate the
remembrance of eminent statesmenj warriors, and poets, Dundee
can boast of no such ornament, with the exception of the Yictoria
Triumphal ilrch, erected near the spot where Her Majesty the
Queen landed, and re-embarkcd, in the autumn of 1844, when
going to and from London to the Highlands of Perthshire.
Hince the days of King Charles IL, no crowned head, so far as
known, had visited Dundee ; and it is unnecessary to add, that
both at the landing and embarkation, the reception of the Royal
Family waa enthusiastic and brilliant.
With a noble and characteristic spirit of loyalty, as yet nn-
< lives of the LiudRays, ii. 16; Lnnd of tbc Liudsayji, 284 ; iil iup., 69, 182,
•■ Appendix of JfocunienU — Mr Jnne*" IleporL
' Reg. Ep. Brechin., i. 62. • ArpEKtnx, No, XIV.
^ See Maxweirs Giude to Dundee, with illustraiioDB, 18ido.
230 ICEMOBIAU Of AHOU8 JLBD MEABM8.
equalled in anj other town in the kingdom, the merchants of
the burgh, along with the nobility and gentry of the ahire,
wisely perpetuated that interesting event by erecting the Boyal
Arch. It is a fine piece of Norman architecture, ei^ty-fbur
feet in height by eighty*two in breadth, with a spiral stair in the
east tower leading to the top, from which a fine and extensiye
prospect is obtained. The arch is appropriately embellished with
the initials of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert; and an electric
clock having been placed in the parapet between the towers, it
is thus rendered an object of utility, besides being a work of
ornamental and of historical interest.
yORFAR WXTOa BRANES.— V. PAOB 30.
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
PART THIRD.
HISTORICAL AND TRADITIONARY NOTICES OF
WHO SWORE FEALTY TO EINa EDWABD THE FEBST,
AJ>. 1291-3,
AMD OF THEIB FAMILIES AMD ESTATES.
PART THIRD.
THE BAEONS WHO SWORE FEALTY TO EDWARD I., AD. 129U.
CHAPTER I.
tRfit maules of |)anmuvr.
SECTION I.
Origin of the family of Made— Epitnpba from ttie tombs of Pnter and Ansold at
Uttica — ^Deprived of their eaUti^H in France — Tbeir settlement in England —
In Scotland — AcqmFeB tbe lands of Easier Fowlis — Sir Peter marries CbriKtian
VaXlognes, bcireea of Fanmare^Tlio Vnllogncfl of Panmnre— Sir WilHam
Maule's Babmisaion to Edward I. — Ciift and SuppreMion of the Cbaplainrj of
Boath— Church of CarmylHe fotincled^ — Sir Thomas killed at Harlaw— Death of
the Earl of AthoU— Sir Thomas Maiilc attempts to recover ibo Lordahip of
Brechin — Chapel at Panmure — Sir ThoinaK killed at Flodden — Robert im-
priaoQCtl at London — Commissary Maule — The Maulcs of Ireland^ &c.
The early history of the Matilea of Punmurc, like that of most
ancient Scottish famihes, has been Invested with mucli fable.
Hector Boyce, anJ some others affirm that they came from
Hungary, with the Queen of Maleohn Canraore, and afterwards
received charters of the lands of Paomurc from King Edgar,
This, however, is contrary to the fact : The Do Maulcs, or
IfascuU^ as the name was originally written, were of Norman
lineage, descended from the Manles of the Lordship of Maule, in
the Vexin Fran<^ois, eight leagues from Parlsj a possession which
was owned by the family for the long period of four hundred
years. One of these, Ansold sire de Maule, and Hcrsende, his
wifoj are recorded as bcncfiictors to the Priory of St Jlartin-in-
the-Fields at Paris, about the year 1015, and thoir son, Peter of
Maule, ako a friend to the church, died on the 12th of January,
in the year 1100. He was buried in the cloister of the church
of Uttica, to which he had granted various lands and patronages,
and where the following eulogy upon his tomb long perpetuated
his name and virtues : —
HH
234
MEMORIALS OP ANQUd AND MEARXS.
^^ Post aDno« Agni centum cum miUe Superni
FloB prooeram Petbob prope Jaui decidit Idua.
DapHilia ei Icetus multum fuit atque facet as,
Plus epulis quam mililiac studiosna agoni.
SummuH ttpud procereB et nobilium fuit berefi.
Vixit lionorutuB terra qua pausat buiuatus.
El Jedlt banc Scdcm Chnsti genotricis nd o^dem :
Bis scnns Jani sol nubibus cxtitit illi,
Sed Bol Jufititiro pr«ce fulgiduB esto Maris.
Flang^ii Parisian, pangat atiper btmc PuradbuB,
Per Sanetofl, sedom quibus banc conccBaitetaedeui/'
Arnold, eldest son of Peter of Maule, took a prominent part in
the wara of Italy, and down to the year 1118, sigoalised himself
in several battles ; bnt about that tirae he assumed the habit of
a monk of St Bennct, and ended his life in the ilonastcry of
Uttlca. He was interred beside his father, where an elegant
tablet was erected to his memory, bearing this inscription, by
Odo of Monstrewel : —
^*Si quis erit qui eciro relit duiu vivns adosset.
Quia faerit, que in tumbti tcgit, quod nomen baberet :
AwaoLin noraen fuit buic, et militia omcn»
QuiDta diiiS fit ei requies in fine Decembris.
Detur ei pietatG Dei mercca requiei, Ameti ."■
Anaold had seven sona,of whom Peter, the eldest, was in
every way a contrast to liis father^ being so arrogant and
haughty in his disposition, that he was deprived of his patri-
monial estates, and bad his castle destroyed by order of Louis
VI- 1 nor does it appear, although be followed that king against
Henry I, of England, that he ever received back his lands*
Probably to that circumstance is to be attributed the migration
of the family to Britain, for it is certain that Guarin, third 3on
of that turbulent baron, came to England in ilm train of William
the Conqueror, and settled in Yorkshire,
Robert Maule, son of Guarin, was the first of the family that
iippeared in Scotland, to which country he came with David I,,
but nothing farther is known of his history, except that he
witnessed a charter of Prince Henry, son of our King David.
William, son of Robert of Maule, was engaged in the battle of the
Standard, and for his services upon that occasion he Iiad a grant
of the lands of Easter Fowlis in Perthshire. To the prior and
* Begiitrum He /^Hmiwe, MS., i. 23, 84, Appiwoix. No. XV, (1-2).
THE MALTLKS OF PANSIURE.
235
canons of St Andrews, he gave the elxapel of Fowlis, together
with pasture for eight oxen^ ten cows, three horses, and a
hundred sheep, with an injunctiun that his body should be
buried in the cemetery of the canons.** William left three
daughters ; the two youngest of whom were respectively mar-
ried to Mortimer, afterwards of Fowlis, and to Walter Kiithvcii,
ancestor of the Earla of Gowrie. About A.D* 1189-99, Roger
of Mortimer had a confirmation charter of the land of Fowlia
'*que fuit" William of Maulers; whilst Thomas, nephew of
William of Maule, became parson of the church of Fowlis,
which he had in pure and perpetual alms, on the payment of a
merk yearly to the priory of St Andrews/"
But it was Sir Peter, eldest son of Sir Bichard of Maule,
nephew of William of Fowlis, who was the direct ancestor of
the family of Pan mure. Contrary to the notion of Boyce, that
estate came to the Maulcs by marriage, for, about the year 1224,
the la^t-mentioncd Sir Peter married Christian of Vallognes,
daughter and heiress of Sir William of Vallognes, lord of Pan-
mure in Angus, and by her succeeded, not only to that estate,
but to those of Benvie and Balruthric; also to several pro-
perties in England, on the death of Christian, Countess of Essex,
1234-5.
The Countess of Essex was daughter of Robert and Guanora
of Vallognes, and Robert was grandchild of Peter of Vallognes,
founder of the Benedictine Priory of Binham in Norfolk, re-
mains of the church of which are still standing. This Sir Peter
was also a NorraaUj and came to England with William the
Conqueror, from whom he had a grant of no fewer than fifty-
seven lordships or manors, scattered over six of the most im-
portant counties.**
According to the family Register of PanmurCj Sir Peter de
Vallognes, founder of Binham Priory, had a son called Roger,
*» Re^. Priarataa 9, Andree, 264.
« Ibid., 4L Tlie church of Fowlis KaiiUr. which is said to have been built
by Sir Andrew Gray of Fuwlis, 1437-6U, m nearly a, perfect s^eciraeaof the archilec-
inre of the 15th century. It contixiafl some cunoui jmuntinga on paoel, in good
prescrvrition, and a tine ambr}f of hewn frceBtune. There is also an iDterflBling
coffin Blab in the kirk-yard» BKibclli»hti^l with an omamonUl croaa, a aword, and
a hunting bom.
* Dug^lnle's Baronage of England, i, 44L
r
236 MEMOEIALS OF ANGUS AXD MEAKNS.
who had six BonSj of whom Philip of Vallo^es was the fifth,
and had a gil't of Panmure and other lands in Forfarshire from
WiUiam the Lion. He was long High Chamberlain to that
monarch; and, dying in 12 15^ was bnried at Melrose, as was
also his son William, **jnxta sepulchrum patris sui.^^'= He sur-
vived his father four years, and left an only child and heiress,
called Christina^ who became the wifcj aa before remarked, of
Sir Peter of Maide. It was Sir William, the eldest son of this
marriage, who did homage to King Edward L, and Sir Thomas,
the younger sou, fell defending the Castle of Brechin against the
English iu 1303,
The first of tliese brothers is thus designed in the ilagraao Koll;
He was then head or chief of the Maules of Panmure, also
fiheriff of Forfarshire at the death of Alexander II L, and a
favourite with King Edward, wlio reduced the relief or entry to
his Scottish estates from £122 10s. to £40^ a siun which ever
al*terwards became the extent or relief payable at the entry of
an heir to Panmurc/
This Knight^s submission occurred at St ilndrewsj on the 22d
of July,^ to which place the King had gone to consult with Bishop
Frascr regarding the settlement of the disputed monarchy. It
is uncertain whether Sir William Maule was alive at the tune of
Kbg Edward's second visit to Scotland in 1296: most pro-
bably he was dead, for, as previously stated, not only did Ills
brother, Sir Thomas, defend the Castle of Brechin against the
English, but Sir William's son, Henry, was also so fiiendfy to
the cause of the Independence, that The Bruce conferred the
honour of knighthood upon him. No person bearing the sur-
name of Maule appears in the Ragman Eoll at that period; and,
from the tact of a late eminent local antiquary having seen a
document which shewed that the house of Panmnre was leased
to Anthony Beck, the celebrated Bishop of Durham, it is pro-
• Chronica de Mailios, l?l, 135,
' itivildiiiiiiii*rt Jtttrotl to Anderson 3 Diplomata Septra, 225. The eatate of
r>iniiiiirtj was lield under the original charter of King Willjain tho Lion, for pru-
V idling half a soldier whenever demanded.
K Ragman Rolls, 16.
THE MAULE8 OF PANMUKE,
237
bable that the lands had been confiscated, and posscdsed for a
tune by King Ed ward V favourite prelate.
Sir Walter Manle, eldest son of Sir llenry, son of Sir Williani^
was governor of Kiliknmrny Castle in the time of Kuig David
II. J an J J as has been Been, cxcamhed the landa of Carnegie for
those of Balluihard with ** John of Ballindard," progenitor of the
Caraegies of Forfarshire, of whom the Earl of Southesk is the
chief. Sir Walter also granted the chaplainry of Boath to the
Cathedral of Brechin ; but that chaplainry was suppressed about
the year 1510^ when David Straebiui of Carmyllie {an ancestor
of whom acquired these lands in dowry with his wifcj only
daughter of Sir Henry Manle), erected a paiish church there.
That church, which is believed to he the same edifice as is now
in use, is a strong substantial building of ashler. It is entirely
devoid of ornament, and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Strachan mortified certain lands adjoining the Milltown to its
support, with a garden j and common pasture for a specified
number of cattle and sheep, to Malcolm Strubblc, then chaplain
of the church, and his successors in office, for which, as was the
fashion of the period, mass was to he said for the souls of the
donor, his wife, and other relatives.'^
Sir William, eldest son of Sir Walter Maule, married Marion,
only child of Fleming of Biggar, by Lady Jane, daugliter of Sir
David Barclay of Brechin, and thus the lilaules became related
to the ancient Lords of Brechin, descendants of David, Earl of
Huntingdon J brother of King William the Lion. The eldest
son of this marriage was a brave man, and ialUng at the battle
of Ilarlaw, where he fought in defence of the Duke of Albany
against Donald of the Isles^ he is thus eulogised in a well-
known ballad ; — ■
" The Enicht of Fafimare^ as was BCRe,
A mortal maD^ in armour bricht ;
Sir Thomaa Murraj, stoat aod kene,
Left io tlie world their last gnde-Qicht/'
ft By Ills wife, a daughter of Gray of Fowlis, Sir WiEiam Maule
B had a posthumous son, Sir Thomas, who carried on the sueees-
I sion ; and, on the execution of Walter, Earl of AthoU, in 1436-7,
238
MEMOrUALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS,
the Earl having held the estates of Brechin merely in virtue
his marriage with the heircssj Margaret Barclay, Sir Thomaa
advanced his claim to thesc^ and led proof to shew the validity of
his title.* Stillj although he proved himself the undoubted heir
to the lordship, neither he nor his Bucccssors obtained possession
of it. Indeed, from the influence which was brought to bear
against Sir Thomas, he ultimately abandoned the claim, but not
until he received certain portions of the lands, such as those of
Leuchlaud, Hetherwiek, Clalcck, Jackston, and Staddockmore,
the lordflhlp itself being annexed to the Crown, by whom it was
afterwards given to ditferent parties at different tlmesJ
In 1490, Sir Thomas Maule's son confirmed the ancient grants
of his predecessors of certain fishings at East Haven to the Ab-
bey of Cupar, and had a papal bnll for erecting a chapel for di-
vine service in his house of Pan mure, which he dedicated to the
Blessed Virgin,*^ while his grandson and successor, also Sir Tho-
mas, along with his wife and children, were "received in confra-
ternity with the monkt^ for their prayers and messes." This,
however, availed Sir Thomas little, for, in common with but
too many of his countrymen, he fell at Floddcn in 1513, where,
perhaps, also, fell his kinsman and vassal, Alexander Strachan of
Carmyllie, who, a few years before, on succeeding to his father,
granted a bond of maurent, or personal service and attendance,
in favor of his superior, by which he bound himself by the *' holy
Evangik touchit, lelely and truely," to become *' man and re-
tainer both in househald, and out with househald," on his own
expense, to Sir Thomas and his heirs, wlienever he was ordered
** to ryd or gang,*' and to take part, as the deed goes on to say,
** with ray said raaister in all his actions, causes, and quarreUs,
mo wet or to be mo wet be quhatsoinevir person or persons/'*
On the faU of Sir Thomas at Flodden, he was succeeded by
hifl aon Robert, who became remarkable for several acts of
bravery, and was one of those who attempted to rescue James V.
out of the hands of the Earl of Arrau, for which he subsequently
had a remission, as he also had "for treasonably abiding from
* Beg. da Panmure. MS., I 25C. ^ xlprssfDlx, No. XVL
^ Jieo. de Panimtre, MS., i. 31 U.
Ibid., 35^)* Sir Tbomafl bad a stmilar bonJ from David Lydel of Punkllij,
who, it i» probable, ba*l ii1«o b«cn at Flodden.
J
THE MAULES OF PANMURE.
I
the army of Sol way/' "" Ke opposed the marriage of Queen
JIary aud Prince Edward j and was hcsieged m his bouse of
Pan mure, which he gaUantly defended against the Engliiih ; but
being severely wounded, he was captured and carried prisoner
to the Tower of Londou, where ho wa^ confined for about a
year.
No sooner had he returned from captivity than he engaged in
other broila ; and, along with a company of armed followersj he
went to Panhithyj and forcibly prevented a precept of ejectment
from being served ai^aiii.st the tcnauta. The proceedings were
raised by Thomas Douglas and Elizabeth Liddalcj who were
vassals of Maule, and he, favouring the tenantry, carried the
officer and witnesses ** to the Place of Panmure, and detained
them in prison under captivity." For this outrage he and Km
followers were auraraoncd to Edinburgh ; and, having failed to
appear, they were denounced rebels and put to the horn.^'
Robert llaule, who died in 1560, had only two years pre-
viously a grant of the *' bailicry of Barry'' from the Abbot and
Convent of Balmcrino, for his own lifetime, and for nineteen
years afterwards to his heirs,'* lie was twice married, first to a
daughter of llercer of Aldie, and next to one of the Arbutlmotts,
By the first he had three sons and two daughters ; by the second,
three sons and one daughter; and the eldest son of the last mar-
riage was father of Henry Maulc of Mclgond, who was an anti-
quary, and reputed author of a '^ History of the Picts," The
eldest son, by his fii^t lady, was a staunch loyalist, fought on the
King's side, was taken prisoner at the battle of Hadden-Kig, in
Teviotdalcj in 1*542, and kept in captivity nntil after the death
of James V, He was also at the battle of Pinkie— jomed the
association in behalf of James VI. in 1567, and died in 1600, at
an advanced age.
He was twice marriedj first to Elizabeth, daughter of David
Earl of Crawford, by his wife ilargaret Beaton ; and secondly,
to a daughter of Hallyburton of Pitcur. The fact of the first of
these marriages is doubted by some genealogists, but the con-
tract of it is still extant, dated at Balmerioo, in Fife, 8th January
1526, and signed by the Earl of Crawford and Sir liobert Maule.
- PitcAiro^s Crim. Triale, i. •256. "* Ibid.. •345. « lieg, de Fi^miure, MS., i. 420.
240
MEMORIALS OF ANGU3 AND MEARNS.
By that document, it appcears that the lady was to have £llXM3
** iu tocher " from her father — a sum which was to be raised out
of the renta of the lands of Stotfaulds, FallhawSj Kirkhill, and
Guildy, m the parish of Monlkie ; aiul Sir liohert of Panmuro
was to *'put his son in the fee of all his lands present aud to be
gottyn,'' with certain reservations to himself aud bis wife.'*
He had a family of eight sons and thi*ee daughters, all by his
second wife. The eldest son, Thomas, succeeded to the estates,
and married Margaret, daughter of John Erskine of Dun, the
celebrated reformer, and hy her had Patrick, who became the
first Earl of Panmure. Robert, the fourth son. Commissary
of St Andrews, was one of the ablest antiquaries of his day;
and, in addition to a history of the family of Maulo, wrote
a treatise in Latin, called Be Anttquit^t^ Gentis Scotorumf
being a stricture on certain misrepresentations which Camden
published in his Britannia, He was followed in this by works
of a like nature, from the pens of Hume of Godscroft, and by
Drummond of Hawthornden, both of whom supported Mr Maule*a
views. He let\ also a manuscript history of the Culdees j and,
throughout all his writings he appears, in the language of the
learned Crawford, to have been ** one of the most Btrenuous
asserters of the freedom and independency of Scotland/* Thomas
Maule, the immediate younger brother of the Commissary of St
Andrews, married a daughter of the old family of Leighton of
TJsan, and had two sons. The eldest of these sons settled in
Ireland, and became Lieutenant-Colonel of the Marquis of Or-
mondes regiment. Many of his descendants, one of whom died
Bbhop of Meath in 1758, have been, and still are, men of infln-
ence and genius in that country,
p Reg, dt Flanmwrt^ MS^ i. 3S3.
THE MACLES OF PANMUHE. 241
SECTION II.
The first Earl of Panniurc — Gifts from James VI. and CHarlei! I. — Letter from
Elizabeth^ Queen of Boheoiia — ^Tbe Earl's attachment to Ch&rlet* I. and IL—
Acc|urre8 the Abhacr of Arbroath, the Lordship of Brechin and Navar» and
the Eflttttes of the Earls of Kinghom and Bticbaiv— Letter from Charlea II.—
The Earl, and his son* Lord Brechin, fioed by Cromwell — The Earl'a Death —
HiB Laat Will — Curiouft Contract of Marriage, &c.
The first Earl of Panmure, who, aa before Bhewn, was the eldest
son of Patrick Maule, by his wife, Margaret Erskine^ nraj be said
to hare been t!ie first of his family who exc<;cded their predeces-
Boru either in wealth or io hiHuence, He inherited the noble
spirit of loyalty which had been all along their reigning principle,
andj being equally remarkable for humour and affabihty of dispo-
sition, he was beloved both by the King and by the Court, lie
went to England with James VI. in 1603^ and became one of
the gentlemen of the bed-chamber ; and, in addition to his own
extensive patrimony ^ to which he succeeded in the year 1605,
hia Majesty conferred upon him the Keepership of the Great Park
of Ehham.
Within two months from the accession of Charles I* he re-
ceived a charter of the lordship of Colleweston, in Northampton-
shirej worth about £2,200 a-year, and which he had expressly
*' in consideration of his good and faithful services '^ to the late
King " of blessed meraorie." With King James daughter.
Princess Elizabeth, afterwards Queen of Bohemia, through whose
issue the reigning fiimily of Great Britain succeeded to the
throne, Maule was also in favour, in proof of which, and in gra-
titude of the services be had rendered to her royal father^ the
following letter, from the Queen to Mr Maule, ie preserved
among the family niunimenta. It is dated from the Hague,
28th September 1628, and runs thus : —
'*GooD MrMaulEj
** Those whom the King my Father, held worthy
of his Service, I always Esteem'd as most deserving of my Love ;
Especially, to me wards as you have done ; Wherefor, with
Thanka for yours, I return you this in earnest of my Kind Ac-
J I
J
242
MEaiORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEAUKS*
ceptamce, and Assurance of my reaJy will to perform any thing
that God shall enable ine, wherehj? I may express myself your
most assured Friend,
" Elizabetiu"
Mr Maulers friendship for King Charles was as remarkable as
it was for his royal father, for he remained stcdfastlj by him, in
his troubles and difficulties, until compelled by Parliament *to
leave him at Carbbrook Castle. In consequence of this intimacy
no one was better *icriuainted with the King's private life, and no
one knew more of his sad career than Lord Paomurc ; and it is
believed that there are many valuable documents at Panmure
House relating to that interesting period, the publication of which
would throw much light upon its history.
In 1633, the King appointed Mr Maulcj Sheriff of the county
of Forfar, and Depute of Admiralty ** within the haill bounds,
ports, creiks, and harbouries, as well by sea as land, betwixt the
South Water and Bruchtic ;^^ and, on the 2d of August 1646,
during the King's sojourn at Newcastle, Mr Maulo was created a
peer, by the title of Earl of PanmurCj Lord Maule of Brechin
aud Navar.
In consequence of the EarFe attachment to the King, and from
his son J Henry, Lord Brechin, having raised and commanded a
troop of horse in favour of that unhappy prince, they were both
fined by Cromwell in the. united sum of £12,500, which, with
only one exception, was the largest fine imposed upon any of the
Scottish nobility of the period, and more than double that of any
of tha others.'i Although tins fact proves that the Earl of Pan-
mure possessed great wealth, it may bo added that, apart from
the immense estates of which be was the natural heir, and besides
those given to him by King Cliarles I. in England, he purchased
the lordiiiip of Brechin and Navar in Angus, and also the Abbacy
of Arbroath* This latter possession alone included the right of
patronage to no fewer than thirty-two churches, and the su-
periority of tlic old lands of the Abbey, which were scattered
over a great number of the counties of Scotland,
Besides these extensive possessions, he also acquired ** the
1 nniwfaptr» Ofllcere af State, 457-8.
THE MAULEJ* OF TAN' MURE. 243
whole lauds* of tlie estates of tlie Earls of Kiiighoni and Biicliaii/'
in the counties of Forfar and Bauil:^ the former of which, in
June 1653, " were duely and lawfully apprysed frae Patrick,
Earle of Kinghorn, and judicially sold, assigned, adjndgcd, and
disponed'' to the Earl uf Paninure, tor the sum of 134,12(3 mcrks
Seota, as principal, and 6,700 merks of sheriffs' fee. " Sasme,
taken at the maunour place of Glaraes, was to be siiffieient tor
the whole lands, teinds, tishiugs, and others," which were to be
held ** in fee and herotage for ever/' by the Earl of Panmure
and his successors, on the provision that the Earl of Kinghorn,
or his heirs, should receive back the lands *^ how soon the whole
«hall be redeemed by him or them," The Earl of Panmure dis-
poned the estates of Kinghorn and Buchan to his eldest son,
Lord Brechin, in March ItitU ; and, in January 1063, two years
afterwards, the latter having previously succeeded as second Earl
of Panmure, made over the former estates to his nephew, the
Earl of Kinghorn, in wan-andit^ of the teinds of wliich Lord
Panmure was, at the same time, infeft in the lands of the Newton
of Glamis/
After the first Earl of Panraure was dismissed frora Car isb rook
Castle, lie retired to his country seat, and took little part in the
events which followed ; but, on the return of Charles 11. from the
Hague, when an inetfcctual attempt was made to restore htm to
the throne, the Earl's services and interest were again solicited,
both by the Estates, and by royal letter, the latter of which was
dated from the camp at Stirling, 28th July 1651- After urging
the Earl to do his utmost in behall'of the llestoration in the
shire of Forfar, this interesting document says — *' All is now at
the Slake, Religion, the Liberty of this Ancient Kingdorae, our
Honour and person, your own particular fortune, and aQ that can
be dear to a Man of Honour : We expect at this time, That you
will bestir yourself, and That you will consider nothing but what
may sett up the Army again, and make it in a condition to pro-
tect the parts of the Kingdome tliat are yet free from the Enemy;
and, with the blessing of God, To Kecover the Rest from the
Slavery they now lye under: We are Confident yon have so
much sense of the Crcdite of the Kingdome and of your own,
* Beg, tk Ihnmnre^ M6., ii. 119, &c.
3
244
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AKD MEARNS
and will be so worthy of the Honour of your family, and what
you have Inherited from your predecessors, That we Bhall see
the effect of your dilUgence and forwardness at this tune, which
we will always remember very graciously,"
Eight days previous to the date of the King's letter, Lord
Brechin was wounded at the engagement of Inverkelthing, and
'* the most part of his regiment killed and dissipated;" having
beiore served at the equally luckless battle of Dunbar, at both of
which places the King's party were routed by General Monk.
The Earl himself was now nearly seventy years of age, and
although he was not personally engaged in any of theser trans-
actions, it is certain that he and his son continued staunch sup-
porters of royalty throughout their lives ; and it is pleasing to
know that the Earl himself survived to witness the overthrow of
a factious government, and to participate, though for a short
period, in the happy results of the Restoration,
This noble royalist died the year after that memorable event,
and, by his own desire, was buried in the family aisle at the
church of Panbride^ ** without pomp or solemnity j" whicbj as he
remarks in his last will and testament, ** is properer for the Liv-
ing than the Dead.*' He left 500 merks to the poor of the
parish of Panbride, strictly stating that it should be applied ** as
his executors shall think fit, and not to be at the disposal of the
minister and kirk Bcssion»'^ He also bound his son to build a
new house at Panmure, and to repair the family burial aisle;'
but, in consequence of the intestine commotions which distracted
the country during the whole of Ins time, he was prevented from
complying with the requests of his father, and it was not until
after the succession of the third Earl, and sometime before the
year 1681, that these stipulations were fulfilled.
Earl Patrick was thrice married, first to Frances, ** the dearly
beloved child of Sir Edward Stanhope of Grimston, in York-
sliLre, and of hia wife Susan Marburie." His second wife was
Mary Waldrum, maid of honor to the Queen of Charles L, and
Ws third was Lady Mary Erskine, dowager Countess of Maris-
chuh Neither of the last named ladies left issue ; and It appears
that the Earl married his third wife soon after his eldest daughter
> Jieg. ek Fanmure, UB, H. 116.
4
1
THE MAULES OF PANMURE.
245
became Countess of Northesk* The marriage contract betwixt
Uim and the dowager Countess of Marischal is curious, and goes
on to state that their *' resolution of marriage is without Worldly
ends, and meerhe from a religious afli^ctioUj whereby that they
may live together to enjoy the Company and Conversation of each
other, and to witncs the same, seeing that either of them has
sufficient Estate and meines of their owne without being burthen*
some to one another,"
They seem to have agreed to live a life of independence to-
gether, 80 far as pecuniary matters went, tor each was to pay
an equal proportion of the ordinary expense of house-keeping,
whether in servants* wages or otherwise. They also agreed to
have a certain number of servants each ; and if it should liappen
at any time that either of them efxceeded the number agreed upon,
or if by that, or any other means, the differcuce of their indi-
yidual expense was ** considerable,'* the party incurring the
expense, was bound to *' contribute to the charge of tlie house
proportionally, without any consideration of their yeai'ly fee
or wa
ges.^
SECTION in.
Deatli of the eccond and third Earls of Patimtire — Tlio fftvor of tlie fourth Earl for
the Stuarla— lj<?tter from JuizieH Vll-^ — Letter from Jjouis XIV. of Fnutce —
The Battle of She rifftniiir^ Letter from the Chevalier de 8t George— Tht- Earl
retires to the Continent — Letter from James VllL conferring the Order of Ihe
Thistle opon the Earl— Letter from Cardinal Gaalter^ — The Karra taate ia
Literal ure^Hia Dtath,
The iraportaot part which George, Lord Brechin, afterwards
second Earl of Pauraure, took in the cause of Charles II* has
been already adverted to. He married Lady Jane Campbellj
eldest daughter of the Earl of Loudon, by whom he had three
aoDS aud a daugfiter. The two eldest sons succeeded as third
and fourth Earla respectively, and the thml son was the brave
Harry Maule of Kelly, Earl George, having implicit confidence
iu hia Countess, not only left her ** the use of the third of all his
^ Beg, tk. F&nmure, MS., ii. 8S| &c.
246
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS*
moveables in all liis houses dueriiig ber wldowity/* but also ap-
pointed her Bole '* tuterlx of his children in pupillarity.*'" On
the death of her hiLshand, Countess Jaue took up her residence
at Ardeastic, in the pariah of Montkie, where some of the carved
stones which ornamented her dwelling house still exist, among
which is a door or window liiitel beai'ing her initials, c. i. c. P.,
and date 1688.'
Countess Jane survived the death of her oldest aon several
years, and lived to see her second son succeed to the estates and
titles of PanmnrOj as also his union with Lady Margaret, young-
est daughter of the Duke of Hamilton. The contract of this
marriage is dated at Holy rood Palace, 5th February 1687 ; and,
within a month afterwards, in consequence of the EarPa adher-
euce to the cause of Protestantisiti, he was *' laid aside *• from the
Privy Councils of James VIL* Still, notwithstanding this rash
step on the part of the King, Lord Panmure not only continued
to Bupport Jame8, but, on the coronation of William and JIary
rciiiscd to take the oath of allegiance, and never again sat in
Parliament.
Whatever had been the King^a opinion of Lord Panmure^s con-
duct, it appears to have been appreciated by his son and his support-
ers, as is shewn by the following letter which the young Prince,
the future Chevalier de St George, addressed to the Earl ;—
"St GERMAJNa, June 24, 1706.
** The constant and singular prooffs you have given of your
Loyalty and fidelity to me, do well deserve to be reniembred by
me. Haveing got a safe occasion of sending to my frekids where
you arc, I make use of it to write you this note, to let you know
how sensible I am of all you have done and suffered on my
account. I say nothing to you of my own aflFairs, referring to
what I write to you and my other freinds, which will be com-
municated to you by the Countess of Erroll, And so, will say
no more now, but assure you of my kindness, and of the desire I
have to be in a condition of Rewarding you for all your services.
"James R/'
■ Beg. de Ihnmure.M^S., ii. 152. ' Laiul c*f th« LincbiiyB, 306.
" B^ff. de Ihwnure, MS., ii. 179.
THE MAULES OF PANMURE*
Combined witli a strong friendsliip for the Stuarts, ttc Earl of
Paiimuro euteiiained, along with many contemporary noblcB,
an aversion to the Union of the kingdoms ; and, as may be sup-
posed, was in communication with the frienda of the exiled family
on the Continent* So early as 1707, the Earl had a correspon-
dence with the King of Franco upon the subject, and the follow-
ing, in the handwriting of the celebrated Colbert, shews the
strong feeling which Louis entertained upon the matter, and the
confidence he reposed m the leaders of the rebellion ; —
'* A MoKaisyit le Comte db FijnruTit.
" Monsiear le Comte dc Panranyr : Les prenvea que vous avez
donn^ de vostre aole et de votre fidelltd ne me laissant aucun lieu
de doutcr dc vos sentlraents, & que vous n*appreniez avec
plaisir par le Colonel Hoock ceux que j'ay toujoui's en pour vostre
nation, & Combien je desire de luy laire connoitre Tamitie que
fay pour elle, & le sonvenir de acs anciennes alliances avec ma
Couronne* Je me rernets a ce qu*il vous en dira encore plus
particuliereraent et aux assurances qu*il vous donnera de mon
estime & de mon affection. Sur ce je prio Dieu qu'il vous aigt
Monsieur le Comte de Paumuyr en sa sainte garde, Ecrit a
Marly le 9 Mara 17i)7,
" Lowis.
** Colbert/**
On the death of Queen Anne, which occurred suddenly on the
12th of August 1714, the time arrived for setting forward the
claim of the Stuarts, and although no opposition was publicly
shewn to the settlement by King (xeorge I., private negociations
wore being made in favour of the Stuarts^ by ascertaining the feel-
ings of the Highland chieili, and the number of arms which each
party was likely to muster. As soon as affairs were supposed to
be in proper training, the Earl of Mar, then in the govenimcot,
paid court to King George on one day, and on tlie next went to
Scotland, and raised an army to dethrone him. Mar planted
the standard of rebellion at Castlcton of Braemar, on the 6tb
^^of September 1715; and although the Earl of Panmure was
H^ > Appemdix, No. XV. (3.)
248
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
not there in person, he was far from idle In Angiisi* With a
view of strengthening the cause of the Stuaria, he bought the
lands of Edzell, Glenesk, and Lethnot, from *' the last of the
Lindsays of Edzell ;"^ and it was also through his influence, that
many of the gentlemen in Forfarshire joined the Pretender,
whom the Earl himself proclaimed Ktt^ at the market cross
of Brechiu.
It were idle here to recount the incidents which took place in
the country between the breaking out of the rebellion and the
battle of ShcrifFmiiir ; with these almost every reader m fami-
liar ; suffice it to say that the part which the Earl of Panmure
and his brother Harry Maide of Kelly took in that engage-
ment, was of a singularly brave, decided, and honourable cha-
racter. The Earl was severely wounded in the conflict, and,
but tor the intrepidity of his brother, who discovered him lying
fainting and helpless in a field near the scene of battle, tlie Earl
would have fallen into the hands of the enemy* This incident
has been variously related, and is thus celebrated by the Jacobite
minstrel : —
** BraTQ Mar and Puniniird
Were firm, I ara sure ;
The latter wua kidaapt awa* man,
With brisk men ationt,
Brave Harry retook
Hts brotlier^ and langli'd at tbem a\ man.*'
The battle of Sheriffmuir being rather undecided in its issue,
and it being supposed that the presence of the Chevalier
would inspire the troops with fresh courage, he was advised to
appear in Scotland, where he landed from France on the 22d
of December, and passing from Peterhead to the south, he was
entertained by the Earl of Paomure at Brecliin Castle, on the
2d of January 1716, The Chevalier joined the camp at Perth
a few days afterwards, and while there issued several cdicta
and proclamations, among the rest one regarding his own coro-
nation, which he settled to take place at Scone on the 23d— a
ceremony, however, which was destined never to occur. Only
the day before this proposed ceremonial, the Prince wrote the
following letter to the Earl, which, for liberality of sentiment,
r LiYM of the LiDdMjt; Land of the Lindtajra, v,p.
THE MAULE3 OF PANMURE.
249
manly feeling, and gratitude of heart, would do credit to any
prince of any age or country : —
** Bcoon, 2f Janr, 1716.
** I receaved this day yours of the 19 by Mr Blair, who deliver-
ed your Commissions to me, and am trucly sensible of the Zeal
you shew rae therein. I hope you will always continue to gire
me your advice and oppinion, which on all other occasions, I
shall take as kindly as I do now, I beheve our CathoUcka had no
thoughts of doing anytliing extraordinary next Thursday, But
my own modesty in these matters must and shall be tlieir Rule,
as it ought to be a sufficient proof to all reasonable peoploj of the
emptiness of those apprehensions they may have been prepos-
sessed with in Eelation to Keligion. It is over the hearts of my
subjects, and not their consciences that I am desireous to reigne,
and if mv moderation, and all the aasorances thev have receaved
on that head doc not meet with suitable returns, it may be my
misfortune, but can never be my fault : They may be now, if
they please, a free and bappie People, and I am io Great hopes
they will at length open their Eyes, and put themselves an end
to all their misfortunes. The Encmic make all preparations for
marching, and we are preparing to receave them, but how the
weather will allow of any motion on cither side, I doe not well
understand, Ho^vever, in that particular we are on equal termes,
though not in others, but CouraLje and Zeal, I hope, will supply
the want of numbers. I shall be mire to consider of the other
points of your message. Pray remember me with all kindness
to Lady Panmure, and be assured both of you of my particular
Esteem and Kindness,
"James R;*
The attack alluded to in this excellent letter never came off.
The inequality of the rebels in point of numbers, a fact, it will
be seen, which the Prince refers to with evident coucenij and the
disaffection which reigned throughout the camp, rendered re-
treat unavoidable. Accordingly, on the 3l9t of January, the
army commenced a northward march, and the Chevalier^ as baa
been already more fully noticed, unknown to all save some of
the leaders, re-embarked for France, accompanied by Mar and
several others,
K K
250
MEMOlilALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNB«
At this time the Earl *jf Panmurc was In the prime of life^ being
only forty-eight years of age; and, like many of those who fol-
lowed the same unfortunate cause, his estateB were confiscated, and
he himself escaped abroad, since which period, it is said, the West
Gate, or old principal entrance to the grounds of Panmure, haa
never been opened. It waa while thus Burroimded by misfortune,
aod an exile from his native country, that the Earl received from
the Prince, for whose cause he had suffered j a graceful acknow-
ledgment of Ills services^ in the following remarkable letter, con-
feiring upon him the ancient Order of a Knight of the Thiatle,
which, while it could not fail to be gratifying to the feelings of the
nobleman to whom it was addressed, is perhaps one of the most
melancholy instances of the deaire, yet inability of a Piince, to
confer honor upon a trusty followcrj that is to be found : —
"James R.
" Whereas we are resolved to bestow on you our Rigltt
Trustie and right well-beloved Cousin and Councellour James
Earle of Panmure, The most Noble and moat Ancient Order of
the Thistle, as a mark of our lioyal favour for your Eminent
Services to us, particularly your continued firmness to the In-
terest of our dearest father, James tlie Secondj of pious Memory,
and to us, since our accession to the Throne of our Ancestors j
and also your Remarkable signalizciug yourself of late in our
Servicej by Levying a Regiment of flf"oot in Conjunction with
the Rest of our Loyall Subjects of our Ancient Kingdome of
Scotland, So gallantly behavemg yourself in the Batle of
Shirriffmure, To the great danger of your Life, by your danger-
ous wounds, and great eflFusion of Blood : And it being im-
possible in our present Situation, To Observe the Ordinary
Ceremony in the Election and Inatallation of the Knights of the
said order, We doe therefor, by these presents. Dispense for the
present witb your being Elected and Listalled : And doe hereby
Impower you, to wear all the Ensignes of the said Most Noble,
and Moat Ancient Order of the Thistle, as if you had beea,
actually elected and Installed, with all the Ccremonys thereto
belonging. Given under our RoyiJ hand and Signet (for want
of the Seall of the said Order) at our Court of Avignon, The
4
THE MAtrLES OP PANMURE. 251
Eight day of Aprile, the year of our Lord 1716, and of our
Reign the 15th. By his Majesty's Cammand.
"Mar,"
"To our Rigbt Tniity, and Right well-belovwl
Consiii and Coancellour, JftiueB Earle of Panmnre, &o "
The exiled Earl went to the Continent, and being a person of
learning, and having a taste for literature, he enjoyed the friend-
ship and society of some of the most celebrated men of the
different countries in which ho travelled. Of this no better
instance can be given than the following letter by Cardinal
Gualter, written on the occasion of his niiaaing the Earl when at
Rome J at whose lodgings the Cardinal had called to bid Lord
Panmnre farewell, prior to the departure of the latter for Urbina,
to which city the letter was addressed : —
"A Rom! k 17 JulUi 1717.
** Je suis dans nne veritable Confusion Milord de vous devoir
faire mes tres hnmble actions des graces do toutos les Bontez qne
vous avez eu pour moy pendant vostre sejour a Rome par cette
lettre, puisque j'avols souahit^ de m' accqnitter ce devoir en
personne. On m'avoit suppost^ que voua ne partiri^z de Rome
que Dimanche la nuit. Je nie remlia ce mcsme jour a vostre
porte maia J'euis la mortification d* apprendre que vous etiez deja
partij. Je vous supplie de recevoir en ccbaiige les protestations
sinceres que Je vous faia par cellea icij de raa reconnoissance
& de mon attachment respcctneuse ct d'etre persuad<5 que per-
sonne ne vous honnore plus parlaitement & n*est a voua avec
plus de sincerity et de veneration ililord que,
*' Le Cardinal Gualterio/''
For a time the Enrl had no fixed place of residence, but ho
latterly settled in France, While there, among various pursuits
of a literary character, he made collections of charters and other
muniments relating to his predecessors, the Maules and the Val-
lognes of Normandy. These documents were afterwards arrang-
ed by Mr Crawford, author of the "Peerage,*^ ** Lives of the
Officers of State of Scotland," &c,, and now form two volumes
folio, entitled Begistrum de Panmure. It is a most valuable and
• Appkidix. No. XY. (4.)
fe.
2
2S2
MEMORIALa OF ANGUS AND MEARN8.
authentic family history, extending from 1066 to 1733, when the
MS. was complete J, It is enriched by several beautiful heraldic
illumioationa, and eflSgies from ancient family tombs, which were
executed in France, under the eye of the forfeited EarL*
At the time of the forfeiture the rental of the estates of Pan-
mure, besides services, and the patronage.^ of the Abbacy of Ar*
broath, amounted to £3,45G a-year, being the most valuable of the
confiscated properties of 1716. While mentioning this fact, it is
only fair to the government of the period to add, that the estates
w^ere offered back to the Earl at two different times, provided
only he would return to Britain, and take the oath of allegiance
to the House of Hanover. That, however, he declined to do,
and remaining an exile for life, he died at Paris, on the 11th day
of April 1723. His Countess survived until 1731, having parti-
cipated in the provisions of the Act of 1717, by which she, and
the ladies of the other forfeited nobles, had a sum settled u[>on
them for lite, the same as they would have enjoyed had their
husbands been naturally dead. In honour of his union with this
Lady, the Earl crectedj near the House of Pan mure, a fluted
column, about forty feet high, surmounted by a vase, and upon
the base of the column is the following simple inscription ; —
'^ JAMES EARLE OF PANMURE, 1694,
MAROARET C0UNTE8 OF PANiTURE, 16^4."
SECTION IV.
Harry Maiile of Kylly— Hi« literary tastf^^^Marrittge of Lady Jftno Manle to Lord
Itamsay of Dalbousie^ — ^Tbe Hon. Williiitn Matilc created Earl of Panraure—
Purch&sos bock tlio Puntntire EstatcB — His Will and Deatb — Sticceeded by th«
Eurl of DalboaKic" — Snecoaslon of tbe Hon* William Ilaniftay Maule — Created
A Hrili»b Peer — His Family and Deatb — Siicccitsioij of tbe Hon. Fox Matile —
EijBtoration of PAnmnre House— Early Notices of it — Iln Library, Sec,
The feelings and sympathies of the Honourable Harry Maule
of Kelly, appear to have been very similar to thoae of hia
• For tbe nse of tbii valuable MS., and mnny otbere, of wbicb I baTe taken
adTan(ri'5e in Tariona parts of tbls volume, I am indebted to tbe kindness of Lord
Panmfire. From tbeso «ottrce« many intore«ting facts bave been obtained, not only
reganitnp: tbo bist^ry of the Family of Panmure, but of the County of Forfar in
1,'eneral, which have not bofora b^nn tiotio«d.
THE MAULES 01' PANMUEE* 253
brother, the forfeiteJ Earl, and being a meraher of the Conven-
tioE of Estates in 1689, he left the Assembly when they de-
termined to forfeit James VI L He had ako a taste for the
study of Scottish antiquities and hiatory, and to his friendship
with Sir George Crawford h to be attributed, in a great mea-
sure, the existence at Panmure of the celebrated Haddington
Collections, the Panmure MiscellauicSj and a variety of other
MS3., well known to Scottbh antiquaries, and which have been
so largely drawn upon by the Baunatynej Spalding, and other
literary Clubs,
Mr ilaule was twice married, first to Mary Fleming, daughter
to the Earl of Wigtoun, by whom he had three sons and two
daugliters ; and next to Anne, second daughter of Lindsay-
Crawford of Kilbiraey, who bore to him four sons and one
daughter The %vbole of the second tamily died unmarried^ as
did also the first, with the exception of the eldest daughter,
LADY JANE MAULE,
who became the wife of George, Lord Ramsay, eldest son of the
sixth Earl of Dalhousie, and from this marriage is descended the
present noble representative of the family of Panmure. Allan
Kamsay, the poet, claimed descent from Dalhousie ; and wrote
an Ode on the occasion of that marriage, in which he thus
alludes to the antiquity and loyalty of both families : —
" Both from the line of patriotii rise,
CEiefs of DALRODgiK ftod Pa-nmube *,
Wboae loyal fames ahall eUinji despiae,
Wliile ocean flows and orba endure,"
William, youngei^t son of Harry Maule of Kelly by his first
marriage, and brother to Lady Ramsay, w^as an officer of distinc-
tion in the Flemish wars, and rose to the rank of a general. He
represented the county of Forfar in Parliament for the long period
of fifty-seven yearsj ; and on the 6th of April 1 743, was created
Earl Panmure of Forth, and Viscount Maule of Whiteclmrch, in
the Irish peerage, with remainder to heirs-male of his own body,
and to those of his brother, John Maule of Invcrkeillor, The
Earl and his brother both died unmaiTled, and the titles became
extinct on the death of the former, 4th January 1782.
Earl William having acquired considerable riches, bought
i
254
5IEM0!iIALS OF ANGUS AKD M EARNS.
back the forfeited estates of liia ancestora in 1764, for the sum
of £49,157 18fi, 4d. sterling. He added to them several other
lands, and in 1775, executed a settlement of his laoded property
in favour of his brother, John Maiile (who predeceased him in
1781), and of his nephew, George, Earl of DalhouBie, in life rent,
and of the Ear!*8 second and other aona, in fee. It was in virtue
of this entail that the late Hon. William Ramsay Manle, after-
wards Lord PanmurCj as second son of the eighth Earl of
Dalhousie, and grandson of Lady Jane Manle, succeeded to the
estates of Panmure on the death of hia father in 1787, at which
time he was only in the sixteenth year of his age.
Lord Panmure, who died at Brechin Castle, on the 3d of April
1852, was buried, by his own desirej in the parish churchyard of
Brechin, He wtls remarkable for liberality in politics, having
died "father of Kefonn in Scotland;*' and what between hia
encouragement of the fine arts, his numerous private charities,
and his gifts to the public institutions of Forfarshire— his name
will long continue to be remembered* He represented that
county in Parliament from 1796 till 1831, when he was elevated
to the peerage of the United Kingdom by the title of Baron
Panmure of Brechin and Navar. By his late amiable lady,
Patricia-Heron, daugliter of Gilbert Gordon of Halleaths, he had
three sons and seven daughters. Four daughters still survive.
The eldest &on, Fox, succeeded his father, and since that time,
few families have ha J occasion to mourn the loss, by death, of so
many near and dear relatives. On the 11th of November 1853,
Lady Panmure, grand-daughter of Sir Ralph Abercromby, died
suddenly at Pitfour Castle ; and his Lordship's elder brother, the
Hon, Colonel Lauderdale Maule, fell a victim to cholera, near
Varna, while in the service of his Queen and Country, on tlie Ist
August 1854, At the time of his death, ho was Colonel of the
gallant 79th Highlanders, Surveyor-General of the Ordnance,
and Assistant Adjutant-General of the Forces in the Crimea, in
which responsible offices he enjoyed the entire confidence of the
Commander-in-Chief, Lord Raglan, who, in lamenting his early
demise, w^armly characterised hira as *' an estimable friend, and
an able officer.'' The third and only brother of Lord Panmure,
the Hon, William Maule, sometime attachd to the Diplomatic
TUE MAULES OF PAN MURE. 255
Embassy In Turkey, died at hia seat of ^laulcsJen, near Brechin,
OH 17 til February 1859. In 1844, he maiTied Elizaljeth, daugh-
ter and heiress of ThomaB Binny of Feme, by whom he left a
family of four daughters — two aona having predeceased him.
The distinguished part which Fox, Lord Panmure, has taken
in politics, from the time he waa returned by the Liberal party
tor the county of Perth in 1835, down to his elevation to the
House of Lords, has been warm, steady, ami cunsistent. Since
hit succession to the estates, in 1852, he has become stUl more
famous, and, as Secretary of War, from Febmary 1855 to
Febi-uary 1858, during the late Rnaaiau campaign, and the re-
volts in India, it has been universally acknowledged ^ that he
rendered signal aervice to tlie country. In consequence of the
many aalutary measures which he introduced for tlie improvement
of the army, he has gained the enviable appellation of *' the
aoldiers' friend/*
In appreciation of his Lordship's services in his oflScial ca-
pacity— but more particularly from the respect with which he
is held in his native county, of which he is Lord-Lieutenant— it
may bo added, that during his short stay there in 185G, he was
entertained to two different banquets, in the autumn of that
year. The first was given by a number of his Lordship's ten-
antry, the other by the freeholders and gentlemen of the shire.'*
Bath demonstrations were most spontaneous and hcarty» the
latter, as may be supposed, being much more of a political
character than the first ; and without adverting farther to those
mectiugs, it need merely be remarked that in his Ix^rdship^a
reply to the toast of his health at the banquet of the tenantry, he
alluded to certain points in his career which mil doubtless form
the source from which some of the earlier and more interesting
portions of his life will be gleaned by future writers.
During the period his Lordship held the office of War Minister,
^» Tlie first of these banqiit^ta was helJ, October 2* 1856, in n mrtrquec, erected
within this Fluwer Gjircien at Edzell Castle. It wiw confinfjd chiefly to the tenantry
of the Northern DUliict of the Eatate, which include a the parishes of Brechin*
Edzell, Lethnot and Navar, Lochlee* and Kiunell, There were about 200 persona
iirescnt, presided over hj David H<:>bertson, Eso., farmer, Wcstwide. The County
DAuquct wiiH held in the Hall of the MArket-place, Arbroath, on 30th December
following. It was attended by abont 1000 persona, Sir Johij Ogilvy, hart,, MP,,
eoQveDer of the cuuoty, bciuij chainnaii ftti «</>., 168.)
M
256
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
Her Majesty appointed him a Kniglit of the Grand Cross of the
Bath, He had been elect ed^ io 18o3, a Knight of the Order of
the Thistle, and, soon afterwards, Keeper of the Privy Seal of
Scotland. While in tlie House of Conimons he was appointed to
the important posts of a Privy Councillor, Under Secretary for
the Home Department, Secretary-at-War, and President of the
Board of Control.
As remarked in a previous Chapter, his Lordship's favourite
residence is Brechin Castle, which, prior to the death of his late
lamented brother, Colonel Maule, was occupied by him. Pan-
mure House, being the only other suitable place of residence
upon the estates, his Lordship had it remodelled in a superb and
imposing style of architecture, with a view of making it his own
principal seat. Whatever can contribute to comfort and luxury
is adopted in the phtn of the house ; while the surrounding
grounds, but more particularly the gardens, are laid out in a style
of grandeur scarcely surpassed in Scotland.*^
The old castle of Panmure stood near to the present house,
which, as before observed, was built by George, third Earl of
Panraurcj about the year 1680-84, the offices having been erected
in 1664, Ruios of the older castle still remain, although no re-
cord exists of the time it was erected. The house built by Earl
George was in the Elizabeth ian style of architecture, and Mr
Ocbtcrlony, who wrote about the time it was built, says it '* is
thought by many, except Halvniicthouse, the beat house in the
kiugdome of Scotland." It had, continues the same authority,
** delicate gardens, with high stone walls, extraordinare much
planting, young and old ; many great parks about the new and
old house, with a great deal of planting about the old house ;
brave hay meadows well ditched and hedged; and, in a word, is a
most excellent, sweet, and delicate place."* Nor, nearly a century
afterwards, was the appearance of Panmure mentioned in less
laudatory terms, for Mr Pennant calls it '^a large and excellent
house, surrounded by vast plantations."*' But those planta-
tions, which were spoken of so favorably, are, unfortunately no
* ^*^? detailed account, and an engraving of the pretent Hoane of Panmtirv,
ftc., lee Thi BiUider.
* Spottiiwoode MiicelL, I 347.
• Tour in Sootknd. in 1762,
THE MAULES OF PANMURE, 257
more, and the neigbbourfiood of the house, compared with what
It was, is bleak and desolate*
Nor waa the interior less attractive than the exterior. It con-
tained some excellent family paintings, the best of which have
been noticed by Mr Pennant; and it could also, at one time, boast
of one of the most valuable libraries in the north, fonned by the
collections of several generations, principally, as before noticed,
through the influence of Commissary Maiile of St Andrews, and
Harry Manle of Kelly. Besides the moat approved editions of
the classics, and books on history and general literature, there
were many valuable manuscripts* In proof of the importance of
the library, and the taste of the family in literature, the follow-
ing remarks by Mr Thomas Inues need only be quoted, *^ No
private family," says that excellent authority, " hath shewn
greater zeal for retrieving the historical and other monuments
of their country, than that of Panmure ; which, besides an
ancient ScottcJironicon^ is in possession of the original diartu-
laries of St Andrews and of Brechin^ and of copies of almost all
the other chartularies remaining, with a rare collection of origi-
nal writs of the abbeys and other valuable monumentB.**^
From this library, as before hinted, some of the most im-
portant of the Chartularies and Miscellanies of the Bannatjme,
Maitland, and Spalding Clubs have been printed ; besides which,
there are still a number of interesting MSS. which have not yet
Been the light. Since the accession of the present Peer, the
library has been enriched by the Inventory and Memorandum
Books of the York Buildings' Company, relating to the forfeited
estates of Panmure, Southesk, and Marischal, in 1729, &€., in
two volumes folio, MS* (from which several extracts have been
made, for the first time, in this work) ;K by complete sets of the
Bannatyne and Abbotsford Club-books, and also by Mr George
Thomson's corrected copy of the Songs of Bums, the Poet of
Scotland, containing numerous characteristic letters and poems
in the poet's hand-writing*
« ' Critical Ensay on tlie Ancient Inhabitant* of Scfit^ 685, v Ui $up., 88.
I
LL
5ri)e eampfirafaiMes; Ecigijtotia; jFftttons;
ISfatons; antr <Staf)aitt0.
SECTION L
THE UMPHRATILLESj EARLS OF ANGUS.
The Celtic Ejirls of Angas, tnd tlwjir Gifta to tbe Abbey of Arbro«tb — CoiiDtew
Mftude— Her Marriago with. Gilbert ilo UmpbraTille — Forfeiture of the Um-
pbravjlki — Sir John Stewart created Earl of Amgns^The Doyglafiu hiccmiI
to tUe Titles and Estates -*Costle of Mains— Old Krrkjftrd, &q-
It need scarcely be said that the Norman family of Umplirai-
ville were of antiquity and power in England from an early
date. The first recorded of them, called Robert xDiih the Beard^
was a kinaraan of William the Conqueror, and obtained from
him a grant of the Lordship, Valley, and Forest cf Riddesdale,
in Northumberland, which he held on the remarkable tenure
*' of defending that part of the country for ever, from Enemies
and Wolves, with that Sword which King William had by hia
Side when he entered Northumberland."'* From " Robert with
the Beard," Gilbert^ husband of Maude, or Matilda, Countess of
AngnSj waB the fifth in direct succeseion j and her son,
CfSilbrrt l^e SmfrauuiUr, tomfsJ Of ^ntgojt,
did homage to King Edward upon the green oppoeite to the
castle of Norham on the Tweed, on the 13th of June 1291,*' and
from that time was a staunch supporter of the EDglish, lie
occasionally followed in the suite of the King, and accompanied
him to France in 1294, with a train of retalnerSj well fitted with
horse and armour/
* DagdAl€'i B*wnA^* of Engknd, if 504. ' RftffTTun Kolli, 9l
* Ibid., ?7^7 ; Bugrklfl^a Baronagfl, u 505,
THE CELTIC EARLS OP ANGUS. 259
At the time of the death of Margaret of Norway, Gilbert de
Uraphraville^ as before seen, was governor of the castles of Dan-
clee and Forfar, and of the whole territory of Angus, find was
the only person of note in Scotland who offered opposition to
King E Jward^s receiving seisin of the fortresses of the kingdom.
On being summoned to the parliament of England, in 1295, by
his Scottish title of Earl of Angns, the lawyers refused to acknow-
ledge him until he produced the King^a writ. He died in
the firat year of Edward II. ; and about seven years previouslyi
aft was then customary, he founded a chantry for two priests to
celebrate a daily service in the Chapel of Our Lady, within his
Castle of Prudhow, toward.-^ the support of which he gave various
grants of land. He was succeeded in bis titles and eatatea by
hia son Robert, then about thirty years of age.
Robert of Umphraville was first appointed joint, then sole
guardian of Scotland^ by Edward, and although he was subse-
quently forfeited by Bruce, he continued to bear the ancient title
of AnguSj and was one of the Commissioners of England who
treated with Scotland tor a truce. His eldest son and successor,
Gilbert, was among the disinherited barons who invaded Scot-
land in 1332, fought at the battle of Duppllu, and was one of
the chief in command at Durham in 1346. Neither Thomas,
his half-brother and successor, nor his nephew or grand-nephew
—the latter of whom was a Knight of the Garter, and died a
bachelor in 1436 — ^ assumed the ancient title of Angus, but all of
them were lords of their original properties in England, and on
the death of the last-named, Walter of Talbois, grandson of
Robert of Uraphraville, third Earl of Angus of that name, suc-
oeeded to those extensive possessions.
Of the history of the most ancient Earls of Angus, of wliom
Countess Maude or Matilda, was a direct descendant, little is
to be relied upon until about the middle of the twelfth century,
when Earl Gillebride appears as a witness to charters by Robert,
Bishop of St Andrews, and by King Malcolm IV.^ It is true
that, according to Chalmers, they were descended from the
old- Celtic Marmora or Earls of the district , the first named of
whom was Dubican, son of Indrechtaig, who died in the year
* Reg, Priomt. S, Andre<^» 129-34.
260
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND UEARNS,
P
939,' As stated by Martin of Clermontj Gilchrist, Earl of
AuguSj who flourished in the time of Malcolm Canmore, and
lived after 1120, married Finella, sister of the Thaue of the
MearnSj by whom he had Gillebride, the contemporary of David
L and Malcolm IV.
Eaid Gillebride fought at tlie battle of the Standard in 1138,
and in 11T4, ho was one of those who agreed to the suireoder
of the independence of the kingdom for the release of King
William — an act which proved so fatal to the interests of the
nation at an after period. From the Chart ulary of Arbroath ^
the first volume of which aflFords evidence of five generations of
that family, we are enabled to correct, and add to, their pre-
viously printed genealogy. Accordiug to that authority, Gille-
bride was alive in 1187, and was succeeded by his eldest son
Gilchrist, whom we find, for the first time, in 1198, assuming the
title of Earl of Angus/
It ought to be remarked that during the lifetime of Gillehridej
his fourth son, Adam, in witnessing the gift of the church of
Eothmuref or Barry^ by Williara the Lion to the Abbey of
Arbroath, is styled^ during the lifetime both of his father and
elder brother, ** Adam, cornea de Anegus."^
It appears that Gillebride, sometime before the foundation of
the Abbey of Arbroath, contemplated erecting an hospital near
Broughty Ferry, for in his charter of the lands and fishings of
Portincraig to the monastery of Arbroath, mention is made to
tliat effect, though the idea does not seem ever to have gone
farther, owing, perhaps to the King's foundation at Arbroath.^
It may be observed thatj though the name of Portincraig la
now only given to the headlaud on the Fife side of the Tay, it
appears to have been then the name of Broughty in Angus and
the adjoining lauds.
Earl Gillebride, who is said to have man-ied a sister of
King William the Lion, had several sons^ and between the
years 120Q and 1207, Earl Gilchrist, his successor, became one
of the chief donors to his nucleus favourite monastery, and,
among various other gifts to that house he made over the
• CJiJilnicTt' Culedonia, i. 452,
( B«g. \ti d« Al>crl» , H ; 103. ■ Ibtd 18 ; 02, 9.
* Ibid., 34.
MAUDE, COUNTESS OF ANGUS*
261
churches of Monifod, or Monifieth ; Muraufl, or Murroes ;
Strathdechtyn-Comitis, or Mains, and Kerimor. To the charters
of the three first, Gilbert, brother of Earl Gilchrist, aiid hia
8011 Duncan, are witnesses.^ Earl Gilchrist died sometime be-
tween the years 1207 and 1211, as^ about the latter date, Earl
Duncan confirmed the previous grant of Portincraig, to which
his brother AnguB ia a witneas> Earl Duncan appears to have
died before 1214, aa, about that time, Earl Malcolm gave a
charter of lauds in the territory of Kirriemuir to the monks
of Arbroath, ivhich was witnessed by his brother Hugh, of
whom no mention is made by genealogists, nor of Earl' Mal-
colm's sons, Angus and Adam, both of whom are witnesses to
his confirmation of the lands of Portincraig and of the abovo^
mentioned kirka.^
Earl ilalcolm also granted the Abthein lands of Monifieth to
the monastery of Arbroath, By Mary, daughter and heiress of
Sir Humphry de Berkeley, knight, he had Matilda or Mande,
Countess of Angus, the wife of Gilbert of Umphravllle. In
1242-3, Countess Maude confirmed the charters of all the churches
above-named, and also gave the monks a toft and croft of land
at ilonifieth, which ia described in the cliarter as the land to the
south of that church which " the Culdees held in her father's
time.""*
Such, briefly, is an account of this ancient family, down to the
time of its failure in the direct line with Countess Maude, and
of its revival and fall in the English family of Umphraville.
Subsequently to the latter period the succession to the titles and
estates of Angus, appears to have devolved on heirs-whatsoever ;
and, so late as 1251, which, however, is the latest trace of a
direct male descendant of the old family, w^e have Angus, son of
Gillebride, in the lifetime of Countess Maude, witnessing the
perambulation of the lands of Tarvays, which belonged to the
Abbot of Arbroath and the Countess of Buclian,'*
Soon after the forfeiture of Robert of Umphraville aa Earl of
» Rc^, Vet. de Aberb.. 20-3 L ■» Ibid., 36. ^ Ibid., 37^34.
" Ibid., 37. Fr<Kifj£ingi of So. of Antiqmirie^ (ii, 66-9), cotj tains an acconnt
of tbo diftcKJVery of about 700 Bilver coins of Alex. IIL and Edward 1. Aiid 11.,
whicb Vfoa made in the churchyard of Monitietfa, in Sep. 1854.
■ lieg. Vet. do Abcrb,, 162.
262
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND ME ARKS
Angus, the title was conferred upon Sir John Stewart of Bonkjl,
grandaoQ of the brave knight of that name who fell at the battle
of Falkirk. Sir John first appears under the title of Earl of
Angus in 1329, and in consequence of the failure of male issue
iji his grandson Thomas, the third Earl, the title and estates de-
volved on his grand-daughter, Margai'et, whose only son, by her
second marriage with the first Earl of Douglas, became, in her
right, Earl of Angus, about the year 1389, when he had a grant
of that Earldom to himself, and the heirs male of his body.'' He
had ten successors in the earldom, some of whom, it is superfluous
to add, took a prominent part in the affairs of Scotland.
William, the eleventh Earl, was created a Marquis in 1633 —
the earldom and estates of Douglas having sometime before merged
into that of Angus. A Dukedom ws^ also conferred upon Archi-
baldj the third Marquis, at whose death, in 1761, the title of Duke
of Douglas became extinct, and the Marquisate of Douglas, and
Earldom of Angus devolved upon the Duke of Hamilton, while
the Duke's real and personal property fell to Archibald Stewart,
son of the unfortunate Lady Jane DouglaSj sister of the Duke.
This, one of the moat remarkable cases on record, was decided
in favour of Stewart, by the House of Lords, on the 27th of
February 1771, and from him, who assumed the surname of
Douglas, and was created a British Peer, in 1790, by the title
of Baron Douglas of Douglas Castle, the present family are
directly descended.
The property of the old Earls of Angus was of great extent,
and at the time of the forfeiture of Robert of Umphraville, the
Angus, Elgin, and Forres portions were given, by Robert the
BrucOj to William of Lindsay ,p The old Earls of Angus are
supposed to have had their residence at Mains, near Dundee, an
idea which is inferred from the fact of that district being known
in their day by the name of " Strath dychten-Comitis" or Earl-
Strathdichty. The situation of their castle, however, is un-
known, and the oldest part of the present edifice, wliich is
ruinous, and consists of a square tower and enclosed court, was
built during the last half of the sixteenth century, by an ances-
tor of the Viscounts Dundee. On one part is the date, 1562, and
• Doiig1*a* Pc«r*;;e, i. 432, » Rpg, M»g. Sig , p. 17.
THE CASTLE AKD KIEKYARD OF MAINS. 263
over a door io tlio cast side of tlie building is this inscription,
prettily carved in ornamental letters —
''PATRIiE ■ ET ^ POSTEBIS ' GRATIS ' ET ' AMICIS • 1582/'
Malcolm Ramsay of Auchterhouae was proprietor of Mains
about the middle of the fourteenth century, and the Grahams ac-
quired it shortly befiire they built the castle. The neighbourhood
18 singularly picturesque, and some of the trees around the castle
are large and venerable. A romantic den separates tlie castle
from the old kirkyard of the parish^ in which is the burial vault
of the Grahams — a small unadorned grey building. In the den,
near the churchyardj a spring is known by the name of Sintvm
— probably a corruption of that of some old saint,"! although
it is locally said to have been so called because the sun rarely
shines upon it I There are a few quaint epitaphs in this grave-
yard, of which, perhaps, the following is the most curious. It is
upon a meal miller, who died in 1655, the stone being adorned
with carvings of a mill rynd, and a mill-stone pick ; —
** Wnder thii stone iaterd lyes ba
Wlio 40 two zftere Uvd was ;
At mila and kil nght honestUo,
And with bii neigh[botirs] dealt hd tbTs ;
Brt death in Aprjl 55,
Fro of the stage did him riove.**
SECTION II.
THE LEIGHTONS OF USAN<
Origin and Settlom^nt of the Leigh tons at Usan— Suhseqaent Noticci of the Family
— Abbot David of Arbraath — Murder of a Dowager Lady of Uian— ^The Su0er-
wgB of Dr Ale lander Leigh ton^Bi shop Leigh ton — Origin of the Name, aad
ProprieUry Kolicee of UBati— The Churchee and Chapels of St Braoch, St Skae,
Bt Fer^B, and St Mary, &c.
The surname of Le^h-ton la said to be of Saxon origin, and to
signify a place or town of pasture. It is believed to have been
assumed from the barony of Leighton, in the county of Bedford,
^ [?StlTia,or St IrtJ
f
MEMORlAIJl OF ANGUS AND MEARNS*
in England, where there were peraonB of the name even before
the Norman Conquest. Soon after that event, Sir Richard, son
of Sir Titus de Leighton, who was a co-founder of the Abbey of
Buldewas in Salop, made a grant to that monastery/
The time and cause of the settlement of the Leightons in
North Britain is uncertain ; but they seem to have appeared first
in the county of Fortar^ and in the neighbourhood of Montrose,
for so early as the year 1260j William of Lech ton is witness to
a grant by Walter of Rossy, whose ancestors, vassala of the old
Norman family of Malherb, held the land.^ from which they
assumed their surname, and ako those of Usan, from at least
1245.' Most probably the Leigh tons acquired the lands of Usan
from the lords of Rossy -, and perhaps
who performed homage to King Edward L within the chapel of
Kinghorn, in Fife, on the 19th of July 1291,^ was the son of the
baron who witnessed the charter above referred to* From the
fact of the latter being designed a knight^ he had doubtless done
good service to the country.
In 1337, Thomas of Lychton, probably a son of Sir William,
was derk of the livery at Kildrummy Castle; and in 1342, a
person bearing the 'bame name and surname is designed canon of
Moray, and collector of the customs of Inverness.^ Walter of
Lychton is witness to Patrick Forster's charter of the lands of
Liner do vat in Angus, in 1390 ; and in 1406, Walter Lychton is
described as the sou of the late Walter Lychton, This latter
was the laird of Usauj who fell at the feud of Glenbrierachan, in
the Stormont, which took place in 1391, betwixt the first Earl
of Crawford, and his relative, the Wolf of Badenoch, Leigh ton
was half brother to Sir Walter Ogilvy, sheriff of Angus, who
also fell there, an incident, and relationship, which are thus
quaintly told by Wyntown : —
*' Gud Schir Walter of Ogjlwj",
Thftt mttjaly knycbt and that worthy,
Scbermve that tyiiie of Angui,
Godlike wia, &nd rert^uoos ;
■ Dogdale*B Monaslicon. * Reg. Vet. de Ahcrb., 337,
• BAgman Roll*. 16. • Chamh, Rolla^ i. 246, 267, 283.
THE LEIQHTONS OF U8AX. 265
And ft gad Eqw jtT of gret renown,
Mb Brutbir W&t cald of Licbtouoo ;
(To tliia pid Scbirrave of Angua
Half Brotbir tie wea^ «nd rjcbt fiuii(»ui ;
Of syndiy Fiidirs was thiiii tw4,
Of laacliful bed likaae of tha)'**
The son of this unfortunate baron, in consequence, perhapSj of
his rclatioosliip to the Ogilvys, had a small annuity out of the
lands of Cainpaie In Lintrathen. Contemporary both with him
and his father was Duncan of LichtouDj who, in 1391, is designed
** locum tenens vicecomitis de Forfar;" and, m 1409, is a witness to
Duthoc of Carnegy's charter of a part of the lands of Kinnaird.*
In 1415, Alexander of Lichttoune is deaigiiated Prior of Tor-
phichen, and a Knight of the Order of St John of Jerusalem,
in a confirmation charter regarding the Temple lands of Keithock
and Dalgety near Brechin,^
On the death of William, Abbot of Arbroath, which took place
in 1483, the Convent being divided in opinion regarding the elec-
tion of a successor, agreed to entrust the settlement to the Prior of
Fyvie, who, it seems, made choice of Sir David of Lichtone, who
was of the Usan family, and at the time held the offices of clerk
of the King's treasury, and archdean of Ross. The appoint-
ment gave so great satisfaction that 3000 gold ducats were
voted by the Convent to defray the expenses of expediting
Leighton*s bulla at RomeJ He held the office of Abbot down
to at least 1505 ; and during bis Abbotship, a relative of his
own, Walter Lichton, son to the laird of Usan, acted as justiciary
of the regality of the Abbey.* Apart from Abbot David, several
of the family were churchmen, and some of them became con-
nected with the Chapter of the Cathedral of Brechin**
Besides the lands of Usan, those of Capo in the Jlearns, New-
lands, Athyjand Brunton (Bryanton), in Angus, were also posses-
sed by cadets of this house towards the close of the fifteenth century.
Duncan Lichton of Athy and Brunton is designed *' armiger" or
esqutre^^—sk title which had a very different meauiog during that
' Cronykil, ii. 369 ; Acta Pari. i. 217 ; Fordtin, ii. 420.
» Reg. Mag. Sig., p. 201 ; Chainli. Kolls, ii. 181*3 ; Reg- Mag. Sig., p, 228.
* Reg. Ep. Brechiti., i. 57; ii. 18.
r Reg. Nig. do Aberb., 209-1 1 . * Tbid., 217. &c.
• Eeg, Ep. Brechin,, pcMf, * Ibid., ii. 358 ; Kig. Abcrb., 177, &c,
MM
266
MEMORIALS OF AK0U3 AXD MEARN8,
period from what it has at present, when it is used, particularly
in Scotland, without regard either to birth or rank.
The laird of Usan, who flourished towards the middle of the
sixteenth centurj, married a lady named Helen Stirling. He
predeceased her, and she afterwards became the wife of James
Straton, perhaps a cadet of the old family of Lauristonj in the
Mearns, They lived at Dalladicg in the same county, of which
Straton had probably been laird. By Leigbton she bad a son
named John, who succeeded his father, and who, from what cause
is not apparent, entertained a mortal hatred to bis mother ; and,
by his instigation, it appears that both she and her maid-servant
suffered violent deaths '* within the Place of Dallady," where
they were murdered in cold blood during the night of the 24th
of April 1549, crimes which were aggravated ha consequence of
both being pregnant at the time.
Persons named Waldy, Gracy, and Fotbringhame were con-
victed and hanged for these murders ; and, subsequently, James
Shorewood found caution to appear for the same crime, while the
laird himself, making his escape before the day of trial, was
** denounced rebel and put to the horn.** On the Ist of December
1561 J Shorewood was brought before the Court, and James
Straton and James Lychtoun, the latter of whom was parson of
Dunlappy, appeared as prosecutors, when a protest was entered
against Lycbtoun by the defenders, setting forth that ** conform
to the lawis ** the parson ** suld tyne his benefice," by which it
would seem that. In those days, the clergy were not allowed to
prosecute in criminal cases. No farther record of this barbarous
murder is given j but apart from that charge, it appears the
ossassms were also accused of ** breaking up the cheats of the
said James Stratoun, and stealing and reiving furth of the said
Place and chests, all the goods and jewels contained therein."*^
This murder seems to have had a bad eflfect upon the fortunes
of the house of Usan. In course of the first half of the seventeenth
century, it is believed that the family ceased to have posseflsion
of the estate, and John, who, in 1619, was served heir to his
fatlier Robert Leigbton, in tlie aouth^ or sunny side of the estate
— the north or shady side being then in other hands'* — is the last
■ Pitcainj'« Crim. Triivlft, u *344, ♦3»'V0, ^411. ** Inq. Sp*c.» Forfar, Noa. 118 22.
THE LEIGUT0N3 OF USAJT. 267
of the family wliom we have foimd mentianed in connection with
the estate. Thta Robert was nephew to the celebrated Dr Alex-
ander Leighton, who was so barbarously treated by the Star
Chamber^ in the rcigu of Khig Cliarlea I., for having written
a poiimical pamphlet, A brief notice of Dr Lcighton^s case
and suflFeringa will suflBce, The publication for which he was
convicted waa entitled *^ An Appeal to the Parliament ; or a
Plea against Prelacy ;" and believing it to contain charges
against the King and the Bishops, Leigh ton's household furni-
ture, his books, and papers were destroyed, by order of the
government, and he himself committed to Newgate prison, where
he was confined for fifteen weeks in a damp loathsome cell, full
of vermin, without a bed to rest npon, and exposed to the in-
clemency of the weather.
The subsequent proceedings In this case are minutely given by
Mr Rush worth, who shews that Leighton confessed to writing
the book, but denied that it was done irvith any other motive than
merely to bring the consideration of certain grievances in the
Church and State under the notice of the Parliament. Tho
Court, however, were dissatisfied w^ith the pica, and not only
sentenced him to be imprisoned in the Fleet during life, but also
had him fiaed £10jOOO, aod referred his degradation to the High
Commission. ** That done,'* says Rush worth, *' to be brought to
the Pillory at Westminster (the court sitting), and there whip'd ;
and after whipping, to be set In the pillory, have one of his
ears cut off, one side of his nose slit, and be branded on one
cheek with the letters 8-S., for a * Sower of Sedition ;' and an-
other day to be brought on a market-day to the pillory in Cheap-
side, there likewise whipt, and have his other ear cut off, and the
other side of his nose sht,"
The first portion of this barbarous sentence was put in execu-
tlon, and the evening before the day which was set apart for the
second, he escaped from prison ; but being soon afterwards
caughty and while the old wounds w^ere yet nuhcaled, he under-
went the rest of his punishment, while the parties who aided him
in his escape were each fined £500| and ordered to be imprisoned
during the King's pleasure*
After being confined for the long period of eleven years in a
268
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEABN3.
dark and filthy dungeon, Leighton was released bj the govern-
ment of the Commonwealth, hut so deeply had he suffered that
he could neither walk. Bee, nor bear. He presented a petition to
Parliament setting forth his grievances, which is said to have
made such an impression upon the feelings of the members
present that many of tliem shed tears ; and, condemning the *m-
famona conduct of his persecutors, the Parliament at same time
voted £6j000 to Leighton as a solatium for the indignity and
suffering which he had midergone," In consideration of his
knowledge of medicine, he was also made keeper of the new
prison at Lambetli, but his health being much broken^ he did not
long enjoy that appointment.
This unfortunate man was father of Robert Leighton, bishop
first of DunblanCj afterwards archbishop of Glasgow, one of
the most amiable, learned, and generous-hearted of churcb-
men. In the first-named of those towns he established and
endowed a valuable library which still bears his name/ The
JBiskop^B Walk^ along the pictnresquo banks of the Allan, is
yet pointed out, and his name is spoken with veneration and
esteem, while his theological writings are remarkable, even at
the present day, for purityj beauty^ and simplicity of language,
presenting all those fine characteristics of their author, which are
so well described by Bishop Burnet — ^" great quickness of parts,
a lively apprehension, with a charming vivacity of thought and
expression/^K
As previously remarked, the first recorded proprietors of
Usan were the Hossys, who held it for at least two genera-
tions, during which the name was written Hul^skamJ^ It were
idle to enquire when it received the Homeric designation of
Ulffs^eskaveny or Ulishavmi^ or at what time it assumed the
abbreviated form of Usan, Perhaps, suace in the Gaelic /miV,
or hjle^ means **an opening between rocks/' and the Saxon
word Aam, " a home, house, or place of refuge '' — the name may
have originated in consequence of the numerous creeks or open-
ings for which the coast in that part Is remarkable.
• Raahwortli'a Hiat. Collections, ii. 45 ; iii. 260,
' For an accotint of this Libmry, &c., bw the Life of the Bishop, in Dr Irring'a
Litcmrv Scotchmen, ii 146. * Buraet'i Hist, of hi» Own Time«, Sd edit.* i, 186.
* lUg. Vfit. d€ Aberb.. 337 ; Aidbar MitceU., MS.» SOQ.
i
THE LEIOHTOKS OF USAN. 269
TTsan has long been famous as a fishmg Btatioa ; and, in old
times, whea the King or Court resided at Forfar, it is said that
fresh fiah were conveyed daily from it to the county town, by
a road which led through Montreathmont Muir, the track of
which 13 known at this day as ** the King's cadger's road."
In connection with this point, it may be added, that the ancient
Forfarshire family of Tulloch (which, before 1493, merged by
marriage into that of Wood), is said to have held the adjoining
lands of Bonington under the tenure of supplybg fresh fish to
the royal table.
Sir John Carnegie of Craig, third son to the first Earl of
Southesk, had a charter of a portion of Ulishaven from his father
iu 1618 ; and, in 1672> the Lord Treasurer Maitland, who,
taking advantage of the confidence reposed in him by James
VII., appropriated to himself and his friends large possessions in
almost all parts of the kingdom, added to these the barony of
Usan, of which he and Itis heirs had power to dispose at plea-
sure** Of the old "tour and fortalice*^ of Usan, mentioned in
Maitland'a charter, there is now no trace. There have been at
least two mansion houses erected since that time, and the lands,
which have of late been much improved and increased in value,
have still oftener exchanged owners,
Usan is situated in the parish of Craig, called of old Inch-
brayoch, from the church of St Braoch, which was situated upon
an island in the middle of the South Esk. Besides this old place
of worship, there were others in the parish. The chapel of St
Fergus exists only in name; that of St Mary, near Mary Mill^
so called in honour of the saint in whose name the chapel was
dedicated, is now marked by the burial place of the Rennys and
Scotts, late proprietors of Usan, and within these forty years it
was surrounded by a graveyard,''
The burial ground of St Skeoch is romantically situated upon
a cliif by the seashore, to the south- west of Usan, and had doubt-
less originated in being the abode of a hermit or recluse of that
name, though nothing is now known of his history. The site is
thus described by a talented local poet : —
* Douglas* Peerage, li. 51 4 ; Acta Parl» viij. 122.
^ Ui tup.t 6L Froceediiiga of the Bo, of ADtiqi. of ScoU vol. IL
J
270 MEMOBIALS OF ANQUS AND MEABNS.
" Bt Skea's gre^ rock stands frown mg o'er
Tile troubled deep ;
A Btracture fortn'd by nature's liand»
A bridge with ware-worn arcbes plann*d,
Wboae echoing depth the a urges lapatin^d,
Where wind and wave
Their voices raiee, m concert grand^
When temp^sta rave.*'
In Roman Catliolic times, St Skeocli was the chapel of the
DaoiDald district of the pariah , and the tithes belonged to the
Priory of Rostinoth ; but it appears to have been suppressed as
a place of worshipj either at, or soon after the Eefonnation, for
In 1576, it is said that ** Sanct Skaa, or Dynnynaud neidis na
reidare.^^ It is still used as a place of btirialj and contains some
neat monuments, among which are those to the memory of
the late Patrick Arkley of Duninaldj and Dr James Brewster,
who was minister of the parish from the year 1804. Dr Brewster
seceded at the Disruption in 1843 ; and it is worthy of remark
thatj under his zealous and active superlntendcace, the fishing
population of the parish were raised from a state of mental ignor-
ance and bodily inactivity to one of intelligence and industry.
SECTION IIL
THE FENTONS OF BAIKIE,
Noticei of the Fftmily of Fenton— The Estate and CastJe of Baikie— Chapel of
St John^Fentona of Ogil, &c. — Fetids with Carror of Logie-Meigle and
Lindsaj of Bamjards^-Chnrch of Airlie — Old Ambry — St Madden'i Well —
Curiooa Sculptured Effigy ^[^offin Slab, &c.
The surname Fen-ton is of Saxon origin, and signifies a marshy
place. Scottish writers say that it was assumed from a property
in the Lothians^ which the family held of the Lords of Dirleton ;
and there they subsisted in the male line until about the year
1686, when John Fenton "de eodera," was succeeded In his
estates by three great -grand-childi*enj daughters of Patrick Quhit-
law of that Ilk.*
^ Inq, Spec. Haddington th., Koa. 399, 4004.
1
1
THE FENTONS OF BAtKIE.
271
f
r
John of Fenton, sheriff of Forfar in 1261,'^ is the first of the
name that appears in Angtia ; and
IDomfnu$ £Q{lIif[musi Or iFfnton
of that shire, one of two barons who did homage to King
Edward within the monastery of Lindores, in Fifeshire, on the
23d daj of July 1291, along with John, Abbot of that convent,
was probably a son of the sheriff.'^ In 1292, Fenton was one
of those who declared that Bruce and Baliol had so concluded
their plcadbgs for the sovereignty of Scotland that the King
might proceed to decide in the matter.** According to Nisbet,
his wife was Cecilia, second daughter, and one of three heirs-
portions of the old family of Bisset of Lovat. John of Fenton,
perhaps a son of theirs, was present at the celebrated Parliament
which was held at Arbroath, in 1320,?
Their property in Angus lay mostly in the district of Airlie,
where they owned the lands and castle of Baikie fi*om the earliest
record. In 1362, the laird of the period gifted the adjoining
property of Lunrosa to the Chapel of St John of Baikie,^ In
1416^ a contract of marriage was made between Hugh Fraser of
Lovat, and Janet, sister of William Fenton of Baikie/ This
William had a eon, Walter, who had two daughters, co-heiresses
of the estates, one of whom became the wife of David Lindsay of
Lethnot in Clova, in Angus, a younger son of the Earl of Craw-
ford, and the other was inarried to David Ilalkett of Pitfiran/
Lindsay and Margaret Fenton were married about 1458, and
from that time he was designed of Lethnot and Baikie. Lindsay
had an only aon who was bailiff to the Earla of Crawford, and
was also one of those who was charged with committing an out-
rage upon " twa monks^^ belonging to the Abbey of Cupar, and
for " hurting of the privilege and fredome of halikirk."^
Although the mother of this sacrilegious youth and her sister
were the last direct descendants of the old lords of Baikie, col-
lateral branches long continued to flourish in Angus, and were
• Charob. Rolls, L *34, ** Ragman Rolls, 16. * Palgrave's DoctB,, i. 64.
» Nisbefs Heraldry* ii. Appx, 15 ; Acta. Parl^ i. 114.
•t Reg. Mag. Sig., p. 25. ' Spalding Club Miscell., v. 256.
' Crawford Peerage Case, 148. The seal of Janet, eole heiresi of Walter
Fenton, lord of Baikie, is described in Laiog'a Scottish Seals, 60,
^ ActA Dom. C>on,, 20^ &c*
1
272
MEMDHIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
designed of Ogil, Cardeaii, and Kbclune;" of these the first
named were the most important and longest survived. Membera
of the Ogil branch held responsible ofBcea in the church,^ and
some of them are also found noticed in the public records as be-
ing connected with matters of a very different character. In
1558, David Fenton of Ogil was charged, along with others, for
*' abiding" from the raids of Leith and Lauder ; and, during
the same year, he and his brother James were accused of the
slaughter of William Currour, son of Andrew Currour of Logie-
Mekill ( Logic- Meigle), also of ** the mutilation of Thomas Cur-
rour of his right hand," But a like fate to that of young Cur-
rour was awaiting one of themselves, for, io the year 1571, John
Fenton, probably of the Ogil branch, was slaughtered by Lind-
say of Barnyards, in the parish of Tannadtce, and bis wife, an
Ogilvy of Inchmartin.'' The outrage upon the Currours was
declared to have been caused by " ancient feud and forethought
felony j" but the cause of the perpetration of the latter crime is
not stated.
Although, according to DouglaSj* Walter Fenton left two
daughters, it is more probable there were four of them ; for, sub-
sequently to the marriages of Lindsay and Halkett, about 1470,
a fourth part of the estate was inherited by George Nairn, aa
nearest of kin to Isabella Fenton, his mother, and, in 1487, the
remaining fourth was sold by a Henry Douglas (perhaps the
son of another daughter), to John, third Lord Glamis. In the
course of the two ye^ra which followed, the son of the same
nobleman acquired the remaining part of the baronyJ After
the legal murder of the Countess of Glamls at Edinburgh, for
the alleged crime of witchcraft, the Lord Treasurer made a pay-
ment of £40 for the " reipar of the Glaramys and Baky," which,
perhaps, shews that during the forfeiture of the Lyons of Strath-
more, the King and his Court occasionally resided at these
places.
The castle of Baikie had a secluded site upon a rising ground,
about three miles to the north-west of Glamis, near the west
" Rfig- Nig. Aberb., 290 ; Ino. Spec, Forfar, No. 39 ; Reg. Ep, Brccliiii,, 146.
' R«g. Ep. Brechin,, ii. 277, Ac.
• Pitcairn'ii Crira. Tri&la, i. 27. 28, *404, &c. » Gftfoaige of Scot. 2d4.
f Sirathmore Bipen tU Qlamii Cattle, MS., 8 vob. 4**
THE PENTONS OF HAIEIE.
273
i
end of a niarah or locli, which, with some olher places in the
neighbourhood, is thus referred to in an old balhid :■ —
** Botitiio abiuem die fiun tm the high lowera o' Airly ;
BoDiiie awim the awuns in ihu Loch o* the Daikie ; —
High is the hill, an" tlie mcKjn ehiDiag clearly,
But the CATiId Isla nan atwcen me &n' my dearie/*
The Loch of Baikic (in the course of draining which some
remains of ancient animals and other olijecta of antiquity were
found), is now mostly cultivated ; and the castle, of whicli the
foundations were rased only two or three years ago, is said to
have been moated in old times, and reached by a draw-bridgo
and causeway, the stones of which were to be seen towards the
close of la^^t century* With the exception of a rising ground to
the north of Baikie, known as Fenton-hill (upon which stone
cotEiis coutaiuiug bones were lately discovered), and a carving of
tlie family arms (three cresc-ants) and
the initials ^, Jf. — which are sculp-
tured upon the back of the old am-
bry or presa for holding sacred
vessels, still preserved at tlie parish
kirk of Airlie, and here represented
(the arms and initials referred to
being omitted in the wood-cut) — no
other trace of the old lords of the
district is to be found. Still less re-
mains of the Fentons at Ogil, al-
though they lived there down to a
mtich later date* The h^oality of
Ogil, however, is more romantic and picturesque than that of
Baikie ; for, while the latter district is composed chiefly of
Bwamps and gravel liillocks^ the wooded course of the Noran, and
its fine waterfiilU, are objects of considerable interest and beauty
in the former. From the hill of '^ St Eunan's Scit/'Mhere is
also a uiagnificient prospect, not only of the surrounding countiy,
but of the Pcntland and Lammermuir hills.
* In a bmindinfc charttT of the Feme wri In, dated 1535, thU hill is written
as in the text, which wme ftHlirjuaries consider a cormplion uf the name <>f 8t
Adaranan, whose fcaat is held oo 3d September. St AtuMb Seat ia the lo^al
) of the hill
N N
I
274
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
It may be added tliat, since the arabry at the kirk of Airlic
beara the arma aod inituila of the Fentiins, lords of Baikie^ pro-
bably it had been made at the expense of one of them, or during
the incumbency of some member of the family, while parson of
the kirk. The five Passion Wounds of our Saviour, with which
it will be seen the ambry is decorated, are also carved upon the
coping stone of an old burying aisle, with the addition of the
scourge^ the pillar to which Christ was bound, the spear, and the
pincers ; with car^angs of the fleur-de-lis, surmounted by a co-
ronet. The coping stone is said to have been taken from the
old kirk, which was demolished in 1783.
There ia also built into the west gable of the church
a gaunt human effigy (here represented), about three
feet in height, dressed in a loose habit, part of which
has some resemblance to scale armour. It has been
described as a figure of St John the Baptist, to whom,
it is added, the church was dedicated. The latter
idea is, however^ erroneous ; for, apart from a small
handet of houses, with a fine spring and knoH, close
to the kirk, known by the name of St Madden, a
document, of date 1447, makes mention of ** the bell
of the Kirk of St Madden of Airlie/'* and he doubt-
less was the patron saint. His festival is held on the
1 7th of May.
But although the parish kirk was dedicated in honour
of Bt Madden, there was, as before noticed, a chapel at Baikie
which was dedicated to St John, Tradition is silent as to the fact
whether this effigy was taken from that chapel; and, ii'we would
suppose that it had been intended to represent that saint, it might
be inferred that the animal which rests upon the book had beea
meant for the fignre of a lamb ; and, from the position of the
finger of the right hand of the supposed saint, perhaps it points
to '* the Lamb's Book of Life," an allegory not unworthy of a
later time than that to which the statue appears to belong.
The only other piece of sculpture worthy of notice here, is
a coffin slab of red sandstone, bearing the common figures of
an ornamental cross, a sword, and a hunting or powder horn,
* Spalding Club MiscelU iv. 118.
BEATON OF ETHIEBEATON.
275
also a blauk sliiekK The shaft of the cross is thos briefly in-
Bcribed in raised Roman capitals —
LYK HEIR ROGEB MD YOFOM BOLOK QVIIA DIED IN KIDIE 1640*
— Reidie is a faiin in the parish of Airlie, now forraing part of
the Liodertis estate, from which Sir David Nevay, an old Lord
of Session, assimied his judicial title ; but nothiug is known of
** Roger and Yofom (Euphemia) Rolok/'
— 0^
SECTION IV.
BEATON OF ETUIEBEATON,
Farfeiture of Duvid of Btiaton, «lieiifF of Forfar — Ethiebeaton grAutL'd to Alexander
the Steward — Acquired by the Earl of AnguB — Ori^n, and Early NGtices of
tUe Beatona — ^Tbt* Bcatons of Fifeabire — Cardinal Beaton — Marion OgilFy—
Castle of Molgnnd — Proprietary Notices of Melgund^ &c.
did homage to King Edward at St Andrews on the 22d of July,
at the same time as Sir William Maule ; and Damd de Beton,
ckiimleTf and two of the family, both named Robert^ whose sur-
names were spelled respectively Bet&n and Betur/n, all of whom
are described as of the county of Forfar, also owned the sove-
reignty of the same King, at Berwick- npoii-T weed, during the
summer of 1296.^
There is now no means of knowing the relationsbip, if any^
which these barons had to one another. The first was perhaps
the chief of the family; and Davidj who was sheriff of Forfar in
1290 J was forfeited by Robert the Bruce, who confiscated his
estate and gave it to Alexander Sennescalle or Steward.^ This
was Ethiebeaton, or Efftebeaton, in the pciris<h of Monifieth, ad-
joining the property of The Laws, upon tW summit of the hill of
which is perhaps one of the most remarlRhle forts or dwellings
of the early inhahitunta of Scotland which lias hitherto been
noticed.**
^ Ragman Rolls; Prynne; and PalgrftvCipawtm.
• Land of tbe Liiidifayft, 309; Proceediogs of So. ofAntiqiiftnefl^ to!, ii
^ So far as yet seen, ibis eini^nlar work consifltB of a eenes of i
sages, wilb the walla const rucled of large itoDei,
un covered pa«-
The pMgages vary from about
276
MEMORIALS OF ANIL'S AKD MEAIINS.
Etliiebeaton subs
of tlie Earls of
scqtiently became the properU
Angus, and when tlie sixth Earl was forfeited in 1528, for the
part he took in coufining King James V., his uncle, Archibald,
protested that the forfeiture should be '' na hurt nor preiudice to
hon aneat lii.s laudis [and barony of Affebelon and others], whilkis
he haldis of the saidis Erie of Angus/'"^ It is now a separate
property, held under the superiority of the Douglases, who, as
before seen, came in place of the Earl^ of Angus*
The surname of Beaton, Beton, or Bethune, is said to be of
French origin, and to have been introduced into Scotland in the
time of Malcolm Canmore. This latter assertion, however, is in-
correct, as the family does not appear in Scotland until the reign
of William the Lion, sometime betAveen 1165 and 1190, when
liubcrt of Betun Is witness to a charter by Oe Quincy, a Norman
baron, who flourished in Scotland betwixt these dates/ Juhn of
Betun, a clerk of the diocese of Dunkehl, w^itnesses a confirma-
tion charter of the kirk uf Ruthven to the monks of iii*broath, in
1211 ; and in 1214-21), David and Jolui of Beaton also witness
charters of the lands of Kirriemuir, by ilalcolm, Earl of Angus;
while the sheriffj before alluded to, appears in the same capacity
to that noblenian*s grant of the Abthein lands of ilonifieth,
about 1220.S?
About the year 1250, the last-named David and Robert of Be-
tim, witness a charter by Christian of Valhignes, lady ot Panmurc,
to John of Lydel, of the lands of Balbanan and Panlathyn (Bal-
binny and Panlathle),^* and both the^c Betuns were at the cele-
brated inquest in 1286, regarding the division of the pasture
belonging to the barony of Panmure f while, but three years
later, David subscribed the letter of the eomtnunity of Scotland,
which was agreed to at the meeting c)f the Estates at Brigham,
consenting to the marriage of PrLncc Henry of England and our
Princess ilargaret^
liobert of Betun, witness to De Qulncy's charter, had been
6 to 3 fi'H in di'ptli and width, and run one into Anutber, «nniewliat rraenibling a
tunie. Tnicm o\ TilrificAtiun are visible on varione r^i^B *^' 1^'*= J'^'^t '"-"^ calciutfd
UoneB, &c., luive Ixen fuiiivd in the course of niakinp the *^xcavationB, wliich hmre
lN?ei] carried on witli much iniirit hy the praprictor, Mr Neish.
• Acta FarL, ii 329. ' Keg Priomt, S. Andree, 354.
' Keg. Ve!. de Aberb,. 149, 80. 331. ^ /%. de Famnur^, MS., i* 181.
' lUg, V«L d» Aberb., 333. ^ Acta FarL, i. SX
BEATOX OF ETHIEBEATUN, 277
progenitor of the Betiins who did hooiage to King Edward*
Besides tbc persons already meutioned in connection with For-
farshire, wHio bore that surname, there was also, about 1267> an
Andrew^ of Betun, in Fife, wliose name appears in the Earl of
Mar's cliarters of the kirka of Tbarflund and Migueth (Tarland
and Migvie).* Although settled originally in Forfarshire, the
Betuus appear to have left that county soon after the forfeiture
of the sherlffj and are next met with in Fife, where Robert of
Betune, who is styled Jamiliftrui^ Regis^ younger son of Sir
Alexander of Betune, married Janet, hcireiis of Sir Michael
Balfour of that Ilk, by whom he had a son, John, who succeeded
his mother. lie was the first Betun or Bethune of Balfour, and
added considerably to his maternal estate, aa also did several
of his successors* David, eomptroUer and treasurer to James
IV., founder of the family of Creicli ; Robert, Abbot of Cupar j
Andrewj Prior of St Andrews ; and James, Abbot of Dunferm-
Hue, were sons of John, the fifth Bethune of Balfour. The first
of these was father of one of " the four Maries," who went to
France with the unfortunate Queen Mary, and remained in her
suite long after her return to Scotland, She became the wife
of the first Viscount Stormont, and is thus commemorated in the
beautiful ballad regarding the fate of Mary Hamilton, who, ac-
cording to tradition, was executed at Edinburgh : —
** YeFclreeri tlie Queen «he liad Ibar ManVe,
The nicht she lici» but tliri'e ;
There waa Marie Seaton, t^nd Marie Bentune,
And MaHc Carmidjaof, and me.'*
John Betune, elder brother to the comptroller, married Eliza-
beth Moneypenny, daughter of the laird of KinkcU, and had six
sons and five daughters. The third son was David, the celebrated
Cardinal, by far the most remarkable man of the family, or
perhaps of any contemporary tamily in Scotland.*^^
The history of this celebrated individual need not be here
dwelt upon ; suffice it to say, that although tradition assigns to
' Reg. Priorat. S. Andree, 31243.
" The only genuine portrait of CarJmril Bcfiton ifl f^aid to be at the Romafi
Catholic College at Blains, pdOHli of Murjciilt^r^ KincftrtUneilnre . A fine enp^av-
ing [mm thi» pointing, with fac siniile of iiutograph, cxecutt^d at the f^xppnse of iha
late Patrick Ckalmeri* of AJdbar, will be foand in the Reg. Nig, de Aht.rbrotf*m,
^
^
278
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
him the erection of many of the epistles in Forfarshire, that
of Melgnod, in the parish of Aberlenino, is the only one which
he ia know^o, with any degree of certain ty^ to have built. It is
romantieally situated on the banks of a rocky ravine, and was
the residence of JIarion Og'ilFy, daughter of Lord Airlie, the
mother of the CardlDaFs children. It may be added that it ia
now believed by some that Beaton waa united to Marion Ogilvy
by *' that sort of morganatic marriage frequent among church-
men of that period ;'* and it is certaiu that letters of legitimation
of at least two of his sons appear in the Great Seal Register.
The castle is yet a fine ruin, and initials and armorial bearings
supposed to be those of the Cardinal and his miatrcaa are to be
seen on different parts of the building/ Tradition says that the
last occupants, having gambled away the lands^ mysteriously dis-
appeared one winter evening while the tables were spread tor
supper, and the lamps in full blaze I One story says the family
fled to France, another that they threw themselves and their
silver plate into a deep pool in the bum of Mclguud !
The Cardinal, who had settled these lands in hfereut oa Marion
Ogilvy^ and on his eldest son, David, in fee, was succeeded by the
latter J and his grand-son, James Betoun, **fier of Melgund,"
granted, in 1589, a bond of manrent to the Earl of Huntly, where-
by he was to do " sic plessour and seruice" to the Earl as lay in
his power, and at such times an should be required, except his
'* dewtie to tlie King's Majeste and the Erie of Crauford,'^'*
The Beatona were succeeded iu Melgimd about 1630, by the
first Marquis of Huntly and his Marchioness, Henrietta Stewart.
They appear to have made it an occasional residence, and a
beautiful monogram of their initials Is still preserved in the farm
offices. Their son also took the title of Lord Melgund ; and,
according to Spalding, during the winter of 1635, while the old
Marquis was on his way to Edinburgh, to clear himself of certain
" Otcf the W. window of one of tho rooms, bearing tli© lion posiunt, are the
Ogilvy amiH, and ovu^t tlie S, wiBdow of the saiao are th« jirrns of Bejiton and Bnlfoar,
quarterly (lEit and 4tb DoAton), wilb the remiiins of tho inltiab I^, B« On the corbftj
otthe nt«ir luadinx to tliia room are thp 0|L^tvy Arras, with tbe inilials Jlf . d-
* SpftJding Club MiHcelb, iv. 242. A stone, built into the wall of tbe kirk of
Aberlemtjo, bears two shields, witb the initials !• a[eaton], and B« Bf [enziea],
d&U}<} 160#. Tbo fimc of tbese bears the armi of Beaton and Balfoar (qaarterlj),
tbc other tlioee of Mensien.
THE nUAlIAMS OF BHRROWFIELD, AND ALD MONTROSE. 279
trcagonable desig^is which were laid to his charge, he was storin-
sted here until the 12th of Februarj of that year, when, de-
termined to pursue his journey to the metropolis, he and his lady
were carried that day as far as Dundee, ^* in ane coaclie, borne
vpone long treis vpone menis anus, hccauss horsa mleht not
traucll in respect of the gryt itorme and deipnesa of the way clad
w^ith snaw and fi*ost.''P
It was in August of thi^^ year that the Marquis sold the estate
to Henry Maule of Both, a cadet of the family of Panmure,
and the reputed author of a History of the Picts. By a female
descendant of Maulo, throngh Murray of Phlliphauf^h^ this pro-
perty came to the Earl of Minto, and from it his eldest son as-
Bumes the title of Lord Melgund,**
SECTION V.
THE GRAHAMS OF BORROWFIELD, AND ALD MONTROSE.
Tbo Qmhams acquire the Latitla of Charleton, B+>rrow field, anil Kinnaber— Aid
Montrose — Origin, mid other NoticeB of the Qrahama — Fulkrton of Kinuaber
excoiomtinicated for Quakerism, &c.
Although two different members of the celebrated family of
Graham did homage to King Edward I,, in the years 1291 and
1292, and no fewer than five other barons of the aame name^ and
two femaleSj performed that service during the still more event-
ful year, 1296/ none of them are specially designed of lauds
either in Angus or hi the Meama.
who took the oath of allegiance to England at Berwick-upon-
Tweed, on the Ist of August 1291, is supposed to have been the
son of Sir David Graham of DmidaflT, brother of the patriot, Sir
John Graham, who fell at the battle of Falkirk, while attempt-
ing, along with Sir William Wallace, to achieve the Lidepen-
dence of Scotland.
* TniblcB, i. 59. *i Proceediogs of the Society of Antiquariea, ii. 1^5,
' Kagman RoUb ; Prynne ; Fo&dera ; Palgrare's Doc, passim.
L
280
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
Sir David (tlie kniglit who did homage to Edward in the year
1296)^ was grand-^on to David of Graham, the first of the fainilv
that settled in Angus, the last-named David having obt kilned
from King William the Lion^ the lands of Charleton, Bor-
rowfield, and Kinnalier. Borrowfield had prohahly been held
by the Grahams dowa to the year 1408, at which time Sir
William Graham resigned it in favour of Alexander of Gar-
den/ Still, from the time of the grant by King William,
until the days of Sir David Graham of Kineardine (nephew of
the firat*mentioned Sir David), the name of Graham docs not
occur in connection with lands Jn Angus. It was Sir David of
Kincardine^ however, who exchanged with King Robert the
Bruce tlie estate of Cardross, in Dunbartonshire, for that of Aid
Montrose in Angus.* From about that {>eriod, down to the for-
feiture of the first Marquis, the house of Aid Montrose was their
principal residence, and from that estate (and not from the town
of Montrose, as is commonly believed), the various titles of Lord,
Earl, Marquis, and Duke, have been assumed by the family*
Although once of conslderahle power and influence, both in
Angus and the Meams, the Grahams have now but little landed
interest in either county ; still, it is interesting to know that
one of the oldest branches of the family- — Crraham of Morphio
— possesses at least a portion of the patrimonial estates in the
latter shire. The male lines of the Grahams of Flntry, Duntruoe,
and Claverhouse, in Angus, have been extinct for some lime.**
Their lineage, however, is set forth in the various heraldric
books, where also will be found detailed accounts of the Grahams
of ilontrose, of which our limits will not admit. It need only
be added that^ while tradition assigns a fabulous origin to the
family, it is matter of record that William de Graham, w^ho
settled in Scotland under David I*, obtained from him the lands
of Aljercorn and Dalkeith, in Edinburghshire. From him, who
was alive in 1139, were descended the difTerent branches of the
• n^g, Mag, Sig., p. 236,
* Ah moinr rm, **tlie jwint of the mo»ny bum," or ** tlip bom of tb€ raoBiy
point *' fttt 0up , iVl). Kinahtr moans " a fioint or hcatliiiiid »t the mouth of ft river. *
** Miss Stirling rSraham. the n^prcftc illative of the Ihiiiiriinc iind ClaverhoUHe
bmiich, liod \iiUAy printed privately. » aranll volume, entitled M^MtiJiculiong, which,
p<'rhftp!S preserves ujorw of die real chnratttrot Forfarsbirt? andiugeutrjr, &«;., ofthv
P«st ball couturyi tbmn anjr work that baa bltberto appeared.
THE GEABAMS OF BORHOWFIELD, AND ALD MONTROSE, 281
family of (Jraliani, the most celebrated member of whicb was,
doubtless, the first Marqius, who, it is believed, was bom at the
family seat of Aid Montrose, in 1612.
The estate of Aid Montrose lies in the parish of Mary ton, to
the south-west of the Basin of Monti^ose, and the Grahams were
succeeded in it by the well-known Earl of Middleton, Since the
forfeiture of Middleton's son, in 1695, the property has been in
a variety of hands^ and now belongs to the Earl of Southesk,
It is one of the most fertile spots in the county, and some years
ago the old mansion house gave plaice to a neat building in the
English cottage style of architecture*
Borrowfield, Charlcton, and Kiiniaber, are in the parish of Mon-
trose; but, 90 far as known, there is little worthy of note regarding
either their antiquarian or their proprietary history. There is an
old burial place at Kinoabcr^ called the Howff, where certain of
the lairds of Charleton and others were buried ; but nothing ia
known of the chapel which is said to have stood there, or of its
patron saint. The lands of Iviunaber belonged to a family
named Fullerton, from at least 1514/ till nearly the close of the
last century, and the house is embellished with a carving of their
armorial bearings.
It is worthy of reraarkj that John Fullerton of Kinnaber — who
was coutenipomry with Barclay of Ury, author of the celebrated
" Apology for tlie Quakers'* — was among the earliest in Scotland
to embrace the principles of Quakerism. It is certain that, in com-
mon with Barclay; Fullerton and his household were persecuted
by the Church for adhering to those opinions ; for^ in 1663, some
time after Fullerton of Kinnaber had been himself excommuni-
cated by the Presbytery of Brechin j the record bears that the
same sentence was pronounced by tliat body '* against Catharin
Allardes Lady Kynnaber, and Sibilla Falconer, a domestic
servant, for their adhering to the scandalous erronra of Qua-
quarisra.'**
^ Spalding Club MieceU., v. 2i>2, " PraihyUry Mewrdt, MS J, fol 68.
-o-^
r
00
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEAENS.
PART FOURTH.
HISTORICAL AND TEADITIONARY NOTICES OF
Cte ISatons ot Slngits
WHO SWOBE FEALTY TO KINO EDWABD THB nBST,
AJ). 1296,
AND OF THEIR FAMIUES AND ESTATES.
PART FOLTRTH.
THE BABONS OF ANGUS WHO SWORE FEALTY TO
EDWARD I,, AD. 1296.
SECTION I.
THE AERATS OP ARRAT,
Prfjprietftry History of Arrat — St Magdalene^B Cbapel, &c.
In the year 1264, Eichard of Arratli, the first of this old family
with whom wc have met, poBsessed the lands of ** Balnaiion," or
Balnamoon, a now almost imknowii estate oo the banks of the
South Esk, situated in the parish of Maiyton. In later times
this property was described as **the lands of Heiighhind, called
Balnamoon e.''"* Contemijorary with Richard was William of
Arradc, or Arrath, wJio Is a ^\ntnefls to William of Brechin's
foundation charter of the Hospital of St Mary, or Mauondiett^ la
that town ;^' but from that date until King Edward visited Scot-
land in 1296j no traee of the name is found. On that occasion
%^hm U Etrat
did homage for his lands to the English monarch, at Berwick-
npon-Tweed, along with some other Angus barons.''
The Arrats were vassals of the lords of Brechin, and assumed
their suniarao fi'om the lands of Arrat, which lie on the south-
east aide of the parish* The name is of rare occniTeuce iu
the county of Forfar, although the family survived there as
land owners down to about the middle of the sixteenth century.
Long before this, however^ so early a:^ 1378, it appears that
Thomas Rait of Owresj in the Mearas, had a confirmation char-
ter of at least a portion of Arrat, from Margaret, daughter and
heiress of David Barclay of Brechin.'^
* Clianib. Rulla. •I I ; Inq. Spec, Forfar,, Na 367.
« Ragman Rolls* 152 ; Pryuue, 660.
^ Rog. Ep, Brccbifi., i, 7.
^ Acta Pari, I 198.
28G
MEMORIALS OF ANGU8 AND MEARNB.
On the 3d of June 1471, Robert Arrat, preabyter, attests a
charter of ** the constable hmds of Brechin." These were ftituated
near Bearehill, and were then given by James Wishart of Pittar-
row to Robert Kait, a citizen of that town. Soon aften^^ards a
person bearing the same name and surname (if not the same indi-
vidual), appears as a notary pubHc in various documents rclafmg
both to Angus and to the Mearns/ At one time he assumes the
appellation of ^iV, a title of courtesy then common among church-
men, equivalent, probably, to that of reverend.
The last of the family was, perhaps, George Arrot *' of that
nk," who, along w^ith Carnegie of Kinnaird, and Haljburton of
Pitcur, was amerciated for non-attendance at the assise held on
Moncur of Baluny and lils w^lte, who, in 1537, were charged mth
oppressing and wounding the Countess of Crawford.^ Perhaps
George AiTott, who waa master of the Mtmondieu of Brechin, in
1598, was a son of the laird last-named. *f Tradition avers tbat
the family possessed Arrat down to the Reformation, when they
incurred the displeasure of Ei'skine of Dun, by attemptmg to save
the old chapel of St Mary Magdalene from the ravages of the
infuriated mob-
Arrat continued to form a portion of the lordship of Brechin and
Navar down to the forfeiture of the Earl of Panmure in 1716;
and, the ancestors of the Viscounts Arbuthnott appear to have
succeeded to the property as vassals of the lords of Brechin,
either immediately, or soon after, the decay of the Arrats. Sir
Robert Arbuthnott, a son of tlie laird of Arrat, was the first
noble of hia name, being created Viscount Arbuthnott in 1641,
Sir Robert Carnegie of Kinnaird owned a portion of Arrat in
1559 ; and one of the old family of Fullerton had an interest in
the property in 1594 ;^^ but since the sale of the forfeited estates
of Scotland, these, with the lands of Leightonhill, and others ad-
joining, have formed part of the estate of Carnegie of Southesk,
The chapel of Mary Magdalene is situated upon the lands of
Arrat, on the south aide of the turnpike, nearly half way between
• Beg. Ep, Brecbin., i. 194-5; Spalding Clab MiscelU iv. 9-12 j Acta Dom.
ConciU., 292. [A curved atone, built into th« ofEccs at BcarehiM, contAHiB the
initittU W. W,, and date 1G33.]
' Pitoflirn'u Criiu. Tno^a, I *iSQ. ' Ik'g, Ep. Brecliin., i. 2'M).
* Daugliw* Pe«rflge, U. 512 , MUceU, Aldb<tr., MS., 292,
THE AJIKATS OF ARRAT.
the towns of Brechin and Srontroae. It h provmcially called
Maidlin Chapel^ and in old ^Tl*i tings is known both as the chapel
of Arrat, and the chapel of Caldhame. The latter name is aaamned
from a district on the east side of tlie town and parish of Brechin ;
but the date of the origin of tlie chapel is unknown. It is re-
corded as old and ruiuoas in the fifteenth century, and it was
rebuilt during the episcopate of Bishop Camoth, 1429-56,
The names of its early cliaplaina are lost. About 1440, how-
ever, Sir John Koched is said to have held that office ** fourty
zeir and mair/' when the lands of Caldhame, from which part of
the revenues of the chaplain were derived, were declared to be
held of the Bishop of Brechin^ to whom ** of law and uias aud
custoum^' they owed '* soit and seruice thriss in the zeir at [his]
held Courtis." These lands were also multured to the Little lliU
of Brochin, which stood at Little Mill Stairs, near the foot of the
High Street ; and the chaplain or his tenants were bound to
assist in upholding the miU, in cleanbg the mill dam, and in
" bryngyng hayme of the mylestano quhen it hapnis to neid to
the said myle.'*^
Soon after that date the revenues of Magdalene Chapel were
augmented by those of the Holy Cross, a chapel which was found-
ed by Dempster of Auchterlcss and Careston ; but from that time
down to the year 1587^ — when James VL gave the revenues of
both houses to John Bannatyne, " scoller, for sustenying [him] at
the sculeia and better vpbringing in vertcw and leirnying,'* —
nothing is recorded of St Magdalene^s until the early part of
the next century, when the emoluments were drawn by the
the Hepbuma and the Uvingitones.'^
The foundations of the chapel are now barely traceable ; but
the burial ground, iun*oimded by a rude stone wall, and shaded
by a few trees, is occaaionaliy used for interment. It contains
some simple monuments, one of which, of date 1740, erected to
the memory of a farmer, bears the following couplet : —
*' Of all employtiieiite that may be found,
Husbandrie ongbt to bu crowned."
* Ecg.de BrecbiD., i. 106. " Ibid,, L 165, 181 ; ii, 222 ; 232, 236,
i
288
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
THE ANANDS OF MlXGUND,
Anand Forester of Plater — Anands of KiuearitiS.
The suniamc of ''Anand'' is territorial, and Wiis perhaps as-
Buraed from the district o( Annan, in Dumfriesshire, part of the
Roman province of Vah-ntiaj where the Anands were vassals of
the Norman family De Bnis, progenitors of King Robert T.
Adam of Anand, a canon of Dimkeld, rector of the kirk of
Monimail, in Fife, 1254-71, is perhaps the earliest person of the
surname on record in Scotland ;' and
who did homage at Berwick-upon-Tweed, after King Edward
returned from the north,™ is the first mentioned of the family in
connection with Forfjirshire, Tt was this baron who figured so
conspicuously at the defence of Stii'ling, in 1305 f a!id tlie lands
of Melgund, in the pari^li of Aberlemnoj were those for which he
swore fealty.
In the year 1354^ David of Anand was one of the prisoners
w^hom the English CommisHioner.s engaged to use their influence
to liberate without ransome*'^ The same person or his son, w^as
forester of the ancient hunting forest of Phiter, near Finhaven,
which he resigned in 137*5, and was succeeded by Sir Alexander
Lindsay of Gleneak. Ln the year 1368, Anand appears in parlia-
ment regarding the falsing of a sentence of the justiciary ; three
years aftenvards he was present at the coronation of Robert XL,
and in 1391, a person bearing the same name and surname^ paid
the sura of £30 to the King's Chamberlain for the relief of his
landsof MelgundJ'
The family held these lands until the year 1542, when the
heiress, Janet of Anand, with consent of her second husband,
Balfour of Baledmouth, sold thera to Cardinal Beaton, who, as
before observed, built the castle of which the ruins still remain,^
It ought to be remarked that the family was of importance ia
« Beg, Pnorat. do 8. Andreo» 1724. 311. ■ RAgman Holla, 126 ] Prynne, 654.
» FcBdem, i. 35. •* Hiiilc«* Annals, ii. 252.
» Acta Pari, I 14G, 181 ; Cliaroberkin Rvlis, li. 183. *• fl tup., 21%.
ADAM FiTZ DAVID, 289
Forfarshire durmg the fifteenth century, for the laird of the period
married a daughter of the first Lord Gray; and Margaret uf
Annan became the wife of Johu Cossbis of that Ilk, au old
famllj in the parish of GhinuH/
There was alno a branch of the Anands, designed of Kinquhery
(Kincary, or Kiiiearies, in Kirkdenj in Angus), from abont 1450
till 1506/ Another branch had a charter of the lands of Sanehy
in Clackmannanshirej in the year 1324. The Saucby line failed
in two co-heiresses In the time of King James L, and the estates
were carried by marriage to Schaw of Greenock and Brown of
Colstoun,*
designed of the county of Forfar, alao did homage to King
Edward at Berwick,* This individual cannot now be ideotified.
It may be mentioned^ however, tlrnt in the pari:^h of Xewtyle,
and within the ancient lordaliip of Ncwtibber, there is a fann
called Davidstown ; while, In the adjoining parish of Anchter-
honse, a still more considerable entate, situated within the barony
of Dronlaw, bears the name of Adamstown. But I have found
neither place mentioned earlier than abont the middle of the six-
teenth century, at which time Adamstown belonged to Scrimgcour
of Dniibope/
It need hardly be added that both the snmames of Adamaoa
and Davidson are well known In Forfarshire.
^ Douglaw' Peerage, i. (J67 ; Straihrnore Famibf Papera, MR. ; Acta AiuK, 60.
• Reg. Ep. BrccluiL, 141 ; i?#//. dc Panmure, BeIS., i, 345.
^ Nisbct^K Hertildry, CriticJil EcmurkH, ii, 35.
• Rag, RoMa; 154-1 ; Frynne, 66d40. * lotj. Siwc. Forf., Noa. 19, ^61.
V V
290 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEABNS.
SECTION II.
BAXTER OP LOCHFEITHIE.
Origin, and Notices of the sarname of Baxter, and of Locbfeitliie.
It is probable that the surname of Baxter^ which is still common
throughout Britain, though variously spelled, had been assumed
.from the trade of a baker. In its Latinized form of Pistor^ the
name is found in Scotland at a remote period; for, about 1188-
1202, a person called Aldred Pistor, is a witness to a confir-
mation charter of the kirk of Haddington by Bishop Roger of
St Andrews, to the Prior and Canons of that monastery.^ Sub-
sequently, among those who did homage to King £dward at
Perth, on the 24th July 1291, were three citizens of that place,
named respectively Richard, Robert, and Roger Pistor.*
It need scarcely be added that the office of baker, in royal and
noble households, is of remote antiquity in almost every nation,
ancient and modem ; and it is perhaps upon. the strength of this
fact, that Buchanan of Auchmar founds a worthless tradition re-
garding the origin of the surname of Baxter in Scotland^ His
story need not be quoted, more particularly since the name was
known fully a century before the time to which he ascribes its
origin.
who submitted to King Edward I.,* is the earliest assump-
tion of the surname that I have anywhere seen. The desig-
nation " de Loffithe" was probably taken from a place called
Lochfeithie, near the county town of Forfar, in which, as already
shewn, the old Scotch kings had a residence; and the name
of Baxeater may have been assumed by Gefiray, or an an-
cestor, from their having been bakers to the royal household.
Like the lands of Inverpeffer, in the parish of St Vigeans, which
were granted by King William the Lion to a favourite brewer j
^ Beg. Prior. S. Andrce, 163. « Bag. Roll, 17.
y Essay on Scottish Samames, 163. " Bag. Boll, 154 ; P^ne, 660.
BAXTER OF LUCHFEITHIE.
m
those of Lochfeithie (althoiif^h we have seen no record of Ae
fact), may have been ac/julred by iho Bakesters for services as
bakers.
I have found no trace of the old proprietary liistory of Loch-
feithie, nor of the descendantt* of GeiiVay the Bakester; but, it may
be added, that Lochfeithie has, for many years past^ been included
in the property of Auchterforiar, which was anciently tithed to the
Priory of Kostinoth. Apart tVuin the baron above named, the only
persons of any note in the aliire of Foriar, of the name of Baxter,
appear to have been a baker in Dundee, who died in 1609 (to
whose memory, and that of his wife, there is a cnrious tomb in
ihi^Howff burial-ground),** and a John Baxatar^ who is a witness
to an instrument of sasine regarding certain lands lying on the
east side of the town of Brechin, which were granted to Mel-
drum of Segy, in 1548-9, In that writ, Baxstar is described as
armiger^ and perhaps he was an esqnire to Sir Thomas Ersktne,
then superior of the lordship of Brechin.*"
But since these days the name has become pretty general In
Forfarshire, particularly in the nelghbourliood of Dundee ; and
the estates of Iilvici*, Balgavies, Kincaldruni, and others in Angus,
as well as Kilraaron in Fife, have been lately act|uircd by families
of the name of Baxter. These proprietors have all been, and
some of them still are, traders in the town of Dundee, and archi-
tects of their own fortunes ; and, it may be further remitrked,
that the heir-apparent to Kincaldrum is now M.P. for the Mon-
trose district of burghs, which he has represented since the death
of Joseph Ilume,
A« a part of the estate of Auchterforfar, Lochfeithie has been
long in the hands of Dempster of Dunuielien; and, until lately,
when its banks were cleared of thriving wood, the lake had a
* This interesting monument is adomefl with effi^nt'S. i^ low reliofj, of a Qaan
Atld woninu, drc^sm^d hi ibc curiouH coslurtio of the period. The nuui huji n hiard,
nttd his arm i» roimtl t!ie laUv'a waist. It aluo conlHins two shields r Oua shiyld
benrji a feiitf, two luaMclen in emt>f« »tid a n^o (Pnmndle) in bafie*, abovu the shield, a
douhltr cross] et; and a peel, or haker'i^ fbuvel. charged wilh three ronndels, issue from
tUc wide?. The idlier shield beam (tjuarterly) 1 and 4, three creaceiUs, for Scatoti ;
2 and 3, three gaib^ (fcr Cumlt>^). Thiu utoiie is Ko. 264, in the lle^istur of
tonib^tijtH'S, and bears this iriKcnpiion : — "Conditvr hie vir providvs Joil^nkils
Baxtkr, i*ii*lur BvrgeiisiH de Dvijdi*?* qvi iibtic 20 Octobriu 1(509, ct Hklkxa
Seytox eivB spomta.^-Vie live to die» and deiis to live for ever."
^ Beg. Ep. Brechin, ii. 200.
292 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
Singularly romantic appearance. It is about a mile In circum-
ference, and has now a bleak, uninviting aspect, except to the
disciples of Walton.
It may not be uninteresting to know, that the celebrated poli-
tician, George Dempster, has preserved the name and piscatorial
excellencies of Lochfeithie, in an inscription which he wrote on
the grave of a green linnet, the companion of his nephew and
heir. The bird was buried by the side of the loch, and briefly, in
the writer's own language, he hopes that the lines may
" place on the Rolls of Fame
The Bird, his master's and his mistress' oame ;
While schoolhoys perches in Loch-Feithie take.
And the sun's shadow dances on the Lake."
SECTION III.
Ci)e Cameronss, anti ti)e CratnontiiS.
THE CAMERONS OF BALEDGARNO.
Edward I. at Baledgamo— The Castle —Etymology of the Name — Early Notices
of the Camerons.
The surname of " Cambron" occurs no fewer than seven times
in the Bagman Roll. The barons all bear the name of Roberty
are sometimes designated miles^ and sometimes chevalier, and de-
signed of the different counties of Perth, Fife, and Forfar.*^
l&olbeTt (STambroun X^t ISalnells,
who is classed among the Forfarshire barons, as having done
homage to Edward I., had probably been connected with the
district in an oflScial capacity, for I am not aware, with the ex-
ception of Balneiilie, in the parish of Dun, that any other place
in the shire ever l)ore a name at all like Balnelly, and with that
« Rag. Roll, 71-167 ; Prynne, 661, &c.
THE CAMERONS OF BALEDGABNO.
293
pLace the Camerons never appear to have had any connection.
It 19 tlicreforc probable ^ tliat it rather refers to a property ia
Fifeshire, the name of which is variously written, BaliiuHo,
Balnlie, and Balmillie, &c., for in that eonnty the Camerons
were settled at an early period.
The property most adjacent to Forfarshire, with which they
were connected in old timea, was that of Baledgamo, in the Carse
of Gowrie, and they held it from the time of Edward L, down to
at least the year 1365.*^
As before observed ^ the King of England abode at " the redde
CaBtleof Baligernache/' or Baledgarno,on 7th xVngust 1290, when
on his return from the north. This castle, which was called red^
doubtless from the peculiar colour of the stone of which it had
been built, and which still aboimds m the locality, stood upon
a rising ground on the east side of the bum of Balcdgarno ;
and the site, which commands an extensive view of the valley of
the Tay, from beyond Perth to its fall Into the sea, of the opposite
hills of Fife, and of a large tract of Forfarshire, ia now occupied
by a fann house, bearing the significant name of Caslhhill^
sheltered on the north and west by the picturesque and finely
wooded hills of Eossy Priory and Ballendean.
The name of Baledgamo is perhaps a corruption of the CTaelic
word Bal-ad-gar-cnoc^ which means a town or house situated
upon a long rough hiUock,'^ Now-a-days, it is sometimes written
and pronounced Balegurry ; and fable says that King Edgar had
a castlo there, and that the place, in consequence, was called
" Bal-EdgarJ' The village of Balcdgarno, in the valley imnie-
diately south of the Castlchill, with its clean cottages and neatly
kept gardens, past which the burn sweetly meanders, is one of
the prettiest rural spots in the Carse of Gowrle.
It is certain that the Camerons were early connected with For-
far, as well as with Perthsblrej for even in 1214-2o, Iliigh Cam-
brun held the high office of Sheriff of Angus, and was a peram-
bulator of the disputed marches between the lauds of the Abbey
of Arbroath and Kinblcthmont.^ In the year 1261, Robert of
^ ildg. BoU, 71, &c. ; Reg. Maj;, SiinlL, ji. 309 ; ut tup., 202.
• " Bj&l&dg&nio" is thua variously Hpclli'd — Baligernaclits Bal tigernacibe, Bdtiii'
gemach, Balligreoacb^ Balgligemacli, Balligamagli, BiUigernank, &c.
' Rag. Ep. Brechin., i. 3 ; Reg. V«t. de Aberb., 162.
294 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEABNS.
Cambron was forester of the Castle of Cluny, in Perthshire ; and
nearly thirty years later, the same baron (it is presumed) assented
to the letter of the community of Scotland approving of the mar-
riage of Prince Edward of England with our Queen Margaret.*
John of Cambron, perhaps the son of Robert, was present at the
Parliament held at Arbroath in 1320 ; and the seal of Sir John
of Cambron, knight, is appended to John of Wardroperisthone's
charter of the lands of Wardroperisthone, or Warburton, in the
Mearns, which was granted at Perth to Sir John of Inchmartin,
knight, in 1331.*^
Apart from these notices, which shew that the family were
early located in and near Forfarshire, it may be added that,
according to story, they first appeared in the Highlands ; but re-
cord so far disproves this, and shews rather that they were ori-
ginally Lowland barons ; for, during the reign of William the
Lion, sometime before the year 1200, a Robert of Cambron was
a witness to a donation to the monastery of Cambuskenneth.^
In consequence of this fact, which is the earliest known record of
the name, probably it had a territorial origin, and may have been
assumed from the district or parish of Cameron, in Fifeshire, the
church of which is mentioned in the time of Bishop Roger of St
Andrews, 1188-1202, when the canons of that place conceded the
tithes of it, and several other churches, to the Culdees^ Perhaps
Robert of Cambron, the witness to the Cambuskenneth charter,
was father of the Sheriff of Forfar, and progenitor of the Came-
rous in the Highlands, and also of those in the Lowlands.
As may be supposed, the traditional accounts of the origin both
of the name and of the family are various. In regard to the first,
one story says that the name is a corruption of two Gaelic words.
Cam-bran^ which signify a "crooked mountain stream," and the
other, that it is from Cam-ahron^ " a crooked nose."^
As to the origin of the family, one legend relates that a Dane
» Chamb. Rolls, i. *30 ; Act* Pari., i. 85.
^ Acta Pari., i. 114 ; Spalding; Club Miscell., v. 10. * Douglas' Baronage, 328.
^ Reg. Prior. S. Andrcc, 318. A portion of the landti of Craigiuillar, near
Edinburgh, was also called Kamhrunt — Chamb. Rolls, i. *40-67.
' ''I am most fully convinced" (says the Rev. Mr Clerk of Kilraallie, author of an
account of the Camerons of Fassifern, in reply to a query upon the subject), "of the
purely Celtic origin of the name (ameran — Cam-shron, ' wry, or twisted noae,' jutt
M Campbell is Cam-hhevl, * wry mouth.'"
THE C RAMON Dd OF ALDBAR.
296
or Norwegian, of the name of Cameron, who held most of the
Western Isles in the time of Williiun the Lion and Alexander
II,, married the heiress of Maemartiii, proprietor of Lochaber,
and 30 acquifed that territory. Another account attributes their
rise to the time of Fergus IL ; while a third asserts that the re-
mote progenitor of the family ** married Marian, daughter of
Kenneth, Thane of Lochaber, and sister of Bancho, who was
murdered by Mael>eth;** and from hiiu, says Buchanan of Aneh-
mar, who, it maybe observed, is a singularly eredidous writer on
Scottish genealogy, " were descended the (Jameronsof LocheiL""^
It may be added, that tlie most remarkable of the race, cither
for bravery or loyalty, in modern times, waa Colonel John
Cameron of the 92d Highlanders, who fell at the head of his
regiment at Quatrc Bras. lie was of tlie family of Fassifem,
in the mountain cms and once dreary district of Lochaber ; and,
in consideration of his distinguished services in Holland, Egypt,
and the Peninsula, a baronetcy was conferred upon the family in
the person of his father, on the 8th March, 1817-
THE CRAM0ND3 OF ALDBAR.
Origin of the Name and Fumny of Cramond of AMbar— The Lyons — Smclairs—
Youngs — Story <jf the Dtiuth of ono of the YoungB — Ahibar acquired by
ChalmerH of Hazelhead — Sheriff Chalmers — Notice of Patrick ChalmerB, M.P.
■ — His Literary and Antiquarian Tastes— His Death^Tho Chapel of Aldbar —
Ila RcfstgratioD — The Caatlo,
When King Edward I* subdued Scotland, the lands of Aldbar
appear to have been possesi^ed by a cadet of the Cranionds, or
Kerramunds, m Midlothian," The Aldbar branch ultimately
became chief of the family, and in 1541, soon after that
event, James Craraond of Aldbar sold the orij^inal fiiotily pro-
perties of Over Cramond and Clairbar, to William Adamson
of Craigcrook, when the interest of the Cramonda ceased in the
Lothians.
" Essay on Ancient Scottish SnmaraPB, 126.
■ Sep Wao^r« Acct, of thu Parish of Cmmond, 49-51,
siguify tkd furt of the river Amon"
' Caer-Amcm, is said to
296 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARN3.
The estate of Cramond, from which the family name was
assumed, was held of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem; and
William of Cramond, of the county of Edinburgh, who was
clerk of the King's wardrobe in 1278, is recorded to have sworn
fealty to King Edward in 1296, at Berwick-upon-Tweed, much
about the same time as
Hauvence De (SvamounD,
who is designed of the county of Forfar. So far as known, these
two barons were the only persons of the name who performed
homage at that time ; but subsequently there was a John of
Craumond, perhaps a near relative of William, who took the
oath of fidelity to the King of England for lands in the county of
Edinburgh.^
Besides the lands of Aldbar, in Angus, the Cramonds were
early in possession of those of Melgund and Eddrochat, or Kin-
trockat. They were related by marriage to some of the most
influential families both in Angus and in the Mearns, and held
their estates until the last half of the sixteenth century, when
their affairs became embarrassed, and the lands being heavily
mortgaged, John, Lord Glamis, who was Chancellor of Scotland
in 1577, became the proprietor.
Lord Glamis gave Aldbar to his second son. Sir Thomas
Lyon, sometime Lord Treasurer of Scotland, and the daring man
who harshly remarked, when James VI. wept during his deten-
tion at Ruthven House, in 1582 — ** It is no matter for your
tears — better that bairns should weep than bearded men !" The
period of the death of this " bold baron" is unknown, but it
occurred some time after King James went to England ; for,
on hearing of Lyon's death, he is said to have remarked to the
English nobles around him, " that the boldest and hardiest man
in his dominions was dead !" Sir Thomas Lyon left a son, who
succeeded to Aldbar ; but dying issueless, the lands fell back to
his nephew, the Earl of Kinghorn, who afterwards disposed of
them to a cadet of the noble house of Sinclair.
In 1670 and 1678, various portions of the lands were bought
from Sir James Sinclair, by Peter Young of Easter Seaton,
• Chainb. Rolls, i. ♦77 ; Rag. Roll, 126; Prynne, 654 ; Palgrave, 300.
ALDBAR-— THE YOUNGS.
297
grandson of Sir Peter, almoner to James VI, 8ir Peter, the
founder of this branch of the Youngs, was the second son of
John Yoimg, a. burgess of Dundee, by his wife Margaret Scrim*
geour, daughter of a collateral branch of the Diidhopc family.
Sii' Peter, who was three times manned, had in all eight sons
and eight daughters, and died at Easter Seaton, January 7th ,
1G28, His eldest son and succeBsor, Sir James of Iimerechtic,
knight, W3^^ a gentleman of the King's bed chamber, and father
of Peter Young of Easter Seat*")n, who, (with consent of hia oa^ti
wife I::4abella Oehterlony ["? of Wester Seaton] and his son Robert,
as life-renter and fiar, and with consent of Robertas %\^fe, iVnna,
daughter of Sii' William Graham of Claverhonse), sold Easter
Seaton and bought Aldbar as above noticed* It was this Kobcrt
who engaged the celebrated Iluddiman as tutor to his son David,
This David married ^Marjory, eldest daughter of Fothringham
of Powrie, and, dying in 1743, was succeeded by his son Robert,
who, ten yeai-s afterwards, sold the estatc.P
A romantic story is told of the latjt Young of Aldbar. Accord-
ing to tradition, arrangements were made for Ids mairiage with the
daughter of a neighbouring proprietor. In token of respect, and
iu remembrance of Iier proposed wedding, it is .said that the lady
resolved to present her native parish with the rather odd gift of a
mortcloih. That mournful weed, and her marriage di-ess, having
been ordered from the same house in Edinburgh, both wore sent
together, and, unfortunately, by some unexplained accident, found
their way to Aldbar, and were there opened, Mr Young, who
was probably of a nervous disposition, took the matter seriously
to heaii, and sending the morteloth and wedding dress to hia
bride, he hurried to ^lontrose himself, where, it i.^ added, he com-
mitted suicide by drowning. It is more probable, hov;cver, thnt
his death had been accidental, since his clothes were found
lying upon the beach, and his horse tied to a stake, near the
place where his body was washed ashore. His bride is said to
have died soon ailer, when the ill-omened morteloth was first
used at her ovnx funeral.
It was Soon after this sad occurrence, and in the year 1753,
that the lands of Aldbar were purchased by William Clialmers
r Mmta. Aldharentia, MS.
QQ
MEMORIALS CF ANGUS AND M EARNS.
of Ilazelhead (representative of the old family of Chahuers ot
Baliiacraig and JIurtliiil, in Aberdeenshire),'! who had amassed
considerahle wealth aa a merchant in Spain, He was succeeded
in Aldbar, in 1765^ by his son Patrick, who was an advocate, and
held the office of Sherifi'of Foifarshlrc from 17C9 to 1S07 ; and
having a literary tastCi he contrihuted sevend papers to Mac-
kenzie's **Mirror'' and '^LonngcrJ* He died in February 1824,
when he w^as succeeded by his son^ who survived only two years.
The estates then passed to the eldest son of the last named, sho
Patrick, who was born at Aldbar Castle, 31st October 1802*
This gentleman, who became one of the most trustworthy of
modem politicians and antiquaries, was first educated at a pri-
vate academy in Essex, then at Oxford, on leaving which he
entered the 3rd Dragoon Guards, and rose to the rank of captain*
He retired from the service on the death of his father, and settled
upon his estate, tow^ards the improvement of which, and his own
literary taste, he devoted much of his time, occasionally joining,
as was felicitously remarked hy an old and noble friend of hisi
own, "w^ith zeal and heartiness in all those field sports, by a taste
for which the country gentleman is naturally distinguished,'*
At the contested election for the Angus burghs in 1832, he waa
defeated; but at the three subsequent elections (viz», 1835-37-41)
he was unanimously returned, and continued to represent these
burghs, to the utmost satisfaction of his constituents, until the
year 1842, when ill health compelled him to resign his seat.
His political views were as strictly liberal as bis conduct was
consistent, and, from his apt business habitSj he was much cm-
ployed in Committees of the House of Commons,
He was ever active in all tliat related to the interests of hig
native county ; and his anxiety in this particular was w^ell exem-
plified, only a few weeks before his de^th, in a letter to an Arbroath
merchant, regarding the nature and best means of obtaining flax
from the Continent, in the event of a scarcity of that commodity,
which waa much feared, durmg the late Kussian war. Among the
« Willjin a back entrance to the Churcli of St NidioUs, Aberdeen, ti atone slab
built iiiti tlic walJ, contaius tbe Ibllowing jtiscripliun :— " Hie iacct proviJva ct
ionorabilia vir, Alexasher db Camebjl, de Munliill. Praepoaitus huitis burgi do
Abcrdciio, j^vi nbiit vui. die mena Oclobria Aooo Duiu. mocccxqi." 8o far its I
koQw, this is tlie oldest tombstoiic at St Nicholas, and the ioaciiptioQ is beuutifuilj
CArred iti old Englisti chv^cters.
ALDBAH — PATRICK CtlALMERS,
299
many lasting benefits wliich Mr Glial mors cotifcrrcJ npon the shire,
were tiic projecting and carrying out, in the face of considerable
opposition, the road from Brechin to Dundee by Lucky 's Slap; and
4he equally strennous exertions he made in obtaining the bill and
forwarding the work.^? of the Arbroatli and Forfar railway. In Im
own immediate locahty he was ever finding something to employ
tlie hand of the labourer ; and, for moi^ than a dozen years, he
gave constant work to masons and others in improving various
parts of his estates, by enlarging and altering the Castle, making
new roads and carriage drives, restoring the old chapel, and en-
closing the ancient burial ground, and in other praiseworthy
deeds. It ought also to be noticed that he was a warm sup-
porter of the all-important subject of educatioUj Iiaving erected
and endowed on his own estate one of the finest and best con-
ducted public schools in the county. lie also gave annual pre-
miums for the best kept gardens, an act which proved of vast
importance, and did much to improve the general habits and
tastes of the people.
During Mr Chalmers' illness, which extended over a period
of more than ten years, ho found a pleasing solace in the in-
teresting study of Scottish antiquities, and in the society of men
of kindred tastes. He was, perhaps, one of the most learned of
our Scottish antiquaries, and had a large and well selected library,
particularly of works on ancient and modern Scottish history,
among which were several valuable MSS. Besides the honors
conferred upon Mr Chalmers by foreign litcraiy soeictici^, he was
a Vice-President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, a
Fellow of the British and Irish Archaeological Societies, and a
Member of the Bannatyne and Spalding Clubs.
He was an occasional contributor to Archoeological and other
journals, and edited a collection of the Ancient Sculptured Monu-
ments of AnguSj including those of Meigle and Fordoun, with
historical letterpress. This work was printed for private circu-
lation, and copies presented, not only to tlie public libraries of
Forfarshire, but also to thoso of the various Archa3ological
aocietlcs at home and abroad. By the publication of this magni-
ficent volume^ Mr Chalmers was the means of directing the atten-
tion of antiquaries to the study of these interesting remains of
300
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND STEAEXS.
antiquity which are so peculiar to Scotland, and which have
since been further illutitrateJ by a more vt)himiiious work iBsncd
by the Spalding Club, under the editorial care of their Secretary^
Mr John Stuart — an intimate friend of Mr Chalmers, Mr-
Chahncrs also assisted in editing some of the Bannat^Tie and
Spalding Club books, among tlie former of which were the Re-
gisters of the Abbey of Arbroath, and the Cathedral of Brechin,
He was employed upon the latter work at the time of his death,
and it haa since appeared with a meraoir of Mr Chakncra, by
Mr Co^nio Innes, his co-labourer in botli work^, being presented
to the Club by his brotlier and heir, Mr John Inglls Chalmers*
Well as the preface la written by 3Ir Innes (for it ought to be
known that no trace of Mr Cb aimers' notes could be found), it is
matter of regret that Mr Chalmers was not spared to complete
the Register of Brechin, since his vast local knowledge must
have contributed greatly to its value and interest. But such
was not the will of Providence. During the spring of 1854,
partly in the hope of having his already much improved health
better established, and partly from a sense of duty towards a
young relative, he resolved to visit the Continent, and left Aldbar
on the 6th February, He enjoyed pretty good healtli for some
time after leaving home, and when at Naples, felt so much the
better of the change, that he allowed his companions to take his
servant along with them on a journey to Constantinople. Dur-
ing their absence he returned to Rome, where he had a relapse
of spinal disease, ^rfiich had been so long the pain of his life, from
the dangerous elfects of which it was thought he had recovered,
and there being no one present who knew the nature of his
complaint, dysentery followed, which unfortunately proved fatal,
and he breathed his last on the 23rd of Juno, only two days
before the return of his companions/
His remains were brought home, and interred in the old kirk-
yard of Aldbai', at tlic outer and north-west corner of the chapel
* It ougLt to have l>ecD previously noticed tlint in 183D, Mr GlmlmerB married
Jesfiie-Annrt-Letitia, yonngest daiigliter of th<? late Jolin Herbert Folcr. Esq, of
nilpeway, IVinbrnkeBbiro, and widow ijf TbomaaTttjler \\THon, Esq. of Ilaiibii^
Hall, Worceflter(>liirc. She dkvl jn tlje followiuj^ yciir, without lettvitit* iKsne to Mr
Chalmers.^ By hor first hnsband r!}C left two sonft, utid it woa with the eldesi,
Bowatcr Vernon, Eaq. (who haa biuoc died), and Howard Uoltoti, Esq, of Hiid:Mr4
that Mr Chalmera went to the Contiaent.
d
ALDBAR — THE CHAPEL.
301
whicli lie had so recently restored ; and, witli a happincBs of
thought which caoiiot be too much adraircdj his grave is marked
by a monnmentj Bunilar in design to those whicli ho has contri-
buted so much to preserve and illustrate, and with which hia
name will continue to be handed down to posterity. As a
slight tributo to the memory of Mr Chahnera — ** whose like,"
whether for Biuglcncss of heart, or unaffected kindness, ** we
may never see again *^— a drawing of h.U hist resting place has
been prepared as the frontispiece to tliia volume.
It may he added, that the plate conveys a good idea of the
romantic situation of the old burial ground. It lies in the bottom
of a den, about a hundred and fifty feet below the adjoining
grouud.^, and barely a quarter of a mile from the Castle, being
a singularly romantic and secluded spot, wliich, doubtless, at one
time had been the abode of some devotee or hermit. T!ie den is
rocky and umbrageous, contains a number of fiiic old trees, and a
burn meanders through it, skirting the burial place. The course
of this burUj from which the place Js named, divides the parishes
of Brechin and Aberlcmno, in the latter of which the burial
ground and Castle are situated*'
The earliest, and indeed the only recorded rector of Aldbar,
was Nicholas of Greynlaw, who flourished in 1429/ Perhaps
be was a relative of Bishop Greenlaw of Aberdeen, who was his
contemporary. The church, a rectory in the diucese of St An-
drews, is rated at twenty merka in the ancient taxatio, and " at
the ftmmlation, in 1433, of the College of Methven, by Walter
Stewart, Earl of Athol, the church was granted to that College,^
The Provost of Methven was tijcrcafter rector of Aldbar, and
the cure was served by a chaplain. After the Eeformation, the
Presbyterian minister of Methven called himself Provost of
Jlethven and Chaplain of Aldbar, and drew the teinds until the
parish was suppressed being divided between Aberlemno and
Brechin in the seventeenth eentuiy. The patronage of the
• In Gaelic, Alt-harr, means " a liii^li burn/' * Rog. Ep. Brccliin., i. 42.
" A seal appended to a Jecd, dated x.U. iSSl, bears arms fquarterly) Ist and
4tht three flour-dc-hX wUUin a doublo troa»iire Hoisercd(?); 2nd and 3rd, a fess
clieqne. The legend — "a' YftUZh . iTEVAnT , come . a.d. pettymve . i>}ei . rkoal .
p. KEiiYsivR . ET . nAiio , PS . AVLD1UR** — ihcwB lliut the f^ottitnendator of the Priory
of PJttenwe<^ni, who was lord of tbe regality of Kirrii^muir, was nbo designed Baron
of Aldbar. — fmpreuloa of seal kindltf aait htf Iltnry Laing, Esq., EdinhurfjL
302
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARXS.
churclij alterricately wltli that of the Crownj for AberJemno, is in
the hands of Smy the of MethYcn. as come in room of the Provost
and Canons of Methven."*
The graveyard waa used as a common hiirial place for the dis-
trict till the close of last century^ and some of the inacnptions
upon the tonibstones were decipherable at no distant date.
Witlihi these twenty years the tnmk of an old tree stood at the
top of the rond leading to the cemetery, upon which the bell is
said to have been hung ; and, according to tradition , both it and
the tree were destroyed by lightning. Tlie chapel Iiad been in
ruins " past memory of man/' until restored by the late Mr
ChalmerSj who not only preserved the exact dimensions of the
edifice, but also used the old stones, as far as possible, thereby
preserving much of its ancient character* A substantial pedestal
was hewn for the old baptismal font, and the piscina is also
preserved within the chapel. Some curioualy carved coffin slabs
are in the burial ground ; and tlie more remarkable monument,
lithographed in Mr Chalmers' book on the Ancient Monuments
of Angus, lay at the kirkyard, until removed to the Castlcj some
years ago, whither it was taken for better preservation. This
relic is the more worthy of notice when we consider that, per-
haps from its existing on Mr Chalmers' property, it had glv^en
rise to that remarkalily acute taste for the remains of antiquity
by which Ije is so well known.
Some yeai^ pi^vloua to the time when Mr Chalmers contem*
plated the restoration of the chapel, he had the remains of Ids
ancestors removed from the parish kirk of Aberlcmno, and re-
interred within the walls of the old church, where they now
repose, Jlarblc tablets to the memory of several of them aro
still in the parish church of Aberlemno. One of these bears a
Latin Inscription commemorative of William, the first Chalmers
of Aldbar ; and another to his son, the SheriiF, the latter of
which contains these lines : —
" YirtncmB auii learned, poIisli^J an<3 reGn*d^
Of pleasing roanrnTs, and cnlightcu'd mind ; ,
Ik-loT'd in life, laraoDt^d in his end,
Here sleeps the Sire, the GrandBire, and the Friend/*
I
' Note from the late P. Chalmeri, Etq.
DUNDEE OF BENYIE AND BALRUTHRIE*
303
In concluding this section, it may be added that tke old portion
of the Castle of Aldl>ar ia a good specimen of the haronial
architecture of the period to which it belongs, and the tower is
adorned with the armorial bearings of tlie noble family of
Lyon. It stands close to the burn, at a singularly romantic
and pieturescjue spot, near a pretty wateri*all. During the time
of the late proprietor, more particularly towards the close of his
life, the house received large and important additions, which,
with a variety of other alterations and improvements, have
changed the general aspect of the place so much that those who
knew it before could now scarcely recognise it. The principal
entrance, formerly on the west, has been changed to the cast, and
the old front ornamented with tastefully laid out flower terraces,
and balustradcd walls. The picturesque grotto, built on the east
side of the burn, overshadowed by rocks and trees, and the re-
storation of the old chapel, were part of the improvements effected
during Mr Chalmers' absence on the Continent.
BECTION IV.
DUNDEE OF BENVIE AND BALRUTIIRIE,
Notices of tLe fkmilj De D'jnOtio— Ralph of Dundee Acquires Benvie and Bdrutlmo
^Hia Bon John acqiurea Glaiater — Asautuca Glaistcr as a Surname^-DecltKe
of tho Dundeea and the Glaiatcrs — Subaeqiienl ProprioUry History of Bcurie
and BtilmtUrie — Churches of BcnTic% Liff, and Iiivcrgowrio.
The surname '* Dundee" appears to have had a local origin —
assumed, in all probability, from the thriving town of that
name in iVngus ; and the first recorded of the tamilj were perhaps
a burgess of that place, called Albert of Dundee, and Williamj
a burgess of Perth, who both flourished during the time of King
Alexander IL"^
who took the oath of fidelity to King Edward I. at Berwick-
upon-Tweed,* is firat met with in the year 1286, when he was
» B«g.Vet.deAberb., 96; Liber de Scou, 65, 62. » Rag. Roll, 126; PryTme,6W,
304
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEABNS.
one of an inquest that enqxureJ into the bonndari^s of the pastiu'e
lands of PannimT,'^ On 23<1 August 1292, he had a charter of
Bcnvie and Bah*iithrie, or Balruddcry, from Sir William Maide
of Panmure, togolher with a gift of the patronage of the kirk of
Ben vie/ Tlieae possessions a]>pear to have been previouHly gi^aut-
ed to Ralph by Sir William Manlc's motlicr, whoso grancUather,
Pliilip of A^alh)gne5i, received tlieni, a^ previously notieed, along
with the barony of Panmure, from King William the Lion.
Ralph of Dundee renewed hh oath of allegiance, for certain
lands in Perthshire, on the loth ilarch 130(>, by which time, it
appears^ he had received the honour of knighthood.'* He died
about 1312,^ leaving a family, one of wliom had previously ac-
quired the old property of Glaistor, or Glatsletter, in the parish of
Cannyllic, from which he assumed Glaiater as his surname. It
also appears that he sueceeded his father in the lands of Benvic,
BalruUirie, and otliorsj for, in 132;'}, "Johannes de Glasrtch, lilius
et heres quondam Domini Kadulplii de Dunde," had a confirma-
tion charter of these from Sir Uenry Maole of Panmure.*^ Aa
will be sho^^ii below, Benvie and Balruthrle continued in the
family until 13(38.
Contemporary with Ralph of Dmidce were two churchmen in
Scotland of the same surname — the one parson of the kirk
of iVlva, in Banffishire, the other of Stobo, hi Peebles — ^botU of
whom ilid homage to King Edward.'* At the same time there
was also a family of the name in the county of Edinburgh, for
record shews that on 3d September 1296, Isabella, ^nte of Simon
of Dundee, was reponed in certain lands in that i^hirc." With
theiic exceptions, I have seen no farther trace of tlic surname
Dmidec, which, from what has been shewn above, in all proba-
bility, gave place to that of Glastcr, or Glaister,
Besides tlio lands of Glaister, which the family held until 1389,
when they were given by Sir WiUiam ilaulc to his brother,
Henry, the Glalsters also lield the lands of Auchlair, or Lochlair|
which, in 1365, were disponed to Sti^achan of Carmyllie, with
T Reg. Vet. do Aberb., 333. • Btff. de Ihnmurc, MS., IHS,
• Piilgravo'a Docts., 209 ; Fcedcra, i. jit. jy, p. 59.
*> i%. de I^nmure, MS., i. 201. The eiiTae autliarii^ sliewM (p. 180), tlt«i i
cwiy as 1254, there was a bArondc signed uf Glnister.
' Ilfid., 205. ^ Rag. lloU, 1G4 , Pfyune, 662. * Fued<ini. i. pt. iii. 164.
DENVIE AND BALRUTllRIE.
305
consent of the Qiiponorj tbe lord of Paunim-e/ Thus, ahout the
fonner date, the Glaisters appear to have become cxtmct as land-
owners in Forlarshire.s
Prior to the year 1175, when the haronv of Ben vie was given
to Sir Philip of \'allog"ncs, it ludoiigod to Wahor of Lundie,
whose ancestors eamc from England with Kuig David L**
Wliile possessed by VaUogiieB, and long before Ralph of Dundee''a
time, the lands were held by vassals who assumed the surname
of Benmej of whom were Adam of Baneuile, or Baneuy, and
his son James, who witness various jVugus charters between the
years 1211 and 1214/ It wa.^ probably on tlte decay of tlie
Benvies that Dundee succeeded to the estate.
Down to the foHciture of the family of Panmnre in 1716, these
lands wore held under their superiority; and in 1368, Gilbert of
Glassert, with consent of his over-lord, resigned the same in
favor of iVIexander Scrimgcour, ConataUc of Dundee.*^ From
that period they were held by the Scrlmgeours, until the year
1G54, when, in consequence of a debt of 5,440 merka, due by
John, third Viseount of Dundee, and first Earl of Dudhope, to
John Fithie, merchant and burgest* of Dundee, the lands wero
made over in favor of Fithie. In lfi74, Farl George of Pan-
mure, gave Marjory Gray, only child of Patrick^ niuth Lord
Gray, a grant of 870 merk.s out of the lands of Bcovic and Eal-
nithrie; and in 1713, her son John, Lord Gray, by her husband
John, second son of Sir William Gray of PItteudrum, received
charters of these lands from James, Earl of Panmnre.^ Bcnvic
Btill belongs to Lord Gray, but Balruthrie wa3 sold sometunc ai'tcr
the year 1764, to the Earl of Strathmore, and since then the pro-
perty baa frequently changed hands."*
' Jieg. de Panmure, MS., i, 233, 227. Tho R|jellii]g of GUtatcr, or Gtaisier^
uppoars in deeds in much fj''i-*'*^**r variety than in tlic text, Okts4or is Ctsltic, ftnd
fiig;iiilies "grey, or grusBy billock/' Glabtor Z.aw, the iianie of tboeitx; of a market^
in tlie pariali of Kiimell, is Unlological.
» In Iie{f. ih Pamnure^ MS., i[ 226, tlicre is an obligation, dated 1361, by CoHn
Campbell, to Gilbert GbiateT, '* relating to the bailiery of [CampbeirN] lands in
Airgyllabire/' Notices of the fi I juit*jrM— not of later date tlmn that in tbe ttxt, how-
ever— will be found m Oiamh. lioUs, i. 25, 411-40. ** Chalmers' Caled,* i. 633.
* Ke^. Vet. d*3 Aberb.t 42-9. Bcnvk and BentU are utill anrnauieti in ihc
couBtiea of Forfar, Kincardine* and Pertli, &c.
*' Beg. dA Jbmattrc, MS., i. 229. * Jlml, n. 129, 163, 196.
» The Traateea of the Earl of Strathmore notJ Balnitlirie in 1782 to Alex.
Baillie of Dochfonr^ who died 23J Fch. 1799, and was succeeded in both eBtutcs by
hia brother Evan Baillie, Esq. Ho again soldi in 1806, to Jtimcs Webster, Esq.,
Kli
UAUDYNE OF UARDYNE.
307
SECTION V.
THE GABDYNES OF GAEDYNE*
Nolictfl of the Qardyuei — Feudi with Guthrie of that Ilk —Proprietary History of
Gui'IyiH' — Tbo Cflatlo.
The sumanic of Gardj/my Garden^ or Guirnj which was hy no
tiieaoa p€ciiiiar to An^s in old times, had pmhably, bo far afl
it related to that f list net, been iiMsiniied from the hands of Ciar-
djnej in the pariah of Kirkdcn, from whicli a family was loiJg
named, and eslled ^' of that ilk/' Stillj apart from
who did homage to King Edward, and is defli^ed of the connty
of Forfar,P 1 have found no earlier notice of the family ; and no
trace of tliciii in the sbire^ from that time imtil the bcgioning
of the fifteenth century.
Besides the Forfarshire baron, there were other two of the
Bame name and surname in Scotland who performed the same
eervice, also one Humphrey of Gardiu. The last named was
designed of the connty of Dumfries, the otliers of that of Edin-
bm*ghj and all of them did homage at Berwick, except one of
the Williams, who took the oath at Stirling.
A^ before said^ from the time of King Edward until 1408,
the name is not met with in Angus ; hut of that date, it is re*
corded that Alexander Qardyne acquired the lands of Borrow-
ficld, near Jlontroac, on the rcf^ignation of William Graham ; and
hia descendcnts held that estate mi til 1015, when it was sold to
Hercnlca Tailzeour, merchant in Montrose, ancestor of the pre-
sent proprietor. In 1401) tlic laird of Borrnwfield i.^ alt^to a witness
to a charter of half the hinds and brewhoiisc of Klnnalrd, which
Duthoc Carnegie received in dowery with his wile, Mariot, one
of three co-heiresses of Eichard Kinnaird, Again in 1410, he
is a witness to Sir Alexander Fraser's resignation of the barony
of Kinnell, in favor of Peter Strivelin and his son John.*i But
r Bog. Udl, lfi4 ; rrynne. G<K), &c. ^ Keg. Mig. Sig,, p. 236 ; Hi.
306
MEM011IAL9 or ANQUB AND MEARNS.
The Don of B 1^1 ni time is one of the moat romantic spotA lu tl»o
diBtrictj peculiarly rich in rare botanical specimens 5 and, iii cuii-
scquence of the discovery of fossil organic remains which wore
made by the late proprietor, Mr Webster, it hiis also become an
interosting and %'a!yable field of -study for Uie geoh>giftt.
It ought to be added, that the parishes of Liff, Bon\^c, and
Invcrgowrie are now iinitcd, and fonn one parochial charge.
These churches were all situated within the diocese of tit An-
drewB, and those of Iiivergowric and Liff were early given ta
the Abljcy of Scone, the iirst by King ilalcolm IV." The rnius
of the church of Invcrgowrie stand by the side of the river Tay,
and is now used as the burial place of tlie family of Clayhills of
Invergmvrie. Two curiously sculptured stones arc built iuto
the south wall, and it is said that tit Boniface planteil a place of
worsliip here early in the seventh century, which he dedicated to
St Peter.
The patron saints of the churches of Lilf and Benvie are un-
knoT^Ti ; hut from the little that remains uf the last-named build-
ing, it appears to have had some architectural elegancse. About
the lialf of the west gable still standr^, covered with ivy, and tlic
foundations shew that the chm*ch had been about fifty-four feet
long by about twenty-four feet broad. The old baptismal foot lies
in the graveyard; and a sun dial, bearing iJie date 164^^, is orna-
mented with the armorial bearingji of James, second Viscount
of Dundee, who was killed at Marston Moor, and thoBC of his wife
Isabella, eldest daughter of the fii*st Earl of Roxburgh.
There is also an ancient stone monument in the ehurcliyard,
bearing emrioua carvuigs of men and animals, which, witli the two
at Invcrgowrie, are engraved by the Spalding Club, in their work
on the Sculptured Monuments of Scotland.'*
vlio died in lifay 1827, and lie was succeeded by his son, Kobert Webfit«jr, E«rj.,
who sold llio 0 state in 184y, to the presotii pniprit^tor, l>iivi(l Edwartls, Ea*^.^ Uux-
Hpiuuor, lliixudiit\—Iu/ormaiion kindty communicated b^ li. WehttUif, Esq.
"" Liber de Scon, l^. I
<■ The most ancieul spHlings of *' Benvie'* Am Bt'tipvi, Bftncryti, Bancuy, and
Banouill. llio old kirk h lauds upon a hillock on tLo Boiuli lank of ilio I Sum of
Ouwrie. Anii<inttnan and luHtorical iiotiees of the nuitiid paiisUts will be fuuiid iu
I*ro€etdin(f4 ofilte So. of Antiffmrica, tqL ii. p. 437.
UAlinrXE OF OARDINE.
307
SECTION V.
THE QAfiDYNES OF OARDTNE.
Notices of tbo G&rdjnet — Feudi witL Quihric} of tlmt Ilk— Proprietory History of
UanljrtJ*i — The Cafillo,
The surname of Gardym^ Garderiy or Gatruj whicli was by no
iiK^ans peculiar to Ang^us in old times, liad probaljly, eo tar as
it roUitcd to tliat ilistrict, Ijt^cii a^ftinncd iVoiii the lands of Gar-
djne, in the parish of Kirkdon, from whicli a family was loDg
named, and called *' of that ilk.'^ Still j apart from
wlio did homage to King Edward, and i.^ designed of the eoxmty
of Fortar,P I have found no earlier notice of the family ; and no
trace of them in the shire, from that time until the begiiinbig
of tlie fifteenth century.
Besides the Fortai^shirc haron, there were other t%vo of the
pamc name and fturname in Scotland wlio i>erfiirnicd tlic same
service, also one Humphrey of Gardin. The last named was
designed of the eounty of Dnmfriea, the others of that of Edin-
burgh; and all of them did homage at Berwick, except one of
the Williams, w^ho took the oath at Stirling.
A^ before said, from the time of King Edward until 140B,
the name ifl not met w^ith in Angus; but of tliat date, it is re-
corded that Alexander Gardyne acquired the land^ of Borrow-
fielrl,near Montrosie, on the resignation of William Graham; and
his descendents hold that estate until 1615, when it was sold to
llerciiles Tailzeour, merchant in Montrose, ancestor of the pre-
sent proprietor. In 1409 t!ie laird of Borrowfield is also a witness
to a charter of half the lands and brewhousc of Kimiaird, which
Duthoc Carnegie received in dowery with his wife, Mariot, one
of tliree co-heiresses of Richard Kinnainl. Again in 1410, he
IS a witness to 8ir xVlcxandcr Fraser^s resignation of the haiMuy
of Kinnell, in favor of Peter Strlvelin afid his son Jfihiui But
^ Rag. Roll, 154 ; Pryttne, 660, &c. ' Bt'g. Mag. big,, p. 23€ \ 244.
308
MEMOllIALS OF ANGUB AND MEARNS.
it is not until 1408 tliat wc find Patrick Garden de eodem^ wliieh
name and deHignatkin are appended to a charter by Abbot Mal-
cohn of Arbroath, of tlie half lands of Hatherwie^k, to Alexaiideri
Bon and heir of Sir Thonia!^ Maide of Panmiirc/
The lands of Gardpie are now Ixeld directly of the Crown; but
tradition says that the Earls of Crawford were anciently the
Huperiors, Be tliis a^ it may, it appears tliat the chief of the
Borrowfield branch fell at the battle of Arliroath in 1442^,
fighting in support of the Ogilvys; and in the course of twenty
yeara we find Patrick de eodetn, acting in the councils of the
Earls of Cra\vibrdj and witnesshig some of their charterB.*
During the subsequent century, branches of the family were
designed of the different properties of LawtoHj Leys, Legatston,
and Tulloe3, in Angus— all in the neighbourhood of the parent
house, iVfter this, notices of them become more plentiful, eliiefly,
however, in the annak of our criminal trials, and in regard to
** deldlle fends" which took place betwixt tbcm and their neigh-
bour and rival, Guthrie of that ilk.
A brief notice of these feuds, although neither their origin nor
their history is given with any degree of ininutenesi^, may bo
intercstmg. In 1578, it would seem that Patrick Garden of that
ilk had fallen by the hand of William Guthrie, Ten years aftor-
wardB, doubtless out of revenge for the death of their eblef, tbo
Gardpics attacked and killed the bead of tlic family of Gnthrie;
and, according to the charge preferred against them, the deed
was committed *' beside the Place of Innerpeffer, vpoune sett
pni'poiB, pro\nsioune, auld feld, and foirtlioebt fellony/'^ Before
two years elapsed, the Gutliriea made another onset upon the
Gardynesi, which resulted in the slaughter of the chief of the latter
family, and bis namesake of Tulloes."
This course of lawless revenge and bloodshed, so characteristic
of onr feudal times^ eontinued over several generations, with
great loss of life and property to both families, and became so
serious, that the King was called upon to interpose between
them. According to the warrant, his Majesty "submitted [the
' Beg. de Fajitwtirc, MS,, 1.306. '' David dc GarJjTi^ dotnintis de Kininmond/'
18 n witn*^pH to i^ iliarluirgo l>y Sir T. Afiiulc of pHniiiur« tn Sir Andrew Grny of
FowliB, 1 J27.— /6m/.. 25<K • Lives of (ilic TJudHaya, i. 1 17,
* Pitcnim'i Criin. Trialji, Hi. 77 ; ii. 103. " Ibid., m. 80*
GAEDYNE— TUE CASTLE*
309
matter] io crrtanc of our counaale, ban'owixis^ mul miiiisterf*
for rccousiliatioiiii, and rcinowiiig thairof/''^ With whut amount
of success this royal proposal of reconciliation was attended, is
not stated ; but probably these feuds did raucli to cripple the
influence and means both of the GardyncB and of tlie Cinthrien,
for soon after the last affray, the estates of both families wero i"0-
dnced and l>roken up, and ere long passed into otlier bauds, that
of Guthrie Iiaving been purchased by Bi.sliop Guthrie of Moray,
who was but distantly, if at all, related to the old stock.^
Before 1604 the landi^ of Gard^'ne belonged to Sir Walter
RuUok, of the Duncrub family, who was also designed of Law-
ton, betwixt which date and 1655, Gardync belonged to William
Iliithven,^ sou of Lord Ruthven of Ettrick. The estate wa«? next
obtained by Jauies Lycll, ancestor of the present proprietor,
who is the representative of Lycll of Dysart, founder of tlic family^
and town clerk of Montrose. Sometime before Lycll acqnired
Kuthven^s portion of the barony, which consisted *' of the house
ajid the maines,*' he had granted a bond over the lands of Gar-
dync, iliddleton, Cotton of Grardpie, Friock, and Legatston, all
of which belonged to the Lyells till near the middle of the past
centnry, when James Gardjme of Lawton bought Middleton,
Friock, Legatston, and Cotton of OardyiacJ It may be added
that the last landowner of tlie name in Forfarshire was Tliomas
Gardync of Middle ton, who died at an advanced age, in 1841.
The bouse of Gardyne is partly old and partly new. Tlie
old portion, which is a good example of the castellated architec-
ture of the sixteen til century, is oraamcnted by a shield, beai'ing
the arms of Gard}Tie of Lej/s (a boarV head erased), and motte
8PERAVI IN TE DOMINE, rtud date 1508. Over the front dtmr
of the modem portion, erected in 1740, is the crest of Lyell of
Dysart (a dexter hand holding a sword erect, proper), and motto,
TUTELA, The castle is romantically situated upon the wef*t side
of Denton Bnm, a tributary of the Vinny ; and the Moot^ or
Gallows-hill, still forms a prominent object in the larnlr^eape.
* Pitcaim's Crim. Triiile. i. 3T3. * Inq. Spec, Fot(.^ jmjtsim,
» Doug. Peerago, ii. 397 ; loq. Spec. Forf,, Nob. 38, 358>
^ Information hiniUff communicated by A.Lyell, Egtp of Ourdyne,
— 0 —
310
mi:morials of akqus and mearns.
THE CSLBKE8K9 OF OLENESK.
Tl» FktniJj Do Glenosk— Tlio Slirlings— The LintbuivB— Tiie Maulofl— Cafitlea ot
IiiTermark and Edz^ll.
The mirname of '^Glcnesk'^ was sssiuncd from tlio valley in
the north-caateni (Usti-ict of Forfarshire, through whicli runs the
river North Esk*
From earliest record, the family appears to have had consider-
able iijfliK'iico atid standing in the eoimtry. The fii-st knoi^Ti uf
the name wa:^ a knight, who 1.4 a witness to a grant by Christiau
Vallognes — the wife, or rather by that time the widow, of Sir
Peter ilanle of Panniure^ — of the lands of Balbimiy and Panlathie
to John LydeL This was soon after the year 1254, and in 1260
John of (llencsk, knight, appears in a charter regarding the mills
of Rossy, near Montro^^e.* Again, in 1289, he was a party to the
letter of the eommimity of Scotland, consenting to the marriage
of Prince Edward of England with onr Queen ^Margaret/
In 1296, there were four barons of the snmame, doubtlessly
related, who all did homage to King Edward. Of these
and another of the same name, but designated chevalier^ appeared
at Abt;rdeen ou the 15th Jidy ; and, in August folluwing, Miir-
gtmd, and another John of Glcnesk, performed the same service
at Berwick***
Subsexiuent to these events the family and name altogether di^
appear. Probably they were succeeded in Glenesk by a brancli
of tlic Stirliir^H, for these are the next mentioned lord." of that do-
main; and it may be added that, in consequence of thii^, Xirfbet
appears to have confounded the one family with the other.
By what means the Stirlings aequired Glenesk is unknown ;
but it is certain that about the middle of the fourteenth century
this branch foiled in two co-heiresses, one of whom became tlie
wife of Sir Alexander Lindsay, third son of Sir David of Craw-
ford, and was motlicr of tlie first Earl of that celebrated family*
• Ueg, iU Panmurc, MS., i. 181 ; Rog. Vet. do AberL., 336.
• Tytler'i Hist, of t^cotltttid, i. 373. »► Bag. Roll, 93 4, 126; Prynno, G51-4.
OLENESK — INVERkTAItK CASTLE.
311
Catherine Stirling, tir La<iy Liodstty, diod somi^tirae before 1378,
as prc%'ioii3 to that date Sir ^Uexander man-itii! his secund wilts,
Marjory Stuart, cousbi to Robert, Duke of Albany.*^
But it k not inteuded to ^ive iioticj?3 here of this ouee power-
ful family, as the reader will tiiul their bi?^tury given iu Lord
Liudiuiy^a admirable work, '"^ The Lives of the Lindsays;" and
historical and traditionary notices of Glunesk mul KJisell will be
found in a vohmie eutitle4 ^^^The Land of the Lindsays/' It
may, however, Ikj added, that the lordship of Glenesk continued
in their hands until the year 1715, when it was sold to tlie Earl
of Pacmure, and that remains of the ancient seat^^ of the Liiidsjiya
are still to be »een at ]nv<^rmark and at EdzeD.
The former consists of a roofless J^quaro tower of three storeys,
situated upon a rising ground near the jnnctitai of the rivers Lee
and Mark. The ancient iron gate or i/ett of the castle, is still
preservedj and, ai* will be seen by the accompanying woodcut, is
of the same iiiii^euious eonstriiction a-4 those f jr the erection of
which royal licen.^e^ were granted during the fifteenth ccutiu^y.
The ruins of the castle of Eisell are much more extensive
than those of Invermark ; and, with perhaps the exception of the
» Crawford Cme, 148.
312
MEMORIALS OP ANGUS AND MEAHN^,
tlie large
keep nil tbc south Hide of the
Stirling To we
castle, the whole had been built by David, ninth Earl of Craw-
ford, and his sonj Lord Edzell, The garden-wall is ornamented
hy a number of elaborate carvings in stone. On the cast wall
arc the celestial deities, on the south the Bcienees, and on the
west the theological and cardinal viiines, forming one of the
most iutercftting memorials of the kind in Scotland. The fonn-
datiuns of old bathing-rooms, which were lately brougiit to light
at the Bouth-west corner of the garden, along with the ruins
of tbc castle, have been cleared of ruhbisb, and otlicrwiac put
in order by Lord Pannvure, who has also fitted up the *old pic-
tui"es3f|ue fe>iiiiimcr-liou3c for the reception of viijitors,'*
QOUELAY OF BALGILLIE.
Tko Qoaria^s— Proprietary Notices of Balgillie in Tannadice, and yf Balgillio
la Monific^b,
InGleram of Gourlay, the first recorded of tlie family hi Scot-
laud, came from England with King William the Lion, about
1174, and he received from that king lands hi Lothian audi
Clydesdale, lie had a sun called Hew, who obtained possessiona
in Fife from tlic^ same Prince.*
In the year 1180, Hew of Gnrlej {most probably the last named
individual), appears as a witnej^s to Ingleram of Balior^ eoiifimia-
tion grant of tbc kirk of Inverkeillor to the Abbey of jVi'broatli;
and, in 1245, Ingleram of ( jourley — perhaps the i^on of Hew —
\\dtnesse8 a grant by Hew Malherb to Thomas of Rossy of the
lands and mill of Kossy, and of the lands of Ilnlysliam (L^san),
and of those of Balstuth. 8ubBefpieiitly, in 1286, Sir Henry of
Gorlcy, along with several Angus barona, was one of an inquc
into the bomidaries of the pasture pertaining to tbc barony of
Paiimure/
** Detailed accoiinttt of fiome curioDsly carvcci oak paiiclH wbuli belonged to
the Cft«tle of Etl?.ell, nud of the bathe, will be found m Fr0CCtMng§ of So. of Ami-
quaric* ofiScot,, vul. ii pp. 70, 2269,
• Ctabuere* C*di d., 1. 132, DouglaB* Baronaife (p.4G9), contoinB aw nccouut
of the GgtirlavB of Fife, ' U^g. Vet, de Akrb., 39, 33S, 333,
GODELAY OF BALGHXIE.
313
Tlie next appearance of the name in relation to Angus is
that of
who 18 classed along with others of that shii*e, as having done
homage to Edward I. at Bcrwick-upon*Tweed.f^ More lately,
in the year 1328, a person of the same name and snniame—
prohahlv the same individual — in a witnessf^, with several barons
and ehurchmen, all of Angus, to King Rol>ert the Brnce's charter
to Walter Schaklukj of tlie third part of the lands of Inieney,
near llontrose.*^
Although the Gourlays were early settled in Fife, and designed
of Kincraigle, in that shire, and subsisted there in the male line
down to a very late date, I am rather inclined to think^ — though
contrary to the opinion of Nisbet, Douglas, and other writers^
that Gouiiay ^' de Balgally^* was a land^^wner in Angus, and as
such did homage for lands in tliat district.
There are at least two considerable estates called Balgally,
Balgillie, or Balgillo, in Forfarshire — the one situated within the
parish and ancient thanedom of Tannadicc, the other within
those of Monihetli, I am not aware that m Fife there is any
place of the name.
Being thanedoms, both thcf^e estates were held of the Crown,
and the earliest notice of a gift of the fonner occurs in the time
of Robert I., who gave tlie whole lands of Balgillo to Isabella of
Athol, and his nephew, Alexander BrneeJ Tlie names of other
proprietors are mentioned in connection with Balgillo, such as
those of llcntcith and Blair ; and on the marriage of Sir John
Lyon of Glamis witli Princess Jane, daughter of Robert ILj that
king gave Lyon the thanedom of Tannadice as a part of her
dowery, from which time the Lyons became superiors of the
property.
The earliest proprietary notice of Balgillo, in Monifieth, also
occurs * in the time of Bruce, who granted charters of it to
'* Patricio capitali medico/' whose descendanta were in possession
ff Kapr. HoU, 126 ; Prynne, 654 ; Piilgmve, 196.
^ Reg. Vet, do Aborb., 339.
' RoEertaoti'B Index, p. 18. [Bal-ffealie^ or ^iUe, means ** a white town, or
house.'* QHJlit i« ftlao the tTaelic for *' a boj, or man-serrant."]
B3
t
314 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
until 1369, when Thomas Rate obtained the property on the
resignation of Gilbert M'Beth, the physician, brother and heir
of " Ectoris medici regis." From Rate, the superiority of the
lands of Balgillo, or Balgillachy, as the name is sometimes writ-
ten, passed to Alexander Lindsay in 1390> Subsequently, they
were possessed by Wishart of Pitarrow, on whose forfeiture in
1499, they were obtained by Andrew, third Lord Gray, who
had previously come into possession of Broughty Castle and the
fishings, on the resignation of Archibald, Earl of Angus.^
But the history of these lands need not be farther dwelt upon ;
suffice it to say, that during the wars of the sixteenth and seven-
teenth centuries, the commanding position of the hill or Law of
Balgillo was taken advantage of by the English, first as a pro-
tection to the garrison of Broughty, which they occupied and
retained from 1547 till 1550; and next by the soldiers of General
Monk, in 1651.
It need only be repeated, that our conjecture of Gourlay " de
BaJgally" being an Angus baron is founded more upon the
designation given to him, and the place which he holds in flie
Ragman Roll, among barons of the same county, than upon
the fact, which ought not, however, to be overlooked, of his
name appearing in charters relating to that district. Besides this
baron, there were six others and one churchman of the name, who
submitted to King Edward : five of tliese were from the county
of Edinburgh, the other two from Berwick and Roxburgh.
SECTION VI.
HAY [of DRONLAW.]
Origin of the Hajs— The Hays acquire Dronlaw— High Constables of Scotland-
King's Cup-bearers— Inquiry into the Antiquity and History of the oflBco of
Royal Cup-bearer in Scotland.
TiiR chief of the noble family of Hay, and twelve others of the
name, all belonging to the counties of Perth and Fife, took the
oath of allegiance to the King of England at Berwick-upon-
Tweed, in 1296. Two knights of the shire of Perth, and a baron
»• ^eg. Mag. Sig., pp. 70, 177. > Douglas* Peerage, i. 668.
HAY OF D RON LAW.
315
of Fife, had previously submitted to Edward in 1291, aiitl micG
persoua of tiie same narnea luid designations* occur in the list of
1296, probably these thi-ee had renewed their oaths at that time.
Apart from the baron» referred to, there waa also
%mt De la pfa^t,
who is designed of the shire of Forfar."* Probably ho was a son
of Hay of Errol, and may have possessed the iaud^ of Dronlaw,
or Dronlcyj iu the parish of Ancbtcrhouse, of which the Hays had
grants from William, Earl of Jlar, before 1251 ; from las son
Donald, between 1272 and 1294 j and from the Knights Tem-
plars, about the same period,^ Tliis property was owned by the
Hays for several centuries. It now belongs to the Earl of Cam-
perdown, and contains a handet or village.**
It were as idle to attempt to identify " Jone de la Haye,'^ since
the name does not appear m the Hay genealogy, as to repeat the
fiible regarding the origin of the name and family* It is now
admitted that tbey were among the iVnglo-Norman barons that
came w^ith William the Conqueror ; and our chartidarics shew
that during the ek'%'cnth century, a descendant of the follower of
the Norman Prince settled in the Lothians under Malcolm IV,
and William the Lion* He left two aona, William, his successor,
and Tiolicrt, ancestor of tlie Hfiys of Tweeddale.P
The genealogy of the chief and collateral branches of the Hays
being well known, it need only be added that, so far as regards
the families of Errol and Tweeddalo, they are still represented
by descendaotSj tlie former of whom enjoys tlie ancient title of
Earl (although the estate of Errol long ago passed from the
family), and the hereditary office of Lord High Constable of Scot-
laud. This latter honor was conferred on 8ir Gilbert Hay of
Errol, by Robert the Bruce, on his accession to the throne,
together w^ith the lands of Plains in Aberdeensliire,i where, for
several generations, the family have chiedy resided.
At one time, it is stated, the Errol branch als** held the office of
pincerna Heffts^ or cup-bearer to tlie Kings of Scotland; but, mdiko
"** Krir^. Roll, 1 IG ; rryiino, 65ft ; Palg:rftve, 195,
" Tupogmpliy nud Aiitiij. of AbtrJeeu and BiinfT, iii, 125.
• Dronn-lftw, in rjsitilic* means a place of *' liillookH and riJgcs."
* GbalmerB' Caletl., i 539. ^ Hoberlaoa's Indox, p, 2.
316
MEMORIALS OF ANGtTS AND MEARNS-
that of HEgli Constable, which they still retain, it has been long out
of the family. iVs there are some euuflietiug statements rcgai-ding
the possession of the last-named office by certain of the Hays, we
shall attempt to reconeiie these points j and at the same time give a ,
brief account of the antiquity and history of the pincema Regis,
It need not be added that the office is of remote antiquity,
f»mcc wc arc informed tliat the inspired Nehemiah was cup-bearer
to the Kings of Jerusalem; and, without entering upon its his^
tory in other comitrie^j wc find that in Scothind not only tho
monarch, hut also the more potent of the churchmen and nobles
—such as Bishop Richard of St Antkews, and Earl l*atrick of
Dunbar — kept such officers in tlieir households/ their duty, it
may be added, consisting mainly in conveying the wine or other
liquors to tlieir master.*
Ho far as 1 have acen, tho earliest notice of pincema Seffis iu
Scotland occurs iu the time of King Edgar, when the offic-e was
held by Alfric, who, in his official capacity, appears as a witness
to several of that king's grant.s, as well as to a grant by lUex-
ander L to the monks of Heouc.^
Chahuers says that Raiiulph of Sides was for some time pen-
cerna Hegts^ and died not long before the year 1170; and he
again observes, that the first Hay in Scotland held the same
office^ and died about tlie same year ; adding, that the first Hay
was ** succeeded by his son, William, who iuhcritcd bis lands but
not hia office, which," he continueSj " passed to the family of
Sulei^, T\ith whom it seems to have become hereditary.''^
Dm-iug the first years of the rcigu of WilUam the Lion, as ob-
served by Chabners, the office was held by Ranulph of Sides, who
died in or about 1170. His successor appeal's to have been
William of Hay, who, as pincema Megls Scocie^ granted to tlie
prior and canons of St Andrews, for the space of twenty ycar^,
a carrucate of land in Pitmullyj in Fiteshire. This charter, con-
firmed by hia chihbcn, Eva and David, is tho only deed I have
ficen in which Hay is distinguished by his office of pincema /^ and
the name of Philip of Vallognes Cainerarius appearing among
' licg. Poor. S, Amlre©, 134; Liber Jc Melros, 68.
• Ad interesting account uf tlie ceremouics used in placing Uie cape at OJttrt,
t. lltn. VIL, mil bu founJ iu the Antutuariafi Eeptri&ry^ i. 297, &c,
» Libor ite Scon, 3. • Cn!ed., i 512, 538. ' Ke^j, Piior. S. Aiidrce, 313.
ROYAL CUP-BE AREUS OF SCOTLAND.
317
other witue?4!^efi to the cuniimiatioii,'^ tlie date is ascertamed to lie
WLtlihi tlie years 1180 and 1211^ thti period of Vallugiies' Chani-
berlainship, thereby affording proof that the office of pincerna
was held, aot by the tir^t Hay, as asserted by Clialmin^B, hut by
the very mn William, whom the same writer states to have '' in-
herited his father's lands, but not his office."
Tliif? William of Hay is clearly the same who is said to have
died towards the end of the tweltlth century, leaving six children —
Davidj William, John, Thomas, Robert, and Maleohn,' to whom
ought to he added Eva, making a seventh, since that person was
a living witness to the eontirmation to the monks of 8t Andi'ews.
Whether by the marriage of Julian, danghter of Ranulph of
Stiles, formerly eup-bearer, with one of the Hays, that office had
de.^eended to William of Hay, no evidence is found; but m various
charters by William the Lion, from 1204 to 122(3, mostly relating
to grants of land ui Angus and the Mcanis, the name of '^ Mai-
cohn, miles, pmceiiia liegis," appearti as an attesting witness.^
Malcolm of Hay, in 12H7, witnessed a charter by his brother
Thomas to the monks of Cupar;* and the name and designation of
'^ ilalcolm pincerna domini Kegis'* are also attached to an agree-
ment with the prior and monks of the Isle of May, respecting
the chapel of Ricarton and the kirk of RindalgroBs: probably this
Avas the Malcolm of Hay, before refeiTed to.*
Upon the death of yir Malcolm, or on his relinquishing the
office of cup-bearer to the King, Chalmers, quoting the ehartulary
of Xewbottle, states that Nicholas, nephew of Ranulph of Sides,
** acquired, by his talents, tlie office of pinccrjui^ w^hieh he exer-
cised under iUexander II., and also under Alexander III/'
Subsequently, tlie title of pmcerna would eeem to have become
obsolete in Scotland, and in the meniurable letter of the Scottish
barons m 1320 to Pope John, "William, tlie representative of
the old family of SuleSj is styled *^ buttelarius Scoeie,""^ This
William of Sules, for conspiring against Bruce, soon after suf-
fered death; and from that period the title of ^'buttclarius Scocie,"
is rarely, if at all mentioned.
Such arc the brief notices obtainable in reference to the names
* Reg. Prior. S, Ajidree,314. » Doug. Pocsr,i. 5-14. f Reg, Vet. do Ab^rb, 34, &c.
* Douglaa' Peeraife, ii, 545, * Ri*g. Prion S. Andrew, 396. ^ Acta Pari,, i, il4.
318 MEMORIALS OF ANOUS AND MEARN8.
and families of the earliest known cup-bearers to the Kings of
Scotland. It only remains to be added that, although in more
recent times, members of the noble houses of Buchan and Elphin-
stone are found designed cup-bearers to the Kings of Scotland,
neither the designation of pincema Regis^ nor the names of
persons holding that office, occur in the records. Still the office
of King's cup-bearer has, at the present day, a place among the
officers of the royal household, in the almanacs and political re-
gisters of the kingdom ; and by these authorities it is held that
the Earl of Southesk is hereditary holder of that office.
SECTION VII.
THE INVERPEFFERS OF INVERPEFFER.
Walkalinc, the King's Brewer, acquires Inverpeffer — The Family De Inverpeffer —
Proprietary Notices of Inverpeffer — Sir Andrew Fletcher, Lord Inverpeffer —
llenry Maule— Right of the Barony to cast Peats in Dilty Moss.
The first of 4he family of Inverpeffer in Angus was Walkeline,
brewer to William the Lion ; and who, as " Walkelinus bracia-
tor," is a witness to Richard of Friuiirs grant of the lands of
Balekelefan, to the Abbey of Arbroath, 1178-80. Under that
name and designation, in the year 1200, he received the lands of
Inverpeffer from King William,*^ and from these he and his
descendants took their surname.
Nicholas of Liverpcffcr, the son of Walkeline, appears various
times during the reigns of William the Lion, and Alexander 11. ;*
and David of Inverpefyr, probably the son of Nicholas, wit-
nesses a charter by Cln-istian Vallogues of Panmure, to John of
Lydel, somewhere about 1254.®
In the year 1296, two Forfarshire barons, named
^l)am U lEntepeitte, anl) Sau(l) l)e lEntepeitrr,
swore fealty to Edward I. at Berwick-upon-Tweed.^ The name
*^ Eog. Vet. de Aberb , 62, 165. «• Ibid., 21-266. • Reg. de Panmure, MS., i. 181
' Rag. RoU. 126, 152 ; Piynne. 654, 660 ; Palgrave, 197.
THE IKVERPEFFERS OF INVERPEFFER.
319
and Bumamc, borne by the latter of these baronsj frequently occur
between the years 1H25 and 1334.^
During tho fourteenth centiuy some of the family were bur-
gesses of the towns of Dundee and Slontrose ■ and John of
Inverpcffer ov^iied the property of King's-Lour, near Forfar,^*
Patrk^k of Inverpefter, and Iub Avile Margaret Fassington, were
ako, nuicli about the same time, proprietors of the lands of Bal-
niadethy in Fcrne, of Bonnington, and Newton of Iiiverkeillor,
of Craigie, near Dundee, and of Balnialecdy, and others in the
Meams.' There was also a ehurehnian in the family; for, in 1384,
when the kirk of Lethnot was ereeted into a prebend of the Cathe-
dral of Brechin J John of Inrepeftcr was appointed to the curc.^
It ought also to be observed, that a ,Iohii of Invcrpeffer was
appointed slierlff of Claekuiannansliire m 1305, by Edward I. ;
another held the same office at liauff in 1309, and by the
marriage of the latter witli Christian St Michael^ of Mondunudi,
in Aberdeenshire, he acrpiired various hinds in that eounty/
But there is nothing to shew that either of these belouged to
Forfarshire ; for it must be borne in mind that there were dis-
tinct faniilies of the same name and de-^ignation, proprietors of
the now fertile valley of Inverpctier in Ross and Cromarty, and
also of In%'eq)effer in Haddingtonslure.
Perhaps the Forfarshire family did not hnig hold the property
after tlic close of the Ibm'teenth century. It is certain that in
1494, the lands belonged to the Earl of Errol ; whih^ in lo27,
and for sometime afterwards, they were owned by Kobcrt Lesly,
procurator for the Abbey of Arbroath.^
More lately, the estate was possessed by Sir Andrew Fletcher,
a senator of the College of Justice, who assumed the jiuiicial
title of Lord Invcrpeffer from the lands, and whose predecessors
were burgesses of Dundee." Soon after the death of Ijord Invcr-
peffer, wliich occurred in 1650, the wliole barony became the
property of the Paumai*e family, in whose hands it still contmues,
r Eeg.de Panmure, M9.» i. 203; Reg. Nig. dc AlierL., 13, 19.
" Actft Pari, i, 143, 2 J5 ; Rubertftim'a Tudcx, p. 48 ; ui imp., 184.
' Reg. Maig. Sip., np. 43, G7 ; Robertson's luJex, pp. 113, 123,
^ Limd of tljo Luiasuv'H, m5 ; 191.
' Actik Purl, i. 15 ; Rob. Index, n. 85
"" Acta Dom, ConciL, 325 ; Eeg» Kig,
* Laud of tbe LindaajS| 278.
-. Reg. Mflg. Sig., p. 43.
de Aburb., 474, &\)0,
320
MEMORIAI^ OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
Tlie caBteni portion bad previouslj belonged to the Manlca, for
ill 1B13, Henry Jlaule, tlic reputed author of a '^ Ilistorj of
tlm Picts," was designed '* of Inverpeffer/''* Tlie names of tho
Hatton, Plains, and Cottrm, are still preserTed; and, a;? more
fully detailed in a previous page, it was here that one of the lairds
of Guthrie was slain by the Gard\Tics,
Tlje barouy of luveqieffer, whieb, in old timea^ owed &uit of
Court to the Abbey of Arbroath, foniis a detached portion of tho
parish of St Vigcans^ heiug situated in the south-west comer of
Arbirlut, separated from it by the Dowrey, or Peffer burn. No
trace of the residence of the oUl lairds of Invcrpetfer i.-* to l>e
seen; but ^ome curious notices of the tenantry of the barony, in
1729, have come down to us. These memoranda, of which
specimens liave been already given, need not be fartlier quoted ;
it may only be added that, at the time reterred to, the tenants
had a right to cai«t peats and turfs in Dilty JIosSj and that they
not nnfi*cqucntly xibuwed tlie grant by selling them to the inhabi-
tants uf the towns of Dundee and Arbroath. In tins traffic, it
would seem, they had already exhausted the mosses of llyndcaRtlc
and Carmyllie ; and, afraid that the .same fate would befiiU that of
Dilty, they were prohibited from castmg peat^ tliere, except for
their owni private use,^
— 0 —
SECTION VIII.
THE KEILOES OF KEILOK.
Ktilors of Keilor — Proprietary Notic<*s of Eeilor=-Tradition of tlio HiildaticB — Lord
Privy Seal Macken/Jc — Cbupcl of Keilor — Sculpt iired Htono Monynienl — Peghts'
HoiiHC at Achtcrtyre — Pootieal Nolioo of tho dificovery of one at Airiio.
The properties of Easter and Wester Keilor are situated in
the parishes of Newtyle and Kcttins, and were aaciejitly a por-
tion of the earldom of Strathern/*
who is desip^cd of Forfarshire, and did homage to King Edward
at two different times during the year 1296^ first at the castle of
*> Meg. de Panmure, MS., li 34 ; luq. Spec. FoH"., No. 3
P Ut gup,,m; Mmn, Book o/Tork BuMingn' Co., MS, Jol. i l>ong.
385.
BaTODAge,141.
KEILOR.
321
Klldruramy in Aberdeenshire, and next at Berwick-upon-Tweed/
had doubtlesji been a vassal of tlje Earls of Stratbernc,
From that period, 1 have not met with the surname of Keilor,
until 1384, when it occurs in a charter by John of Kelor to John
of Ardillar, or Ardler, of an annual of six merka out of the two
towns of Keilor.' So far as known, this John was the last of the
family who had lands in Angus ; stlU, the sumamej even at this
day, is by no means rare*
Previous to the year 1384^ however, and in the time of Robert
the Bruce, the lands appear to have been divided, for then one
Robert Harkers had a gift of the barony ; and again, in the
time of Robert II L, Walter Ogilvy had Easter Keilor on the
resignation of John Barclay of Kippo.^ This portion of the
estate was long possessed by the Ogilvys ; and in 1407, Walter
Ogilvy of Carcary gave an annuity from it to the altar of St
George, in the Cathedral of Brechin,'* and had the lands included
within his barony of IJntrathen*
t^ubsequently, Sylvester Hadden, or Haldanc, held this por-
tion of Keilor. In 1514, he witnesses the retour of service of
Alexander Lindsay, to the office of hereditary blacksmith of the
lordsihip of Brechin;^ and in 1645, it appears that Easter Keilor
fell to Susan, heiress of her brother Alexander Haldane,"^ Pro-
bably these were of the Haldanes of Oleneaglea in Perthshire,
more anciently of Iladdeu, or Halden Rig, ou the Border, from
which place the name was assumed. Ancestors of the Rev, Mr
Haldane of Kiugoldrum, were, till lately, landed proprietors near
Alyth ; and tradition says that from some act of kindness wliich
was shewn by one of ** the auld giiidwives" to King James,
when he was travelling incognito in that district, the patrimonial
estate of the family was increased by royal grant, and held upon
this curious tenure t —
" Yo Hflddcni o* the Moor» y^ pay noclit,
But A h&iren tithet* — if ita aoobi —
A red roue at Yule* and u ana* ba* at Lammaa,'*
Keilair passed from the Haldanes to the Ilallybui-tons of Pltcur.
■ Reg. Mag, Sig., p. 163.
^bid., p. 167-
' Rug. Roll, 111. 126 ; Prynne, 654; Pa]graYe, 196.
* Robortfton's Index, pp. iS, 143,
" Spalding CIoIj Mittcell, v. 292 ; ut tup., 134, * Inq. 8*pec., Forf., No. 2S8,
* 1,0. A rope mado of b air.
TT
322
MEMOHIALS OP ANGDS AND MEAHNS.
It is now tlio property of Lord WharncUffe, having formed a
portion of the valuable Scottish estates whlcli fell to that family
in 1800j on the death of the Hon, James Mackenzie, Lord Privy
Seal, through the marriage of the first Earl of Bute with Agnes,
eldest daughter of Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh. Sir
Mackenzie lived mrnih at Belmont Castle, on this property,
and he is represented to have been a person of retired habits,
humane and charitable in his disposition, and well versed in the
sciences, particularly in mathematics, algebra, and astronomy.
In evidence of his love of astronomical pursuits, we may state
that he erected an observatory on the summit of Kinpuruie Hill,
to the south-east of the village of Newtyle, the walls of which
are still in existence, forming the most prominent object on the
Sidlaw range of mountalnSj and a well known land mark for
mariners.
The lands of Keilor He on the south side of the valley of
StrathmorCj stretching from near Ardler Railway station — ^the
hill which terminates the landscape being that of Keilor- On
the side of this hill a hamlet still bears the name of *' Chapel of
Keilor ;'^ andj although nothing remains of an old place of
worship — probably smce Keily or KiU-atrtl, means a church or
burial place situated upon an eminence — the district may have
acquired its name from having been the site of some early place
of worship and buriah Ancient sepulchral remains have been
found at different times upon the Hill of Keilor ; and near " the
Chapel,'' on the supposed boundary of the earldom of Stratheme,
stands one of those remarkable sculptured monuments of the
ancient inhabitants of Scotland, embellished, in this instance, with
the rudo outline of a boar.
It may be added, that on the adjoining lands of Achtertyre, a
subterraneous dwelling, of the sort called weemSy or Peghts^ houses^
was discovered towards the beginning of this centur)^ These
curious structures are not uncommon in the neighbourhood, for
one was found a few years ago in a bra© south of the kirk of
Ruthven; and on the farm of Bams, in the parish of Airlie, there
is another, nearly seventy feet long, being perhaps the best and
moat entire specimen in the kingdom^ There were others in this
T Appendix. No, XVIT,
PE0HT3* HOUSES.
8SS
locality, one of which waa discovered in rather a singular manner,
aa noticed in the folla^^ng lines : —
Some fifty years ago, or lesi,
A pair wore thrown in great distress ;
Tbo' Eougbt they saw, yet attango to say,
Theii' lionse was banoted nigbt and doy^
The fuel they burn'd no aahes gave,
And fnllen pin no power could eavG'
WJiethor they went, or liow, none know,
Bnt pass, they did, quite out of view 1
Nay, when the wife waa baking onco,
Sbe saw a cake pas9 at a glance
Eight tliro* the floor, and from her eyei,
Ab fast a« lightning thro' the skieel
AlarmM nhe from tho cottage fled,
And rais'd a hue and cry &o dread,
That from all comers of the glen
Came womeUi weans, and stalwart men,
Who, after daep and solemn thought,
BesolT'd tliat down the house be brought.
Which to the ground was quickly thrown »
But, do'il or ghaiet, they *counter'd none I
One lad, howe'er, with courage strong,
On seeing a crevice black snd long,
Near to the hearth he plied a pick
And rais'd a boulder bmad and iluek,
When, lo t be found tbe bannock there,
The missing ase, and piDS so rare ;
And, on descending, saw a weem
Of length and build that few could dream.
Strewn here and there lay queraa and bonea—
Strange cups» and hammcre made of stoneai
And tiny flinta for bow or spear —
Charr'd com, and wood, and other gear.
« • *
'Twag a B^ffMs House (as some these call),
With flag-stone roof, and wbin-fltono wall ;
In form like to an arm they bend,
Are rounded slightly towards the end j
*Bout six feet high, and near as wide,
And witb a door a gnat might stride I
824 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
SECTION IX.
THE M0NTEALT8 OP FERNE.
Origin, ffistory, and Decline of the Montcalte— Mowat's Seat— Caatle of Vayne.
The name of Montealtj Monte Alto, Mohaut, or Mowatj was first
assumed by Robert, son of Ralph, baron to one of the Norman
Earls, and he and his brother Roger were benefactors to the
Abbey of St Werburgh, in Chester, at the time of its foundation.
Robert took his surname from the place of his residence, which
was at a little hill in Flintshire, where he built a castle, now
called Moldej or Moulde^ round which there is a considerable
town of the same name. He was steward to the Earl of Chester,
after whose death he was one of those who accounted to the
King's Exchequer for the farming of that earldom, and likewise
for what was then laid out in building the Castle of Chester.
It appears that the lands of Montalt were oftener than once
overrun and harried by the Welsh Kings, in restraining whose
arms the son of Robert did good service, and was rewarded by
Henry III. of England, whom he also joined in the Crusades.
The family flourished in North Wales until 1329, when the last
baron of the name died, and having no male issue, bequeathed
his estates to Queen Isabella, mother of Edward III., for life; and
to her second son, John of Eltham, and his heirs for ever.*
The family seems to have come early to Scotland, for Robert
of Montealt is a witness to a charter by King David I., with
whom probably he came to this country. From William the Lion
one of them obtained a grant of the lordship of Feme, in Angus,
out of which Sir William of Montealt, knight, gave an annual of
a stone of wax, and four shillings, to the Abbey of Cupar.* Sir
William was a perambulator of the marches between the lands of
the Abbey of Arbroath, and those of Kinblethmont in 1219,^ and
* Dugdale's Baronage, i. 527 ; Pennant^s Tour in Wales, i. 396.
• Chalmers' Caled., i. 631. ^ Reg. Vet. de Aberb., 51-2.
THE MQKTEALl^ OF FERKE,
325
had a son, Michael, who k a witness to a deed by Alexander II,,
19th April 1232. In 1234, Michael of Montealt was sheriff of
Inverness, and in 1242, Richard was a justiciary of Scotland,*^
Richard appears to have had several sons, to one of whom,
Wiliianij the Abbot of iVi'broath became hound to support a
ehaplaiu at his chapel of St Laurence of Both. William and
Robert of iiootealt were BheriSa of Forfarshire, from at lea^t
1262 to 1206/' Another, named Lawrence, was rector of the
kirk of Kinnettles; and a fourth, Bernard, was one of the dis-
tinguished men that went to Norway, in 1281, to witness the
marriage of Margaret, daughter of Alexander III., with King
Eric* On returning home some of these nobles were shipwrecked
and drowned;'' and it was tbi:* accident which gave ri»e to the
ballad of '^Slr Patrick Spens/* which concludes thus: —
** Half ower, half ower to AbeiJoor,
Full fifty fAtlioms* dpep :
Tberit] lies the glide Sir Patrick Spons,
And the Scots btds at hia Ictit.'*
In 1264, Robert, sheriff of Forfar, and the rector of Kin-
nettles, are two of the witnesses to the foundfition charter of tho
Hospital J or MaisondieUj of Brechin, In 1281|, the name of Wil-
liam of Muhaut appears in the letter of the Scottish magnates
to King Edward, regarding the marriage of bis son with the
Piincesa Margaret;^ and at Berwick, on 28th August 1296,
MiUiam tie ilftonte ^tto
took the oaths of fidelity to the King of England-^ Again, in
1320j either this baron or a son was a party to the letter to the
Pope, asserting the independence of Hcotlaud as a nation.
In 1365, Sir William of Montealt, knight, designed of Angus,
is a witness to a charter regarding the lands of Glcnbervy, in the
ilearns. Subsequently, Sir William had charters of Bricbty, in
the parish of Murroes, which, in 1379, were given by Richard of
Montealt to Sir Alexander Lindsay of Glencsk.*'
* Beg. Ep. Brccliin., i, 4 ; Chalmers' Med., i* 531.
* R«g. Vet. da Ab^rb,, 169 ; Acta Pari., i. W ; Charob. Rolls. I m, ♦54,
* Keg. Vet. de Ab«rb-. 'iij9 ; Tytler^B HUt. of Scot., L 48.
' Reg. Ep. Brechin., i. 7 ; Acta Pari. i. 85. « Palgrftte, 161.
•^ Reg. Mug. Sigin , p. 42 ; Lsind of the lindiAys, ftlO.
326
&I£M01UALS UF ANGUS AND MEAHNS.
During the same year, Richard resigned the barony of Inver-
luiiaii in lav our of Alexander Stuart, the king" a son, by Clarion
of Cardny, having shortly before given over the patrimonial
estate of Feme, and also the haroiiy of Kinhletkmont, in favour
of his natural sou Sir William of Montealtj knight, and his son
Rohcrt.i
This Richard of Montealt — who is designed in the two first
deeds, as chaplain and canon respectively, and in the last as
chancellor of the Cathedral of Brechin — appears to have fii'st dis-
posed of his property, and then devoted his life to the service of
the church. Probably he was an elder brother of John of
Montealt, who was hia contemporary, and rector of the church
of Finhaven.
For thirty years subBcquent to the last mentioned period,
there is little trace of the family in the county ; but on 22d June
1410, Sir "William of Montealt of Feme, knight (probably the
son of Richard), appeared at Perth, and witnessed a confirma-
tion charter to J*:*hn, son and heir of William of Montealt, of the
lands of Freswick and Ochyngill, in Caithness,'^ where a branch
of the fomily had been previously settled.
Of this old race, as Forfarshire barons, there is no farther
record. It is certain that the barony of Feme belonged in the
year 1450, probably earlier, to the Earls of Crawford, and that
no person of the name of Montealt, or Mowat^ as It is now written
and pronounced, has since then had a proprietary connection with
it. But collateral branches of the family long survived after the
latter date in other parts of Scotland, and with good repute.
On those of Caithness^ who were afterwards designed of Balqu-
hollie, the honor of knighthood was conferred before 165t3 ;
and the chief of the Ingliatoun branch, in Edinburghshire, waa
created a baronet in 1664 -} but these families, too, are now
extinct.
Unlike most old families in Scotland, no legend.s exist re-
gardmg the Mowats in their ancient territory — indeed, until
very lately, it was unknown in the district that such lords ever
possessed the landsj and the only local trace of them is in
' Reg. Mag. Sigill, pp. 119, 160, 151, ^ Beg. Mig. SigiJl., p, 246.
' Inq Spec. CMtb,, No. 33 ; BcaUuii'i Political Index, 200.
■
THE MLT80HET3 OF CAUOILL.
327
a place called Mowat^s Seat^ or Mowat^s Catm, on the hill of
Bruff Shank. Still it waa never supposed to indicate the iiarao
of a race who, in their day, were not only the chief men in the
connty, but were among the most influential of thoso magnates
who contributed to achieve the peace and independence of the
kingdom.
It were idle to enquire regarding the site of their fortress. It
is said that in Brandy Den, not far from the church, there was
once a castle ; but it is more certain that at Vayne, on the north
side of the No ran, overlooking a singularly picturesque part of
that river, the more modern lords of Feme had a residence, for
there the ruins of a pretty large baronial huilding are still to be
seen. The Castle of Vayne was built by the Lindsays, and from
them the barony passed to the Carnegies of Southesk. Robert,
the third Earl, appears to have made considerable alterations
upon the castle, and a carved door or window lintle, now at the
farm offices, bears his initials in monogram, and an earrs coro-
net, with this legend underneath i-^-
'*DISCE MEO EXEMPLO FOEMOSIS POSSE CAEEBE/-
MU3CHET, OR MONTEFIX, OF CARGILL.
Ongiu and Notices of the BInaclietB — Tlieir Decline — Union with the DrammondB —
Annabt'Ila DniromoDd, mother of King Jamea I.^Historical Notices of Cargill
— SculptnredSteneMonumentSj&c.— Tho Church — Origin of the Nome^
According to Dugdale, the first of the name of Muschety Mon-
fitchet^ or Montefix^ that appeared in England, was a Roman
by birthj and kinsman to William the Conqueror, with whom
he lived on familiar terms. He followed that prince into Eng-
land, and fought in his behalf, and, returning to Rome after
William was established upon the throne, left Ixjhind him a
Bon named Richard, who became progenitor of the family, both
in South and in North Britain, The Muscheta had possessions
" In the Land of iht Lindsay i will he fontid f&n occonnt of Fernet hUtorical
and iraditioniLry,
328
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND BlEARNi*.
from King Williain in Noniiaiidr, also 3ii the county of Essex,
and were benefactors to the chiirelj. They flourishfid in Essex
until about the year 1224, when the faniity foiled in three co-
heiresses, one of whom became the wife of Wiltiara de Forz,
Earl of Albemarle."
The MuschctB seem to have come to Scotland with William
the r/ioOj the first appearnnee of them being in the year 1200,
w^hcn Itiehard of Monfii^licth, witnesses a grant by tliat king to
the monks of Arbroath^ of a toft in the burgh of Perth,'' About
twenty years later, Wiliiam, the son of Ricliard, gave the Abbey
of Cupar a grant of the couimou pasture of his lordship of Car-
gill , whieb his tather received from King William* This baron ^
who appears to have been afterwards knighted, witnesses various
charters during the time of Alexander IT.i' In 1296,
both of the shire of Forfar, arc recorded to have done homage
to King Edward at Berwick *i
In regard to tlieir being designed of Angus, it ought to be
noticcdj that although Cargill has long been within the sherlfFdom
of Perth, it is said to have formed anciently a portion of the
parish of Cupar Angus, by which and Kettins it is bounded on
the north and east ; and it was in all probability for the property
of ( !argillj which may have then been reckoned a portion of For-
farshiroj that these barons did homage.
During the early part of the Wars of the Independence,
William of Mnntfichet was warder of the town and castle of
Dundee for the English; but at Arbroath in 1320, the same baron
was a party to the celebrated letter to the Pope/ The male line
of the family tailed in the person of thi« William, or his son (as is
suppos^ed), who in 1331, is a witness to a local charter ; and the
following year became justiciary of Scotland."
Like his progenitor in England, he left three co-heiresses, one
of whom, 31ary, carried the lands of Cargill and Stobhall, by
marriage to Sir John Drummond, ancestor of the Earls of Perth ;
» Dugdrtle'a Barona|^c. i, 438. « Eeg. Tot. de Alierb., 13.
p Cholmera' Caled., i. 593 ; Liber <le Scon,, 46, 61,
^ Viiis. Roll 152-61 ; Prjnne, fi6t>-2.
^ AylofTo'e Caltndftr, 123; Acta Pnrl ., i . 11 4. • Spulding Club Miwell , ▼ 10.
CABGILL — SOULPTURED STONES.
329
while the landa of PItfour and Driiingram, which belonged to the
other siiatcr&j Margaret aud Doniagilla of Montefix, and alao
some estates in Dunhartonshirej were lost by forfeiture in the
time of David II** The noble family of Drummond still possess
the Mui^chet estates in this district ; and it is worthy of notice,
that by Sir John Drummond, Mary Muschet was the mother
of Annabella Drummond, Queen of Robert III., and mother of
King James L
The district of CargiU contains a variety of interesting remains
of antiquity. Of these tlicre Is a very good description in the Old
Statistical Account of the parish, to which the reader is refeiTcd.^
There are, liowcver, some particulars not adverted to in that
accoimt, which may be interesting. About tluTc hundred yards
from t!ie parisli scljoolhonse, an old well, now paHly tilled up, is
called IIaiit/te\^ Well^ near which, it is said, the parish hangman
dweltj and where, some Mty or sixty years ago, a quantity of
human bones were discovered* These lay near a number of
large stones, upon some of which, I am told, were representations
of the sun and moon* These interesting relies, which were pur-
posely buried beyond the reach of the plough, appear to have
l>6en of the same class of antt«|uities as the sculptured stones at
Meigle ; and, from the desire which is now being manifested for
the preservation of national antiquities, it is hoped that those
relics \^411 soon be disinterred, so that their symbols may be
properly examined.
The parish church, Hurronnded by the biu^al ground, la
beautifidly situated upon the banks of the Tay, and forms a fine
oljject on the south-east Bide of the railway viaduct* It is doubt-
ful whether this was the site of the original church, which was
early gifted to the Abbey of Cupar, since tlic Priest *s Den, and
the Priest's Well are in another part of the parish* The re-
mains of an old place of worship and burial arc also traceable
upon the top of a rock at Campsie Liun ; aud being near the site
of a Roman camp, it is probable, as the Gaelic words Caer-MU^
mean either the kirk, or burial place of the fort or camp, that
the peculiar situation of this cbin*ch or chapel had given the name
of Canjill to the district.
* Crawford'fl Pccnvgc. 403 ; Robertaon's Index, pp. 47, 59. * Vol. xiii., 529,
330
Ml
OF ANGUS AND MEAKKS.
Tlie Castlclxlll, also in this neighbourhood j wasj perhaps, the
site of the resldcacc of the old lords of Mu&chct.
SECTION X.
NAPIER, AND THE AGHLEKS OF ACxHLEK.
The Napiera, and tlie Afflecks of Affleck— Affleck Castle.
The Napiers make their first appearance in Scotch records in
the year 1296, when John le Napier, of the county of Dimbarton,
and another person of the name^ from Peebles, together with
who IB designed of the «liire of Forfar, took the oaths t>f alle-
giance to King Edward L while he sojounied at Berwick-upon-
Tweed." It is from John of Dunbartonshire that the noble
family of the name and title of Napier of Merelii.Hton claim des-
cent ;^ but, beyond the facts above stated, nothing else is known
regarding the Forfarslni'e baron or his family,
Aghelek, Affleck, or Auchenleckj as the name is variously
written, from which Napier is designed, is a property in the
parish of JMonikie, from which, soon after the appearance of that
baron, a family assumed then- surname; for, on 15th March 1306,
3Jo6a te ^gtclrli,
did homage to King Edward for lands in the county of Forfar.*
Barring the occasional appearance of tlie Afflecks as witnessca
to local cliarters, there is little trace of them, although it is said
that they held the property until about the middle of the seven-
teenth century, and were vassals, and hereditary armour-bearers
to the Earb of Crawford.* Several of the name were respectable
» Rag. Roll, 132 ; Pryune, 655. ' Dowka' Peerage, ii. 281.
* P^gTATe, 300 ; Fcederaj i. pt. it. p, 59. ■ I#Mid of the LindBays, 168-0.
AFFLECK, OR AUCHENLECK CASTLE. 331
burgesses in Dundee, and Uonw of the old tombstones in the
Howff contain quaint mottoes and their armorial bearings. Of
these inscriptions, the following, from the tomb of Arcliibald
Auchenlcck and bia ^^fe, dated 1647, may be quoted : —
"Heir lyia entombed, wbo B^prnng of wortliie r*©e.
Match 'd with the ProQest*^ doclitor of llna plaice ;
Liv'd loDg in licimeti'H knot, thongli fidtea decried
For thame no clijld, jet hcanens thia want aupplied,
By good B«hiiMmo, his brotWr, rether sodqc,
Wlio Honors noit bis aasbca with thia iombc/'
The Anchenleck« were followed in their property in Monikie
" by a family named R^idj one of whom was forfeited in the year
1746, for his adiierencc to the House of Stuart. The lands
were afterwards bought by Mr Yeamau, a bailie of Dundee, hy
one of whose descendants they were Bold to Oraliam of Kiueal-
drum ; and, more lately, they have become the property of Mr
Mitchell, railway contractor.
The old tower, or castle of Auehenleck, which was ocetipied by
the Heids, and still in good preservation, stands upon a rising
ground to the westward of the Reserv^oir of the Dundee Water
Company, commanding an extensive view. It is a square build-
ing of four atoreya, exclusive of the flag tower and cape-house,
and has much the resemblance of a Border Peel, Tlie ball and
other chambers have circular roofs of stone, and the old *^ iron
yett" or grated door, of the same type as that at Invcrmark, is
in excellent preservation. The building is of ashler, and seems
to belong to the end of the fifteenth, or beginning of the sixteenth
century. The chief apartment is on the third storey. Entering
from it are two bed-closets, and a little oratory, all in the thick-
ness of the wall. In the oratory, which measures seven tcet six
inches^ by six feet two inches, a beuatura, a piscina, and an
ambry, still remain, along with some architectural ornaments,
among which is a shield mth three loiseugcs, ilr Ocbterlony de-
scnbea Auehenleck as '^ ane old high tower house, which is seen
at a great distance at sea, and is used for a land mark by tliose
that come in the river Tay.'' It is surrounded by some vener-
able trees, and the walls are partly covered with Ivy. The pre-
sent mansion house stands a few yards south-east of the town.
332
MEMOEIALS OF ANGUS AND MEABXS,
Tlie Gaelic words, Auch-an-clacliy or '' the stone field,^' per-
haps indicate that the iiauie originated from tlie place lianug
been the site of a etooe circlcj or so-called Dniidical temple. It
need not be added that there are many places similarly named
tlirougbout Scotland.
THE NEWTOBERS OF NEWTOBER.
The Manor of Newtibber — Noticca of tlio Familj of Newtober.
TflEiiE was at one time a manor in the parif*h of Newtyle, '
caUed Newtibber, now representedj it m believed, by the hamlet
of NewbiggijTg, situated between the village of Newtyle and
the Meigle railway station, and from that plaee, it is supposed,
who are both designed of the shire of Forfar, and did homage to
King Edward L at Berwick, had taken their .surname J
With tlie exception of Richard of Neiit*>bre, who, along with
other barons, presented letters of preferment to King Edward, at
Newport-Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, in 1305,* I have seen do
later notice of the suniame or family. The histoiy of the pro-
perty itself is also obscure, little being known apart from the
facta that during the fifteenth century a family of Ramsay, pro-
bably cadets of AuchterhouBe, were designed of it, and that more
recently it belonged to the Scrimgeours.*
In Gaelic, the affix, tobar^ means "a well, or gpring," and
the prefix, tiew^ is probably the corruption of some word des-
criptive of the peculiarity of the well or spring, fi-om which
Newtober had its name. Wells and bums abound in the dis-
trict ; and it is believed, that in consequence of the hill of Kin-
purnic containing a n umber of these, the name had originated,
which in Gaelic is written Kui-fuaran^ since it is said the word
means the head, or chief water spring.
f Kog. Roll, UC ; Piynne, G58. » Palgrare, J
* Beg. Nig. de Abcrb*, pauim.
8^15,
THE OGILVYS.
33a
SECTION XL
THE OGILYYS OF OGILVT.
Traditionary Origin of the Ogilvjs — AutheDtic XotioeB — The Ogilvya of Auchter-
liouse, Airlie, and Inverqubarity— Olen of Ogilvy^ — Story of St Doaeyaldi ood
bis Niiiii Miiiden Dangbtera.
As related by Hector Boecc, the historian, the origin of the
remote progenitor of the Ogilvyii of Fortar^hire is sufficiently
romantic. Boece Bay« that he bore the name of Gtlchrist^ and
married a lister of King' William the Lion. Suf^pectiog her
tidelitjj he strangled her at Mains, near Dundee, for which he
and hi?* ianiily were outlawed. After an absence of many yeari*
in England dicy retm*ned to Scotland, and took up their abode
in the forest, or Glen of Ogilvy ; and, on one occasion, while the
king was travelling in that cjuarter, he saw an old man and two
sons "delving up turfen.'^ Tiie king entered into conversation
w^ith them, when they discovered themselves, and, expressing
deep son'ow for the murder of his sister, they were pardoned
and received again into favour, and had their estates restored, and
also a grant of the lands of Ogilvy in the parish of Glamis,''
Like most stories, this contains a mixture of truth and fable.
Genealogists are now generally of opiniun that the Ogilvi's are
descended from Gilbert, third son of Gillebride, second Earl of
Angus J and record shews that he obtained from King William
the Lion the hmds of Powrin, or Powrie ; Kyneitliein (pro-
bably Keith, in the baruny of Auchterhonse), and those of
Ogilvy, in the parish of Glamis, which were held of the ('rovvn
for tlio service of one knight,'' From the last naracrl uf these
properties, the surname of Ogilvy was assumed ; and the first
recorded was Alexander of Ogil\*y, who, in the year 1250,
■* I Rcn told by Gaelic Bcbolars tbat tbo word Offtr tncatis " wood/* aDd tbot
vie or v^ h a curniptioii of htne — *' yellow," i.e., " tbe ^leii of yd low wood."
Qiamts is probably ft cormptiun of tbe (Jiw^lic, Glamhui^ whicb means a wide, open,
or cb&mpaJgn cuUQtry, * Dowglau' Pterage, i. 27.
334
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AKD MEARNS.
was one of an inquest who found that the lands of Inverpeffer
owed suit of court to the iVbbot of Arbroath."*
The next, and immediate successor of Alcxandcrj was
of the county of Forfar, who did homage to King Edward.*^ Of
this baron nothing ehe is kno\^^ij excc[)t tliat In tlio year 1267
he witnessed a grant to the Priory of St Andrews by Roger
of Quincy, Earl of Winchester, of the chm-ch of Losrech, or La-
thrisk, and chapel of Kettle/
It wa8 Sir Walter Ogihy, third in fiuccession from the last
named baron, wdio married tlie heiress of Sir Malcolm Ramsay
of Auchtfrhousc, by whom he acquired that barony, and the
office of hereditary sheriff of Forfarshire, lie had three mns^
the line of the ehlest of whom failed in a female about 1466,
when the estate of Anehterhousc, and sheriffship of the shire, were
carried by marriage to James Stewart, afterwards Earl of
Buchan* The second and third sons were Sir AV alter of Lin-
trathen, and Sir John of Inverquharityi the respective seniority
of whom is doubtful. ^
It is lumccessary to give any farther account here of either
branch of this family, Bince their lineage is detailed in all heraldic
books. Suffice it to Hay that both houses are worthily repre-
sented by direct male descendants of the old stock, the first by
the Earl of Airlie, who was elected Lord Rector of Marischal
Ojllege, Aberdeen, in 1850; and tlie latter by Sir John Ogilvy,
baronet, convener of the freeholders of the county of Forfar,
and M.P. for tlie burgh of Dundee.
It need only be added that the (Jlen of Ogilvy has long been
the property of the Lyons, Earls of Strathmore. It is now tra-
versed by a public road leading from the village of Glamis to
the Dundee and Forfar turnpike, firming rather a romantic
drive of four or five miles. In early times, about the beginning
of the eighth century, it is said to have been the residence of St
Donevald, and his nine daughters. These were canonised as the
"Nine Maidens," and many churches were inscribed to them
" Rog.Vot,do Abcrb., 190,
' K<^g. Prior. S, Amlrco, 337,
* Eag, Itoll 12G ; Prynno. GTA \ PftlgraTc. 194.
• Lives of the LitKltjayB, i. 1S3.
OCHTERLONYS OF OCHTERLONT.
335
tkroupchont Scotland, among which was that of Strathmarthi, near
Dundee- — a fact which doubtlc^?j gave rise to t)ie often repeated
fftble of the " Nine Maidens of Pitempan'- being devoured by
a Bcrpent at the Nine Maiden Well in tliat parish J* Bt Done-
vald's daughters lived in the Glen of Ogilvy, *' as in a heiTnltagCj
hiboiuing the groimd with their own hands, and eating but once
a-day, and ttien but barley bread and water, '^ llieir father died
here, after which they received a lodging and oratory, and some
lands at Aberuethy, from Garnard, King of the Picts, ^"^ They
were visited tliere by King Engen VII. of Scotland, who made
them large presents ; and, dying there, they were buried at the
foot of a large oak, much frequented by pUgrlmis till the lietbr-
mation/^*
THE OCHTERLONYS OF OCHTERLONT.
Ori^u and Notices of tbe Ochterlonys — Thcj acquire the Lands of Kenny, and
Kelly— Prcifiri eta ry Hiutory of Kelly— CJtiynd — Tlio Author of the Account
of the Shire of Yoti'ar, e. 16S2.
The snmame of Ochterhntfj or Auchterlon^^ in of considerable
antiquity, and peculiar to the shire of Forfar, having been as-
sumed from fi property near the county town. Still, during the
period of the disputed monarchy they are not found designed of
tJiat district, for
S^aatfrt He 13ougf)terlournj?«
who is the only one of the name that appears to have done
homage to King Edward, ia described of Fife,*' where it is likely
he held property.
The Ucliterlonys are said to have had charters of the lands of
Bahnadies and others at an early date. It is certain that between
1226-30, John of Othirlony exchanged the lands of Ochterlony
with AValter, son of Turpin, for those of Kenny/ in the pariah of
^ The Nim Maidm WeU of Gkinis in iitnated within the Castle Park.
' Collect, on Aberdeen and BanfT, 595-6, ^ Rug, Koll, 157 ; Prj'nDc, 660.
^ Reg. Vet. de Aberb., 262. The word ^thira^ or ahrra, in tbiH und another
charter (p, 334), htm been rendered "«liire or purisb/* [ jSIu rra, or t^fenrochj ia tbe
name of a x>lace wbieh bjunda tbe lands of Kenny on tb«^ east J
336
MEMORIALS OF ANOaS AND MEABNS.
Kingoldrum. From Keony the family was long afterwards de-
signed; and 1 am not aware that they ever again possessed their
patrinionial estate." Probably in 1392 it belonged to a family
of the name of Young, for, in giviug an accoimt of
" Tliat tlulefu] Dawcrk at Gasklune,"
Wyntown enumerates among the slain on the side of th© Ogilvys
" Wylliame Yonng of Onchtirlony,"'^
From ahout 1226-39, until towards the close of the fourteenth
century, with tlie exception of Walter, who took the oath of
allegianQc to King Edward I., the name rarely occurs. In
1391, William of Ocliterlony had an interest in the land^iof Mel-
gimd;*' and in 1394^ Alexander of Ochterlony married Janet,
only daughter of Sir Williara Maule of Panmure, with whom he
received in dowery the lands of Grunfijrd, or Greinford, in the
parish of Arbirlot.P
i\iter thia marriage the name is more frequently met with —
chiefly in the settlement of disputed marches — in which cases the
Ochterlonys commonly appear first in order after titled barons,
thereby shewiiig their antiquity. On acquiring the lands of
Kelly, in Arbirlut, a part of which was received in exchange for
Preyston, in x^jTshire, about 1442, the family were designed of
Kelly, the name of which they changed to that of Ochter-
lony, as appears hy a deed of 140H, which bears to have been
granted by William Oucbtirlowny dfc cWew, *'apnd mansionem
meam de Onchtirlovnyj alias A'<2%/'^
About the beginning of tlie Bixteenth century, one of the
family received the honor of knighthood ;^ and in the year
1519, Sir Robert llaule granted Ochterlony 's tenants of Pit-
cundrum the liberty of " free foggage, and fenale, hadir, peat^,
and ttnfe^'' in the muir of Panmure, under certain restrictions,
Oehterlony's people, however, seem to have violated the agree-
ment, and a dispute arising betwixt the proprietors, it wbm
aiTanged, in 1533, by an assise of county gentlemen, that
•^ Tlie Inn Jfi of Balrnndies, pansh of Roscobie, bonclit Lj Sir C, Metciilf Och-
terlony, bart,^ ID 1830, and whicli have since then received the name of ** Ochter-
lony," are not to be cont'ounded with the ancient property of that n»nie. It ^ay ill
tho pnnsh of Duniiichcmf and ii now known b» Lownie, Muir of Lownie^ &c. Tho
ikwtui Mem& lo eriB^ify ** a place mbouiKling in marshes/^
" Vol. % p. 569. " Cbftml>. RtilU, ii. 183.
"> Reg. Nig. lie Aberb,, 159.
^ BtQ. de Bmmwre, MS., i. 234.
Reg. Niff, de Aberb., 340.
KELLY CASTLE — GUYND.
337
Ot'litcrlony '' flail restore and deliver to tire said Sir Robert
[Maidu of Panmure] ane boll of atis, two harrons with tliair
graith, with ane sok, spulziet and had away'' by Ochterlony and
his? servants."
It was in 1014 tliat the hiuih of Kelly and othcra were dis-
poned by Sir William Ochterlooy to Sir iUexander Irvine of
Drum ; and one of Irvine's successors built the castle of Kellyj
of which the stately ruins still remain. Kelly continued in the
same family mitil about 1670-80, when it became the property
of the MauleSj and, in 1681, Earl George of Panmiure gave his
brother, Harry Maule, a disposition of the house of Kelly and
othjcrs. At the i^ame time^ Mr Maulc had a charter froiu the
Archbishop of St Andrews of tlie barony of lirbirlot, and teuan-
di'V of Cuthlie ; and, in 1687, upon the rej^ignation of his uext
elder brother, Earl James, Ilarry ]\Iaule had a charter under the
(xreat Seal of the whole barony of Kellyj in which Arbirlot and
Cuthlie were included.^
About, or soon after the sale of Kelly to Irvine, the Ochter-
lonys acquired the estate of Guynd, in the parish of Canny llie.
From that time, and until the death of the last male descendant,
wliich occurred in 1843, the Ochterlonys have maile Guynd their
residence ; and the last hiird having died unmarried, he was suo-
eeeded by a maternal nephew, Mr James Alexander Pierson,
representative of the family of Pierson of Baboadics. Mr Pierson
also resides at Giiynd, a property which he has greatly improved
and beau titled.
It ought not to be omitted that John Oehtcrlony, autljor of an
"Account of the Shire of Porfar, circa 1682/' was a member of
this old family; but beyond the fact that on 12th April 1676, he
waa served heir of John Auehterlonie, his father, in the lauds of
Ouynd, with the teinds in the lordsliip of Arbroath, nothing is
known of his history,"* Mi* Ochterlony's Account of Forfarshire
is perhaps the most interesting and trustworthy of our local
histories, and was ^Titten for Sir Robert Sibbald of Kipps, who,
even at that early period, proposed to pubhsh an account of Scot-
' Jkp, de Panmurf, MS., i. 3G9, 395,
^ lhld.^ ii. 407. pamm, [Autiquanua and hjatoncfU notices of Arbirlot will be
foQnd in PrcMSMdiiiffa of So, of Antiquaries, vol. ii]
" Iiiq, Spue. Kirf., No. 466.
V V
338
MEMOBIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS*
lund, on much the same principle as that which was afterwards
80 successfully adopted by Sir Johu Sinclair/ As betl>rc re-
marked, Mr Ochterloiiy's Account appears to have been written
t\ 168^5,
SECTION xn.
The Office of Seneachal— ^Notices of ibe Family of Pollock,
Among those who went from Angus to Berwiek-upon-Tweed,
and did homage to Edward I,, waa
who, aa appeai^s by a notandnm, of date 1299j was senescalh of
the Convent of Arbroath." lie was a stannch supporter of Eng-
land, and was dej^nved of his property by Kobert the Bruce
about 1310, which the king gave to tlie Abbey,
It may lie adiled that the office of sene.sclml was of great anti*
quity in Britain ; and in royal and noble households, as w^eU as '
in monastic establishments, it was commonly held by men of high
birth and rank. The duties of the office lay in superintending
feasts and ceremonies, and sometimes in dispensing justice and
in adjusting dit^putes. It need hardly be added that it was from
being hereditary holders of this office to the old kings of Scot-
land that the suniame of Steward origiuatedj of which family so
many figured conspicuously in early times, and whose descendants
long swayed the sceptres both of Scotland and of England,
The seneschal of Arbroath was related to the Pollocks of that
Ilk, in Lanarkshire. The first of the family was Peter, son of
Fulbert, who early acquired the lands from which he assumed
* Ut tup., 27.— Mr OcKtcrluny's Account (SpoUkwoode MUcell, i- 350), con*
tAiDe a notict" of bis uwti family.
[One of tlio Oclilerlorivs la Raid to hfl?e posseBseil Kintrockat, near BrediiQ^j
and to bnvo nmrried a dangut^r of Yoniip: of Aldlmr. He wai succeoded by a SOnl
wba luftrried Mary Rup«rta, dangbter of Jobn Skinner of Brccbin. This litdj, wboJ
was descended from one of Prince Eunert'si natural cbildriji}. is »a»d to bavo been]
gTAodmotber of General Ocbterlony uf the Hti^jtiiijin array, wbo felS at InkermaiiiiX
Tlie late ftcconinlisbed Mituiyt'H Ocbterlony of JfonlroBC were of tlaa line J ^
• riiig. Roil, 163. Prymie, 6G2 ; He-. Vet. dc Abcrb., It>4,
THE RAMSAYS OF AUCTITERHOUSE.
339
hi3 siimame; for, sometime before tlie year 1199^ he pfted the
kirk of Pollock, and its pertinents, to the monastery of Paisley.
The same baron witnesses a charter to the Abbey of Kinloss in
Moray, in 1190.
It may be added that the estate of Polloek (which was either
heUl in whole or in part of the lords Maxwell) remained in the
family until 1783, when Sir Kubcrt PolliK-k died without isflue
male/ A baronetcy waa conferred on tlie grandfather of Sir
Robert in 1703.
SECTION XITL
THE RAMSAYS OF AUCnTERHO D8E.
The Fabled and Real On|^*n of ibe Ramrajs — Noticea of tlio AncbterhouM Family
— Hereditaiy Slienlfa of Forfarsliipe — Th© Ogilvys of Atichterhonae — The Earla
of Buolian — Tbc Lyons— SfahBion House — ^ Wallace Tower — Tbe Cliopcli— ►
William of Aachterbons^ — TraditiooB — The Countess of Bnchiui and the Parish
Minister,
The lUmsays of , Aiichterhoiisc were doubtless a branch of the
Dalhousie family, the first of whom, Simon of Ramsay, settled
in the Lothian?* under David I., and is a witness to a charter to
the Abbey of Holyrood in 1140. Still, like most other Scottish
families of note, a fabled origin ia aacribed to the Ramsaye, for
William Ramsay, the astrologer, son of Davy Ramsay, King
James' clock maker, says, that the Anchtcrhouse brancli was the
oldest (from which he claims to be descended), and that they
*^ flourished in great glory for fifteen hniidred years, till these
later days," adding that they came to this country from Egypt,
wliere the word Ramsay signifies joy and delight.^
This acxjouut of the vast antiquity, smd gipsy origin of the race^
may be taken for what it is worth, for record shews that even in
AuguSj the family requires no fable to prove that they ap])eared
there at an early date, since, in the year 1250, we find '^William
* Crawford's Renfrewahtre (Robertson), 37 ; 289.
y RamBaj's Attroloffia Bestorata, Preface, folio^ 1653* A curiona octagnna!
fbaped watch in the posseBsioo of Lord Panmute, said to have belonged to Mnry,
Queen of Boots*, bears^ — ** David Eainsatf, 8coin4, me feck."
340
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND M EARNS.
of Raramesay" oiic of an inquest regarding the lands of Inver-
p^ffer/
The next appearance of the name is in 1296, when
of the county of Forfar, performed homage to King Edward, at
Bcrwick-ypon-Twccd.^ •
The landB for which i\m baron took the oaths to England are
not named. Probably it was for thqse of Auchterhouse, although
the next of the family we find noticed is in the less trustworthy
pages of Blind Harry, who says that by invitation of the friends
of Scotland, Sir William Wallace landed at Montrose fi'om
Flanders in 1303, when *'Sch)T Jhon Eamsey frae Ocht)Thouss,"
was not only one of those who met him there, but he also had
the honor of Wallace as a guest on that occa^ioUj along with
" three hundredth" followers.''
This Btory, which is told by Blind Ilany only, is now con-
sidered apochryphal, and the doings which he aBcribes to Wallace
afterwards are at variance with the factj for, snbacquent to his
defeat at Falkirk, he never again appeared in prominent opposi-
tion to the Englif*h» Still, it is probable that the baron of 1296
was laird of Auchterhouse, although none of the family are de-
Bigned of that place until 1309, when King Robert the Bruce
gave a charter to " William Ramsay de Vchtcrhous," of certain
lands in the neighbourhood.*^
It is also matter of record that Ramsay of Anchterhou&e ac-
companied Edward Bruce when he invaded Ireland in 1315 ;
but from that period nntil the year 1359, when wc find that Sir
Henry Ramsay had a proprietary interest in the lauds of Guthrie,
there is no appearance of the family.'^ Sir Henry may have
been the fatlier or brother of Sir Malcolm Ramsay of Anchter*
house, who at one time lield the properties of Mains, Murtliill, and
others, and who, in 1365, witnessed a chai'ter regarding the lands
of Glenbervy,'^ Contemporary with Sir Malcolm waa Robert
Ramsay, from whom, probably, descended the Ramsaya, who,
' Ih-f-, Vet. dv Abcrb., laO.
"* Jamjeson**! Bliml Harry, 243; til ftrp,« 64.
" Boberiioo'B Index, p. K
• Beg. Mug. Sig.. pp. 130 ; 43 ; 43.
Rag. Roll, 152 ; Prynnc. 600,
" HmmU. RolK i. 334.
1
AUt'HTEimOUSE — EARL8 OF BUCQAN.
341
ai* before seen, were desigDed of tbe adjoiniug lands of Newtibbcr,
during the following ccntnry/
Sir Malcolm, who waa the last male repreaentativ© of the
Auchtcrhourtc Ramsays, was hereditary sheriff of Forfarshire, and
his only child, Isabella, ha%"ing married Sir Walter Ogilvj of
Powrie, brought that office, and the estatea of Auchtorhouae to
her husband.
She had three sons, Sir Alexander of Anchterhouse, Sir Wal-
ter of Lintrathen, and Sir John of Inverquharity, The first
had an only child, Margaret, who, about 14(56, married James
Stewart, uterine-brother of King James IL He was afterwards
created Earl of Buchan, and on two ditFerent occasions held tlie
office of Chamberlain of Scotland, and died somewhere about
1499- IMK). He had two successors in the estates and earldom,
the second of whom had a son who predeceased him. This son
left an only daughter, Christian, Countess of Buchan in her own
right, who married Robert, second son of Sir Robert Douglas of
Lochleven, by whom bIic liad an only son, James, who succeeded
as fifth Earl of Buchan.
The fifth Earl left an only daughter, Mary, who became the
wife of James, eldest son, by tbe second marriage, of John, Earl
of Marr. Her son, the seventh Earl, waa a staunch supporter of
King Charles L, and was fined by Cromwell in the sura of £1000
Scots ; and atter the Earl returned from England, it is stated that
on Sabbath, 14th April 16r50, he stood up m his own **da8ke''
or pew, in the church of Auchterbousc, and, declaring his sorrow
for having engaged in the warsj " did iiold up his hand and
swears to the Covenant, and suhscrived it," As will bo seen
afterwards, he predeceased his wife; and his son, William, who
succeeded as eighth Earl, having died unmarried, the titles pas^^ed
to I)a\id Erskine, fourth Lord G*irdross, in virtue of which the
title of Lord Auchterhouse forms part of the hereditary honors
of the present KarU of Buchan."
It may be added, tliat the office of hereditary sheriff of Angus
was resigned by Margaret Ogilvy of Anchterhouse, in 1464;^ and
before the year 1653, the lands of Anchterhouse belonged to the
' Reg. Nig, de Alxirb.,g8, 289. » Donglas' Peerage, i. 267-71.
^ Spalding Club MiaoelL, t. 286,
342
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEAENS.
Earia of Strathmore, and were held for a time by the Panmiirc
family, under redemption to the Lyons.^ Patrick Lyon, who fell
at SherifFmiiir in 1715, second son of the tliird Earl of Kinghom,
was designed of Auchterhonse, and a carved stone, bearing his
initials P. L., and those of his wife, il. C. (a daughter of Carnegy
of Finhaven), and date 1703, is built into a wall at Auchterhonse,
From the Lyons the property passed to the Ogilvys, and the Earl
of Airlia is now proprietor.
The mansion house, which appears to have been built at differ-
ent times, was, till recently, occupied by one of the Airlie family;
but it is now neglected, and all but a ruin, Jlr Ochterlony, who
wrote about 1682, describes it as " a fine house, good yardsj and
excellent parks, and meadows, with a dovecot." The dovecot
here referred to is con ic^il shaped, and still stands; and near it are
the remains of a square erection called Wallace. Tower ^ built upon
a little rock on the margin of tlie bum which runs through the
grounds. These ruins arc covered with lyy^ are somewhere about
twelve feet high, and bear the stamp of considerable antiquity*
The walls are at least nine feet thick, and the area within the
walls measures fifteen by twenty feet. The roof of the ground
flat had been strongly arched with stone, and an arched door
or window, on the north sidcj is about five feet high and four
feet wide. Though called Wallace Tower j this old building had,
in all probability, been the cattle, or residence of some of the
Ogilvys.
The parish church stands upon a rising groundj about a mile
north of the Hou^e, and was inscribed to the Virgin, as is still
indicated by the Ladi/ Well, near tie manse, and the invocation
"AVE maria/' together with the cognisance of the fleur-de-lis,
which are c^irved upon an old skew-put stone of the church.
Since the kirk of Auchterhonse is not mentioned in the ancient
taxatioy probably it was the chapel which is recorded to have
been attached to the church of Lundic, from which it is distant
barely three miles. It is first noticed in 1420-7 j when Sir Walter
OgUvy of Lintrathen founded and endowed two chapkinrics
there, for the safety of the souls of the King and Queen, and of
the knights who fell at llarlaw, towards which certain pay-
' Beff, de Ihnmure, MS., iL tl9.
CHUSCH OF AUCHTERHOUSE.
348
nients were made out of the laods of Nevav.*^ Perhaps it was
about this time that the churcli was erected, of the windows of
which some hue miillioos, iu the l*erpeiidicular style of architec-
ture, are about the manse and kirkyard walls. It may also
have been one of those which is described as '* the glassiii window'^
of the kirk, whicli was broken on a communion Sabbath, by the
head of a poor woman falling tlirough it, while she lay asleep in
the churchyard, and which she was ordained by "the Sesaioim
to caune mend again*'*
The present church ia comparatively modern, with a plain spire
at the west end ; and the old burial aisle on the cast, was lately
included within the church, and fitted with pews. One of the
skew-put stones of this portion is dated 1630 ; and here, in 1601
and 1040 respectively, were buried the fifth and sixth Earls of
Buehan, Sir James Balfour says that the former died in his
twenty-first year^ and gives this epitaph upon him : —
**Hic jacei ante diem lachrimoeo funert* mptiis,
Flos piitrioe» et gemtii splendor DtaLAssiDOHtiii.'*
Here doubtless also were interred many of the older barons
of Auchtcrbousc ; and perhaps the fragment of a red sandstone
monument, which lay here until within these tew years, upon which
were a rude carving of the ^Scottish thistle, and other insignia, had
been a part of the tomb of some of the later owners.
But the fact ought not to be omitted, that before the ap-
pearance of tlie Kamsays in Angus, and in the year 1245, a baroo
designed ** William de Ilwuctyruus,'' is a witness to a gift by
Ecchenda of Berkeley, of lands in the parish of Fordoun, in the
Mearns, to the Abbey of Ai^broathJ Probably this person was
then owner of Auchterhonse, but the name does not appear at
any future time.
As in most other districts of Scotland, there are places cvalled
the Temple, and Temple Lands, which shew that the Knights of
St John held an interest in the parish. And in consequence of
the Earls of Buuhau having long resided in, and been lords of the
district, story says that a large hawthorn tree near the House was
the spot where the ** furious Graham" and the *^ brave Hose"
^ Crawford's Officers af SUte, 357 ; Robertson'si Index, p, 149,
' Reg, Vet. de Abmb., 2m.
344 MEMORIALS OP ANGUS AND MEAKNS.
fell wbile fighting fur the hand of the " fair Matilda,'' Lord
Buchaii's daughter; who, as related by the ballad ^ expired by
the side of her lovers-
Bot, however this may be, it is certain that one of the ladies
becauie notoriout^ ui a iiiueh less creditable action ; for towards
the clo!ie of Wdr^j about a year after the death of her husband,
the seventh Earl, a fama got abroad regardin*^ the Couute&a
and her chaplaiu, Mr Campbell, who had been lately appointed
minister of the parish. The Pred>ytery having made enquiry,
found it necetjsary to suspend the ininister from office ; but after
*' being tlirycc in the pillare, and upon evident sigu^ of hiB repent-
aucc, he was absolv^t.'* This w^as on 24th December, and on the
31 8t of the same montli it is stated that '4he Coiuitesse of Buchane
begannc her repentance," During the follo\\nng year^Mr Camp-
bell 'vvas presented to the neighbouring pariH-h of Limdicj and the
CoimtesB and he proved their mutual afiection by joining in tha
holy bands of matrimony."*
SECTION XIV.
TAILLEUn OF BALSHAMWELL.
Notioei of tbe Taylors — Proprietary Hiatory of Bdsliiui — Extent atid Rental of the
Barony iu 1691— Cbapcl, and Castle— Tailaeour of Boirowfield— Taylor of
Kirktonlull.
The common surname of Tayhr^ or Tailleurj h said to have
been derived from two sources. One story ?ays that it arose
from the weE-known and useful occupation of a maker of gar-
ments ; and the other, that certain of the En^lii^h and Border
families*, who retained what U termed the Anglo-Norman spelling
of Tailfer^ were descended of a Nonnan soldier, who fought so
bravely at the battle of Hastings that hia name i^ imniortalised
by the Anglo-Noiman p<>et Waee.^
The latter is the form adopted by a witness to a eliarter of
" Kirk SeMnoH Eeeord* of Aucht^rhoHte, MK., 1649^045 66.
■ Burke*ii Uicti of Luiided (icutry, p. I36H.
TAILLUU OF RALWIIAMWELL.
345
KiJig William the Liuii, rpgartiing a grant to the Abbey of Ar-
broath;" and tbo Ju\<t oi the name we liavc scon ilesjigued of
Angus, were
SEtinam If Caillur t)c l^aldt^amtDtll,
AUD
JF^abella CaEllur* quae Mt uiat BabiO k ^aillur*
Tlie former diil bomago to Kbig Edward at Berwick-upon-Tweed
iu 1296 ; aod, on 3rd September of that year, the latter was re-
poned in lands in Fortar«hire by the same King.?
Of neither individual la there further traee, and the loeality of
BalshamweU is doubtful. There are, ho^vever, two properties in
Angus called BaUhau, or Bolahan, situated rcspeetively iu the
parishes of Monikic, and Kiuiiell ; and, as iu old deeds, the latter
is sometimes spelled Ball^shame^ and was remarkable at no dij*-
tant date for a copious spring or well, probably it was from that
place that William the Taillur was designed. Perhaps, however,
Balshaiiii/;tf^^ is a mistake for BaUhajxihiU^ since the Mil of Bol-
shau is one of tbe most strikiug eminences in the district*
Supposing, therefore, that this is tlie place meant, it may be
observed that the property was given by tbe Countess of Angus
to tlie Abbey of /Vrbroath, and that during the fifteenth century it
was held by Ogilvy of Airlie as chief bailie of the monastery.
During the next century, part of Bolshan, if not tbe whole estate,
belonged to Carnegie of Klnnaird, Ogilvy 's bailie depute, since
which time, with the exception of the half century after the for-
feiture of the Earl of Houtliesk (when the absurd fonn of spelUng
the name Beauchamp %vas introduced), it lias formed a portion of
that valuable lor^ship^i Bolshan w^as a barony down to 1716,
in which were included the laudn of Kinuell ; but soon after that
date the name of tbe barony was changed to that of the latter
place. In 1691 it was possessed by sixty-four different tenants,
and the rent, as will be seen below, consisted chiefly of pa}Tncnts
in kind/
• Beg, Vet. dci Aberb., 94. / ^*?'. ^"^'» '^^ - Fiedem, u r>l- iii. IM.
^ Bal-tMchmn, means '^liilJ town/* UallWIion (a. d. 1344), BallyshanK? (1443),
B«lyHhoa (1528), and IkiUgbanc (1691-1710), are tUc vjirious fonns in wbich the
naitio ia writU-n at tbe dates affile od.
"■ In 16D1, tbe barony of Mtbaii eonsmtcd of tbe following plares :— Maymi
of Bolishane ; Btiarland sbade and Piimetkie (7 tenantfl) ; CotfotiDe (111 tennnts) ;
8omer-biU (9 ienatils) ; Moore side (lUenftnta); Rinnfll V\ IcnauisJ , Milne pbiigb ;
WW
346
MEMORIALS OF AKQUS AND MEABNS*
It iH belie vt'd that tlic cliapcl which was attached to the church
of KiniicU in old times stuod at Bol.shan ; and I am informed,
that in 1833-4, while drains were bein^ eiit in a field immediately
to the west of the present farm house, the foimdations of the
supposed chapel and burial ground were discovered ; and in the
latter the remains of several bodies were fomid. A spring, about
two hundi*ed yards from the chapel, is called Naughty Well^ and
Tannie's Well is near Muirsidc of IvinnelL Like the Chapel of
Bolshan, nothing remains of the Castle, which, in 1612, is said
to have been " the Lord Ogilbie's speclall residence. ''
It may be added, that from the year 1296 imtil IGlo, when
Hercules Tailzeour, a merchant m Montrose, acquired the lands
of Borrowfield by purchasej from a family named Grardyne, there
18 no appearance of the surname of Taylor, in a proprietary rela-
tion, either in Angus or in the Mearns. Borrow^chl and adjoining
lands are still possessed by a descendant of Hercules Tailzeour ;
and from a younger branch of the same family are descended the
Taylors of Kirktonhill, in the ilearns."
SECTION XV.
THE WISHARTS OF LOO i E- W 1 S H A RT.
Notices of the Ori^D of tlie Wisharta — ^Adiira WLslmrt acquires Lugio mid Kenny —
Logii* erected iutti a Barooj, and tli© Name AJtt^red^Sir Jolin Wiuliftrt of thai
Ilk — BiaUop George WUhart— Noticea of JjOgio-WiflhftTt.
TtiEiiE are many diifei'ent spellings of this name, which need not
be qnoted, and varions notions regarding its* origin. One story
says that the Wtsharts were descended from a natural son of
David J Earl of Hnntingdou, brother of William the Lion, an idea
Miliie-Eye (4 teiuiDtti) ; Dam-licad ; Braiekoe (4 tenanlH) ; Bow-hou&e (2 tenimtB} ;
Rainv's Milne ; WilleDzcards (4 tenants) ; llill ; Wine Slapc ; Tannoxniyro ; and
PadJc>ckp«>ole (2 tenants). The total rental of tiie barony amounted to £447 8d. in
mono)^ ; 257 bolla I firlot 3 pecki and ^ lippie bear; <jB2 boIl& 3 pecks and i lippie
meal; 219 capjns ; 465 poultry; 79 sniudloa yam; C6 slicep ; 7 p^nrka 1 Itppia
iJntsKjud, and 147 tlireaTes of atraw.— i?«ffitoi Book of the *iouti^sk Eitnictt 169U
1710, ono vol. fol, MS*t tbe property of Lord 8outlie»k.
' Burke 'b DiUUmaty of Landed Gentry fp. 1348), centaini An aooounl of
Tailyour of Borrowfield,
TIIK WISHABTS OF LOtilE-WlSHABT.
347
[
wliidi hatl perhaps arisen from their armorial bearings being the
same as those ot" the uhl family of Breclun, who were undoubted
descendantd of that Earl Another version, founded apparently
on no better autliority than the torm in whieli the name is some-
times written, yiz.j Wt^e-hearty attributes its origin to the superior
wisdom of their remote progenitor ; while a third asserts that the
true name is Guisc^rd^ and that the family ia descended fi-om the
Guisearda of Xomiandy*
These conjectures need not be commented upon. It is probable
that the Wisharts of Logic were descended of the older family of
Pitarrow in the Mearns ; and Sir James Dalrymplc says that
Gilbert of Urapliraville, Earl of Angns, gave Adam Wishart a
charter of the lands of Logic, in 1272. In 1279, Adam received
from William, Abbot of Arbroath, a charter of the lands of
Konny-Mui'ehardyu, or Kenny neil, in Klngoklrum, which had
prenously belonged to Duncan '^ Judex'' of our Lord the King.^
Probably
who Is designed of the county of Forfar, when he performed
homage to King Edward, in 1296,*^ was the son of Adam
Wishart, and chief of the Angus branch.
In 1409, Alexander Wishart was one of an inquest regard-
ing the lands of Meikle Kenny ; and, in 1466, the name of John
Wishart, son of John of Logic, occurs in another charter of Meikle
Kenny, which was granted by Maleohn, Abbot of Arbroath, to
Alexander of OchterlonyJ
In 1526, it appears that John Wishart of Logie had succeeded
his father, Alexander, in Kenuyiieil '^ and, after the forfeiture of
Archibald, Earl of Angus — who, as bcfi>ro seen, was superior of
Logie — John Wishart resigned tliese lands to King James V.,
from whom he had a new charter, dated 1540, by whicli they were
not only converted into a Crown holding, but erected into " ane
hale and fre barony, to be callit, in all tyme emning, the barony
of Wisehart."'' From that time, and perhaps before, the family
assumed the designation '^ of that Ilk'' ; and among the "sundry
* Djilryiiiple'8HiBt-Collectiou8,2l7; R«g. Vet.de A.berb.,332.
* Rag. Boll, 146 ; Prymie, 658. ' Reg. Nig. de Aberb,, 47, \m, » Ibid., 457,
348
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AXU MEARNS.
lands^^ included in die barony were tho&e of E aster- Wishart, or
Logie-^Vishart, witli the mill, Wester Logie, Locai-stoun, Drimi-
slied, Dairaie, Ballaiidarg, Auchleig, Stotfauld, and others.^
The farther snceessiuii oftliiA laniHj has not been very elearljr
ascertained. S^niae of them were iu Ballandarg, and had an
interest in the lauds of Inglistonn and Kinnettles, before^ and
during the year 1612 j and oti 30th October 1629, John Wishai't
was served heir to his uncle, John '^ of tliat Ilk,*' in lands lying
in the regality of Kirriemuir. At the same time, he flucceedcd
his father, 8ir Ji)hn Wishart, kniglit, de eodem^ in the property
of Kennyueil.>
The last-named John, mii of Sir John Wishart, appears to
have been the father of George, at one time a minister in St
Andrews, afterwards chaplain to the Marquis of Jlontrose. He
is best known as the author of Memoirs of that famous general,
which he wTOte in Latin. They have been translated into Eng-
lish, and frequently published, and have gained considerable cele-
brity, perhaps not so mucli from a copy of them having been
suspended round the neck of Montrose at the time of his execu-
tion, aa from the spirit and the faithfulness of the narrative.
After the fall of ilontrose, Wisliart became chaplain to Eliza-
beth, Queen of Buhemia, and accompanied her to England when
she visited her nepliew King Charles, after the Restoration .
In cons(ideration of his loyalty and learning, Wishart soon after
thifl was presented to the rectory of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and
on the restoration of Episcopacy in Scotland, was appointed
Bishop of Edinburgh. He died in 1671, and was buried in the
Chapel of Ilolyrood, where bis monument, with a panegyrical in-
scription in Latin verse, may yet be seen* A quaint translation
contains these lines, which refer to the confiscation of AVisliart^s
goods, and his imprisonment, which took jilace in the earlier part
of his career, after tlie discovery of his correspondence with
certain of the roj^alists :—
" Thrice spoil *(1, and bftnieht for fall fifteeD jQiin,
Hin mind unt^bakea, cbcerliil etill he br^Arni
Deadlj" proscription, nor the nastj gm\
Could not disfnrb bis grcdt Beraphick »oul."
» Act* PaH,| ii, 879, ^ Inq. Sp^,, Forf,, Noa. 79, 188, 189,
LO(iIE*WlSliART,
34y
The barony of Logic-Wishart appears to have been out of the
faiiiil}' for some short time duniig the seventeenth centnrVj for
Nisbet says that it was *' again purchased by Mr John Wishart,
one of t]ie Commissaries of Edinburgh, nephew to tlic Bishop, and
great-gran diou to Sir John of Logie/^*
The House of Logic stands about a mile south of KiiTiemuir.
The property now l>ehjngs to Colonel Kinloch of Kilrie, a knight
of the Order of St Ferdinand of Spain, &c., who, on the recent
introduction of the general Police Act, was appointed Inspector
of that force in the counties and burghs of Scotland.
SECTION XVL
IL\^SARD— KIM^OSS— LEKATHY— MONCRTEFF— SANSER^
STRATHERN— ANGUS— USHER^WYET.
Although I have failed to discover the connection which the
following individuals had with the shire of Foliar, there is
reason to believe, since they are all designed of it, that they bad
been either churchmen, landowners, burgesses^ or public officcra
in the county. They all appeared at Berwick-upon-Tweed,
and performed homage to King Edward L during his sojourn
there in 1296<
was probably of the Hansards of England, whoa© progenitor
came from Normandy with William the Conqueror, and was
present at the battle of Hastings, 1066.
ISto^fd, ani) 3o(ii tie l^intosi.b
This surname is first found in Scotland in the time of William
the Lion, and appears to liave had a territorial origin. As will
be shewn in a subsequent page, a knight of the name of Kinross
appears, at an early date, to have had an interest in the lands of
Little Pert, &c.
' Hernldo% i. 201 . • Rag. Roll, 126 ; Prjune, 664 ; Ulland's Roll of Battle Abbey.
^ Rag. RolU 126 46 ; Prynne, 654-8 ; Reg. Prior. S. Andree, 218.
350 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
SUjfattiiOrf tu Zamberton
took the oaths of allegiance to King Edward at two different
times. A person bearing the same name and surname was one
of an inquest appointed by Robert the Bruce, to inquire into the
ancient rights and privileges of the Priory of Rostinoth, in 1322.*^
The name was known in Scotland in the reign of Alexander II.
andUI.
Zafotftii Oe Zriiatf^s/
Places in the parishes of Einnettles and Inverarity, and in the
district of Glenprosen, are respectively called Leckoway, Labothy,
and Lednathy.
ZBSniiam He iKottiuref*
The remote progenitor of the Moncrie£& is said to have been
Matthew of Mowbray, who came to Scotland with William the
Lion ; and, receiving the lands of Moncrieff in Perthshire, he
assumed that surname." The family flourished there in a direct
line until about the middle of the seventeenth century, when Sir
John Moncreiff of that Ilk sold the estate to Sir Thomas Mon-
creiff, one of the clerks of Exchequer. From Sir Thomas the
present baronet is seventh in succession.
SUjtaiinOre le Sanger Oe Innetfte^fiii.
The only notices I have seen of the surname Sanser, are those of
William, who, in 1202-26, is designed chaplain of St Andrews,
and Thomas, a clerk, the latter of whom witnesses a charter re-
garding the hostilage at Stirling, in 1299.' It is probable that
Alexander had been in some way connected with the ancient
town of Inverkeithing in Fife, in the parish church of which there
is a curious font, embellished with armorial bearings ; and some
old houses throughout the town bear quaint mottoes over the
doors and windows.
<" Rae. Roll, 126-57 ; Prynne, 654^1 ; Mtscell. Aldbar., MS., 310.
' Bag. Roll, 154 ; 660. • Rag. Roll, 152 ; Prynne, 660 ; Caledonia, i. 590.
' Rag. RoU, 182 ; Prynne, 655 ; Reg. Vet. de Abcrb., 119, 277.
MICHAEL OF FLEMING OF TUE MEABNB.
351
This also appears to be a territorial Dame; and Hobert and
Malcolm of Strathern, both designed of the county of Peebles,
did homage to King Edward.
To the abovfe liat of Angus barons it only remains to add the
names of
— 0-
The name of the lands for which
who Is designed of the Mearns, did homage, is aUo unknown* He
was one of six barons of the name who submitted to Edward !•
at Berwick, in August 1296, and the remaining five, with other
twOj who took the oaths at Aberdeen in July previously, were all
designed of counties in the south and west of Scotland| and,
among them, was the ancestor of the Earls of Wigtoun/
The next notice of the Flemings in the Mearns occurs in 1363,
when David II, granted a charter to David Fleming of an
annual of 20 merka out of the lands of Meikle Morfy, and lOOs,
from those of Durschine ; at the same time, Fleming had a gift
of the park of Durschine, and the west park of Kincardine. "^
During the time of King Alexander IL there was a knight
called Bartholomew of Flanders settled in the county of Forfar;'
and there being a property called Flemingtown in that shire,
probably it had belonged to him. These lands lie near the parish
church of Aberlerano, and the house, which is a castellated edifice,
built, perhaps, about the middle of the seventeenth century, is
still roofed, and pretty entire. Towards the beginning of last
century, it belonged to Mr Ochterlony, the last Episcopal minis-
ter of the parish, who, after bis ejectment from the church, held
worship there for several years.
i Bag. Roll, 146; Pr^'iiEn, d&8, •• Rag. Roll, ftud Pry ti dp, jiowim.
* R«g, Roll, and Pijnne, paum. ^ Reg. Mag. Sig., p. 33,
• Clmlmere* Caled., L 6*}3.
352
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS,
So far as I am aware, there is no place called Flemington m
the lleariis, although there^ as in other districts between the
Tweed and the Moray Firth, the Flemings had doubtlesa been
located. It is well known that thev were the most enter-
prising people of the Middle Ages, and that they first emigrated
into England. They were banished from that country during the
twelfth century J and, coming over to Scotland, received posses-
BioDS from David L They did signal service during the Wars
of the Independence, particularly at the defence of Berwick in
1296, when only thirty of their number held the factory of Red-
hall against the whole English army, who, at night fall, as re-
lated by our best historians, set fire to the buildings ^* and buried
its faithful defenders in its bmning ruins."
MEMOEIALS OF ANGUS AND MEAENS.
PART FIFTH.
HISTORICAL AND TRADITIONARY NOTICES OF
^f)e iSaronst of ti)e inearnst
WHO SWORE FEALTY TO KING EDWARD THE FIRST.
A.D. 1296,
AND OF THEIB FAMILIES AND ESTATES.
X X
PART FIFTH.
THE BARONS OF THE MEARNS WHO SWORE FEALTY TO
EDWARD I , A.D, 1296.
SECTION L
TUE ALLARDICES OF ALLAEDICE,
AUardicefl of Allardice— ^Ir John Married to Lady Mary Gmbam^IJatljeTinfl Allar-
dice Excommunicated for Quiikcriftm^Barclaj of Ury Married to the Heireaa
of Allaniice — Early Notices of the Barclays of AngQS and ilm MearnH-^The
Kaim, or Casih of Mallicra^Inscription from the Tombatone of " iho Apolo-
gist for the Quiikera" — The AJardicos of Angtw, &c» — Allw^ce Castle,
NiSBET says tliat King William tlie Lion gave charters of the
lands of Alrethes^ or Allardice^ in the Meania, to a person who
aftcnvarda assumed that name. It is variously spelled, and pro-
vincially pronounced Atrdisj particularly hy old people.
The first of the name that I have seen are
who is designed of the Jleams, and did homage to King Edward
in August 1296; and
who took the oath in JIarch following.*
The first had prohably been ehief of the Meams branch, and
the latter may have been a near relative, for, towards the middle
of the subsequent century, the names of Walter and John of
Atlardice appear as witnesses in several local charters and other
deeds. In 1369, Thomas of Allardice had an annual of 20s, out
of Little Barras, in the adjoining parish of Kiimeff; and from a
portion of these lands being called the Sister Riggs^ tradition says
that the estate was divided among three co-heircssesj one of whom
was married to an Allardice. In the year 1492, John of Allardice
• Rag. Roll. 157; Try one, 601 ; Talgravc, 196.
* R^- Ep. Brechin., i, 21 ; RubcrlBon'ii ttideXt p. 78,
356
MEMORIALS OF AXaUS AND MEARNS.
was a witness regarding portions of the lands of Glenbcr\nc and
Barras, wliidi belonged to Sir John of Auclienlcck ; and in 1512,
Robert Allardice had a charter from John, his father, of the half
lands of Little Barras, to hiinsell' and his heirs.*
The Iau*d of Allardice was a representative in the memorable
Parliament, held at Edinburgh, on Ist August 156D, by which
the Papal jnristlietiou was abolii-ihed m Scotland ; and near the
elose of the wanie century, Jolm of Allardieo was upon an inquest
regarding the lands of Balfeith, and the Mill of Convethj or Lau-
rencekirk.** This laird appears to have manned a daughter of
Robert of Arbnthnott ; and their grandson married Beatrice^
daughter of the fourth Earl Marisehal, by whom h© acquired
the lands of Powburn/'
Probably this laird's mother, Avho was one of the Gordons of
Methlic, had also brought landed property to the family, since, in
1543, John of Allardice granted a bond of raanrent to the Earl
of Huntly, by which he boimd himself ^'k}-!!, frendis, seruandis,
tenautis, and adhercntisj to gang and ryid with his lordachip in
oistingis and uder besinea in peace and weyr," in preference to
any other person, the Queen and her governors only excepted/
John of Allardice, probably the son of the last named, was
succeeded by his son James, in 1642,b A son of the latter be-
came Sir John, being the first of the family who appears to ha^^e
been knighted j and it was (as is presumed) Sir Jului's sister,
Catherine, who was married to John Fullerton of Kinnaber.
As before seen, this lady and her husband were so strongly in
favour of the then recently introduced and unostentatious prin-
ciples of the Quakers, that the Presbytery of Brechin, after a
vast deal of communing among themselves, and private con-
ferences wnth the accused, finding that all hope of gaining them
back to their church was gone, formally pronounced the bann
of excommunication agahist them, and a domestic servant, '' for
adhering,'' in the intolerant words of the i^ecord, " to the scan-
dalous errours of Quaquarism,"*^ Probably a connnunity of re-
ligions feeling between the Barclays and the Allardices may have
" Acta Dom. CoticilL, 292 ; Patimure HudiUngi&n, Coll., MS., i. 693,
"• Acta Par!., u. 52*; ; Reg. Vet. il« Al^rb., 70.
* Dtnigliw* Peerage, i. 713 ; ii, 102. ' SpUliiig Club Mi^scclF., iv, 208.
» liiq S^Hjc., Kinc.t No. 76. * it sup,, 281.
THE ALLAIIDICES — THE BARCLAYS.
357
had flomelhing to do in brbiging about the cluae connectioii
which ultimately subsisted between these t'amilic:*.
Sir John Allardice married, in 1662, Lady Mary Graham,
daughter of Lord Kinpontj grand-daughter of William, Earl of
Airth and Menteith* This Lady, who died in 1720, was burieil in
the family vault at the kirk of Arbutlmott, and left four daughters
and two sons ; the eldest son died ivithout issue, and the second,
George Allardice, was sometime M.P. for the borough of Kio-
toroj Master of tlie IMiot, and a zealous supporter of the Union.
He died in 1709, leavingj by his wife, Lady Anne Ogllvy, eldest
daughter of the Earl of Findlater and Scaforth, a large family
of sons and daughters ; and in their grandson, James, the male
issue failed. His only child, Barah-Anne Allardice, who died in
1833, having married Robert Barclay of Ury, had three sons
and five daughters,' and the eldest son, Captain Robert Barclay-
Allardiee, the celebrated pedestrian, succeeded to the estataa of
Ury and Allardice, He died Ist May 1854.
The additional patronymic of Allardice was assumed by Robert
Barclay of Ury, in consequence of his marriage with the heiress
of the estate ; and, in virtue of the marriage of Sir John Allar-
dice and Lady Mary Graham, the late Captain Barclay- Allardice
clanned to be the representative of the Earls of Airth and Men-
teith, and the fteventeenth in lineal succession from Robert 11. ,
King of Scotland,
From the connection between the Barclays and the AUardices,
it may l^e licre remarked that the fonner family wa« a brancli of
the Berkeley s of Gloucestershire, of whom a son, Walter, had the
barony of Liverkeillor, in Angus, from William the Lion ; and
another, Humphrey, was settled In the Mearns by the same khig*
Berkeley of Redcastle, or Inverkeillor, was the first lay chamber-
lain of Scotland, and leaving a daughter liis solo heiress, she
married Inglerain of Baliol, Lord of Harcourt. By this marriage,
it is said that the B alio Is were introduced into Scotland ; and
the grand.son of Berkeley's heiress, by his wife Dornagilla, elditnt
daughter and co-heircss of Alan, Lord of Galloway, waa father
of Jolm BaUol, Kuig of Scotland^
' Doujujfas* Peerage, i. 40.
* Chalmers' Caletl., i. 529 ; UrawforiPs OU; of State, 253 i KUbot, ii. 245-^1.
358
MEMORIALS OF ANUUB AND MEABNS.
It was iVlcxander Barclay, who is said to have been the fifth
ill succession to Humphrey in the Meams estates, who, in 1351,
married CatherinCj eldest sister of Sir William Keith, Marischal
of Scotland, with whom he received the lands of SlatherSj in the
parish of St Cyrus ; and, according to the family history, it was
David, great-grandson of Alexander, ivho built the Katfti^ or
Castle of Mathers, Story says that he was one of the barons
who joined in the harbarous act, before noticed, of boiling a
sheriff* of the Mearns in a cauldron, and then ^' suppin* the broo**'
To escape the threatened vengeance of the king, who, it Ls said,
vowed that Barclay should not live either on the land or the
water^ he built a house upon this rock^ where he was allowed to
dwell in peace I
The cliffy wliich juts into the sea, is from forty to fifty feet
high, but from the encroachments which the ocean has made on
this part of the coast during the past half century, the greater
portion of the rock and the walls of the castle are gone, and only
a fragment of the west side of the building remains. I am in-
formed that some fifty years ago, w^hen the North Esk passed
along the beach j and entered the sea near to these ruins, that the
walls were from eight to ten teet m height, and showed a butldiog
somewhere about thirty or forty feet square. At that time the
castle was used as a reed^ or sheepfold, with the Avindows blocked
up to keep the sheep from leaping out, and there was a cart road
from the adjoining fields to the southern wall, though now the
site is of difficult and dangerous access.
It may be added that, in 1850, during agricultural operations
in the neighbourhood, a carved stone was brought to Mght, em-
bellished with the Barclay arms — " a chevron, between three
crosses patteeJ* The shield was turned towards the right, with
a helmet placed on the left corner, surmounted by an eagle's
head, and bore two feathers on each side, which were the com-
mon ornaments, or mountings of arms, during the fifteenth and
sixteenth centuries, as was also the fashion of turning the shield
dexter or sinister-wise.
But it is needless farther to repeat the history of a family so
well known as that of the Barclays ;^ it may be remarked, how-
' See Niibot'i Heraldry, ii. App., 236-41 . (Actii Purl., viii. 581-2.)
THE BARCLAYS UF CRY.
359
ever, that David (father of Colonel Barclay who bought Ury),
soW the lands of Mathers, Kirktonhillj and Johnstone, the two
last of which are said to have been portiona of the entatea of
Humphrey of Berkeley, the founder of the race ; and from the
time of the sale of these lands until Uiy was acquired in 1648,
the family appears to have had no interest in the Mearas.
Since then J as before seen, they have been extensive landow^ncra
and pretty constant rcaidcnters ; but soon after the death of
Captain Barclay, the estate of Ury was sold to Alexander Baird
of Gartsherrie, who has since erected a fine new mansion upon the
site of the old house.
The old house is supposed to have been the birth place of the
author of the celebrated " Apology for the Quakers/' and his
studyj which is said to have been kept in much the same primi-
tive state as when he left it, was a faYourite resort for the more
enthusiastic of hi& admirers. Within the burial vault, whicli oc-
cupies a rising ground to the north of the House, is the followiug
inscription, denoting the place of the sepulture of that eminent
man and his wife :—
THE GRAVE OF
EGBERT BARCLAY OF URIE
AUTHOR or THE APOLOCIE FOR THE QL'AKEKS;
80» AND HFJlt OF COLONEL DAVID BARCLAY OF UttlE;
AND KATHERIN, DAUGUTER OF THE FIRST SIR ROBERT GORDON OP
GORDON aTON.
HE WAS BORN DEGBR. 23, 1648; AND DIED OCTBR, 3, 1690.
ALSO OF HIS WlFEi
UHRISTIAN, DAUGHTER OP GLLBERT MOLLlSON, MERCHANT IN ABERDEEN.
fiUE WAS BORN ANNO 1647, AND DIED FEBRY. 14, 1723.
Besides the old patrimonial estate of Allardicej which lies in
the parish of Arbuthnottj and other lands in the MeamSj there
were Allardiees designed of Inverquharitj, hx Angu§, during the
time of Robert III,, and of Duninald, towards the middle of the
seventeenth centuiy.'" Near the end of the fifteenth century
there was a churchman called James Allardice, who sat id Par-
liament, under the designation of Provost of the Kirk of the
Virgin Marj of St Andrews ; and about the same period, William
" Robertson's Index, p. US ; Spalding Clnb Bliscvlli iv. p. \jndx.
sm
^«E^rDHIALS OF ANfJUS AND MKARNS.
and tlohii Allanlico were pastors respectively of the kirks of
Dimljog in Fife, and of Coidl in Aberdeenshuw"
The castle of AUardice is a baronial bnllding of ntoderate pre-
tensions, pieturesqiiely situated on the. north bank of Bervie
water J about a mile above the bridge of Inverbervie, from which,
perhaps, it is seen to the best advantage. It appears to have
been mostly built about the tinxe of the marriage of Sir John
AUardice with Lady ^lary Graham ; and, having been deserted
by the family soon after the estates fell to the Barclays, it was
occupied towards the beginniug of this century by a wood
forester. Latterly it became uiiluhabitable and almost a ruin,
but having been repaired within the last twenty years, it is now
the residence of the farmer.
SECTION II.
Elje jfalcunets, anU tlje jf^naonB.
THE FALCONERS OF HALKERTON.
Ori^n of tbo Falcouera— Falconers of IlalkertoD, FhcBdo, and GlenfaFquLar — Sir
Alexander Falconer created Lord Hallccrton — The 8ons and Daughters of J^rd
HalkertoD oiade Burgeeses of Montroflo— Lord Halkerton succeeds to tbeEarU
dom of Kin tore— Castio of H&IlcertoD — ^M^jor Hurry routed bj Montrose.
WiLLELMUa AucEPS, OF William the Hawker, h the first re-
corded of the noble family of Falconer. He appears in a dateless
charter J supposed to belong to about the close of the twelfth
century, by which he gave certain lands, situated on the banka of
the Luther, to the church of Maringtnn, or Marykirk, in the
Mearud, which grant was confinned, as was the custom of the
times, by laying a turf cut from the land upon the altar of the
church. The lands are described as lying to the west of the bridge
of Luthnot, and extending to Stanhrig — ^apparently a bridge of
stone, which, at that early period, seems to have been built across
\iic North Esk."
* KctA?irl, it. 153 . B^g. Nig. do Aberb., jkut. <* Bflg, Y^t, d« Aberb,, tOQ.
JIfci
THE FALCONERS OF HALKERTON,
361
ITithcrto the progenitor of the Falconers of HalkcHiiu m said
to have been Walter of Luukyr, or Lumgair, the son of lianiilphj
but he does not appear until the year 1218, some time after
WiUiain Auceps.P
The surname of Falconer orig'inatetl from tlie office of keeper
of the king's hawks or falcons, and Ilawlcerstown had its name
from being the phice of their residence. These lands are about
a mile north of the village of Laurencekirk, near the site of tlie
old Castle of Ivincardlnej where, as before shown, William tlic
Lion and other Scottish Kings semetimcs resided ; and William
Auccps is believed to ha%'e been keeper of tlie hawks to King
William, and to have received the lands of Ilawkerston for his
services.
Uo^ert U dFaucon«r,
probably the chief of the family at the time, did homage to King
Kdward on two different occasions, first at Aberdeen on the 17th
July 1296, and afterwards at Berwick, lu the year 1300,
ZSlflKam br iFaucanftt
along with Robert le Botler, also took the oaths of fidelity at
Carlisle, on the Eve of St John the Baptist. "i This William of
Fauconcr may have been the son and successor of Robert of 1296.
Notwithstanding that the name was common in the Mearns,
the pedigree of the Falconers, from the time of lildward I. imtil
about the end of the fifteenth century, is not so complete ascoidd
be wished ; but from that time it seems pretty clear. Tliere was
a knighthood in the family in at least 1493-4; and Archibald,
second son of Sir Alexander Falconer, and his wife, Elizabeth
DouglaSj of Olenbervy, were founders of the Phesdo branch of the
Falconers which subsist cd until 1764. Sir David and Sir John,
great gi^andsons of Sir Alexander, were respectively the progeni-
tors of the Falconers of Glenfarquhar and Balmakeltie.
Sir Alexander, the elder brother of the two last named knights,
was a Lord of Session, and, on 20th December 1647, was created
a peer by the title of Lord Falconer of Halkcrton. ITis son and
P Rh^^'^ VfL lie Alxsrb*, 1S5 ; Dfjriglas' rVii'ta;:e, i, .'*!.
1 Rn^. IU\), 157 ; IVytiiKs 661 ; Prtlfc^riiTi?, 175^ 1»5, 224.
\ V
362
MEMOUIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
Ijraiidiioii fiuccet3cled as Hecoud and third Lords Falconer ; and on
tl»c death of the latter without issue, he was followed in the peer-
age by his cousin of Glenfarquhar, who died in 1727. Leaving
no i&suCj the title de%^olved on Sir David of Glenfarquhar, cousin
of the latter, Hb* David married Lady Catherine Keilh, eldest
daughter of the second Earl of Kintore, by whom he had five
sons and four daughters, and the two eldest sons succeeded
as sixth and se^Tnth Lords Falcouer, It may be observed that
the fifth Peer lived chiefly at the Castle of Liglismaldie, near
Montrose, and died there 24th September 175L On the 7th
December following, probably out of sympathy for the bereave-
ment the family Buataincd by the loss of their father, the hurgh
records of Montrose shew that not only were Lord Falconerj his
brother George, and their brather-in-law, the laird of Monkton,
made burgesses, but that his Lordship's sisterSj Ladies Jean,
Mary, and Marjory, had the same honor conferred upon them by
the magistrates and council of that town I
Anthony- Adrian, eldest son of the seventh Lord Falconer, and
grandson of Lady Catherine Keith of Kintore, became the eighth
Peer; and afterwards, on the death of George, Earl Marischal^
he succeeded as heir of entail to the estates and title of KintoreJ
The present representative, born in 1828, is the eleventh Lord
Falcouer, and eighth Earl of Kintore, He is Lord-Lieutenant
of the county of Kincardine, and married his cousin, Louisa-
Madeline, second daughter of Captain Francis Hawkins, by whom
he has issue.
It may be added that apart from the first Lord Falconer, Sir
David uf Newton, second son of the laird of Glenfarquhar, was
also a lawyer of eminence, having been appointed Lord President
of the Court of Session in 1GS2. Like other branehes of the
family, that of Phcsdo also produced men of note, the more eminent
of whom was Sir James Falconer, who, in 1689, was raised to the
bench by the title of Lord Phesdo/
It need only be added that nothing remains of the old residence
of the Falconers at Phesdo, and of the house of Glenfarquhar
there is only a fragment surrounded by a few old ti^ces. Traces
' Douglas* Pf^^rRgo, ii, 53-8.
• Huig luitl Bruiifoirp Svtmiftrn of ihe Coll, uf Juslice, 299, 405, 445,
FYNDOX UF FYNDON.
3G3
of the foimcktions of the castle of Ilalkertoii are to be seen in tlio
wood adjoining the farm houBe of the Mains, built into the oiKces
of which are two atones taken from the castle. One is a corbel,
bearing an ill curved female head, and the date 1556^ which
relates to the tone of Sir Alexander, father of the first Falconer
of Phesdo ; and the other i8 a plain slab, initialed L, A. F., and
dated 164S — the time of the first Lord Falconen
The historical associations of Glcnfarquhar and Phesdo have
already been referred to ; and it is not known that the locality of
Halkerton is remarkable in history for mnch beyond the circum-
stance that during the Civil Wars, a party of tlie Covcuanter^i,
under the command of Major Hurry, lay in ambush in the woods
of Halkerton, during which they surprbed, but failed to route,
a party of Montrose's soldiers, and being themselves driven
from their position, fled across the North Esk. Montrose, at
this time, was encamped near FettercairUj and dealt destruction
by fire and sword throughout various parts of the district, burn-
ing, among other houses, that of the minister of the parish/
FYKDON OP FYNDON,
Fyndon of FyBdon^ — Cbalmera and MensdcB of Findon— Hawki' Nesta at Findon^
Murder of Menziea of Findon — St Teman'a ChapeL
The surname of Fyndon^ or Fuidon is local, having been assumed
from the property of Findon, which lies on the south side of the
pariah of Banchory-Devenick. The first, and indeed the only
person of the name I have noticed, is
of the Meams, who did homage to King Edward at Berwick,
in 1296, He first appean^ in the year 1281, as a party to a re-
cord of the division of the lands of Nigg, near Aberdeen.^
In 1359j William of Keith, sheriff of Kincardineshire, takes
credit for the payment of £3 out of the lands of Findon ; and,
» Ut sup,, 89 ; Latid of iho Lindsay a, 312 ; Spalding's Triible«, ii. 4G0.
«■ Bag. RoU^ 135; PTynne, 656 ; Palgrave^ 155-05 ; Reg. Yet, de Aberb., Id4.
364 MEMORIALS OP ANGUS AND MEARNS.
in 1390, they belonged to William de Camera, or Chalmers, a
burgess of Aberdeen, progenitor of the family of Chalmers of
Balnacraig, now of Aldbar/
The property was long in the hands of the Chalmerses ; and
towards the beginning of the seventeenth centnry, it belonged
heritably to Gilbert, grandson of Menzies of Culrie. It appears
that in the time of Menzies hawks built their nests in the rocks
or craigs of Findon, and the birds were carefully preserved for the
use of King James VI., with whom it is well known, hawking
was a favourite sport. The Menzies' seem to have anxiously
watched these nests, and it was on the 9th of May 1611, while
Alexander Menzies, son to the provost of Aberdeen, was return-
ing from inspecting one of them, that he was treacherously way-
laid and shot by Forbes of Monymusk, and several accomplices,
at the Cairn of Loriston, or Loirston, in the parish of Nigg.
The cause of the attack is not stated ; but it is said that Menzies
received " nyne bludie woimdis about his heart," and Forbes
succeeded in procuring a remission for the deed.''
It need scarcely be said that the village or Scaton of Findon
is a fishing station of some importance, and the name has been
long famous from the peculiar manner in which the inhabitants
cure a small-sized kind of fish, commonly called Finnan haddies.
These are much esteemed in all parts of Britain at this day; and
an old writer says, that in his time they were " in much request
in Edinburgh, and reckoned tender and sweet as marrow."
In old times, a chapel, dedicated to St Teman, stood upon a
rock near the village of Findon ; and a well in the neighbourhood
still bears the name of that saint.*
' Chamb. Rolls, i. 338 ; Coll. Aberdeen and Banff, 272 ; Reg. Mag. Sig., p. 244. .
* ritcaim'fl Crim. Trials, iii. 204. « Coll. on Aberdeen and Banff, 272.
'0 —
THE MIDDLETONS OF MIDDLETON,
365
SECTION IV.
THE MIDDLETONS OF MIDDLETON.
Tkd Mid'llototis of Middletoii, Killiill, Culdhamo, aad Balbcgno — E&rl of Middleton
— Hifl Rise, Pnogreaa, mid Dowiifull— Forfehure of liis Deflcenclanta^Salo of
tlio Est ft tea — The BtUftrt-ForbcBea — ^Fettercairn House, &c.
MiDDLETOX 19 a local surname, and was assumed, m this instance,
from the lands of Middleton, in the parish of Fettercaii'nj of whieh,
it haa been sai<l, ilalcobn the aon of Kenneth had a charter from
William the Lion, contirmingj it is fabled, a donation hj King
Duncan.y
The first real trace of the family, however, occurs in 1221^
when Humphrey of lliddleton is a witness to a grant of the landa
of Petmcngartenachj or Pittengardenj to the Abbey of Arbroath;
and in 1236, the same person witnesses the gift of the Meama
estates of Reehinda, daughter and heiress of Humphrey of Ber-
keley, to the same monastery. Again, In 1261-7, Constance of
Middleton (dangliter of llobert Tybald, and his wife Mary), and
Adaj the sou of Constancej made a donation to that convent**
In the year 1296,
iDumCrcs He i^flDtilcloti
of the MeamSj appeared at Berwick-upon-Tweed, and took the
oath of allegiance to King Edward, which lie renewed in 1306.
In 1300, another baron, called Thomas, offered his services to
the English king at Carhsle, But the name does not seem to
have been peculiar to the district, for, on the second appearance
of Humphrey of the Mearns, in the 3*ear 1306, Hugh of Middle-
ton did homage for lands in the Lothians,* Probably Hugh
was ancestor of Gilbert of Middleton, the famous Border rob-
ber, who, along with Walter Selhy, and at the instigation of
y Doiiglaa' Peerage. iL 230, " Reg. Vet de Aberb., 179, 199, 2DS.
• Bug. Roll, 167 ] Pryrnie, 661 ; Pulgrave, 30O, 221.
MEMORIALS DF ANGUS AND M EARNS.
Robert the Bnicej attacked and robbed the two nuncios and their
suite, who were sent by the King of England, in 1317, to pre-
sent the Pope's mandate for the excommunication of Bruce,
should he refuse to agree to a truce between the two nations,**
From lr306 the name.-i of several of the Mearus branch of the
family appear in local charters and inquests, and Gilbert Middle-
ton de eodem^ was sheriff of Angus in 1516 ; aud in 1519, he and
his wife J Agnes Lauder, held the Temple Landi^ of Middletou,
Fettercairn, and Benholra, In 1539-40, .Juliu of Ilkliddlcton
excambed the lands of Middieton, with his father-in -I aw, David
Falconer of Halkerton, for tho!?e of Neyreseiit, and the half of the
lands of Bent of Halkerton, About that time the family also
acquired the lands of Kilbill in Fordoim; aud those of Caldhame,
in the painsh of Maiykirk, towards the beginniug of the sixteenth
century,
J^gi^^QtiMem' Middieton, who is said to have been killed by Montrose's
soldiers in 1645, while fitting in his chair at Caldliame, married
m^ daughter of Strachan of Thornton J and by her had Jy9^^
sons, John and Andrewn'^About the year 1690, Andrew became
proprietor of Balbegno, which his son Robert, w^ho died without
issue in 1710, left to his brother-in-law, John Ogilvy of Lu|ian.
John, eldest son of Middieton of Caldhame, became the celebrated
General, and Earl of iliddlcton.
His history is well known. Although educated with the view
of making his fortune as a scholar j he entered the service of the
English when the Civil Wars broke out, and soon acquired repu-
tation as an officer. When the Earl of Essex was cashiered,
Middieton joined the Estates of Scotland, and on troops being
raised to rescue King Charles I,, he was made lieutenant-general of
the horse, and was present at most of the engagements which fol-
lowed. He was taken prisoner at Newcastle, and at Worcester,
but succeeded in making his escape on both occasions. Finding
his way to France, he remained there with Charles IL until
1653, when he made another attempt in the King's favour, but
being defeated^ returned to the Coutincnt, He came home in
1660, with King Charles, and on 1st October of that year was
raised to the peerage by the title of Earl of Middieton, Baron
^ Tytler'fl Hist, of Scotland, i. 298.
MiDDLETONS, AND STUARTS OF FETTERCAIRN,
367
Fettercairn in Scotland, and Clermont in England* He had
several other honourB conferred upon hira, and a variety of ap-
pomtments, civil and militarj ; but having soon afterwards ren-
dered himself obnoxiauSj not only to many of his brother peers,
but to the country in general, he was deprived of his home ap-
pointraentSj and sent to be govenor of Tangier in Africa, where
he may be said to have died an exile, in 1673.
Hia son and successor, the second Earl of Middleton, was for-
feited in 1695, for atUiering to James VIL ; and his two sons,
John and Charles, having also espoused the cause of the Stuarta,
were captured in 1708, in the act of conveying troops to invade
Scotland, They were both committed prisoners to the Tower of
London, and on being released escaped to France.*^
Besides lands in the Mearns, the Earl of Middleton possessed
those of Aid Montrose, in ^Vngus, which he was the firat to ao
quire after the overthrow of the celebrated Marquis of Montrose.^
The MidtUeton estates were sold to pay the debta of tlie first
Earl, and those of Fettercairn were bought by Brigadier-General
Middleton, a cadet of the family, who obtained a royal charter in
1738, leavmg them on his death to his son George of Seat on, in
Aberdeensliire. The latter died in 1772, having married Lady
Diana Grey, daughter of the Earl of Stamford, and from her
trustees, in 1777, the lands were bought by Sir John BeUhes
Wishart, baronet, afterwards the Hon. Baron Sir John Stuart
(which name he assumed by royal license), maternal grandfather
of the present proprietor.*^
The present baronet, Sir John Stuart Forbes, succeeded his
father. Sir William, son of the eminent Edinburgh banker, the
author of the '' Life of Dr James Beattie." He is the seventh
baronet in succession, a Hneal representative of the forfeited Lord
Pitsligo, and clamiaut for that title, also, by a female, representa-
tive of the old family of Wishart of Pitarrow, Sir John has de-
voted much attention both to the improvement of agriculture, and
to the bettering of the condition of agricultural labourers, and
was long officially connected with the Highland and Agricultural
Society of Scotland* He is a deputy-lieutenant, and convener
' DmigW Pcijmgp. ii. 231-3. <• Acta Pari , vii. 634.
" Information kifiditf t'ommunicaUd hff Sir J. Stuart Fturhei, hart.
368
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
^</ic4c^
of tlie freeholders of Kin cardme shire; and by liis M'ife, Lady
Henrietta, third daughter of the sixth ilarquis of Lothian, he
has an only daughter, who, in 1858, was married to her cousin,
the Hon* Charles 11. E. Trefiisis, 5LP,, eldest son of Lord Clinton,
The heir apparent to the baronetcy of Pitsligo and Fcttcre^ini is
AVilliam, eldest son of the late Charles Hay, Sir John's second
brother. His third brotherj Jamea David Forbes, late professor
of natural philosopliy in the University of Edinburgh, now Prin-
cipal of the College of St Salvador and St Leonard of St ^Vndrews,
IB celebrated for hia Bcientific discoveries and Aviitings.
It need only be added that Clcmiont, from which the Earl of
Middlcton's English title was derived, is still part of the estate
of Fettercaim, and that it was Brigadier Middleton who changed
the name of the estate from Middleton to Fettercaim, T!ie old
house, which has been greatly added tu, the more modem part
being in the Elizabethian style of architecture, bears the date of
1666, and the initials of the Earl of Middleton. As previously
noticed, his initials and anna arc carved upon a stone cross, still
standing in the market place of Fettercairn/
THE M0NTF0RT8 OP KINNEFF,
The Montforts of England — Settlement, and Decline of tlie MontfortB in the Mcanii
—Simon of Shalvluk of Kinncflf— Kin neff Castle, &c.
Two different families of the name of Blontfort were settled hi
England during the Middle Agefl. The more ancient wa,s
descended of Hugh of Montfortj who came from Normandy with
William the Conqueror. lie wa^ present at the battle of Hast-
ings, and received landti from that prince in Kent, Essex, tSiif-
folk, and Norfolk, The first of the other race was Simon, great
grand elilld to Ahuarie, an illegitimate son of Robert, King of
France, from whom he received the town of ilontfort, and hav-
ing married one of the two sisters and co-heiresses of Robert
Fitz Parnelj Earl of Leicester, some time about the year 1208,
he became progenitor of the many celebrated men who succeeded
him in that title.*
' Ut 9up,, 87. f Dugrlttl«'« Barouage, i. 407, 751.
THE M0NTFOIIT8 OF KINNEFF.
369
From the former of these branches the Montforts of Scotland
api>ear to have been descended, for nearly tliirty yeai'a before
the appearance of Montfort of Leicester in England, diflbrcnt
persons of the name witness charters by WiEiani the Lion hi Scot-
land. It is said that their first property hero was in the south,
bnt it is certain that so early as 1178-98, William and Jolrn of
Montfort wore doniiciled in the Jlearos, and appeal* in various
deeds relating to grants of land both there and in Angu8>
Probably they were settled at MondjTies, since, about 12Q0-7,
when King William conveyed a carriicate of land in that district
to the monastery of iirbroath, it is stated to Iiave hehmged to
William of Montfort, and Humphrey of Berkeley.' In 1211-14,
John of Montiort gi-anted the laiid-^ of (JlaHkeler to the same
monastery, to which deed his brother William, pai^soii of the kirk
of Kinnctf, is a witness.*^
From about this time until 1296, when
of the Mearns did homage to King Edward at Berwick, the name
is not met with* Before the appearance of Robert, which was in
the mo n til of August,
%^in t»c i)^oiiifort
submitted to the same king at Elgin on the 28th of July. It
may be remarked that Alexander of Montfort, probably a cadet
of the KinnefF family, was aheriif of Elgin in the time of King
Alexander IIIJ
The Montforts were proprietors in the Mearns down to at
least 1361, when Clnnstian, relict of John of Montfort, resigned
the lands of Kinneff, Stains, and others, in favor of Simon of
Shaklok."^
There were several persons of this name in Scotland during the
fourteenth century, and regardiog its etymology, a correspon-
dent remarks, with much apparent reason, '* that the practice of
chaining captives appears to be very ancient, and that the chains
'^ Keg. Ep. Brechin., ii, 257^. ' Beg. Vet. de Aberb,, 63. ^ Hid, 47,
" llag. Roll, 104; Prmnp, 602 , Palgrave, 181 ; Chamb. Bolls, i. «22 ; Acta
P*rl., i, B9. ' •» n>p. Mag. Sig„ p 56,
zz
370
MEMOBIALS OF ANGUS AND MEABNS.
made use of for this purpose were of two kinds, viz., chaics for
tlie feet, called fetters, and chains for the wrists, called shackles*
Thid view ia supported by the term well-known in Scotch at
thia day, shackle-bane., for the hone of the wrist. Now, both
these kinds of chains seem to have been secured by locks. The
fetter-lock is well-known in heraldry. The 'shackle-lock' 1 have
never read of, but I tliink it exceedingly probable that there was
sucli a thingj and that the surname Sliakhk was derived from
it. In furtlier illustration of thb, I may refer to the account
given in the Acts of the Apostles of the imprisonment by King
Herod Agrippa of the Apostle Peter, which says that the angel
of the Lord ' smote Peter on the side, and raised hbn sayingj
Arise up quickly. AnA his chains fell off from his hands'— the
last word distinctly showing the species of cbabi with which the
Apostle was boimd."^
The more immediate successors of Shaklok in these lands have
not been ascertained. Kinncff was bought towards the close of
tlie last century from the Mjijcoimt of Arbuthnott, by Lord Keith,
to whose Trustees it now belongs, together with the estate of
Slains, The castle of Kinneff stood upon a cliff overhanging th«
sea, and some say that it was garrisoned by the EtigUsh during
the minority of King David II. In the vicinity of the castle were
found, in 1831, an urn containing bronze rings aod jet orna-
ments, with the point of a bronze spear or sword, now in the
Museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland,**
Besides the castle of Kinneff, it is said that there were four
others in the parish Tliey -were all situated upon peninsular
rocks, and called respectively Herhert^jhiel, Caddcn, Whistle-
berry, and Adara's castles, but the names of their occupiers are
lost, and no tradition exists regarding the hi><tury of any of them
except that of Ilerijertslilel, which, it is said, was possessed by
some member of the old family of Lindsay-Crawford. A frag-
ment of Whistleberry still remains.
■ KqU from R, Lindsay, £«£., account^intt Brtehin,
•■Now St* * -.- *
law, part vt.
THE STRAITONS OF LAURISTON.
371
SECTION IV.
THE STEAITONS OF LAUBISTON,
Probfvblfl Origin of the Straitona — Ea Ij Notices of the Lauriatou Familj — Sir
Alexander Killed ftt ITiirlaw — David Burned aft a Martyr— ^ Sir Alexander
Cnmmissionar tn tliij General Assembly— Ijauriston Acquired by Falcoiyyr of
Phesdo — ^liltoij of Matbera Erected iuto a Burgb of Barony — Inuiirlulioii of tba
Btirgb — Cbapel of St LaurencG^ — Tho Straitons of Angua— Of Kirlcsido^
General Sir Joseph Straiton^-- House of LauriBton — Den Finolla, &c.
The 3iiriiame of Strattony or StraitoTiy le probably of Anglo-Saxon
origifi — at k%a?4t, a family of the name tloiu'isheil in the parish of
Stratton, Noifolksliire, in the reJgn of King John, Dumfries-
shire is said to have been tlie place of their original settlement
in Scotland; and in Fife there was once a barony called Stratton.
The first of the family in the Mearns, were two persons, both
named
who appeared at Aberdeen, on 15tb July 1296, and took the oaths
of fealty to King Edward. Three other barons of the same sur-
name, from the coimty of Edinburgh, performed the same service
at Berwick-upon-Tweed, in Augui^t following.^
Alexander Straiton of the Mearns attended the ParHament
held at Arbroath in 1320 ; and in 1328, a person of that name
was sheriflf of Kincardine.^ Ten years afterwards Alexander of
Straiton had a confirmation charter of the mill of the burgh of
Inverbervie, and of tlie lands of Glenchungole, in that neighbour-
hood;^ and, so far as charter evidence goes, this is the first
acconnt of the Straitons as landowners in the Mearns,
Tradition asserts that they possessed the estate of Lauriston
from a remote period; but we have found no person of their name
designeiWrom it until the year 1411, when it is recorded that,
along with about five hundred knights and burgesses of the
comities of Forfar, Kincardine, and Aberdeen, " Alexander
Straton de Laurenston,'' fell at Harlaw, while fighting on the
' Rag, Roll, 03A 125-34 ; Prynno, G51.
1 Acta Pari., i. 114 ; Chamb. RolU, i. 12. ' Reg, Mug, Sig,, p, 48,
L
372
MEMORIALS OF ANUUS AKD Mt;ARNS.
mde of the Duke of Albany/ The fall of StraitOD U thu» noticed
in the wtiU-known ballad : —
** And there tbe knicbt of Lttumton
Was Blaia into Ihis annotir bIicco,*'
Whether Walter Straiton, who was page to James L, and
present at the murder of that king by Sir Patrick Graham, id
tlie Convent of the Dominicans at Perth, was of thi?^ tamilvj ia
unknown ; but, it is generally admitted that David Straiton , the
martyi^, was one of them. It was in 1534, while exeeutiona for
avowing the Reformed faith were common, that this pci'son suf-
fererl, having been burned at the stake, hecaose, as It is related,
ratlier than gi%a^ the tenth of bis fij^hings to the Bishop of Moiiiyj
he made " his servents cast the tenth fish into the sea againCi"*
After this date, the >Straitons of Lanriston appear pretty re-
gularly in the 8cots Parbament f and Sir Alexander Straiton,
who lived during the latter part of the sixteenth and early part
of the seventeenth ceutmie:-i, appears to have made himself so
popular in the coimcils of the nation, that be was appointed a
commissioner for the Union of England and Scotland. L: 1605,
he was king's commissioner to the General Assembly at Aber-
deen ; and during the following year, the Estates of Parliament
approved and confirmed a letter of gift and pension to him " for
all the dayes of hU lytetvme, of the blench-dentie of the lord-
schip of Scone, extending to lOQO merks."*
The last appearance of the Straitons in Parliament was in 1663,
when one of them, along with Eamsay of Babnain, represented
Kincardineshire* Probably soon after this their fortunes began to
decline, since in 1695, Sir James Falconer of Phesdo had a ratifi-
cation charter from King William of "aU and batll tlie lands and
barrony of Laurenstomi, npon the resignation of Alexander Strai-
tonn of that Ilk/' By this cluirter, the name of the barony was
dmnged to that of Miltonhaven ; and Milton haven, or Milton of
Mathers, was erected into a free burgh of barony, with a free
harbour and sea port. The charter also provides that a weekly
• Note rogarding the Battk of Hftrkw — ^ Ex Libra MonuBterii Boato Murig de
Ciipro, lib. ixjLvi.j cap. xx.'* — qtiotcd in licrf. de Panmure^ MS., L 241.
• l^tlur'w ITiBt. of Scot., iii. 264 ; Pitcmnrfc Crim. Triak, i. *210.
■ Acta Dym. Coucll, 402 ■ Actft Piiri.ii iii, iv. vi. viupamm.
• Booke of tbe Kirk, 1013 ; Acta Pari.. 5v, 315.
LAURIBTON— 'THE CHAPEL,
373
market be establUhed at Miltoiihavcn, and that two greater
fairs* be beld there on the third Tuesday ot" Maj^ and secoiid
Tuesday of October amiually, each to last for the space of four
days*"'
Tradition is silent regarding the existence of the markets here
referred to, as well as to the Milton of Mathers having been a
burgh of barony. But it ought not to be forgotten, that the
place now called Milton of Mathers is altogether different from
the ^liltonhaven of 1695, for^ towards the end of last ceutitry,
the quarrying of lime — for the superior quality of which tliis
shore has been h:>ng remarkable — having been over^vTought, the
sea broke through the remaining ledge, and not only carried off
the old burgh of barony in one night, but forced it^ way con-
sideralily inland.* It was after this catastrophe that the present
Tillage of Milton of Mathers, provincially called Taiighha\ rose
into existence. It contains from forty to fifty of a fishing popu-
lation.
The estate of Lauriston, so named, it would seem, in honor of
St Laurence, to whom a chapel was dedicated which stood at
Chapelfield, belonged at, and before the year 1243, to Sir John
ot" Strivelyn, who granted the chapel to the prior and canons of
St Andrews, together with a pound of wax yearly, the price of
which was to be reguhited according to the market value at Mon-
trose.^ Somethue ago the old font of this chapel, now preserved
at Lauriston, was found buried among a quantity of rubbish.
Probably the Straitons succeeded to the Stirlings in Lauriston ;
but of this there Is no record. In addition to what has already
been said regarding this family, it may be observed, that during
the reign uf David 11, and Robert IlL, the name of Stralton
appears at several Angus and Mcarns charters ; and in the time
of King Kobert, Jolin Straiton was proprietor of a portion of
the lands of Erroly or Airlie, in Angus, which he resigned in
favor of John Cuthri.*^/ Straitons were also designed of the
estate of Criggy and lihyndj during the fifteenth century ; and
the family gave parsons to the kirks of Dunottar, Inverkeillor,
and Finhaven, during the century which followed; while, contem-
* Acta rarljx, 520.
f R^^g. Prior. S, Andree, 280.
• G«otogica1 Journal, i. 3^9,
' Robertson 4 Index, pa$tim.
374
MEMORIALS DF ANGUS AMD MEASNS.
poruieoos with some of these were Straitoo of DaUadies in tke
Meanis, and seTcral good burghal families in Montrose**
It is towards the dose of the sixteenth centnrr that we first
meet with Straitons of Kirkside. Arthur *^traiton, a cadet of
the house of Lauriston, was laird of Kirkside sometime before
1593, in which year he also acquired Muirton^ in the parish of
Stracathro.^ In the first of these estates^ which of old was
called the Kirklanda of Ecdesgreig,' he was followed by descen-
dants of the Sftme fammiiie until the first half of the present
century, when the then laird was succeeded by a maternal
nephew, Colonel Joseph if uter, afterwards General Sir Joseph
Muter Straiton, who signalised himself in the Peninsular War,
and at Waterloo, in which battle, according to the inscrip*
tion upon his gravestoDe, '* he commanded bis own regiment of
the 6th Dragoons until the fall of the gallant Ponsonby, to whose
brigade it belonged, when the command of the brigade devolTcd
upon him."
The House of Kirkside is a plain modem building, command*
ing a fine view of the town and basin of Montrose, of the Sidlaw
hills, and of the valley of Strathmore. Lauriston, on the
other hand, is much more sheltered, and is so situated that it
poaecMOt no very extensive or varied proqiect. The house^
which stands picturesquely upon the east bank of the bum of
Lauriston, is partly old, and partly new. The older portion, of
which a square tower only remains, seems not to belong to an
earlier period than the first half of the sixteenth century ; al-
though, according to tradition, this is part of the fabric which
Buchanan says was garrisoned by the English during the reign
of King David II.
Lauriston House is nearly two miles north of the sea; and
there h a story of an unexplored cave on the shore, with much
the same fable as the Forbidden Cave, near Arbroath. The
tale is sufficiently absurd : it is siiid, that a blind piper lost his
way, and entering the cave, travelled until he came below the
kitchen hearth of Lauriston, where be was heard to sound bis
* Re^. Mg. Aheih. ; Be^. Ep Brechin ^^patfim. ^ Reg. £p, Brechin., ii , 367, 36.
* The cborch wu dedicated to St Gveforj. and to St Cjr. Si C)fnu U tlie
modern name of tbe pAriah, EceUtgreig is dow the name of the old e«t»te of Criggy,
and Utelj the tame propertj waa called MmoA Vj/nu.
Jai
LAURISTON— DEN FINELLA.
375
pibroch for eome days, and the music becoming gradoally weaker,
it ultimately ceased altogetherj at which time, one version of tlie
Btorj says, the minatrel died, while another avers that he ib atill
occasionally heard 1
It ought to he stated, that the little romantic valley called Den
Finella is upon the property of LauriBton, and tradition affirraa
that it wnE so called because Lady Finella, the reputed assassin
of King Kenneth III. was overtaken here by her pursuers, when,
rather than fall into their hands, she committed self-destruction
by leaping from the rocks into a deep gully, where the water
tumblea from a height of about a hundred and Hfty feet : —
'* Sbc leapt from tbc rocks to a wild boiling pool,
Where her boJj was torn and tosa'd."
The bum is crossed at this point by a stone bridge, along
which the turnpike passa?. The banks of the stream arc taste-
fully adorned with wood, and laid out in walks ; and when the
stream is flooded f^w places in the neighbourhood more deserve
being vLsited by lovers of romantic scenery.
Lauriston was bought from the representatives of Sir John
Falconer by llr Brand, sometime a writer in Montrose, from whom
it passed to his nieccj Miss Watson. She sold it to Mr Robert
Lyall, who held it for a very short time, and from his trustees it
was purchased by the present proprietor, Mr Alexander Porteons,
in the year 1849.
376 MEMO&IALS OF ANGUS AND MEARN&
SECTION V.
THE THORNTONS, AND 8TRACHANS OF THORNTON.
ThorntonB of Thornton — Strachans of Thornton — Created Baronets — ^Lientenant>
Colonel Strachan defeats the Marquis of Montrose — Sides with Cromwell —
His Forfeiture hj the ParKament, and Ezcommnnication bj the Chorcli —
Family Tomb at Maiyldrk — Sir James Strachan, Mimster of Keith — ^Forbes,
Follarton, Garden, and Crombie of Thornton — ^The Castle — EZarlj Notices of
the Strachans — ^Waldeve of Strachan*s Gill to the Prionr of St Andrews — Castlo
of Strachan — Glendye Lodge — Clochnabane, &c.
The first of this name, either in Angus or in the Meams, was
Laurence of Thornton, who, between the years 1204-11, i^pears
along with a number of churchmen, chiefly of the diocese of St
Andrews, in a deed by Henry, Abbot of Arbroath.^ The name
is next found in 1296, when
3(o&a l^e Cribonitonr,
who is designed of the Meams, did homage to Eldward I. at
Berwick'Upon-Tweed; and, as before seen, much about the same
time, John of Thornton, a burgess of Montrose, performed the
same service/
But there was another person called
Gilbert De Ct'omton,
who was one of those who, in the year 1292, recommended King
Edward to give judgment regarding the heir to the Crown of
Scotland ; and it is probable that it was he who is recorded to
have done homage to the same King, in 1306, for lands in the
county of Kincardine/
In 1309, Valentine of Thornton had a charter from King
Robert the Bruce of the lands of ITiomton in the Meams ;? and
as this is the first, so is it the last, record of the family being pos-
•* Itcg. Vi L lie Aborl... 117. ' Rap. Roll, 157 ; Prynnc, 601 : ui sup., 49.
' Palgravo. 51, 301 . Fcedera, i. pt. iii. o9. * Robertaon's Index, p. 1 .
THE THOBNTONS OF THORKTuN,
377
sessed of that estate."^ It is said that the male line of t!ie Thorntons
failed in the reign of David II.j and that a daiighterj Agatha,
carried the property by marriage to Sir James Strachan of Mon-
boddoj by whom slie had two sons, Duncan and Jo!m, It is fur-
ther asserted that the younger son received Thornton, and subae-
quently succeeding his brother, was kniglited by Robert 11.^
These particulai's, though not so well authcnttcated as could be
wiahed, may he correct. It m ccrtainj howevcrj that Alexander
of Strathekyn, who is a witness to the Earl of AthoVs gift of the
lands of Cortachy to the cathedral of Brechin , in 1429, w^as de-
iigned *'of Thonitoun;'' and in 1473, John, son and lieir appa-
rent of John Strachan of Thornton, is a witness to an instrument
©f seisin of the lands of Dun, gi^antcd by John Erskine in favor
of his son ; while, in 1492, John Strachan, also of Thornton, pro-
bably the same person as last named, was a witness to a charter
regarding the lands of Glenbcrvy>
In the year 1572, John, the then laird, was present at the
parliament which elected the Earl of Morton regent, in place
of the Earl of Mar, w^ho had shortly before died ; and two years
afterwards he was appointed commissioner for KiucardLneahirc to
superintend the '' making of w^aping shawings," or the exhibition
of arms, which was then ordered to take place throughout Scot-
land twice a year.'
This laird died at Aberdeen on the 22nd of August 1587 ; and
it is said that his daughter, Elizabeth, was the wife of William
Forbes of Corse, in Aberdeenshire, and mother of the learned
Patrick Forbes, Bishop of iVbcrdeen ; also of Willi am, founder
of the Craigievar family ; of Jolm, moderator of the forbidden
Assembly of Aberdeen in 1606, and of Sir Arthur Forbes, father
of the Earl of Granard. It %vas this lady's husband who built
the castle of Corse, upon w^hich his initials and her's are still to be
seen, with the date 1581.*^
^ As it WM the practice down to about ili6 period here referred to, for eons to
taltG tli€ir fumofiMV m>m the ChrUtia7inam£» of tbtiir fnlhera, probably doscctidaota
of Valentine ofThomton did eo. Yalentino of Thornton may have thus been progeni-
tor of tho Valentines in the Mearna, of whom there have b<jen, and Blill are, many
families in that ahire, particnlarly in the vicioity of Thornton.
^ Plarfinir's Baronage, Appx.clxvii.
^ Re^.Ep. Brechin., i. 42 ; Spalding Cluh Miseell. iv. 1 ; Acta DomXon., 292.
^ Acta Pari., iii. 77, 91.
"' Bpalduig Cinb Miscellf ii. 50. Note from Hev. Dr Tayl&r ofLecchd-Ouihnie,
AA 2
378
HEMORLALa OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
fH^-
In 1606, Alexander Straclian was served heir to his <w€Je|alao
Alexander, in the barony of Thornton, in which^ it would appeaTf
were then included large and important estates* In 1617, we
find him representbg his native county in Parliament, along
with Sir Robert Graham of Morphie ; and shortly afterwards be
was appointed a commissioner for the plantation of churches."
In 1625, he w^as created a baronet of Nova Scotia, and ranked
next in order to Gordon of Letterfourie, the premier baronet.
He was a commissioner of exchequer in 1630; and in 1633, is a
witness to the resignation by William, Earl of Angus, of his here-
ditary right of the first seat and votejiii Pariiajnent.V/ ^y
Sir Alexander Strachan — whose4(||piMf^slsiM^^^^ ^^P*
J posed), was the mother of the Earl of Middleton — waa pcrhflfwi eoe
qcfflded by >Sfr Jotia Sti^ehmi, who married the youngest daughter
of Forbes of Craigievar. Sir John appears to have died some-
time before 1647, for, early in that year, Sir Archibald Stradum
j of Thornton was appointed a lieutenant-colonel in the parliamen-
tary army, and for his gallant service at the battle of Kerbester,
which was fought on the 27th of April 1650, some days before
the Marquis of ilontrose was taken prisoner, Strachan receired
the thanks of the Parliament,!"
I have not ascertained whether Archibald StrachaOi who ap-
pears as a colonel, in 1651, in the army of Cromwell, was the
same person as last named ; but it is probable that he was, since
the name and surname are identical, and Captain Halket and
other of his fellow officers at Kerbester, are included in the
same warrant of treason* In consequence of Strachan having
fled from the country, his property, including a debt due to
him of £3000 sterling, faU to the Crown.** How long he
continued an outlaw, or if ever he was again received into
favor, I have not learned ; but it is quaintly related, that on the
12th day of January 1651, General Middleton *^wa<i relaxed
from his excommunication, and did his penance in sackclothe
in Dtmdie churche," and that on the same day Colonel Strachan
^' was exeommunicat and delivered to the deiuell^ in the chiircfae
of Perth, by Mr Alexander Bollock,'*^
' Ina Spec,, Kincard., No. 18 ; Acta Pwrl, W. 525. 531. • IW., ▼. 10.
f JU±, vl S-U ; £«lfoor*t Atiii«k, iw, 9. 75. « AcU Firl., tL 586. 596,
' 6«lfimr*« Ajuuda, it, 340.
I
THE STEACHANS OF THOBNTON*
379
Probably Colonel Strachan had died before the Eestoration,
for, in 1661, Hir James Strachan of Thornton was appointed a
commissioner to assist m raising the annuity of £40,000 for
King Charles II." On the 10th of January of the same year. Sir
James lost his wife, Elizabeth Forl>c3, thii^d daughter of Thomas
Forbes of AVaterton. She died in childbed j in the twenty-fifth
year of her age ; and an elegant marble tomb, with a Latin in-
scription in prose and verse, was erected to her memory in the
family burial aisle at Mai*ykirk.
Perhaps the next baronet was Sir James Strachan , pariah
minister of Keith, in Banffshire, who was deposed for noncon-
formity, in 1690. Some curious stories are told of this clergy-
man, whose memory is still cherished at Keith; and it is said,
that when the late Admiral Sir Richard Strachan (who was a
cadet of the Thornton ftunlly), went there to cull information re-
garding his predecessor, he met with an old inhabitant who, on
being asked if he had ever heard of such a person, knavely re-
plied— ^^ Ouj aye ! he was weel kent : —
" ' Tbo b«ldt Knicht o' Thorntoa,
An* Luirtl 0* I^ittendri^ch ;
An^ Maister Jamcii Stmohati,
The miuiBter o' Keith t' "
It IB said that Sir James also married a daughter of Forbes of
Waterton, and ha_d a son, Sir Francis, who was a Jesuit in Paris.
It Is certain that, about the time of '*the fifteen,'' there was a
Sir William Strachan designed (probably eiToneously) of Thorn-
ton ;^ for it appears that from at least 1690, the property was
poseessed by Forbeses,'* to one of whom, Philip Forbes ** de
Thornton,^' there is a tablet within the family burial aisle at
Marykirk. These Forbescs were a branch of the Waterton
family ; and, probably, their connection with the Strachans had
been the reason of their becoming proprietors of Thornton.
Thornton was probably possessed by the Forbeses until about
1720, when it became the property of the Fullertons, one of
whom, in 1786, sold the estate to Lord Gardenstone, founder of
* Acta Farl, vii. 94.
* " Jdy 21, 1715.^ — Margftfci Spark had a natural son to Sir William 8tr&ohaa
of Tbonatou, baptized William."— -jlforyHrfc /bruA ReguUr^ MS,
" Acta Pari., ix, 142 : xi 23, U5.
^hL^rti
380
MEMOEIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
the adjoiniDg town of Lauren cekirk. Lord Grardenstone died in
1793; and in 1804, Thorntoo was sold by his successor, Francis
Garden of Troup, to Alexander Crorabie of Phcsdo, advocate in
Aberdeen. Mr Crombie was succeeded lo 1832, by his cousin-
german, the Rev. l)r Alexander Cronibie, of York Terrace,
IJegent Park, London, the author of " Gymnasium," and other
works of high literary merit. On the death of Dr Crombie, in
1840, the property fell to his eldest son, Alexander, of Lincoln's
Lin, London, barrister-at-law, who has enlarged the Castle, and
othen\'lse improved the estate.
The Castle of Thornton is but a small bulldingj and had ap-
parently been erected at different times, there being two dates,
1531 J and 16C2, upon the older portions, the latter having refer-
ence to the time of Sir James Strachan, who, as before seen, was
a commissioner to the Scots Parliament*
It may be added, that Strachan is a local surname, assumed from
a district on the north-west of the M earns* It is said to signify
*' the strath, or valley of waters,^' which is not inapt, there being
three considerable rivers in the parish— the Dye, the Aaen, and
the Feugh. The name, which is variously spelled, is commonly
pronounced Sfrauun^ and persons were designed from the district
long before the family of Thornton appeared in the ^leamsJ
Somewhere about the middle of the twelfth century, Waldave
of Stratheihan, gave the prior and canons of St Andrews tho
lands of Bkckerocche, witli right to hunt, and to pasture a cer-
tain number of pigs, cows, and horses between " Feyban et De'*
(apparently the waters of Feugh and Dye), and with timber
from his wood of Goauch, for the buildings of their church and
new halL Contemporary with the first recorded of the Thom-
tons,*' was Eanulph of Strathcuchiiij who witnessed a grant by
Thomas the Durward to the Abbey of Arbroath, 1203-4.*
There is a local tradition that Alan the Durward, or Hostia-
riuSy had a proprietary interest in Strachan; and an insulated
conical mound, called the Castle Hill, about a mile west of the
' R*ig. Vi t. de Aberb., 44.
"^ In old limes there were also "ThomtoTiBof that Ilk'' in tho pariah of GlAtnii,
— Procecdlngg of So. of Antiquaries of Scot, u. 248.
* Reg, Prior. 8. Andree, 276.
TEEMBLET OF DELANY.
381
KirktoTi^ IS said to have been the site of his stronghold. How
long the Stracbiitis were proprietors of their native district has
Eot been ascertained. Probably tliey were succeeded by Frascr,
thane of Cowie, whose only daughter, Margaret, carried the
iraraense estates of that baron— among wliich were the lands of
8trachan^3y marriage to Sir William Keith, llarischal of Scot-
land. It seems likely that the Castle Hill was the site of Keith's
residence before be bnilt a castle at Dunottar; at least, in 1351,
his charter of the landa of Jlathei-a (which were given in dowery
with his sister^ Catherme, to Alexander of Berkeley), bears to
have been granted *'apud raanaum capitale nostrum do Strathe-
kin."^ From the same old race were descended the Strachans
of Cannyllie, Bridgton, and Olaypots, in Angus.
Of the history of Stracban, in modern times, it need only bo
mentioned that the property was bought from Mr Eussell of
Blackhally in 1822, by the late Sir James Carnegie of Soutliesk,
who erected a comfortable shooting lodge near Bridge of Dye,
and otherwise greatly improved the estate. The Lodge is pret-
tily situated at the base of the till of Clochnabane, the peculiar
feature of which (as the name implies) is a large rock which
forms the top, and being seen at a great distance, has given rise
to the popular local rhyme ;—
^* Tliierc are two land markn off the sea —
Clochnabaoo and B^tmacbie."
la 1856, the lands of Strachan, or Glendye, were sold by the
Earl of Southesk, eldest son and heir of the previous proprietor,
to Sir Thomas Gladstone of Faaque.
TREMBLEY OF DELANT.
The Trcmbleys, or TumtullB — Tmdition regarditig tlie Origin of tlie Name of Toni-
buU — TurDbullH of Bedrale, of Stracatbro, and of DallndieB, &c.
The family of Tremhley appears to have had a settlement in
the Mearns before 1263, for at that time Walter of Trcmbley
y NiHbet'a HcraldTy, ii. App. 238.
382
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
cMXJXipied the lands of Dclany in that shire/ On 28th July 1296,
of the county of Kincardine, took the oath of allegiance to King
Edward at Elgin, and again, at Berwick-upon-Twe^d, in August
foUowing.' It was probably for the lands of Delany that Trem-
bley performed homage ; but tliese cannot now be identified-
After the year 1296, the name is not met with in the Meams*
Previously, in 1280, there was a Robert of Tremblay in Fife ;
and in 1342, Robert and John of Tremblay were two of the good
men of Angus who passed on an inquest regarding the lands of
the Priory of Rostinoth.'^
The name of Trembley, or Trembeley^ is supposed to ba^e
been the same as that of Trumbill, or TumbuU — vulgarly pro-
nounced Tnimmel, According to Nisbetj the TunibuUs were
first settled in Teviotdale, and had a charter from Robert L of
the lands of Bedrule, in that district. Hector Boyce, who attri-
butes the origin of the name to a period long after the firatt
ftasumption of it^ says that a person called Sule^ having turned
a wild bull and wrung off its head, when it was about to attack
King Robert the Bruce, while he was hunting in the forest of
Calender, received certain estates for that service, and assumed
the name of Turn-bull 1
The TurnbuUs possessed the estate of Bedrale until nearly the
close of the seventeenth century ; and Dr WiUiam Tunibull,
secretary to King James L, was of that family. Much about
the time that the Tumbulls lost Bedi'ule, they appeared in
the M earns — first in the person of Mr Patrick Tumbull, minister
of Conveth, or Laurencekirk^ whose son, John, was served heir
to his father, in 1694, in certain annuities arising from lands in
the parishes of Garvock and St Cyrus/ In 1689, there were
Tumbulls designed of Stracathro and of SmiddyhiU, in Angus,
one of whom, Andrew, collected the rental of the bishoprick of
Brechin for the years 1689-91 f and, in 1698, John TiirnbuU
succeeded his father, also John, in the property of Stracathro.*^
• Cljamb. RdlB, I *20. • Bag. Roll, 107-8, 157 ; Prynue, 6^1 ; PdgmTe, 182-96.
^ lieg. Prior, S. Andrec, 342 ; MUceU, Aidbar., MS., 310.
^ Inq. ^pec., KiocArd., No. 192. " Eeg. Ep. Breobio.. ii. 440,
' Inq. Spec.. Forf. 549.
THE WISHABT3 OF PITARROW,
383
It was then of g^reater extent than it is at present, and a portion
of the estate, called Muirton, now Auchenreoch, was possessed by
one of the family down to within these thiily years.
Dr Alexander Tunibiill, whose fund of amusing anecdotej and
interesting information regarding the past^ gamed him the friend-
slup of some of the most eminent men of his time, was descended
of the Stracathro family ,, and died in 1831, proprietor of the
small estate of Dalladics, in the Mcarns, in which he was euc-
ceeded by a female relative/
SECTION VI.
THE WISHARTS OF PITARROW.
First Appeamncfl of tlio WmliarU in thu M^^ams — William, Chancellor of Scotland,
«nil Bishop of St Andrews — Bobert, Bishop of Glasgow — Joina Wallace^
Captured and Imprisoned by King Edward— John, Bishop of Glasgow— His
OppoaitioD to Edward, Imprisonment, and Release — Sir John Wiahart Accom-
panies Pnnc<*BS JInrgarct to France^Sir JamcB, Justice-Clerk t^ James V. —
George Wiahart the Martyr^ — Sir John, Comptroller to Queen Mary — Carved
Stonea at Rtanuw— Notice of the Fight in Edinbargh between young Lindsay
of Ed»eil and Wishart — Pitarrow Sold— Tho Caniegiea of Pitarrow— Tho
Cromhiea^-Old House of Pitarrow — Old Paintingi.
TuE stories regarding tlie origin of the name of Wishart have
been ab'eady noticed in speaking of the Forfarshire branch ; and,
as then remaxked, it m probable tliat the Angus family was des-
cended from that of the Jleams. At least, Wishart^ were aettled
in the latter shu-e more than seventy years before their appear-
ance in the foimer, for John of Wishart was designed of the
Mcanig, and he, or others of tlie name, witness cliartera regard-
ing that district from alxj^nt the year 1200.^
It is believed that their original property was Pitarrow, to
which, in 1242^ the latids of Convelh, or Lam-enceklrk, Scotston,
Hilton, and others, were added by Adam, Abbot of Arbroath^ who
was the siiperior of these places ; and, in the year 1264, John
Wisliart is a witness to the foundation charter of the Maisondieu^
or Hospital of Brecliin,^
' A portrait and memoir of Dr Tomhull will bo fonnd in Kay*8 Portraits.
» Eeg. Vet, do Aherb,, 97» 179, 198. ^ Ibid., 206 ; Reg. Ep, Brechin., i. 7.
884
MEM0EI4LS OF ANGUa AND MEARNS.
TVilliam Wishart of this family, probably a brother of the per-
ion last-named, was appointed Lord Uigb Chancellor to King
Alexander III. in the year 1256. He was afterwards made
Bishopf first of Glasgow, and next of St Andrews. He was one
of the most active men of his time, and took a lead in all matters
relating both to the ecclesiastical and the civil government
of the kingdom* He died at Morbottle, in 1278, while on a
mission regarding the settlement of the marches between Scot-
land and England, and was buried near the high altar of his own
church. Though he seems to have been naturally ambitious, he
was also charitable ; and during the short period he held the
office of Bishop of St Andrews, it is recorded that he founded
and endowed a monastery of Dominican Friars in that citv, and
"rebuiltj in a stately manner, the ea.st end of the cathedral, which
had been thrown down by a tempest of wind.'^'
Contemporar}' wltli Bishop Wishart of St Andrews was hia
relation and namesake, Robert, Bishop of Gla^^gow, who, on the
death of Alexander III., was appointed by King Edward one
of the regents or governors of the kingdom. Yet, in 1297, he
was among the first to join the standard of Sir William Wallace.
After this he was accused of treachery by both parties, and
committed to prison by Edward L, but on being released he
supported the cause of liberty with greater ardour than beforci
and when Biaice was crowned, it is said tliat *^ Wishart supplied
from his own wardrobe j the robes in which Robert appeared at
his coronation." From the prominent part which "VVishart took
in this ceremony, he altogether forfeited tlie confidence of King
Edward, and having joined Bruce at the battle of Methvcn,
which proved so disastrous to the Scots, he fled to the castle
of Cupar in Fife, where he was taken by the Earl of Pembroke^
^* and sent in his coat of mail to the Castle of Nottingham."
He was kept there until 1314, when he was exchanged for another
prisoner of distinction.*'
Jolm Wishart, the second or third in succession to Robert as
Bishop of Glasgow, was also an enemy to England, and^ like his
more eminent predecessor in office, had the misfortune to fall
' Keith's CntiilogaG of Scottish Bishops^ 19.
^ Tytler*9 Hist, of Scot., i. passim.
I
THE W13HART9 OF PITARROW. 385
into the hands of King Edward* He was committed prisoner,
first to tlie Cattle of Conway, then to the Tower of London, and
was released abont 1322^ when he received the episcopal chair
of Glasgow from King Robert the BrucCj which he enjoyed only
about three years.^
During the lifetime of the two kst prelates,
S^omifiui^ ^ojftannri tie ^si0att)« miUs,
AND
both designed of the Meanis, perfonned homage to King Edward
*at Elgin, in July 1296. In August following,
of the same county, took the oath at Berwick ; and, much about
the same time, Jane qefu lafemme Randulf Wyscard^ of the shire
of Berwick, also swore fealty.*"
From 1296 until 1442, when Sir John Wishart of Pitarrow,
knight, made a grant of ten merks out of the lauds of Redhall
and Balfeith towards the support of the chapel of St Thomas
the Martyr, in the cathedral of Brechin," the name appears two
or three times, but mthout the territorial designation " of Pit-
arrow;" and it may be remarked that among these was Sir John
Wishart, who went in the suite of Princess Margaret to France,
on the occasion of her unhappy marriage with the Dauphin, in
the year 1434.
In 1447, Alexander Wishart of Pitarrow is a witness to the
resignation of the lands of Maryton by William Fullerton of
that Ilk ; and before 1471, James Wishart of Pitarrow was pos-
sessed of the constable lands of Brechin, which lay somewhere
to the west of the town, near Bearehill,*' About 1499, Jolin
Wishart of Pitarrow appears to have been forfeited, for what
reason is not apparent, and certain of his estates given to others,
such as that of Baigillo, in Forfarshire* In the year 1513, and
subsequently. Sir James Wishart of Pitarrow was justice-clerk
to King James ;? and some writers are of opinion that George
• Keitli'a Ciitalocne of Biehopa, 241, 243. " Rflg. Roll, and Prynne, pomwi.
" Reg. Ep. BrechiD., i. 59, 21 ; Cbninb, Rolls, li. 177 ; iiu 367,
■ R«g. Kp- BnjchiE.,ii.03 ; ut tup., 286. p Acta Pari, il 281.
BB 2
386
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
Wishart, who auffered iiiartrrdnm at St Andrews, was a younj
goii of his. As yet, liowever, nothmg haa been discovered
establish tliis fact.
Apart from the j\rartvr, perhaps the mo9t notable of the Dame
at this period was Sir John of Pitarrow. lie took an active part
in the Beforniation, and was at most of the conferences between
the Queen Dowager and the Lords of the Congregation, In
1560, be was one of fourteen barons who were chosen by the
Queen and the nobility to govern the state ; and soon after
tlie return of Queen Mary he was appointed comptroller and a
privy-coimeillor,^ He was also collector of the tliirds of the
benefices and pay-master of tlu:* ministers' stipends; but the clergy
blamed hhn lor scllishnesa and inconsistency in the discharge of
bis duty in these offices, points which Seott of Scotstarvet saya
gave rise to the remark that ^^ the Laird of Petteraw was ane
earnest professor of Christ, but the meikle devil receive the
Comptroller/'*'
In 1564j Sir John Wishart acquired *'the lands of the Brae
of Mar and Strathspay'* from the Earl of Murray,* whom he
joined in opposing the marriage of Queen Mary with Lord
Darnley. He also went to England with the Etirlj where both
remained mi til after the murder of Riassio, when Wishart re-
tunicd and was pardoned. Jn 1567, be was one of the assize that
forfeited tlic Earl of Bothwell ; and on 19th November of that
year he was appointed an Extraordinary Lord of Session, of
which honor he seems to have been deprived j as lie was after*
wards reappointed to the office.*
Probably Sir John died sometime before 16th February 1585,
as of that date John Wishart was retonred heir to Sir John of
Pitarrow, knight, his father's brother, in certain lands in the
Mearns ; andj in L592,^ Sir John of Pitarrow ** subscrived
^
t AcU PftrL, ii. 526, 536.
' A Bcolptured itone, built into a wall at tlie ofBcea of Pitarrow, bears a ctirfous
figure or monoCTam, upon wliicli are the ifiitiftls 8 . I . V , and D. Q. It »
probable that tho first of llieso rofcr uither to Sir James Wishart (the reputed father
of the ISIiirtyr), or to Sir John, tbo coniptroHcr. The lattet aro doybtlcss tb«
initiala of the lady of the knight to whom the fomier refer, and it is probable that
her surname waa Graham.
• Acta Pari, iii. 478.
* Ibid,, o38 ; Hftig and Brunton'a Senators of Cnll nf Juitice, 137,
■ Inq Spec, Kinc, No. 4 ; Booke of the- Ktrk»825.
THE WiaHARTH, AND CABNEGmS OF I'lTAEKOW. 387
band aiient the Religion at Aberdeen.'' Thw kiiiglit appears to
have married Jane, daughter of Hir William Douglas of Gleii-
bervjj afterwards ninth Earl of Angus, of which aUiance there
are some t^llght mcmoriala remaiiiing, both at Pitarrow and at
the Mill of Coiiveth. These consist of two carved stoueB, both
considerably mutilated. Oue bears the initials I , W : I. D.,
and the date of [1]599: The other has two shields, charged respec-
tively with the Wishart and the Douglas arms, together with the
date 1598, and these traces of lettering : —
IT . BE ONE ^ WISCHAR
ANE . DOUGLA
On 30tb April 1607, Sir John Wishart, knight, was served
heir to his father, Sir John, in the lands of Pitarrow and others,
in the Mearns/' The name of tbis laird^s wife ban not been
ascertained, but he had at least one son and a daughter. The
latter waa married to David Liudt^ay, younger of Edzell j and
the former was the ^' young laird of Pitarrow," whose " com-
bat or tulzie'^ with his brotber-In-laWj young Edzellj '* at the
Salt-trou of Edinburgh'* on 17th June 1605, forms a weIl-kno\\Ti
and curious passage in the history of the period* It is quaintly
relatedj that ui this affray ^'tbair wer smidrle hurt one botli sydes,
and ane Guthrie i^laine, which was Pitarrow's man ; ane vcrie
prettie zoung man/'*
The christian name of the " young laird of Pitarrow'' is not
given. Probably it was William or Walter ; at least an oak
panel (now preserved at Fcttcrciiirn House), bearing the Wishart
and Keith arm;*, the initials, M » W , W : E . K,, and the
date of 1622, long ornamented tlie family pew in the old kirk of
Fordoun, These initials seem to refer to one of the last of the
Wisharts of Pitarrow, as the estate was not long in their posses-
sion al\er 1622, for Sii* John Carnegie of Cmig had charters of
the barony of Pitarrow from his fatlier, Loi-d Carnegie of Kin-
naird, on 12th February 1631.
'' Inq. 8poc , Kinc, No, 21.
■■ Pitcaim's Crim. Trials, Hi, 61, [In June 1854, n stone, tieiiring tlie iaitiala
D . L : M . W., and the date 1601, with the hmd»aj and Wishart Bnus, waa got in
the ruins of n cottage at tho Custlo of AuchmnU^ in Gleneak, the probable residence
ofYouDif Edzell during hia fathiT'i lifetime. The stone is preserved m the old
flower garden of Ed/^U CastleJ
388
MEMCHUALS OF ANGUS AND MEABN3.
Sir John Caniegie, who died without issue, was succeeded by
Ms next younger brotheTj Alexander, who wari created a baronet
in 1663 ; and his grandi^on, Sir Joluij by a daug^hter of Burnett
of Ley!^, was father of Sir James Carnegie of Pitan-ow, who be-
came heir male and representative of the family of Soiithesk on
the death of the fifth Earl. As before more fully she\'m, Sir James
purchased back the forfeited estates of the family in AnguSj and
was great-gi^aud-father of the present Earl of Southesk.*
Sir John Carnegie of Pitarrow had five sons, all of whom died
without leaving iasuej except the eldcat and the youngest. The
latter, George, was a successful merchant in Gottenburg, and
bought Pitarrow from his elder brotlier, Sir James. His de-
gcendants possessed it imtil the year 1831j when it was sold
by Mr George FuUarton Carnegie to Mr Crombicj advocate in
Aberdeen, who was ftuccecded in Pitarrow by the same heira ^
as already noticed under Thornton.? ^H
The old mansion of Pitarrow, which was demolished so late as ^^
1802, occupied much tlic same site as the present farm house.
So far as can now be Icaraedj there was little remarkable in ita
extenial appearance ; but when we consider that the interior was
decorated with curious paintings and inscriptions, it is deeply to
be regretted that it should have been destroyed, particularly
since the materials were uj?ed for no better purpose than build-
ing and repairing fanii dykes and drains. Thij*, which was
luckily one of the latest acts of barbarism perpetrated in the dis-
trict upon the interesting remauis of the remote past, may be
pardonedj since it is affirmed that the proprietor was entirely
ignorant of the existence of the paintings. Fortunately a descrip-
tion of one of thcBc has been preserved by the late Dr Leslie,*
minister of the parish, who says, that when the house was pulled
down '^ there were discovered on the plaster of the great haUj to
which access was had by a flght of steps, some paintings in a
state of high preservation, the walls having been wainscotted, at
what period is not known. The air and dust ha%^^g thus been
excluded, the colours in the paintings w*cre aa vivid as if they
had been done only a year before. The only one of the paint-
* Ut»up.,U. ^ Ui9Vp.,BB0,
' New Stat. Acct of Kincardio^hire, 81.
OLD PAINTING AT PITABBOW. 389
ings/' he continues, '^that may be noticed, was that which repre-
sented the city of Borne, and a grand procession going to St
Peter's. The Pope, adorned with the tiara, in his full robes of
state, and mounted on a horse or mule, led by some person of
distinction, was attended by a large company of cardinab, all
richly dressed, and all uncovered. At a little distance, near to
where the procession was to pass, and nearly in front of it, stood
a white palfrey, finely caparisoned, held by some person, also
dressed and uncovered. Beyond this was the magnificent Cathe-
dral of St Peter, the doors of which seemed to be open to receive
the procession. Below the picture was written the following
lines: —
'InPapam
Laua toa, non toa fraas : virtus non gloria remm,
Scandere te fecit hoo decos ezimium ;
Paoperibas sua dat gratis, nee mnnera curat
Caria Papalis, quod more percipimns
Haeo cannina potias legenda cancros imitando.* *'
HI
IfHU
MEMOEIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
PAET SIXTH.
HISTORICAL AND TRADITIONABY NOTICES OF
Cte fSLtUu of dtupax, mti t^e V^iots of Uontimttf,
THE ABBOT AND PRIOR OF BOTH OF WHICH
SWOBE FEALTT TO KING EDWABD THE FIBST,
A.D. 1296,
ii!
i
'■I'
ir'i
ii
if
PART SIXTH.
THE ABBEY OF CUPAB, AXD THE PRIORY OF EOSTINOTn.
CHAPTER I.
SECTION I.
Foundation of the Abb«y — List of Abbot* — Obligation of tbo Abbot and Cob vent to
Build a Churcb in the Island of Karuelay — Seal of the Convent — The Comuiea-
dator of Ctipar — ^Tho Abbacy Erected into a Temporal Lordsbip — Bailiery of
the Eegality — Charter Nolicen of the Horeditory Porters of the Abbey.
The Abbey of Copar is said to have been one of three religious
houses which King Malcohn the Maiden founded hi Scotland dur-
ing the year 1164, the other two being the Hospital of Soutra
in Midh3thian, and the Niimiery of Manuel^ near Linlithgow.*
In regard to the foundation of Cupar, Wyntown ubservesj that
while ilalcolm was
*" Kyng of Scotland,
And pcfiybly in it riband.
The elevynd yhftro of hia Crowne
Mad the fondatyowne
Of the Abbay of Culpyre in Augws,
And dowyt it wyth bys Almwa
[In honouro of the mayl^les May :
Relygyws Mankis thare duellia ay]
All lyk to Cyatwya in habyi ;
Wo oya to call thamo Hwnkis qwhyt."''
The monks referred to by W^Titown as occupying the convent
were Cislertians, known also as White Monks, because, with the
exception of the cowl and acapular, which were black, the rest of
their gar men t8 were white*
It may be remarked, that the sad deficiency of records regard*
ing the Abbey of Cupar will prevent us from giving anything
Uke a full Iiistory of that interesting place ; for, although it is
• Balfour 'i Annalii, i. 18. ^ Cmnvkil, i, 316,
cc 2
394 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
certam that, like all the houses of the order, it was dedicated to
the Blessed Virgin, little is known regarding the extent of its
revenues, the names of its benefactors, or the lands over which it
held superiority ; and the following list of Abbots will, in conse-
quence, be found correspondingly meagre. So far as I have
been able to discover, the first recorded Abbot was
FuLC, who is a witness to King William the Lion's grant of
the church of Forgan, in Fife, to the Priory of St Andrews,
between the years 1165 and 1171.°
Arnald, Abbot of Cupar, is a witness, along with Eichard,
Bishop of St Andrews, who died in 1178, to King William's
charter regarding the election of the Abbots of Scone.*
Kadulph was Abbot from at least 1178 ;® and
Adam, Abbot of Cupar, witnessed a grant of the church of
Abemethy by Symon, Bishop of Dunblane, to the monastery of
Arbroath, somewhere about 1189.'
Alexander appears in a deed by Gregory, Bishop of Brechin,
who succeeded to that see about 1218-20. In 1221, Abbot
Alexander is a witness to the gift of the church of Bethelny to
the Abbey of Arbroath, by William Cumyn, Earl of Buchan ;
and, in 1225, he is named in an agreement between the Abbeys
of Scone and Cupar.8
William, Abbot of Cupar, witnessed a charter by Alexander
II., 5th April 1244, of the lands of Banchory-Devenick to the
convent of Arbroath, dated at Inverqueich, in Perthshire.
William also held office in 1272.^
dFtatev SnDvea^, WAbu De <2rupro»
performed homage to King Edward I. on two difierent occasions,
first in the church of the Friars Preachers at Perth, on 24th July
1291, and next, along with the members of his convent, at
Berwick-upon-Tweed, on the 28th August 1296.
On the 17th March 1289, the Abbot of "Kupre"— probably
Andrew — was a party to the letter of the community consenting
' Reg. Prior. S. Andree, 223. <* Liber de Scon, 22.
' Reg. Vet. de Aberb., 18 ; Acto Pari., i. *65-6 ; Liber de Melroa, 64, 102.
'Reg.Vet.de Aberb, 146.
» Liber 8. Marie de Lundorb, 17 ; Reg. Vet. de Aberb., 98; Liber de Scon, 62.
^ Reg. Vet. de Aberb., 191 ; Fordoun, ii. 116.
A0BEY OF CUPAR — LIST OF ABBOTS
to tbe marriage of the Prince of England with the Princess of
Scotland.^ Perhaps, aUo, to the time of Abbot Andi-ew belongs
the obligation which the abbot and convent of Cupar came under,
soraetline before 1292, to build a chapel at their own expense in
the island of Karuelaj (now Kerrera), in Argyll, and to find three
monks to celebrate divine service there for the Bonl of the late
King Alexander, for a certain snni of money which they had be-
fore received from the king> To 1292 also belongs the oldest
known seal of the abbey, which bears " the design of a hand
vested, issuing irom the sinister side of the seal, holding a crozier,
between two fleur-de-li«.''^
Jonx was Abbot on 13th April 1340; and, on 17th Juno
1341, he witnessed a charter by David II., dated at the Abbey
of Arbroatlij confirming to that convent the grants of King
William the Lion.'^
William was Abbot on 8th June 1445 ; also on 20th June
1450.^
David, Abbot of Cupar, had the privilege of using the mitre,
and of consecrating churches and cemeteries, from Pope Pad j by
Bull, dated at Roino on the 7th of the Ides of June 1404,*'
John held the office of Abbot on the 10th of March 1487-8,
of which date he granted a lease of the lands of Murtlihc in Mar,
to Margaret Cbartcris and her sons, John and Alexander of
Strachan ; on the 15th of March 1493-4, he granted a lease of
the same lands to William Forbes of Towie.P On the 6th of
May 1500, Abbot John was also a party to an agreement be-
tween the convent and Andrew Liel, pensioner of the church of
Brechin, regarding the lands of Redgorton.^ It may be added,
that this deed is further interesting, from its containing the name
of Thomas Scliauvel, who was sub-prior, and a list of the other
members of the convent, of whom there were then sixteen,
William, Abbot of Cupar, was present at the parliament
held at Perth, 26th November 1513, On 3rd September 1521,
Abbot William, and the rest of the convent, subscribed a tack
« Rag. Roll, 18, 116 ; Fmdem, L pt. iii. 162 ; Acta Pari., I 85.
^ Acta Pari, i. 10. ^ LaioK's Scottish Seals, 177.
" Cbaml), Rolls, L 250 ; Reg. Nig. de Aberb,, 541, ■ Reg. Ep. Bi-^bin., i. 103-33.
* Brev, Ih^. Cupro. * Aotiq. andTopog. of Abord^en and Baaff; it 437-429.
' Reg. Ep, Brechin., i, 220,
396
MEMUUIALS4 01-^ ANGUS AND MEARKS.
ill favor of John Pvliiifirc aud his spouse, of ccrtalo lands near
Cupiir. Thh deed also eoiitams a list of the hrethreii of the
abbey, of whom, besides the Abbot, there were twenty-seven.'
DoxALD Campbeli., fourth sou of Archibald, second Earl of
Argyll, by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Johu, first Earl of
Lennox, was appointed Abbot on the 18th of June 1526,' Pro-
bably owing mure to ad%'entitions eircnrastances — Buch as his high
birth and influence, combined with the tottering state of the Pa-
pacy m Scotland — than to his own real merit, Campbell became
the most noted of the Abbots of Cnpar.* In 1546 he was one of
the twenty lords who composed the secret council of the Earl of
Arran ; and was some time lord privy seal to Queen Mary. On
the death of Bishop Hepbuni of Brechin , he was appointed to
that see ; but owing, it is believed, to his favor for the Re-
formed doctrines, his appointment was not coutirmed by the
court at Rome, and he never assumed the title of Bishop,"* In
August 15(50, he attended the parliament which aniuUled the
Papal jurisdiction in Scotland.^
Campbell died about tw*o years after this event, and having, aa
is asserted, five illegitimate sons, he gave each of them an estate
out of the Abbacy. These estates were Balgersho, Arthurstone,
Keithock, Dcuhead, and Croonan, all in the neighbourhood of
Cupar; and by making grants of the same sort to other friends
aud relatives, the property of the Abbey became very much re-
duced. Two of Campbeirs sons — Nieol of Keithock, and Donald
of Deuhead — were interred in the neighbouring kirk of Ben-
dochy, where their tombs still remain.
It need scarcely be said, that after the Refonnation, the church
lands which fell to the Crown were granted by the King to
' Acta r^rl,, ii 2S1 ; Spaiaincr Club Miscall., v. 2^3. • AcU Purl., ii, 306.
' In LaiDg's Cutalog\i€ of St-oUUh ^Srctlt (pp. ITT-iS), there are four seals of th«
Abbey of Cupar Jcacribod, including the counter &ealt previously noticed fui aup,,
395). Tlio other three belong to the time of Abbot Donnld, Tlie principal one,
apponiled to a tack of tho lanas of Mnrlhkvt 1532, is *' a rich desigii. AVithm a
(>othtG niche, a iigure of the Vir^n titling, holding in her left hiind m. bunch of
lilieSi and her left nopportinf? the infant ,Teso« standing on n seat bcaideher; in tbe
lower part of tho fteal, within an arched niche, an AbWd in front, with a crosier,
kneeling at prayer; at Ihc sidtH of thf- niche arc two Hhieldn, tho dexter one bear-
ing the arms of Scothind, and the sinister three escaU:bcon», being the bearing of
Hay," with the legend, "«* comune CAr-trruju mos\ t>E cupfio," [I have seen th«
matrix of a ueal, similar to that hen: described, except that the two ibieldu aro
rerorspd, in the ponses^ion of a tnerchant nt Rlairifowrie.)
* Keith'i Scottish Bishopn, 165. - AcU Pari., ii. 597.
ABBEY OF CUi^AH— IIEEEDITARY PORTERS.
397
oertaaiL favorites, who were called CuoiitiendatorB, and tliime of
the Abbey of Cupar were given to Leonard Leslie — probably
a cadet of the Kothea family. He sat as Coiiimendator of Ciipar
in the parliament held at Edinburgh, 5tb ilarch 1574; and in
November 15B5, he was appointed a eommissioner for the settle-
ment of the stipend:^ of parish kirks; but, twenty years after-
wards, he was denounced a rebel for having remained, as the act
states, "under procesa of homing for the wpace of a year and a
day/'* After thia certain of the chnrches and patronages of the
Abbey were given by the King to other persons; and Leslie,
who is designed upon \m tombrftone at Bendochy, as *^ Dominus
de Cnpro,*- and Commendator of Cupar, died in 1G05.
On 20th December 1607, King James VL having united the
remaining lands and baronies which belonged to the nn mastery
into a temporal lordi^hip, conferred them, together with Uie title
of Lord Cupar, upon James Elphinstone, second son of the first
Lord Balmerino* Lord Cnpar died in 1G09 without leaving
issue, when the title and estates devolved on bis nephew, the
third Lord Balmeriuo, Along with the patrimonial estates of
the family, they were forfeited in 17 40/
But, although the lordship was given to Lord Cupar, the
office of hereditary bailie of the regality of the Abbey had been
previously vested in the Ogilvys of Airliej JaraeSj L<n*d < ^gilvy,
having been appointed by Abbot Donald, in which olfice he wiis
confirmed on the 2Brd September 1540. On the abohtion of
heritable jurisdictions, in 1747, the Earl of Airlie received £800,
in compensation for the loss of that office. T!ie Ogilvys also be-
came Hereditary Porters of the convent, of which office, with its
fruits and profit^s, and certain acres of ground, James, Lord Ogilvy,
had a conhnnation charter from Lord Cnpar, w^itli consent of his
father, Lord Bahnerino.
It may be remarked thatj while deeds illustrative of heritable
offices are comparatively rare, fortunately some of those interest-
ing documents regarding the office of heritable porter or gate-
keeper to the Abbey of Cupar, have been preserved. The earliest
of these belongs to the time of Abbot John, who, with the Convent
of Cupar, granted a charter to John Porter, uf the office of porter
* AcU Pari, iii. 84; Ibid-, 21 M5 ; iv. 76. ■ Doiigka' Tfemge, i, 362.
398 MEMORIAL OF ANGUS AND MEABNg.
of tlie monastery, and six acres of land, tm the Darratire that kla
progenitors had successively and faitlifuUj performed the duties
of tlie office of porter.
Oil the 15th January lt534, it appears by a deed, dated at the
Market Cross of the Convent, that Rol>ert Porter, oa account of
his age and weakness, resigned his office of porter to the monas-
tery in favor of hl.s ehlest son, David.
By charter dated at Batscheill, 9th March 1586, Robert Porter
granted to his spouse^ A^es Campbell^ the liferent of six acres of
land lying in tlic burgh of barony of Keitbock, and an annnal of
£10 out of his fee as porter of tlie monastery of Cupar, in terms
of a contract between Mm and *^John Farar,'* hh adopted son,
in whose iavor he had bound liimself to resign the said office.
In another charter by Leonard Leslie^ Coramendator of Cupar,
dated on the day foUowing^ con firming the demission of the office
in favor of '* John Fairhar," son-in-law of Robert Porter, it is
said that Robert Porter, and his predecessors of that surname,
had been hereditary porters to tJie monastery of Cupar past
memory of man, down to the time that tlie monastery waa de-
molished.
It was in 1589 that the office of heritable porter became vest-
ed in the Ogilvyg", for, on the 12th March of that year, a contract
was entered into between William <Jgilvy of Ea?*ter Keilor, and
'* John Faryar,'* porter of the Abbey of Cupar, anent tlie office
of porter of the monastery, cell, and porter lodge, and pension of
55 merks, iJte. This was followed by a charter of the office, by
the said ^' Jolm Fairhar," \Wtli consent of Robert Porter, hia
father, and Agnes Campbell, wife of the said Robert, and Janet
Porter, spouse to the said Johuj to WilHam and Archibald Ogilvy
in liferent and fee, dated 2t)th May 1590.^^
^ I am ind<?bted to the kiininess of Jobn Stuart, Esq.. General EegiBter Ilonse,
Edinburgh, fur thrso iiitvitnttiQg noten of charters rugnming the Fortarjr of Cupar,
the originiila of which are Id tb« cliaiier chest at CortiLcby C«»t1e ; &lao for Botes of
charter* from Bremarium Jntiqui Regittri de Cupro in Anegus,
ABBEY OF CUPAR — DONATIONS.
399
SECTION n.
Hoticei of tbe Ohnrcbet, Ltndt, FwKiigB, and other Privikges, which wero Granted
to tbo Abbey by Mdoolm the Maiden, William th« Lion, Alexander II., and hj
the FiiniiUeB otHay, Durwnrd, Moutealt, MuHchet^ Brecbin, Vallognos^ Maule,
Lindsay, Abernethy, Qleubochlach, EA.ttniiy, Athole, Feuton, Inchmartyn, &o.
Of the gifts of Malcolm the Maiden, founder of the Abbey, there
are two charters. Both are dated from Tresqitere^ or TraquarCj
and witnessed, among others, by Gillebridej Earl of Angus* One
of these deeds confirms to the monks of Cupar the whole of the
king's lands of Cupar ; and the other grant contains easements
of all his forests in Scotland and fuel for the proper use of the
monks.
These, and other grants bj King Malcolm, were afterwards
confirmed bj William the Lion, who himself ga\'e the monks
valuable privileges. Among Uiese wm a charter w^bich protected
them from being distrained for debt or delict, and another for
eulorclng payment of ail debts due to them imder pabi of for-
feiture. He also made the still more interesting gift of a half
carrncate of laud for the site of their abbey, and karasi, or the
King's cbasc, with the wajste ground pertaining to it, w4iich
probably shews that there was no house here until after the date
of this deed*
The lands of Aberbothry and Keithock, as they were pos-
sessed in the time of King David, were likewise given by King
Williani, also those of Parthesin ** et illam Kalathln quara Mack
Holfie tenuit," with the exception of a portion on the south side
of the water of Ferdill, opposite Clonyn, which the king retained
for his own use.* To these gifts and privileges he added, about
1165-6, a cliarter which granted the monks ireedora throughout
Scotland from toUage, passage, markets, and other customs, &c.
This deed w^as confirmed by Mattliew*, Bishop of Dunkeld, on
the feast of St Mary Magdalene, 130o, to which charter the
Bishop's seal is attached, and that of Sir Robert Ilarchars,
knight, then sheriff of Pertli.''
Alexander II. was also a benefactor to the monks of Cupar,
' Brev. lieg. de Cupro. [Partbesin (?PQareie) ; Ferdill (?Ardell) Cloiiyn or
Chiny, an anciBnt royal rcnidencc, and bursting forest J • CorUichtf charier chest
to
MEMORIALS UF ANGUS AND MEARKS.
and, among his grants were a diHcharge to tlicm ^' airlmain way-
tiiigara quam tacere sulebaut lalcouariia predecessoriiin meormu
de terra dc Abrith," and a gift of ten pounds of ailver yearly
from the lands of Glcrmla. The hitter deed, dated at Kinross,
18th July 1234, provides that out of this Buni five merks he given
yearly for the lights of the monastery of Cupar, and ten for the
support of two monks of that hi>use, who shall abide and cele-
brate divine sen^ice on the ishind in the Loch of Forfar, to which
were added, for the benefit of the officiating monks, the conunoii
pasture of the king's lands of Tyrbeg for six cows and a horse.
)i Subsequently, by eliarter of Adam White of Forfar, the monks
iof Forfar were constituted his heirs after his death if he should
die without issue,''
It was also during the time of King William the Lion that
the Hays of Errol became benefactors to this convent 5 and,
whether for extent or value, so far as can now be ascertained,
their gifts seem to have been the greatest that were made by any
individual family- William of Hay, who is supposed to have
succeeded his father about 1170, received the manor of Errol,
in the Carse of Gowrie, from King William the Lion, and soon
afterwards made a donation of the lands of Liderpoles, or Eder-
poles, in that district, to the Abbey of (Jupar, in pure and per-
petual alms. It was confirmed by King William at Stirling, by
a charter witnessed by Jocelyn, Bishop of Glasgow, by Earl
Duncan, the Justiciary, by Bernard, son of Brian, by William,
son of Thor, Ac/
David, the eldest son and successor of William of Hay, granted
a net's fishing on the river Tay, between Lornyn, or Lornie,
and a place called the Ilennitage, regarding which the charter
conveys the curious particulars, that the last-named part of the
possessions was formerly occupied by a hermit of the name of
Gillemichel, and that the convent was to luivc the like privileges
and easements as had been enjoyed by the hermit, who appears
to have died sometime previous to the date of tlie grant-*^ TheSe
■• Brev, Ueg,de Cupro, '^ Pnnmure CcMeHwruf, MS, iv. 1*»L
*• Lornie^ about I J luilo west from Erral, on tlie road to St M adore, waa once
a separate farm, bat 19 now part of tbe f&nn of Hill. Zornie it Biilt fl common
an mam e in the district, Inck-Mielt/t^l ifl the name of a considemble property in
the parish of ErroL It had probably bpcn so called from ih« Hennit ; but there is
now no place in the locahty bearing the riamo of Hemniagt.
ABBEY OF CUPAR — DONATIONS*
401
posBeftaions were given for the welfare of the soul of King
Williara, for those of William of Hay, and his spouse Ethne, and
for the soula of the donor, and Eve, hia wife. The deed is wit-
nessed by Robert and Malcolm, David^s brotliers; Adam^ parson
of Inchethor, or Inchture j Thomas Gibban, knight ; Thomas,
elerk of Ardwith, or Ardbcith (?Ardgeath) ; Baldwin of LorD}Ti,
and others.*^
Gilbert of Ilay, eldest son of David, granted the monks a
common road through his estates for themselves, and for driving
their cattle. He also confirmed to them the pasture and fishings
of Ederpoles, with the standing, as well as the running water of
these lands, together with the mill.f Nicholas, eldest son and
Buccessor of Gilbert^ gave the convent a bovate of land in the
Carse of Gowrie, previously held by Roger, son of Baudrice,
which grant is witnessed by Thomas, Abbot of Bahncrino ;
Morrice, rector of Errol ; Nicholas Hay, son of the donor, and
rector of Fosse ; Arthur Judex, and others.^
Several of the junior members of the family of Hay also con-
tributed to the revenues of the Abbey by grants of lands and
fishings ^ but from the time of Su* Gilbert, lord high constable
of Scotland, who gave the convent the patronage of the kirk
of FoBSOway, near Kinross, there is no record of the Hays
having made any further grants. Still, the family continued to
bury at the Abbey down to at least 158o, at which time, as was
recorded upon a tablet, which appears to have been preserved at
the monastery, the seventh Earl of Errol was buried at Cupar
beside thirteen of his predecessors,'
Contemporary with King William, was William of Montealt,
who gave the monks a stone of wax, and four shillings yearly,
out of his manor of Feme ; and, much about the same time
William of Muschet granted them the conunon pasture of his
lordship of Cargill, Henry of Brechin, son of Earl David, the
king^s brother, also gave the monks of Cupar the toft of Inner*
key (?)j w^bich Walter the Cook held, rendering yearly two horse
halters and one girth,''
CoUeclwns, MS., iv. 122. ' Ibid., 124-5. » Ihid., 128.
* Douglas* Peemge, i. 545*6. * SWdiiig Club Miscell., ii. 347 9.
•* Ut sup., 324, 328 ; Brev. Reg. de Cupro.
DD 2
MEMORIALS OP ANGUS AND MEAENS*
Between the years 1214^22, Philip of Vallogiiea, lord of Pan-
miu'c, gave the Ahbey a right to fishiiigis and an aero of laud,
together with a house, in his port of '^ Stiechcnde Haven," now
East-Haven, which had been possessed by Adam of Bene vie, or
Benvie. On 20th February 1456, this gift was renewed by
Sir Thomas Maule, who gave seisin to Simon Laudels and
William Trent, two of the monks and procurators of the abbey,
for which the monks bound themselves to say mass for the souls
of the donor, his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of the Earl of Craw-
ford, their son, Alexander Maule, and for their successors and
anteeesaorsJ
Thomas of Lundin, or Luudle, the king's Dunvard, or Hob*
tiariusj was also an early benefactor to Copar, having bound
himselt* and his heirs to pay to the convent one merk of silver
yearly out of his hands of Baknerino, in Fife, For tliis he was
allowed a place of sepulture at the door of tlie abbey, where he
was buried in 1231 ; and Km celebrated son, Alan, and last male
descendant, was interred in the same cemetery in 1275.'^
By a confirmation charter of the liberties of the monasteryij
granted by Robert the Bruce at Dundee, in 1309, it is also shewn
that Sir James Lindsay of Crawford gave to the convent the
laudB of Little Pert, Duny, and Glair (?) in Angusj together witli|
an annual of two mcrks from a place called Adnclisk, of all of
which Lindsay had confirmation from Sb* John Kynross, knight.
The same deed contains notices of several other grants, and tlie
names of the donors, which may interest the local reader.**
Among these were the lands of Kincreich, in the barony of
Lour, with the mill and pertinents, and right to the mill multures
of the barony ; two acres of land on the north side of the water
of Kcrbcth, or Kerbctj lying between the baronies of Invereighty
and Lour, and the advocation of the kirk of Meathie-Lour, which
had been given to Cupar by Sir Alexander of Abernethy, knight.
The monks had also two acres of land, and the advocation of
the kirk of Fossoway, in the e^irldom of Stratherne, which, as we
have before seen, were gifted to the convent by Sir Gilbert Hay,
' i?M. d6 Panmurc MS., i, 156. 129.
"• CUalmorB' Caled.j i* 634, Balfour*6 Annals, I 47, 73.
« Pttnmvre CoU^ioiit, MS., iv, 126.
ABBEY OP CffPlR— DONATIONS.
403
wlio had confimiation of them from Malisc, Earl of Stratherne.
The abbey ako posaessed the two lands of Drj^mys, with the
pertinents, described as lying within the tenement of Glenbacli-
lach, which had been bestowed by Adam of Glenbaehlacbj with
the common of the same lands, given by Eustace of Rattray^ and
confirmed by the said Adam,
Apart from these, it also appears that the Athole family were
early and important benefactors to the abbey, for Isabella,
Conntepss of Atholc, confirmed to it the lands of Mortnth [Mor-
tholawjj dated at Raith, in Athole, on the vigil of St Laurence,
1232. About the year 1269, Comitess Fernelith granted the
lands of Cupar to the monastery for the welfare of bcr own soul,
and for that of her late husband, David Hastings, seventh Earl
of Athole, who 19 said to have fallen in the Holy Wars. In 1283,
this grant was confirmed by her only danghter, Countess Ada,
and her husband, David of Stratbbogie, who, in right of his wife,
became eighth Earl of Athole.'^ After the forfeiture and execu-
tion of John, the tentli Earl, and the restitution of the titles and
estates to his son David j his widow, Countess Marjory, granted
the patronage of the church, and the church lands of Alveth, in
Banffi-^hire, to the abbey of Cupar, wliich were afterwards con-
firmed by her soUpP
It also appears that, from an early period, the convent pos-
sessed the teinds and patronage of the kirk of Bt John of Baikie,
or Nether Airlie, in Angua^ which were gifted to the monks,
probably, by one of the Fentons, They had also certain ** old in-
feftments,*' payable out of feus in the burgh of Fortar, and Bomo
interest in the town of Perth— apparently gifts by the Crown.
About the year 1310, Sir John of luchmartyn, knight, lord of
that Ilk, gave them his land of Mui'thidi in Marr,*!
" Breo. Reg. de Oupro ; Douglas* Pettragp, i. 132,
^ Fanmure Collections, UH., iv. 128.
*» Andq^. and Topog. of Aberdeen and Banff, iv, 426, 427 ; Acta PurLi iv, 76 ;
vii. ei6; Acta Atid,, 30; Acta Pari., v, 113.
— C —
404 HEHOBIALS OF ANGUS AND HEARNS.
SECTION m.
The Abbey visited by Alexander 11., Robert I. and II., Queen Mary, and Wallace —
Its Revenues — Dispute with Guthrie of that Dk — Outrage upon the Convent
by Alexander Lindsay — Hay of Tullymet harries the Lands of Pert — ^Agree-
ment for the Improvement of the Lands of the Convent — Notice of the Mode of
Living, and the Furnishings of the Abbots* House at Campsie, &c.
It appears that the Abbey of Cupar, like other monasteries, was
made the occasional residence of the kmg and court, when pass-
ing from one part of the kingdom to another, for, on the 12th
November 1246, King Alexander II. dated a charter firom this
convent, by which he granted a hundred shillings to the Abbey
of Arbroath. On 25th December 1317, Robert the Brace gave
Sir John Graham confirmation charters of the lands of Eskdale,
also dated from this place ; and King Robert II. was here on two
diflferent occasions during the winter of 1378. In August 1562,
the unfortunate Queen Mary and her suite visited Cupar while
on the well-known journey to quell the rebellion which the Earl
of Huntly had raised in the north.' Sir William Wallace was
also here when on his route towards the north in 1297 ; and it is
said that the abbot and monks, dreading his approach, fled from
the convent.
It need scarcely be said, that all such visitors were maintained
at the expense of the monks, and although the Abbey of Cupar
was not so well endowed as some others, and consequently
less able to bear being thus taxed, its revenues and privileges,
as we have already seen, were by no means scanty. Indepen-
dent of payments in kind, which were considerable, the annual
II money rent, at the dissolution of the monasteries in 1561-2, was
I estimated at £1238, 14s. 9d. Scots.
Probably the income had once been greater, for by that time
: the liberality of Abbot Donald to his own family and to others,
[ liad doubtless lessened the extent of the Abbacy. There were,
r however, always some contingencies occurring, even in the best
I days of the abbey, which tended to cripple its resources — occa-
i, sioned some times by profligate laymen stealing and destroying its
i' property, and at other times by parties withholding altogether,
j; ' Beg. Vet. de Aberb., 201-2 ; Reg, Mag. Sigill., pp. H9-151 ; Keith's Bishops.
ADBEY OF CUPAR — LANDS OF PKET HARRIED.
405
or ttyiug to evade, the payment of tithes, and other daea, which
were exigible out of the lauds of the eouvent.
Of these some curious instances may be noticed. In the year
1478, Alexander Guthrie of that Ilk was charged before the
Lordi of Council " anent a myhie higgit on the landia of Kjn-
caldrum, and holdin of the multers of the coma of the Bamyn/'
the barony of Kincaldrum being, as the Abbot and Convent
affirmed, thirled to their mill of Kincreich,*
Id the course of the following year both the property of the
convent and its inmates suffered so much at the hands of Alex-
ander Lindsay, the reckless son and heir of David, Earl of Craw-
fordj and a band of followers, that a complaint was lodged in
court against them. Their crime appears to have Iain in '' the
taking and balding of twa monkis of the said abbey, and spuke-
ing of thair hori^es parking at thalr place, and chasing of thair
servandis," The case was fully proven, and Lindsay was
warded within the castle at Blackness, on the Forth ; and his
two chief accomplices, John and George Dempster of Auchter-
less, were sent to th€ castles of Duubarton and Berwick. Be-
sides these there were eight others, including Lindsay of Baikie,
and Blair of Shangy, all of whom were charged to appear before
the sheriff of Forfar, with the view of being sent to different
places of confinement/
Not many years after this the convent was again thrown into
trouble, for it appears that Ilobert Hay, son of Tullymet, and a
number of associates, had harried their lands of Pert of "five
skore ky and oxen/^ valued at 24s. each, together with "four
hors and meris,*' priced at 40s, a-piece, aU of which are said to
have been taken from '' the hirddis, seruandis, and tenentis of the
landia of the convent." This case was also proved against Hay,
who was ordained to pay the abbot and convent £20 *' zerely of
xj zeiris bipast for the avails and proffitis that the saidis abbot
and convent micht haff haid zerely of the eaidia guidis, be the
said space,' ^'^
But, subsequently to tliese events, and in the time of Abbot
William, matters having got into a more settled state, the con-
vent found leisure to direct its attention towards the improve-
• ActA Dora. Can., 5; AuJ., 69. ' Acta Dom, Com. 29. " lbi4,38a
406
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND M EARNS.
ment of its property. This appears by the tack of certain crofts
of land, prcviouaty referred to, which was granted in liferent
to John Pylmorej and his wife, Catherine Nicholson, and ** to
ane ayr maill lachfully gottm betweix thaim tua." The lands
were situated in the neighbourhood of Cupar, in what was then
called ** our burgh of Kethik," and beaidea enjojiiig all the free-
doms and privileges " of burgh of barronry/' the tenants %vere
to have right to " fewell in our Moukmuirj as we sail assygn to
thaiin, with tua kyis gyrs in the commonties of Baitchelhill
and GallwraWp faill and dowet, with discretion as effeirs.'" They
were also hound to " put the said toft, zardj and crofts, till all
possihyl policy in biggyn, of gud and sufficlaud zelrd houses for
haw, chawmerys, and stabiils, to resavo and herbry to the nowmer
of xij or xvj horses honestly as effeirs, for hors meit and manns
melt, sua that of reson thar be sein no fault in thaim ; plantand
fret tris with thair defensours ; and they sail keip
gad nighburhed, and the lands fra guld ; and they sail keip our
medowis, wards, and broumer parks frae thaiinaelf and thair
catelj under pain as efFeris/' On the other hand, the convent
bound itself to protect and defend the tenants^ and " the langest
litfer of thaim, but fraud or gyle/''
But it is not until 1538, a few years after the appointment of
Donald Campbell to the abbotship, that we learn anything of the
mode of living, or of the luxuries enjoyed by the abbots and monks
of Cupar. The paper which throws light upon these interesting
particulars, is a tack, or lease of the lands, fishing, forestry, and
teinds of CampsiOj in the parish of Cargill, where it appears the
abbot had a residence to which he and his friends occasionally
reth-edj probably for the two-fold purposes of devotion and
pleasure.
Besides an annual money rent of twenty pounds Scots, the ten-
ant of Campsic, Alexander Machroke, advocate, bound himself to
make papneuts in kind to hia superior, the abbot and convent,
of *' four dozen poultrie, with all aryagc, and carriage," &c.; and
on receiving a warning of twenty-four hours, he had to *' find
ane sufficient rowar to the fishing of Neither Campsey, with an
carriage man to hnng hame the fishc frae the samyn ; with
* apalding Club MiEccll, v, 2^.
ABBET OF CUPAH^ABBOTS' HOUSE AT CAMPSIE* 407
Bufficieni wax to St Ilunnand's lyght and chapel ; And also,
that the Baid place should at all times bo patent aud ready
to him and his successofB, brcthreoj and famiUe, as often as
should happen him, or any of them to come thcrto, furniBht
with four feddir beddls, and four other beddis, convenient for
servandeSj with all the sundry neccssaris pertaining to said awcht
beddis ; and also upholding said place of Carapsey in Bclatc9>
and biggin i and attour, finding burd claithls, towalis, pottes,
pannysj plates, dishes, and other necessaries convenient for his
hall, kitchen, panntre, bakehouse, brewhouse, and cellar, as effelra
to his honesty and tamilie alenarlie ; with clden of sawn wood
and browme."^
Some of these items or furnL^hiiigs will remind the reader of
the curious tenure by which, as wc have before seen, the lodging
of the abbots of Arbroath was held at Dundee^ more than two
hundred years before the date of this deed. Although traces of
the ruins of a chapel and burial ground are still visible at Camp-
sie, and the track by which fuel was conveyed to the convent
from the wood of Campsie, is called the Abbey Moadf nothing is
known of the site of St Ilunnand's chapel^ which, apparently,
stood in the neighbourhood.
Deitruetion of the Abbey— Stono Coffini^Sepnlchml Moaomenta— Roman Camp —
Pariah Church— Episcopal Chapel — Notice of the Town of Cupar-Angas^
Pitcur Castle — Sculpt ared Stone Monument at Kettina,
Of the size, or external appearance of the Abbey, no idea can
now be formed. Still, plana of the edifice, including details of both
of these particulars, were made by a working mason in the town
of Cupar-Angus towards the close of the last centuiy, or about a
hundred and twenty years after we are told by a tmst-worthy
local writer, that the abbey w^as ''notliing but rubbish."*
A small portion of the building, consisting of an archway,
which has been much repaired '' within the memory of man/'
* Old SUt. AcQt. of Scot* niii, 536. » Sp<rttiawoode Mi(M?©ll., l 332,
I
SECTION IV. i
i
408
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
stands at the south-west corner of the churchyard; and some
old stone coffins aud sepulchral monumcnta, together with frag-
ments of pillars and other piecea of ornamental masonry, are all
that remain of its former grandeur. It is said to have been
one of the first, as it certamly is one of the moat completely de-
stroyed, of the monasteries in Scotland; for, accordtngto traditioo,
a band of infuriated zealots came from Perth, and obeyed, ap-
parently to the very letter, the ill-timed aud higotted injunction
of John Knox, who, as is well-known, warmly advocated the de-
struction of old monastic houses and relics.
The fragments of mouldings and pillars above referred to seem
to be both in the Early English aud in the Decorated styles of
arcliitecture ; and three coffins, hewn out of single stoues, were
got near the place where the high altar is said to have stood.
The coffins are pretty en tire j particularly two of them : the instde
measurement of one is five and a-half feet, another is about six
feet, a third is about five tcet ten inches in length; and they vary
in depth from ten to nearly fourteen inches. A large red aand-
fltone flag, bears the rudely incised effigy of a priest, and these
words boldly carved round the margin, but the part which con-
tained the name is unfortunately lost :—
monnc^usi . br . cupto
miUisfmo . ijiiat^iiiigrnteiitiio . quqgeisio *
qui . ci^Kt . anno . ^nt
Another broken slab, bearing a plain Calvary cross, raJ.'^ed on
stepsj with the cup and waler at the base, is also inscribed in
raised characters. It is apparently the tombstone of Archibald
Macvicar, who was provost of the collegiate churcli of Kilmuu,
in Argyll, from about 1529 till about 1548 ; and it is probable,
since his monument is here, that he had come to Cupar in com-
pany with Abbot Donald Campbells The stone is thus in-
scribed : —
:
tif . itlmun*
I am informed by the Rev. Dr StevensoUj that some years ago
there was a coffin-slab or tombstone at Beech-hill, in the neigh-
' NoUfrmn Jottpk EoberiM<m, Btq., EeffUt^ Some, Bdinhurgk.
ABBEY OF CUFAR^SEPULCHRAf. MONUMENTS.
409
bourhoodj which wa^ taken from the kirkyardj upon which were
carved a sword, and tlic oaiiic
S29iU^rlinu0 > tie . i^Tontefijro.
This probably shews that the Muscheta of Cargill had their place
of burial here ; but thia stone has been lost sight of, together
with a fragment" which is said to have borne the words
We have already seen tliat this was long the family burial
place of the Hays of Errol, the chief benefactors of the abbey j
and the mutilated stone figure of a warrior represented in mail
armour^ — which was probably a portion of the toiub here noticed
— corresponding in style to that of effigies of the tiftccnth and
sixteenth centuries, waa lately discovered in the foundations of
the parish church.
Into the walb of the same pla<'e were built two sculptured
slabs, whicli appear to have belonged either to a mortuary
Nr.. I ,
chapel J or to a reoeaa tomb. These recess tombs, it may be
added, resembled cliimney pieces, with either one or three sides,
over w*hich, as in that of Bishop Kennedy at St Andrews, cano-
pies were sometimes raised of the finest architectural taste and
workmanship. The slabs (which are here represented) had, most
EE 2
410
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEABN8.
probably, both belongetl to one object,* The figures are cut in
bold relief, each about eigbtccn liichca high, and, as will be seen
by the accompanying engravings, present some very curious fea-
tures in costume and in attitude, particularly those in woodcut
No. 1. Tlieir meaning seems doubtfuU Perhaps they are either
allegorical or typical ; and from the fact of theh* having been
found at the burial place of the Hays, the figures upon the first
panel may suggest to some that they are intended to illustrate
the absurd fable of tlio Hays and Luncarty.
Buch, briefly, so far as can be accurately ascertained, is an
account of the Abbey of Cupar and its remains. It is said to
have suffered greatly by being made a quaiTy, out of which
many of the neighbouring houses and garden walls were built.
Pieces of carved stones are yet to be seen throughout the town,
among whtcl* a shield, bearing the royal Hon of Scotland, ia
built into a wall opposite to the chnrclh
Of the to^vn of Cupar and neighbourhood little has to he re-
marked. It is believed that the Abbey was built upon the site
of a Roman Camp ; and General Roy, who was perhaps the best
authority in such mattcrsj ia at a loss whether to place the In
Medio of Richard of Cirencester here, or at InchtnthiL'*
* I am obliged to tho Rev. Mr Ptttrick Stcvenflon for the photographs from
whith theso wcxjdcut* have been engraved. • Jtilitarr Antiqiiities^ 134,
i
CUPAR-AxaUS — SCULPTURED STONE AT KETTLV.S. 411
A bnrflj or riirulet, whJcli rons through the town, divides the
shires of Forfar and Perth at thU point, the lands on the north
side of the burn being in the latter county, and those on the
south in the former. The Abbey stood on the Angus side of the
stream, and the site has been long occupied bj the parish cimreh
and burial ground. It ought to be added that, besides the parish
church, which has been recently rebuilt in an ornamental stylo
of architecture J the Episcopal chapel is a chaste edifice, with a
well-executed window in stained glass, containing representations
of ten of the principal scenes in the life of Our Saviour.
Some of the houses and villas in and around the town are
also neat buildingSj with tastefully laid out garden?*; but, as a
whole, the place cannot be said to be in a thriving state. The in-
habitants are chiefly employed in linen weaving for the Dundee
manufacturers ; and it is believed that the through line of rail-
way, and the branch line to Blairgowrie, have been but little, if
at all, in favor of the trade of the town.^
No historical incident of moment is related of the town or
the immediate vicinity of Cuparj further than that General
McKay's dragoons were quartered here in 1689; and that the
laird of Pitcur was a strong supporter of Viscount Dundee,
and followed him In his engagcraonta;" The niinji of the castle
of Pitcur are only about two miles south of the town of Cupar ;
and in the churchyard of Kettins, between Cupar and Pitcur,
there is an interesting sculptured stone monument. It is fully
nine feet high, of the same type as those at Meigle, and had been
used, from time immemorial^ as a foot-bridge across the burn
which runs through the village of Kettins^ until the spring of
18G0, when it was laudably raised to its present position, by
Lord Douglas Gordon HaUyburton, the representative of the old
barons of Pitcur.
** The ongiQ of tlie nam© of Oapar ib nocertain* OuirbJtar is «&id to moan
**tbe backi ot end of a hcigUt or bank/' Culpar, Cplpyr, Cupar, Kaprct Coper,
Capiri and Cunyr, are some of tbo oldest forniB in which the wurJ ia written; and
CoupAf, Cowpir, and Couper, tbe mor« modern. The name of tho town ia Ctipar, or
Cupar-in-Anfjns, to distinguish it from Cnpar-in-Fife.
* Acta Pari, ix. 86, App. 5a.
J
412
MEMUIUALH OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
CHAPTER IL
Efje PriotB of laosstiuotij.
SECTION I.
Firtt Cliorch at Rostinolh— The Priory— rtranlB bj David I,— Priory United to the
Abbey of Jedbiirgli— Confirmation by Arnold, Bisbop of St Andre v» — Cltfta to
Eoatinotb hy William tbe Lion— Alexander III.— Chapel of Forfjir granted to
Jeilburgli — Inqneflt by Robert 1. regapding the Ancient Rights of the Priory —
Grants by Robert the Bruce— Liudnay of Glencsk — Bisbop of St Aiidrew*^-
Dftvid IL — Dempster of Carcston — Collace of Balnamoon, &c.
It is said that when St Boniface came to Scotland, about the
beg-innitig of the seventh century, he founded three churches in
Angus. One of tlicr^t^ he phrated at Invergowrie, on t!ic banks
of the Tay ; another at Tealingj near Dinidee ; and a third at
Ruatinothj near Forfar;* and it is believed to have been upo:
the tnte of the old church of Iloatinoth that the Priory was after-
wards erected.
It was situated in the dioceae of St Andrews, dedicated to St
Peter, and occupied by canon b of the order of St Augustine.
Their dress consisted of " a wliite timick, with a linen gown un-
der a black cloak, and a hood covering the head, neck, and shoul-
ders.'* They were introduced into Scotland by Alexander I, ;
andj at the Reformation, there were as many as twenty-eight
houses of the Order in different parts of the kingdom.
Probably the earliest existing charter to the Priory of Rosti-
notli is one by King David L by >vhich he gave the rents of
certain thanages, bondagia, and ot/tei- roi/al lands^ to the raonks.^ ^j
The next authentic notice uf the Priory occiu-s in the time oQ^f
Malcohn the Maiden, by whom it was made a Cell of the Abbey ^^
of Jedburgh, down to which period it was an independent esta-
' Butlor*B LiTcs of the Sainta, March 14.
•* Tliiu document, and aonjc otlwsrB rcgardini^ Eostinoth, wbieb aro here noticed
for Ibc firut time, are from a priTate collection of charters and other papers on TocaI
anlitjoitieH, which was aadeby-thelato Patrick CbalniQriiof Aldbar, Em., and kindlj
placed at my serrico by hii brother, John TugliB ChEdmers of Aldbar, Eaq.
PRIORY OF ROSTINOTH— OLD GRANTS.
bliHilimeiiL The cliartcr af this union was granted at Rox-
burgh, hctween 1159 and llG3j being witnessed, among others,
by William and David, brothers of King Malcolm, by Nicholas,
the chamberkin, and by Arnold, Bishop of St iViidrcws.
It appears from this charter that tlie possessions and liberties
granted to the Priory were ample. Among these arc mentioned
tlie ehurclies of Crachnatharach, Pcthefrin/ Tealing, Diininahlj
Dysart, and Egglispetber, with their pertinents ; the whole teinds
of the king'B other places in Angus, including those in money,
wool, chickens, cheese, and malt, and those of the mill and fish-
market of Forfar; also 10s, out of Kynaber, the whole teinds of
the king's farms or lordships of Salorcb, Mojitrose, and liossie ;
tlie fi'ee passage of Scottewater, or the Fiiih of Forth ; a toft in
each of the burghs of Perth, Stirling, Edinburgh, and Forfar ;
together with a toft in Bakirch, and 20s, for the light of the
church of Salorch itself, with the king's salt pits, and mill of Mon-
trose.** These were all granted and confirmed by King Malcohn,
along with the Priory of llostinothj to tlie Abbey of St Mary of
Jedburghj for the welfare of the souls of the king's grandfatlier,
David I.; of his father, Prince Henry ; of his mother Ada, daugh-
ter of the Earl of Warren and Surrey ; and of his three sisters,
his antecessors and Buccessors," This charter was afterwards
confirmed by Bishop Arnold of St Andrews.
Sometime between the years 1189 and 1199, during the
chancellorBbip of Ilugh, King "William the Lion gave to the
same house the lands of Ardnequerc (supposed to be Gossans) in
exchange for those of Foffarty, which, with waters, woods, and
plains, meadows and pastures, muirs and marshes, were to be
held in free and perpetual alms by the Prior and Canons.^ Alex-
ander III, also gave the tenth of the hay grown in the meadows
of his Forest of Plater, near Finhaven ; and, in 1292, the Priors
= Places called Craignathro^ and PeUerden^ He between Forfar and Toaling.
•* Since my conjcctorcs regurding the Bite of Salorch, or Satork, wore printed /^i*/
6up., GQjt I have been informed by leveral Gaelic injholai'a that the word signiSes ** a
dktriot from which two pieces of land fork, or project jo to a bay or sea." This pro-
bably Btrcngthenfl the Ruppoaitioo tbut Tm/ock was anciently cJtlled Salorck.
* Malcolm's sisters were^Ada, or Kda, married in 1161» to Florence, Count of
lloliatid ; Margaret, married in 1 1 60, to CoDan IV., Dake of Brittany ; and Matilda,
wbo died unmarried. — I^ordun, B. v. 43.
' IWarty belonga quoad civilia to the parish of Capatbj and quoad tacm to
the parish of Kinettlei.
414 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS*
craved the king for pennission to make a mill-dam io the adjoin-
ing Forest of ^4a Morleterrej'' or Murtliill.^
As just shewn, the Priory of Bostinoth was given by King
Malcolm to the Ahhey of Jedburgh ; and, in the year 1242, the
chapel of Forfar, which was dependent upon, and subject to^ the
Priory, was also given to Jedburgh by David, Bishop of St
Andi'ews, in these termB ; — " Be it kno^Ti to you universally/'
says the charter, '^ that we have granted by the common consent
of our Chapter, and eonfirmed to the Abbot and Canons of Jed-
worth, the church of Rcstinot, with the chapel of Forfar, ad-
jacent to tiie same, and with all tithes, revenues, and liberties,
lawfully belonging to the aforesaid eburcli and chapel, and
that that chapel, notwithstanding any dedication of it, or of the
buFjHng ground, or churchyard of the mother chm'ch of Restinot,
belongs to it by parochial right, and that it remains for ever
united to tlie same as a member/'
In the time of King Eobert the Bruce, the 'WTits of Rostinoth
were said to have been *^ lost and earned off by wars and other
accidental causes/' and an inquest was appointed to enquire
regarding the old nghts and privileges of the house. That find-
ing contains notices of the various lands, and other possessions
of the Priory from the time of Alexander III., and, as will be
seen by the Appendix, the revenues were pretty considerable,
arising from lands and patronages, which were scattered over
more than twenty of the parishes of Angus.^ Besides the re-
venues of certain lands, the jurors also found that the canons
were m full possession of the curious privilege of '* upliftmg on
each coming of the Kuig to Forfar, for each day he abides there,
two loaves of the lord^s bread, four loaves of the second brcAd,
and BIX loaves, called hugmans: two flagons of the better ale,
two flagons of the second ale, and two pairs of messes of each of
the three courses from the kitchen."
Shortly after the date of this inquest, Bruce gave the Prior
and Canons license to cut wood at all times in his Forest of Plater,
for the purpose of making wagons, carts, yokes, halters, and
the like ; and in Morton's '^ Monastic Annals of Teviotdale," it
is stated from the Harleian MSS., tliat the same king gave the
« Ada Pari., i. 0. ^ ArrchDix, No. XVII
PEIOHY OF ROSTINOTH — LIST OP PRIORI.
canons the teinda of the king^s horses and studs, and the third of
the hay of the Forest of Plater.
In the year 1333j Sir Alexander Lindsayj afterwards of Glea-
esk, also gave an annuity out of the barony of Duny to the
Priory; and, three years afterwardsj James, bi^^hop of St An-
drews, made over to it his whole lands of Rescobie, the charter
of which is curious, in so far aa it contains a special reservation
of the place of holding courts.
On 10th Jime 1344, David II* confirraed the ancient grants of
Kings David, Malcolm, and Alexander, of the second teinds of
the sheriffdom of Forfar, except the tenth of the great custom
of Dimdee, called '4he mautoU"; and, for the special regard
which he had to the Priory as the place where the bonea of his
brother-germ an J Jolm, were buriedj ho farther granted to it 20
merks sterling from the great customs of Dundee,^ Thisj pro-
bably, was the latest grant which was made to the Priory, if we
except the confinnation, in 13G0, of a previons gift of an annual
of £4 out of the thanedom of Menmuirj by Andrew Dempster of
CarestoUj and William and John Gollace of Balnamoon.''
SECTION n.
LiBt of Priori — ^The CommondAtor of Jedburgli and Bostinotli — Eo«tmatli granted to
Sir Thomas Erekiiie — Bletcliera, Honterej ajid Dempsters, of Rostinotli, &c.
Equal in point of interest to the names of the benefactors, and
the possessions of old ecclesiastical establishmeDts, arc those of
their chief officers or mlers ; but unfortunately in this case, as in
that of the Abbots of Cupar, tlie deficiency of records will not
permit anything like a complete list of the Priora of Rostinoth.
In the time of Malcobn IV., who, as before seen, made the
Priory a Cell of the Abbey of Jedburgh, and sometime before
the year 1159,
Robert, Prior of Rostinoth, was a witness to a charter by which
Robertj Bishop of St Andrews, granted to the canons of that con-
^ Acta Faii, i, '156, ^ Beg. Mag, Bigill, p. 43.
<
41G
MEMORIALS OF ANQUS AND MEARNS.
vent the free election of their Prior ; and on the death of Isaac^
Abbot of Seonc, m 1162, llobcrt, Prior of Kostlnoth, waa elected
to that office.^
William, who witnessed several grants by King William the
Lion and others, was Prior between 1178 and 1199.'^'
Hugh, Prior of Eostinoth, is said to have become Abbot of
Jedburgh on the death of Abbot Ralpli, in 1205."
Berkngar held the office of Prior, and was present at a Synod
at Perth, in the dispute betwixt William, Bishop of Ht Andrews,
and Duncan of Aburhothenotbj 3rd April 1206, i*egardiDg the
lands of the Kirktown of Arhuthnott.^
Oerman, as Prior of Rostiuothj witnessed several grants to
tbc Priory of St Andrews, by William Cumyn, Earl of Bnchan, (
and his Countess Marjory, sometime before 1233 ;p and, in
1227, probably during the time of this Prior, we meet with the
only trace (so far as known) of the seneschal^ or steward of the
convent. He is described as '* David Scncscalle de liostynoth,''
and was a perambulator of the marches of the lands m dispute ^
between the Abbey of Arbroath and Kinblethmont,*J ^H
William was Prior in 12(14, and a witness to William of^^
Brechin's foundation charter of the Hospital, or Maisondieu^ of
that town. On 17th March 1289, the Prior of *^ Hustinoth^'
was a party to the letter of the community of Scotland, con
senting to the marriage of Prince Edward of England with our
Queen Margaret i^ and
of the convent, performed homage to King Edward L, at Bei
wick-npon-Twecd, in August 129(3/
Bernabd, Prior of Rostinoth, witnessed the resignation
lands in the town of Aberdeen, by Malcolm of Haddington, to
the convent of Arbroath, in 1320.^
J., Prior of Rostinoth, is a witness to Henry of Rosay'i
* R<?g. Prior. S. And re e, 126 ; Fordoiin, i. 443 ; Liber do Scon, prcf, p. x.
" Kog. Vet. do Aberb., 8, 12, 19.
* Mdrton'B Monastic Annals of Teviotdale, 5,
» Reg, Prior. S. Andree, 250-2.
' Reg. Ep, Brt'chin., i. 7 ; Actft Pari,, l 86.
* Ueg. Vet. dc Aberb., 305,
" Spalding Club Mi well, , v. 2C
^ Eeg. Vet. d<? Abi-rb., 103.
• Rag. Roll, 12U ; rrynne,663.
PRIORY OF ROSTINOTIi— PRIORS, AND COMMENDATOR. 417
charter of the tlilrd part of the knds of Inycney to Walter of
8chaklok, 23rd September 1328;" and
John de E^kdale (probablj the same person), was Prior in
1330-3a^
Alexander appears in a deed regarding the titles of the
thanages of Monifieth and Menmuir, 27th May 1347.*
''James off Ketht, Prioiir of Rostinoth,'^ probably a cadet
of the powerful family of that name in the Mearns, was present
at Forfar on 10th January 1410, when the Duke of Albany de-
cided in taTor of the claims of the Bishop of Brechin, to half tlie
pasture of the muir of FamelL*
William Lyndesat ia described as lately Prior of Rostinoth
in a deed of 12th June 1476, regarding this Priory and the
Abbey of Jedburgh J
William Rutherford was Prior, 24th October 1482, and
procurator in a case before the Lords of Council, on the 7th
March 1490.'
Of the Priors of Rostinoth, I have found oo farther notice.
On 1st August 1560, Andrew, probably the second son of George,
fourth Lord Home, sat in Parliament as Commendator of Jed-
burgh and Rostinoth, and on 19th May 1562^ JIartot, relict of
Lord Home, and mother of the Commendator, had chaiiers of
the dominical lands of Rostinoth.^ Her only daughter, Margaret,
who married Sir Alexander Erskine of Gogar, appears to have
inherited Roatinoth, slncej on 24th November 1586, she and her
husband had a charter of confirmation of the "house and enclosure
of Restenneth/' The next notice of the property occurs in 1606,
when Sir Thomas Erskine, aftciT^^ards Earl of Kelly, eldest
surviving son of Lady Erskine (in consideration of certain good
services which he had done to the King), received a grant from
James VI, of" the haill temporall landis and rentis quhilkis per-
tenit of befoir to the Priorie of Restennethj being ane cell of the
abbacie of Jedburgh , . , with the richt of the patronage of the
ktrkis of the said Priorie, viz. the kirks of Restenneth, Donynald,
and Aberlemno, erectit into ane frie baronie/* This gift in-
" Reg. Vet, de Aberb., B3% ' MUccll Aldbar., MS.. 315, 342.
- Ibui., 208, ' Reg. Ep. BrechiD., i. 32, 7 MitceU, Aldb^., MS., 352 .
' Mi9<3eii. Aldi}ar.,US.,^^^; Acta Dom. C^jncil, 171.
* ActA Pari, if. 525 ; Douglas* Peorage, i, 735.
FF 2
418
MEMORIALS OP ANGUS AND HEARNS.
>
eluded " the tempora!! landis and rentia pertening to the said
prioriej with tlic place, cloister, zatrdis, orchardiSj and haill
boimdis within the prccinet of the saminp'*'*
Th(3 Earl of Kelly docs not appear to have long retained the
baronj of Roatinoth, having been succeeded in it by George
Fletcher, one of the Balinscho family, somewhere about 1624-5,
and from Ms heirs, in 1652, the patronage of the kirk of Rosti-
noth*Forfar, as was the name at that late date, %vas purchased by
the magistrates and town-council of rorfar»*= On 7th Septem-
ber 1658, Robert Fletcher of BaUnscho was served heir to his
father in tbe teinds of Rostinoth ; and, on 12th Jan nary 1693,
William Hunter succeeded bis father, Thomas, in the dominical
lands of Rostinoth, with the fishings, &c,'^
The property was bought soon after the year 1700, by George
Dempster, a merchant and bnrgess of Dundee, son of the Rev.
j.^/yt^&^^isffQ Dempster, the last Episcopal minister of the parish of
Monifieth. Tbe first-named George Dempster died 2d June
1752, aged @eventy-five, and his son, John, was accidentally
killed by a fall from his horse on 2d November of the following
year, at the age of forty-nine.* The latter left a son, George^
who became the famous agriculturist, and is celebrated by Bums
the poet, as '^a true-blue Scot," in his address to the Scottish re-
prcHentatives. He was long M,P. for the Fife and Forfar district
of burghs, and held the patent office of Secretary to the Order of
the Thistle. Ho died at Dunnichen in February 1818, in the
eighty-sixth year of his age, having spent the greater part of his
life in promoting the agi*icnltural and commercial interests of his
country 5 and, as justly remarked by hia friend and correspondent,
Sir John Sinclair, *^his friends had the satisfaction of knowing
that no mau in his time had left the world more generally ap-
plauded, or more desei'vedly admired.'-
•* Douglaa' Peerage, ii- 17 ; Acta Tarl., iv. 357.
^ I'tsuf., 11-12. d Inq Spec, Foif., Nob. HTO, 523, 611.
• See Monuments witbin tbe pariali churchea of Monifictb and St Vigeftii».
— 0 —
THE EUINS OF THE PRIORY OF R08TIN0TM.
419
SECTION IlL
Ruitifl of Hoetinoth — Burial Pluce of the Hunters and DempHtaf« — Deatruction of
Sepulchral Monumeuta— Tlie Priory n si ted by Robert I. and DaTid IL —
Buria! Place of a Kiog of tbe Picts, and of a boo of Robert the Bruce —
Probable Origin of tbe N&me.
The ruins of the Priory of Rostinoth are atUl of considerable ex-
tent and have much the same appearance as when described by
Mr Ochterlony of Guynd, about 1682, and when sketched by
Captain Grose, in 1789/ At little expense the tower or belfrey
might be put into such a state of repair as would secure it from
fartlier decay for many years to come. The greater part of the
walls of the churchy or the building on the east of the tower, are
pretty entire, with remains of the corbel-tabling and buttresses.
Although the south-east atid west walls of the cloisters are more
ruinous^ many of the corbels which supported the beams of the
roof are still to be seenj also the holes or niches in which the
posts were inserted which divided the celb.
This part appears to have been from fifty to sixty feet square ;
and the churcli was about sixty-five feet long, by about twenty
feet broad, exclusive of the tower, and a place called the vcstiy
at the north-west end of the church. The tower, including an
octagonal sptrcj is about sixty feet high, and the whole build-
ing appears to have been in the FLi^st Pointed style of archi-
tecture, or that which prevailed in Scotland during the thirteenth
century.
The area of the church has long been used as the burial place
of the Hunters of Burnside, and the Dempsters of Duunichen.
At one time the enclosure contained tombstones to different mem-
bers of these families; but, owing to the wanton mischief of idlers,
they have altogether disappeared, having been either carried off
or destroyed. The only one I have seen is preserved at the ad-
joining farm liouse, where it has, for many years, been used for
^ SpoUinwoodo MiacelL, i. 324 ; Antiquitiei of Bcot., ii. 263.
420
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
various domestic purposes, among otherSj the cover of a meal tuhf
It is a slab of white marble, iuscribed with these words : —
JEAN FERGUSSON,
^riFE OF JOHN HAiULTON DEMPSTER OF P0LR08SIB,
AND ELDEST DAUGHTEK OF CHARLES FERGUSSON,
SECOND SON OF TtlE LATE SIR JAMES FEROUSSON OF KILKERRAN, BART*,
DIED ON THE 5TH, AKD WAS INTEIIBED HERE ON TflE
14th day OF MAY 1798,-1. H. D.
Though the burial ground has been thus desecrated in mo-
dem times, it is interesting to know that in days of yore, some
of our most powerful princes and magnates assembled within this
monastery to deliberate over matters aflecting the welfare of the
kingdom^ for it is recorded that the Priory was visited both by
Robert the Bi-ucCj and hts son David IL^' Here, also, doubtless lie
tlic ashes of many personages who, in their day, had been remark-
able for piety, learning, and other of the ennobling qualities of
human nature^ regardiog whom history is silent. Stillj both tra-
dition and record affirm that there were at least two persona of
note interred here. The first is said to have been Ferideth,
King of the Picta, who fell at a battle which was fought iii this
neighbom-hood between hhu and Alpm, King of the Scots. Ac-
cording to BoecCj Ferideth*s army was defeated, and himself
killed, and Alpin commanded the body of his opponent to be
** laid in Christian burial! not farre from Forfairc,''**
On this passage is founded tho not improbable conjecture of
Ferideth*s place of burial having been at Rostinoth, There are,
however, as before shewnj much better grounds for believing that
at a later date, the body of John, a son of King Robert the Bruce,
was buried here. This, it need scarcely be added, is a peculiarly
interesting point, particularly when it is borne in mind, that the
fact of Bruce having had two sons has hitherto been overlooked
by historians ; and, so far as known, the only record of it occurs
in the prcviouisly noticed grant of confirmation by David 11. to
Rostinoth, dated at Scone, on the 10th June 1M4.^
It appears, that from the earliest date, down to about the close
« Reg. Mag. Sigill.^ pp. 18, 6 J ; Robertsou's Index, p. 85.
•• fhrrmicl^?, i. 245 ; FroccetlingB of t!i© Society of Antiqiuuriofl, ii. 190,
KOSTINOTH — PROBABLE ORIGIN OP THE NAME,
421
of the fifteentli ceuturv, the spelling of the name of RoBtinoth
was much the same as that adopted throughout the text. After
the latter period it ast^imied the fonu of Hestennet or Mesten-
nethj wluch probably gave rise to the eoimnon fable of its having
been made a depository of records and other valuable effeets
during the Wars of the Independence. More probably, how-
ever, the name had originated trom the phyaical appearance of
the district, and, perhaps, has some such meaning as '' the island
of a flat or level promontory^'^at least the ruins of the Priory
occupy a small inland, which had been smroundcd by water in old
times, though now joined to the land, and the land, in its general
aspect, is of a comparatively level character. It need only be
farther stated, that the loch or lake of Sostinoth, was drained
by Mr Dempster of Dunnicheu towards the close of the hist
century^ for the valuable marie which it contained, and that It
appears to have been one of a chain of locbs which extended
from near Glamis on the west to Ked Castle on the east.
I{
i
MEMOEIALS OF ANGUS AND MEAENS.
PART SEVENTH.
HISTORICAL AND TRADITIONARY NOTICES OP
WHO SWORE FEALTY TO KING EDWABD THE FIRST.
A.D. 1296;
OF THEIR CHURCHES, AND SOME OF THEIR SUCCESSORS:
ALSO OF THE
f^ojspttaUftsi, ttft ILalrteis of Beceastelr Faxons,
AND OTHEES CONNECTED WITH THESE DISTRICTS.
il
tftl
PART SEVENTH,
CHAPTER I,
K^z ari)urc1)es of liunlapps* ilvbies, WHntttlm,
antr Eogif, in angus^
SECTION L
THE CHUECH OF DUNLAPPY,
Eirlj PAston of Dnnkppj — Parish united to Stracathro^Propnetary Notieei of
Dtialappj — The Dimliippja of Dan lappj— Birthplace of the late Right Hon*
George Eose, Clerk of the Parliam*?nU,
The church or rectory of Duolappy was in the diocese of St
Andrews, and ia rated at 4 merks in the ancient taxatio, and at £4
in Bagimont's Jloll^ the last of which deeds was framed towards
tlie close of the reign of Alexander III, The chin-ch occupied a
romantic position on the west bank of the West Water, about
a mile east of the old Chajiel and Hermitage of Kilgary,* The
parish was suppressed in 1618, and united to Stracathro ; and
the glebe of Donlappy, adjoining the old kirkyardj is farmed by
the minister of the united parish.
The kirk stood near the middle of the graveyard. It waa
about fifty feet long by twenty feet broad. The last burial took
place in 1824; but long before that the monuments were carried
away and used for hearth-stones and flooring in neighbourbg
farm houses and cottages.
So far as known, the first recorded minister was
^o^ati Ue l^eclfngton, persane HcI lEgli^t He Sunr©pg»
who did homage to King Edward I, at Berwick-upon-Tweed, in
August 1296."^
* Land of tbe LlndsAjs ; Fn>c«)«d. of (ho So. of AntiqctAiieti li.
0 Big. Roil, 1S3 ; Pr^noft, 662.
GQ 2
i
428
MEJIDRIALS OF ANGUS AND MEAENS*
111 1442, Jolm Thome, rector of Dunlappy, is a witoesa to a
deed between David, Earl of Crawford, antl Thomas Archare,
canon of I)unk<>ltlj dated '' apud eapellam Sancti Michael, juxta
ci V 1 1 at em B r eeh mensem/''^
James I^yehtoun, of the Usau family, was parson of Dunlappy
about 15G1 J and Andrew lliln, master of the grammar school
of llontrose, and preceptor of the celebrated James MelvUI,
succeeded LeightoOj and became minister both of Dunlappy and
of Stracathro, for which he had the 8um of £100 Scots a-jear.
Milu was afterwards translated to Dunottar, and ultimately to
Fettereaso, where he died in IGOo.'^
Laurence Skynner, who married Christian TTiayne, 15tli
September 1617, was minister of Dunlappy about the time the
parish was united with Stracathro."
Such are t!ie few remaining traces of the early history of the
kirk and clergy of Dunlappy. It maybe added, that the lands ^H
belonged of old to the Earls of Fife, afterwards to theAbernethys; ^^
and Sir Andrew Leslie, having married one of the three co-
heiresses of Sii' Alexander of Abeniethy, succeeded to tlic estates
of Rothes, Dunlappy, and others/ The Leslies held Dunlappy
and the advowson of the kirk down to about 1682, when they
were succeeded by Hepburn of Lufiness. Towards the beginning
of the seventeenth eentiirv, tlie property was purchased by the
Falconers, ancestors of the Earl of Kintore.^ _
During the time of the Abemethys the lands were occiipied|^H
by vassals, who assumed Dunhippy as their suniame. Of these ^^
were '* Angus of Dunlopyn," '* William of Dolopcn,^* and ** Gil-
bert of Dolepene,^' all of whom witness cliarters between the
years 1170 and 121 4>
It was in this district, at a place called Woodsidc (where the
house still stands), about a mile north-west of the site of the old
kirk of Dunlappy, that the Late Eight Hon, George Rose, clerk
of the Parliament^', was bom, 17tli January 1744, His father
• MiscdL Atdbor.^ MS,, 157 ; tit sup., notOf 115.
•' Mplvilla Diary, 21 ; Booke of the Kirko, 3; Reg. of MiniBteri, 15 ; Wq
Mbcell.. I 348 ; New Stat. Acct. of Kincardiacih., 264.
* Ut siJp., 26 1> ; Brechin Sets. Uecords^ MS. ' Douglaa* PeeragQi ii. 4J^^
» Iiiq. Spec. Kiocard.^ No. 142; Forf., 15.
•^ Rug. Vet, de AbetK, 62, 56 ; Reg. Prwr. S. Andrce, 319.
CHURCH OF IDVIES.
427
wa3 Episcopal minister at Glene.-^k from at least 1 728, He after-
wardii removed to Duulappj, where, besides George, he had
another son, called Stewart, bom 22d October 1747. Mr Rose
died in 1758, and was buried withui the neigbbnuriog parish
church of Lcthnot. I believe he aod his wife, who.-^e uaiiic was
also Rose, came from the parish of Birse, in Aberdeenshire,
where, towards the beginning of last century, there were several
email proprietors of the nanie,^
Allhongh this excellent clergyman is not recognised In the
recently published memoir of his son, I cannot help remarking
that both local record and tradition shew that he was not only
most assiduous in his laborious, and, at that time, singnlarly pre-
carious profession, but that he possessed a degree of piety, bene-
volence, and sterling wortli, tlie recital of which would form an
interesting and honorable passage in the lineage of any family,
however noble in birth or higli in station.
SECTION II,
THE CHURCn OF IDVIEg.
The Nome of Idvica cli&nged to Kirkden — The Church — Ctinotiu Epitaph — Old
PaBtora^Thnnci* of Idrjes --Proprietary Noticea,
Edevyn, or Id VIES, was a rector)^ m the diocese of St Andrews,
rated at 15 merks in the ancient taxafio^ and at £18 in Bagi-
mont 's RolL It appears that the Bishop made a visitation of the
church in 1388, and, finding the manse inconyeniently situated,
another piece of ground was granted for the purpose of erecting
a new house for the rector,"^
In old times the kirk stood upon the lands of Gask, in a field
still called the Kirk-ahed, from which it was rcmoyed to Vinny
Den, towards the beginning of the last century* Since that time
the parish has been called Kirkden^ and the church, which is a
plain building, with a belfrey, contains some pieces of old caryed
oak, bearing the arms and initials of the Gardynes of Gard\Tie.
Some of the tombstones in the churchyard bear curious inscrip-
' Land of tlie Lindwys, 6^ 66. *■ Keg. Prior. 8. Andrep, 409.
428 MEiJOUlALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
tions, one of which, dated 1739, informs us that a farmer of
Parkconon ami hU servant^ eame by their death in rather a
singular ojanuer, it heiag quaintly stated that
*' Aq old clay chimnejr tbat downfcll
KilFd botit tiift ftervaut and liimaoll."
%umn Uictfc, peisone M Hgltst te HDeugit^
who took the oath of allegiance to King Edward at Berwick, in
August 1296/ is the first recorded rector of Idvics.
Robert of C*rannacht, towards the middle of the fifteenth cen-
tury, is designed chanter of the cathedral of Brechin, and rector
of the parlxsh kirk of Id\nes ; and daring the first half of the six*
teenth century^ the vicars were Alexander and John Macnab,***
About 1567, James Balfour was minister of the parishes of
Guthrie and Idvies, with a stipend of £26 Scots; and John John-
fitone had £20, as reader at Idvicr^. In 1574, the kirks of Id vies,
Dunnichen, Guthrie, and Reseobie, appear to have been under
Mr Balfour, who had a stipend of £133 6s. ; and David Guthrie
was reader at Idvie.^, with the same salary as Km predessor.**
In 1587, John Erskine of Dnn, probably as ecclesiastical su-
perintendent of Angus and the Mearns, had an annuity out of
the thirds of the parsonage of Idvies f and on 7th December
1604, when King James VI. gave Sir Robert Mekille of Mur-
docairnie, knight, the feu mails of Letham, and the patronage
of the kirk of JIunimail, in Fife, which had belonged to the
Archbishop of Hi Andrews, the Archbishop and his succeasora
received in lieu of these the parsonages and vicarages of certain
churches in Angus, among which were those of Lh^iesJ'
It ought to be added, that Id vies was a thanedom in old times :
in the year 1219, Gyles, thane of Edevy, was a perambulator of
the marches between tlie lands of Kinblethmont and those of
Arbroath. In 1254, llalise of Ediuyn, was present when tlie
boundaries of the lands of Conon, in CarmylUe, were described.'
' Rag. Roll, 164 J Prynne, 662.
» Reg. Ep. Brechin., I 91 ; ii. 226 ; Nfg, dc Abert., 630.
" B«g, of MiniBtora (Mail. Clttb) ; Wodrow Miicell., i, 35L
• ileg. Ep. BrcijhiD., n. 361 . f Acta Pari, jv. 301.
« He«. Vet. do Aberb^ 163, 325.
CHUfiCH OF KIN£TTLi;S.
429
There were also persons wlio bore the Buniarae of Id vies, for, in
1410j David of Idwy, archdeacon of the cathedral of Brechinj
was a party to a deed regarding the possession of the mtdr of
Faniell/
TowardB the middle of the seventeenth century, the property
of Idvies belonged to the knightly family of Wood of Bonuing-
ton." Some years ago it was piirehased by the late Henry Bax-
ter, banker in Dundee, who erected the present mansion house.
SECTION III.
THE CHURCH OF KINETTLE8.
Probable Origin of tbe Name — Old Clergy, &c,— Notices of tbe Suroame of Martin
— Tftjlor, author of ** The Terapest/' a Poem — Colonel Fattoraou.
The kirk of Kmettles wa» in the dioceae of St Andrews, and is
rated at 18 merks in the old iaxatWy and at £6 13s. 4d, in Bagi-
raont'ti MolL In remote times the church is supposed to have
stood upon an eminence called Kirk-hill, at the head of the val-
ley tlirongh which runs ihc water of Kerbct, not far from the pre-
sent parish cliiirclu Ki/neilesj Kynathes^ and K^nneclesj arc the
oldest forma in which tbe name appears^ and it had probably
originated from the elevated position of the ancient church.
This wa^ one of the churchen referred to in the preceding page,
which were given by King James VI. to the Archbishop of St
Andrews.
Laurence of Montealt, a kinsman, doubtless, of the old lortk
of Ferae, was rector of the church in 122G.' I» 1296,
performed homage to King Edward L; and subsequently, in the
year 1300, he is a witness to a grant by Bisjhop Lamberton, of
the kirk of Dairaie^ in Fite^ to the cathedral of St Andrews.^
It is, perhaps, worthy of notice, that the surname of Martin,
' Reg. Ep Bruclim,, i. 27. ' Iraq. Sp#c. Forf., No. 32 L » Ut ntp., 325.
"" Rag. Boll, 164 ; Prjune, im ; Fc&dcra, i pt. iii. 163 ,' Rog. Prior. S, Andre©, 120.
430
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AK0 MEARNS.
which has been said to be of Norman origin, appears early In
Angos; for, abont 1288-99, Martin, clerk to the chancellor of
William the Lion, is a witness to a grant of a toft in Uie bnrgh
of Forfar* The physician of King WilHani, and of his succes-
sor, Alexander IL, also bore the name of Martin;^ and Adam,
son of Martin, a contemporary of the parson of Kinettles, appears
in a gi-ant by the Abbot of Arbroath to Galfred Kuncvald, of a
tenement in the Cowgate of Arbroath."^
Mathew was the name of the rector of Kinettles in 1364/
In 1567, Jame,^ Fotlierlngham was minister of this parish,
also of Inverarity and Meathie, with a stipend of £100 Scots;
and in 1574, the kirk was joined with those of Forfar, Rosti-
noth, and Tannadiec, of all which Niniau Clement was minister,
and Alexander Xcvay was reader at Kinettlci^.y
The last Episcopal clergyman of the parish was lUexander
Taylor, author of a curious poem, entitled *^The Tempest,*'
descriptive of a storm which he and several of his brethren en-
countered, when crossing in a boat from Burntisland to Lcith,
on 26th November 1681, It contains some curious passages,
and his description of the huge waves bufteting against the frail
bark, is frequently given as a speeuncn ; —
" Eacb IcDpt his time und pliboe,
Ab If tbey meant to Jmwn ua with a grace—
The firHt canje tumblings on our hoat'e side,
And knockt us twice her breadth and mor© beside;
But, vert that it had wrought" s do more diagmce,
It BpitB on UB — ^spitB in its fDllowor'a fiice/'
Having elsewhere noticed the proprietary hiBtory of Kin-
ettles ;' it need only Vie added that the late Colonel William
Patterson, sometime Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales,
and an eminent botanist, was the son of a humble gardener at
Bridgton, in this parisli. He had the for time to receive the
patronage of Lady Mary Lyon, second daughter of John, tburth
Earl of Strathmore, by whom he was educated ; and ha\nng lost
his health by a long residence abroad, he resolved to return to
' Reg. Vet. de Aberb., 53, pastim, » Ibid., 277* ■ Chntnb. Enlls, i. 419.
f Eeg, of Ministers (Mdt. Club) ; Wodrow Miicolh, I 350.
• Land of tbe LindsjiyB, 300.
CHURCH OF LOUIE, OK LOG IE- MONTROSE,
431
Britain^ but died on tbe voyage, 2l3t June 1810. A cenotaph,
with an inscription, ccmtaining a succinct account of his services
and acquirements, was afterwards erected in the churchyard of
hia native pari&h.*
SECTION IV.
THE CHURCH OF LOQIE, OR LOOIE-MONTROSE.
Kirk of Logi«— St Martm*« WoU— Old Clergy— James MehiU at Logie School-
Union of Logie and Fort — ^Digiiiited Settlement of a Minieter id 1645 — Chdirbei
of Logie and Pert — Birthplace of Mill^ HifitoriiLn of BritiBh India.
There were two different churches in Angus called Logie, vix.,
Logie-Montroae, and Logie-Dundee. Both were within the dio-
cese of St Andrews^ and rated respectively at 12 and 10 merks.
In Bagimont's lioll^ the first is rated at £8 ; and it was probably
from it that
waa designed, who took the oath of allegiance to King Edward
at Berwick, in 1296.^
The kirk stood about three miles north of the town of Mont-
rose, in a hollow on the west bank of the North Esk* A copious
spring in the vicinity, called St Martinis Well^ probably indicates
the name of the saint to whom the church was dedicated.
John Wyld waB rector of Logic in 1372,
In 1555, Alexander Forrest, provost of the kirk of Fowlia, near
Dundee, is designed rector of Logie-Monlrose f and In 1565,
William Gray, a relative of the father of the celebrated James
Melvill, was minister of the pariah. It was here, at the age of
leven, when, as Melvill mforras us, he had learned but little of
'^the grate Buik,'' that he and his brother, David, were sent to
be educated, Melvill describes Gray as ^' a guid, lerned, kynd
man,*' and says that '* he hade a sistar, a godlie and honest
matron, rewlar of his houpj wha,'* he affectionately adds, ** often
• Ifew Stat. Acct., 215. ^ Rag. Roll, 167 ; Prynne, 603.
' Reg. Ep. Breclib,, i, 20 ; Laing^s i^cottish Seak^ 223.
432
MEMORIALS OP ANGUS AND MEA£N3*
rcmcmberit me of my mothefj and was a verie loving mother '
us, indeed,'^
This^ it need scarcely be said, was a memorable period in the
life of Mclvill; indeed, he describes it himself as '*a happie and
golden tyme," it beiog here that he first *^faud tlie Spirit a^_
sanctification begirmiiig to work sum motionea'' in his heart. ^M
Among other interesting points, which Melvill has preserved
of his boyhood at Logic, h an account of the books in Latin
and French which he studied, of the method of teaching in those
days, and of the out-door exercises in which he and Ins fellow
Btudents occasionally engaged. Eegardiug these, he says that
Mr Gray '* haid a vcrie guid and profitable form of resolving the
authors; he teatched grammaticallie, bathe according to the Cty^|
mologic and Syntax ; hot as for me, the trewthe was, ray ingy*n^^
and mcmorie war guid aneucJic, hot my judgment and under-
standing war as yit smored and dark, sa that the thing quhilk I
gat was mair be rat ryme nor knawlage. Ther also we haid the
aire guid, and fields reasonable fear, and be our maister ivar teach-
ed to handle tlie bow for archeriey the club for goff, the batons
fencing, also to rin, to loope, to swooni, to war sell, to pre
pratteiksj everle ane haiffing his matche and andagonist, ba
in our lessons and play,"*^
Mr Gray was minister of Logic, also of the parishes of Pert"
Menmuir, and Feme, down to at least 1574, with a stipend of
£188 15s. 6fd.j out of which he paid the reader at Logie, whoae
name was Beaty, the sum of £20 a-year.® ^H
In 1604, the patronage of the church of Logie-Montrose wa^^
given, with some others already noticed, to the Archbishop of St
Andrews; and it appears that sometime before 1645, Lord Lour.
then chief heritor of Logie and Pcrtj proposed a union of the
churches, to which the Presbytery objected ; hut, on the matter
being brought before the Estates of Parliament, an act was ob-
tained, on 12th March 1647, whereby the heritors were allowed
to " transport the stones and other materialls of the tuo former
old churches'' to the most commodious place " neir the mid)§t of
the tuo united parishes," where they were bound to build a new
church. Tliis act was ratified by King Charles 11. in the
* MelvilVf DiAfy, 16 17. • Wodmw Miwell, f. 349.
ich-
'1
CHURCH OF LOaiE, OH LOG IE- MONTROSE. 4:33
1661, and, two years aftcnvards, Jlr Patrick Simpson, tlien in-
cumbent of tlie parislij presented ''a supplication from the titulars
and lieritors of Logic anent the union of the kirks of Logic
and Pert."' Although from this period the churches were
virtually united, it appears that, down to the aholition of Episco-
pacy, each parish had its owa ministerj and ahont 1682, Mr
Simpson was Btill at Logie, and a Mr Guild at Pert, Down
to 1775, there was wor&hip, probably on alternate Sundays, in
both churches.
The Presbytery Records contain some curious notices regard-
ing the prcaentation and induction of Mr Simpson to Logie,
which, as they shew that more than two hundred years ago the
Presbytery were baulked by the parishioners in an attempt to
thrust an unpopular ntinistcr upon them, may now-a-days be
read with some interest. It appears that Mr Simpson, although
the choice of the people, was no favorite with his clerical brethren,
and that they gave the preference to one Mr Allan, whom they
sent to preach at Logic on a certain Sunday. Whether from
the fact of his being the nominee of the Presbytery, or from
whatever cause, tlie feeling of the people appears to have been
against him, for he reported that on going to officiate at the
church "he found the doorcs locked and en trie refused him, and
none resorting to it.'' The Presbytery were so much displeased,
tliat they looked upon this as '' ane hie contempt of the word of
God and thair authoritie;" and, suspecting that Mr Simpson and
his friends were to blame, certain of the parishioners and heritors
were summoned betbre them, including Lord Halkerton, ilr
Scott of Logic, Mrs Montgomery, widow of the late minister, and
Mr Simpson, All denied having had anything to do either
with the locking of the doors, or with advising tlie people to stay
from the church ; but, as Mr Simpson confessed having said to
some of the parishioners that they might " goe quhair they
pleased and heir sermones that day,^' the court found him '^ culp-
able, [and] refused that he suld preacho in the church of Logy
vntill he suld be cleared befor them,'*
This deliverance was given on 22d May 1645, and on the liith I
October following, the Presbytery agreed to nominate Mr Simp-
' Acta Par!., vii, 291 ; Brechin IVeihyiery EncorcU, MS,
H H 2
J
434
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEABKS.
BOn to the chiircli of Logic. But it does not appear that he
fiilly constituted minister until 3d September 1646, when the
Presbytery convened at the church of Pertj and ''gave [him]
institution,'^ ordering him at the same time, to " dealt with the
heritors for building a kirk" — that of Logie having been theD|
apparently, imfit for use* fl
The new church of Logie-Pert is situated near the middle of
the united parishes, and the ruins of the old kii-ks of Logie and
Pert still stand. Both graveyards are used as burial places; and,
some years ago^ the kirk of Logie was converted into a burial
vault by Carnegie of Craigo. The kirk of Pert, which stands on
the north side of the highway between Brechin and Laurencekirk,
near the Upper North Water Bridge, is a picturesque ruin. It M
bcarii a marked resemblance to '' Alloway^s auld haunted kirk""
on the bankj5 of the Doon ; and, as in the vicinity of that place
a poet of world-wide fame was born m a clay-built cottage, so
here, in a similar tenement, was bora James Jlillj the well-
known historian of British India, on 6th April 1773. His father
was a humble crofter, and the house in which Mill first saw tlie
light stood, till lately, near the south end of the North Water
Bridge. It is said that Mr Mill owed Ids early success to the
benevolence of the late Sir John Stuart of Fettercairn ; and Mr
Mill's son, the distinguished writer on political economy, bears
the name of his father's patron.
rchesS
Apart from the clergy who are specially designed of churches'
in the county of Forfar, and, in consequence, were called upon to
own the sovereignty of the King of England, there were others
who, from having a territorial, or other interest in the district,
also appeared before King Edward, and performed tlie eame
service. These, though few in number, included the
Slil&ot^ of Btmt mh ZSunfrrmtiitr,
who, in virtue of their offices, were superiors of certain lands in
the county of Forfar ; and
%^bn, ^rcljOcaccrn c»f Bi ^ntircto0»
WILLIAM CLUNT, CHANTEB OP BRECHIN. 435
who had probably been an officiating priest in Angus in one of
the churches of his own diocese.^^ It also appears that
SBtUIiam Of CDIunSi
who was " chantour of Breghyn," or precentor of the cathedral,
did homage to King Edward at Berwick, on the 2d of Septem-
ber 1296.^ This is the earliest recorded precentor of Brechin,
and nothing else is known of his history. A knight and baron of
the same surname, designed respectively of the counties of Fife
and Perth, performed homage much about the same time. The
name appears to have had a territorial origin.
V Fosdera, i. pt. iii. 163.
^ Rag. Boll, 154 ; Piynne, 660 ; Foedera, i. pt. iii. 163.
436 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEABNB.
CHAPTER 11.
STiie OtiittTctefit of i^arboclt, Htnneff, an]i
Bunottar, in ti)e iBearn^.
SECTION I.
THE CHURCH OF.GARVOCK.
Church, &c., given to the Abbey of Arbroath — ^Early Clergy — Old Censer, or
Incense Pan— The Church— Bishop Mitchell— Traditionfl.
The kirk of Garvock is first mentioned in the year 1282,
when Hugh Blond, lord of Arbuthnott, gave to the monastery
of Arbroath, in pure and perpetual alms, the patronage of the
church, together with pasture for a hundred sheep, four horses,
ten oxen, and twenty cows, also a bovate of land in the neigh-
bourhood of the church."* The grant was afterwards confirmed
by William, Bishop of St Andrews, in whose diocese the kirk was
situated. The church is rated at 15 merks, and was probably
inscribed to one of the Saint James', since a fair or market of
that name was long held near the kirk.
aailliam, bicaCre l»e SgU^e He (Satuoit,
did homage to King Edward I. in 1296 ;^ but beyond this fact
nothing has been learned of the history of this churchman.
Walter Stratone, rector of Dunottar, had a presentation to the
vicarage of the parish kirk of Garvock, in 1502, from James,
Archbishop of St Andrews.^ From that date until after the Re-
formation, I have seen no mention of any of the clergy ; but this
church, and four others, were then served by one minister, and
James Symmers was reader at Garvock. Symmers, who was
deposed in 1569, was succeeded by Robert Mylne, who was in
office in 1574, with a salary of £20 Scots.*^
Andrew CoUace, probably a cadet of the Balnamoon family,
• Reg. Vet. do Aberb., 271-2. ^ Rag. Roll, 144 ; Prynne, 657.
• Reg. Nig. de Aberb., 343. * See below, 439.
CHUECH OP garvock:.
437
was minister of the pariah io 1616, and John Keytli held the
cure in 1652,'^
The Keiths, a branch of whom possessed the lands of Arthur-
house in CJarvockj appear to have had a burial-place there j
and, until lately, the rcmaius of a tomb were to be seen within
the church J bearing the initak K. K., and the date of 1666,
The present kirk, which is a plain buildingj was erected towards
the close of the last century. Some years ago, an old and pretty
entire censer^ or incense pan, now preserved at the mause, was
found under the floor of the church.
It ought to be noticed, that Bishop David Mitchell of Aberdeen,
the friend of Archbishop Spottiswood, whose '* Church Ilistory'*
he superintended through the press, was the son of a small fanner
in this parish. lie was first a presbyter in the Jlcarns, and
afterwards Dean of Edinbm*gh, from which office he was deposed
by the Covenanting party in 1638. After this he went to Hol-
land, and, having a mechanical taste, he made a livelihood there
as a watch and clockmaker down to the Kestoration, T¥hen he
returned to England, and was appointed to a prebend in West-
minster. He died bishop of Aberdeen, in 1663, and was buried
in the south aisle of the cathedral of St Machar.^
The so-called Druidical antiquities, and other curiosities of
the parish, having been noticed at considerable length in the
New Statistical Account, it would be superfluous to refer to them
here. It may, however, be remarked, that a hollow to the north-
east of the church is said to have been the place where certain of
the old barons of the Mearns enacted the horrible deed, before re-
ferred to, of boiling their sheriff, and '' suppin' the broo,^' The
place 19 popularly called Brownies Kettle^ and it was long be-
lieved by some that the place was frequented by those imagitmiy
beings. An oblong spot, near the old site of St James' Fair,
called the Paclcmans Howe^ Ib also said to have been the scene
of a fight between two travelling merchants or hawkers. It is
farther averred that they kiUed eacli other, and were buried
where they fell, and that their wallets, or packs, were to be seen
in the gloamings dancing about the fatal hollow !
• Brechm Seuion M^cordB, MS. ^ CoU. on Aberdeen and Banff, 167.
Chorcli and Chapels — Preservation of the Regalia^ — Sopulcliiiral MonnraeDta — Silrer
ChftUce stuleo from llie Church^The Carmelite Friars of Inverbervy — Dis-
posal of their Property— Churches of Cat erli no and Kingtinjey, &c.
Fable asserts that one of the King Kenneth's had a residence in
the parish of Kinneff, and that the name was assumed from that
circninstanco.
An old house which stood near the church was called St
Arnty'aj or St Arnold's Cell:^ this probably indicates the name of
the patron saint of the parish; aud it appears from the old teucatiOf
that there was a chapel attached to the church. Both were within
the diocese of St Andrews, and are rated together at 40 merks.
The chapel was probably that of St John, which stood at Barraa,
near places called tlie Mort-hlll and Teraplelands — at least the
adv^owsona of the chaplainrics of Kiunefl' aud Barras were long
united; and, so late as 1641, were given to William Gray of Pit-
tcndrum, together with the kirklands of Kinneff.'' But there waa
at least another chapel in the district, for in a deed of reversion
of Kinneff, granted by Alexander Straiten of the Keym tofl
Andrew^ Lord Gray, in 1493, mention is made of a croft of land
**lyand at the bridgend beside Saint Martin's chaple," betwixt the
lands of Dullachy and Disclune/ H
As before seen, the manor of Kinneff w^as granted by King
William the Lion to a Norman family of the name of Montfort ;
and John of Montfort, parson of Kinneff, was a witness to a deed
by his brother, about 1211-14." In 1296,
ii^agbtec Mohcttu0^ persona ^cclt^Efc t»e Bifttrf,
4
did homage to King Edward.
In the year 1300, Robert of Montfort, rector of the church of
Kinneffj is a witness to Bishop Lamberton's gift of the kirk of
Dairsie to the cathedral of St Andrews.*
« Oy Stat. Acct..n. 208,
* Spalding Clwb MiKfill. v, 289.
* FcB^era, i. pt, iii, 1S3 ; '^-" ^-'
^ AoU Pari., T. 628,
^ Ut tup., 369.
lieg. Prior. St Attdroe, 120.
CHUECH OF EINNEFF.
439
In 1392j certam individuals had charters of lauds in tlie con-
stabulary of Haddington, upon the resignation of William of
Echlyne, vicar of Kinneff.™
About 1567, the five parishes of Caterline, KinnefF, Bcrvie,
Arbuthnott, and Garvock, were served by one minister, named
Alexander Keith, who had a stipend of £26 Scots j while James
FuUerton was reader at KinnefF, with £20 a-year. In lr574j the
same minister had the same district, with a stipend of £133 Gs. 8d.,
and James Simson was reader at Kinneff, Bcrvioj and Cater-
lioe with a salary of £33 6s. Hd,"
Keith is said to liave been succeeded in the church of Kinneff
by James Rait, who died in 1620. His successor was James
Strachan, who was deposed in 1639,*^ to whom, after the Ee-
storation, the Estates of Pai4iameut granted the sum of £100
Scots, out of the readiest of the vacant stipends in the northern
shireSj in consideration that ho '^ lies bien put to great sufferings
these many yeeres by gonCj and alvvjxs given constant testimony
of his loyaltie and affection to the King's Majestic, and injustly
deposed from his service at the kirk of Kinneff for the same.'*^
Probably Strachan was succeeded by James Granger, known
as the preserver, along with his wife, of the regalia of Scotland.
It is certain that he was a licensed minister at the time Strachan
was deposed j for, on 13th September of the same year, he and
another of the brethren were warned by the Presbytery " to keip
the presbyterial meetiugs better.'*^
Granger died in 1663, and was succeeded by James Ilonj^nan,
brother to the Bishop of Orkney and to the Archdeacon of St
Andrews* According to an inscribed monument within the
church of Kinneff , Honyman was succeeded by a son, grandson,
and great-grandson, llis grandson, who died in 1780, at the ad-
vanced age of seventy-seven, was author of the popular Scottish
song of " Hie I bonnie lassie, blinlt over the bum/'
It need scarcely be noticed j that the church of Kinneff Is re-
markable as the place where the regalia were concealed for some
time during the Civil Wars. It is well known that these em-
** Roli«rt80ii'a Index, p, 164.
" Reg. of Miniatera (Mait. Club) ; Woilro^ MisceU. i., 348 ;
" New SUt. Acct., 319, coiitaius a liat of tli© iiiinistera of Kinneff from tbo
Eeformalion. p Acta Pftrl.. vii, App. 65. ^ Breekm Freahykry Becord*, MS.
¥
I
440 MEMOEIALS OP ANGUS AND MEARNS.
lilems were carried from the Castle of Dtioottar, at the very
of the siege, bj being hid about the person of Mrs Granger,
who was aided in her enterprise by the lady of Governor Ogilvy;
and being safely landed at Kinneffj ibey were buried in a
bole, purposely dug for them, below the pulpit of the churchy
where they were carefully watched by the minister and his inrifa^H
They were restored to the Government at the Restoration ; and,
as a testimony of their sense of Mrs Granger's service, the
Estates of Parliament ordered her to get the sum of 2000 naerks
Scots "out of the readiest of his Majestie's rents.'^' ilr and
Mrs Granger were both interred within the church, and a monu-
ment, with Latin inscription, now much mutilated, records the
share they had in preserrving the ancient honors of the kingdom.
Besides the Grangers' monument there are several otheri-
here, the more generally interesting of which is one (restore
some time ago) to the memory of Sir George Ogilvy of Barra
Governor of Dunottar Castle at the time of the siege above re-^
fcrred to, and of his lady, Elizabeth Douglas. Like that of the
Grangers, this tablet bears an inscription recording the part
which Ogilvy and bis lady respectively bore in the defence of th^H
castle and in the preservation of the regalia. ^|
In curious contrast to the honesty of the minister, and the care
with which the national ensigoia were preserved, it may be men-
tioned that, nearly two hundred years before, the same church
was broken into, and one of the most sacred of the utensils of the
altar stolen and carried off by a ncigbbouring proprietor. It
appears that Straiton of the Knox of Benholm and his son bad
become notorious as thieves about the time referred to, and were
convicted of several acts of theft; among these was the crime re*
ferred to, for the old man was charged with *4he wrangwis
spoliacioun of a siluer chalice out of the kirk of Kynneff," The
theft being proved against him, he was ordered^according to
the lenient manner in which crime appears to have been punLEbed
at the time— to restore the chalice '' als gude as it was tane, or
the avale thereof, as it ma be prefit it was worth the tyni it was
tane/'*
The adjoining parish of Bervie is supposed to have formed, at
' Acta PaiL, vii, 11. ■ (1483) AcUi AuJ., *1U; Dftra., 436.
CARMELITE FJilARS OP INVERBERVIE, 441
one time, a portion of Kinneff/ It ia certain that, so tar as yet
known, Bervie m not mentioned as an ecclesiastical site, if wo
except the notice of it as a seat of the CarmeUto Friars, until
the comparatively late period of 1567.
Some years ago^ a number of graves were discovered near a
place called the Friars^ BMs^^^ the supposed site of the Carniclito
monastery ; and^ by an Act of Parliament passed in the year
1587, all the property belonging to this house, situated '* in ony
pairt within this realrae/' was given over to David Lindsay,
miniBter of Lcith. It was afterwards granted to the burgh of
Montrose, at which time the annual rents were estimated at 450
merks, 508. 4d, Scots* In 1 632-56 the revennea of the friary^
and advocation of the kirks which belonged to it, including a
place called Whitcruds, and deacrihed as lying within the parish
of Kinnefl', were Arbuthnott property*''
But although the district of Bervicj or^ more properly Inver-
bervie, is now disjoined from Kinneff', the two old parishes of
CATERLINE AND KINGORNEY
have long been included within its bounds, the former having
been annexed to Kinneff in 1709. These were both independent
churches, situated mthm the diocese of Brechin, and rated re-
spect ively at 20s,, and 8 merks Scots.
The old cemetery of Caterline ia still used as a burial place,
and the rude ambry of the kirk, and the fragment of a coffin-slab,
the latter of which bears an incised cross and sword, are built
into the walla of the enclosure. The oldest inscribed monument,
dateless and mutilated^ belongs to the family of Lady Ogih^ of
Barrai!, who, as before seeUj did so much to preserve the national
regalia from the army of the Commonwealth. Her family were
previously proprietors of Barras, and her husband, Governor
Ogiivy, bought the estate from his brother-in-law.
The kirk of Caterline, or Caterine, was given by King William
the Lion to the Abbey of Arbroath, and confirmed to it bv Tur-
pin, Bishop of Brechin, between 1178-98,'^
* Old StAt, Acct., vi. 207. " New Stat, Acct , 7,
* Acta Pari., iii. 489, 504; Inq.Spec.tKincarfUnosbirp, Nos.iiS, 90,
* Reg» Vet. do Aberlj., 6 ; Reg. Ep. Brechin., ii. 250.
I! 2
J
442
MEMORIALS OF ANCRIS AND MEAENS.
William, dxaplain of Keterm, is a witness to the Fitz-Bernards
grant of the little green cove, or Rath of Caterline, to the mon-
astery of Arbroath, about 1222-40/ The place is still called
Eaihfield,
Thomas CargUl, minister of the kirk of Caterline, is witness to
a deed regarding a tenement of land in Brechin, called the Arch-
deacon's mansion, 29th April 1G23.^
It ought to be noticed, in regard to the modern ecclesiastical
history of the district of Caterline, that an Episcopal church
was erected there in 1S48* It is a neat nnassnming edifice,
in the Pointed style of architecture, with nave and chancel.
The interior is tastefully decorated and furnished, and contaiiis
an octagonal baptismal tont, elaborately carved with representa^B
tiona of the sufferings of our Saviour, There is also a glas^^
stained window of three lights : the centre compartment con-
tains a painting of the crucifixion, and the others tlie figures of
"St James and St Pliilip, to the latter of whom the chapel is
dicated.
hat^l
I
<3f the kirk of Kingomey there is now no trace, except thai
a spring near the old site is called the Ghapel Well; but min»
of the church were to be seen within these sixty years.
In this neighbourhood King David IL lauded from Fran
with his consortj Johan, in May 1341,* when, it is believed,
conferred the honor of a royal burgh upon the neighbouring town
of Inverbervie. But long before that date, even in the time of
William the Lion, Inverhei*vie gave sui-name to a family, one
of whom, Symou of Inverbervyn, is a witness to Humphrey of
Berkeley's charter of the lands of Balfeith to the Abbey of
Arbroath,''
" Reg- Vet. de Aberb., 88-9.
' DaliyiDple'« Annals, ii. 228.
^ Reg. Ep. Brechin^ ii. 241 ,
• Beg.Vot.ae Aberb.,61.
CHUBCH OF DUNOriAR. 443
SECTION ni.
THE CHURCH OF DUNOTTAR.
Ancieot Charcli aud Ctapel^St Nlnkn's Den and Well — Charcli Burned by Sir
W* Wallace — The "Pele" of Dunottur besieged by the Scots — Early Clergy —
Proprietiiry Noticeii of the Craig of Dunottar — Supposed Origin of the Castle,
and of the ChtircL of St Bridget^Scene in the Church in 1715 — Burial l*hico
of the Founder of Marischal College* Aberdeen --*Ogilvy of Lumgair^ — ^Cove-
nant«ni' Tombstone — Scott *b meeting with " Old Mortality/* *' Meg Muckle-
baclut/* and Joha Thorn — Churcliyard — ^Donottar CaBtlo, &c.
The church and chapel of Dunottar were in the diocese of St
Andrews J and both arc rated at the small sum of 12 raerka.
Tlie original church ia said to have stood upon the rock, now oc-
cupied by tho roina of the castle, and remained there until about
the close of tlie foiu*teenth century. It was dedicated to St
NiniaDj and St Nmian^s Den and Well are near the castle.
The earliest notice of the kirk occurs in 1297, when it is said
to have been burned do%vn by Wallace* The rock upon which it
stood, or '^ snuk within the &e,** as Blind Harry calls it, was then
occupied by the English ; and be Bays that many of them took
refuge within the church, supposing, no doubt, that tlie sanctity
of tbe place would save tliem ; but, heedless of this, as well as of
the prayers and entreaties of the pnest to spare their Uvea, the
poet relates, that
** Wallace in fyr gort set ftU haistely,
Brynt wp the kyrk, and all tbat was tbann,
Atour the rixik the huff ran with gret dyii.
Sum haig on criggiB Tynht dylfnlly to de,
Sum lap, som fell, sum Ooteryt in the ee.
Na Sotheroun on lyfif was Icwyt in tbat hauhl,
And tbaim with in thai brynt in powdir cauldJ'*
Probably the kirk was restored after this date ; and, in tbe
year 1336, the English being in possession of the '* pele'' of
Dunottar, they were driven from their post by the Scots. Dur-
ing tliis siege tbe anny did considcrablo damage to the neigh-
bourhood by destroying the crops, and appropriating the cattle
to their use.*^ x4t this time Dimottar belonged to WilUanij
fourth Eai'l of Sutherland, brother-in-law to David II,
•» Jamicsons Blind Harry, 162, •= Chamb. Bolls, i, 256*
444
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
When the rock was captured, and the kirk burned by Sir
Williain Wallace, probably
was the muiiater, or *' the byschop^' referred to by Blind Harryj
before whom the Scofci fell and *^ askit absolutiouu," after they
had destroyed the church and ftlayghtercd tlie English — at least
Kcryngton was deeigned '' pcrsone del Egllse de Dminoter/' when
he did homage to King Edward, in August 1296.*^
On 28th July 1455, "Schir NtchoU Blare, person of Dunotter
is a. witness to a charter by Hay of Ury, of the barony of Co
in favor of the Earl of Errol.*^
Walter Straton was rector of Dunottar, in 15€2; and al
1567, John Chi-istison was minister of Dunotter and Fette
Avith a stipend of 100 merks ; while Jolm Pawtoune was reader at
Dunottar, with a salary of £20 Scote. In 1574, Andrew Mihic
was miiiister of the three churches of Dunottar, Fetteresso, and
Beiiholm, for which he had £152 12s, 2|d, yearly, and WiUlam
Salmond, reader at Dunottar, had a sidary of ilG.*"
t>f the more modem clergymen of the parish little of interest
has been learned ; and in regard to the history of the pri>perty
of Dunottar, which included the craig or rock upon which the
ohl church stood, it may be briefly observed, that after the death
of the Earl of Sutherland, who fell at Ilalidon in 1333, %vhile
commaudlng the van of the army, it was acquired by Mathew
of Gh>ueestcr. He was afterwards forieited, an^l about the year
1341, Eait of Urast, who was the king's shield bearer, acquired
certain portions of the property/ Bait was succeeded by
William Keith, who married the heiress of Frafier of Cowy
and J on the marriage of their daughter, Christian, with Sir
William Lindsay of the Byres, Lindsay received the lauds and
craig of Dunottar from Keith.8
Soon afterwards, Lindsay exchanged these possessiona will
his father-iu-law, for the lands of Pitendriech, in Stirlingshii'e
' Rag. Roll. 160; Pn-DDe, 663; Fcedyra^ i, pt. liL 1G3.
^ I'aumure CWJ., MS., it, 327.
• Reg, Nig. do Aberb,, 343 ; Reg. of MiDialers ; Wcxlraw MiscelL, i. 34Q.
' Rog. Mag. Sigill., p. 102. t Livca uf tht- LiodnnyB, i, 52.
'^ Spalding Club Mi»i:cl!,, v. 31?).
Sir I
DUNOTTAR— CHUHCH OP ST BBIDGET.
445
and not long subsequently, it is said, Sir William Keitli bnilt a
castle upon the rock of Dunottar. But it would appear, as* before
shewn, that there was some sort of a fortress tlicro during the
minority of David II. It is also said that Keith, having built
the castle without consulting the Bishop of St jVndrews, in
whose diocese it lay, was cxcommumcatcd for Laving thus sum-
marily invaded consecrated ground ; but was restored to favor
by a F*apal Bull, dated 13th July 1394^ on condition that he
should erect another chm-ch in a convenient part of the parish.'
This is said to have been the origin of the present place of
worship, which is pleasantly situated upon a knoll on the west
bank of the river Carron^ nearly a mile north-west of tlic town
of Stonehaven. The existing church wag erected in 1782, and
it appears that, during the ''forty-five," some curious scenes took
place in the previous bnUding, for the records of the kirk session
shew that the leadei*s of the rebel party in the town of Stone-
haven were not only attended to church by an finned guard, but
til at upon a certain Sunday one of them stuod up in the church,
surrounded by armed retainers^ and " read some treoBonable
paj>ers/^
This church was dedicated to St Bridget, and the burial groimd
contains some interesting sepulchral monuments, among which is
the burial vault of the Keith-Marischals, bearing the initials
G. K., and the date of 1582, Those initials refer to George,
fifth Earl Marischal, the founder of the Marischal College of
Aberdeen, %vho succeeded bis grandfather the year before the
aisle was built, and was himself buried in it in 1023* Adjoin-
ing this enclosure is the burial place of William Ogilvy of Lum-
gair, and bis wite, Catherine Stracban — the father and mother of
the governor of Dunottar Castle, and ancestors of the now extinct
baronets of BaiTas.
But perhaps the most generally interesting relic is the tomb-
Btone of the Martyrs of the seventeenth century, of whom there
were from a hundred and sixty to a hundred and seventy con-
fined in the castle of Dunottar, m a narrow damp cell, still called
the WAifj3^ Vault, The history of these unfortunate creatures
and their times is too well-known to rcrpiire repetition horCj
, * Dnnglna' fecrage, u. 188.
446
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
and the epitaph has been frequently printed. It need tlierefor
only be said that the monument owea its preservation chiefly to
David Paterson, the hero of Sir Walter Scott^s celebrated novel
of " Old Mortality*" It was here, in the summer of 1788,
while Scott was Bpending a few days with the late Mr Walker,
minister of the parish, that ho met wiih Pateraon busily em-
ployed in restoring the inscription on this tomb, and it was his
eingidar taste and veneration for tlie Covenanters that sug-
gested, long afterwards, the idea of one of the best of Scott'a
many excellent works. ^M
It was also during Scott^s stay at the manse of Dimottar that^^
he saw Kate Moncnr, a Caterlinc fishwife, and a superstitious
mortal called John Thorn. It is affhnned of the former — ^by
those who knew her, and who have read *' The Antiquary'^ —
that she was the original of Meg Mudclebadcit ; and the latter,
once farmer of Femyflat, died not many years ago in utter
misery. This credulous being, whose ancestors had been far-
mers there from 4it least the year 1733, attributed the cause of
his misfortimes to witches and fairies ; and, believing hiinseli*
to be an adept in the art of discovering those who cast tT?,
eitlier on man or beast, he was frequently sent for by the
minister to entertain curious visitors. While Scott was there
an express was sent for John to come and subdue " the ill"
that bad been " cassen'^ upon a cow at the manse, John, who
was soon in attendance, procured some of the milk of the animal
wliich was said to be afflicted, and put it upon the fire to boil,
when, on its coming to a top, he made several zig-zag incisions
upon the crust or surface of the milk. These he believed to be so
many, and ef|nally deep wounds, upon the bodily frame of the en*
chantrcss, and felt convmced that they would cither cause the
death, or lead to the discovery of the person who had bewitched
the cow !
But to return. Apart from the burial places of St Ninian and
St Bridget, iu the first of which marks of graves may yet bo
noticed, there appears to have been another place of burial
situated behind the present coimty buildings at Stonehaven,
According to tradition, it was appropriated for the interment of
those who died of the plague — an idea which is so far borne out
DUNOTTAR CASTLE.
447
by traces of an inscription upon cmo of the torabatones, dated
16()8j which shews that the person commemorated had either
died of J or during the time of the pest[ilence].
The reader is referred to other sources for notices of the in-
teresting history of the castle of Dimottar.^ Suffice it to say that
Dunottar was made the '* sted of w^arranty " for the Meams, in
the time of King William the Lion ;^ and that the castle was the
principal residence of the Keith-Marischals down nearly to the
Restoration* About that time the House of Fetteresso was built,
and there the family afterwards chiefly resided until their forfei-
ture iu 1716. It does not appear tJaat during the possession of the
Keiths any very rcmarkaljle occuiTence took place at Dunottar,
if we except the siege it underwent in the time of the Coininon-
wealth, and when, at a later date, it was made the prison of
the CoveuanterB,
In the spring of 1689, after William and ilary had ascended
the throne, and after it became known that James VII* was to
make an attempt for the Crown, Dunottar castle was one of the
places which Parliament ordered to be fortified. It was garri-
soned by sixty men, and Greorge, eighth Earl Marischal, was ap-
pointed captain/'* It was about thisi time that Captain Slezer
made hia drawing of the castle. The buildings appear to have
been then wholly roofed and entire, and a banner is represented
upon a staff on the donjon, or square tower— a part of the castle
which, fable says, existed in the time of Sir Wilham Wallace*"
This is clearly the oldest portion of the niins, and aB the style
of tlie architecture corresponds with that of tlie times of Kings
Eobert 11. and III., it is probably part of the castle, for the
building of which, we have already seen, Sir William Keith was
excommunicated by the Bishop of St Andrews,
^ Longmuir^fl D^moltar Caetle ; New Stat. Acct. of KincardineBbire, &o.
* ActA Purl., i. 5L " Ibid., ix. 58 —Appx. 6. ■ Theatram Scotia?, plato 3.
iVbte.— The only other clergy^ aji of the Mearna who ia recorded to have done
homage to King Edward, apart from tboao mentioDed in this chapter, was the
Parvon of Glenbebvib, of whom and his cbarch, &c., accotiDts have been already
gi7on. — Vide pp. 91-101,
448
MEMORIALS OF ANGLT8 AND MEAUNS.
CHAPTER III.
Unigljts Eemplarci, nnb l^oispitallcrs of ^t Jofin,
tije il^olfi CtinitB, ant ^t ffiirmans.
A
Knights TemplnTil— KnighU of St John — Barony and Church of Marycnlter —
Sepulchral Effigiea — Rom an Catholic College of BWrs — Library — Portnuti
of Queen Mary and Cardinal Beaton^Tlie Minister of tlie Order of the Holjr
Trioity — Tho Master of Si Qermaufi — Temple Lands of Kinbleihmont.
As in most other districts of Scotlaiul, the ancient and wealtlij
Orders of Koiglita Templars, and the Knights of St John of
Jerusalem, held conaiderable property in the towns and land-
ward parts of Angus and the Meams ; and, in consequence, the
4
iSagistrr |l?o^pita[(^ S>mtti 3|o&anni^ 3)tru$aIrRi
performed homage to King Edward L for land^ iu these shirotji!
Both these orders of Knights were introduced into Scotland
by King David I. : the principal house of the former was at
Teraplej in Mid-Lothian, of the latter at Torphieheu, in West
Lothian. The Knights Templai^ were suppressed about the
year 1320, when their possessions in Scotland were transferred to
the Knights Hospitallers, or (aa they were commonly called) tho
Knights of St John. The various places throughout the country,
called Temple Lands — although believed by some to liave been
the sites of temples^ or places of woi^hip, in old times— were so-
named from having been held under the superiority of one or
other of these Orders, to whom they were given at various periods
by princes and nobles, iu the same manner as properties and other
privileges were gifted to the church. jH
Tlie more important of the possessions of the Knight^^
Templars in this district wan the barony of Marycultor^ lu the
Meams, and the church of that parish was one of those of which
* Foed«ra» i. pt. iii. 163, ~
BLAIRS COLLECrE^PORTRAlTS OF QUEEN MART.
449
the Knights held the Yicamge. The old kirkyard of Jlaryciiltcr,
situated upon the west haok of the Dec, ia a siDgiilarlj romaTitic
spot, containing, among other relicB, the flculptured effigiea of a
knight and lady, said to be of the family of Mcnziea of Pitfodels.
The Boman Catholic College of St Mary was established at
Blaira in this parish in 1829, two years before which the late
John Henries, Esq., presented the estate and mansion house of
Pitfodcls to the Catholic BiBhops of Scotland. The mansion ,
which was considerably cnkrgedj and fitted for the purposes of a
College is now an object of interest both to the artist and to the
llterarj antiquary. The library is said to be of great value, and
to contain many rare ivorks which were saved at the destruction
of the Catholic Colleges in France. Among the vellum MSS.,
there are two particularly worthy of notice. One is the prayer
book of Anne of Bretagne, wite, first of Louis XL, and then of
Charles VITI. of France ; the other ia the service book of the
family of Beaton of Balfour, in Fife — both books being remark-
able for beauty of execution, and variety of illustrations. Among
the printed books are ''The Catechisrae" of John Hamilton,
Archbishop of St Andrews, dated 1552 ; and a perfect copy of
the works of Niniana Winzet, printed in 1502,
The more remarkable of the paintings are portraits of Mary,
Queen of Scots, and of Cardinal Beaton. Of the former there are
two portraits, one a full length, the other a three-quarter size :
there is a copy of the first in the possession of Queen Victoria,
believed, however, to be somewhat inferior to that at Blairs, In
the back ground of this picture the execution of tho Queen at
Fotheringhay is represented, along with portraits of Joanna
Kennedy and Elizabeth Curie, the two maids of honor who were
present at the sad scene* Tlie royal arras of Scotland are painted
in the right comer of the picture; and there are three inscriptions
in Latin. One occupies the left hand corner, another is written
below the scene of the execution, and a third along the foot of the
portrait. The Queen is represented with a book in her left hand,
and a crucifix in the right.
Of this and the other paintings above referred to, the follow-
ing account by the Kight Reverend Dr Kyle, Catholic Bishop
of the Northern district of Scotland, will be read with much
KK 2
L
4S0
MEM0BIAL8 OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
interest. The learned prelate remarks that "the large picture^
of Queen Mary belonged once to Mrs Elizabeth Curie, wife
and widow of Gilbert Curie, one of the Queen's secretaries dur-
ing the last years of her life, and at her death. Mrs Curie her-
self was one of the attendants at the execution. When and by
whom it was painted I have never learned. The attke'and atti-
tude of the principal figure, being the same in which it is said
Mary appeared on the scaffold, seem to testify decisively that the
picture is not what can be called an originalj that is, traced from
the living subject under the painters eye. The adjuncts were
evidently added by another and an inferior artist, but when I
have no means of knowing, Mrs Curie survived her mistress
long, at least thirty years. She had two sons, who both beciime
Jesuits. Of one, John, little is known. He died in Spam. The
other, Hippolytus, was long Superior, and a great benefactor of
the Scotch College of Douay* To that College he bequeathed
the property, not inconsiderable, which he derived from his
mother, and among the rest the very picture now at Blalrs. The
picture remained in that CoUcge till the French Revolution. At^J
the wreck of the College it was taken from its frame, and being -^
rolled up, was concealed in a chimney, the fire-place of which was
built up, and was so preserved. After the peace of 1815, it
taken from its place of concealment, and conveyed, first to Pj
but ultimately to Scotland, through the late Bishop Paterso]
and the Eevereud John Farquharson, who being, the latter
Principal, the former Prefect of Studies, in the Douay College at
the time of the Eevolution, identified it as having been h
there, with the tradition mentioned above,
*' Of the smaller picture of Queen Mary I have heard no hw
but from Its hiscription and appearance I am inclined to th
that it must have been drawn when Mary was a young girl in
France before the first of her marriages, so that, harsh and nn-
artistic as is its execution, I look upon it as a real or^mal^ and
perhaps the only one in existence.
"We have no account of the artist by whom, or the time when,
the picture of Cardinal Beaton was done. It was preserved ftt>m
time immemorial in the Scotch College at Rome, down to the
invasion of that city by the French in 1798* It was then sold for
was
wai^l
ariafl
rsoii^
atter
tge at
k^t
thini^
HOSPITALLERS. 451
a tnflej purchased off a stand in tlie etreet by a Scotch artist of
the name of MorrisoD, and restored hj him to Ahhh M'Pberson,
late Eector of that College, who had known it as part of the
College propertyj and by him brought to Blairs. Of the excel-
lence of itfi execution as a work of art, there can be no doubt,'"'
of Berwickj ia recorded to have done homage to the King of
England for lands in the connty of Forfar, 28th Anguat 1296.*^
So far as I am aware the only monasteries of this order in
Angns were at Brechin and Dundee. Of the former I have
learned nothing beyond the name, and an account has been pre-
viously given of the latter.^ The Truiity Friars had ako lands
in Banchory and Cowie, in the Meams,
This order of monks, commonly called Bed Friars^ was of
considerable antiquity in Scotland, there having been six mon-
asteries in that country so early as 1209. Their superiors were
styled Ministers, and a third part of their revenue was reserved
for redeeming Christian slaves from among the Infidels.
I^artbotomrud, l^ajfistfr Sloinu^ Sancti C^etmini et Santrui^nti
did homage to King Edward I. for lands in the counties of Aber-
deen and Kincardine.^
The place in the IWearas which held of the Hospital of St
Germans is now unknown. But it appears also to have had an
interest in AnguSj for on 6th March 1621, Alexander, Lord
Spynie, was served heir to his father in the lands of the hospital
of St Germans, called the Temple Lands of Klnblethmont/
The Hospital of St Germans, founded In the twelfth century,
stood near Seton, in Haddingtonshire, and had its name trom the
saint to whom It was dedicated,*
^ Kindi}j communicated by the Bcv. John Strain, Pretulent of ^t Mart/ a C&Ucffe,
Blain. These pictures are all painted on canvass. The larger portrait of Queen
Marj is 7 feet 5 inches bight hy 4 feet 9 broad. The leaser, simply insonbed '^MAEia
Sttjart/' is 5 feet 3 iuclies higb, by 4 feet 3 broad. The portriiit of CordiaAl Beftton
ia 2 feet 6 bj 2 feet,— Ui mp., 211 y^ See Afpendix, No. X\1JI,
^ Fccdera, 1. pjii, 163, ** Spottiswood'a Eelig. Houses, 430 ; vl tup., 1S8,
* Foadera, i, pt. iii. 163. ' Inq. Spec, Foifar, No. 130. » C^ledotjia, ii. 510.
452
HEM0BIAL8 OF ANQUS AND HEAKM8.
CHAPTER IV.
5ri)e iLaliue of ©eceaseU ISaronst, a.B. 1296-1306,
Widows of Abemetty of D&nlAppj — of Blair, ancestor of tlie Bloirs of Bolthnyock — of
Cbejne of the Mearns— ^f LoTel of Balmnby^-of Lundy of tltat Ilk — of Blond,
and of Hastingi of Angus, witb notices of tlieir Families and Eettates.
AVe have before referred to one lady who did homage to King
Edward, and liad livery, or possession of her lands in the shire of
Forfar, whetlicr her heritage or dowery ;* and the following, so
fai* as known, is a complete list of the homages of the ladies
connected with Angus and the Mearns. These^ — whether from
the antiquity or importance of the families to whicli they be-
longed— form a singularly interesting portion of the homages
which were performed during the time of the disputed monarchy,
and shew bow completely the plans of the Kiug of England were
laid tor the subjugation of the kingdom. With the exception of
the two last-mentionedj wliose homages took place on 15tli March
1306, the others occurred on 3rd September 1296.
0luitit i|u$ (uH uxor l^upniii te ^ktntt^i^,
was wife of the eldest son of Sir Patrick of Abemethy, third
in de¢ fi*om Orera, founder of the race. The lands in Angus,
iu which this lady was reponed by King Edward, had probably
been those of Babnadity, in Feme, Downey, in Monikie, and
Dimlappy — at least, from earlieat record, these estates were pos-
sessed by the AhemethyB.'*
The surname of the lady is not recorded; and that of her
husband was assumed from Abemethy in Perthshire, where
Laurence, the aon of Orem, was Abbot of the Culdees, and lord
of the manor of Abemethy/
■ Ui $up.t 345, *' Fa^dera^ i. pt. iii. 164.
Reg* de Aberb., 25. — {See Duiiglas' Pt'^rage, ii, 466-7. j
LADIES OF ALEXANDER BLAIR, AND REGINALD CHEYNE. 4M
'^kna> quffi fuft mot ^!e»»ntJft l)r Ulartp
was a daughter of Sir William Ramsay of Dalhousie, and Iicr
husband was son of Sir William Blair, who is said to Lave been
Beneschal of Fife in the time of Alexander 11.^
Sir iUcxander Blair was great-grandfather of the first Blatr
of Balthajock, in Perthshire ; and although it is certain that the
family possessed considerable property in Angus during, and sub-
sequently to the time of Robert the Sruce^ the lands for whieh
this ladj did homage are unknown*
Icugtac^txt^ quar fuU uxor Megfnalt} le ®bm»
did homage for lands in the shires of Forfar and Kincardine.'^
This lady was the heiress of Sir William Colville of Ocbiltreei
in Ayrshire, and brought a considerable estate to her husband|
Sir Reginald Cheyne. He was sometime chamberlain of Scot-
land, and took a leading part in the transactions of the times.
He died au old man soon after 1291, dm-ing which year he and
his son w^erc appointed nominees of King John Balioh His son,
also Sir Reginald , did homage to King Edward.
The Cheynes were of Norman origin, and early settled in the
north. The line failed in two co-heiresses about the year 13oOj
one of whom married John, second son of John of Keith,
marlschal of Scotland, and the other became the wife of Nicol of
Sutherland, second son of Kenneth, Earl of Sutherland. The
estates were then divided, and the barony of Hufius being the
portion of the latter, the title of Lord DuffuSj which was con-
ferred upon the tamily of Sutherland by King Charles II., was
assumed from it.^
• Ftedcra, i
* Ftudftiaj i. pi. ill, 164 ;, DougW Baronage, 187.
ft, I. pt, liL IW. ' Chalmers' Culed., i.
695 6.
454
MEMORIALS OF ANUUS AND MEARNS.
lEba, qm fu{t uxct Kolierti Ho^rT*
did homage for lands in the counties of Aberdeen, Forfar, and
Eoxhurgb, in 1296 ; and, much about the same timcj
J
Qgncjj^i, qii fu h Ummt 7t?fxtr|^ Sour!,
performed the same service for landii m Roxburgbshire.*
The Levels were of Norman origin; and in 1183^ Henry of
Lovel granted two bovates of land in the territory of Hawick to
the prior and canons of St Andrews*^
The ancient residence of the family was at Hawick, which they
afterwards left for Balumby, in Angus ; and, in the year 1267,
Thomas of Lovel is a witness to the foundation charter of the^_
Hospital, or Maimndieu^ of Brechin/ ^|
From the time of Edward I, until 1328, when Sir Hugh Lovel,
knigbt, appeara as a witness to Henry of Bossy's charter of the
lands of Inieney to Walter of Schaklock,^ there is little trace of
the name in the dbtrict. James Lovel is recorded as one of the
Angus barons who fell at Harlaw in 1411 ; and in 1425-6,
Richard Lovel of Balumby was a witness to an instrument of
wadset, which the Master of Crawford granted to Sir Thomas
Maule, of the lands of Cambistown,^
Richard bad, at least, one son and a daughter. The latter
became the wife of Sir Robert Graham of Fintry, ancestor q(^|
the Viscounts of Dundee ; and the former is said to have marrie3^^
Catherine Douglas, who was in the Convent of the Black Friars
at Perthj when King James L, and " Valter Straton, the kyng's
chalmer chyld," were murdered by the Earl of Athole and his
associates. This lady was maid of honor to Qaeen Joanne, and
on bearing the approach of the regicides, with the view of al-
lowing the king time to escape, it is told by an old writer, that
she ''put hir arme in tbe hoill quhair the [bowt] suld hef bene
for haiat, hot the wpstryking of it brak hir arm," This well-
known historical incident occurred on the 2l8t February 1436 ;
» Fccdem, L pt. iii 164, Rag, Roll, 172 ; Prnme, 664; Ayloflb's CalendorB,
Reg. Ep, Bre^bin.} u 8.
^ lUg. Prior. S. Audr^e, 60, &e.
^ Eog. do Aberb., 339.
iiVf/. de Panmurc, M8., i. 246.
THE L0VELL8 OF BALUMBT. 465
and the same author adds that the heroine '^ wea mariit efter od
Alexander Lovell of Balwamy.'^'^'
About the year 1478, Alexander Lovel of Bahimby was an
assizer " upon the landia and guides pertaining to Walter Ogilvy
of Owera," and in 1490, the Duke of Montrose was found to
have done *' wrang in the eiecioun and outputting of Alexander
LoTale of Ballumy, out of the landls of Bischopkers Hand in the
barony of Roskowby, and vexing of him tlierintill.""
The aon of the laBt-namcd Alexander bore the name of Henry,
and obtained the honor of knighthood. In 1536, he prosecuted
Patrick, Lord Gray, for an act of " stonthreif and oppression''
done to him on the 28th of January, '' in the occupation of his
Sdhing of Dundervisheide, on the water of Tay, lying to the east
of the castle of Bmchty.*'°
Sir Henry died about 1550, ae in that year he was succeeded
by his son and heir, Andrew LovalhP Andrew had a son who
bore the sanie name as his grandfather, and m 1572, he and hia
son, " Jolinne Lovell, ffear of Balumbio,'* were charged with non-
appearance before the Eegcnt and Council, when it is stated that
the tbrmer *' wes denunceit rebell and at the home, and thairfoir
put in ward, and thaircfter dcliuerit to my Lord Thesaurer, to be
kepit in sure firmance and custody.'* This took place on the 8th
of August, and on the 23d of January following, Patrick, Lord
Gray, was charged to "vnderly tlie law flFor resset and intercom-
moning wth Henrye Lovell of Balvmbye, Patrick and Danid
Lovellis his sonis, and vtheris, being deiinnceit rebellis and at the
homCj" when his lordship was '* vulawit for non-appearance/ **i
Traces of the Levels of Bahimby become scanty after the
last-named period. Some of tlie family became burgesses of the
neighbouring town of Dnndcc ; and the last notice of them as
lauded proprietors occurs in 1607, when Sybilla and Mariota
were served heirs-portioners to their father, James Lovell, in the
lands and fishings of Westfcrry and " the Vastcruik, alius Kil-
craig," on the north of the Tay,*" facta which probably shew that
the family failed in co-heiresses.
■ Extracta c VaniM Croti., 236> " Acta Ami., 00 ; Acta Dom. Concil., 152,
® Piteaim's Crira. Trials, i *177. ' luq. Spcciales, ForJar, No. 6.
' Pitcairn'a Com, Trials, iL 37, 41. ' luq- Speciaks, FoHar, Nos 56-7.
456
MEMORIALS OP ANGUS AND MEARNB,
Perhaps the forttmes of the Levels had declmcd soon after
middk of the slxteuuth century, since, in 1571, Sir Thomas Lyon
of Aldbar had charters of the dominical lands of Balumby, The
ostate appears afterwards to have got into tlie hands of a younger
son of Lord Gray ; and about the year 1601, It belonged to the
first Lord Balraerino/ It was Panmure property before 16432,
for Earl George was then served heir to his father, Earl Patrick,
in the temda and superiority of the lands ;* and in 1674, and
subsequently, James Maule, who succeeded his brother, George,
as third Earl of Pan mure, was designed of Balnmliy, Down to
the forfeiture of the Maules in 1716, it belonged to that family,
and was among the estates which Earl William bought back In
1764, It w^as sold, during the early part of this century, by the i
late Lord Pan mure.
Baluniby lies in the parish of Murroes, near Dnudee ; and the
manor is described by Mr Ochterlony, about 1682, as being ''a
old ruinous demolished house ; but a very pleasant place/' A
ne%v mansion-house was built by a late proprietor, adjoiuing the^
remains of an old building, upon the latter of which are several
shields charged ^vith armorial bearings.
^argarcta, quae fuft uxor ]?ttd t»f llunDj!,
who did homage for lands in the counties of Kincardine and Fife,
was probably the widow of a descendant of one of two Engltfili
famihes who were settled in Fife and Angus during the reign of
King David I. The latter line failed in Alan the Durward, or
ffosHarius; but the Fife branch, of which it is probable Peter
of Lundy was a member, survived until near the close of the
seventeenth century.**
Limdie in Angus is a small parish, and the celebrated Admiral
Duncan, whose- family have long possessed the district, was
buried in the churchyard. Lundie in Fife lies in the parish of
Largo, w^here also is the burial-place of the famous Admiral Sir
Andrew Wood. That locality is fartlier interesting to the anti-
quary, from its containing an old sculptured stone monument, and
» Douglas* Peorace, ii, 504 ; i. 671, 42, 183. » Ibid., No. 384, 8cc.
• Ffcdam, i. pt. iii. 164 ; Rag. R^ill, 159 ; Cnli^donia, L 633.
LADIES OF ADAM BLUND, AND EDMUND HASTINGS. 457
three rude imcmbellished obelisks. These Inst-mentionecl stones
are each about eighteen feet high, ami sepulchral reinams have
been got beside them. At Xorric'a Law, portions of a remark-
able set of silver armour were also found, bearing symbols simihir
to some of those upon the sculptured stones of Scotland/
i^targatftfi t^e l^Iarr j uxor 9t»e le Blunti,
had probablj been one of the Blairs of Balthayock,
The Blunda appear first in Angus and the llearnft as witnesses
to charters by William the Lion, and Alexander II. ; and, as
before seen, more than twenty jeai-s previous to the appearance
of the wife of Adam of Blund, Hugh Blund, ancestor of the noble
family of Arbuthnott, granted the church of Garvock to the
monastery of Arbroath.^ It is probalrle that Hugh Blund of
Arbuthnott, and Adam of Blund, were related. It was in 1306
that the wife of Adam of Blund performed homage, and it wai
for lands in the shires of Forfar and Stirling.
Nomina Ugaliclkp ti:to( ISomini Ictrmunti ht |t;ast(ngcs»,
also did homage in 1306, for lands in the county of Forfar-
Of this lady's family or her husband's nothing is kno%\Ti. It
is probable that the latter was descended either from John or
Adam of Hastings, who had settlements here under King
^\'iUiam the Lion, The first-named received the manor of Dun
from that monarch, from which he granted a salt- work, and an
acre of land adjoining, to the monastery of Arbroath ; and the
latter had a charter grant from the same king of the land of
Kingilduris, out of which he made a grant to the same abbey.*
' Eni^myed and nottci^d io tlie Scnlptnred Stone Monumcnta of Scotland.
» Palirave, 300 ; Faedera, i. pt. iv. 59 ; nt iup., 436.
" FcDdero, i. pt. iv. 59 ; Palgrave, 299 ; E«fg. Vot. de Abcrb., 99, 87,
LL 2
458
MEMORIALS OP AN008 AND HEAKKS.
CHAPTER V.
Coinages of ISarottiS, ^M. 1306.
Niclioliisof Dotinoiiey,or Downej — ^Dancan Scott — Sootta of ModItosp, Logj, Csui,
and Doninold — Firat appearance of tb« Bornsmo otSeott in Angus, &o.
Among the barons who did homage to King Edward In 1306, only
two were designed of thia dlatriet, and both were of Angus.
" or Dennovcn/* as the name is given in Eymer,** had probably
been a vassal of the ancient family of Abernethy, and may have
held the property of Downey, in MoDikiCj and assumed hh
name from it* Previous to his time, there was a family snr-
named Downey, one of whom was present at the settlement of
the marches of Conan and TuUoeSj in 1226-39."^
Sun ran Scutum,
who J along with ** Dounouey,'' also performed homage for laudd
in AnguSj 15th March, was probably ancestor of David Scott,
burgess, and lessee or tacksman of the mills of Montrose, in 1329,'^
It appears that Scotts have been located in and near Mon-
trose since the time of Robert the Bruce. The first Scott of
Logy, a merchant and burgess of that town, was ancestor of
the ScottSj at one time lairds of Usan and Duninald, one of
whom, towards the close of the last century, was M.P. for the
county of Forfar, and aftenvarda for the burghs.
The surname of Scott, now of common occurrence, appears first
in Angus during the reign of William the Lion, when Richard
de Scociaj clerk to that king, witnessed a charter of the gitt of
the ferryboat of MontroBe to the abbey of Arbroath, which was
granted at Forfar about 1178-80.'*
• PalgTSTc, 301 ; Foetkra, i, pt. iv. 69. *» Beg. Yti. do Ab«rb., 325.
* PftlgTRVff, 300; Fcedera, i. pt. iv. 69; Cbamb. RoIIb, lOL
** Reg. Vet. de Aberb., 12, pa^Mim.
APPENDIX.
I*'
I
ih
APPENDIX.
No. I.— Page 13.
LeHar-^WiliiaM Strang, to eAe Magtttrate* of Forfar ^ sent tdong with the Clitjrch
BdL — Fn>m ihe ori^nal in ike Archives of the Burgh .^
BtcBt wottTuiB Aim Lowiwa fkeehdb
YourB of tbe ii Jung last with skipper James Fatersoii reaaivcd, And according
to your desyre and coiiiiBSioti I liawe uhippii in witli the Haid ttklpper, tlie bell my
vmquhill brother Robert Strung did dedicate to your churchc, hoping it ahal! pkaHo
yow Weill. I pray the Lord yow may rcfmwe it in «tii'ctj And eSler safe dely wurie
yairof, it will please yow pay the Bkipper Ha fmcbt for it: And wheraa yow wishc I
»huid hawe conwerted a pairt therof fur bwyiiig a clocke yairto^ wbiche I did not
think Siting, hot that it ahuld hawo rather bene angmcntcd an dimiiiiahed wbicho I
hawfi also done. And, aa for the buying of a clocke, I hope thcr wilho somes amongst
yow who will follow my vniquhill brother eflfter through hia goode example ; Alfeo I
would entreat my worthio freends the proweat bailies and coonsell of the toune,
tbat they would bawe goodo inspection iu the distnhulion of the poore moneyed
yeirlie, so that it he distributed only to the poore of ibe tonne and to do other accord-
ing to my vm(]uhill brotbors intention and meaning,^ which o I hope yow will doe,
]eawing behind yow a good example to your successors to follow effter in all tymea
comingf for whiche the Lord will blew yow and yowrs the better. Noebt forder,
bot my thankfull rcmembrenoe of deutie to yow all for favours showne courtesies to
ma for wbicbc I shall rcmane
YoDT Lowing frecod
Stockholm n August 1657.
Pay the skipper his reassonabic fracht for I
behowed to gift him 2 bells for his ship and
bous wse befor he woidd grant to take it in.
Wu^u^ii SraAiro,
[Addressed] —
Per skipper whom
God preserve.
ffor
His most worthie and Louiug &eonds the prowect htSfyoB
and counsell of the borghe of forfur — this in hand
In
forfar.
* I am obliged to William Roberta, Esq., Town-Clerk of Furfar, for the readi-
ness with which he placed this^ and some other original papers belonfiug to the
burgh, at my disposal. The documents, from the Archives of the Burgh, are here
printed for the first time.
^ This refers to a mortification, or gift, of 10,(M>0 merka, which Mr Strang mado
to the poor of the burgh, and which was hiid out ia the purcbase of land. The aunmd
rents now amount to about i;240 sterling, which h handud over anauully, by the
mortificatioo managers, to the Parochial Board.
462 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEABNS.
No. II. (A.)— Page 19.
ExtraeU/rom Dr Arthur Johnstone's '' JhematOf'' 1642, pp. 437-439.
FarfjEira, te decorant regalia radera tecti,
Et lacQS, et multae fertilitatis ager ;
Sunt angustA tibi, fateor, pomnria, latum
Sed tamen imperinm Scotia prisca dedit ;
Qnos gens, agnoscit tellas Angaria fasces,
Seqae tuo sistnnt rara remota foro ;
Jus dicunt popuU proceres, plebs excolit artem
Qq& parat et tenueR jugiter anget opes ;
Tergora sant illi Talidis detracta jayencis,
£t quad Tirgineos Telat aluta pedes ;
Umbrorum levibus dedit hsec sandalia plantis,
Et Boleas sociis, funiger ordo, tuis ;
Ne nive vel glacie Ifiedaris, tempore brame,
Heec tibi perones, rastica turba, parat ;
Fortibus haec ocreis veteres instruzit AchiTOS,
Et Graias crepidas hinc petiere nurus ;
Plebs eadem tragicis munivit crura cothumiS|
Hiyus et inyentum nobile soccus erat ;
Roma suas postbac ne tollat in ethera vires.
Nee bellatrices Sparta superba manus ;
Imposuere jugum popali cervicibus illsa,
Fortibus haec viuclis crura pedesque premit.
No. II. (B.)— Page 68.
MONS BOBAJBUU.
Nobilis urbs rosci jam gaudet nomine mentis,
Qu80 prius a coelo dicta Celurca fuit ;
Proximus huic mens est, quem prteterlabitur amnis,
Ambrosias populo prsebet uterque dapes ;
Mens lectas pecudcs, salmones sufficit unda,
Lautius et si quid stagna Neronis habent ;
Quae recreent oculos, incingunt lilia ripas,
Ipsaque puniceis sunt juga picta rosis ;
Ad latus eoum se vectigale profundum
Explicat, et velis mille teguntur aquae ;
Propter aquas populo praebet spectacula campus,
Flumine quem Boreas bine lavat, inde Notus ;
Hie juvenum pars flectit cquos, pars utitur area,
Pars rotat Herculea grandia saxa manu ;
APPENDIX — NO. II. 463
Sant qao8 lacta juTat, para gaudet Indere disco,
Vel Tolucres corvo pellere foste pilas ;
Urbs Celebris, te si spectet, Capitolia Bomn
Juppiter, Idaliam deseret alma YenuB.
No. n. (c.)— Page 140.
BRECHraUM.
Fertile Brecbinnm geminos inteijacet amnes,
Hie Boream spectat, respicit ille Notum ;
Bnpibas inclnssd stemontiir pontibas nnd»,
Sunt qnoqae secnris flamina plena vadis ;
Hanc simul Arctoi decorat yictoria regis,
Perfida cam socii terga dedere daces ;
Praesalis hie sancti domas est, et pjramis eedi
Proxima, Phidiacw foraitan artis opus ;
Si molem spectes, nihil est exilias ilia,
Ipsa tamen coeU calmina tangit apex ;
Est structara teres, nee raro lomina fallit,
Eminus hanc spectans esse putabis acam ;
Dsedala compages et yentos ridet et imbres,
Neo metait magni tela trisalca Jovis ;
Si fabricam conferre labet, Brechinia tarris
Pyramidas saperat, Nile saperbe, taas.
No. II. (D.)— Page 226.
TAODUHUU.
Urbs yetas, andosi cai parent ostia Tai,
Et male Cimbroram, qaod tegit ossa, solam,
Genoa te spectans saa ndet marmora ; moles
Pjramidum flocci barbara Memphis habet ;
Ipsa suas merito contemnant Gargara messes ;
Qaasqae regit, damnat terra Libama rates ;
Et VenetAm populi de paapertatc qaerantur ;
Nee Coidns soqaoreos jactat, at ante, greges ;
Si conferre lubct, pubes Spartana juventae,
Gonsalibas cedit Roma togata tais ;
Qui mendicatum Tai de gurgite nomen
Dat tibi, credatur mentis & artis inops ;
Structa Deiim manibus cam possis jure yideri,
Jure Dei-donum te tua terra yocat.
464
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
No. ni,— Page 21,
Letter— Capt. PbcMet} to iAe MagUtraies of Forfur, %2d May I (554. —
From tJte original in the ArchtveM of the Burgh*
Ton are Iterliy required t<i cause to lie sent into the Garison for the T«e of tbo
saldicrs, fnwer dnsaen of wheate brcade for eacli day in llie we eke for which tho
baker y^ liringB it sball resene riddj moQpj and jon are to ta^c spcciall ctae thftt
the breado brought in he the full weight accordingc to the price tb&t wheate now
hcarcth, and you are likcwiae to send yon" flcshers with heefe mutton or LatnW <?ach
tnnnday and wedenfiday to aerue the Gariaon, and for auch mcate aa shall be brought
ta the party<?B ahall reseiuo good payment for the &ame ] heroin I expect that yoa
fayle not bs you tender you' quiett and far prcuenting© the aohliera of ComingQ to
cAuso tho warrant to be observed Given rnder my band at the Caatle of Glamii
this 22th of May lG5-i,
T, POOKXJIT.
fFor the Prouoat of ffbrfor
and to the bailflfe theirof. [Indorsed] — Captain© Pockleyea ordour to
the baxtcrs and Eeahefi.
No. I\\— Page 22.
Metmricd for Bohert Cralgie^ Egq., Lord AdvoceUe, regarding the " OcUaHropU^ rf
ChunciUor Binng of Forfar. — From iAc original in tfte Archives of the Burgh.
, . , . , The next thing to he consulted Is a Catastropie of a verry extnurrdi-
nary nature, of which we can give no mare than a eketch thereofi as will appear by
tho acqucll of this atorie, which is, That upon flfriday last, the eighteen daj erf Sep-
tember j^vij^ and fourtj-onej Andrew Binnj, ahocmakcT la fforfar, and one of iHs
common Counsel of the Raid burgh, haveing buBinesa at the burgh of Dandi»e, went
thither in the morning of the foraaid day^ and on his returoe home, much about hatf
way, at a place called Petterden^ being the King^a highway, leading to and from tha
forcGHid borgh, he all of a sudden was invaded aiid asanltf^d by four men who
furiously threw him off hia Korse, Clapt a thick Cloath (which ho apprebends wa«
woolon}, about his face* and fixing the samo before and h<jbiud his neck, in so mucb
that he was almost suffocated : Tho moment thcrcafler, bo inhuman and Wrbaroua
were they, tbat thuy fettered hia armca with strong Coarda behinde his bock, then
they remounted him on hh horse, with one of tlio ni (Sans, who ro<le behind bim with
his armca Grasped about hia body, the oy'' three iiceompyning him on foot. He
asked them If they wanted his money, wliich was about three pound be had in hia
pocket. If fio they were welcome to it, and begd, for ChristV Bake, to apare bia life:
But in place of that they caried him, as he imaginee, and ia pretty en re, two booiiei
at leant, and tbeu brought him to aomo dwelling, took him off hia horse in the
above aituation, and two of them each on one band, with their hands and armet
about hia west, and under his thygha, cariod him up several paira of St^iirs, which
he IB positive were not atreight, by reason of the frequent tnrninga thev mado with
him, and their resting two three limes, nutill they put him io a room where, without
APPENDIX — N08. tV., V.
465
meat or dnnli, ihaj kcept liim fettered am! bMntlfuIdt!*! an at fir?t, and oire or two
al waves walking by him : ypa, \\w.w bnrbaritj' went etill furder, tbat the ealiva or
«pitt could tiut be dkcharecd by biin v itbout one of biw atenilants moving tbe cloatb
a lit!c above bis ckin^ neither could be get nature cased or SQpplyed, ffbr lie was
put in a bed wnntin^ eloatha or aiiytbing tilne below or above bim, tbo* frequently
he demandctl tbe sam© for tbe sake of bis and tbeir Redeemer. To wbicb domand<i
tbey neyer gave any suply or return, keeping bim in tbia miserable conditioa
30 bmirea or thereby, Dueriiig wbicb tyme tbey used their outmost cndeRVonrea
with him, by horrid iniprecationes, menaces, and threatinga, to leave the present
inat;iatFateEi their party, to wbicb be bad al waves firmly stood by^ and come over to
the oy"^ side of the question; And, as no doubt, he came lengths with respect to tbeir
demands, tbey then began to give him §ome aMurcance of bis speedy enlargement
which perhapea hapened tbe Booner with tbis drcuraitance, Tbat tbe noiM' that bo
made, while able^ occusioned their cbangeinghiH rtx>m to a Darker, ot which time one
of his atendanCa slakt a litle tb€ cb>atb about his beail, when he heard a voice from
tbe former roum, ami graflping abovt bim, by great accident, laid bold of the 6mxk of
the door which he lifted, and perceptably saw Mr Fletcher of Ballanaboe, hia Livery-
man, with a candle in bis hand, calling on one of his attendenta, Are you comeing
to bed? — wbert^upon Mr Binny called and cryed the louder, atid bwo"*© wherever,
OF in whatever place be was thus troa'ied, fHeteher'a servant was there, and if they
should torture him to Death bo would abyd by it, Upon wbicb two of tbe Gang
atraitned bis cordis and the eloath about his Head, and swore bloodely, if he apak or
made any more noise, tbey would scobb bis mouth, and Inllict oy^ ptiniabmenta upou
Mm, whitib forced bis silence and soon after lie was caried off by two of these
ruflians blinde folded and fettered aa above, sometime walking, and at oy' tymca
rideing on hia horse, for tbe space of two boures or thereby^ and about twelve at
night, as be aprebendn, basing tbo Saturn day, wa» left by them in thv rauire of
Kincaldrum^ onlousod in a moment both at armes and face, and certified, with great
Ckatbs, to conceal tbe tratement be met with, and abide by the promises or oaths be
head come under, oyrwayes it would faro worse with him : Tbifl part wbero they
lelt bim is witbiu a mile, or thereby, where they first atackt bim
i^Tote.— The above wan drawn up by tbo Magistrates of Forfar^ and presented to
Mr Craigie, then Ijord- Advocate, afterwards Lord Pre Ride nt of the Court of Settsiun,
for his advice as to " the most habile method to be taken for detecting such a peice
of villanv, or if it were possiblCf upon Mr Binny 8 signeing an© informatioue ag*.
Fletcher a se^v^ that a w&rrant would l>e got for aprebeudiug bis person/' &c.
No. v.— Page 27.
JExiraeU from Acemtnts of the Burgh of Fmfar^ a.i>, \^M,^- Written <m two hoie
leaves foUot preserved in the Archives of the Burgh.
DisciTA^Rne. lib s d
ffirst payed to James Smith for fTyve Douzoo of pypa and tuelve winds of
tobaco att MicbaelmeB 1684 12 0
To Alext Adam measaoo to hie I? hew] the itoiu for the tu of the Crcc« 0 14 0
JI M 2
4G6
MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEAHNS.
To Jo^n Cauty for DrawiQg wp ane 5Imut Wtuiit the toun and DsTid
Whyt anent the alienation of tho West fihell
To lh« thrio officers for yr shoes
To JoBn Roilqer to huy oyll for the vae of the knock and hella
To Ibomag Smith ofiScer when he went w* the Town to The Lady Dal-
namooDS buriall
£for proclaiming of St toeihcreos fair (kit the Croce of Brechin and in
the Crofts y'of
flTor proclaiiuiag the 6d fair att Alyth and Kirriemuir
To John Mitchell Coupar and the town olficcra for y' payns when the
touna metis and mfiftsnra wer gadg€:!J
payed for aill in Biiihie Benneys couform to receipt
flfor cntrie money to the toun ofGcera
To the sda officers at the moping of tbo tonna cufftoma and Booths
To Jamea Proctor officer for goeiiig to Innerqnhftrity for John Eobertsone
to get t some peapers from him anent the toun
To Alexr Mastertoun for ringing the bella
To Patrick Gibsone for the lyke caoso
Tu Aleir Adam for poeing to GlameB for ane atone to the Croce
To Jamea Guild for hia horse and cairt and to Andrew Smith for hia
horse to Glaniea to bring heme the ad alone to ibe Croce
To Jaroea Gordon in temph*bank for tht* lend of bis extrie to bring home
the sd sione, Jamea Guild having broken bis extrie in the cause
To tbo officen for goeing to Giames for helping to lift iLod nailing
wpon the sd stone in the C&irt
To Jamea Procter officer forgoeing to Ed* wpon the touna afTaira
More for ane pair of aboca to him before he went
Payed to John Stnrrock officer for goeing to Glames with the proTCKt
on St fargiia Day wpon the tonns aceompt
To John JatnesBon pyper to buy ane pair of abocs to him
To prove»t Carnegy for goeing to Edin"" wpon the tonna affaira
To John Low for hia horse to Dundio
To the officers for keeping the counsel! loft Door
Tikyed of expensae at the Laiid of Clovayes buriall
At y* tyme to the officcra for gueiog w^ tbc magialrata j'to
To John Hepbume for bis horao and cart and ontcarricing the red or
small atona out of the laigh tolbnith
Att y* tyme to the officera for abooling and filling the ad redd
To John Jamesson pyper for en trie monie
payed for AiH with Andrew Tailour and the officers for goeing to hight
tbe great Bcll^ shoe being then UTong
To Alex' Benny for litting of Black Cloath for the vse of the Coonaell
Jofl
0^ Drink money to bia man
To James Auld tailzonr and ofexpensse w* liim
Att y« lyme for Silk
Att y* tyme for nailla to Thomas Hepburn
Att y» tyme to tbe office ra
lib i d
0 7 0
4 10 0
1 1 0
0 6 0
0 6 8
0 9 4
0 5 4
2 10 0
0 18 0
0 5 0
0 4 O
2 0 0
2 0 0
1 8 0
t 0 0
0 4 0
0
8
0
d
0
0
1
0
0
0
4
0
1
1
0
68
0
0
0
16
0
1
6
a
1
8
0
0
U
a
0
6
8
0
6
0
0
e
a
0
12
0
T
la
0
0
4
0
1
8
0
0
6
0
0
10
0
0
2
0
J
APPENDIX — NO. V.
407
To John Sturrock oflScer quhea be wiia aeick at the Magiatr»tfi cojuwiinil
Tu tbo Clerk for wreating and forming the DUpoBition and lights lie
the Toon to David Whjt of y* peice of hind called the West Shell
To John Canty of Drinkmoiuo for hh payna and wreatting
To thu Clerk for tao akma of parchment to the touni Drum
To Andrew HuTMleraone toun heard of entrie money
To William and Charles AJtims fur Mending of the Irone hons
To William Ouild and John Low for briDging too cairtfuli of fltoQB j'to
To Andrew Tailzonr fiir mending the laigb tolhuith door
To him for raemling th<5 grent Bull
To John Ogilhyea wyflfe for threie eluca and ane halfe ell of aey cloath for
anc Cott to Jamea Procter at 1 lib 9a. pr ell Ja
(toT QiH w^ her and the tukonr
lib s
r]
1 10
0
4 13
0
0 H
0
] lU
0
0 6
n
3 6
0
0 6
0
1 10
0
4 0
0
5 1
e
0 3
4
[In Addition to th^ two leaves from whicb the abore cxtmcta are takcn^ four
otber leaves contain the " Cuabob"" of the Burgh, also payments of feua in
** Trufles and Scaldin^i." Among these entries is an example of a "tee-name'*
— Htill in use among fiahemicn and coal niinerBt and where there arc a Dumber of
persona of the same name and aumame in one locality. At tbt* time rtiftTred to
*' Binny ** was one of the moat eommon aurnames in Forfiir^and one of the pay-
menta in qucation hears — *' John Canty tailzeour, and Utk Joht* Benney half a
darg, 138. 4d;"]
The /olhuyinff warrant by th$ Slteriff of Forfarshirgj for Cutting and Branding
tlUeves (though not referred to m the preceding pages J, a ferns worthy of a place
here, — The Qriginal it in tfte Archives tftlt^ Burgk of Forfar.
TotUi, 1» Septr. 1699 by Imrerlgfhty yor Sberrtf depot.
Tbe Judge and aherrif deput foraaid after haveing taken tbe Judiciall confessiona
of Ptttnck Mitchell in Cottoun of Coasins and Bessie Muttin receptur by bim ther
And after havcing fitelen Nrprie, Table Cloatha, and Currats from the Earle of
Strathmore, conforme to ibtir CoDfessiona j'^of of this dtiite, ffindu by their saids
Confesnions That they are Cmilty of the aaids Crymes lyed to their chargea and
therfor ordains the said Patrick to have his Right Earc Cut of, and the said
Bessie Burnt on the Bight Cheek by the hand of the common hangman on Wedena-
day tlie Tuenty instaut bcluext Tuo and ffiiur hours in the aflernwn, and the
magistrates of OTorfar to see this sentancc put in Execution, as tbey will be ansuur*
able for which tbia shall be ther warrand
(Signed) Wst Grat.
im
MEMOEIALH OF ANGUS AND MEABNS*
No. VI.— Paue 4G-
BoeumenU reMbig to tJie HendUarrf Office of Farier, or Gate-keeper of the Ca§Ue
o/MtnitroM, — Acta FaH,, vol i. p. 90, j
BHEVE AD INQUIKEKDUH DB BUCCEBBtOUE BYUOms JAKtTORM DE HQNROS. A.P. 1261.
A . Doi gratia rex Sccrttorain Roberto da Moate Alio diltjcto ct fidiili auo rictoomiti
et ballivis ainu de Forfar Halutcjm MaadamuB vobia et precijiimua quatiDUs ^er pro-
bos et tidulcs bomin^a patrle diligtinUT et fiiltiHtor mquiri iacuUis «i Mjirgarcta
Angnes yuannoek Cristiana et Munota filie quombuu Symouia Jamtom do Monroe
sdnt legitiine et propinqQiores hertfdos dicti quoudam Sytuoins de tcrr* di© Inyikney
ctd(3 officio janue castri nostri dtj Muoros et m dictua quondam Synion obiit vestituB
ct at?iBituB ut de f«odo de dktiB turra et ofEeio et bee omnia diiigenttr et fideUter
inquisUa nnttcmn valore et rationabili extenta torre preiiotuumte qaamciLidH poleri-
tio nobia mitli faciiitia et hoc breve Teste me ipso apud Monroa , Jtij . die Marc^j
ADUQ r«gid nostri sLiij*^.
INQUiaiTlO SUl'EB £OD£U BBETI.
Hec est inquisicio facta de prccepto domioi regiii per Robertum de Monte AltP
militera de terra tie Joianey juxta FuleKkkuui scilicet per iatos baronea , baronie
di3 vetcri Munroa Rossyn Felbyn Kyncl loverkilcrd Invcrlttnan Kynbladmuud
Loxyti Dnn Brechyn Eioabtr Parva Pert Melgtmd Parinemor Pannebride Tunryn
et Ri>scolbyn ©t magna pars probornm burgctiBinm do Munroa . Otuiiea illi preno^
miiiati juimti dicnnt quod quidam bowo qui rocabatur Crane babnit ct lenuit dio^
tain terrani hercditario ex doiio regia Willelmi et in dicta terra obiit veRtitus et
saysitua ut do feedo . Et poat deceitsum ejus Swaya ^lius ejus teiiuit et babuit dic-
tam torram bereditario et obiit in dicta terra vcstitus et Baysitua tit de feodo . «i
poat dccfssnm ejus Simon liliufl ejtia tennit et babuit dictam terram bereditarte ct
ill dicta terra obiit vestttus et aajsvtua ut de feodo . et quod dictus SymoQ babuit
quinquo fiLiaa ex duubuH mulicribQa dcaponaatia scilicet Margar Agnes Swauni>c
CriBtian et Mariot . et quo dicti Crane Swayn et Symon nuncquam feccrunt
ejcercituni nee di^derunt aiiJiilium nee aliqiiid aliud inniundo pro dicta terra fecerunt
nisi ofEcinm Januc Ca»tri doniiui Regis de Mnnroa . Et jurati dicuni quod dicto
mnlierea sunt legitime e^propinqniores bercdea dicti Syiuonia jam defuncti.
No. VII.— Page 74.
Tbo curiouB Iiietrument of Sir Wilxeam Froetcr'a Aisythemcnt, 5lb February
1530, is printed in tbo jSpaUing Club MiictUany^ vob ir. pp. 27-9* It was
writteu by Jubn 15 liberty preabytcr of tbe dioccBC of Brecbin, and a notary public,
and Witncseed by Villiam Foullartoun of Ardoebt, George Erakyn of Qabitfild,
John Lytideaay, Mr Hugh Viacbart, aod otbera.
VIII.— Pages 116, 119, 122.
Mjciructi from two painted hoards in th^ SeiBton-houaey Old Chwrtk of Bnxkin,
The earlier entries^ on the oldest hoard, appear to ham been vmde about 16G0.
1615. Andrew Bialiop of Brechin gifted the beanie before die pulpit. =
1630. JamcB Pieres, Merchaui [mortifitd] £133
6
13
la
100
0
0
33
6
%
40
0
0
60
0
0
More, JameB Fieres foresaid gave for IicJping to caat the groat bell ^^
More, Agnea Cargillt hia upoune ...... 06
]u43. Mr Alex' Biaaet, oiiu'' at Brechin, gifted a silver Cup for the
Communion tabte.
1648. Mr William Rait^ min*' at Brechin gifted a silver Cup for the
Communion table,
lOoi?. Mr Laurence SLiuner, min' at Brechin gare the Churchefl
^rejtt Bihle.
l&CO. John Mil, Church officer, gave three tinne badns for aerring
in adminiatration of the SHcmments.'*
1065. Diivid B. of Brechin gifted the Orledg on the SteepeL
10^0, Walter Jameson, Bailjie^ and Kirk Master^ gave two tinoe
quart stoops for the Communion tables.*
1682. Anna Barclaj, relict Danid B. of Brechin . . . 33 6 8
1684, Mr Robert Carnegji lawful son to Mr David Camegjr lait
Dean of Brechin .
1680. James Allan, who died present bwlji© , • . ,
1090. Master John Glcndei, Dean of CaahelSi and prebefld of Sani
Michaeli of Dublin, in Ireland.'
1711. George Carnegy, glover in London, mortified to the Poor .
1728, Baillio David Doig of Cookatone gave the church a new folio
Bible.
1732. The Rev. Mr John JohnstoUj minister of Brechin, mortified
for a School in the Weat side of the parish ^ and other ptoua Uses, up-
wards of . , 1000 0 0
1744. The Eev. Mr William Shank, minister of Brechin, mortified
for the Use of said School . . , . . . . , 66 13 4
1803, David Blair, E»q. of Cookatoun, son of the late Rev. D. Blair, for many
years first miniater of Brechin, made a present of a handsome ailver font with its
Btandj for Baptism in the ehurch of Bri'chip.
1808. The repair of the church wai finished at the joint expense of the Heritors
of the Pariah, the Magistrates of the Citj, the Incorporation, and Pcraonis baring
ieata in the Church aa their Property.
* Ui «*»., 116. Although gifted to the church in 1015, the style of ornament
flhewa this chandelier — which is one of the most extiuisitely beautiful specimens of
the kind known — to be of a Eouch cdrlicr date.
^ Theae basins or plates are thns iugcribed round the margin—*' Pt^lvis EcolesuD
Brechineeuai dedicata vt eidem in administratione B. coenio Dom, imtteryiat anno
1660."
* Ono of these *' atoopa," which is still tised, is inacribed — *' Amphora Ecclesiaj
Brechinenai dedicata per Widtervm lamessone 1680,"
' The surname oi Glendei, or Glendy, ia atiil common io Angua, and appears to
i
I
i
470
MEHUBIALS OF ANGUS AND MI£ABN8.
No. IX.— Paue 120.
Notket of Altarages and CTiaplainricM, of the Cathedral o/Brechiit, and of the Kirhi
o/Kilmoir and Buiker kill. — Compihd ehifjti/from tlhc Iteg. Ep. BrcchinensU*
ALTAllAaE«.
Tlio aUftnige of Our Lady, or tljc X'ir^nii Mary, was founded by Walter Stewiirt,
Eiirl of Alhole, basbaad of Margaret, Darcluy, heiress of Brecbin, It wjus sopported
bj the r«ut« of certain properties in tbe towns of Breebin^ Montrose, ami Dundee,
And m&is w&a to bo suid daily at tbo ringing of tbe second bell in tbe morniug, iti
all acoi^ons of the year, for tbe boqIs of tbe Earl, and bis BUcceBSora, Thi^t altar was
fartber enriched by donations from tbe JKrskines of Dun,
The altamge of St Thomas the Martyr, founded by Wisbart of Pitarrow, wu
endowed out of lands in tbe parish of Furdoun. Sir John Wiabart presented bia
brother, David, to it in 1442*
The altarage of St Eiitborine waa founded by Robert Hill, ft citizen of Brechin,
who, \u 1453, gave some houses and gardens towartla its support. Tbe Earl of Craw-
ford also gave 208. out of the landa of Drumcaim, in Lothnot. Henry Qtihit, or
White, prebendary of the church of Finbaveu, and one of the first Senators of the
College of Justice, lell the retita of a houee and tuft, near Brechin ^ to tbo of&eiating
priest of this altar, for which he was bound to say mass on the Sunday after .ho
feaat of All Saints (1st Nov.) annually, with lighted tapers, &;c.
The altarage of All Saints, was founded by William Meldroin, archdeau of
Dunkeld. The house of tbe cbaplaina of this altar stood on the west side of the city.
There were also altarages dedicated to St Ninian, St Cbriatopber, St Dutboc, St
IJicholaa, St Sebastian, and St Magdalene, &c.
cnAPLAixaiES,
. Thorn wore cbaplaiurica dedicated to St James the Apostle, Nomine JeaUf Si
John tbe EvangoliBt, St Laurence, 8t Ann, and the Holy Croes, connected with the
cathedral. Probably the first stood at a place in the town '' callit Sanct James*
land/* The last-named was founded by Dempster of Aucbterless and Careston, and
supported by rents out of tbe Temple bill of Keitbock, the lands of Pitfortby, and
the town of Little Pitforthy.
TUB Kiait OP KtLHOlK, AKD TFIE KIBK OF nUTnERltn-t,
are rated in tbe iaxatw at 5 and 8 merits respectively. Tbe kirk of Kilmoir, Kil-
marie, or St Mary, stood, says the late Rev. Mr Skinner, in a letter to Orn. Jf titton.
''on tbe north side of tbe South Esk, within a atone-throw of the cathedral, and in
the Brechin Castle garden/' The site is now occupied by the stables and office-a of
have been assumed from tbe district of that name in tbe Meami, pExtbahlr tbe
Dean of Ciisbel was a native of Brechin ; bnt tbe following extract from tbi? 'P'tstnf
Book of Si Mkhatlij Bttblin, kindlv furnished by Eioljiird Rolt Brash, of Colteg*
View, Oork, Esq,, is all I have been able to loam regarding Glendy : — " 1676. Jobn
Olandio, or Glendin, a Prebendary of Christ Chorch, Dublin, instituted July 4,
He died on January 22, 1 093-4,. and was buried in his oburch of St Michacra,
Dublin. In bis will, dated Sep. 17, 1690, he says, ' I do cive and bequeath to tba
poor of St MichaeFs. Dublin, and St John's, Casbeb the hundred txtunds sterling
due to me by bond from Jeremy Jones uf Ardneglass, and John Conner i with afi
the annual rents to be divided between the poor ot tbe a^iid pan shea.' "
APPENDIX — NOS* IX,, X., XI
Brechin castle. A]E?xaQ(ler BiBsat wjis appointed to tlie parBonage and Ticarage of
Rilmoir^ in 161 L
The cburcii of ButlieTkill, or BnthoTglll, stood upon a knoll, now planted, on the
Boiith side of the South Esk, abont 200 yarda west of the Bridge of Brechin. 'J he
ruins of the kirk, aod the old ^rave stones, were only removed towards tho cloie of
loat century,, and ike manae (an old thatched house)^ was demolished at a later period.
Manj of the ^aTe j*tonei are said to have heen buried under ground. I have Been
two fragmenta heaKng these detaehe4 words — (1 ) . . . leon . a . , , zEia , , ,
ME , MOn . , BBNK . , (2) . . . TjL . OBIT , , . ANNO . 1630 , ET . . « . 54.
There is a fine epring called the Imcen IVell at the site of the church. Tlie chtirch
g»Ye the name of *' Buther^kill," now Burghill, to the district. Probabljr the old
niime refers to that of some ancient local uaiut.
No. X.— Page 138.
Extracts from tite Mecordg cf ifte Pregbi/Curff and Kirk Session of BrecJiin
regitrdinff the Plagtte.
1047.
Jaly 25, at Buttergill liilL No meeting [of Presbytery] since the first of Aprill
till this tym hecaiig of the pestilence in Brechin. [The Preshytery met at the same
place on the 9th Aagnat.] — /Vc«6- Bee,
Sep. 9. The Lord visiting this bnrgh with the Infecting seikness, thair was no
tessioD holden from the seventh of Aprill till tho day and moneth wnderwritten, but
when it pleased the Lord that the seiknesa began to relent thair wer aom pursones
contmcted and maried.
Nov. 23, 30- No acasion be reason the moderator and remanent sesaiones feared
to convene vnder one roof.
1648,
Jan. 2. Given to William Roa lying in the seikneaa in ane hntt, nxs,
March 1. Given to anc pnore Momati in the Craigend of Atildbar, who lost alt
hir gear hy cleansing thairof the tym of the infection, called Janet Mitchell, ix lib.
August 2, 23. No sest^ion be reason the infection waa begun again io the toun.
Oct. 6. Payit for meall to the people in the hwtts, 59a.
Oct. 15. Given in charitie to tho distressed people of Montrose, tho tym of the
Infecting scckness. [£42, 14h. 2d. collected,]
Oct, 22. Given to buy malt and meali to thoso in the hutts, 3 lib. 32a.
No. XI.— Page 174.
I hanff to thunh John Mardonald^ Eiq,, Town- €(erk of Arbroath^ f[tr the follmmng
Extract i from the Minutes of the Town CiiuncUj relating to the atdtck made
upon Uu ioicn, hj Captain Fall^ May 1781.
*' At Aherbrotbock the twenty siirth ^j of May One thodsand leven hnn-
dred and Eighty one years
Pftifisici!^ — ^David Greig Provost George Hill and Alexander Hay Baillies John Neish
J
MEMORIALS OP ANGUS AND MEARN3.
P(?an of Gnlld Jamee KeirCon'. of the Trades Jolifi Oiicliterlony Rnd Jauips Bntcliiipt
lute Provosts Alexander Aberdeen James Reniiy Wflliimi Fitchctt and David Balfour
late BaillieH Putrick Ritchie Wil!iaro Smith James FemVr and William Soiiter
Morcbanta David Balfour Me rid i*. and Ale Sander Van net Man u fact a re r. The
Council Having taken into serious Consideration t!i« djiring Attempt made on this
town Wednesday & Tbareday last by Captain Fall of tbe Fear Nought Cutter Pri-
vateor of Dunkirk aud tbe very eminent danger whi« b tlicii Tlireatened Tbe inliabi-
tftnta both iri tb«ir persons & propi'rty mnny of the houses having BitSered from tlie
Cannonade and tho danger of firti from the redd boat ballei thrown for innny baorf
being very great* nuch alarming Ctrciimatnncea being duly lyonsidered by the Cotiiscil,
they find it absolutly needfull that a second appliciUiou be made to Government for
€ne or two hundred standi of small arms with ordinance and utores Huflicient for ii
liuttary to be erected on the Ballast Hill and that every means be used for procuring
forces and putting tbe phicij in & state of defence bo aa to prevent any SQcb soddea
attacts or alanns in future and ordain that a letter be dispatched by first poet to our
rL^presentativo to be by him laid before Lord Stormontb desiring bis Lordship would
be pleased to grant our request oa »oon aa pog.^ible Alan that n petition or letter bo
sent to Mr Stivcna secratory to the Admiral ity praying that that honourable Board
would order some more frigates or abipa of war to be put in this station and tba
Council agreed that Captain Falls different summons with tbe AnswerB thereto ba
bere insert for prcsen-ation.
'* * At Sea May twenty third
" * Gentlemen
" * I Bend those two Words to inform yoQ tbat I will have yoa to bring
Ui the French Colour in less than a quarter of an bour» or I set tbe town on Fi
directly such is tbe order of my master tbe King of Franco I ain sent by. Send^
directly tbe Mayor and Chiefs of the town to make some agreement with nae ; of
111 make my dnty it ta the will of yours (Signed) " ' G. Fall.'
'* The Magiatratea with a view to gain time (so tlmt Hucb of tho Tnbabitants as
could be fnrniabed with arms might be drawn up and if possible get a party of miU-
t«ry from Montrose — there being not more than thirty soldiers in the place^ (abore
that number of the Company Quartered! bore having gone a day or two before to
Perth as an escoart to some Spanish prisoners pnt ashore at Aberdeen from an Eng-
lish Privateer) wrote tbe following Answer That they bad received Captiitn Falls
letter *' In which he mentioned no terms that they would be glad to know his terms
which would bo laid before tbe Inhabitliite and how &oon tlieir opinion could be col-
lected an answer would be given biin meftntime they hoped he would desist from
doing the town any Injury by firing on it or olherways" Oo reoeipi of thia letter
Captain Fall sent ashore tbe following very modest one
'* 'At Sea etgih Oloc in the aflemoon May twontjr third
" 'Gentlemen
*' * I Received Just eow your answer By "Which yoji say I aak no tcrma,
I thongbt it was useless since I asked you to come aboard for agreenDent, Btit here
arc my tomif . I will have thirty thousand pounds sterling at Least : and six of the
Chiefs men of the town for otage : Be speedy or I abot your town away direct]/ and
I set fire to it I ant Gentlemen
•* ' Your Servant
(Signed! *'*Q,Fall,
XII. 473
" 'Xeent •cune of my Crew to you : But if any !tarm happcDS to ttein you^U Bo Huro
We*ll haiig op the Main Yard all tlic pnaoneis We Lave aboard.
*' * To Mons"* The Chiefs Men of arbrougbt in Scotland*
" To tljifl letter & ^rorbal message was sent aboard * That he niigliL fire aa much
as he pte&sed on the towa and as to hi» setting tire to it wo would endeavour to pro-
vent OS niocb as was in onr power as the MagiBtmtca could not agree to eueh terms.'
By this time a nambor of the Inhahitnnts from BO to ninety armed in the best
niat]ner poasible were drawn up with the MiliUry at the Imrbour whtare they rcmdned
during the night. How soon the above mt'ssngii wa^ made known to Caplain Fall a
heavy fire from hia cutter was begun and continued fi^r B«veral hoars on the towa
without further damage thrtn beating down a few chimney tops and going through
the roof of some hou»ea. He continued at anker during tbc night and patroks of
the Soldiers and Inhnbitants were constantly out to the euM and west to prevent any
Borprise. At break of Day be began to 6 re on tijo town but not so frequently as in
tho eTening; several of the balls fired in the Morning were found to have been beatcd.
About nineo*clock in the morning of Thursday the followiog letter was sent on eboro
with some people belonging Co a vessal of thia place taken by his boat in the
moming.
*' ' At Sea May tho ■24'\
*' ' Gentlemen
" *■ See Wheither you will Come to some terms with mo or I come in prc-
Bently with ray Cutter into the arbour and I will east down the town all over Make
haste Because I have no time to Sparc T givi? you a quarter of an hour fur you de-
cision and after Ftl make my duty I think it wmih! B<j Better for you Gentlemen to
Come some of you a Board presently to set tie the AHuirs of your town YouMl sure
not to be hurt I give you my parole of Honour I am Your
(Signed) " ' G. Fall.
" A message was sent to C a pint n Fall that we would be glad to see him on shore,
that we would give him the best reception iii onr power, and a fiag of detiance was
at thi» time put up on the peir end, when a brisk fire again oommcnced and much
better directed than the proccdiog night but providentially attended with no other
consequences then formerly mentioned. Captain Fall finding hii labour in vain
weeighicd anker and went to some vessals which hove in sight which he captered.
(Signed) •* liAVio GntEo.'^
Note. — Since the Arhroath portion of this volume wan printed, an interesting
work bos appeared entitled "Arbroath and ils Abb^y/' &c., by Mr Duvid Miller,
writer* wbicU, b^sideB a general history of llie distnct, contains an epitome of tho
grants to the Abbey, and seleolions from the Eecoids of the Burgh.
No. Xn^— Page 183^.
The Chaplatnrie^ of Si George, dbc, at Dundee^
On 9th March 1597, David, Earl of Crawford, bad a charter of the EarPs Lodging
in Dundee, with tho right of the patronage of the cbaplttinry within the same,
&c., with tho Craig of St Nicholas, within sea mark of the burgh, and with th«
fortallce ^nd place of the said Craig, advocation, donatiun, and right of patronage
NN 2
474 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARNS.
of five cbaplainries of St Qeorge the Martyr, and of Allhallow chaplainiy founded
within the parish kirk of Dundee.— ^^<^. Ep. Brechin., ii. 372.)
The Hospital of Dundee appears to have been dedicated to St John the Baptist
{Ibid., i. 93) ; and there was a chapel in the town to St John the ETangelist {Und,^
ii. 18«.)
No. Xm.— Page 225.
The Coinage of Forfarshire. — From Conder's ''Arrangement of Provincial
Coins,'' 8vo., Ipswich, 1793, pp. 11-13.
Dundee. — Silver Shillings,
1. o. A Highlander with his Sword and Target, "From the Heath-covcr*d
Mountains of Scotia we come." Ex. Anns, Supporters, and Motto,
" Dei Donum," in a sunk Oval.
B. An ancient Ruin, "Dundee Shilling, pay*® by J. Wright, Jun'." Ex.
" Broughty Castle.'*
2. o. The same as last.
R. An ancient Cross, " W. des." on the sides, " Dundee Silver Medal, Price
One Shilling." Ex. " Cross taken down 1777."
Dundee. — Penny Size.
3. o. Large Buildings, ** Public Warehouses on the Quay." ** Shipping of this
Port 8800 Tons Rege." Ex. Arms, Supporters, and Motto, "Dei
Donum," in an Oval. "Wright, Jun. des."
B. A public Building, "Dundee Penny, 1797." Ex. "Town House,
founded 1732."
E. " Payable on Demand by Thos. Webster, Jun'."
Dundee. — Halfpenny Size.
4. o. A Ship moored along side a Quay, " Commerce augments Dundee." Ex.
Arms, Supporters, and Motto, " Dei Donum, Wright, dclin."
R. An ancient Tower, "Dundee Halfpenny, 1795." Ex. "Old Tower,
founded 1189."
E. " Payable at the Warehouse of Alex'. Molison."
5. o. Arms of Dundee and Supporlcrs, " Dei Donum, Prudentia et Candorc."
" Payable at W. Grooms, High-Street, Dundee."
R. " Sells Wholesale Woolen & Linen Drapery Goods, Watches, &c. &c.
cheap."
0. o. A public Building in a sunk Oval, under the Building, " I. W. I. design."
"Dundee Halfpenny, 1796." " Lifirmary, founded 1794."
B. A Ship moored along side a Quay, and distant View of a Rock at Sea.
"Mare et Commercium Colimus." Ex. Arms, Supporters, and Motto,
" D(d Donum," in an Oval.
E. Engrailed.
7 o. A public Buikilu-, "Dundee Halfpenny, 1797." Ex. "Town House,
finished 1734."
K. View of a Glass Manufactory, " Glass Works, West Cone, founded 1788."
Ex. " Wright, des."
E. ** Payable by John Pilmer, Church Lane."
APPENDix.^Ko, xnr.
475
8 o.
0. o-
10, 0.
ii.
11. o.
8.
12. 0.
a*
13. o.
B.
U. 0.
It.
15, 0,
a.
16. 0.
17. 0.
19. 0.
An a^ncient Fortrofta, *'Dafid('0 Halfpennj', 1797.'* Ex. '* DuJhope Cfttttle,
ftujiid''. 1 6 1)0, oonvert»j>! iata Barrackp, 1794."
A Mail workiiif? Flux, Fat^kivgL'S on the Gmunil, "Flax ITac1cliii|j."
" a33t) Tuns Flat & Hemp iiuportcd here in 17'M, value ,ilG0,128.'*
South View of a Cburch, " DttoUoo Ilalfpcnnjr, 1797/' *' St Andrew -a
Clmrch, found^. 1772.
A Rwini " Cowgftlo Port, the liiat Eemabs of our ancient Walls." Ex.
" Wright, Jnn''. des.^' a Stiir ondenicatb.
*' Prtjablo at tlie Warchoasc of Alex'* Swap & Co/*
FouFAR.— Ilaifpennif Size,
A Caallo» ^* Payable on Demand by Jolm Steele.*' E.x. " WViglit, deg/*
A distant View of a Town from tbo Water, '* Halfpenny." Ex. "Forfar,
1797."
MoKTROsE. — Halfpcnwj Size.
A distant View of a Town and Bridgo from the AVatcr» ** Mare ditat."
Ex. " Montrose."
A Woman spinning, " Sore ana tbe Rewards of Ind list ry," Ex. *'179G."
*'■ Payable by J. Bisactt & Son, Montrose."
[-The iame Dovic6 as last, bnt on a macb gmalkr Scale.
DoKDEB. — Farthing Size,
A pair of Scales above a small Cypker, 3/. *£: Ca. " Payable on Demand ^
Dundee "
A Ceitlnal OD Quard, a Cannon and part of a Fort.
A Horse drawing a Cart loaded witb large Paokagoa, *' Sic itur ad Opos.**
Ex. " Wright, dcfl.''
A larg«j Building, *' Dundee Farthing, 179G," Ex. " Trades HaH."
The Bame as la^t.
Tbo same Bnilding as the last, *' Dundee Farthing, 1797," Ex. "Tmdea
Hall."
The Bame as last.
The same Building as the last, "Dundee Fartbing. 1797/' Ex. "Trades
HaU."
7%e folhwiiig are not ffitMM by Mr Conder : —
l^R^cins. ^-Halfpenny She.
A BpiuQing mill with a wheel on left. "East Mill, Brechin, 1801."
Weat view of the cathedral and round tower. ** Church — ^Payable by Smith
and WilHon."
MosTROSE.— J7tf?/j!7rurt^ Size.
The armorial beariogs, and motto of the Dukes of Montrose. " Montrose
H-ilfpenny, 1799,"
The ohl lunatic asylum of Montrose. " Montrose Lunatic Hospital,
erected by Subscription, 1781/'
*' Payable hy Andrew Nicol, tobaconist.'*
476 MEMOBIALS OF ANQUS AND MEASNS.
No. XIV.— Page 229.
Tke Dundee Seminaries,
s
" Mr Webster of London [of whom there is a portrait in the Coiincil-Chaniber
of Dundee], mortified £6,000, which is lent out on heritable security, the interest
being applied for the education of twenty boys at the Dundee High School ; and
twenty-five boys, and as many girls in other schools, where the elementary branches
are taught/' — Note from John Anderson^ Esq., Town-Clerk,
On the motion of Mr F. Shaw, bookseller, seconded by Mr Baxter, procurator-
fiscal, an appeal was made in 1851, to the public of Dundee and neighbourhood, to
raise a fund for increasing the salaries of the teachers in the mathematical and
classical departments, when, in a very short time, £4,040 were subscribed. In
1857, another subscription was made in behalf of the teacher of modem languages,
and £2,000 were raised. From these funds, which are well inyested, the teachers
of the respective branches receive considerable additions to their salaries. — PrinUd
Beports.
No. XV. (1-2.)-Paqe 234.
I am indebted to the Rev. Dr Taylor of Leochel-Cushnie, Aberdeenshire, for the
following translations of Epitaphs from the tombs of Peter and Amsold db
Maule, in the Church of Uttica, and Letters to James, Earl of Pahmurx.
" On January's Ides, and in the year
Eleven hundred, since Christ did appear,
Peter, the flower of nobles, breath'd his last ;
A man who all his equals far surpassed,
In bounty, and hilarity, and wit —
And at the festive board who lov'd to sit,
Ilathcr than mingle in war's bloody strife ;
Of nobles chief and heir, he spent his life
In honour, in the land, which holds his dust.
And to Christ's mother gave this house in trust—
'Mid January's clouds, upon him shone
Twelve suns in peace, and now when he is gone,
Through Mary's prayers, may ever on him shine.
The cloudless sun of Justice — all divine —
Now Paris mourns him — but let Paradise
Through saints to whom he left this house, rejoice."
" If there bo one, who now desires to know,
The living name of him who sleeps below,
That name was Ansold, he a soldier bravo,
December's twenty-fifth he found a grave,
God's mercy grant he endless lest may have.
Amen."
APPENDIX. — SOS. XV., XVI
477
No. XV. (3.)— Page 247.
[Letter addressed] — To Mormeur, tA< Earl of Fanmurt,
Montieur, the Earl of Panniure : The proofs which you have given of yonr zeal,
and of your fa iili fulness, leave mc do room to doubt your seuliraiints, and that you
will learn only wilh pleaaure, by Colonel Hixjck, those which I have always had
towardd jour nation : aud how mucli I desire to m&ke it aware of tho friendsilvip
which I havn for it, and the renitrahrance of its ancient alliances wilh my cruwn.
X refer myself to hiui] who will tell you of this still more particularly, and Lu the
assumuces which he will give you of my regard and of ray uffLClion. Whereupon
I pray God, to have Monsieur the Earl of Paumure in his holy keeping. Written
at Marly the 9th March 1707, Lewis.
CoLUKaT.
Xo. XV. (4.)— Page 251.
[Letter addressed] — To m^ Lord, the Earl of Panmttre, at Urhino.
Rome 17lh July 1717,
I am truly Borry, my Lord, to he obliged to make my vi-ry humble acknowfedg*
ments, by this letter, of all the goodness which you have shown me, during your
Bojoum at Home; since I desired to discharge that duty iu person. I had aupposedt
that you would not leave Eomef till Su^nday night. I called this very day at your
door, but had thd mortification to learn that you were already gone. I entreat you
to rBoeive, in»tcnd, by th<!ae lines, the sincere protestationi of my gratitude, and of
toy reapectful attachment; and to be persuaded that no one can mur« perfectly
honour yoUf or be with more sincerity and veneration i yours, my Lord, ifmn
This CAni>rxAi. Gualterio,
No. XVI.— Page 238.
The following is a specimen of a Propeietaby Ls'dex to A^ous aso Tire Mearxs,
which^ for a seKes of years, has occupied much of my leitiore. But lt>r tlio
death of an emiucnt local antiquary, it ia probable that the MS. would have
been farther advanced, and that a portion , at leasts would have been published
before this time.
THE LORDSHIP OF BBECEllN AI^D KAY A It.
David, Earl of Huntingdon and tho Garioch, brother of King Wilh'ara the Lion, gave
the lordhhip of Brechin (a part of his own appanage), to his natural son Henry,
who assmned the surname '*do Bi-echin," in which name and property he had
three male auccessora, Cratrf Peer, 45*
Margaret of Brechin^ aistcr of the last David of Brechin, wife of Sir David of
Barclay, had the lordship of Brechin on the forfeiture of her brother, who was
e X ec u ted i n A ugust 1 32(t, i 6 . 4 6*
Gilbert Hay, hjul charters of [?certain of] the lands of Brechin, from Wm. dc Munlo
Alto of Einblaukmounthe, 1^22. £u{f. hid, 18.06,
Walter Sttiart, Earl of Athole, 2d sou of Kobcrt II., assumed the e»tales and titles
of Brechin, on hia marriage with Margaret, heircsa of the son of the last named
%
478 MEMORIALS OP ANGUS ANp MEARN8.
Barclay of Brecbin. Staart suflfered as a traitor, 1437, wben Sir ThomaB Made
ofPaDmurc, in right of his mother, Marion Fleming, daughter of Jean, sister of
the liist Barclay of Brechin, laid claim to the lordship of Brechin. Although he
proved himself heir to the lordship, he only receiyed a portion of it, the greater
part being annexed to the Crown. Beg. de Pan, MS. i. 256.
Mary, queen of James II., had the barony of Brechin, Jan. 22, 1449.
Acta Flarl. ii. 61-7.
House and lordship of Brechin, and pertinents, with the services and superiority
of Cortachquhy, were annexed to the Crown, Aug. 4, 1465. Acta Pdrl. ii. 42.
William de Nudre " mari de feodo dominij de Brechin et baronie de Nethvey "
(Nayar) 1451. Ch, BolU, iii. 615.
Thomas, Lord Boyd, Earl of Arran, who married the Bang's sister, was deprived of
his annuity from the lands of Brechin, Nov. 22, 1469. Orawf. Of, S, 317.
John, Eari of Mar, had the lordship of Brechin, Nov. 22, 1469. Acta Pari. ii. 187.
Janet, Countess of 8th Earl of Douglas, had the life-rent of the lordship of Brechin
and Navar, 14723. Doug, Peer. i. 431.
David, Earl of Crawford, afterwards Duke of Montrose, also had the life-rent of the
same, about 1472-3. Lives of the Lindsays, i. 163.
James, Duke of Ross, 2d son of Jas. III., had the lordship, 1480. Doug, Peer ii. 416.
Sir Thomas Erskine, a cadet of Dun, Sec. to James V., had the lordship of Brechin
and Navar, 1527. Diplomata Begia, v. 394.
John, 4th Lord Erskine, excambed the lands of Balhagardy in Aberdeenshire, with
Sir Thomas Erskine, for the lordship of Brechin, 1550-1 . Doing, Peer, ii. 21 1 .
Brechin and Navar, forfeited by John, 7th Earl of Mar, and annexed to the Crown,
\b^\.—CActa Purl. iii. 384.) Restored to the same Earl, Dec. 1585.
Doug, Peer. M.'llZ.
Sir Patrick Maule, afterwards Earl of Panmure, purchased the lordship of Brechin,
and Navar, from the Earl of Mar, and had charters of it in October 1634. — (Doug,
Peer. ii. 354.) Forfeited by James, 4th Earl of Panmure, 1716. Leased by Go-
vernment to the York Buildings' Co., 1719. Repurchased on that Company *s
insolvency, by William Maule, afterwards Earl of Panmure, in the Irish peerage,
nephew of the forfeited Eari, for £6,245, 138. 4d., Feb. 20, Xl^A^.^Ihid. 356.)
Eari William died unmarried in 1782, and left the whole of his estates, includ-
ing the lordship of Brechin and Navar, to his nephew, George, Earl of Dalhousic,
and his second and other sons. The Earl of Dalhousie died in 1787, and was
succeeded in the Brechin and Panmure estates by his second son, William
lliimsay Maule, who, in 1831, was created Lord Panmure, Baron of Brechin
and Navar. Ho died 3d April 1852, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Fox,
now Lord Panmure.
No. XVn.— Page 414.
Rental of the Lands belonging to the Priory of Jiostinoth. ffe/e first printed from
a copy in " Miscellanea Aldharensia,^' MS., pp. 359-62.
Rentale omnium annuorum Redditura Priori do Restennett et Conuentui eiusdem
perlincn' do tcrris subscriplis jaceu' infra vicecomitatom do fTorfar annuatim
Icuau'.
APPENDIX.—
-NO. XTII.
479
1
Item m pnmift do villa de forfar a David Ramsay
xvs.
■
Item pre nmnibas Dauidis Dikcsone
vp.
■
ItBui pre miLnibtiB Joliannis Dikesone
iiysjd.
■
Item pre manibos jAcobi Gadxo
XXXB*
■
Item de terriH qnoDd* Joiiatmiii Strang
iuji.
■
Item pre inanibmi Jacobi Hntj
>XXfl«
^
Item pre manibus Jobannis Loyk
xyd.
1
Item de terns Jacobi Dog
Ts* Tiijd,
Item de firma ref^a dicte ville de forfar
xU.
litim de terria do Oucbl'forfar
XTJS.
Item de terns de balmascbaQUO
xi\J8. iiijd.
Item de ten-is do iarbeg
xiija iiijd.
Item de pamo molcndina
xiija.
Item de tenia do Icnerriebtj
xa.
Item de tern a de tboraetone
XB.
Item de terria do baroaia de Ketbenys
nij lib.
Item viz de ead' do tVis de balgillowy blalr
xxa.
Item de terrig de ardlair
^ja. iiy J.
Item de terria de baJluny
ixfl.
Iteui de terrifl do baldowry
iiiJB. iiijd.
Jtem do molendino de Ketbynnes
xU.
Item de terria de Gla'mjs
xU.
Item de terria de taniiadea
iiij HK
lUm de terns do Kintvrry
N
xxixs,
Item de terria de mem ass
xxs.
Item da tenia d© Wl nam one
xlB.
Item de terria de balxordy
xxvjs, Tiijd.
Item de terria de menraer olim pertiDeo*
dno de ballindeno
xiija. iii^jd.
Item de terns de West' Oj,nll
xxvjs. viijd.
Item de terria de IitiJl perth
XX a.
I TEH do ten-is duiiiinii de brecbio
Tij lib. viys.
Item do terria do litill fetby
xijd.
Item de torris de KyDnabir
xs.
Item do quod' tenre tenemento sine domo dni daaid cragy capellani vjii. viijd.
Item de terria do auldmoiitroiH
Iiij m'cas.
Item de terns do lownane pertinen' dno do dnimkillK)
ij m'cua.
Item de eimV terria de biwnano pertinen"
dno do ballindeno
ij m*ca«.
Item de tcroB do grange de monyfuytb
xla.
Item drs terns de balgillo pertinen* dno i
ie gray
xiija. ivd.
Item de terns do balcloitbry
▼a.
Item do molondino do manya de Stra*dechtj comitia
xxxijd.
Item do tcrris baronio do Downy
X raarcaa.
Item de terria do carlungy
▼ marcaa.
Item de terns de cambustone
XB.
Item do terria de downykano
xva.
Item de terns do balhnngy
XB,
1
Item do terris de ardcsty
xa.
1
Item de moitiky terrk
^
V8, fiijd.
- 1
480 MEMORIALS OF A|^QUS AND MEARNS.
Item de terria de petlarly tjb. Ti^d.
Item de Guildry terns xijd.
Item de terns de Stotfald y».
Item dc terns de Donfjnd ' «.
Item de terns de Miiirdnim ijs.
Item de Newbiggiog iiijs.
Item de molendino de downy ijs.
Item de custurais S. D. N. B. bargi de Dundee zx m^cas.
Item de terns de telling t lib.
Item de terns de tuliqiihandelane vs.
Item de flemy'gtonc ziiJB. Wd.
Item de Wodwray xs.
Item de polgarrok xiijs. ivd.
Item de molendino de balglnssy xxiTS. ijd.
Item de terris de hoill xrjd.
It«m de baronia de Glencsk xiiija.
Rcntale omnium firmarnm tarn dccimarum garbalium qm feodifirme priori de Resten-
nott et conuentoi eiusd' in patrimonio pertinen' de terris subscriptis et ecclesis
parochialibus caruud' infra vicecomitatem de forfar annuatim leuan* et per-
cipien'.
Item in primis de terris de Du'nynald in promptis pecuniis pro feodifinna annua
earnnd' feodifirme xlv lib.
Item de terris de litil dysert pro firma carund' ▼ lib.
Item pro an'ua feodifinna tcrarrum de murtone archa anguillamm
pettrowchy croftis de forfar carsbume et clocbtow xlv m*ca8.
Item de terris de auldfork aid litill cossynis xls.
Item do terris de cragnatbrow xxs.
Rcntale sumniarum victualium dictarum decimarum garbalium.
Item in primis pro firmis decimarum garbalium Bectorie eccrie de Du*nynald
quinque celdras victualium.
Item pro firmis eccrie de Abcrle'no xxij celdras victualium.
Item pro firmis decimarum garbalium parocbie de
Rcstcnnot In primis pro decimis de forfar vij ccldrns victualium.
liem pro decimis de mckle lour iiij celdras victualium.
Item pro decimis de cragnatbro xl bollas victualium.
Item pro decimis do halkerstone xxj bollas victualium.
Item pro decimis de balmaacbanno* et caldbamo xxiiij bollas victualium.
Item pro decimis de pettrowchy xvj bollas victualium.
Item pro decimis croftarum de forfar vj bollas victualium.
Item pro deciiuis de turbeg xl bollas victualium.
Item pro decimis de carscbume viij bollas victualium.
Item pro decimis de clochtow vj bollas victualium.
Item pro decimis de ochtTorfar xl bollas victualium.
Item pro decimis de West' Dod xlij bollas victualium.
Item pro decimis do murtone de archa augnillarum xij bollas victualium.
APPENDIX.^DEMP8TERS OF DUXNICHEN. 481
Tk» Demptiera &f Dunnickefi.— Ut tup., p. 418.
Sinr^ t^e notice af tbc Priory of EoBtinolh wna priiitttl, I have been favored Mitli
the folIowiDg succinct juxount of tlie family of Deiupster of DunDichcn, by
f foorge Dem pater of Skrho, esquire. I biive also mncli p] ensure, it* btiug able
to state* upon tbe authoriLy of tbat geiitleniau, tbat bia nephew, Mr I>empsti?r
of Uunniclieii, fully mtendfl^ witbout delaVj to takt: meaaurcs for ih© reimir (iml
preaisrTatioti from further injury of tbe Prior}'' of Rofttiuothr Tbe marble nlub,
referred to at pug© 420, will be restnrud to Jt« proper place, nnd a aearch will be
jnade amoog tbe B4jaceiit dykes with iv view to tbe reoovery of the reoiiiimi of
wiudow muliianBj fi^.
The DempiterB of Dunnicben are desceiidod from a yotinger sou of one of tlie
Dempsters of Muiresk and Ancbtcrloes in Aberdt}enHbire ; which fftniily^ howt*ver,
bad previously held, oa their carUeat posHenAion] tbe landj of Cttrrttblstone, in For.
fftnhire. Thia county would thna appear to have betn their earlitst home, tui it is
theii' preMDt one. These deaccnta are all more particularly tuA f(<rth in; Doaglus'
BaroTkage, pp. 531^. Their immediate territorial anceator in Forfarshire, waa
Oeobob Deupster, bauker and merchant in Dundee, who waa the son of the
Rev. John Dempster of Monilictb, and who, born in 1677, acquired considerable
fortune, and commenced to pnrcbaao laud in the county of Forfar soon after the
year 17t>0, including the barony of Duonieben. He died iji 1753, and was «uc-
ceei^ed by hia eldi at son,
John Dkmfstkr of Dunnichen, who was born in 1706 — and not lon^ surviving
bis fatht'r,^ wag Bocceeded by hia eldest son,
GfiOKoE D£M73TEii, of Dunnicbenj hum Decemhor 1732 ; for nearly thirty yeivrs
M,P, for the Forfar and Fife Enighii, and wlio, till 17S»0, when he retired from I*ar-
tiamcQt, wivB aotiwly and uacfully engaged in the Public and Farliainentavy bu»mebu
of the timoj more especially in all of it which related to Scotland and to India.
Ilia characifir and abilitiefl caused him to be ch«)aen one uf the Directors of Llie East
India Company, in opposition to the iisual Hcuae li»t ; and in Scotland, Ma time
and thougbta w*ero largely given to everything beneficial to hia native country.
The Scottish linen trade waa much indebted to hi^ care, and he ahso devoted no
small share of bis attention, and aacrificcd aoiue part of hia fortune, to tbe growth
of the cotton mannfocturo in Scotland, an object in which he was aided by the
advice of tbe Arkwrightt, aa well aa by the liberal apirit and practical know-
ledge of bift countrymen, the Dalea and Macintoabes, uf Glasgow. Of tbe improve-
ment of the ScoFttish iSAheriea, be was, with hia friend Sir William Pulteney and
othcra, one of the earliest, if not the earliest promoter; and it was childly from th©
interest which be always t4>ok in the fiahtries and ngriculture of the HigbbuidH, that
he was induced, in 1786, to become the purcbaaer of the catatc of Skibo, in Suther-
land, wbieb he soon after transferred to bis brother, John IJamilton Dempster, by
whoae grandson, George Dempster of Skibo, it is now possessed^
The Convention of Eoyal Burgba, in 1780, i^eoguized his patriotic aerncej^ by
« present of plate-^und not few are the (kacetulanta, now in opulence, of big coun*
* Although tlio inacription upon that tombatone at St Vigcans bears that John
Dcnapater of Dunnichen died on 2nd November 1763, Mr I^eitipater of Skibo liaa
proved this to bo a tnii^take. Among other authorilitis, be cites the *Scotf AMaqazifiej
which states that Mr Dempster died on 3rd November 1764. and the Eirk-feesaiun
Eecorda of St Vigeans, which also, under date Nov, 1754, contains this entry — *' To
the mortcloth for Dunnichen.'"
00 2
J
482
MKMOIUALS OF ANtiUS AND MEARN8.
try men, of humble birtli, on wbom h© dcligbtod to bestow tbo patronage wbich bii
cotjnection with InJia plaooJ in bis gift. lu polities, bis opinions were of tbo older
Wbig «cboob artd Ins closest political Alliance and intimacy waa witli Lord Kock-
ingbani. His frieDdf^bipH, bowever^ were uaugnallj free from party taint* and Heoiy
DuridaHj aflerwanb Viscount Melville, Wedderbum^ afUrwarde I/.>rd Lougbboroogb,
and tnany otherti to wbom be wo^ more or hsa opposed in PaiHamvQt, were among
bis warmest frienda.
IIu is bonorably remembered by fiams in bis poetical Addreea to the SgoUibIi
Representatives, in wbicb, witb bia attacbed friend Sir Adam Fergusaon of Kilkerrftti,
bo is named aa
" Dempstor, n true-lblUB Scot, I'm warnui'
TLee! ult bde testing, cbute KUkexranr
He wa.s educated at Leacbars, in Fifo^ and at tbo University of St Andrewi,
from whence he went to atiidy law and pass advocate in Etiinburgb, wborc bo lived
in intimacy witb its moat eminent men, including David Hume, tbe bistoriaD,
Adam Fcrgiieoo,,and other laminaiiea of that day. He held, for npwania of half a
century tbe office of Stictetary to tbe €>rdcr of tlio Tbiatle, and died at Dannicben, in
February 1818. A fine portrait of George DempBler, by Oainsborongh, adorns tbe
ConnciUCbamber of Dundee. He was succeeded in bis eetate by bis sister, HeleOt
tbe widow of General Burrington, of tbe E.I.Co.'s army, who, on her tti«ceadoii,
resumed her maiden name as
Helen Demi'steb of Dunnicben, She died in 1831, and was sncceeded by her
daagbter, Helen, tbe -wife of Francis Hawkins, Esq., of tbe E.IXVs civil servioei
ft son of the Bifihop of Bapboe in Ireland. This lady similarly assumed the family
name, as
HelE!^ DempsteH} of Dunnicben. Her eldest 9oq, JameR Whitsbed Hawktos,
who was born in 1796^ and married in 1830 bin cousin, Charlotte, datigbter of
W. S. Dempstur of Skibo, predeceasing bis motber in 1841 ; she was, on her deatb
in 1854, succeeded by bcr grandson ,
Georok Hawkins DeMrsTEE of Dunnicben, now beir of entail in possession of
tbat estate, bora 4th April 1836.
Tbe armorial^ bearings of tlio Dompstem of Dunnicben appear to be the same
witb those of their ancestors of Carralditooe And Muireek ; with the difference that
the Rev, John Dempster of M on i fie tb obtained from tbe Lord Lyon's office a new
errant of these arms for bis brancb, with a different crest and motto, now home by
bin descendants, as may be seen by reference to Nisbet's Merakky^ and Sir George
Blackenzie's Htraldtif,
No. XVin.— Page 449.
Tlie following inscriptions from the larger portrait of Qneen Mary, at St Mary's
College, Bl airs, and accompnnvingtrnnfilalionB, have been kindly comtnuuicated
by tbe Rev. Julin Strain, President of the College,
Jnicriptiont.=- ( i, )
M4RI4 SCOTL^ HEOUTJL QjLLLLX 1>0TA]UA, HEdNOKtm ATHQhlJE. ET HTSEILHUE VCBX
PJUNt EPS LF.UlTtMA JACOBI UAGN^t: UKIT.IKI.^ REQIS MATEIi, A 9UIS OPPAESSA AK* DNI
1668 AU2IL1I SFE ET OPFHIOIIE A COaHATA ELIZAOETHA tit AKOLIA HEOaTAKTS PMUSl*^
» Cootractod far pr0mi**K
APPENDIX.— NO. XVI II,
483
[P^rtTftlta of]
JO AWN A. KLUlBErrBA
EO DEaCE^rDITi JBIQrE CONTRA. J (IB GBKTIUM ST FHOMIBSI FIDEM CAPTIYA BSTBlTTA,
POST CAPTI^TATlfl AH^ 19, RELIOlOlTie EAOO, EJUSDEH ELTZ . FEHFIPIA 8T BCVATtTfl
AHGLICI CHUDELITATE, HOREESTDA CAPITIS LATA BESTENTIA| WECl TRADITim, AC 12
CAI*. MABTII* 1587 JNAUniTO EXEMPtiO A HEBTILI ET AHJECTO CAHKIFICE TETIIDII IM
MOREM CAPtTE TRUNCATA EST. ANJiO iETATia KEGNXqUE 45
(ll.}
AtJLA FODKIXOnAUIA
KBOtKAlf 8ERENIB&'* REQCH FILLAlf UXOREH
Wtr WATBEWf ASTANTfBU^ C0)fKI^ARII9 BT
MIHISTRIB B.EUZLBBTiL^ CAKNIFEX BECUBI
PBacunt ATQ' OKO itr altbbo jctu Triucu-
LBITTEB flAUClATAE TKHTIO EI CAPUT AliHCI-
VCLIT*
{111.)
PBDCA QUOAD VDOT OOL. SOOT. PABEKS ET FOSD,
BIO FUHB8TUJ* ASOEHDTT TAUDLATCM BEQINA QUONDAM OALLlABdU ET BOOTIJB
FLOBESTIflfl"* JMTICTO SEB PIO AMMO TYIIASNIDBM EXPROBBAT ET FERFIDIAM FIDBU
C'ATHOfJCAM PRaPrrETUR^ B01fAV.£q<^" ECCl^£fit£ SB SEMPER FUiB6B BT ESSE riLlAM
PALAU plaice' TE3TATU&,
Tramlathns. — (i.)
Mary Queen of ScotlanJT Dowager Queen of Francfl, truly Icgrtiraate Sovcn-igu
of tlie feingtloms of England and Iroland, Mother pf JumeB, King of Great Brildn,
oppreftfled by lier own subjocts, in the year 1568, witb the hope and expcetalion of
aid proEaised by her cousin Elizabeth reining in England went thitber, and Llicre,
contTary to tbe law of nationSj and the failh of a promise, being retftint^d captive,
after 19 years of impriBonment on account of religion, by the perfidy of the aamo
Elizabeth and the cruelty of the English Parliament, the horrible Hentcuce of deca-
pitation being passc^d upon her is delivered up to death, aitd on thci 12tL of the
Kahandfl of March, euch an example being unBeard of, abo in beheaded by a vile and
abject executioner in the 45th year of her age and reign.
(II.)
Hall of Fotheringbam.
In pwaence of the Commiaj^ioncra and Ministers of Q. Elizabeth, the cxccu-
tiqner strikes witb bia axe tho moat serene Qneon, the daughter, wU\\ and mother
of kings, and after a first and second blow by which she was barbarously wounded,
at the third cuts off h«r head.
('"■)
Wliile ehe lived the chief Parent and Foundress of the Scotch College,
Tliua thtJ once roost tlourialiing Queen of France and Scotland ascends the fatal
scafibhi, with nnconcpiered but pions mind, upbraids tyranny and perfidy, professes
the Catholic Faith, and publicly and plainly profeas<ia that bhe always was aiid is
A dau^ht^r of thu fioman Church.
* Sic iu original — the 8tU Fobnurv Is the tni« fl»t«>
— Q-
484 MEMOBIALS OF ANGUS AND MEARKS.
ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS.
iTatnell.
Page 36.
Since my conjectures were printed regarding the figures upon
the shield at Famell castle (represented in the woodcut on the
right hand side of page 36), I have been informed by Mr Joseph
Kobertson, that they consist of a Crown and the letter ^» and
are illustrative of the crowning of the Virgin Mary, as the Queen
of Heaven, by her son, Jesus Christ — one of the many beautiful
legends of the Early Christian Church.
IHontrose.
Page 62.
Besides the church of St John, and the altarages already
noticed, there were at least two chapels attached to the parish
church. One of these was dedicated to St John the Baptist, the
other to God and the Holy Cross. Mr Thomas Bell, vicar of
Montrose, gave certain lands and an adjoining tenement, situated
on the west side of Murray Street, Montrose, towards the sup-
port of the last-named chapel, to the chaplaincy of which he was
himself appointed by the Bishop of the diocese.^
Page 58.
A new edifice, in the Perpendicular style of architecture, after
plans by ilr Henderson of Edinburgh, has been erected on the
site of the old Episcopjil church of St Peter. It was opened for
puljlic worship on 25th December 1858, and forms one of the
finest objects in the Links.
■ Reg. Ep. Brechin., ii. 32-8.
ADDITIONS AKD COBREITIONS.
485
i%e 70.
A fine statue of the late Josq>h Huine, M.P»j by llr Calder
Marshall of London, A.R. A., stands near the middle of the Hig;h
Street. It was erected, chiefly by local auhscription, and inau-
gurated on 24th September 1859.
In the vestibule of the parish chin-eh there has also been lately
placed, by hia brother officers, a marble tablet *^ m memory of
Georgc-Uolmea Bunies (eldest son of James Burner, X.H.,
FJi.S.), Lieutenant in the 1st Bombay Fusilcers; who, after a
long and painful capti\rity, the consequence of hia heroic efforts
to save a helpless child from the fury of the mutincersj was
flavagely murdered at Luekuow, on the 10th November 1857,
thus sharing the fate of his uncles, Sir Alexander and Charles,
who fell at Cabool"
Fagt 9L
Tlic burial ground, and chapel of St Mary, stood upon the
fai-m of Dallavaird, on the banks of Bervie water, about tlirec
miles north-%veftt of the parish chorch of Gleubervy. There is
still a spring at the place called "Marywell;" and the old font,
or " chapel stone,'' was destroyed not many years ago. An an-
nua! market J held at Dnimlithie, in October, is called ''Michael
fairf^ and the Episcopal chapel at the village is dedicated to
St John.
Page 337.
Mr Pierson of the Guynd, informs me that on the fly-leaf of
an old almanac in his possession^ it is stated, in the hand writiog
of an aunt of the late Mr Ochterlony, that '' Sir Wm. Oy [Och*
terlony] built the house of Kelly*"
The following notes regarding the proprietary history of the
estate of Kelly, have been kindly communicated by Mr Alex-
ander Forbes Irvine, jun,, of Drum. ^'Kellie,'' Mr Irvine writes
(quoting a memoir of the family of Drum, by his father-in-law,
Colonel Forbes), ^' w^as acquired by Sir WiUiam Irviiie iii
1G14-15, from the Ochterlonics, who had for sometime given
486 MEMORIALS OF ANGUS AND MEABNS.
their name to that barony. Who this Sir William Irvine was, I
have been unable to discover ; but there is no doubt that Kellie
was acquired by Sir William Irvine, and that he was succeeded
in the possession of it by Alexander Irvine of Drum. In several
of the deeds regarding the barony of Kellie, mention is made of
Dame Sara Bruce, the wife of Sir William Irvine of Kellie.
" In 1679, to relieve himself from pressing debts that were
contracted during the Civil Wars," an "Alexander Irvine sold
the barony of Kellie, and all his Forfarshire estates to the Earl
of Panmure. He received £11,000 sterling for the estate of
KeUie."
[In the year 1629, Alexander Irvine of Kelly bound himself
and his heirs to pay annually "twelve bolls meal to the puir
within his ground and lands" of Kelly; also "aught bolls oat
meal" to the parochial schoolmaster of Arbirlot, for the edu-
cation of four scholars, to be presented by Irvine and his heirs.
This grant was confirmed by Sir Alexander Irvine of Kelly, son
of the granter, in 1637.** I believe a somewhat similar grant
was made, and confirmed by the same individuals, in favor
of the schoolmaster of Aberlemno, in which parish the Irvines
also held property.]
C^urr]^ of aur!)ter$ou0e.
Page 342.
According to Bagimont's Roll^ which is supposed to have been
framed in the time of Alexander III., the church of Auchter-
hoiise is said to have been within the diocese of Dunkeld, and
rated at £8.*^
^ Copy of deed in possession of the Schoolmcuter of Arbirlot.
* Archacologia, xvii. 245.
GENERAL INDEX.
GENERAL INDEX.
Aaex water, *4, 380.
A'Bockct, St Thomas', 222. V. Saints.
Abbe, of Brechin, *2G ; Arbirlot, *32.
Aberbrothoc. V. Arbroath.
Aberbothry. 309.
Abercrombie, Andrew, burgess, 191.
Abefkirdour, David, 219.
Aberlemno thanedom, *10; church, II,
302, 417, 480; school, 486; mill, 179;
Danes defeated at, »21-22, 100.
Aberluthnot thanedom, *11, 85-0.
Abernethy round tower, 107 ; church,
150; family, 111. 150, 426; Sir
Alex , 402 ; Maria, 452.
Abrith, 400.
Achinglass, 150.
Achtertyre, weem at, 322.
Adam*8 castle, 370.
Adam fitz David, 289
Adam, John Htz, burgess, 49.
Adamson, William, burgess, 10.
Adamstown, 289.
Adnelisk, 402.
Ad Tavim, 214.
AdvsoD, Robert, 42.
Affleck. V. Auchenleck.
Airlic, Earls of. V. Ogilvy.
Airly castle. *18 ; church, 273-5, 403 ;
weems, 322-3.
Aix-IaChapelle Council, 106.
Allardico family, 355 7 ; castle, •lO, 360.
Aldbar, lands, castle, library, chapel,
295-303 ; seal of baron of, 301.
Aldmontroae, origin of name, 62 ; port
of, 72 ; lands, 281, 367, 479.
Ale, price of, in 1481, 193.
Alexander I., king, *24.
Alexander, parson of Ijogie, 431.
Alexanderson, John, 42 ; William, 156.
Alcyn, John lo fitz, burgess, 49.
Almory chapel, 162.
Altarages, applicati<m of revenues of,
184 ; altar vessels, 180. V. Saints.
Alveth church, 403.
Anand family, 288-9.
Anderson, Thos., minr. at Montrose, 53.
Anegos, Eue de, 351.
Angus, list of sheriffs of, •7-*9 ; thanes
and thanedoms, •lO-*!!.
pp2
Angus, Earls of, 258-62 ; barony, 182.
Antrim round tower, 108.
Aod, king of Dalriada, '21.
Arrats of Arrat. 285 6.
Arbirlot church, 150 ; grant to school,
486 ; sculptured stone, *31.
Arbroath Abbey, founded, 147 ; dedi-
cated. 153 ; architecture, *27, 154 ;
struck by lightning, 158 ; repaired,
160 ; altarages and chapels, 162 ;
visited by royalty, 151 ; revenues of
abbacy, 150-1 ; grants by King John
of England, 165; abbot Henry, 146;
Abbots' lod«j:ing in Dundee, 221 ;
seneschal, 338.
■ town, abbots' burgh, •6 ; origin
of harbour, 165-6; modem churches,
168-9, 171 ; trades, 167; attacked by
Capt. Fall, 173, 471-3 ; battle of
Arbroath, 159, 1713.
Arbuthnott thanedom, •U ; Rirkton,
416; castle, *19; mausoleum, ♦28.
family. 93 ; of Arrat, 286.
Archdeacon's bams, 115.
Archers' croft, 82.
Ardeastio, 246 ; lands, 479.
Ardler, John of, 321 ; lands, 479.
Ardneouere, 413,
Ardvvitn, Thomas, clerk' of, 401.
Argenten, Roger de, 3.
Argyle, Earl of, 37 ; Marquis of, bums
Airly castle, *18, 76, 78.
Arkley, P., of Duninald, •13, 270.
Annagli, Culdees at. 107.
Armorial bearings of Arbuthnott, '29 ;
Auchenleck, 92, 331 ; Barclay, 358 ;
Baxter, 291 ; Beaton, 278 ; Brechin
family, 347 ; Bruce, *31; Clark, 57;
Cuming, 291 ; Dempster, 482 ;
Douglas. 92, 387 : Dundee town. 226,
474; Vist. Dundee, 306; Durham,
*29 ; Fenton, 273 ; Fithie, 155 ;
Fraser, 105, 164 ; Fnllerton, 281 ;
Gardyne, 309, 427 ; Hamilton, 127 ;
Hassa, 92 ; Hay, »29, 396 ; Keith,
337 ; Lamb, 57 ; Lindsay, *29, 387 ;
Lovel, 456 ; Lyell, 309 ; Lyon. 303 ;
Maule, 127 ; Menzies, 278 ; Middle-
ton, 87, 368 ; Montrose, town and
490
GENERAL INDEX.
Dukes of, 475 ; Olifart, 92 ; Panter,
164 ; Parrott, 164 ; Piereon, 161
Pyot, 195; Rough, 195; Roxburgh
306; Scotland, 87, 223, 396, 410
Beaton, 291 ; Shoreswood, 115
Simpson, 197 ; Steuart, 301 ; Trades,
187, 195 ; Vallognes, 127 ; Wishart,
347, 387.
ArmurcT, Simon, 16, 17.
Arthur, Judex, 401.
Arthurhouse, Keith of, 437.
Arthurstone, 396.
Aston, Walter, Baron Forfar, 9.
Athole, grants by family of, to Cupar, 403.
Earl of, acquires Brechin, 125,
237, 477.
Anceps, William. V. Falconer.
Auchcaimio, 85.
Auchenleck family and castle, 330-1 ;
*17.
John of, 356; of Glenbervy, 92.
Auchinblao village, *6, 89.
Auchlcig, 348.
Auchterforfar, 291.
Auchterhouso church, *28, 341-4, 486 ;
Tcmpleton of, 189. V. Ogilvy,
Ramsay, Lyon.
Auldfork, 480.
Baikie, lands, castle, 271-2; loch, ♦4,
273 ; chapel of St John, 271, 403.
Baird of Ury, 359.
Baitchelhill, 406.
Bakers, motto on church pew of, 186.
Balandarg, 343.
Balandro, 50.
Ballantyne of Newtyle, and castle, *19.
Balbegno castle, *19, 84, 366.
Balcathin, Roger of, 105.
Balcloithry, 479.
Baldovie, Farquharson of, 30 ; Melvilles
of, 95.
Baldowry, 479.
Baledgarno castle and village, 202, 293.
Baledmouth, Balfour of, 288.
Balfeith, 150, 385.
Balfour of that Ilk, 277.
castle, *18.
Balgavics loch, *5 ; castle, *18.
Balgersho, 396
Balgillio, or Balgillo, 31314, 385, 479.
Balglassie, 179; mill, 4S0.
Balhungy, 479.
Ballindoch, 50.
Balindard family, 43 ; lands, 237.
Baliol, King John, 84 ; resigns the
kingdom, 47, 125.
of Redcastlo, *13, 357.
Balkeclie, 50.
Balmadethy, 319.
Balmadies, 335.
Balmakellie, Falconers of, 361.
Balmaleedie. 319.
Balmcrino, Thomas, abbot of, 401.
Balmillie, 293.
Balnamoon, 41, 285, 479 ; barial of Udj
of, 466.
Balnashannar, 9, 479-80.
Balneillio, 293.
Balshamwell. V. Bolshan.
Balumby, 454-6. V. LotoI.
Balluny, 479.
Balruthrie, 235, 304-6.
Balzordy, 479.
Bano, death of Donald, •24.
Bannockburn, poem on, 153.
Barras, Little, 355-6.
chapel, 438.
Barry, John, vicar, 181.
battle of, •21 ; bailicry, 239 ; 6.
Barclay, Sir Dtavid, acqnires Brechin,
125 ; 238.
of Mathers and Uiy, 357-9, 381.
V. AUardice.
'Bauk an' rig' system of hasbandry, 39.
Baxter family, 290-1.
Bear, price of, in 1481, 193.
Bcardie, birth place of Earl, 223 ; well,
139. V. Crawford.
Beattie, Dr., 89.
Beaton of Ethiebeaton, 275-6 ; Jas.,
archbishop of St Andrews, 151 ; of
Balfour, Crcich, &c., ♦IS, 277 ; Car-
dinal, 151; portrait of, 277, 450;
builds Mclgund castle, 278 ; Eliza-
beth, 239.
Beck, bishop of Durham, 6, 47.
Beggars, prevalence of, 135 ; badges for
local, 136.
Bell, Thomas, vicar of Montrose, 484.
Bell rock lighthouse, 174-6.
Belmont castle, 322.
Benholm castle, *18.
Benvie lands, 235 ; kirk, 304-6.
Bernard, son of Brian, 400 ; abbot, 221.
Borncs, or Bernis, 98-9.
Bervy water, *4, 91. V. Invcrbervy.
Berkeley of Inverkeillor, ♦IS, 150, 357.
Binny, councillor, 22, 464.
Thomas of Feme, 255.
Bibhopkers, 455.
Blackburn, 101.
Blackerocche, 380.
Blackfriars' convent at Dnndee, 191.
Blackball, Russcl of, 381.
Black Jack castle, ♦I 4, 15.
Black.smiths, hereditary, 133-4, 821.
Blairs College, 449-51.
Blair of Shanzio, 405 ; Rev. David,
118 ; Elcn, wife of late Alex., 453 ;
Margaret, 457.
Blairydryne, 102.
GENERAL INDEX.
491
Blond, Hugh, •28, 436 ; Adam de, 457.
Bogjorgan, 99.
BoEemia, letter from Queen of, 241 .
Bolshan lands, barony, chapel, 345-6.
Bonnington, 48, 319.'
Bonnet makers of Dundee, 187, 219.
Borrowfield, 280, 307. 346.
Both chapel, 162, 325.
Botler, Robert le, 361.
Bow Glen, 90.
Bowie of Keithock, 138.
Boysack chapel, 162.
Bractullo, 91.
Braikie castle, ^18.
Brolinmuir, 98-9.
Bread croft, 12.
Brecbennach banner, 150.
Brechin, Culdee monastery, 106 ; round
tower, 110-12; cathedral founded, 113;
its past and present state, 116-20; seal
of the Chapter, 114; altarages and
chaplainries, 470 ; chantor, 435 ; re-
venues of the see, 115; bishops'
palace and canons' houses, 119 ;
chandelier, 116, 469 ; steeple clock,
469 ; inscribed board in session-
house, 469.
castle, ^18 ; taken by Wallace ;
125. 203 ; defended by Sir T. Maule,
126-7 ; burned by Edward I., 126 ;
past and present state, 127.
family of, 123-5 ; Sir William
founds Hospital, 120; Sir David,
warden of Dundee castle, 204.
proprietary account of lordship of,
477-8.
a city, and bishops' burgh, *6 ;
royal burgh, 129 ; first notice of,
129 ; burned, *6, 129 ; bridge, 140 ;
burgh cow-herd, 145 ; Constable
lands, 286 ; markets, and petty
customs, 129-31 ; dispute regarding
election of bailies, 132-3 ; incorpo-
rated trades, 133 ; Little Mill, 287 ;
bede-house, 134 ; "Catis cross,"
140 ; schools, 122-3, 143 ; modem
improvements, 142-5 ; battle of
Brechin, 127-8; "bourd" of;.»25.
Brewster, Dr., of Craig, 270.
Brice, Culdee canon of Brechin, 1 13.
Brichty, 325.
Bridei, king of the Picts, ^20.
Brogue makers, 18, 20.
Bronze pots, ^4, 105.
Brothoc water, 164, 166.
Broughty castle, •18. 314; Ferry, 150.
Broun otColstoun, 289.
Brownie's kettle, 95, 437.
Bruce, John, son of Robert I., 415, 420.
Brydy, abbot, 154.
Buchan, estates bought by Ist Earl Pan-
mure, 243 ; Earls of, 318, 334 ;
Countesses, 341-4.
Buchanan, David, printer, 59.
Bucklemakers of Dundee, 219.
Buldewas Abbey, 264.
" Burbrodoche. V. Arbroath.
Burns, the poet's ancestry, 96-101 ; his
visit to Montrose, 69 ; corrected copy
of his songs, 257.
Bumcs of Montrose, 59, 97, 485.
Burness, John, poet, 99-100.
Burnett of Leys, ♦19; of "Dooris," 104;
Sir Wm., M.D., 59.
Bumhous of Kair. 99.
Buthirkill, or Burghill, church, 470 ;
hill, 136, 141.
Butlers, royal in Scotland, 317.
Byug, Admiral, 81.
Caddhn CastlEj 370.
Caimmoneam hill, 101, 105.
Caim-o'-Mount, *21, 83.
Cairnshee, 102.
Caldhame chapel, 286-7 ; lands, 480.
Cambiston, 454, 479.
Cambou moor, 85.
Cambuskenneth, abbot of, 50.
Cameron of Baledgamo, 292-5.
Camlochan, 34.
Campbell of Denhead, 33 ; Alex., bishop
of Brechin, 37, 116 ; minr. of Lun-
dio, 344.
Campsie, Abbot's house at, 406 ; linn,
329 ; lands, 265.
Camus cross, ^22. V. Cambistou.
Cant, Andrew, 56.
Capo, 265.
Carcary, Meikle, 39, 48.
Careston castle, ^20 ; Dempster of, 48l-2«
Car^ll lands, 327-9 ; church, 329.
Cansbrook castle, 242-3.
Carity water, *3 ; Carudy, 63.
Carlungy, 479.
Carmelite Friars of Aberdeen, 90; lu-
verbervy, 441.
Carmyllie church, 237.
Carnegie, or Camegy, assumption of sur-
name, 43 ; family of Kinnaird, 44,
87, 307 ; Bolshan. 345 ; Craig, 269 ;
Craigo, 434 ; Finhaven, 95 ; l*it-
arrow, 71, 387-8 ; Lour, 13. V.
Southcsk.
Camock, gifts by bishop, 115; tower,
120.
Carron water, ♦4.
Carsburn, 480.
Carsegowuie lands harried, 51.
Catcrline church, 4412 ; Rath, 442.
Celurca. V. Salork.
Cementarius, Roger and William, 17.
Censer, or incence pan, 437.
492
GENERAL INDEX.
Chalmers of Aldbar, 297, 803, 364 ; of
Findon, 364 : of Murtbill, 298.
Chancellor's park, and croft, 82.
Chapels. V. Saiktb.
Charles II., letter to Earl Panmure, 243.
Charlcton, 280.
Chester, Earl, and castle of, 324.
Chcyne, sheriffs of the Meams, *7 ;
Eustacia, and family of, 45 :i.
Christie, Thos., 59, 71.
Christison, "William, minister, 181.
Cistertian Monks, 393.
Clair, 402.
Clairbar, 295.
Claleck, 228.
Clapham, Mark, 146.
Claverhouse, Graham of, 212.
Clark, admiral, 57 ; John, ulvi.i man, 64.
Clattering Brigs, 87.
Claypotts castle, *18.
Clayshed (Montrose) 50.
Clement, Ninian, minister, 1 70.
Clermont, 368.
Clochnabanc hill, 381.
Clochuahill, 97, 100.
Clochtow, 4S0.
Clonyn i?Ciuny), 399.
Clova, burial of laird of, 460.
Cluny, William de, 435.
Cook, Walter the, 401.
Coffin €labs, ♦29, 157, 200, 235, 274, 302,
441.
Coinage, local, vi, 225, 474-5.
Collace of 13alnamoon, 128, 415.
Coliiston castle, *19.
Colbert [J. li.], 247.
CoUeweston lordship, 241.
Colan, altar of the Three Kings of, 192.
Conon, 1G5.
Conveth, minister of, 382 ; lands, 383.
Conquar MacEcha M'Maldwin, •21.
Couquhare, Maormor of Angus, 84.
Cordincrs, motto on clmrch pew of, 186.
Corniscorun (Corncskcorn), 50.
Corricljie battle, 96.
Corse castle, 377.
Cortachy, 78 ; bridge, 141.
CoBHins of that Ilk, 288 ; Little, 480.
C'ountcss' croft, 82.
Couts, captaiu, hanged, 128.
Cowy water, *4, 101 ; forest, *10, 103 ;
chapel, *28 ; house, 102 ; thane-
dom, *12.
Crachnatharach church, 413.
Cragy, David, chaplain, 479.
Craig, Kichard, vicar, 181.
Craig castle, 'iO ; fishings leased, 191 .
Craigcrook, 295.
Craigy, Milton of, 184 ; lands, 200, 319.
Craigievar, Forbes of, 377.
Craignathro, 480.
Cramond of Aldbar. 295-6 ; Wm., 37.
Crandart, 30. 32 ; house, 33.
Crannoges, *4.
Crathes castle, *19.
Crawford, Catherine, Countess of, 88 ;
Earis of, 77, 113 ; resideiice at
Brechin, 139 ; at Daadee, 222 ; ar-
mour-bearers of, 330. V. Lindsaj.
Crigy, 373-4. V. Ecclepgreig.
Croftheads, 37.
Crombie of Phesdo and Thornton, 880 ;
ofPitarrow, 388.
Croonan, 396.
Cruick water, *3.
Cryne Corse, 101.
Cuflfock, Thomas, burgess, 48.
Cuikstone church, 41 ; lands and pottery
work, 42, 50.
Culdees, first notice of, *26, 106 ; MS.
history of, 240.
Cnmberiand, Duke of, at Glamis, 22 ;
Drumlithie, 92 ; Montrose, 81.
CumminR, Robert, schoolmaster, 170.
Cupar Abbey founded, 393 ; viMted by
royalty, 404 ; its destmction, 407-8 ;
revenaes, 899403; abbots, 394-6;
house at Campsie, 486-7 ; com-
mendator, 397 ; hereditary porters,
397-8 ; invasion of house and lands,
405 ; seals, 395-6 ; ancient tombs,
408-10.
Cupar-Angns an abbots' burgh,*6 ; town,
411.
Currours of Logio-Meigle, 272.
Cuthlic, 337.
Cuthris, John, of Airly, 373.
Dairsie, 348.
Dalladies, Straiten of, 373; Tumbulls
of, 383 ; nmrder at, 266.
Dallavaird chapel, 485.
Dalgarnok, John, 102.
Dalgetty, Over, 41. *
Dalhousie, Earl of, 253-4. V. Kamsay.
Danish invasion, *6, *21-2, 46, 106, 129.
David II., Margt. Logy, Queen of, *11.
Davidstown, 289.
Dean's croft, 82.
Dean water, *3.
Decorated architecture, age and speci-
mens of, *28, 154, 179.
Delany, 382.
Dempster of Dunnichen family, 291, 418,
481-2 ; of Auchterless, 287, 405, 481.
Den Finelia, 375.
Denhead, 396.
Deuside ((.iarvock), 50.
Denton burn, 309.
Derlington, John de, parson, 425.
Dcrvise, Germund, 93.
Devorgilla, Lady, 191.
GENEKAL INDEX.
493
Dicbty water, *4, 63.
Dickmont Law, 176.
Diltymoas, •4, 320.
DisschingitjD, Sir Wm., architect, 179.
Disclunc, 438.
Dod, Weuter, 480 ; lake, 26.
Dooly, »3 (Dabley) 50.
Doomster's mode of passing sentence, 37.
Don, David, botanist, 16
Donoughmore round tower, 108.
Dorcs. V. Durris.
Douglas, Dukedom of, 263 ; marriage
of Earl Archibald, 222 ; Archibald,
Earl of Forfar, 9 ; Douglas of liarras,
440-41; of(ilcnbervy,91-5.
Downey (Glenisla), 30.
Downie, or Duny, thancdom of, *10 ;
lands, 402 ; burony, 479 ; mill, 480.
Nicholas of, 458.
Downykano, 479.
Dowrey born, 320.
Drainer's Dyke, 61.
Drimmio forest, *10.
Dronlaw, 315.
Drymys, 403.
Dnimder{^-131athmig battle, *21.
DrumgraiD, 329.
Drummond, Sir John, 328 ; Queen
Anabclla, 320 ; biahop. 144.
Drumlithie chapel, 91, 92, 485.
Drumsleid, 140.
Drumtav, 63.
Drumtochty, 90.
Dudhope castle, *20, 203, 212, 224.
Dullachy, 438.
Dunbranan, Reginald, 163.
Dun castle, * 18 ; invaded, 78 ; bridge,
141.
Duncan II., 93 ; murder of, '24.
Duncan " Judex," 347 ; Justiciary, 400.
admiral, 225, 456.
Duudee kirk granted to abbey of Lin-
dores, 179-80 ; destroyed, 185, 187 ;
repaired, 186-7; grants to the church,
180; altarages, 182-3; chaplainries,
4734 ; steeple, *28, 179 ; convents,
187-93, 224, 225 ; lIowfT, 191-200.
castle, 201-2 ; captured and de-
stroyed by Wallace, 203 ; taken and
retaken, 204.
town, *0; burned, 204, 212; a
burgh, 216; market cross, 226; pro-
vost, 219; disputes with Perth, 205 ;
share in ransom of David II., 204 ;
captured and burned by Montrose,
209; by Monk, 210-11; incorporated
trades, 219; commerce and iM)pula-
tion, 218 ; shore dues and shipping,
216-17; "niautol" customs ot, 415,
480 ; general assemblies at, 2U7 ; the
Information, 205-8 ; Wars of the
Covenant, 208-9 ; HospiUl, 188 91 ;
"sang Bchole," 229; seminaries,
479; Argj'U Closs, 223 ; carvings in
Whitehall Closs, 223; Maachlin
tower, 225 ; mint, 124 ; coinage, 474;
lodging of the Abbots of Arbroath,
221 ; Lindsay lodging, 222 ; Strath-
martin's lodging, 226 ; Gen. Monk's
lodging, 225; royal visits, 212, 213,
224, 229; Victoria arch, 229;
charges at ferry, 227 ; origin of
name, 215-16 ; the Law, 214.
Dundee, familv of, 303. V. Claverboaso.
Dundervisheide fishings, 455.
Dunfynd, 480.
Duuliasny (Dalhesney), 50.
Dunnichen battle, ^20.
Duninald church, 41 3, 417, 480 ; house,
*15 ; lands, 480. V. Sajkto—
Skeoch.
Dunlappy, lands and family of, 426;
church and parsons, 425-6, 260.
Dunottar castle, *18 ; kirk and clergy,
443-5.
Duray, John, minister, 54.
Dunechtyn, 150, 156.
Durris kirk, 105; forest, •lO; thane-
dom, *12. 103 ; castle, 443-7, 101 3 ;
house harried, 103.
Durschine, lands and park of, 351.
Durwards, burial place of the, 402 ;
Alan, 49 ; 280. V. Lundyn.
Dye water, *4, 380.
Dyouisius, clerk of Forfar, 11.
Dysart church, 413 ; lands of Little, 480.
Mclvilles of, 95.
Eakf/s Inns, 82.
Early English architecture, specimens
and age of, 154, *27.
East Haven, 238.
EccleBgrcig, 123, 374.
Ecclespether church, 413.
Edderpoles, 400-1.
Edgar, death of King, *24, 214.
bishop, 169 ; burial place, 161.
Edward I., at Arbroath, 146; Haled-
gamo, 202, 293; Brechin, 124, 125
Dundee, 202; Durris, 100; Faruell,
35; Forfar, 6: Glenbervy, 90; In
verqueich, 6 ; Kincardine, 83 ; Mou
trose, 47.
Edzellcastle, •IS, 311-12.
Egglisjohn chapel, 55.
Egypt (Fdmell), 39.
Ennet, or Eunoll (Montrose), 67, 69.
Elfliill, 100.
Elliot water, ♦4.
Elphinstoue, Lurdt;, 318.
Eltham, great park of, 241.
Epitaphs at Dundee, 185 ; 194-200, 291,
494
QENERAX INDEX.
331 ; Mains, 263; Magdalene chapel
287 ; MontroBe, 485 ; fioljrood, 348
Kirkden, 428 ; Aberlemno, 302
Aberdeen, 298.
• Epity Pie.; V. Roche.
Errol, Momce, rector of, 401.
Erskine of Dun, 50-65; feuds at Mon-
trose, 73; John E. kills a priest, 74;
favors the Reformation, 75, 184 ;
captain, 80 ; Lady Mary, 244 ; Sir
Alex.of Gkigar, 417.
Esanztoun, 37.
Eshintillie Begis, 102.
Ethie, 150.
Ethiebeaton, 275-6.
E?anuB III., 4.
FiiBBURN, Stephen, burgess, 221.
Fairhar, or Faryar, John, porter of
Cupar, 398.
Falconer, Lord Halkerston, 64; family
of, 360-3.
Elisco and Thos., 52.
Fall's, capt., attack on Arbroath, 471-3.
Fallhaws, 240.
Famell castle, *18, 35; inscribed stones,
86, 484 ; accjuired by Earl of South-
esk, 38 ; muir, 37 ; lurk, 40-1 ; sculp-
tured stone, 41.
Duncan de, 35.
Farquharson and M'Comie feuds, 30-34.
Fassington, Margaret, 319.
Feithie loch, •S ; 320-2.
Fentons oi^Baikie, 270-73 ; of Ogil, 272.
Fcrdill (? Ardell), 399.
Feme barony, 50 ; manor, 324-6.
Forideth, King of the Picte, •23, 420.
Fcrrier, David, rebel, 80.
Ferriton, or Ferridan fields, 9, 12.
Fettercaim, *6; thanedom, *11, 86.
house, 87 ; manse burned, 363.
Fotteresso, St Caranof, *4; clergy, 426 ;
lands, 367-8 ; house, 434, 447 ; se-
pulchral remains, *"23.
Feuch water, *4, 383.
Fiddes castle, •20.
Findon, Seaton, and chapel of, 364.
"Finnan baddies," 364.
Findowrie's " lodging" burned, 1.39.
Finella, lady, and her castle, 84, 375.
Finnygand, 30.
Finhavcn castle, *18; church, 17, 113;
churchyard, •29 ; bridge, 141.
Fish, price of, iu 1481, 193.
Fishbum of Redcastlo, *13.
Fithie lands and family, 43, 155, 479.
Fitzadam, Brian, 202.
Flanders, Bartholomew of, 351.
Fleming, Michael do, and David, 351.
Flemington castle, 351 ; lands, 179, 480.
Fleshor, Hugh, burgess, 16, 17.
Fleshers, motto on charch pew of^ 186.
Fletcher, James, of Bostinoth, 11, 418 ;
of Balinshoe, 465 ; Sir 0«orge, 12.
Foolscap paper, origin of name, 197.
Foffarty lands, 413.
Forbes, bishop, of Corse, 877 ; of Leslie,
103 ; Monymnsk, 364 ; of Waterton,
and Thornton, 379 ; of Towie, 819.
bishop of Brechin, 116, 143-4.
Forbidden Cave, 176, 374.
Fordoun Roman Camp, 87 ; church
and town, 88-9 ; John de, 89. V.
Saiktb — Palladins.
Forfar chapel gifted to abbey of Jed-
burgh, 11, 414; church bell, 13,
461 ; gleib, 11 ; Episcopal charch, 14.
castle, 3, 8 ; captured and destroyed,
5, 6; ruins 8-9; constables, 78, 89,
25 ; falconer, 10 ; parliaments, 4 ;
king's gardener, 5.
town, *6 ; royal burgh, 16 ; trades^
18-23 ; oppressed by the army, 22 ;
charters destroyecC 21: Sunday
markets suppressed, 24 ; fishmarket,
413; feus, 403; burgh accoimta,
465-7 ; cross. 8, 26-7, 465-6 ; por-
traits in coun^ baildines, 23;
Drummond's satire, 19 ; hiUfoenny,
475.
loch. ♦5; chapel on island, 97, 400.
Forglen, 150.
Forster, Gilbert, archdeacon, 181 ; Pa-
trick of Innerdovet, 264.
Forter castle, ♦18.
Forthill (Montrose), 46 ; 61 ; 62.
Fosse, Nicholas Hay, rector of, 401.
Fossoway church, 401-2.
Foullertoune, Geoffrey of, falconer to
Robert I., 10 ; Fullertons of F., 351 ;
of Thornton, 379.
Fothringham of Powrie, Marjory, 297.
Fowlis-Eastcr, church and land^, 234 ;
paintings, 235. V. Coffin slabs.
Franciscan convent at Dundee, 188 ;
founded, 191; national assembly's
meeting at, 192; destitution of tiie
friars, 192-3.
Fraser, Sir Alexander, 85 ; William, son
of Alexander, 35 ; Sir Simon, 124 ;
of Durris, 103-4 ; of Frendraoght,
90; of Hospitalfield, 163-4; of Kin-
nell, 307.
Freck, Philip, bailie of Forfar, 16.
Freemasons, lodge of, 219, 220.
Freswick, 326.
Freuill, Richard, of Mondynes, 94.
Friars' glen, 90.
Friock, 309.
Froster, Sir Thos., killed, 74, 468.
Fyndon, Philip of, 363.
I>vie convent, 149 ; prior of, 265.
(lENERAL INDEX.
495
Gallwbaw, 406.
Garden of Borrowfield, 280.
Gardenstone, Lord, 379-80.
Gardyne castle, ♦18, 309; family, 307-9.
Garvock kirk and clorpy, 436-7 ; hill, 94.
Gamard, King of the Plots, 335.
Gateside (Farnell), 39.
Gedy, abbot, 165.
Gerard, Sir Thomas, 224.
Gibbon, Thomas, knight, 401.
Gildeford, John of, 83.
Gillicmichael, a hermit, 400.
Gilliee, Dr John, historian, and Adam,
lawyer, 122.
Gladstone, Sir T. of Fasfiue, 381.
Glaister, family and origin of, 304.
Glamis, thanedom, ♦lO ; castle, ♦1517 ;
garrisoned, 21-2 ; rents of manor,
5-6 ; lands, 479; acquired by Ist Earl
of Panmnre, 243 ; origin of name,
334. V. Logic, John of.
Glascorie forest, 30.
Glaskeler, Montfort of, 369.
Glen, Robt.,mark and monogram of, 196.
Glen of Ogilvy, 333. V. Ogilvy.
Glenbachlach, Adam of, 403.
Glenbaynio, 34.
Glenbervy castle, 91 ; besieged, ^25 ;
kirk and parsons, 91-2.
Glenbrierachan battle, 264.
Glenchungole, 371.
Glendalough round tower, 107.
Glendy, John, dean of Cashol, 122 ;
469-70; lands, 381.
Glenfarquhar, 89, 361-3.
Glenesk barony, 480 ; family, 310.
Glenisla, 6, 400.
Glensaugh, 90.
Gold, Adam, burccss, 48.
Goldman of Dunaee,jpoet, 198.
Gordon, family of Duke of, 104; of
Auchcndown, 123.
Gourlay of Balgillo, 312 ; of Kincraigie,
313.
Grahams of Aldmontroso, 279-81 ; of
Morphie, 73, 378 ; Lady Anna, 297 ;
Lady Mary, 357.
Granard, Earl of, 377.
Granger, Rev. Jas , of Kinneff, 439-40.
Gray of Baledgamo, 184; of Duninald,
♦13-14 ; of Fowlis, 237 ; of Inver
eichty, 25 ; Rev. William, of Logie-
Montrose, 451-2.
Greek, teacher of, at Montrose, 52.
Green cairn, 84.
Greenden, 41.
Greenford, 336.
Greenlaw (Farnell), 39.
Grey, Lady Diana, 367; William, of
Pittendrum, 438.
Greenlaw, Nicholas of, 301.
Groom's wages, temp. Alex. III., 6.
Gnalter, Cardinal, letter to £. Panmure,
251, 477.
Guildy. 240, 480.
Guiscards of Normandy, 347.
Guthrie, abbot, 154; bishop, 309; of
Rincaldrum, ♦H, 405 ; John of, 14 ;
[gude], 64; Alex, of Forfar, 17 ;
fends with the Gardynes, 308 ; Rev.
Wm. ofFenwick, 118, 122.
castle, ♦17.
Guynd, 337.
Hakelt, Henry de, bnrgess, 49.
Haldane, family and tradition of, 321.
Halkerston, V. Falconer, Hawkerstoun.
Halkets of Pitdran, 271.
Hallgreen castle, •19.
Hallyburtons of Dundee, 206-8 ; of Pit-
cur, 321.
Hamilton, Marquis of, 60, 159.
Hamyll, William, 7.
Hanffie's well, 329.
Harchers, Sir Rpbort, sheriff, 399.
Barkers, Robert, 321.
Hassa of Glenbervy, 92-3.
Hastings, sheriff, ^7 ; Isabella, wifo of
late Edmund of, 457.
Haughmuir, 134.
Haunsard, John of, 349.
Hawks, expense of feeding, temp. Alex.
IIL, 6 ; nests at Fiudon, 364.
Hawkhill of Dundee, 178.
Hawksman, king's, 82.
Hawkerstoun, 82, 480; castle, 363;
lands, 361-3 ; Bent, 366.
Hawkins, bishop of Raphoe, 482.
Hay of Errol, 103, 314-15 ; gifts to
Cupar, 400 ; burial place, 409 ; of
Dronlaw, 314-15; of Tullymet, 405.
" Hazard'* sloop captured, 79-80.
Heatherstacks, 10.
Hector, king's physician, 314.
Heigh, Alex., aealer in " aquavitie," 29.
Henry, parson of " Glenberuin," 91.
chaplain of Montrose, 52.
Hepburn of Luffness, 426.
Herbertshiel castle, 370.
Hermitage and hermit, 400.
Herscha nillj 87.
Herwart, William, vicar of Farnell, 41.
Hotherwick, 238, 308.
Hilton, 383.
Hoock, Colonel, 247.
Hog of Blairydryne, 102 ; Alex., rector
of school of Brechin, 122.
Hoill (Hole), 480.
Hollar, drawings by, 164.
Holyrood Picture Gallery, ♦16.
Home, commendator of Kofltinoih, 417.
Honeyman of Kinneff, poet, 439.
496
GENERAL INDEX.
Horologe-hill (Montrose), 62, 81.
Horticulture, temp. Alex. III., 5.
Hospitalfield lands, 162 ; house, 163.
Hostelry at Kincardine, 85-6 ; Dundee,
221.
Howff, origin of name, 193.
Hume, Joieph, M.P., 69 ; statue of, 485.
Hunter, Dr William, naturalist, 59.
of Rostinoth, 418.
Huntingdon, Earl of, lord of Brechin,
123 ; founds Lindores ahbey, 149 ;
gifts Dundee church to Lindores,
177-8, 237, 346.
Hunting horses, expense of feeding,
temp. Alex III., 60.
Hunting parks and forests, * 10, 48, 82.
Huntly-hul, 128 ; castle (Gowry). ♦IS.
Husbandry, improTement in, 39, 40.
Hurley Hawkin, •25.
Hwuctymus, Wm. de, sheriff, *7, 343.
Hyndcastlo moss, •4, 320.
Idvies, thanedom and thanes, ♦I 1,428 ;
church and parsons, 427-8 ; lands
and house, 429.
Inchbrayock church, 60, 269. V. Braoch.
Inchbreck, Stuarts of, 95.
Inchethor, Adam, parson of, 401.
Inchmartin, Sir John of, 294, 403.
Inch-Michael, 400.
Inglismaldie castle, ^20, 362.
Ingliston, baronets of, 326; lands of, 348.
Innerdovat, 264.
Innerechtie, Young of, 297 ; barony,
402 ; lands, 479.
Innerkethyn, Alisaundre and Sanser
^le, 350.
lunerkey (?) toft, 401.
Inncrraeath, Lord, of Bcdcastle, ♦13-14.
Innes, Cranio, 300
Inieney lands, 40 ; Schaklock of, 313.
Invcrbervy royal burgh, ♦e, 442 ; mill,
371 ; Carmelite Friars, 441.
family of, 442 .
liivergowne castle, ^24 ; church, 306,
412.
Invcrkeillor manor, ♦IS; church, 150;
Newton, 319.
Inverluuan barony, 32G.
Invcrmark castle, ♦IS, 311.
Inverpcflbr lauds, 290, 320 ; place, 308,
334.
origin of family, 318; Patrick of,
184; Lord, 319.
Inverquharity castle, ♦U.
luverqucich custlc, 6, 84.
Invcrugv church, 150.
Irvine of Drum, 77, 150 ; of Kelly, 337,
485-6.
Irwyn, William and Mariot, 221.
Isla water, *'3.
Jacxstov, 238.
Jaffray, Girsal, burned for witchoT»ft,225.
James VI. at Brechin, 135 ; at Dundee,
, 224 ; at Kinnaird, 48, 224.
VIU., letters to B. Panmnre from,
246, 249, 250.
Jamieson's Scottish Diotionaiy, origin
of, 15 ; Robert, advocate, 16.
Jesters' dress, ♦IT.
John, archdeacon of Brechin, 115 ; clerk
of Forfar, 11.
Johnson, Dr Sam., at Montrose, 58 ; at
Arbroath, 160.
Johnston's (Arthur) Epigrams — ^Brechin,
140, 463 ; Dundee, 226, 463 ; Forfar,
18, 462 ; Montrose, 68, 462.
Johnstone, 359.^ V. Laarenoekirk.
Justinhaugh bridge, 141.
Kaib. 96.
Keilors of Keilor, 320-1 ; chapel, 322.
Kcith-Marischal, Sir Wm., 381 ; Lady
Catherine of Kintore, 362 ; Dr
George, poet, 59. V. Marischai.
Keith lands, 333.
Keithock, 396, 399; Temple Lands,
265; burgh, 406.
Kelso Abbey, 149.
Kelly castle and lands, ♦IS. 336-7, 485-6.
Kenneth III., assassinated, ♦?, ^24, 84,
88 ; dedicates Brechin to the Lord,
♦26, 110.
Kenny, 335-6 ; Meikle, 347.
Neil, 347.
Kerbet water, ^4, 402.
Kerrera, chanel on island of, 395.
Kerneil, William, parson, 181.
Kerringtonfields. V. Forriton.
Keryngton, Walter de, parson, 444.
Kottins church, 189; (Kethenya) barony
and mill, 479.
Kettle chapel, 334.
Kilcraig fishings, 455.
Kildrummy castle, 237, 264.
Kilgary fo; est, ♦lO ; chapel and hermit-
age, 425.
Kilhiii, 3r,6.
Kilkenny round tower, 111.
Kilmoir church, 470.
Kilmun, provost of, 408.
Kilwinning convent, 149.
Kinnaber Howff, 58, 281 ; king's farm,
413; lands, 00,280,479.
Kinnaird (in Angus) church, 41-2 ; lands,
41, 48; ciistlc, 45, 224; (in Gowry),
224.
Richard and Mariot of, 44, 307.
Kinal'ry, 479. V. Kingalty.
Kinardley, Stephen of, 123.
Kinblethmont chapel, 162 ; barony, 326;
lands, 451.
GENKKAL INDEX.
4U7
Kincardine castle, •12, ♦25. 82 ; hawks-
man of, 361 ; barony of, 85 ; burgh, •G,
86; thanedom, «11, 85.
Kincreich lands, 402 ; mill, 405.
Kinearies, Anands of, 289.
Kinneff, kirk and clergy, 438 39 ; church
robbed, 440 ; castle, 370.
Kinnell, 307.
Kinettles, chnrch and parsons, 429-30 ;
lands, 348.
Kinemy charoh. 150.
King's ale cellar, kcepership of, 48;
brewer, 318 ; cadger*s road, 269 ;
cupbearer, 315 18 ; gardener, 5 ;
physicians, •ll, 313, 430; "plea-
sant," 224^ ; shieldboarer, 444.
Lour, 319. V. Lour.
Kingalty, or Kinally, thancdom, •!!.
Kingenny forest, •lO.
Kinghom, Earls of, 15, 16. V. Strath-
more, Glamis.
Kingilders, 457.
Kingoldrum, *18, 150.
Kinffomey church, 442.
Kinked, John, " witchpricker,*' 29.
Einmonth, 97.
Kinochtrv, 182.
Kinordy loch, ^5.
Kinpumie hill, 322.
Kinross, Robert, and John of, 349.
Kiatore, Earls of, 362, 426. V. Falconer.
Kintrockat, 138, 296.
Kirkden. V. Idvies.
Kirkmahoe church, 150.
Kirkside house, 374.
Kirkton, 163.
Kirktonhill, 346, 359.
Kirriemuir, ♦G ; churchyard, 10 ; lord of
regality, 301.
Knights' Templars, and of St John, 448.
Kyd, William, reader, 182.
Kynnard, Ranulph of, 84.
Kynross, Sir John, 402.
Labotut, 350.
Laing, Alex., poet, 122.
Lamb, bishop, 116.
Lamberton, Alex, de, 350.
Lamlev, Ralph de, abbot, 153.
Landels, Simon, monk, 402.
Lathrisk church, 334.
Laurencekirk, •6, 96.
Lauriaton castle, •IS, 374 ; chapel, 373.
Laws hill, 275-6.
LawtoD, 308 9.
Lee water, •o.
Leech, John, poet, 59.
Leckoway, 850.
Lednathy, 350.
Legatston, 308-9.
Leicestor, Earla of, 368.
QQ 2
Leightons of Usan, 263-8 ; Jaoics, par-
son, 426.
Leightonhill, 28G.
Lekathy, Laurvucc de, 350.
Lennox, Regent, besieges Brechin, 12^$ ;
receives Abbacy of Arbroath, 159.
Leslie of Rothes, 43, 85, 426 ; general,
77 ; of Newton, 211 ; commendatur
of Cupar, 397.
Lesmahago convent, 149.
Lethnot church, 113.
Lcuchars, bishop, 114, 119.
Leuchland, 238.
Leys loch, ^4 ; lands, 308.
Lidorpoles, 400-1.
Liel, Andrew, 395.
Liff church, 306.
Lindores abbey, 149, 179. 180, 182, 215.
Lindsay, Sir Alex., 17, 113, 310.
of Glencsk, 17, 113, 183. 310.
325; of Baikie, 271, 405; of Bam-
yards, 272 ; of Byres, 444 ; of Craw-
ford, *11, 188; of Edzell, 191,
310-11 ; of Vaync, *13, 327. V.
Crawford.
Duke of Montrose, 47, 65, 73.
David, minister and schoolmaster,
59, 182, 229.
hereditary blacksmiths, 134.
Linton, Bernard, abbot, 152.
Lintrathen loch, *o ; lands, 334, 342.
Little Pert, 349, 402, 479.
Locarstown, or Lockartstoun, 10, 348.
Lochlair, 304.
Lochlee, *o. V. Qlenesk.
Loffithe. V. Feithie loch.
Logic -Montrose, kirk aud parsons' of,
431 4 ; Scott of, 431, 458. V. Pert.
Logie-Wishart, lands and barony, 347-9.
Logy, John, of Glamis, ♦ll.
Lo^n, Philip de, burgess, 49.
Loirston cairn, 364.
Lorimer's croft, 82.
Lomie, 400 ; Baldwin of, 401.
Louis XIV., letter to Earl Panmuro
from, 2478, 477.
Lounie, 336.
Lour barony, 402 ; Meikle, 480.
Levels of Balumby, 454-6.
Lownaii, 479.
schoolmaster of Dundee, 229.
Lucky's slap, 299.
Lude, David, chaplain, 184.
Lumphanan, 91.
Lumsden of Montquhaney, killed, 210.
Lunan water, ^4.
Lundie loch, *5 ; lands, 49 ; church, 344.
Lundin family, 49, 150, 456. V. Dur-
I wards.
Luther water, *4, 89.
I Lutbnot bridge, 360.
498
QENERAL INDEX.
Lydel of Panlathie, 238 ; 276.
Lyell of Gardyne, 309; Dayid, minr.,.56.
Lyon of AIdl>ar, 296 ; of Auchterhouse,
842.
M'Beth, QObert, king's physician, 314.
Mackbroke, Alex., advocate, 406.
M'Comie and Farquharsou fends, 30, 34.
Mack Holffe. 399.
Mackenzie, Lord Privy Seal, 322.
Macpender. V. Maolpoder.
Macpeesis, Hugh, 163.
Macvicar, tombstone of Archibald, 408.
Magdalene chapel, 286-7.
Mains church, 261 ; castle, *18, 262 3,
333, 340 ; mUl, 479.
Maisondieu Hospital, 120-22.
Maitland, Wm., historian, 122.
Malcolm IL, *21, 7-8, 604.
Mallebryde, a Culdee canon, 113.
Malherb of Rossy, 49, 264.
Malt, price of, in 1481, 193.
Manrent, bonds of, 238, 356.
Maolpeder, thane of Meams, ^4.
Maormors of Angus and Meams, *6,*7.
Mar, Eari of, 78. 247, 251, 478.
Marcheta mtdierum, law of, 4.
" Mari« of Dundee," the ship, 217.
Marriage contract, 245.
Marischal, Earl, 65, 86, 100.
Marsilliors, M., Greek teacher, 53.
Mary, Queen of Scots. Y. Queen Mary.
Maryculter, 103; kirk and barony, 448-9.
Marykirk church, 360. V. Aberiuthnot.
Marynett fishings, 50.
Maryton, 37, 385.
Masons, hours and wages of, in 1536-7,
220 ; apprentices, 221 ; marks, 122,
197.
Mathers, 381 ; Kaim of, *18, 94, 358.
Maukelom, How le fitz, burgess, 49.
Maule, Ansold, and Peter de, 234, 470.
of Panmure family, 233-57.
of Ben vie and Balruthrie, 304 6 ; of
Both, 279; of Bulumby, 456; of
Fowlis-Easter, 235 ; of luverkeillor,
253; of Kelly, 245, 257, 337; of
Melgund, 239, 279 ; Sir Thos., de-
fends Brechin castle, 125 6. 236;
commissary, 240, 257 ; Henry, Lord
Brechin, 242 ; Hon. William, created
an Eari, 253.
Jane, Lady Ramsay, 253 ; Hon.
Wm. Ramsay, 23, 112; created a
baron, 254 ; Fox, Baron Panmure,
127, 168, 254-6, 478; Eari of Dal-
housie, 503 ; Hon. Lauderdale, 254;
Hon. Wm. of Feme, 255. V. Pan-
mure, Ramsay.
of Ireland, 317.
May, Isle of, 317.
Meal, price of, In 1481, 193.
Meams, sberiSs of the, ^-^lO ; thanes
and thanedoms, *11, *12.
Meathie-Lonr kirk, 402.
Meldram of Segy, 291.
Melg^am water, *8.
Melgund castle, •18, 27-8; lands, 288,
2%, 336.
MelviUe of Glenbenrie, •9, 91^.
James, 75, 170.
Melviil, school-boy days of Andrew,
431-2.
Memass, 479.
Menmuir thanedom, *11, 415; lands,
479 ; king's gardener at, 5.
Menzies of Fmdon, 364; of Pitfbdels, 449.
Mercer, Walter le, borgess, 49 ; <^ Aldie,
239.
Merchants* marks, 196-200.
Mergie, Stonehouse o^Ol.
Merton. Nicol de, parson, 429; king^s
S^ysician, 430.
ven college, 801 ; battle, 124.
Paul, a preacher, 63, 206.
Michaers CSt.) mount, hill, and don,
115, 426.
Middletons of Middleton, 305-67 ; Earl
of, 86-7, 281.
Middleton lands, 309.
Middledrums, 41.
Mill, historian of British India, 434.
Miltonhaven burgh, 372 8.
Minto, Eari of, 279.
Mitchell, bishop of Aberdeen, 437.
Monasteries, importance of, 148-9.
Monboddo castle, *20 ; Strachans of,
377 ; burial aisle, 88.
Moncaroo, battle of, ^21.
Moncrieff, William, and family of, 350.
Moudynes lands, 94, 150, 369 ; coort
stane, *24.
Moufitchet, Sir William, 204.
Moniiieth thanedom, *11; church, 261 ;
Grange, 479 ; teinds of, leased. 191.
Monikie lands, 479 ; Kirkhill of, 240.
Monk, general, at Dundee, 185, 210-11.
" Monkbams," locality of, 163.
Monkmuir, 406.
Monmouth, Earl of, 104.
Monogram, 278. V. Merchants* marks.
Montealts of Feme, 3247, 401 ; Richard
of, 94.
Montforts of Kinneff, 368 9.
Month, forest of the, ♦lO.
Montefix, tomb of William of, 409. V.
Muschets.
Moutroathmont Muir, *10, 7, 224;
keepership o( 48.
Montrose, destroyed by the Danes, *6,
46, 62 ; a royal burgh, ♦e, 48. 62 ;
burgesses of, in 1296, 48-9 ; female
'^^^^^^^ 499 H
V lnif^<^iHcii, 362: sTiore does, privi-
m leqtjs. &C.J 65 ; ierryboat, 458 ; trade,
Oehtcrbiiy, family of that Il>, 335-7 ; ^H
John 0/b '* Acconnt of the Shyre of ^^|l
69 ; bridges, 71 ; pnblic inMliiutions,
70-1 ; old houBca, 69 ; coinaKe* 475,
Forfar;' 27, €6, 141, 160, 227, 218, ^H
337 ; pneral, 338. ^H
Ochvn^ll, 326. ^H
vi; biwin, 61, 72, 281; links, 56,
68 ; Arthur Jahnstone'a epigram oo,
Ockv, colonel, 21. ^H
Ogil lands,^ 273 ; Wester, 479. ^H
68, 462 ; feii.lfl, 73-4.
convent, 49-5 L
Ogitvy, origin of name and family of^ ^^H
chiirch and ftltumgos, 52; cKupeli*
333-4 ; of Airly, 'IS, 30, 31, 38, 78, ^H
464 ; tho ReformiLliun, 52 ; cbtircU
80 ; porters of Cnpar Abbey, 397 ; of ^^H
and Btetiple, 56 ; cbnndelier, 57 ;
Auchterhoune, *8 ; of Balfour, ^19; ^^M
clerical apatliy, 55; episcopal and
of BcMmn, 345 ; of Barras, 440 ; of ^H
other cliurchoe, 58, 484 ; buTial
Caroary, 321 ; of TuYorquharity, *17, ^^H
groiindft, 58 ; gratutnAr Rcboolt 59 ;
173 ; of Lnnan, 366 ; of Puwrie, 333 ; ^^1
tpftcber of Greek establisbed, 62. '
Walter, alderman of Montrose, 73. ^^M
ciiBtle deatrojed by Wallace, 47 ;
Old Montrose. V. Aldinontroae. ^^M
hereditary gate-keeper, 46, 468 ;
'* Old Mortality,*' original of. 446. ^H
Thomas, port^if of, 49.
Olifart, or Oliphftnt of Gienbervy, 92-3. ^H
Oliphant, Sir Willian^. 85. ^M
Dukti (A'. V. Lindaaj*.
Earl of* birth-place ol Jaraei, 281 ;
^^H
208*9 : M»m]ui«, 20, 77, 78, 363.
Mcrnymuak, knight* af, 150,
Packmah's Howe, 437. ^H
Pa<ler, or Pater well, 42. ^H
Moreht>u«»e, 85,
Panbride, burial ai^le at kirk of, 244. ^H
Mtjrphie, 92, 96 ; thanedom, »12.
Panmure, Earls of, Ut E., 160, 240 5; ^H
Mort hill, 438.
2d and 3d E , 245 6 ; 4ih E , 245- ^H
Mortimur of FdwHs, 235.
52 ; 5th E., 2534 ; 1 Bt and 2d Barona, ^H
Mowat. V. JfuDtcalt.
254-6. V. Maule. ^H
MSS., nolicea of, at Aldbar, 299, 412 ; at
■ ^ - chapel, 238 ; house, 244 ; paintingB ^^H
and library, 236-7 ; Heffigtrum ae, ^^H
Blftirfl college, 449 ; at Panmare, 257.
Mochals avMlc, *20.
235, 251 2 i [UQir, 336 ; battle, *25, ^M
Muir, captain, banged, 128.
Paotaakal, 41. ^H
Aliiirdruin, 480.
Palladia^ (St.), abrifie. 84, 88 ; cbapcl,88. ^H
Mnirtun, 374, 382, 480.
Ptilfreyman^a croft, 82. ^^M
Miirlingden, 138.
Panter, abbot, 153 ; David, 37 ; Patriok, ^H
Murri>u8 chtirdi, 261.
50 ; annonal bearings, 154. ^^M
Murthill, 340 ; foreat of, 414.
ParinlieH, origin of, ^26. ^^H
Partheain f? Persie), 399. ^H
Murtbuii, 305. 403,
Musckets of Cargill, 337, 401,
Music, teacher of, at Montrose, 59.
pAtteraon, colonel William, 430, ^^M
Paterson, skipper iJames, 461. ^^|
Mntor, general fc>ir Jo6. Straton, 374,
Pattonsonn, Archibald, 121. ^H
Patrick, kiug'u physician, 313. ^^M
NAr«» of Aacbenlpck, 330.
Peel, monument to Sir Robert, at Forfar, ^^M
Nayra, Half, of luverogy, 160.
13 ; statue of, at Montrose, 70. ^H
Kftuehty well, 346.
NochtanV fort. V. Dtinnicbcn.
Pofftif bum, 320. ^H
Pegbt'a housea. V. Weoras. ^^H
NethfT Airly, church of, 403,
Pert, church united to Logie, 432. ^^B
Kewbigcing (Montrosci, 56 ; 480.
Ncwdoik, tbanedom of, •IL
Perth, town of, 403. ^H
Feiterden, 413, 464. ^H
Newmaniwalls, Panter of, 50.
Pcttarly, 480. ^H
Newtoberu of Newtober, 332.
PetheMn church, 413. ^H
Newtyle castle, *18.
Phesdo, Falconer? of, 61-3, 372. ^H
Neyreseat, 366.
Philip, James, poet, 162. ^H
Nichyl, Dr J. P., astronomer, 122.
Physicians, royal. V. King^s, ^^H
Piereon of Balmadies, 337, 161 ; Alex., ^H
Noran water, *3, 327.
Norman Htyle of arcbiteclure, *27.
slain. 77 ; AleJt.,miur., 11, 12, ^^H
Norric, preceptor of Maisondie 11, 121.
Pillane, Friar Patrick, of Moutro«$6, 51. ^^1
Norrie*8 Law, silver armour found at, 457.
Pitarrow, 385-8 . carved etonea at, 386 7 ; ^H
North E«ik water, 65, 73, *3.
bouse and paintings, 388-9. ^^|
Pitalpin, battle uf, •21. ^H
Oak ciirvin-s. 157, .^12, 887, 427.
Pitcundrun), 336. ^^M
OdikrforlHi. 479 8f>.
Pitcur Cii5tl». #18, 411, ^H
500
GENKRAL INDEX.
Pitfoar, 329.
Pitkennedy neclclacef *23.
Pitscandlv, Blackgate oi *23.
Pitsligo, Forbes of, 368-9.
Pitempan, Nine Maidens of, 335.
Pittengarden, 123.
Pittenweem, commendator^s seal, 301.
Place, drawings by Francis, 164.
Plagae, at Brechin, 136 8, 471 ; at Mont-
rose, 471 ; at Stonehaven, 446.
Plater, or Platane, forest, •10. 413-15 ;
foresters of, 7, 288.
Pluckerston. V. Locarstown.
Plumer, Wm., of Tweeddale, 158.
Pockley, captain, letter by, 464.
Pointed arcoitecture, age of, 154.
Polgarrock, 480.
Pollock family, 338-9
Popes of Rome, John XXII., 151 ; Calis-
tus III., 181 ; Nicholas V., 181.
Porters of Cupar Abbey, 897^.
Porter, " de Munros," Thomas le, 49.
Portencraig, lands and fishings, 260.
Portraits — Lord Camperdown, 23 ; Demp-
ster of Dunnichen, 23, 481 ; Scott
of Duninald, 23 ; Lord Melville. 23 ;
Joseph Hume, 70 ; Sir James Duke,
70 ; Queen Mary, 449, 482 3 ; Car-
dinal Beaton, 450 ; —Webster, 476.
Pow water, 40.
Powbum, 356.
Powrie castle, «18 ; lands, 333.
Preyston, 336.
Piiest's Den and Well, 329.
rioviHions, price of, iu 1481, 192.
rrudhoe castle, chapel at, 259.
Pylmore, John, 396, 406.
Pugiston, 55.
Quakers persecuted, 356 ; tombstone of
the author of Apology for the, 359.
Queen Margaret's Inch, 4.
Margaret Logy, 'll.
Mary, portrait of, 449-50, 482 3 ;
back gammon board, 144 ; watch,
839 ; her visit to Cupar-Angus, 404.
Victoria's visit to Dundee, 229
Quincy, Robert of, 3, 276; Roger of, 334.
Quhitlaw, Patrick, of that Ilk, 270.
Rait, Thomas of Uris, 80, 285, 444 ;
Rev. William, 119,469.
Ralph the Rover, 176.
Ramsay of Auchterhouse, *7 ; Sir John,
64; family of, 339-41; Thomas ol
Kirkton, 170; James, 121; David,
king's clock-maker, 339.
Rattray, Eustace of, 403.
lied Beard, 1U5.
Redcastlo, *12, 17.
Redden, 42.
Redgorton, 395.
Redball, 385.
Redmyre, 96.
Rede, William, borgesa, 16.
Reginald, first abbot of Arbroath. 149.
Regalia concealed at Kinneff; 439 40.
Reid of Anchenleck, 831.
Reiden*8 well, 42.
Reidie, 275.
Rescobie loch, *5 ; castle, ^4 ; kirk, 24.
RindalgroBB kirk, 317.
Robert, parson of Kinneff) 438.
Roche, epitaph on John, 194-5.
Roched, Sir John, 287.
Roger, son of Bandrice, 401 .
Rolok, Roger, and Yofom, 275.
Roman Camps — Fordonn, 87 ; Cargill,
329 ; Clattering Brigs, 87 ; Cupar-
Angas, 411 ; Invergowrie. 214.
Ross, James, Dnke of, 121 ; Eaphemia,
Countess of, 85.
Roscrea round tower, 106.
Rose, parentage of Rt. Hon. Geo., 426*7.
Rossie, 50, 60.
Rossy, Walter de, burgess, 49 ; Walter
of, 264.
Rostinoth-Forfar, 11, 12.
Rostinoth Priory, 7, 11, 12 ; history of,
412 21 ; rental, 478-80 i list of priors,
415-17.
battle of^*23.
Rouine of Deere, "doomster," 37.
Round towers, 107-11.
Royal cup-bearers. V. Kings.
Ruddiman, the grammarian, 297.
Ruidfair, 6*3.
Rume's Cross, 41.
Rupert, Prince, 338.
Rushes for strewing floors, 222.
Ruthven church, 150 ; weeni at, 322.
Rynd, Patrick, alderman of Forfar, 16.
Saints — churches, chapels, altarages,
wells, fairs, &c., dedicated to
Adamnan, Feme, 273.
Ann, Brechin, 470.
Andrew, Dundee, 201 .
All Saints, Brechin, 470; Dundee,
183, 474.
Arnold, Feme, 273 ; Kinneff, 438.
Bridget, Dunotter, 446.
Braoch, Craig, 61, 269.
Caran, Fetteresso, •4.
Catherine, Arbroath, 162 ; Brechin,
470; Kincardine, 86-7.
Christopher, Brechin, 470.
Columba's banner, 150.
Clare, Dundee, 188.
Clement, Dundee, 188, 200.
Cyrus, Ecclesgreig, 123, 374.
Donevald, 334-5.
QGNERAL INDEX.
501
Saints — DniBtau, Gleiiesk, *5, •26.
Duthoc, Brechin, 470 ; Arbroath, 162.
"Ennan*8 Seit," Feme, 273.
Etheman, Forfar, 24, 466.
FergiiB, Craig, 209.
Francis, Dundee, 188, 191.
George, Brechin, 321 ; Dandee, 183,
474.
Germans Hospital, 451.
Gregory, St. Cyrus, 123, 374.
Holy Cross, Brechin, 470 ; Dundee,
201 ; Montrose, 484.
Hnnand, Campsey, 407.
James, Garvock, 436 ; Brechin, 470 ;
Forfar, 11, 24; Arbroath. 162.
John, Arbroath, 162; Baikie, 271,
274; Barra8,438; Brechin, 470;
Drumnthie,485; (Dun), 65 ; Mont-
rose, 52, 484.
Jjawrence, Brechin, 470 ; Arbroath,
&c., 162 ; Lauriston,373.
Madden, Airly, 274.
Magdalene. Arrat, 286 7, 470.
Marj^aret, Forfar, 24 ; Dundee, 184,
225.
MartiR, Barras, 438 ; Logic, 431.
Mary (Virgin, Blessed, Our Lady),
Arbroath, 162, 163, K38 ; Anch-
terhouse, 342 ; Brechin, 106, 120,
285 ; Carmyllic, 237 ; Cowy, «28 ;
Oaig, 269 ; Cnpar Angus, 394 ;
Dundee, 177, 179, 180, 183, 2U0.
217, 220, 226; G'.enborvy, 486;
Jedburgh, 413; Kilmoir, 470;
Kirriemuir, *6 ; Maryculter, 448-9,
482 ; Marykirk, 360 ; Montrose, 49,
60-1 ; Panmure, 238.
Michael, Arbroath, 162; Brechin,
115, 426 ; Drumlithie, 485; Dan-
dee, 222.
Monance, 179.
Nicholas, Arbroath, 162 ; Brechin,
470 ; Dundee, 178, 473.
Nine Maidens, Finhaven, *30 ;
Glamis, 335 ; Strathmartin, 335.
Ninian, Arbirlot, «32 ; Arbroath, 162 ;
Brechin. 470 ; DnnotUr, 443.
Nomine Jesu, Brechin, 470.
Pader (?), Famell, 42.
PalUdius, Fordoun. «26, 84, 88.
Paul, Dundee, 188, 200, 201.
Peter, Arbroath, 162 ; Dundee, 201 ;
Invergowric, 306 ; Montrose, 434 ;
Rostinoth, 24, 412 (?), 413.
Philip, Caterline, 442.
Boque. Dundee, 188. 200.
Rume(?), 41.
Salvator, Dundee,! 84; Brechin, 470.
Sebastian, St. Vigeans, 170.
Sinivee (?), Mains, 263.
Bkeoch, Duninald, 269-70.
Saiicts — Tliomns ^ Bccket, Arbroath,
147, 155 ; Brechin, 386, 470.
Three Kings, Dundee, 192.
Teman, Fyndon, 3G4 ; (1 14.)
Triduana, Koscobie, 24.
Trinity, Brechin, 113, 116, 131;
Dundee, 188-91.
Valentino, Forfar, 24.
Vigeans, 164, 169-70.
St. Andrews, John, archdeacon of, 434.
St. Boniface, *26.
St. Cvros, Priory of, ♦27.
St. Michael, Christian, 319.
Salork chnrch. 60, 413 ; lands, 63.
Sandhauch (Montrose), 60.
Sanser, Alex, le, Wm., and Thos., 360.
Sauchy, 289.
Schanvel, Thos., sub-prior of Capar, 395.
Schaw of Greenock, 289.
Scone, 182 ; abbot of, 434.
Scott. Duncan. 458; William, 12.
Scotland during the Middle Ages, 148 9 ;
first Statistical Acct. of, 337-8.
Scotston, 383.
Scourging the poor, 29.
Scrimgeour of Dudhope, 18-4, 203, 204,
289, 297.
Sculptured Stone Monuments — Aber-
lerano, ^22 ; Aldbar, 303 ; Benvi-,
306 ; Camuston, •22 ; Cargill, 329 ;
Craig, 61 ; Famell, 41 ; Fordoun, 88 ;
Tnvergowrio, 386 ; Keilor, 322 ;
Kettins, 411; Kirriemuir, 10 ; Largo,
456 ; St. Vigeans, 1 75.
books on, «22 ; 299, 300, 306.
Seaton. 166, 297 ; den, 162.
Seneschal, office of, 338 ; John of Ar-
broath, 338 ; Robert of Rostinoth, 41 6.
Shaklock, k>imon, 369-70.
Sheep, value of, temp. Alex. Ill . 6.
Sheilhill bridge, 141.
Sheriffs of Angus and Mearns, list of the.
*7, *10.
Sheriff's pot, 94.
Shevez, archbishop, 88.
Shiach burn, 105.
Shoreswood, arms of biHhop, 115.
Sibbald of Mondynes, 94.
Simon, clerk of Forfar, 1 1 .
Sinclair of Aldbar, 206.
Sincl, thane of Angus, 93.
'' Sinivee" well, 263.
Skannach (Shanno), 50
Skene of Carcston, 1 12 ; of Rnenioir, 102.
Skibo, Dempster of, 481.
Skinner, Mary Ropcrta, 338.
Skynnor, Laurence, minister, 426.
Skurra, or Skurrnch, 336.
Slains, Montfort n**. 9. 309; rastlc. CTO.
Slczcr's vicw.s: Arbroath, 161 ; Brechin.
139 ; Dundee, 190, 203 ; Montroro, 61 .
502
(lENEBAL INDEX.
Small, Dr. Robert, minister, 183.
Smart, Alexander, poet, 59.
Smiddjhill, 382.
Slug road, 102.
Smythe of Methven, 302.
Soalis, William of, 124.
Sonter, David, " executioner, " 29.
South Esk river, •S.
Southesk. Earls of, 3844, 318, 327 ; 2d
marriage of 6th Earl of, 503. V.
Carnegie.
Spalding, John, dean of Brechin, 86 ;
Georee, of Dundee, 186.
Sparrow Muir. V. Hawkhill.
Speid, Nich., and Speids of Ardovie, 42.
Spcy, water mouth of, 65.
Spittleschelis (Qarvock), 60 ; croft, 105.
Staddockmore, 238.
Stanhope, Ladv Frances, 244.
Stannochj bridge, 141.
Stewart of Athol, 301.
•' Stinchende Haven," 402.
Stirling, salt work in Carse of, 150.
Stirling, George, 73.
Stirlinjjs of Glenesk, 310-71.
Stobhall, lands aitd castle of, 328 9.
Stone coffins at Arbroath, 156.
Stonehaven, *6, 87 ; kirkyards, 446-7.
Stotfanlds. 240, ^48, 480.
Stowe, John of, 1»1.
Stracathro, 84. 3b2 ; battle, *25; church,
425.
Strachan castle, 381. V. Glendy.
Waldave, and Radulph, 380; of
Carmyllie, 237, 238, 304 ; of Thorn-
ton, 377-9, 86, 366 ; bishop of Brechin,
IIG.
fitruiton of Lanriston, 371-3 ; of Kirk-
Hido, 374 ; of the Keym, 483 ; of
Knox, 440 ; of Airly, 373.
Strang, provost of Forfar, 19 20; Robert,
and Wm. of Stockholm, 12-13, 461.
Strathdecty mill, 479.
Strathechyn, Randulph,91 . V. Strachan.
Strathern, John, Robt., and Malcolm of,
351.
Strathfinella hill, 84, 90.
Strathniorc, murder of the Earl of, 220.
V. Kinghorn, Glamis.
Strivelyn, Sir John, of Lanriston, 373.
Stromiay, haven of, 60-1.
Strong, William, burgess, 49!
Strubblc, Malcolm, chaplain, 237.
Stuarts of Inchbreck, 95-6.
Stuart Forbes, of Fettercairn, 307-8.
Bules, royal cup bearer, 310-17.
Sunday schools cstablipbi'd, 118.
markets on, 24, 130.
Sutherland, Earls of, 85, 443-4.
Tailleuk of Balbluimwell, 34 4-5.
Tannadioe, thanedom of, *11.
Tannie'B well, 846.
Tay, Qshiogs on, 400.
Taylor, Rev. Alex., poet» 430.
Tayock, 65. 60.
Tee-naroe. example of, 467.
Tealing church, 412, 413 ; lands, 480.
Templelands of Auchterhonse, 343;
Barras, 438; Benholm. 366; Fetter-
cairn, 366; Kinbletbmont, 451 ;
Middleton. 366.
Thanea and Thanedoms. V. Angus,
Meams.
Thawhoke water, 63.
Thieves, branding of, 467.
Thomas (St.) k Becket, 147.
Tfaom, William, poet, 201.
Thome, John, rector of Dnnli4>p7, 426.
Thomson, G., Bums' oorrespondent. 257.
Thorkelin, Grim, of Copenhagen. 15.
Thornton of that Uk, 376-7 ; John de,
burgess, 49.
castle. •19, 380 ; lands. 479.
Three Kings of Cologne. Y. Colan«
Tillysoil (Famell), 39.
Tillwhllly castle, •19.
Tillyquhandland, 179, 480.
Tombeg. 32.
Tombstones, carvings on, 194*200.
Trombley of Delany. V. Tnnibull.
Trent, William, monk, 402.
Tresquere (Traquair), 399.
Trinity Friars, 188, 451.
Trot, John, burgess, 49.
Trustach forest, 150.
Tullochs of Bonnington. 269.
Tulloes, 308.
Turnbulls of Bcdrule, 382 ; of Dalladic«.
383
Turriff church, 150.
Turin castle, *24.
Tyrbcg, or Torbeg, 9, 400. 479 80.
Tyronensian convents, 149.
Ulisiiaven. V. Usan.
Umphravilles, Earls of An^us, 258-61.
6, 202, 347.
Unich water, *5.
Uris, 86.
Urquhard barony, 85.
Ury, lands and house of, 359.
Usan, 67 ; lands, 268. 312, 458.
Usher' Thomas lo, 351.
Uttica, monuments in church of, 234.
Valentine, origin of name of, 3^7.
Vastcruik fishings. V. Kilcraig.
Vallognes, Lords of Panmure, 235, 236 ;
of Benvie, 304-5.
\'uvnc, Lady Lindsay of, *13 ; castle of.
•18, 327, 352.
GENERAL INDEX.
503
Vethi burn, 85.
Victie, Jas., parson of Idviefl, 428.
Victoria arch, 229; bridi^o, 50. V. Queen.
Vitritied sites, 214, 276.
Vivien's " Offices of the Virgin," 143.
Wallace, Sir Wm., at Anchterhouse,
340 ; Brechin, 125 ; Cupar- Angus,
404; Dundee, 201, 228; Dunoitar,
443 ; Montrose, 04, 340.
tower, 342, 447.
Waldrum, Lady Mary. 244.
"VValkeline, king's brewer, 318.
Walter, Andrew, rector of Cuikstone, 41.
Walter, son of Tnrpiu, 336.
Warberton, or Wardropcristhone, John
of. 291.
Wedderbum, vicar of Dundee, 206.
Weems, or caves, 322-3.
Westferry fishings, 455.
Westfield, 184.
Westmiil, 30.
Weston, John of, constable, 7.
Wheat, price of, in 1481, 193.
Whelps, expense of feeding, temp. Alex.
III., 6.
Whistloberry castle, 370-3.
White, Adam, ol Forfar, 400.
Whiteruds, 441.
William the Lion, burial place of, 155.
William, son of Thos., 400 ; vicar, 236.
Williamson, John, bargees, 16 ; master
of •* sang schole," 229.
Willison, Rev. John, 182.
Wine, cost of carriage of, temp. Alex. II I . ,
6, 216.
Winzct. Ninian, printer, 449.
Witt, Jacob de, artist, •I 6.
Wishart of Logio-Wishart, 346 9.
of Pitarrow, 383^; George, 63,
88, 89, 159, 205, 206.
bishop of Edinr., 348 ; of Glasgow,
and St Andrews. 381-5.
Witches at Forfar, 27-9; bridle, 30,
230 ; burned at Dundee, 225.
Witch Den. 145.
Wood of Boniiington, 269 ; of Balbcgno,
*20; admiral Sir Andrew, 205, 456.
Wodwray, 480.
Wortley, satire by Hon. Miss, 23.
Wricht, John, bailie of ITorfar, 17.
Wyot, Maulcoluui, 351.
Wyschart, R., rector of Cuikstone, 41.
Teaman of Dundee, 198.
Yetts, license to erect, on castles, *17.
York Buildings' Company, 38, 478 ; MS.
books of, 257.
York, Culdeesat, 107.
Young, Sir Pot<jr of Seaton, 170, 199;
of Aldbar, 290-7; of Ochterlouy,
336 ; William, bailie, 17.
ADDENDA.
Since fcho foregoing sheets were printed off the following important
local events have occurred : —
{l.)—The Howffqf Dundee (p. 210.)— By an order of Her Majesty in Council,
dated 26th Oct. 1860, Burials were prohibited in " the Uowff/' from and atler tho
5th Nov. 1860.
{2)^The Earl of Southesh (p. 44.)— On 29th Nov. 1860. the Eari of Southesk
married Lady Susan-Catherine-Mary Murray, eldest daughter of the 6th Earl of
Dunmore.
(3.)— 77i6 Earldom of Dalhouiie.— The Right Hon. James-Aiidrew, 10th Eari,
and 1st Marquis of Dalhousie, died on 19th Dec. 1860 ; and, leaving no male issue,
he haa been succeeded in the title of Earl, and the paternal estates of Dalhousie,
by his cousin, the Right Hon. Fox-Maule, 2nd Baron Panmure.
(.W4)
ERRATA.
I'age. Line.
*14 18 for seceBaion, rtad cessation.
6 21 for the reuiona assigned in Prefa/ce^ p, m'u, delete the toordsj Wo liav
already seen ; line 23, di^lete, that, and it ; Unes, 29, 30, deleU^ a
already noticed.
7 38 delete the wordf Tradition, and insert. Although King Malcolm die
peacefully at Glamis, fable affirms that he was killed, and that tb
murderers, while flying, &j.
8 9 deUta the words, of their fate.
16 9 /or Convent, read Covenant.
11 10-11 ffhe points here referred to are more correctly stated at pp. 412-414
17 last for the castles, read the earlier castles.
i 24 36 „ three days, read two days.
j ^ ^ 50 delete the last clause of note ^.
51 16 for Dumfermline, reeul Dunfermline.
_ > 59 24 ,, son, read nephew.
' ^^ 6i note' „ their father and uncle, read two brothers and a brother-in-law [u
: correctly stated in p. 362.]
' 65 32 „ heberies, read herbenea.
83 11 „ east, re<ui weiL
87 27 „ to observed, read to be observed.
104 5 delete the words, is the followio^ ^ear.
138 19 for took refuge, read had been hving.
[ 141 31 „ lead, reoe/ led.
: ■ 151 10 „ victuals, read victual.
' ^ 178 32 ,, proprietor, reoii lately tenant.
} 184 2 delete reference «.
I 210 36 for quarters were, read quarter was.
J 212 23 „ vault, read grave.
* ^18 32 „ nor. read or.
i . 219 6 delete the word, exclosive.
I 233 5 /rom /cwyf, /or 12th of January, rea<i 13th of January.
\ 254 12 for 3rd of April, read 13th of April.
^ 273 5 „ m* £J*f read M* 9.
276 23 „ 1250, read 1254-6 ; line 31, /or Prince Henry, read Prince Edward
; 290 28 „ Baxester, read Bakester.
322 note delete note, and reference.^
^ 331 last /or town, rca<i tower.
, 337 6 „ Sir Alexander, read Sir William.
366 13 „ Furdoun, reoci Laurencekirk.
370 note° ,, part vi., r^e^part vii.
372 6 „ Sir Patrick, read Sir Robert.
373 34 „ estate, read estates.
(I 379 17 ,, knavely, reeui naively.
\ 413 note' „ Tofl&irty, rccki Foffarty.
474 29 „ 1189, read 1289. (This error occurs ia the book quoted.]
478 5 „ 3rd April, read 13th April.
THE END.
▲MMsmi Pnaud by JuMH A*s«r, Mu CaitMria*** Wyad.
DA 880 .A6J42 1961 C.I
M«mof lals of ArHJUs and t\m Mea
liliiiiHiii
3 6105 040 533 874
DATE DUE
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