Sir John De Danzielstoun. (About 1295-1380)

Burke in his history gives some information on Sir John and his family.

In this section I will expand on this information and the times they lived in.

This comes from the Peerage of published in 1712.

Sir John De Danzielstoun was born about 1295 and died sometime after 1380. He was a very important person within the Royal circles of Scotland. I will expand a little on the Royal connections. (1274-1329) had amongst his children a son David and a daughter Marjorie. Marjorie Bruce (1296-1316) married Walter Stewart of Paisley and had a son Robert who became King Robert 2nd of Scotland. Robert Stewart (Robert 2nd) was a grandson of Robert the Bruce, his uncle was King David, another uncle was Sir John de Danzielstoun and his mother in law was Janet de Danzielstoun.

We have seen in the previous chapter that John married Mary Fleming who was the daughter of Malcolm Fleming, the Earl of Wigton and that Malcolm was amongst the Scottish Lords captured after the battle of Neville’s Cross in 1346. Malcolm Fleming was held captive in with King David. In 1354, eight years later, an agreement was reached between Scotland and England as regards the release of King David and others. However it took another three years for the agreement to be put in place.

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As Scotland did not have the funds available to pay the ransom in a lump sum, it was agreed to pay it over 9 years. The security for this was that the sons and heirs of the 20 most prominent families were to be sent to England as hostages. One of those chosen was the son and heir of Sir John de Danielston. In the above document the 1576 is a reference/paragraph and not a year. The document was dated July 13th 1354. This is an illustration of the importance of the Denniston family at that time.

Three years later in 1357 the agreement was put into effect.

Robert,filz et heire a sire Robert de Danyelstone ...delivrez a Sir Richard Tempest. It is accepted that there has been an error made in the above and it should read Robert, heir of Sir John. The John Stewart de Dernele (Darnley) was a grandson of Walter Stewart (the 6th Stewart) who married Marjorie Bruce and is thus a nephew of Robert Stewart and Elizabeth Mure. This Stewart branch went on to be the Earls of Lennox, with land in Donegal in the early 1600’s.

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I do not know how long Robert was held in England but presumably a number of years while the ransom was being paid. Robert was recorded as being still a hostage in 1362.

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Some of Sir John De Danzielstoun’s Castles.

When Sir John married Mary Fleming he received lands at Kilmaronock as part of her dowry. These lands are in the north of Dunbartonshire near Loch Lomand, about a mile from the town of Drymen. His father in Law Sir Malcolm Fleming was granted these lands in 1329.

Here Sir John built a large tower house / keep surrounded by a moat. It was four storeys high and its walls were 8ft thick. Its entrance was from the second floor in common with many castles of the time. This wooden entrance could be removed in times of conflict.

This is an example of the type of entrance used. It led to a vaulted hall 27ft by 19ft complete with a musician’s gallery. It had a basement with two rooms, one a prison and the other a wine cellar. In the north and south walls were two large windows with transom and mullion, and both having stone seating within their recesses.

The castle is now a ruin in the grounds of Kilmaronock House, Drymen.

The Denniston coat of arms is above the 2nd floor window. With Sir John spending his time from the mid 1300’s as Sheriff of Dunbarton and Keeper of the Castle at Dumbarton I would assume that this was his main residence.

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During the reign of David 2nd.

We have seen that the main Denniston estates were on the other side of the Clyde River in . Here at Finlaystone he had another castle.

Finlaystone Castle, Renfrewshire.

This modern castle / house bears no resemblance to the Denniston fortified tower that once stood here. However parts of the Denniston tower are still built into it. I believe if you are in the billiards room you are in part of the original tower house. The tower house was so well built that when they were removing part of it to build the present castle they had to resort to gunpowder to separate the stones. It apparently has lovely views of the Clyde and is almost opposite from Dumbarton.

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Other events concerning Sir John de Danzielstoun.

Sir John was one of the barons of Parliament who confirmed Robert Stewart (son of his niece Elizabeth Muir) as heir presumptive should King David die without issue.

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In 1359 he was Sheriff of Dunbarton and keeper of Dunbarton Castle. This was a role previously held by his father in law Sir Malcolm Fleming.The lands of Tillicoultry (near Sterling) were in his hands as was the barony of Cadzow for the sustenance of the Castle.

In 1359 it is also noted that a barrel of wine was delivered to him at the castle of Dumbarton.

There are documents such as this in the Scottish Archives. Charter by Thomas Flemyng , Earl of Wigtoun], to Sir Robert de Erskyne , kt., lord of that ilk, for his service and aid, of lands within granter's barony of Leygne, viz., lands of Estyrcroy, Westyrcroy, Auchynboll, Tuefre, le Borde, le Smythtoun, Ballouch and Ardory, to be held in fee and heritage as freely as any land in kingdom of Scotland can be granted by any earl or baron for good service, under reddendo of 2d. silver blenchferm annually; with clause of warrandice. Witnesses - Adam, Bishop of Whithorn, Robert, Steward of Scotland, Earl of Strathern, Sir John de Danyelstoun and Sir John de Lyle, kts., John Kenedy, Malcolm Flemyng, granter's kinsman. c.1359

In the above document you can see all the usual names, Robert the Steward of Scotland,the De Lyle’s, the De Erskyne’s along with Sir John.

In 1361 Sir John (styled dominus ejusdem) witnessed a charter of Robert, Earl of Strathearn granting lands to the monks of . Robert Earl of Strathearn was Robert Stewart before he became King Robert 2nd. In the same year he resigned his lands in the barony of Glencairn in favour of his son Robert. These lands were in Dumfriesshire on the Scottish English border. In 1364 Sir John was paid the sum of £100 for wine and victuals and for repairing the castle of Dunbarton.

In 1368 he sold a horse to King David 2nd for £20.

In 1371 he was sitting as one of the barons in Parliament in which important liberal measures were passed for the protection of the peasantry against the encroachments of their feudal lords.

In 1379 the King (Robert 2nd) sent him present of a pipe of wine. A pipe is a type of barrel used in shipping and in the case of wine it normally held between 140 and 150 gallons.

Dumbarton Castle 1816 and the town of Dumbarton on the left. (castle is on the volcanic plug in the centre of picture)

Sir John began for the Dennistons a long association with Dumbarton which lasted until the late 1800’s.

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Sir John appears to have given up his lands in Renfrewshire in the 1370’s because in 1373 under a Royal charter of Robert 2nd the £40 lands of Dennistoun and Finlaystone in the “Barony of and the Shire of Lanark” were confirmed on his son and heir Robert who appears to have been released from custody in England about 1368/69.

I do not have an exact date of death for Sir John but I estimate it at 1380.

For the dangerous times he lived in, he managed a long and prosperous life.

William Metcalfe in his history of the County of Renfrew states, “By David 2nd and his immediate two successors the Dennistons appear to have been highly esteemed. Judging by the grants made to them they must have rendered to these princes considerable service” They did render service but we must remember that they were also cousins to these princes.

Sir John de Danzielstoun’s coat of arms

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Sir John’s Sons

Sir John had the following sons, Hugh, Walter, Robert, William, and Malcolm. I will firstly deal with Hugh Malcolm as I have the least information on them. I will then deal with Robert who was the heir to the main Denniston estates, his brother Bishop Walter and finally with William who is the apparent ancestor of our line of Dennistons. The name de Danzielstoun appears to have been used until about 1600 after which it softened to Dennistoun and Denniston.

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Hugh de Danzielstoun. (Born about 1320 and died after 1343, possibly as late as 1366)

Hugh is the son I have least information on. There are documents showing that he received grants of lands from King David (Bruce) 2nd. He received the lands forfeited by Margaret Muschett, one of the heirs of William de Montefixo, and lands forfeited by David Marshall, Knight. The Montefixo lands were in Perth and Sterling.

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Lord Strathallan states that the lands resigned by were Auchterarder, Cargill, and Kincardine.

Sir William had 3 daughters. King David gave the greatest share to William’s eldest daughter Mary and forfeited Devorgilla’s and Margaret’s share as they supported the English cause. These portions were shared between Duncan & William Napier and Hugh de Danzielstoun. Lord Strathallan states that this was dated 1366. However the charter to Hugh appears with other charters dated 1345, and the Napier charter is with writs of 1341.

An interesting document about Hugh survives from 1343. In it he is recorded as being under the treatment of a physic (doctor) in Edinburg for wounds suffered in England. This probably happened during King David’s invasion of Northumberland in the summer of 1342. This incursion did not do too well and they had to retreat with large losses after being ambushed by a Robert Ogle. King David is recorded as sending him gifts of clothes and furs. I have no further details on Hugh or any family he may have had.

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Malcolm de Danzielstoun.

Malcolm was obviously called after his grandfather Sir Malcolm Fleming. Malcolm received from King David 2nd the lands forfeited by Giles Somerville and Thomas Awmfrayis.

In the Annals of Dunfermline AD 1301 1401, I came across a reference to a “Magister, Malcolmus de Gaitmilk.” In the middle Ages the term magister means master or sir or a person having a license from a university to teach philosophy and the liberal arts. I imagine this Malcolm was a teacher of philosophy.

I had come across this reference while researching the burg records of Dysart. Dysart is a small town near Kirkcaldy on the east coast across the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh. In the

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1500’s I found two Rev. Danzielstouns as ministers there, one after the other. The second one was the Rev Sir Robert de Danzielstoun, parson of Dysart whose will is dated 4th June 1575. Having a Sir Robert de Danzielstoun as parson there was strange enough.

In the burg records I came across a number of items about them (in old Latin) which I transcribed. They are all mundane matters.

However I did come across a strange reference in 1569 which just noted that “David Danielstoun, Burgess of Edinburgh had sold the lands of Gaitmilk”. It appears to me as if who ever held the lands of Gaitmilk had the right to appoint the minister in Dysart. I had previously come across monastic lands, feudal rights of Lords etc which gave this right.

The Abbey of Dunfermline possessed large tracts of land in Dunfermelin-schyre and Kinghorn-schyre. It also possessed the whole of Gaitmilk-schyre or Kinglassin-schyre (Kinglassie Parish), Dolor-schyre (Dollar Parish), and Nethbren-schyre (New-burn Parish). Besides these church lands the same district contained the all of which remained solely or principally in the hands of the king or great barons; and contained old castles such as those of Grail, Rires, Wemyss, Kinghorn, Lochore, and Lochleven; to which the shires or estates were attached./

Kinglassie It is bounded by the parishes of Auchterderran and Dysart on the south,

Malcolm appears to be a connection to the early Dennistons in Edinburgh in the 16th century who also owned the lands of Gaitmilk.

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Sir John’s final three sons Robert, Walter and William will be covered in the next section.

Barry Bradfield April 2011

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