S, no. -ct. National Library of Scotland *B0001 62888* /0: GO?<-Uh THE IRVINES OF DRUM AND COLLATERAL BRANCHES •^ THE IRYINES OF DKUM AND COLLATERAL BRANCHES BY Lieutenant-Colonel JONATHAN FORBES LESLIE author op "Early Races of Scotland and their Monuments," etc. ABERDEEN 1909 Printed at The "Aberdeen Daily Joubnal" Office — PREFACE THIS work is intended to give not only a genealogical list of " The Barounes of Drum " and their descendants, hut to sketch, through them, the social and political position of those barons in Scotland who, although not Peers, were yet classed as part of the nobility of the land.1 For this purpose other authentic materials are combined with the private records of a family which for centuries took an active part in passing events, occupied a position next to the Peers in rank, and superior to many of them both in influence and in extent of possessions, and which, finally, declined the offer of an earldom which would have been accepted under more propitious circumstances. By giving such facts as have been preserved regarding the members of this family, without screening their faults or exaggerating their services, it is hoped that history will be assisted in forming a true estimate of the deeds, the manners, and the morals of the class to which they belonged, at the period in which they lived—from the time of King Robert Bruce to the present day. It is presumed that readers of family histories are generally desirious to know what can be gleaned from charters and other deeds of the olden time in illustration of the state of society when history was still in its immaturity. Yet, as there are many who have the inclination but do not command the leisure and opportunity to scrutinise each separate document for what is of historical value or of general interest, there are embodied in the text notices of all that in the original deeds now enumerated best serves this purpose. With regard to the contents of the charter room at Drum, the wonder is, not that some muniments have been lost, but that so many have escaped the grasp of " Argyle's Cleansers " and of other hordes and commanders that successively garrisoned and pillaged the place of Drum during the Civil Wars. There is, however, no reason to attribute the preservation of these deeds to the forbearance of those whose avowed faith was liberty, but whose real 1 " Item of law and reason the Baronis of this realme aucht to haif voit in Parliament as ane part of the nobilitie and for sauftie of nowmer at the Parliament."— (" Acts of Scottish Parliament," III. —A.D. 1567 p. 40, N. 33.) "Barony is truly the only feudal dignity conferred on territorial proprietors; Lordship, r Earldom, etc., etc, being only nobler titles for a Barony, as connected with personal dignities."— (Bell's "Principles of the Law of Scotland.") Tytler calls the Barons "The Lower Nobility."— "History of Scot- land," IV., p. 4.) PREFACE practice was robbery. 1 But ancient charters being small in size, and value- less in material, were probably disregarded by those who appropriated the family plate and jewels, and removed all articles of furniture that were portable. In the absence of any well-preserved and continuous genealogy of a family of proprietors who have in so many instances borne the christian name of Alexander, one cannot be confident that in every case the facts are connected with the proper individual. It is by no means impossible that there may have been more bearers of the same christian name than is here pointed out. The average duration of possession of the proprietors of Drum is longer than usual ; but this may be accounted for by the fact that Alexander Irvine, who died in 1844, had been laird of Drum for upwai'ds of eighty-three years. The average of the first four Irvines of Drum was upwards of thirty-three years, 2 although one of them was killed in battle. The knighthood attached to many of the earlier Barons of Drum is here admitted wherever the designation " Dominus " is found prefixed to the name of the individual in formal deeds, or when the bearer is included among the " milites," separate from and before Freeholders and Gentlemen.3 A family history, to be of any general use, must record the evil as well as the meritorious actions of the members. If it be objected that this work unnecessarily exposes faults or crimes which would otherwise have remained unknown, and could only have been made public by one entrusted with the family papers, the defence is that otherwise fiction would have been presented as history. It is but justice to note that local and general tradition has ever spoken with favour of the personal character of the Irvines of Drum, of whom it has been remarked that, although always taking an active part in public affairs, their name and estate have been transmitted untarnished by disloyalty, and untainted by forfeiture. 1 In later periods, documents of interest are believed to have been removed, at least are known to have disappeared, about the time when a representative of the family unwittingly gave opportunity to the paid treason of a faithless guardian. 2 There is sufficient proof that there were only four proprietors between 1323 and 1457, and among these four ara included William de Irwin, the original grantee of Drum, and Sir Alexander de Irwin, killed at Harlaw in 1411. 3 I am aware that this rule may not always prove reliable (vide Forsyth's "Trial by Jury," Appendix, 1852), but I know no better one. It excludes one of the early and most activo Barons of Drum, who possessed much power—not always well exercised, however. CONTENTS PAGE The Forest and Park of Deum ... 1 The Tower and House of Drum ... 5 The Name of Irvine 11 The Arms of Irvine of Drum 15 Alexander Irvine (13— ?) 16 William De Irwin of Drum (to 1332 ?) 16 Sir Thomas de Irwyne of Drum (1333? to 1380?) 26 Sir Alexander de Irwyne (1381 to 1411) 29 Sir Alexander Irwyne (1411 to 1457) ... 38 The Bracbenoch ... ... ... 39 Alexander de Irwine or Irvine of Drum (1457 to 1493) 51 Sir Alexander Irvine of Drum (1493 to 1527) 58 Alexander Irvine of Drum (1527 to 1552) 64 Alexander Irvine of Drum (1553 to 1603) 67 Alexander Irvine of Drum (1603 to 1630) 77 Sir Alexander Irvine of Drum (1630 to 1658) 84 Alexander Irvine of Drum (1658 to 1687) 127 Alexander Irvine of Drum (1688 to 1696) 131 Alexander Irvine of Drum (1696 to 1720) 134 Alexander Irvine of Drum (1720 to 1735) 135 John Irvine of Drum (1735 to 1737) ... 136 Alexander Irvine of Drum (1737 to 1744) 137 Alexander Irvine of Drum (1744 to 1761) 139 Alexander Irvine of Drum (1761 to 1844) 142 Alexander Irvine of Drum (1844 to 1861) 144 Alexander Forbes Irvine of Drum (died 4th april, 1892) 145 Francis Hugh Irvine of Drum (died 25th july, 1894) 146 Alexander Forbes Irvine, the present proprietor ... 146 APPENDIX PAGE " Ane Account of the family of Drum from the 1404," extracted from Sir Kobert Gordon's Tables ... ... ... ... 149 List of Charters and Deeds in the Archives at Drum, with Eeferences and Dates 153 Additional Notices, principally regarding lands possessed by the Irvines of Drum ... ... ... ... ... ... 158 Collateral Branches of the Irvines, with notes thereon 164 Parish Ministers bearing Surname of Irvine 216 Miscellaneous Irvines 220 ILLUSTRATIONS Drum Castle and Tower facing page 5 Charter to William de Irwin of the Royal Forest of Droum, 1322-3 20 THE IRVINES OF DRUM, WITH COLLATERAL BRANCHES. > « < THE FOBEST AND PAKK OF DRUM. THE Forest and Park of Drum, when first mentioned, in 1247, appear as in possession of the Crown, 1 and the enclosure around the Park was still maintained in 1318. 2 Although this domain is not mentioned earlier, it probably had always been reserved as a royal manor, for its situation, commanding the fords of the river Dee, gave it importance ; and it does not appear to have formed part of the estates of the only great feudal baron on Deeside—Bisset, Lord of Aboyne. 3 Some notice of the last of this ancient and powerful family of Bisset, Lords of Aboyne, may not be without interest, especially as they are connected with the first recorded visit of a queen to the banks of the Dee and the mountain passes in the district of Mar. In the year 1242, King Alexander II. and his youthful queen, Mary de Gouci, 4 in returning from Morayshire, were hospitably 1 "Carta Roberti de Waluchop" (Spalding Club "Antiquities," I., p. 298), and copy in Drum charter-room of a bounding charter to Alexander Burnard, dated 1324, of lands partly added to former grants, and in recompense of the office of forester and the right of pasturage in the lower forest of Drum, of which he had been deprived by a grant to William de Irwin in the preceding year. In this deed may be perceived the practice of King Robert Bruce of " affecting to obliterate the memory of Queen Margaret and King John Baliol, and referring to King Alexander III. as his immediate predecessor." In this charter various places mentioned in the above grant can be recognised, although there is considerable variety in the spelling of the names. It appears that the grant by King Alexander II. to Robert de 'Waluchop, of Culter and other lands on two sides of the forest of Drum, was made soon after the forfeiture of the Bissets, and the connection of the Bissets with Culter may further be inferred from " Litera super libertates epectantes ad ecclesiam de Culter 1221-1239."— (Ibid., p.