-^ ^w^' DUNDAS OF FINGASK ' Still the ancient house stood rearing Undisturb'd her chinmcys high. And her gilded vanes still veering. Toward each quarter of the sky ; While like wave to wave succeeding Through the World ofjoy and strife, Household after household speeding Handed on the torch of life. FITZGERALD. loo copies printed J> DUNDAS OF FINGASK SOME MEMORIALS OF THE FAMILY BY MRS. DUNDAS, (SENIOR) OF CARRONHALL EDINBURGH DAVID DOUGLAS I 89 I tr^ l|^' to her majesty. .oh: t. and a. constable, printers TO MY CHILDREN My task is now completed. When, at Carron Hall, in the first years of my widowhood, I began to look over the letters and papers I now put in print, you were all around me. Time has gone on, all are now scattered, the old home is for the present deserted. If in the homes you have made for yourselves in distant lands, these " Me- morials " help to keep warm in your hearts the memory of the good and brave from whom you are descended, my work will have fulfilled its purpose. I have endeavoured to link the present with the past; to trace the unbroken line from "Helias, son of Huctred," the first to bear the name, down to his latest descendant in your branch of the family tree. The materials at my command for the early history of the family are scanty. When the time comes for that portion of the family history to be written, the Charter-chests in the possession of Mr. Dundas of Dimdas must yield their treasures to vi INTRODUCTION the historian. A few of these Charters were copied at the time of the trial for " the headship of the family." They are contained in a manuscript, bound, and marked Proceedings before the Court of Session in 1 758. I have made what use I could of these Charters, to throw their dim light on the doings of your early ancestors. There is another manuscript, also bound, and entitled The Antiquity, Descent, and Alliances of the Family of Dundas. It seems to have been prepared by Mr. Thomas Dundas, younger of Fin- gask, about the middle of the last century. It has assisted me to trace the marriages of the family. I have endeavoured to authenticate the statements it contains, from other and more reliable authorities, and I have invariably given my references. A few loose sheets, in the hand- writing of this same Mr. Thomas Dundas, I have also occasionally quoted. I have been kindly assisted by the Hev. Walter MacLeod of the Register House, Edinburgh, who has made extracts for me from Charters under the Great Seal ; and I gladly give his authority, in all the instances in which he has been able to trace any mention of the family in the old documents to which he has access. I have carefully examined all references in Nisbet's He^xddry and Douglas's Baronage of Scotland. The former contains in the INTRODUCTION Vll Appendix to the second volume a long notice of the "Dundases of Fingask," which, however, I have not made use of, as I was warned by my friend, the late Mr. George Burnett, Lyon King-of-Arms, that the second volume of this work, not having been written by Mr. Nisbet himself, is of no value in the sight of antiquarians. In Douglas's Baronage, of Scotkmd, "Dundas of Fingask" is mentioned, to be treated of in a later part of the work, which later part was, unluckily, never finished. I am indebted to the kind courtesy of Mr. Dun- das of Arniston for the copy of " the old Dundas Charter." He presented me with surplus copies which remained over from a volume lately published of family papers, entitled Arniston Memoirs. The plate is a facsimile, slightly reduced, of the interest- ing old charter by which, more than seven hundred years ago, the lands of Dundas were granted to the common ancestor of the many families who now bear the name of Dundas. Since I began my work I have been deprived by the death of your uncle, General Sir Henry Lefroy, of the help of the kind friend who first encouraged me to attempt this family history, and to whose invaluable assistance I had looked forward at its conclusion. The principal interest of these " Memorials " is centred in the letters of your great-grandfather, viii INTRODUCTION Major-General Dundas. I Jiave tried to give a slight sketch of his life ; but it is unfortunate that nothing remains to give us an account of the part he took in the American War. Any letters written at that time have been destroyed. I have endeavoured to thread together your grandfather's Peninsular Keminiscences from notes left in his own handwriting. They are full of interest ; but any of the kind Colonel's old friends who may remember his peculiar handwriting will appreciate the difficulty with which I have de- ciphered them. There is yet one, of whom 1 dare not trust myself to write ! How worthily he upheld the fiimily name, his children know ; and that they may follow in his footsteps is the prayer of Their Mother, MARGAKET ISABELLA DUNDAS. 1891. — CONTENTS CHAPTER I. EARLY FAMILY HISTORY. 1145-1452. PAGE Charter of Dundas—Arms of the Family—Early ances- tors—Saer de Dundas does homage to Edward the First of England; mention in the Eagman Eoll John de Dundas gets a renewed charter of the Barony of Fingask—Agneta Dundas married to Sir Adam Forrester of Corstorphine—James de Dundas shield-bearer of Archibald, Earl of Douglas—He re- ceives a licence to build the tower of Dundas Renewed charter of the barony of Fingask to be held by James de Dundas and his heirs by his wife, Christian Stewart — An important question whether she was his second wife—Retour of James de Dundas, son of the former James de Dundas Meaning of the word Retour—He is declared forfeit, 1449—His brother, Archibald, defends the Tower of Dundas against the King—James de Dundas slain at the battle of Brechin—Separation of the families of Dundas of Dundas and Dundas of Fingask . 1-18 CHAPTER n. BARONS OF FINGASK. 1452-1549. Alexander Dundas of Fingask—Tradition of his death at the battle of Flodden—His son, Alexander, said to — CONTENTS PAOi; have been killed at the battle of Pinkey—Adam Dundas chamberlain to the Abbot of Kinloss Thomas Dundas of Knock a Highland proprietor —Possible origin of the Dundas tartan—Connection l)etween the Families of Dundas and Colville Enmity of Eufame Dundas to John Knox . 19-26 CHAPTER ni. MARGARET DUNDAS. Margaret Dundas, daughter of Alexander Dundas Murder of her first husband, William Kerr of An- cram—Her son, Eobert Kerr, at the Court of James the Sixth in England—Created Earl of Ancram by Charles the First—Margaret marries, secondly. Sir George Douglas of Mordington—Her son, Sir George Douglas, ambassador to the Kings of Poland and Sweden—Strange incident attending his death at Damin in Pomerania—Eulogy of Margaret Dundas by the Rev. John Weems, Prebend of Durham . .27-32 CHAPTER IV. LAST BARONS OF FINGASK. 1547-1724. Archibald Dundas gets renewed charter of the lands of Fingask from James the Sixth—His son, Archibald, the bearer of letters to the court of Queen Elizabeth —Archibald Dundas marries Jean Carnegie, sister of the first Earl of Southesk—Portraits at Carron Hall, called "Lord and Lady Southesk"—Sir John Dundas knighted by Charles the First—His loyalty to the King—Sale of Fingask, 1650—Purchase of Ballin- darg in Forfarshire—His son, John Dundas, sells this property—Purchases Baldovie near Montrose . 33-39 — CONTENTS XI CHAPTER V. BAILIE DUNDAS. 1729-1762. PAGE Thomas Dundas enters into business in Edinburgh Made a Bailie of the City—Purchases the Lands of Powfouls and Bothkenner in Stirlingshire —Gets a charter from the Crown, by which the names and designations thereof are changed into that of " Fin- gask"—Purchase of the manor-house of Letham Some extracts from Bailie Dundas's note-book—His "shop "—Marriage of his son to Lady Janet, daughter of the Earl of Lauderdale—Trial before the Court of Session for the headship of the family—Some details of the trial—The coat of arms diflferenced from that of the Dundases of Dundas—Death of Mr. Dundas —Family vault in Greyfriars' Churchyard—His son, Sir Laurence, Commissary-General to the Duke of Cumberland—Ancestor of the Earls of Zetland . 40-51 CHAPTER VL THOMAS DUNDAS OF CARRON HALL. 1762-1786. Connection with the Scottish abbey of St. James's at Ratisbon—Visit of Mr. Dundas and gifts from the Brotherhood—Suppression of the Abbey, and sad experience of Father Pepper—Mr. Dundas's house at Drumdryan—Purchase of the manor-place of QuarroU —Improvements of the house, and change of name to Carron Hall—Purchase of Torwood—Marriage of his daughter Mary to Mr. James Bruce of Kinnaird, the " Traveller "—Mr. Dundas's second son Charles created Baron Amesbury 52-60 — xii CONTENTS CHAPTER VII. MAJUR-OENERAL DUNDAS. 17G6-1786. PAOK Thomas Duiulas enters the army at the age of 16 Serves during the whole of the American War—He is Lieutenant-Colonel of the 80th Regiment—Letter to his brother from Charlestown—Quaint letter from a mother to her son, James Seton—Colonel Dundas returns to England—Is appointed one of the Com- missioners to inquire into the claims of the American Loyalists—Marriage of Colonel Dundas to Lady Eleanor Home—His picture painted by Romney He sails for Nova Scotia—Farewell letter to Lady Eleanor—Letters to his man of business, Mr.