DRUMLANRIG CASTLE AM) THE DOUGLASES: WITH THE EARLY HISTORY AND ANCIENT REMAINS DURISDEER, CLOSEBURN, AND MORTON, CRAUFURD TAIT RAMAGE, LL.D., AUTHOR OF "NOOKS AND BY-WAYS OF ITALY," " BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS FROM LATIN AUTHORS," "BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS FROM FRENCH AND ITALIAN AUTHORS," "BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS FROM GERMAN AND SPANISH AUTHORS," ETC. DUMFRIES: J. ANDERSON & SON. HODDER AND STOUGHTON, 27 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, B.C. 1876. TO THE REV. DAVID OGILVY-RAMSAY OF WESTHALL. Rev. Sir. Admiring the catholic spirit, the zeal and unflagging attention, which you have shown in the performance of your duties since your appointment as Minister of Closeburn, I cannot refuse myself the pleasure of inscribing to you this small volume, as a mark of esteem and respect. It contains the Early History of the Parish over the spiritual interests of which you have been placed, and where I trust you may be long spared to labour in your holy calling. Believe me to remain, Rev. Sir, Your very sincere well-wisher and friend, CRAUFURD TATT RAMAGE. PREFACE. This small volume consists of an account of the Parishes of Durisdeer, Closeburn, and Morton, in Upper Niths- dale, which appeared in the Dumfries and Galloway Courier, with some scattered notices of Burns which I had recorded in the pages of Notes and Queries. As it is the result of considerable research, it has been thought proper to place it in a more permanent form than the pages of a weekly journal. An attempt has been made to bring together everything that could throw light on the early races that inhabited these parishes. Tumuli, cairns, stone and bronze celts, coins, remains of ancient camps, place-names—the most enduring and probably the most important of all the means of illustrating the races that have occupied a country—have been pressed into service, though, to do justice to the subject, a know- ledge is required much more encyclopaedical than one man can be expected to possess. The history of a country can only be reached through its individual parts : it is only by descending to particulars, and by recollect- ing that the bygone ages of the world were actually filled by living men, that the true character of ancient ; VI PREFACE. times can be thoroughly elucidated. Each portion of our country, each parish, has a story of its own, which lies at the foundation of all national history. These parishes, on which an attempt has been made to throw light, contain the first chapters of the history of Gael and Saxon, and even of the Norse rovers. Each wave of race that swept across our country left its mark on hills and streams : the tread of the Roman legions can almost be heard as they made their way laboriously through our marshes and forests; early char- ters show the gradual approach of our feudal system the mythic Arthur is not unknown among us; the heroic Bruce still lives by his place-names; Kirkpatricks, Man- devilles, and Douglases ' ' Fight and sing Their scornful way across the stage of Time." I am quite aware of the shortcomings of which I may be accused, but the far-distant period with the history of which I have been engaged, enveloped as it is in the mist of ages, must be my excuse for any mistakes into which I may have fallen. When the Drumlanrig charters have been placed before Scottish investigators of ancient times in the clear and able manner that the learning and knowledge of Mr. William Fraser, of the Register Office, who is now engaged in their illustration, will enable him to do, then the basis which has been laid by a pretty minute examination of its Inventory will enable future PREFACE. VII antiquarians to give a' more complete history of this upper vale of Nithsdale. I have not failed to examine all the chartularies of monasteries that contain references to these parishes ; and in saying so, I must not omit to acknowledge the courtesy of John Gilchrist Clark, Esq., of Speddoch, in allowing me access to his valuable library. I was thus able to have before me the works published by the Bannatyne and other Clubs, and with- out an examination of these the account would have been still more imperfect than it is. I have to thank many others of my friends for placing at my disposal whatever information they possessed; and it has been not one of the least of the pleasures attending on these investigations, that everyone to whom I applied, even though they were personally unknown, was ready to assist me in whatever way I pointed out. «>'- ,s>r INDEX i\\ • I75> 242 Agincourt, Battle of 37 Agnes, Black • 316, 346 Alexander II., Charter of • 179, 191 Alexander, Rev. John 165 Alison, John 64 Angus, Earl of 40, 79 Anne, Queen 19 Annoltoun 76 Ardoch 45. 142 Ariosto IOI Arthur, King 100 Augustine, St. no Auchenskeoch 142 Auchenskew 142 Auchinleck 173 Aufrica 186, 315 Auldgarth 176, 3S4 Avenel, Roger de 194 Bacon . 253, 267 Baird, Family of . 213-217 Baitford . 99 Balagan, Family of 98 ,, House . 100 Ban . 142 Bardi 176 INDEX. PAGE Barony of Briddeburg . 179, 198 ,, of Drumlanrig 2, 155 ,, ofDurisdeer 95, 155 ,, of Enoch . 88, 155 ,, of Halydean 228 ,, of Kylosbern 178 ,, of Morton 308 ,, ofTibbers 181 Barscar .... 176 Beeches 2 3 , 249 Bell of Durisdeer 121 ,, ofKirkbride 114 Bellybucht 3o; . 330, 33i Belstane . 140 Bennet, Rev. Andrew 231 ,, Rev. George 231 Black Douglas 4,96 ,, Minister of Closeburn 175, tSi Blackwoodhead 43 Blare, James de . 75 Blind Harry 104 Boat, old 243 Bondington, Walter de 58, 194 Borthwick, Sir William de 4 Bos Scoticus 25 Boundaries of Durisdeer . 151 ,, ofKirkbride . 151 ,, of Morton 330 Boyle, Lady Mary 11 Breadalbane, Family of . 6 Breadislee, Johnnie of 34 Briddeburg, Barony of 179, 198 ,, Chapel of 239 Bridge, Drumlanrig 22 Bridget, St. 112, 181 Brown, Dr. John . 107, 158 Brownhill 267 Bruce, Robert 196 . INDEX. Brus, William c'e 191 Brysone, James . 112 . 123 Buccleuch, Charles, Duke of 5S Henry, ,, Duke of 53 ,, Walter, Duke of 56, 58, 335 Buchanites • 23S , 240 Burlington, Earl of 12 Burning of Drumlanrig Gates 46 Burns in Closeburn 251 270 ,, Letters to J. M'Murdo 67 ,, Letter to S. Clark . 73 ,, in Moston . 360 on Fair ,, of Dalgarnock 219 on Gateslack ,, 159 on ,, Woods of Drumlanrk 30 Cairns 169 Capenoch 162 Carron 102, i57 Carson, Dr. 251 Castlehill . 98 Celt 141, 167 Celtic Dyke 102, 137 Census, Ecclesiastical 247 Chamberlains 6 4 > 74 Chapels 18, 18 > 233, 237 Charles I. 45 Charters . n, 5. 7, 75. 95, 179 , 19', 198 Chillingham 26 Church of Closeburn 174 , , Dalgarnock 219 223 ,, Durisdeer 10S, 121 Kirkbride 112 , Kirkpatrick , 232 Morton ,, 324 Cist 139 Clark, John Gilchrist, Esq 73> 121 Closeburn, Castle of 182 Xll INDEX. l'AGE Closeburn, Church of . l"Ji \, 223, 232 ,, Heights of 240 ,, Lochs of 242 ,, Minerals and Manufactures of 245 ,, Ministers of . 229, 231 ,, Origin of Name . 174 ,, Population of . 247 ,, Rivers of 24I ,, Stipend of 229 ,, Traditions of . 185 ,, Valuation of . 248 ,, Woods of 349 Clouden ..... IOI Coins ...... 145. 233 Cole, Viscount ..... 218 Collace, Peter ..... 225 Colvyle, Robert de . 4 Combination Poorhouse 346 Communion Cups 121 Comyn, Red ..... 196 Copper Kettle ..... 312 Corse, Rob's ..... 197 Corsehillend ..... 328 Coshogle, Family of . 38, 43 44, 74. 84 House 84 ,, ..... Covenanting Times .... 126 Cowfaddoch ..... 237 Crairie Know ..... 119 Cramond ...... 100 Cranston, James ..... 150 100 Crawick . ..... Crichope Linn .... 241 Crichton, Major Thomas 73 Croal Chapel ..... • 233-235 Cuthbert, St. .... IIO Well of .... no Dalcarnock, Origin of Name 173 INDEX. PAGE Dalgarnock, Church of . 219-223, 315 Dalpeddar .... IOI Dalrymple, Family of 65 ,, James de . 76 Dalswinton .... 103 Dalveen Castle .... 8 7 Family . ,, of ... 44, 85 , Origin of Name . , 142 ,, Pass of . iS9 ,, Upper and Lower i35 Uarcongal, Abbey of IOI David I. 177 David II., Charter of 119 Deer Camp . • 105, 306 Defoe ..... 127 Deil's Dyke .... 102, 137, 169, 305 Denmark, Prince George of 19 Discipline, Book of 41 Discomfit, Gutter . 241 Donegal ...... • 312, 324 Douglas, Family of Coshogle 74-85, 316 ,, ,, of Dalveen 85-87 ,, ,, of Dornock 397 ,, ,, of Drumlanrig . 36-63 „ of Holm Hill . 8, 312, 322 ,, ,, of Morton 3i7> 323. 348 , of Morton Mains , , , • 317, 323 Douglas, Archibald 64, 65, 321 ,, Charles, Duke . 2, 55 ,, Charles, Earl of Drumlanrig . 55 „ Lord George . 53 ,, Lord Henry of Drumlanrig 55 James de, Lord of Dalkeith , , 345 ,, Sir James 200 ,, James, Earl of . 2,45 ,, James, Duke of 2, 54 ,, Lady Jane 12, 55 William, First Duke . 2, 53 . XIV INDEX. 1' AGE Douglas, William, Fourth Duke 2, 53, 56 ,, Sir William of Hawick 42 William, Earl of . ,, ... 2, 45 ,, William of Fingland 65 Brown, Esq. 320 ,, .... ,, Gresley, Esq., of High Park 321 Douglas Vault ..... in Dour . ... H3 Dow ...... 136 Dressetland 44 Druidical Circle ..... 169, 3°5 Drum ...... 142, 307 Drumlanrig Castle 6, 46, 50 ,, Woods of 29, 33, 34 ,, Bridge of . 22 ,, Gardens of . 20 Wild Cattle of 25 ,, Plundered by the English . 35 Dryfe's Sands, Battle of 205 Duchess' Drive ..... 157 Dunduff ..... 143 Durisdeer, Castle of 97, 103 Church .... 10S Communion Cups 121 , Heights of 132 Means of Communication 153 122 , Ministers of . Poor of , ... 157 , Population of 156 , Stewart Family of 95-97 , Streams of 157 , Valuation of . 155 Duvenald ..... 314 Earncleugh ..... 143 Eamcrag ..... 173 Earthquake ..... 234 2 Edga r . • 3H, 3 4 INDEX. XV PAGE Edward I. IIA Egidia .... SS Elfin Pipes 141 Enoch .... H3 Castle of . ,, 94, 103 ,, Menzies of 88 Enterkine Path 127, 159 ,, River 153 Esk . 143 Ettrick Loch 242 Ewart, Family of 379 Fairies .... 29 Fairy Knowe 30b Fell .... 30S Ferguson, Family of 35o-35i Fergusson of Craigdarroch 39, /66 Firs, Scotch 22 Flint, Kirsty 266 Flodden, Battle of 2, 39, 76 Foles-streme 1 08 Font, Kirkbride .