The Ruined Castles of Mid-Lothian: their position; their families; their ruins; and their history ... With illustrations

Front matter

THE RUINED CASTLES OF MID-LOTHIAN. £f?e 2ii.ine5 Castles of THi5=£otf)ian : THEIR POSITION; THEIR FAMILIES; THEIR RUINS ; AND THEIR HISTORY. BY JOHN DICKSON, F.S.A.Scot., - — ; ih~ ST. NINIAN S, LEITH. OTitjj Illustrations. "Time Has mouldered into beauty many a tower Which, when it frowned in all its battlements, Was only terrible."— Mason. EDINBURGH : ROBERT R. SUTHERLAND, HADDINGTON PLACE. MDCCCXCIV. $ilrig #i'rss. DcMcation. THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED TO HER, WHOSE CONSTANT COMPANIONSHIP HAS SWEETENED THE JOYS AND LIGHTENED THE LABOURS OF THE PAST TWENTY-ONE YEARS.

Preface

. Some time ago, the Author delivered a course of lectures in Leith, on The Ruined Castles of Mid-Lothian. With one or two exceptions, they were re-delivered in the different localities where these Castles are situate. It was, however, his original intention to give them in book form to the reading public. That series of lectures contained the substance of the present work, which professes to give a pretty exhaustive sketch of the Ruined Castles in the county, whose story is intimately associated with the general history of the country. The book has been written, not for the keen eye of the critical antiquarian — although it contains the results of a wide antiquarian research — but for the ordinary reader. The writer's aim has been to bring together from the large area of historical literature, all, or nearly all, that has been related of those venerable piles, so as to make a visit to them both interesting and instructive. Their stones have a story which is herein simply told. In the treatment of the different subjects, a uniform plan has been followed throughout. The

PREFACE.

. VIII reader is taken, first of all, to the locality where the Castles stand, and made acquainted with the surrounding scenery. Then follows a succinct account of the families that once possessed the now deserted halls. Thereafter, the ruins are somewhat minutely described — special notice being taken of their architectural features ; and the narrative, in every case, closes with a record of their historical associations. Such a mode of treatment, it is felt, cannot fail to give a com prehensive view of each Castle's story. It is said of Lord Macaulay that he never described a Battle-field without first having visited it. That was a very proper thing to do, as it ensured accuracy. The Author has adopted the same course. His descriptions of Tlie Ruined Castles of Mid - Lothian are the result of a careful survey made on the spot.

He has, how ever, to acknowledge his indebtedness to Messrs. M'Gibbon & Ross for much valuable help and many suggestions obtained from their Castellated Architecture of Scotland. A few short quota tions taken from that most admirable work, for criticism and other purposes, are duly acknowledged by foot-notes, in the pages where they are found incorporated.

PREFACE.

. IX In delineating the story of " the lordly line of high St. Clair," little use has been made of the Genealogie by Father Hay. His style is so in flated, and his facts often so apparently imagin ary, that one has great difficulty in accepting the narrative as a piece of solid biography. The book is chiefly valuable as being a Thesaurus of the Charter-chests of Roslin. In his treatment of the Historic Incidents associated with Roslin Castle, the writer is fully aware that he may have laid himself open to the charge of "padding." This, however, could not well have been avoided. The " Incidents " themselves having such an im portant bearing upon the history of the country, he felt quite justified in giving a brief state ment of the events which led up to them. Materials do not exist for an extended account of Cousland Castle.

The description of it, there fore, is necessarily brief. Though comparatively unknown, the Castle is a place of considerable interest, being closely associated with the sad tale of the unfortunate Mary Queen of Scots. It was under its shadow, and not on Carberry Hill, that her actual surrender, to the Associate Lords, took place on the 15th of June 1567. The Author is indebted to many sources of

PREFACE.

. X information for the facts narrated in the following pages. The following are but a few of the authorities consulted : — Acts of Parliament ; Douglas' Peerage ; Anderson's Scottish Nation ; Old and Neiv Statistical Accounts; Calderwood's History; Henderson's History ofDunfermline; Scott's Provincial Antiquities ; Genealogie ofthe Sainteclaires of Rosslyn ; Froude's History of England ; Burton's History of Scotland ; Pro ceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scot land ; The Sinclairs of England ; Strickland's Life of Mary Queen of Scots, etc., etc. He has also to thank the Honourable Hew Dalrymple, Oxenfoord Castle, for some valuable information concerning his family ; also John Borthwick, Esq. of Crookston, for a few interesting facts regard ing Borthwick Castle. Gratitude is likewise due to the officials of The Advocates', Signet, Anti quarian, and Free Libraries for access to Books.

The illustrations are from photographs, by the kind permission of Messrs. A. A. Inglis, Edin burgh, and G. W. Wilson & Co., Aberdeen. St. Ninian's, Leith, February 1894.

Introduction

. The Ruined Castles of Mid-Lothian are relics of Feudalism. Their early masters held them as fiefs under the crown on condition of military service. This system of land tenure was generally adopted by all the great European nations, during the Middle Ages. It was intro duced into England by William the Conqueror at the Conquest in 1066; and shortly afterwards, it found its way into Scotland. The frequent reference made in the following pages, to the Feudal System and its accompaniments, renders it necessary that we should, at the outset, present the reader with a short account of its origin and practical operation. According to some authorities, the word feu or feud, of which feudal is the adjective, is derived from the Latin fides, faith, and odh, a Teutonic term, signifying property. A feud, therefore, originally meant land, held as fee for faithful service.

The Feudal System had its origin in conquest. Every knight who had INTROD UCTION. XII assisted his chief in the subjugation of any kingdom, received as his portion of the spoil a particular estate, which was called an allodium or freehold. This became his own absolute property. He could either dispose of it or transmit it to his heirs. The king, as Lord Paramount, was reckoned the head of the system ; and, in the general division of the land, he received a very large slice as his share. Usually, however, he did not retain all his portion to be farmed by himself; but gave small sections of it away to his nobles on certain conditions, mutually agreed upon. These, in like manner, subdivided their more extensive allods to others of inferior rank. Thus, there arose a second kind of property called fiefs, whose holders were designated vassals.

The usual tenure by which the vassals held the fiefs was that of military service — in other words, the vassal was under obligation to aid his superior in time of war. We have still a remnant of the old Feudalism in the Suzerainties of the East. Rent is now the equivalent for Feudal Service. The Feudal System will be best understood in its practical operation by picturing to ourselves what took place upon a " declaration of war " in INT ROD UCTION. XIII the olden time. Then the king summoned to his standard his more immediate vassals — the leading nobility. They, again, convened their retainers — the lesser barons. These in turn, congregated the yeomen or country gentlemen, who stood to them in the relation of Feudal obedience. Such was the old method of mobilization. Under that regime large armies were brought together with amazing celerity.

There were also, in addition to the fighting men, the serfs, whose duty it was to render all kinds of menial service, in return for food and clothing. This was Feudal ism in its origin and practice. The Feudal chief resided in a castle or citadel, called the Keep. It was generally a strong massive tower, of the most substantial masonry, surrounded by fortified screens or curtain-walls, and a moat, passable only by a narrow draw bridge. The gateway was often further defended by a portcullis. The principal apartment in the citadel, was the Grand Hall, where the Feudal Suzerain dined daily with his more immediate retainers. The basement storey of the Keep was called the Donjon or Dungeon; but, not unfrequently, prisoners were confined in other parts of the building, and so, in course of time,

INTRODUCTION.

. XIV the term Donjon came to be applied to the entire structure. The space enclosed by the screens was designated the court-yard. This usually con tained the tvell which supplied the Castle with water. A larger area outside — also enclosed by embattled walls — went by the name of the Bailey, or Place of Judgment. Here took place the Judgment of Battle. Every Feudal superior was the judge in all matters affecting his vassals. When, therefore, anyone was charged with a crime, the accuser and the accused met face to face, in deadly conflict, before their liege lord. If the accused was vanquished, he was pro nounced guilty, and his body adjudged to be suspended from the dule tree, or " Tree of Sorrow." This was the Judgment of Battle. The Bailey, too, was often the scene of the " meet " for the hunt, the muster for the campaign, and the match for the tournament.

When the Feudal chief wished to end a tilting match he shou ted,." Peace/" ; and instantly the levelled lances went up against the mailed corse lets of the knightly combatants. Such was Feudalism in its outstanding features. CONTENTS. 36ortbwicfe Castle.

Historical Associations, . . . . . 262 CouslanD Castle.