The History and Antiquities of the parish of Mid-Calder, with some account of the religious house of Torphichen, founded upon record

Chapter I

: THE PARISH. Topographical and Physical details — Prehistoric and Roman Remains — Civil History and Institutions — The Reformation — John Knox at Calder — Raids and Deeds of Violence — The Civil War — Montrose at Calder — The Religious Persecution — Administration of Justice — The Baron Court — The Kirk Session — The Stocks — Witchcraft in the Parish — The Plague, 1645 — The Church — The Grammar School — Calder Fair — Erection of the West Parish — Population, Industries, etc. .... Page 7

Chapter II

: CALDER HOUSE AND THE LORDS TORPHICHEN. Architectural and historic details of Calder House — The Earls of Fife — The Douglas Succession — Sandilands of Calder — John Knox — Lord St John, Preceptor of Torphichen — Sandilands of Slamannan — Fatal Affray on the High Street of Edinburgh — Attempts of the Earl of Bothwell on the person of King James VI. — The Family Arms and Pedigree of the Lords Torphichen — Notices of the lands of Craigs, Letham, Williamston, etc. Page 43

Chapter III

: COUNTY SEATS AND HISTORIC LANDS. Architectural and historic notices of the following Seats and Lands, with succession of Proprietors from the earliest times to the present day — Genealogical and Biographical Notices, etc. — Alderston — Nether Alderston — Bankton — Cairns — Wester Causewayend — Calderbank — Charlesfield — Grange — Howatston — Colzium— Greenbank— Harperrig — Howden— Nether Howden — Linhouse — Skivo — Over-Williamston — Blackhall — Murieston — Dressilrig — Newpark — Pumpherston — Wrestfield and Wester Murieston Page 85

Chapter IV

: THE PARISH CHURCH. Founded prior to 11 60 — Rebuilt by the Rev. Peter Sandilands, Rector of Calder, 1540-5 — Architectural details — Heraldic Carvings— Ancient Pew, dated 1595 — Communion Cups, 1673 — Extension of the structure in 1863 — Tombstones, etc. ...... Page CONTENTS. VIII

Chapter V

: ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. Saint Cuthbert's Church, 1160— Early references to Calder Church in Papal and other Confirmations of the 12th century — Pre-Reformation Clergy — Superintendent Spottiswood — John, Archbishop of Glasgow — Succession of Ministers until the present day — Ecclesiastical discipline — The Manse —United Presbyterian Congregation — The Ecclesiastical Records — List of Elders of the Parish from 1600 to 1700 . . . Page 213

Chapter VI

: THE RELIGIOUS HOUSE OF TORPHICHEN. Origin of the Order of St John of Jerusalem — First Settlement of the Knights in Scotland — Sir William Wallace and King Edward I. both at Torphichen Priory — Suppression of the Knights Templars — Notices of the Preceptors from 1296 to 1560 — The Heart of James I. taken on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land by the Knights of Torphichen — Suppression of the Order at the Reformation — Architectural Notices of the Preceptory Page 249 APPENDIX: The Text of the Original Specification for re-building the Parish Church, dated 30th January 1541 — Also a copy of a Valuation Roll of the Parish, compiled in 1726 . . . . . . Page 263 INDEX: Page Introductory Observations ''The treasures of antiquity, laid up in old historic rolls, I opened." — Beaumont. "T? VERY one acknowledges the value and usefulness of history.

Most -1— / people like to know something more than the mere passing events of the day or the hour. The fireside tale of other days — the old man's reminiscences — and the story of the land which gave us birth, possess a certain fascination for most of us. But if this feeling be a proper and a right one, it must be allowed that the means of gratifying it have been of too restricted a nature. It is not enough for us to read the history of kings and of courts, of wars and national convulsions ; the interest which we feel and take in our own immediate surroundings demands information of a more special and local kind. We desire to know concerning ordinary mortals like ourselves, how they lived and thought in olden times ; what was the condition of the people at large ? In the arena of human life what part did our predecessors play amid the shifting scenes of the great drama of our country's history ?

These are questions which are seldom answered — with any approach to accuracy, at all events. For it is remarkable that whilst we like to feel with regard to general or national history that our information rests upon respectable authority, we are often satisfied with the veriest old wives' stories in relation to matters of purely local interest. Now, this surely ought not to be the case. If the past have any lessons for us at all, its teachings are then most potential when conveyed through the medium of what lies nearest to us. The associations of our immediate environment, especially in early life, exercise a certain influence upon our thoughts and characters ; consciously or unconsciously they are our constant companions and monitors. How A important then that they should teach us that which is true, and only that which is true !

It was some such reflections as these which gave birth to a desire on my part to know something of the past life of the parish of Mid-Calder. And in offering the results of my studies to my fellow-parishioners, I would like, in the first place, to say something regarding the sources whence the information is derived. It may be well to do this in some detail, both as indicating the materials which exist for the elucida tion of authentic local history, and also to record for the information of future investigators the precise ground which has been already traversed. The Heritors, without exception, have opened their charter chests to me, and from their title deeds and other papers much has been gleaned. Local evidence and reminiscence has been called into requisition, but it will be obvious that this can extend only for the past fifty or one hundred years at most, and even during that period it requires verification and correction from documentary sources.

A general search has been made through printed literature which could be supposed anywise likely to bear upon the subject ; but by far the richest quarry of information has been original records — the resources of which, in relation to the matter in hand, have never before been opened up. Besides numerous other authorities, casually or partially examined, the following have been systematically searched for the periods indicated : — Register of Baptisms, &c, Midcalder . . . 1604 — 1S00 Register of Kirk-Session of Midcalder . . 1604 — 1800 Proceedings of the Baron Court of Calder . . 15S3 — 1601 Minutes of the Heritors' Proceedings . . . 1782 — 1 Si 5 Register of Testaments for Edinburgh . . 1 5 14 — 1750 Particular Register of Seisins for the Lothians . 1603 — 18S0 Retours of Services of Heirs in Scotland . . 1600 — 1800 Register of the Great Seal (Scotland) . . 1306 — 1620 Register of the Privy Council of Scotland . 1545 — 1616 Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland . . . 11 24 — 1707 Acts of the Lords of Council in Civil Causes . 147S — 1495 Acts of the Lords Auditors .... 1466 — INTRODUCTOR Y OBSER VA TIONS. 3 The Rotuli Scotiæ 1291 — 1516 The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland . . . 1264 — 1522 Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer . . 1473 — 1498 Particular Register of Hornings and Inhibitions, etc. etc.

The claim, therefore, put forward by the title-page, that the work is " founded upon record," is in no sense an illusory one. I have steadily resisted all material, however tempting, which cannot be vouched for by proper documentary evidence. The earliest original writing relating to our parish is a grant of the church of Calder Comitis to the Monks of Dunfermline about the year 1160; and notices of the district are sufficiently meagre for fully two hundred years thereafter. It is not until the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries that the records become truly picturesque of life and manners in the parish. The reader will observe that I have not hesitated to descend to matters of comparatively trivial import ; many of the extracts from the Session's and other Registers may appear to be very unimportant in themselves, but they present, nevertheless, when taken together, a picture of the parish life in olden days which could not otherwise be obtained.

It is not without considerable thought and hesitation that I have decided to forego any system of direct reference to authorities by footnotes or otherwise. The work does not pretend to the character of scientific or critical history, and to load its pages with references would afford no assistance to the general reader, as a set-off to the embarrassment occasioned by the constant breaks in the continuity of the narrative. The allusions, also, in the text itself are for the most part so pointed as to render special reference unnecessary and superfluous. When we meet, for example, with the statement that Mr Peter Kinloch, of Alderston, "died on 17th September 162 1, nominating Mr Patrick Kinloch, his eldest son, his only executor," no one who possesses the most superficial acquaintance with the records will have any difficulty in turning to the Register of Testaments to verify this fact.

Similarly with the Record of Seisins, which forms the groundwork of Chapter III., the references could scarcely be more manifest though they were directly alluded to ; whilst the quotations from the local registers and that of the Privy Council also announce themselves. With a view to greater precision in this matter, somewhat copious extracts have been given in the actual words of the record — a system which I have adopted also, as a foil to the constant temptation to generalise upon narrow and insufficient grounds. For the rest, there seems little which calls for special explanation in the plan or scope of the work. It may very reasonably be obj'ected that the first chapter is of somewhat too promiscuous a nature ; it consists indeed of such miscellaneous facts as did not fall naturally into the classification proposed for the later portions of the work.

The title of " Esquire " due to the landed proprietors and others has been omitted merely as a matter of convenience and uniformity ; it will be understood that the prefix " Mr " in ancient documents relates always and exclusively to University graduates, and with few exceptions it may be said that the designation denotes a minister, advocate, or writer. My thanks are heartily offered to Thomas Dickson, Esq., LL.D., Curator of the Historical Department of H.M. General Register House, not only for the facilities afforded for the examination of the records, but also for the advantage of his own private store of learning, which I have largely availed myself of. Acknowledgment is also due to Stair Agnew, Esq., C.B., Registrar-General, and James Stevens, Esq., Heritors and Session Clerk, Mid-Calder, for placing at my disposal the public and other registers in their custody ; to John Scott, Esq., C.B., for permission to make use of the curious MS. entitled, " Proceedings of the Baron Court of Calder Comitis " ; and to the Faculty of Advocates for the privilege of the use of their library.

I am indebted to Thomas Ross, Esq., joint author of The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland, for the plan of Calder House and the drawing of the Church Steeple, as also for advice and assistance with the architectural observations on the Church and Calder House; to the Rev. Walter Macleod for assistance in searching records and deciphering ancient documents ; to the late Rev. Andrew Duncan for help with the history of the United Presby terian Congregation ; and to Lord Torphichen for various favours — not the least of which is the permission to reproduce the beautiful drawing of the old church which forms the Frontispiece to the present volume. It is interesting to observe that it is to local talent that we owe this drawing, William Penny, the artist, being a native of and INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS. 5 resident in Mid-Calder village, where he died on 18th January 1867, in his 80th year.

The other illustrations to the work have all been engraved from photographs or sketches prepared under my own supervision ; and whilst in point of artistic treatment they can speak for themselves, I think I may venture to claim for them faithfulness of topographical detail. It would be superfluous for me to say that I have exercised the greatest care in dealing with a very large mass of material, to ensure accuracy, and if any errors have crept in I accept the full blame, and will be glad to have my attention called to them. On this subject, I might say with reference to place names, that where one has only the faded ink and crabbed handwriting of an ancient deed as a guide, mistakes are very easily made — mistakes, too, which appear quite inexcusable to those who are perfectly acquainted with the locality.

It would therefore be hardly fair that any such slip should be taken as a test — since it might be an entirely fallacious one — of the general accuracy of the work. It will certainly be obvious to all who have any experience of this kind of work that, limitations being once determined of the exact ground to be covered by the investigation, it was impossible to wander pro miscuously beyond them ; and hence it is that any allusions to families or properties in adjacent parishes — however interesting in themselves — are of incidental nature only. I thought at one time of taking as my subject the " Barony of Calder," which would have embraced most of West Calder as well as portions of Livingston and Uphall parishes. But difficulties would have arisen in consequence of the ever fluctuating extent and dimensions of the barony at various epochs ; and I have adopted a modern division also in the hope that some abler pen than mine may be found to present us with historical accounts of the neigh bouring and other parishes.

Let me conclude these remarks as I began, by emphasising and insisting upon the great value of authentic local history. However imperfectly I myself may have realised the ideal in this matter, it is nevertheless true that a well-digested account of every parish in Scotland, carefully compiled from record, would add a richness and colouring to our national history such as it can never otherwise acquire. The great public movements of the times are presented incidentally in such under takings, and gain in vividness and reality when looked at from the local standpoint. The imagination can better grasp the phenomena of history when these are identified with particular localities : King Charles' oak — the castles which have sheltered Queen Mary — the scenes of the Covenanters' worship — these things have exercised a deeper influence over mankind than any abstract knowledge of revolving dynasties or national convulsions. H. B. M'Call. Charlesfield House, Mid-Calder, February 1S94.

Chapter I

The Parish Topographical and Physical Details — Prehistoric and Roman Remains — Civil History and Institutions. THE parish which engages our attention is situated in the western district of the county of Edinburgh, at a distance of twelve to fifteen miles from the metropolis. Its extent embraces an area of 12,294 acres, which the wisdom of our forefathers has seen fit to dispose in a very irregular manner as regards shape, the parish being nine miles long and about four miles broad near its northern and southern extremities, whilst at its centre, on the farm of Blackhall, the breadth of the parish is not more than 500 yards. Equally capricious, Nature has endowed us with widely differing altitudes and consequent variety of climate and other characteristics, in differents parts of the parish.

In the southern district, where it marches with the county of Peebles, the ground rises to the summit of the Cairn hills, 1840 feet above sea level, whence it declines by a series of undulating waves to the Water of Almond, where the altitude is 300 feet only. On the northern bank of this river the ground again commences to ascend towards the upland ridge of Linlithgowshire, and a height of 500 feet is attained on the lands of Howden. The principal rivers or waters intersecting the parish are the Almond, the Linhouse Water, and the Murieston Water, which are several miles apart on their entrance into the parish, but unite beside the village of Mid-Calder by the two last mingling their waters with the Almond ; in addition to these there are numerous smaller streams all having a general direction from S.W. to N.E. The Water of Leith takes its rise upon our hills, though its course in this parish was of inconsiderable moment prior to 1845.

In that year a compensation reservoir was constructed upon the lands of Cairns and Harperrig, for the purpose of equalising the flood waters for the use of the mills and factories on this important stream. Although there are extensive plantations of recent growth, the Calder Wood is the only natural copsewood in the parish, and it too has been greatly reduced in size, even within the memory of living persons. The tradition of its having extended some five or six miles in a southerly direction is preserved in the following popular rhyme : — " Calder Wood was fair to see, When it went to Camilty ; Calder Wood was fairer still When it went to Crosswood-hill.': In the light of these physical facts and certain other significant circumstances, we incline to adopt that etymology of the word "Calder" which refers the origin of the term to the two Celtic words Coil and dour, signifying respectively wood and water.

If this be true, the district under consideration has with much propriety been denominated Cal-der, many of the views which the combination of wood and water present being romantic, grand, and delightful. Within the parish are several of those barrows or tumuli which during all historic times have called forth the speculations of antiquaries and persons studiously inclined, but which, like the pyramids of Egypt, have outlived the knowledge of the names of their founders, or even of the purpose for which they were constructed. They are supposed to have been repositories of the dead, but at what period they were raised it is quite impossible even to conjecture. Four of these barrows may still be seen, although somewhat effaced by the operations of the plough, near to the bank of the Almond on the lands of Nether Alderston ; but the most remarkable tumulus is a large conical eminence which stands on the north side of Calder village, and has received the name of " Cunnigar."

This designation appears to be derived from Celtic, and to denote a keeper or warren of the conies, i.e. rabbits. Many stone coffins have at various times been dug up near the banks of the Almond, not only as it runs through this parish, but in all its course till it unites with the Firth PRE-HISTORIC ANTIQUITIES. 9 of Forth at Cramond. Some of these were hewn out of a solid piece of stone, with closely fitting covers, and the presence within them of frag ments of a skull and other human remains leaves no doubt as to their having been sepulchres ; others were more rudely constructed of flat stones placed on edge for the sides, and with covers formed also of several flat stones. In one of these cists a piece of iron somewhat resembling the head of a battle axe was discovered in 183 1. Fig. 1 represents a small leaf-shaped blade recently found on the lands of West Cairns, — it measures four inches in length, and f-in. across the widest part of the cusp, and it is still sharp on either edge and at the point.

The shank end is perforated to admit of a rivet uniting it to a short wooden handle. The metal of which it is made is found to consist of seven parts of copper and two of tin; and on its being exhibited to the authorities of the National Fig. I. — Bronze implement found at West Cairns. Museum of Antiquities, it was by them pronounced to belong to the later period of the " bronze age," which is understood to mean two or three centuries before the Christian era. On the summit of an eminence called Castle Greg, upon the farm of Camilty, and near to the passage of the ridge which separates Lothian from Clydesdale, are the remains of a rectangular camp or station supposed to have been constructed during one of the Roman invasions of Scotland. There are few subjects connected with antiquity which are more shrouded in mystery than all which relates to the hill forts and defensible camps which crown the summits of so many of our hills.

We talk of them with great assurance as " Roman Camps," and as speculative inference has usually proved more attractive to the archæologist than the laborious storing up of exact knowledge, these remains have come in for a large share of attention. Personally, we must own to being sceptical upon the subject to a degree which would doubt whether one-half of the r. so-called Roman encampments and causeways were not constructed fully a thousand years subsequent to Agricola's departure from Britain ! This, we know, is rank heresy ; but we mean not to disparage the claims of the camp at Castle Greg, where many coins and other articles of Roman work manship are said to have been dug up from time to time, but rather to emphasize its value, if it can be shown to be a Roman work, in its bearing upon the study of these hill forts in general.

The camp differs from most rectilinear forts, which are usually defended by a single vallum, in having a double line of intrenchment with two distinct ramparts. In the centre Fig. 2. — Ancient Camp at Castle Greg. of the eastern side is the only gateway or opening for entrance into the inclosure. The writer in the Statistical Account has surely made a mistake in giving the measurements as between 500 and 600 feet in length and breadth. Measured from summit to summit of the inner and higher rampart the dimensions are 180 feet long and 140 feet broad ; whilst the extent of the outer circumvallations does not exceed 260 feet and 220 feet in length and breadth respectively. The camp is situated with its longer walls running N.N.W. and S.S.E., the entrance being in the eastern side. A round hollow near the centre of the inclosure, called by the common people the Well, but supposed to have been the foundation of a flag-staff, was excavated about the year 1830, when under a ROMAN REMAINS. 11 great stone was found a considerable number of Roman coins, bearing the effigies of the Emperors Vespasian, Domitian, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius, — indicating a date about A.D. 170.

A portion of these coins was disposed of by the finders to a gold smith in Edinburgh, but the remainder came into the hands of the proprietor of the lands, Mr Young of Harburn, by whom a complete set of the coins was presented to King Charles X. of France, who with his son visited Mr Young at Harburn House in 1832. About the same period, another find of Roman coins was made by some labourers in casting a ditch near Crosswood-burn, a mile and a half to the west of Fig. 3. — Roman denarii found at Castle Greg. this camp, in the border of the neighbouring parish of West Calder. These were presented by Mr Steel of Crosswood-hill to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Further investigation at the camp was pro secuted in 1846, by the late Mr Cochrane of Harburn, whose researches were rewarded by the discovery of some fragments of pottery, pronounced at the time to be of Roman manufacture.

We here give an illustration of several of the coins before alluded to, but it must be borne in mind in estimating the value of their evidence, that Roman coins were carried all over the civilised world. They are found in great numbers both in Ireland and Scandinavia, where the Romans certainly never penetrated. The pottery affords better evidence of their presence at Castle Greg, and we think that further excavation should be made at the camp with a view to ascertaining, if possible, whether other examples of Roman manufacture exist there. Several stone coffins or cists were at a somewhat later period discovered by Mr Cochrane in a field near Harburn-head, a little more than a mile north of the camp. "Castelgreg" is mentioned in a charter of lands in the barony of Calder by James IV., in the year 15 12.

Some have considered the situation to have been a pastoral station, and have thus sought to account for the name, as derived from the Latin Castellum Gregis, or " Watch tower of the flocks " ; but this is, of course, mere conjecture. In the year 1864, during the construction of the Cleland branch of the Caledonian Railway, a number of Roman coins, it is said, were found in Calder Wood, near to the Calder House Quarry, but they do not appear to have been preserved. In the Middle Ages the Calder district was debateable land, and, prior to the seventh century, appears to have been a Pictish possession on the border of the Saxon kingdom of Northumbria. But, according to the "venerable " Bede, Aeduin, King of Northumbria, about the year 610 A.D., pushed his power to the farther side of Lothian, as far as the river Avon ; so that if this be true, we are to conclude that the parish was at that time under the dominion of the Saxon Heptarchy, and perhaps also at a later period of a united England.

When the light of certain record first sheds its intermittent rays upon the locality, the extensive region of Calder was divided into two manors, the one called Calder-Comitis or Earl's Calder, from the circumstance of its being the heritage of the Earls or Thanes of Fife, and the other denominated Easter-Calder or Calder-Clere, apparently so named from Rudolph de Clere, who had a grant of the manor from Malcolm IV, anno 1153-1165. This manor of Calder Clere became forfeited during the Succession War, and was granted by Robert Bruce to James Douglas, ancestor of the Earl of Morton, in 1306. But it is the barony of Earls Calder, which embraced the whole of the modern parishes of Mid and West Calder at least, that engages our attention. About the middle of the twelfth century, which was the great transition century in Scotland, this extensive region was in the possession of the Earls of Fife ; there are grants of certain lands and ecclesiastical patronage in Calder Comitis to the monks of Dunfermline made by Duncan, Earl THE EARLS OF FIFE. 13 of Fife, and Ela, his countess, which grants were confirmed by Malcolm IV. previous to 1160.

Another Earl Duncan was one of the Scottish nobles who agreed to the convention made by William the Lion with Henry II. of England at Falaise, anno 1 174 ; and from him is descended Duncan, Earl of Fife in 1286, who, after the death of Alexander III., was chosen one of the Regents of the kingdom. He was assassinated 25th September 1288 by Sir Richard Abernethy and Sir Walter Percy; and after his death, the charge of Calder Comitis, with the custody of the minor heir, was assigned to Sir William Bisset, Kt., the appointment being confirmed by Edward I. before 1292. Bisset had set the lands in ferme or tack to William, Bishop of St Andrews, for the yearly payment of -£40 ; but in 1294, there is a letter of King Edward, as overlord of Scotland, to Walter de Cambhou, Keeper of the county of Fife, saying : As his dear friend the Bishop of Glasgow has begged of him the land of Cawdor in the county [i.e., Earldom] of Fife, until the majority of the heir thereto, the said Walter is commanded to deliver the same at its true value, under burden of £e\o yearly to William Byset, Kt. — by way of compensation for his resigning the appointment.

Dated at Westminster, ist October 1294. On 17th May 1295 there is another letter from the King to John de Langetoune, his chancellor, which says that having by letters under the Great Seal already committed to Robert, Bishop of Glasgow, the manor of Caledore Comitis, till the majority of the heir of Duncan, Earl of Fife, the said Bishop is further to have advowson of churches, and all other escheats omitted in the grant. Walter de Camehou, styled Keeper of Fife, is allowed 38s. 4d. for " expenses at Calder for twelve days after Epiphany, 1295, to let the land delivered to the Bishop of Glasgow by the King's precept." The youthful Earl of Fife, still under age, was slain at the battle of Falkirk in 1298, leaving an infant son, whom Robert Bruce afterwards restored to his rights in Calder Comitis.

There is a charter by this monarch of the barony of Calder in the county of Edinburgh and other baronies to Duncan, Erl of Fyf, undated, but between the years 1320 and 1326. His name also appears in the list of barons assembled at the Parliament held at Aberbrothock 6th April 1320, and he was the first amongst the earls who on that occasion signed the letter to the Pope asserting the independence of Scotland. Then, in Lord Torphichen's charter chest there is a charter by Duncan, Earl of Fyfe, confirming to Dame Beatrise, spouse of the deceased Archibald of Douglas, and to John Douglas, her son and heir, all his barony of Wester Caldor, to be held by them as freely as the Earl or his predecessors held the same of the King of Scotland, with forests, advocation of churches, wards, reliefs, marriages, meadows, etc., with privilege of homage and service of free tenants, bonds and bondages, fines and forfeitures, mills and multures, etc. ; rendering yearly therefor a pair of gilt spurs at the feast of pentecost, if asked only.