History and traditions of the land of the Lindsays in Angus and Mearns

EDZELL — DE GLENESK FAMILY. 25
says that the Johannes de Stryvelin, miles, who swore fealty to
Edward in 1296, was then lord of Glenesk, there is reason to
believe that Nisbet had confounded the name with that of de
Glenesk, which was the surname borne by the then proprietor.
Traces of the old family " de Glenesk " are, unfortunately,
alike with those of the Abbes and Adzells, extremely meagre ;
but such as remain are found in equally authentic muniments,
and point to a knightly, and, no doubt, warlike race, who in-
habited the banks of the North Esk, at least a century prior to
the powerful clan Lindsay. Nay, not so much from the fact of
their assuming the surname of Glenesk, as from the independent
part which they took in the important transactions of the times,
it may be presumed that they were the original landowners,
though the period of their first occupancy, or the cause of their
receiving the lands, are alike veiled in the mists of antiquity.
The first appearance of " John de Glenesch, miles," is in the
honourable and trustworthy capacity of a witness to a charter to
Walter de Rossy, about 1260 ;* and the same person, or his
son, next occurs in the interesting year, 1289, as subscribing
the celebrated letter of the community of Scotland to Edward,
consenting to the marriage of his son Prince Henry with our
Princess Margaret. Seven years later, while the English
conqueror was carrying his conquest into the very core of the
kingdom, and when " the spirit of Scotland had sunk into de-
spondency," Sir John de Glenesk passed to Monros on the 10th. of
July, 1296 (where Edward had abode from the 7th), and swore
fealty to that ambitious monarch ; and again, in the parliament
held at Berwick-on-Tweed on the 28th of August of the same
year, Sir John de Glennysk, and Morgund de Glennesk, took
the oaths, with others of the county of Forfar.t
These are the only authentic notices of the ancient lords of
Glenesk ; and the relation, if any, between Morgund and John,
is unfortunately not stated. There is reason to believe, however,
that he had been John's son, and from his bearing the odd
christian name of " Morgund," which, it will be seen, was borne
by the last recorded of the Abbes, the idea of supposing a rela-
tionship between the families of Abbe and Glenesk may not be
altogether visionary ; and, perhaps, in the absence of better
* Reg, de Aberbrotliocvp, 33C, t Ragman Rolls.— Bann. Club edit., pp. 03, 04, 126.