Agnews of Lochnaw

78 THE FIRST HEREDITARY SHERIFF. [l452.
returns to the king's obedience fra the home, and receives them
to the king's peace."
The sheriffship was an office of very considerable emolument,
as by himself or his deputes the sheriff was concerned in trans-
actions of every sort, criminal and civil, and received fees on
each. Among the older clearly defined payments which were
due to him, we find " the sheriff should have for his fee of all
escheats, ten pounds, which fee should be paid to him out of
the escheats of his own court." " Alwayes hee should have the
lest ox or cow or unridden horse which are stalled or brought
to be sold."
The sheriff-clerk receives for his fee of each amerciament
twa shillings. " The sheriff's serjeant should have for his fee
of each unlaw of court ane colpindach, or thirty pennies."
These fees were of far greater value to the recipients than
any computation as to the difference of value of specie now and
in the fifteenth century would indicate. In a remote province
money hardly passed between landlord and tenant at all, pay-
ments in kind, whether denominated "kain," "presents," or
baily-work and military service, were what the barons expected
from those holding under them. Hence fees due to a sheriff in
hard cash, and of which he had means in his own power to
enforce the payment, placed sums of ready money at his dis-
posal such as could rarely be derived from estates of any exten-
sive acreage.
In 1452 the king marched an army into Galloway, where he
was joined by the Sheriff and a goodly muster of the landholders ;
all of whom, whether native, Norman, or Saxon — M'Dowalls,
M'Clellans, M'Kies, Ahannays, Gordons, Adairs, Stewarts,
Vauxes, and Dunbars — were now fully agreed in preferring
allegiance to their king to the yoke of the Douglases.
Finding all hands against him, James, ninth and last Earl of
Douglas, surrendered at discretion, and signed a deed of solemn
submission, dated 28th August 1452.
James II. having humbled the proud earl, wisely determined
to secure his friendship ; the first instalment of his goodwill took