Montgomery manuscripts

The Montgomery Manuscripts. 3
encourager was Hugh Montgomery, the 6th Laird 6 of Braidstane,? whose genealogy is as nextfolloweth,
viz. — The said Hugh was the eldest son of Adam (the second of that name), the fifth Laird, who
married the daughter of Montgomery, Laird Haislhead 8 (an ancient family, descended of the Earls
of Eglintoune).9 This second Adam (besides breeding his four sons) purchased land from one of
the said Earles (I have the deed thereof); which Adam was the eldest son of Adam (the first Mont-
gomery of that name), and 4th Laird of Braidstane. This Adam married Colquhoun's sister, the
and children, and settled in the province of East New-
Jersey, on the lands of his father-in-law, who was one of
its largest proprietors. He brought, with much care,
many valuable manuscripts relating to his ancestry, the
majority of which are preserved by his representative at
this day ; many are undoubtedly missing, as no special
attention seemed to be paid to their preservation by his
descendants, until within the last thirty years."
6 The sixth Laird. — Hugh Montgomery, who after-
wards became first viscount Montgomery of the Great
Ards, is here and in other portions of these Memoirs
styled sixth laird of Braidstane. On the authority of
the Broomlands Manuscript, he has been represented by
Scottish genealogists as the seventh Laird. But Mr.
Paterson, in his admirable Account of the Parishes and
Families of Ayrshire, admits (vol. i., p. 280) that the
author of the Broomlands Manuscript " only states the
origin, and a few of the most prominent facts in the
descent of the families of Braidstane, Hessilhead, and
Skelmorlie." Our author, William Montgomery, was
grandson of the person whom he invariably styles sixth
laird of Braidstane, and he is not likely to have been
mistaken in a matter respecting which he had the best
means of being accurately informed.
7 Braidstane. — The ancient lordship of Braidstane, in
the bailliary of Kyle, county of Ayr, was possessed by an
influential branch of the Montgomery family from 1452
to 1650. The founder of this branch was Robert Mont-
gomerie, second son of Alexander, master of Mont-
gomerie, and grandson of Alexander, first lord Mont-
gomerie, from whom this Robert received a grant of the
lands of Braidstane in 1452, the year of his father's
death. His son, also named Robert, obtained a re-grant
of the estate from his uncle, the second lord Montgo-
merie, in 1468. In 1478, Robert Mungumery of Brad-
stan, witnessed a grant from Alexander, first lord Home,
to Thomas Home, of the frank tenement of the lands of
Castiltowne. In the same year, he is also a witness to an
Instrument of Delivery of forty-eight cows, by the pro-
curator for Alexander, lord Home, and Margaret, his
spouse, to Thomas Home, their son. Robert's son,
Alexander Montgomery of Bradstan, was one of thirteen
commissioners who held an Inquisition on the lands of
Giffen, in Beith, on the 26th of November, 1501. The
author, William Montgomery, states that Robert, not
Alexander, was thud laird. The same gentleman was
one of a commission appointed in 1515, to hold an In-
quisition on the lands of Pottarstown and Dyconisbank.
In 1561, there was a Revocation by Hugh, third earl of
Eglintoun, of charters granted, and acts done by him in
his minority. Among other lands temporarily affected
by this Revocation were those of Braidstane, which, how-
ever, were soon afterwards re-granted to the family repre-
sentative, and held by his descendants until 1650, when
they were sold to sir John Shaw of Greenock, by the
third viscount Montgomery of the Ards. Until the middle
of the seventeenth century, the parish of Beith, in which
these lands are situated, consisted of two divisions, known
as the lordship of Braidstane and the lordship of Giffen,
but, in the year 1649, about 500 acres were annexed to
Beith from an adjoining parish, to suit certain presbyterial
arrangements adopted by the Synod of Glasgow. —
Fraser, Memorials of Montgomeries Earls of Eglinton,
vol. ii.,pp. 35, 42, 62, 81, 116; Paterson, Account of
the Par islies and Fajnilies of Ayrshire, vol. i. , p. 279.
8 Laird Haislhead. — The mother of the first viscount
Montgomery of the Ards was daughter of John Mont-
gomery, fourth laird of Hessilhead or Hazlehead. The
estate so called was a part of the barony or lordship of
Giffen, in the parish of Beith ; and the first laird of
Hazlehead was a younger brother of the first laird of
Braidstane, being Hugh, third son of Alexander, master
of Montgomery. In 1 521, there is a discharge from
Hugh Mungumery of Heslet, to John Maxwell of Pollok.
In 1560, Hew Mungumery of Hessilheide, is one of the
witnesses to a contract between Robert, lord Boyde, and
Neil Mungumery of Langschaw, at Glesgu (Glasgow).
In 1562, Hew Montgomerie of Hessilheid, signed the
" Band subscrivet be the Noblemen and Gentrie of Kyll
(Kyle), Carricke, and Cunninghame, for mentinence of
religion." The same laird witnessed, in the following
year, signing himself Hugo Montgumcry de Hcslheide, an
Instrument of Assignation by Hugh, third earl of Eglin-
toun, to Robert, lord Boyde, of the bailliary of the
canon lands in Cunninghame. In 1565, a Remission is
given by Henry Darnley, king of Scots, to Archibald,
earl of Ergyll, and others, among whom was Hugh
Mungumery of Heslait. In 1576, Hew Montgomery of
Hesilheid, was witness to a contract of marriage between
Hugh, master of Eglinton, afterwards fourth earl, and
Gelis Boyd, daughter of Robert, lord Boyd. In 15S2,
Hew Montgomerie of Hessilheid, was one of the securi-
ties, in a bond of marriage, between Robert, master of
Setoun, and Margaret Montgomerie, daughter of Hugh,
third earl of Eglinton. In 1589, Hew Montgomery of
Hessilheid, witnessed an Assignation and Disposition by
Robert, master of Eglintun, to Robert Montgomery of
Skelmorlie, in the name and behalf of Jeane Montgomerie,
his sister, of the gift of Robert Montgomerie's marriage
for 1000 merks. — Fraser, Memorials, vol. ii. , pp. 93,
157, 193, 200, 215, 222, 229.
9 Earls of Eglintoune. — The first laird of Hazlehead
was uncle to the first earl of Eglinton, the two families
thus being closely allied, and derived from a common
stock ; but the Hazlehead branch could not be truly de-
scribed as descended from any earl of Eglinton, although
it sprung from the Montgomerys of Eglinton, which is
probably what the author meant to express.