Volume 6

453
He was sheriff of Ayr in 1305 (a).    He was governor of Ayr for the English
king in 1333.
Sir Reginald Crawford, who expired by a violent death in 1297, left
his heritable office and a daughter Susan, his heiress; and she marrying Sir
Duncan Campbell of Lochawe, conferred on him the office in her right (6).
Their son, Sir Andrew Campbell, had the misfortune to he taken prisoner with
David II. in 1346. This family now lost the office for a time. In 1406
William de Cunningham was then sheriff of Ayr (c). There was a grant, how-
ever, to George Campbell in May 1450, of this office to him and his heirs. In
April 1503, this office was held by Sir Hugh Campbell of Loudoun (d); he was
still sheriff in 1533, and died in 1561 (e). His son, Sir Matthew, succeeded to
the office, and died about the year 1572 (/). His son, Sir Hugh, who suc-
ceeded to this office, was made a lord of parliament in 1601. He was alive in
1612, but, dying soon after, was succeeded by his grand-daughter, Margaret,
as Baroness of Loudoun (g); but she marrying Sir John Campbell of Lawers, the
notorious chancellor of Scotland, during the civil wars of Charles I., the office
of sheriff was sold to the crown for 1500 marks, so that it became thus invested
in the king (h). On the 16th of July 1633, James Chalmers of Gadsgirth was
in fact principal sheriff of Ayr (i), the office being now in the king. In 1747
John, Lord Loudoun, obtained for his life in this office of sheriff �1500 (j).
Under the new establishment, after the prudent abolition of the heritable
jurisdiction, William Duff of Crombie, was appointed sheriff of Ayr in 1748, at
a salary of �200 a year (k).
It may be of use here to say a few words with regard to the jurisdictions,
which might have interfered with the authority of the sheriff. The ancient
divisions of this great country, forming Ayrshire, were, as we have seen,
Carrick, lying on the south of the Doon; Kyle, lying between the rivers
Doon and Irvine, and subdivided into King's Kyle and Kyle Stewart; and
(a) Ryley's Placita, 50,3.                      (b) Wood's Peer., ii. 144.                     (c) Ib., 145.
(d) Sir James Balfour's Practicks, 16.               (e) Wood's Peerage, ii. 146-7.              (/) Id.
((g) The office of sheriff was now probably taken into the king's hands, and given to James Chalmers
of Gadsgirth, who was certainly sheriff of Ayr in July 1G33.
(A) Wood's Peer., 147. The Earl of Loudoun, by a contract with the king, dated the 10th of March,
1634, sold to his majesty the sheriffship of Ayr for 14,000 marks Scots. Solicitor General Purvis's
MS. Col. about the Revenue.
(i) MS. Precept addressed to him ; Nisbet's Heraldry, ii. App. 20. He was made sheriff in 1632,
when the crown acquired the heritable jurisdiction from the Lord Loudoun.
(j) Wood's Peer., ii. 151. So that this office was now purchased a second time, and the earl
recovered for his life in this office much more in 1747 than had been paid in 1634 for its perpetuity.
(k) Scots Mag., 1478, p. 155.