Historical and genealogical essay upon the family and surname of Buchanan

160 ACCOUNT OF THE
charters termed Absalon ; which difference is not
material, in regard the writers of these charters
(as it would seem,) were not acquainted with the
orthography of ancient Irish names, and therefore
expressed those which were better known, and
could best be rendered in Latin. As is evident
by a charter relating to the family of Macpharlan,
wherein the progenitor of that surname is termed
Bertholoneus ; whereas, by the manner that name
both write, and, in an ordinary way of speaking,
express themselves, their progenitor's proper name
behoved to have been Partholanus, or Partholan,
a known ancient Irish name : as is also that of
Anselan, ancestor of the M'Auslans, now Buchanan.
So that the manner the clerks of these more an-
cient times expressed these names is not to be too
much criticised nor relied upon.
There is a current tradition, or account, that
this Anselan Okyan married one Denniestoun,
heiress of a part, if not the whole, of the estate of
Buchanan. But this account is not too generally
adhered to, because that heiress of the name of
Denniestoun, whom that Anselan married, is only
reputed to have had some little part of the estate
of Buchanan, with Drumquhuassils, and other
lands on the water of Ainrick ; and because the
greater part of the estate of Buchanan was given
to the same Anselan, by king Malcolm, with other
lands, in reward of his service against the Danes.
Though, indeed, the name of Denniestoun was a
very ancient and honourable name in the Lennox,
and continued to be so for divers ages ; Hugh,
lord of Denniestoun, being witness to a charter,