Biggar and the House of Fleming

508 BIGGAR AND THE HOUSE OF FLEMING.
that the Tweedies should cause Lady Fruid infeft heritably
and irredeemably the said Malcolm and his assignees in the
L.4 10s. land of old extent of Mossfennan, in the 30s. land of
old extent of Smallhopes and the mill thereof and in the 40s.
land called Urisland, etc. All this was to be done without
prejudice to the concord made between Lord Fleming and the
Lairds of Glenkirk and Polmood ; and the penalty of failure was
to be 10,000 merks. This decreet was confirmed by James
V. on the 2 2d of March 1531.
Malcolm, the eldest son of John Lord Fleming, who was
murdered by the Tweedies, was born in 1494. He was
educated, as became his rank, in all the learning of the time;
and on arriving at manhood, was distinguished for his abilities,
acquirements, and upright character. His merits were highly
appreciated by James V., who conferred on him many favours.
On the death of his father in 1524, he was appointed to the
vacant office of Lord Chamberlain, and received charters of the
lands of Drummelzier, Halmyre, Cardrona, Rachan, Glencotho,
Covington, Kilbucho, Over Kingledoors, Over Menzion, Oliver
Castle, Auchtermony, Kerse, Lenzie, Cumbernauld, Boghall,
Thankerton,' Biggar, and many others. On 'the 26th Feb.
1524-5, he obtained a dispensation .from Pope Clement VII.
to marry Johanna or Janet Stewart, a natural daughter of
James IV., as she was related to him within the third degree,
and on this account they had to perform certain penances
which were detailed in the Pope's letter. His wife's tocher
was paid by her half brother James V. and amounted to L.400.
On the 24th July 1526, Lord Fleming accompanied James
V. in an expedition to the border, to settle disturbances, and
punish thieves. After this had been effected the royal party
set out on their march homewards, and had reached the bridge of
Melrose on the 29 th, when the Laird of Buccleuch presented
himself at the head of a thousand horsemen. The King, it
appears, had come to be of opinion that he was kept too much
in bondage by the persons by whom he was daily surrounded,
and had sent a secret message to Buccleuch to raise his clan,
and come to his rescue. The Earl of Angus, who commanded
the King's troops, demanded to know what Buccleuch's design
was in coming with so great a force. Buccleuch replied that
he had come to do the King honour and service, and to show