History and traditions of the land of the Lindsays in Angus and Mearns

228 LAND OF THE LINDSAYS.
was in possession before the close of the sixteenth century, since
on the 17th of January 1600, Janet Forrester, with consent of
her son, granted an annual of forty-five merks out of a part of
the lands of Balnabreithe to Henry Lindsay de Carraldstoun, and
his heirs.* Only eight years thereafter, Sir Henry resigned
Careston, Nether Careston, and Balnabreich, and the barony
and lordship of Kinfauns, in favour of his eldest son Sir John,
Knight of the Bath, as fiar, but under his father's life-reiit.f Sir
John predeceased his father about 1615, and leaving no male
issue, the property reverted to him ; and, in 1618, he obtained a
bond of reversion over Careston and Finhaven from William
Forbes of Craigievar.J About 1630, the lands of Shielhill, in
the parish of Kirriemuir, and Easter Balnabreich were sold by
Earl George (Earl Henry's son) to John Ramsay ,§ who had
been laird of the western part of the last named property for
some time before. Lord Spynie relieved Craigievar's bond at
the same period, and thus became proprietor of Careston and
Finhaven at much the same time.
Long before this, however, in 1595, Sir Alexander Carnegy,
uncle to the first Earl of Southesk, afterwards proprietor of
Balnamoon, had a charter of half the lands of Balnabreich ;|| and
being a lawyer of eminence, is said to have received the barony
of Careston in lieu of the expenses of a lawsuit which he is re-
presented to have carried on in behalf of the Lindsays.il
Sir John Stewart of Grandtully and Murthly, succeeded the
Carnegys in Careston by purchase, in 1707. His arms, with
the date 1714, still decorate the front of the castle ; and during
the proprietorship of this family, much of the carved work was
added to the house. They were, descended through a daughter
of Lord Bute, from a second son of Alexander, the Lord High
Steward of Scotland in the time of Alexander II. and III., his
eldest brother, the seventh Lord High Steward, being the illus-
trious personage from whom " the Royal Stuart " deduced their
descent. Grandtully was acquired in the reign of James I. The
first baronet was a senator of the College of Justice, and, by the
marriage of his grandson with Lady Jane Douglas, only daughter
of the penultimate Duke of Douglas, the famous " Douglas Cause"
arose, whereby her son, Archibald, succeeded to the immense
* Crawford Case, p. 82, t Ibid., p. 84. } Ibid., p. 81, § Ibid., p. 91.
II Pouglas' Peerage. IT New Stat. Acct., Forfars.