Agnews of Lochnaw

52 THE BLACK DOUGLAS AT LOCHNAW. [i 395-
charters, were expected to resign their lands formally into
Douglas' hands, and hold henceforth of him.
Of course the unfortunate Constable of Lochnaw could offer
no serious resistance to the forces of the earl ; and only so far
derived benefit from his insular position, that he was able to
make better terms for himself and family than he otherwise
might have done. Finding that the siege might be a matter of
longer time than suited his convenience, the haughty earl agreed
to allow the Agnews free liberty to depart " in peace," they giving
up all the evidences by which they held their lands, and remov-
ing forthwith from their possessions. Which treaty being con-
cluded, all the Agnews were to be seen wending their way
down — a sorrowful cavalcade — to the shores of Lochryan ; whence
the Laird of Lochnaw, the great-grandson of the first proprietor,
took shipping with his family and a few retainers, and crossed
the channel to the Bay of Larne. 1
The further particulars of this catastrophe can only be
gathered from Sir George Mackenzie's pithy phrase, " the Castell
of Lochnaw was blowen up."
The act of the Black Douglas was certainly a cool one, as the
castle was the king's ; as to that responsibility, however, he
troubled himself little, giving to one of the kinsmen the title of
constable. And after allowing his retainers to divide the booty
amongst themselves, he bestowed the lands of Lochnaw on an
the time of the war with England, Edward. I. either carried away all, or destroyed,
not only our public archives and the monuments of antiquity, but even the
private deeds of particular families he could come by. And what might have
escaped this mighty Edward were more fully, yea entirely, rifled by Archibald,
Lord of Galloway ; he forced all the barons of the crown there to give up the
charters and evidences of their estates and tenements, and if any of them were
backward their houses were utterly destroyed, and therein all the charters by which
they held their possessions were irrecoverably lost. And this is the reason that,
although there be many ancient families in Galloway, yet not one gentleman in
that whole great lordship has any writings or charters of his own estates pre-
ceding the time that the lordship of Galloway came to the house of Douglas." —
Crawford.
1 " His great-grandchild was opprest by the Earl of Douglas, by whom the
Castell of Lochnaw was blowen up. "— Mackenzie, MSS.