Agnews of Lochnaw

15 S 8 -] GILBERT, EARL OF CASSILLS. 183
our said cousin, his kin, friends, allies, tenants, servants and par-
takers fra our said Schiref and his Deputes, thair jurisdiction,
office, and power, anent any action concerning them als weill
criminal as civil in time coming induring our will ; charging
therefore our said Schiref and his Deputes that they desist and
cease fra all calling, persewing, or proceding upon any action
concerning our said cousin, his kin, friends, allies, tenants, ser-
vants or part-takers either criminal or civile in time coming ay
and quhill they have command of us in the contrair ; discharging
them utherwayes of all proceedings thairintill, and of their
offices in that part during the said space, notwithstanding any
commission of justiciar given or to be given by us in the contrair
to our Schiref ; anent the quhilk we dispense in so far as con-
cerns the premises by thir presents, given under our signet, and
subscrivit by our dearest mother Marie, quene dowriare and
regent of our realm. At Edinburgh, to the yeir of God one
thousand fyve hundred and fifty-nyne years, and of our reign
the 2d and 18th years. Marie E."
This Earl of Cassilis was Gilbert, the fourth earl ; his father,
Gilbert, the third earl, and the most eminent of all his predecessors,
had died suddenly the previous year, while engaged on a foreign
mission at Dieppe. It was strongly suspected that he had been
poisoned. He left, besides his successor — whose " discord and
unkyndness with the Sheriff" is recorded above — Sir Thomas
Kennedy of Culzean, 1 and a daughter Catherine, married to
Patrick Vaus second son of John Vaus of Barnbarroch, by Janet,
daughter of Sir Simon M'Culloch of Myrtoun. (Patrick Vaus,
in 1568, succeeded his elder brother Alexander, and was after-
wards knighted ; and, being made a Senator of the College of
Justice, was styled Lord Barnbarroch.)
1 Of old the Castle of Culzeaue, or " the Cove," was for 250 years in posses-
sion of another branch of the Kennedys, co-existent with the main branch. This
is evidenced by various ancient documents, and by the arms on the ruins of this
castle. Primrose Kennedy of Drummellane, descended from a younger son of
this ancient house, is now the representative of the old Kennedys of the
Cove.