Genealogical memoirs of the family of Robert Burns and of the Scottish house of Burnes

6 GENEALOGICAL MEMOIRS OF
de Burnes. 1 John de Burnes, miles, is, in a bull of Pope
Nicholas IV., welcomed to Home in 1290 as envoy of
Edward I.; 2 he afterwards appears as sheriff of Kent; also in
connection with various important public transactions. 3 In
a charter of Edward II., William de Burnes is included among
the earlier benefactors to the hospital founded by Thomas a
Becket at Eastbridge, in Canterbury.*
The name is also at an early date to be found in Scotland
" Robert del Brunhouse, tenant le Euesge de Seint Andreu
del counte de Edeneburgh," is twice mentioned in connection
with the oaths of allegiance tendered to Edward I. 5 Bernes
or Bernis, as place-names, appear in numerous charters of the
reign of Robert the Bruce. 6 To John Menteith, King Robert
granted a charter of the lands of Bernis, in the thanedom of
Aberluthnot and county of Kincardine. 7 These lands were
afterwards known as Burnhouse of Kaix, and from these it is
probable that the Kincardineshire family of Bumes derived
their surname. A tradition that the original name of the
Burnes family was Campbell may rest upon some foundation,
but the tradition is too vague to be positively affirmed. A
family named Burnes certainly existed in Kincardineshire
early in the sixteenth century, and this family, there is every
reason to believe, obtained its name from the lands of Bernis
or Burnhouse.
1 Placitovum Abbrevatio, temp. Rie. I.
5 Rymer's Fcedera, Lond. 1816, vol. i., part ii., p. 740.
3 Ruding's Annals of Coinage ; Rymer's Fcedera ; Hasted, vol. i., pp. i., ii.
* Dugdale's Monasticon, vol. vi. , p. 692.
5 Ragman Rolls, 147.
6 At the north-west extremity of Sanday, one of the Orkney isles, is the
parish of Burness ; a lake in the island of Westray is so styled ; and there is
an estate of the name on the mainland of Orkney, near Kirkwall.
7 Robertson's Index, 17, 56.