Ayrshire > Volume 2

THE MONTGOMERIES OF EGLINTON 53
Britain ; Elizabeth was wedded to John, second Lord
Kennedy, and was the mother of David, the first Earl
of Cassillis, who fell at Flodden ; and Agnes was the
wife of William Cunningharne of Glengarnock. The
second Lord Montgomerie succeeded his grandfather
about 1470. Regarding him very little is recorded of
public interest. He died before 29th August, 1483,
and was succeeded by his son, Hugh, who became first
Earl of Eglintoun.
Hugh, who was born about the year 1460, espoused
the cause of the nobles of Scotland against James III.,
and fought for the young Prince in the battle of Sauchie-
burn, which resulted disastrously to the cause of the
Sovereign, and in escaping from which the unfortunate
monarch was assassinated ; and in return for the
services which he then rendered, he received a remission
for destroying and despoiling the house of Kerelaw, and
for all other crimes and offences committed by him
before the 29th of August preceding. Having thus
identified himself with the cause of James IV., he was
held in high favour by the King, was a member of that
Sovereign's first Parliament, 1488, and was appointed
one of the commissioners to punish offenders and to put
down the crimes of theft, robbery, and murder, in the
districts of Carrick, Kyle, Ayr, and Cuninghame. From
the Crown he received grants of land in Arran and Bute,
and the castle of Brodick, and a charter of the offices of
Bailie of Cuninghame and Chamberlain of Irvine. He
was created Earl of Eglinton in the year 1506. When
James IV. fell at Flodden in 1513, he at once transferred
his loyalty to his son, then an infant of eighteen months
old, and was one of the tutors of the royal, child. He
acted as Justice General of the northern districts of
Scotland, and was one of the nobles who met James V.
at Stirling when he escaped from Douglas at Falkland.
In the days of the first Earl there were stormy times
and exciting moments in the North Ayrshire feud. As
early as 1448 the Bailieship of Cuninghame had been
conferred on the head of the house of Montgomerie by