Ayrshire > Volume 2

THE MONTGOMERIES OF EGLINTON 129
who slew Alexander Cuninghame, the Commendator
of Kilwinning, son of the Earl of Glencairn, in 1582. Of
the latter, Sir Robert, " a pleasant story " is told in
Crawford's Manuscript Genealogy. He was at deadly
feud with Maxwell of Newark Castle, Renfrewshire, who
had slain his father and brother. For some unexplained
reason he went to Newark Castle and was forced to hide
in a small closet or turret, where he was discovered by
Maxwell himself. In place of resenting his intrusion,
Newark called out, " Robin, come down to me, who has
done }^ou so good a turn as to make you young Laird
and old Laird of Skelmorlie in one day." The invitation
was accepted, and the two became reconciled. Sir
Robert none the less carried on the feud relentlessly
otherwise, and shed much blood. In his latter days he
was much mortified by the recollection of what he had
done, " and in expiation performed many acts of
charity." He built a magnificent aisle to the old
church of Largs, and, according to Wodrow, " was a
man mighty in prayer and much at it, but very short
at a time." His wife's beauty was the subject of two
sonnets by Alexander Montgomerie, author of " The
Cherrie and the Slae." The wife of Sir Robert, ninth of
Skelmorlie, and third Baronet, was prone to attendance
upon conventicles, and her husband suffered for it.
The fourth Baronet, Sir James, was one of the Scottish
Commissioners who went to London in 1689 to offer
the crown of Scotland to William and Mary. Later he
appears to have compromised himself by correspondence
with the exiled Stuarts. Sir Hugh, the sixth Baronet,
was one of the Commissioners appointed to treat for the
Union with England, and in the last Parliament for
Scotland he strenuously opposed some of the clauses
of the treaty. He was elected Rector of Glasgow
College, 1724.