Montgomery manuscripts

The Montgomery Manuscripts.
his time, left to me by my father (who was expert in the heraldry of both kingdoms, having given
me Guillim's book 1 * and some notes of his own of that science), I say I find by the said list (now
by me), that Glencairne was but the 15th Earle, yet at this present time, and many years before
it, he might arrive to be 1 2th, and so next after Eglintoun — the said list runs thus, viz. : —
Tlie Sirnames, Earles of The Titles as followetk.
1. Duglas Angus.
2. Campbell Argyle.
3. Lindsay Crawford.
4. Hay Errol.
5. Keith Marreshall.
6. Gordon Southerland.
7. Arreskin Marr.
S. Lesley Rothes.
9. Duglas Mortoun.
The Sirnames, Earles of The Titles as followeth.
10. Graham Monteith.
11. Montgomery Eglintoun.
Graham Montrosse.
Kennedy Cassills.
Sinclair Caithness.
15. *Conyngham Glencairne.
Arreskin Buchan.
&c, to ye No. of thirty in all,
* Precedency of Eglintoune* 15
issued a proclamation which was afterwards embodied in
an Act of Parliament, annulling all grants and dignities
conferred by the late king, from the month of January
preceding. The title of Glencairn, therefore, remained in
abeyance until the time of William Cunningham, the eighth
in descent from sir Alexander, when Charles I., in the
year 1637, granted a revival and confirmation of the
original patent of 1488. "In the long interval between these
two dates, the earls of Glencairn made many protests in the
sittings of Parliament in reference to precedency, arising
out of this hiatus between the two patents. In 1606, the
earls of Eglinton and Cassilis obtained a decree of the
Privy Council, preferring them in the order of Parliament;
but in 1609, the earl of Glencairn obtained a decree of the
Court of Session, annulling that preference." — Paterson,
Account of the Parishes and Families of Ayrshire, vol. ii. ,
pp. 214, 215 and note. All disputes on this question of
precedency among the nobility are determined by an
appeal to the College of Arms, and the decisions are
accepted as being founded on the authority of certain
statutes enacted for the regulations of such disputes.
14 Guillim's booh. — " Guillim's book" is still considered
the best book on Heraldry ever written in the English
language. The first edition, folio, was published in 1610;
the second in 1632, folio; the third in 1638, folio; the
fourth in 1660, folio ; the fifth in 1679, folio ; and the
sixth, with large additions, in 1742, folio. — Lowndes
Bibliographer's Manual. In connexion with the history
of this remarkable book, the following extract informs us
of a curious fact : — "This book being mostly com-
posed in his (Barkham's or Barcham's) younger years,
he deemed it too light a subject for him to own, being
then (at the date of its publication in 15 10) a grave divine,
chaplain to an archbishop, and not unlikely a dean.
Whereupon being well acquainted with John Guillim, an
officer of Arms, he gave him the copy, who, adding some
trivial things to it, published it, with leave from the author,
under his own name, and it goeth to this day under the
name of Guillim's Heraldry." — Anthony a Wood's
Athena Oxonienses, as quoted in Allibone's Critical
Dictionary, vol. i., p. 116.
' 5 Precedency of Eglintoune. — The following is a list of
Scottish earls, printed in 1603, and extracted from a rare
book (only two perfect copies of which are supposed to
exist), entitled Certayne Matters Concerninge the A'ealme
of Scotland, composed together as they were, Anno Domini,
'597- This list forms a curious record of the Scottish
nobility at the period to which it refers, presenting, as it
does, their surnames, titles of honour, marriage connexions,
and principal residences. Its author, whoever he may
have been, gives Glencairn precedence of Eglinton, the
former occupying the 12th, and the latter the 13th place : —
" Earles.
" 1 James Hammilton, Earle of Arran, unmarried : his chiefe
house, Hammiltoyi Castte.
" 2 William Dowglasse, Earle of Angusse, married the eldest
daughter of Lawrence, now Lord Olephant : his chiefe house, the
Castell of Dowglasse.
" 3 George Gordon, Earle of Huntley, married the eldest sister of
Lodovicke, now D. of Lennox : his chiefe house, Strath-bogy.
" 4 Cotone Campbelt, Earle of Argyie, Lord-Justice-Generall of
Scotland, married a daughter of Witliam Dowglasse, now Earle of
Morton : his chiefe house, Inuer-aray.
" 5 Dauid Lindsay, Earle of Crau/urd, married the sister of
Patricke, now Lord Drummond : his chiefe house, Fyn-heanin.
" 6 Francis Hay, Earle of Arroli, Constable of Scotland,
married the daughter of Witliam, Earl of Morton : his chiefe house,
Slaynes.
" 7 John Stewart, Earle of A tholl, married the sister of John,
Earle of Gowry : his chiefe house, Blayre-Alhole.
" 8 George Keyth, Earle of MarSlieit, married the sister of Alex-
ander, Lord Home : his chiefe house, Dunnotter Castell.
"9 Francis Steward, Earle Bothwcll, married the sister of
Archbald. Earle of Angus : his chiefe house, Creiehton.
" 10 Andrew Leisly, Earle of Rotltes, married the daughter of
Sir James Hamilton: his chiefe house, Bambreich.
"n James Stewart, Earle of Murrey, unmarried, his chiefe
house, Tarneway.
"12 Alexander Cunningham, Earle of Glencarne, married the
eldest sister of Campbell of Glenorchy, Knight : his chiefe house,
Kilmawrcs.
" 13 Hugh Mont-gomery , Earle of Eglinton, yong, unmarried :
his chiefe house, Ardrossan.
" 14 John Kennedy, Earle of Cassilis, unmarried : his chiefe
house, Dun-vre.
"iS John Graltame, Earle of Montrose, married the sister of Pat-
ricke, Lord Drummond, that now is : his chiefe house, Kincardin.
" 16 Patrik Stewart, Earle of Orknay, yong, unmarried : his
chiefe house, Kirk-wall.
"17 John Erskin, Earle of Mar, married the second sister of
Lodozdcke, now D. of Lennox : his chiefe house, Erskin.
" 18 William Dowglasse, Earle of Morton, married the sister of the
Earle of Rotlies, that now is : his chiefe house, the Castle of Dalkeith,
" 19 James Dowglasse, Earle of Buqulian, yong, unmarried : his
chiefe house, Aitchier-House.