Strathendrick, and its inhabitants from early times

176 HISTORY OF STRATHENDRICK
like his royal master, at the battle of Sauchieburn, in 14S8. His wife was
Elizabeth Menteith, daughter of Sir Murdoch Menteith of Rusky, and grand-
daughter of Margaret of the Lennox, daughter of Duncan, Earl of Lennox, wife
of Sir Robert Menteith of Rusky. By her he had Archibald of Merchiston, his
successor, and others.
IV. Archibald Napier of Merchiston married, first, Catherine Douglas,
and had by her Alexander Napier of Merchiston, of whom afterwards, and
others.
He married, secondly, Elizabeth Creichtoun, and had by her two sons.
And he married, thirdly, Margaret, daughter of Sir Colin Campbell of Glen-
urchy (who married, after his death, John Dickson, Ross Herald), and by her
he had : Alexander Napier of Inglistoun and life-renter of Tipperlin, part of
Merchiston, 1 and Mungo Napier.
In 1490 Elizabeth Menteith, Archibald Napier's mother, after great difficulties
and many delays, obtained possession of her fourth of the earldom of Lennox
as co-heiress of her grandmother, Margaret of the Lennox, daughter of Earl
Duncan of Lennox ; 2 and in addition, in consideration of giving up the
superiorities and other rights and privileges belonging to her share of the earldom
to John, Lord Darnley, first of the Stewart Earls of Lennox, was given the two
towns of Blairnavadis and some rights in Loch Lomond. In 1507 she resigned
all her possessions in favour of her son, Archibald Napier of Merchiston ; and
on the 2 1 st May 1509 he obtained a charter under the Great Seal, incorporating
them into a free barony, to be called the Barony of Edinballe Naper. The
lands so incorporated were, so far as in the Lennox — Gartness, Dalnair, Blairour,
Cartacharne, the two Ballats, Douchlas, Badivow, Edinbelly, Ballacharne, and
Thomdaroch, with a quarter of the fishing in Loch Lomond, and the fishing in
the waters of Endrick and Altquhore, and the mill of Gartness. In addition,
he held of the Earl of Lennox the two towns of Blairnavaid, the Island of Inch-
more, with some fishings. It was thus the Napiers of Merchiston obtained their
lands in Strathendrick.
Succeeding this Archibald Napier, fourth laird of Merchiston, and first of the
Barony of Edinbelle Naper, were Sir Alexander Napier, the fifth laird, who was
killed at the battle of Flodden in 15 13; Alexander, the sixth laird, who was
killed at the battle of Pinkie in 1547 ; and Sir Archibald Napier, the seventh
1 Alexander Napier's wife was Isabel Litill. He died s.p. in 1576, and his brother Mungo
Napier, burgess of Edinburgh, and his heir, had a lawsuit about a "buith and cellar" which
had belonged to him [Tracts Legal and Historical, John Riddell, p. 135).
- See the Partition of the Lennox, Mark Napier, Additional Remarks upon the Question of
the Lennox or Rusky Representation, etc.; and Tracts Legal and Historical, and other writings
of John Riddell ; The Lennox, by Sir William Fraser ; and The Lanox of Auld: an Epistolary
Review of the Lennox by William Fraser, by Mark Napier.