Genealogical account of the family of Edmonstone of Duntreath

THE TAMIL Y OT EDMONSTONE.
after the Duchess's death, which occurred the beginning of that year, and
the succession to the Lennox estates was for several years a matter of
great dispute.
The third and only surviving son of the Duke and Duchess of Albany
escaped to Ireland, and having formed a connexion with a lady of the
name of Macdonald, had by her a large family, seven sons and one
daughter. Three of these sons were afterwards legitimated, and the eldest,
Andrew, became a person of great consequence. He was created Lord
Avondale, and was Chancellor of Scotland. His legitimation, however, did
not go the length of securing to him the succession of his family, which
was disputed by the heirs of the Duchess's two younger sisters, Lady
Elizabeth, wife of Sir John Stewart of Darnley, and the two grand-daughters
of Lady Margaret, who had married Robert Monteith of Rusky. An
arrangement was at length come to by which the liferent of the Lennox
estates was made over to Lord Avondale, through whom the restoration
of the property had been mainly effected, which had been vested in the
Crown at the Duchess's death, with remainder, according to the Royal
Charter of Entail by Robert the Third, 1392, to the above-mentioned heirs
of the last Earl Duncan. Of this John Lord Dernely (or Darnley) received
a considerable portion, and the earldom of Lennox was renewed in his
line, and continued into the Royal Family of Stewart.
At the same time that Lord Avondale obtained the liferent of the
earldom, he procured likewise, from the heirs, a guarantee of the lands of
Duntreath to Sir William Edmonstone, who was married to his sister
Matilda Stewart, and their heirs. 1
This is proved by a deed of James III., June 21, 1472-3, stating the
investment of Andrew Lord Avondale of the Earldom of Lennox, in liferent,
by John Lord Darnley, and also that ' our cousin William Edmonstone of
Duntreath be made secure by the said Lord Darnley, which he has by
infeftment and gift heritably of our progenitor ' James II.
There is, moreover, in the family charter-chest a Renunciation and
Grant, dated Edinburgh, August 2, of the same year, 1472, by John Earl
of Lennox to William Edmonstone of Duntreath, of the Superiority of
Duntreath, etc., and of all claim he had thereto, allowing him, the said
1 Note 11, Appendix.