Genealogical account of the family of Edmonstone of Duntreath

THE FAMIL Y OF EDMONSTONE.
beginning of the seventeenth century, at the period of the plantation of the
forfeited estates by James I. William EdmonstoneofDuntreath settled there
in 1609, 1 and he was the first to introduce and settle a Presbyterian minister,
Edward Bryce, late minister of Drymen, who had been forced to leave Scot-
land for his opposition to the introduction of Prelacy in 1613. Broadisland
continued to be in possession, and Red Hall to be the chief residence, of the
family for several generations ; till the estate, having been much reduced, was
finally sold by Sir Archibald Edmonstone, the latter end of the eighteenth
century, to a family of the name of Porter. 2 It now belongs to Mr. Kerr.
The estate of Kilsyth, comprising the East and West Baronies, and the
lands of Balincloich or Bancloich, in the parish of Campsie, were purchased
by Sir Archibald Edmonstone in 1783. Kelvesith (or Kyllynsith) so desig-
nated from the Kelvin water, formed part of the vast territory of the Lennox,
originally bestowed by Malcolm III. to Arkyl, a great northern English
baron, afterwards erected into the earldom of Levenox or Lennox, in favour
of Alwyn, his grandson, by Malcolm IV. The parish was designated
Moniabrugh, from a little rivulet which ran through it. The earliest notice
of Kilsyth is a charter of Malwyn, third Earl of Lennox, of the lands of
Glasshill, Kilsyth, etc., to Eva his sister, and to her husband Malcolm, the
son of Duncan Thane of Calendar, about the middle of the thirteenth
century. These lands afterwards came into possession of the Fleemings,
for there is a grant by Malcolm Fleeming, first Earl of Wigton, of the first
creation of the lands of Kyllynsith to Robert De la Vail, an Englishman,
whose daughter, Margaret, dying without heirs, they escheated to the Crown,
and were granted by King David II. to Sir William Livingston and
Christian his wife, daughter and heiress of Patrick Callendar of Callendar.
This charter is dated 13th October 1 361. Sir John Livingston, grandson to
the above Sir William, who was killed at the battle of Homeldon, gave a
grant of the lands of Wester Kilsyth to William, his son by his second
marriage, A.D. 1402, confirmed by a charter of Murdoch Earl of Fife and
Duke of Albany to the said William, on the resignation of his mother Agnes,
daughter of Sir James Douglas of Dalkeith, 1423. The East Barony of
Kilsyth appears to have remained in the hands of the elder branch of the
family till they were disponed by Alexander Earl of Linlithgow, and his
1 Note 13, Appendix. * Note 14, Appendix.
B