Genealogical account of the family of Edmonstone of Duntreath

THE FAMILY OF EDMONSTONE. 79
his bil beyris, ,£18, lis. 3d.' The Hunt Hall is mentioned in another item, but I do not
know where it was.
Note 37, Page 34.
Nimmo says 'there is a retour of Edmonstone of Ballinton in 1619. It was
called the Star of Monteith. The property of Lord Napier in 1624, and now of the Blair
Drummond family,' — Nimmo, History of Stirlingshire, p. 483. There is the name of
James uncle of the Laird of Duntreath, among those absent from an assize in 1534.
Note 38, Page 34.
The marriage of Janet Edmonstone is proved by a receipt in the charter chest by
William Lord Graham to Archibald Edmonstone of Duntreath, ' his gudefather,' first for
forty merks, dated April 30, and next for ,£73, dated 16th May 1500. The Earl married,
previously, Annabella, daughter of Lord Drummond, by whom he had the second Earl.
By Janet Edmonstone he had three daughters, who married Sir John Somerville of
Cambusnethan, Walter Master of Drummond, and John Murray of Abercairney. There
is a charter granted to William Earl of Montrose and Janet Edmonstone, his wife, of the
lands of Aberuthven, dated March 17, 1504-5.
Note 39, Page 35.
There are receipts, first, dated 16th November 1496, by John Ross of Halkcad Knicht,
to Archibald Edmonstone of Duntreath, for fifty merks, for the marriage of John Lord
(Ross of) Melville, and another by John Lord Ross of Halkcad (Halkhead), to William
Edmonstone of Duntreath, his 'goodbrother,' for ,£110, dated July 30, 1507. There are
also charters to John Ross of Melville, and Christian Edmonstone his wife, of the lands
of Fortrevane, in the county of Edinburgh, dated 27th September 1490. By this marriage
Lord Ross had Ninian, who succeeded him, married to Lady Janet Stewart, daughter to
John Earl of Lennox. This family ended in the male line by the death of the fourteenth
Lord Ross in 1754. The Earl of Glasgow is the heir of the last Lord, and possesses the
estate of Halkhead.
After the death of her husband, who was killed at the battle of Flodden, Lady Ross
formed an alliance which was declared illegal. It appears from the original record that
in 1515 there was a cause before the official of Midlothian between the noble Lady
Christian Edmonstone dominam de Halket actricem, and the honourable person John
Knollys, ' her putative husband,' when the official decerned that the marriage contracted
between them ' de facto et non de jure ignoranter ' was null, because Grisella Ratray, first
wife of the said George, and the above-mentioned Lady Christian ' attingebant invicem in
quarto et quarto gradibus consanguinitatis,' and thus the Lady Christian, and the aforesaid
George, stood related to each other within the same degrees of affinity. They were
accordingly divorced. For this notice I am indebted to Mr. Riddell.