Comments in refutation of pretensions advanced for the first time, and statements in a recent work "The Stirlings of Keir and their family papers"

110 COMMENTS ON KEIE PERFOEMANGE,
1 Glasgow 2. Act of Court, 15tli NoTember*1575,^ specifying " Elizabeth Stewart, re-
sary Ee- Uct of umquhUe William Stirling of Bankeir," and " John Stirling of Lettyr,
cords.
brother-german and nearest laM-ful air-niaill of the said umquhile AVilliam."
■iBm-gh 3. Entry in the Records of the burgh of Glasgow, 8th February 1584,'
of^gow." to the effect that " Joiinne Striveling of Bankeir " (hence no other, by his
3 See Keir description, than the preceding John,^ the lawful Keir and Cadder heir, who
41. ' was so styled), " and Elizabeth Steivard, his spouse, and Johne Strivehng of
Lettir," desired a contract, of the same date, to be registered between the said
4 gee No. I.
ut sapra. '' " Elizaheth Steward, relict of umquhile William Striveling of Bankeir," *
and the said " Johnne Striveling, now her spous, for his interest," for im-
plementing the preceding contract in 1572, as to infefting the said Ehzabeth
in liferent in the lands of Wester JBanheir.
s Acts and 4. Tcmi assigued by the Lords of CouncU and Session, 28th June 1590,^
Decreets . . _ .
of the to "Johniie Strivelinq,sone l^iATVUAL to umquhile Sir James Strivehng of
Supreme i" >■ o
of s^o'tia'^d K<5ii'; tnicht, to exhibit " certain writs called for in an action against him by
" Robert Striveling of Lettyr, brother sone and air-maill to umquhile Wil-
ham Strivehng of Bankeir," which belonged to and " Mere in the keeping of
Elizabeth Stewart," his (the said John's) ivife, and intromitted with by him,
and shown by another entry to have comprised a grant of the lands of Wes-
ter Bankeir to William in 1565, tliat was afterwards produced before the
Lords by John. The latter, therefore, as the natural son of Sir James (who
must have survived Ehzabeth), is thus identified tlirough her with John of
Bankeir (under No. 3), whose wife, too, she was.
B Ibid. 5. Action before the same court, 16th June 1591,^ at the instance of " Robert
Strivehng of Letter, broyer, sone, and air-maill to umquhile William Strive-
ling of Wester Bankeir," against " Sir Archibald Striveling of Keir, kny',
sone and air of umquhile Sir James Striveling of Keir, kny', to quhom, his
airis and assignees, ye pretendit lettres of reversion underwritten are allegit
to be maid and gi-antit, and Johne Striveling, sone natueall to ye said
umquhile Sir James, and assignay alledgit constitute by him to ye said pre-
teudit reversion," of " all and haill " (as is further proved by the entry) the
" forsaidis landis of Wester Bankeir." Nothing more ti-anspires from the
record than the above assignation by Sir James Stirling of Keir of the latter
to John, his natural son (as he calls him). And it is quite clear that the
above reversionary grant of Wester Bankeir by Sir James of Keir to John
constituted the title to that j^i'ojyerti/ in his person, which the Keir Perform-