Historical and genealogical memoirs of the House of Hamilton

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HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL MEMOIRS
PRESTON.
both on their affinity in blood and the
neighbourhood of their Lanarkshire
estates : — this author has recorded the
following evidence in regard to the filia-
tion and acquisitions of Sir John Fitz-
Gilbert, which could only have been
derived from charters extant, at that
period, in the repositories of his descend-
ants. He says, speaking of Sir Gilbert,
— " His Ladie had to him Sir Walter,
who succeeded, and another, called
John, of whom are lineally descended
the Lairds of Prestoun ; for he is infeft
in Rossaven be the Abbott of Kelsoe*
in 1339, and thereafter be Sir David,
the son of Sir Walter, in the lands of
Fingletoun, in these words, — " Patruo
suo Domino Johanni de Hamiltoun\ de
Rossaven, militi," &c. Hamiltoun of
Airdrie is descended of Prestoun, but
very laitly."
There may likewise be adduced the
testimony of Mr William Hamilton of
Wishaw, advocate, who was born many
years previous to the battle of Dunbar,
who likewise enjoyed the most favour-
able opportunities of information, and
whose antiquarian remains still justify
the distinguished reputation he obtained Crawf. Peerage,
for accuracy and research, although his p '
principal work, the History of the House
of Hamilton, be, of late, unfortunately
lost. In his " Descriptioun of the ShirefF- Adv. Lib. M. 6.
1"
dome of Lanark," he says, — " Besyde
the Palace of Hamilton, gardens, parks,
woods, belonging thereto, there are se-
veral gentlemen's seats in this parish,
long since given out to the severall he-
ritors, as the Ross, or Rossaven, belong-
ing to ye laird of Prestoun. It was first
given to John, son of Sir Gilbert de
Hamilton, and hath continued in y'
family since ; a pleasant seat w' good
woods, gardens, close to the River of
15. No. 13.
* That a part of the lands of Ross had once belonged to the church, is shown by the retours,
(Abr. Lan. 469.) in which the " terras ecclesiastics:" are distinguished from the secular lands of
Rossaven by a separate valuation : and that the former portion was originally in possession of the
Monks of Kelso, is proved by a charter of Alexander II., in 1222, confirming the grant made to
their Monastery by his brother Robert of London, " de quadam parte terre sue in territorio de
NKadichou in vasto suo, scilicet de Rossaven," &c. (Cartul. Kakho. f. 75, Adv. Lib.) The secular
lands of the Ross were always a fief held of the house of Cadyow.
+ It may be here remarked, that the unqualified statement of Mr Wood, (Peerage, i. p. 693, note,)
in relation to the non-employment of the territorial surname of Hamilton, by the two first genera-
tions of the house of Cadyow, and to the prior adoption of this surname by the junior branches of
Preston and Innerwick, is not altogether correct. That Sir Walter did himself occasionally em-
ploy his territorial appellative is proved by his signature in Ragman's Roll, 1296, " Wautierfiz
Gilbert de Hameldon," (Vrynne, p. 662) ; and that he was familiarly known, during his life, by
this latter surname alone, is evinced by the designation of his sons, of whom the elder is styled,
" Dominus David, /ilius Walteri dicti de Hamilton" in the testing clause of his brother's charter
of the lands of Balincreif, granted, by Sir John Stewart of Crookston, " Johanni Ji/io Walteri dicti
de Hamilton," before 13G9. — {A. Stuart's Gen. Hist. p. T6.) Nay, the charter confirming the pre-
ceding grant, (15th Jan. 13G9,) ratifies it, as made " Johanni de Hamiltoun, filio Dni Walteri de
Hamiltoun" (A. Stuart's Gen. Hist. p. 77, and supra, p. 307 ; while, on the other hand, at a more
recent date, this John, the original ancestoi of Innerwick, appears simply as " Johannes, films
Domini Walteri," in a charter by his nephew Darid de Hamilton, in 1381 (vide supra, p. 45, note.)
Nothing, therefore, can be more capricious than the use of their territorial and patronymic sur-
names, separately or in conjunction, by all the individuals of all the branches during the earlier
generations.