Oliphants in Scotland

lxiv THE OLIPHANTS IN SCOTLAND.
openly manifested. It seems that the deceased Lord Oliphant, by .a deed executed
at Dupplyn, on 11th October, 1588, had granted to his son John the lands and
baronies of Aberdalgie, Dupplin, and Gask, Ochtertyre, and Balcraig, Newtyle and
Kinprony. 1 In 1594 a complaint lodged with the Privy Council 2 by Laurence Lord
Oliphant and William Earl of Morton, his tutor, sets forth that John Oliphant,
son to umquhile Laurence Lord Oliphant, forgetful of his natural behaviour
aud duty which he owed to the Lord Oliphant his chief, and intending
now in his minority, to take advantage of his rents and living, violently
oppresses the tenants and takes possession of the rents and duties, menacing them
with all kinds of violence and injury if they refuse to deliver them to him. In
1599 it was complained to the Privy Council by Laurence Lord Oliphant, the Earl
of Morton, and William Oliphant of Gask, tutor and curator to the said Lord
Oliphant, 3 that in the month of March, David Gray, Thomas M'Gibbon, and William
Millar, servants to John, Master of Oliphant, with an armed force came to Lord
Oliphant's house of Newtyle, and violently brake up the yettis, surprised and
took the Castle, and "stuffit" it with men, victual, and armour, and held it
for a long space thereafter. So reckless were they of the consequences that
when a herald arrived from the Privy Council with his displayed coat of arms,
bearing a summons commanding them to render the Castle in his Majesty's name,
they fired upon him, and persisted in keeping possession of the Castle till they
heard that the Sheriff, accompanied by the " haill forces of the sheriffdom," was on
the way to besiege them in it. This may be the affair referred to by Calderwood
in connection with his account of the Gowrie conspiracy: — "The cause," says he,
' of his Majestie's servants following him so fast (undesired by him) being only
grounded on the suspicion they had conceived of his Majestie's intention of riding
was for the apprehension of the Master of Oliphant, one who had lately done a vile
and proud oppression in Angus; for repairing of which they thought that his
Majestie had some purpose for his apprehension." 4 In 1604, King James granted
a remission to certain persons for the slaughter in the execution of the King's
commission of John, Master of Oliphant, and James Reid, "assisting and plain
partaking with Gilbert Gray, our rebel," for whose apprehension for the slaughter of
John Shepherd and for sundry crimes of theft the commission had been issued.
In September, 1605, Gilbert Gray of Bandirran was slain by Laurence Lord
Oliphant, and Laurence Oliphant of Lammerkin; and the feud seems to have
1 This deed is among the writs belonging to 3 Printed in the present volume, p. 169.
Lord Wharncliffe at Belmont. 4 Calderwood's History (Wodrow Society), vi.,
■ Printed in the present volume, p. 159. p. 33.