Ancient deeds and other writs in the Mackenzie-Wharncliffe charter-chest

MACKENZIE-WHARNCLIFFE DEEDS
Sir Gilbert Ramsay of Banff, his father. These lands of Bendochy and
Coupar-Maccultie formed a most desirable estate in the parish of
Bendochy and county of Perth, distant about one mile from the town
of Coupar-Angus. They are bounded on the south by the river
Isla, which unites with the Tay at Cargill. At one time tradition
says that the Lord Privy Seal intended to build his principal residence
on this estate instead of at Belmont, but ultimately the finer timber
on the Belmont estate induced him to prefer the site on which Belmont
Castle was eventually erected. The estate of Bendochy and Coupar-
Maccultie was sold in various divisions and at various times. The last
portion was sold about twenty-five years ago. Only the modern title-
deeds were delivered to the purchasers, and there are still in existence
a series of very interesting deeds connected with these properties.
The lands of Coupar-Maculty were granted to the church of
Dunfermline, along with the church of the Holy Trinity of Dunkeld,
by Adam, Bishop of Caithness, and Malcolm iv. in perpetual alms
for the weal of the soul of David, King of Scotland. A document
in the Register of the Abbey of Dunfermline shows that a claim having
been made on the part of the Crown for a certain sum from the abbot
on account of his neglect to give suit for the lands of Cupermacultin,
Fordoui, and others, in the court of the Sheriff of Perth, an inquest was
held before Alexander Cumyn, Earl of Buchan, Justiciary of Scotland,
through various baronies, whether suit was owing from the said lands or
not, and after careful inquiry Sir Gilbert Hay, who had been present at
the inquest, thereafter, in ' pleno colloquio domini regis,' at Holyrood,
on the 14th January 1255, pronounced the verdict of the baronies to be
that they had seen the men of the lands come to the said court but never
as suitors, and the king freed the abbot from the claim.
The lands of Couper-macultie were in 1282 confirmed by the Abbot
of Dunfermline to Malcolm de Ferenderach, and from this family they
passed into the possession of Sir James Fraser of Ferenderach.
The oldest deed in existence connected with this property is a
charter by John, Abbot of Dunfermline, to Sir Richard Cummin,
Knight, of the lands of Coupar-maccultie, bearing date 2nd November
1394, with an annualrent of five merks of sterlings out of the lands
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