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

MACKENZIE-WHARNCLIFFE DEEDS
manifestlie exorbitant,' and (2) that by the Claim of Right and the Act
of Parliament of 1690 rescinding 'forfeitours and fynes' he was entitled
to have repayment made. 1 Archibald Buntein, formerly clerk to Sir
George Mackenzie, in a letter, dated 11th December 1694, and addressed
to Lady Mackenzie, makes the following reference to the Scott petition,
and to a troublesome question which had been raised by Hamilton of
Monkland. ' I can give little farder information in it than what is
knowne to most of your sones friends and what is contained in the
enclosed papers which I send to your Ladyship, till I come myself,
and as to that other affair of Hamiltoune of Munklands band being
given to my master upon his receipt, I never knew any interest my
master had in that band of his, so as to give his receipt for it, nor does
my memorie serve me so well in that affair for Inches looked upon
any concerne my master could have with Munkland so as to have any
dealling with his after that maner, only I have some confused mynd
of ane old band of the Marquess of Argyll in favours of the last Munk-
lands father which the last Munklands lookt upon as desperat and in
the tyme of the last Argylle forfeiture, he brought it to Sir George
to know his opinion whether he could be classed among the rest of
Argyll's creditors who were then giving their clames, and I believe
Sir George advysed him to give it in on all hazards, but for Sir George
giving a receipt for it himself I remember nothing of it. But, however,
Munklands himself was about that tyme forfeited for his accession to
the rebellion of Bothwell Bridge, and his forfeiture was gifted to the
Earle of Mellfort, and consequently that band fell under the forfeiture
of the Earle of Mellfort ; after he got the forfeiture recovered up that
band by diligence as propperly belonging to him as a part of Munk-
lands estate, so that the band wold be inquird after either from Blair
Drummond as one of the Earle of Mellfort 's friends or from the Lairds
of Orbiestoune and Wishaw who transacted with Mellfort as to Munk-
lands forfeiture. But I believe Mellfort made use of this band as the
1 The strong religious views of Harden and his Lady brought trouble upon them on another
occasion. In Fountainhall's Historical Notices, vol. ii. p. 773, under date 5th January 1687, he
mentions that 'Reid the Mountebank pershues Scott of Harden and his Lady for stealing away from
him a little girl called the Tumbling lassie that danced upon the stage.' The result of the litigation
in this instance was favourable to Harden.
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