Douglas book > Angus memoirs

LANDS IN THE LOTHIANS. 579
on the east, while on the south the neighbouring manor of Crawfordjohn was
between 1214 and 1232 in possession of John, son of Eeginald Crawford. The
proprietors of both territories were contemporary with the first known possessors of
Douglasdale. 1
On the west the Douglas territory extended to Cairntable, on the boundary between
the parish and territory of Douglas and the modern parish of Muirkirk, and which is also
the boundary at that place between the counties of Lanark and Ayr. There is little
information regarding Muirkirk, but Walter Fitz Alan, High Steward of Scotland, who
died in 1177, 2 granted to the monks of Melrose, among other lands in Ayrshire, the
pasture of his forest as far as the confines of Douglas, Lesmahagow and Glengavel,
which sufficiently indicates that he was the nearest neighbour of the lords of Douglas
on the west. In a later charter, by his grandson, also named Walter Fitz Alan, who
flourished from 1204 to 1241, 3 the summit of Cairntable is denned as the boundary. 4
While it will be evident from the foregoing summary that the monastic cartularies
give ample testimony as to the possessors of the lands and manors which surround the
modern parishes of Douglas and Carmichael on all sides, no mention whatever is
made of the territory within their bounds. This is the more remarkable because William
of Douglas, the first known member of that family, who lived between 1174 and 1215,
and his son Archibald (called also Arkembald and Henkenbald) were frequently
witnesses to charters affecting persons or lands in the vicinity of their own domain.
It may therefore be concluded that the early lords of Douglas ruled over the whole of
Douglasdale, with the parish of Carmichael, extending from the heights of Cairntable
on the west, to the lofty hill of Tinto on the east.
Before dwelling at length upon the large accession of territory which the Douglas
family received in the time of the Good Sir James, notice may be taken of some
earlier grants, which, however, were of less importance, and did not long remain in
possession of the grantees.
THE LANDS OF HAILES AND OTHERS, ACQUIRED BY THE DOUGLASES
AT AN EARLY PERIOD.
The lands first recorded as in possession of any of the surname of Douglas, other
than Douglasdale, appear to be the lands of Hailes, in the county of Midlothian.
1 Liber tie Calcliou, p. 153; Piegistrum de 2 Chron. de Mailros, p. S8. 3 Ibid. p. 151.
Neubotle, p. 104. * Liber de Melros, vol. i. pp. 55, 65.