Genealogy of the most noble and ancient House of Drummond

216 THE GENEALOGIE OF
names (excepting patronimicks) were known or ufed in the nation ;
980. to wit, in the reigne of King Kenneth the Third, about the year 980.
The firft of them was a valiant dareing countrie laboureing-man, called
Hay, who being at his plowing with his tuo fones, near the field where
the batle of Luncarty wes fought, not far from the toun of Bertha,
now Perth, and feeing his countrymen the Scots flying from the
Danes, and deferting the fight, he with his fones, haveing no other
arms bot the yocks of the oxen wherewith they were plowing, for it
was then furor arma ministrat, fet themfelves in a ftrait pafs whither
the army was flying, where, with fuch courage and ftrength they
made refiftance, and flopped the forerunners, that they forced the
beatten army of the Scots to turn upon the victorious Danes, and put
them to flight with a total route. This great victory of the Scots
over the Danes, was wholly afcribed to this Hay and his fones, whom
the King honoured with the Barrony of Erroll, lying in the Carfe of
Gowrie and ftiyre of Perth ; giving him alfo a noble and remarkable
coat of armes, viz. three red fheilds, within a whyte, intimateing, that
Hay and his tuo fones had proven the three (heilds of theire countrey,
againft the Danes. This man's pofterity, when fyrenames came in
ufe, made choife of his name Hay for the fyrename of his family;
which hes continowed ever fince, in great honour, dureing the govern-
ment of all our Kings in ane orderly fucceflion, for the fpace of 320
yeares. And about that time, the head of the family, called Gilbert
Hay, ane conftant and faithful friend and fervant to King Robert the
Firft in all his troubles, was, for his good fervice, rewarded with the
heritable office of Great Conftable of Scotland, which had been pof-
fefled by the Cumins before this time, and which continowes with
the houfe of Erroll to this day.
The fifth perfon in a lineal race from this Gilbert, firft Conftable,
was Sir William Hay of Erroll. He was created firft Earle of Erroll
1452. by King James the Second, anno 1452, or 1454, and was the fifth