Frasers of Philorth > Volume 2

10 THE ABEENETHIES OF ABERNETHY AND OF SALTOUN,
OEM DE ABERNETHY,
Who is found under that designation, and also as Orm, the son of Hugh,
and was a person of considerable wealth and influence during the reigns of
Malcolm iv. and "William the Lion.
He must have been born during the first half of the twelfth century, for
he was a witness to a charter by Ernulphus, or Arnold, bishop of St. Andrews,
granted before 1164, 1 as Herbert, bishop of Glasgow, who was also one of the
witnesses, died in that year. 3
He is said to have received from King William the Lion a charter of
confirmation of the lands of Glendroggyn and Balmadethyn, 3 which he had
acquired from Duncan, Earl of Fife, in exchange for those of Balbrennin,
which charter was witnessed by Nicol, Chancellor of Scotland, who flourished
a.d. 1165-1171. 4
During the chancellorship of the same Nicol, Orm de Abernithi was also
a witness to another charter by William the Lion, 6 and he appears to have
died between the years 1180 and 1190, leaving a son, Lawrence, and a
daughter, who is said to have been married to Henry Rule of Balmerino. 6
Afterwards will be noticed the possibility of Orm having given his name to
Ormiston, an estate next on the west, save one other estate, to that of
Saltoun, in East Lothian, and he is the earliest of the race found bearing the
territorial appellation " de Abernethy," and is thus styled in the charter
referred to above, and also in one by his son,
SIE LAURENCE DE ABERNETHY,
Who was probably born about 1160-70, and styled himself Laurentius, Alius
Orm de Abernethy, and is designated in the same manner as a witness to an
agreement in which the Culdees of St. Andrews were concerned. 7
It was in his time that the suppression of the Lay Abbots of Abernethy
took place, he having been the last that bore the title and enjoyed the
1 Keg. Priorat. St. Andrews, p. 130. 4 Chronicle of Melrose, p. 84.
2 Chronicle of Melrose, p. 79. b Lib. Eccl. St. Trinitat. de Scon, No. 34.
3 Douglas Peerage, quoting Cart. Fam. de 6 Douglas Peerage.
Douglas. 7 Peg. Priorat. St. Andrews, No. 318.