Frasers of Philorth > Volume 2

AND LORDS SALTOUN. 21
Sir Hugh de Abernethy seems to have died in prison, for no further
mention of him occurs, and in 1 293 his widow was the Countess of Malise, sixth
Earl of Strathearn, 1 for at John Baliol's first Parliament, held in that year,
she is designated as " Maria Comitissa de Strathearn, que fuit uxor Hugonis
de Abernithin," and summoned to give certain evidence. She was again a
widow in 1296, and in that year had her lands in the counties of Forfar and
Perth restored to her by order of Edward I., under the designations of
" Maria que fuit uxor Hugonis de Abemyth," and " Maria que fuit uxor
Malicii Comitis de Stratherne." 2 She is said to have been an Englishwoman,
but the surname of her family has not been ascertained.
Sir Hugh de Abernethy left a son,
SIE ALEXANDEB DE ABEENETHY.
The summons from John Baliol's Parliament in 1293, already referred
to as addressed to Maria, Countess of Strathearn, who was the wife of
Hugh de Abernethy, was to the effect that she should declare whether she
knew of anything that ought to prevent Alexander, the son of Hugh de
Abernethy, from obtaining possession of the lands of Ballintrey, in Eife, and
of the barony of Baltrody, and Kirpol, in Perthshire. 3
In the same Parliament, 4 the lands of Alexander de Abernethy were given
into the custody and ward of Alexander de Menethet (Menteith) until he
should be of age. He was therefore born after 1272 ; but whether he was
the son of the above-mentioned Maria, or of a former wife of Sir Hugh,
cannot be ascertained.
Alexander de Abernethy swore fealty to Edward I. on the 10th of July
1291, at St. Andrews ; 5 but he was too young to take any part in the pro-
1 Placit. Pari. Pvegis J ohannis. Acts of the related, was an elder son of Sir Hugh, who
Parliaments of Scotland, vol. i. p. 90. must have been well advanced in years when
2 Eotuli Scotia?, vol. i. p. 26. his son Alexander was born ; but he appears
3 Placit. Pari. Eegis Johannis. Acts of the to have left no issue, and Alexander was Sir
Parliaments of Scotland, vol. i. p. 90. It is Hugh's successor.
probable that Sir Patrick de Abernethy,
whose share in the murder of the Earl of Fife, ' "'
escape to France, and death there, are above 5 Eymer's Foedera, vol. ii. p. 570.