Red and white book of Menzies

10S THE "RED &> WHITE" BOOK OF MENZIES. [a.d. 1431-1433.
are : John, Bishop of Glasgow, Chancellor ; John Forestar, and Mr William
Foulis, Keeper of the Privy Seal." — Transumpt of 1439.
Sir David the Menzies, becoming more affected towards the Church, gave
many gifts to it, by which, unfortunately, much of the lands of his forefathers
were lost to his descendants. He made large donations to religious houses,
among which he gave the lands of Newhill in Lanarkshire to the monks of Kelso
in pure alms, pro salute Jacobi Regis et Jeance Regince, which King James I. by
a charter, dated 25th January 1431, confirmed by the charterly of Kelso. In the
same year he also gave to the monastery of Melrose the third part of the lands
of Wolfclyde in the barony of Culter and shire of Lanark, pro salute Domini Regis
Jacobi, et Johanna: Regince, et per salute sui, &c, which donation was confirmed by
King James I. in July 1431, as is shown by the charterly of
Melrose. We give a description of the seal of Sir David Menzies
appended to this document, as given in the Book of Scottish Seals,
Bannatyne Club, p. 99. " Seal " of Sir David Meneris, Knight.
A chief marked with rude lines, dexter and sinister bendwise,
crossing each other Sigilluin David Meniris, appended to
charter by Sir David Meneris of the lands of Wolchide, in the
Seal of Chief Sir David the J
iands Zi ?o MdrosfAbbeyf barony of Culter, county of Lanark, to the abbey of Melrose,
I431 ' A.D. 143 1. — Melrose Charters.
Tradition says the name of Wolfclyde arose from the last wolf slain on the
Clyde having been run down there and killed by a Menzies. Wolfclyde is a
farm on the north extremity of the parish, or old Menzies' barony of Culter,
extending to the small section of Biggar parish, which there touches the Clyde,
and contains an area of 1393 acres of arable land, sheltered by trees and
plantations. A feature almost invariably found in the old possessions of the
Menzies' is the remains of fine old trees planted by them. The river Clyde has few
prettier reaches than from Wolfclyde to Medwyn efflux, and is 670 feet above
sea-level at the point of the old Menzies' lands at Wolfclyde. These lands, as already
stated, were given to the abbey of Melrose. This document reads as follows : —
" In 143 1 Sir David the Maynheis, lord dominus of half the barony of Culter,
gave for the soul's weal of King James and Queen Johanne, their predecessors
and successors, and for the granter and his wife, his father, ' Sir John the Menzies,'
and his mother, his predecessors and his successors, and all the faithfull departed
this life, gave to the abbey of Melrose the whole lands of Wolchclide, with courts
and court fees, and the causualties of the vassals." This was accompanied by
a letter appointing " Richard Brown of Hartree and John, his son, baillies, to infeft
the abbot and convent therein." The grant was confirmed by James I. in the
year 1433, in virtue of which the abbey of Melrose possessed the lands of
Wolfclyde until the Reformation, when, along with other possessions, instead