Red and white book of Menzies

a.d. 1421-1440.] THE ADMIRABLE CHIEF. 117
in 143 1 the lands of Enoch in Dumfriesshire. These, with others in the time
of his father, made him a young man of considerable consequence. We find
him, on the 14th August 142 1, witness to a charter by Malcolm Drummond of
Couchrage, on the occasion of the marriage of his sister to Donald, son of
Gilbert, &c. To this document his name is appended : " John Menzhers,
Esquire." This is in the charter chest of the Duke of Athole. — Hist. M.S.,
p. 706, vol. vii. ; Book of Garth and Glenlyon, p. 51.
On the 14th of April 1435, Sir John Menzies had from his father Sir David
a grant of the lands of Culter in Lanarkshire. We here give an extract of
this document from the Charter Room of Castle Menzies.
"No. 18. Charter by King James the First to John Meignes, his Majesty's
armour-bearer, of the lands of half of the barony of Cultyr, with the donation
of the church thereof, in the shire of Lanark, which had been resigned by
David de Meignes, father of the said John, into the hands of the king at
Perth : To be held by him and his heirs for rendering to the king the service
used and wont. The liferent of the lands is reserved to the said David and
terce to his spouse on his decease. Dated at Streinlyne, 14th April, 30th year
of the king's reign [1435]. The witnesses are — John Forrester of Corstorphin,
knight, the King's Chamberlain ; Mr William Foulis, Archdeacon of St Andrews,
Keeper of the Privy Seal ; William de Crechton, knight, Master of the King's
Household ; and Mr John Wincestre, Provost of Lincluden." — Transumpt
of 1439.
It will be observed that King James I. speaks of Sir John as being
his "armour-bearer." This- office to the Scottish kings was held for several
generations by the eldest sons of the chiefs of Clan Menzies, and consequently
they were early knighted as an accompaniment of that honourable post. This
is the last charter granted by King James I., to or connected with the Menzies',
before his assassination at Perth. It shows the confidential and trusted rela-
tionship that existed between Sir John, his father Sir David, and the king.
In the year 1440 Sir David, the father of Sir John the Menzies, prac-
tically gave over to him the whole estate and the chieftainship, as he had
by that time given himself over to the Church altogether, and became a monk,
as will be seen from the following : —
" Charter by King James the Second to John Menzeis, son and heir of
David Menzeis, knight, and monk of the monastery of Melrose, of the lands
and barony of Raware, the lands of Weym, the lands of Abirfallibeg, the
lands of Cumrey, the lands of the thanage of Crennych in the shire of Perth
and Earldom of Athole, which had been personally resigned by the said
David into the king's hands at Edinburgh. The liferent of the lands is
reserved for the said David during his life. Dated at Edinburgh, 21st January