Red and white book of Menzies

i 4 4 THE "RED & WHITE" BOOK OF MENZIES. [a.d. 1504.
^10 for butter and cheese.
12 merkis for 12 bollis of mele and malt.
32s. for 2 bollis of wheat.
54s. for 3 martis.
40 merks for uthir victuale and gear pertaining to said Robert and his
servandis.
£^0 for oxen.
400 merks for 50 chalders of aittis with the fodder, 12 bollis of beir with the
fodder, and 16 merks the chalder.
All byrnt, destroyit, spulzeit, and takin away by the said Nele and his
accomplices, A.D. 1502."
To the foregoing were added large sums of money as compensation for the
loss accruing to Sir Robert Menzies for the lands of Weem, Cambusarney,
Apnadull, &c, being laid waste, and also as the value of a number of horses, mares,
&c, with their furniture, carried off at the same time. The whole amount was
therefore declared to be a real burden upon Stewart's barony of Garth.
The old castle of Weem, or rather Castle Menzies, for it was known by both
names before the burning of it by Neil Stewart — in the same way the chiefs of
the Menzies' were known as " Menzies of Menzies of Castle Menzies," or " Menzies
of Weem of Weem Castle," which titles were both synonymous. There is not the
slightest doubt but that the present old portion of Castle Menzies is the same
which was burned by Neil Stewart, as only the wooden parts of it could burn,
such as the roof and part of the floors, most of these being arched over from below
in solid stonework, and then covered with a wooden floor on the upper side.
Any one who will carefully examine this grand old baronial pile, which is one of
the finest Scotch baronial structures in Scotland, will come to the conclusion that
the walls and general building could not have been much injured by the fire, and
are of much older date than 1500. The outer walls of Castle Menzies are from
6 feet to 7 feet thick ; some of the inner walls being from 4 to 8 feet thick, and
have small secret rooms within them where valuables could be kept safely. The
many documents in the Charter Room of Castle Menzies, which belong to various
periods before the fire, were never affected by it ; although, no doubt, any loose
papers, documents, or titles not in the secret place for such, perished in the
flames. The reader will have observed that the charters given in this work, and
still in the Charter Room of Castle Menzies, date as far back as the reign of
King Alexander III. and Robert the Bruce, as also in the reign of King David,
his son, from about 1332 to 1350, and with many transumpts of other charters
prior to 1439, when there was a duplicate set compiled for reference. This set of
transumpts, which is very complete, is still preserved in the Charter Room of
Castle Menzies, being untouched by the fire ; this, therefore, confirms what has