Series 5 > Campbell Letters 1559-1583

78
CLAN CAMPBELL LETTERS
avisit with freindis nor I haif. Concernin the begynning of thir materis I
cann nocht stope the ruvmor of vulgar pepill and specialy of my unffeindis
nevirtheless your Mastership sail wit that Macgregor and his freinds that
is with him present at this tyme send in ane messaige with ane callit
Makneskar.The quhilk messaige I wald nocht haif hard war nocht I were
consalit with sik company as I haid for sik causis as I bade Johne Leiche1
schaw your Mastership. The messaig wes this that Magregor [sic] desyrit
of me that I wald be the causar to relax him and the rest of the menne that
wes put to the horn.2 Secundlie till lat Duncan Magregor occupy hes
awin takis and pies hes tenentis in thair awin rwmes.Treidly to put samony
tenentis as I put out of thair rwmes in Glenlyoun of the Clangregor to
put thaim in thair rwmes againe. And ferdly to lat Patrik Johne Dowgalsone
to liberte.The anser that I gaifto thir artikilis is nocht honest quhilk I sail
schaw your Mastershipwith the sythment3 that thai wald do to me, I
doand the samen. Nocht elhs as now hot refferis the rest to advertisment
or meting quhilk I pray God be sortUe as the boy hes schawin me. And
the eternall God haifyow in his keping. Of Slattyche the secund ofMerche
1563.
19 John Stewart, 4th earl ofAtholl, to Glenorchy GDI 12/39/3/5
31 March 1564, Dunkeld
[No address]
Rycht traist cousing efter hertlye commendatiounis. I haif resawit your
wryting proporting that the Clangregor hes done sum skaithe to yowe
and to your cousing Jhone Campbell of the Lawers in Glenloichaye,4 and
tuk the wrouthe but tarye5 and that ye ar nocht certane quhat cuntrie thai
ar in nowe bot that ye will pass your self to the west end of Lochtaye.
Thairfoir desyring me to causs all the ferrymen one Taye and Tummell6
that thai be not feriet over nene of thai watteris quhilk God willing salbe
John Leche or Leech for doctor, probably a MacLachlan of Craigenterve, made a
bond with Grey Colin, 4 Aug. 1552, GDI 12/24/1/2, fos. 9-10. As a member of a
Gaelic learned order,John was probably acting as a scribe and confidential messenger
or negotiator rather than a doctor: J. Bannerman,‘The MacLachlans of Kilbride and
their manuscripts’, Scottish Studies, xxi (1977), 7-9.
To lift the sentence of oudawry from the MacGregors.
Payment, in the sense of paying them back in their own coin.
The MacGregors had made a raid upon Grey Colin’s lands and on Campbell of
Lawers’* lands in Glen Lochay and Grey Colin had written to Atholl* asking him to
block up likely escape routes. Atholl was part of the renewed commission against the
MacGregors, 18 Mar. 1564, RPC, i, 269-70; MacGregor/MacGregors’, 332.
Wrourthe but tarye of wear awa: to slip away quickly and quietly.
Blocking the ferries was an important service because it was necessary to cross either
theTay or theTummel rivers to get out of Breadalbane to the east.