A HISTORY OF PEEBLESSHIREDrumelzierThe lands which bore the name of the parish extended along the right side of the river Tweed, between the lands of Dawyck on the east and north, Posso on the east, Stanhope on the south, and Mossfennan and Rachan on the west. Included in the estate is the valley of Drumelzier or Powsail burn, one of the loveliest streams in the Borders. The lands on the west of the burn were rated at £40 of old extent, and there the principal residence, Drumelzier Castle, stood by the banks of the Tweed; the lands on the east side of the burn were rated at £10, and included the fortalice of Tinnies. Of this stronghold, practically nothing is left, but it was not blown up in 1592 by the orders of the King, as William Chambers states; it was Tinnies in Selkirkshire which suffered that fate. The ruins of Drumelzier Castle are still considerable, although a great part of the fabric must have been used to build the farmhouse and steading of Drumelzier Place. The earliest reference to Drumelzier is in the document called the Devise de Stobo (circa 1200), where Gylis filius Buht apud Dunmedler appears as a witness. He was probably only a dweller on the lands. The earliest known proprietors were the Frasers, and from them the lands passed in the beginning of the fourteenth century to the Tweedies. The Tweedies were one of the most notable families in Peeblesshire during the reigns of the Scottish kings. Branches were to be found in almost every parish, and frequent references appear to them in this history. But the main line of the family became settled in Drumelzier, and of that it is proposed to give some account. It has been said that there were Tweedies in Peeblesshire during the reigns of the Kings Alexander II and III, but there is no authentic record of them, and it is not likely that the family were in the county before the early years of the fourteenth century. It is a natural inference that there is a connection between the family name and the River Tweed, and there is an attractive tradition to explain that connection. But unfortunately – for it is never a pleasant duty to discredit old tales – the name Tweedie has nothing whatever to do with the Tweed, but is derived from the place Twedyn or Tweedie in the parish of Stonehouse, Lanarkshire, which belonged at the time of the War of Independence to Finlay de Twedyn, and he is the ancestor of the Tweedies of Drumelzier. FINLAY DE TWEDYN swore fealty to King Edward I in 1296, and he was then designated del Comte de Lanarke. He had a son Roger. ROGER, SON OF FINLAY, came to Peeblesshire and settled down at Drumelzier, which then belonged to Sir William Fraser, no doubt a kinsman of the famous Sir Simon Fraser of Oliver and Neidpath Castle. Sir William, between 1300 and 1320, granted to Bernard, called Sutor, a house in Drumelzier and an acre of the 'Potmedn' which William, son of Utting, formerly held. Bernard's son Roland made over this property soon afterwards to Roger, son of Finlay, to be held for the annual payment of a pair of gilt spurs. And about the same time, Sir William Fraser granted to Roger a charter of his land on the east side of the Water of Cossalays, with the mills and the pasturage of the whole barony of Drumelzier, together with the service of the tenant, John Fraser. There was also another charter of the same land (confirmed by King Robert the Bruce at Glasgow on 12th June, 1324), but specifying in addition other subjects – the cottage occupied by Courtenanus, and two acres of arable land held by Richard the weaver, of which one was on the north side of the church, near 'Catillauarau,' and the other in Matthew's croft, along with the weaver's house and garden. The reason for these grants to Roger may have been his marriage to Sir William Fraser's daughter, but there is no evidence for this, although it is said he quartered the Fraser arms on his shield. In addition to Drumelzier, he acquired other lands in the county – Glenbreck in Tweedsmuir, and Wester Hopkailzie in the parish of Traquair. WILLIAM TWEEDIE, a son of Roger, is referred to as baron of Drumelzier in 1331. The next proprietor on record is JAMES OF TWEEDIE, perhaps a son of William, or at least a grandson of Roger. Among the Drumelzier writs preserved at Duns Castle are two charters in his favour, one dated 8th December, 1355, by Robert, the Steward of Scotland, as King's Lieutenant, confirming to him all his heritable possession within the Kingdom because he had been received to the faith and peace of the King by William, Lord of Douglas, as Warden of the Eastern Marches – this shows that Tweedie must have been in trouble of some sort – and the second charter, which is by King David II on 4th July, 1358, confirms the first. He was also the proprietor of part of Hopkailzie, and there is a confirmation by David II in 1362–3 of a mortification by Margaret of Monfode, the widow of Alexander of Cockburn of Stirling, of nine merks sterling due to her by Tweedie from Hopkailzie for a chaplainry in Dalmeny. On 8th February, 1389–90, he is mentioned in a document dealing with Hartree estate in the parish of Kilbucho. The next proprietor whom it has been possible to trace is WALTER TWEEDIE, who may have been a grandson of James, but it is impossible to say definitely as there is a gap in the charter records for about seventy years. He granted, on 19th March, 1426, to his kinsman Thomas Fraser of Fruid, for his counsel and good deeds, an annual rent of 44s. from the lands of Drumelzier, to which deed his son and heir, James Tweedie, was a witness. At the close of the same year, Fraser resigned to Walter Tweedie for ever all his lands in Drumelzier. Walter was still alive on 19th July, 1435, when he witnessed a charter at the Castle of Peebles (Neidpath). It is said that he married a daughter of Sir James Douglas and his first wife, Agnes Dunbar. He was succeeded by his son James. JAMES TWEEDIE married about 1422, by papal dispensation, Katherine of Caverhill, in the parish of Manor, this dispensation being doubtless required owing to the degree of kinship between the two. He was appointed on 27th February, 1436–7, by Sir James Douglas, Lord of Dalkeith, as his bailie for infefting Richard Brown in Hartree. This Richard Brown married Elizabeth of Tweedie, and she is called 'neptem' of Sir James Douglas, which means either niece or grand-daughter. Probably she was James Tweedie's sister, and the presumption is that Walter, their father, had married a sister of Sir James Douglas. On 8th March, 1455–6, James Tweedie received a letter of maintenance from King James IV, who promised to defend him in all his lawful actions as one of his own familiars, and in return Tweedie promised faithful and lifelong service, and to keep his house of Drumelzier always ready at the King's disposal. In 1473 he resigned to the burgh of Peebles his share of the patronage of St. John's altar in the parish church of Peebles. James Tweedie, so far as known, had two sons, Walter, who succeeded, and Patrick, who is referred to as a witness at Hartree in 1466. WALTER TWEEDIE was served heir to his father in Drumelzier, Hopkailzie and other lands on 4th June, 1475. His wife was Christian Dickson, one of the daughters and heiresses of John Dickson of Smithfield, and she brought with her the lands of Deanshouses in the parish of Newlands. The eldest son of this marriage, James was married before his father succeeded to Drumelzier, to Margaret Gifford; and to them James Tweedie, Walter's father, granted in 1473 the east half of Hopkailzie. Walter Tweedie in 1478 was ordered to restore 'to maister Adam of Cokburne of Skraling, a futit cop of silver with a covertour of the samyn, double gilt'; Adam at the same time being required to repay 20 merks, in security of which the silver cup had been pledged. In his time the division and boundaries of Easter and Wester Kailzie were settled. Halmyre, in Newlands, was also a possession of his. He died prior to November 1483 leaving a family of three sons: James, who succeeded; William and Walter, both of Halmyre and a daughter, Elizabeth, who married Robert Scott of Whitchester, and received her mother's lands of Deanshouses. JAMES TWEEDIE was served heir to his father on 29th November, 1483, on a precept from Chancery, but did not long enjoy the estates. He married Margaret Gifford, and had two sons. The younger, James, who was father of James Tweedie of Fruid, had a grant from his father of the lands of Hornhuntersland, Innerleithen. JOHN TWEEDIE, the elder son, was served heir to his father James on 3rd June, 1490, and he was laird for between forty and fifty years. He quarrelled with his brother about Hornhuntersland, and was ordered to restore the 'herezeld ox' he had taken from these lands. The family was now powerful in Peeblesshire, and they had a formidable band of retainers. They controlled with case the whole of the upper Tweed valley, for opposite Drumelzier on the other side of the Tweed lay Dreva, which belonged to another branch of the family. The lands of Dreva from their position overlooked the valley of Biggar Water and the west country, and on them was a strong tower which looked right across the Tweed valley to the Castle of Tinnies, built on the Drumelzier lands in a curiously strong position. Drumelzier Castle itself lay further up in the neck of the valley and by the side of the river. With power came ambition, and a masterful spirit. They would not readily brook interference with their designs, and inevitably they came into collision with their powerful neighbours. From this time onwards, the name of Tweedie became associated with deeds of violence and bloodshed. In 1498 John Tweedie and five others were each fined five merks at Peebles for ejecting Oswald Porteous and his wife Janet from their holding in Upper Kingledoors. Edward Hunter of Polmood was murdered by Gilbert Tweedie; and John Tweedie, with his uncles Walter and William of Halmyre, became sureties in 1502 for Gilbert's appearance at Peebles. In 1524 the power and ambition of the Tweedies came into violent and bloody conflict with the designs of the noble house of Fleming. This dispute centred round a lady, Katherine Fraser, the heiress of Fruid, and particulars have already been given of her share in the events which befell. Here a short and general account may be given of the facts as far as they are known to us. John, second Lord Fleming, claimed the superiority of Fruid and the ward and marriage of Katherine Fraser, who not only held Fruid, but also Mossfennan and lands in Glenholm. His design was that she should marry his son Malcolm and it has been said that this marriage actually took place. But that is unlikely. John Tweedie of Drumelzier cherished the same design for his nephew James, and this was quite natural, for the two families were friendly, and in 1521 Elizabeth Douglas, the widow of William Fraser, Katherine's grand-father, had disponed to Tweedie the rents of Fruid and Mossfennan during the nonage of her bairns. On 1st November, 1524, Lord Fleming, with his eldest son and heir Malcolm, and a small retinue, was hawking in Glenholm, about two or three miles from Drumelzier. There he was met or waylaid by John Tweedie and his relatives and friends to the number of about fifty. Words passed and then blows, and Lord Fleming was killed, and Malcolm, his eldest son, was captured. This Malcolm obtained his liberty by consenting to the marriage of Katherine with James Tweedie; and his brother Malcolm, along with Robert Stewart, younger of Minto, and William Fleming of Boghall, were imprisoned in the 'Place of Drumelzier' as pledges for the fulfilment of the contract. Katherine, with the writs of her lands, was handed over, and she was promptly married to James Tweedie. Then the law came into operation, and the Tweedies attempted to pacify the angry Flemings. At first they were so far successful that an 'assythment' was arranged on 23rd November under which the Laird of Drumelzier and his accomplices went to the Cross of Peebles in their shirts – 'sark alane' – offered their naked swords to Lord Fleming and his kin, and bound themselves to be his servants. But that was not an end of the matter. The Privy Council took it up, and Tweedie was ordained to found a chaplainry in the church of Biggar, with a yearly stipend of £40 from his lands, for prayers for the soul of the dead Lord Fleming. James Tweedie, the heir, and other persons guilty of the slaughter, were banished for three years. But still the feud went on, On 8th August, 1525, Malcolm, Lord Fleming, apprised for 8000 merks the greater part of Tweedie's lands: (1) Easter Drumelzier, with the Place of Tinnies, Hopkailzie, half of Halmyre, and Deanshouses, extending in whole to 210 merks of yearly value; (2) Wester Drumelzier with its Place, extending to £40 yearly, which belonged to Tweedie's son James; and (3) Glenbreck and Glenumford in Peeblesshire, and Clifton in Roxburghshire, extending to 100 merks yearly. Notwithstanding this, John Tweedie did not give up his home, and on 27th September, 1526, Lord Fleming obtained a decree of delivery of the lands and fortalice of Drumelzier. On 6th June of the following year a respite for the crime for nineteen years was granted to Tweedie and thirteen others, and a settlement was finally reached in 1531, when Katherine, the Lady of Fruid, handed over to Lord Fleming all her possessions in the county, with the exception of Fruid itself, and the processes and apprisings against the Tweedies were then withdrawn. John Tweedie died prior to 1536; the name of his wife is not known. He was succeeded by his son James. JAMES TWEEDIE shared with his father the discomforts of the Fleming episode. In 1505 he had a Crown charter of the half of the barony of Clifton in Roxburghshire. On his marriage in 1511 to Elizabeth Hay, daughter of John, second Lord Hay of Yester, his father gave him his lands of the west town of Drumelzier between 'Metsyllopburn' on the east, and Hopcarton burn on the west, with its mansion and mill, and six acres of meadow land in East Drumelzier. On 7th April, 1532, he had a precept from Chancery, on his own resignation, for his infeftment in Drumelzier, Hopkailzie, and other lands. He was complained against to the Privy Council in 1545 by Malcolm, Lord Fleming, for slander, but no proceedings appear to have followed. But he was at the horn the following year for crimes which are not specified, and in 1548 he was accused of treason and lese-majeste before the Council, the details being given 'at mair lenth' in the summons, but the summons itself is not forthcoming. By his first wife, Elizabeth Hay, he had at least three sons, John, William, and Patrick, and a daughter Marion. He had a second wife, Marion Stewart, a sister of William Stewart of Traquair, and in 1540 he resigned to himself and her the lands lying on the west side of Drumelzier burn, and this was followed by a Crown charter on 5th June of that year. Another Crown charter was granted to him on 26th February, 1541–2, of the lands on the east side of the burn. By Marion Stuart, James Tweedie had a son John. James Tweedie died in 1556, predeceased in 1551 by his eldest son John, who was called of Hopkailzie. This son married about 1533 Agnes Somerville, daughter of Hugh, Lord Somerville, and received at the time from his father the £10 lands of Hopkailzie. Of the marriage there were three sons, James, William, and John, and a daughter, Helen, who married in 1551 Adam Scott of Oakwood. Agnes Somerville afterwards married William Murray of Romanno. JAMES TWEEDIE, the eldest son of John, succeeded his grandfather, and was infeft as his heir in Hornhuntersland in 1556. To his promised wife, Beatrix McMath, he granted a liferent of the half of that property, his brother John being a witness. There is no evidence that he married Beatrix McMath, but he did marry Janet Douglas, daughter of Sir James Douglas of Drumlanrig, and to her he conveyed in liferent the £10 land of old extent lying on the east side of Drumelzier burn. |
This was followed by a Crown charter on 8th November, 1557. He had some litigation with his mother, particularly in reference to her terce from certain lands. He was concerned in the murder, in 1559, of William Geddes, the son and heir of Charles Geddes of Rachan, for which, along with his kinsmen the Tweedies of Fruid, and a certain Thomas Tweedie, alias Long Tom, he obtained a respite under the Privy Seal for nineteen years. This was the beginning of a feud which continued for many years. James Tweedie died, without leaving lawful issue, in 1561, succeeded by his brother William. His widow, Janet Douglas, renounced her rights in 1562, and later married William Ker, younger of Cessford. WILLIAM TWEEDIE was served as his brother's heir in 1561 in Drumelzier, Halmyre, and Hornhuntersland. He married in the following year Katherine Betoun, and with her consent wadset Wester Deanshouses to his uncle, John Tweedie. He was present on 23rd June, 1563, at Neidpath Castle when an old chest or almery (about which there was some dispute) was opened before a notary, but it was found to contain only 'ane posset cop with ane fute of the selfe of esche, ane littill bikker callit ane salt fat with ane fute of esche, ane lame can and thre paperis of umquhill Archibald, Erle of Angus, and na utheris thingis.' Along with Adam Tweedie of Dreva, notorious for his bad temper, he was implicated in the murder of Rizzio in 1566, and denounced as a rebel. But he was loyal to Queen Mary, and his name appears in 1568 as one of the signatories to the Bond of Association for her defence. He died in August, 1571, leaving, so far as known, four sons, James, John, Robert and Walter. As the eldest son was a minor, he was left under the care of his uncle, John Tweedie, who then became the Tutor of Drumelzier. JOHN TWEEDIE was tutor for about a dozen years, and during his time several annual rents from the lands of Drumelzier were paid off. The feud with the Geddes family was still going on, and both sides had to provide sureties in 1574 for their good behaviour. In 1579 he sued Sir Alexander Jardine of Apilgirth before the Privy Council, charging him with forcible possession of his lands, and the latter was in consequence put to the horn. John Tweedie was killed by the Veitches in Edinburgh in 1590, as we shall see. JAMES TWEEDIE OF DRUMELZIER, although still a minor in 1582, was nevertheless allowed by special dispensation from King James VI. (dated 2nd July) to enter into possession of his heritage. He was infeft in 1586. His ward and marriage had been acquired by James, Earl of Morton, who interested himself in the young man. He was served heir to his grandfather, John, in Wester Kailzie, on 6th March, 1589, and in the same year he took sasine in Drumelzier and Hornhuntersland. In 1594 he wadset Wester Deanshouses to his cousin, James Tweedie; next year he had a wadset of Oliver Castle and other lands from James, Lord Hay of Yester, for 1400 merks. This laird was a man of strife, and his name appears frequently in the Register of the Privy Council. In 1584, along with other Tweedies, and his retainers John Crichton of Quarter and Alexander Porteous of Glenkirk, he was accused of treasonable and capital crimes of which no particulars are given, and ordered to be confined in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh. The same year he was in prison in Linlithgow, along with his kinsman Adam Tweedie of Dreva, and Alexander Porteous of Glenkirk. He quarrelled with the Tweedies of Fruid, and in 1585 had to find a surety that James Tweedie of Fruid and his tenants would be 'skaythlis in their bodies, gudes and geir'. Then he had a dispute with the Scotts of Branxholm, in connection with which the King held a Privy Council at Neidpath on 8th November, 1587, but the settlement made only lasted for a time. Two years later came a quarrel with the Naesmyths of Posso in connection with a house at Stirkfield which had been 'douncast' apparently by William Tweedie the eldest son of John Tweedie (the tutor), who owned the adjoining property of Nether Stirkfield. There must have been a considerable disturbance over this incident, as sureties were required from both sides under penalty of 5000 merks, a considerable sum in these days. The following year (1590) there was a more serious incident. Between the Tweedies of Drumelzier and their neighbours the Veitches of Dawyck there was bitter enmity, the origin of which we do not now know. Patrick Veitch, son of William Veitch of Dawyck, was in Peebles on business on 16th June, 1590, and there he was 'perceived' by James Tweedie of Drumelzier, his brother John, his uncle John (the tutor), Adam Tweedie of Dreva, William Tweedie of Wrae, and others of his following. They lay in wait for Veitch on the road near Neidpath Castle, and there they slew him on his way home 'with swordis and pistolettes cruellie and unmercifullie.' A month later the Veitches retaliated, and the victim was John Tweedie (the tutor), who was killed as he walked in the streets of Edinburgh by John Veitch, younger of North Sinton, and Andrew Veitch, brother of the laird of Courhope. The Privy Council was rather ineffective at the time, and beyond exacting the usual sureties did nothing to bring the murderers to justice. But the sums demanded were large: £20,000 for James Tweedie of Drumelzier, and £5000 for William Veitch of Dawyck. The quarrel with the Scotts of Branxholm became active again in 1592, and on 15th December Walter Scott descended suddenly on the lands of Drumelzier and Dreva with about two hundred followers, and drove off 4000 sheep, 200 oxen and cows, 40 horses and mares, and goods to the value of £2000. Scott had before that provided a surety in the person of Sir John Edmestoun of that Ilk, that he would keep the peace, and accordingly this unfortunate cautioner was ordered by the Privy Council to pay the full amount of the damage. In the same year (1592) James Geddes of Glenhigton, brother of Charles Geddes of Rachan, was murdered in Edinburgh at the instigation of James Tweedie of Drumelzier; this episode has already been referred to. For this Tweedie was put in prison. In 1595, the King, tired of the Border feuds, and 'thinking upoun his awne estate and the estate of the Commonwelth altogidder disordowrit and shaikin louse be resoun of the deidlie feidis and contraversis,' ordered a number of offenders to appear before him and his Council at Holyrood under pain of rebellion. James Tweedie of Drumelzier was one of these cited to appear on 10th March, 1596. What came of that is not known, but shortly afterwards there is an entry of a caution given in by him for the sum of £10,000. From 1600 onwards there are still frequent references in the Register to the doings of the Tweedies, and the King in 1606, in his desire to reduce the Border to obedience, endeavoured to enlist the aid of the principal offenders, and James Tweedie of Drumelzier is named as one 'weill disposit to the peace and quietnes of the estaite.' It was the old story of the poacher being engaged as gamekeeper, but to be called 'weill disposit' did not change the wild nature of James Tweedie. In 1607, on an evening in June, he was walking in the High Street of Edinburgh with his friend Alexander, Lord Spynie, and they were 'gangand in peciable and quiet maner,' when Lord Spynie was attacked by his kinsman David Lindsay of Edzell, and others. Lord Spynie was killed, and in the fray Tweedie was shot in the ribs and through the arms. But he recovered from these wounds. All this time the feud with the Veitches was still active, and the King made a special effort to have it settled by issuing a proclamation in March, 1611, in which he takes credit for having suppressed other family feuds in the Kingdom, 'so as wee do hardly think that there be any One Feid except this . . . unreconciled.' The Privy Council were ordered to call before them the 'Principalls of either Surname,' and to take such action as they thought necessary. But if tradition is right, their efforts were not successful, for it is said that on 29th July, 1612, James Tweedie encountered by chance the laird of Dawyck by the side of the Tweed, and there met his death. 'They were alone when they confronted each other, the memories of centuries of mutual violence and mutual deeds of blood were quickened in their hearts, and that strange savage feeling of blood atonement seemed to thrill in both. They agree to settle the strife of centuries then and there, and as the birds waked the morn, Drumelzier was found dead beside a bush by the river, and the blood had stained the white blossoms of the hawthorn spray.' James Tweedie married Helen Carmichael, the widow of William Cockburn of Skirling, and by her he had at least two sons, James, who succeeded, and Walter. He appears also to have had other four sons, probably by a second wife, whose name is unknown. There is a memorial stone for this turbulent baron set into the wall of Drumelzier Church, with the inscription: Hic Jacet Honorabilis Vir Jacobus Tuedy De Drumelzier. JAMES TWEEDIE OF DRUMELZIER, the eldest son, was twice married in the lifetime of his father – in 1604 to Elizabeth, daughter of William, sixth Lord Hay of Yester; and in 1606 to Margaret Anstruther (eldest daughter of Sir James Anstruther of that Ilk), whose tocher was 7000 merks, and who was infeft, at the time of the marriage, in liferent in the lands of Halmyre, Boghouse and Kailzie. He was served heir to his father on 22nd October, 1612, in Hornhuntersland and Kailzie. He redeemed Wester Deanshouses in 1617 from his cousin James Tweedie and his wife Agnes Anstruther. This lady appears to have been a sister of Drumelzier's second wife, who by this time was dead. By that time he had married his third wife, whose name like that of his first wife was Elizabeth Hay, and they disponed their respective rights in Halmyre and Wester Deanshouses to John Murray of Halmyre. In 1619, with consent of his uncle, Robert Tweedie, who was sometime in Bordland and Badlieu, he disponed Kailzie to Sir Robert Stewart of Shillinglaw. About this time he fell into debt, and granted wadsets over his properties. In 1622 Hornhuntersland became the property of Sir John Stewart of Traquair, and the following year (20th August, 1623) John, eighth Lord Hay of Yester (afterwards Earl of Tweeddale), obtained a Crown charter of the lands and barony of Drumelzier, with the tower and manor place, which he had apprised for a debt of 6825 merks. That was the end of the Tweedies of Drumelzier. Not content with taking the lands, Lord Hay threw the last laird into prison, and there is a pathetic appeal from him to the Privy Council on 7th August, 1627. He says that he has been kept prisoner in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh for the past five years and four months by Lord Hay, his cousin, who has apprised his lands along with the legal reversion of them; that when the Lords of Session would have given him liberty, Lord Hay prevented it so that he might keep possession of the estates and keep him in captivity until the day of his death; and that, as Lord Hay has everything he possessed, he has only been kept from starvation by the goodness of the jailer. This appeal was granted, and he was liberated. But he died a few months afterwards, leaving two sons, James, who succeeded, and John. [Footnote: John was a minor when his father died, and on 12th February, 1628, in the tolbooth of Anstruther, he made choice of his curators. He was a son of his father's second marriage with Margaret Anstruther. Two years later he was served heir to his father, in respect of his mother's marriage contract, and thereafter renounced his right to Halmyre, etc., to his brother James of Drumelzier. Later he is referred to as a burgess of Anstruther.] JAMES TWEEDIE on his succession was still laird of Drumelzier, but only nominally so, and the transfer to Lord Hay was confirmed by him in 1632. He was served heir to his father in the lands of Fruid on 3rd February, 1631, but that property had already been sold, and the service was only for the purchaser's protection. Any right he had to Halmyre was resigned by him and his wife, Elizabeth Hay to Wilkin Johnston in 1630. He was a landless man and died in 1656. HAY OF DRUMELZIER Lord Hay's second wife was Lady Margaret Montgomerie, and of that marriage the only surviving son was William Hay, who was born in 1649, and to whom, as the heir of the marriage, Drumelzier was assigned. It was a provision of his mother's marriage contract (dated 22nd and 25th December, 1640) that the heir should be infeft in Drumelzier and Hopcarton, and receive in addition the interest of £60,000 Scots. Accordingly, William Hay had a crown charter of the lands on 7th July, 1679; and he had also, from his brother John, Second Earl of Tweeddale, a disposition of the Kirklands of Drumelzier, and the property of Craig Kingledoors, in which he was infeft on 24th April, 1686. William Hay of Drumelzier, who had also lands in the parish of Ettrick, married Elizabeth Seton, daughter of Alexander, first Viscount of Kingston, and dying in 1726 or 1727 was succeeded by his eldest son Alexander. Alexander Hay of Drumelzier and Duns Castle was served heir to his father on 7th January, 1734, and again on 18th February, 1774, in the lands and barony of Whittinghame in East Lothian, He played the part of discretion during the '45, and was not 'out' like his younger brother with the Prince's army. But still he came under suspicion, and was, in fact, in prison in Edinburgh for a time, and afterwards he remained abroad for some years. A story is told of a tenant farmer on the Duns estate, who called for him at the prison and handed a purse through the window with the words, 'I was thinkin', Laird, ye micht be wantin' the rent.' He died on 13th March, 1789, in his 88th year. He was twice married – to Anne, daughter of Alexander, fifth Lord Blantyre, and to Jean, daughter of David Hay of Belton – and was succeeded by the third son of his first marriage. Robert Hay of Drumelzier, Whittinghame, and Linplum was served heir to his father on 8th July, 1789. He was in the service of the East India Company for thirty-eight years, and died on 21st August, 1807. He married Janet, daughter of James Erskine of Cardross, and was succeeded by his eldest son, William. William Hay of Drumelzier and Whittinghame was served heir to his father on 29th April, 1814, and he sold Drumelzier in 1831 for £25,000 to Sir James Montgomery of Stanhope. That sale was not completed, but the same year a sale was effected to Andrew White, a son of John White of Howburn, near Elsrickle. Andrew White, who had been a merchant in Glasgow, died in 1841, and was succeeded by his son, John White of Netherurd, who was infeft in the lands in1844. Thereafter Drumelzier shares the story of Netherurd. The present proprietor, Mr. WJW Nicol, has recently sold the farm of Drumelzier Haugh (rental £525 1s. 10d.) to Mr. Richard White Dickson; he has also sold the houses in the village. The present rental of the remainder of the estate is £381 15s. 9d. Reproduced from 'A History of Peeblesshire' by JW Buchan and Rev H Paton, 1925–27, Jackson, Wylie and Co of Glasgow |
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