A HISTORY OF PEEBLESSHIREStanhopeThis large sheep farm, with its imposing glen, is bounded on the north by Drumelzier and Posso, on the south by Polmood, on the west by the river Tweed and Mossfennan, and on the east by Manorhead and Selkirkshire. The extent is about 6000 acres. Stanhope, when it first appears on record in 1473, was a Temple land. In that year Sir William of Knollys, Commendator of Torphichen, granted on 12th September a tack of the west half of Stanhope along with the west half of Oliver Castle, to Walter Tweedie, son and heir of James Tweedie of Drumelzier, at a yearly rent of £15. This half remained with the Tweedies, and in 1560 Agnes Somerville, widow of John Tweedie of Drumelzier, was in possession in right of her terce, and sued her son James Tweedie of Drumelzier and his son Patrick for unlawfully removing her goods therefrom, an offence which she pardoned. The east half was at that time in the occupation of Lowis of Manor, and on 17th April, 1566, James, Lord of Torphichen, granted a charter of it to John Lowis, son and heir of John Lowis of Manor, Isabel Paterson his wife, and their eldest son Thomas. The feu-duty was £10 with 40s. of augmentation, and the like feu-duty is specified in a charter of the west half to William Tweedie of Drumelzier and his wife Katherine Betoun, which charter was renewed, as sasine had not been taken, to her and her son, James Tweedie of Drumelzier, on 2nd January, 1572–3. In 1591, Thomas Lowis of Manor disponed his half to Philip Scott of Dryhope, who in 1600 transferred it to James Tweedie of Drumelzier, who then became the proprietor of the whole of Stanhope. In 1614 he had a charter of the east half, in confirmation of the grant by Scott of Dryhope, and also of Torpedo, from James, Lord of Torphichen; and in the following year, sold the property to John Murray of Halmyre, who in 1617 had charters from the superior. JOHN MURRAY OF HALMYRE was succeeded by his son David in 1625. DAVID MURRAY took up his residence at Stanhope, and was knighted by King Charles I. about 1634. He sold Halmyre to Wilkin Johnston, and he also disposed of the lands of Fruid to John, Lord Hay of Yester; but to Stanhope he added the barony of Broughton, which he acquired in 1634 and 1636, and half of Whitslade and parts of Glenholm in 1634, along with other lands in the neighbourhood, which are set forth in a Crown charter to him and his eldest surviving son William on 17th March, 1645, by which charter they were united into the free barony of Stanhope-Murray, with the mansion of Stanhope as the principal messuage. His sympathies were with the Royalists, and he joined Montrose in his fight for the King. He married Lilias Fleming, daughter of John, Earl of Wigtown, (her mother being Lady Lilias Graham, daughter of John, Earl of Montrose), and by her had three sons and several daughters. He was MP for Peeblesshire 1639–41, 1644–45, and died before 1653. 1. John, the eldest son, predeceased his father unmarried before 1645; and his brother, William, was served as his heir in 1647. 2. William, who succeeded to Stanhope. 3. John Murray, who acquired the estate of Glenrath in Manor, and married in 1671 Jean Baillie, daughter of John Baillie of St. John's Kirk by Violet Riddell. He died in 1674, leaving his widow (who subsequently married William Burnet of Barns) and two children, David, who died young, and Violet, who became her father's heiress. 4. Margaret, the eldest daughter, who married George Brown of Colston in 1648. 5. Rachel, who married in 1666 James Scott of Hundleshope. 6. Janet, who married John Dickson of Whitslade. 7 . . . who married William Smith, merchant burgess of Edinburgh. 8. Jean, who married John Porteous of Glenkirk (contract 24th January, 1670). 9. Isabella, who married . . . Baillie of Walston. SIR WILLIAM MURRAY OF STANHOPE was greatly attached to the cause of King Charles II, and probably on this account was imprisoned for some time in July, 1655, in Peebles jail, having been fined in the previous year by Oliver Cromwell £2000 sterling for his loyalty. After the Restoration the King rewarded him in February, 1664, with a baronetcy for his signal merit and loyalty, the succession being limited to heirs male of his body. In the same year he acquired from Sir Michael Naesmyth of Posso the lands of Over and Nether Stirkfield. In 1671 he had a Crown charter of the lands and barony of Broughton, which, with a quarter of Broughtonshiels, the lands of Whitslade, and part of Glenkirk, were erected into the Barony of Broughton, with the manor place of Littlehope (its name being changed to Broughton) as the principal messuage. There Sir William had his residence. He married Janet Johnstone, daughter of James, Earl of Hartfell, and died about 1688. He was MP for Peeblesshire 1661–63, 1665, 1667. He had a number of children: 1. David, who succeeded him in the lands. 2. James, an officer in the army, and latterly gentleman of the bedchamber to King James VII. He died at St. Germains, without issue. 3. William, also in the army. He married and had two daughters. 4. Margaret, who married (1) William Dickson of Kilbucho, and (2) Alexander Cochrane of Barbauchlaw, with issue to both. 5. Henrietta, who married Sir John Dalziel of Glenae. 6. Mary, who married Alexander Muirhead of Lenhouse. 7. Anne, who married John Dickson of Hartree. SIR DAVID MURRAY OF STANHOPE, the second Baronet, in 1679, on his father's resignation, received a Crown charter of the barony of Stanhope, including Langlawhill and half of the Kirklands of Broughtonshiels, and on 16th April, 1684, married Anna Bruce, second daughter of Alexander, Earl of Kincardine. In his marriage contract his father disponed to him the barony of Broughton and a considerable number of other lands in the parishes of Broughton, Drumelzier, and Tweedsmuir, and also the lands and barony of Stobo. He had also the lands of Ardnamurchan in Argyll, which he purchased in 1726. |
He married as his second wife, in 1714, Margaret Scott, daughter of Sir John Scott of Ancrum, and widow of Thomas Scott of Whitslade. By his first lady he had five sons and three daughters, and by his second four sons and three daughters. Sir David was MP for Peeblesshire 1681–2, 1689–93. He died in the end of January, 1729, aged 69. 1. William, who died in infancy. 2. Alexander, who succeeded his father. 3. Mr. James, who died unmarried. 4. David, who married Frances Macclesfield, and had a son David, who became the fourth Baronet of Stanhope. 5. Charles, who had some of the lands of Stanhope in his possession, and granted tacks of them in 1734 and 1751, and in 1767 had them adjudged from him by his creditors for debt. He was collector of customs at Bo'ness. On the death of his nephew, the fourth Baronet, he became the heir to the title. 6. William, who died young. 7. John, who became the seventh Baronet of Stanhope. 8. Patrick, who was an ensign in the 3rd Guards, and aide-de-camp to the Earl of Dunmore, and was killed at the battle of Fontenoy. 9. James, who died young. 10. Janet, who married Lord Charles Ker, second son of Robert, Marquis of Lothian. 11. Veronica, who married Robert Hunter of Polmood. 12. Anne, who married Brigadier-General David Nairn of the St. Ford family. 13. Margaret, who married Thomas Hay of Huntingdon, Senator of the College of Justice. 14. Henriet, who died young. 15. Christian, who died young. SIR ALEXANDER MURRAY OF STANHOPE, the third Baronet, was MP for Peeblesshire in 1710, and was placed by his father in possession of the baronies of Stanhope and Broughton on the occasion of his marriage in that year to Grizel Baillie, the eldest daughter of George Baillie of Jerviswood. This marriage was not a happy one, and she obtained a decree of separation and aliment against him on 15th March, 1714, when she returned to her father's house. She had brought to him a tocher of 20,000 merks, and Sir Alexander settled on her by deed on 22nd September, 1720 an aliment of £150 sterling, payable from the lands and barony of Stobo. As the aliment was not paid she adjudged these lands from him in 1727, and obtained herself a Crown charter of adjudication thereof on 12th February, 1729, assigning her rights and claims to her father, and he on 12th September of that year was infeft therein. Two years later he adjudged from Sir Alexander not only the lands and barony of Stobo, but also those of Stanhope Murray, Over and Nether Menzion, Glenrath and others. In 1719 Sir Alexander Murray sold the lands and barony of Broughton and others to Mr. John Douglas, brother of William, Earl of March. In 1721 he took a tack from James Burnet of Barns of all the minerals, excepting coal or limestone, which could be found on the granter's lands within the parishes of Manor and Peebles for forty-five periods of nineteen years, agreeing to pay for the same one-tenth of all that was found. He died in 1743 without issue, and the succession devolved on his nephew. SIR DAVID MURRAY OF STANHOPE, the fourth Baronet, was a son of David (the fourth son of Sir David Murray, the second Baronet), a merchant in Leith. This Sir David took part in the rebellion of 1745, and was a captain of horse in the Prince's army. He was taken prisoner at York and sentenced to death, but obtained a pardon on condition of his leaving the country. His estates were forfeited, and he died abroad in exile in 1770. His uncle Charles then assumed the title, but also died in that year. It is said that Charles's son, David, then took the title, but he died at Leghorn in October of the same year. The succession then fell to another uncle, John Murray of Broughton. (SIR) JOHN MURRAY (OF BROUGHTON), the eldest surviving son of Sir David Murray, the second Baronet, by Margaret Scott, is notorious from his connection with the '45 and Prince Charles, whose secretary he was during that episode. His life and adventures are fully set forth in the Memorials of John Murray of Broughton by Mr. Fitzroy Bell, and his relations to Broughton are given in the chapter dealing with that parish. By his wife Margaret, daughter of Colonel Robert Ferguson, whom he married about 1738, he had three sons: David, Robert and Thomas. She left him, and the date of her death is unknown. He eloped with a schoolgirl – Miss Webb – by whom he had a son, Charles, born 1754. Sir John died in 1777, succeeded by his eldest son. (SIR) DAVID MURRAY, eighth Baronet, was a naval officer, and died without issue in 1791, succeeded by his brother Robert. (SIR) ROBERT MURRAY, ninth Baronet, married Emily, daughter of Vice-Admiral Francis Pickmore, and died in 1794, leaving two sons, David and John. (SIR) DAVID MURRAY, tenth Baronet, died without issue, succeeded by his brother John, who married Catherine Callendar, and died in 1866 predeceased by his only son, John Francis. There are still descendants of Charles Murray, son of Sir John Murray, seventh Baronet, and Miss Webb. MONTGOMERY OF STANHOPE The estates of the Murrays having been forfeited after the '45, Stanhope, Stobo and Menzion were sold by decree of the Court of Session in 1767 for £40,500. The purchaser was Mr. James Montgomery, of whose family an account is given in the chapter on Stobo. His descendants held Stanhope till 1926, when it was sold by Sir Basil Templer Graham Montgomery to Mr. Graham Kinloch Cox. The present rental is £742 8s. 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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