LAWSON Family History

lAWSON a History of the

laWSON Family FROM ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND ISLE OF MAN

compiled By Rev. Captain William Brown mcCready, jr

FIRST edition - JUNE 2019

BLANK

Dedicated To: the descendants of FRANK EDWARD LAWSON

Copyright JUNE 2019 William Brown Mccready, jr mount pleasant, south carolina

a publication of:

Mc3d Press Mount Pleasant, south carolina

FIRST edition JUNE 2019

this publication is not intended for sale.

Its sole purpose is to provide historical and genealogical information for anyone interested in Origins of the laWSON family

LAWSON FAMILY HISTORY FROM ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND ISLE OF MAN

CONTENTS Chapter

Family Name Vignettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Page -

1

I.

LAWSON SURNAME AND CREST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3

II.

LAWSON FAMILY IN FRANCE & ENGLAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7

Timeline of Lawson in France and England . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lawson Family Tree in England . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

45 51

LAWSON FAMILY IN SCOTLAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

61

Timeline of Lawson in Scotland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

105

LAWSON FAMILY ON THE ISLE OF MAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

113

III.

IV.

Timeline of Lawson in Isle of Man. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Isle of Man - Our Direct Line Manx Ancestors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

V.

123 127

LAWSON FAMILY IN AMERICA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

141

Our Direct Line Ancestors in the US . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

145

VI.

FINAL THOUGHTS ABOUT LAWSON FAMILY HISTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

173

Appendix A.

SOME NOTABLES OF THE NAME LAWSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .

193

B.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

197

The Will of Reverend James Lawson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Reply of Janet Guthrie (Lawson) and Margaret Marjoribanks (Balcanqual) to false claims against their husbands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Historie Of Ane Nobil And Vailye And Squyer, William Meldrum . . . . . . . .

Lawson of Cairnmuir in The Baronage of Scotland. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Other Lawson Family Crests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

M'Clellan's Tomb, by Sarah Lawson Gordon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Letters of George Lawson to King Henry VIII and Thomas Crumwell. . . . . . . . .

Burlingham and Stalker Family Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

198

BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

303

B.

203 211 263 266 269 271 277

BLANK

Your Name It came from your father, it was all he had to give.

So it's yours to use and cherish, as long as you may live.

If you lose the watch he gave you, it can always be replaced.

But a black mark on your name, Son, can never be erased.

It was clean the day you took it, and a worthy name to bear.

When I got it from my father, there was no dishonor there.

So Make sure you guard it wisely, after all is said & done, You'll be glad the name is spotless, when you give it to your Son. Author Unknown There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his.

Helen Keller

You live as long as you are remembered.

Russian proverb

Everyone has ancestors and it is only a question of going back far enough to find a good one.

Howard Kenneth Nixon

When a society or a civilization perishes, one condition can always be found. They forgot where they came from.

Carl Sandburg

He who has no fools, knaves, or beggars in his family was begot by a flash of lightning.

Old English proverb

I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.

Maya Angelou

A man who makes boasts of his ancestors doth but advertise his own insignificance.

Benjamin Franklin - Poor Richard’s Almanac

Why waste your money looking up your family tree? Just go into politics and your opponents will do it for you.

Mark Twain

Only

4 in 10 Americans

know both of their grandmother's maiden names

1/3 of Americans cannot name any of their great-grandparents

27% of Americans don't know where their family lived before coming to America

22% of Americans don't know what either of their grandparents do/did for a living

Any

2 People

will share an ancestor if you back far enough

INTRODUCTION We begin with an overview of our Lawson surname, then we look at our ancestors who left a mark in history and we end with a detailed family tree. But, this is not just a story of who is in our bloodline but more importantly how the Lawson family has survived for more than a thousand years. Along the way we find amazing connections that take us to France, England, Scotland, the Isle of Man and, finally to America. We discover that our direct line of ancestors stretches back to the early Middle Ages and beyond.

Our first goal was to identify, compile and document Lawson ancestors as far back as data would allow.

Second, we built a detailed picture of the historical context within which our ancestors lived; to explain not just who our ancestors are but also how their lives were shaped by the people and events that surround them. Third, we reveal many surprising facts and anecdotes about our family. And, fourth, we uncover and correct a number of historical and genealogical errors and inconsistencies. In all of this, we try to provide clear documentation for our findings and sources for further examination.

In the Middle Ages, few people had or used family names. Most people were identified by what they did, where they came from or how they looked. Thus, the Lawson name may have first identified them as coming from a location. Or, the Lawson family members may simply come from the sons of Law. In any event, family names in the Middle Ages and beyond were often recorded at the whims of scribes who applied their own particular spelling variations. Thus, we find the Lawsons connected to families with the names: Laweson, Lawsson, Lawwson, Lawison, Llawson, Lawason, Leawson, Lawsaon, Lawsion, Lawsone, Lawsonn, Lavwson, Lhawson, Laawson, Lawsoon, Lawsonn, Lawsomn, Lawsion, Leawson, Lauwson, Lawshon, D'Lawson, McLawson, Maclawson, Lawsonne, Labson, Lowson, Lawsen, Lawsom, Lawsan, Lavson, Lawsun, Lfson, and Lawrence among others.

While tracking our family line seems to be a daunting task, in reality the farther back in time you go the fewer people stand out in the historical and genealogical record. Our task has been to sift through our ancestral grains of sand and build a coherent record. We review and discuss existing genealogical work and then we tell the story of our Lawsons from its beginnings, through the Middle Ages in England and Scotland, to our pioneer ancestors in the Isle of Man and America. We also review some notable Lawsons of modern times; present timelines of our Lawson family in history; and, build family trees.

The primary intent of this Lawson family history is to provide a record for my children, grandchildren and their descendants. If this work is helpful to others interested in finding their own Lawson roots then that is an added benefit.

My work began as a simple project to learn more about my Lawson grandparents in Batavia, New York.

I remembered family stories about origins on the Isle of Man but little else. Years, and thousands of pages of research later, I am amazed at how much information that I was able to find about our Lawson family. My journey turned into an amazing trek through early North American history as well as back in time in Europe. The real work was following the various trails back in time, making sound connections to build our family tree, and understanding the historical context of the lives of our ancestors.

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Ultimately, I was able to build our Lawson family tree going back many generations in America, the British Isles and continental Europe. Along the way, I discovered some remarkable stories - from nobles and knights, to people who influenced the evolution of western culture and to common people with uncommon stories. The result is a book that I think paints a fairly complete picture of our ancestors and their times. Others who want to know more are welcome to build on this work.

Most of the information presented should interest all members of the Lawson family. However, there is a point where the story turns onto a road that is unique to my own Lawson line, but only after hundreds of years. I say this without shame or embarrassment because this work is intended as a legacy for my descendants. Readers may notice that I lose interest in the English and Scottish Lawson lines soon after 1600. This is when my direct ancestor James Lawson emigrates to the Isle of Man and the family tree establishes a new branch. Likewise, after 1865, I leave our Lawson family on the Isle of Man behind and follow Thomas Moore Lawson to America. I am sure that there are many more interesting family connections and stories in recent history, but this is work for others.

Here, our final result is the revelation of a rich and fascinating story of a family that was has endured for centuries.

2

LAWSON SURNAME The family name Lawson is the 1,344th most common surname in the world. Approximately 408,783 people bear this surname. The chart and map below show the geographic distribution of people with the surname Lawson in the year 2014. The chart highlights the countries of Lawson ancestors for our branch of the family. As we will learn our Lawson ancestors can be traced from Normandy in France to England, to Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man, and then to the United States. Some peculiarities are noteworthy: the small West African nation of Togo has the largest number of people named Lawson; and the Isle of Man, an important location for our ancestors, now is among the smallest with only 39 people with the name Lawson.

Place

Togo United States England Nigeria Australia Canada Scotland Sierra Leone Benin Jamaica South Africa New Zealand France Ireland Wales Germany Spain Isle of Man

Incidence

157,155 148,298 26,436 23,912 12,968 9,144 5,560 5,254 3,103 3,049 2,568 2,554 1,693 728 726 186 185 39

Phonetically Similar Names Surname

Llawson Lawsson Lawwson Lawsone Laawson Lawsoon Lawsonn D'Lawson Lawsonne Labson Lowson Lawsen Lawsom

Similarity

Incidence

92

12

92

8

92

4

92

2

92

1

92

1

92

1

86

4

86

2

83

2,059

83

1,559

83

112

83

54

Spelling and phonetic variants of the Lawson family name include: Laweson, Lawsson, Lawwson, Lawison, Llawson, Lawason, Leawson, Lawsaon, Lawsion, Lawsone, Lawsonn, Lavwson, Lhawson, Laawson, Lawsoon, Lawsonn, Lawsomn, Lawsion, Leawson, Lauwson, Lawshon, D'Lawson, McLawson, Maclawson, Lawsonne, Labson, Lowson, Lawsen, Lawsom, Lawsan, Lavson, Lawsun, Lfson and others. Those with closest phonetic similarity (92%) to Lawson and highest incidence in 2014 are highlighted above. Curiously, some spellings that are less phonetically similar (83%) have a significantly higher incidence of people with those names. These spellings are: Labson, Lowson, Lawsen, and Lawsom.

3

Lawson Family Crest / Coat of Arms At first a coat of arms was practical on the battlefield and in tournaments. With a helmet covering a knight's face, and armour encasing his body from head to foot, the only means of identification for his followers, was the insignia painted on his shield and embroidered on his surcoat, the flowing and draped garment worn over the armour.

For the name Lawson, there are no less than seventeen coats of arms (presented in the Appendix). Most were granted to northern English name holders, and most seem to be associated with the Lawson family of Brough Hall in Yorkshire, whose origins are traceable back to the time of Richard III and "The War of the Roses". The Lawson family coat of arms shown here and on the cover is that of the Scottish Lawsons of Cairnmuir, who descend from Richard Lawson, Canon of St. Giles Church and Laird of Grothill in Edinburgh in 1372. It is described in the Baronage of Scotland as follows: Gules, a Saltire Argent, on a Chief, Or Three Garbs of the first.

Crest - A Garb Banded proper.

Motto - Dominus Providebit.

All of the Lawson family coat of arms suggest that the original holder of the surname of Lawson was a loyal person who lived by the sword rather than supporting himself with income from an estate.

However, this changed in later years as the family established itself on estates including Nesham Abbey, Durham, Longhirst in Cumberland, Boroughbridge Hall, Cairnmuir in Peebles, Scotland, etc. All of this indicates that the family fortunes improved over the centuries.

In Scotland, a coat of arms for the family Lawson was first recorded in Sir Bernard Burkes General Armory as associated with Sir Richard Lawson, Provost of Edinburgh, Lord Justice Clerk (Justice of the Scots Supreme Court) and holder of estates and manors at Hierigs, Cairnmuir, Cambo & Boghall. More about him when we discuss the Lawsons of Scotland.

The four main symbols in the Lawson crest shown here are: Gules (crest of red), Saltire Agent (cross of silver or white), the Chief (the upper band on the crest), and Three Garbs (three bundles of wheat). The three main heraldic colors are: A Gules or red crest, symbolizes military fortitude and strength. A Saltire, symbolizes the Cross of St. Andrews and the color Argent (silver or white), means peace and sincerity. A Garb is a sheaf of wheat, a symbol of plenty and prosperity and the color Or (gold), meaning generosity. A Chief on a crest represents rule and authority.

For easy recognition of the items on a coat of arms, and hence the quick identification of the owner, bold simple geometric shapes were often used. The saltire is a typical example of this and can be of a variety of different colors.

4

Lawson Family Motto: Dominus Providebit. Translation: God will provide.

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Origins of the name Lawson Surnames did not become wide spread until they became necessary to record and track land ownership and governments introduced personal taxation. The employment of the use of a second name, or surname, was a custom that was first introduced by the Normans. Soon after, the use of a second name was adopted in England and Scotland. Before surnames, people were known by location, their occupation, or nicknames describing a distinguishing a characteristic, such as their appearance, their moral or mental peculiarities, their habits, or their manner of dress. The use of a surname became a mark of gentler blood, and it was soon deemed a disgrace for gentlemen to have but one single name, as the common peasants had. It was not until the reign of Edward II ( 1307-1327 ) it became general practice amongst all people.

The Lawson surname has ancient roots. According to some etymological studies (studies of the origin of words and their historical meanings), the earliest origins of the name Lawson is linked to ancient preChristian Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. In this case, Law was most likely derived from the Old English hlaw, meaning a hill. The studies postulate that Lawson developed from a patronymic of Law. A patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather, or an even-earlier male ancestor and is a means of conveying lineage. In Old English, patronyms were formed by adding a variety of suffixes to personal names. For example, after the Norman Conquest, sunu and sune, which meant son, were the most common patronymic suffixes. Thus, the surname Lawsune or Lawson was originally derived from the given name of the father of the bearer and meant in Old English “someone who is the son of he who lives on or near the hill�. (Source: The Manx Lawsons and Related Families, Volume II, by Brian Lawson, 1999 and 2005)

A possible alternative origin of Law is from a common nickname often used as a term of endearment in Medieval times that later became the baptismal name of Law . This use of Law is derived from the Old French name of Laurence or Lawrence, which later became the Middle English name of Lorens. Both names are derived from Laurentium, a town in Italy famous for its laurel trees or bay trees. Laurentium means "winner" or "victor". Lawson in Latin is Laurentii fllius. Names based on location were first taken by the family of the Lord or owner of the land from which the name derives. Others may have used this location when they migrated out of the area because it was easiest to identify people new to an area by the name of their birthplace. Some studies postulate that the surname of Lawson, describes a person who is the son of a person from the Italian city of Laurentum. Thus, the father would be named Lawrence, nicknamed Law and his son would be called Lawson, meaning a son of Law or son of Lawrence from Laurentium. (Source: An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. by William Arthur, London: 1857) (Many other sources note that the surname Lawson is derived from the meaning son of Laurence or Lawrence including: Surnames of the United Kingdom, by Henry Harrison, 1912; Dictionary of American Family Names, by Elsdon Coles Smith, 1956; An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names, by William Arthur, 1857; and, The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames, by Clifford Stanley Sims, 1862)

Other studies say the surname Lawson originated in the Holy Land. It is believed to have been brought there by 12th century crusaders who later "brought back" the name in a changed form to England and Scotland. For reasons that are unclear, Lawson genealogy shows the name was a much more common 5

surname in northern England and Scotland with the heaviest concentrations in Yorkshire and Lancashire.

The earliest known reference is at Littondale, Upper Wharfdale, Yorkshire in the 14th century.

In this work, we will examine the roots of our Lawson family in both England and Scotland, as well as the Isle of Man. In fact, our Lawson roots may weave through all of these lands on the way to finally settling in the US.

6

Lawson in France AND England Lawsons were living in France, England and Scotland about the same time in the early Middle Ages. Like many other families it is almost impossible to definitively determine a place of family origin. The family name can be found in one of a variety of forms in Normandy, England and Scotland.

The most likely explanation is that Lawson family members followed the historical movement of kings. In 1066, William I, Duke of Normandy, rallied nobles from across France to support his claim to the English crown. After the "Conquest" these nobles were rewarded by King William with estates in England that were for the most part seized from the losing Anglo-Saxons. Some of the French and Norman nobles stayed in England, some returned to France and other nobles divided their French and English holdings among heirs.

Later, these French conquerors returned in the 12th century to take control of Normandy and much of France during the reign of the Angevin/Plantagenet kings of England. The Angevins of the French House of Plantagenet ruled over an area covering half of France, all of England, and parts of Ireland and Wales, and had further influence over much of the remaining British Isles. The empire was established by Henry II, as King of England, Duke of Normandy, and Count of Anjou (from which the Angevins derive their name), as well as Duke of Aquitaine by right of his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine. The Angevin Empire lasted until 1216.

For the Lawson family, the period between the conquest of England in 1066 and the end of the Angevin Empire in 1216, was marked by two things. First, the intermarriage between Norman/French and Anglo-Saxon families which promoted family alliances and upward mobility between knights and higher ranking noble families. And second, frequent periods of anarchy where various claimants to thrones fought in open warfare in England, Scotland and on the continent. Thus, families blended, sometimes moving back and forth across the English Channel. The families that survived and thrived were largely unthreatening and below the radar of competing royal rivals. They tended to be the lesser noble knight/barons whose abilities were in demand and whose allegiance was valued. Thus, while fighting in battles and wars, they would avoid engagement in high level political intrigue or were politically flexible and astute in their choices. The result is that our ancestral line has survived from early medieval Normandy to the present day. However as we look back we find multiple variants of the names used by our Lawson ancestors in France and England.

Lawson in France Throughout the centuries, surnames in countries evolved often leading to radical variations of the original spelling. One of our earliest known Lawson ancestor is Walter Loison, living in Normandy in the years 1180 to 1195, recorded in the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae 1184. (Source: The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States of America, by Henry S. King, 1874) The name Loison/Lawson may have been carried to France by Anglo-Saxon/Norman descendants, where it appears today as De Lauzun. In France the name developed as: Laweson in 1480; Losoun in 1532; Lauzun in 1534, Lausone in 1540, Losone in 1544; Loson in Posen, 1593; Lason in 1599; Lawsoune in 1607; Lasoun in 1640; and, Lasone in 1661. (Source: The Surnames of Scotland, by George Fraser Black 1946) Noble surnames, such as Lauzun, evoke images of the ancient homeland of the French people. The original bearer of the name Lauzun, which is a local surname, once lived, held land, or was born Lauzun in the beautiful Guyenne region of France. In France, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules and during the late Middle Ages, names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local names originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. The 7

Lauzun family originally lived in the village of Lauzun, a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in southwestern France. The village of Lauzun is located in the north of Lot et Garonne, in the NouvelleAquitaine region. This town is the seat of the Comtes de Lauzun.

The surname Lauzun was first found in Guyenne where they held a family seat in the seigneurie of Caumont.

Guyenne was an old French province which corresponded roughly to the Roman province of Aquitania Secunda and the archdiocese of Bordeaux. The name "Guyenne" comes from Aguyenne, a popular deformation of Aquitania. In the 12th century it formed, along with Gascony, the duchy of Aquitaine, which passed under the dominion of the kings of England by the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Henry II. Gabriel Nompar de Caumont, was the first comte de Lauzun in 1534. Antoine Nompar de Caumont (1633–1723), 7th duc de Lauzun, was a Lord at the Court of Louis XIV, and was under house arrest for 10 years at Pignerol. The Pignerol was an ancient French prison in a strongly fortified citadel in the Italian Alps. Today it is the Italian village of Pinerolo, a pleasant little town of 40,000 inhabitants situated on a hill in Piedmont about 23 miles southwest of Turin. From 1536 to 1814, the Pignerol was used by France to hold special prisoners who knew information that threatened the king or the government. These political prisoners were deemed "an embarrassment to the state" and included the legendary Man in the Iron Mask and Nicolas Foucquet, Minister of Finance under King Louis XIV. Armand Louis de Gontaut Biron (1747–1793), 8th duc de Lauzun, was a French soldier and politician, known for the part he played in the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary Wars.

In the American Revolution, he was part of the advance party of the French army of Rochambeau sent to reinforce General George Washington at the Siege of Yorktown. He returned to France as deputy to the Estates-General and supported the French Revolution. He commanded many armies during and after the Revolution and was Constable General and Marshal of France. Ultimately, he was accused of incivisme ("lack of civic virtue", the equivalent of treason under the Reign of Terror) and undue leniency to the insurgents, deprived of his command, imprisoned, sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Tribunal and guillotined.

Gilles Lauzon, born in 1631, son of Pierre and Anne (née Boivin), travelled from Normandy to Canada in The Great Recruitment of 1653. After arriving in Quebec he married Marie Archambault, daughter of Jacques and Françoise (née Toureau), in Montreal on 27th November 1656. They remained there together until Gilles passed away on 21st September 1687.

(Source: Ancient Canadian Family Ties, by Reginald L. Olivier, Everton Publishers, 1972)

Lawson in England The Lawson family in England settled in the northern lands once known as the ancient kingdom of Northumbria, which covered northern England and southern Scotland. The lands are today in the counties of Northumberland, Durham and Yorkshire in the northeast of England and the border counties of Scotland. At one point the kingdom of Northumbria ranged from York in the south to Edinburgh in Scotland.

8

As land ownership became more dispersed and governments introduced personal taxation schemes tied to property ownership, surnames became necessary as a means to distinguish one man named John in an area from another. In England, the first recorded appearance of the name Lawson (sometime spelled Lawesson) was in 1135. This is when John Lawson of Cramlington signed as a witness to King Henry I's royal grant of the manors of Embleton and Cramlington to Nicolas de Grenville, Lord of Ellingham. A few years later in 1139, John Lawson witnesses another royal grant of lands called Bradiere on the River Tyne by King David I of Scotland to Nicholas de Grenville. (Source: The Charters of King David I: the acts of David I, King of Scots. . .)

These royal transactions indicate that John Lawson was a highly respected knight with a fief or fiefs in Cramlington within the barony of Nicolas de Grenville. Nicolas is a desendant of Sir Richard de Grenville, one of the 12 knights of Glamorgan who served in the Norman conquest of Wales. Nicolas Grenville's manor in Ellingham is located on the eastern coast of northern England approximately midway between Newcastle upon Tyne and Edinburgh, Scotland. Cramlington is located on the eastern coast of northern England approximately 9 miles north of Newcastle upon Tyne. Embleton is located 5 miles southeast of de Grenville's manor in Ellingham. At the time all were in the royal county of Northumberland, the northernmost county of England.

English Poll Tax records reveal some other early relatives. Richard Lawisson is listed in the 1327 Subsidy Rolls of the county of Cumberland, during the reign of King Edward III (1327 -1377). The 1379 Poll Tax Rolls of Yorkshire lists: Willelmus Lauson, Henricus Laweson, Agnes Law-wyf, and Law Robynson. In 1554, we find the marriage record of Elizabeth Lawson and James Castelys in London. The 1576 Register of the University of Oxford records William Lauson of Lancashire as a student. And in 1664, Jone Lawson, the daugther of Randall Lawson is baptised at the church of St. James in Clerkenwell, London. (Source: A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances, by C.W, Bardsley, Heraldry Today, 1872-1896)

It is noteworthy that these and other Lawsons who settled in the northern English counties of Northumberland, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumberland and Westmorland all descended from John Lawson of Cramlington, as do the later Lawson baronets in England and Scotland.

At this point, before we track our lineage forward in time, we need to examine the years before the Norman conquest for ancient ancestors of John Lawson of Cramlington. The result is a Lawson family history that begins circa 990 in Normandy with hints of a lineage dating from 400 BC. From Taillebois To Lawson Most genealogist begin our ancestral line around the year 990 with Rolf (Reinfrid) de Taillebois a Norman knight of Viking descent and we provide this information here. Little is known about him other than his name, that he is from Taillebois, a village in the Orne region of Normandy in northwest France, and that he is the father Reinfrid Taillebois, the Prior of Whitby. What is noteworthy of Taillebois is that it is a village about 12 miles from the castle of Falaise, the home and birthplace of William the Conqueror in 1027.

Reinfrid de Taillebois, known as the Prior of Whitby Abbey, was born circa 1019 at Taillebois, the son of Rolf and an unnamed woman. Reinfrid was a Norman knight who accompanied Norman Duke William I, on his conquest of England. Reportedly, Reinfrid was a valiant soldier whose experiences in battle moved him to service in the Church. He is said to have been so moved by sorrow at the wasted holy places at Whitby and elsewhere in the northern campaign, that he entered the monastery of Evesham 9

10

LAWSON LOCATIONS IN ENGLAND 1

Whitby - Reinfried de Taillebois is the Prior of Whitby Abbey

1096

2

Ely - site of seige of Ely by armies of William the Conqueror and Ivo Taillebois

1071

3

Lincoln - Ivo Taillebois is the Sheriff of Lincoln (all Lincolnshire)

1086

4

Chester - Lucy Malet, Countess of Chester, marries Ivo Taillebois

5

Kendal / Kendal Castle - Ivo Tallebois made Baron of Kendal by King William Rufus

6

Lancaster / Lancashire - town and county - part of Barony of Kendal Lawrence Lawesson marries daughter of 6th Baron of Kendal, takes the name Lawrence Fitzwilliam de Lancaster

Circa 1070 1087

1190-1260

7

Furness - part of the Barony of Kendal

8

Durham - city and county (the Palentine of Durham) governed by the Church

9

York, Yorkshire - town and county - large estates of Barony of Kendal John Lawson, Lord Fawlesgrave establishes a family seat in Yorkshire George Lawson, Mayor of York Richard Lawson, Mayor of York

1220 1530 Circa 1700

Leeds, Yorkshire - site of Weetwood Grange - a Lawson family estate Arthur Lawson, established as the 1st Baronet of Weetwood Grange Godfrey Lawson, Mayor of Leeds

1900 1600s

10

11

Cramlington, Northumberland - seat of Lawson Baronet of Cramlington Sir Thomas Lawson knighted for service at the Battle of Agincourt, known as the "Gentleman of Cramlington"

12

Bywell, Northumberland - home of Thomas Lawson of Bywell Lawsons of Cramlington descend from Lawsons of Bywell

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Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland - James Lawson, Merchant Adventurer and Mayor of Newcastle-upon-Tyne

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Longhirst, Northumberland - part of Lawson of Cramlington estate Robert Lawson, 1st recorded at Longhirst estate

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1415

1229

1475-1525

1545-1610

Berwick, Northumberland / Berwick, Scotland - city straddles border that is the river Tweed - George Lawson, Treasurer of Berwick and King's agent in city

1530

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Brough Hall, Yorkshire - Lawson Baronet created for John Lawson of Brough Hall

1665

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Nesham, Yorkshire - site of Nesham Abbey, Joan Lawson, daughter of William Lawson of Cramlington, is Prioress of Nesham Abbey. Nesham Abbey acquired by her brother James Lawson, Merchant Adventurer and the Mayor of Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Circa 1490

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Lartington Hall, Durham - part of Lawson Baronet of Brough Hall. Property was acquired by marriage of Sir Henry Lawson to Anna Anastasia Maire

Circa 1700

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Isell, Cumberland - seat of the Lawson Baronet of Isell, created for Sir Wilfrid Lawson

1688

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Brayton Hall, Cumberland - part of the Lawson Baronet of Isell, recreated for Sir Wilfrid Lawson (not the Wilfrid above)

1831

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with the intention of becoming a monk. In fact, the Abbot of Evesham was Æthelwig, one of the few Anglo-Saxon nobles trusted by the new King William. Æthelwig was given authority over part of western England including Evesham in the Worcester district of southern England.

After his time at Evesham, Reinfrid returned to northern England to restore the ancient ruined monastery in Whitby. This monastery was founded in 657 by the King of Northumbria and for centuries it was an Anglo-Saxon center of learning with spiritual significance to the Roman Church.

The monastery was destroyed between 867 and 870 in a series of raids by Vikings and the site remained desolate for more than 200 years until the area was granted to William de Percy who in 1078 donated land in Yorkshire to found a new monastery as well as the town and port of Whitby and mill village of Hackness. Reinfrid de Taillebois joined Serlo de Percy, the founder's Ruins of Whitby Monastery brother, and others in restoring this new monastery for the Benedictine Order. The records of the Abbey note that "Prior Reinfrid, having ruled the monastery many years, was accidentally killed at Ormesbridge by a piece of timber falling upon him". Reinfrid was buried in the cemetery of St. Peter at Hackness and he was succeeded

by Serlo de Percy as prior. The old monastery ruins of Whitby are located 70 miles southeast of Newcastle where the mouth of the River Esk empties into the North Sea. (Source: "Houses of Benedictine monks: Abbey of Whitby", in A History of the County of York, Volume 3, by Victoria County History, London, 1974)

Reinfrid is said to be the father of Ivo (Ives) de Taillebois of Normandy (1036-1094) a standard bearer at the Battle of Hastings, the Sheriff of Lincoln and 1st Baron of Kendal who married 1st to Gundreda Countess of Wessex and 2nd to Lucy Countess of Chester. Ivo is the father of Beatrix de Taillebois, heiress of Kendal.

While we can definitively trace our Lawson lineage back to Ivo de Taillebois, it is not clear who Ivo's parents were. However, we do know: the dates of Ivo's life; that all stories of Ivo's parentage consistently refer to his illegitimacy and his accepted ancestry as a descendant of Charlemange via the House of Anjou; and connectons to an Ermengard or Emma. With this information, let's examine potential parents for ivo: 1. Most genealogists say that Ivo was the illegitimate son of Reinfrid de Taillebois, the Prior of Whitby and Ermengard of Anjou the eldest child of Fulk IV Count of Anjou and descendant of Charlemange. However, this cannot be, because Ermengard was born 30 years after Ivo's birth.

2. Another option would be Reinfrid and Ermengard-Gerbera the daughter of Geoffrey I Count of Anjou and a descendant of Charlemange. However, Ermengard-Gerberga died 12 years before Ivo was born.

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3. Our research indicates that Ivo is most likely the son (perhaps not illegitimate) of William III Taillefer (circa970 –1037) the Count of Toulouse and his wife Emma, the daughter of Ermengarde of Burgundy and Rotbold II Count and Margrave of Provence. William III Taillefer is the son of Adelais (also known as Adelaide-Blanche) of Anjou, the eldest daughter of Fulk II, Count of Anjou and a descendant of Charlemange. It is also noteworthy that the House of Taillefer was the first dynasty of the Counts of Angoulême (839–1246) also known as the kingdom of Aquitaine in western France during the Carolingian Empire.

So, in this lineage of Ivo we have:  dates that are consistent with Ivo's life;  ancestral links to Charlemange through the House of Anjou;  a connection to an Ermengarde and Emma;  a curious similarity of the surnames Taillefer and Taillebois.  and finally, as we will learn below, connection of the Taillefer surname with Ivo at the Battle of Hastings.

Adelais de Anjou Countess of Toulouse Queen of Aquitaine

Taillefer (Latin: Incisor ferri, meaning "hewer of iron") was the surname of a Norman jongleur (minstrel), whose his first name is given as "Ivo". He travelled to England with William the Conqueror in 1066. At the Battle of Hastings, Ivo asked William for the honor of first strike against the English. William agreed and Ivo rode out alone and earned immortality. History says Ivo put on a show, juggling his lance and sword while singing the Chanson de Roland at the English troops. An enraged English warrior stepped forward and challenged Ivo to single combat. Ivo slew the challenger and took his head for a trophy.

Taillefer then led the Norman charge into the English lines. Chanson de Roland (Song of Roland) is an epic poem about a battle during the reign of Charlemagne. It is the oldest surviving major work of French literature.

1872 Wood-engraving in the British Museum Ivo Taillefer at the Battle of Hasstings

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Robert Wace (circa 1110 –1174) Canon of Bayeux, was a Norman monk and poet who describes the feats of Taillefer in his epic poem Roman de Brut (Romance of Brut the 1st King of Britain). Written circa 1155, this is a history of the Dukes of Normandy through the conquest of England up to 1106.

Taillefer, qui mult bien chantout, sor un cheval qui tost alout, devant le duc alout chantant de Karlemaigne e de Rollant, e d'Oliver e des vassals qui morurent en Rencesvals.

Taillefer, who sang right well, Upon a swift horse Sang before the Duke Of Charlemagne and of Roland And of Oliver and their vassals That died at Roncesvalles.

Roman de Rou, lines 8013–8019

The story of Taillefer is repeated by several other contemporary Medieval sources: Geoffrey Gaimar an Anglo-Norman chronicler; Henry of Huntingdon a 12th-century English historian and author of a history of England, the Historia Anglorum; William of Malmesbury the foremost English historian of the 12th century; and in the Carmen de Hastingae Proelio (Latin: Song of the Battle of Hastings) attributed to Bishop Guy of Amiens, the chaplain of Matilda of Flanders, William the Conqueror's queen. The accounts differ, some mentioning only the juggling, some only the song, but all have elements in common. The story of Taillefer was set to music by Richard Strauss in 1903 and a later version drawn from all the sources can be found in Winston Churchill's A History of the EnglishSpeaking Peoples.

(Sources: Carmen Widonis - The First History of the Norman Conquest, transcription, translation and commentary by Kathleen Tyson, Granularity Press, 2018; The Carmen de Hastingae Proelio of Guy Bishop of Amiens, edited by Catherine Morton and Hope Muntz, Clarendon Press, 1972; "The Carmen de Hastingae Proelio" by R. H. C. Davis, in The English Historical Review 1978; and, "Latin Poetry and the Anglo-Norman Court 10661135: The Carmen de Hastingae Proelio" by Elisabeth van Houts, in Journal of Medieval History 1989) Plaque dedicated to Robert Wace author of Roman de Rou

Taillefer and Taillebois are probably different spellings of the same name.

In any event, we do know that Ivo is a direct descendant of Charlemagne, the Holy Roman Emperor. A 1,980-page chart listing the descendants of the Emperor Charlemagne shows that Ivo is a member of the House of Anjou and is clearly a descendant of the Emperor Charlemagne (742-814). As a descendant of Charlemagne, Ivo would then also descend from Charlemagne's forefathers who are documented back to Antenor, King of the Cimmerians, who died in about 443 B.C.

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William of Malmesbury Stained glass window in Malmesbury Abbey

We do know that Ivo Taillebois was born in 1036, in Taillebois, Normandy and followed his father Reinfrid and Duke William in the Norman Conquest of England. These Taillebois were among the Norman nobles who were loyal to William and eventually replaced the old Anglo-Saxon elite. Before sailing to England, William and his knights heard Mass in the church at Dives-sur-Mer, Normandy, France. A plaque in this church lists the companions in the invasion including "Ivo Taillebois". As one of William's commanders, Ivo would have been among the elite knights who provided ships, horses, men, and supplies for the invasion of England, in return for which William granted them English baronies and earldoms forcibly taken from conquered Saxon lords. (Source: Histoire du Canton d'Athis, Orne, et de ses Communes, by Hector de la Ferrière-Percy,1858)

Ivo was the knight commander in charge of King William's 1071 siege of Ely, then an island in the fens (marsh) of East Anglia. This was the final battle in the Norman conquest. William had almost overcome all resistance to his authority in England when this last serious challenge arose with the invasion of eastern England by an army led by the Danish king Sweyn II. Sweyn probably did not anticipate a successful invasion, more likely he was leading a typical Viking raid and hoping to bring home some booty. The Viking landing did give the few remaining Saxon rebels, led by Hereward the Wake, a last chance to overthrow the new Norman order in England. The focal point of this rebellion was Ely Abbey which was a stone fortress that presented a formidable challenge to the attackers led by William and Ivo. Siege engines had to be brought in over a causeway that had to be built and fortifications were set up to encircle the abbey. All of these pre-attack preparations, combined with William's military reputation, brought swift dividends, and the defenders, realizing a long siege was about to get underway, either escaped in small boats or gave themselves up. William was victorious without any actual fighting and the Norman conquest was finally complete.

Ivo profited well from the Norman invasion. He was a prominent administrator throughout the reign of William I and well into that of William II (William Rufus) and gained large estates in Lancashire, Westmorland and Lincolnshire. He was also given custody of the See of Durham after the expulsion of the bishop for taking sides against the king. He became Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1086. He was given the official title of Dapifer, the grand master or steward of the king's household in 1091 at which time the king gave him the Lordship of Kendal, that consisted of a large portion of Northern Lancashire and Southern Westmorland, however he kept his seat of power in Lincolnshire. Ivo is shown as an extensive landowner in the Domesday Book of 1086-7: "Tallboys, Ivo. Also called 'cut-bush'. Married Lucy. In charge of siege of Hereward the Wake at Ely, 1069. Steward to William II. Holdings in Lincolshire and Norfolk."

Ruins of Kendal Castle

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There is some debate as to how Ivo acquired the barony of Kendal (or Kendale). Some say that he married a Saxon Noblewoman, Lucy Malet, Countess of Chester, whose lands in Kendal would have come to Ivo through this marriage, however, he was also given lands by William I's son and successor, William Rufus. In addition to Kendal, Ivo was also the Lord of Furness, a peninsula in northwestern England that is a historic part of Lancashire. Lancaster Castle may have been part of Ivo's Barony of Kendal or it may have been acquired soon after Ivo dies. In any event, the descendants of Ivo Taillebois adopted the surname Lancaster. These Lancaster Barons of Kendal ultimately merge with our Lawson ancestors when Lawrence Lawesson marries a daughter of William Lancaster, the 6th Baron of Kendal.

Ivo may have been married several times. In addition to Lucy some say that he was also married to Gundreda, Countess of Wessex and perhaps others. In addition to being a Lawson ancestor, Ivo was an ancestor of Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s sixth queen, and also of George Washington.

Ivo Taillebois died circa 1094 at the approximate age of 58, in Kendal, Cumbria, England. He was a notable and ruthless warrior and royal official. His support was crucial to several victories of William the Conqueror. Ivo's value can be seen in his reward of the Barony of Kendal that was formed out of several possessions put together for the first time under one lord, possibly as part of a quite deliberate policy of the King to establish a strong man near the tough Scottish border. It is certainly likely that Ivo played an important role in administering the disputed Saxon lands closer to Scotland.

The following description of Ivo is probably fairly accurate and is taken from the Gesta Herewardi: A proud man was Ivo de Tailleboise as he rode next morning out of Spalding Town with a hawk on his fist, hound at heel, and a dozen men-at-arms at his back. . . An adventurer from Anjou, brutal, ignorant, and profligate, low-born too . . . valiant he was, cunning, and skilled in war. Called 'thou old butcher' by King William, he and his group of Angevin [i.e., of Anjou] rutters had fought like tigers by William's side at Hastings".

(Source: The Gesta Herewardi or Herwardi was written around 1109–31 and is said to be a translation of an earlier and now lost work in Old English)

Other accounts of Ivo also are not flattering. An early history spoke of accusations made by Ivo as having ruined the Saxon Abbot of Croyland Abbey, so that a friend could be installed in his place. The common Saxon people in Ivo's barony also had little love for him. Ivo required that they "supplicated as their lord on their bended knees" and "tortured and harassed, worried and annoyed, incarcerated and tormented them".

The people were not the only recipients of Ivo's allegedly abusive treatment. It was said that Ivo: would follow the various animals of the people of Croyland in the marshes with his dogs; drive them to a great distance, drown them in the lakes, mutilate some in the tail, others in the ear; while often, by breaking the feet and the legs of the beasts of burden, he would render them utterly useless.

Such was the Saxon perception of Ivo, biased as it probably was.

(Sources: The Northerners, by J.C. Holye, Oxford, 1961; "Antecessor Noster: The Parentage of Countess Lucy made plain", by Katharine S B. Keats-Rohan, in Prosopon Newsletter Issue 2, 1995; Rev, H. C. FitzHerbert, "An Original Pedigree of Tailbois and Neville" The Genealogist, 1886; and Charles Clay (ed.), Early Yorkshire Charters, vol. 5, Yorkshire Archaeological Society, 1936)

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Questions arise as to who were the children of Ivo de Taillebois, and indeed whether he had any children at all. According to one source, Ivo never had issue so his title and estates were left to his brother, Gerard. But most genealogists and historians now side with the Oxford scholar Lady Katherine KeatsRohan who asserts that Ivo and Lucy did, in fact, have issue, but only one child, a daughter named Beatrice. However, the estates and lands of Ivo were never held by Beatrice but rather by Lucy and her later husband named Ælftred (or Eldred) "The Englishman", who then assumed the last name Taillebois.

Other historians assert that Beatrice de Taillebois was actually the daughter of Lucy and Ælftred. Ælftred "The Englishman" Taillebois, 2nd Baron of Kendal, was born in 1059 and died in 1120. He was also know as Eldred or Aelfred of Workington. Ælftred could very well be an illegitimate bastard child of Ivo and inherited his estates. Whether there is a genetic link between Ivo de Taillebois and Ælftred is not absolutely clear but for Ælftred to have been born to Ivo, he (Ivo) would have had to have married a very high status Saxon lady (his marriage to Countess Lucy was evidently contracted late in life).

(Sources: Records Of Kendale, vol. 1, edited by John F. Curwen; List Of Knights Accompanying William The Conqueror On His Invasion Of England, 1066, by Robert Bunker, Hong Kong; Companions Of Duke William At Hastings this list is "a combination of all the known Battell Abbey Rolls"; "Famous Cambridgeshire Men and Women" in Cambridgeshire Genealogy; Katherine S.B. Keats-Rohan, "Antecessor Noster: The Parentage of Countess Lucy Made Plain" in Prosopon: Newsletter Of The Unit For Prosopographical Research, no. 2, May 1995, Linacre College, Oxford; The Plantagenet Ancestry, by William Henry Turton, 1968; Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists, 7th Edition, by Frederick Lewis Weis, additions by Walter Lee Shippard Jr., 1999; and, The Origins of Some Anglo-Norman Families, by Lewis C Loyd, 1999)

During the reign of Henry I, the baronial estates and title pass to Ketel FitzEldred (son of Eldred/ Ælftred) "Taillebois" de Kendal, 3rd Baron Of Kendal. "Ketel, son of Elftred", appears on the pedigree drawn in the 1615 and 1666 Visitations of Cumberland and Westmorland Counties. He was born sometime before 1070 in Workington, Cumberland, England, and died 1120-1150 in either Kendal, Westmoreland, England or Seton, Scotland. His wife is listed on the Visitations pedigree as Christiana.

The name Ketel is also found spelled as Ketil, Chetil and Ketellus.

Some historians speculate that Christiana was a daughter of Ivo de Taillebois by Lucy and marries Ketel, son of Ælftred/Eldred of Workington. Through this marriage the Barony of Kendal flows to Ketel, not through Eldred. However, the much-respected and generally accepted work, Domesday Descendants, notes Ketel as the son of Ælftred/Eldred and either the wife or daughter of Ivo de Taillebois.

Ketel had several wives and mistresses, most of whom gave him many children. What is important for our Lawson lineage is Ketel's son with Christiana: Gilbert FitzKetel de Lancaster (de Tallebois), 4th Baron of Kendal. Not much is known about Gilbert and the most significant thing that he did was to father the next in line of our lineage.

William FitzGilbert de Lancaster, I, 5th Baron of Kendal, was born circa 1109, probably at Kendal, Westmoreland, England. He died circa 1170 at the same location of his birth. He married twice. His first wife is unknown, but his second marriage was to Gundred de Warenne, Countess of Warwick with whom he had five children. William was the Lord of Lancaster Castle and according to at least one document, he was known as William de Tailboys (de Taillebois) as a young man. He later became "William de Lancaster, baron of Kendal" taking for himself the name of his castle. One prominent historian notes that William received permission from King Henry II to change his name to Lancaster. This begins the line of the Lancaster family. (Source: Monasticon Anglicanum: a history of the abbies and other monasteries, hospitals, frieries, and cathedral and collegiate churches, with their dependencies, in England. . . ., by Sir William Dugdale, London, 1849)

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Next in line is William ll de Lancaster, 6th Baron of Kendal, born circa 1150 at Kendal Castle, Westmoreland, England. He died in 1184, at 34 years of age, at Barton, Westmoreland and was buried at Furness Abbey in Cumbria. William married Helewise de Stuteville, the daughter of Robert de Stuteville IV, Sheriff of Yorkshire and Lord of Cottingham. William and Helewise had four children.

William is also noteworthy as the last true Baron of the whole of the Barony of Kendal. After his death, the Barony was divided between the husbands of his daughters. (Source: Records Relating To the Barony of Kendale, Volume 3, ed. John F Curwen, 1926)

Lancaster Castle

Lawrence FitzWilliam de Lancaster was born circa 1190 and died in 1260 at Bywell, Northumberland.

He was the husband of one of the daughters of William and Helewise. As a young man he was also known as Lawrence Lawesson but adopted the name de Lancaster after his marriage. Little is else is known about Lawrence Lawesson other than his name, that he had at least one son Thomas Lawesson, and that he died in 1260 at Bywell, Northumberland County. Bywell is located about 15 miles west of Newcastle-on-Tyne and 20 miles southwest of Cramlington. We also know that Lawrence married into one of the most prominent families in northern England with extensive land holdings including those in Northumberland that have important connections to the Lawson family. Lawrence Lawesson links the Taillebois/Lancaster/Lawesson line with Lawson family of Cramlington.

At this point we reach a crucial point in our lineage with the near simultaneous appearances of John Lawson of Cramlington (1135) mentioned previously and Lawrence Lawesson (1190-1260). Both men's lives overlap, they have the same last name, they lived no more than 20 miles from each other and they both are from a family of a prominent stature. All of which creates a strong possibility that John and Lawrence are related and most likely that John is the father of Lawrence.

After John Lawson and Lawrence Lawesson we enter the dark ages of Lawson family history. For a period of almost 200 years and 7 generations we know little about our descendants other than who they are and that they all lived in the area of Bywell, Northumberland County.

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A quick look at the period from 1250 to 1489 may tell us why if we examine the major historical events that affecting the lives of these ancestors. This is a time when the Plantagenet/Angevin kings ruled an empire that included England, Ireland and most of France.

Lawrence Lawesson lived at the time of, and indeed may have been one of the English barons that forced King John to sign the Magna Carta, defining noble rights and privileges and limiting the powers of the king. Succeeding years saw continuing conflict between the more independent minded barons and the King. Then in 1297, William Wallace leads a revolt of Scots demanding freedom from English rule. Battles rage back and forth across the border until Wallace is captured and killed.

Ultimately, Robert the Bruce rallies the Scots, defeats a much larger English army at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, and re-establishes an independent Scottish kingdom. Devastating Scottish raids continued throughout northern England. For years our Lawson ancestors were either hunkered down defending their estates, fighting with or for kings, or maintaining a delicate negotiated peace with all sides. Despite defeat at Bannockburn and the capture of the northernmost English stronghold at Berwick in 1318, Edward II refused to renounce his claim to Scotland. Conflict continued along the Scottish border until 1327, when the English deposed Edward II in favor of his son, Edward III, who renounced all claims to sovereignty over Scotland.

Next in 1337, the Hundred Years' War with France begins and lasts until 1453. It was fought between England and France and was a series of battles with long periods of peace in between. It began when King Edward III, claimed that he was the rightful heir to the French crown. Instead of Edward, the French made Philip VI their king. When King Philip seized control of Aquitaine from the English in 1337, King Edward III decided to invade France. Other disputes between the countries including control of the valuable wool trade, disputes over land, and French support of Scotland, kept fighting going for over one hundred years. Lawson barons and knights would have been called upon to support the King's wars.

Throughout the Hundred Years War both England and France are ravaged by years of The Black Death (bubonic plague) that kills millions of people in England and France. Finally, in 1453, the Hundred Years War ends. Inspired by Joan of Arc's leadership and sacrifice, the French ultimately push the English army out of France.

Vassal Knights and Feudal Barony In the kingdom of England, a feudal barony or barony by tenure was the highest degree of feudal land tenure. In addition to land, these barons had certain duties and privileges which cannot be defined exactly as each was negotiated separately with the king. But for the most part they involved the duty of providing soldiers for the royal army on demand by the king, and the privilege of attendance at the king's court, the precursor of parliament.

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William the Conqueror established his favored followers as barons with large fiefdoms. Such barons were not necessarily always from the greater Norman nobles, but were selected often on account of their personal abilities and usefulness. Lands forming a barony were often located in several different counties, not necessarily adjoining. The name of a barony was generally the name of the chief manor or residence within it. The date of creation of most feudal baronies cannot be determined, as their founding charters have been lost. However, many are first recorded in the Domesday Book survey of 1086.

MONARCHS OF ENGLAND - TO 1714

The feudal obligation imposed by the grant of a barony was termed in Latin the servitium debitum or "service owed" and was set as a quota of knights to be provided for the king's service. It bore no correlation to the amount of land of the barony, but was fixed by a bargain between the king and the baron. It was at the discretion of the baron as to how these knights were found. The usual method was for the baron to split his barony into several fiefs of 100 to 1,000 acres. Each fief was then granted to a knight by the tenure of knightservice. This tenure gave the knight use of the fief and all its revenues, on condition that he should provide to the baron, now his overlord, 40 days of military service, complete with retinue of esquires, horses and armor. These fiefs were known as a knight's fee. Alternatively a baron could keep the entire barony, or a large part of it, under his own management and use the revenues it produced to buy the services of mercenary knights.

Some ancestors of the Lawson family were among the early Norman barons, but our early Lawson ancestors were also knights holding fiefs in service to a baron. As we look back at the history of these Lawsons, we need to understand what was going on in Northern England and southern Scotland in the 100 years following William of Normandy's conquest of England.

House of Wessex St Edward the Confessor (1042–1066) Harold Godwinson (1066) Normans William the Conqueror (1066–1087) William II (1087–1100) Henry I (1100–1135) Stephen (1135–1154) Angevins Empress Matilda (1141) Henry II (1154–1189) Richard I, the Lionheart (1189–1199) John (1199–1216) Henry III (1216–1272) Edward I (1272–1307) Edward II (1307–1327) (deposed) Edward III (1327–1377) Richard II (1377–1399) (deposed, died 1400) Lancastrians Henry IV (1399–1413) Henry V (1413–1422) Henry VI (1422–1461 and 1470–1471) Yorkists Edward IV (1461–1470 and 1471–1483) Edward V (uncrowned) (deposed 1483, possibly assassinated) Richard III (1483–1485) Tudors Henry VII (1485–1509) Henry VIII (1509–1547) Edward VI (1547–1553) Jane (uncrowned) (1553) (deposed, beheaded 1554) Mary I (1553–1558) Elizabeth I (1558–1603) Stuarts (also Kings of Scotland) James I (1603–1625 Charles I (1625–1649), also King of Scotland Interregnum (Civil War 1642-1652 - King vs Parliament) Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector (1649-1658) Richard Cromwell, Lord Protector (1658-1660).

Stuarts (restored) Charles II (1660–1685 James II (1685–1688) (deposed, died 1701 William III (1689–1702) and Mary II (1689–1694), co-monarchs Anne (1702–1714)

For the most part the early 12th century was relatively peaceful between England and Scotland. This was 200 years before the Scottish revolts of Wallace and Bruce. The environment was favorable for Norman settlement in the north. Border security was less of a concern for English kings who might have otherwise commanded powerful lords to hold the frontier. Instead, the boundaries of the new northern baronies were much larger than usual which created incentives for settlement and pacification in the new northern counties. Indeed, for the most part the barons of the north were not among the leading lords or royal officials. Many, if not most, including the Lawsons, had cross border interests.

As we examine the border relations between England and Scotland, we begin with David, son of Malcom III and 21st in the line of ancient Kings of Scotland. David was first the Prince of the Cumbrians from 1113 to 1124 and later King of the Scots from 1124 to 1153. He spent most of his childhood in Scotland, but was exiled to England temporarily in 1093, when his uncle became the King of Scots and later would spend more time in the English court.

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While in England he became a friend of future English King Henry I, the fourth son of William the Conqueror. On William's death in 1087, Henry's elder brothers Robert Curthose and William Rufus inherited Normandy and England, respectively, leaving Henry landless until he purchased the Cotentin peninsula in western Normandy from Robert. For many years the brothers fought with each other until William died in a hunting accident in 1100, and Henry seized the English throne.

King Henry I reigned from 1100 to his death in 1135. Soon after he was crowned King, Henry married Matilda of Scotland, daughter of Maclom III and a sister of David. This marriage made David the brother-in-law of the ruler of England and David quickly became an important figure at the English court where he came under the influence of Anglo-French culture. William of Malmesbury wrote that it was in this period that David "rubbed off all tarnish of Scottish barbarity through being polished by intercourse and friendship with us".

In 1124, David's brother King Alexander I died and with the support of English King Henry I, David became King of Scotland (1124-1153). David soon married Maude, the daughter of the Earl of Northumbria who was the last of the major Anglo-Saxon earls to retain power after the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

Maude's mother was also the niece of William the Conqueror. Through this marriage, David gained control over his wife's vast estates in northern England, in addition to his Scottish lands.

Many historians designate the time of his reign as the "Davidian Revolution", with major changes in Scotland that included the foundation of burghs and regional markets, implementation of the ideals of Gregorian Reform, foundation of monasteries, a Scottish government based on the Norman model, and the introduction of feudalism through immigrant French and Anglo-French knights. This latter is important to the history of the Lawsons as they were among the vassel knights who helped settle northern England and southern Scotland. Over time these Lawson descendants branch our lineage into several major lines that eventually form the Lawson Baronets in England and Scotland.

Lawson Baronets in England:

Lawson Baronets in Scotland:

In Northumberland county: Lawson of Cramlington (origin of Lawson Baronets) Lawson Baronet of Longhirst (branch of Brough Hall)

In Peebles county: Lawson Baronet of Boghall and Cairnmuir In Haddington county: Lawson Baronet of Humbie and Hartside

In York county: Lawson Baronet of Brough Hall, later the Howard-Lawson Baronet of Brough Hall Lawson Baronet of Weetwood Grange Lawson Baronet of Knavesmire Lodge

Edinburgh county: Lawson Baronet of Hairiggs (Lord Provost 1863)

In Durham county: Lawson Baronet of Nesham Abbey In Cumberland county: Lawson Baronet of Isell Lawson Baronet of Brayton Hall (Source: General Amory of England, Scotland, . . . . a registry of the armorial bearings from the earliest times to the present time, by Sir Bernard Burke, London, 1884)

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Lawson Baronets in England Lawsons of Cramlington and Bywell Cramlington is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, 9 miles north of Newcastle upon Tyne. From the 12th century onwards, its history has been mostly rural, incorporating several farms and the parish church of St. Nicholas. During the early 19th century, coal mining brought industry and more people.

The name Cramlington suggests a probable founding by Danes or Anglo-Saxons. The first record of the Manor of Cramlington is in 1135 when the land was granted to Nicholas de Grenville in a charter witnessed by John Lawson of Cramlington. The original village developed around the manor house and chapel, dedicated to Saint Nicholas. The register of the early chaplains begins with "John the Clerk of Cramlington", in the early 12th century. This register has been continued to the present day. This John the Clerk is most likely John Lawson of Cramlington. Today, John the Clerk of Cramlington is the name of a pub located at Low Main Place in Cramlington, Northumberland.

The village of Bywell is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne about 10 miles from Newcastle upon Tyne and less than 20 miles from Cramlington. Bywell has existed since the 9th century but there is almost no recorded history before the 1400s. Bywell Castle, now a ruins, is said to be based on a castle founded by Guy de Balliol (more about him later) soon after 1094 and is mentioned in 1122. The earliest reference to Bywell Castle is in 1464, when Henry VI fled there after the battle of Hexham. He found shelter for only a short time, since it was quickly surrendered to the victorious Lord Montague. Montague found the King's sword, helmet and crown and the trappings of a horse left behind as Henry abruptly had to flee for his life.

Given the close proximity of Cramlington and Bywell to Newcastle-upon-Tyne it is not surprising to both villages and the Lawson family are influenced by the events and circumstances of the city. The history of Newcastle upon Tyne dates back almost 2,000 years, during which it has been controlled by the Romans, the Angles and the Norsemen amongst others. Originally known by its Roman name Pons Aelius, the name "Newcastle" has been used since the Norman conquest of England. Due to its prime location on the River Tyne, the town developed greatly during the Middle Ages as a trading hub.

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The first recorded settlement in what is now Newcastle was Pons Aelius (Hadrian's bridge), a Roman fort and bridge across the River Tyne named after the Roman Emperor Hadrian, who founded it circa 120 AD. The Romans also built Hadrian's Wall which stretched across northern England from Newcastle to the west coast. Fragments of Hadrian's Wall are still visible in parts of Newcastle. The settlement of Cramlington is slightly north of the wall and Bywell is only a few hundred yards south of the wall.

After the Roman departure from Britain, completed in 410, Newcastle became part of the powerful Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria, that covered most of norttheastern England and Scotland up to Endinburgh. After the Norman Conquest, Robert Curthose, son of William the Conqueror, erected a wooden castle there in the year 1080 because of the strategic importance of the site. The town was henceforth known as Novum Castellum or New Castle. The wooden structure was replaced by a stone castle in 1087. The castle was rebuilt again in 1172 during the reign of Henry II. Much of the keep which can be seen in the city today dates from this period. (Sources: Britannia, the Roman Conquest and Occupation of Britain, by George Patrick Welch, Wesleyan University Press, 1963; and, Origins of (the) New Castle upon Tyne,

by Graham Dodds, Newcastle University, 2015)

Throughout the Middle Ages, Newcastle was England's northern fortress, first incorporated by a charter from Henry II (1133-1189). A 25-foot high stone wall was built around the town in the 13th century, to defend it from invaders during the border wars against Scotland.

Peace between England and Scotland in the early 12th century created an environment more favorable to Norman settlers in the far north of England than before. Guy de Balliol and William de Percy were the two dominant Norman barons who were granted extensive lands in northern England circa 1090 by King William Rufus, as part the carve-up of the earldom of Northumberland into the earldoms of York and Northumberland, with much land going to the prince-bishopric of Durham. According to historian Frank Barlow, these families originated in the reign of William the Conqueror and were "planted ... in the frontier areas in order to protect and advance the kingdom". Historian Geoffrey Stell said that the northern territories were given "almost certainly in return for support rendered in William's campaigns on the eastern frontier of Normandy in 1091 and 1094". Both the Baliol and Percy families would go on to play a large role in the history of both England and Scotland. Indeed, Scottish affairs were often of more concern than those in England. (Sources: William Rufus, by Frank Barlow, New Haven, 2000; and, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Balliol, Bernard de, by G. P. Stell, Oxford University Press, 2004)

The northern earls also created many new lordships, especially in the vicinity of today's city of Newcastle upon Tyne. Among these were: Gilbert of Newcastle, William de Merlay, and Nicholas de Grenville, among others. Many of these families also had cross border links. (Sources: Red Book of the Exchequer, 3 vols., ed. H. Hall, 1896; England and Her Neighbors 1066-1453, Essays in Honor of Pierre Chaplais, edited by Michael Jones and Malcolm Vale, Hamledon Press, London, 1989; Cramlington Through the Ages, by Alf Smith, 1994; and, John The Clerk of Cramlington, by J.D. Wetherspoon, 2015)

The descendants of John Lawson of Cramlington (1135) and Lawrence Lawesson de Lancaster of Bywell (1190-1260) were born and for the most part lived their lives in the northern most English county of Northumberland. Bywell and Cramilington are less than 20 miles apart and less than 70 miles from the Scottish border. While we can identify the villages of Bywell and Cramlington as separate today, 800 years ago they were most likely part of one large Old postcard of Cramlington in early 1900s

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feudal estate, with the Lawsons holding Knight-service. Knight-service was a form of feudal land tenure under which a knight held a fief or estate of land termed a knight's fee (fee being synonymous with fief) from an overlord conditional on him as tenant performing military service for his lord. From these earliest Lawsons we can trace our line to the Baronets of England.

John Lawson, chaplain/clerk of Cramlington (1135). His son is likely Lawrence who follows.

Lawrence Lawesson de Lancaster of Bywell, Northumberland (1190-1260). Married the daughter (name unknown) of the 6th Baron of Kendal and inherited part of the Barony. His son is likely John who follows: John Lawson (Lawesson), of Bywell, Northumberland (circa 1216-circa 1272). Lived during the reign of Henry III who granted John the title of Lord Fawlesgrave and estates in Yorkshire. (Source: Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. by Mark Anthony Lowe, London: John Russel Smith, 1860) (Note: Almost all Lawson histories and genealogies state that our ancestors descend from John Lawson, Lord Fawlesgrave but they then fail to accurately place him on family trees and lists. Since all sources note he lived during the reign of Henry III, his placement here in this sequence is accurate.)

Thomas Lawesson of Bywell, Northumberland (also known as Thomas FitzLawrence de Lancaster) (1250-???). Was a gentleman who lived as a contemporary to King John. His son follows: Ralph Lawesson of Bywell, Northumberland (1275-???). Ralph was a defendant in a plea of trespass during the time of Henry III and was called Ralph fil (son of) Thomas Lawesson. Ralph married a woman named Alina and they had two children: a daughter named Mary Lawesson and a son who follows: Robert Lawesson of Bywell, Northumberland (1300-???). His son follows: Thomas Lawesson of Bywell, Northumberland (1325-???). Alive during the reigns of Edward II and Edward III. Thomas had at least three children: John Laweson, Robert Lawson and William Lawson.

With Robert and William we have the first correct spelling of the last name Lawson since John Lawson of Cramlington in 1135. His son John follows: John Lawson of Bywell, Northumberland (1345-1386). In 1374, he was a defendant in a claim

by William de Akrigg and Margaret his wife of messuage (a dwelling house with outbuildings and land assigned to its use), land etc. in Sedburgh. John Lawson was a witness to a deed of Robert de Insula in 1374 and was a juror at Corbridge (near Bywell). He had two sons: Gilbert Lawson and John who follows:

Cramlington Hall

John Lawson of Bywell, Northumberland (circa 1360-circa 1400) was witness to a deed of Walter de Tindall dated 1374 and was Executor to his father's will in 1386. His son William follows:

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William Lawson of Cramlington (circa 1400-1480). He lived during the reign of Henry VI of England (1421-71) and in 1425, he married Agnes Cramlington (1407-1466), daughter of William Cramlington.

On the death of Agnes' father, she inherited the manor of Cramlington and at that time William Lawson added "of Cramlington" to his name. William Lawson and Agnes Cramlington had the following children: Sir Thomas Lawson, Wiliam Lawson of Cramlington, John Lawson, Richard Lawson, and George Lawson living at Bywell, Northumberland in 1458.

Thomas Lawson, of Bywell, Northumberland (circa 1440-1489). He was born circa 1440 in Bywell and died in 1489 and was buried in Cramlington. Again we note the proximity of Bywell and Cramlington (20 miles apart) which leads to our assertion that the Lawsons of Bywell and Cramlington are the same family. Thomas married Isabella Killinghall and they had two children, a daughter Margaret Lawson and son Robert who follows.

(Authors note: Several genealogists record a legend that Sir Thomas Lawson was a Knight at the Battle of Agincourt with Sir John Neville.

This is one of the greatest English victories in the Hundred Years' War. This battle took place in 1415 in northern France. England's unexpected victory against a numerically superior French army boosted English morale and prestige, crippled France, and started a new period in the war during which the English began enjoying great military successes. It is said that Sir Thomas Lawson was knighted and awarded estates in Yorkshire by King Edward III. I have not been able to find any confirming record of this and it cannot be correct because of inconsistencies in the dates. The Battle of Agincourt took place in 1415; the reign of Edward III was 1327–1377; Thomas Lawson was born in 1440; Sir John Neville was not at Agincourt; and the Lawson estates in Yorkshire were awarded to John Lawson, Lord Fawlesgrave in the 1200s by King Henry III. It is much more likely that Thomas Lawson fought with Sir John Neville in the civil war between the Lancastrians and Yorkists to control the throne of England. The only Lawson who could have fought at Agincourt would be William Lawson the father of Thomas. William would have been 15 or 20 years old at the time. Another often repeated error lists Agnes Cramlington as the wife of Thomas but she is his mother.)

Painting of Battle of Agincourt

Robert Lawson of Bywell, Northumberland (circa 1460-circa1540). He was living in the time of King Henry VI (1422-1461). Robert married Anne of Bywell (last name is unknown) and he also had a second wife (name unknown). Robert had three children: a daughter Joan Lawson and two sons (half brothers) John Lawson and his oldest son and heir William who follows: William Lawson, of Cramlington, Northumberland (circa 1480-1518). He was born circa 1480 at Cramlington and he died in 1518 at Newscastle-On-Tyne. William married Anne Horsley daughter of Richard Horsley a prominent citizen of Thernham, Northumberland and the couple had seven children: Thomas Lawson who was the heir to the family estate in Cramlington; James Lawson, a Merchantadventurer and later the Mayor of Newcastle on Tyne, who is heir to the estate of Brough Hall and would eventually receive a grant from the Crown for Nesham Hall following the death of his sister; Robert Lawson who inherits the family estate of Longhirst; George Lawson, a prominent barrister who becomes the Lord Mayor of York and Treasurer of Berwick; Joan Lawson who becomes Prioress of Nesham Abbey which was probably founded and funded by her father; and, Barbara Lawson and Agnes Lawson about whom little is known.

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From this point on the Lawson lineage divides into several major lines that will eventually form the Lawson Baronets in England. o o o o o o o o

Lawsons of Bywell and Cramlington descend from Thomas Lawson Lawsons of Brough Hall descend from James Lawson, merchant and mayor of Newcastle Lawsons of Longhirst descend from Robert Lawson Lawsons of Nesham Abbey/Nesham Manor descend from Joan the Prioress of Nesham Abbey whose monastery estates are seized by the Crown and then sold to her brother James Lawson.

Lawsons of Isell and Brayton Hall Lawsons of Weetwood Grange Lawsons of Knavesmire Lodge Lawson Lords were also the Mayors of York and Leeds, influential members of Parliament and local leaders in Yorkshire.

From these may come the Lawson Baronets of Scotland that we will examine later in this work.

There have been six baronetcies created for persons with the surname of Lawson, two in the Baronetage of England and four in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. King James I created the hereditary Order of Baronets in England in 1611. The Baronetage of England comprises all baronetcies created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, it was replaced by the Baronetage of Great Britain which in turn was replaced in 1801 by the Baronetage of the United Kingdom.

The two earliest Lawson baronets were created in the 1600s: the baronet of Brough Hall (1665) and the baronet of Isell (1688). The later Lawson baronets are: the baronet of Brayton (1831), the 2nd baronet of Brough Hall (recreated after a period of dormancy in 1841), the baronet of Westwood Grange (1900), and the baronet of Knavesmire Lodge (1905).

The Lawson Baronets of Brough Hall (1665 creation) are:  Sir John Lawson, 1st Baronet (1627–1698)  Sir Henry Lawson, 2nd Baronet (1663–1720)  Sir John Lawson, 3rd Baronet (1689–1739)  Sir Henry Lawson, 4th Baronet (1712–1781)  Sir John Lawson, 5th Baronet (1744–1811)  Sir Henry Lawson, 6th Baronet (1750–1834) The estate of Brough Hall existed long before the title Baronet of Brough Hall was created. In fact, this property came to the Lawsons through the marriage in 1568 of Sir Ralph Lawson to Elizabeth Brough. Sir Ralph Lawson is a descendant of the Bywell/Cramlington Lawsons. Elizabeth Brough inherited Brough Hall in Yorkshire from her father Roger Brough.

Brough Hall

Brough (pronounced Broog) was originally written de Breux. In the 12th century, it was changed to de Burgh (sometimes de Burg). It means "stronghold", coming from the Roman ruins discovered in a field which is now called "The Burrs" at Brough. An old Roman Road ran through the place extending on to Lincolnshire.

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The de Burgh Family came over with William the Conqueror. One branch became the Earl of Ulster, marrying into the Plantaganets and eventually furnished a king. The other branch stemmed from the man who was one of the signers of the Magna Carta at Runneymeade.

The Lawsons were for generations seated in the vicinity of Bywell and Cramlington in Northumberland, then at Brough Hall, Yorkshire.

The Lawson Baronet of Brough Hall in the County of York, was created in 1665 in the Baronetage of England for John Lawson, of Brough Hall. After the death of the sixth Baronet in 1834, the title became extinct and his estates were divided but the Brough Hall estate remained in the family and the Baronetcy was later revived in 1841. The manor at Lartington Hall passed to his nephew Henry Thomas Maire (Silvertop) Witham, son of his sister Catherine. The Brough Hall manor passed to his great-nephew, in whose favor the baronetcy was later revived in 1841.

Brough is a village in northern most Yorkshire near the border with Durham. Brough Hall is a country manor house which has now been converted to apartments. It was originally built in the 1400s but has been altered and extended several times since then. Brough Hall is today a Grade I listed historic property (for buildings of exceptional interest).

The former Roman Catholic Church of St Paulinus on the grounds of Brough Hall was built for the recusant William Lawson and is a Grade II listed historic building (particularly important buildings of more than special interest). The term "recusant", derived from the Latin recusare (to refuse or make an objection) referred to those who remained loyal to the pope and the Roman Catholic Church and who did not attend Church of England services.

Church of St Paulinus

The Brough Hall baronetcy included Lartington Hall in county Durham to the north of York. Lartington Hall is a 17thcentury country house, at Lartington, Teesdale, County Durham, England. It is a Grade II listed building (particularly important buildings of more than special interest). The Roman Catholic family of Maire acquired the manor of Lartington by marriage in 1654. It passed to the Lawson family when Sir Henry Lawson Baronet of Brough Hall married Anna Anastasia, the Maire heiress. Their grandson Henry Thomas Maire Silvertop inherited the estate and then married Eliza Witham and changed his surname to Witham.

As Henry Witham he was High Sheriff of Durham in 1844. His fourth son Right Reverend Monsignor Thomas Edward Witham lived in the Hall from 1847 until his death in 1897 when the estate passed to his grandnephew

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Lartington Hall

Francis Silvertop of Minsteracres who sold it out of the family in 1911. In 2011, Lartington Hall was purchased and extensively restored. Lartington Hall is now available as a luxury, high end, exclusive hire venue.

The Lawson Baronets of Brough Hall (2nd creation of1841) are:  Sir William Lawson, 1st Baronet (1796–1865)  Sir John Lawson, 2nd Baronet (1829–1910)  Sir Henry Joseph Lawson, 3rd Baronet (1877–1947)  Sir Ralph Henry Lawson, 4th Baronet (1905–1975)  Sir William Howard Lawson, 5th Baronet (1907–1990)  Sir John Philip Howard-Lawson, 6th Baronet (born 1934)  The heir is Sir John's son, Philip William Howard From 1834 to 1841, the Lawson Baronet was dormant. It was restored in 1841 for William Lawson and became known as the Lawson (later Howard-Lawson) Baronet of Brough Hall (2nd Creation). Born William Wright, he was the son of John Wright, of Kelvedon, by Elizabeth Lawson, daughter of the 5th Baronet of the original 1665 line. John Wright assumed his mother's surname rather than use his own patronymic. Elizabeth Lawson, had earlier inherited the Lawson family seat of Brough Hall. Their grandson, Sir Henry Lawson the 3rd Baronet of the restored line, married Ursula Mary Howard in 1899. She was the only living heir of Sir Philip John Canning Howard, of Corby Castle, Cumberland, a descendant of Sir Francis Howard, son of Lord William Howard, third son of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk.

Corby Castle

On the death in 1975 of the 4th Baronet, Sir Ralph Henry Lawson, the estate of Brough Hall was left to his two daughters, Valerie Lawson Worthington and Jill Lawson. The title of Baronet of Brough Hall passed to his younger brother William Lawson, 5th Baronet of the restored line, who moved his seat to Corby Castle, Cumbria, ancestral home of the Howard family. This 5th Baronet was a Deputy Lieutenant of Cumbria. Later, in 1962, the 6th Baronet obtained a Royal License to assume the Howard name and arms but later resumed use of the Lawson name in 1992. In 1994, the 6th Baronet sold Corby Castle to Lord Ballyedmond. Then in 2010, Philip Howard sued his father Sir John Philip Howard-Lawson the 6th Baronet, for unlawfully selling the ancestral home of Corby Castle. Howard claimed his father defaulted on terms of the 1934 will of his great-grandfather, Sir Philip John Canning Howard, that said his heirs must change their name to Howard and apply to adopt the family coat of arms within a year in order to inherit, and that consequently he, Philip Howard, was the heir by default and the rightful owner of the proceeds of the castle sale. In 2012 the suit was rejected by the original court and again on appeal.

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The Lawson Lords of Longhirst  Robert Lawson, (1600)  Robert Lawson, (1622)  William Lawson, (1652)  John Lawson, (1679)  William Lawson, (1684)  John Lawson, (1769)  William Lawson, (1775-1855), Gentleman Magistrate and Deputy Lieutenant, Northumberland  William John Lawson, (1822-1859), who died at age 37 in Pau, France, after a lingering illness.  Reverend Edward Lawson, (1824-1882), Vicar of Bothal  William Edward Lawson, (1855-1944) Longhirst is a village and ecclesiastical parish 10 miles north of Cramlington and 3 miles from the ancient market town of Morpeth on the river Wansbeck. From the Norman Conquest till 1875 the township was in the medieval Norman or Saxon parish of Bothal. Several building associated with the Lawson family dominate Longhirst.

The Church of St. John the Evangelist in Longhirst was built in 1876. It was commissioned and paid for by local landowners, the Lawson family of Longhirst Hall, who gave the church to the village under the direction of the late Rev. Edward Lawson, the vicar of Bothal (1859-61). This church is a stone building consisting of chancel, nave of four bays, south aisle, transepts and a western tower with octagonal spire containing 6 bells, which form a carillon. The nave has an open timbered roof, and the arcades are supported by clustered granite columns. An elaborately carved reredos (an ornamental screen covering the back of an altar) was erected by parishioners and friends as a memorial to the Rev. Edward Lawson who died in 1882. The east and west windows are stained glass and there is a prominent brass eagle lectern. The church has seats for 360 people. At the entrance to the churchyard is a lych gate of stone with a timber roof, erected in 1885 by the children of the late Rev. Edward Lawson as a memorial to their father. Many churches have a lych gate built over the main entrance to the enclosed area around the church. The name, also spelled lich or lytch, is from the Anglo Saxon "lich" meaning corpse. The gate marks the division between consecrated and unconsecrated ground, where coffin bearers sheltered while waiting for the clergyman to lead the procession before a burial.

Another building in the village is the National School built of stone in 1870 by the late Rev, Edward Lawson to educate local children.

Longhirst Hall is a mansion standing in a park of about 40 acres. The total area of the estate today is 1,769 acres. Today this imposing country house is enjoying a renaissance after a spell in the doldrums.

Longhirst Hall, at Morpeth, has been divided into four luxury properties along with several newly built townhomes on its grounds. The centrepiece of the development is Longhirst Hall itself, boasting the 29

original main entrance, a pedimented portico suspended on giant Corinthian columns which opens into an large central hall with Ionic columns, and a central glazed dome. The sweeping Imperial staircase on one end has a wrought-iron balustrade that wraps around the galleried first-floor landing. Above, the coffered dome is a direct replica of the Roman Pantheon.

Longhirst Hall was built between 1824-1828 for William Lawson, local landowner and member of a prosperous Northumberland farming family. The architect was John Dobson, one of the founders of the Gothic Revival style. William Lawson (1775-1855) lived at Longhirst until his death when the property passed to his eldest son, William John Lawson (1822-1859), who died at Pau, in the south of France, after a lingering illness. He was the custodian of Longhirst Hall for only four years.

By the death of his eldest brother, the Reverend Edward Lawson (1824-1882), succeeded to the family estates. He was a well educated man who served the church and for two years was the rector of Bothal. Edward qualified as a magistrate in 1861 and was responsible for working the coal found underneath the estate. He created the nearby model colliery village, built schools and had genuine regard for its inhabitants. Following his death in 1882, Longhirst Hall was inherited by his son, William Edward Lawson (1855-1944), who turned out to be the last of the family to live here. He did not to have had much interest in the house and would rent it to tenants.

The entrance lobby and stairway at Longhirst Hall

By 1887, Longhirst Hall and its 740 acres had fallen into disarray and was put up for sale. After a spirited competition it was bought by a Newcastle coal baron named James Joicey, who was one of the largest coal-producers in England.

After Joicey, there were several owners who again let the property deteriorate. For a time it was rented to Northumbria University. In 1992 it was bought by a private investment company who completed extensive renovations, combined with new facilities, to become a management training and conference center with a 77-bedroom country house hotel, popular as a wedding venue. The hotel closed in March 2014 after its parent company went bankrupt. Next, in 2015, Longhirst hall was sold for ÂŁ1.65 million to a real estate development company. Work started almost immediately to add an additional 28 luxury homes to the estate.

Longhirst Hall today is a magnificent Grade II listed country home surrounded by trees and open green spaces. The impressive mansion, with its extensive grounds has finally been restored to its former glory.

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The Lawsons of Nesham Abbey are:  Jone (Joan) Lawson, Prioress of Nesham Abbey (???-1557).  James Lawson, of Byker and Newcastle-upon-Tyne (circa 1500-1547)  Ralph (or George) Lawson of Newcastle & Nesham Abbey (circa 1546-1589)  Henry Lawson of Nesham Abbey (1547-1607)  James Lawson of Nesham Abbey (1568-1631)  James Lawson of Nesham Abbey (1624-1644) The priory/abbey of Nesham was built sometime before 1157 for the Benedictine order of nuns. It was located on the river Tees, near Stockburn, Durham on the border with Yorkshire. In all formal ecclesiastical documents the house is spoken of as a priory. In February, 1157, Pope Adrian IV confirmed the privileges of the monastery by a bull in which he spoke of it as already well established. The nunnery of Nesham was the only religious house within the limits of county Durham that stood independent of the powerful church and Bishop of Durham.

By the 1400s, the convent of Nesham Abbey held lands, a mill, houses, or rents in Neasham, Hurworth, Little Burdon, Shildon, Washington, Hutton, Bishop Auckland, Bishopton, Long Newton, Coniscliffe, Darlington, Hyndale, Windlestone, Sadberge, and Gateshead, in the county of Durham; and in Yarm, Skelton, and Ellingstring, in the county of York. However, the independence of the Abbey from the Bishop of Durham led to a deteriorating relationship. In 1436, the Bishop cited the prioress and nuns to appear before him and gave them strict injunctions as to their behavior. He laid special stress upon the observance of the canonical hours, the rule of silence, and the daily meeting of the sisters in the chapter-house. The nuns when not engaged in divine service, or at reflection, were to be occupied in reading, prayer, or meditation. The defects in the church, cloisters, and other buildings were to be made good before the following midsummer, and the chalices, jewels, and ornaments, then in the hands of sundry creditors, were to be redeemed. No secular person was to pass the night in the house, nor were the nuns, unless indisposed, to sleep elsewhere than in the dormitory; doors were to be shut at a certain hour; and the sisters were to hold no intercourse with secular persons, except for the service of the house and with the permission of the prioress.

By letters patent in 1537, King Henry VIII appointed "Jane (Jone) Lawson, prioress of the Order of St. Benet"' to be prioress of the priory of Neasham. Possibly foreseeing a coming storm that was the Dissolution of Monasteries in 1537, the prioress at once granted a lease of the possessions of the priory in Nesham to her brother, James Lawson, a merchant of Newcastle, under a rent of £2. Then In 1540, Prioress Jone (Joan) Lawson surrendered all of the Priory property to agents of the King and the priory/abbey was dissolved. Soon after, James Lawson purchased all of the lands and building of the priory/abbey for a consideration of £227 5s.

Jone Lawson survived the dissolution of her house some seventeen years probably living in one of the convent buildings possibly a tenant of her brother. Jone died in 1557 and the inventory of her will shows that she was a practical and successful farmer. The inventory includes land at Nesham and elsewhere, live-stock, and a quantity of corn, standing and in the barn. She left funds to four of her former nuns who were still living and to each one of her "god-bairns" in Hurworth.

In 1577, Henry Lawson acquired the estate known as Inglebie's Manor in Hurworth near Nesham. This property was owned by Robert Tailbois (Taillebois) a descendant of Ivo Taillebois. Since before the 1800s a house known as Nesham Abbey has sat on this site.

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The Lawson Baronets of Isell (1688 creation) are:  Sir Wilfred Lawson, the Grand Steward of Northumberland (1545-1632)  Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 1st Baronet (c. 1610–1688)  Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 2nd Baronet (1664–1704)  Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 3rd Baronet (1697–1737)  Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 4th Baronet (c. 1732–1739)  Sir Mordaunt Lawson, 5th Baronet (c. 1733–1743)  Sir Gilfrid Lawson, 6th Baronet (1675–1749)  Sir Alfred Lawson, 7th Baronet (died 1752)  Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 8th Baronet (c. 1707–1762)  Sir Gilfrid Lawson, 9th Baronet (c. 1710–1794)  Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 10th Baronet (c. 1764–1806) The Lawson Baronet of Isell in the County of Cumberland, was created in the Baronetage of England in 1688 for Wilfrid Lawson, Member of Parliament for Cumberland. The 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 8th Baronets were also Members of Parliament. The title became extinct on the death of the 10th Baronet in 1806, however, it was restored in 1831 as the Lawson baronet of Brayton Hall (see below).

Isel is a rural community, with a church, the manorial Isell Hall and several farms ranging from dairy to poultry, but lacking any shops, public house or post office. Isel Hall of the Lawson Baronet is an ancient residence on a steep rise on the bank of the River Derwent, near Bassenthwaite Lake (one of the largest lakes in the Lake District) and the ancient market town of Cockermouth. The estate was once the home of the Lawson family in Cumberland and is a grade I listed building (for buildings of exceptional interest).

Isell Hall

The Lawsons of Isell trace their ancestry to John Lawson, Lord Fawlesgrave. A long line of ancestors arrives at Sir Wilfred Lawson (1545–1632) who the Earl of Northumberland named the Grand Steward of all his estates. He was also the High Sheriff of Cumberland and was elected a Member of Parliament for Cumberland. He was knighted in 1604. Wilfred Lawson died childless in 1632 and was succeeded by his great nephew also Sir Wilfred Lawson and also a member of Parliament. In 1688, the second Sir Wilfred Lawson became the 1st Baronet of Isell when he purchased a baronet's patent from King James II. He also purchased the Brayton Hall estate. After his death, he left the family estate at Isel to his grandson Wilfred (son of his first son William), who became the 2nd Baronet of Isell; and to his 2nd son, also named Wilfred, he left the estate of Brayton Hall, founding the line of "Brayton" Lawsons.

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The Lawson Baronets of Brayton Hall (1831 creation) are:  Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 1st Baronet (1795–1867)  Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 2nd Baronet (1829–1906)  Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 3rd Baronet (1862–1937)  Sir Hilton Lawson, 4th Baronet (1895–1959) The Lawson Baronet of Brayton Hall in Cumberland, was created in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom in 1831 for Wilfred Lawson. The estate of Brayton was at one time part of the Baronet of Isell. Born Wilfred Wybergh, he obtained a Royal license to use the surname of Lawson in lieu of his patronymic. He was the son of the sister of the Sir Wilfrid Lawson, the 10th Baronet of Isell (see above). The 2nd and 3rd Baronets of Brayton Hall were both Members of Parliament. The title became extinct on the death of the 4th Baronet in 1959.

Brayton Hall circa 1900

At the time that the Lawsons acquired the Brayton Hall manorial estate it was comprised of 20 houses, 20 homesteads, 20 gardens, 260 acres of land, 100 acres of meadow, 200 acres of pasture and 300 acres of moor. Although there was an existing Manor House, this was greatly improved and the adjacent grounds were developed converting an existing deer park into a landscaped park with extensive botanical gardens with views of the surrounding countryside and the mountains of the Lake District in the background.

The Brayton Hall library, collected at a great expense, held books, prints, paintings, suits of armor and a rich collection of works on the subject of natural history.

Among the pictures were many of the best works of contemporary English masters. Ultimately, the Brayton Hall manor house was destroyed by fire in 1918 and is now only a ruin in Cumbria, England. Later owners built a nine-hole golf course, while continuing to allow fishing in the lake. The gardener’s cottage is now a The ruins of Brayton Hall restaurant.

The Lawson Baronets of Weetwood Grange are:  Sir Arthur Tredgold Lawson, 1st Baronet (1844–1915)  Sir Digby Lawson, 2nd Baronet (1880–1959)  Sir John Charles Arthur Digby Lawson, DSO, MC, 3rd Baronet (1912–2001)  Sir Charles John Patrick Lawson, 4th Baronet (born 1959)  heir apparent is Jack William Tremayne Lawson (born 1989), eldest son of the 4th Baronet.

The Lawson Baronet of Weetwood Grange (sometimes Westwood Grange) in Headingley-cum-Burley in the West Riding of the County of York, was created in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom in 1900 for philanthropy and services to industry by Arthur Lawson. Weetwood is an area between Headlingley and Meanwood in northwestern Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.

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The area's earliest name, Wetewode, means the wet wood to the west of Meanwood Beck. The main activities of the area were quarrying the sandstone which underlies it and charcoal burning and later iron smelting occurred from 1240 to 1550.

For most of this time the land was owned by Kirkstall monastery. Following the dissolution of the monasteries, the estate was privately held and the manor house, Weetwood Hall was built in 1625.

Weetwood Hall was taken over by the University of Leeds in 1919 and was a hall of residence until 1993. Weetwood Hall is now a luxury hotel and conference centre, which includes the original manor house. Weetwood Hall is a Grade II listed building (particularly important buildings of more than special interest).

Weetwood Hall

Fox Hill is the name of both a hill and a prominent manor hall built in 1863 within the Weetwood Grange baronet. It is now used as a school and is also a Grade II listed building. Weetwood Croft was another manor hall located on the grounds of the Weetwood Grange baronet. Built in 1898, Weetwood Croft is now a student residence of Leeds University known as Oxley Hall.

Fox Hill manor house

Weetwood Croft now Oxley Hall at Leeds University

Arthur Lawson, the first Baronet of Weetwood Grange was the Chairman of Fairbairn Lawson Combe Barbour Ltd, textile machinery manufacturers. This 1st Baronet was also a Director of the Great Eastern Railway and the Yorkshire Post. The 2nd Baronet, Sir Digby Lawson, was also Chairman of the manufacturing company.

The 3rd Baronet of Westwood Grange was Colonel Sir John Charles Arthur Digby Lawson. He served with the 11th Hussars and was considered by Montgomery "the best Squadron leader in the 8th Army".

In 1939, he was awarded the Military Cross for service with the Trans-Jordan Frontier Force and he later won the DSO at the battle of El Alamein and the subsequent advance to Tripoli.

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Colonel Sir John Lawson was born in 1912, at Tadcaster, Yorkshire, the eldest son of Sir Digby Lawson.

John was educated at Stowe and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and was commissioned into the 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) in 1933. With Hitler coming to power in Germany, the Army was mechanizing, and the 11th Hussars was issued Rolls-Royce armored cars while still retaining its cavalry.

In 1934, the 11th Hussars sailed to Egypt to join the Cairo garrison, and were soon involved in quelling riots in Palestine and patrolling the Egyptian frontier. From 1939 to 1940, Lawson served with the Trans-Jordan Frontier Force. He saw action against the Italians in the Western Desert, as second-incommand of B Squadron. After the Italians' collapse, Lawson returned to Cairo where he became second-in-command, and later Squadron commander.

In 1939, while on detachment to the Trans-Jordan Frontier Force (TJFF) at Beisan, Lawson, at 26 years old, was commanding a mixed Squadron of horse cavalry and mechanized infantry. His men were mostly Jordanians and Circassians, and Lawson was the only British officer. The TJFF had been formed to protect Jordan's frontiers, but by 1939 had acquired the additional role of protecting the BaghdadHaifa oil pipeline, and Jewish colonies, from attacks by dissident Arabs. Abudorra tribesmen from Syria would often cross the Jordan and hide in Arab villages before making these attacks. On one occasion Lawson, acting on information that a group of 12 raiders were in the area, led a troop of cavalry to round them up. As they crossed the valley below Beisan they came under heavy rifle fire, and Lawson gave the order to draw swords and charge. This action so surprised the enemy that they jumped to their feet and surrendered. This is believed to have been one of the last sabre charges carried out by the forces of the Crown. It was for this action, and for distinguished service with the Trans-Jordan Frontier Force, that Lawson was awarded his Military Cross.

By August 1942, Lawson was back with the 11th Hussars, commanding a squadron, at Moghra in the Western Desert. The Regiment was equipped with jeeps and armored cars, and was employed in a reconnaissance role but was under constant air attacks. During Montgomery's attack on Axis positions at El Alamein, Lawson provided important information about gaps in the surrounding minefields.

Two of his three other officers were killed and it was only due to his efforts under intense artillery fire that communications were maintained. During the pursuit of the Germans after the Battle of Alamein, Lawson's Squadron located elements of 21st Panzer Division which enabled 22nd Armoured Brigade to engage them successfully. Lawson also managed to lead troops through a German screen of anti-tank guns to capture 11 trucks and 150 Germans. As the advance continued a driving rain turned the desert into a quagmire but Lawson succeeded pushing forward and his Squadron was the first British troops to enter Benghazi. Lawson's Distinguished Service Order award notes his "exceptional ability and courage" during the advance from El Alamein to Tripoli.

After the fall of Tripoli, he was sent as a liaison officer to the US Army in Tunisia. Montgomery said: "I have picked Lawson because I wanted to send General Eisenhower the best Squadron Leader in the 8th Army." Lawson then served with the II corps, US Army, as an adviser and military observer; he was later awarded the US Legion of Merit.

Following the Axis surrender in Tunisia, Lawson went back to England and attended the Staff College.

He next went to America to attend the US Marine Corps Staff Course at Quantico. Originally destined for the Pacific with the 5th US Marine Division, he was ordered back to England at the last minute for the invasion of Europe, and was assigned to Montgomery's HQ as a liaison officer. He continued in this role until shortly before the Rhine crossings when he received a personal order from Montgomery to take command of the Inns of Court Armored Car Regiment. After crossing the Rhine, the regiment

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advanced rapidly, taking casualties from enemy bazookas and supporting troops until they reached the Kiel canal on the day that Germany surrendered.

Lawson and his regiment spent the next few months patrolling the Danish border. During this time the regiment acquired some racehorses from the Gestapo stables in Berlin, and Lawson was able to trace their breeding back to the Rothschilds' stables in France and made sure that they were returned to their rightful owners. In early 1946, the regiment was disbanded and Lawson returned to Britain in an Intelligence post at the War Office. Finally, he retired from the Army and moved to Belfast to work for the family firm, Fairbairn Lawson Combe Barbour, which made machinery for the textile industry worldwide. He rose to be chairman and chief executive, retiring in 1979, when he moved to Spain.

He married twice, first in 1945 to Rose Fiske (dissolved) and second in 1954 to Tresilla dePret Roose.

Colonel Sir John Charles Arthur Digby Lawson, 3rd Baronet of Westwood Grange, died aged 89, in 2001. Col. Lawson was survived by a son, Charles Lawson, born in 1959, who became the 4th baronet.

(Source: Daily Telegraph, December 14, 2001, obituary of Sir John Lawson, 3rd Baronet, of Westwood Grange)

The Lawson Baronets of Knavesmire Lodge are:  Sir John Grant Lawson, 1st Baronet (1856–1919)  Sir Peter Grant Lawson, 2nd Baronet (1903–197 The Lawson Baronet of Knavesmire Lodge in the City of York, was created in 1905 in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom for Sir John Grant Lawson, 1st Baronet (1856– 1919), a British Unionist politician. In 1892, Lawson was elected Member of Parliament for a division of the North Riding of Yorkshire. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board from 1900 to 1905. In 1905 he was created Baronet of Knavesmire Lodge in the County of York. He did not contest the 1906 general election and never returned to the House of Commons.

He died in 1919 and was succeeded by his son Peter Lawson, 2nd Baronet of Knavesmire. The title became extinct on the death of the second Baronet in 1973.

Knavesmire Lodge Manor is now a hotel in York.

Knavesmire Lodge Manor

The Lawson Lords of Yorkshire and Northumberland  Sir George Lawson, Lord Mayor of York and Treasurer of Berwick (circa 1493-1543)  George Lawson, Constable and Captain of Wark Castle  Admiral Sir John Lawson (1615–1665) Other Lawsons in the Northern English counties of Yorkshire and Northumberland were prominent knights or local politicians granted Lorships. Perhaps the earliest is Sir George Lawson, Lord Mayor Of York And Treasurer Of Berwick (1493-1543). For the last 15 years of his life George Lawson was the wealthiest and most powerful alderman of York who owed his ascendancy to his work for the crown.

Little is known about Lawson before 1513, when he was admitted to the Inner Temple, known officially as The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple. The Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To practice law in England and Wales, 36

an individual must belong to one of these Inns which provide legal training, selection, and regulation for members. The Temple, named after the Knights Templar, was a distinct society from at least 1388.

George Lawson emerges from the Inner Temple as a rising crown servant with responsibilities for garrison supply and fortifications at Berwick-upon-Tweed and Tournai. In 1514, he was deputy to the captain of Berwick and in 1515 he was made a master mason there. Later, in 1516 and again in 1519, George Lawson was at the city of Tournai in what is now Belgium on the King’s work. Tournai was captured in 1513 by Henry VIII of England, making it the only Belgian city ever to be ruled by England.

The city was handed back to French rule in 1519, but while under English rule it was administered by Sir William Blount, the 4th Baron Lord Mountjoy. Lawson's importance is revealed in 1516, when he left Tournai and Lord Mountjoy asked Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor of England (the King's chief adviser), to send him back ‘for he is old and wise, and hath good sight in such causes’. Lawson did return but only briefly as he would spent the rest of his life in the north of England.

Within a decade he established himself as a political handyman in Yorkshire and Northumberland. At Berwick he served as receiver, treasurer, master of the ordnance, customer and comptroller, bridgemaster, master carpenter and master mason. He then became prominent in Yorkshire, where in 1522, Sir George Lawson was one of the three richest laymen in York.

Lawson's rapid rise in York was largely due to his importance as a royal official. He came regularly to York since before 1523 to collect money for border defense, and maintained a house in the city. By 1525, he was the treasurer of the Duke of Richmond's household at Sheriff Hutton Castle in north Yorkshire. In 1527, he joined the merchants’ guild and was elected an alderman. In 1529, he was elected one of the city’s Members of Parliament and in 1530, was elected the Mayor of York.

Lawson was occasionally used by the city as an intermediary with Lord Cromwell (the King's adviser) with whom he had a close relationship and who often called upon Lawson to work for the crown.

Lawson was knighted in 1530 and began to figure even more prominently in county administration. In 1533, he was a commissioner for administering the oath of allegiance in Yorkshire. He also spent much of the year collecting money for the King's garrison.

Then in 1535, King Henry VIII separated from the Pope and the Catholic religion and made himself the supreme head of the church in his lands. One of his first actions was to impose taxes on the clergy.

Taxes traditionally paid by clerics to the Pope were now to be given to the King. To properly assess the new tax a survey of all church property and revenues was made. Sir George Lawson was the commissioner charged with compiling this survey, the valor ecclesiasticus, in Yorkshire.

Lawson was known for putting service to the government before solidarity with his colleagues, once writing to inform against three citizens of York, one a fellow-alderman, who had under-assessed themselves for taxes. His only setback during these years was his dismissal by the Duke of Richmond in 1534, a step which caused the King to command the Duke to continue to pay Lawson’s yearly fee.

In 1536 and 1537 a number of revolts against King Henry VIII took place in Northern England. These were collectively known as the "Pilgrimage of Grace". This uprising in Yorkshire followed an earlier revolt in Lincolnshire. "Commoners" made up the bulk of the rebels but some nobles were also in its ranks. A key feature of the Yorkshire rebels was that they were well led by Robert Aske, a lawyer from a prominent Yorkshire family. A skilled orator, Aske was also a very competent organizer. He wanted the rebellion to maintain the highest of standards so that no one could call them a rabble and to not frighten away other nobles from joining. It was Aske who deliberately coined the phrase "Pilgrimage of 37

Grace" to describe their actions. He believed that Pilgrimage would put a holy slant on the rebellion.

Aske wanted Henry to stop his attacks on the Church and the monasteries and return the country to following the Pope. He believed that Henry himself was not at fault as he was thought to be a decent and well-meaning king. But rather the blame was on ‘evil’ advisors, especially Thomas Cromwell, whom were believed to be polluting the king’s mind. Aske thought that once Henry saw the rebellion for what it was – a spiritual pilgrimage – he would revert to old policies and remove from power those who were misleading him. However, to reinforce that the rebels had the means to gain what they wanted, the "pilgrims" had a well-organized army.

The Pilgrimage of Grace put George Lawson in an awkward position. Many of the rebels were associates including his friends the noble Lords Darcy and Percy who would often stay at Lawson's house in Lendal, York. The evidence is unclear whether he actually sympathized with the rebels but when the crunch came he did not act like a determined supporter of the government.

Lawson and the mayor of York did write to the King asking for help, but only days later the Pilgrims were admitted into the city and Robert Aske went directly to stay at Lawson’s home and it was there that Darcy’s steward, Sir Thomas Percy and other rebel leaders all dined and perhaps lodged. All that is known of Lawson’s behavior at this stage is that he claimed that he was ill in bed and did not hear the rebel say at dinner in his house that Cromwell was a traitor.

Lawson also later attended a rebel council at Pontefract, where he again, perhaps conveniently, fell ill.

Then he led a York delegation to the Pilgrims’ meeting with the Duke of Norfolk and the Earl of Shrewsbury who King Henry had ordered to the north to confront the rebels. Norfolk came across as a sympathizer of the rebel demands and he persuaded them to disband while a deputation of rebels were escorted to London. The deputation of rebel envoys did not include any major leaders who remained behind to maintain their organization. However, Henry was a clever politician. He received the rebel demands – but failed to give a reply to them for several weeks. In this time he hoped that the rebel organization would start to show weaknesses. Henry then bought more time by asking the pilgrim envoys to clarify certain points that he failed to fully understand. He suggested that the leaders construct a clearly written and detailed set of demands. The rebel nobles met but the great majority in the rebellion, the commoners, were not invited. The rebel demands were presented to Norfolk and he agreed that if the rebels disbanded: 1) The king would received the demands.

2) A freely elected Parliament would discuss them.

3) All pilgrims would be pardoned for their part in the rebellion.

Aske and the other rebel leaders believed that they had won a great victory. Aske went to London to meet with Henry who had asked to be briefed about the feelings of the people so that any future problems could be avoided. Aske saw this as a sign that the king was a decent person. In fact, Henry was simply buying time. He had already determined that the north had to be taught a military lesson. However, he wanted from Aske as many names as was possible so that individuals could be brought to account.

Aske returned to Yorkshire where he became a vocal supporter of King Henry. Other rebels were suspicious that the promised pardon had yet to arrive. At the same time Norfolk was ordered to end the rebellion in whatever way he thought necessary and it was apparent that Henry would judge him by the way he put down the rebellion. Norfolk feared that Henry believed that he was sympathetic to the rebels and that now he needed to show above all else his loyalty to the king.

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By now the pilgrims were in disarray and with no chance of successfully fighting Norfolk’s army. The leaders of the Pilgrimage of Grace agreed to Henry’s order that they should come to London to answer questions. When they did, the main leaders were arrested and found guilty of treason. Most were executed in London but Aske was taken back to Yorkshire where he was executed. The defeat of the rebels showed the populace of England who held real power.

For Sir George Lawson, the King and his government decided to take no action against him. In fact Lawson writes letters to Cromwell protesting his loyalty and was reassured - enough so that Lawson boldly complains to Cromwell that for the first time he had received no New Year’s gift from the King.

Norfolk advised Cromwell that Lawson was both well thought of in Yorkshire and diligent in the King’s service, an opinion echoed six months later by the council in the north, which testified to his ability to keep order among the citizens of York and his skill as a repairer of the King’s northern castles. He was commissioned to repair Sheriff Hutton Castle and to survey others. By 1540, Lawson was himself a member of the council in the north.

Between 1537 and 1539 Lawson helped with the surrender of 29 religious houses in Durham, Nottinghamshire, Northumberland and Yorkshire. With Cromwell’s help he acquired leases of two of them, the Whitefriars at Newcastle and the Augustinian priory at York adjacent to his own house. He had already acquired an interest in two other York religious houses, as steward of St. Leonard’s hospital and bailiff of St. Mary’s Abbey in York. He may have turned the York priory to commercial use, because in 1540 another citizen complained to Cromwell that Lawson had recently built "a great new garner (granary) over against his house" and was intending to make malt on a large scale. In his last years, Lawson was still busy with northern administration, and complaining to Cromwell of his need for support in his old age. His final service was a great effort in 1542 to provision Berwick with enough bread and beer for an army against the Scots. Sir George Lawson died in February, 1543. No Will is known but he left significant estates. We know of at least two large land leases near York that he secured for his wife and sons at the instigation of Cromwell. (Sources: Complete baronetage, by George E. Cokayne, W. Pollard & Co.; Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage, (1990 edition). Charles Kidd and David Williamson (editors), New York, 1990; Leigh Rayment's list of baronets; Case summary: Howard v Howard–Lawson [2012] EWCA Civ 6 12 March 2012; Homes of Family Names in Great Britain (1890) by Henry Brougham Guppy; and, Daily Telegraph, December 14, 2001, obituary of Sir John Lawson, 3rd Baronet, of Westwood Grange)

One of the sons of George Lawson was also named George Lawson and in 1543 he continued the work of his father in preparing defense on the northern border. The younger George was Constable at Wark Castle and later in 1558 he was given command as Captain of Wark Castle. As Captain he was in charge of 500 men who were to defended Wark Castle at a time when tension between the reign of Elizabeth I and the de Guise regency of Scotland "made the safety of the border a matter of prime importance"

Illustration of Wark Castle 1500s

The ruin of Wark Castle sits today in Northumberland beside the river Tweed and is little more than a large rock and rubble mound. The site is less than 1000 feet from the Scottish border. The ruin is all that's left of the ancient motte and bailey castle of Wark, or as it was sometimes called the castle of "Carham" that was important to prevent the Scots from crossing the River Tweed. The castle originally had an unusual six sides and was five stories high overlooking the present day village of Wark. Wark Castle is largely regarded as a minor castle compared others but it still played a part in border history. Wark was attacked

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by King David I of Scots (1124-1153) on three separate occasions in 1126 when it was taken and held by the Scots for a short time. It was then besieged unsuccessfully by the Scots in 1138, and again in 1139, when the English used it as a base for retaliatory strikes into Scotland. Eventually the English garrison surrendered on the condition they could leave with their lives and possessions while the castle was destroyed. In 1157 Wark was rebuilt by King Henry II of England (1154-1189). But by 1216 it had again been destroyed by the Scots before being rebuilt again.

In 1349 a legendary event occurred at Wark Castle. King Edward III of England was attending a court ball at the castle and noticed that Lady Salisbury had dropped her garter. As he bend down to offer the garter back to the embarrassed Lady he saw some of his courtiers whisper and snigger. The King quickly put the garter on himself and rebuked them saying one day they would be honored to wear the garter. Thus, the Order of the Garter was established - today regarded as the most prestigious British order of chivalry.

Wark Castle continued to be a hub of English and Scottish fighting and changed hands repeatedly. In 1419, a force of only 23 English troops climbed into the castle through its sewage pipe and all the Scots were killed and their heads were put on stakes on the Castle's battlements as a warning to other Scots raiders.

Then, in 1513 the English invaded France and by the terms of the "Auld Alliance" between Scotland and France this was an act of war against Scotland. King James IV of Scotland invaded England with a large army and used a giant cannon called "Mons Meg" to bombard and capture Wark Castle. This was one month before the Battle of Flodden where the Scots army was destroyed and King James was killed. With a barrel diameter of 20 inches, Mons Meg at Edinburgh Castle today Mons Meg is one of the largest cannons in the world by caliber.

This medieval cannon was built by the French, given to Scotland in 1454, and was used repeatedly in castle sieges until the middle of the 16th century. Mons Meg is now on display at Edinburgh Castle.

Wark castle was quickly repaired by the English as an ideal location for mounting cavalry raids into Scotland. This became important in 1543 when the English failed through bribes to bring about the marriage of the infant Mary Queen of Scots (1542-1567) to the English Prince Edward. They then resorted to raids of fire and sword throughout Scotland from 1544 to 1549 to try and force the marriage. This period became known as the wars of the 'Rough Wooing'. Wark Castle along with several other English border keeps were used as bases to conduct these raids.

George Lawson was given command of Wark in 1543 largely to use skills learned from his father to repair and expand the castle and to organize and train the English border militia. It appears that once this work was done, he returned to York. Later in 1558, Lawson returned to Wark Castle to again restore the castle that had been extensively bombarded and stormed by the Scots and French armies under General Andre' de Montalbert, Sieur d'Esse'. The castle was breached with bloody hand to hand fighting. This was lamented in the words: "Auld Wark upon the Tweed Has been mony a man's deid"

In later years, Wark Castle was eventually abandoned with its stones used in the 1700's to build houses and walls in the nearby village.

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Lawsons in the English Navy Another important Lawson ancestor is a descendant of Lawsons of Yorkshire as well as James Lawson, the merchant adventurer of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Admiral Sir John Lawson (1615–1665) was the son of a merchant from Scarborough, Yorkshire, who became an English naval officer and republican. He was an anabaptist, a radical Protestant that advocated baptism and church membership of only adult believers and the separation of church and state. Despite his distinguished service record as a naval officer, he was always under suspicion for his political views.

John Lawson was originally the master of a collier (a coal carrying ship) that was probably one of the trading ships of his family. He publicly used the arms of the Lawsons of Longhirst in Northumberland and doubtless belonged to a branch of that family.

(Source: Le Neve's Pedigrees of the Knights, edited by George Marshall, 1873)

When the First English Civil War broke out in 1642 between royalists and republicans, Lawson offered his services to Parliament and was given command of the Covenant, an armed merchantman. He rose rapidly in the navy from 1642-1656: from ship commander, to squadron commander, to Rear-Admiral of England and then Vice-Admiral of England by 1653. In 1650, Lawson was appointed commander of the 40-gun Centurion in the North Sea. After supporting Oliver Cromwell's campaign in Scotland, he was sent to the Admiral Sir John Lawson by Sir Peter Lely Azores to join the pursuit of the navy of Prince Rupert in the Mediterranean. Although Rupert evaded them, Lawson helped in the capture of 36 French and Portuguese prize ships by the time he returned to England in March 1652.

During the First Anglo-Dutch War (1652-4), Lawson commanded the Fairfax. He was promoted to viceadmiral in 1652. At the naval battle of Portland in 1653, Lawson's maneuvering exploits were a major factor in the English victory. Promoted to rear-admiral of the fleet, Lawson commanded the George at the naval battle of the Gabbard and bore the brunt of fighting on the first day. Ultimately, the 100 ships of the English fleet defeated the Dutch and seized control of the English Channel. After the war, Lawson was promoted to vice-admiral and given command of the North Sea fleet blockading the Dutch coast.

John Lawson was a radical in politics and religion. In October 1654, he endorsed (and probably authored) a naval petition calling for the abandonment of impressments (forced service), provision for widows and the settlement of other grievances. Regarded with suspicion by Cromwell, Lawson was too popular with officers and crews to be dismissed. So, an inexperienced but trustworthy general-at-sea was appointed by Cromwell to serve over Lawson 1656. After this Lawson resigned his commission amid rumors of his involvement in conspiracies with Fifth Monarchists (an extreme Puritan Sect).

Eventually, Cromwell lost patience with him and ordered his arrest in 1657. After a brief imprisonment in the Tower, Lawson was banished to his home in Scarborough.

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In 1659, after Cromwell's death, John Lawson was reinstated as vice-admiral and appointed commander-in-chief of the Channel fleet. After Cromwell's death a group in the military seized power in a Coup d'etat. With rioting in the streets of London and with Parliament under the control of the army, Vice-Admiral John Lawson took his fleet of twenty-two warships into the Thames and, in defence of Parliament, blockaded the city. The intervention of Lawson and the Channel fleet was the decisive factor in bringing down the Coup d'ĂŠtat, and Parliament rewarded him with a grant of land. Lawson was appointed to the Council of State but was soon out maneuvered by politicians and military leaders who secured control and engineered the Restoration of the monarchy in May 1660. Lawson reluctantly accepted the Restoration, which in turn assured the loyalty of the Channel fleet. In recognition of Lawson's popularity and influence in the navy, a grateful King Charles II of England rewarded him with money and a knighthood.

From 1661-4, Lawson commanded a squadron in the Mediterranean securing English commerce and shipping against the corsair states of Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli. In June 1661, with his flagship the Swiftsure, Lawson accompanied the Earl of Sandwich, to the Mediterranean to stem the burgeoning pirate activity of the Barbary States that was interfering with English trading ships. Lawson helped the English forces take Tangier and he bought property in the new English possession. After Sandwich returned to England, John Lawson remained in command of a strong squadron with instructions to coerce Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli into observing treaties not to molest English shipping. After capturing several corsair ships, releasing some two hundred captives and selling about the same number of Moors into slavery, he compelled them to renew the treaties.

Admiral John Lawson returned to England on the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665-1667) and was appointed vice-admiral of the English fleet. Early in the war, John Lawson was wounded in action at the battle of Lowestoft and died of his wounds three weeks later. (Sources: The Royal Navy : a history from the earliest times to the present, Vol. II, by William Laid Clowes; Lawson Lies Still in the Thames-the extraordinary life of Vice-Admiral Sir John Lawson, by Gill Blanchard, Amberley Publishing, 2017; "Lawson, John (d. 1665), in Dictionary of National Biography, Sidney Lee, ed. Cambridge University Press, 1903; and, Tangier, England's Lost Atlantic Outpost, by Enid Routh, London, 1912)

Admiral John Lawson was married to Isabella Jefferson of Whitby and they had three daughters: Isabella, Elizabeth and Anna.

The Battle of Lowestoft by Hendrik van Minderhout showing HMS Royal Charles and the Dutch ship Eendracht

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A relic of Admiral John Lawson was discovered in 2005 in the Thames river estuary 40 miles east of the city of London. Naval archeologists found the sunken wreck of a 76-gun ship of the line named London that had been commanded by Lawson. London was accidentally blown up in 1665 and sank. According to the record of Samuel Pepys, the Chief Secretary to the Admiralty, 300 of London's crew were killed, 24 were blown clear and survived, including one woman. Lawson was not aboard at the time of the explosion but many of his relatives were killed.

London was launched in June 1656 and gained fame as one of the ships that escorted Charles II from Holland back to England during the English Restoration under the command of James Lawson.

The ship was lost in 1665. She had been briefly transferred back to John Lawson's command for the purpose of bringing her from Chatham to the Thames, when her powder magazine was accidentally ignited. The subsequent explosion caused immense damage, leaving little but wreckage on the surface of the river. On hearing of the loss, Samuel Pepys wrote that: "This morning is brought me to the office the sad newes of the London, in which Sir J(ohn) Lawson’s men were all bringing her from Chatham to the Hope, and thence he was to go to sea in her; but a little a’this side the buoy of the Nower, she suddenly blew up. About 24 [men] and a woman that were in the round-house and coach saved; the rest, being above 300, drowned: the ship breaking all in pieces, with 80 pieces of brass ordnance. She lies sunk, with her round- house above water. Sir J(ohn) Lawson hath a great loss in this of so many good chosen men, and many relations among them. I went to the ‘Change, where the news taken very much to heart."

The Diary of Samuel Pepys.

Another famous diarist of the period wrote that he, "went to receive the poor creatures that were saved out of the London frigate, blown up by accident, with above 200 men".

The precise cause of the explosion is unknown but coffee-house gossip blamed the easy availability of poor quality gunpowder.

With the discovery of the wreck of London, port authorities had to change the route of the shipping channel to prevent further damage and to allow archaeologists to investigate.

The site where the remains lie was designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act in 2008. The wreck is considered important partly for its historical references and partly for its insight into an important period in British naval history.

(Sources: "The London: After 350 years, the riddle of Britain's exploding fleet is finally solved", by David Keys, Independent News & Media, August 4, 2015; Lawson Lies Still in the Thames: The Extraordinary Life of Vice-Admiral Sir John Lawson by Gil Blanchard, 2017; The Diary of Samuel Pepys; The Ship of the Line – Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850, by Brian Lavery, Conway Maritime Press. 2003; British Warships in the Age of Sail 1603–1714: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates,

by Rif Winfield, Seaforth Publishing, 2009)

Sonar image of HMS London on bottom of Thames River

The Lawsons mentioned above are all possible roots for some, or all, of our Lawson descendants in Scotland who follow in the next chapter.

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TIMELINE OF LAWSON IN FRANCE AND ENGLAND Year Ancestors of Lords of Isell Ancestors of Lords of Brough Hall Ancestors of Mayors of York and Members of Parilaent Other Lawson - ancestry unknown 6000 BC 2200 BC

The British Isles are formed as water levels rise separating them from mainland Europe.

The construction of Stonehenge is completed.

600 BC 55 BC 43 50 122 410

The Celtic peoples begin to arrive and establish their culture.

Roman leader Julius Caesar invades Britain, but withdraws.

The Roman Empire invades Britain and makes Britannia a Roman province.

The Romans found the city of Londinium (which later becomes London).

Roman Emperor Hadrian orders the construction of Hadrian's Wall.

The last of the Romans leave Britain.

443

450

597 617 742-814

793

Antenor, King of the Cimmerians and ancestor of Charlemange and Lawsons The Anglo-Saxons begin to settle in Britain. They rule much of the land until the Vikings arrive. Saxons were people from north Germany who migrated to the island of Britain around the 5th century. There were actually three main peoples: the Saxons, the Angles, and the Jutes. After moving to Britain became known as AngloSaxons. Eventually the name "Angles" became the "English" and their land became known as England. The Anglo-Saxons were the dominant peoples on the island of Britain from 550 to 1066. At first the lands were divided up into many small kingdoms, but eventually certain kingdoms began to dominate. The first kingdom to dominate was Northumbria in the early 600s, a kingdom to the north that was settled by the Angles. Then the Kingdom of Mercia rose to power in the 700s. Finally, in the 800s the Kingdom of Wessex conquered the land. The King of Wessex was considered the king of all England. In the mid-800s the Danes (from Denmark) began to invade England. At first they just raided the coastlines, but soon they were taking over land and establishing settlements. In 870, the Danes attacked the kingdom of Wessex. A young prince by the name of Alfred led the Saxons against the Danes and won a great victory at the Battle of Ashdown.

Christianity is introduced by Saint Augustine.

The kingdom of Northumbria is established as the dominant kingdom.

Charlemange, Holy Roman Emperor The Vikings arrive. Originally from Scandinavian lands of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. The Vikings played a major role in Northern Europe during the Middle Ages, especially during the Viking Age which was from 800 CE to 1066 CE. The word Viking means "to raid" in Old Norse and Vikings in long ships raided villages on the northern coast of Europe and the British Isles. They first raided villages in England in 787. The Vikings attacked defenseless monasteries which earned them the reputation as barbarians, but to the Vikings, monasteries were wealthy, undefended, easy targets. Eventually Vikings settled in lands beyond Scandinavia. In 9th century they settled parts Britain, Germany, and Iceland. In 10th century they settled into northeastern Europe and along the coast of northern France, where they established Normandy, which means "northmen".

802

The kingdom of Wessex becomes the dominant kingdom.

866 871

The Vikings invade Britain with a large army. They defeat Northumbria in 867.

Alfred the Great becomes king of the Wessex.

Alfred is nearly defeated by the Vikings. He narrowly escapes. Alfred gathers an army and defeats the Vikings at the Battle of Edington.

878 923

The Saxons defeat the Vikings and retake the Danelaw.

45

970-1037 990 1016 1019 1036-1094 1059-1120

1066

1086 circa 1070 circa 1090 circa 1109 1135 circa 1150 1154 1180-1195 circa 1190 1215

William III Taillefer, Count of Toulouse, son of Adelais of Anjou, and husband of Ermengarde of Burgundy Rolf (Reinfrid) de Taillebois, a Norman-Viking knight from Taillebois, in Orne region of Normandy The Danish conquer England and King Canute of Denmark becomes King of England.

Reinfrid de Taillebois, the Prior of Whitby Abbey Ivo de Taillebois/Taillefer, a standard bearer for William the Conqueror and jongleur who sang and juggled his sword at the Battle of Hastings. Awarded by William as the 1st Baron of Kendal.

Alfred "The Englishman" Taillebois, 2nd Baron of Kendal, bastard son of Ivo. The Norman Conquest occurs. William of Normandy becomes king. In 1066 the King of England, Edward the Confessor, dies without an heir. Three men all claimed the crown: King Harald Hardrada of Norway - Before Edward, England was ruled by Viking King Cnut the Great who left England to Edward when he died. King Hardrada thought he was the rightful King of England; Earl Harold Godwinson of England was Edward's brother-in-law and also one of the most powerful men in England who felt should be king; Duke William of Normandy who had a family connection to Edward and claimed Edward had promised him the throne. The first to act was Earl Harold Godwinson, choice of the English nobles who crowned him King Harold II immediately after the death of Edward. But, both King Hardrada and Duke William were going to fight for the crown. King Hardrada invaded England from the north in the fall of 1066 and battled the English at Stamford Bridge. King Hardrada was killed in the battle and the English won. Some historians mark this as the end of the Viking Age. Only a few days after the Battle, Duke William of Normandy led his army across the English Channel. King Harold moved his army south and the two armies fought a day long battle at Hastings.

William's advantage was more archers and cavalry and he won the battle when King Harold was killed by an arrow. The English still resisted but William would not be denied. He fought and won more battles until the English nobles finally crowned him, William I King of England on Christmas day 1066. Norman rule had a lasting effect in England. Many English nobles fled to Ireland, Scotland, and the Scandinavian countries. The Normans instituted new laws and brought French culture. William instituted the Domesday book to track who owned what areas of land as the basis for a tax system.

A survey of all England called the Domesday Book is completed.

Ketel FitzEldred (son of Alfred) Taillebois de Kendal, 3rd Baron of Kendal, marries Ivo's wife or daughter Gilbert FitzKetel de Lancaster (de Taillebois), 4th Baron of Kendal William FitzGilbert de Lancaster, 5th Baron of Kendal. Was named de Taillebois, got King Henry II's permission to change his name. Begins the Lancaster line.

John Lawson (Lawesson) of Cramlington, witness to grant by King Henry I to Nicolas de Grenville.

William II de Lancaster, 6th Baron of Kendal. His estate was divided among sons and daughters.

Henry II becomes king beginning the Plantegenet/Angevin rulers of England, Ireland and most of France.

Walter Loison living in Normandy Lawrence FitzWilliam de Lancaster, formerly Lawrence Lawesson, took name Lancaster after marriage.

Assumed Lancaster estates at Bywell, Northumberland. Father of Thomas Lawesson of Bywell.

King John is forced to sign the Magna Carta.

1216-1272

John Lawson, lord of Fawlesgrave, comtemporary of Henry III

circa 1220 circa 1229 circa 1238 circa 1260 circa 1270 1272-1307

John Lawson Thomas Lawson, in Bywell, St Andrews, Northumberland - same as Thomas below ???

Thomas Lawson, in Tyrwhitt, Northumberland Ralph Lawson, in Bywell, St Andrews, Northumberland Jane Lawson, in Tyrwhiitt, Northumberland Thomas Lawson, contemporary of Edward I, son of John above

circa 1280 circa 1280

Robert Lawson, son of Thomas above Robert Lawson, in Bywell, St Andrews, Northumberland - same as Robert above ???

46

1297 circa 1300 1327 1330-1386 circa 1335

1337

1349 circa 1351 1379 circa 1408 1400-1480 1415 circa 1426 1429

William Wallace leads Scots in their defeat of the English. He is defeated a year later at the Battle of Falkirk.

Thomas Lawson, in Bywell, St Andrews, Northumberland - same as Thomas above ???

Richard Lawisson listed in the Subsidy Rolls of County Cumberland during reign of King Edward III John Lawson, in Bywell, St Andrew, Northumberland Richard Lawson, son of Robert above The Hundred Years' War with France begins and lasts until 1453. It was fought between England and France and was a series of battles with long periods of peace in between. It began when King Edward III, claimed that he was the rightful king of France following years of small disputes and battles between the French and English.

Other disputes between the countries including control of the valuable wool trade, disputes over land, and French support of Scotland kept fighting going for over one hundred years. King Edward III believed he was the rightful heir to the French crown. Instead of Edward, the French made Philip VI their king. When King Philip seized control of Aquitaine from the English in 1337, King Edward III decided to invade France.

The Black Death of the Bubonic plague kills much of the English population. The Hundred Years war stops for a long period during the Black Death.

Richard Lawson, son of Richard above Willelmus Lauson, Henricus Laweson, Agnes Law-wyf, and Law Robynson listed on Yorkshire Poll Tax rolls.

Roger Lawson, son of Richard above William Lawson, born Bywell, died Cramlington (Brough Hall Line) When Henry V became king of England in 1413, he again laid claim to France and invaded, winning a decisive battle at Agincourt. Eventually, the French gave in and King Charles VI named Henry as his heir to the throne.

John Lawson, son of Roger above Southern France did not accept English rule so the English invaded and laid siege to the city of Orleans. A young peasant girl, Joan of Arc, claimed a vision from God and led the French to victory at Orleans and in several other battles until she was captured by the English and burned at the stake.

1440-1489 1440-1515 1459-1512

Thomas Lawson born Bywell, died Cramlington (Brough Hall Line), son of William William Lawson of Little Osworth, son of John above Thomas Lawson of Little Osworth, son of William above, brother of Robert and William

1460-1547 circa 1444

Robert Lawson of Rowkesby, son of William above, brother of Thomas and William Thomas Lawson, son of John above Hundred Years' War ends. Iinspired by Joan of Arc's leadership and sacrifice the French continued to fight and ultimately push the English army out of France. The wars actually lasted 116 years during which France transformed from a number of competing feudal nobles into the begining of a nation state.

War of the Roses begins a 30 year civil war between factions of the Plantagenet line to rule England: the Lancaster familiy (red rose) and they York family (white rose). The battles were mostly small and years apart.

1453 1455

1475-1568

John Lawson of Washington, contemporary of Edward IV, son of Thomas above and father of William. In 1512, John Lawson, a merchant trader owning at least one ship, the Archdeacon, arrived and ran aground in the Firth of Forth at Edinburgh, Scotland. Carried letters from the French King to the King of Scotland urging to pay to France the same monies that Scotland pays to England and then the French will invade England. (Source: Letter from John Anislow to the Bishop of Durham in 1512, in Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII (Volume 1), Author: Great Britain. Public Record Office, Published in 1862)

1475-1525 1485

James Lawson of Cramlington (Brough Hall Line), Merchant-adventurer of Newcastle, son of Thomas The War of the Roses ends as Henry Tudor crowned as King Henry VII. The House of Tudor begins its reign.

1493-1543 1498-1550 1500-1560 1500-1577 1508

Sir George Lawson, Lord Mayor of York and Treasurer of Berwick Thomas Lawson, Lord Mayor of York, son of Sir George Lawson above Edmund Lawson, son of James of Cramlington (Brough Hall) William Lawson, son of William above, brother of Thomas and Robert Henry VIII is crowned king.

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1525-1603

Sir Ralph Lawson, of Brough Hall, son of Edmund

circa 1530

George Lawson of Little Osworth, son of Thomas above Sir Wilfred Lawson of Isell, son of Thomas above, brother of George and Gylford 1632??, Gylford Lawson, son of Thomas above, brother of George and Wilfred Henry VIII forms the Church of England.

Gabriel Nompar de Caumont, the first comte de Lauzun.

England and Wales are joined by the Act of Union.

1534 1536 1545-1610 1550-1584 1550-1635

1558

circa 1560

circa 1565 1575-1610 1576 1580-1635 1580

1588

circa 1600

1600 1602 1605

Robert Lawson of Longhirst, son of Edmund Peter Lawson of Poppleton, York, son of Thomas Lawson, Lord Mayor Roger Lawson, of Heaton, son of Sir Ralph of Brough Hall Elizabeth I becomes Queen and Elizabethan Era begins. She reigns for 44 years. Her brother King Edward died at the age fifteen and was followed by Queen Mary, Elizabeth's half sister. Mary was a devout Catholic who demanded all England become Catholic. Those that didn't were imprisoned or killed. The English people didn't like Mary and she worried that Elizabeth would try to take her throne. She imprisoned Elizabeth in the Tower of London for two months for being a Protestant. Elizabeth was under house arrest when Mary died and she was crowned Queen. She set up a council of advisors called the Privy Council that helped her deal with other countries, work with the army, and other important issues. Many people tried to assassinate her and seize the throne including her cousin Mary Queen of Scots who tried many times to kill Elizabeth. Finally, Elizabeth had Mary captured and killed.

Thomas Lawson of Little Osworth, son of George, brother of Edward and Robert Edward Lawson, son of George, brother of Thomas and Robert Robert Lawson, son of George, brother of Thomas and Edward. In 1561, Robert Lawson was the High Sheriff of Northumberland. The office of High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown and the principal law enforcement officer in the county.

Williiam Lawson of Isell, son of Gylford, inherited his title from Sir Wilfred above, no issue George Lawson of Poppleton, York, son of Peter Lawson, above William Lauson of Lancashire registers as a student at University of Oxford Henry Lawson of Brough Hall, died 1635 Explorer Sir Francis Drake completes his journey around the globe.

The English fleet led by Sir Francis Drake defeat the Spanish Armada. Queen Elizabeth avoided fighting wars.

She did not want to conquer other countries and only wanted England to be safe and prosper. But, when she had Mary Oueen of Scots killed, King Philip of Spain sent the Spanish Armada to conquer England. Outgunned, the English navy was able to set fire to many Spanish ships. Then a huge storm hit the Armada sinking many ships. The English somehow won the battle and fewer than half of the Spanish ships returned to Spain.

Wifred Lawson, son of Edward above, brother of Thomas and Robert John Lawson, son of Edward above, brother of Thomas and Robert, a merchant in Denmark Godfrey Lawson, son of Edward above, brother of Thomas and Robert, Mayor of Leeds, died 1709 The East India Company is established.

James I becomes king and rules over England and Scotland. He is the first of the Stuart family to rule.

Guy Fawkes fails in his attempt to blow up Parliament.

1606-1670 1610-1688 1620

Rev. George Lawsosn of Moreby, rector of Eakring , son of George Lawson above Sir Wilfred Lawson 1st Bart of Isell, son of William Lawson of Isell, son of Gylford, died 1689 The Pilgrims set sail for America aboard the Mayflower.

1620-1670 1627-1698 1659-1699

William Lawson, son of Sir Wilfred 1st Bart of Isell Sir John Lawson, 1st Bart of Brough Hall, son of Henry Lawson of Brough Hall, died 1698 George Lawson of Moreby, son of Rev. George Lawson - could be George below???

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circa 1660

George Lawson son of Godfrey, Mayor of Leeds

1663-1726 1664-1704 1664 1666

Sir Henry Lawson, 2nd Bart of Brough Hall, was second son, first is unknown Sir Wilfred Lawson, 2nd Bart of Isell, son of William above, died 1705 Jone Lawson, daughter of Randall Lawson, is baptised at the Church of St. James in Clerkenwell, London The Great Fire of London destroys much of the city.

1685-1761 1687-1754

Marmaduke Lawson of Moreby and Seaton Rose, son of George of Moreby, brother of Richard Richard Lawson, Mayor of York, son of George Lawson of Moreby, brother of Marmaduke

1689-1739 1689

Sir John Lawson, 3rd Bart of Brough Hall, son of Sir Henry The English Bill of Rights is established giving more power to the parliament.

1696-1737 1707 1756 1770 1776

Sir Wilfred Lawson, 3rd Bart of Isell, son of Wilfred 2nd Bart England and Scotland are united as one country called Great Britain.

The Seven Year's War begins.

The Industrial Revolution begins in England.

The American colonies declare their independence from Britain.

1801 1805 1837 1854

Armand Louis de Gontaut Biron, 8th duc de Lauzun, assists Gen. George Washington at the Seige of Yorktown The British and Irish parliaments are joined by the Act of Union to create the United Kingdom.

The British fleet defeats Napoleon at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Queen Victoria is crowned queen. The Victorian Era begins.

The Crimean War is fought against Russia.

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LAWSON FAMILY TREE IN ENGLAND IVO (IVES) DE TAILLEBOIS of Normandy (1036-1094). Standard bearer at Battle of Hastings, Sheriff of Lincoln and 1st Baron of Kendal. Married 1st to Gundreda Countess of Wessex and 2nd to Lucy Countess of Chester. Father of Beatrix de Taillebois, heiress of Kendal All stories of Ivo's parentage consistently refer to his illegitimacy and his accepted ancestry as a descendant of Charlemange via a connection to the House of Anjou.

1. Most genealogists say that Ivo was the illegitimate son of Reinfrid de Taillebois, the Prior of Whitby and Ermengard of Anjou the eldest child of Fulk IV Count of Anjou and descendant of Charlemange. However, Ermengard was born 30 years after Ivo's birth.

2. Another option would be Reinfrid and Ermengard-Gerbera the daughter of Geoffrey I Count of Anjou and descendant of Charlemange. However, Ermengard-Gerberga died 12 years before Ivo was born.

3. Our research indicates that Ivo is most likely the son (perhaps not illegitimate) of William III Taillefer (circa970 –1037) the Count of Toulouse and his wife Emma, the daughter of Ermengarde of Burgundy and Rotbold II Count and Margrave of Provence. William III Taillefer is the son of Adelais (also known as Adelaide-Blanche) of Anjou, the eldest daughter of Fulk II, Count of Anjou and a descendant of Charlemange. The House of Taillefer was the first dynasty of Counts of Angoulême (839–1246) also known as the kingdom of Aquitaine in western France during the Carolingian Empire. In this lineage we have:  dates that are consistent with Ivo's life;  ancestral links to Charlemange through the House of Anjou;  a connection to an Ermengarde and Emma;  and finally the curious similarity of the surnames Taillefer and Taillebois which are most likely different spellings of the same name.

Taillefer (Latin: Incisor ferri, meaning "hewer of iron") was the surname of a Norman jongleur (minstrel), whose his first name is given as "Ivo". He travelled to England with William the Conqueror in 1066. At the Battle of Hastings, Taillefer sang the Chanson de Roland at the English troops while juggling with his sword. An English soldier ran out to challenge him and was killed by Taillefer, who then led the Norman charge of the English lines. Chanson de Roland (Song of Roland) is an epic poem based on the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778, during the reign of Charlemagne. It is the oldest surviving major work of French literature.

Robert Wace (circa 1110 –1174) Canon of Bayeux, was a Norman monk and poet describes the feats of Taillefer in his epic poem Roman de Brut (Romance of Brut the 1st King of Britain). Written circa 1155, this is a history of the Dukes of Normandy through the conquest of England up to 1106.

Taillefer, qui mult bien chantout, sor un cheval qui tost alout, devant le duc alout chantant de Karlemaigne e de Rollant, e d'Oliver e des vassals qui morurent en Rencesvals.

Taillefer, who sang right well, Upon a swift horse Sang before the Duke Of Charlemagne and of Roland And of Oliver and their vassals That died at Roncesvalles.

Roman de Rou, lines 8013–8019

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The story of Taillefer is repeated by several contemporary Medieval sources: Geoffrey Gaimar an AngloNorman chronicler; Henry of Huntingdon a 12th-century English historian and author of a history of England, the Historia Anglorum; William of Malmesbury the foremost English historian of the 12th century; and in the Carmen de Hastingae Proelio (Latin: Song of the Battle of Hastings) attributed to Bishop Guy of Amiens, the chaplain of Matilda of Flanders, William the Conqueror's queen. The accounts differ, some mentioning only the juggling, some only the song, but all have elements in common. The story of Taillefer was set to music by Richard Strauss in 1903 and a later version drawn from all the sources can be found in Winston Churchill's A History of the English-Speaking Peoples.

(Sources: Carmen Widonis - The First History of the Norman Conquest, transcription, translation and commentary by Kathleen Tyson, Granularity Press, 2018; The Carmen de Hastingae Proelio of Guy Bishop of Amiens, edited by Catherine Morton and Hope Muntz, Clarendon Press, 1972; "The Carmen de Hastingae Proelio" by R. H. C. Davis, in The English Historical Review 1978; and, "Latin Poetry and the Anglo-Norman Court 1066-1135: The Carmen de Hastingae Proelio" by Elisabeth van Houts, in Journal of Medieval History 1989)

ÆLFTRED "THE ENGLISHMAN" TAILLEBOIS, 2nd Baron of Kendal (1029-1120). He was also know as Eldred or Aelfred of Workington. Married to Countess Lucy after Ivo de Taillebois' death. Ælftred could very well be an illegitimate bastard child of Ivo and inherited his estates. Whether there is a genetic link between Ivo de Taillebois and Ælftred is not absolutely clear.

KETEL FITZELDRED (SON OF ELDRED/ ÆLFTRED) "TAILLEBOIS" DE KENDAL, 3rd Baron Of Kendal. (1070circa 1550) "Ketel, son of Elftred", appears on the pedigree drawn in the 1615 and 1666 Visitations of Cumberland and Westmorland Counties. He was born in Workington, Cumberland and died in either Kendal, Westmoreland or Seton, Scotland. His wife is listed on the Visitations pedigree as Christiana.

The name Ketel is also found spelled as Ketil, Chetil and Ketellus. Some historians speculate that Christiana was a daughter of Ivo de Taillebois by Lucy and marries Ketel, son of Ælftred/Eldred of Workington. Through this marriage the Barony of Kendal flows to Ketel, not through Eldred. However, the much-respected and generally accepted work, Domesday Descendants, notes Ketel as the son of Ælftred/Eldred and either the wife or daughter of Ivo de Taillebois. Ketel had several wives and mistresses, most of whom gave him many children. What is important for our Lawson lineage is Ketel's son with Christiana: GILBERT FITZKETEL DE LANCASTER (DE TALLEBOIS), 4th Baron of Kendal. Not much is known about Gilbert and the most significant thing that he did was to father the next in line of our lineage.

WILLIAM I FITZGILBERT DE LANCASTER, 5th Baron of Kendal, (circa 1109-circa1170). He married twice.

His first wife is unknown. His second marriage was to Gundred de Warenne, Countess of Warwick with whom he had five children. William was the Lord of Lancaster Castle and according to at least one document, he was known as William de Tailboys (de Taillebois) as a young man. He later became "William I de Lancaster, baron of Kendal" taking for himself the name of his castle. One prominent historian notes that William received permission from King Henry II to change his name to Lancaster.

This begins the line of the WILLIAM II DE LANCASTER, 6th Baron of Kendal (circa 1150-1184) He was buried at Furness Abbey in Cumbria. William married Helewise de Stuteville, the daughter of Robert de Stuteville IV, Sheriff of Yorkshire and Lord of Cottingham. William and Helewise had four children. William is also noteworthy as the last true Baron of the whole of the Barony of Kendal. After his death, the Barony was divided between the husbands of his daughters. (Source: Records Relating To the Barony of Kendale, Volume 3, ed. John F Curwen, 1926)

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THE LAWSONS Generation 1 JOHN LAWSON of Cramlington (1135) is most likely the father of Lawrence Lawesson below.

Generation 2 LAWRENCE LAWESSON of Bywell, Northumberland (circa 1190-1260). Married the daughter (name unknown) of the William II de Lancaster and Helewise and adopted the name LAWRENCE FITZWILLIAM DE LANCASTER after his marriage. His son follows: Generation 3 THOMAS LAWESSON of Bywell, Northumberland (1250-???). Was a gentleman lived contemporary to King John and had a son who follows: Generation 4 RALPH LAWESSON of Bywell, Northumberland (1275-???). Ralph was a defendant in a plea of trespass before Henry III and called Ralph fil Thomas Lawesson. He had a son who follows: Generation 5 ROBERT LAWESSON of Bywell, Northumberland (1300-???) Robert Lawson had the following children: THOMAS LAWSON, his heir William Lawson of Aberford, married to Agnes..

Generation 6 THOMAS LAWESSON of Bywell, Northumberland (1325-???). Thomas had children: John Lawson, his heir; Robert Lawson of Bywell; William Lawson of Farleton, Westmoreland.

Generation 7 JOHN LAWSON of Bywell, Northumberland (1345-1386) In 1374, he was a defendant in a claim by William de Akrigg and Margaret his wife of messuage (a dwelling house with outbuildings and land assigned to its use), land etc. in Sedburgh. Was a witness to a deed of Robert de Insula in 1374.

Was a juror at Corbridge. John Lawson had children: John, his heir; Gilbert Lawson.

Generation 8 JOHN LAWSON of Bywell, Northumberland (circa 1360-circa 1400) was witness to a deed of Walter de Tindall dated 1374 and was Executor to his father's will in 1386. His children were: William, his heir; John Lawson of Bywell; Robert Lawson; Richard Lawson Generation 8 WILLIAM LAWSON of Cramlington (circa 1400-1480) In 1425, he married Agnes Cramlington (1407-1461), daughter of William Cramlington. During reign of Henry VI of England (142171) acquired Cramlington Hall by marriage. William Lawson and Agnes Cramlington had the following children: Thomas Lawson his heir, Wiliam Lawson of Cramlington (who seized half of the manor of Cramlington in right of his mother as well as lands in Bywell), John Lawson, Richard Lawson, George Lawson living at Bywell, Northumberland in 1458.

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Generation 9. THOMAS LAWSON of Bywell, Northumberland (circa 1440-1489) He married Isabella Killinghall in 1480. Thomas Lawson of Bywell, was said to be at the battle of Agincourt with Sir John Neville, heir male to his nephew William Lawson Esq. He died 1489 at a great age, was buried at Cramlington having married Isabella, daughter of John Killinghall of Middleton St. George. He had a son who follows: Generation 10 ROBERT LAWSON of Bywell, Northumberland (circa 1460-1540) He was living in the time of King HenryVI. Robert Lawson had the following children: William Lawson, heir to his grandfather Willam (7 above) John Lawson of Bywell, defendant in a plea of trespass 1484, plaintiff plea of debt 1501.

Generation 11 WILLIAM LAWSON of Cramlington, Northumberland. (circa 1460-1518). He was born circa 1480 at Cramlington and he died in 1518 at Newscastle-On-Tyne. William married Anne Horsley daughter of Richard Horsley a prominent citizen of Thernham, Northumberland and the couple had seven children: Robert Lawson who inherits the family estate of Longhirst, age 40 at time of his father's death; Thomas Lawson who was the heir to the family estate in Cramlington; James Lawson, a Merchantadventurer and later the Mayor of Newcastle on Tyne, who is heir to the estate of Brough Hall and would eventually receive a grant from the Crown for Nesham Hall following the death of his sister; George Lawson, a prominent barrister who becomes the Lord Mayor of York and Treasurer of Berwick; Joan Lawson who becomes Prioress of Nesham Abbey which was probably founded and funded by her father; and, Barbara Lawson and Agnes Lawson about whom little is known.

THOMAS LAWSON of Cramlington (circa 1500- ) wife's name unknown. Children: Barbara Lawson Collingwood Elizabeth Lawson ROBERT LAWSON of Longhirst (1478) marries Margaret (?) with children: William Lawson of Cramlington ( ) Kings Bailiff & Keeper of Park at Raskel, York, marries Anne, daughter of Sir George Lawson, Knight. No children.

Thomas Lawson, heir to his brother. marries Esther Grey, daughter of Sir Roger Grey of Horton. Children: William Lawson of Cramlington & Raskell (1572- ). Only daughter: Mary Robert Lawson, heir to brother William, sells Cramlington estates to Sir Ralph Lawson Margaret Lawson living in 1557, in great aunt Jone/Joan Lawson's will Ann Lawson, wife of Thomas Cramlington GEORGE LAWSON ( -1558) Captain of Warke Castle 1557. Marries Elizabeth Fenwich children: Timothy Lawson Edward Lawson of Rosedale, York - 1568 Agnes Lawson JONE (JOAN) LAWSON, Prioress of Nesham Abbey (???-1557). The priory/abbey of Nesham was built sometime before 1157 for the Benedictine order of nuns. It was located on the river Tees, near Stockburn, Durham. In 1540, Prioress Jone (Joan) Lawson surrendered the property to agents of the King and the priory/abbey was dissolved. Later in 1540, her brother James Lawson purchases the lands of the priory/abbey. Since 1800s (perhaps earlier) a house known as Nesham Abbey has sat on this site.

BARBARA LAWSON AGNES LAWSON, Prioress of St. Bartholomews, died 1567 54

Generation 12 JAMES LAWSON of Byker and Newcastle-upon-Tyne (circa 1500-1547) Married Alice/Alicia Bertram. James Lawson was a Merchant-adventurer of Mele St. Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He was Sheriff 1523, Mayor 1529 and 1540. On April 8 1522 purchased of William Wardle, Merchant, a house and horse-mill in the Meal Market, Newcastle. Purchased from the Crown the lands etc. of the dissolved Monastery of Nesham Abbey/Priory in 1540. Was the Kings farmer and collector at Nesham.

Had lands in Milburne and the Manor of West Matsen. Purchased the Manor of Byker in 1543 and the house in which he resided on Mele St. In 1544 he settles the Manor of Byker and West Matsen on his eldest son Edmund and settles the estates in Nesham, Cockfield, Little Burdon, Dynshall etc. on his younger sons. James Lawson died 1547. James and Alice/Alicia had the following children: Ralph (or George) Lawson of Newcastle & Nesham Abbey (circa 1546-1589). unmarried Henry Lawson of Nesham Abbey (1547-1607). In 1577, Henry Lawson acquired the estate known as Inglebie's Manor in Hurworth near Nesham. This property was owned

by Robert Tailbois (Taillebois) a descendant of Ivo Taillebois. Henry Lawson married Frances Conyers of Layton, Durham and their children are: Thomas Lawson (1500s) Elizabeth Lawson (1500s) Ann Lawson (1500s) Catherine Lawson (1500s) Ralph Lawson (1500s) Barbara Lawson (1500s) Margaret Lawson (1500s) Mary Lawson (1500s) Janet Lawson (1500s) Married John Hodgson James Lawson of Nesham Abbey (1568-1631). Married Jane (unknown) w/children: Ralph Lawson (1570-1620) of Hurwort-on-Tees, Darlington (near Nesham Abbey) Ann Lawson (1573-1631). Married Henry Jenison George Lawson (1575-1650) Frances Lawson (1583-16330. Married Richard Braithwaite James Lawson of Nesham Abbey (1573-1628). Married Frances w/son: James Lawson of Nesham Abbey (1624-1644) Generation 13 EDMUND LAWSON of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Byker (1545-1551). Heir to his father James Lawson. He married Margery Swynhowe. (She later re-married Robert Lawson Esquire of Rock, Northumberland and had issue). Manors of Byker and West Matsen and lands in the counties of Northumberland and Durham. Edmund Lawson and Margery Swynhowe had the following children: James Lawson, heir (1545- died young) Ralph Lawson, heir to brother James Robert Lawson of Scremerston (Scrunerston), Durham

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Generation 14 SIR RALPH LAWSON of Brough Hall, York and Byker, Northumberland. (1547-1623) Heir to his brother James. Married Elizabeth Brough sole heiress of her father Roger Brough to the manor of Brough Hall. Ralph Lawson was knighted by King James I in 1603. Ralph Lawson and Elizabeth Brough had the following children: Roger Lawson (1573-1613). Married Dorothy Constable.

Edmund Lawson married Frances Archer.

Marmaduke Lawson James Lawson married Margaret Ramsey, daughter of Sir Robert Ramsay, Knight Anthony Lawson George Lawson William Lawson Alice Lawson. She married Thomas Ingleby.

John Lawson. Married Sarah Rowland. All of John Lawson's sons went to America.

John Lawson and Sarah Rowland had the following children: Epaphroditus Lawson (1600-1656). Married Elizabeth Medestard.

Epaphroditus Lawson: Owned 6050 acres in Virginia and had a child: Elizabeth Lawson, married Robert Payne.

Rowland Lawson (??-1661) Came to America in 1638. Justice of Lancaster County, VA (1652-1655). Married Letitia ??? had the following children: Rowland Lawson II (1645-1706) Married ANNA KEEN JONES. Henry Lawson (1650-1672).

John Lawson (1655-???). Married Mary Kirby in 1680.

Elizabeth Lawson.

Leticia Lawson. She married Fortunatus Sydnor in 1668.

Epaphroditus Lawson.

Joanna Lawson. She married Lanncelot Sockwell in 1668.

Richard Lawson (???-1658), married Elizabeth ??

Jane Lawson. Married Thomas Rokeby Henry Lawson.

Margaret Lawson. She married Thomas Rakely.

Generation 15 ROGER LAWSON of Heaton, Northumberland (1573-1613) Married Dorothy Constable.

Roger was an attorney of the Inner Temple, London. Died in London 1613 or 1614 in his father's lifetime. After the celebration of Dorothy's marriage, it is stated that "she was conducted from Wing to Burton, in external pomp and shew like a glorious bride. Shee rested att Burton untill all Holderness came to congratulate, some as friends and allies, others as servants and vassalls, but all promiscously pretending tith to a proportion of the solmenity. From Burton shee departed towards Brough with a far larger retinue than before: But it most encreased at Leeman, a village six miles from the end of her journey, where she was forced to make a halt by Sir Ralph Lawson, who att his first approach (which was glorious to envy) with a hundred horse of his attendance, saluted her with ordinary salute of the kingdom, but after an extraordinary manner, not permitting her to alight; then he took her from horse himself, imparted his benediction, which she humbly craved on her knees in the dust, and mounted her again on a snow white steed he brought for her. ..." (Source: Life of Mrs. Dorothy Lawson of St. Anthony, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, by William Palmes, published by Charles Dolman, London, 1855)

Roger Lawson and Dorothy Constable had the following child: Henry Lawson, heir to his grandfather Ralph Lawson James Lawson 56

Generation 16 HENRY LAWSON of Burgh Hall (1595-1636). Married Anne Hodgson. Successor and heir to his grandfather Sir Ralph Lawson at whose death he was aged 21 years old. Died 1636 buried at All Saints, Newcastle. Henry Lawson and Anne Hodgson had the following children: James Lawson died young Henry Lawson, heir to his brother James, Colonel in Royal Army and killed in Battle of Melton in 1644. Married Catherine Fenwick. Had only one daughter, Isabella Lawson.

John Lawson (1635-1698). Married Catherine Howard of Hawthorn Castle, Cumberland.

Ralph Lawson.

Francis Lawson, a monk. Died in 1712 Generation 17 SIR JOHN LAWSON of Brough Hall (1627-1698). He married Catherine Howard, daughter of Sir William Howard of Hawthorn Castle, Cumberland and sister of Charles Howard was first Earle of Carlisle. John Lawson was a captain of Horse in service of Charles I. He inherited Brough Hall and St. Anthony by act of Parliament 1653 on death of his brother James and Henry. His estate was confiscated by the Republicans and he was banished into exile to Ireland where his younger son, John Roger, married and settled. Restored King Charles II created John the Baronet of Brough Hall in 1665 and restored the estate of Brough Hall to him. He was succeeded by Sir Henry Lawson, his eldest son. Sir John and Catherine Howard may have had 10 sons, 3 of whom died in infancy.

John Roger Lawson (1651-???) Died in Ulster, Ireland.

Hugh Lawson came to America in 1727 on the ship George and Anne.

Sir Henry Lawson (1663-1726) 2nd Baronet Married Elizabeth Knightley.

Charles Lawson (???-1694) Charles Lawson accompanied his brothers, John and Henry to France in 1664, with their uncle and guardian, Francis Lawson. He was a Captain in the Duke of Monmouth's regiment and was slain in Germany in 1694.

William Lawson of York, whose heirs become vested with Brough Hall after the death of Sir Henry the 6th Baronet of Brough Hall in 1834. He married Elizabeth ??.

Ralph Lawson died in infancy Philip Lawson (???-1692) Married Anna Maria Knowles. Philip becomes 1st Earl of Banbury Thomas Lawson (1666-1750). A priest, with the Society of Jesus at Watten, later in 1702 was Chaplain at Burgh and for some time confessor to James III, the son of the exiled King, the Old Pretender and father of Bonnie Prince Charles. In 1724 was Chaplain to the Duchess of Norfolk (at her special request), In 1741 he was made Confessor and Spiritual Father of St. Omers.

Generation 18 SIR HENRY LAWSON (1653-1726) 2nd Baronet of Brough Hall. Married Elizabeth Knightley. They had two children: Sir John Lawson Henry Lawson, died in infancy.

Generation 19 SIR JOHN LAWSON (1689-1739) 3rd Baronet of Brough Hall. Married Mary Shelly Sir Henry Lawson, his heir Thomas Lawson, a priest and Rector of Brauges College William Lawson, died in infancy John Lawson, died in infancy John Lawson of Bath (1723-1791)

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Generation 20 SIR HENRY LAWSON (1712-1781) 4th Baronet of Brough Hall. Married Anastasia Maire of Lartington Hall, York. Their children: Sir John Lawson, 5th Baronet.

Mary Lawson, a nun Catherine Lawson, Married John Silvertop Generation 21 SIR JOHN LAWSON (1744-1811) 5th Baronet of Brough Hall. Married first, Elizabeth Scaisbrook and second, Monica Stapleton by whom he had children: Henry Lawson, died in infancy Generation 22 SIR HENRY LAWSON (1750-1834) 6th Baronet of Brough Hall. Married Monica Stapleton (not the same as above). Died without children. Bequeathed all his estates to his grandnephew William Wright.

Baronet of Brough Hall becomes extinct for a period of years.

(SIR) JOHN LAWSON the Elder Of Whitby, Yorkshire (1756-1833). Descendant of William Lawson, the 4th son of Sir John Lawson, 1st Baronet of Brough Hall (1665 Creation). 7th Baronet de-jure. Married Elizabeth Readman and they had one son and seven daughters.

(Sir) John Lawson, 8th Baronet de-jure Mary Lawson, died in infancy Ann Lawson Mary Lawson Susannah Lawson Frances Lawson Jane Lawson Elizabeth Lawson (SIR) JOHN LAWSON (the younger) of Whitby, Yorkshire (1795-1874). 8th Baronet of Brough Hall dejure. Married Ann White and they had four sons and seven daughters: William George Lawson Lucy Lawson (Sir) John Nicholas Lawson, 9th Baronet de-jure Henry Lawson Edwin Philip Lawson Emma Alice Lawson Anne Lawson Elizabeth Charlotte Lawson Frances Lawson Mary Lawson Jane Lawson, died in infancy (SIR) JOHN NICHOLAS LAWSON of Whitby, Yorkshire (1823-1898). 9th Baronet of Brough Hall de-jure.

Married Eliza Ann Rook. They had four sons and two daughters: (Sir) John Lawson, 10th Baronet de-jure William Lawson, father of Philip Hugh Lawson, Sheriff and Mayor of Chester.

Arthur Lawson Henry Lawson Daughters are unknown

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(SIR) JOHN LAWSON of Whitby, Yorkshire (1855-???). 10th Baronet of Brough Hall de-jure.

Married Rebecca Storm and they had four sons: John Lawson, drowned on duty in India.

(Sir) Philip Lawson, his brother's successor as 11th Baronet de-jure William Lawson, a gifted artist of miniature painting and water colors, also worked in stained glass and was a member of the Royal Academy Henry Lawson, killed in action in WWI (SIR) PHILIP LAWSON of Whitby, Yorkshire (1891-1962). 11th Baronet of Brough Hall de-jure.

Married Doris Boulby and they had a daughter and a son: Margaret Boulby Lawson John Philip Lawson, heir (SIR) JOHN PHILIP LAWSON of Hull, Yorkshire (1926-???). 12 Baronet of Brough Hall de-jure.

Married Joan Alice Robinson and they had two daughters and a son: Kathryn Joan Lawson Karen Susan Lawson David Philip Lawson, heir (1957- ) Married Pamela Ann Giblin with two daughters Nicola Ann Lawson (1990- ) Rachel Lawson (1995- ) Generation 23 SIR WILLIAM (WRIGHT) LAWSON (1796-1865) 1st Baronet of Brough Hall (2nd Creation) Assumed the Lawson name and arms by Royal License in 1834, created a Baronet in 1841. Married his second cousin Clarinda Catherine Lawson, heiress of John Lawson MD of York, son of John Lawson of Bath and nephew of Sir Henry Lawson, 4th Baronet of Brough Hall. They had 5 sons and 5 daughters: Sir John Lawson, 2nd Baronet of 2nd Creation Henry Lawson, drowned in 1857 William Lawson, a priest Edward Lawson, died in infancy Thomas Paulinus Lawson. Married Gertrude Sarah Addison Clarinda Mary Lawson, a nun Eliza Lawson, a nun Grace Lawson, a Carmelite nun Mary Lawson, died in infancy Anne Lawson, died in infancy Generation 24 SIR JOHN LAWSON, 2nd Baronet (1829–1910) Generation 25 SIR HENRY JOSEPH LAWSON, 3rd Baronet (1877–1947) Generation 26 SIR RALPH HENRY LAWSON, 4th Baronet (1905–1975) Generation 27 SIR WILLIAM HOWARD LAWSON, 5th Baronet (1907–1990) Generation 28 SIR JOHN PHILIP HOWARD-LAWSON, 6th Baronet (born 1934) Generation 29 The heir is Sir John's son, PHILIP WILLIAM HOWARD

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BLANK

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Lawson in Scotland MONARCHS OF SCOTLAND - TO 1707

Scottish Rulers and Politics People lived in Scotland for thousands of years before recorded history. Archaeologists have dated an encampment near Biggar in Lanarkshire to around 12,000 BC. (Curiously, this is the same location as the earliest recorded presence of a Lawson in Scotland.) These prehistoric peoples evolved over centuries into the pagan Celtic and Gaelic tribes who battled later Roman invaders and each other.

The recorded history of Scotland begins with Roman arrival. The Roman invasion of Britain began in AD 43 and by the year 71 the empire pushed north into Scotland where it faced formidable hostile northern pagan tribes. To defend against pagan attacks, the Romans built the Antonine Wall. This northernmost frontier barrier of the Roman Empire spanned 39 miles across the Central Belt of Scotland between the Firth of Forth in the east and the Firth of Clyde in the west. The wall was a 10 feet high and 16 feet wide turf and stone fortification with a deep ditch on the northern side. On top was a wood palisade adding an additional 10 feet in height. Although it took twelve years to build, the wall was soon overrun and abandoned after 160. Despite this prominent defensive structure and Hadrian's Wall further south in England, Roman control of Britannia was entirely lost by the mid-6th century.

Now the Picts emerged as the dominant force in northern Scotland, with various Celtic, Briton, Gaelic and AngloSaxon tribes occupying areas to the south and west.

Viking raids and invasions forced some tribes to unite.

This led to the creation of the kingdom of Northumbria in 604 which covered much of central and northeastern England including southern Scotland up to the Firth of Forth. In the mid-10th century Northumbria ceased to be an independent kingdom although from then until today the term Northumbria still refers to a region in northeastern England corresponding to the counties of Northumberland, Durham and Tyne and Wear.

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House of Alpin Kenneth I (c. 843–858) Donald I (858–862) Constantine I (862–877) Aed (877–878) Giric (878–889) Donald II (889–890) Constantine II (900–943) Malcolm I (943–954) Indulf (954–962) Dub (962–967) Culen (967–971) Kenneth II (971–995) Constantine III (995–997) Kenneth III (997–1005) Malcolm II (1005–1034) House of Dunkeld Duncan I (1034–1040) MacBeth (1040–1057) Lulach (1057–1058) Malcolm III (1058–1093) Donald III (1093–1094) Duncan II (1094) Donald III (1094–1097) Edgar (1097–1107) Alexander I (1107–1124) Saint David I (1124–1153) Malcolm IV (1153–1165) William I (1165–1214) Alexander II (1214–1249) Alexander III (1249–1286) Margaret, Maid of Norway (1286-1290) 1st Guardians of Scotland (1290–1292) William Fraser, Bishop of St Andrews Duncan Macduff, 8th Earl of Fife Alexander Comyn, 2nd Earl of Buchan Robert Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow James Stewart, High Steward of Scotland John Comyn House of Balliol John Balliol (1292-1296) 2nd Guardians of Scotland (1296–1306) Andrew de Moray (1297) William Wallace (1297–1298) Robert the Bruce (1298–1300) John Comyn (1298–1301) William Lamberton, (1299–1301) Sir Ingram de Umfraville (1300–1301) John de Soules (1301–1304) John Comyn (1302–1304) House of Bruce Robert I the Bruce (1306–1329) David II (1329–1371) House of Balliol Edward Balliol (1329 – 1363) House of Stewart (Stuart) Robert II (1371–1390) Robert III (1390–1406) James I (1406–1437) James II (1437–1460) James III (1460–1488) James IV (1488–1513) James V (1513–1542) Mary I (1542–executed 1587) Lord Darnley (1565-1567) Mary's husband James VI (1567–1625), Union of the Crowns (1603) Charles I (1625–1649) Lord Protectors of England & Scotland Oliver Cromwell (1649-1658) executed Charles I Richard Cromwell (1658-1659) Restored Monarchy Charles II (1649-1685) disputed claim during Cromwell reign, restored 1660 James VII (1685–1689) deposed, recognized by France Mary II (1689–1694), co-monarch with William William II (1689–1702) Anne (1702–1714), Scottish throne replaced by Kingdom of Great Britain (1707)

In 867 AD the Vikings were added to the mix of tribes when they seized the southern half of Northumbria, forming the Kingdom of York. They subsequently conquered much of England.

A 9th century union of Picts and Scots created the Kingdom of Scotland. Scottish kings and barons often raided northern England that eventually prompted William the Conqueror to invade and force the Scots king to submit to his authority, opening up Scotland to future claims of sovereignty by English kings.

An old undocumented Gaelic legend says that about the year 500, a man named Loarn or Laurin acquired the lands of his father on the northwestern coast of what would become Scotland. The name Loarn is written in Gaelic as Labhran and is pronounced in Gaelic as Lawrin. This is the first recorded occurrence in this region of a name that could be the root of the families Lawrence and Lawson. Indeed, the Lawsons of Scotland may begin with this ancient Gaelic ancestor whose descendants migrated to the continent and left a trail of ancestors who traveled from Normandy to England and back to Scotland.

We recently discovered more about Loarn and his ancestors. We can now push this line back several generations to the Kings of Dál Riata (Dalriada) and the ancient High Kings of Ireland.

Lawson Family Founders Eochaid Muinremuir (circa 400-450) was the grandfather of Loarn and a decendant of the High Kings of Ireland as follows: Áengus Fert, son of Fedlimid, son of Oengus, son of another Fedlimid, son of Senchormaich, son of Cruitlinde, son of Findfece, son of Archircir, son of Eochaid Antoit, son of Fiacha Cathmail, son of Cairbre Riata, son of Conaire Cóem and Saraid ingen Chuinn.

Erc (circa 430-474) was the father of Loarn and was a legendary king of the Irish Dál Riata (Dalriada) until 474. He came from Ireland to Scotland in 503 and with his family settled and controlled the land and islands of western Scotland. Erc was the father of three sons: Fergus Mór, Loarn and Oengus. Erc is significant as he is traditionally regarded as the ancestor (through his son Fergus Mor) of the kings of Dalraida, and through them the Kings of Scotland.

Loarn (also Lawrin) macEirc of Dál Riata (circa 450-510) came to Scotland with his father. In 503 Loarn inherited lands of his father in western Scotland that will become Argyll. Argyll today is a county in western Scotland that includes the land and islands north of Glasgow. Argyll covers the same area as the ancient kingdom of Dál Riata.

Grandsons of Loarn (circa 843-858) Three brothers who are descendants of Loarn supported Kenneth I King of the Picts (also known as Kenneth MacAlpin) and for their service they obtained the lands of Blaquhidder. According to national myth, Kenneth MacAlpin is the 1st King of Scotland.

George Black in his work The Surnames of Scotland, Their Origin, Meaning and History says the following, "Lawson, Son of Lawrence, through the diminutive Law." In addition, Black refers to MacLaren as the "Son of Laurence." As we have learned in earlier chapters, minor differences in the spelling of surnames don't appear to be especially important. The spelling of surnames has been and still is an art form. Thus we often find Lawson, Louson, Lawsone, Lawsoun and other variants referring to the same family name.

MacLaren Crest

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In Scotland, the surnames Law, Lawson and particularly Lawrence are connected with the surname MacLaren. The surname "Law" is a simple patronymic of the name Lawrence or Lawrin. The name Lawson is a more complex patronymic of the names Law or Lawrence, and it carries the same relationship as the surname MacLaren. Lawson includes the suffix "son" that means "son of". The suffix "son" may derive from Scandinavian, Pict, or Viking usage. The term "son" is used in surnames throughout Scotland and is sometimes referred to as a means for Anglicizing a Scottish clan name.

The prefix Mac or Mc in the surname MacLaren also means "the son of". Both the genealogical research books Scots Hith and Kin and Clan Finder say that Lawson is a sept of MacLaren.

The original MacLaren chiefs were hereditary Celtic Abbots and derived their patronymic from the clan's 13th century founder, Lawrence (or Laurence) the Abbot of Achtow in Blaquhidder (about 40 miles east of Perth). Abbot Lawrence probably adopted his name after hearing stories about an early Christian martyr of 258. When the Prefect of Rome ordered a monk named Lawrence to turn over his church treasures to the Emperor, Lawrence brought forward all of the poor people that he served. "Behold in these poor persons are the treasures which I promised to show you; to which I will add pearls and precious stones, the widows and consecrated virgins, which are in the Church's crown." The prefect was so angry that he had Lawrence burned to death.

View of Blaquhidder

The legend says that after St. Lawrence had suffered in fire for awhile, he told the prefect: "I'm well done on this side. Turn me over!" (Source: "St. Lawrence", in My First Book of Saints, by Fr. Paolo O. Pirlo, Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate – Quality Catholic Publications, 1997).

Celtic Abbot Lawrence, the founder of Clan MacLaren, established his church during the 1200s in Blaquhidder at the time part of Perthshire. Early records of Perthshire show that as surnames came into use during the 12th century. The names Law, Lawson and Lawrence were common in the region.

Perthshire was the ancient County of Perth, Scotland and straddles both the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands. The city of Perth is the county seat and has been a Royal Burgh since the 13th century. Perth was also a Royal residence throughout the middle ages and is often referred to as the Ancient Capital of Scotland. Nearby is the ancient village of Scone that was the coronation site of Scottish monarchs. All kings and queens of Scotland were crowned there up until the union of Scottish and English crowns into the United Kingdom.

MacLaren clansman

Religion in Scotland Christianity was probably introduced to what is now Lowland Scotland by Roman soldiers and monks stationed in the north of the province of Britannia. After the collapse of Roman authority in the fifth century, Christianity survived among a few enclaves in the south of Scotland. From the fifth to the 63

seventh centuries, Christianity was spread in Scotland by Irish-Scots missionaries and, to a lesser extent, those from Rome and England. These missionaries founded monastic institutions and churches that served large areas, depended on shared clergy and practiced a distinctive form of Celtic Christianity, in which abbots were more significant than bishops, attitudes to clerical celibacy were more relaxed and other significant differences with Roman Christianity. Conversion to this form of Christianity may have helped to speed the longer term merger of tribes in Scotland.

In this period, there were few parish churches in Scotland. The churches that did exist shared clergy who were often tied to devotion to a particular saint and monastery. The result was that before the Norman Conquest, Scotland had little clear church structure.

In the Norman period, from the eleventh to the thirteenth centuries, the Scottish church underwent a series of transformations. After the Conquest, English Archbishops tried to claim superiority over the Scottish church but in 1192, the Pope granted the church in Scotland clear independence from England.

Scotland became the "special daughter of Rome" run by special councils of Scottish bishops, with the bishop of St Andrews emerging as the most important figure. From this time on local Scottish Kings and noble lords began to adopt the continental practice of building churches on their property for the local population and endowing them with land and a priest. These churches were almost universal by 1274 and an administrative structure developed that was governed by the aristocracy.

English emigration into southern Scotland in the Middle Ages The marriage circa 1068 of Scottish King Malcolm III, later known as Malcolm Canmore (caen mor is Gaelic for Great Chief), with the Saxon princess Margaret of Wessex, has been commonly stated as the cause of the early immigration of English people into Scotland. "But it had begun earlier, and many concurring causes determined at that time the stream of English colonization towards the Lowlands of Scotland," (Source: Sketches of early Scottish history, by E. Innes, Edinburgh, 1861) This influx of English people into Scotland with the consequent spread of English customs in the reign of Malcolm was opposed by the native Scots population. On Canmore's death warring factions sought to drive out the imported nobles of Malcom's court (1093). Malcolm's son, with the support of an army of Normans and Englishmen, was ultimately recognized as king, "but on condition that he would never again introduce into Scotland either Normans or Englishmen, or permit them to give him military service." (Source: The Ancient Kingdom, by Mackenzie, 1930) This Gaelic opposition persisted because "the later kings of Scots boast of being French [i.e. Norman] in race and in manners, language and culture; and after reducing the Scots [i.e. the Gaels] to utter servitude, they admit only Normans to their friendship and service."

(Source: Memorials of William of Coventry, ed. Stubbs, vol. 2)

William the Conqueror 's efforts to crush rebellion in the north of England also had an impact on southern Scotland: "Those who escaped death fled to the south of Scotland, which was so stocked with English, both men and maidens, that they were to be found in all the farm houses and even in the cottages." (Source: Historia regum, vol. 2, by Simeon of Durham, 1885)

Map of Scottish Borders

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The people moving into the Scottish border counties were upper class families long settled in Northumbria, and Normans of the highest blood and names. They were men of the sword whose service was valued on either side of the border and they were fit for the society at court with many becoming the chosen companions of Scottish Princes. In Scotland the Normans came across the border not as conquerors but as peaceful citizens and were soon assimilated, but not until they had made many changes particularly during the reign of Scottish King David I. The Norman imports also gave Scotland many of her so-called nobility and three royal families — Balliol, Bruce, and Stewart.

The movement of English colonists into Scotland was quite rapid. Land was acquired by charter of the King and held in a feudal manner. Soon all the arable land in the south of Scotland was said to be held

by English imports. The old native people gave way or took service under the English/Normans. Now the Norman knights created villages and towns, build castles and manors and distributed lands of his manor among his own followers and those natives he found attached to the soil as tenants.

In the Ragman Roll, which Edward I extorted from the people of Scotland in the course of his military progress throughout the country in the summer of 1296, and later in a parliament held at Berwick, are to be found "the largest and most authentic enumeration now extant of the nobility, barons, landowners and burgesses as well as of the clergy of Scotland, prior to the fourteenth century." No public records of Scotland, prior to that time have survived. (Source: The Edwards in Scotland, by Joseph Bain in his Rhind Lectures, Edinburgh, 1901; and, Calendar of documents relating to Scotland preserved in Public Record Office, 4 volumes, Edited by Joseph Bain. Edinburgh, 1881-84)

Lawson in Scotland - The Middle Ages Some genealogists say that Richard Lawson (or Laurence) (circa 990-1040) fought at the Battle of Carham (also called the Battle of Coldstream) around 1018. This was fought between the King of Northumbria and the combined Scots forces of Malcolm II, King of Scots and Owen the Bald, King of Strathclyde. The combined forces of the Scots won the day and the result determined the eastern border of Scotland. Carham (also known as Carham-on-Tweed) is a village in Northumberland, England on the south side of the River Tweed about 3 miles west of Coldstream. Later, Carham is the location of Wark Castle where we will find George Lawson is the constable and later captain. It is likely that this Richard Lawson/Laurence is the grandfather of Richard Laurence of Byker (below) and was rewarded by the King with lands comprising one or more of the family estates listed below.

That the name Lawson is derived from "son of Lawrence" can be seen in early Scottish records of the 13th and 14th centuries. For example: Richard Laurence of Byker (also spelled Biggar) in Lanarkshire, Scotland is recorded in 1296 as rendering his homage by signing the "Ragman Roll" of allegience to King Edward I. Richard's sons all carried the name Lawson with estates in Humbie, High Riggs Edinburgh, Cambo, Cairnmuir and Bogwell. Their heirs and descendants all continued to carry the name Lawson: the sons of Lawrence. (Source: Calendar of documents relating to Scotland preserved in Public Record Office, 4 volumes, Edited by Joseph Bain. Edinburgh, 1881-84) A segment of the Ragman Rolls

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The Ragman Rolls are the documents in which the nobility of Scotland pledged allegiance to the English King Edward I, in 1291, 1291 and in 1296. These documents contain the acts of homage and fealty extorted by Edward from the Scottish nobles in the course of his progress through Scotland. The derivation of the word ragman is described in several conflicting accounts. However, Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable defines "Ragman Roll" as follows: originally meant the “Statute of Rageman� (De Ragemannis), a legate of Scotland, who compelled all the clergy to give a true account of their benefices, that they might be taxed at Rome accordingly.

Subsequently it was applied to the four great rolls of parchment recording the acts of fealty and homage done by the Scotch nobility to Edward I in 1296; these four rolls consisted of thirty-five pieces sewn together. The originals perished, but a record of them is preserved in the Rolls House, Chancery Lane.

Today's colloquial term rigmarole, meaning a rambling, incoherent statement, is derived from ragman roll.

In 1124, the Scottish crown passed to King David I, who had spent most of his life in the Norman French court of England. During his reign he replaced traditional native Scottish government with English and French institutions and encouraged Anglo-Norman nobles to supplant the Scottish aristocracy. David also introduced a system of feudal land tenure with knight service which encouraged castle building and gave the King an available body of heavily armed cavalry. He created Anglo-Norman style courts and local sheriffs to administer localities. He established the first royal burghs in Scotland and granted rights to particular settlements, which led to the development of the first true Scottish towns. All of this, along with introducing the first recorded Scottish coins, helped facilitate economic development.

Finally, David also moved to reform Scottish celtic monasticism and church organization into a model similar to the rest of Western Europe.

After King David's reign in Scotland, rival factions continued to fight each other during frequent disputed successions. English king Edward I, also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), took advantage of Scottish succession disputes to launch a series of campaigns beginning in 1296. The results were that: Scotland formed an alliance with France that would endure for centuries (known as the Auld Alliance); the Wars of Scottish Independence in which Scotland passed back and forth between the House of Balliol (allied with the English) and the House of Bruce (seeking an independent Scotland). Ultimately, with Robert the Bruce's victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, Scotland was "de facto" a fully independent and sovereign kingdom. This was legitimized in 1320, when Pope John XXII nullified the various acts of submission by Scottish kings to the English. Now, Scotland's sovereignty could be recognized by the major European powers. Eventually, in the 1328 Treaty of Edinburgh, even England was forced to acknowledge Scottish independence. Despite all this, England would still interfere in Scottish politics for generations, often with outright invasions.

By the 14th century, the name Lawson was a well established Midlothian name. Midlothian is a historic county formed in the Middle Ages when the larger county Lothian was divided into East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian. The county included Edinburgh and was formerly known as Edinburghshire, or more formally as the County of Edinburgh, until 1890. In the following centuries, the names Law, Lawson, and Lawrence were found in more than 20 counties in Scotland over a period from 1500 through the 1700's. (Sources: Law, Lawson, Lawrence Surnames by James Randall Lawson, Sr; The MacLarens, A History of Clan Labhran, by Margaret MacLaren, The Pentland Press, Edinburgh, 1984; The Royal Clans of Scotland, by Seamus MacThomas, Scotpress, 1988; The Clans, Septs and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands, by Frank Adam, revised by Sir Thomas Innes, 1984; and, The Surnames of Scotland, Their Origin, Meaning and History, by George R. Black, The New York Public Library, 1993)

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LAWSON LOCATIONS IN SCOTLAND 1

Battle of Carham (Coldstream)

Richard Lawson (Laurence) in battle where Scots defeat Northumbria Also site of Wark Castle (England)

1018

2

Byker (Biggar)

Richard Lawson of Byker in the Ragman Rolls

1296

3

Blaquhidder

Abbot Lawrence (Lawson) Seat of Clan McLaren

1300

4

Edinburgh  Grothill  Heiriggs  Leith

Richard Lawson the Canon of St. Giles Church Home of Lawsons of Heiriggs John Lawson in Leith

1370 1400-1628 1462

5

Boghall

Home of Lawsons of Boghall

1500-1628

6

Lyntoun (Linton/West Linton)  Cairnmuir Estate

John Lawson Home of Lawsons of Cairnmuir

1376 1503-1900

7

Humbie  Hartside

Home of Lawsons of Humbie & Hartside

1406-1637

8

St. Andrews  Cambo  Anstruther Easter

Rev. James Lawson at St. Andrews University Lawson Cambo Estate James Lawson is the bailee here

1568 1450-1670 1678

9

Newburgh  Lindores Abbey

Henry Lawson, landowner at Newburgh Richard Lawson a monk at Lindores Abbey

1481-1521 1470

10

Perth  

Rev. James Lawson birthplace Ancient capital of Scottish Kings John Lawson is a witness in this town

1538-1584

1402 1400-1500

Scone Easter Moncrieff

1420

11

Aberdeen

Ady (Andrew) Lawson - a forestaller Also, several other Lawsons here

12

Belhelvie Beach

James Lawson dies in quicksand

1612

13

Flodden, England

Battle of Flodden - King James IV killed Scottish army destroyed

1513

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In the mid 1300s, Richard Lawson was the canon (high priest) of St. Giles Church in Edinburgh and also is recorded as a landed gentleman, the laird (lord) of Grothil. Richard Lawson was most likely the progenitor of all our ancestors in Scotland (reported below). He is also the connection to our earlier ancestors, the English Lawsons of Bywell and Cramlington. Richard Lawson is the son of Robert Lawson of Bywell; son of Ralph Lawson; son of Thomas Lawson; son of John Lawson (lord Fawlesgrave); son of Lawrence Lawson (Laweson) who married a daughter of William II de Lancaster, the 6th Baron of Kendal and inherited part of the Kendal lands in Northumberland. Lawrence Lawson (Laweson) is a son or grandson of John Lawson of Cramlington in 1135, our earliest recorded ancestor in England.

St. Giles’ Church is the High Kirk of Edinburgh positioned at the heart of the Scottish capital. St. Giles’ was founded in 1124, and in the 16th century became the focal point of the Scottish Reformation. St. Giles Church is regarded as the Mother Church of World Presbyterianism.

St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh

A Laird is an owner of a large, long-established Scottish estate and the title is roughly equivalent to a baronet in England. In the Scottish order of precedence, a laird ranks below a baron and above a gentleman. Grothil estate and manor house (later spelled Groathill) appears on a map from 1682, showing Grothil located a mile from the center of Edinburgh. In 1925, the Groathill manor house was demolished in order to build todays Telford Road. Only an echo of the original estate remains in the street named Groathill Road. In 1370 Richard Lawson sold Grothil to Walter Scot, a baxter (in early english: a baker). (Source: Calendar of 1682 Map showing Grothil manor house

documents relating to Scotland preserved in the Public Record Office, 4 volumes, Edited by Joseph Bain, Edinburgh, 1881-84)

Also during the reign of King Robert the Bruce (1306-1329), George Lawson is recorded as serving the King as Under Clerk of the Exchequer John Lawson de Lyntoun, was a tenant under Douglas in the village of Linton in 1376. Linton a small village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. The landlord was probably William Douglas, the 1st Earl of Douglas and a Scots nobleman, peer, warrior and the nephew of Sir James Douglas (also known as Good Sir James and the Black Douglas) a Scottish knight and feudal lord who was one of the chief army commanders of King Robert I (known as Robert the Bruce) of Scotland during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Lyntoun could refer to two towns in the Scottish Borders that are 50 miles apart. This reference to most likely refers to West Linton a small village formerly in the county of Peeblesshire that is about 16 miles southwest of Edinburgh. It is also the location of the Cairnmuir estate of Sir Richard Lawson the elder, described later in this work.

Ady (Andrew?) Lawsoun, was charged as a forestaller in Aberdeen in 1402. Forestalling, sometimes linked with regrating or engrossing, were the now obsolete crimes of: buying from merchants on the way to market to sell at a better price at the market; the buying of dead victuals for hoarding or 69

profiteering; and, buying a commodity in a market with a view to selling it in the same market at a better price. All were offences in Scotland and outlawed in the 1400s in an area within a four mile radius of a marketplace. Forestalling must have been fairly common practice in Aberdeenshire in the early 1400s as there are records of many people being charged with this offense. (Source: Collins Dictionary of Law, W.J. Stewart, 2006)

Lawson Baronets of Scotland From this point in time, we find the Lawsons identified with the prominent estates of Humbie, Heiriggs and Cairnmuir. Other estates included in the Heiriggs and Cairnmuir holdings are: Lochtulloch, Boghall and Cambo. Apparently the Lawsons of Humbie split into descendants in Humbie and Heiriggs. The Heiriggs descendants split into Heiriggs and Cairnmuir. What is noteworthy is that through rights of inheritance as well as grants and purchases these properties exchanged ownership among the different lines. These lines also devolved to the several Lawson Baronets created in Scotland, some perhaps as early as the 1300s. These Lawson Baronets survived and prospered for hundreds of years despite wars, political intrigues and religious turmoil that would impact the country. All of these Scottish baronets show circumstantial evidence of connections to their counterparts in England.

In the 1400s, the struggle for control of Scotland moved to the Scottish kings versus factions of powerful Scottish nobles. In 1406, Scottish King Robert II sent his young son (future King James I) to safety in France. The English captured him en route and he spent the next 18 years as a prisoner held for ransom.

With the death of King Robert and James a prisoner, Scotland was ruled by a series of regents until the ransom was finally paid. King James I, returned home in 1424, at the age of 32 with a new English wife and moved to centralize control of the country in the hands of the crown. This alienated the noble families and he was assassinated in 1437. His son James II, continued his father's policy of trying to weaken the great noble families. In the late 1400s, James III married Margaret of Denmark and acquired the Orkney and Shetland Islands as her dowry; and, his son James IV brought the western islands under Royal control. In 1503, James IV married Margaret Tudor, daughter of English King Henry VII, establishing the basis for the eventual Union of the Crowns in the 17th century.

Lawson Baronet of Humbie Around 1420, John Lawson of Edinburgh (circa 1400-1465) was a witness at Easter Moncreiff, Perth. The Barony of Moncreiffe in Perthshire had at least two manors, one was the eastern most estate named Easter Moncreiff. In 1436, John Lawson (spelled Lauson) also is recorded as holding lands in Aberdeen. Later, in 1462, John Lawson (this time spelled Lawsone) is recorded in Leyth (today spelled Leith). Leith sits on the coast of the Firth of Forth, at the mouth of the Water of Leith. The Water of Leith is the main river flowing through Edinburgh to the port of Leith where it flows into the sea via the Firth of Forth. Prior to a bridge being built in the late 1400s, Leith had settlements on both sides of the river. One side was the main port for loading and unloading ship cargoes and had many merchant houses. The other side of the river was a fishing and ship building village. Today Leith is within the city of Edinburgh about 1 mile north of the city center.

(Source: History of Leith, Edinburgh, October 9, 2012) In the 1400s we find John Lawson of the Highriggs complaining to the magistrates that the water of the burgh loch had overflowed and �drownit ane greit pairt of his land, and that he could get no remedy therefor". Finally, John was likely a son of John Lawson of Linton and a brother of William Lawson of Humbie. John Lawson and William Lawson are the first lords of Humbie.

Humbie is a rural hamlet and parish near Haddington in East Lothian, about 15 miles southeast of Edinburgh. It was the site of a ruined castle, mentioned as a tower, fortalice and manor house in 1646.

The last remains of the castle ruins were removed by 1853. The castle was replaced by Humbie House, a mansion dating from the 18th century and known today as Humbie Old Place. The Keith, Lawson, 70

Hepburn and Cockburn families all have connections to Humbie and in fact these families may all be related.

Originally, Humbie formed part of the Barony of Keith and the lands were held by Simon Fraser of Keith in the reign of King David I. The Lawson family acquired the estates of Humbie and Hartside in the 13th or 14th centuries most likely via charter from the Keith Barony. In 1586, James Lawson transferred ownership of Humbee and Hartside to Sir Adam Hepburn of Kirklandhill, Senator of the College of Justice, who was married to Agnes, daughter of Margaret Haldane Foulis, a daughter of James Haldane of Gleneagles, the son of Marjorie Lawson Haldane, the daughter of Richard Lawson of Heiriggs and the infamous Lady of Gleneagles (about whom we will learn more later in this work). George Foulis, was the King's Master of the Mint, and the husband of Margaret Haldane (granddaughter of Marjorie Lawson). Another of George Foulis' daughters married John Cockburn who is the younger brother of Margaret Cockburn Lawson the wife of James Lawson of Heiriggs, Marjorie's brother.

The Scottish Baronial house known as Keith Marischal is still a prominent feature in Humbie. This may have been the seat of the Lawsons of Humbie from the 1400s, or they were nearby vassals of the Keiths.

Keith Marischal House standing just a mile from Humbie was the ancient home of the barony. It is a long house with a vaulted ground floor, rebuilt on the site in 1589 by the Keiths.

Keith Marischal Baronial Manor House Humbie, Haddington

This beautiful baronial mansion in the country also has a tragic and horrific history. Keith Marischal House is the place where hundreds of witches spent their last night before being executed. More than three centuries ago, the condemned women were locked in the chapel near to this mansion in Humbie.

Although now a place of tranquil beauty, Keith Marischal House was drawn into the North Berwick Witch hunts which took place between 1590 and 1678. These were sparked by the belief that severe storms had been conjured up by witches, a notion suggested by King James VI following a sea journey to Denmark. After “confessing� their sins at trials in North Berwick, one of which was attended by King James VI himself, condemned women were kept in the chapel the night before their execution.

The sentences were carried out a mile away from the house, by burning or garrotting. The witch trials became so widespread that it has been predicted up to 4,000 accused men and women may have been killed in Scotland. Today the chapel bears no mark of the pain and suffering of the women held within.

This hysteria leading to the persecution of people for witchcraft may be the reason that James Lawson disposed of this property.

William Lawson of Humbie, (circa 1390-1450) is the son of John Lawson of Linton and brother of John Lawson of Edinburgh. William is recorded on lands held in feudal service as a vassal knight to Thomas, the 1st Lord Somerville in 1406. (Source: The Genealogy of Somerville, manuscript) William could be the grandson of Richard Lawson, the laird of Grothil. Thomas Somerville was a member of the Parliament of Scotland and also the Justiciar of Scotia (Scotland) the highest legal official in Medieval Scotland. He was also recorded as the Warden of the Scottish Borders in 1424. Lord Somerville held land across southern Scotland as far north as Edinburgh. The family seat was in Roxburghshire on the border with Northumberland. William Lawson of Humbie was an important loyal officlal in Lord Somerville's administration. William had sons: William II of Humbie, Robert Lawson of Humbie, and Richard Lawson of Humbie and Heiriggs. He also 71

had a daughter, Margaret Lawson (1477-1560) who in 1489 marries Alexander Bothwick of Nenthorn, son of the 3rd Lord Bothwick.

William Lawson II of Humbie, (circa 1450-1500) son William I above and brother of Richard Lawson of Humbie and Heiriggs (see below). He was a knight appointed in 1495 as one of the plenipotentiaries to meet with King Henry the VII of England's commissioners, not only to conclude a truce, but also to negotiate a marriage contract between King James IV and Henry's eldest daughter, Princess Margaret.

This same William II Lawson was also appointed one of the conservators of a seven years truce between the two kingdoms of Scotland and England, which was concluded in 1497. (Source: Martial Achievements, Vol. II, by Dr Abercromby) Marjorie Lawson (1480-1553) was the wife of William II Lawson of Humbie and some historians say that she is the earliest recorded Lawson in Humbie. (This Marjorie is not the Marjorie the Lady of Gleneagle mentioned above and detailed later on page 78+.) William II Lawson and Marjorie Lawson had sons Robert Lawson of Humbie and John Lawson of Humbie.

Robert Lawson of Humbie (circa 1450- 1500), the son of William I of Humbie and brother of William II and Richard. Little is known except that he had a daughter, Helen Lawson (circa 1485-1568) who married David Wedderburn of Craige and Tofts, county Forfar. David was the town clerk of Dundee (1535-1552) and a prominent merchant and owner of at least one merchant ship the James. He was such a prominent citizen of the town that he held the chuch jewels and relects in times of war. David and Helen had 3 sons: James, the bishop of Dundee, John, a professor and physician in Padua, and William. They also had a daughter, Magdalen. David and Helen had a charter for the lands of Hiltoun of Craige in the shire of Forfar(1535) and a charter from Queen Mary for the mains of Huntley in Perthshire (1552). (Source: The Wedderburn book. A history of the Wedderburns in the counties of Berwick and Forfar, designed of Wedderburn, Kingennie, Easter..., by Alexander Dundas Ogilvy)

Richard Lawson of Humbie and Heiriggs, (circa 1450-1513), the son of William I of Humbie and brother of William II of Humbie. Richard received a charter from John Tarbat dated 1505 for the property of Gilchranston, lying in the barony of Salton and shire of Edinburgh. In this time, Alexander Abernathy was the 4th Lord of Salton and Edinburghshire was known as Lothian and encompassed West, Mid, and East Lothian. The barony of Salton was the area of the villages of East and West Saltoun in East Lothian, about 5 miles southwest of the village of Haddington (the area of Humbie) and 20 miles east of Edinburgh. This is almost the exact site of the Keith Marischal baronial manor house. Richard Lawson was married to Janet Kerr (Ker) and in 1515, Janet Ker, known as the Lady of Niddrie, and relect (widow) of Richard Lawson of Humby, received a charter from the Superior and Convent of Kelso of the "malis and fermes" of the Kirk lands of Humbie and two parts of the Kirk of Duddingstone. (Source: History and genealogy of the family of Wauchope of Niddrie-Merschell, Author : Paterson, James, of Edinburgh. Reports of a mutilated document in the Niddrie Charter Chest: It is a "Tack of the lands of Cummer, by the Abbot of . . . to Janet Ker, and James Lawson, her son, relict and heir of the late Richard Lawson, in Humby) On moving to Heiriggs Manor in Edinburgh

and acquiring Cairnmuir estate, Richard surrenders title to Humbie to his sons Richard and then Robert.

(More information about Richard Lawson of Heiriggs is on page 76+) Robert Lawson of Humbie (1565-1581), the son of William II Lawson of Humbie held tenement lands in the burgh of Haddington. Robert Lawson married a woman whose name is not known and they had a son, John Lawson (heir to Humbie). Robert Lawson is said to have signed a bond at Hamilton in 1569 to stand by his sovereign Queen Mary and pledge his life and fortune to protect her against her rebellious subjects. By this act Robert Lawson was viewed as a hero by the supporters of the Queen. The seal of Robert Lawson was a saltire, and on a chief with a horsehead bridled between two garbs. (Sources: Retours of Service for Haddingtonshire, no. 35; Chancellary Records of 1581; and, A System of Heraldry, Volume 2, by Alexander Nesbet, Edinburgh, 1722)

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John Lawson of Humbie (circa 1530-1590) was son of Robert Lawson. Around the same time a W. (William?) Lawson also had an estate in Humbie. It is likely that John and William were brothers or at least cousins and both descendants of Richard Lawson mentioned earlier. John Lawson of Humbie inherited his father's lands and titles. (Source: Chancellary Records, and, Scottish Worthies by Alexander Garden).

According to the Edinburgh Council Records, John Lawson was a cautioner that John Ramsay of Dalliousie shall not invade Richard Abercromby of Polton. In Scottish law, a cautioner was similar to a bondsman or guardian. One who binds himself in a bond with the principal for greater security. A cautioner's bond may be regarding a debt payment, or to undertake to produce the person of the party for whom he is bound.

(Source: Black's Law Dictionary). The Earl of Dalhousie was a Midlothian noble and the title held by the Chief of Clan Ramsay. In 1577 and 1578-79, the Privy Council charged Ramsey along with his sons and others, with "having committed serious outrages on the lands of Richard Abercromby of Polton, one of the bailies of Edinburgh. They had killed six horses, had deforced the messenger sent to summon them, killed one of the witnesses, and generally behaved most outrageously." Ramsay and his two sons "appearand of Clatty" (clatty meaning dirty and disheveled) had to find caution (a guarantee) for their good behavior, a very lenient sentence in the circumstances. John Lawson provided this caution.

The Chancellary Records say that John Lawson married Elizabeth Bellenden, daughter of Sir John Bellenden of Auchnoull. (Source: The Scottish nation, or the surnames, families, literature, honours, and biographical history of the people of Scotland, Vol. 1, 1867) This is the second marriage for Elizabeth who was the widow of John Ramsay mentioned above. John Lawson and Elizabeth Bellenden Lawson had at least one son James Lawson, and two daughters, Barbara Lawson Borthwick and Janet Lawson Edmonstone. John Lawson died in 1590 and Elizabeth died in 1630.

Sir James Lawson of Humbie, (circa 1564-1612), son of John Lawson, was a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to King James VI. A Gentleman of the Bedchamber was a title in the royal household of the Kingdom from the 11th century. There were always several holders of the office, who were invariably gentlemen and almost invariably peers, often important ones, as the regular access to the monarch which the role brought was the most valuable commodity of the courtier. The duties of the office involved waiting on the King when he ate in private, helping him to dress, guarding the bedchamber and water closet, and providing companionship. The average number of Gentlemen of the Bedchamber was 12.

Sir James died in 1612. At that time, he appears to have relocated north to properties near Aberdeen. His death occurred while he was out riding over lands he was unfamiliar with and strayed into quicksand. The location was on lands held by the Lawsons at Belhelvie beach near Aberdeen "in a standing lake called the Old Water gang." James drowned, his body was recovered, although his horse was never found. (Source: "Scottish Worthies," by Alexander Garden of Aberdeen, in Nisbet's Heraldry, vol. ii) Belhelvie is a small coastal village north of Aberdeen.

John Lawson of Humbie (circa 1590-1650) is the son of Sir James above. He inherited his father's lands and titles on James death. Circa 1637, the Lawson lands of Hartside near Humbie in the Scottish Borders were sold by John Lawson to Sir Adam Hepburn of Humbie, a Senator of the College of Justice and a Colonel in the Covenanting army of David Leslie. Hartside is a large forested hill near Gilston about 4 miles south of Humbie. (Source: Chancellary Records; and, Scottish Worthies by Alexander Garden)

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Hartside Hill in the Scottish Borders Region

W. (William?) Lawson of Humbie (circa 1600-1650) Son of John above. Recorded as a landowner in Humbie. May have inherited property following the death of Sir James Lawson.

Lawson Baronet of Heiriggs, Lochtulloch, Boghall, Cairnuir and Cambo This ancient Lawson baronet held family estates and manors at Heiriggs, Lochtulloch, Boghall, Cairnmuir, and Cambo. These quite large landholdings were first accumulated by Sir Richard Lawson, the elder, and later were passed down through several generations of Lawson heirs.

Edinburgh Scotland 1600s

Heiriggs Manor was the estate, manor house and seat of the Lawson family in Edinburgh. The home known as Heiriggs Mansion (sometimes Hariggs or Highriggs Manor). It was located in the area now occupied by George Heriot's Hospital/School within the borders of today's city of Edinburgh about 500 feet south of the cliffs of Edinburgh castle. The Lawsons and their mansion were intimately connected with the city. The mansion was demolished in 1877 and at the time may have been the oldest house in the city. Today the area is in the heart of Edinburgh but when Highriggs Manor was built in the fifteenth century it was quite isolated.

The residence had crow stepped gables, dormers on the roofs, and remarkably small windows.

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Lady Lawson Wynd, today called Lady Lawson Street, is a famous street in the High Riggs area of Edinburgh.

This street was named in honor of Lady Janet Elphinstone Lawson (of the Semlyis family) who was the wife of Richard Lawson (the elder).

(Sources: The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History, by George F. Black, New York: New York Public Library, 1946; and, Cassell's old and new Edinburgh, Volume 2, By James Grant)

The Lawson estate of Heiriggs was located south of the castle on lands near the West Port entry through the town wall.

Following the disastrous Battle of Flodden where King James IV was killed and the Scottish army destroyed, the Edinburgh town council purchased land in Heiriggs from the Lawsons to extend the town wall to enclose the Heiriggs. Known as the Flodden Wall, it was completed in 1560.

Later, in 1628, George Heriot, a local businessman and philanthropist as well as a friend and courtier of King James VI of Scotland, acquired Heiriggs. He then built a hospital (then the name of a charitable school) for poor, fatherless children of the burgh. Today known as Heriott's School, it still stands as one of the historical monuments of this ancient city.

It is noteworthy that George Heriot was connected by marriage with the Primroses of Rosebery. This family includes the former Prime Minister of England, the Earl of Rosebery. George Heriot's wife, Alison Primrose, was the daughter of James Primrose, clerk of the privy council. Alison died before her twentyfirst year and it was in her memory that George Heriot devoted the bulk of his large fortune to the foundation of the hospital for the education of the children of citizens of Edinburgh. The hospital/school bears his name, and today is still regarded as one of the chief charitable and educational institutions of the city - almost 400 year later. Alison Primrose was Heriot's Hospital in the 1800s

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the daughter of James Primrose and his wife Catherine Lawson, the daughter of Richard Lawson, the younger, of Heiriggs. (More on Richard later in this work on page 77+) (Sources: Early History in Scotland, by the Herriott Heritage Association; The Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh, by Colin McWilliam, David Walker, and John Gifford, Penguin,1984; Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century, by William Matthews Gilbert , J. & R. Allan, 1901)

Sir Richard Lawson, the elder (1450-1513), Some genealogists and historians say Richard may be "a son of the house of Humbie." If so, he is most likely the son to the first William Lawson of Humbie (see Humbie line above). Richard was called "Richard Lawson of Humby, provost of Edinburgh" (Source: Lives of eminent men of Fife, by James Bruce, 1846) By this line Richard was likely the grandson of Richard Lawson, the landed gentleman who was canon of St. Giles Church and Laird of Grothil in the 1300s. He is also descended from Richard Laurence (Lawson) of Byker (Biggar) who rendered homage in 1296 and Richard Lawson (Laurence) who fought at the Battle of Carham in 1018. Sir Richard was a prominent landowner who acquired the Lawson properties of Heiriggs, Lochtulloch, Boghall, Cairnmuir and Cambo through inheritance, grants for service and purchase.

Richard Lawson was an important Edinburgh and national Sottish politician. He was appointed the town clerk of Edinburgh in 1482. Later, in 1488, Richard Lawson is recorded as the laird of Heiriggs (spelled alternately Hierigs, Harigs or High Riggs). In the same year, he was appointed clerk of the Lord Justice Clerk, and he was also one of the Regents appointed to manage the affairs during the minority of King James IV. As a Regent, he helped to form James IV's Council of State. In 1490, Richard was appointed the Clerk (Judge) (originally clericus justiciarie) of the Court of Justiciary. The Justiciary was the supreme criminal court in Scotland which was both a trial court and a court of appeal. Later Richard Lawson was Lord Justice Clerk (Justice of Scotland's Supreme Court). The Lord Justice Clerk is the second most senior judge in Scotland, after the Lord President of the Court of Session. From 1481-1505, Richard Lawson served in the Scots Parliament and was a member of the Secret Council.

He was the Lord Provost of Edinburgh for the years 1491, 1492, 1493, and 1498. The Lord Provost is the convener of the City of Edinburgh local authority. The Provost is elected by the city council and serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the entire city. The Lord Provost is ex officio the Lord-Lieutenant of Edinburgh. In many ways a Provost is similar to a Mayor or Burgess of a city.

While some of Scotland's local authorities elect a Provost, only the four main cities (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee) have a Lord Provost.

Richard Lawson was also appointed clerk to the ambassadors of King James IV of Scotland and was one of the commissioners to negotiate several treaties with the English in the 1490s. In 1503 he was appointed the King's Lord Advocate. (Source: James Henryson and the Origins of the Office of King's Advocate in Scotland, by John Finlay, Edinburgh University Press) The Lord Advocate (Scottish Gaelic: Morair Tagraidh, Scots: Laird Advocat), is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters comparable to the Attorney-General of the US. He was the chief public prosecutor for Scotland.

The officeholder is one of the Great Officers of State of Scotland. (Source: "Historical Background to the development of the office of Lord Advocate", by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, 2009)

Richard Lawson was knighted by King James IV and at that time he recorded a coat of arms for his family: "Lawsone of Boghall. A saltire and chief, the later charged with three garbs". (Source: Scottish Arms, Being a Collection of Armorial Bearings, Volume 2, by Robert Riddle Stodart; and, General Armory, by Sir Bernard Burkes) This coat of arms is similar to that of Robert Lawson of Humbie described on page 72.

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The Lawsons were a rich burgher family, who also had a town house in Lauriston on the waters of the Firth of Forth (known as Cramond Regis), the mansion house at Heiriggs in Edinburgh and large estates and manors at Cairnmuir, Cambo & Boghall. It is unknown if Richard inherited these properties or if they were awarded for his personal service to the king. We do know that Richard acquired an estate near the Burgh Loch (Boghall) and the barony of Brighall (this is probably Cairnmuir acquired in 1500 and 1503 from Andrew Graham). In 1500, he also acquired a 1/4 part of the estate of Cambo as well as Cramond Regis acquired from Janet Baillie the wife of Robert Lawson of Cairnmuir the son of this Richard Lawson and Janet Elphinstone. Janet Baillie was the daughter and heiress of William Baillie of Cambo (Nisbet) Janet Baillie later remarried to John Gifford.

Cambo Manor

The 1500s are marked by the Scottish Reformation and French influence on Scottish politics. In 1512, Scotland renewed the Auld Alliance with France and under its terms, when English King Henry VIII invaded France in 1513, Scotland invaded England. The Scots were crushed by the English army at the Battle of Flodden with Scottish King James IV and many of his nobles killed and the Scots army destroyed.

Young James V then became king and Scotland was again ruled by regents during the King's minority. In 1528, James V assumed control and moved to pacify the rebellious Highlands, Islands and English border counties. He also strengthen the Auld Alliance by marriage to two French noblewomen with royal connections; first to Madeleine de Valois and after her death, Marie de Guise. The day before his death in 1542, James learned of the birth of an heir, a daughter by Marie de Guise, who would become Mary, Queen of Scots. From this point forward, French influence and religion will play major roles in Scotland Circa 1500, Richard Lawson is granted the fourth and final part of the lands of Cambo by Bishop of Dunkeld following a surrender of rights by Janet Baillie, the wife of his son Robert Lawson of Cairnmuir. Then in 1503 he gains title to the lands of Cairnmiur from Andrew Graham of Cairnmur.

Richard Lawson, the elder, married Janet Elphinstone, the daughter of James Elphinstone of Clan Elphinstone whose historic seat is the ruins of Elphinstone Tower near Stirling.

Janet's mother was Isabella Bruce a granddaughter of King Robert the Bruce. Janet Elphinstone Lawson held in her own right the land of Cramond Regis a few miles north of Edinburgh on the Firth of Forth. Lady Lawson Street is named for Janet Elphinstone Lawson.

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In St. Giles church was an altar to St. Apollonia that was endowed in 1508 by Janet Elphinstone, the widow of Richard Lawson of Heiriggs. (Source: In the National Records of Scotland (GD243/23/2) is a charter dated 23 September 1508 wherein Jonet Elphinstoun is mentioned as "relict of the deceased Master Richard Lausoun of Hieriggis")

Saint Apollonia was one of a group of virgin martyrs who suffered in Alexandria during a local uprising against the Christians. According to church tradition, her torture included having all of her teeth violently pulled out or shattered. Thus, St. Apollonia is associated with pulling teeth and is often shown holding a tooth in pincers. Her statue in the south-eastern chapel of Westminster Abbey holds a book in the right hand, and a pair of pincers in the left. At other churches she has an instrument like a tooth-extractor, and a clasped book with teeth lying upon it.

At St. Giles the altar to St. Apollonia was situated on the west side of the south door. Richard Lawson of Heiriggs granted lands in Cramond to benefit the minister of St. Giles and help endow the altar. Cramond is a village and suburb in the north-west of Edinburgh, at the mouth of the River Almond where it enters the Firth of Forth. It is the location of the Lawson manor Cramond Regis.

Sir David Lyndsay described this altar when he wrote: Sanct Apolline on aultar standis With all hir teith intill hir handis.

(Sources: Emblems of Saints, by F. C. Husenbeth; Westminster Abbey, by F. Bond; and, Parish of Cramond, by J. P. Wood)

Richard Lawson, the elder, died in 1513. Richard Lawson and Janet Elphinstone had sons: James Lawson of Heiriggs, his successor; Richard Lawson (the Younger) of Cairnmuir; Robert Lawson of Cairnmuir; and, Patrick Lawson the Prebendary of Corstorphine. (Source: The Historie and Chronicles of Scotland, 1436–1565, by Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie) Richard Lawson (the younger) and Robert Lawson are both successively the lairds of Cairnmuir. Richard Lawson the elder and Janet Elphinstone also had a daughter, Margaret (Marjorie) Lawson Haldane, the Lady of Gleneagles, over whom Lord Stirling and Squire Meldrum fought.

Marjorie Lawson is mentioned in a famous chivalric poem The Historie And Testament Of Squyer Meldrum, written in the mid 16th century by Sir David Lyndsay. This is a biography of Lyndsay’s acquaintance and neighbor in northeast Fife, Squire William Meldrum. In the poem, Marjorie Lawson is described as a girl "possessed of great attractions" with several suitors. One is Lord Lewis/Luke Stirling who had been paying much attention to her but his efforts were proving less successful than Squire William Meldrum of the Byres. Meldrum was a dashing hero, well tested in battle, whose feats of chivalry were famous. Lord Stirling, frustrated by his lack of success with Miss Lawson, led fifty armed men on horses and ambushed Meldrum and eight followers near Holyrood House. In this mortal combat with sword and axe, "Meldrum unhorsed Sir Lewis, and would have slain him had not his faithful henchman step between and received the sword-thrust in his own heart." The prowess of Meldrum's friends is evinced in the fact that they killed 26 of Stirling's men, but the remainder finally overcame Meldrum and company. Stirling and his men left Meldrum for dead, covered with wounds; "yet, be the mychtie power of God he escaped death, and lived fiftie years thairaftir."

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This vicious roadside attach ends Meldrum’s fighting career and very nearly his life. Meldrum and Marjorie Lawson never see each other again. Meldrum lives his remaining decades in quiet but useful employment as a sheriff-deputy of Fife, a medical practitioner, and a member of the household of the Lords Lindsay of the Byres at Struthers Castle, Fife. As for Lord Lewis Stirling, the Lieutenant-Governor, Chevalier de la Beaute, led a posse of mounted French soldiers in pursuit Stirling. He was captured and imprisoned at the Castle of Edinburgh, where he was sentenced to death, but was pardoned and set free.

(Sources: Historie and Cronicles of Scotland, by Robert Lindesay of Pitscottie; and, The Historie And Testament Of Squyer Meldrum, by Sir David Lyndsay, circa 1550) (More about this incident and the poem is in Appendix B)

Marjorie Lawson, married Sir John Haldane of Gleneagles, Perthshire, in 1508. After their marriage Marjorie became known as the Lady of Gleneagles. Sir John was a knight who was killed along with King James IV at the Battle of Flodden, making Marjorie a widow in 1513. Marjorie and John had two sons: James and Archibald Haldane.

James Lawson of Heiriggs, Lochtulloch, Boghall, Cairnmur and Cambo, (circa 1480-1563) This son of Richard Lawson of Heirigs the elder becomes the baronet of the combined estates after the death of his brother Robert. James followed in his father's footsteps and served as the Provost of Edinburgh in 1532 and 1534. He was also a Minister of Parliament and Commissioner for the City of Edinburgh in 1531 and 1532. In 1532 James Lawson was a Senator of the College of Justice. James Lawson was one of the 15 members of the first Supreme Judicture of Scotland. In 1526, James grants to his brother Patrick his rights as heir to his brother Richard of lands of Cairnmuir. He married Janet Liddel (sometimes spelled Liddale or Leddale), heiress of Lochtulloch, Boghall, Stardaills and Denyss in the Barony of Bathgate in Renfrewshire. (Source: A system of heraldry : speculative and practical : with the true art of blazon, according to the most approved..., by Alexander Nisbet, 1804) The location of these extinct estates is somewhat obscure and they seem to be scattered over a wide area of Scotland. Some report these lands are in the barony of Bathgate and in Renfrewshire. Bathgate is near Edinburgh and very near the location of Boghall.

Renfrewshire is west of Glasgow and 50 miles west of Edinburgh. Another likely location is Roxburghshire, the historic seat of the Liddel family. Roxburgh is now a destroyed royal burgh in the historic county of Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders. Roxburgh (now the location of the village of Kelso) was an important trading burgh in High Medieval Scotland. It is also noteworthy that the Liddel river is in Roxburghshire and for many miles forms the border with England.

Janet Liddel died young and James Lawson remarried to Margaret Cockburn, daughter of Christian Lawson and Alexander Cockburn. James and Margaret had two sons: John Lawson of Boghall and George Lawson of Traquir (near Linton). James Lawson died sometime prior to 1563 and Margaret remarried to Alexander Skeyne (Skene). Margaret Cockburn Lawson died in 1590.

(Source: The house of Cockburn of that ilk and the cadets thereof: with historical anecdotes of the times in which many..., by Thomas H. Cockburn-Hood, 1888)

Loctulloch Loctulloch is a difficult place to find. The only place of that name today is well north of Edinburgh in the Cairngorm National Park at the foot of the Scottish Highlands. This Loctulloch is a pond several hundred feet in diameter on a farm about 1 mile southeast of Loch Garten and near the settlement of Aundorach which is 3 miles south 79

Cairngorm National Park

of Netty Bridge about 80 miles east of Aberdeen. In ancient times the valleys between the individual mountains (cairngorms) were used for drovers' roads to drive cattle to market or between summer and winter pastures. Many drovers' roads were ancient routes dating back to medieval times. Drovers built many rough protective shelters along these trails. The thick forests of the Cairngorms was also a location for hunting and fishing and led to the establishment of deer stalking estates. In any event the estate of Loctulloch came to the Lawson via Janet Liddel's inheritance.

Richard Lawson the younger of Cairnmuir, (circa 1480-1523) This son of Richard Lawson of Heiriggs, Richard the younger, was Baronet of Cairnmuir and a bookseller/publisher in Edinburgh in the 1500s. This Richard Lawson also served as a Provost of Edinburgh in 1504 and 1505. Richard succeeded his brother James at Heiriggs. (Details about Richard Lawson begin on page 81 under the Baronet of Cairnmuir.)

Robert Lawson of Heiriggs and Cairnmuir (circa 1489-circa 1515) This son of Richard Lawson and Janet Elphinstone Lawson inherits the title and lands of Heiriggs and Cairnmuir from brother Richard. Robert married Janet Baillie, daughter and heiress to William Baillie of Cambo. Both Robert and Janet die young circa 1515, perhaps of the plague. (Robert is also listed on page 83 under the Baronet of Cairnmuir.)

John Lawson of Heiriggs, Lochtulloch and Boghall (circa 1540-1562) In the mid 1500s, the "Edinburgh Common Council purchased the elevated ridge of ground lying south of the West Port and Grassmarket, denominated by the High Riggs (manor house), on a part of which Heriot's Hospital was afterwards built."

The purpose of this purchase by the town was to extend the city walls to enclose High Riggs. Part of this wall still forms the boundary of the hospital grounds with only a tower of the ancient fortifications remaining. (Source: Old and New Edinburgh) This maybe the same John Lawson with property in Leith on the Firth of Forth assessed to help support the Church of the Holy Trinity in Edinburgh (1562).

John Lawson married Christian Livingston, the daughter of Sir William Livingston of Kilsyth. John and Christian had two sons: Sir William Lawson and John Lawson who succeeded each other at Boghall; and a daughter, Katharine (Catherine) Lawson who married James Primrose, Clerk of the King's Privy Council, and their son is Sir Archibald Primrose, Baronet of Dalmeny and Lord Chief Justice General of Scotland. John Lawson surrenders his interests in the estate of Cairnmuir in to another branch of the family in 1556.

Boghall stands near the town of Biggar (or Byker) in South Lanarkshire. Biggar is the location of Richard Laurence of Byker (1296). Biggar/Boghall was a strong castle, situated in a marsh and approached by a bridge over a moat then through a gatehouse. A tower house occupied the center of the courtyard.

The curtain walls were defended by vaulted gun towers. In 1670 the tower house was demolished and replaced by a modern mansion. By the end of the 18th century the castle was in ruin but substantially intact. In the 19th century its stones were robbed until the only remains visible were the stair tower of the mansion Ruins of Boghall Castle

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and the 2 towers of the curtain. In 1870 one of these (that pictured) collapsed prompting a cry to preserve what was left.

An interesting aside on the strength of Boghall castle is provided by an event in 1651 when its Cromwellian garrison felt secure enough to refuse the summons to surrender by Charles II when his army stopped at Biggar on its march to the south. One historian noted that this residence of the old baronial family of Richard Lawson, was "a good estate about Edinburgh, near the Burrow Loch, and the barony of Boighall".

Sir William Lawson of Lochtulloch and Boghall, (1590-1625) is the son of John Lawson and Christian Livingstone of Kilsyth. He also had lands of Dundryon in the barony of Inverleith, Edinburghshire granted by Sir George Towers of Inverleith in 1607. William inherits 1/4 part of Cambo from his father.

Sir William and Hamilton of Bathgate, are ordered to find caution not to assault each other. This happened in 1607; and he and Hamilton of Innerwick are charged by the Lords of Privy Council to keep the peace in 1608. In 1625, he represented Linlithgowshire as a Minister of Parliament. William Lawson married Marion Campbell but the couple later divorced. William and Marion had one child: Margaret Lawson. "This Sir William dilapidate and put away most of his fortune before his death, and went to Holland to the wars." This would be the Anglo–Spanish War fought by Spain against the Kingdom of England and the United Provinces of today's Netherlands from 1625 to 1630. William died in 1628, likely killed in the war. (Sources: Members of Parliament, Scotland, including the minor barons, the commissioners for the shires, and the commissioners for the burghs, 1357-1882...., by Joseph Foster, 1882; The Staggering State, by Lord Scotstarvet, 1628; and, the Chancellary Records of 1629)

John Lawson of Boghall (circa 1600-1650) was heir to Sir William his brother, who died in 1628,as recorded in the Chancellary Records. He assumed the title of the baronet and the meager remains of the Lawson estates on the death of his brother William. What became of John Lawson of Boghall and his descendants is unknown.

All of the foresaid Lawson families are now extinct or lost in the fog of time with their estates possessed by other families. The only remaining family baronet in Scotland of any long standing is Lawson of Cairnmuir. Apparently the family seat moved from Heiriggs to Cairmuir as can be seen below.

Lawson Baronet of Cairnmuir Richard Lawson the younger of Cairnmuir, (circa 1480-1523) was the son of Richard Lawson of Heiriggs. Richard, the younger, was a bookseller/publisher in Edinburgh in the 1500s. Like his father, this Richard Lawson also served as a Provost of Edinburgh in 1504 and 1505.

In 1504, Richard, the elder, and his wife Janet Elphinstone granted their son Richard Lawson the lands of Cairnmuir and a charter was issued to Richard for the estate in 1507. Cairnmuir later became the seat of the Lawson family of Edinburgh for many generations.

Cairnmuir was a large estate located about 35 miles south of Edinburgh in Linton, Peebles, Midlothian (today the village of West Linton). (See John Lawson de Lyntoun of 1376, above). The lands Cairns Castle ruins held the ancient Cairns Castle and a manor house known as Cairnmuir House. Both structures are located on the northern slope of the Pentland Hills, around 6.5 miles south west of Balerno, a southern suburb of the city of Edinburgh.

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Cairns Castle is a ruined keep, a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages. Cairns Castle dates from the 15th century. It is located on the southwest end of Harperrig Reservoir, about 10 miles southwest from Edinburgh heading towards Biggar. The monument is designated of national importance as a relatively well-preserved, and unaltered, 15th century tower house. The castle has an adjoining wing. It has a vaulted basement, a kitchen on the ground floor, and a Hall above. All floors were reached by a turnpike stair in the corner between the main block and the wing. There were at least three storeys. The kitchen fireplace was converted into an entrance. The entrance tower to the east no longer exists. (Sources: The Castles of Scotland, by Martin Coventry, Goblinshead, 1997; The castellated and domestic architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth centuries, 5 volumes, by D. MacGibbon, and T. Ross, Edinburgh, 1887-92)

Cairnmuir House was sold by John Lawson in 1839 and has since been destroyed with little remaining.

The lands of Cairnmuir are today a working sheep farm known as Baddinsgill Farm.

View of the lands of Cairnmuir - today's Baddinsgill Farm

Richard Lawson the younger of Cairnmuir is probably the same Richard Lausoun of Edinburgh who gave his bond of manrent to King James IV in 1508. In Scottish law a bond of manrent was an instrument by which a person, in order to secure the protection of some powerful lord, bound himself to such lord for the performance of certain services. This is very similar to fealty in feudal law: the pledging of allegiance to the feudal lord of the manor; that included feudal obligation by which a tenant or vassal was bound to be faithful and true to his lord, and render him obedience and service.

Richard Lawson, the younger, is the subject of a famous legend about the Battle of Flodden Field in 1513.

This battle in northern England was the largest battle fought between the England and Scotland. The Scots were crushed and James IV was killed in the battle, becoming the last monarch from the British Isles to die in battle. The story goes that as the castle artillery was being prepared in Edinburgh in the months before the battle, a demon or ghost appeared at the Merket (Market) Cross where town proclamations are announced. This ghostly apparition read out a summons with the names of those who would be killed in the fighting beginning with James IV, and on through nobles and commoners. Richard Lawson, a merchant who lived nearby, heard his name read and threw a coin to appeal against this summons.

Months later, James IV lead his army into England and was killed at the Battle of Flodden along with over 10,000 men. Some historians say that Richard Lawson also died in the fighting but many other historians say that he survived. "The story from an eye witness, Richard Lawson was spared from the battle of Flodden having taken an exception against a summons issued by the Devil at the market cross of Edinburgh". (Sources: The Historie and Chronicles of Scotland, 1436–1565, by Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie, 1728; and The Chronicles of Scotland by Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie, vol. 2, by John Graham Dalyell, ed, Edinburgh, 1814)

Richard Lawson the younger is frequently referenced in the Privy Council Records and in Volume XI, it is stated that he was summoned before the High Commission for opening his booth on Christmas Day, and 82

other misdemeanors. Other records say that his house was searched by the Guard for copies of reformist literature and he was called to account for printing and selling a Catechism. Also in the records, there is a letter from James VI, asking by what license Richard Lawson and others had to print a Catechism? Lawson was banished to Aberdeen for a time and while there may have resided on Lawson properties there. The will of Richard Lawson is in the Edinburgh Commissariot and in it he mentions his wife Agnes Mayne, and his son-in-law, James Primrose. He also mentions a David Lawson, Notary. (Source: Bannatyne Miscellany, Vol. III.) Richard Lawson, the younger, had only a daughter named Catherine.

Catherine Lawson was the second wife of James Primrose, Clerk of the King's Privy Council. Their son, Archibald Primrose, was the Baronet of Dalmeny and later the Lord Justice General of Scotland. Archibald was an enthusiastic supporter of King Charles I. In the English Civil War, he was taken prisoner, tried and sentenced to death but his life was saved by the intervention of the Earl of Argyle a relative of his mother Catherine Lawson. (Argyle is the site where our early ancestor Loarn settled in the year 503) After his release, Archibald was knighted by Charles I. Archibald Primrose, Lord Dalmeny son of Catherine Lawson and James Primrose

Robert Lawson of Cairnmuir (circa 1489-circa 1500) The son of Richard Lawson the elder of Heiriggs succeeded his brother James in the estates of Heiriggs and Cairnmuir. This Robert and wife Janet Baillie (described earlier) died young. A few genealogists say that James Lawson who follows was their son but this is uncertain.

James Lawson of Cairnmuir (circa 1500-circa 1553), son of Robert Lawson inherited the lands of Cairnmuir in 1521. This James married a daughter of Veitch of Dawick and they had two sons: George Lawson his successor, and Patrick Lawson of Borland (not to be confused with Patrick son of Richard the elder and the prebend of Corstorphine church in Edinburgh).

George Lawson of Cairnmuir (1520-1570) The oldest son of James, George also had the estate of Borland. Several transactons take place between George, Patrick and their father James, all occur in 1553. First, title to Cairnmuir is filed on behalf of George as heir to his brother Patrick and then title to another share of Cairnmuir is granted by John Lawson, son and heir to James Lawson of Heiriggs.

Finally, another title in favor of George is recorded for the lands of Cambo. In 1554, 1556, 1558 and 1562, there are records of rents paid to George by tenants on these and other lands. George married (name unknown) an had at least one child: James Lawson, his successor.

James Lawson of Cairnmuir (circa 1560-1620) There is a charter by George to this James, his son and heir of the lands of Cairnmuir dated 1560, and is followed by titles issued in 1582 and 1584. This James Lawson married Elizabeth, daughter to William Scott of Mountbeugar, and they had at least one child: James Lawson, his successor.

James Lawson of Cairnmuir (circa 1605-1684) Son of James who gifted lands at Carinmuir and Cambo on marriage contract of this James and Elizabeth Brown, daughter of Gilbert Brown of Hartees (1619).

Acquired lands in Ingraston, Maidenhead, Ormiston and pasture land in Blytholne in Linton (1631-1655).

Appointed to committee for defense of Parliament in Peebleshire (1659). Was cited by the Privy Council

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for not stopping the Presbyterian reform conventicles held on his land (1684. James married 2nd to Isabel, daughter of John Muirhead of Linhouse, by whom he had a son: John Lawson.

John Lawson of Cairnmuir (circa 1670-1710) Son and successor of James above. Various transactions are recorded by John Lawson in the years 1682, 1685, 1699, 1700 an 1701. This John Lawson of Cairnmuir married Barbara, daughter of Sir John Clerk, the 1st Baronet of Penicuik, a Scottish politician, minister of parliament, lawyer, judge and composer. He was also Vice-President of the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh, the pre-eminent learned society of the Scottish Enlightenment. Penicuik is located midway between Edinburgh and Peebles, east of the Pentland Hills (the location of Boghall). John Lawson and Barbara had at least one child: John Lawson, his successor.

John Lawson of Cairnmuir (circa 1690-1740) Heir to his father John Lawson in the lands of Cairnmuir, Ingraston, and Maidenhead according to records of 1705, 1707, and 1719. Recorded as Laird of Eadie (1705 and 1707). Married Elizabeth Semple, daughter of Bryce Semple of Cathcart. This marriage was an elopement as the parents of Elizabeth had chosen another husband for her. But one night while visiting her grandfather, she escaped through a window and galloped off with young John Lawson who was waiting with horses. They had four sons: Richard Lawson, John Lawson, William Lawson, and James Lawson. The sons succeeding in turn to the property of Cairnmuir. They also had two daughters: Ann Lawson and one daughter whose name is unknown.

Richard Lawson of Cairnmuir (1723-1745) Eldest son of John above. Richard entered the army in 1744 and was a Lieutenant in the Scots/English army that fought the Jacobites in 1745. After a fatiguing march, through deep snow from Newcastle to Edinburgh he fell sick of an "epidemical fever" and died in 1745. (Source: History of Peeblesshire) Jacobitism was a political movement to restore the House of Stuart to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The movement was named after Jacobus, the Latin form of James. The 1745 Jacobite rebellion was during the War of the Austrian Succession, when the bulk of the British Army was fighting in mainland Europe, and was the last in the series of Jacobite revolts.

John Lawson of Cairnmuir (circa 1725-1754) Son of John above. Succeeded his brother Richard. This John married Isobel Dalrymple and he died without issue about 1754.

William Lawson of Cairnmuir (1730-1806) Son of John above. Succeeded his brothers Richard and John in 1754. William married Margaret Hamilton of Dalziel and Rosehall. They had a daughter Marion Lawson. After Margaret's death, William married in 1776 to Macfarlane, daughter of John of Spottiswoode in Berwickshire. This marriage links the Lawson family to royal descent and to kinship with the great families of Scotland. Macfarlane Spottiswoode is a descendant not only of James I of Scotland but of Edward III of England. Her maternal grandfather was the second Viscount Arbuthnot, who was seventh in descent from William Keith, third Earl Marischal of Scotland, whose maternal grandmother was Annabella, Countess of Huntly, daughter of James I of Scotland, and his wife, Joan Beaufort, grand-daughter of John of Gaunt, son of Edward III. (Source: History of Peeblesshire)

Marion Lawson of Cairnmur (circa 1690-1750) This daughter of Williiam Lawson and Margaret Hamilton married William Aikman (1682-1731), a Scottish portrait-painter.

Aikman was the son of a Scottish Lord and he initially planned on a career in business after studying law at Edinburgh University. However, the deaths of his eldest brother and father meant that he inherited the family estate at Carnie, Arbroath, as a young man. He was then free to pursue art as his vocation, and emerged as the leading 84

William Aikman Self Portrait

Scottish painter of his generation. He had some initial success in London before traveling to Italy in 1707 to study the Old Masters. He also visited Turkey. Aikman returned to Edinburgh in 1711 and became the leading portrait painter in Scotland.

Ann Lawson Brown (1732-1816) Daughter of John above. Married Laurence Brown of Edmonston and they had a son James Brown. The gravestone of Anne is at Biggar Church.

James Lawson (1739-??) Son of John (circa 1670-1740) above. Was a merchant in Glasgow, Scotland, merchant, and in Charles County in the Maryland colony. He became mortgagee of extensive property in western Maryland in 1769 but later returned to Glasgow. Married Nancy Semple and they had children: Robert Lawson, Mary Lawson and Agnes Lawson.

Robert Lawson of Charles County, Maryland (circa 1751 - 1798) Son of James of Glasgow above.

John Lawson (circa 1800-1850) Son of Robert Lawson above. Sold Cairnmuir House and estate in 1839.

The records mentioned above for the Lawson family of Cairnmuir for the years from 1460-1899 are now held in the National Records of Scotland (formerly the National Archives of Scotland).

Lawsons of Perth, Fife and Aberdeen These branches of the Lawson family in Scotland may descend directly from Celtic Abbot Lawrence and the McLaren clan both seated in Perthshire. Lawson ancestors also appear in Perthshire and Fife in the 14th century when the Lawson family of Edinburgh gains possession of the large estate named Cambo in county Fife.

Cambo was an estate located in county Fife about 7 miles from St Andrews. Cambo was created by a Norman land grant from the King in the 12th or 13th century. The property changed hands several times before coming into the possession of Richard Lawson, the elder, in the late 1400s. Years later, the estate was acquired by the Erskine family in the 1670s. The current Cambo manor house was built in 1881 after a fire devastated the original old house in 1879. From the 1940s through the 1960s, apartments were rented to students and employees of nearby St. Andrews University. Today, Cambo house is still the family home of the Erskine's who operate it as a luxury country house hotel.

Cambo House in Fife

Cambo estate is very near two other sites that are prominent in Lawson family history. First is Newburgh, about 29 miles to the west of Cambo. Newburgh is the site of Lindores Abbey on the mouth of the River Tay. Many Lawsons were associated with this Abbey or were nearby landowners. The next site is Perth about 8 miles further west from Newburgh. We will learn more about the Lawsons of this area later in this work, but we simply cannot ignore the close proximity of Cambo, Newburgh and Perth to each other and all having Lawson family members living in the same time period.

Lindores Abbey, founded circa 1191 by the future King David I, is on the outskirts of town of Newburgh on the southern banks of the River Tay in county Fife. The Abbey was quite prominent with King Edward I of England, and Scottish Kings John Balliol, David II, and James III among the monarchs who visited there. William Wallace also visited the Abbey. "Aqua Vita" is a form of Scotch whisky produced by the monks of Lindores Abbey. The earliest record of scotch whisky is a 1494 commission from King 85

James IV to the Friar of Lindores Abbey to make about "eight bols of malt or 580 kg of aquavitae� (Scotch whiskey). (Source: The Exchequer Roll for 1494) Today the Abbey is an over grown ruin and is a "scheduled ancient monument" (a nationally important archaeological site or historic building). The Abbey is open to visitors and a new whisky distillery Lindores Abbey Distillery and Visitor Center, is open directly opposite the Abbey ruins. The new distillery incorporates a high quality event venue and offers catering and tours of the distillery and Abbey ruins.

Ruins of Lindores Abbey in Fife

One prominent group of Lawsons in Fife at this time were associated with Lindores Abbey or were owners of property in the nearby town of Newburgh. The earliest known Lawson in Fife is Richard Lawson, who in 1470 was a Monk at Lindores Abbey in Abdie Parish (bordering Newburgh Parish) in Fife.

His descendants are: Henry Lawson (circa 1481-1522), a landowner and witness in Newburgh, Fife; John Lawson (1508-1526), who was the Sergeant at Lindores Abbey; Sir Laurence Lawson (circa 14901542), the Chaplain at Lindores Abbey; Robert Lawson (1515-1546), the Notary at Lindores Abbey; and, John Lawson (circa 1500-1550) a bailie and a landowner in Newburgh. (Source: Lindores Abbey and its burgh of Newburgh : their history and annals,1876) A bailie was a municipal officer and magistrate in Scotland.

Finally, in 1678, James Lawson, was the bailie for Anstruther Easter in Fife (about 10 miles from St Andrews) this is the same location of the Lawson Cambo Estate. This James is possibly the son of James Lawson of Cairnmuir. James Lawson married Isabel Inglis of Perth, the daughter of John Muirhead of Linhouse. James and Isabel had a son named John Lawson and daughter Catheryn Lawson born 1579, in Perth.

Newburgh is a royal burgh and parish in Fife. Newburgh's chief businesses were the making of linen, linoleum floor covering, oilskin fabric and quarrying. There was also for many years a net and coble fishery on the Firth Of Tay, mainly for salmon and sea trout. (A coble is a flat-bottomed boat propelled chiefly by oars.) The harbor was used originally for boatbuilding and the unloading and shipment overland of cargoes to Perth from vessels too large to navigate the river. Raw materials for making linoleum such as cork and linseed oil were imported and aggregates from the stone quarry were also shipped from Newburgh. (Source: The East Neuk Of Fife Its History And Antiquities, By The Rev. Walter Wood, Edinburgh) Lawson of Aberdeen The first Lawson ancestor in Aberdeen was the Celtic Abbot Lawrence. Others include: Thomas Lawson (Lawsoune) listed in Register of Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen in 1400; Ady (Andy or Andrew) Lawson (circa 1385-1425) was a forestaller in Aberdeen in 1402; John Louson held land in Aberdeen in 1436; Thomas Lowson, son of John Lowson is recorded in Council Register V Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen in 1444-1445. Thomas Lawson is also recorded in Council Register V Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen 1445-1446, (suggested by the Abbot of Bon-Accord, for his expenses of "Ly Halibude at the Wyndmyllhill"); Robert, William Lauson and Edmund Lauson are recorded in Council Register V Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen 1447-1448; Robert Louson married the daughter of William Rede of Colison the burgess recorded in Council Register V Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen 1461; Andrew Lowson is recorded as a flesher in Council Register VI Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of

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Aberdeen in 1476 (a flesher is someone who skins and tans hides or pelts); Thomas Lowson, married the daughter of a burgess as recorded in Council Register VI Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen in 1486; David Lowson recorded in Council Register VI Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen in 1486; Andrew Lowson, is recorded in Council Register VII Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen in 1492; and, David Lowson recorded in Council Register VII Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen in 1496-1497.

Lawson in Perth/Perthshire Reverend James Lawson (1538-1584) perhaps our most significant ancestor was born in Perth, Scotland.

He is the ancestor of the Lawsons on the Isle of Man as well as a descendant of the Lawsons of Humbie, Heiriggs, Cairnmuir and the large estate of Cambo in county Fife where he may have been raised. Cambo is about 40 miles east of Perth. James may have been born at the home of his mother's family in Perth.

He was educated at the local grammar school and attended the University of St. Andrews located very near Cambo. Two major influences on the life of Reverend James Lawson were the Scottish Reformation and the reign of King James VI of Scotland. This James Lawson would become a leader in the Scottish Presbyterian Kirk and the Scottish Reformation. James would also have difficulties with the government of King James VI interfering with the Kirk. James Lawson was also one of the founders of Edinburgh University. (More will be reported on his life later in this work) The Scottish Reformation King James VI (1566–1625) was King of Scotland from 1567 and King of England (as James I) from 1603 until his death in 1625. James was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and a great-great-grandson of Henry VII, King of England. James succeeded to the Scottish throne at the age of thirteen months, after his mother was compelled to abdicate in his favor. Four different regents governed during his minority, which ended officially in 1578, though he did not gain full control of his government until 1583. In 1603, he succeeded the last Tudor monarch of England, Elizabeth I, who died childless. He continued to reign in both kingdoms for 22 years, a period known as Jacobean era. James died in 1625 at the age of 58. After the Union of the Crowns, he based himself in England and only returned to Scotland once in 1617,

VI, King of Scotland inJames outlook

The reigns of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Regencies of King James VI were times of political intrigue and religious dissent. In the 1500s, Scotland underwent a religious transformation: a Protestant Reformation that created a national Kirk (Church) that became predominantly Presbyterian and severely reduced the power of bishops.

Mary, Queen of Scots

Several factors affected the Scottish Church leading up to the Protestant Reformation. In the late Middle Ages, papal authority collapsed in the Papal Schism (1378–1418). The Scottish church and crown, along with France and other countries, sided with the Avignon Popes, while nations including England and the Holy Roman Empire sided with the Roman popes. The split allowed the Scottish Crown to gain control of major church appointments within the kingdom. The Crown then placed clients and relatives of the king in key positions in the church.

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The practice of Crown appointments strengthened royal influence in the Church but it also made the Church vulnerable to criticisms of venality (taking bribes and selling indulgences) and nepotism (favoring relatives). At the same time, there was a decline in traditional monastic life which with the Black Death (the plague) in the 14th century severely affected the number of clergy who could serve parishes in Scotland. Parish clergy became poorly trained and largely drawn from the lower ranks of the population, leading to frequent complaints about their standards of education and abilities. This was one of the major grievances leading up to the Reformation.

The shortage of clergy led to a rise of the new mendicant orders of friars without ties to particular monasteries who were more focused on preaching and ministering, especially in the towns. Protestant ministers also began to reach Scotland in the early fifteenth century. These Protestants preached ideas based on Renaissance humanism that encouraged critical theological reflection and called for reform of the Church, rejected Catholic doctrine and demanded more open access to The Bible and religious thought. To the Catholic church this was heresy.

As early as 1495 some Scots were in contact with humanist scholars who argued strongly for reform of the Catholic Church by the elimination of corruption and abuses. The teachings of Martin Luther and John Calvin influenced Scottish scholars who often studied and taught the new liberal ideologies at Continental and English universities. Humanist scholars were also recruited to the new Scottish universities. These international contacts helped expose Scotland into a wider European scholarly world and were one of the most important ways in which the new ideas of humanism entered Scottish intellectual life. There was also a circle of humanist scholarreformers at the royal court in the first decade of the sixteenth century.

1603 Letter to King James VI following the death of Mary Queen of Scots and on the occasion of his ascending to the throne of England And lastly, it may please your majesty to receive this advertisement, that of late there was made ready, by the commandment of the queen our mistress, a good fleet of eight or ten of her ships well manned and furnished under the charge of Sir Richard Lawson, knight, to have been employed upon the coast of Spain; which employment by her decease is ceased for want of commission to exercise the same, and now is kept together in the narrow seas to prevent any sudden attempt from the Low Countries.

And that now there is nothing either of land or sea that is not yours, it may please your majesty to signify your pleasure concerning that fleet, and whether you will have it or any part thereof resort to your coast of Scotland, where it may serve you, either for the safe convoy of your person to this realm, if there shall be cause to use it in this manner, or to transport any of yours, whilst you come by land, or any other service. In which point we humbly beseech you to make known under whose charge it shall be your pleasure the whole fleet or any part thereof shall come unto you. And . . . . with our humble prayers to Almighty God, that we may be so happy as speedily to enjoy the comfortable presence of your highness’s royal person amongst us, the only object of that glory and those felicities which in the earth we have proponed to ourselves.

Written in your majesty’s city of London, the twenty-fourth of March 1603, at ten hours of the clock at night.�

Signed by 34 of the most powerful and influential nobles in England and Scotland

In Scotland the Reformation was the process by which Scots broke with the Papacy and rejected the elaborate accouterments of the medieval catholic church. They developed a unique Kirk (the Scots word for national church), which was strongly Presbyterian in outlook. Presbyterian churches are governed by representative assemblies of presbyters or elders. The reformed Scottish Kirk gave considerable power to local lords, who often had control over the appointment of clergy. In this the Lawson family would play an important role.

Church was crucial to everyday Scots social life. It was responsible for education, health, welfare and discipline. It was also very important on an individual level. The Church was the vehicle for expressing inner spirituality and changes to its forms of worship could endanger your chances of salvation. In other words, your future in either Heaven or Hell was at stake. The Reformation split the Church into Catholic and 88

Protestant factions, creating two roads to salvation - both of which claimed to be the one true path. So it was very important to people that the Scottish state chose to travel down the right road.

From the late fifteenth century the ideas of Renaissance humanism, critical of aspects of the established Catholic Church, began to reach Scotland, particularly through the contacts between Scottish and continental scholars. Nevertheless, in the early 16th century, Scotland was a piously Catholic nation.

Devotion flourished, but an increasingly educated populace sought more personal forms of spiritual experience. Rome and its doctrines, it seemed, were not always up-to-date with the needs of a nation moving rapidly towards a modern world. Reform was in the air, but only a tiny minority at this stage favored Protestantism and a complete break with Rome. In the 1520s the teachings of Martin Luther began to influence Scotland, enhanced by the propagation of his theories through the printing press.

The eastern coastal burgs were the first areas of Scotland exposed to printed Lutheran literature. When Lutheran books in Latin started to appear in Scotland, the radical message which they carried quickly made a strong impression on many Scots, and, although King James V tried to ban their distribution, print always had the knack of avoiding the censor when necessary. Executions of influential Protestant reformers by the Catholic Cardinal in Scotland fueled a growth of interest in Protestant ideas. In 1528 nobleman Patrick Hamilton, who had been influenced by Lutheran theology became the first Protestant martyr in Scotland; he was burned at the stake for heresy. Hamilton's execution inspired so much interest in the new ideas that the Archbishop of St Andrews was warned against any further such public executions as "the reek [smoke] of Maister Patrik Hammyltoun has infected as many as it blew upon".

After the execution of Hamilton, the Crown prosecuted some men but there was no systematic persecution like the Inquisition, as King James was not interested in wide-scale bloodletting.

Patrick Hamilton burned at the stake, 1st Protestant martyr in Scotland

In England, Henry VIII converted to Protestantism and took most of his country with him. At the same time in Scotland, King James V, needed money to support his royal court's extravagant lifestyle but unlike his uncle Henry in England, James avoided major structural and theological changes to the church.

Instead after beginning his personal reign in 1528, he cleverly flirted with Protestant ideas in order to extort the Pope into granting him special powers over the church in Scotland. In exchange for his loyalty to Rome, James secured Papal permission to tax monastic incomes which became a substantial source of crown income. James was also allowed to make appointments to offices in the Church. These 89

largely went to benefit his illegitimate children and favorites. The results of such appointments and taxation undermined both the status and finances of the Church.

In 1542, James V died and his only heir was the infant Mary, Queen of Scots. Scotland plunged into crisis as both Catholic France and Protestant England pursued opportunities to commandeer the Scottish throne through marriage with the young queen. The nation divided between a pro-French faction led

by Cardinal Beaton and the Queen's mother, Mary de Guise, of a prominent French noble family; and a pro-English faction, headed by Mary's Regent, the Earl of Arran, who was backed by the small group at court who favored religious reform. In their bitter power struggle over Scotland the issue of Scotland's faith became not merely a question of religious denomination but one of international power politics.

A Parliamentary Act of 1543 removed the prohibition against reading the Bible in the vernacular (the language of ordinary people) as initially the Regency was tolerant of Protestant ideas. However, the Act did restricted the reading of the Bible to clerics, noblemen, the gentry and richer merchants. Women below gentry rank, servants, apprentices and generally poor people were forbidden to read it.

Then a planned marriage between Mary and the son of Henry VIII of England, led to a Catholic backlash in Scotland and a coup led by Cardinal Beaton, as Catholics seized the Regency. The Cardinal repudiated reformist ideas, and ended all consideration of an English marriage for the Queen, angering the English.

Then in 1546, George Wishart, a Protestant preacher was arrested and burnt at the stake in St. Andrews on the orders of Cardinal Beaton. Wishart's supporters, including a number of local Lords, assassinated Beaton and seized St. Andrews Castle, which they held for a year before they were defeated with the help of French forces. The survivors were all condemned to serve as galley slaves in France, creating martyrs for the Protestant cause. Among those enslaved was John Knox (circa 1513–1572), a Scottish minister, theologian, and writer who would become the most prominent leader in the Scottish reformation and a founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.

In 1549, after 19 months at the oars of a French galley, John Knox managed to escape and began life in exile: first as a minister in England, and then in Frankfurt and Geneva where he would preach to exiled English congregations. While in exile, Knox was licensed to work in the Church of England, where he rose in the ranks to serve King Edward VI of England as a royal chaplain. When Mary Tudor ascended the throne of England and reestablished Roman Catholicism, Knox was forced to resign and leave the country. He then moved to Geneva where met John Calvin, from whom he gained experience and knowledge of Reformed theology and Presbyterian governance. For most of the 1550s Knox stayed in exile, however, once the Reformation crisis broke in 1559 he returned home to Scotland.

A series of English invasions from 1547-1549, tried to compel a marriage of young Mary to Henry's son.

The invading English armies occupied southeastern Scotland and encouraged the reformist cause by distributing Protestant books, literature and Bibles. An increasing number of lairds and nobles began to favor reform and several earls pledged themselves "to cause the word of God to be taught and preached".

To counter the English, Catholic Scots secured French help, the price of which was the betrothal of the infant Queen Mary to the French dauphin (the heir to the French throne), the future King Francis II. Mary departed to France in 1548, where she was raised and educated. In 1549, the English were defeated by the Scots with French help and Mary married the French Dauphin. In Scotland the queen's mother, Mary de Guise, herself the daughter of a prominent French noble family, began serving as Regent.

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At this point, the English policies to influence Scotland waned and French influence rose over the next decade under the regency of Mary de Guise (1554–60). As regent, the Queen's mother worked to ensure French predominance in Scottish affairs. She put Frenchmen in charge of the treasury and the French ambassador sometimes attended the Privy Council. At first Mary de Guise cultivated a policy of limited toleration of Protestants, hoping to gain their support for her pro-French policies and against England. The Church responded to some of the criticisms being made against it with a series of provincial councils. These blamed growing Protestant heresies on the Church's own problems: "the corruption of morals and the profane lewdness of life in churchmen of all ranks, together with crass ignorance of literature and of the liberal arts". In 1548, attempts were made to reform the catholic church by addressing many of the problems and particularly prohibit unqualified persons from holding church offices. Further, the clergy were enjoined to scriptural reflection with bishops and parsons instructed to preach at least four times a year. Monks were to be sent to university, and theologians appointed at each monastery, college, and cathedral. But by 1552, it was acknowledged that little had been accomplished.

Attendance at Mass was still sparse and "the inferior clergy of this realm and the prelates have not, for the most part, attained such proficiency in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures as to be able by their own efforts rightly to instruct the people in the Catholic faith and other things necessary to salvation or to convert the erring."

Mary de Guise Protestantism continued to expand in this period and became more distinct from those who simply wanted minor reform within the existing church. Originally organized as conventicles that consisted of members of a laird's family or kin group who met to discuss and learn Protestant ideas but who also continued to attend the Catholic Church. Protestants began to develop a series of privy kirks (secret churches), whose members increasingly turned away from existing church structures. Their scope and organization was sufficient in 1555 for John Knox to return to Scotland.

He administered Protestant communions and carried out a preaching tour of the privy kirks. He urged the members to reject holding Protestant convictions, but attending Catholic services. Fearing for his safety, Knox returned to Geneva in 1556.

Preaching at a coventicle

Limited toleration and the influence of exiled Scots Protestants in other countries, led to the expansion of Protestantism. In the absence of a leading clerical figure like John Knox, local leadership of the movement passed to the few nobles who had embraced Protestantism. This group, known as the "Lords of the Congregation", was a direct challenge to the existing Catholic regime.

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Continuing hope for reform of the existing church had helped keep Scotland politically unified. But the marriage of Mary Queen of Scots to the dauphin in 1558 raised fears that Scotland would become a French province. The cause of Scottish reformers was also given new hope by the crowning of the English Protestant Queen Elizabeth in 1558.

In 1559, John Knox returned to Scotland to lead the Protestant Reformation in Scotland, in partnership with the Scottish Protestant nobility. He helped write the new confession of faith and promoted the ecclesiastical order for the newly created reformed church, the Kirk. Led by Knox, reformers achieved a settlement that adopted a Presbyterian system and rejected most of the elaborate trappings of the Medieval church.

A series of local reformations followed, with Protestant minorities gaining control of various regions and burghs, often with the support of local lairds. They used intimidation to "cleanse" friaries and churches and then appoint Protestant preachers but avoided creating Catholic martyrs. Mary de Guise responded by dispatching a French army to St. Andrews to restore control, but it was faced with superior numbers and they were forced to retreat. Edinburgh fell to the Lords of the Congregation; however, the arrival of French reinforcements of 1,800 men forced the Lords to abandon the capital. The Lords appealed for help from England and Mary from France but it all ended quickly when Mary de Guise fell ill and died. In 1560, the French and English signed the Treaty of Edinburgh and both nations removed their troops from Scotland, leaving the Protestant Lords in control of the country. The Lords agreed to accept Mary Queen of Scots and her husband, Francis II of France, as monarchs and were given permission to hold a parliament, although it was not to touch the issue of religion.

John Knox

The Scottish Parliament met in Edinburgh. Fourteen earls, six bishops, nineteen lords, twenty-one abbots, twenty-two burgh commissioners, and over a hundred lairds, claimed the right to sit. Ignoring the provisions of the Treaty of Edinburgh, it passed three Acts that abolished the old Catholic faith in Scotland. All previous acts not in conformity with the Reformed Confession were annulled and the sacraments were reduced to two (Baptism and Communion) to be performed by reformed preachers only. The celebration of the Mass was made punishable by a series of penalties (ultimately death) and Papal jurisdiction in Scotland was repudiated.

Also in 1560, Mary's husband Francis II died and Mary, now 19, returned to Scotland to take up the government. All factions agreed that she was the only person who could legally join in Catholic services and Mary pledged not attempt to re-impose Catholicism on her subjects, thus angering the chief Catholic nobles. She did however decline to endorse the acts that Parliament had passed making the new Kirk of questionable legality.

Mary's six-year personal reign was marred by a series of crises, largely caused by the intrigues and rivalries of the leading nobles. Ultimately, opposition to her by a coalition of powerful Scottish nobles 92

led to her capture and imprisonment. In 1567, Mary was forced to abdicate in favor of her 13-monthold son James VI, whose government was initially run by a series of regents until the King asserted his independence in 1581. After her abdication, Mary was exiled to England.

Supporters of exiled Queen Mary attempted to regain the throne by force in a civil war (1568–1573) against the Regency government. Edinburgh Castle, which was garrisoned by Mary's allies, became the focus of the conflict and surrendered only after English intervention, ending the civil conflict. In England, Mary became a focal point for Catholic conspirators. She was eventually executed for treason in 1587, on the orders of her cousin Queen Elizabeth I. Throughout the reign of Mary Queen of Scots, John Knox continued to serve as the religious leader of the Protestants. In several interviews with the Queen, Knox admonished her for supporting Catholic practices and when she was imprisoned, Knox openly called for her execution. He continued to preach until his final days. Before his death, John Knox personally selected Rev. James Lawson as his successor.

Reverend James Lawson (1538-1584) was born in Perth, Scotland and he was educated at Perth grammar school of Rev. Andrew Simson. Simson "being much struck with the talent and avidity of learning which he [Lawson] displayed as a poor boy, took him to his own home, gave him an excellent education and afterwards recommended him to Lady Crawford." (Source: Life of Melvlle, vol. 1, by McCrie) Rev. Andrew Simpson was master of a grammar school with more than 300 students of the nobility & gentry of Scotland at Perth by 1551. Many of his students later became ministers of the Reformed Church and ministers of state.

Andrew was a conforming Catholic until the 1550’s, when his unruly students hissed loudly during a visiting friar’s sermon directed against Huguenot preachers. The friar fled from the pulpit in consternation. When the friar complained to the magistrates, Andrew was told to punish the chief offenders. One noble student [perhaps James Lawson] had been amusing the others by reading satirical Rev. James Lawson verses about monks from the poetry of Sir David Lindsay. The student maintained that laughing at folly was not necessarily heretical, and suggested that the master read Lindsay. Andrew did so, and found the verses reasonable and accurate. He was thus persuaded to become a Reformed minister, first at Dunning & Cargill and later at Dunbar 1564-1582. (Source: The Scots Worthies: Their Lives And Testimonies, by Rev. J. A. Wylie, LL.D. assisted by Rev. James Anderson, Edinburgh & Glasgow

After grammar school, James Lawson attended the University of St. Andrews where he was a classmate and friend of Andrew Melville who some call the father of Scottish Presbyterianism and future reformer of the Universities of Glasgow and St Andrews. Lawson and Melville both rose quickly to become leaders of the Scottish Reformation and founders of the Presbyterian Church.

In 1559, after graduation from the university, James Lawson Lawson traveled to Paris as tutor and guardian to the three sons of the Earl and Lady Crawford, a year after the death of David Lindsay, the 93

9th Earl of Crawford. Lady Crawford is Dame Catherine Campbell, daughter of John Campbell of Lorn, the knight of Calder, and grand-daughter of Archibald Campbell, the 2nd earl of Argyle, who fell at the Battle of Flodden. (Recall the intervention of the Earl of Argyle as a relative of Catherine Lawson mentioned on page 83) Rev. James Lawson was recommended to Lady Crawford by his mentor, Rev. Andrew Simson. Both men instilled in the Crawford boys the principles of the reformation descended in a direct line from the poet Sir David Lindsay. The Lindsay boys: Robert Lindsay, Laird of Balhall, Sir David Lindsay, Lord Edzell; and John Lindsay, Lord Menmuir and first of the line of Balcarres, were born several years before the establishment of presbyterianism as the recognised church of Scotland. (Source: Lives of the Lindsays, or, A memoir of the House of Crawford and Balcarres: to which are added, extracts... . by Alexander Crawford Lindsay, Earl of Crawford, 1812-1880)

While in Paris James Lawson found time to study Hebrew and other early languages of the Bible at Paris University. Lawson and the Lindsay boys also toured the Continent. Unfortunately, 1560 was the time of the Amboise Conspiracy, a failed attempt by Huguenot Protestants to gain power in France by abducting the young king Francis II and arresting the Duke of Guise and his brother, the Cardinal of Lorraine. It was one of the events directly leading up to the Wars of Religion that divided France from 1562 to 1598 and immediately led to a purge of Protestants in Paris. The religious strife in Paris forced Lawson and the Lindsays to flee from the city with little warning, leaving their books behind them, and with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. They first took refuge at first at Dieppe, but when the conflict reached that town, they fled across the Channel to England. Ultimately they ended up in London where Lawson continued his studies at the University of Cambridge. (Source: The Scottish nation : or, The surnames, families, literature, honours, and biographical history of the people of Scotland, (Volume 1), by William Anderson, 1859)

In 1568, James Lawson was appointed Professor of Languages at St Mary's College of the University of St. Andrews. His primary job was to teach Hebrew. Before this time, Hebrew was unknown in Scotland. By the time of his returned to his native country, Rev. Lawson had already been indoctrinated in the principles of Presbyterianism, perhaps even from his youthful association with Andrew Melvile, an early leader in the Church. In 1569, he was appointed sub-principal of King's College at the University of Aberdeen and he was also elected canon (parish priest) of Old Machar parish in Aberdeen. At that time the university was a famous center for learning, and zealously attached to the reformed principles of the Presbyterian Church. Rev. James Lawson soon established himself as a recognized leader of the reformed clergy in the north of Scotland and developed into one of the most trusted confidants of John Knox.

The Reformation ministers in Scotland were men of substantial education, and the standard of collegiate learning in the Scottish Universities was high. The many improvements and extensions introduced by the reform ministers in the collegiate system of Scotland later proved a potent weapon for the overthrow of Popery in Scotland. Along with his duties as professor, Rev. James Lawson was minister of Old Machar, the primary parish of Aberdeen. He is said to have been "an eloquent preacher, learned and chaste in his diction".

When we see that he was called to Edinburgh to succeed John Knox, we may be sure he was no ordinary preacher or scholar. This is confirmed by John Knox himself serving as James Lawson's chief promoter.

King James VI of Scotland was 13 month old when he was crowned King of Scotland on the occasion of the abdication of Mary Queen of Scots. The sermon at the coronation was preached by John Knox. In accordance with the religious beliefs of most of the Scottish ruling class, James was brought up as a member of the Protestant Church of Scotland, the Kirk. A succession of different tutors and regents raised James and governed during his minority. The most effective of the regents was James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton from 1572 to 1581. The minority of King James VI ended officially in 1578, though he did not gain full control of his government until 1583.

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By 1572, John Knox was 59 years old, ailing and his health was rapidly deteriorating from years of battle and the effects of life as a galley slave. Knox reported feeling "nature so decayed" that he looked "not for a long continuance". He summoned James Lawson from Aberdeen to Edinburgh for a special conference (Source: Knox letter is in Calderwood, iii.). At their meeting, Knox handpicked Lawson to serve as his colleague and share ministry of St. Giles Church in Edinburgh until his death and then succeed him as chief minister of Edinburgh the most prestigious position in the Reformed Church. Knox officiated with great difficulty at Lawson's induction and told the congregation of St. Giles his "last good night."

(James Lawson is the author of the account of Knox's last illness, "Eximii Viri Johannis Knoxii, Scoticanæ ecclesiæ lnstauratoris Fidelissimi, vera extremæ vitæ et obitus Historia, a Pio quodam, et Docto Viro descripta, qui ad extremum usque spiritum segrotanti assedit." An English translation is published in Appendix to Knox's "Works" vi.)

John Knox walks home after his final sermon aided by James Lawson

On Knox's death, Rev. James Lawson was appointed Superintendent of Lothian, the chief Minister of Edinburgh, arguably the most prestigious position in the Reformed Church. The office of superintendent was instituted in the Presbyterian Church, but in no respect was this office to resemble the lordly rule of an Episcopal bishop. The duty of the superintendent was to see that the people were provided with qualified ministers, or to appoint “readers”. A reader's work was to visit the sick and read the Word of God in the houses of the people, or in the church on Sundays when there was no minister. The superintendents were always ministers, eminent in learning, and of a leading position in the affairs of the Church.

Rev. James Lawson was now one of the recognized leaders of the Kirk. He was elected the moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly of 1580 and served on most of its committees. Lawson also began to take on a prominent role in the disputes of the Kirk with the civil authorities and actively encouraged a policy of intolerance toward interference with affairs of the Kirk. "But if he was now raised to the highest honor that his Presbyterian brethren could confer upon him, he was in due time called to suffer for the principles that he loved and refuse to compromise."

Then in 1580, the Assembly met in Dundee with Rev. James Lawson elected Moderator. Through his influence a resolution was passed stating in part that the office of bishop was neither founded, grounded, nor warranted within the Scriptures. It was ordained that all the Bishops of Scotland were enjoined to cease from all preaching, ministering the sacraments, and should seek readmission as simple pastors, under pain of excommunication. Although not formally ratified, the impact of this act of the Assembly became known in the Church as the Book of Discipline, or the Policy and Discipline of the Church.

With his new role in the Church of Edinburgh, Rev. Lawson moved immediately to promote the extension and improvement of education in the grammar schools in Edinburgh, and through his efforts new buildings were erected, and a large library collected for those schools. In 1578, a High Grammar School was completed in the place of a ruined monastery. The courses were taught in private classes focused on exercising logic and understanding philosophy (Source: Life of Knox, by Dr. MacCrie, Edinburgh,1840; and A history of Edinburgh : from the earliest period to the completion of the half century, 1850)

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The Humanist idea to widen educational opportunities was a principle shared by Protestant reformers. The plan was for a school in every parish, but this proved financially impossible; so, in the burghs old schools were maintained but divided into reformed grammar schools and ordinary parish schools. Support for education was through a combination of Kirk funds, contributions from local Lords or burgh councils and whatever parents could pay. Kirk sessions oversaw the quality of teaching and doctrinal purity. Scotland's universities underwent a series of reforms. Emphasis was placed on simplified logic, with languages and sciences raised to the same status as philosophy. Accepted ideas in all areas could be challenged. New teaching specialists replaced the old system of "regenting", where one tutor took the students through an entire curriculum. Student enrollment grew in large numbers. The result of these changes was a revitalization of all Scottish universities, which were now producing a quality of education the equal of that offered anywhere in Europe.

St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh

Lawson also became the chief advocate to establish a university in Edinburgh. In 1567, Mary, Queen of Scots, signed a charter granting the Town of Edinburgh all the lands, buildings, and revenues formerly belonging to the monastic orders abolished during the Scottish Reformation of 1560. The Charter stipulated that these properties were to be used for the support of the city's clergy, the poor and for educational purposes and it empowered the Town Council to build schools and colleges on the sites and grounds of the former religious houses. Lawson and his allies sought to use the site occupied by the church of St Mary in the Fields, or the Kirk o' Field, to serve as the new university in Edinburgh.

Funds for this purpose were bequeathed by Bishop Robert Reid, Bishop of Orkney, but little progress was made because of political and religious conflicts. Edinburgh was a battlefield for competing religious and political factions during the five-year civil war that followed the abdication of Mary Queen of Scots in 1568.

When peace was restored in 1573, moves were finally made to open a college of higher learning. This relatively peaceful period after five years of Civil War allowed James Lawson to aggressively pursue his vision to create what would essentially be a theological college designed to combat Catholic teachings.

Through Lawson's influence, the Town Council of Edinburgh successfully negotiated the purchase of Kirk o’ Field as a site for the University (1581), and petitioned the Privy Council to force the executors of Bishop Reid’s estate to release funding for the purchase.

The University of Edinburgh developed out of public lectures that were established in the town in the 1540s on law, Greek, Latin and philosophy, under the patronage of Mary de Guise. The University of Edinburgh was established following a Royal Charter in 1582. It was originally called Tounis College, established by James Lawson with part of a legacy left by Robert Reid, Abbot of Kinloss and later Bishop of Orkney, who left a sufficient endowment in his will for the foundation of what would become Edinburgh University. It is generally accepted that the name of Tounis comes from the name Antoine, in its Occitan form Touni , because of the presence of a very old oratory dedicated to Saint Anthony, and a port which was also called Saint-Antoine. The hypothesis that the island was named after the city of

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Tunis by former soldiers returning from the Crusades is legendary. (Source: Oure Tounis Colledge: Sketches of the History of the Old College of Edinburgh, By John Harrison)

Rev. James Lawson also played a vital role in securing the service of the university’s first Regent (and subsequently first Principal) in 1582. He was an intimate friend of Robert Rollock, the first principal of Edinburgh University. And it was at the pressing solicitation of James Lawson that Rollock left St. Andrews, where he was Professor of Philosophy, and came to Edinburgh as principal in the new University.

A year after the opening of the University, Lawson was forced to quit Edinburgh for exile in England. A staunch defender of the autonomy of the church, he was closely associated with the Ultra-Protestant regime which followed the "Ruthven Raid" of 1582. This was a political conspiracy in Scotland composed of several Presbyterian nobles, led by William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie, who abducted King James VI of Scotland and held him prisoner for almost a year. The nobles intended to reform the government of Scotland and limit the influence of French and pro-Catholic policy, and to prevent, or at least manage, the return of Mary, Queen of Scots from England. Their regime favored an ultra-Protestant policy and was approved by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and by influential ministers of the Kirk who voiced support from the pulpit. The regime fell with the escape and rescue of King James in 1583.

Around this time, the government of King James VI began to interfere with the rights and liberties of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Although the King was raised a Protestant, events in his life caused him to resisted Presbyterianism and strongly supported episcopacy. James was never at heart a true Protestant and personally had a weak but stubborn disposition. The King soon became a tool of Catholic leaning Scottish nobles to interfere with the Presbyterian Church. This culminated in the virtual overthrow of Kirk liberties by the Scottish Parliament of 1584.

The down turn for the Presbyterian Kirk began in 1581, when catholic conspirators, the Earl of Arran and Duke of Lennox, managed to overthrow the Earl of Morton, the King's regent and Leader of the Lords of Congregation. The Duke of Lennox pretended to be a supporter of the Presbyterians but when he came to power he soon disappointed the Presbyterian hopes. The reformist ministers had begun to suspect that Lennox and Arran were clandestinely working with the Guises and the Papacy and scheming to kidnap young King James VI and convert him to Catholicism. Lawson attended to Morton after his arrest and before his execution on a false accusation that he was responsible for the murder of Queen Mary's husband Lord Darnley. Lawson then became one of the most persistent critics of Lennox and Arran.

In 1584, the Black Acts (also called the Blade Acts) were laws passed by Parliament under Lennox and Arran that interfered with jurisdiction of the Kirk. The Acts condemned Presbyteries, confirmed the power of the Bishops, said that the king had power over all things (even religion) and gave him the right to decide when General Assemblies were held. When the acts were passed, the reformist ministers weren’t happy. In 1584, Rev. James Lawson denounced the Black Acts from the pulpit. Lawson was well known for his uncompromising resistance to the schemes of the government of King James to reestablish the power of bishops, contrary to the determination of the Kirk. Prior to a General Assembly called for this purpose, King James VI sent word to the magistrates to seize and imprison any ministers who would speak against the proceedings of Parliament. Rev. James Lawson and his colleague Walter Balcanquall were not daunted. They both not only preached from the pulpit against 97

Rev. James Lawson denounces the Black Acts from the pulpit of St. Giles

the acts of Parliament, but they later appeared at the Merket Cross where the heralds were proclaiming the Act, and publicly protested. They also filed charges in the name of the Kirk of Scotland against the Parliament as they "prejudiced the former liberties of the Kirk."

The Earl of Arran then vowed that "if Mr. James Lawson's head were as great as an haystack he would cause it leap from its hawse (neck)". (Calderwood, iv. 65). Arrangements were made for his arrest, but Lawson was alerted and escaped to Berwick on the English border. He then fled with fellow reformer Walter Balcanquall to London as both men sought to avoid arrest. When their flight became known an act was passed by the King's privy council declaring that Lawson and Balcanquall had abandon "their duties and professions" and appointed other ministers to preach in their place. (Sources: Reg. Privy Council Scotland, iii.; and Memorials of Edinburgh in James Stewart, 1st Earl of Arran

the olden time, by Sir Daniel Wilson, 1816-1892)

The turn of events seriously affected the health of Rev. Lawson, and he "waisted his vitall spirits by peece meale". Rev. James Lawson died at the age of 46 in London of dysentery on October 12, 1584.

Even though London was not his home, Rev. James Lawson was so well known that over 500 people attended his funeral as he was buried in the new churchyard at Belem, beside another famous preacher in England, a Mr. Deering. His will and testament has been preserved in The history of the Kirk of Scotland by David Calderwood (1575-1650). (See Appendix B) After his death a forged false testament was presented in his name by Bishop Adamson of St Andrews in which he is represented as repenting of his opposition to Catholicism. (Sources: Knox's Works; The history of the Kirk of Scotland by David Calderwood. ; Richard Bannatyne's Memorials ; Register Privy Council Scotl. vol. iii. ; Hew Scott's Fasti Eccles. Scot. i. 4, Hi. 483; Life in Selections from Wodrow's Biog. Collections, pp. 193-235 New Spalding Club, 1890)

In response the wives of Revs. Lawson and Balcanquall addressed a long joint public letter of rebuke to the Bishop of St. Andrews, in which they likened him to Chaucer's cook, who "skadded' (i.e. scalded) his 'lips in other men's caile (i.e. women)". (letter is printed in Calderwood, iv. 126-41) Not long afterwards the magistrates were charged to dislodge the ladies from their dwellings in Edinburgh. This act most likely prompted James Lawson's wife, Janet Guthrie Lawson, to return to Perth with her children.

After the death of Rev. James Lawson, an anti-Presbyterian purge of the Edinburgh Town Council ensured that his vision of a reformist theological seminary would not be implemented. In fact, for years efforts to grow the college stalled.

Then King James moved to remake the College into a university and take full credit. In 1617, King James visited Scotland for the first time since assuming the throne of England. He invited the professors and regents of the College to engage in a debate with him at Stirling Castle. James was so pleased with this exercise that he stated: "I will be godfather to the Colledge [sic] of Edinburgh, and have it called the Colledge of King James; for, after the founding of it had been stopped for sundry years in my minority, so soon as I came to any knowledge I zealously held hand to it, and caused it be established; and although I see many look upon it with an evil eye, yet I will have them to know, that having given it this name, I have espoused its quarrell."

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In conformity with the King's wishes, an Act of the Scottish Parliament in 1621, ordained that the College would be designated "King James's College". It also gave the Town Council and "the rectouris, regents, bursaries, and studentis" all the liberties, immunities, and privileges of a free college "and that in als ample forme and lairge manner as anye Colledge he or bruikis within this his Majesties realme".

While King James doubtless exaggerated his personal responsibility for establishing Edinburgh University (elsewhere he writes that "we gave the first being and beginning there to"), he is rightly remembered as a founder, along with Bishop Robert Reid whose Will provided funds to establish a college, and Rev. James Lawson whose drive and vision got the project started. Historians deservedly recognize Lawson as the University's most tireless promoter. According to Sir Alexander Grant, Edinburgh University’s most authoritative historian, James Lawson is "the man to whom, above all others, the foundation of the University of Edinburgh is due".

Perhaps less well known is Rev. Lawson's role as the university's first librarian. Among the many personal friends working with Lawson on his scheme to establish a university in Edinburgh was Clement Litill. Litill was the wealthy son of an Edinburgh merchant and burgess who had studied at the same schools as Lawson and became a prominent legal counselor and advocate. The two were natural friends and allies.

While working together to find a suitable site for the University and create its curriculum, Littil died. In his will, he bequeathed his library of 276 volumes to the Kirk of Edinburgh for the use of the town's clergy, divinity students, and other scholars. His brother, William Litill, the sole executor, persuaded the Town Council that Clement had wished his bequest to form the nucleus of a public theological library, accessible not only to the clergy of Edinburgh but to divinity students and all legitimate scholars. It was agreed that the collection should be housed in the minister’s (James Lawson's) lodging adjoining the Church of St Giles and access to the books controlled by the minister himself. The attic of this building was converted to provide shelf space and a reading room, and in October 1580, the books were handed over to James Lawson, who became ex officio librarian of Litill’s collection.

When Edinburgh University finally opened in October 1583, fear of provoking the notoriously fiery James Lawson may have prevented the Town Council from suggesting that Litill’s library be immediately transferred to the university’s premises at Kirk o’ Field. But with a change in political regime and Lawson's forced flight to England with his ultimately fatal illness, the Town Council felt sufficiently emboldened to transfer all of the books and library fittings to the university 1584. The act making the Minister of St Giles perpetual custodian was annulled, and the Principal of the College was made ex officio librarian. Despite a formal protest from Lawson’s successor, the Rev. James Hamilton, Litill’s bequest now constituted the founding collection of Edinburgh University Library. (Sources: "Lawson, James (1538–1584)", by James Kirk, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press, 2004; The Story of the University of Edinburgh during its First Three Hundred Years, by Sir Alexander Grant, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1884; "The Foundation of the College of Edinburgh", by Robert Kerr Hannay, in The History of the University of Edinburgh 1883-1933, ed. A. Logan Turner, Edinburgh, 1933; Clement Litill and his Library: The Origins of Edinburgh University Library, by Charles P. Finlayson, Edinburgh, 1980; "The Creation of a College", by Michael Lynch in The University of Edinburgh: An Illustrated History, by Robert D. Anderson, Michael Lynch, and Nicholas Phillipson, Edinburgh University Press, 2003)

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James had a sister Christian Lawson who is named in his will and to whom he leaves money. Rev. James Lawson married Janet Guthrie and they had three children who were of a young age at the time of his death: a son, James Lawson, and daughters, Mary Katherine Lawson and Elizabeth Lawson. (Sources: Will of Rev. James Lawson; and, "Collections upon the Life of Mr. James Lawson, sub-Princpal of the College of Aberdeen and Minister at Edinburgh", in Selections from Wodrow's Biographical Collections: Divines of the North-east of Scotland, by Robert Wodrow, 1890) "By his wife Janet Guthrie he left three children." (Source: "Lawson, James (1538-1580)", in the Dictionary of National Biography 1815-1980, Vol. 32)

Janet Guthrie Lawson had two brothers, Alexander Guthrie and another unnamed brother who was a teacher at the Academy in London who housed and cared for Andrew Melville, the uncle of James Melville, after his release from 4 years of imprisonment in the Tower of London. Janet Guthrie Lawson has a seal described as follows: "Guthrie,Janet; relict of Mr. James Lawson, minister of Edinburgh. 1st and 4th: Three garbs. 2nd and 3rd: A lion rampant. Legend (Caps.): S' IONETE GVTHRE. Diami. 1 1/4 in.

Crawford Ch. A.D. 1586, Laing, ii. 459, B.M. 16306." (Source: Scottish armorial seals by William Rae Macdonald, 1904) James Lawson of Perth (circa 1570-1634) is our direct line ancestor who emigrated to the Isle of Man circa 1600 and established the Isle of Man line of our Lawson family. In 1602 James Lawson was served as heir to his grandfather Robert Lawson of Humbie to the lands of Wansyde, Haddingtonshire, plus a tenement of land in the burgh of Haddington. Humbie is in Haddingtonshire. (Source: Retours of Service for Haddingtonshire, no.35.) This James Lawson has a seal described as follows: "James, son of master James Lawson, minister of St. Giles Church, Edinburgh. Two crescents in chief, and a star in base. Foliage at top and sides of shield. Legend (Caps.): S • IACOBI • LOVSSOVN. Diam. 1 3/8 in. Crawford Ch. A.D. 1586, Laing, ii. 6O8, fig., B.M. 16560." (Source: Scottish armorial seals by William Rae Macdonald, 1904; and, Ancient Scottish Seals, by Henry Laing)

Mary Katherine Lawson (1579-??) daughter of Rev. James Lawson, was the second wife of Rev. Patrick Galloway (circa 1551–1626) a minister at Perth and Edinburgh and a Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Rev. Galloway was suspected of being privy to the plot of the Ruthven Raid of 1582, where a group of powerful Protestant Scottish nobles kidnapped King James VI and held him prisoner for about a year. In 1584, the Earl of Arran ordered his arrest but he hid and ultimately fled to London. In 1585, he was allowed to return to his church in Perth. In 1589-90 he left Perth to assume charge as Minister of the King's House. In the year 1601, although he was staunch supporter of the King, he was nevertheless removed from court at the Queen's instance. He was a Minister of Parliament in 1590, and served on commissions connected with Church affairs in 1592, 1596, and 1606; he was elected Moderator of the General Assembly in 1590 and 1602.

The son of Mary Katherine Lawson and Rev. Patrick Galloway was Sir James Galloway of Carnbee, Fife, who was created the 1st Lord Dunkfeld in 1645 and who was the Master of Requests to King James VI and King Charles I and was also a member of their Privy Councils. In 1645 Sir James Galloway was created Lord Dunkeld. In 1670 he purchased the estate of Nether Carnbee from William Ord, SheriffClerk of Perth, who acquired it from the Moncreiff family. Nehter Carnbee is a village and rural parish in the inland part of the East Neuk of Fife, Scotland. (Sources: The Scottish nation, or, The surnames, families, literature, honours, and biographical history of the people of Scotland, Volume 2, by William Anderson, 1877; "Galloway, Patrick", Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 20, by Alexander Gordon; History of the Kirk of Scotland, by Calderwood, 1842-9; Ecclesiastical History of Scotland, by George Grub, 1861; and, Scottish Nation, by Anderson, 1870)

Elizabeth Lawson (circa 1570-1615) Daughter of Rev. James Lawson. Elizabeth married Rev. George Greir, second minister of Haddington. (Sources: Record of Presbytery of Haddington, January 26, 1603; and, "Testament of Elizabeth Lawsone", in Commissary Record of Edinburgh, April 5, 1615)

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Rev. James Lawson was thought by many in the Kirk of this time to be the man who was a pattern for ministers in every age of the Church. Learned, humble, and devout, he sustained with all constancy and consistency Presbyterian principles when many of his fellow ministers gave up those principles when intimidated by the king. Although as an ecclesiastic, Lawson was more conscientious rather than enlightened, he had a sincere love of learning and literature. One historian says of James Lawson: "He was an opposer of the bishops all his days, and who for his opposition to them, and to evil courses then in hand, was banished, and died suffering for the good cause.�

James Melville described him as: "A man of singular learning, zeal, and eloquence, whom I never heard preach, but he melted my heart with tears.�

Rev. James Lawson is one of the few men that were martyred for the principles of Presbyterianism. Yet the end result of the struggle of Rev. James Lawson and his compatriot reformers was that from 1584 until 1592, the Scottish church was run as a mixture of Presbyterianism and Episcopalianism. King James VI rejected the independence of the Kirk, or its right to interfere in government. He used his powers to call the General Assemblies of the Kirk whenever and wherever he wanted, limiting the ability of more radical clergy to attend. He paid for moderate clergy to attend and manipulated Assembly business in order to limit the independence of the Kirk. By the end of his reign there were 11 bishops and diocesan episcopacy had been restored, although there was still strong support for Presbyterianism within the Kirk.

The Legacy of Reverend James Lawson In the 1560s the majority of the population in Scotland was probably still Catholic in persuasion but the Kirk began a gradual process of conversion. This was conducted with little persecution compared with reformations elsewhere. The Kirk avoided negative condemnations of Catholicism, focusing instead on setting out the new faith in simple language. The focus was placed on the parish church as the centre of worship. The Calvinist Kirk rejected ornamentation in places of worship with no need for elaborate buildings. This resulted in widespread destruction of Medieval church ornaments and icons. Many monasteries and cathedrals were abandoned. New churches were built and existing churches adapted for reformed services by placing the pulpit centrally in the church, as preaching was now the center of worship.

Although officially illegal, Roman Catholicism survived in parts of Scotland but Church hierarchy played only a small role and the initiative was left to lay leaders. Where nobles or local lairds offered protection, Roman Catholicism continued to thrive. However, as the Reformation took over church structures and assets, any recovery by the Catholic hierarchy was extremely difficult. After the collapse of Queen Mary's cause and the elimination of French influence, hope for a national restoration of the old Roman Catholic faith in Scotland ended. The Catholic Church itself soon came to view Scotland only as a mission area.

The Reformation resulted in major changes in Scottish society. These included schools in every parish and major reforms of the university system. And, the Kirk became the subject of national pride and many Scots saw their country as a new Israel: "the elect of all nations, realms, nations, tongues, Jews and Gentiles".

The Reformation transformed religious observance. Scottish Protestantism focused on the Bible, which was seen as an infallible source of moral authority. Salvation was by God's grace alone and required living a good life. The Church could not grant forgiveness or salvation, but Kirk sessions could apply religious sanctions, such as excommunication and denial of baptism, to enforce godly behavior and 101

obedience. The many holy days and festivals of the Catholic Church with the occasional observance of the Mass were replaced by a single holy day, Sunday and regular attendance was required. Latin was abandoned in favor of the common language of the people. Congregational psalm singing replaced the elaborate trained choirs of the Roman church. Pulpits were placed centrally in the church, as preaching was at the centre of worship. Emphasis was on the Bible and the sermon (often an hour or longer), however, for the many parishes without a minister the service was lay people reading psalms, prayers and passages from the Bible.

The Geneva Bible was widely adopted. This version of the Bible is significant because, for the very first time, a mechanically printed, mass-produced Bible was made available directly to the general public which came with a variety of scriptural study guides and aids which included verse citations that allow the reader to cross-reference one verse with numerous relevant verses in the rest of the Bible. Each book of the Bible had an introduction that summarized the material that it covered with maps, tables, woodcut illustrations and indices.

In 1567, the General Assembly of the Kirk met in Edinburgh and again endorsed the legislation of 1560 Parliament. They then laid out a program of reform that included better support for the ministry, new resources and manpower for the parishes, a purge of teachers in the universities and schools, and a closer relationship with parliament. At the end of the year, Parliament met and ratified all of these acts.

The subsequent religious settlement would be worked out during the 1570s against a background of civil war and unstable regencies.

The loss of national standing that Scots suffered by the union of the crowns of Scotland and England in the United Kingdom of Britain during the reign of King James VI in 1603, may have led them to stress their religious achievements. The Kirk that claimed to represent all of Scotland was a source of national pride that was often compared with the less clearly reformed church in England. A theology developed that saw the kingdom in a covenant with God. Many Scots saw their country as a new Israel and themselves as a holy people engaged in a struggle between the forces of Christ and the Antichrist, the latter being identified with the resurgent papacy and the Roman Catholic Church. This view was reinforced by events elsewhere such as the French massacres of Protestants,the Inquisition and the religious wars on the continent. The rise of popular printing also made dissemination of Protestant ideas easier.

King James VI and his son Charles I, tried to get the Scottish Kirk to accept English Anglicanism. Charles introduced an English style Prayer Book into the Scottish Kirk in 1637 which resulted in widespread rioting. The next year a General Assembly of the national Kirk formally expelled Scottish bishops and established a fully Presbyterian church.

Tensions between England and Scotland and Protestants and Catholics remained high for years. Charles tried to raise an army of Irish Catholics but a storm of protest in England and Scotland forced him to back down. Eventually, a series of civil wars engulfed England, Ireland and Scotland. Scottish allegiances switched back and forth. Oliver Cromwell executed Charles I and occupied Scotland for a time, but by 1660 Cromwell had died, his regime collapsed and Charles II was crowned King and Scotland again became an independent kingdom.

Under Charles II, Scotland regained its independent system of law, parliament and Kirk, but also the return of bishops and a parliament managed by the crown. In fact the King did not visit the country and ruled largely without reference to Parliament, through commissioners. The restoration of episcopacy 102

was a source of trouble in areas with strong Presbyterian sympathies. Abandoning the official church, many of the inhabitants again began to attend illegal field assemblies, known as conventicles. Official attempts to suppress these led to an intense phase of persecution in the early 1680s.

When Charles II died in 1685 and his brother, a Roman Catholic, succeeded him as James VII of Scotland (and James II of England), matters came to a head. James put Catholics in key positions of government and attendance at conventicles was made punishable by death. He disregarded parliament, purged the Council and forced through religious toleration of Roman Catholics, alienating his Protestant subjects.

Many Scots believed that the king would sometime soon be succeeded by his daughter Mary, a Protestant and the wife of William of Orange, the Protestant leader of the Netherlands, but in 1688, James produced a male heir and it became clear that his policies would outlive him. By invitation from Scottish leaders, William and Mary invaded England with 40,000 men, and James fled into exile leading to the almost bloodless takeover.

In Scotland, it was decided that James had forfeited the throne by his actions. In England, Parliament established a legal fiction that James had abdicated the throne of England. Both countries offered their crowns to Protestants William and Mary II. These joint monarchs also accepted limitations on royal power. The final settlement restored Presbyterianism and abolished the bishops who had generally supported James.

Although William's supporters dominated the government, there remained a significant following for James, particularly in the Scottish Highlands. James' allies were known as Jacobites (Latin Jacobus for James) and led a number of revolts in Scotland and England between 1689 and 1746, plus many unsuccessful plots. The Jacobite movement collapsed in 1745 and an important principle was established: that monarchs now derived their legitimacy from Parliament, not God, ending the principle of divine right of kings. And, in Scotland, the Kirk was ruled by its people - not the papacy.

In any event, by this time our line of Lawson ancestors had moved on from England and Scotland to residence on the Isle of Man. LINKING LAWSONS OF ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND We cannot determine with certainty when or even if the Lawson branches in Scotland split from the English Lawsons. For sure if we go back far enough all Lawsons are related but connecting the English and Scottish lines at a later date is difficult. Without benefit of a specific connection between the lines we are left to speculate.

It is noteworthy that there are contemporaries in both family lines as shown below: English line:

Scottish line:

John Lawson, circa 1135 Lawrence Lawesson, circa 1190-1260 Thomas Lawson, circa 1250-??)

Ralph Lawson, 1275-??

Robert Lawson, 1300-??

Thomas Lawson, 1325-??

John Lawson, 1345-1386 William 1400-1480

Richard Lawson, circa 990-1040 Lawrence the Abbot, circa 1200s Richard Laurance of Byker, circa 1275-1320 George Lawson, circa 1306-1329 Richard Lawson, circa 1325-1370 John Lawson de Lynton, circa 1350-1395 Ady (Andrew?) Lawson, circa 1385-1425 William Lawson of Humbie, circa 1390-1450

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It is also noteworthy that the members of both Lawson family lines are well educated, gentlemen landowners, some are knights and most are men of substance if not wealthy. The Lawsons on both sides of the border have significant relationships with prominent nobles, royal families and kings. For the early middle ages, these are uncommon characteristics vested in a very few families.

Another factor is the nebulous and porous border between England and Scotland. Despite wars and rebellions, people, goods, armies, nobles and kings moved back and forth with ease. Family lands and business interests as well as political interests straddled the border. We do know for certain that the wealthy Lawson knights of Bywell and Cramlington had lands and interests extending up to Berwick on the Scottish border and beyond. Representatives of these families may have settled on properties in the Scottish borders giving rise to the Lawsons of Humbie, Linton or Edinburgh.

The fact that no certain connection has yet been found does not deny the large amount of circumstantial evidence. The reality is - we are one big, happy family of Lawsons!

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TIMELINE OF LAWSON IN SCOTLAND Dates 122

Romans construct the Hadrian's Wall.

143 163

Romans construct the Antonine Wall.

Romans withdraw south to Trimontium and Hadrian's Wall.

300

The term Pict is first recorded in describing the federated tribes invaded by Constantius Chlorus.

397 400-450 430-503

Traditional date at which Saint Ninian establishes a Christian mission at Whithorn.

450-510

Loarn or Laurin came to Scotland in 503 with his father and brothers. Inherited lands of his father in western Scotland that will become Argyll.

Eochaid Muinremuir son of the High Kings of Ireland: Erc was a legendary king of the Irish Dál Riata (Dalriada) who came from Ireland to Scotland in 503 and settled the land and islands of western Scotland.

563

Saint Columba founds a monastery at Iona and begins his mission to the northern Picts.

604

Æthelfrith unites Bernicia and Deira to form the kingdom of Northumbria.

638

Northumbrians capture Edinburgh from Gododdin.

747

St Andrews founded by this time, death of Abbot Túathalán.

794

Annals of Ulster report the "wasting" of "all the islands of Britain by gentiles [Vikings]".

802 843-858 858 990-1040

Iona burned by Vikings.

Three Grandsons of Loarn support King of Picts and obtain lands of Blaquhidder.

Death of Kenneth mac Alpin, King of the Picts; "union of Picts and Scots" traditionally dated from his reign.

Richard Lawson/Laurence (circa 990-1040) at the Battle of Carham (also known as the Battle of Coldstream) Scots defeat Northumbrians (1018)

1058

After defeating Mac Bethad and Lulach, Máel Coluim III is proclaimed king.

1124

David I becomes king and introduces the feudal system of landholding to much of Scotland.

1128

David I founds Holyrood Abbey at Edinburgh.

William I signs the Treaty of Falaise in which he swears allegiance to Henry II of England.

1174 1237 1250

Southern border of Scotland established in the Treaty of York.

Abbot Lawrence (lived in 1200s) founds Abbey in Aberdeen. Some say this is beginning of McLaren clan and Lawson family

1263 1266

Scots defeat Norwegians in the Battle of Largs.

Norway cedes the Hebrides and Isle of Man to Scotland in the Treaty of Perth.

1292

Edward I of England intervenes in Scottish affairs and grants the Scottish throne to John Balliol.

1297 1275-1320

Andrew de Moravia and William Wallace lead the Scots to victory over England at Stirling Bridge.

1305 1306-1329

William Wallace is executed in London.

George Lawson (circa 1306-1329) is under clerk of the Exchequer for King Robert the Bruce.

1314 1320 1325-1370

Richard Laurence of Byker (circa 1275-1320) (also spelled Biggar) in Lanarkshire is listed in the Ragman Rolls of 1296.

Robert the Bruce defeats the English at Bannockburn.

Nobles assert Scottish independence in the Declaration of Arbroath.

Richard Lawson (circa 1325-1370) is canon of St Giles Church and Laird of Grothill in 1370.

1328

Treaty of Northampton. England recognises Scottish independence.

1329

Death of Robert the Bruce. His 5-year-old son, David II succeeds him.

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1350-1395

John Lawson of Lynton (circa 1350-1395) tenant of Earl of Douglas near Biggar (Byker) in 1376.

1371 1390-1450

Robert II becomes first Stewart king.

1400 1400-1465

William I Lawson of Humbie (circa 1390-1450) a vassal knight to 1st Lord of Somerville (1406) and a Warden in the Scottish Borders (1424) Thomas Lawson (Lawsoune) in Register of Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen John Lawson/Louson/Lawsone (circa 1400-1465) held land in Aberdeen (1436), was a witness at Easter Moncreiff, Perth (1420) and recorded in Leyth (Leith) in Edinburgh (1462).

1402

Ady (Andy or Andrew) Lawson (circa 1385-1425) is forestaller in Aberdeen.

1413

Foundation of the University of St Andrews.

1451

Establishment of the University of Glasgow.

1495

Creation of the University of Aberdeen (King's College).

Education Act of 1496 makes education compulsory for barons and wealthy landowners.

1496 1441 1542 1444-1445 1445-1446

William Lowson (Lowsoun), son of John Lowson recorded in Council Register IV Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen Death of James V. Thomas Lowson, son of John Lowson recorded in Council Register V Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen Thomas Lawson (at instance of Abbot of Bon-Accord, for his expenses of "Ly Halibude" at the Wyndmyllhill) recorded in Council Register V Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen

1447-1448

Robert and William Lauson in Council Register V Burgesses of Guild & Trade of Burgh of Aberdeen

1447-1448

Edmund Lousone Lauson in Council Register V Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen

1450-1500

William II Lawson of Humbie (circa 1450-1500), knight appointed as King's agent to negotiate truce with England and marriage of James IV with English King Henry VII's eldest daughter, Princess Margaret (1495). Conservator of 7 year truce between Scotland and England (1497) Richard Lawson of Humbie, Heiriggs and Cairnmuir, (1450-1513), son of William I of Humbie and brother of William II of Humie. MP for Edinburgh beginning in 1479; Town Clerk of Edinburgh (1482); Lord justice clerk (circa 1488-1491); Provost of Edinburgh (1491-1505); was counselor appointed to manage affairs of James IV and form James's Council of State; commissioner to negotiate treaties with English (1490 and 1497); appointed King's advocate (1503); married Janet Elphinston (Lady Lawson Wynd/Street named for her); Richard Lawson died in 1507; Family home was High Riggs, Edinburgh - was demolished in 1877; also owned estates "Cairnmuir" in Peebles; "Cambo" and "Boghall". Received property of Gilchranston at Humbie (1505) Henry Lawson (circa 1450-1522) a landowner and witness in Newburgh, Fife in 1474 and 1476.

In 1508, Henry Lawson is a witness to a charter of lands to Alexander Cockburn.

Robert Louson married daughter of William Rede of Colison burgess recorded in Council Register V Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen.

1450-1513

1450-1522 1461 1410-1470

1470 1476

1480-1550

John Lawsone recorded in Leyth (Leith is an area within city of Edinburgh) shipping, ship building and fishing on coast of Firth of Forth. This John Lawson of Heiriggs and Lochtulloch maybe the same as John Lawson of Humbie son of James of Heiriggs. This maybe the same John Lawson who has property in Leith assessed to help support the Church of the Holy Trinity in Edinburgh (1462).

Marries Christian Livingston, daughter of Sir William Livingston of Kilsyth.

Richard Lawson was a monk at Lindores Abbey, Abdie Parish, Fife Andrew Lowson (flesher) recorded in Council Register VI Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen (could be Ady Lawson above) Majorie Lawson of Humbie, wife of William II Lawson of Humbie

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1480-1563

1486 1489-1515 1490-1542

1492 1496-1497 1500-1550

1500-1553 1506-1507 1509-1581

James Lawson of Heiriggs (circa 1480-circa 1563) This son of Richard the elder becomes baronet after the death of his brother Robert. Was Provost of Edinburgh (1532 and 1534); Minister of Parliament and Commissioner for the City of Edinburgh (1531 and 1532); and Senator of the College of Justice (1532). James Lawson was one of the 15 members of the first Supreme Judicture of Scotland. In 1526, James grants to his brother Patrick his rights as heir to his brother Richard of lands of Cairnmuir. Married Janet Liddel, heiress of Lochtulloch, Boghall, Stardaills and Denyss in the Barony of Bathgate in Renfrewshire or Roxburghshire. Also married Margaret Cockburn (circa 15061590) with sons: John Lawson of Boghall (circa 1540-1562) George Lawson (circa 1520-1570).

Thomas Lowson, marries daughter of a burgess recorded in Council Register VI Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen David Lowson recorded in Council Register VI Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen Robert Lawson of Heiriggs and Cairnmuir (circa 1489-circa 1515) He was the son of Richard and Janet Elphenstone Lawson. Inherits the title and lands of Heiriggs and Cairnmuir from brother Richard. Robert married Janet Baillie, daughter and heiress to William Baillie of Cambo. Both Robert and Janet die young circa 1515, perhaps of the plague.

Sir Laurence Lawson was Chaplain at Lindores Abbey, Abdie, Fife Andrew Lowson, in Dyvernesyd in Council Register VII Burgesses of Guild & Trade of Aberdeen David Lowson recorded in Council Register VII Burgesses of Guild & Trade of the Burgh of Aberdeen John Lawson (circa 1500-1550) was a landowner in Newburgh Parish, Fife (1547). Several Lawson families intermarried with the Murray families (Lairds of Carpow) in Abernathy Parish bordering Newburgh Parish, James Lawson of Cairnmuir (1500-1553) Alleged to be the son of Robert Lawson. He inherited lands of Cairnmuir in 1521 and married the daughter of Veitch of Dawick William Lawson of Dysert (near Aberdeen) marries the daughter of Sir John Forbes of Pitsligo.

Robert Lawson of Humbie (1509-1581), son of Richard of Humbie held tenement lands in the burgh of Haddington. Signed bond to stand by Queen Mary (1569)

1513 1515-1546

James IV and thousands of Scots are killed at Flodden.

Robert Lawson was a Notary at Lindores Abbey, Abdie, Fife

1520-1553

Patrick Lawson the Prebend (Prebendary) of Corstorphine (circa 1520-1553) the son of Richard the elder and Janet Elphinstone Lawson. Patrick most likely died early and his interest in Cairnmuir were inherited by his brother James.

George Lawson of Cairnmuir (circa 1520-1570) Eldest son of James of Cairnmuir and Veitch of Dawick. Inherits Cairnmuir and Cambo in 1553. Held lands in Cairnmuir, Borland and Cambo.

1520-1570 1523

Sir Lawrence Lawson, is the chaplain of St. Katherines Chapel in Newburgh, Fife. (Source: Lindores Abbey and its burgh of Newburgh: their history and annals, Published in 1876, see the list of Chaplains of St. Katherinis Chapel, Newburgh. Sir Lawrence Lawson, a.d. 1523.)

1524

Friar Alexander Lawson, Prior, receives a land grant for property on the south side of the Canongate of Edinburgh.

1525

James Lawson is Special Sheriff of Berwick, Roxburgh and Selkirk. (Source: The exchequer rolls of Scotland = Rotuli scaccarii regum Scotorum (v.15), Author: Scotland. Court of Exchequer, Stuart, John, 17511827, Burnett, George, 1822-1890, McNeill, George Powell Published in 1878)

1527-1532

Patrick Lawson, bailie of Haddington. In list of Provosts of Haddington. (Source: Lamp of Lothian: the history of Haddington, in connection with the Public Affairs of East Lothian..., by James Miller)

1528

James Lawson of Hieriggs, son and heir of the late Robert Lawson of Hieriggs, receives the lands of Lochtulio with their pertinents, namely, the villa of Lochtulio or Boghall, Starlaw and Denis, in the barony and parish of Bathgate and sheriffdom of Renfrew; reserving the liferent of Janet Leddale, widow of the said Robert Lawson. Sasine given by Andrew Nemo, acting as depute for Sir James Hammyltoun of Fynnart, sheriff of Renfrew. (Source: "Protocol Books of Dominus Thomas Johnsoun. (1528-1578)" Scottish Record Society Publications (Volume 39) Author : Scottish Record Society, Edinburgh, 1898)

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1529

John Lawson, listed as the Usher of the Hall door in the King's command and lords . . .

(Source: Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland = Compota thesaurariorum Regum Scotorum, Author: Treasurer of Scotland, 1877)

1530-1590 1532 1532-1595

1538-1584

1540-1562

1545-1549

John Lawson of Humbie (circa 1530-1590) son of Robert Lawson.

Creation of the College of Justice and the Court of Session.

George Lawson of Traquir/Traquair (circa 1532-1595) Son of James Lawson of Heiriggs and Margaret Cockburn. Traquir (also spelled Traquair) in Peebles is the oldest inhabited house in Scotland and is located about 10 miles from Biggar.

Reverend James Lawson (1538-1584) Born in Perth, Scotland. Educated at Perth grammar school ; Attended University of St. Andrews; in 1559 employed as a Tutor for sons of Countess of Crawford; at Paris University he learned Hebrew; religious strife in Paris forced him to continue his studies in London and Cambridge; Feb 1569, appointed to teach Hebrew at St Mary's College, University of St Andrews; appointed sub-principal, King's College, University of Aberdeen & elected canon parish Old Machar; In 1572, called to share ministry of St Giles with infirm John Knox; after Knox death, succeeded him as chief minister of St Giles in Edinburgh and was a leader of reformed clergy in Scotland. Appointed moderator of the Presbyterian assembly in 1580; Chief promoter for a university in Edinburgh; Denounced from the pulpit acts of parliament of 1584 which interfered with jurisdiction of the kirk; fled Scotland to avoid arrest; Died in London of dysentery in 1584. Married Janet Guthrie and they had 3 children: James Lawson who emigrates to Isle of Man, Elizabeth Lawson and Mary Katherine Lawson.

John Lawson of Boghall (circa 1540-1562) Son of James Lawson of Heiriggs and Margaret Cockburn.

Robert Lawson, Vicar of Ecclesgreig. Transcript obtained before Mr. Walter Feithy, Dean of Arts of the University, and Walter Mar, Priest, as Executors for deceased Robert Lawson, Vicar of Ecclesgreig, narrating that he had founded an Altar to be called the Holy Blood Altar, within the Church of the Holy Trinity of St. Andrews, and had granted to the Chaplains thereof a tenement on the south side of the market gate of St. Andrews for the sustenance of one Chaplain therein. Confirmation of this foundation by James, Prior of the Metropolitan Church of St. Andrews (1548) and by John, Archbishop of St. Andrews (1547) with an instrument of sason in favour of Robert Lawson in said tenement.

(Source: Fifiana, or, Memorials of the east of Fife, by Matthew Forster Conolly, 1869)

1546-1620 1547

1550

James Lawson (circa 1546-1620) Born, lived and died in Perth; Married to Issobell Ingles with daughter Jaine Lawsoune.

Sir John Lawson, chaplain to the Laird of Johnstone, with 32 men.

(Source: The Historical Families Of

Dumfriesshire And The Border Wars, by F. R. Grahame)

Christian Lawson, daughter of James Lawson of Humbie, marries Alexander Cockburn of Woodhead, they had two sons: John, slain by David Seton, and Alexander who succeeded his brother in Woodhead in 1593; and two daughters, who married respectively Ninian Hamilton, and George Hamilton of Preston. These sons-in-law are mentioned in Alexander's will. Alexander of Woodhead died in 1579. Christian Lawson is the sister of Reverend James Lawson. (Source: The records of the Cockburn family, Published in 1913, COCKBURNS OF ORMISTON)

1559 1560 1560-1620

1561

John Knox returns to Scotland from Geneva to promote Calvinism.

Parliament legislates Protestant Reformation of the Church of Scotland.

James Lawson of Cairnmuir (circa 1560-1620) Born Traquair, Peeblesshire; son of George of Traquair. Inherited the lands of Cairnmuir and Lochtulloch (1560) and other lands (1582 and 1584).

Married to Elizabeth Scott of Mountbeugar.

Mary, Queen of Scots returns from France.

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1564-1612

1568

Sir James (or John) Lawson, born circa 1564, in Humbie; was known as James Lawson of Humbie, Haddington, Scotland, the son of Robert Lawson. James Lawson married Elizabeth Bellenden Lawson circa 1563 and they had at least one son, also named James Lawson, and a daughter, Barbara Lawson Borthwick. In 1586, the Lawson lands in Humbie and Hartside were sold by James Lawson to Sir Adam Hepburn of Humbie, a Senator of the College of Justice and a Colonel in the Covenanting army of David Leslie. In 1602, James Lawson of Humbie named heir to his grandfather Robert Lawson of Humbie. James inherited his father's lands and titles in 1607 (Source: Chancellary Records, and, Scottish Worthies by Alexander Garden). Sir James Lawson of Humbie was a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to James VI. He died in 1612, riding over lands he was unfamiliar with and strayed into quicksand.

The location was on lands held by the Lawsons at Belhelvie beach near Aberdeen "in a standing lake called the Old Water gang." James drowned, his body was recovered, although his horse was never found. James only had one daughter, Janet Lawson who married John Edmonstone in 1605.

Mary, Queen of Scots flees to England following the defeat of her army at the Battle of Langside.

1579

Elizabeth Lawson (circa 1570-1615) Daughter of Rev. James Lawson. Elizabeth married Rev. George Greir, second minister of Haddington.

Mary Katherine Lawson (1579-??) daughter of Rev. James Lawson, was the second wife of Rev. Patrick Galloway (circa 1551–1626) a minister at Perth and Edinburgh and a Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The son of Mary Katherine Lawson and Rev. Patrick Galloway was Sir James Galloway of Carnbee, Fife, who was created the 1st Lord Dunkfeld in 1645 and who was the Master of Requests to King James VI and King Charles I and was also a member of their Privy Councils.

James VI takes over government from his regent, James Douglas.

1582

Establishment of the University of Edinburgh by Royal Charter.

1587

Mary, Queen of Scots, is beheaded by the order of Queen Elizabeth I of England.

James Lawson, Laird of Humby, is added to the citizens of Dundee at the request of the noble lord the Earl Marishal.

Alexander Lawson seeks payment for expenses to house the Danish Commissioners in his home (Heiriggs).

1570-1615 1579-???

1587 1591 1592

James VI enacts the "Golden Act" recognizing Presbyterianism within the Scottish church.

1570-1634

James Lawson, son of Rev. James Lawson, born in Perth, Scotland

Circa 1600

James Lawson emigrates to Isle of Man; dies on Isle of Man in 1634

1590-1625

Sir William Lawson of Heiriggs, Lochtulloch and Boghall son of John of Heiriggs and Christian Livingston of Kilsyth. Also had lands of Dundryon in the barony of Inverleith (1607). Ordered to find caution not to assault Hamilton of Bathgate (1607); Privy Council charges William and Hamilton of Innerwick to keep the peace (1608). " This Sir William dilapidate and put away " most of his fortune before his death, and went to Holland to the wars." Died 1625.

The Union of the Crowns: James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England.

1603 1605-1684

1618 1629

James Lawson of Cairnmuir (circa 1605-1684) Son of James (circa 1560-1620) above. Gifted lands at Carinmuir and Cambo by his father at the time of his marriage contract with Elizabeth Brown of Hartees in 1619. Acquired other lands in Ingraston, Maidenhead and Blytholne in Linton from 16311655. On committee of defense of Parliament of Peebleshire in 1659 and cited by the Privy Council for not stopping conventicles on his land in 1684. Married 2nd to Isabel Muirhead.

James VI forces episcopacy on the Church of Scotland through the Five Articles of Perth.

1633

John Lawson of Boghall (circa 1600-1650) served heir in 1629 to Sir William his brother of Boghall.

Education Act of 1633 ordains a school in every parish (partially successful).

1638

Scottish Covenanters rebel against Charles I.

1639

The First Bishops' War.

1640

The Second Bishops' War. 109

1642

The First English Civil War started.

1643

Solemn League and Covenant promises Scots army to aid English parliamentarians against the king.

1646

The First English Civil War ended.

1648

The Second English Civil War started.

1649

The Second English Civil War ended.

1649

The Third English Civil War started.

Southern Scotland occupied by the Commonwealth's New Model Army following Scottish defeats in 1650 during the Third English Civil War Battle of Worcester victory over Royalist army. Most Royalist officers and men were Scottish. no further military resistance to rule from London.

The Third English Civil War ended.

Oliver Cromwell issued several proclamations at the Mercat Cross in Edinburgh. Oliver Cromwell was the Protector of England Ireland and Scotland, that Scotland was united with the Commonwealth of England (Tender of Union) and there was a general pardon with some exceptions for the people of Scotland for any actions taken during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms (Cromwell's Act of Grace).

1650 1651 1651 1654 1660

The monarchy is restored in Scotland and Scotland resumes its status as a separate kingdom.

1661

The restoration of the Episcopacy was proclaimed by the Privy Council of Scotland.

Parliament restores Church of Scotland as national Kirk.

1662 1662 1670-1710

1679 1689 1690-1740

The Scottish parliament passed the Act of indemnity and oblivion. It was a general pardon for most types of crime that may have been committed by Scots, between 1 January 1637 and before 1 September 1660, during what the Act called "the late troubles" (the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and the Interregnum).

John Lawson of Cairnmuir (circa 1670-1710) Son of James above. Recorded various transaction from 1682 to 1701. Married Barbara, daughter of Sir John Clerk, the 1st Baronet of Penicuik and a prominent Scottish politician.

James, Duke of Monmouth defeats Covenanters at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge.

Jacobite uprising, Highlanders defeat army of William III at Killiecrankie.

The Claim of Right and the re-establishment of Presbyterianism.

John Lawson of Cairnmuir (circa 1690-1740) Son of John above. He inherited the lands of Cairnmuir, Ingraston and Maidenhead in 1791. Recorded as Laird Eadie (1705 and 1707). Married Elizabeth Semple of Cathcart. This marriage was an elopement.

1692

The Massacre of Glencoe.

1695 1696

The Bank of Scotland is created by an Act of the Parliament.

Education Act of 1696 ordains a school in every parish (successful; act governs education until 1872).

1707

Union of the Parliaments: the Acts of Union are passed by both the Scottish and English parliaments.

1715 1723-1745

Jacobite rising of 1715.

Richard Lawson of Cairnmuir (1723-1745) Eldest son of John above. Richard entered the army that fought the Jacobites (1744-1745). After a fatiguing march, through deep snow from Newcastle to Edinburgh he fell sick of an "epidemical fever" and died in 1745.

John Lawson of Cairnmuir (circa 1725-1754) Son of John (circa 1690-1740) above. Succeeded his brother Richard. John married Isobel Dalrymple.

William Lawson of Cairnmuir (1730-1806) Son of John (circa 1690-1740). Succeeded his brothers Richard and John in 1754. Married Margaret Hamilton with a daughter Marion Lawson. After Margaret's death, married Macfarlane (1776) daughter of John of Spottiswoode of Berwickshire.

Marriage links Lawson family to royal descent and with the great families of Scotland. Macfarlane Spottiswoode is a descendant of James I of Scotland and Edward III of England.

1725-1754 1730-1806

110

1732-1816

Ann Lawson Brown (1732-1816) Daughter of John (circa 1690-1740) above. Married Laurence Brown of Edmonston and they had a son James Brown. Anne is buried at Biggar Church.

1739-??

James Lawson (1739-??) Son of John (circa 1690-1740) above. Merchant in Glasgow, Scotland, and in Charles County, Maryland colony. Married Nancy Semple.

1745 1746 1751-1798

Jacobite uprising The Battle of Culloden ends the last Jacobite rising.

Robert Lawson (1751-1798) Son of James of Glasgow. Spent his life in Charles County, Maryland.

1843

Alexander Lawson, merchant of Dundee was born at Glenisla, educated at Auchterhouse Parish School and became a merchant ironmonger. From 1832 to 1837 he was a member of the Dundee town council; served as Bailie in 1835 and 1836; and was Provost (1841-1844). In 1844, he was the Provost and Chief Magistrate who received Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at Dundee.

John Lawson (circa 1800-1850) Perhaps the son of Robert above. Sold Cairnmuir House and estate in 1839.

The Disruption in the Church of Scotland (over the issue of patronage).

1846

Beginning of the ten-year Highland Potato Famine.

1847

The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland is established.

1790-1860 1800-1850

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LAWSON ON THE ISLE OF MAN The Isle of Man (Manx: Ellan Vannin, or simply Mannin) is an island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland in Western Europe, with a population of almost 85,000. It has a small islet, the Calf of Man, to its south. The island is about 30 miles in length, and ranges from 8 to 15 miles in width. The land area of the island is 220 square miles with about one half mile of inland water for a total area of 221 square miles. This makes the Isle of Man slightly more than 3 times the size of Washington, DC and slightly smaller than the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia.

The coastline around the island is about 99 miles long. A territorial sea extends to a maximum of 12 nautical miles from the coast, or the midpoint between England, Scotland and Ireland. The total territorial sea area is about 1,500 sq miles, which is about 87% of the total area of the jurisdiction of the Isle of Man. There is a long distance footpath that runs for 102 miles around the Manx coast. Known as Raad ny Foillan (English: The Way of the Gull) it forms a complete loop around the Manx coast that can be walked in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. The path is well marked with signs showing a gull on a blue background.

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The Isle of Man enjoys a temperate climate, with cool summers and mild winters. Average rainfall is high compared to the majority of the British Isles, due to its location to the western side of Great Britain and sufficient distance from Ireland for moisture to be accumulated by the prevailing south-westerly winds. Temperatures remain fairly cool, with the recorded maximum being 84.0 °F. The Manx air is sharp and cold in winter but healthy, and inhabitants live well into old age. The island had a censusestimated population of 84,497, in 2011 census. The native language "Manx" is a dialect of Erse, a 16th–19th-century Scots language name for Scottish Gaelic. Today, only a few elderly Manx speakers remain.

The Isle of Man is mostly hilly, but has only one summit classified as an actual mountain (over 2,000 feet). The south of the island has a small coastal plain around Castletown and Ballasalla but is otherwise hilly. In the southwest these hills rise to more prominent peaks which drop almost vertically into the sea. A central valley separates the southern hills from the central range which contains 11 out of 12 of the Island's highest peaks. It has open moorland and rough terrain. The area is very sparsely populated and has just one major road crossing it except along the coast. To the north, the land drops quite suddenly to a large flat glacial plain with only small rolling hills known as the Bride hills.

In the 1800s, there were active mines of lead, iron and copper, and quarries of building stone and slate.

The soil varies in different tracts, yet at that time produced more corn than needed by residents and was exported. Other commodities of the island were small black cattle and horses, wool, fine and coarse linen, hides, skins, honey, tallow, and herrings. A large number of diverse sea birds breed in the rocks of the island, especially on the Calf of Man, a small island not far from its most southern point.

History Of Isle Of Man The Isle of Man separated from Britain and Ireland around 6,500 BC, at a time when rising sea levels caused by the melting glaciers cut Britain off from continental Europe for the last time. A land bridge had earlier existed between the Isle of Man and Cumbria in western England, but its location and details are not well understood.

Circa 5,000 BC, the first inhabitants started to arrive from Scotland and/or Ireland in the Mesolithic Period, also known as the Middle Stone Age. The first residents lived in small natural shelters, hunting, gathering and fishing for their food. They used small tools made of flint or bone, examples of which have been found near the coast.

The island has had a turbulent history. It came under Celtic control circa 1,000 BC, during the Iron Age, and was under Celtic influence for 2,000 years. Remnants of the Celts is found today in the island’s name (derived from Manannán, the Celtic god of the sea) and in the Manx parliament (Tynwald Court) established In 979. Today, the Manx Tynwald, known as one of the oldest continuous parliaments in the world, is a vestige of Celtic influence.

It is not known if the Romans ever made a landing on the island; if they did, little evidence has been discovered; however there is evidence for contact with Roman Britain as an amphora was found which may have been trade goods or plunder.

114

The island’s conversion to Christianity in the fifth century is generally attributed to St Maughold, an Irish missionary with a very colorful past. There are the remains of around 200 tiny early chapels called Keeils scattered across the island. Evidence such as radiocarbon dating and magnetic drift points to many of these being built around AD 550-600. Maughold, who died circa 488 AD, is venerated as the patron saint of the Isle of Man. Tradition states that he was an Irish prince and captain of a band of freebooters who was converted to Christianity by Saint Patrick. One local legend relates that Maughold tried to make a fool out of Patrick by putting a living man in a shroud. He then called for Patrick to try to revive the allegedly dead man. Patrick came, placed a hand on the shroud, and left.

When Maughold and friends opened the shroud, they found the man had died. One of Maughold's men went to Patrick's camp and apologized after which Patrick returned and baptized all of the men assembled. He then blessed the dead man who immediately returned to life, and was also baptized.

Patrick then told Maughold that he should help his men to lead good lives to make up for his behavior.

As penance, Patrick ordered him to abandon himself to God in a wicker boat without oars in which he drifted to the Isle of Man. Tradition says he landed on the Isle near Ramsey, at a headland since called Maughold Head. Here he made a home in a cave on the mountain side. Today, Maughold is best remembered for his kind disposition toward the Manx natives. Several places on the island, including, Maughold parish, St. Maughold's Well, and St. Maughold's Chair are named after him.

Around 800 AD, Vikings (Norsemen) began sporadically invading and plundering the island until in 1079.

The Isle of Man came under Norse rule when a Norse King Gorse of Orry created the Kingdom of Mann which consisted of the Hebrides, all the smaller western islands of Scotland, and the Isle of Mann.

During the whole of the Scandinavian period, the Isles remained nominally under the suzerainty of the Kings of Norway, but the Norwegians only occasionally asserted it with any vigour. In 1261, Scotland's king Alexander III, tried to negotiate possession of the island, but Norway refused resulting in war.

Finally, in 1266, in the middle of the war, Norway's King died. His successor, Magnus VI, then ceded the Isle of Man to Scotland.

England’s first claim to the Isle of Man appears to date from 1290, when King Edward I took possession of the island. Over the next few decades, the Island was transferred between Scotland and England multiple times before coming under complete English control in the 1300s.

In 1130, the Catholic Church established first bishopric on the Isle of Man. With English control in 1538, the Church of England was established as the official church on the island and mandated that every parish begin recording baptisms, marriages, and burials, but this did not start in the Isle of Man until 1598. These records became known as parish registers. Some religious antagonism toward Roman Catholics occurred after the English Reformation in the 1500s, but not nearly as severe as in England or in France.

After a century of disputed ownership between the English and the Scots the Island was 'given', by the English King Henry IV, to Sir John Stanley, in 1405 on the condition of homage and a feudal fee "of rendering to our heirs the future Kings of England, two falcons on the days of their coronation".

The Stanleys, the Earls of Derby, were one of the great families of England whose estates were large landholdings on the Lancashire/Cheshire border. Being subjects of England, they were content to stay there and as long as their Lieutenants sent revenues from the Isle of Man, they acquiesced in their administration. For more than three centuries this family enjoyed the regal government of Man; yet in this long period few of them visited the island and then only when their interests were threatened, or their personal safety in England was at risk.

115

With the land grant to the Stanleys, Manx history gained some stability. The English language came with Stanley possession of the island which in turn influenced the Manx language. Generations of rule by the Stanley family led to more settled times. Though they rarely visited the island, they did select the governors who fairly ruled and applied the justice of the time. They curbed the power of local barons, introduced trial by jury, which now superseded trial by battle, and ordered all laws to be written.

The title "Lord of Mann and the Isles" was first used in 1651, referring to the island's Lord Proprietor who was titular ruler of the island until 1765. At that time, the feudal rights were purchased by the crown and the title was transferred to King George I, who was represented on the island by a Lieutenant Governor. Today, Queen Elizabeth still has the title of Lord of Mann (even though she is a woman, she is still known as Lord, not Lady). In the Loyal Toast on the Isle of Man, they toast the Lord of Mann, not the Queen or King.

Due to its convenient off-shore location, the Isle of Man became an important centre for the illegal contraband trade throughout much of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The government at Westminster attempted to legislate against such trade with the passage of the Smuggling Act in 1765.

The Manx-folk however had their own term of endearment for this piece of legislation; they referred to it as the Mischief Act. The Act of Settlement passed in 1704, is known as the Manx Magna Carta It preserved the rights of peasants, restoring their claims to ancestral estates, establishing a fixed rent, and limiting fines on succession.

The Industrial Revolution arrived on the island in the mid 1800s with the growth of mining, manufacturing and the building of the largest waterwheel in the world. The Laxey Wheel was constructed to pump water from the lead mines some 200 fathoms below ground. Also around this time the economy of the Isle of Man also began a boom of tourism thanks to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company and the building of the Isle of Man Steam Railway, Manx Electric Railway and Snaefell Mountain Railway systems.

The symbol on the Isle of Man flag is the triskelion. While it looks like something someone with a bunch of spare doll parts might have put together, the triskelion is actually an ancient symbol. On Man, it is known as the Three Legs of Man (in Manx Tree Cassyn Vannin) which symbolize the Island's independence and mean Quocunque Jeceris Stabit – "Whichever way you throw me I stand".

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Flag of Isle of Man - the triskelion

The Isle of Man never became part of the Kingdom of Great Britain or its successor the United Kingdom.

Isle of Man is one of three British Crown dependencies. Crown dependencies are possessiosn of the crown (aka the Queen) directly, not of the United Kingdom. The British Crown dependencies are all island territories off the coast of Great Britain that are self-governing possessions of the Crown: the Isle of Man; the Bailiwick of Guernsey; and, the Bailiwick of Jersey. They do not form part of either the United Kingdom or the British Overseas Territories. Internationally, the dependencies are considered "territories for which the United Kingdom is responsible", rather than sovereign states. As a result, they are not member states of the Commonwealth of Nations. However, they do have relationships with the Commonwealth, the European Union, and other international organizations, and are members of the British–Irish Council. They have their own teams in the Commonwealth Games. They are not part of the European Union (EU), although they are within the EU's customs area.

As the Crown dependencies are not sovereign states, the power to pass legislation affecting the islands ultimately rests with the government of the United Kingdom (though this is rarely done without the consent of the dependencies, and the right to do so is disputed). However they each have their own legislative assembly, with the power to legislate on many local matters with the assent of the Crown (Privy Council, or in the case of the Isle of Man in certain circumstances the Lieutenant-Governor). In each case, the head of government is referred to as the Chief Minister. They also use the British Pound and the UK does have the responsibility of the defense of the island. They are not members of the European Union.

Because the island is not part of the UK, it has often been used as a tax haven for the British. In recent years the Manx government has made a concerted effort to cast off the island's reputation as a tax haven, signing tax information exchange deals with over a dozen countries. This strategy was rewarded with the Isle's inclusion in an OECD "white list" of jurisdictions meeting international standards on taxation. The Isle of Man does however have relatively low taxes and this has encouraged a major offshore financial sector that accounts for most of its GDP. Also unique to the Isle of Man is the Manx cat, which has no tail.

The breed also exhibits very large hind legs and a rounded head. There is also a unique breed of sheep on the island called the Manx Loaghtan, which is known for sometimes having 4 or 6 horns.

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The island's largest town and administrative centre is Douglas, with a population of 23,000 — over a quarter of the population of the island. Neighboring towns of Onchan and Ramsey in the north, Peel in the west and the three southern ports of Castletown, Port Erin and Port St. Mary are the island's other main settlements. Almost all of the population lives on or very near the coast.

The North The first Lawsons to settle on the Isle of Man did so on the North of the island, most likely emigrating from Scotland or England. As we will see, our direct ancestor, James Lawson, was the first Lawson on the Isle of Man in the late 1500s. In the North, the parishes of Andreas, Bride and Jurby are mainly flat farming land with the hills of North Barrel running along the eastern side of the parishes. The parish of Maughold is more hilly, with steep cliffs along the sea boundary.

Andreas

Bride

Jurby

Maugold

The town of Ramsey is situated at the mouth of the Sulby river in a wide, sandy bay at the boundary the parishes of Maughold and Lezayre. Ramsey has been a center for fishing and boat building from early times. The hills of Cumberland in England are visible on clear days. The parish of Bride contains the Ayre, a wide, flat expanse of sand and gravel. The gravel seashore is prone to erosion and the high-water mark has changed considerably over the years. Andreas and Jurby are more fertile, farming areas.

Lezayre

The South The south of the Island consists of the parishes of Rushen, Arbory and Malew. Mainly a farming and fishing area, in early times there was some mining, for example at Bradda Head, Port Erin. The main centre of habitation is Castletown with its well preserved medieval castle, Castle Rushen. Castletown

Rushen

Arbory

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Malew

was the capital of the South Side division and, after the Island became a single kingdom, Castletown was the capital of the Island until 1869 when the capital was moved to Douglas. The fishing fleets of the Isle of Man were centered on Castletown, Port St. Mary and Port Erin. Castle Rushen served as the military headquarters of the Island and was garrisoned by an English line regiment. By around 1816 the garrison had been reduced to about half a company and it was removed completely in 1896. The castle also served as the civil gaol (jail) of the Island. In 1886, it was condemned and finally replaced in 1891 by a purpose built facility outside Douglas.

Castletown

The Abbot of Rushen Abbey was a major land owner on the Island holding some 99 quarterlands or farms and 77 cottages. In connection with these holdings the Abbot had his own courts, the Barony Courts, and a prison, located on Peel Island. The first diversion of church lands to secular purposes occurred in 1537, when Furness Abbey was dissolved and it’s tithes in Maughold and Michael were leased for the king’s benefit. An arbitrary act by Henry VIII in 1540, seized the monastery of Rushen, the priory of Douglas and the friary of Bymaken for the Crown. On St. John the Baptist’s Day, 1540, the abbot and his six brethren “were removed” from the monastery and the prioress and her three sisters “departed from the priory of Douglas.”

Castle Rushen

William Lawson seems to have been the first member of the family to move to the south of the Island.

He was born on March 5, 1704-5, at Andreas. It is not known when he moved to the south of the Island but he was twenty-nine when he married Mary Kneen on August 1, 1734, at Arbory. The wills of William and Mary would indicate that there were no issue of the marriage, though William’s will does mention John, a son of his wife. Mary died in September 1740, and William in December of the same year.

Edward Lawson was the second member of the family to move south. He was born in 1726 at Andreas (baptized on September 8th). We don’t know when he moved to the south but he married Elinor Skelly on July 28, 1750, at Rushen.

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Douglas Douglas (in Manx: Doolish) is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 27,938 in 2011. It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and on a sweeping 2 mile long bay. The River Douglas forms part of the town's harbor and main commercial port.

Douglas

The discovery of a bronze weapon in central Douglas, and a large Viking treasure hoard on the outskirts of town, both in the 1890s, hint at the early importance of the site now occupied by Douglas. Scholars agree that the name of the town derives from the early Celtic Duboglassio meaning black river. Douglas is twice referred to in the monastic Chronicle of the Kings of Man and the Isles. The first is in 1192, when the monks of St Mary's Abbey at Rushen were transferred to Douglas for a four-year stay. Then in 1313, when Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, spent the night at the "monastery of Duglas" on his way to seize Castle Rushen.

The first detailed documentation shows that in 1511 there were only thirteen resident households in the settlement of Douglas, clustered north of the harbour; most of the property there was classified as "chambers" (unoccupied, unheated, single-celled structures) for which rent was paid by non-residents including clergy, officials and landowners from elsewhere on the island. This suggests that the town's nucleus originated as a non-urban port. Current speculation links the town with the Irish Sea herring fishery, and the import/export trade.

Douglas was a small settlement until it grew rapidly as a result of links with the English port of Liverpool in the 18th century. Further population growth came in the 1800s resulting in a gradual transfer of government offices to Douglas from the ancient capital of Castletown. Since 1869, Douglas has been the capital city of the Isles of Man. Today, Douglas is the island's main commercial center for business, finance, legal services, shopping, and entertainment. Douglas is also the island hub of shipping, transport, and is the main seaport of the Isle of Man. It is the home of the ferry terminal, with regular services to Heysham, a large coastal village in Lancashire, England, and to Liverpool. There are also occasional ferry services to Dublin and to Belfast.

The earliest organized ferry services were between Douglas and Whitehaven in the 1750s. A Packet Service began in 1765 or 1766, and the Post Office mail contract was secured by 1782.

Sailings were irregular and heavily dependent on weather conditions. Steamer services brought a considerable improvement with the first regular link between Greenock and Liverpool in 1819. The formation of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company in 1830 led to greatly improved services, and also laid the foundations for growth in both cargo and tourist traffic.

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Douglas Promenade and Beach

Douglas is also the hub of the island's bus network, with regular services to Port Erin, Peel and Ramsey, as well as various local bus services. The town also has terminals for the two main rail lines: a steam railway to Port Erin and an electric tramway to Ramsey.

The world famous Isle of Man TT motorcycle races start and finish in Douglas. This annual event is run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907, and is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world. The Isle of Man TT is run in a time-trial format on public roads closed to the public by an Act of Tynwald (the parliament of the Isle of Man). The event consists of one week of practice sessions followed by one week of racing.

It has been a tradition, perhaps started by racing competitors in the early 1920s, for spectators to tour the Mountain Course on motorcycles during the Isle of Man TT on "Mad Sunday", an informal and unofficial sanctioned event held on the Sunday between 'Practice Week' and 'Race Week'. As public roads were not permitted to be closed for racing events on mainland Britain, fans returned year after year to enjoy those early pioneering motorcycle races. These races would ultimately help to establish the world dominance of the British motorcycle manufacturing industry.

Douglas is situated for the most part in the parish of Onchan with that part of the town south of the rivers Dhoo and Glass in the parish of Braddan. Within the town boundaries are the churches of St. Barnabas, St. George, St. Matthew and St. Thomas.

St. Matthew Church

The church of St. Matthew was built by Bishop Wilson in 1708 as a chapel of ease of Braddan. It was situated in the marketplace on the North Quay. The church was a plain building of rubble, plastered inside and out and white washed or painted. The building held between 300 and 400 persons.

Butchers’ stalls leaned along the southern side of the church, and in the space between them were the booths of harbor traders from the country, and farmers and their wives. All had the right to sell their wares and produce without payment of rent or rates. Originally the main church of the town, it had a large, square pew covered by a canopy and surrounded by curtains for the Duke of Athol. By 1800 it has become “a very low church–the church of the poor." It had no church yard, burials were at the mother church at Braddan. Old St. Matthew was demolished in 1895 and relocated to a site on the North Quay during 1895-1902.

In 1761, Bishop Hildesley was urged to provide an additional place of worship in the town as St. Matthew’s had become inadequate for the population, at that time around 2,000. The building of the church of St. George took many years. The church was not completed until November, 1780, and it was consecrated on the 29th of September, 1781. St. George sits in the middle of a large graveyard, the earliest burials recorded being in 1790. It soon became the church of the upper classes. A large, stone building, it is still in use today.

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The church of St. Barnabas was founded in 1832. It was erected about 250 yards from St. Matthew and eventually replaced that church as the common church of the town. It was demolished in 1969.

Before civil registration of births became mandatory in 1878 baptisms of persons born in Douglas may appear in any of the five church registers mentioned above. In the same way marriages before 1884 appear in the church registers. Death records, in the form of burials, appear at Braddan, St. George and Onchan.

Lonan The parish of Lonan is situated on the eastern side of the Island, approximately mid-way between Douglas and Ramsey. The main centre of Lonan is the village of Laxey. Originally a fishing village, Old Laxey is situated at the mouth of the Laxey River. Its name derives from the Old Norse Laxa meaning Salmon River. The village lies on the main road from Douglas to Ramsey and also on the vintage Manx Electric Railway, and Snaefell Mountain Railway.

The Lawsons first appeared in Lonan in the 1600s. They were fishermen/farmers, and were later associated with the local mining industry. During the 1700s and 1800s, the Lawsons were one of the largest families in the Laxey area. In the 1800s, Robert Lawson was the scion of this notable Manx fishing family living. His family lived in "Sea Villa" on the Laxey promenade. Lawson converted this property from a cottage into a large house, then built "Bay View Terrace" a development of five houses about 50 yards behind the promenade. One of his sons, Robert Edwin ("Ted") Lawson was harbour master in the 1880s.

Mining for lead, silver and copper was carried out at Laxey from early times. Records are scarce for the early years but there is documentary evidence that lead was supplied from the Island for the roofing of castles built by Edward I in Wales during the thirteenth century. In the 19th century lead and zinc mining began; it became the largest industry in the village. The heyday of mining at Laxey was during the period 1860-90. It has been estimated that around 300 persons were employed at the Laxey mines in 1850, rising to approximately 400 by 1890. There was then a steady decline until the mines closed in 1929.

Today, the key distinguishing features of Laxey are its three working vintage railways and the largest working waterwheel in the world. It is also the location of the 5000 year old King Orry's Grave and the Laxey and Dhoon Glens, two of the Manx National Glens.

The Laxey Wheel (also known as the Lady Isabella waterwheel) is built into the hillside above the village of Laxey. It is the largest working waterwheel in the world.

The wheel has a 72-foot-6-inch diameter, is 6 feet wide and revolves at approximately three revolutions per minute. It was built in 1854 to pump water from the Glen Mooar part of the Great Laxey Mines industrial complex. The wheel was named "Lady Isabella" after the wife of the island's Lieutenant Governor at that time.

(Source: "Laxey", in the Isle of Man Guide, 2008)

The Lady Isabella water wheel at the village of Laxey in Lonan Parish

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TIMELINE OF LAWSON IN ISLE OF MAN Year 54 BC 400-500 490 550 626 720 740 700-800 850-950 825 836 858 870 900 900 950-1079 1050 1066 1079 1095 1098 1100 1100 1103 1134 1147 1156 1190 1200 1228 1228 1229-1247 1229 1237 1257 1257 1266 1275 1291 1299 1313 1316 1350 1350 1373

Event Caesar names the Isle of Man 'Mona' Missionaries arrive from Ireland Following the death of Dumnagual Hen, Isle of Man (Ynys Manaw) becomes independent from the Kingdom of Strathclyde King Senyllt of Galwyddel flees to Island King Edwin of Deira invades the Island After the death of Welsh King Rhain of Rhainw, Prince Sandde moves to Island and marries the island kingdom's heiress, Princess Celemion Death of King Iudgual of Ynys Manaw (Isle of Man). He is succeeded by his nephew, Prince Elidyr Gwriad rules the Island The first Norse settlements in Mann Merfyn, son of Gwriad, leaves the Island King Merfyn Frych is absent in his newly acquired Kingdom of Gwynedd, Irish Viking invaders manage to take over the island.

Nennius (Welsh man) names Island Eubonia Battle of Santwat The Round Tower was built at Peel Castle Vikings built a fort on St Patricks Isle Mann and Hebrides was ruled by a King of the Isles Manx bishopric was established King Godred Sygtrygsson sheltered Godred "Crovan" Battle of Scacafell (Skyhill) was won by Godred Crovan, who became King of Mann and the Isles Death of Godred, King of Man and the Isles.

Civil war in Man St Michael's Chapel built Myreseough monastery founded in Lezayre Death of King Magnus Barefoot King Olaf founded Rushen Abbey and granted the land to the Sauvignac monks of Furness Abbey Rushen Abbey came under Cistercian rule Battle of Colonsay and loss of Mull and Islay Foundation of Castle Rushen Expedition of King Haakin, Norwegian overlord, and his defeat at the Battle of Largs King Olaf's fleet burnt at Peel by Reginald Battle of Tynwald and death and defeat of Reginald Building of St. Germains Cathedral Bishop Simon's Diocesan Synod at Braddan King Olaf dies Chronicles of Mann written at Rushen Abbey Building works on Rushen Abbey completed Treaty of Perth transferred Isle of Man to Scotland King Alexander of Scotland defeated the Manx at the Battle of Ronaldsway Bishop Mark's Synod Bishop Mark expelled and Island under Papal interdict Capture of Castle Rushen by Robert the Bruce Richard de Mandeville raided and defeated the Manx at the Battle of South Barrule Commencement of sandstone castle at Peel Monks' Bridge built Franciscan Friary established at Bemaken, Ballabeg 123

1395 1405 1417 1417- 1430 1456 1485 1504 1511- 1515 1540 1577 1594 1579-1634 1602 circa 1605-1668 1608 1610 1612 1627 1628 1628 circa 1630-1705 1645 1648 1651 1651 1656 1656 1660 1663 1666 1668 circa 1668-1736 1672 1698-1775 1701 1704 1709 1714-1790 1740 1744-1817 1760 1764 1765 1770

Le Scrope, King of Mann, used Three Legs emblem as signatory to Anglo-French Treaty Grant of Isle of Man by King Henry IV to Sir John Stanley First document in Statute Book refers to Claves Manniae et Claves Legis - the Keys of Mann and the Isles Series of important Tynwald Courts and firm establishment of Stanley regime Last Scottish attack on Mann Thomas Stanley II ennobled as 1st Earl of Derby Title King of Man waived for title Lord of Mann Manorial Roll compiled Rushen Abbey and the Nunnery officially dissolved by Edward Stanley Bishop paid homage to 4th Earl for his Barony, at Tynwald Queen Elizabeth I took control of Mann pending settlement of a disputed succession James Lawson, Isle of Man born 1579, Perth, Scotland; Moved to Isle of Man circa 1600; Died 1634 on Isle of Man. BEGINS LINE OF MANX LAWSONS James Lawson marries Isabel Cowle Edward Lawson, son of James Lawson, was a miller at Lhen Mooar.

William Christian (Illiam Dhone) born Prayer Book printed in Manx by Bishop Phillips Stanley rule resumed by William I, the 5th Earl, and Countess Elizabeth James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby, becomes Lord of Mann Edward Lawson marries Jony Christian.

Horse races on Langness - transferred to Epsom as The Derby in 1780 Richard Lawson (Losson), son of Edward Lawson, was a miller at Lhen Mooar.

Building starts on Derby Fort Stevenson family of Balladoole gave up the Calf to the Lord of Mann 7th Earl with Manx force in Royalist defeat at the Battles of Wigan and Worcester. Capture and execution of the Earl at Bolton Rebellion in Mann, led by William Christian (Illiam Dhone). Island was taken over for the Commonwealth Richard Lawson (Losson) marries Bahee Kewn at Jurby parish.

William Christian (Illiam Dhone) becomes Governor of the Isle of Man Restoration of Stanley/Derby rule William Christian (Illiam Dhone) Executed The Moddey Dhoo appears at Peel Castle Manx copper coins minted by John Murray of Ronaldsway Edward Lawson, son of Richard Lawson, was a miller.

Compulsory elementary education introduced by Charles, 8th Earl of Derby Episcopate of Bishop Wilson Edward Lawson marries Jony Kaneen at Kirk Anrdeas.

1704 Act of Settlement confirmed customary land tenancy Derby coinage introduced, bearing family crest of eagle and child James Lawson, son of Edward Lawson, was a wheelwright and joiner who lived in Onchan and Douglas.

James Lawson marries Catherine Killey at Onchan parish.

Edward Lawson, son of James Lawson, was a successful wheelwright and joiner in Peel and Douglas.

Two wooden pillars erected in memory of a victory over the French Admiral Thurot, off the coast of Ballaugh Smallpox epidemic U.K. Act of Revestment and Mischief Act passed for suppression of smuggling trade. Financial control of the Island was vested in the British Crown First Tynwald after Revestment 124

1772-73 1773 1775 1777 1780 1780 1780 1788 1789 1790-1850 1792 1792 1799 1803 1805 1806 1810 1813 1819 1820 1821 1824 1825 1827 1828-1898 1829 1830 1830 1832 1832 1837 1838 1839 1840 1847 1848 1849 1851 1852 1852-1895 1852 1852 1852 1853 1854 1858

Epidemic of Smallpox Discovery of the Calf of Man Crucifixion Stone by John Quayle Publication of the Manx Bible, edited by Philip Moore John Wesley visited Mann Edward Lawson marries Anne Crellin at Kirk Braddan.

Epidemic of Smallpox Publication of Dr. John Kelly's Manx Grammar Dennison's Theatre opened in Fort Street, Douglas Mutiny on The Bounty Edward Lawson, son of Edward Lawson, was a successfull baker and property owner in Douglas Establishment of the 1st Manx newspaper, the Manks Mercury and Briscoe's Advertiser Thomas Stowell published l'he Statutes and Ordinances of the isle of Man Birth of William Kennish, inventor and scientist "Mona's Herald" began publication Introduction of vaccination against smallpox Corrin's Tower (Corrin's Folly) built Construction began in Douglas on Duke Street and Sand Street (now Strand Street). They were then the western and northern limits of the town Edward Lawson marries Margaret Cottier at Kirk Braddan.

First scheduled service by steamer from Great Britain Waterloo Theatre opened on the corner of Strand St and Wellington St, Douglas Riots broke out in Peel as Manx (and English) ports had been closed against importation of foreign corn, meal, or flour Foundation of National Lifeboat Institution by Sir William Hillary Economic difficulties for Manx farmers resulted in potato riots in Arbory and Rushen; march on Bishopscourt A major failure in the herring season Thomas Lawson, son of Edward Lawson, worked as a baker in his early years then owned and operated a quarry.

Birth of Arthur Caley the Manx Giant (7ft 6in) The St. George is shipwrecked on Conister Rock Isle of Man Steam Packet Company founded and William Gill appointed Captain of Mona's Isle Tower of Refuge Erected First epidemic of Cholera ever known on the Isle of Man Epidemic of Typhus, many died Publication of Archibald Cregeen's Manx-English Dictionary Epidemic of Smallpox Assimilation Act - the Manx 14 pennies to the shilling became English 12 to the shilling. Riots, and a company of soldiers was brought from Liverpool Visit of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert Consecration of new Royal Chapel of St. John's Cholera Epidemic Smallpox Epidemic Thomas Lawson marries Catherine Moore at Bradden.

Thomas Moore Lawson, son of Thomas and Catherine Moore Lawson, born 1852, Douglas, Isle of Man. The founder of our Lawson line in America.

Youngest recorded member of the House of Keys, Edward Curphey Farrant at 21 Act of Tynwald preventing Smallpox vaccination Brig Lily disaster on Kitrerland rock and loss of lifeboat crew Voyage of the Vixen from Peel to Australia World's largest waterwheel opened at Laxey, the Lady Isabella Foundation of the Manx Society, for the publication of important documents 125

1862 1862 1864 1865 1865 1865 1865 1866 1866 1866 1867 1869-1870 1869 1871 1871 1872 1872 1873 1873 1876 1877 1877 1877 1879 1881 1882 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1890 1891 1891 1892 1893 1894 1894 1895 1895 1895 1895

Victoria Hall, Prospect Hill Douglas opens Douglas breakwater was constructed of wood Epidemics of Smallpox and Typhoid fever Thomas Moore Lawson emigrates to America and settles in Rochester, NY and Batavia, NY, where he worked as a blacksmith/mechanic/engineer.

Thomas Moore Lawson marries Catherine E. Stalker also of Manx descent.

Epidemics of Smallpox and Typhoid fever Douglas breakwater was destroyed in a storm Boards of Health were formed throughout the island The House of Keys Election Act provided for universal suffrage The Isle of Man Customs and Harbours Act passed at Westminster, restoring to the Manx Government control of finances and internal administration First Elections to the House of Keys Ordnance Survey of the Island completed and published Iron Pier built in Douglas Milner's Tower built Victoria Pier was opened with a big influx of visitors. The steam railway was completed between Douglas and Peel Education Act passed John Kewish hung at Castletown - last person to be hung Plantation begins at Archallagan over 371 acres with 2,250 assorted trees Opening of Douglas-Peel railway line Foundation of horse tram network in Douglas Derby Castle entertainment complex opened The steam railway was completed between Ramsey and St. Johns. An Epidemic of Smallpox Public Baths opened on Douglas Promenade Foundation of Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society Introduction of Women's Suffrage The Phynodderre and Other Legends of the Isle of Man by Edward Callow published Grand Theatre and Insular Opera House opened Horse trams began service in Douglas Constitution of Her Majesty's High Court of Justice of the Isle of Man Ballure Glen opened The steam railway was completed between Foxdale and St. Johns Publication of Hall Caine's first Manx novel, The Deemster The White Hoe fever isolation hospital was built near the Nunnery Palace Ballroom opened The Surnames and Place-Names of the Isle of Man by A.W.Moore published Barque Thorne Shipwreck at Onchan Head The Folk Lore of the Isle of Man by A.W. Moore published The Douglas Prison was finished on Victoria Road, replacing Castle Rushen Ramsey Swing Bridge built and installed by Cleveland Bridge& Engineering Bijou Theatre opened in Regent St, Douglas Douglas Iron Pier sold, dismantled and re-erected at Rhos-on-Sea Manx Electric Railway inaugurated between Douglas and Groudle Thomas Moore Lawson falls from the steamboat Walter Vail and drowns near Buffalo, NY. Excavation of Giant Irish deer near St. John's Penny Bridge built across Douglas Harbour The Great Snow (16ft deep in parts)

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ISLE OF MAN - DIRECT LINE MANX ANCESTORS Only the direct line of our Manx Lawson family ancestors is outlined here. Direct line ancestors are indicated in BOLD UNDERLINE. Numbers in parenthesis ( ) are Manx Historical Society reference numbers.

Family legends passed down over the years say that the Lawson family on the Isle of Man originated in Scotland. If these stories are true, the most likely candidate for the first Lawson on the Isle of Man is James Lawson (sometimes spelled Lowsone) who was baptized on the 27th of February,1568, at Perth, Scotland.

The earliest documents that have been found on the Isle of Man for the Lawson family are the wills of James Lawson (322), his wife Isabel Cowle (323) and Richard Lawson (618).

GENERATION 1.

James Lawson (322) was born sometime between 1570 and 1580 in northern England or southern Scotland. He was the first Lawson to come to the Isle of Man and all of the various Manx Lawson lines descend from James Lawson. James moved to the Isle of Man as a young man sometime around 1600 and he appears to have first settled in the town of Ramsey in the north of the island.

From the Will of James Lawson, we know that he married twice.

His first wife was Isabel Cowle and they were married circa 1602. Isabel Cowle was born circa 1580.

Nothing is known about her parents. However, the Isle of Man Manorial Roll of 1511-15, lists the wife of Marghad McCowle as the tenant of the mill at Alia Altadale (now the village of Lezayre, about 1 mile west of Ramsey). This is interesting because Richard Lawson, the grandson of James and Isabel Cowle Lawson, was the miller at Lhen Mooar (now Glen Mooar, about 4 miles west of Lezayre).

Documents show that Isabel, the wife of James Lawson, died on the 8th of January, 1627-8 and that her maiden name was Cowle. At the time of her death she had two unmarried children, Robert (619) and Edward( 620). There may have been other, unnamed, married children, most likely their oldest son Richard (618).

James Lawson died on the 5th of June, 1634, some six years after Isabel, and was buried at the village of Bride on June 6, 1634. It likely that the family lived in Andreas, probably at The Lhen, which is about 3 miles west of Bride and about half a mile from the western shore. Today, there still exists Lawson's Croft at The Lhen which was operated as a bed and breakfast inn but now is privately owned. This large 3 bedroom home sits on 3 acres with views of the Irish Sea and the Beach is only a short walk from the house.

The name of James Lawson's second wife is unknown but her existence is established by his Will which mentions “unmarried children by the later wife” and that “ye mother refuse to take administration in the behalf of the children.” This would indicate that a second wife was still alive and that there were minor children. Research has been limited to records on the Isle of Man and it is possible that the second marriage took place off the Island - possibly in England, Scotland or Ireland.

Some genealogists report that she was born around 1600 in Douglas and that her name was also 127

Isabel. We do know for certain that James Lawson married his second wife circa 1628, shortly after the death of his first wife. A look at the birthdates for the children of Isabel Cowle and James Lawson shows that none of their three children were minors at the date of James' death. The most likely explanation for this is that James Lawson remarried after the death of Isabel, probably in 1628 or 1629, and that there were children of this second marriage. So far no record of this second marriage been found and only one minor child has been identified. This child is Catherine Lawson who was recorded as an orphan buried at Andreas on November 8, 1663. Birth or christening records for the children have not yet been found. Considering that they were all married in Andreas, it is likely that the family lived in Andreas, probably at The Lhen.

GENERATION 2.

The Children of James Lawson & Isabel Cowle Number &Name

Type & Birth date Place/

Notes

618 Richard 619 Robert 620 Edward

C 1603 Maughold Parish C 1605 Maughold Parish C 1607 Maughold Parish

Died 1654 Died 1668

Richard Lawson (618) was born in approximately 1603. As no records of any other Lawson families have been found it is likely that Richard was a son of James. The name of Richard's wife is unknown but they were probably married sometime prior to January, 1627. He had at least three children and died in 1654. Richard Lawson in his Will of 1654 names his children Anthony, James and Ellin.

The three children are named executors. As no Supervisors were appointed for the children it would appear that they were all of age (that youngest was probably at least fourteen). Ewan Curghey, a witness to Richard’s Will and a pledge for his inventory, was the husband of Katherine Lawson, the daughter of Edward Lawson, Richard's brother. Curiously, daughter Ellin's Will of 1669, mentions her brother Anthony and a sister named Ann Lawson (possibly the minor children mentioned above). Richard was the direct ancestor of the Southern branch of the family - his grandson William Lawson was the first Lawson to move to the South of the Isle of Man. Robert Lawson (619) was born in approximately 1605, most likely in Ramsey (Maughold parish). He is named as an unmarried child in his mother’s Will of January, 1627-8. Robert is thought to have married circa 1630. He was the probable ancestor of the Lonan branch of the family. The first Lawson at Lonan of whom we have definite knowledge is John Lawson (1184), a miller. While it is possible that John was the son of Robert, it seems more likely that he was a grandson.

Edward Lawson (620) was born in approximately 1605. He is named as an unmarried child in his mother’s Will of January, 1627–28. He married Jony Christian in approximately 1628 at Andreas.

Jony Christian (621) would have been born in approximately 1610. Nothing is known of Jony’s parents. Considering that her grandson Edward became the miller at Lhen Mooar, it is interesting to note that a John McCristen was the miller at Breryk and Altadale in 1515. She died on the 26th of April, 1670. Edward’s occupation was in the milling trade through his wife's family connections.

Edward Lawson died at Lezayre in 1668.

The Bishop’s Court of the 11th of January, 1637, held at Jurby, records the divorce of William Gawen and Ann Kellie. Ann was accused of adultery with Edward Lawson of Andreas, by whom she had two 128

children. She also had a third child by Thomas Kellie of Jurby. One of these children appears to have been John Lawson who was baptized on the 9th of January, 1631–2, at Jurby “the bastard son of Edward”. No names are known for any of their other children.

GENERATION 3.

The Children of Edward Lawson & Jony Christian Number &Name

Type & Birth date Place/

624 John Unidentified 311 Richard 624 John 625 Margaret 626 Katherine 627 Ann

B 9th Jan 1631 C 1633 C 1630 B 9th Jan 1631, Jurby (IGI) C 1639 C 1642 C 1645

Notes

illegitimate by Ann Kelly illegitimate by Ann Kelly

As noted above, Edward Lawson had two illegitimate children by Ann Kelley. The only record is for John (Kelly or Lawson??) born on January 9, 1691. No information is know about the second child.

Richard Lawson, the first child of Edward Lawson and Jony Christian, was born circa 1630, is our 3rd generation direct ancestor - more about him after we discuss his brother and sisters.

John Lawson (624) was baptized at Jurby on the 9th of January, 1631.

Margaret Lawson (625) was baptized circa 1639, presumably at Jurby. She was alive and apparently unmarried in 1674 when she was appointed, with her brother Richard, supervisor to Ann’s underage children.

Katherine Lawson (626) was born circa 1642, presumably at Jurby. She married Ewan Curghey sometime prior to the death of her uncle Richard Lawson in 1654. Ewan, noted as Katherine's husband, was a witness to Richard’s Will and a pledge for his inventory. From her mother’s Will, she appears to have been in Ireland in 1670. Katherine's husband Ewan died sometime prior to her death as records indicate that Katherine Lawson died on December 21, 1701, intestate, unmarried and without issue.

Ann Lawson (627) was born circa 1645, presumably at Jurby. She married William Killip circa 1670.

Ann died sometime in 1674 and was buried at Braddan on June 11, 1674. Her Will proved at £10–7s–5d and her minor sons John and Thomas were appointed administrators. with her sister Margaret and brother Richard as supervisors of the children.

Richard Lawson (311) was born circa 1630. He married Bahee Kewn on the 1st of July, 1656, at Jurby.

The witness’s names are not given, but both parties are of Jurby parish. Richard’s name was given as Ric. Losson. Bahee Kewn (382) was born circa 1630 in Jurby, the daughter of Patt (320) and Joney (383) Kewin. She died in June 1703, as her Will, by affirmation, states that she was buried on the 8th of June at Andreas. Richard was the miller at Lhen Mooar, Andreas, at the time of his marriage. Lhen Mooar is right on the border of Jurby and Andreas parishes. It is likely that the couple moved following their marriage as the known baptisms for their children took place at Andreas. Richard died at Andreas on

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the 17th of December, 1705 and was buried the next day at Jurby. His burial was also entered in the Andreas register.

The Chapter Court held on the 28th of June, 1654, at Jurby heard the presentment of Richard Lawson of Kirk Andreas ”for being farming on the Lords Day in tyme of publick worship in ye evening“.

In 1662, Richard Lawson was one of three men presented to the Andreas Chapter Quest for fishing on a Sunday in May. The presentation indicates that Richard was the owner of a fishing boat, probably in partnership with others for in his Will of 1705 he leaves his quarter share of the “old boat” together with his share of “five pair of nets” to his son Edward (544). At the time of his death the boat was possibly in poor state at the time as it is stipulated that his son James was to receive two boards when the wood was broken.

At the Michael Chapter Court held in October of 1662, Richard Lawson and John Camaish swore out a complaint against Michael Christian junior and his wife for cutting firewood on the Lord’s Day. In 1680, the Comaish family of Ballacomaish (about 1 mile southeast of Lawson's Croft) were in financial straits as they were unable to pay the Lords Rent for three years. Richard evidently lent them fifty shillings and in return was granted the use (a mortgage on) of a parcel of Quarterland for a period of fifteen years and a further five years (until October 1700). A Quarterland or Ceathramh (in Scottish Gaelic) was an obsolete unit of Scottish land measurement for the amount of land on which rent of two ounces of silver could be charged. Richard had the right to build a house or houses on the land and at the end of the twenty year period, when the land was to revert to the Comaish family on the payment of £5.10, the roofs would be Richard’s property. At this time, the houses would have been of sod construction. The roof and ridge pole together with any doors would be made of timber and would be the most valuable part of the house and, most importantly, could easily removed to another location.

The annual rent was quoted as 71d. Richard was to pay a single rent each year to John Elison and in addition is to pay £3 to the widow of John Ratcliffe, apparently another debt of the Comaish family. It seems that Richard assumed a total of £510s of Comaish debts and that the Comaish family had an opportunity to reclaim the property during the final five years of the mortgage by repaying this amount.

In 1692 Richard is mentioned in the Composition book with the Comaish family. At this time he is still in possession of the land and his age is given as sixty-two years, which would confirm his year of birth as 1629-30. At his death in 1705 Richard’s Will indicates that he was still in possession of the land and had built a house on it.

A bequest in Richard's Will left a quarter of an heifer to John Lawson and a further quarter to each of his first son and daughter. This would imply that John was childless, if not unmarried, at the time of Richard's death. Although it is not stated in the Will, John Lawson was either Richard's older illegitimate brother or his grandson (the son of James) who would have been about twenty years old at the time.

The final quarter of the heifer was left to Thomas Curghey his nephew, the son of his sister Katherine and Ewan Curghey.

Patrick Christian, a step brother, is mentioned twice in the Will. Patrick was the son, by a previous marriage, of Richard’s mother, Joney Christian. Richard acknowledges that he and his son Edward owed between them nine stocks of corn to Patrick. Further, Edward is left sufficient corn to sow Patrick’s croft.

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GENERATION 4.

The Children of Richard Lawson & Bahee Kewn Number &Name

Type & Birth date Place/

446 Bahee 605 James 606 Mary 607 Jony 544 Edward 608 Margaret 609 Ellin 610 Jane

C 1657 Andreas C 1660 Andreas C 1662 Andreas C 1664 Andreas C 1668 Andreas B 21st Sep 1670 Andreas B 3rd Ooct 1673 Andreas C 1675 Andreas

Notes

Bahee Lawson (446) was born in approximately 1657. She married Thomas Clark on the 19th of May, 1677, at Andreas. Thomas Clark (611) was baptized on the 2nd of September, 1646. He married first Catherine Kee and second Bahee Lawson (446). Thomas Clark died on the 8th of December, 1689.

Bahee inherited 12s3d from her mother in 1703. She died in April, 1704.

James Lawson (605) was born circa 1660. He married Catherine Kannen in 1682. Katherine Kannen was born circa 1660. James Lawson and Katherine Kannen had seven children. Katherine died on the 20th of September, 1729. James Lawson followed his father and became a miller at Lhen Mooar and was, in turn, succeeded at the mill by his son John. He probably had a second trade of weaving as he left his looms to his second son, Richard, together with instructions that his youngest son, David, was to be taught the trade. In 1695, together with William Curlett, he gave John & Mary Comaish a mortgage of £5–18s–8d on a piece of land known as Bally Marten. It is possible that this adjoined the land that his father, in 1680, had given a mortgage to John & Dorethy Comaish. The following year, with his brother Edward, he purchased a parcel of Quarterland known as Corckan Minan for £2–8s–0d. In 1703 he purchased a piece of Intackland known as Brew Croft from John Keey for£1–4s–0d. James Lawson died on the 13th of April, 1712.

Mary Lawson (606) was born in approximately 1662. She was left 10s in her mother’s Will. Her father’s Will acknowledged that the debt was still outstanding and she was left an additional two shillings. She married Stephen Cleator circa 1680. There were possibly two children of the marriage. William Cleator, son of Stephen, was baptized in October, 1682, at Andreas. An unnamed female, daughter of Stephen, was baptized on the 27th of December, 1684, at Andreas.

Jony Lawson (607) was born in approximately 1664. She was left a yard of linen by her mother and a candle by her father. She married John Cowle circa 1685. John Cowle (1847) was born circa 1660. Jony Lawson died on the 1st of July, 1707, and was buried at Andreas. John Cowle survived his wife Jony Lawson.

Edward Lawson, born circa 1668, is our 4th generation direct ancestor - more about him after we discuss his brother and sisters.

Margaret Lawson (608) was baptized on the 21of September, 1670, at Andreas. She is not mentioned in her mother’s Will of 1703 nor in her father’s Will of 1705. However, in December of 1706 a Robert Quirk (321) issued a claim on her behalf for 9s6d against the executors of her father’s Will. This would indicate that she was still alive at that time and probably married to Robert Quirk.

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Ellinor Lawson (609) was baptized on the 3rd of October, 1673 at Andreas. She was known as Nelly. She married Daniel Corlett (1231) on the 15th of December, 1722. Daniel Corlett (1231) was born circa 1673. Daniel was buried at Jurby on the 14th of October, 1758. In 1703, Ellinor Lawson inherited from her mother five pounds and a chest with all her mother’s shaped linen and woollen cloth. The money was, evidently, not immediately paid for in her father’s Will of 1705 it is acknowledged that she is still owed the five pounds and in settlement of this debt she is left 4 blankets, a cow, an axe and an interest in the mortgaged property. She was to enjoy the use of half the property until such time as her brother Edward paid her forty shillings for her interest and a five shillings for her share of the roof. This debt was discharged by Edward in October 1706. Ellin was also left the poll, presumable the ridge pole of the roof. She inherited two thirds of her father’s sheep. She was bequeathed a petticoat by her sister Jane in 1723. Ellinor Lawson died on the 10th of May, 1733, and was buried at Jurby.

Jane Lawson (610) was born in approximately 1675. She married first to John Wade (1232) and second to Daniel Kneale (1234) on the 20th of August, 1709. She was left a yard of linen in her mother’s Will of 1703 and a blanket in her father’s Will of 1705. She died and was buried on the 20th of December, 1723, at Andreas.

Edward Lawson (544) was born in approximately 1668. He married Joney Kaneen (576) at Kirk Andreas in June 1701. Joney Kaneen (576) was baptized on the 10th of November, 1668, at Andreas, the daughter of Thomas Kaneen. She married first to Patrick Christian sometime around 1690,and secondly to Edward Lawson in June of 1701 at Andreas. Her first husband died sometime around 1700. There was one son of the first marriage, Patrick, born at Andreas circa 1700. He was confirmed at Andreas on the 2nd of November, 1718, when he is listed as “Patrick Christian, step son of Ned Lawson at ye Lane” (Lhen). Unfortunately there is a gap in the Andreas Parish register for the years 1685 to 1704 so there is no record of her first marriage, the birth of Patrick or the death of her first husband. The Will of Joney Kaneen Lawson states that she died on the 7th of October, 1733, and she was buried on the 9th of October at Andreas.

In December 1696, Edward Lawson, together with his brother James, purchased a parcel of Quarterland known as Crockan Mian from Henry and Ann Christian for £28s0d, of which 12s was paid at the time.

In 1703, Edward's mother left him her share of a farm in her Will. Then, in 1705, he was the major beneficiary of his father's Will, along with his sister Ellinor. Edward inherited the mortgaged land of the Comaish family with a proviso that his sister Ellin was to enjoy a share of it. This land was valued at 70s.

Edward appears to have been promised part of the land (to a value of 55s) in his marriage contract. This obligation is acknowledged in his father’s Will and the remaining 15s value of the land is left equally between Edward and Ellin. In October 1706 he paid his sister her share of the property (7s6d). He received a third of his father’s sheep (the remaining two thirds going to Ellinor). Edward also inherited his father’s share (a quarter) of “yeoldboate”, probably a fishing boat as he was also left this father’s share of the five pair of nets. It is likely that the boat was in poor condition at the time for there is a proviso that his brother James is to have two boards when the boat is broken up. It is not known who the other owners were.

From the Ecclesiastical Court records we know that Edward Lawson died intestate on the 14th August, 1736. The court provides us with the names of four of his children and tells us that he was a miller. It would seem that his death was unexpected as he was a relatively wealthy man to have died intestate.

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GENERATION 5.

The Children of Edward Lawson & Joney Kaneen Number &Name

Type & Birth date Place/

Notes

577 Richard 578 Ann 579 Bahee 580 Edward 541 James

B August 1703 Andreas, B 27thJun 1705 Andreas B 9thJan 1707 Andreas B 22nd Apr1711 Andreas, B 2nd Jan 1714 Andreas

died 1758, Douglas

died before 1733

Richard Lawson (577) was baptized at Kirk Andreas in August of 1703. He married twice, first to Ann Caine (282) on the 30th of November, 1729, at Jurby. Ann Caine died in 1747. Richard next married his second wife, Lenora Christian, on the 19th of November, 1752, at Braddan. There were no issue from the second marriage. Sometime between January 1732 (when their second child was baptized) and December 1734 (when their third child was baptized) the family moved from Andreas to Douglas where he continued the family tradition of milling. Richard Lawson died and was buried at Braddan on the 2nd of April, 1758. His Will mentions five of his children, so it seems likely that three of the children (Edward, Hester and Anne) had died by this time. Although his occupation is not given in the Will, the baptismal record of his third son, John, states that he was a miller. Judging by the contents of the Will, he must have been successful in his business as he had provided apprenticeships for his three youngest sons (the eldest son, Richard was evidently living away from home at this time). After leaving an auger and adze to his brother James, Richard charged his brother–in–law David Caine and his brother James to care for the three youngest children.

Ann Lawson (578) was baptized at Kirk Andreas on the 27th of June, 1705. She is mentioned in her mother’s Will of 1733 when she inherited equally with her sister Bahee all her mother’s “shapd linen and wollen cloathes”. Presumably this referred to cloth that had been made up into clothing, or shaped, as distinct from “whole” cloth which was direct from the weaver. She married Thomas Corlett on the 13th of April, 1725. Thomas Corlett (1841) was born circa 1700. Ann Lawson is said to have died on the 2nd of April, 1758, however, there is a burial for Ann Corlett, alias Lawson, on the 23rd of February, 1782 Bahee Lawson (579) was baptized at Kirk Andreas on the 9th of January, 1707 and confirmed at Jurby on the 17th of October, 1725. In addition to her share of the “shapd cloathes” mentioned in her mother’s Will, she also received a legacy of forty shillings, apparently the outstanding balance of a marriage contract. Bahee married Andrew Quirk on the 27th of July, 1729. Andrew Quirk (1155) was baptized on the 29th of November, 1711. He died on the 21st of December, 1784. Bahee Lawson Quirk died and was buried on the 25th of February, 1773, at Andreas.

Edward Lawson (580) was baptized at Kirk Andreas on the 22nd of April, 1711. He died of smallpox shortly before his third birthday and was buried at Andreas on the 2nd of February, 1713–14.

James Lawson (541) was baptized at Kirk Andreas on the 2nd of January, 1714, the fifth child and third son of Edward Lawson and Joney Kaneen. In 1733, James was appointed sole executor of the estate of Joney Kaneen, his mother. As he was unmarried at this time, it is probable that he was still living with his parents. James probably moved to Onchan sometime before 1740, as he married Catherine Killey (542) at Onchan Parish Church on 29th of April, 1740. Catherine Killey (542) was baptized on the 13th of February, 1726, at Malew. It would seem that Catherine was only 15 years old when she married James 133

Lawson in 1740. The marriage record makes no mention that Catherine was under age. Catherine Killey Lawson died in Douglas and was buried at Onchan on the 30th of May, 1795.

It is through Catherine Killey that a possible “Royal” connection may be established to Manx Kings.

Killey comes from the gaelic MacGiolla Ceallaigh which became Mackilleykelly. Over the course of time the Mac and the Kelly were dropped, to leave Killey. The original meaning of the name would be “son of the servant of Ceallagh” where Ceallagh has the meaning of war or strife. Killie is known in 1610, Killey in 1651 and Killiah in 1693. This last variation gives a good indication of the pronunciation (kil-yah).

In many place names killey has the meaning “of the church” as in Ballakilley,“the farm of the church”.

The first two children of James and Catherine Killey Lawson were born in Onchan, but by May 1744, James and his young family have moved to Douglas, where the remaining six children were born. James was a wheelwright and joiner, and, apparently, a very successful one. He lived and worked in Drumgold Street, Douglas, at a property known as “Parr’s Rent, No. 3” which consisted of a house and a garden.

In 1784 he bought a second house, known as “Finch’s Rent, No. 65”, for £42 from Paul and Mary Kelly.

James Lawson died on the 24th of August, 1790.

GENERATION 6.

The Children of James Lawson & Catherine Killey Number &Name

Type & Birth date Place/

566 Elizabeth 543 Catherine 499 Edward 545 Anne 546 Joney 549 James 547 John 548 Jane

B 11th Feb 1740 Onchan B 10th Oct 1742 Onchan B 2nd May 1744 St.Matthew, Douglas B 21st Sep 1746 St.Matthew, Douglas B 16th Nov 1748 St .Matthew, Douglas B 7th Feb 1749 St .Matthew, Douglas B 19th Jan 1752 St.Matthew, Douglas B 19th Oct 1756 St.Matthew, Douglas

Notes

Elizabeth Lawson (566) was baptized on the 11th of February, 1740 at Onchan Parish Church. She probably died circa 1790, before her parents and apparently without issue as neither she nor her descendants is mentioned in her parent’s joint Will. She may have died in infancy.

Catherine Lawson (543) was baptized on the 10th October,1742 at Onchan. She married William Sayle on the 22nd of December, 1760. She was left £10 in her parent’s Will.

Edward Lawson, born circa 1744, is our 6th generation direct ancestor - more about him after we discuss his brother and sisters.

Anne Lawson (545) was baptized on the 21 September, 1746 at St. Matthew’s, Douglas. She married Daniel Callow (561) on the 17th of April, 1787, at Braddan. At the death of her father in 1790 she was apparently without issue as she was left a half interest in the house purchased from Paul Kelly in 1784 with a provision that it was to revert of Catherine Cool (565) in the event that Ann died without issue. It is believed that there were no issue of the marriage of Anne Lawson and Daniel Callow.

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Joney Lawson (546) was baptized on 16th November, 1748 at St. Matthew’s, Douglas. Joney is the Manx equivalent of Judith and she appears to have been known by the name Judy. She married Edward Roscoe (562) in on the 19th of January, 1778, at Liverpool. She appears to have moved to Liverpool at this time as the receipts for the £10 received from her parent’s Will were signed in Liverpool. She appears to have been without issue at the death of her father in 1790.

James Lawson (549) was baptized on the 7th of February, 1749 at St. Matthew’s, Douglas. He was left £10 in his parents Will. He married Ann Camaish on the 28th of November, 1775, at Kirk Braddan. Ann Camaish (709) was baptized on the 5th of December, 1750. Ann Camaish died on the 20th of April, 1826. James Lawson died on the 11th of September, 1835.

John Lawson (547) was born in 1752. Although not mentioned in his parent’s Will he married Ellinor Mc Nameer on the 6th of December, 1777, at Andreas. Ellinor McNameer was born circa 1755 at Andreas. John Lawson died in 1818 and was buried on the 25th of March, 1818, at Andreas. His wife Ellinor died at the age of 80, and was buried at Andreas on the 7th of February, 1835. She signed her Will with her mark on the 3rd of March, 1829. The witnesses were William Cleator senior and junior.

Joney Teare, her sister, was left ten shillings.

Jane Lawson (548) was baptized on the 19th of October, 1756 at St. Matthew’s, Douglas. She married Henry Cooil (or Cool) on the 3rd of August, 1777, at Kirk Braddan. Henry Cooil (564) was baptized on the 23rd of November, 1742. They had at least one daughter, Catherine Cooil. Jane was left a half interest in the house purchased from Paul Kelly in 1784. Jane Lawson died on the 8th of May, 1823 and was buried at Braddan. Jane's age is recorded as 66 years old.

Edward Lawson (499) was baptized on the 2nd May, 1744 at St. Matthew’s, Douglas. He probably apprenticed to his father as a joiner and wheelwright. He spent his early life in Douglas where he married Anne Crellin (500) at Kirk Braddan on the 15th of October, 1780. The witnesses were James Lawson and Robert Douglas. His first two children were born in Douglas, but sometime between May 1783 and 1787 the family moved to Peel, where the first son named Edward died and was buried, and their son William was born. The family had returned to Douglas by 1790 when the second son named Edward was born (our 7th generation direct ancestor). In his parent’s Will of 1789, Edward was the major beneficiary, inheriting the main house and workshop, together with all of his father's tools in the shop on Drumgold Street in Douglas. He died on the 7th of January, 1825.

In 1807, Edward and Anne made a settlement of all their worldly goods in favor of their oldest son James Lawson (467) and his wife Ann Moore (468). Apparently they came to regret this settlement, for in February, 1815, we find Edward and Anne petitioning the Ecclesiastical Court for an order for support and maintenance against James. This petition mentions the support that they have received from The House of Industry, a local charity. James agrees to pay his parents four shillings a week and this is accepted by the Court as being fair and reasonable. On the death of James in 1817, the court re-issues an order against James' wife Ann Moore, stating that she is obliged to continue the weekly payment. In October 1818, after the death of Anne Crellin, we find Ann Moore petitioning to be paid the funeral expenses of Anne Crellin and to be reimbursed for the provision of clothing (including a handkerchief valued at 3/6d and some second hand clothing). The petition was denied.

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GENERATION 7.

The Children of Edward Lawson & Anne Crellin Number &Name

Type & Birth date Place/

467 James 567 Edward 568 William 501 Edward 570 William

B 21st Oct 1781 St. George’s, Douglas P 1783 P 1788 German A 15th Nov 1790 Douglas P 1794 Douglas

Notes

died in 1787, Peel

James Lawson (467) was baptized at St. George’s, Douglas on the 21 of October, 1781. He married Ann Moore at Lonan Parish Church on the 4th of January, 1806, when the witnesses were Richard Mealey and Thomas Quark. He was a baker and resided in Douglas. It is known that he has a second brother named Edward (501) who was also working as a baker at the time of James’ marriage. James died on the 8th July 1817, leaving six minor children. He made a Will leaving £70 to each of his six children and naming his wife, Ann, as executrix. However as the Will was undated and James’ estate was insufficient to meet the bequests, Ann petitioned the Vicar General to be relieved of the obligation of being executrix.

Edward Lawson (567) was born in 1783. He is the first of their children to be named Edward and died at the age of 4, and was buried at Peel on the 30th of December, 1787.

William Lawson (568) was born in 1788 and baptized at German. He is presumed to have died in infancy.

Edward Lawson, born in 1790, is our 7th generation direct ancestor - more about him after we discuss his brother and sisters.

William Lawson (570) was born in 1794. He appears to have been mentally retarded for in his parent’s petition of 1815 he is described as “a perfect idiot” and in his brother Edward’s petition of November 1828 he is described as “being of weak intellect and totally incapable of earning a livelihood”. After the death of his parents, William appears to have been supported by his brother Edward and his nephew James Lawson (472). This support was the subject of several petitions. For a short time his niece, Ann Lawson (473), and her husband Mathias Cain(502)were also ordered to contribute to his up keep, but this order was set aside. He was buried on the 5th of March, 1839, at Onchan, when his age was recorded as 44 years.

Edward Lawson (501), the second son of that name, was born on the 15th of November, 1790, at Douglas. He was a baker on King Street and married Margaret Cottier on the 6th of December, 1813 at Kirk Braddan. Margaret Cottier (672) was born on the 14th of November, 1791, at Marown (baptized on the 20th of November), the daughter of Thomas Cottier and Katherine Kermode.

There were eleven children of the marriage. As they grew up all his sons (and daughters?) worked in the bakery which appears to have been a very successful business. Edward died from drowning, probably on the night of Monday the 28th of October, 1850. The Mona’s Herald for the 13th of November reported that he had not been seen since the evening of the 28th of October. The following issue of the 20th of November reported that his body had been found the previous day in Groudle Harbor. He was buried at Kirk Braddan on the 20th of November, 1850. At the time of his death, Edward owned seventeen properties that he left to his wife Margaret. Margaret immediately 136

sold the bakery. Margaret Cottier Lawson died on the 21st of March, 1861, at Douglas. Margaret appears to have been an early exponent of women’s equality for at her death she left a shilling to each of her sons with the remainder of her large estate going to her daughter Jane. This did cause some hardship. By all accounts Margaret was a very domineering woman running the life of her family and this may have been her final act of control.

GENERATION 8.

The Children of Edward Lawson & Margaret Cottier Number & Name

Type & Birthdate Place/

775 John 679 Edward 776 Thomas 777 James 778 Mary Ann 673 Joseph 779 Jane 780 Thomas 781 Margaret 782 Margaret 783 John

A 21st Nov 1814,St. Matthew, Douglas A 22nd Dec 1816 St. Matthew, Douglas A 1st Nov 1818 St. Matthew, Douglas A 5th Oct 1820 St. Matthew, Douglas A 15th Dec 1822 St. Matthew, Douglas A 9th Dec 1824S t. Matthew, Douglas A 22nd Sep 1826S t. Matthew, Douglas A 15th Nov 1828 St. Matthew, Douglas A 20th Mar 1831 St. Matthew, Douglas A 7th Apr 1832 St. Matthew, Douglas A 12th Jun 1834 St. Matthew, Douglas

Notes

John Lawson (775) was born on the 21st of November, 1814, at Douglas. He died on the 11th of July, 1829, aged fourteen years and eight months though the inscription on his grave at Braddan gives his age as fifteen years.

Edward Lawson (679) was born on the 22nd of December, 1816, at Douglas. He married Hannah Scott (798) in Liverpool and emigrated to Australia. He died on the 15th of June, 1890, at Templers, South Australia.

Thomas Lawson (776), their first child of this name, was born on the 1st of November, 1818, at Douglas.

He died on the 25th of December, 1825, aged seven years.

James Lawson (777) was born on the 5th of November, 1820, at Douglas. He died on the 10th of July, 1837, aged sixteen years.

Mary Ann Lawson (778) was born on the 15th of December, 1822, at Douglas and was baptized at St. Matthew on the 2nd of February, 1823. In 1841 she was living with her parents in King Street. She died on the 17th of November, 1842. The inscription on her grave gives her age as twenty years.

Joseph Lawson (673) was born on the 9th of December, 1824, at Douglas. , the fifth son (sixth child) of Edward Lawson & Margaret Cottier. As he grew up he worked in his father’s business, keeping the books and generally running the business. In 1841 he was living with his parents in King Street. In 1844 he joined the Church of the Latter Day Saints (The Mormons) and was, allegedly, promptly disowned by his parents. In the following year he married Eleanor Garrett on the 9th of December. In 1850 Joseph emigrated to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he worked in the docks, probably as a stevedore or longshoreman. As related by his grandson Mick Lawson (678), Eleanor joined him there in 1853 but 137

almost immediately contracted yellow fever and died. However, Joseph’s obituary indicates that Eleanor accompanied Joseph when he first emigrated. After the death of Eleanor, Joseph returned to the Isle of Man but evidently could not settle down because in 1855 he decided, once again, to move to the United States of America. On March 31, 1855, he sailed on the sailing ship Juventa for Philadelphia with 500 Mormons. During the voyage to Philadelphia he met Ruth Margaret Greenway, a twenty-nine year old welsh girl who was travelling to Salt Lake City to be married. On their arrival at Philadelphia they learned that Ruth’s intended husband had been killed in a mine accident. They travelled by railroad and steamboat to Atchison, Kansas, where they joined the Mormon wagon train. Fifty-three wagons left for Utah on the 7th of June arriving at Salt Lake City on the 4th of September, 1855. Joseph and Ruth were married on the 9th of September, 1855. Joseph farmed and was prominent in the early development of Utah, involved in the building of roads and canals in the area around Ogden. Joseph paid several short visits to the Isle of Man during two church missions to Great Britain in 1866–1869 and again in 1889.

Joseph died on the 1st of January, 1896, at Ogden, Utah Jane Lawson (779) was born on the 22nd of September, 1826, at Douglas. In 1841 she was living with her parents on King Street. She married William McNeil on the 27th of May, 1851, at Braddan. William McNeil (904) was born in 1820 at Santan. A shoemaker, at the 1851 census, just before his marriage to Jane Lawson, he was living at 23 King Street, Douglas with his younger sister Catherine (aged twenty-six) and Robert Christian, an employee. Jane Lawson died on the 24th of February, 1882.

Thomas Lawson, the second child of this name was born in 1828, is our 8th generation direct ancestor more about him after we discuss his brother and sisters.

Margaret Lawson (781) was baptized on the 20th of March, 1831, at the church of St. Matthew, Douglas.

She died on the 20th of July, 1831, aged four months.

Margaret Lawson (782) was baptized on the 7th of April, 1832, at the church of St. Matthew, Douglas.

She died on the 27th of June, 1833, aged fifteen months.

John Lawson (783) was baptized on the 12th of June, 1834, at the church of St. Matthew, Douglas. He died on the 8th of March 1852, aged seventeen years and nine months. The inscription on his grave gives his age as eighteen years.

Thomas Lawson (780), the second child of this name, was baptized on the 15th of November, 1828, at St. Matthew’s, Douglas. In 1841 he was living with his parents at the family bakery on King Street.

Thomas spent his earlier years working in the bakery. In 1851 he was living with his widowed mother at 22 King Street and employed as a baker. In 1861 he was living with his married sister, Jane, at 6 Dalton Terrace and was still employed as a baker. On the 14th of November, 1862, he married Catherine Moore at Braddan. The couple then moved to 1 Summer Hill, where they lived and brought up their family. It seems likely that his brothers and sister arranged for Thomas to buy the quarry on Glencutcherry Road which Thomas, and eventually his sons, worked for many years. Thomas lost his right eye as a result of a detonation accident at the quarry. Thomas Lawson died at age 70 years old on the 13th of August, 1898, in Douglas and was buried the next day at Onchan.

138

GENERATION 9.

The Children of Thomas Lawson and Catherine Moore Number & Name

Type & Birthdate Place/

Notes

862 Thomas Moore 863 Edward 864 William Henry 868 Margaret Elizabeth 871 Edith 870 Catherine

B October, 1852 B January, 1863, Douglas B May, 1864, Douglas B December, 1865 B April, 1873 B October, 1867

Died 1895 Died 1948 Died 1897

Edward Lawson was born in January, 1863 at Douglas, and was later lost in the Australian gold rush.

William Henry Lawson (864) was born in Douglas in May 1864 and died in 1948. No other information is known.

Margaret Elizabeth Lawson (868) was born in Douglas in December, 1865 and died in 1897. No other information is known.

Thomas Moore Lawson, born in 1852, is our 9th generation direct ancestor and our first direct ancestor to emigrate to America - more about him when we discuss our direct line in America.

Edith Lawson was born in Douglas in April, 1873. No other information is known.

Catherine Lawson was born in Douglas in October, 1867. No other information is known.

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BLANK

140

LAWSONS IN THE AMERICAS Several members of our Lawson family were among the early pioneer settlers in both Canada and the United States of America. The first Lawsons arrived in America in the early 1600s at the Jamestown colony of what would become the United States of America. Another branch of our family settled in Canada in the 1700s.

Lawsons in Canada Several branches of our Lawson family settled in Canada. First was Gilles Lauzon (1631-1687) who came from Normandy to New France (Quebec) in The Great Recruitment, better known as La Grande Recrue of 1653. In 1651, the need to defend the new town of Montreal (Ville-Marie) from attacking Iroquois became apparent. Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve went to France to enlist one hundred men to protect the town. Two years later, he returned with these brave men, including our relative Gilles Lauzon. Of the 95 who leave France, 24 are massacred by Iroquois, four drown, and one is burned to death when his house caught fire. (Source: La Grande Recrue de 1653, by Roland Auger, Publications de la Société généalogique canadienne-française, Montreal, 1955) Giles was one of the fortunate survivors. After arriving in Quebec he married Marie Archambault, daughter of Jacques and Françoise (née Toureau) Archambault, in Montreal in 1656. They lived there together until Gilles passed away on 21st September 1687.

(Source: Ancient Canadian Family Ties, by Reginald L. Olivier, Everton Publishers, 1972)

Years later, William Lawson emigrated from England and landed in Nova Scotia in 1749-1752; John Lawson, arrived in Quebec in 1784 and then he and his wife Elizabeth settled in Carleton [Saint John West], New Brunswick, Canada circa 1784. Elizabeth lived there until her death in 1803. (Source: The Old United Empire Loyalists List, by Milton Rubincam, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976) Matthew Lawson, landed in Canada in 1830; James Lawson, arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Ranger" in 1834; Jennett Lawson, arrived in Nova Scotia in 1835; Peter Lawson, landed in Canada in 1840; Mrs. Catherine Lawson, aged 60, emigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Agnes" departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but she died on Grosse Isle in June 1847. In the succeeding years, many other Lawsons followed these early settlers to Canada.

Lawsons in the US On March 22, 1622, the Jamestown Massacre occurred in the Virginia colony. Approximately one-third of the settlers of Jamestown were killed in a series of surprise attacks by Powhatan Indians. The earliest Lawson settlers in the Americas and what would become the United States were Thomas Lawson and Chri (Christopher) Lawson, all of whom arrived in Jamestown in the year 1623. All were recorded again in February, 1624, as "living at James Cittie (Jamestown)" in the colony of Virginia.

Epaphroditus Lawson was the son of John and Sarah Rowland Lawson. His exact date of birth was sometime between 1600 and 1610 according to most sources. He was born at Brough Hall, Catterick, Yorkshire, England. It appears that Epaphroditus and his three brothers, Rowland, Richard and Christopher all migrated to America around the same time.

Epaphroditus Lawson's activities suggest he was engaged in the shipping business. He was a member of the first county court in Lancaster County, Virginia. His will is the oldest on record in the United States (1651) and is on file in Lancaster County. His land patent, in what later (1792) became Essex County, was originally in Lancaster. It is known as Lawson's Neck in Upper Essex, Virginia.

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Epaphroditus was mentioned as a witness to a land transaction on July 20, 1633. Thereafter, there are several records indicating that Epaphroditus had extensive land holdings and business dealings.

According to records, Epaphroditus had business dealings with John Carter, an ancestor of President Jimmy Carter. According to Carter's Will, Epaphroditus owed him money at the time of his death.

Epaphroditus married Elizabeth Medestard and they had one child, Elizabeth. Although Epaphroditus and Elizabeth had no male children, his name continued when his brother Rowland Lawson named his son after his uncle. Epaphroditus Lawson Fort was named after him.

John Lawson was an explorer, surveyor, and author about America. He was born in England on December 27, 1674 to parents Dr. John and Isabella Love Lawson. The family owned estates in the vicinity of Kingston-on-Hull, Yorkshire. John Lawson was highly educated, likely schooled by the Anglicans and later at Gresham College near the family home in London. A friend later encouraged John to travel to America, suggesting that Carolina was the best country to visit. James Moore, a resident of Charles Town, who was in London at the time seeking the governorship, granted John free passage on the ship he owned. They arrived on August 15, 1700.

A London botanist and apothecary, published a notice seeking someone to collect American specimens for him, and Lawson volunteered to do this without charge. John Lawson on December 28, 1700, set out on a 57-day expedition of the Carolina back country, accompanied by five other Englishmen and four Indians (three men and one woman). He possessed a keen eye for details and recorded a vast amount of information during his journey. Thirty of the specimens that he sent still survive in the Sloane collection at the British Museum. Lawson proved to be an unusually keen naturalist thanks to his friendship with James Moore. Moore had worked to improve relations with the Indians and had won the friendship and support of many of the tribes in the southern regions of Carolina. This provided Lawson with much useful information.

After traveling about 550 miles he came to the Pamlico region, and there he built a house and continued to explore. Later he helped found the town of Bath, established on March 8, 1705 by an act of the General Assembly, and becoming North Carolina’s first incorporated town. He was one of the town’s first commissioners and helped layout the town.

From here Lawson continued to travel, among other places, to Roanoke Island, where he observed the remains of the fort built by Sir Walter Raleigh's colonists in the 1580s. He also explored the uninhabited land up to "the Ledges of Mountains" and even visited Virginia, where he called on people with interests similar to his own. He probably also went as far as Philadelphia.

In 1709, John Lawson sailed back to England to oversee the publication of his extensive journal, A New Voyage to Carolina. In the book he included his journal notes,

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observations of the Native American population and drawings of animals and native plants.

John Lawson had also co-founded the town of New Bern with Christopher deGraffenreid. Arriving back from England on April 27, 1710, he brought with him three hundred Palatines who would settle the town of New Bern.

In the summer of 1711, despite deteriorating relations with the Indians, John Lawson proposed a trip up the Neuse River to see how far the river was navigable and whether it might lead to a shorter route to Virginia. John assured deGraffenreid that they would be safe but when they came upon the Indian village of Catechna, they were captured. The Indians refused to release them, thinking that deGraffenreid was the Governor – an important capture. A late-night dispute arose as to whether the prisoners should be bound, but since a trial had not yet been held, the Indian King decided that Lawson and deGraffenreid were free to move about the village. The next day, the king brought food, described by deGraffenreid: Toward noon the king himself brought us some food in a lousy fur cap. This was a kind of bread made of Indian corn, called dumplins, and cold boiled venison. I ate of this, with repugnance indeed, because I was very hungry.

When the trial was held, Lawson and deGraffenreid were questioned as to the purpose of their journey and why they had not informed the king of their intentions. Apparently the king was upset that his people had been mistreated, specifically by Surveyor-General Lawson, but Lawson defended himself, and it was decided that the two prisoners would be set free the next day. The next day, however, Lawson quarreled with the king and according to deGraffenreid, “this spoiled everything for us.”

When they attempted to leave, they were seized, a council of war was held and both were condemned to death. deGraffenreid “turned toward Mr. Lawson bitterly upbraiding him, saying that his lack of foresight was the cause of our ruin; that it was all over for us; that there was nothing better to do than to make peace with God and prepare ourselves betimes for death; which I did with the greatest devotion.” When they arrived at the war council, deGraffenreid approached an Indian who he described as dressing like a Christian and speaking English. He took the Indian aside and persuaded him to plead his case before the chiefs. Lawson and deGraffenreid were “bound side by side” to wait the judgment of the council. Christopher deGraffenreid’s pleas for mercy were heard and his life would be spared, “but the poor Surveyor-General would be executed.” How he was executed, deGraffenreid was not certain. Some at the time said that Lawson was killed by having his throat cut with a razor from his bag, others said he was hanged or burned.

Other Lawsons who were also early settlers in America are: Alice Lawson in 1635; Lettice Lawson in 1638; Margaret Lawson in 1702; Rota Lawson in 1703; Abraham Lawson in 1705; Claude Lawson in 1705; and Alexander Lawson, who landed in America in 1794. All of these Lawson settled in Virginia.

(Source: Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes, by P. William Filby and Mary K. Meyer, Gale Research Co., Detroit, Michigan: 1985)

Some Lawson settlers in the US in the 19th century include: George Lawson, who arrived in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in 1807 ; Isabella Lawson, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1812; James Lawson, who landed in North Carolina at the age of 33 in 1812; and, Andrew and Anthony Lawson Jr, ages 26 and 29 respectively, who both settled in Tennessee in 1812.

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Later, we find the most Lawson families living in the US in 1880. In 1840 there were 114 Lawson families living in New York. This was about 14% of all the recorded Lawson's in the USA. In 1920 there were 869 Lawson families living in New York. This was about 7% of all the recorded Lawson's in the USA. New York had the highest population of Lawson families in 1840 and later in 1920. The New York population numbers are important because our direct line of Lawson ancestors settled in New York.

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DIRECT LINE - US LAWSONS Thomas Moore Lawson (862) was born in October approximately 1852, his age is given as 9 years in the 1861 census when he was living with his father at the home of his aunt Jane. According to a family story (related by Mick Lawson) Thomas appears to have gone to sea at an early age, for in 1865, when he would have been fourteen years of age, his father, Thomas (780), asked his brother Joseph (673), then visiting the Island on a church mission, to try to find a berth for his son on a ship sailing from Liverpool (Joseph’s Journal). Thomas sailed to America and settled in Rochester, NY and later in Batavia, NY, where he worked as a blacksmith/mechanic/engineer.

Thomas M. Lawson married Catherine E. Stalker Lawson in 1865. She was born on November 5, 1840, in Rochester, NY. Catherine was the daughter of Isaac Stalker and Ester Stalker: both of Catherine's parents were born on the Isle of Man (Isaac in 1816 and Ester in 1810). Thomas and Catherine would have 6 children, listed below. In 1879, their son Thomas M. Lawson Jr, died at age 14, of unknown causes and was buried at Mt. Hope cemetery in Rochester, NY. The 1880 US Census, records Thomas M. and Catherine Lawson and four children living at the home of Isaac and Ester Stalker at 38 James Street, in Rochester, NY. At the time, the family is recorded as: Thomas M. Lawson, 52, blacksmith; Catherine Lawson, 40, housekeeping; Robert W. Lawson, 12, school; Frank Lawson, 7, school; and, Etta P. Lawson, 2 years old.

On November 10, 1895, Thomas M. Lawson fell from the steamboat Walter Vail and was drowned. His body was not recovered. At the time of his death, Thomas and Catherine were living in Buffalo, NY.

By 1900, Catherine Lawson had relocated to Batavia, NY, where she and daughter Louise C. Lawson are living at the home of son Frank Edward Lawson as recorded in the 1900 US Census of the village of Batavia NY. The 1910 US Census records show that Catherine E. Lawson had relocated and was living with the family of her daughter, Etta P. Stalker, in Walworth NY. Catherine Stalker Lawson died on August 23, 1910 while living with the family of her daughter, Etta P. Stalker, in West Walworth, NY. Catherine Lawson was is buried with son Thomas M. Lawson Jr in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Rochester, NY.

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GENERATION 10.

The Children of Thomas Moore Lawson and Catherine E. Stalker Number & Name

Type & Birthdate Place/

Notes

Thomas M. Jr. Robert W. Frederick T. Frank Edward Etta P. Louise C.

B 1865, Rochester NY B 1868, Rochester NY B 1871, Rochester NY B Feb, 1873, Rochester NY B 1878, Pennsylvania B 1888, Buffalo or Batavia NY

Died: Died: Died: Died: Died: Died:

1879, age 14 Nov 14, 1930 prior to 1910, Buffalo, NY 1941, Batavia, NY West Walworth, NY Rochester, NY

Thomas Moore Lawson Jr, the first child, was born in 1865, in Rochester NY. He died in 1879 at age 14 at was buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Rochester, NY. The cause of his death is unknown.

Robert W. Lawson, was born in 1868 in either Rochester or Batavia, NY. He worked with his father as a blacksmith and after his father's death took over the blacksmith business in Batavia, NY. He married Caroline (last name unknown) who was born in Germany in 1864. The date of their marriage is unknown. They lived at 457 Ellicott Street in Batavia and had three children: Laura E. Lawson Coomber, a teacher, born 1892, who later lived in East Penfield, NY; Margaret Lawson Foster, a teacher, born in 1896, who later lived in Rochester, NY; and, Pauline M. Lawson, a teacher, born in 1899, who later lived in White Plains, NY. Robert W. Lawson died at age 62, on November 14, 1930, in Batavia, NY.

Frederick T. Lawson - until recently little is known about him other than he lived in Buffalo, NY. For years the only mention of him that was known was in the 1930, obituary of his brother Robert W. Lawson. At that time he is said to live in Buffalo, NY. In the 1915 US Census for Buffalo, NY, he is recorded as 44 years old and the head of household. This would make his birth year 1871.

Further research has found that Frederick worked as a lighthouse keeper on the Niagara River. For many years he was the head keeper at the Horseshoe Reef Lighthouse until the spring of 1902, when he was transferred to the Niagara River Range Lights.

By the mid 1800s, commerce and industries were growing in Buffalo and more and more ships carrying lumber, grain and other goods were coming into the Buffalo harbor via a treacherous entrance to the Niagara River. The river led to the docks and industrial centers, but navigating to them proved troublesome as the waterway was littered with dangerous shoals and reefs along with strong currents 146

that could wreck floundering ships. Although the falls were located many miles downriver, the current quickens as the Niagara River approaches the narrows, now spanned by the Peace Bridge. These currents had the potential to pull a disabled ship into treacherous waters and toward the rapids and the falls. The US determined that all this necessitated that the river entrance be marked with its own light.

It was also determined that the best site for the new lighthouse was on the Canadian side of the international border,

At the time, there was no guarantee that the British would welcome or permit an American lighthouse on their land. Years earlier, the British rejected a similar request for a beacon in the Bahamas, but the US decided to ask for permission anyway. This time around, the English were far more receptive.

Growing commerce on the Great Lakes transcended nationalism, as the British realized that they could derive benefit from a Niagara lighthouse while allowing the Americans to incur the expense of building it. Diplomatic negotiations lasted years until in 1851, U.S. President Millard Fillmore, a Buffalo native, agreed to the terms of a diplomatic protocol whereby the British transferred an acre of submarine land located 1,150 feet on the Canadian side of the border. Though the lighthouse would be called Horseshoe Reef Lighthouse, it was actually built on Middle Reef. As part of the agreement, the U.S. pledged to build a lighthouse on the reef and to never build any type of fortification there.

The light was built on a wooden crib filled with stone on the underwater reef. Four iron columns were anchored in the crib to support a singlestory, wooden structure. Standing at a height of fifty feet above the river, the lantern room sported a fourth-order Fresnel lens which cast a light that could be seen from up to ten miles out in the lake. The Horseshoe Reef Light was first turned on September 1, 1856.

The Horseshoe Reef Lighthouse was regarded as a particularly unpleasant assignment among lighthouse keepers. Two keepers alternated duty at Horseshoe Reef, living on the mainland and commuting to work via rowboat, except when bad weather and rough seas compelled them to make do in the Spartan quarters on site. A turn of the century keeper received $560 a year in pay and his assistant $490, which wasn’t much considering no dwelling was provided for them onshore and that the Lighthouse Board admitted that Horseshoe Reef was “one of the most comfortless and unattractive stations in the district.”

Lake Erie had a reputation for danger. Violent storms can appear in a Horseshoe Reef Lighthouse matter of minutes, producing gale force winds and rough seas. Hurricane winds can toss ships around like toys. Some ships set sail in the calmest of waters, only to be sunk within minutes of encountering a Lake Erie storm. In some cases, ships simply disappeared and the only indication of trouble was when the vessel failed to reach its destination.

Another major problem on Lake Erie is ice. Because the lake was relatively shallow, it can freeze early in winter. Spring produces strong ice flows that jam the shores and block river entrances. These ice piles float slowly in the lake's currents making navigation tricky. Ships often took chances trying to sail with heavy cargoes hoping to make a last run before being ice locked. Some ships would get locked in a sea of ice. Frozen in time with nowhere to go, the ship remained until the spring thaws set it free. Ship crews and lighthouse keepers both faced icy winds and frozen water sprays with frostbite and hypothermia were an ever- present danger.

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The responsibilities of the lighthouse keeper was often thought to be a simple task that anyone could do. The fact is that lighthouses require constant cleaning and maintenance. Lighthouse lens rooms were kept as clean as a modern day operating room. This was necessary for the maintenance of the lens which produced the light. Fuel was never clean burning and created a good deal of soot. Lenses were extremely expensive and not easy to install. Some were massive in size. The care that lighthouse keepers gave to lenses in the 1800’s and early 1900’s was meticulous. Often plagued by insects, mold, dust and soot, the keepers knew that cleanliness saved lives.

With the passage of time, the public also associated heroic rescues of drowning sailors and civilians exclusively with the lighthouse keeper. Often staring out a lighthouse window, keepers would be the first to see the need for daring rescues. Lighthouse keepers had the ability to single handedly row a boat filled with passengers back to shore through churning waters while simultaneously throwing life preservers to others. Prior to 1871, when the US established the Life Saving Service, most rescues were done by lighthouse keepers and their assistants.

In an irony of history, the Horseshoe Reef Lighthouse was abandoned by the government in the early 1900s and left to die a slow death at the foot of the harbor to Buffalo, NY. No one had ever really liked it, even during its lifetime. Left to the wind and water, the old wooden structure where the keepers once kept the light long ago rotted away. The fact that the remains of New York State’s Horseshoe Reef Lighthouse are still standing is a miracle. For some strange reason, the framework is still standing, although barely, and still holds up the old lantern room.

In 1917, Frederick Lawson was transferred to the state of the art Buffalo Breakwater Lighthouse as first assistant lighthouse keeper.

This lighthouse, newly built in 1914, was luxurious by lighthouse standards. Rectangular in shape, the new lighthouse was constructed of “vitrified cream colored brick, with trim of Westerly granite,” and outfitted with a tile roof, and gutters and flashings made of tin-coated copper. Three bedrooms were located on the second floor along with the living room, pantry, and a lavatory. The first story contained the storeroom, engine room, office, and an additional lavatory. The interior walls of the lighthouse were finished with enameled brick. The floors in the bathroom and halls were ceramic tile, while the flooring for the living room, office, and bedrooms was maple.

Buffalo Breakwater Lighthouse in 1914

The station’s four-panel Fresnel lens turned “on a combination mercury pot and ball bearing support,” producing a white flash every five seconds. The light, whose source was an oil vapor lamp, had a strength of 180,000 candlepower and a range of 15¾ miles. Twin, twenty-two horsepower engines ran the air compressor for the fog signal.

The Buffalo Breakwater Lighthouse became famous due to a shipwreck in July,1958, when the giant Great Lakes freighter Frontenac set too wide a course out of the Buffalo River. Even dropping its anchors did not prevent the Frontenac from striking the station and the lighthouse was driven backwards almost twenty feet

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Buffalo's Leaning Lighthouse in 1958

and was left with a list of fifteen degrees. Newspapers throughout the country ran a picture of the leaning lighthouse with the caption: “Lighthouse Looks 'lit'.” For years, it was famous as Buffalo’s leaning lighthouse.

In the New York State Civil Service Commission reports of 1916 and 1917, Frederick T. Lawson is recorded as a stenographer at the Gowanda State Homeopathic Hospital. His address is given as 1039 Niagara Street, Buffalo, NY. He is recorded again in the 1920 US Census as a 25 year old widower, living in Collins NY (about 50 miles from Batavia, NY) and employed as an accountant. This is most likely a son or grandson with the same name.

Frederick T. Lawson died sometime after 1930 as he is listed as a living relative in the obituary of his brother Robert W. Lawson.

Frank Edward Lawson, the 4th child of Thomas Moore and Catherine Stalker Lawson, is our 10th generation direct ancestor - more about him after we discuss his brother and sisters.

Etta P. Lawson was born in 1878, somewhere in Pennsylvania. She married Robert W. Stalker at a date unknown. Robert was born in 1872, somewhere in New York state. They lived in West Walworth, NY and had 5 children: Walter M. Stalker, born 1898 in NY; Agnes I. Stalker, born, 1901 in NY; Kenneth I. Stalker, born, 1903 in NY; Esther I. Stalker, born, 1906 in NY; and, an unnamed child, born in 1909 in NY. The dates of death for all in this family are unknown.

Louise C. Lawson was born in 1888, in either Rochester or Batavia, NY. She married Spencer Sweet at an unknown date and they lived in Rochester, NY. It is unknown if they had children.

Frank Edward Lawson was born in February, 1873, in either Rochester or Batavia, NY. He graduated from Batavia NY High School in 1891. He attended Hobart College in Geneva, NY where he earned his BA, Magna Cum Laude and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. Frank was also the class valedictorian and won the College's Thompson Prize in English Philology, and honors in Classics and Modern Philology. He was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. In 1899, Frank received an MA degree from Hobart. From 1895 to 1897, he was an instructor in Greek and Latin at the Cathedral Choir School in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin. In 1897, Frank began practice as an Attorney, with his office at #2, Rowan Block, 62 Main Street, Batavia, NY. In 1899, he became the Justice of the Peace for the Village of Batavia NY and for the rest of his life would represent the town as legal counsel. On March 21, 1909, Frank Edward Lawson married Minnie Burlingham, a nurse from Buffalo, NY. (Source: The Batavia Times, Marcch 29, 1909) Frank and Minnie lived at 10 Dellinger Avenue, Batavia NY and raised 3 children. On March 9, 1941, Frank Lawson slipped on an icy sidewalk outside his home and broke his arm. He was in Batavia Hospital convalescing from this injury when he suffered a massive heart attack and died in March, 1941. Minnie Burlingham Lawson died on October 3, 1966, at the home of her son John in Los Angeles, CA. 149

Frank Edward Lawson

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Frank and Jack

Frank and Ruth

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Minnie, Frank and Jack 152

GENERATION 11.

The Children of Frank Edward Lawson and Minnie Burlingham Number & Name

Type & Birthdate Place/

Notes

Ruth Catherine John Paul Marjorie (Margery) Eleanor

B 1911, Batavia NY B July 22, 1914, Batavia NY B July 4, 1918, Batavia NY

Died: December 14, 1990 Died: December 10, 1997 Died: December 22, 1994

Dr. Ruth Catherine Lawson

Ruth C. Lawson was born in 1911 in Batavia, New York and graduated first in her class at Batavia High School. She graduated from Mt. Holyoke College magna cum laude in 1933 with a degree in History and Political Science. After graduation, Miss Lawson went on to study International Law at Bryn Mawr College earning her M.A. in 1934. In 1947, she received her Ph.D. from Bryn Mawr. She then spent six years as an instructor at Newcomb College, the women’s college at Tulane University, before returning to Mount Holyoke College to teach in 1942. Dr. Lawson taught at Mt. Holyoke until 1976, when she became professor emerita.

In the summers from 1948 to 1950, Miss Lawson organized the United Nations Institute, an adult education seminar that attracted major political scholars and figures of the day. One former student remembers sitting at Eleanor Roosevelt’s feet and discussing world peace. Miss Lawson often brought in guest speakers, such as Roosevelt and Indira Gandhi, to her regular classes.

Ruth Lawson founded the International Internship Program in 1950 and served as the program’s director for twenty-six years, until her retirement. During her tenure, she helped place more than 1,000 students with international organizations as varied as the High Commissioner for Refugees and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Energy Agency in Paris, and the International Press Institute in Zurich.

Professor Ruth Lawson (center) in class with guest Indira Gandhi Prime Minister of India (left of Ruth)

Ruth worked extensively outside of Mount Holyoke. In the summer of 1939, she attended the Academy of International Law at the Hague as a Carnegie scholar, and, later, conducted research in all of the NATO capitals. She also taught abroad: in Geneva, as part of Smith College’s Junior Year Abroad program; in Bologna, Italy, for the University of Massachusetts’s summer program; and, as a visiting fellow at the University of Sussex, England. After retirement she taught at Hampshire College, Wheaton College and Amherst College.

Ruth belonged to the American Society of International Law, the American Political Science Association, served as president of the New England section of the International Studies Association, and was on the Board of Directors of the Naval War College and the 153

Atlantic Council of the United States, serving as the only female member of its Committee on Atlantic Studies. She was a member of the Connecticut Valley World Affairs Council, the International Studies Association, the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the American Society of International Law, among many other organizations.

At Mt. Holyoke, she was a part of practically every faculty committee, and served as the advisor of the International Relations Club for many years, an organization that she had been president of back when she was a student. She always insisted on teaching an introductory course, and, although all of her students recall her toughness, many also recall her kindness, humor, and devotion.

Ruth remained at Mt. Holyoke College until her retirement in 1976. In 1989, she was awarded an honorary degree by the College and the endowed Ruth C. Lawson Chair in International Politics was created in her honor. Ruth died on Friday, December 14, 1990.

Ruth Lawson receives an honorary doctorate of law from Mt. Holyoke College

Ruth, Margery and Minnie Lawson preparing dinner in Granny's Kitichen

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Professor Ruth Lawson give Founders Day Speech at Mt Holyoke College

John Paul "Jack" Lawson was born on July 22, 1914, in Batavia NY. In adolescence he experienced a period of very accelerated growth which led to the most common type of scoliosis of the spine known as ideopathic scoliosis. To date, medical science still has not established a single identifiable cause for production of curvature of the spine in idiopathic scoliosis. In Jack's case, the curvature of his spine was significant and required several surgeries to insert pins and bars to straighten his spine.

John P. Lawson

Pre-surgery

Post-surgery

Jack attended and graduated from Batavia high school and the attended and graduated from Cornell University sometime prior to 1938. He spent several years in quiet contemplation at a Franciscan Friars Monastery on a mountain in the Hudson River Valley in NY. The monastery was founded in 1898, but is now known as The Graymoor Spiritual Life Center. It is a ministry of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, dedicated to the reconciliation of people with themselves, each other, and God. Later he worked as a manager for the Union Pacific Railroad in Tucson, Arizona until his retirement.

Union Pacific is the largest railroad in North America.

He married his wife Ruth A. on (date unknown).

The couple had no children.

After Jack's retirement the two relocated to Los Angeles, CA, where they lived most of their remaining days at their home at 1424 Linda Rosa Avenue, Los Angeles, CA. In their final years, Jack and Ruth moved to the home of Ruth's sister at 7813 Henefer Avenue, Los Angeles, CA. John Paul "Jack" Lawson died on December 10, 1997, he was 83 years old. Ruth A. Lawson died on __________________.

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Marjorie "Margery" Eleanor Lawson was born on Independence Day, July 4, 1918, in Batavia NY. She attended Batavia High School where she was active in the drama club, yearbook and many other activities. Margery graduated at the top of her class and then attended Mt. Holyoke College. She graduated cum laude from Mt. Holyoke College in 1939, majoring in biology and pre-medical school studies. Following graduation, Margery worked as a research assistant at Georgetown University Medical School. Although World War II, marriage and children interrupted her studies, Margery had a lifetime of community service volunteering at Sunset Hills United Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh's Childrens Hospital and many other charities.

Margery Lawson McCready

While she was at Georgetown University, Margery's fiancĂŠ, William Brown "Bill" McCready, enlisted in the army at the start of World War II. Following his return from basic training, Margery and Bill wed in 1943 at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. They later relocated to Lordsburg, New Mexico where Bill was a Master Sergeant at the Japanese internment camp until he received a medical discharge.

On returning to Pittsburgh, he was the president of Av-O-Clean Company, a partnership he created with brother, James H. McCready, Jr. and his cousin William S.Brown specializing in cleaning oriental rugs using a unique cleaning compound developed by their aunt, Cynthia Ava McCready. They later sold the business and Bill McCready began his career at the United States Steel Corporation as a Purchasing Agent.

Bill McCready would work at US Steel for 30 years. He is best known for his work as manager of construction purchases where he secured all the design, engineering and construction contracts for the corporation, including steel mills and other innovative projects such as the US Steel Building on Grant Street in Pittsburgh, its new skyscraper headquarters, at the time the world's second largest high-rise office building. This is one of many major USS and USS Engineers and Consultants projects where Bill McCready served a leading role from the 1950s to 1980s. Others include: building complete steel mills such as Fairless Works outside of Philadelphia, PA, renovating or improving virtually every existing USS mill and collateral plants, building major condominium buildings for USS Realty on the gulf shore of Clearwater, FL, and construction Disney's Contemporary Resort and Monorail, (1961) and Polynesian Resort (1971)at Walt Disney World.

Fairless Works - US Steel Corporation Bill McCready also traveled the world for the corporation acquiring innovative components and processes for steel making. His business contracts were influential in bringing many international 156

companies to the US for the first time including Seimens and Linde Gas . McCready would finally retire as Special Assistant to Chairman and CEO David Roderick in 1986. He had been working on secret negotiations for USX Corporation through its US Steel division to merge with the National Steel Corporation, but the deal fell apart and National Steel filed for bankruptcy. He also worked on development of a unique form of cast ingot mold to reduce the cost of steel production.

In 1978, Palacio del Sol, Inc., a Florida real estate development company formed by W. B. McCready, completed construction and renovation of the 36 unit condominium building Palacio del Sol and created the Palacio del Sol Condominium Association in Punta Gorda, FL. Following his retirement from the steel company, Bill McCready would continue as president of his Florida real estate development company until his death.

Palacio del Sol Condominium Punta Gorda, FL

Bill McCready was very active in local charities particularly the Boy Scouts of America where he served on the board of the Pittsburgh Council and was a District Chairman of the Council. He received a special trophy for his work with the Friends of Scouting. For many years, Bill also ran a family owned seasonal golf course, Pen Lake Farms Golf Club, near Huntsville, Ontario, Canada.

On July 6, 1993, William Brown "Bill" McCready died at St. Clair Hospital in Pittburgh, PA. He is 76 years old. Five months later, Margery Eleanor Lawson McCready dies on December 22, 1993 dies, at age 76. Bill and Marge were married for 50 years. Both are buried together at Homewood Cemetery in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, PA.

Bill and Marge McCready in retirement

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GENERATION 12.

The Children of William Brown McCready and Marjorie "Margery" Eleanor Lawson Number & Name

Type & Birthdate Place/

Notes

William Brown McCready Jr. Edward Lawson McCready James Lawson McCready

B December 30, 1947, Pittsburgh, PA B July 2, 1950, Pittsburgh, PA B January 9, 1954, Trenton, NJ

Died: February 21, 2003

William Brown McCready, Jr., the author of this book, was born on December 30, 1947, the oldest son of William Brown and Margery Lawson McCready. After attending Wilmington College (OH) and Allegheny College (PA), in 1968, he enlisted in the PA Army National Guard, Battery B, 2nd Missile Battalion, 176th Air Defense Artillery ("The Duquesne Greys" - missile site PI-71). He served as a missile fire control crewman from 1969 to 1975 including two years at a similar unit outside of San Francisco, CA. These US Army units were part of a ring of air defense missile sites surrounding Pittsburgh and other major cities across America. They were equipped with state of the art Nike Hercules missile systems. The troops at these facilities were dubbed "Buck Rogers boys" because they were tasked with fighting the war of the future. Their mission was to defend America cities against Soviet nuclear attack.

Soldiers at these units would regularly practice by conducting computer generated war games of global thermonuclear war.

Reverend Captain William Brown McCready, Jr.

"Nike," named for the Greek goddess of victory, was the name given to this program which ultimately produced the world's first successful, widely-deployed, guided surface-to-air missile system. The Nike Hercules was designed to carry either nuclear and/or high-explosive warheads that could combat sophisticated Soviet supersonic offensive weapons. The enemy targets could be bomber aircraft that reached speeds of Mach 2, or missiles and rockets operating at velocities of Mach 3. The systems High Power Acquisition Radar (HIPAR) was an important component with an extended acquisition range of 175 nautical miles.

This reach allowed soldiers more than 400 seconds from the time of target acquisition to the time of intercept. With the increasing speed of enemy aircraft and ballistic missiles, every extra moment was essential.

Nike Hercules Missile

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In 1973, William B. McCready, Jr., graduated cum laude from Point Park University, Pittsburgh, PA with a BA degree in History and Political Science. He then attended the Institute of Foreign Studies in Montery, CA where he received two masters degrees in Political Science and International Studies.

From 1975 to 1977, he served as a special assistant to the Representative in the United Kingdom for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in London, England. During this time he also served on the support staff of the Command and General Staff School of the US Army War College in Frankfurt, Germany. Bill McCready, Jr. served in the military for 12 years, ending his serve as Intelligence Analyst/Section Chief/Czech Linguist at the Defense Language Institute and 3rd Psychological Operation Company, 99th ARCOM. On September 22, 1978, William Brown McCready, Jr. married Paule Langelier, of St. Prosper, Quebec, Canada. The two were married in Pittsburgh, PA. Paule Langelier was born on December 7, 1947, in St Prosper.

McCready had just completed a year of training as a Czech linguist at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA, where he met his future wife. Earlier in this year, he began working for the Swindress Bond division of Pullman, Inc, ultimately becoming the youngest division general manager in the corporation's history in 1981.

In 1982, Bill McCready, Jr. left corporate life to begin a 25 year career in community service with the United Way, first in Pittsburgh and then in 1984 as the president of the United Way of Washington County (PA).

Paule Langelier McCready

In 2006, W. B. McCready, Jr. is licensed as a captain in the US Merchant Marine by the US Coast Guard and the same year he is ordained a minister of the Universal Life Church.

In 2007, W. B. McCready, Jr., retired after enjoying a 25 year career in the United Way. In his United Way career, he raised more than $75 million for local community services and created many innovative programs. He retired in 2007 to spend more time with his family and enjoy life.

In 2009, W. B. McCready, Jr, came out of retirement to assume leadership of the Allegheny Valley Hospital Trust. Here he would lead and close a successful $15 million capital campaign to fund construction of a new emergency medicine department. Additionally, in this position he served on the Hospital's seven member senior management team, as a member of the strategic planning group of the West Penn Allegheny Health System and was a director of the Allegheny Valley Chamber of Commerce. During Bill's career, his wife Paule raised a family and worked as the Office Manager of the Metal Building Insulation Company in Pittsburgh.

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William Brown McCready, Jr. has spent almost 50 years of his life researching and writing on the history of the Brown, Lawson, Langelier and McCready families as well as the history and economics of western Pennsylvania.

Both Bill and Paule finally retired again in 2013, to relocate to Charleston, SC to be near their two sons and four grandsons. But, even then Bill could not stay retired. He now works as a school counselor for students from pre-K to the 5th grade in the Charleston County School District.

Rev. Captain Bill and Paule McCready in retirement

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Edward Lawson McCready, was born on July 2, 1950, the middle son of William Brown and Margery Lawson McCready. Ed attended Clemson University and was a member of the school's elite Pershing Rifles. He graduated Clemson with a degree in nursing studies.

Ed remained a South Carolina resident until death. He was a distinguished emergency room trauma nurse at Greenville Hospital, St. Francis Bon Secures Hospital and also served the elderly at nursing homes and hospice care.

Ed was very active in his community and was recognized for his service with the prestigious James Cash Penney Golden Rule Award, one of the nation's most elite honors for distinguished community service.

Edward Lawson McCready

Ed was married twice, to Beverly James and to Lois Palmer both marriages ended in divorce. Ed and Lois McCready had one child Anne Lawson McCready.

Edward Lawson McCready died on February 21, 2003. He was 53 years old.

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James Lawson McCready, was born on January 9, 1954, the youngest son of William Brown and Margery Lawson McCready. He attended Davis and Elkins College (WV) graduating with a BS degree in Biology. After graduation he worked for five years with in the US Steel Corporation.

First, he worked on the coke batteries at Clairton Coke Works and later he worked in the Environmental Department monitoring smoke stack emissions at three Pittsburgh area steel mills: Homestead Works, Duquesne Works and Clairton Coke Works.

In January, 1979, James Lawson McCready married Helen "Mickey" McTighe Freyvogel, daughter of Thomas and Susanna Freyvogel. Mr. Freyvogel was a partner in the John A. Freyvogel Funeral Home in Pittsburgh.

James Lawson McCready

Soon after their marriage, James McCready began a career in real estate with the Howard Hanna Real Estate Company in Pittsburgh. After beginning in residential sales, he eventually became the Broker of Record with American Appraisal Services, Inc., which later became Gamma Appraisal Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Howard Hanna Holdings. He is a licensed Broker of Real Estate and is a Pennsylvania Certified General Real Estate Appraiser. Jim currently works as a commerical real estate appraiser, specializing in eminent domain, legal cases and airport valuation assignments.

Mickey McCready attended Centenary University (NJ), graduating with a degree in early childhood education. When the time came, she raised their two children as a stay at home mom. She now enjoys watching her granddaughter several days a week.

Jim and Mickey continue to reside in Pittsburgh, PA. They have two children: Margery Lawson McCready and James Lawson McCready, Jr.

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GENERATION 13.

The Children of William Brown McCready Jr and Paule Langelier Number & Name

Type & Birthdate Place/

William Brown McCready III Andrew Langelier McCready

B April 4, 1981, Pittsburgh, PA B January 14, 1983, Pittsburgh, PA William Brown McCready, Jr Family Bill III, Paule, Bill, Andrew

William Brown McCready, III was born on April 4, 1981, at St. Margarets Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. He attended Our Lady of Grace elementary school and St. Clair High School. Bill was active in football, basketball and soccer. He played in both the Catholic League All Star Game and in the Pennsylvania State AAAA Championship Football Game. Every year his teams would play local and regional championship games at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium, the home of the Steelers.

W. B. McCready, III graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in Marketing.

He has since had a successful career in the automotive industry. First, as a salesman with a Cadillac dealership in Pittsburgh and then in management positions with auto auctions in Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA. He ultimately was the Assistant General Manager of the Charleston Auto Auction before leaving to become the Executive Vice President of the Savannah Auto Auction. After the two auction merged, Bill became the general manager of both.

He is married to Amelia "Amy" Mellard a member of a distinguished family whose history in Charleston, SC extends to the Revolutionary War. Amy worked as a Nurse in the Operating Room at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). She left to raise their two sons, Marc Lawson McCready, born on May 11, 2012 and Henry David McCready born on December 10, 2015.

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Andrew Langelier McCready was born on January 14, 1983. Andrew graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in Finance.

For a time he worked at Mellon Bank in Pittsburgh and as a hotel night auditor. He later change careers, earning a degree in Physical Therapy and working at a Nursing Home. Then Andrew again changed careers and went to work as a Customer Service Representative at Verizon.

He is married to Francesca Locastro. Francesca is an esthetician who is employed by Benefit Cosmetics, a Louis Vitton company, and works for them in a Belk Department store.

Andrew and Francesca have two sons: Maximus William McCready, born on January 21, 2010 and Xavier Andrew McCready born on May 24, 2012.

Andrew L. McCready Family Andrew, Francesca, Max and Xavier

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GENERATION 13.

The Children of Edward Lawson McCready and Lois Palmer Number & Name

Type & Birthdate Place/

Anne Lawson McCready.

B October 9, 1984, Greenville, SC

Notes

Anne Lawson McCready was born on October 9, 1984, and grew up in Easley, South Carolina. She graduated from Easley High School in 2002 as a member of the National Honor Society with an Enhanced diploma.

Throughout high school, she was active in National Honor Society, Interact Club (the youth division of Rotary), Central Spirit and was a color guard in the award-winning Easley High School Marching Band.

After graduating from high school, Anne moved to Pittsburgh to attend the University of Pittsburgh and graduated in 2006 with a B.S. degree in Accounting. Anne became a certified public accountant in 2008 and started her career as a staff accountant at Parente Randolph (now Baker Tilly).

Later she worked at the public accounting firms of Grossman, Yanak and Ford and Alpern Rosenthal (now BDO) as a senior accountant.

In October 2011, Anne was named a "Member to Watch" on the 40 Under 40 list compiled by the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants as a result of her work with the PICPA Marcellus Shale Committee. In 2013, after 7 years of working as a public accounting auditor, and as the result of her experience auditing privately held oil and gas companies like Rice Energy (later sold to EQT Corp. for $6.7 billion), she left public accounting to become the Assistant Controller of a small $400 million oil and gas company.

After having her second child, Anne left full-time employment to spend more time with her young children. As of publication date, she is working as a part-time accountant at a public biotech company in Pittsburgh. She lives in Pine-Richland School District in the North Hills suburb of Pittsburgh.

Anne is married to Joseph Rogel of Pittsburgh. Joe works as an SEC accountant at a public company in Pittsburgh.

Anne and Joe have three children: Nathan Francis Rogel born April 1, 2014, Catherine Scarlett Rogel born May 15, 2016 and William Edward Rogel born November 1, 2018.

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GENERATION 13.

The Children of James Lawson McCready and Helen Mickey Freyvogel Number & Name

Type & Birthdate Place/

Margery Lawson McCready.

James Lawson McCready, Jr.

B August 19, 1981, Pittsburgh, PA B June 2, 1986, Pittsburgh, PA

Notes

Margery Lawson McCready was born on August 19, 1981 at Pittsburgh, PA. She received her elementary and secondary education in the Fox Chapel School district in Pittsburgh. Margery graduated from Ohio University in 2004 with a BA degree in Psychology. During her time at Ohio University, Margery was a member of the Equestrian Team and volunteered at the Appalachian Behavioral Mental Health Hospital in Athens, OH. After graduation, Margery moved to Florida and worked at a mental health assisted living facility where she managed 66 patients and was in charge of the recreational activities. In 2011 she moved back to Pittsburgh and currently works as a Patient Services Representative with UPMC Centers for Rehab Services. Margery is an avid artist who specializes in pencil, color pencil, and painting. Her art work was displayed and sold at an art show at the Oakmont Library in November of 2014.

Margery also enjoys numerous recreational activities including taking the family dogs to fly ball class and trick training. She has committed herself to trying random new things monthly such as Curling, Aerial Silks, and Droning.

James Lawson, Mickey and Margery McCready

Two Margery Lawson McCreadys

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James Lawson "Jaimie" McCready, Jr. was born on June 2, 1986 in Pittsburgh, PA. He received his elementary and secondary education in the Fox Chapel School district in Pittsburgh. Jamie graduated from Clarion University in 2009 with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree. After graduation, Jamie worked multiple jobs simultaneously at the Centers for Rehab Services as a Rehab Aid and as a Phlebotomist at Allegheny Valley Hospital, and then at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). He is currently a Lab Specimen Processer at UPMC St. Margaret's Hospital in Pittsburgh.

After graduation, Jaimie worked as a Plebotomist at Allegheny Valley Hospital and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). He now works in the Plebotomy Lab at UPMC St. Margaret's Hospital in Pittsburgh.

On October 2, 2015, Jamie married E. Melissa Kahriman.

Melissa received her undergraduate, masters, and doctorate degrees from Wheeling Jesuit University in Psychology and Physical Therapy. After graduation she worked at the Centers for Rehab Services as a Certified Lymphedema/Women’s Health Physical Therapist, where she and Jamie met. Melissa currently works as a Lymphedema Wound Specialist at the Veterans Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Jaimie and Melissa currently have one child: Claire Lillian McCready, born on November 24, 2016. A new addition to the family is expected in the fall of 2019.

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GENERATION 14 The Children of William Brown McCready III and Amy Mellard Number & Name

Type & Birthdate Place/

Marc Lawson McCready Henry David McCready

B May 11, 2012, Mt. Pleasant, SC B December 10,2015, Mt. Pleasant, SC

Notes

GENERATION 14 The Children of Andrew Langelier McCready and Francesca LoCastro Number & Name

Type & Birthdate Place/

Maximus William McCready Xavier Andrew McCready

B January 21, 2010, Pittsburgh, PA B May 24, 2012, Pittsburgh, PA

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Notes

GENERATION 14 The Children of Anne Lawson McCready and Joseph Rogel Number & Name

Type & Birthdate Place/

Nathan Francis Rogel Catherine Scarlett Rogel William Edward Rogel

B April 1, 2014, Pittsburgh, PA B May 15, 2016, Pittsburgh, PA B November 1, 2018, Pittsburgh, PA

Notes

GENERATION 14 The Children of James Lawson McCready and Mellissa Kahriman Number & Name

Type & Birthdate Place/

Claire Lillian McCready Baby #2

B November 24, 2016, Pittsburgh, PA Due November 2019, Pittsburgh, PA

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Notes

DESCENDANTS OF FRANK EDWARD LAWSON AND MINNIE BURLINGHAM LAWSON

See Thomas M. Lawson Family Tree on following page

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final thoughts about lawson family history So what have I learned along the way?

First, I caution anyone interested in genealogical and historical research to beware of the large amount of crap genealogy and sloppy research on the internet. This is a relentless source of frustration. I suspect that most of the people preparing these genealogies are not maliciousness but rather lack research or editorial diligence. I have found too many genealogical connections based not on records but rather imagination, leaps of faith or a desire for particular connections. The failures of too many researchers to fact check and/or correct inconsistencies within and among different family genealogies only perpetuates errors and compounds the problems for researchers who follow. The major genealogical websites are not curated and postings are not vetted. The result is that these sites are forums for people promoting false narratives and inaccurate family information. These sites are more typical of today's social media hubs where anyone can say anything and misinformation and fake news is rampant. It is sad that too many genealogical researchers simply replicate the errors of others.

The warning above applies to this book as well. I have tried to be as accurate as possible. I have made every effort to check names, spellings, dates and events for accuracy, consistency as well as appropriate historical continuity. Source references and often multiple source references are provided. I have tried to be clear about when and where I speculate on connections and provide the reader with a clear understanding of all the circumstantial evidence that I used to make deductions. In these instances, the burden is on the readers to draw their own conclusions. Further, I encourage all readers to check for errors and inconsistencies and question the facts presented. I welcome your comments and corrections.

I also caution readers to put aside the illusion of existing western civilization that is regularly reinforced by modern print and broadcast media. Today, in the USA, we have laws and governments that regulate society and protect us from harm. But, the fact is that even contemporary western civilization is not all that civilized and certainly does not accurately reflect the condition of most of the world or even parts of our own country. Poverty, despair, political fragmentation, civil violence, wars and general human stupidity are as pervasive today as in the past. As you read this work recognize that our Lawson ancestors were living in even more primitive times where the ideals of western civilization were only beginning to evolve. But, the underlying themes are not all that different than today. Power politics, political scheming and infighting, political polarization and intolerance have existed throughout history.

For a Lawson living in medieval times, safety and security was the primary concern provided first by the sword - individual power and the will to use it. Next came family - clan alliances and fealty to a powerful noble and/or King who provided protection but also demanded a commitment to fight when called upon for battle. Life in ancient times was too often dominated by conflict - power applied with force, at every level of society. Wars, duels and violence between clans were frequent.

Given all of this, it is amazing that our family has survived for so long. It is a tribute to our ancestors strength and will to survive as well as their ability to skillfully negotiate alliances to put themselves on the dominant side. But, not all of our Lawson ancestors were so lucky. Some like Rev. James Lawson find that intelligence, reason, faith and good work are not enough to achieve righteous goals in their lifetime.

These ancestors may despair at their failures, but in time descendants will see the success of their ideas.

In compiling this work, I have found some general characteristics common to most of our Lawson ancestors:

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   

They are capable warriors who survive. This indicates that they may have had a formidable size, strength, training and experience with strong instincts for survival.

In almost every case, our Lawson ancestors were intelligent, knowledgeable and well schooled.

This indicates a remarkable ability for this time period to read and work with numbers. To achieve this indicates a family commitment and dedication to learning, as well as a higher status/rank in society.

Our Lawson ancestors were hard working and good businessmen. At a time when most were simple farmers, Lawsons were acquirers of property, builders and traders.

They exhibit a focus on increasing value and wealth and leaving a lasting legacy. Few squander their wealth and most preserve and grow their lands and assets for heirs.

These ancestors show a dedication and loyalty to family, community and their sovereign. We see this in the many Lawson administrators serving on local and national councils and as advisors to the Kings of England and Scotland.

Our Lawson ancestors are recognized as valuable vassals and are called to service by nobles, princes and kings.

The bulk of this book reflects research on the Lawson family with some historical narrative about the times in which they lived. But, it is important to recognize that not all Lawson ancestors left a wake in history. Many, if not most, lived normal, uneventful lives and any records documenting their lives are lost or simply not yet discovered. This is particularly true in the early and late Middle Ages. While we may mourn the lost information, this work tries to build a story of Lawson ancestors based on known, established records covering a period of more than one thousand years. Remarkably, in all of that time, only four connections lack clear documentation. In these instances I have tried to maintain a historical continuity by making a case for a connection based on existing circumstantial evidence. Still, these are vexing questions that need further examination and explanation. The questions are: Can we reconcile Ivo Taillebois and Ivo Taillefer?

How do we connect the Scottish Lawson line with the English Lawson line?

Does Rev. James Lawson connect to the Scottish Lawson baronets, and if so how?

How does Rev. James Lawson connect to James Lawson who emigrated to the Isle of Man? Circa 1066

Taillefer or Taillebois?

Two similar names are recorded during the same time period for two remarkably similar individuals whose actions and characteristics are also remarkably similar. In fact, if these are two separate people then their histories and genealogies blend the details of the lives of both. Both men are confidants of William the Conqueror and distinguish themselves in battle at Hastings. There is an ancient town in Normandy called Taillebois and some say that an Ivo Taillebois came from there. The ancient ancestral links recorded by contemporary historians are similar for both men but are much more clearly established for Ivo Taillefer. Given the propensity of ancient scribes to uniquely spell names, it seems more likely than coincidence that these two men are one and the same. However, as yet no documentation has been discovered to prove or disprove this hypothesis.

Circa 1200

Scottish to English Lawson connection.

On both sides of the border between Scotland and England, we find prominent Lawson landowners and merchant traders. Lawson estates and business interests straddled the border and Lawson trading ships sailed from English ports to the Scottish ports of Edinburgh, Newburgh/Perth, Aberdeen and others.

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We have already documented that the estates of our English Lawson baronets covered large parts of northern England up to and along the Scottish border. Likewise, Scottish Lawson baronets held estates in the Scottish border counties. If one tracks the movement of our English Lawson descendants over time from Cramlington in Northumberland we see a steady acquisition of properties headed towards the border with Scotland. Around the same time Lawson ancestors appear in the Scottish border counties. Several of our English Lawson ancestors had business interests and/or held government positions in Berwick and Berwickshire, lands that frequently changed hands between the countries.

There is no doubt that Lawson ancestors were active on both sides of the border.

The Line of the Border between England and Scotland would come about only after centuries of conflict existed between the two countries. Even after a border line was agreed to, England continued to work to subjugate Scotland, which fought for its independence.

There was no wall marking the border between England and Scotland. In fact there was often no clear definition of the border and when there was its location was often different according to perspective Scottish or English. For the most part, the population of the border counties was much less dense than the fortified burgs, so most border areas were sparsely settled or often just totally empty. The border territories were often so empty that they could easily be claimed by both sides without causing any problem.

The population centers were in or around the many castles, abbeys and fortified burgs on both sides of the Border. Here people lived in relative safety and security. Lords, knights, abbots, monks and others all lived in, or close to forts with family who needed food, clothing and other necessities of life and luxury. Some could be locally sourced but many other items were imported.

Border fortifications were only designed for protection from large armies. People - travelers and traders - could easily slip in and out, even in groups. Customs and tariffs collection was impossible at such an ambiguous border, instead regulation of trade, if any, was done at burgs or trade centers, much like how airports work today, basically functioning more as borders than the actual ones.

The Borders (an area also known as The Marches) designates an area of southern Scotland and northern England that surrounds the Anglo-Scottish border. The term Borders also has a wider meaning, referring to all of the counties adjoining the English border.

Today the Scottish Borders is a council area in the southeast created in 1975 by merging several historic counties. The region is hilly and still largely rural, with the River Tweed flowing west to east through it. The Tweed and its tributaries drain the entire region with the river flowing into 175

the North Sea at Berwick-upon-Tweed, and forming the border with England for the last twenty miles or so of its length.

In the middle ages and even into modern times, these areas (Borders/Marches) were characterized by violence and cross-border raids that ended only after the union of the crowns of England and Scotland in the early 17th century.

The Marches were first conceived in a treaty between Henry III of England and Alexander III of Scotland in 1249, as an attempt to control the Anglo-Scottish border by providing a buffer zone. On both sides of the border there were the West March, the Middle March and the East March. These regions nearly mirrored each other but there was some overlap between the Scottish and English regions. In the late 13th century, the Wardens of the Marches on either side of the border were entrusted with the difficult task of keeping the peace and punishing wrongdoers. On "days of march" (or "days of truce"), the Scottish and English Wardens would meet to co-ordinate March law, a kind of customary law agreed upon by the two realms during times of peace; however, when it was in their interests the March Wardens would encourage cross-border raiding, or even full-scale war.

For centuries the Marches on either side of the boundary were areas of mixed allegiances, where families or clans switched which nation or side they supported as suited their family interests at that time, and lawlessness abounded. Until the union of the crowns in 1603, when James VI of Scotland became James I of England, the border clans would switch allegiance between the Scottish and English thrones depending on what was most favorable to their own interests.

The fluid nature of the border, and the frequent wars between Scotland and England, made the Marches fertile ground for many bandits and raiders (known as reivers) who exploited the situation. The 176

Scottish and English border reivers attacked and robbed local residents on both sides of the border with little regard for nationality. Local farmers would often need to make payments to ensure they are not attacked. These agreements were called "Black mal", where mal was an Old Norse word meaning agreement. The word blackmail entered the English language in 1530 as a result.

Roxburghshire and Berwickshire historically bore the brunt of the conflicts with England, both during declared wars and the armed raids of the Border Reivers.

Reiver raid on Gilnockie Tower The region has the ruins of many castles, abbeys and fortified towns. For example, Berwick-upon-Tweed, was a strategic town on the River Tweed, the traditional border of the East March. It is slightly closer to Edinburgh than to Newcastle and was fought over many times. Between 1147 and 1482, the town changed hands between the two nations more than 13 times. As late as the reign of Elizabeth I of England, the English considered it worth spending a fortune on the latest style of fortifications to secure the town against Scottish attack.

Readers may recall the work of the two George Lawsons, father and son, in Berwick and also at Wark Castle on the border, building and maintaining these important fortifications.

Trade and Movement of Lawsons The Lawsons appear to jump over the border and land in larger towns, villages and trading centers.

This could indicate that the English Lawson descendants may have followed their shipping and trading interests directly to Edinburgh and other coastal towns. Likewise, descendants of English Lawsons were government administrators in the border regions who may have found lands and opportunities in southern Scotland. In any event, eventually, the wealth of these prosperous Lawsons allowed them to purchase larger estates and castles around Edinburgh in the areas in Linton, Biggar and Humbie.

The history of Scotland cannot ignore the importance of trade. Over a period of hundreds of years Scotland developed an exchange of goods with continental ports as well as between the many fortified burg and castle communities. Trade also crossed back and forth across the vague, unenforced line separating the border counties of both Scotland and England.

As early as 1000, there is bone evidence indicating a significant fish trade from Scottish coastal ports.

From the reign of King David I (1124–53), there are records of burghs that were granted certain legal trading privileges from the crown. The foundations of around 15 burghs can be traced to the reign of David I and there is evidence of 55 burghs by 1296. Most of the early burghs were on the east coast, and among them were the largest and wealthiest, including Aberdeen, Berwick, Perth and Edinburgh, whose growth was facilitated by trade with England and the continent. The Lawson family has a strong presence in all of these eastern burghs from the time of King David I. In the 12th century King David I incorporated these communities into his machinery of government by the creation of ecclesiastical parishes to serve their spiritual needs and by the allocation of civil manors to Norman/English landlords from estates that he held in England. The Border shires were governed 177

through the county towns, which he established as Royal Burghs. These settlements, such as Jedburgh, Peebles, and Haddingon had trading privileges, town councils as well as Lawson residents.

King David also sponsored the establishment of monasteries with self-sustaining estates and these developed farming on an unprecedented scale. New monastic orders introduced into Scotland in this period became major landholders, particularly in the Borders. Some abbeys had large amounts of land and very large numbers of sheep, probably at least 12,000 in the late thirteenth century. As we have learned, Lawsons held many Abbeys and monasteries among their possessions.

Most of the burghs granted charters in David's reign already existed as settlements. Charters were copied almost verbatim from those used in England, and they were run by early burgesses that were usually English and many were Lawsons. They were able to impose tolls and fines on traders within a region outside their settlements, which was sometimes, as in the case of Edinburgh, very extensive.

Burghs were centers of basic crafts, including the manufacture of shoes, clothes, dishes, pots, joinery, bread and ale, which would normally be sold to inhabitants and visitors on market days. In the High Middle Ages there was an increasing amount of foreign trade. However, there were relatively few developed manufacturing industries in Scotland for most of this period. As a result, the most important exports were unprocessed raw materials, including wool, hides, salt, fish, animals and coal, while Scotland remained frequently short of wood, iron and, in years of bad harvests, grain, the last of which was brought in large quantities from Ireland and England, particularly in times of scarcity. Until the disruption caused by the outbreak of the Wars of Independence in the early fourteenth century, most naval trade was probably coastal and most foreign trade was with England. Here the well established Lawson merchant traders had an advantage.

In addition to the major royal burghs, the late Middle Ages saw the proliferation of baronial and ecclesiastical burghs, with 51 being created between 1450 and 1516. Most of these were much smaller than their royal counterparts. Excluded from international trade they mainly acted as local markets and centers of craftsmanship. In general, burghs probably carried out far more local trading with their hinterlands than nationally or internationally, relying on them for food and raw materials. As we have seen, Lawson family members were present in almost all of these burghs.

The Wars of Independence (1296-1357) disrupted naval trade on both sides of the border. This may also have driven English Lawsons to expand and establish family roots in Scotland's ports and burghs. This 178

would have given the family trading interests access to continental trade that was restricted to the unique allies of each particular nation. Isolated references indicate that Scottish ships were active at continental ports and the earliest records from the 1330s indicate that five-sixths of this trade was in the hands of Scottish merchants. We also cannot ignore that many Scottish merchants were engaged in piracy.

For hundreds of years our Lawson ancestors were not simply landholders but they were also merchant traders, fishermen, ship owners with a connection to the sea. Circa 1475-1525, James Lawson of Cramlington was known as a Merchant-adventurer sailing out of Newastle-upon-Tyne. In 1512, a communication with the Bishop of Durham notes the arrival in Edinburgh of "John Lawson, merchant, and in his B. M. ship the Archdeacon, son of St. Andrew's, with letters from the French King urging the invasion of England." Later in the letter we learn that: "The great ship when under sail to the Frith (Firth of Forth) ran aground." (Source: Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII (Volume 1), by the Great Britain, Public Record Office , 1862) Another 1603 letter to the newly crowned King James VI, noted Sir Richard Lawson of Edinburgh's contribution of 8 to ten ships to protect the Scottish coast. Also in the early 1600s, Admiral John Lawson, son of a merchant shipper in Yorkshire, began his career as the captain of one of his family's colliers (a ship transporting coal).

In fact, if we follow the Lawsons of England and Scotland we see a steady movement northward along the coast with interests in the ports of Scarborough, Whitby, Newcastle upon Tyne, Berwick on Tweed, Leith/Edinburgh, St. Andrews, Dundee, Newburgh, Perth, Arboath and up to Aberdeen. The Scottish Lawson trading and shipping interests are very likely extensions of the merchant trading businesses of their English cousins.

Over a span of several hundred years it is more likely than coincidence that some of our English Lawson ancestors emigrated to Scottish locales to extend and manage family business interests. Again, as yet no specific documentation has been discovered to prove or disprove this hypothesis.

Circa 1550

Rev. James Lawson to Scottish baronet connection.

No documentation is available to specifically link Rev. James Lawson to the Lawson baronets of Heiriggs, Cairnmuir, Boghall or Humbie. However, the circumstantial evidence is substantial.

Let review what we know for sure:  

Reverend James Lawson is recorded as "a son of Humbie" by several historians writing in times contemporary to Rev. James.

Reverend James Lawson had a sister, Christian Lawson, who married three times: 1st to James Selkirk, with a son Alexander Selkirk; 2nd to Alexander Cockburn; and, 3rd to James Muirhead. All of these men are from prominent Scottish families and it is unlikely that Christian Lawson's husbands would marry beneath their station/status. In several histories of the Cockburn family, Christian Lawson is recorded as the daughter of Robert Lawson and Janet Baillie. This would also make Robert and Janet the parents of Christian's brother Rev. James Lawson. (Sources: The Records of the Cockburn Family, by Sir Robert Cockburn Bt. and Harry A. Cockburn, London, 1913; and, The house of Cockburn of that ilk and the cadets thereof: with historical anecdotes of the times in which many of the name played a conspicuous part, by Thomas Cockburn-Hood, Edinburgh, 1888)

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The next question is which Robert Lawson? There are two men named Robert Lawson who could be candidates: 



Robert Lawson of Humbie may seem the most likely candidate. He has a known son named James Lawson who is his heir, however, this is a different James Lawson who is well documented. Also the dates for this Robert Lawson are too early for him to be the father of Rev. James. But, this Robert Lawson of Humbie's son, James Lawson, could be the father or Rev. James.

Robert Lawson of Cairnmuir, the son of Richard Lawson and Janet Elphinstone, is also "a son of Humbie". Several historical works record Janet Bailie as married to Robert Lawson of Cairnmuir, the son of Richard and Janet Elphinstone Lawson. One source says that Robert and Janet Baillie Lawson both died young with no children attributed to them. However it is probable that after the deaths of Robert and Janet that their children went to live with another family, most likely Janet's family, the Baillies of Cambo in Fife and Perth. Janet Baillie is documented as the heiress of William Bailie of Cambo in county Fife. (Sources: A System of Heraldry, by Alexander Nesbet, Edinburgh, 1722; and, Scottish Worthies, by Alexander Garden) It is possible that James Lawson and Christian Lawson were raised by other members of the extended Lawson family, some of whom are located in or near to Perth, such as Helen Lawson and Marjorie Lawson Haldane, both prominent ladies of the day.

According to only one source (The Life of Andrew Melvlle, by 18th century Scottish historian, Thomas M'Crie), Rev. James Lawson is said to have had a difficult childhood. This statement is repeated over and over by other authors drawing from a single statement of fact - that James Lawson lived in the home of tutor while attending grammar school. From this M'Crie leaps to a conclusion that Lawson comes from humble origins.

Yet other evidence indicates that while Rev. James Lawson may not be noble or royal, he does comes from a family of substance. First, he receives a extraordinary education reserved primarily for privileged students of the nobility & gentry of Scotland at the Perth Grammar School of Andrew Simson (Simpson).

Lawson's early associates are also from prominent stock at a time when people tended to associate only with others within their class. Further, as we will see later in the analysis of the Squyer Meldrum Historie, most of the prominent families of Scotland not only knew each other well but were interrelated. (These are the families of Lawson, Cockburn, Baillie, Lyndsay, Haldane, Stirling, Hamilton, Selkirk, Melville, Knox, and others.) Likewise, all of these families held lands throughout southern Scotland and were neighbors. We know that the Lawson baronets held lands in county Fife in close proximity to Perth, the birthplace of Rev. James, and that the dates of their lives overlap.

Finally, Rev. James receives an important warning that his life is in jeopardy before he flees to England.

This secret information would have been known by a prominent member of either the King's Privy Council or the Edinburgh Civic Council. If Rev. James Lawson was indeed the son of Robert Lawson of Cairnmuir, this would make him the grandson to Sir Richard Lawson the Provost of Edinburgh, Chief Clerk of the Justiciary (chief justice of the supreme court of Scotland) and Lord Advocate (the King's attorney general for Scotland). His uncle, James Lawson of Humbie, also had connections in the legal system and was an intimate of the KIng and a member of the Privy Council. Other Lawsons also could have provided the warning, but what is important is that this is an instance where family loyalty prevails over politics. We may not know exactly who provided the warning, but Rev. James was alerted about the government's warrant for his arrest and is able to flee with Walter Balcanquhall to Berwick and then to London.

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All of this circumstantial evidence is compelling but as yet no documentation has been discovered to prove or disprove this hypothesis.

Circa 1600 Manx Lawson to Scottish Lawson connection.

No documentation has been discovered to establish that James Lawson, our first relative on the Isle of Man, is the son of Rev. James Lawson; however, no documentation has been discovered to disprove a connection or to otherwise track James the son of Rev. James. There is however compelling circumstantial evidence for this connection.

We do know that Rev. James Lawson and Janet Guthrie had three children: Mary Catherine Lawson, Elizabeth Lawson and a son, James Lawson. Importantly, the dates of the lives of these two James overlap, meaning the lifetimes of James of Isle of Man and Rev. James circumstantially allow them to be father and son.

Also, both men are from Perth. Rev. James Lawson was raised in the vicinity of Perth, attending local schools and the attending the University of St. Andrews in Fife. James Lawson of the Isle of Man is reported to have been born in Perth. Whether this is the town of Perth or the larger area of Perthshire, or even territory in close proximity like county Fife is unknown. We do know that many Lawson ancestors as well as the family of Janet Guthrie Lawson all have connections to Perth, Perthshire and nearby county Fife.

Importantly, the years after the death of Rev. James Lawson were difficult times for Scottish Presbyterians. A hostile catholic reaction to attempted Presbyterian reforms lasted many years. We know that Janet Guthrie suffered from her connection to her husband. After the death of her husband, Janet Guthrie Lawson was dispossessed of her home in Edinburgh. She most likely fled with her children to a more secure setting with her family in Perth. It would not be surprising, given the religious turmoil and conflict at the time, for a young James Lawson, having the same name as his controversial father, to decide to emigrate to a more secure and peaceful setting on the Isle of Man. The Lawson family merchants with their shipping resources could readily provide easy transportation for a young man to flee the country. And perhaps even provide a boat to help him get established in a fishing or business on the Manx coast.

Based on this circumstantial evidence, it is highly likely that the son of Rev. James Lawson, emigrated to the Isle of Man and founded the Manx Lawson line from which descends our US Lawson line.

As yet no documentation has been discovered to prove or disprove this hypothesis.

Exploring the Squyer Meldrum Historie Finally, a deeper dive into the fascinating and famous Squyer Meldum Historie reveals important information that will help us to better understand our Lawson ancestors in Scotland of the 1500s.

C. S. Lewis the noted English writer and theologian said: “Squire Meldrum . . . ought to be in everyone’s hands; we have greater stories in verse; perhaps none, even in Chaucer, more completely successful.”

That was easy for a specialist in English literature to say, but few people have read Chaucer in its original medieval english or The Historie of Squire Sir David Lindsay of the Mount

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Meldrum in medieval Scottish. Both may offer absolutely fascinating historical tales that reflect their times, but so does reading the Bible in early Latin or Greek. None are easy reading.

In an earlier chapter, we learned a bit about The Historie and Testament of Squyer Meldrum, written in the mid 1500s by the noted Scottish Poet, Sir David Lindsay of the Mount. This Sottish romance poem celebrates the heroic life of a Fifeshire laird, who was Lyndsay's acquaintance and neighbor: Squire William Meldrum. The poem is a vigorous tale of love and war. It is also the most famous and entertaining of Lindsay's poems, and the last and most novel of the medieval Scottish essays in romance verse.

Its style, and choice of incident are modeled in part on medieval romance tales, a genre that was eagerly read in Lyndsay’s day. Although presented as a biography, the bulk of the fast paced Historie focuses on a select few romantic and chivalric episodes from Meldrum’s youth (1513 to 1517), when a ferocious ambush ends his martial career. It is the circumstances surrounding this ambush that link this poem with our Lawson family.

Lets begin with an overview of the Squyer Meldrum story.

As a dashing young squire, Meldrum joins the Scottish army to fight Henry VIII’s troops at Calais (circa 1513). Meldrum's ship departs western Scotland and soon detours to Northern Ireland where the Scottish navy raids the English-held town of Carrickfergus (near today's Belfast). Meldrum rescues a grateful lady from rape by two of the navy pillagers, but refuses her offers to become his wife or, despite her increasing desperation, his camp-follower mistress.

At Calais, Meldrum defeats a battle-hardened English champion whom no one else dares to fight and who is shocked to be bested by such a young squire. Making his leisurely way back to Scotland during the AngloFrench truce, Meldrum rescues a Scottish party besieged by Englishmen in the French town of Amiens, for which he is honored by the French king and sought vainly in marriage by another nameless French lady.

Sailing home, Meldrum leads a band of Scots in the capture of a large English pirate warship. Meldrum's eventual return to Scotland, is preceded by the tales of his conquests and adventures and he is an instant celebrity. He begins a passionate love affair with a widowed lady and defends her lands from a greedy neighbor. Meldrum and the widow soon have a daughter. But a jealous rival knight orgaizes a large party of men in an attack to separate the lovers. This roadside ambush almost kills Meldrum and he is left for dead. Ultimately, he does recover but his fighting career is over and Meldrum and his lady never see each other again. The ending pages of the poem, relate Meldrum’s long and quiet life as a deputy sheriff of Fife, a medical practitioner, and a member of the household of the Lords Lindsay of the Byres at Struthers Castle, Fife.

What is remarkable is that many historians and literary scholars have examined the historical record and confirmed the elements of Meldrum’s story. Modern scholars accept the poem as an accurate record of Meldrum's life and times and that Lindsay is a reliable reporter of events. Let's examine what we can learn from the Meldrum tale tells us about the lives of our Lawson ancestors in that time.

When we look at the historical record of Lyndsay and his contemporaries, we find that many of the lands mentioned in the Meldrum work are in fact collections of estates owned by several different families. This supports our findings about the Lawsons, but it can make things confusing and is much like sorting the pieces of several different jigsaw puzzles mixed together.

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For example, we know that the Lawsons acquired lands known as Boghall, near the village of Biggar, with several Lawsons known as the Lairds of Boghall. But, others are also called Laird of Boghall. In fact, when we more thoroughly research Boghall Castle, we learn that it was in fact one of the largest and most imposing castles in the south of Scotland but it is now a ruins.

History tells us that in the second quarter of the 12th century Baldwin Flandrensis (or Baldwin Flamingus) was granted land of Boghall at Biggar by King David I. Baldwin was the great grandson of Erkenbald Flandrensis of Rouen, a Norman knight who had travelled to England with William the Conqueror, and Outline of the ruins of Boghall Castle was the progenitor of the Fleming name in Scotland.

The barony of Biggar, which included Boghall, is said in some sources to have passed by marriage to the Fleming family in the thirteenth century, while other sources assert that it was in the possession of Baldwin in the 12th century. The Fleming Lords, descedants of Baldwin, were loyal supporters of King Robert the Bruce, and it is said that Bruce gave the Flemings land in the area of Biggar in the 14th century, although this may just have been charters confirming land they already held. Interestingly Edward II of England is also said to have stayed at Boghall castle in 1310.

The Lords Fleming held Boghall Castle for hundreds of years and they were distant cousins of Mary Queen of Scots and Lady Mary Fleming was the granddaughter of King James IV.

Ruins of Boghall Castle Tower

So, what does this tell us about the Lawsons. First, Lawsons and others held lands in Biggar and Boghall at the same time as the Fleming Lords. This indicates that the Lawsons were prominent knights/vassals to the Lords Fleming. Lawson Boghall estates most likely were in the vicinity surrounding the castle. Lawson and other vassal knights would be sworn to help defend the castle in times of trouble.

Next as we learn about the people in the story of Squyer Meldrum, we find that ownership of land in one area does not necesarily mean that these land owners are restricted to that area or even that they stay in close proximity to it. Many wealthy Scots families owned multiple estates often in distant counties. The family of David Lyndsay had estates in East Lothian as well as across the Firth of Forth in county Fife. The Fleming Lords of Boghall, acquired large estates in western Scotland in Renfrewshire.

Curiously, the Lawson family also acquired a property named Lochtullo (or Lochtulio) in Renfrewshire.

Perhaps they were following in the trail of their Lord of Boghall, however, we have also found Lawson estates in several different areas. We know that they had estates in Biggar/Boghall/West Linton, 183

Humbie, Cairnmuir, Heiriggs in Edinburgh, Cramon Regis near Leith on the Firth of Forth as well as Cambo near St Andrews in county Fife and also in Perth and Aberdeen. What is remarkable in all this is that even with only primitive means of travel (by horse or cart), people in the Middle Ages were nevertheless quite mobile.

Our interest in the Meldrum poem is founded in the knowledge that the subjects were real people.

Squyer Meldrum did exist. His activities as sheriff-deputy in county Fife, serving under the sheriff, Patrick, Lord Lindsay of the Byres are well documented. (Source: The Sheriff Court Book of Fife 1515–1522) That Sir David Lindsay knew him personally is confirmed by the fact that Meldrum was a witness confirming land transfers to Lindsay in 1541–42. Also, William Meldrum’s last appearance in the historical record is as a witness to a charter in 1550 at Struthers the principal seat of the Lords Lindsay of the Byres. He probably died not long after this.

The Historie's mysterious vagueness of some scenes and characters is easily countered by established external historical evidence. For example, Meldrum’s "beloved Ladie" is only ever called “the ladie” in the poem. She is said to be from the "vale of Strathearn", but instead of naming the famous estate, Lindsay reports only that she lives in “ane castell . . . / Beside ane montane”, but the castle itself is nameless. From actual historical records, we know this "ladie" to be Marjorie Lawson, the widowed lady of Gleneagles.

Marjorie Lawson the Lady of Gleneagles

Strathearn, (Scottish Gaelic: Srath Èireann) is the strath of the River Earn, in Scotland this river extends from Loch Earn to the River Tay. In medieval times, the sheriffs of Perth covered Strathearn as part of their duties. Perth at that time was the de facto capital of Scotland, due to the frequent residence of Scottish Kings and the royal court.

Nearby Scone Abbey, home of the Stone of Scone where the King of Scotland were crowned, enhanced the early importance of the city.

Map of Strathearn showing the Gleneagles estate of Marjorie Lawson Haldane Royal Burgh status was awarded to the city of Perth in th 12th century and it became a trading center and one of the richest burghs in the country in the 12th and 13th centuries (along with such places as Berwick-upon-Tweed, Aberdeen and 184

Roxburgh). Today, Strathearn is part of Perthshire. In recent years, the royal dukedom of Strathearn has been awarded to members of the British Royal Family. Prince William on the day of his wedding to Catherine Middleton in 2011, was created Earl of Strathearn, a subsidiary title to Duke of Cambridge.

Another character in the Historie is the most deadly of Meldrum’s foes, known only as a “cruell knicht” who masterminds the 1517 ambush. His namelessness is Lindsay's way of lumping him with other traitorous villains of romance. However, the historical records show him to be Lord Lewis/Luke Stirling.

The Historie incorporates the most popular features of medieval romance, particularly its characterizations, narrative pacing and the selection of scenes and incidents. This is part of what has contributed to the Historie’s great appeal. The actions that make up the poem all have to do with either war or love. Lindsay offers his readers much spectacular single combat, usually against terrible odds and frequently on behalf of a lady; a prophetic dream; a chivalric hero enjoying the gratitude of a nation; scenes of love-agony inspired more or less instantly by a lady’s beauty on the one hand, and a hero’s chivalric prowess on the other, all taking place in “the mirrie tyme of May” with rings exchanged as love-tokens. The Historie gives readers a moral enrichment with tales of noble deeds; descriptions of battles vivid with combatants “brim as beiris” (“fierce as bears,”), who fight “vailyeandlie”, like “wyld lyounis” as they win the “pryse”. The battle prowess of the hero, Meldrum, is compared to Gaudifer from the legend of Alexander, Tydeus from the siege of Thebes, Roland and Oliver from the legend of Charlemagne, or Arthurian heroes such as Lancelot, Gawain, and the knights of the Round Table. At one point Meldrum even compares himself to Lancelot, in a scene of chivalric vow-making.

Meldrum’s adventures as described by Lyndsay are founded in actual historical events. This helps to give the Historie the feel of accurate biography, despite its romantic style. There is the Scottish raid on Englishheld Carrickfergus in 1513; and, there is the fighting against Henry VIII at Calais in 1513, during which Meldrum is supposed to have defeated an English champion. Key historical players are mentioned, such as James Hamilton, earl of Arran and commander of the Scottish fleet in 1513; Robert Stewart, lord d’Aubigny, captain of Louis XII’s Scots guards; Antoine D’Arces (or Seigneur de la Bastie), acting regent of Scotland on behalf of the Duke of Albany in 1517 when the ambush of Meldrum took place. Meldrum’s involvement in these international affairs is undocumented, but the relative accuracy with which major historical events are cited appears to reinforce the truth of Meldrum’s own adventures.

There are some historical records directly related to Meldrum’s affair with the “lady of Strathearn” and the vicious ambush that ended it. They reveal the identity of Meldrum’s real-life love and confirm that both the affair and ambush really happened, the latter in 1517 as Lindsay says.

The first record to consider is the Historie and Cronicles of Scotland by Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie.

Pitscottie was probably a grandson of Meldrum’s employer Patrick, fourth Lord Lindsay of the Byres. He lived circa 1532–1578, and he cites Sir David Lindsay himself among the sources for his history.

Pitscottie’s social circle also overlapped with that of Meldrum, the Lawsons and the Lords Lindsay, so there is potential for input from eyewitnesses in his account (although probably second hand, since Pitscottie was born fifteen years after the events in the poem). Pitscottie reports the events as follows: In this meane tyme Dilabatie [De La Bastie] beand left regent as we haue schawin remanit in the abbay of Hallierudhous [Holyroodhouse] and ane gaird of frinchemen about him to the number of iiijxx [80] of hagbuttaris [carriers of a type of handgun] to be redy at his command quhene he chargit and so it hapnit at this tyme the monetht of [November] and in the zeir of God 1mvcand [xviii] zeiris. At this tyme thair was ane

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gentillman in Edinburgh nameit Williame Meldrum laird of Binnis quho had in companie witht him ane fair lady callit the Lady Glennagieis [Gleneagles] quho was dochter to Mr Richart Lawsone provest of Edinburgh, the quhilk lady had borne to this laird tua bairnes [children] and intendit to marie hir gif he might haue had the popis lecence because hir husband befoir and hie was sibe [related]. Zeit nocht withstanding ane gentillman callit Luke Stirling inwyit [begrudged] this lufe and marieage betuix thir tuo persouns, thinkand to haue the gentill woman to himself in marieage, because he knew the laird micht nocht haue the popis licence be the lawis. Thairfor he solistit his brotheris sone the laird of Keir witht ane certane of [certain number of] airmitt men to sett wpoun the laird of Binnis to tak this lady frome him be way of deid [i.e., by killing him], and to that effect followit him betuix Leytht [Leith] and Edinburgh and sett on him beneth the Rude chapell witht fyftie airmett men and he againe defendit him witht fyue in number and faught cruellie witht thame and slew the laird of Keiris principall servandis befoir his face defendand himself, and hurt the laird of Keir that he was in perrell of his lyfe, and xxvj of his men; zeit throw multiplecatioun of his enemeis was oversett and drawin to the earth and left lyand for deid, hocht of his legis, strikin throw the body, the knappis of his elbokkis strikin fre him and also the liddis of his kneis (“cut in the backs of his legs [hamstrung], struck through the body, the caps of his elbows struck from him and also his kneecaps”) nathing of lyfe left in him zeit be the mightie powar of God he eskaipit the

deid [death] and all his men that was witht him and leiffit fyftie zeir thairefter.

In the meane tyme come word to Monser Tillabatie [Monsieur De La Bastie] quhair he was at that tyme in the Abbay of Hallierudhous [Holyroodhouse] schawand to him that sic ane nobill man was slaine and murdreist at his hand and he incontenent [immediately] gart strike ane lairum [call to arms] and blaw his trumpatis and rang the common bell commanding all men to follow him baitht on fute or horse that he might revenge the said slaughter, and ruschit fercelie fordwart to the place quhair the battell was strikin and saw this nobill man lyand deidlie wondit and his men about him in the samin maner and passit fercelie efter the enemeis and committaris of the said cryme and ower hyit [overtook] thame at Lythgow [Linlithgow] quhair thay tuik the peill of Lythgow [the castle of Linlithgow] wpoun their heidis to be thair saifgaird and warand [guarantee], thinkand to defend them selffis thairin. Nochtwithtstanding this nobill regent lape manfullie about the house and seigit it continuallie quhill [until] thay randerit the samin and thame that was halderis thairof come into his will quho tuike thame and brocht thame to Edinburgh and gaif thame ane fair syse [judicial inquiry] quho was all convict and condamnitt of the said cryme, and thairefter was put in the castell of Edinburgh in suire keiping induring the Regent’s will [for as long as the Regent wished].

(Source: Historie and Cronicles of Scotland, by Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie)

Much of this appears to confirm (and indeed supplement) the version of events given by Lyndsay. But with a few odd contradictions. Lindsay says Meldrum and the lady had one daughter between them; Pitscottie cites two children. [Marjorie’s two legitimate sons with Sir John Haldane may have caused confusion here.]

Lyndsay describes Meldrum and eight followers as being ambushed by sixty armed men; Pitscottie reports five followers and fifty attackers. In Lindsay’s Historie, Meldrum is ambushed on his way from Edinburgh to the “ferrie” (the Queensferry, a major crossing-point of the Firth of Forth); Pitscottie say he was attacked on his way from the port of Leith back to Edinburgh. In Lindsay’s account, the lady is traveling with Meldrum and the ambush is intended to abduct her (although they appear to forget this and leave her behind); whereas Pitscottie says the ambush was to free the lady by killing Meldrum with no suggestion that she was present. Finally, Lindsay describes Antoine D’Arces as pursuing the lone “knicht” or “tyrane” and imprisoning him in Dunbar Castle; whereas Pitscottie has D'Arces pursue the group of attackers to Linlithgow castle, then imprison them in Edinburgh castle. All of these are minor, but notable differences.

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Pitscottie does provide some details absent from Lindsay’s poem, most notably the identification of Meldrum’s lover as Marjorie Lawson. But the external records that confirm Pitscottie’s identification also show that neither Lindsay’s nor Pitscottie’s report of their affair and its dramatic conclusion are entirely accurate.

And of £40 in partial payment of the £80 total agreed with Master Patrick Lawson with respect to his part in the mutilation of George Haldane, William Meldrum, and their companions, and for the malice aforethought with which this mutilation was carried out, and for art and part of the same; and thus £40 remains owing, as stated above. [“Art and part” is a Scottish legal phrase for the various ways to participate in a crime, from instigating or encouraging it to actually committing it] . . . the lady of Glennegas be put at fredom and have hir free will to pas quher scho plesis best, and that [neither] William Meldrum allegit to be hir spous, Maister James nor Maister Patrik Lausone mak hir na trouble nor impediment thairintill as thai will answer to my Lordis Regentis and Consell tharapon.

(Source: Acta Dom. Con. MS. Vol. 30:31 [dated 20 June 1517]

The historical “lady of Glennegas” (Gleneagles) in 1517 was Marjorie Lawson, who had married Sir John Haldane of Gleneagles, in Strathearn, in 1508. They had two sons before he was killed at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. Both the Haldanes and Lawsons were prominent families and there is ample documentation to confirm not only their marriage and Marjorie’s subsequent possession of the Gleneagles estates, but also to fill out her family background described earlier and in the family trees at the end of this section.

Pitscottie correctly identifies her as the daughter of Master Richard Lawson of High Riggs and Humbie, justice clerk and Provost of Edinburgh. The record also confirms a romantic liaison with Meldrum in its description of him as one who was “allegit to be hir spous”. But in place of Lindsay’s anonymous “cruell knicht” or Pitscottie’s Luke Stirling and the laird of Keir, the court record names two of Marjorie’s own brothers as leaders of the attack, Masters James and Patrick Lawson.

More surprisingly still for those familiar with the Lindsay or Pitscottie version of events, it orders both the Lawson brothers and Meldrum to leave Marjorie alone. This record is related to another record recording Sir John Haldane partial payment of a substantial fine imposed on Master Patrick Lawson Baron of Gleneagles for the mutilation of William Meldrum, George Haldane, and companions; the weight of the fine is explained by the “malice aforethought in the way in which this injury was committed”. (Source: Treasurer’s Accounts) This does reconfirm that the primary attacker in the eyes of the law was Marjorie’s own brother, Patrick. It also names George Haldane as co-victim with Meldrum.

This is almost certainly George Haldane of Kippen, an uncle to Marjorie’s deceased husband who would later act as one of the tutors of Marjorie’s son, James Haldane. The prominent naming of Haldane as covictim casts doubt on the story of Meldrum’s magnificent solo stand, backed by only a handful of nameless underlings.

From these two brief records, in conjunction with the stories of Lindsay and Pitscottie, a complex picture of family rivalries emerges. An affair evidently took place between William Meldrum and the wealthy widow Marjorie Lawson. Her brothers appear to have been implacably opposed to it, although Meldrum seems to have had support from some members of Marjorie’s deceased husband’s family.

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[This accords with LIndsay’s passing mention of how the affair often obliged Meldrum to fight, thanks to the “jelousie and fals invie” of others. If Meldrum and Marjorie were unable to marry thanks to Meldrum’s distant kinship with her deceased husband’s family (as Lyndsay and Pitscottie claim), this may explain George Haldane’s support for him]

An important element that may have influenced the Squyer Meldrum attack was the religious differences of the time. Presbyterians and Catholics struggled for the souls, wealth and power of the Scottish nation.

Religion created divisions in families as well as the nation. Stength of belief and allegiance varied even within the Lawson family. We have seen the support of many Lawsons for the catholic regency of Marie de Guisse and for Mary Queen of Scots. However, we have also seen that many Lawsons support church reformation, seek an independent Kirk of Scotland, and are avid Presbyterians. Also, Lawsons can and do switch sides when convenient to preserve their wealth and status. Marjorie Lawson, the Haldanes of Gleneagles, Meldrum and the Lindsays, indeed the peoples in Perthshire in general, are much more receptive to ideas of the reformation than the rest of Scotland. Master Patrick Lawson on the other hand was the prebend of Corstorphine and a devout catholic. Whether the Lawson brothers were trying to save their sister from perdition, we will never know for sure.

By June 1517, after the attack, it seems that the Meldrum/Lawson affair had gone sour. This is when the Lords of Council ordered Meldrum along with Marjorie’s brothers to “mak hir na trouble nor impediment”.

It is tempting to imagine that Marjorie, by this point, is fed up with the drama, regretted the affair and wanted rid of the whole lot of them. But, it is also possible that the inclusion of Meldrum in this “restraining order” was not her idea. Either way, Meldrum lost all support he once had as Marjorie’s lover.

Lindsay claims that after it all, Marjorie was married “aganis hir will”, but to whom he does not say.

Pitscottie does not mention her marriage, but he does claim that the attack was made by the laird of Keir on behalf of his uncle Luke Stirling, who supposedly hoped to marry Marjorie himself. This claim is important because Marjorie did in fact marry Luke Stirling of Keir. [Some say Meldrum’s involvement upset an earlier agreement between Marjorie and Stirling] (Source: The Stirlings of Keir and their Family Papers, by William Fraser, 1858)

In an instrument of resignation transferring lands to her son James Haldane, dated 1526, she is identified as “relict [widow] of John Haldene of Glenneges, and of Luke Striviling [Stirling]”.

In fact, we will never know for certain all the details and motivations of the love affair and the attack unless other records come to light. What is apparent in the combing of contemporary records is just how interconnected all of these families were long before — and after — the affair between Marjorie and Meldrum took place. Significantly, these connections extend even to the audience for Lyndsay’s poem.

Lindsay describes the start of the affair as if it were an episode in a romance: the returning hero Meldrum is traveling through Strathearn one evening when he spots a castle and decides to take shelter.

Its mistress is charmed by her unexpected visitor and they fall more or less immediately in love. In reality, the Meldrum and Lawson families appear to have known each other for years. When Sir John Haldane was making arrangements for his new bride Marjorie in 1508–09, the witnesses on one of the documents were “Archibald Meldrum of Bynnis [Binns]”, most likely the squire’s father, and “George Haldene, uncle of John Haldene [Haldane] of Glennegas [Gleneagles], kt”, the man with whom Squire Meldrum would later be caught in a fatal ambush. [Another document dated 1508/09 was witnessed by “Sheriffs of Perth; Laurence Haldan [Haldane], William Meldrum and Archibald Lindesay.” Also, a summons against John Thayne by Sir John Haldane of Gleneagles relating to lands in Strathearn, executed by “William Meldrome [Meldrum], sheriff”. One of the witnesses is “Robert Lausone,” probably Marjorie’s eldest brother]

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In a contract of marriage of 1518 between Margaret Erskine and Marjorie’s son James Haldane, the witnesses were “George Haldane of Kippane” and “Sir Walter Forrester of the Torwood”, Sir John Stirling’s father-in-law. [It is noteworthy that Margaret Erskine was the mistress of King James V of Scotland.]

The Stirlings and Lawsons knew each other: Marjorie’s brother James Lawson (one of Meldrum’s attackers in 1517) was arbiter of a dispute between Sir John Stirling of Keir and Alexander Drummond in 1529.

The Lawsons and Haldanes themselves go back well before Marjorie’s marriage. In 1490, her father Master Richard Lawson was involved, as king’s justice clerk, in settling the dispute over the Lennox inheritance in which Sir John Haldane’s grandfather was one of the claimants. Also, Richard Lawson and Sir John Haldane (grandfather to Marjorie’s husband) were joint witnesses to an instrument relating to some Fife lands back in 1481.

Ties remained strong in the decades after the Meldrum affair: in an instrument of sasine drawn up in 1539 for Marjorie’s nephew James Lawson (son of her eldest brother Robert), the witnesses included her son “James Haldane of Glennagis”, along with his son and heir John Haldane, and in 1542, the cousins witnessed another document together. [Protocol Books, no. 194, eds. Beveridge and Russell, 1539; and, letters of reversion by Adam Boithwell witnessed by “James Halden of Glennagas” and “James Lausoun of HieRiggis”, as well as “Archibald Halden”, who may be James’ younger brother 1542]

All of the evidence suggests that the Meldrum poems were written for private consumption in the immediate social circle of the day, including the Lords Lindsay of the Byres, the Lawsons and others. A special copy of Lindsay's Historie of the Squyer Meldrum tale was found and published in 1613. This was originally held by Richard Lawson of Heiriggs.

Finally, the Marjorie Lawson Haldane barony of Gleneagles is worthy of our attention. Marjorie's husband, Sir John Haldane, fifth of baron of Gleneagles was responsible for erecting the barony of Haldane in Gleneagles. The seat was then at Rusky House in Gleneagles. Sir John was killed at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. On John's death, Marjorie became a very wealthy landowner of the Gleneagles property. The ruins of Gleneagles Castle exist today of the grounds of what is now the famous luxury hotel and golf resort known as the Gleneagles Hotel, one of Scotland's finest 5 star hotels. The resort sits today on the grounds of former Haldane Gleneagles estate.

Ruins of Gleneagles Castle

The Gleneagles Hotel and Resort

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THE LAWSON AND HALDANE FAMILY TREES

Haldane badge and motto

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The End So, as we weave the story of the Lawson family over more than 1,000 years, I think it is noteworthy that there are very few instances where connections in our family tree lack firm documentation. More importantly, the few problematic connections are justified and supported by strong circumstantial evidence.

However, I hope that all readers take away more from this work than just a long meandering family line through time. The real enjoyment and appreciation should be for the many individual Lawson stories presented here.

And, if you are a Lawson relative, your story adds to this fascinating and inspiring history.

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BLANK

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APPENDIX A SOME Notable Lawsons (post 1700) 



Alexander Lawson (1773—1846), born in Lanarkshire, Scotland but died in Philadelphia, he engraved many of the best plates used to print Alexander Wilson's Ornithology. Wilson has often been called “the father of American ornithology.” A Scottish weaver turned poet who emigrated to Philadelphia in 1794, he immediately became fascinated by the bird life of America. He then began to draw the birds he saw.

Engraver Alexander Lawson transferred the drawings to copper plates, and a group of young mostly female artists colored the prints by hand.

"Roseate Spoonbill” in American Ornithology, Alexander Wilson and Alexander Lawson

Alfred William Lawson was born on March 24, 1869, in London, England. He was a professional baseball player, manager, and league promoter from 1887 through 1916 and then went on to play a pioneering role in the U.S. aircraft industry. He published two early aviation trade journals.

He is frequently cited as the inventor of the airliner and was awarded several of the first air mail contracts, which he ultimately could not fulfill. He founded the Lawson Aircraft Company to build military training aircraft and later the Lawson Airplane Company to build airliners.

The crash of his ambitious Lawson L-4, "Midnight Liner" during its trial flight takeoff in 1921, ended his best chance for commercial aviation success. In 1904, he wrote a novel, Born Again, in which he developed the philosophy which later became Lawsonomy.

During the early days of professional baseball, Alfred pitched around the league with the Boston Beaneaters and Pittsburgh Alleghenys but never made an impact. He managed in the minor leagues and founded his own league known as the Union Leagues of Professional Ball Clubs of America – it failed within one month.

Lawson L-2 airliner

Alfred’s next entrepreneurial endeavor was publishing an aviation magazine, “Fly”, to stimulate interest in aviation which was then in its infant stages. After moving to New York City, he renamed the magazine “Aircraft” and it was published until 1914. Alfred learned to fly in 1913 and eventually became an expert pilot. After advocating aviation for ten years, Alfred Lawson built his first airplane in 1917 and founded Lawson Aircraft Corporation.

Although he attempted to build a plane for military use (World War I), the plans fell apart. After the war, Alfred began a project with the goal of building the world’s first airline. In 1920, his company built the Lawson L-2, an 18-passenger biplane airliner that was demonstrated on a two thousand mile tour. The positive publicity allowed him to secure additional financing for his next project, a 26-passenger model called the Midnight Lawson Midnight Liner

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Liner. This plane was equipped with private sleeping areas and restroom facilities. Unfortunately, on its maiden flight, the plane crashed and was never repaired. In 1926, he later developed plans for a two tier, 100 passenger, Lawson super-airliner that was never built. Alfred Lawson was considered one of the leading thinkers in the budding American commercial aviation community.

He received the Winged America award and was cited by Scientific Age magazine as the “world’s leading passenger aeroplane builder.” However, his troubles with getting financial backing for his ideas led him to turn to economics, philosophy, and organization.

During the Depression years, he developed a theory of “direct credits” and wrote a book on the subject. He proposed that the government rather than banks should provide loans to individuals and businesses. Under his system, the people would have direct ownership of the money system.

Alfred Lawson also founded his own philosophy or religion – Lawsonomy, which combined vegetarianism, physics, religion and economics. He was a vegetarian who developed a theory which combined diet, hygiene, rest and exercise that he believed could potentially allow a person to live to the age of two hundred; he called it “Lawsonpoise”. He lectured and wrote books which attracted a following, so much so that he decided to found a school. The University of Lawsonomy was founded in Des Moines, Iowa in 1943, and the first group of seventy students grew vegetables (eating them raw) and flowers and studied Alfred Lawson’s writings. The state of Iowa had designated the university as a non-profit organization, but in 1952 the IRS disagreed and revoked that status and demanded payment of back taxes. Lawson closed the school. Alfred Lawson died in 1954. 

Abercrombie Anstruther Lawson FRS (1870-1927), was a Canadian-born, Australian botanist at the University of Sydney. Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of London judges to have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathematics, engineering science and medical science". (Sources: The Descendants of John Henry Lawson, by Mona Gee Lawson; and, The Lawson Golden Book, by Virginia Ruth Lawson Trent)



Alfred Voyle "Roxie" Lawson (1906-1977) of Stockport, Iowa, was a Major League Baseball player and manager. He was a right-handed pitcher in professional baseball for 13 years with the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, and St. Louis Browns. During his major league career, he compiled a 47–39 win–loss record with a career earned run average (ERA) of 5.37. He later managed in the minor leagues.



Andrew Cowper Lawson (1861-1952), was professor of geology at the University of California, Berkeley;



Eddie Lawson (born in 1958), was an American former four-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion. His penchant for not crashing and consistently finishing in the points earned him the nickname "Steady Eddie".



Ernest Lawson, was an American/Canadian painter and a member of The Eight;



Jason L. Lawson is an professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA. He played for Villanova College, the Orlando Magic, and Denver Nuggets.



John Howard Lawson (1894-1977), was an American writer;

"Steady Eddie" Lawson

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

Dame Lesley “Twiggy” Lawson D.B.E., (b. 1949), born in Neasden, Middlesex, England, was an English model, actress and singer more commonly known as Twiggy. She became a British cultural icon, was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire on December 29, 2018, for services to Fashion, the Arts and to charity by her Majesty The Queen (Source: ]"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 in London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018);



Denis Stamper Lawson (b. 1947), was a Scottish actor and director;



Cecil Gordon Lawson (1851-1882), was an English landscape painter;



Ernest Lawson is a Canadian painter known for his impressionistic urban landscapes using thick, intense color.



Henry Lawson was a revered Australian writer of short stories and poetry.



Jerry Lawson pioneered home video gaming in the 1970s by helping create the Farichild Channel F, the first home video game system with interchangeable games.



Laurence Augustus Lawson (1896-1951), was a Brigadier General and Commandant of the Army Air Force Training School (1942-1945) (Source: Generals of World War II);



Margaret "Maggie" Lawson is an American actress who starred in a number of TV sitcoms.



Melissa Lawson is an American country music singer.



Nigella Lawson is a best-selling English cookbook author and internationally known domestic goddess and television host known for her distinctive philosophies on cuisine.



Steven George Lawson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Texas Rangers.



William Lawson (1774-1850) was an explorer of New South Wales, Australia who co-discovered a passage inland through the Blue Mountains from Sydney.



Manny Lawson was a linebacker/defensive end in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers.



Doyle Lawson was an American bluegrass and gospel musician.



John Lawson was a United States Navy sailor who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the American Civil War.



Tywon "Ty" Ronell Lawson was a basketball player who played point guard for the Denver Nuggets of the NBA.



Charles Davis Lawson was an American tobacco farmer in North Carolina who committed one of the most notorious mass murders in the state's history on Christmas Day 1929.

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Twiggy Lawson



Gaines Lawson (September 4, 1840 ? September 12, 1906) was a First Sergeant in the Union Army and a Medal of Honor recipient for his actions in the American Civil War.



Gerard Lawson was an football defensive back with the Cleveland Browns of the NFL.



General Sir Richard George Lawson KCB, DSO, OBE was a former British Army officer, who served as General Officer Commanding in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, and later as Commander-inChief of Allied Forces Northern Europe.



Nina Lawson was a Scottish wigmaker who ran the Metropolitan Opera wig department (19561987).



Rodger Lawson is a British-born, American businessman who is President of Fidelity Investments.

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APPENDIX B. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

The Will of Reverend James Lawson

Reply of Janet Guthrie (Lawson) and Margaret Marjoribanks (Balcanqual) to false claims against their husbands.

The Historie of ane Nobil and Vailye and Squyer, William Meldrum, Umquhyle Laird of Cleische and Bynnis, Compylit be Sir David Lyndesay of the Mont, alias, Lyoun, King of Armes.

Lawson of Cairnmuir in The Baronage of Scotland

Lawson Family Crests

M'Clellan's Tomb, by Sarah Lawson Gordon

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THE WILL OF REVEREND JAMES LAWSON. [This eminent minister of Jesus Christ was born about the year 1538, in the neighbourhood of Perth. After passing through the usual course of education, at the university of St. Andrews, he went for some years to France, as tutor to the three sons of the countess of Crawford. Upon his return, about 1568, he commenced the teaching of Hebrew in St. Andrews; and shortly after, was elected sub-principal in the university of Aberdeen. Here he continued till 1572, when he was invited to become successor to Mr. Knox, as a minister of Edinburgh. In this situation he approved himself “a workman that needeth not to be ashamed;" but it is chiefly as a defender of the reformation principles, and on account of the sufferings he endured in that cause, that he deserves a high place among the worthies of Scotland. In the year 1584, he was obliged to fly into England from the vengeance of the king, and he died on the 12th of October, that year. Upon the 7th of that month he caused to be written, read over, and subscribed the following testament, which, as it contains his dying sentiments, under views of eternity, both as to his own spiritual state, and with regard to the concerns of the church, we insert here as his last words.]

“At London, in Honielane, Cheapside, in Mr. Anthony Martin's house, upon Wednesday, October 7th, 1584; I, Mr. James Lawson, minister of God's word, of the flock of Christ at Edinburgh, wish grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, and the continuance of the Holy Spirit, to all those that serve the Lord and love his blessed evangels, giving to understand, to whom it appertains, that, being whole in mind, but finding my God summoning me by his messenger sickness, wherewith he has laid me on bed, to put an end, as appears, to my course in this my transitory life, have thought it good to commit my testament and latter will to writing, as follows:— “First, I thank my God, through Jesus Christ my Saviour, who has not only of his unspeakable mercy, whereof I confess myself most unworthy, (if he should deal with me according to my deserts), plucked me out of gross ignorance and blindness of superstition, papistry, and idolatry, especially since the time I heard that notable servant of God, Mr. Knox, of blessed memory,* impugn with great authority of doc trine that antichristian tyranny; but also of his great goodness from time to time, has moved me by his sacred word and instruction of his Holy Spirit, to dedicate myself and the small talent which his wisdom hath intrusted to me, to the edification of his people in the holy ministry, ordained in his kirk, and has blessed also the same, first in his congregation of Aberdeen, and last in the town of Edinburgh ; testifying to the whole world, that as I have felt from time to time the working of his Holy Spirit kindling in my breast a bent and ready will to discharge my own conscience in teaching the word of God purely and sincerely, without fearing the faces of men, and also to procure the establishment of that ecclesiastical discipline revealed and set down in the holy scriptures of God, according to the measure of knowledge given to me to do, so I feel of God's special love, a delectation, a zeal, and thirst sealed up in my heart to persevere in the same, as the infallible truth of God, and to continue in the same if it shall please God to prolong my days. Albeit, Lord, far be it from me to boast or glory in anything in thy presence, before whom the angels are not able to plead their innocency! But, in the cause of thy Son Jesus Christ, seeing the want of sufficient zeal, diligence, and ability in the said office, and the many infirmities and imperfections staying me in the performance thereof.-as it became me, I have my refuge to the throne of thy grace, acknowledging, after all my irksome travels wherewith I am broken, that I am an unprofitable servant, referring the whole praise of my weak ministry to the glory of thy holy name, by whom I have my being and moving, craving in the mean time pardon of all my offences and sins, being now assured of the remission thereof through the merits of the death and passion of Jesus Christ, with whom I am conjoined in his everlasting covenant, by lively faith, whereby I presently possess his mercy:Attour. I render most hearty thanks unto his gracious goodness, that he has not only used me as a poor instrument to communicate his heavenly counsels unto others, but also has called me to great honour * It is obvious from this, that Mr. Lawson had listened with improvement to the early ministrations of John Knox, though it also appears that he had previously a tendency in favour of the reformed opinions.

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to suffer for the defence of his truth and ecclesiastical discipline* contained therein, and has of his careful providence given lively experience of the performance of that promise which his Son, my Saviour, made, that whosoever shall forsake house, father, mother, brethren, sister, wife, or children, for his name's sake, or the Gospel's, should receive a hundred fold now at this present, and life everlasting in the world to come. Not only to the most godly and learned brethren and sisters among the strangers, and especially in the godly family whereinto the Lord brought me, and wherein I have been most savingly entertained, at my heart's desire, but also to so many of my brethren and fellow labourers in the evangel with me, of my own country, whose kindness, courtesy, and good offices towards me shown, I wish the Lord to register to the one and to the other. And now turning my exhortation to my faithful brethren whom God has called to dispense the holy mysteries of his word and sacraments, whose days it shall please the Lord to prolong after my departure, I beseech them all in the bowels of Jesus Christ, that they take heed that they employ their whole studies during whatsoever time shall be granted them on the face of the earth, to prosecute their good course to benefit the people committed to their care, by preaching the glad tidings of salvation, in season and out of season, neither for lucre nor for the fashion, but earnestly, zealously, and with ready mind, in promoving, planting, and advancing that holy ecclesiastical discipline, in the house of God, which is established in his word, and so much the more valiantly and constantly to stand in defence thereof, that Satan's supports (pseudoepiscopalians) and grievous wolves are entered in and umpiring as if they were lords over God's heritage, whom neither the apostle Paul, nor any part of the word of God, did ever allow maliciously to impugn the same. And as concerning the flock of Edinburgh, how beit this body of mine has greatly wasted, yet I repent me nothing of my travail there, being assured that the Lord has there a kirk which unfeignedly fear his name, and for whose salvation the Lord has made my ministry profitable. Therefore, from my very heart I leave my blessing to all the faithful there, who dearly love the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; and my God, blessed for ever, bless them not only with true and faithful labourers in the ministry, and to preserve them from ravenous wolves, but also with continual increase, with all godliness and perseverance in that true faith and doctrine which I have taught among them, and at last with everlasting life in heaven, whereby both they and I shall mutually rejoice. And for a few others, whose names, in charity, I suppress, who, as they grieved my heart oftentimes while I was present with them, by resisting the upright and godly cause, and assisting the enemy, so now, since my departure

* Mr. Lawson had no doubt suffered much anxiety of mind, in common with every lover of the presbyterian church, with regard to the means and measures which had lately been adopted to subvert and destroy it. Early in 1584, a parliament was held, by which the liberties of both church and state were laid at the feet of the king and of those by whom he was guided. To decline the judgment of his majesty or of the privy council in any matter, was declared to be treason; all that the church had done towards the abolition of episcopacy was pronounced unlawful; all church courts, such as assemblies, presbyteries, and even sessions, were suppressed, the bishops made commissioners on ecclesiastical causes, and all animadversions on the acts of government, either private or public, strictly prohibited. Against these “black acts,” as they were called, not a nobleman, baron, or burgess ventured to open his mouth. Some of the ministers repaired to the parliament house with the design of protesting for the rights of the church, but were not admitted. The magistrates of Edinburgh received orders to drag from the pulpit any individual, who presumed to censure what the parliament had done. But this did not deter Mr. Lawson and his colleagues from exonerating their consciences; and, when the acts were proclaimed at the market-cross of Edinburgh, they, “taking their lives in their hands, went boldly and made public protestation” against them, with all the ceremonies usual on such occasions. This boldness, however, had nearly cost them their lives. Orders were immediately issued to apprehend them, and they only saved themselves by a timely flight into England, where they were soon after joined by almost twenty others of their brethren.— See M'Crie's Life of Melville, vol. i. p. 222.

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from them, through their subscribing that false and infamous libel* set out against us, their pastors, and sundry other unthankful dealings, which we neither merited nor looked for at their hands, they have done what in them lay, to wound the same ; for my part, I forgive them with my heart; and seeing they would colour their baseness under the shadow of obedience to a superior power, I beseech the Lord to forgive the king for obtruding that letter, injuriously exacting their subscription thereunto, and to give them both true repentance therefor, and not lay the burden thereof to their charge, nor leave at their hands my blood. May the same Lord open the king's eyes to behold in what hazard he has brought the true religion, his own person, fame, and state, together with the best and most obedient subjects within his realm, and give him grace in time to withdraw himself from these pestilent and wicked counsellors wherewith he is environed, and leave that unhappy course wherein he has wrapt him self, most fearfully, to the great danger of his body and soul, unless he repent. Amen. Amen. “And now I recommend my soul into the hands of my heavenly Father, the Creator thereof, and to Jesus Christ my only Redeemer and Saviour, by whom the parts of heaven are made patent unto me, willing my trusty and dearly beloved brethren, insert witnesses of this my will, to cause bury my body in that place and after that manner which shall seem good unto them, there to sleep until the day of the joyful resurrection to life everlasting, when my soul and body joined together shall have the full fruition of His face with the bodies and souls of all the faithful. And now, concerning the ordering of my family, seeing the possession of earthly things is not able to enrich my posterity;-I desire as God is the Father of the father less and Comforter of the widow's case, by the riches of his blessing to supply their poverty; and touching the portion of goods given to me I put the same in the hands of my most special friends, Robert Fairly of Braid, Mr. John Lindsay senator of the college of justice, John Johnston, Elphingston, burgess of Edinburgh, with my loving spouse Janet Guthrie, whom I constitute executors of this my testament, and they with common consent shall choose one or more of their number to whose fidelity the intromission shall be committed upon sufficient security that all things shall come to the use of my children; which burden I most earnestly request them to take upon them for the love and familiar conjunction that has been betwixt us in Christ, giving power to them to make and subscribe an inventure of my books, household gear, and other moveables left behind me in Scotland, wherever they shall be transported, and also praying my beloved brethren, the witnesses underwritten in this testament, to make and subscribe another inventure of my books, clothes, and other moveables which I have in London, and deliver them to be kept by my brother Mr. Walter Balcanduall; the whole books, clothes, and other moveables, and household gear, whatsoever, contained in the said inventures, to be set at reasonable prices, and to be sold at the sight and appointment of my said executors and intromitters, and that part thereof which shall of right be judged by them to appertain to me, shall be divided into four equal portions, to my wife and three children, to bring them up in the fear of God at the schools, in such company as their wisdom shall think most meet and expedient. And, as touching the

* In addition to the bodily disease under which Mr. Lawson was doomed to suffer, almost ever since his arrival in England, a disease which seems to have been induced by the air of that country, though no doubt aggravated by the sorrow and disappointment which he felt at the state of matters in Scotland, he was shocked and wounded in his best feelings by another circumstance. It appears he had joined with his colleague in addressing a letter to the inhabitants of Edinburgh, stating the reasons of their flight. To this letter a reply was immediately drawn up by archbishop Adamson, in name of the congregation, couched in the harshest and most contumelious terms, denominating them fugitives, rebels, and wolves, and renouncing all connexion with them. This disgraceful paper was immediately sent by the king to the town council, accompanied with an injunction, that it should be subscribed by them and the principal inhabitants; and by the threats and importunities of the court, a number of persons were induced to set their names to it. It is to this fact that Mr. Lawson alludes in the above passage; and it seems to have made a deeper impression on his mind than perhaps, considering the character of the individuals, it ought to have done; but this, when we take into account the delicacy of his feelings, under a sinking frame, and the unhappy circumstances in which he was otherwise placed, was not wonderful—See M'Crie's Life of Andrew Melville, vol. i. p. 233.

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gold and silver presently in my possession here, amounting in whole to the number of 76 pieces,* I have committed them to the credit of Mr. Walter Balcanquall, to be disposed as follows: Imprimis, He shall deliver to the French kirk at London, three angels, to be distributed to their poor. Item, To Mrs. Vanual, who kept me in mysickness, an angel. Item, I will that my loving brother, Mr. James Carmichael, shall take a rose-noble instantly, and deliver it to my dear brother and loving friend, Mr. Walter Balcanquall, who has been so careful of me at all times, and especially in time of my present sickness, to remain with him as a perpetual token of my special love and thankful heart towards him. Item, I will that the said Mr. Walter deliver in my name to my dear and well beloved spouse, Janet Guthrie, beside other provision made, or that may fall unto her by my testament, the Portugal ducat, in sign of my loving kindness, which she has well deserved, as a faithful brother gave the same to me as a pledge of his singular love towards me. And touching the pieces of gold and English silver, resting of the sum foresaid, I will that the said Mr. Walter deliver the same, bona fide, to my said executors, which gold and silver, resting, I will that my said executors bestow in the manner following: Imprimis, To my sister, Christian Lawson, the sum of twenty pounds Scots, and all the rest to be equally parted betwixt my three bairns, in three portions: providing always, that the recompense of the physicians, apothecaries, and whatsoever expenses necessary shall be made in time of my sickness, or shall be owed by me in London, when it shall please God to call me out of this valley of misery, which is just debt, and which I am owing presently, or any expense in transporting my graith home, be first paid to my brother Mr. Balcanguall at the sight of the said brethren, of the readiest of the said sum, which shall be disbursed thereof, by the said executors after the sight of the ticket thereof, by the said brethren, which shall be a sufficient discharge unto him for the same. Lastly, I earnestly request of my loving brethren, Mr. Andrew Melville, Mr. John Davidson, and Mr. James Carmichael, to concur with my brother Mr. Walter Balcanguall in revising my written books and papers** as well at London as elsewhere, and use the same as they think may best serve for the glory of God and comfort of the kirk, and my will is, that my said executors deliver them thankfully unto their hands, giving power also to my said executors to put this my testament, if need be, in more exquisite and ample form with all clauses requisite, the substance always being reserved. In witness and verification of this my testament and constant will, in the premises, and in confirmation of my testament, written at my request by Mr. James Carmichael, I, the said Mr. James Lawson, hath subscribed the same with my hand,+ and desire my good and trusty friends, Mr. Andrew Melville, provost of the new college of St. Andrews, Mr. James Carmichael, minister of God's word in Haddington, Mr. John Davidson, minister of God's word at Libberton, and Mr. Walter Balcanquall, my colleague, in the ministry at Edinburgh, to testify the same by their handwriting, the which also they did in my presence, after we had all heard the same distinctly read, day, month, year, and place foresaid.

Sic. Sub. — JAMES LAWSON, Called in the Lord.”

Witnesses to the Premises.

Mr. Andrew Melv1lle, Mr. James Carmichael,

Mr. John Davidson, Mr. Walter Balcanquall.

* Here there was a very curious and minute inventory given of the various coins possessed by Mr. Lawson at the time, which, however, it was not thought necessary to insert here, more especially considering the particular object, with which his latter will has been introduced into the volume. ** It appears that Mr. Lawson, in his books and papers, left many proofs of his talents and industry, but we are not aware that any of his writings were published, though they must no doubt have been highly valuable from the “zeal, learning, and eloquence,” ascribed to him, by his contemporaries. + Perhaps it may appear to some that, viewed as a testimony to a man's religious tenets, there is here a degree of minute formality which might have been dispensed with. Regarded as a legal deed anent the disposition of his property, perhaps some

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attention to this may be allowed to have been necessary; but the truth is, that it was in the former rather than the latter of these views that the designs and sentiments of the testator were, in the times in which he lived, liable to be misrepresented.

And such, in point of fact, was the virulence of party feeling against him, that archbishop Adamson, on hearing of his death, wrote a testament in his name, containing a recantation of his principles, and also a variety of letters to his brethren, in which he is made to reflect on ‘their conduct and motives in opposing the king and bishops! It was thus that acts which, at the present day, would disgrace and criminate the humblest citizen in the eyes of his countrymen, were then resorted to by men in the highest stations in life, with a view to supporting a cause which had no footing of itself in the feelings of the people.

The preceding is taken from: THE SCOTS WORTHIES, VOLUME II, Containing Their Last Words And Dying Testimonies: The Whole That Is To Be Found In Naphtali And The Cloud Of Witnesses, Together With Others Extracted From Memoirs Of Their Lives And Other Documents, Both In Old Published Collections And Original Manuscripts; The Whole Accompanied With Historical Notices And Observations, Explanatory And Corrective, By A Clergyman Of The Church Of Scotland.

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A REPLY OF JONET GUTHRIE AND MARGARET MARJORIBANKS, THE SPOUSES OF MR J. LOWSONE AND MR W. BALCALQUALL, TO A CALUMNIOUS AND BLASPHEMOUS ANSWEBE PUTT FUBTH UNDER THE NAME OF THE PHARISAICALL PRELAT OF ST ANDREWES, TO A LETTER SENT BY THE SAIDS MR JAMES AND MR WALTER TO THEIR OWNE FLOCKE AND CONGREGATIOUN OF EDINBURGH. " We have seene and read jour answere, (pharisaicall prelat,) dyted, as it were, to these notable servants of God, our husbands, but nothing lease meant than to be sent to them ; but as it were, in forme of a calumnie or contradictioun, to be sparsed abroad, to wound in their persons, and (as it were) through their sides, the blessed Word of God preached by them. We consider that yee have pynned yourself muche, usque ad cestum solutum et demensos ungues, to beautifie your attemptat, with inkehorne termes and counterfooted eloquence, and als hask (scurrilous) a stile, as would deco * * * * sedem apostolicam. It is true, that we, two simple weonen, (that for the present necessitie tak upon us to reply to your an- swere,) have not atteanned to the suggarred eloquence of Cicero or Demosthenes; and yitt sail be able to matche thy pharisaicall majestie, blasphemous lees, counterfoote eloquence, and hard yron stile, with the simplicitie of the simple truthe, able to discover and confound thy blasphemous slanders, howsoever rhetoricallie thou hath decked them ; and convince thee of shamefull leeing, (yea, leeing and inverting the reasouns of their godlie letter,) of slander, of perjurie, and of turning again to thy vomite, like a filthie dog, to the cleering and purging of our husbands of all these false calumneis, howbeit it be after a simple stile, and rude dytement of simple weomen.

"Yee have sett doun, in the first foure or five lynes of your answere, that having perused our husbands' letter, directed to their owne flocke, yee sought licence of the king to write an answere to it ; as though it had beene a treasonable fact to the toun of Edinburgh the recept of it, and you to have answered it, except they for recept, and you for your engyring answere, had speciall licence of the king's Majestie.

After that your weightie reasons sail be debated, we leave anie indifferent man to judge what is that point of treason which is committed. Yee say, yee cannot be judged to have putt your huick in another man's corn, howbeit yee tak upon you to answere to a letter that is not directed to you ; becaus, howsoever that letter seemed to be directed to the congregatioun of Edinburgh, it conteaneth little or no purpose concerning the toun, but forged calumneis against the king, counsel!, and estats, (and you are in number;) and that it apperteaned rather more in their calling to reverence them, if they were led with the Spirit of God. The intentioun of their letter to their flocke was, to make them understand, that just feare of their life, for mainteaning their Maister Christ's cans, and the keeping their owne flocke from manie straits that their byding might have brought them in, was caus of their withdrawing themselves for a seasoun. And sua the letter itself bewrayed you of a manifest leasing, and conteaneth great and weightie causes of their departure, which was verie requisite that their flocke sould have understood. As to the old and commoun reproache against God's servants ; troublers of commoun wealths, rebells to princes, unreverent speekers of these that be in authori- se ; they may beare it with their Master, to whome that and more was said. 'Non ne bene dicimus, quod Beelzebub habes!" But becaus this will depend upon the discussing of the particulars of the reply to the answere of the letter, we will say but this muche shortlie, as Elias said to Achab, 'It is thou, and thy father's hous, that trouble Israel.' It is thou, and the remnant of you, pharisaicall prelate, becaus yee are not throuned up in the place and authorise of Pops, that would rather mixe heaven and earth, ere the pompe of your prelaceis decay. Yee say, except it were for caus of strangers, (least they sould be sinistrouslie informed,) yee would not compt it worth an answere. Pearles are not the worse though filthie swyne trode them under foote, and preferre their draffe in their stinking sty unto them. Your answere, when it sail be matched with a reply of the learned, (which, we doubt not, yee sail find one sent by time,) sail be found worth little to except for an apothecart booth, or a seed man's shoppe, and the great paines ye have tane to beautifie leesings and fake calumneis sail be found fruictlesse labour.

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'' You come at lenth, and lay forth the particular heeds of impugnatioun of their letter. And, first, impugning their excuse for departing, which yee eeteeme to be verie weake, because (say yee) they appeare rather to colour suche attempts as have latelie beene practised, and detected to the sunne and moone. Turpe est doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum, for, in the nixt lyne of your letter, yee blame them of generallitie ; and yee are so generall yourself, that nather darre yee condescend upon anie practises, nor yitt affirme that they were culpable of anie. Wheranent, if yee had beene speciall, yee had receaved speciall answere, Questio enim per forte solvitur per forte non. We are assured, that yee, nor none in Scotland, is able to convince them of anie treasonable attemptat, ather against God or the king. You blame their sophisticall generalitie, (so it pleaseth your pharieaicall majestic to terme it,) not condescending what plagues they had threatned, at what time, upon what places of the Scripture.

Truelie, if their sermons had beene als rare as yours, since yee were My Lord Bishop, we thinke they might be the abler to have reduced them to thir remembrance ; and that generalise which yee so blame, is yitt freahe enough in the hearts of their owne flocke, and this day scene accomplished, to the great regrate of all the godlie sort, that sob for reformatioun. What volumes, we pray you, had they writtin, if they had writtin all the doctrine taught by them, impugning the dissolutioun of this age, als weill among their owne flocke as at court? And yee thinke that that court sould be as Sancta Sanctorum, reproached or reproved of no man; sua fynelie have yee learned for your luckelesse court flattering! As to that conjecturall argument of yours, that for feare of being challenged of the Road of Ruthven, they had left their flocke; if yee list to make an affirmative assertioun of your conjecturall argument, yee sould receave a short answere, to witt, (with reverence of your pharisaicall Pontifical,) yee lee in your throat. For yee are not able to prove the least suspicioun of intelligence of it.

"Yee affirme, that the culpablenesse of their attemptat is bewrayed, and the malice of their hearts plainlie uttered, in the secund article of their letter, becaus, these diverse yeeres, they have beene enemies to the course of the court, and the court to them ; and querrell meekle the not excepting of the king's person, with (we wote not what) other fecklesse phrases, requiring little answere. In their letter there is no suche phrase as in vying of court; (put your spectacles on again when yee list:) yitt, albeit it were as you say, is it anie new thing to see profane, dissolute courteours, invy the teachers of Gode's truthe? And God's servants invy not their persons, but their dissolute and profane behaviour. And in this, we leave anie indifferent man to judge betuixt us, that sail read your blasphemous answere and our reply, and are acquaint with the behaviour of the court this day. You blame them that they shew no particular practises of court against the truthe. What mistereth them to show that which you have publictlie proclamed at the Mercat Croce, and exhibited as a publict law repugnant to God's eternal! truthe, which yee, as cheefe author and father, have beene in brewing both at home and afeild, and have abused the good nature of the king's Majestie, making him understand that these acts may agree with God's law; and agree als weill with it as light with darknesse. And yitt yee will speere, What hath the court practised? Yee be like these who enquire the way they be weill eneugh acquainted with. You querrell, that in this generall reproache of court, the king's person is not excepted nor exeemed. O flattering panche-god! that would bring out of the envennomed treasure of thy invyous heart, discord betuixt God's servants and their naturall and loving prince. Envennomed vespeI sucker of poysoun out of wholesome and confortable flowers! forging and fostering calumneis upon innocent men, where there is no suche caus in the letter. Be there not at court a good number of honest, godlie, and zealous persons, besides his Highnesse? Thinke yee, whill God's servants reprove profanitie of court, and thyne, and a number of other unquiett braines doing what in them lyeth, to impoysoun the king's heart, and introduce in the kirk your new devised Popedome; thinke yee, we say, that we burthein his Grace, and that godlie remnant, and not rather you, the authors and in venters? And we waite for this muche of his gracious clemencie, that some time his Hienesse sail make this new forme of policie be better examined, 204

and tried with learned and indifferent men; at what time, we doubt not but his Hienesse, understanding your flatterie in abusing his Grace for your stinking promotioun, sail, for your reward, erect you in a tow.

You reproache them of breaohe of promise made, that they sould speeke nothing in pulpit of court, before they had conferred with his Hienesse' self; and you are not able to condescend oh anie particular, whereanent yee can blame them in this behalfe. Whensoever yee sail doe it, in anie particular, they sail cleere themselves to the satisfactioun of all honest men. But we wonder, that suche a Holi glasse as you are (we speeke with reverence of your Pontificat) sould querrell breache in promise, who, in breache of promise, is reproachefullest of anie man in our knowledge in all Scotland. Qui dicit qua vult, qua non vult, audiet. How manie ever had dealing with you, to whome yee have not played an Holiglasse tricke? " You prosecute in your answere, that they, leaving court and counsell, querrell the estate conveened at this present parliament; and sett doun (you say) majesticall sentences so generall against the late acts of parliament, alledging them to repugne to the Word of God ; and therefore blame their generalitie. And, for your better warrant in blaming them, yee produce the first act of parliarment, and make a long discourse, to little purpose, upon the same; and ather ignorantlie mistake, or maliciouslie (which we rather judge) depvavat the ground of their godlie letter, writtin to their owne flocke, being the just caus of their withdrawing them frome their flocke; becaus, in the late parliament, acts were sett doun and published against the Word of God; and for the more terrour to anie that sould oppone against them an act made to compt it treasoun to speeke against these acts ; strait charges sent to the magistrats of their owne flookee, to imprison them that oppouned against them. In this strait they were in danger of condemnatioun of both soule and bodie, if they keeped silence, and spake not against these lawes: of treasoun against the king, if they oppouned themselves against them. Minassings, and bloodie words of great coorteours, cast abrode for their greater terrour, ministred just cans of feare, and was lawfull caus of their departing; sus judged and accepted of the most and best part of their owne flocke, howsoever yee would engyre your self, to perswade them of the contrare; and without witt, with huike, in verie deed sheare another man's rig: depraving and calumniating their good meaning, as though it were high treasoun against the king the writing of it, and higher treasoun the recept of it. His Hienesse' eares are wearied with your inopportunitie and malicious forged leing upon these poore servants of God. The cheefe point that yee querrell them for is speeking against the acts of the estate, hypocriticall prelate!

If the late acts, or anie of them, be suche as agree not, or may not stand with God's law, and the forsaid minassing also true, who darre be so impudent as to blame their departing; or them for speeking against the estats, that darre take upon them to sett doun lawes against God, though they were authorized with the estats of all the parliaments on the earth? You will say, we know you be not mett directlie. You querrell them of impugning the lawes of the estat, as repugnant to God's law ; not condescending what acts repugne, nor how they repugne. What hath their letter to doe, to satisfie your grosse and wilfull ignorance, that see als cleere as the sunne the repugnancie, and yitt maliciouslie seeme to misknow, onlie to forge a querrell, and be, like Chaucer's cookce, bussier nor yee mister, and skad your lippes in other men's kaile? Their owne flocke, to whome the letter is directed, know the mater, and see repugnancie, and are satisfied. What have they to doe with you, who, in your poysouned malice, is wilfullie ignorant? He is blockish as a stocke, and blind as a mod-wart, that seeth it not. And if your craft had not beene suche to obscure them from men's knowledge, discharging your clerks to give forth anie extract of them, and have beene ashamed to committ to print the best part of them, they had beene, ere now, directlie impugned out of the Word of God. Therefore, seing the force of thy ingyne is to deceave honest men, goe seeke some other course: thou sail never be able to prevaile that way. We mervell at the envennomed malice of thyne heart against these men, thy manifold unreverend words, and the deepe dissimulatioun of thy hypocriticall course, that, in conference with good men tuiching the late acts, thou hath protested before God (as though thou disallowed them thyself) thou never knew 205

there was anie evill intended against the kirk, nor was of counsell of these lawes before they were penned and propouned in parliament hous. And yitt suche a brazen face darre upbraid so godlie men, susteaning so good a caus, when thy owne conscience throweth out of thee, now or then, to one or other, the disallowing of these acts! Were not for bringing good men in trouble by thee, we sould decipher thy dissimulat hypocrisie.

"Thou taketh occasioun, upon the first act of that parliament, to make a brag of a notable worke, and commenteth largelie upon it. But for what caus comment yee not als muche upon your fourth act and twentie act, which is the fundament of your Popedome ; and the remanent acts, which yee thinke shame to print? We must make your answere, Becaus yee are not able to justifie them by warrant of God's Word. And all that yee have established in that act yee annull in the rest, derogantes priora posterioribus. Yee induce an evill collected consequence, farre from the meaning of anie point of their letter, to make disputatioun, whether the ministers of a countrie sail prescrive to the prince and commoun wealth ; or if he, bearing cheefe authoritie of his princelie office, sail sett doun lawes for the policie of the kirk. This farre-fetched mater, to debate on, is als farre sought out of their letter, as bellum Trojanum a gemino ovo. As to their purpose, we say yitt once again, that wicked lawes which are established by the estats (of which number yee boast you one) of the realme, and tyrannicall threatnings against them, if they sould oppone against the same, have ministred caus of just feare for them, to withdraw them frome their flocke, and reserve themselves to a better time: and that gloreing of thine, of being one of the estats, and sitting in parliament, representing a member of the kirk, and against thy faith, against thy conscience, against thy former hand-writt and subscriptions yitt extant, sail be a testimonie of God's just judgements against thee. And when ever the subject of these acts sail be debated before an indifferent judge, your aspiring to a Popedome sail be brought to matche with the lowest sort of your marrowes; your pharisaicall hypocrisie discovered, and the prince, in his princelie authoritie, fullie satisfied. You prosecute your argument, enlarging it from exemple of late yeeres preceeding; and prove that the policie of the kirk cannot depend upon the decrees of ministers, but upon the law of God, and constitutions of princes; becaus (say yee) experience hath taught, that great disorder in the kirk, no man having the oversight of dioceis, no difference betwixt great and small, learned and unlearned, young and old, but everie man acknowledging equall authoritie and jurisdictioun in the kirk.

"Howbeit, all this mater be farre-fetched, and concerne not the answeres of our husbands letter ; and you thinke these reasons suche, as great Oedipus could not find out an answere for them, we will assay what two simple weomen can doe. You have oft querelled our husbands' letter of generalitie ; and you are alwise puddelled in the same myre, never specifeing in particular these confusiouns. We would mervell, (if we knew not yee were effronted shamelesse,) so manifestlie to lee, of not visitatioun of the dioceis, which was ever the cheefest care of the kirk, and the first thing that was tane accompt of in Assembleis, as though your new devised Popedome and visitatioun by you, that nather can nor beare good will to visite, and are so defiled with the stinking puddell of all corruptiouns and filthie crimes, that men would soone upbraid you, 'Reforme your selves, and syne reforme us;' as though we say, your visitatioun sould be preferred. As to equalitie in jurisdictiouns, and authoritie in the kirk, which you aggravat most, we affirme it is the verie true order left by the Spirit of God, for the best forme to governe his kirk, and preserve it frome the tyrannicall pride and ambitloun of your prelates, which, of old, induced the Popedome, and now is aspired to by you, though after another forme. Our Maister, Christ, smelling the pridefull ambitioun that was likele to enter among his apostles, after his departing, contending who sould be greatest, said, 'Who would be greatest among you, be servant to the rest/ Unto which of the apostles gave he prerogative above the remanent? (except yee would induce again that phantasticall opinion of Peter's supremacies and fundament of the Roman kirk.) If there be 206

necessitie of preferment of one minister above another, or others, yee must needs as cend till yee come to one above all, and so, in end, to the old Pope dome, that your ambitious hearts aspire so muche unto.

God hath givin alike commissioun to all these that have their lawfoll calling of him in his kirk. We will use a fiuniliar similitude. What greater preferment (we meane of his office) hath one bailliffe above another, howbeit he be perhaps of honourabler kin, greater riches, age, or wisdome? If there were tenne in a toun, in prerogative of his office, he is no wise above his marrowes. Your answere meeteth verie directlie (God woteI) their letter, when you upbraid them two, that the acts of the Assemblie repugne one to another ; and some of them, you say, derogating to the estate of the realme : and that pluralitie of votes sould beare maters away there ; and all must be out of order, that dependeth not upon the policie which you, corrupt and ignorant prelate, with a number of unlearned others, putt forth, under the colour of the king's name and estats of the realme. You be so oft relapse in generalise, that we forgett the number, not mentioning the acts repugning, their bookes being extant with their acts ; and amongst manie, yee might have produced one, and lettin the repugnancie and derogatioun to the estats have beene seene. But, becaus yee could not possiblie doe it, yee overpassed it with a generalise.

Where you querrell that pluralitie of votes sould beare maters away, lett us understand anie forme of concluding debated maters, ather in old or new, spirituall or temporall councells, yea, within your own parliament, beside that forme. Produce it; for hitherto we have never heard of anie. You querrell and reproache the number of the acts and statute of the kirk, saying, they goe beyond the number of the statute of the Canon law. If the statute themselves be good, yee doe wrong to blame them: for the Canon law was never blamed in the number, but in that, that the greatest part of them repugned to God's law.

"Yon reproache speciallie the act made tuiching the Road of Ruthven, as treasounable. How can yee reproache ather them two,, or the whole Assemblies of that act; you, (whom yee call the estate,) having before found, and declared it to be good and acceptable service to his Grace; and his Grace having directed his Hienesse' owne commissioners to that Asaemblie, declaring that your lordships had so decerned, and that it was his Hienesse' minde, that all his good subjects sould understand it to be so consented, that there sould be an act made to that effect? How manie proclamations sett yee furth, for approving and justifeing of that act; and that no man sould speeke evill of that act, yea, under paine of treasons? You charge them with commanding the king's Majestie, under paine of excommuniatioun, to dispone his bishopricks to qualified men; and therin you make a manifest leesng of them ; for you are not able to prove it. You blaspheme fasting, that notable exercise of God's service. We doubt not but God sail punishe you with that or the like punishement of Babsakeh and Senacherib, for their blasphemie. You sett doun a great majesticall sentence, (we use your owne tennes,) ex malis moribus bonae leges ortae sunt. It behoved yon first to have provin malos mores, which you sall not be able to doe, when yon have striven to the uttermost; nor yitt prove leges bonas. It appeareth that yee call these, males mores, the changing of superintendents to bishops, frome bishops to visiters, frome visiter to commissioners, frome commissioners to presbytereis, and, under colour of presbytarcis, (so impudentlie it pleaseth you to speeke,) to practise their treasonable attemptats, with gentlemen of the countrie, against the king, and incitat his Hienesse' subjects to rebellioun. We perceave there is no end of thy blasphemous leing. Are yee able to bring out of all the presbytereis of Scotland one prooffe of anie treasonable attempt, or incitation to commotion popular, against his Hienesse? If yee could, I doubt not yee had done. As to the changing of their names, what is that to the purpose what name be givin; the effect of their calling, that was so termed, remaining? For ministers be sometimes called ministers, sometimes pastors, sometimes preests, sometimes bishops. The Spirit of God, in the Revelation, calleth them angels. What of the name, when the mater remaineth all one? Have yee so soone forgott your owne approbatioun of all that policie, when you, like a proud Balaam, had oppouned your self against that forme of policie which, by force of argument and reason, convicted and overcome, 207

yee were compelled to yeeld to, and crie with teares, which now are seene to have beene hypocriticall and crocodilicall? Thou came, as Balaam, to curse thy brethrein, the authors of that policie; and God opened thy mouth, and (maugre thy heart) made thee to blesee them, confessing thy self convicted in conscience; allowing all that policie, and begging of God that you might have had an houre in pulpit, to lett the world understand how yee were satisfied ; and, as avower and approver of all, subscrived it with thine owne hand, yitt extant, incace thou would denie, although now, like a filthie dog, thou would returne to thine owne vomite. Prosecuting your digressioun from formall answering to their letter, you come to justifeing of the late acts; and all that you bring for justifeing of them is your owne assertioun, that in upright conscience, and warrant of God's law, yee did it; willing them to Bpeeke more reverentlie of the estats and their lawes. If yee had provin your as* sertions, and made induction of them with their warrant of God's Word, yee had done somwhat. But a feg for your bare assertioun, without farther ! for all your preferment, and all your authoritie, is not yitt suche as all must be truthe, quia ipse dixit. And we leave God to judge betwixt you and them, who misused themselves most to the estats ; you with flatterie abusing the truthe, and they impugning lawes direct against God's truthe. You querrell them for calling you ' cursed bishops.' In a cursed time were you borne; a cursed life, in a cursed time, have you lived ; and if you mend not your maners, in God's wrath accursed sail you dee. And, albeit some of you be washed (sutorio atramentd) from your cursednesse, (the exemple wherof yee sail never be able to prove in anie age of the kirk,) cursed yitt in God's sight continueth he still.

"Where, you say, if charitie would permitt, you would upbraid the cheefest of their opinioun with fouller vices, wee mervell you speeke so muche of charitie, who have so foullie abused your self beyond the bounds of all Christian charitie, so falselie, with so roanie reproachefull words, blaspheming not onlie them, but God's Word through them. We understand not what yee meant by the ' cheefest of their opinioun ;' except it were their Master, Christ, contra quern durum est calcitrare. You object to them, Jerome and Vigilantius, tuiching slanderous crimes in men's owne persons. But this subject is not fitt, being for the power and authoritie of God's Word, intended by you to be brought under the appetite of men, whill yee thinke that men's law sould stand repugnant to God's law. Remember the zeale that men sould be moved with when God's cans is in hand, whill the prophet sayeth, 'Zelus domus turn comedit me! And truelie, with Jerome and Vigilantius, in reproaching men's owne particular vices, we would be both slow and modest, howbeit (in this your answere, yee have observed little of their rule) you come yitt once again to calumniat their departure, as a crime you cannot esteeme to have a matche ; and judge it to have beene to none other end, but onlie to have stirred up some popular motioun. Charitas non est suspiciosa. Where is that Christian charitie you boasted so mnche latelie of; or what argument of suspicioun was ever found in anie of these two? You are in the bitternesse of gall, and false invented malicious leing. We are certane the king's Majestie himself is perswaded otherwise. As to the justifeing of the lawfulnesse of their departing, we have said before, that we doubt not to cleere their honestie in that point; and had beene now more speciall, were not we understand that there is a discourse betwixt two burgesses of Edinburgh, disputing that mater at great lenth.

"All that followeth in your answere, from Chrysostome's answere, non descendam, &c, till you come the third time to your late acts, tendeth unite to praise the king's Grace, that willed all them of their vooatkran to walke in their owne calKog, teache and instruct their flockes, and not be disturbers of peace and quietnesee of the commoun-wealth, nor stirrers up of popular seditioun, in anie their sermons. In this we most heartilie praise God, begging to his Grace long life in God's feare and obedience, and preeervatioun frome so cursed flatterers, malicious leers, detractors of innocent men, as you be, who have moved the good nature of good princes oft tymes to doe that rashlie, that, after deliberat advisement, they have sore repented.

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"You say our husbands be mad, and bereft of their witt, that thought to have greater libertie of religioun in England (whether they be fled) than in Scotland. Your reasons be, the queene is a rare auditrix of sermons her self, and hath yitt continuing in her realme the reformatioun of King Edward, blemished with manie ceremoneis and superstitions. What is it to the libertie of their conscience how manie or how few sermons the queen heare? And have not these notable kirks, both, of France and Flanders, found recept, confort, and defence, in the puritie of their owne reformed religioun, notwithstanding of ante injunctions of her owne subjects? Yee make a gallimafra of this answere of yours under colour of answering; interlacing so manie sindrie purposes, and going frome purpose to purpose, now to it, now from it, now to it again. Now yee cast out Bullinger and Mr Bucer's opinioun tuiching the ceremoneis of England : again yee querrell, of new, their departing, as though yee could never say enough: againe (agens negotium de banoco) you confirme the authoritie of your pharasaicall diguitie, that truelie we wearie of your answering. Yit, least yee thinke yee have triumphed with viotorie, lett us come to the particulars. Martin Bucer, nor Henrie Bullinger, were never of that opinions, that these ceremoneis which were not adiaphore, and might not stand with the expresse Word of God, sould be allowed or borne with; but suche as were in themselves adiaphore, and might stand with the Word. What would these notable instruments of God say to you if they were alive, that would reduce, after twentiefoure yeeres' reformatioun of religioun in puritie, but anie ceremoneis or injunctiouns, not oolie adiaphore ceremoneis, but place constitutions, sett out in publict, lawes repugning ex diametro to the Word of God? You affirm that no men in England, where they are, call in questioun the authoritie of the king over all estate in his realme, nor authoritie of bishops in their dioceis. We would that yee, villane prelate, sould matche you with others than princes. Who is in Scotland that doubteth of his Hienesse' power over all his estats, yes, in als solemne a manor as anie prince under the sunne? What part of their bill (that yee ingyre you to answere unto) deduce yee this answere from? As for you, pharisaicall prelate, with that authoritie which yee would challenge over dioceis, and which yee afiinne that the whole learned men in England approve, we are assured you blame them falslie, and when they sail heare of it they sail matche you with an answere; for the best and: learnedst sort of that realme approveth not the forme among themselves there ; and the whole learned men there are in contrare opinioun, that after so long sattled policie there sould be so suddane alteratioun.

"You come nixt to the impudentest and manifestest leesing that ever we heard; and say that there is not one of these late acts of parliament which the whole bishops, pastors, ministers, and other learned, godlie, and faithfull professors of the Word in England, have not approved, allowed, and subscrived, without ane controversies. How manie, we pray you, of ail the learned in England, have so muche as once heard that there are suche acts made in Scotland, lett be to approve and subscrive them? We mervell they be gone so quicklie abroad in England that none could gett the copie of them in Scotland.

Fy upon thy shamelesse leing! You say, you thinke the estate of that realme will not tolerat suche beastlie men in their countrie to infect their youth. Bona verba quoeso, ne in tarn amph campo malum dicens, pejus audias. But we wounder more that the earth beareth suche a profane leing villane, epicurean bellie-god; for thy beastlinesse, if we sould descrive, we sould bring the livelie image of Heliogabalus, Scroggan, or Holliglasse * ; and when we had done that, we could not descrive the tenth part of thy treachereis. If you thinke we have exceeded matronall silence in thy description, learne yourself to speeke truelie and reverentlie of honest and godlie men that have testimonie of thousands, *Holiglasse, or Howleglas, so often alluded to at this period, was a popular person, age of the morality plays of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, who identified the French Tartuffe, and the Italian Harlequin in his own single person. The allusion, therefore, possessed a poignancy in MelriU's time, whioh is in a great measure lost to the readers of the present day.

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both of doctrine and behaviour. That great axiome which yee affirme yee will close up your answere with, what part of their letter it answereth to, God knoweth, being only an invective against the Booke of Policie and authors therof. The order, or disorder, (yee say,) sett doun in the Booke of Policie, tuiching the king and estate, cannot stand with sinceritie of the truthe, exemple of the ancients, nor scepter of a Christian prince. What can be answered to this generallitie, which you so muche blame in others, and yitt are alwayes in relapses, of one to the tenth ? What is sett doun in the Booke of Policie tuiching that subject we know not, and we never heard of anie suche booke sett furth in Scotland. But had you deduced that which you so straitlie impugne generallie, you sould have beene answered to your shame; and, therefore, we continue speciall answere till you condescend both of the booke, and the particular heeds sett doun, that you would impugne.

"You turne your stile from them conjunctlie to Mr Walter alone, and affirme, you thought him never worthie to have charge of suche a congregatioun. Magna res est, scilicet, that you thought sua. Whill he was with them, he was both in doctrine and behaviour, and now absent, longed for and thristed after, and his absence bewailed with teares of the godlie. But we thinke it sail be long ere your absence be so regrated of your flocke. Y ou exhort Mr James Lowsone to returne again, and show the king's graciousnesse and clemencie, and that he is thristed for of the brethrein. Blessed be God that he is yitt thristed for of good men, howsoever suche a villane as you calumniat him. We acknowledge and confesse his Hienesse' clemencie, and, in our verie hearts, praise God for the same. For, if his Hienesse would serve the appetite of your raging malice against God's servants, that in puritie of religioun would serve him, and not mainteane your pharisaicall pompe, and beare up your stinking tailes, they had beene compelled ere now to seeke another land for their dwelling. The Lord open his eyes to see your malice, pride, and hypocriticall flatterie, and tuiche his Grace more and more to see his owne calling, to God's glorie, his Hienesse' long life, increasse of honour, with good successe in all his godlie effidres, rejoicing, as in open sunne, the hearts of manie godlie men. How you, and others your companions, maliciouslie and untruelie calumniat, the Lord, we say once again, judge betuixt you and them, that his Hienesse may once see whether yee, with your impoysouned flatterie, or they, in the simplicitie and uprightnesse of their conscience, meane fiuthfullest to his Hienesse' obedience; wealthe, and weelefare to his Hienesse, bodie and soule.

Amen. Amen.

"Arise, O Lord Jesus, to judgement, for the poore and simple be oppressed with the calumneis of the wicked. " Your sisters, if yee had not alreadie divided the unitie of the kirk ; and when yee sail returne in Peter's teares, be sisters againe.

Jonet Guthrie Margaret Marjoribanks This letter, which was actually written by the wives of the two ministers, so excited the rage of the archbishop, that he procured the persecuting edicts of the king against them, instead of encountering them with their own weapons.

The preceding was taken from: The History of the Kirk of Scotland, by David Calderwood, 1843

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The Historie of ane Nobil and Vailye and Squyer, William Meldrum, Umquhyle Laird of Cleische and Bynnis, Compylit be Sir David Lyndesay of the Mont, alias, Lyoun, King of Armes.

Rhiannon Purdie and Emily Wingfield (Editors) This is the original text of the Squyer Meldrum poem. Translations of ancient Scottish words and phrases are provided in the right column along with references to more detailed notes (associated with line number). Highlighted in the text are 29 footnotes.

Footnotes and notes are included at the end of the poem.

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Quho that antique stories reidis, Considder may the famous deidis Of our nobill progenitouris, Quhilk suld to us be richt mirrouris, Thair verteous deidis to ensew, And vicious leving to eschew.

Sic men bene put in memorie That deith suld not confound thair glorie.

Howbeit thair bodie bene absent, Thair verteous deidis bene present.

Poetis, thair honour to avance, Hes put thame in rememberance.

Sum wryt of preclair conquerouris, And sum of vailyeand empriouris, And sum of nobill michtie kingis That royallie did reull thair ringis; And sum of campiounis, and of knichtis That bauldlie did defend thair richtis, Quhilk vailyeandlie did stand in stour For the defence of thair honour; And sum of squyeris douchtie deidis, That wounders wrocht in weirlie weidis.

Sum wryt of deidis amorous, As Chauceir wrait of Troilus, How that he luiffit Cressida; Of Jason and of Medea.

With help of Cleo I intend — Sa Minerve wald me sapience send — Ane nobill squyer to discryfe Quhais douchtines during his lyfe I knaw my self: thairof I wryte, And all his deidis I dar indyte, And secreitis that I did not knaw, That nobill squyer did me schaw.

Sa I intend, the best I can, Descryve the deidis and the man, Quhais youth did occupie in lufe, Full plesantlie without reprufe; Quhilk did as monie douchtie deidis As monie ane that men of reidis Quhilkis poetis puttis in memorie For the exalting of thair glorie.

Quhairfoir I think, sa God me saif, He suld have place amangis the laif, That his hie honour suld not smure,

old-fashioned ancestors (see note) take as a model living; avoid cast down Although

Have illustrious valorous emperors rule; realms champions boldly valiantly; battle squires’ valiant warlike attire (i.e., armor); (see note) wrote loved (see note) (see note) Providing that; (see note) tell of Whose valor venture to write of (see note) [To] write of; (see note) [He] whose; spend; love disgrace Who As many a man that people read about Whom; memorialize (pl.)

God save me among the rest be extinguished 211

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Considering quhat he did indure Oft times for his ladeis sake.

I wait Sir Lancelote du Lake, Quhen he did lufe King Arthuris wyfe, Faucht never better with sword nor knyfe For his ladie in no battell, Nor had not half so just querrell.

The veritie, quha list declair, His lufe was ane adulterair And durst not cum into hir sicht, Bot lyke ane houlet on the nicht.

With this squyer it stude not so: His ladie luifit him and no mo.

Husband nor lemman had scho none, And so he had hir lufe alone.

I think it is no happie lyfe, Ane man to jaip his maisteris wyfe As did Lancelote: this I conclude, Of sic amour culd cum na gude.

I am sure love Fought; (see note) cause to state it plainly adulteress [he] did not dare Except; owl in was not the case loved; other lover

seduce such love; (see note)

Now to my purpois will I pas, And shaw yow how the squyer was Ane gentilman of Scotland borne; So was his father him beforne, Of nobilnes lineallie discendit, Quhilks thair gude fame hes ever defendit.

Gude Williame Meldrum he was namit Quhilk in his honour was never defamit, Stalwart and stout in everie stryfe, And borne within the schyre of Fyfe; To Cleische and Bynnis richt heritour, Quhilk stude for lufe in monie stour He was bot twentie yeiris of age, Quhen he began his vassalage: Proportionat weill; of mid stature; Feirie and wicht and micht indure; Ovirset with travell both nicht and day; Richt hardie baith in ernist and play; Blyith in countenance; right fair of face; And stude weill ay in his ladies grace, For he was wounder amiabill, And in all deidis honorabill, And ay his honour did avance, In Ingland first, and syne in France, And thair his manheid did assaill, Under the kingis greit admirall Quhen the greit navie of Scotland, Passit to the sey aganis Ingland.

And as thay passit be Ireland coist, The admirall gart land his oist And set Craigfergus into fyre, And saifit nouther barne nor byre.

before him nobility directly; (see note) Who (pl.); reputation

shire of Fife heir; (see note) defended; many battles displays of prowess medium height; (see note) Nimble; bold Oppressed by hardship Cheerful attractive always (see note) test (see note) sea coast had his host land Carrickfergus on saved; barn; cow-shed

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It was greit pietie for to heir Of the pepill the bailfull cheir, And how the land folk wer spuilyeit; Fair wemen underfute wer fuilyeit.

Bot this young squyer, bauld and wicht, Savit all wemen quhair he micht; All preistis and freiris he did save, Till at the last he did persave Behind ane garding amiabill Ane womanis voce richt lamentabill, And on that voce he followit fast, Till he did see hir at the last, Spuilyeit, naikit as scho was borne.

Twa men of weir wer hir beforne Quhilk wer richt cruell men and kene, Partand the spuilyie thame betwene.

Ane fairer woman nor scho wes He had not sene in onie place.

Befoir him on hir kneis scho fell, Sayand: “For him that heryit Hell, Help me, sweit Sir — I am ane mayd!”

Than softlie to the men he said: “I pray yow give againe hir sark, And tak to yow all uther wark.”

Hir kirtill was of scarlot reid, Of gold, ane garland of hir heid, Decorit with enamelyne, Belt and brochis of silver fyne.

Of yallow taftais wes hir sark, Begaryit all with browderit wark Richt craftelie, with gold and silk.

Than said the ladie quhyte as milk, “Except my sark, no thing I crave: Let thame go hence with all the lave.”

Quod thay to hir, “Be Sanct Fillane, Of this ye get nathing agane!”

Than said the squyer courteslie, “Gude freindis, I pray yow hartfullie, Gif ye be worthie men of weir, Restoir to hir agane hir geir Or, be greit God that all hes wrocht, That spuilyie sal be ful deir bocht!”

Quod thay to him, “We thee defy!”

And drew thair swordis haistely, And straik at him with sa greit ire That from his harnes flew the fyre.

With duntis sa darflie on him dang, That he was never in sic ane thrang.

Bot he him manfullie defendit, And with ane bolt on thame he bendit And hat the ane upon the heid, That to the ground he fell doun deid,

wretched mourning robbed defiled strong wherever priests and friars; (see note) notice pleasant garden voice; sorrowful

Robbed; naked; (see note) men of war (i.e., soldiers) fierce Dividing the booty than

ravaged virgin chemise; (see note) (see note) gown (see note) enamelling brooches yellow taffeta; chemise Striped; embroidered white; (see note) rest Saint Fáelán; (see note)

sincerely If; soldiers things (i.e., clothes and other possessions) plunder

sparks; (see note) blows; violently; struck danger sudden spring; leapt hit

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For to the teith he did him cleif: Lat him ly thair with ane mischeif.

Than with the uther hand for hand, He beit him with his birneist brand: The uther was baith stout and strang, And on the squyer darflie dang, And than the squyer wrocht greit wonder, Ay till his sword did shaik in sunder.

Than drew he furth ane sharp dagair And did him cleik be the collair, And evin in at the collerbane, At the first straik he hes him slane: He founderit fordward to the ground.

Yit was the squyer haill and sound, Forquhy he was sa weill enarmit, He did escaip fra thame unharmit.

And quhen he saw thay wer baith slane, He to that ladie past agane Quhair scho stude nakit on the bent, And said, “Take your abulyement,” And scho him thankit full humillie, And put hir claithis on spedilie.

Than kissit he that ladie fair, And tuik his leif at hir but mair.

Be that the taburne and trumpet blew And everie man to shipburd drew.

That ladie was dolent in hart From tyme scho saw he wald depart That hir relevit from hir harmes, And hint the squyer in hir armes And said, “Will ye byde in this land, I sall yow tak to my husband: Thocht I be cassin now in cair, I am,” quod scho, “my fatheris air, The quhilk may spend of pennies round Of yeirlie rent ane thowsand pound.”

With that hartlie scho did him kis.

“Are ye,” quod scho, “content of this?”

“Of that,” quod he, “I wald be fane Gif I micht in this realme remane, Bot I mon first pas into France.

Sa quhen I cum agane, perchance, And efter that the peice be maid, To marie yow I will be glaid.

Fairwell, I may no langer tarie: I pray God keip yow, and sweit Sanct Marie.”

Than gaif scho him ane lufe taking, Ane riche rubie set in ane ring.

“I am,” quod scho, “at your command, With yow to pas into Scotland.”

“I thank yow hartfullie,” quod he, “Ye are ovir young to saill the see,

teeth; cleave with a curse at close quarters burnished sword violently struck shatter to pieces dagger catch killed collapsed forward Because; armed (and armored)

grass clothing humbly

And took his leave of her without more delay Then; drum mournful rescued; injury took If you will stay fallen; into distress heir

heartily delighted must peace

love token (see note)

sincerely too young

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And speciallie with men of weir.”

“Of that,” quod scho, “tak ye na feir, 1 I sall me cleith in mennis clais, And ga with yow quhair evir ye pleis: Suld I not lufe him paramour, That saifit my lyfe and my honour?”

“Ladie, I say yow in certane, Ye sall have lufe for lufe agane, Trewlie, unto my lyfis end!

Fairweill: to God I yow commend.”

With that into his boit he past, And to the ship he rowit fast.

Thay weyit thair ankeris and maid saill, This navie with the admirall, And landit in bauld Brytane.

This admirall was erle of Arrane, Quhilk was baith wyse and vailyeand, Of the blude royall of Scotland, Accompanyit with monie ane knight Quhilk wer richt worthie men and wicht.

Amang the laif, this young squyar Was with him richt familiar, And throw his verteous diligence, Of that lord he gat sic credence That quhen he did his courage ken, Gaif him cure of fyve hundreth men Quhilkis wer to him obedient, Reddie at his commandement.

It wer to lang for to declair The douchtie deidis that he did thair.

Becaus he was sa courageous, Ladies of him wes amorous.

He was an munyeoun for ane dame: Meik in chalmer lyk ane lame, Bot in the feild ane campioun, Rampand lyke ane wyld lyoun, Weill practikit with speir and scheild, And with the formest in the feild.

No chiftane was amangis thame all In expensis mair liberall.

In everilk play he wan the pryse, With that he was verteous and wyse, And so, becaus he was weill pruifit, With everie man he was weill luifit.

clothe; clothes take him as a lover (see note)

boat weighed their anchors Brittany (see note) valiant

bold rest

earned such a good name make known care

were in love with him darling; (see note) chamber; lamb; (see note) champion Rampaging foremost more generous every fight; was victorious tried and tested; (see note) By; loved

Hary the aucht, king of Ingland, That tyme at Caleis wes lyand With his trimphant ordinance, Makand weir on the realme of France.

The King of France his greit armie Lay neir hand by in Picardie, Quhair aither uther did assaill,

Henry VIII Calais; stationed host (see note) each the other

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Howbeit thair was na set battaill, Bot thair wes daylie skirmishing, Quhair men of armis brak monie sting.

Quhen to the squyer Meldrum Wer tauld thir nouellis all and sum, He thocht he wald vesie the weiris, And waillit furth ane hundreth speiris, And futemen quhilk wer bauld and stout, The maist worthie of all his rout.

Quhen he come to the king of France, He wes sone put in ordinance; Richt so was all his companie That on him waitit continuallie.

Thair was into the Inglis oist Ane campioun that blew greit boist.

He was ane stout man and ane strang, Quhilk oist wald with his conduct gang Outthrow the greit armie of France, His valiantnes for to avance, And Maister Talbart was his name, Of Scottis and Frenche quhilk spak disdane, And on his bonnet usit to beir Of silver fyne takinnis of weir.

And proclamatiounis he gart mak That he wald, for his ladies saik, With any gentilman of France To fecht with him with speir or lance: Bot no Frenche man in all that land With him durst batteil hand for hand.

Than, lyke ane weiriour vailyeand, He enterit in the Scottis band: And quhen the squyer Meldrum Hard tell this campioun wes cum, Richt haistelie he past him till, Demanding him quhat was his will.

“Forsuith, I can find none,” quod he, “On hors nor fute dar fecht with me.”

Than said he, “It wer greit schame Without battell ye suld pas hame: Thairfoir to God I mak ane vow, The morne my self sall fecht with yow, Outher on horsbak or on fute — Your crakkis I count thame not ane cute. 2 I sall be fund into the feild, Armit on hors with speir and scheild.”

Maister Talbart said, “My gude chyld, It wer maist lik that thow wer wyld.

Thow ar to young, and hes no might To fecht with me that is so wicht.

To speik to me thow suld have feir, For I have sic practik in weir That I wald not effeirit be

Although (see note) many a staff these tidings go to see; fighting chose; spearmen foot soldiers armed band came marshaled attended to him among; armed forces spoke very arrogantly Whose company would; leadership Throughout (see note) spoke scornfully badges of war; (see note) had made

fight at close quarters

Heard; had come went to him

who dares to fight

Either (see note) found in (see note) You seem to be crazy powerful professional skill frightened

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To mak debait aganis sic thre, For I have stand in manie stour And ay defendit my honour.

Thairfoir, my barne, I counsell thee, Sic interprysis to let be.”

Than said this squyer to the knight: “I grant ye ar baith greit and wicht.

Young David was far les than I Quhen he with Golias manfullie Withouttin outher speir or scheild He faucht and slew him in the feild.

I traist that God salbe my gyde And give me grace to stanche thy pryde.

Thocht thow be greit, like Gowmakmorne, Traist weill I sall yow meit the morne Beside Montruill, upon the grene, Befoir ten houris I salbe sene.

And gif ye wyn me in the feild, Baith hors and geir I sall yow yeild, Sa that siclyke ye do to me.”

“That I sall do, be God!” quod he, “And thairto I give thee my hand.”

And swa betwene thame maid an band That thay suld meit upon the morne.

Bot Talbart maid at him bot scorne, Lychtlyand him with wordis of pryde, Syne hamewart to his oist culd ryde, And shew the brethren of his land How ane young Scot had tane on hand To fecht with him beside Montruill, “Bot I traist he sall prufe the fuill.”

Quod thay: “The morne that sall we ken: The Scottis ar haldin hardie men.”

Quod he, “I compt thame not ane cute: He sall returne upon his fute And leif with me his armour bricht, For weill I wait he hes no micht On hors nor fute to fecht with me.

Quod thay: “The morne that sall we se.”

Quhan to Monsour de Obenie Reportit was the veritie, How that the squyer had tane on hand To fecht with Talbart hand for hand, His greit courage he did commend, Sine haistelie did for him send.

And quhen he come befoir the lord, The veritie he did record — How for the honour of Scotland, That battell he had tane on hand: “And sen it givis me in my hart, Get I ane hors to tak my part, My traist is sa in Goddis grace,

contest with stood; many a battle child enterprises powerful

either (see note) quell (see note) tomorrow morning (see note) ten o’clock overcome armor If; the same

thus; agreement the next morning just mocked him Disdaining homewards; army; did ride told; fellow men taken it upon himself fight trust; prove the fool know are thought to be (see note) on foot I know full well Tomorrow morning (see note) truth of the matter taken it upon himself at close quarters Then hurriedly truth taken since; (see note) If I could get trust

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To leif him lyand in the place.

Howbeit he stalwart be and stout, My lord, of him I have no dout.”

Than send the lord out throw the land, And gat ane hundreth hors fra hand: To his presence he brocht in haist, And bad the squyer cheis him the best.

Of that the squyer was rejoisit, And cheisit the best as he suppoisit, And lap on him delyverlie.

Was never hors ran mair plesantlie With speir and sword at his command, And was the best of all the land.

He tuik his leif and went to rest, Syne airlie in the morne him drest Wantonlie, in his weirlyke weid, All weill enarmit saif the heid.

He lap upon his cursour wicht, And straucht him in his stirroppis richt.

His speir and scheild and helme wes borne With squyeris that raid him beforne: Ane velvot cap on heid he bair, Ane quaif of gold to heild his hair.

This lord of him taik sa greit joy, That he himself wald him convoy; With him ane hundreth men of armes, That thair suld no man do him harmes.

The squyer buir into his scheild Ane otter in ane silver feild.

His hors was bairdit full richelie, Coverit with satyne cramesie.

Than fordward raid this campioun, With sound of trumpet and clarioun, And spedilie spurrit ovir the bent Lyke Mars the god armipotent.

Thus leif we rydand our squyar, And speik of maister Talbart mair, Quhilk gat up airlie in the morrow, And no maner of geir to borrow — Hors, harnes, speir nor scheild — Bot was ay reddie for the feild, And had sic practik into weir, Of our squyer he tuik na feir, And said unto his companyeoun, Or he come furth of his pavilyeoun: “This nicht I saw into my dreame Quhilk to reheirs I think greit shame.

Me thocht I saw cum fra the see Ane greit otter rydand to me, The quhilk was blak with ane lang taill, And cruellie did me assaill And bait me till he gart me bleid,

lying in the field Although fear immediately invited; choose delighted leapt upon; nimbly

took his leave Lightheartedly; armor except leapt; powerful war-horse immediately; directly; (see note)

velvet skull-cap; hold took escort fighting men bore upon (see note) caparisoned crimson satin champion (shrill) trumpet field mighty in arms; (see note) riding

experience in warfare had no fear Before; tent Something that; rehearse (i.e., say again) sea Which bit; made me bleed

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And drew me backwart fra my steid.

Quhat this suld mene I can not say Bot I was never in sic ane fray.”

His fellow said: “Think ye not schame For to gif credence till ane dreame?

Ye knaw it is aganis our faith!

Thairfoir go dres yow in your graith, And think weill throw your hie courage This day ye sall wyn vassalage.”

Than drest he him into his geir Wantounlie, like ane man of weir Quhilk had baith hardines and fors, And lichtlie lap upon his hors.

His hors was bairdit full bravelie, And coverit wes richt courtfullie With browderit wark and velvot grene; Sanct Georges croce thair micht be sene On hors, harnes and all his geir.

Than raid he furth withouttin weir, Convoyit with his capitane, And with monie ane Inglisman Arrayit all with armes bricht: Micht no man see ane fairer sicht.

have never been so frightened; (see note)

prepare yourself; armor honor in battle Jovially leapt; (see note) caparisoned; splendidly elegantly embroidered; velvet cross (see note) without doubt Escorted by

Than clariounis and trumpettis blew And weiriouris monie hither drew.

On everie side come monie man To behald quha the battell wan.

The feild wes in the medow grene, Quhair everie man micht weill be sene: The heraldis put thame sa in ordour That no man passit within the bordour, Nor preissit to cum within the grene, Bot heraldis and the campiounis kene.

The ordour and the circumstance Wer lang to put in remembrance.

Quhen thir twa nobill men of weir Weir weill accowterit in thair geir, And in thair handis strang burdounis, Than trumpotis blew and clariounis, And heraldis cryit hie on hicht: “Now let thame go: God shaw the richt!”

Than spedilie thay spurrit thair hors, And ran to uther with sic fors That baith thair speiris in sindrie flaw.

Than said they all that stude on raw, Ane better cours than they twa ran Was not sene sen the warld began.

Than baith the parties wer rejoisit; The campiounis ane quhyle repoisit Till thay had gottin speiris new.

Than with triumph the trumpettis blew

warriors; many who battle ground organized them so well boundary; (see note)

organization; details these equipped; (see note) strong spears; (see note)

May God reveal [who has] the just cause; (see note)

shattered into pieces abreast charge (on horseback) since rested

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And they, with all the force they can, Wounder rudelie at aither ran, And straik at uther with sa greit ire That fra thair harnes flew the fyre.

Thair speiris war sa teuch and strang That aither uther to eirth doun dang, Baith hors and man with speir and scheild, That flatlingis lay into the feild.

Than maister Talbart was eschamit: “Forsuith, forever I am defamit!”

And said this: “I had rather die, Without that I revengit be.”

Our young squyer, sic was his hap, Was first on fute, and on he lap Upon his hors without support.

Of that the Scottis tuke gude comfort Quhen thay saw him sa feirelie Loup on his hors sa galyeardlie.

The squyer liftit his visair Ane lytill space to take the air.

Thay bad him wyne, and he it drank And humillie he did thame thank.

Be that, Talbart on hors mountit, And of our squyer lytill countit, And cryit gif he durst undertak To ryn anis for his ladies saik.

The squyer answerit hie on hight: “That sall I do, be Marie bricht!

I am content all day to ryn, Till ane of us the honour wyn.”

Of that Talbart was weill content, And ane greit speir in hand he hent.

The squyer in his hand he thrang His speir, quhilk was baith greit and lang, With ane sharp heid of grundin steill, Of quhilk he was appleisit weill.

That plesand feild was lang and braid, Quhair gay ordour and rowme was maid, 3 And everie man micht have gude sicht, And thair was monie weirlyke knicht.

Sum man of everie natioun Was in that congregatioun.

Than trumpettis blew triumphantlie, And thay twa campiounis egeirlie Thay spurrit thair hors with speir on breist, Pertlie to preif their pith thay preist. 4 That round rinkroume wes at utterance, 5 Bot Talbartis hors with ane mischance, He outterit, and to ryn was laith, Quhairof Talbart was wonder wraith.

The squyer furth his rink he ran, Commendit weill with everie man,

fiercely; each other sparks tough each the other; struck prostrate; on ashamed Indeed; disgraced Unless luck leapt

nimbly Leap; gallantly; (see note) For a little while offered By that [time] agree have one encounter; (see note) loudly joust

took gripped ground (i.e., sharpened) steel With which; pleased

warlike

(see note) bad luck swerved; run; reluctant; (see note) furious course

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And him dischargit of his speir Honestlie, lyke an man of weir.

Becaus that rink thay ran in vane, Than Talbart wald not ryn agane Till he had gottin ane better steid, Quhilk was brocht to him with gude speid, Quhairon he lap, and tuik his speir, As brym as he had bene ane beir, And bowtit fordwart with ane bend, And ran on to the rinkis end, And saw his hors was at command.

Than wes he blyith, I understand, Traistand na mair to ryn in vane.

Than all the trumpettis blew agane: Be that, with all the force they can, Thay richt rudelie at uther ran.

Of that meiting ilk man thocht wounder, Quhilk soundit lyke ane crak of thunder, And nane of thame thair marrow mist.

Sir Talbartis speir in sunder brist, Bot the squyer with his burdoun Sir Talbart to the eirth dang down.

That straik was with sic micht and fors That on the ground lay man and hors, And throw the brydell hand him bair, And in the breist ane span and mair. 6 Throw curras and throw gluifis of plait, That Talbart micht mak na debait.

The trencheour of the squyeris speir Stak still into Sir Talbartis geir.

Than everie man into that steid Did all beleve that he was deid.

The squyer lap richt haistelie From his cursour deliverlie, And to Sir Talbart maid support, And humillie did him comfort.

Quhen Talbart saw into his scheild, Ane otter in ane silver feild, “This race,” said he “I may sair rew, For I see weill my dreame wes trew.

Me thocht yone otter gart me bleid, And buir me backwart from my steid.

Bot heir I vow to God soverane, That I sall never just agane.”

And sweitlie to the squyer said, “Thow knawis the cunnand that we maid: Quhilk of us twa suld tyne the feild, He suld baith hors and armour yeild.

Till him that wan, quhairfoir, I will My hors and harnes geve thee till.”

Than said the squyer courteouslie: “Brother, I thank yow hartfullie —

round (of jousting); in vain

leapt fierce; bear darted; leap tournament-ground's obedient happy Trusting

fiercely; each other

neither; opponent burst into pieces spear struck stroke

cuirass (breastplate); plate gloves make no defense point armor in that place

lightly

upon encounter; sorely regret that; made me bore

agreement; (see note) Whichever; lose therefore give to you sincerely

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Of yow forsuith nathing I crave, For I have gottin that I wald have.”

With everie man he was commendit, Sa vailyeandlie he him defendit.

The capitane of the Inglis band Tuke the young squyer be the hand And led him to the pailyeoun, And gart him mak collatioun.

Quhen Talbartis woundis wes bund up fast, The Inglis capitane to him past And prudentlie did him comfort, Syne said: “Brother, I yow exhort To tak the squyer be the hand.”

And sa he did at his command, And said: “This bene bot chance of armes.” 7 With that he braisit him in his armes, Sayand: “Hartlie I yow forgeve,” And than the squyer tuik his leve, Commendit weill with everie man.

Than wichtlie on his hors he wan, With monie ane nobill man convoyit: Leve we thair Talbart sair annoyit.

Sum sayis of that discomfitour, He thocht sic schame and dishonour That he departit of that land, And never wes sene into Ingland.

Bot our squyer did still remane Efter the weir, quhill peice was tane.

All capitanes of the kingis gairdis Gaif to the squyer riche rewairdis; Becaus he had sa weill debaitit, With everie nobill he wes weill traitit.

Efter the weir he tuke licence, Syne did returne with diligence From Pycardie to Normandie, And thair ane space remanit he, Becaus the navie of Scotland Wes still upon the coist lyand.

in truth

Quhen he ane quhyle had sojornit, He to the court of France returnit For to decore his vassalege, From Bartanye tuke his veyage With aucht scoir in his companie Of waillit wicht men and hardie, Enarmit weill lyke men of weir With hakbut, culvering, pik and speir, And passit up throw Normandie Till Ambiance in Pycardie, Quhair nobill Lowes, the king of France, Wes lyand with his ordinance With monie ane prince and worthie man.

stayed

pavilion had him take refreshment

(see note) embraced; (see note) Sincerely

energetically; mounted escorted distressed defeat

(see note) until peace was agreed; (see note) (see note) fought took his leave Then

lying off the coast; (see note)

embellish his martial reputation Brittany set out eight-score (i.e., 160) selected; brave (see note) Amiens Louis XII stationed; army

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And in the court of France wes than Ane mervellous congregatioun Of monie ane divers natioun; Of Ingland monie ane prudent lord Efter the weir makand record.

Thair wes than ane ambassadour, Ane lord, ane man of greit honour: With him was monie nobill knicht Of Scotland, to defend thair richt, Quhilk guydit thame sa honestlie, Inglismen had thame at invie And purposit to mak thame cummer, Becaus they wer of greiter number.

And sa, quhairever thay with thame met, Upon the Scottis thay maid onset, And lyke wyld lyounis furious, Thay layd ane seige about the hous Thame to destroy, sa thay intendit.

Our worthie Scottis thame weill defendit: The Sutheroun wes ay fyve for ane, 8 Sa on ilk syde thair wes men slane.

The Inglismen grew in greit ire, And cryit, “Swyith — set the hous in fyre!”

Be that the squyer Meldrum Into the market streit wes cum With his folkis in gude array, And saw the toun wes in ane fray.

He did inquyre the occasioun: Quod thay, “The Scottis are all put doune Be Inglismen into thair innis.”

Quod he: “I wald gif all the Bynnis, That I micht cum or thay departit!”

With that he grew sa cruell hartit, That he was like ane wyld lyoun, And rudelie ran outthrow the toun With all his companie weill arrayit, And with baner ful braid displayit.

And quhen thay saw the Inglis rout, Thay set upon thame with ane schout; With reird sa rudelie on thame ruschit, That fiftie to the eirth thay duschit.

Thair was nocht ellis bot tak and slay. 9 This squyer wounder did that day, And stoutlie stoppit in the stour, And dang on thame with dintis dour.

Wes never man buir better hand; Thair micht na buckler byde his brand, 10 For it was weill sevin quarter lang.

With that sa derflie on thame dang That, lyke ane worthie campioun, Ay at ane straik he dang ane doun.

Sum wes evill hurt, and sum wes slane;

accord (see note)

conducted themselves envy trouble

attacked (see note)

(see note)

Quick At that point

uproar overcome at their lodgings If; before

fiercely armed crowd a loud cry; fiercely battered down

stood firm in battle struck; heavy blows

seven ells; (see note) hardily; struck champion struck one down badly

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Sum fel quhilk rais not yit agane.

Quhen that the Sutheroun saw his micht, Effrayitlie thay tuke the flicht And wist not quhair to flie for haist, Thus throw the toun he hes thame chaist.

Wer not Frenchemen come to the redding, 11 Thair had bene mekill mair blude shedding.

Of this journey I mak an end, Quhilk everie nobill did commend.

Quhen to the king the cace wes knawin, And all the suith unto him shawin, How this squyer sa manfullie On Sutheroun wan the victorie, He put him into ordinance.

And sa he did remane in France Ane certane tyme for his plesour, Weill estemit in greit honour, Quhair he did monie ane nobill deid.

With that, richt wantoun in his weid, Quhen ladies knew his hie courage, He was desyrit in mariage Be ane ladie of greit rent, Bot youth maid him sa insolent That he in France wald not remane, Bot come to Scotland hame agane.

Thocht Frenche ladies did for him murne, The Scottis wer glaid of his returne.

At everie lord he tuke his leve, Bot his departing did thame greive, For he was luifit with all wichtis Quhilk had him sene defend his richtis.

Scottis capitanes did him convoy, Thocht his departing did thame noy.

At Deip he maid him for the saill, 12 Quhair he furnischit ane gay veschaill For his self and his men of weir With artailyie, hakbut, bow, and speir, And furneist hir with gude victuaill, With the best wyne that he culd waill.

And quhen the schip was reddie maid, He lay bot ane day in the raid Quhill he gat wind of the southeist.

Than thay thair ankeris weyit on haist, And syne maid saill, and fordwart past Ane day at morne, till at the last, Of ane greit saill thay gat ane sicht, And Phoebus schew his bemis bricht Into the morning richt airlie.

Than past the skipper richt spedelie Up to the top with richt greit feir, And saw it wes ane man of weir, And cryit: “I see nocht ellis, perdie,

did not get up again In fright; fled did not know where

much more day’s performance

truth

military service

extravagant in his clothes manly spirit income disdainful

Although

people escort grieve; (see note) ship artillery; guns her (i.e., the ship); food choose anchorage Until in haste

Phoebus Apollo (i.e., the sun) displayed

platform up on mast man-of-war (i.e., a fighting ship)

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Bot we mon outher fecht or fle.” 13 The squyer wes in his bed lyand, Quhen he hard tell this new tydand.

Be this, the Inglis artailye Lyke hailschot maid on thame assailye, And sloppit throw thair fechting saillis, And divers dang out ovir the waillis.

The Scottis agane, with all thair micht Of gunnis than thay leit fle ane flicht.

Thar thay micht weill see quhair they wair: Heidis and armes flew in the air.

The Scottis schip scho wes sa law, That monie gunnis out ovir hir flaw 14 Quhilk far beyond thame lichtit doun, Bot the Inglis greit galyeoun Fornent thame stude lyke ane strang castell, That the Scottis gunnis micht na way faill, Bot hat hir ay on the richt syde With monie ane slop, for all hir pryde, That monie ane beft wer on thair bakkis.

Than rais the reik with uglie crakkis, Quhilk on the sey maid sic ane sound That in the air it did redound, That men micht weill wit on the land, That shippis wer on the sey fechtand.

Be this thegyder straik the shippis And ather on uther laid thair clippis, And than began the strang battell — Ilk man his marrow did assaill.

Sa rudelie thay did rushe togidder, That nane micht hald thair feit for slidder, 15 Sum with halbert and sum with speir, Bot hakbuttis did the greitest deir.

Out of the top the grundin dartis Did divers peirs out throw the hartis.

Everie man did his diligence Upon his fo to wirk vengence, Ruschand on uther routtis rude, That ovir the waillis ran the blude.

The Inglis capitane cryit hie: “Swyith yeild, yow doggis, or ye sall die!

And do ye not, I mak ane vow That Scotland sal be quyte of yow.”

That peirtlie answerit the squyer, And said, “O tratour tavernar — I lat thee wit, thow hes na micht This day to put us to the flight.”

Thay derflie ay at uther dang; The squyer thristit throw the thrang And in the Inglis schip he lap, And hat the capitane sic ane flap Upon his heid till he fell doun,

news At that point; artillery an attack made holes; fighting struck; gunwales let fly; round (of gunfire)

low (in the water) (see note) landed In front of always hit her hole were beaten backwards rose the smoke sea resound know fighting at sea Then together ran each; grappling hooks opponent violently (see note) harm From the top platform; sharpened; (see note) pierce many through the heart tried his hardest Inflicting violent blows on others gunwales Surrender immediately; (see note) if you do not rid unflinchingly traitorous taverner; (see note) I’ll have you know boldly pushed through the crowd leapt hit; blow

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Welterand intill ane deidlie swoun.

And quhen the Scottis saw the squyer Had strikkin doun that rank rever, They left thair awin schip standand waist And in the Inglis schip in haist They followit all thair capitane, And sone wes all the Sutheroun slane.

Howbeit thay wer of greiter number, The Scottismen put thame in sic cummer That thay wer fane to leif the feild, Cryand mercie, than did thame yeild.

Yit wes the squyer straikand fast At the capitane, till at the last, Quhen he persavit no remeid, Outher to yeild or to be deid, He said: “O gentill capitane, Thoill me not for to be slane — My lyfe to yow sal be mair pryse Nor sall my deith ane thowsand syse!

For ye may get, as I suppois, Thrie thowsand nobillis of the rois Of me, and of my companie.

Thairfoir I cry yow loud mercie.

Except my lyfe, nothing I craif: Tak yow the schip and all the laif.

I yeild to yow baith sword and knyfe — Thairfoir, gud maister, save my lyfe!”

The squyer tuik him be the hand, And on his feit he gart him stand, And treittit him richt tenderly, And syne unto his men did cry, And gaif to thame richt strait command To straik no moir, bot hald thair hand.

Than baith the capitanes ran and red, And so thair wes na mair blude shed.

Than all the laif thay did thame yeild, And to the Scottis gaif sword and scheild.

Ane nobill leiche the squyer had — Quhairof the Inglismen wes full glaid — To quhome the squyer gaif command The woundit men to tak on hand, And so he did with diligence, Quhairof he gat gude recompence.

Than quhen the woundit men wer drest, And all the deand men confest, And deid men cassin in the see, Quhilk to behald wes greit pietie, Thair was slane of Inglis band Fyve score of men, I understand, The quhilk wer cruell men and kene, And of the Scottis wer slane fyftene.

And quhen the Inglis capitane

Tumbling into a deathly faint foul pirate standing empty

(see note) Although caused them such distress eager to leave

alternative Either Do not allow me to be slain will be worth more Than; times; (see note) (see note)

desire rest

made him stand

(see note) remainder physician

dying cast

(i.e., 100 men)

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Saw how his men wer tane and slane, And how the Scottis, sa few in number, Had put thame in sa greit ane cummer, He grew intill ane frenesy, Sayand, “Fals Fortoun, I the defy!

For I belevit this day at morne, That he was not in Scotland borne That durst have met me hand for hand Within the boundis of my brand.”

The squyer bad him mak gude cheir, And said, “It wes bot chance of weir: Greit conquerouris, I yow assure, Hes hapnit siclike adventure.

Thairfoir mak mirrie and go dyne, And let us preif the michtie wyne!”

Sum drank wyne and sum drank aill, Syne put the shippis under saill, And waillit furth of the Inglis band Twa hundreth men, and put on land Quyetlie on the coist of Kent: The laif in Scotland with him went.

The Inglis capitane, as I ges, He wairdit him in the Blaknes, And treitit him richt honestlie, Togither with his companie, And held thame in that garnisoun Till thay had payit thair ransoun.

Out throw the land than sprang the fame That squyer Meldrum wes cum hame.

overcome

Quhen they hard tell how he debaitit, With everie man he was sa treitit, That quhen he travellit throw the land, Thay bankettit him fra hand to hand 16 With greit solace, till at the last Out throw Straitherne the squyer past, And as it did approch the nicht, Of ane castell he gat ane sicht, Beside ane montane in ane vaill, And than, efter his greit travaill, He purpoisit him to repois Quhair ilk man did of him rejois.

Of this trimphant plesant place, Ane lustie ladie wes maistres Quhais lord was deid schort tyme befoir, Quhairthrow hir dolour wes the moir.

Bot yit scho tuke sum comforting To heir the plesant dulce talking Of this young squyer of his chance, And how it fortunit him in France.

This squyer and the ladie gent Did wesche, and then to supper went.

fought treated

Had caused them such great distress into a frenzy

Within reach of my sword

(see note) try; potent Then picked out

rest imprisoned; (see note)

garrison ransom; (see note) news

joy (see note) (see note) valley decided to rest each delightful (see note) so that; more gentle speech fortunes things went for him wash

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During that nicht thair was nocht ellis Bot for to heir of his novelis.

Eneas, quhen he fled from Troy, Did not Quene Dido greiter joy Quhen he in Carthage did arryve, And did the seige of Troy discryve.

The wonderis that he did reheirs Wer langsum for to put in vers, Of quhilk this ladie did rejois.

Thay drank, and syne went to repois.

He fand his chalmer weill arrayit, With dornik work on buird displayit.

Of venisoun he had his waill, Gude aquavite, wyne and aill, With nobill confeittis, bran and geill, 17 And swa the squyer fuir richt weill.

Sa, to heir mair of his narratioun, This ladie come to his collatioun, Sayand he was richt welcum hame.

“Grandmercie than,” quod he, “Madame.”

Thay past the time with ches and tabill, For he to everie game was abill.

Than unto bed drew everie wicht: To chalmer went this ladie bricht, The quhilk this squyer did convoy, Syne till his bed he went with joy.

That nicht he sleipit never ane wink, Bot still did on the ladie think.

Cupido with his fyrie dart Did peirs him so outthrow the hart, Sa all that nicht he did bot murnit, Sumtyme sat up, and sumtyme turnit, Sichand with monie gant and grane, To fair Venus makand his mane, Sayand, “Ladie, quhat may this mene?

I was ane fre man lait yistrene, And now ane cative, bound and thrall, For ane that I think flour of all.

I pray God, sen scho knew my mynd, How for hir saik I am sa pynd Wald God I had bene yit in France Or I had hapnit sic mischance: To be subject or serviture Till ane quhilk takis of me na cure!”

This ladie ludgit neirhand by, And hard the squyer prively, With dreidfull hart makand his mone, With monie cairfull gant and grone.

Hir hart, fulfillit with pietie, Thocht scho wald haif of him mercie, And said: “Howbeit I suld be slane, He sall have lufe for lufe agane.

nothing else news (stories)

describe tedious; (see note) rest found; chamber; arranged fine linen; table choice whisky; ale fared late supper

tables (a board game) person Whom; escort Then (see note) (see note) pierce; through just lamented Sighing; gape; groan making his complaint yesterday evening captive; enslaved grant that in such torment Before I had suffered such misfortune servant To one who cares nothing for me stayed heard fearful; complaint With many an unhappy gape and groan

(see note)

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Wald God I micht with my honour, Have him to be my paramour!”

This wes the mirrie tyme of May, Quhen this fair ladie, freshe and gay, Start up to take the hailsum air, With pantonis on hir feit ane pair, Airlie into ane cleir morning Befoir fair Phoebus uprysing, Kirtill alone, withouttin clok, And saw the squyeris dure unlok.

Scho slippit in or ever he wist, And fenyeitlie past till ane kist, And with her keyis oppinnit the lokkis And maid hir to take furth ane boxe — Bot that was not hir erand thair.

With that, this lustie young squyar Saw this ladie so plesantlie Cum to his chalmer quyetlie, In kyrtill of fine damais broun, Hir goldin traissis hingand doun.

Hir pappis wer hard, round and quhyte, Quhome to behald wes greit delyte.

Lyke the quhyte lyllie wes hir lyre; Hir hair was like the reid gold wyre, Hir schankis quhyte, withouttin hois, Quhairat the squyer did rejois, And said than, “Now, vailye quod vailye, Upon the ladie thow mak ane sailye!”

Hir courtlyke kirtill was unlaist, And sone into his armis hir braist And said to hir: “Madame, gude morne — Help me, your man that is forlorne.

Without ye mak me sum remeid, Withouttin dout, I am bot deid, Quhairfoir ye mon releif my harmes.”

With that he hint hir in his armes, And talkit with hir on the flure, Syne quyetlie did bar the dure.

“Squyer,” quod scho, “quhat is your will?

Think ye my womanheid to spill?

Na, God forbid, it wer greit syn!

My lord and ye wes neir of kyn.

Quhairfoir I mak yow supplicatioun: Pas and seik ane dispensatioun.

Than sall I wed yow with ane ring; Than may ye leif at your lyking, For ye ar young, lustie and fair, And als ye ar your fatheris air.

Thair is na ladie in all this land May yow refuse to hir husband.

And gif ye lufe me as ye say, Haist to dispens the best ye may,

lover; (see note)

wholesome slippers Phoebus Apollo (i.e., the sun) Gown door; (see note) before he was aware of it pretending; chest

hearty chamber patterned silk tresses hanging breasts; firm lily; flesh legs; hose; (see note) come what may; (see note) advance elegant; unlaced; (see note) clasped

Unless; remedy So you must relieve my suffering took floor lock the door; (see note) ruin; (see note) (see note)

live as you wish lovely heir

Hurry to arrange things

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And thair to yow I geve my hand — I sall yow take to my husband.”

Quod he: “Quhill that I may indure, I vow to be your serviture, Bot I think greit vexatioun To tarie upon dispensation —” Than in his armis he did hir thrist, And aither uther sweitlie kist, And wame for wame thay uther braissit; With that hir kirtill wes unlaissit.

Than Cupido, with his fyrie dartis, Inflammit sa thir luiferis hartis, Thay micht na maner of way dissever, Nor ane micht not part fra ane uther, Bot like wodbind thay wer baith wrappit.

Thair tenderlie he hes hir happit Full softlie up intill his bed — Judge ye gif he hir schankis shed.

“Allace,” quod scho, “quhat may this mene?”

And with hir hair scho dicht hir ene.

I can not tell how thay did play, Bot I beleve scho said not nay.

He pleisit hir sa, as I hard sane, That he was welcum ay agane.

Scho rais and tendirlie him kist, And on his hand ane ring scho thrist, And he gaif hir ane lufe drowrie — Ane ring set with ane riche rubie, In takin that thair lufe for ever Suld never from thir twa dissever.

And than scho passit unto hir chalmer, And fand hir madinnis sweit as lammer Sleipand full sound, and nothing wist How that thair ladie past to the kist.

Quod thay: “Madame, quhair have ye bene?”

Quod scho: “Into my gardine grene, To heir thir mirrie birdis sang.

I lat yow wit, I thocht not lang, Thocht I had taryit thair quhill none.” 18 Quod thai: “Quhair wes your hois and schone?

Quhy yeid ye with your bellie bair?”

Quod scho: “The morning wes sa fair, For be him that deir Jesus sauld, I felt na wayis ony maner of cauld.”

Quod thay: “Madame, me think ye sweit.”

Quod scho: “Ye see I sufferit heit: The dew did sa on flouris fleit That baith my lymmis ar maid weit Thairfoir ane quhyle I will heir ly, Till this dulce dew be fra me dry.

Ryse and gar mak our denner reddie.”

“That sal be done,” quod thay, “My ladie.”

last servant delay for clasp tightly each the other belly to belly; embraced gown; unlaced (see note) these lovers’ in no way separate woodbine; (see note) tucked parted her legs (see note)

said; (see note) rose pushed love-token As a sign these two separate; (see note) found; ambergris (see note) unaware

these

hose and shoes went sold (i.e., Judas Iscariot); (see note) cold sweat flow (collect) legs soft have made; dinner

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Efter that scho had tane hir rest, Sho rais and in hir chalmer hir drest, And efter mes to denner went.

Than wes the squyer diligent To declair monie sindrie storie Worthie to put in memorie.

Quhat sall we of thir luiferis say?

Bot all this tyme of lustie May, They past the tyme with joy and blis, Full quyetlie with monie ane kis.

Thair was na creature that knew Yit of thir luiferis chalmer glew, And sa he levit plesandlie Ane certane time with his ladie, Sum time with halking and hunting, Sum time with wantoun hors rinning, And sum time, like ane man of weir, Full galyardlie wald ryn ane speir.

He wan the pryse abone thame all, Baith at the buttis and the futeball; Till everie solace he was abill, At cartis and dyce, at ches and tabill; And gif ye list, I sall yow tell How that he seigit ane castell.

Ane messinger come spedilie From the Lennox to that ladie, And schew how that Makfagon — And with him monie bauld baron — Hir castell had tane perfors And nouther left hir kow nor hors, And heryit all that land about, Quhairof the ladie had greit dout.

Till hir squyer scho passit in haist, And schew him how scho wes opprest, And how he waistit monie ane myle Betwix Dunbartane and Argyle.

And quhen the squyer Meldrum Had hard thir novellis all and sum, Intill his hart thair grew sic ire That all his bodie brint in fyre, And swoir it suld be full deir sald, Gif he micht find him in that hald.

He and his men did them addres Richt haistelie in thair harnes, Sum with bow and sum with speir, And he, like Mars the god of weir, Come to the ladie and tuke his leif, And scho gaif him hir richt hand gluif, The quhilk he on his basnet bure And said: “Madame, I yow assure That worthie Lancelot du laik, Did never mair for his ladies saik

mass many different these lovers lovely

lit. “bedroom sport”

hawking spirited; riding valiantly; i.e., joust above archery-targets; (see note) At; pastime cards; dice; board-games wish besieged (see note) (see note) seized by force; (see note) neither; cow ravaged was greatly alarmed explained to him laid waste Dumbarton; (see note) these tidings Within burned very dearly paid for stronghold attire armor

glove bore on his helmet; (see note)

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Nor I sall do, or ellis de, Without that ye revengit be.”

Than in hir armes scho him braist, And he his leif did take in haist, And raid that day and all the nicht, Till on the morne he gat ane sicht Of that castell baith fair and strang.

Than, in the middis his men amang, To michtie Mars his vow he maid, That he suld never in hart be glaid, Nor yit returne furth of that land Quhill that strenth wer at his command. 19 All the tennentis of that ladie Come to the squyer haistelie, And maid aith of fidelitie That they suld never fra him flie.

Quhen to Makferland, wicht and bauld, The veritie all haill wes tauld How the young squyer Meldrum Wes now into the cuntrie cum, Purpoisand to seige that place, Than vittaillit he that fortres And swoir he suld that place defend Bauldlie untill his lyfis end.

Be this, the squyer wes arrayit, With his baner bricht displayit, With culvering, hakbut, bow and speir.

Of Makfarland he tuke na feir, And like ane campioun courageous, He cryit and said, “Gif ovir the hous!”

The capitane answerit heighly And said: “Tratour, we thee defy!

We sall remane this hous within, Into despyte of all thy kyn.”

With that the archeris bauld and wicht Of braid arrowis let fle ane flicht Amang the squyers companie, And thay agane richt manfullie With hakbute, bow and culveryne, Quhilk put Makferlandis men to pyne, And on thair colleris laid full sikker, And thair began ane bailfull bikker.

Thair was bot schot and schot agane, Till on ilk side thair wes men slane.

Than cryit the squyer couragious: “Swyith, lay the ledderis to the house!”

And sa thay did, and clam belyfe As busie beis dois to thair hyfe.

Howbeit thair wes slane monie man, Yit wichtlie ovir the wallis they wan.

The squyer, formest of them all, Plantit the baner ovir the wall,

Than; die; (see note) Unless embraced leave rode gained sight amidst his men

(see note)

an oath hardy The whole truth

Intending; besiege provisioned Boldly armed (see note) had no fear Surrender haughtily

Despite bold and brave broad arrows; (see note)

With guns, arrows and gunshot made; suffer collars assailed fiercely dire encounter each Quickly; ladders climbed swiftly bees; hive Although bravely; got foremost

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And than began the mortall fray — Thair wes not ellis bot tak and slay.

Than Makferland, that maid the prais, From time he saw the squyeris face, Upon his kneis he did him yeild, Deliverand him baith speir and scheild.

The squyer hartlie him ressavit, Commandand that he suld be savit, And sa did slaik that mortall feid, Sa that na man wes put to deid.

In fre waird was Makferland seisit, And leit the laif gang quhair they pleisit.

And sa this squyer amorous Seigit and wan the ladies hous, And left thairin ane capitane, Syne to Stratherne returnit agane, Quhair that he with his fair ladie Ressavit wes full plesantlie, And to tak rest did him convoy.

Judge ye gif thair wes mirth and joy: Howbeit the chalmer dure wes cloisit, They did bot kis, as I suppoisit.

Gif uther thing wes them betwene, Let them discover that luiferis bene, For I am not in lufe expart And never studyit in that art.

Thus they remainit in merines, Beleifand never to have distres.

In that meine time this ladie fair Ane douchter to the squyer bair: Nane fund was fairer of visage.

Than tuke the squyer sic courage, Agane the mirrie time of May, 20 Threttie he put in his luferay In scarlot fyne and of hew grene, Quhilk wes ane semelie sicht to sene.

The gentilmen in all that land Wer glaid with him to mak ane band, And he wald plainelie take thair partis, And not desyring bot thair hartis.

Thus levit the squyer plesandlie, With musick and with menstralie.

Of this ladie he wes sa glaid, Thair micht na sorrow mak him sad.

Ilk ane did uther consolatioun, Taryand upon dispensatioun.

Had it cum hame, he had hir bruikit, 21 Bot or it come, it wes miscuikit, And all this game he bocht ful deir, As ye at lenth sall efter heir.

capture and strike down; (see note) pressed the attack When

cordially; received end; enmity death (see note) let the rest go Besieged Strathearn Received lead Although; chamber door

lovers (see note) Believing mean daughter; gave birth; (see note) None found

Thirty; livery (see note) (see note) publicly And desiring only their hearts [in return] lived minstrelsy

Waiting for; (see note) before; mismanaged

Of warldlie joy it wes weill kend

known

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That sorrow bene the fatall end, For jelousie and fals invie Did him persew richt cruellie.

I mervell not thocht it be so, For they wer ever luiferis fo, Quhairthrow he stude in monie ane stour, 22 And ay defendit his honour.

Ane cruell knicht dwelt neir hand by Quhilk at this squyer had invy, Imaginand intill his hart How he thir luiferis micht depart, And wald have had hir maryand Ane gentilman within his land The quhilk to him wes not in blude.

Bot finallie, for to conclude, Thairto scho wald never assent.

Quhairfoir the knicht set his intent This nobill squyer for to destroy, And swore he suld never have joy Intill his hart, without remeid, Till ane of thame wer left for deid.

This vailyeand squyer manfully In ernist or play did him defy, Offerand himself for to assaill Bodie for bodie in battaill; The knicht thairto not condiscendit, Bot to betrais him ay intendit.

Sa it fell anis upon ane day In Edinburgh, as I hard say: This squyer and the ladie trew Was thair, just matteris to persew.

That cruell knight, full of invy, Gart hald on them ane secreit spy Quhen thai suld pas furth of the toun, For this squyeris confusioun, Quhilk traistit no man suld him greive Nor of tressoun had no beleive, And tuik his licence from his oist And liberallie did pay his coist And sa departit blyith and mirrie, With purpois to pas ovir the ferrie.

He wes bot auchtsum in his rout, For of danger he had no dout.

The spy come to the knicht anone, And him informit how they wer gone.

Than gadderit he his men in hy With thrie scoir in his company, Accowterit weill in feir of weir, Sum with bow and sum with speir, And on the squyer followit fast, Till thay did see him at the last, With all his men richt weill arrayit,

(see note)

though lovers’ enemies (see note) Who felt malice towards this squire in these lovers; separate marrying Who; unrelated; (see note)

In; relief (cure)

would not assent betray; ever once

lawful Set out downfall believed; harm treachery; expectation leave; the landlord; (see note) expenses (see note) He was one of only eight men in his band fear straight away in haste three score (i.e., 60 men) Well equipped in warlike array

in order

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With cruell men nathing effrayit.

And quhen the ladie saw the rout, Got wait gif scho stude in greit dout.

Quod scho: “Your enemeis I see — Thairfoir, sweit hart, I reid yow fle.

In the cuntrey I will be kend; Ye ar na partie to defend.

Ye knaw yone knichtis crueltie, That in his hart hes no mercie: It is bot ane that thay wald have.

Thairfoir, deir hart, yourself ye save — Howbeit thay tak me with this trane, I sal be sone at yow agane — For ye war never sa hard staid.” 23 “Madame,” quod he, “be ye not raid, For be the halie Trinitie, This day ane fute I will not fle!”

And be he had endit this word, He drew ane lang twa-handit sword, And put his aucht men in array, And bad that thay suld take na fray.

Than to the squyer cryit the knicht, And said: “Send me the ladie bricht!

Do ye not sa, be Goddis corce, I sall hir tak away perforce!”

The squyer said: “Be thow ane knicht, Cum furth to me and shaw the richt, Bot hand for hand, without redding, 24 That thair be na mair blude shedding.

And gif thow winnis me in the feild, I sall my ladie to the yeild.”

The knicht durst not for all his land Fecht with this squyer hand for hand.

The squyer than saw no remeid, Bot outher to fecht or to be deid.

To hevin he liftit up his visage, Cryand to God with hie courage: “To thee my querrell I do commend.”

Syne bowtit fordwart with ane bend, With countenance baith bauld and stout, He rudelie rushit in that rout, With him his litill companie, Quhilk them defendit manfullie.

The squyer with his birneist brand Amang his famen maid sic hand That Gaudefer, as sayis the letter, At Gadderis Ferrie faucht no better.

His sword he swappit sa about, That he greit round maid in the rout, And like ane man that was dispairit, His wapoun sa on thame he wairit, Quhome ever he hit, as I hard say,

By; not at all alarmed band [of men] God knows; fear suggest; escape (see note) You are in no position to defend yourself that (yonder) (see note) just one [person] Although; trap with afraid i.e., not one foot And as soon as he had finished this speech (see note) eight; battle-formation not take fright

If you don’t; body; (see note) by force (see note)

overcome

alternative either

Then [he] sprang forward with a leap violently; crowd themselves polished sword Among his enemies he showed such valor i.e., book (see note) whirled That he cut a great circle in the crowd waged war

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Thay did him na mair deir that day.

Quha ever come within his boundis, He chaipit not but mortall woundis.

Sum mutilate wer, and sum wer slane, Sum fled and come not yit agane.

He hat the knicht abone the breis That he fel fordwart on his kneis: Wer not Thome Giffard did him save, The knicht had sone bene in his grave.

Bot than the squyer with his brand Hat Thomas Giffard on the hand: From that time furth during his lyfe, He never weildit sword nor knyfe.

Than come ane sort as brim as beiris, And in him festnit fyftene speiris In purpois to have borne him doun, Bot he, as forcie campioun, Amang thai wicht men wrocht greit wounder, For all thai speiris he schure in sunder.

Nane durst com neir him hand for hand, Within the boundis of his brand.

This worthie squyer courageous Micht be compairit to Tydeus Quhilk faucht for to defend his richtis, And slew of Thebes fyftie knichtis.

Rolland with Brandwell, his bricht brand, Faucht neuer better hand for hand, Nor Gawin aganis Golibras, Nor Olyver with Pharambras.

I wait he faucht that day alse weill As did Sir Gryme aganis Graysteille, And I dar say, he was als abill, As onie knicht of the Round Tabill, And did his honour mair avance, Nor onie of thay knichtis perchance, The quhilk I offer me to preif Gif that ye pleis, sirs, with your leif.

Amang thay knichts wes maid ane band That they suld fecht bot hand for hand, Assurit that thair suld cum no mo.

With this squyer it stude not so: His stalwart stour quha wald discryfe, Aganis ane man thair come ay fyfe.

Quhen that this cruell tyrane knicht Saw the squyer sa wounder wicht, And had no micht him to destroy, Into his hart thair grew sic noy That he was abill for to rage That no man micht his ire asswage. 25 “Fy on us,” said he to his men: “Ay aganis ane sen we ar ten!

Chaip he away, we are eschamit — 26

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harm escaped not without struck down or killed struck; above; eyebrows forward Were it not that; (see note)

Struck; (see note)

band as fierce as bears planted powerful champion hardy those; sliced to pieces reach; sword

(see note) (see note) (see note) (see note) know (see note) (see note) Than; those offer myself as witness permission agreement fight only Confident; (see note) valiant battle; describe always wicked astonishingly hardy vexation on the point of

since

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Like cowertis we sal be defamit.

I had rather be in hellis pane Or he suld chaip fra us unslane.”

And callit thrie of his companie, Said: “Pas behind him quyetlie.”

And sa thay did richt secreitlie, And come behind him cowartlie, And hackit on his hochis and theis Till that he fell upon his kneis.

Yit quhen his schankis wer schorne in sunder, Upon his kneis he wrocht greit wounder, Sweipand his sword round about, Not haifand of the deith na dout.

Durst nane approche within his boundis, Till that his cruell mortall woundis Bled sa, that he did swap in swoun: Perforce behuifit him than fall doun.

And quhen he lay upon the ground, They gaif him monie cruell wound That men on far micht heir the knokkis, Like boucheouris hakkand on their stokks.

And finallie, without remeid, They left him lyand thair for deid With ma woundis of sword and knyfe Nor ever had man that keipit lyfe.

Quhat suld I of thir tratouris say?

Quhen they had done they fled away.

Bot than this lustie ladie fair, With dolent hart scho maid sic cair, Quhilk wes greit pietie for to reheirs And langsum for to put in vers.

With teiris scho wuische his bludie face, Sichand with manie loud “allace.”

“Allace,” quod scho, “that I was borne — In my querrell thow art forlorne!

Sall never man efter this Of my bodie have mair plesour, For thow was gem of gentilnes, And verie well of worthines.”

That to the eirth scho rushit doun And lay intill ane deidlie swoun.

Be that the regent of the land Fra Edinburgh come fast rydand: Sir Anthonie Darsie wes his name, Ane knicht of France and man of fame, Quhilk had the guiding haillilie Under Johne, Duke of Albanie, Quhilk wes to our young king tutour, And of all Scotland governour.

Our king was bot fyve yeiris of age, That time quhen done wes the outrage.

Quhen this gude knicht the squyer saw

cowards; disgraced Than; escape; unslain

houghs; thighs; (see note) shins

any fear within his reach drop; a faint he was forced to

far away butchers; blocks relief lying many Than; remained alive these lovely grieving; such lamentation repeat overlong (tedious) washed Sighing ruined (see note)

tumbled in a deadly faint Then

(see note) (see note) (see note)

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Thus lyand intill his deid thraw, “Wo is me,” quod he, “to see this sicht On thee, quhilk worthie wes and wicht!

Wald God that I had bene with thee As thow in France was anis with me Into the land of Picardy, Quhair Inglis men had greit invy To have me slane, sa they intendit, Bot manfullie thow me defendit And vailyeandlie did save my lyfe.

Was never man with sword nor knyfe — Nocht Hercules, I dar weill say — That ever faucht better for ane day, Defendand me within ane stound: Thow dang seir sutheroun to the ground.

I may thee mak no help, allace, Bot I sall follow on the chace Richt spedilie, baith day and nicht, Till I may get that cruell knicht.

I mak ane vow: gif I may get him, In till ane presoun I sall set him, And quhen I heir that thow beis deid, Than sall my handis straik of his heid.”

With that he gave his hors the spurris, And spedelie flaw ovir the furris.

He and his gaird with all thair micht They ran till thai ovirtuik the knicht.

Quhen he approchit, he lichtit doun, And like ane vailyeand campioun, He tuik the tyrane presonar, And send him backward to Dumbar, And thair remainit in presoun Ane certane time in that dungeoun.

Let him ly thair with mekill cair, And speik we of our heynd squyar, Of quhome we can not speik bot gude.

Quhen he lay bathand in his blude, His freindis and his ladie fair, They maid for him sic dule and cair Quhilk wer greit pietie to deploir: Of that matter I speik no moir.

Thay send for leiches haistelie, Syne buir his bodie tenderlie To ludge into ane fair ludgyne, Quhair he ressavit medicyne.

The greitest leichis of the land Come all to him without command, And all practikis on him provit, Becaus he was sa weill belovit.

Thay tuik on hand his life to save, And he thame gaif quhat they wald have.

Bot he sa lang lay into pane,

in his death throes who; hardy once desire

(see note) an instant struck many; (see note)

prison

flew; furrows

villain prisoner back; (see note)

gentle

sorrow and grief lament physicians carried lodge; lodging physicians without being asked And exercised all [their] skills on him tried in

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He turnit to be ane chirurgiane, And als be his naturall ingyne, He lernit the art of medicyne.

He saw thame on his bodie wrocht, Quhairfoir the science wes deir bocht.

Bot efterward quhen he was haill, He spairit na coist nor yit travaill To preif his practikis on the pure, And on thame previt monie ane cure On his expensis, without rewaird — Of money he tuik na regaird.

surgeon innate ability (see note)

Yit sum thing will we commoun mair Of this ladie quhilk maid greit cair, Quhilk to the squyer wes mair pane Nor all his woundis, in certane.

And than hir freindis did conclude, Becaus scho micht to him na gude That scho suld take hir leif and go Till hir cuntrie, and scho did so.

Bot thir luiferis met never agane, Quhilk wes to thame ane lestand pane, For scho aganis hir will wes maryit, Quhairthrow hir weird scho daylie waryit. 27 Howbeit hir bodie wes absent, Hir tender hart wes ay present Baith nicht and day with hir squyar: Wes never creature that maid sic cair.

Penelope for Ulisses, I wait, had never mair distres, Nor Cresseid for trew Troylus Wes not tent part sa dolorous.

I wait it wes aganis hir hart That scho did from hir lufe depart.

Helene had not sa mekill noy Quhen scho perforce wes brocht to Troy.

I leif hir than with hart full sore, And speik now of this squyer more.

discuss

knowledge healed effort exercise; skills; poor brought about had no care

Than

leave (see note) these lovers lasting pain married Although

(see note) I am sure (see note) a tenth part (see note) distress (see note) leave

Quhen this squyer wes haill and sound, And softlie micht gang on the ground, To the regent he did complane.

Bot he, allace, wes richt sone slane Be David Hume of Wedderburne, The quhilk gart monie Frenchemen murne, For thair was nane mair nobill knicht, Mair vailyeand, mair wys, mair wicht, And sone efter that crueltie, The knicht was put to libertie, The quhilk the squyer had opprest: Sa wes his matter left undrest Becaus the king was young of age,

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slowly i.e., the regent (see note) Which caused valiant

unresolved

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Than tyrannis rang into thair rage, 28 Bot efterward, as I hard say, On Striviling brig upon ane day, This knight wes slane with crueltie, And that day gat na mair mercie Nor he gaif to the young squyar.

I say na mair, let him ly thair: For cruell men, ye may weill see, They end ofttimes with crueltie.

For Christ to Peter said this word: “Quha ever straikis with ane sword, That man sal be with ane sword slane.”

That saw is suith, I tell yow plane.

He menis, quha straikis cruellie Aganis the law without mercie, Bot this squyer to nane offendit, Bot manfullie himself defendit.

Wes never man with sword nor knyfe Micht saif thair honour and thair lyfe As did the squyer all his dayis, With monie terribill effrayis.

Wald I at lenth his lyfe declair, I micht weill writ ane uther quair.

Bot at this time I may not mend it, Bot shaw yow how the squyer endit.

Stirling bridge

Than; (see note)

(see note) saying is true; honestly

With many awe-inspiring assaults Were I to; describe book rectify this

Thair dwelt in Fyfe ane agit lord That of this squyer hard record, And did desire richt hartfullie To have him in his companie, And send for him with diligence, And he come with obedience, And lang time did with him remane, Of quhome this agit lord was fane.

Wyse men desiris commounlie Wyse men into thair companie, For he had bene in monie ane land — In Flanderis, France and in Ingland — Quhairfoir the lord gaif him the cure Of his houshald, I yow assure, And in his hall cheif merschall, And auditour of his comptis all.

He was ane richt courticiane, And in the law ane practiciane, Quhairfoir during this lordis lyfe, Tchyref depute he wes in Fyfe, To everie man ane equall judge, And of the pure he wes refuge, And with justice did thame support, And curit thair sairis with greit comfort.

For as I did reheirs before, Of medicine he tuke the lore

elderly; (see note) heard [an] account sincerely assiduously

With; delighted

running marshal accounts courtier practitioner Sheriff-Depute; (see note) poor afflictions learned the art

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1545

1550

1555

1560

1565

1570

1575

1580

1585

1590

Quhen he saw the chirurgience Upon him do thair diligence.

Experience maid him perfyte, And of the science tuke sic delyte That he did monie thriftie cure, And speciallie upon the pure, Without rewaird for his expensis, Without regaird or recompencis.

To gold, to silver, or to rent, This nobill squyer tuke litill tent.

Of all this warld na mair he craifit, Sa that his honour micht be saifit.

And ilk yeir for his ladies saik, Ane banket royall wald he maik, And that he maid on the Sonday Precedand to Asch Wednisday, With wyld foull, venisoun and wyne; With tairt, and flaun, and frutage fyne; Of bran and geill thair wes na skant, 29 And ipocras he wald not want.

I have sene sittand at his tabill Lordis and lairdis honorabill, With knichtis and monie ane gay squyar Quhilk wer to lang for to declair, With mirth, musick and menstrallie.

All this he did for his ladie, And for hir saik during his lyfe Wald never be weddit to ane wyfe.

And quhen he did declyne to age, He faillit never of his courage.

Of ancient storyis for to tell, Abone all uther he did precell, Sa that everilk creature To heir him speik thay tuke plesure.

Bot all his deidis honorabill, For to descryve I am not abill.

Of everie man he was commendit, And as he leivit, sa he endit, Plesandlie till he micht indure, Till dolent deith come to his dure, And cruellie with his mortall dart, He straik the squyer throw the hart.

His saull with joy angelicall, Past to the hevin imperiall: Thus at the Struther into Fyfe, This nobill squyer loist his lyfe.

I pray to Christ for to convoy All sic trew luiferis to his joy.

Say ye Amen, for cheritie: Adew! Ye sall get na mair of me.

physicians practice their art fully versed successful poor payment; (see note) income paid little heed desired So long as; preserved every

(see note) tart; flawn; (see note); fruit spiced sweetened wine sitting (see note) Which would take too long to describe minstrelsy

He did surpass all others every person

set down By; praised lived as long as; go on distressing; death; door

soul (see note) lead such; lovers Adieu (Fr. farewell)

FINIS.

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Sir David Lyndsay, THE HISTORIE OF SQUYER MELDRUM: FOOTNOTES 1 “In that case,” said she, “if you will not take a spouse” 2 I couldn’t care less about your loud boasts 3 Where splendid arrangements were made and space cleared 4 They pressed (assailed) boldly to prove their vigor 5 That round jousting area was used to the utmost 6 Lines 535–36: And through the bridle hand [he] bore [it] / And in [his] breast more than a span 7 And said: “This is just the fortunes of war” 8 The Southern (i.e., English) were always five (Englishmen) to one (Scotsman) 9 It was all (i.e., there was nothing else except) capturing and killing 10 Lines 659–60: No man ever gave better support; / There might (be) no shield (able to) withstand his sword 11 Had not the Frenchmen come to separate them 12 At Dieppe he prepared himself for a journey by sea 13 Lines 717–18: And cried: “I see no other option, by God, / But that we must either fight or flee” 14 That many missiles flew over her [i.e., the ship] 15 That none might stay on their feet for the slipperiness 16 They laid on banquets for him from one place to another 17 With excellent sweetmeats, meat (brawn) and jelly 18 Lines 1014–15: “I tell you, I wouldn’t have tired of it / Even if I’d dawdled there until noon” 19 For as long as he had military strength at his command 20 Lines 1164–65: Then the squire resolved, / In preparation for the merry season of May 21 If it [i.e., the dispensation] had come from abroad, he would have enjoyed possession of her [i.e., in marriage] 22 On account of which he fought in many a battle 23 For you have never been so hard-pressed 24 But hand-to-hand, without anyone separating us 25 Lines 1335–36: On the point of raging so [much] / that no man might calm his anger 26 Should he escape, we’ll be dishonored 27 On account of which she cursed her fate daily 28 The cruel men prevailed in their violence 29 Of meat (“brawn”) and jelly there was no lack

Sir David Lyndsay, THE HISTORIE OF SQUYER MELDRUM: EXPLANATORY NOTES ABBREVIATIONS: A: Edinburgh, Heir of Andrew Anderson, 1683 (Wing L2322); Acts of Council (Public Affairs): Acts of the Lords of Council in Public Affairs; AN: Anglo-Norman; AND: Anglo- Norman Dictionary; Bawcutt and Riddy: Longer Scottish Poems Vol. 1, ed. Bawcutt and Riddy; Bruce: Barbour, The Bruce, ed. McDiarmid and Stevenson; C: Edinburgh: Henrie Charteris, 1594 (STC [2nd ed.] 15679); Cal. State Papers (Venice): Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts relating to English Affairs; Clariodus: Clariodus; A Metrical Romance, ed. Irving; CT: Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, ed. Benson; DOST: Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue; EETS: Early English Text Society; ER: The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland; Hadley Williams: Lyndsay, Sir David Lyndsay: Selected Poems, ed. Hadley Williams; Hamer: Lyndsay, The Works of Sir David Lindsay, ed. Hamer; Hary’s Wallace: Hary, The Wallace, ed. McDiarmid; L: Edinburgh: Richard Lawson, 1610 (STC [2nd ed.] 15680); LP Henry VIII: Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII; MdnE: Modern English; ME: Middle English; MED: Middle English Dictionary; NIMEV: New Index of Middle English Verse; NLS: Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland; NRS: National Records of Scotland; ODNB: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography; OE: Old English; OED: Oxford English Dictionary; OF: Old French; PH: Douglas, Palis of Honoure, ed. Parkinson; Poems: Dunbar, Poems of William Dunbar, ed. Bawcutt; Reg. Mag. Sig.: Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum (Register of the Great Seal of Scotland); Reg. Sec. Sig.: Registrum Secreti Sigilli Regum Scotorum (Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland); RPS: Records of the Parliament of Scotland; S: Glasgow: Robert Sanders, 1683 (Wing L2322); STC: A Short-Title Catalogue of Books Printed in England, Scotland and Ireland and English Books Printed Abroad 1473–1640, ed. Pollard and Redgrave; STS: Scottish Text Society; TA: Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland, ed. Dickson and Paul; TC: Chaucer, Troilus and Criseyde, ed. Benson; Testament: Testament of Squyer Meldrum; Whiting: Whiting, Proverbs, Sentences and Proverbial Sayings from English Writings Before 1500; Wing: Wing, Short-Title Catalogue of Books Printed in England, Scotland and Ireland, Wales and British America and of English Books Printed in Other Countries 1641–1700.

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Textual notes are so few that they have been included here rather than listed separately. All translations are mine unless otherwise specified.

4 Quhilk suld to us be richt mirrouris. The injunction to emulate the noble deeds of ancestors is a common way to open any romance, epic, or chivalry biography which purports to tell of historical personages, as with these lines from Florimond of Albany: Quha blythlie will of elderris reid And tak exemple of þair gude deid, He may greitlie avansit be Give he will follov þair bounte (ed. Purdie, lines 5–9, p. 87) or the more admonitory opening lines of Hary’s Wallace: Our antecessowris that we suld of reide And hald in mynde, thar nobille worthi deid We lat ourslide throw werray sleuthfulnes, And castis ws euir till vthir besynes.

(1.1–4) “To make a mirror of the falling of another,” meanwhile, was proverbial (see Whiting M581). “Now maik ȝour merour be me, all maner of man” laments the shamed owl in Richard Holland’s fifteenth-century Scots Buke of the Howlat (line 970). A variant of this sentiment is the injunction to look into one’s own mirror for the self-knowledge that might help to avoid sin, as when the hideous ghost of Guinevere’s mother warns her daughter to “Muse on þi mirrour” in the Awntyrs off Arthure at the Terne Wathelyn (line 167). The use of the phrase by the heroic leader Golagros after he has been defeated by Gawain combines the strength to be derived from self-reflection with the warning example of his own misfortune: Ilk man my kyth be his cure [“recognise through his study”] Baith knyght, king, and empriour, And muse in his myrrour, And mater maist mine is. [“and mine is the greatest example”] (lines 1232–35) Meldrum, too, will eventually suffer a terrible reversal of fortune in battle.

13–22 Sum wryt of . . . . in weirlie weidis. The types of hero are listed in careful order of precedence: conquerors, emperors; kings, champions, and knights; and finally unknighted squires such as Meldrum. Although this might seem to belittle Meldrum’s status, the later Middle Ages saw more than one squire who was greatly respected for his martial prowess but nevertheless remained unknighted, whether to avoid the considerable expense involved or simply because they saw the title of squire as sufficiently prestigious (see Keen, Chivalry, pp. 144–45). Stevenson gives the Scottish example of Patrick Crichton of Cranstonriddel, who became keeper of Edinburgh Castle in 1495, held a number of royal offices, and sat in parliament in 1513 (Chivalry and Knighthood in Scotland, p. 39). Wyntoun’s Original Chronicle, describing the siege of Norham in 1355, notes: Twa gud sqwyaris, for suyth I heicht, Off Scottis men deit in þat feicht: Ane was Iohun of Haliburtone, A nobil sqwyar of gret ranowne; Iames Turnbuyl þe toþir wes. Þar saulis to Paradise mot passe.

(Cotton MS, 6:209, 8.6571–76) On the other hand, it was still quite common practice for kings or military leaders to knight followers who had performed the kind of exemplary military service that Meldrum apparently did in France. It is also unusual for a romance — the literary paradigm followed in this passage — to have a squire rather than a knight as its hero, although one famous example is the late fifteenth-century English romance The Squire of Low Degree: for later allusions to this romance, see notes to lines 907–26 below.

24–26 As Chauceir wrait . . . . and of Medea. Lyndsay follows in the tradition of Scottish poets such as Henryson, Dunbar, and Douglas with this implicit invitation to compare his poetry to Chaucer’s, which was held up as the gold standard of elegant “Inglis” verse: see Henryson, Testament of Cresseid, line 41; Dunbar, Goldyn Targe, lines 253–61; PH, lines 919–20. Troilus and Criseyde was Chaucer’s most admired work in the late medieval period.

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Neither of the pairs of lovers cited here bodes well: Troilus is forsaken by his love Cressida, while Jason abandons Medea after using her to win the golden fleece. Chaucer stops his version of the tale there in his “Legend of Medea” (Legend of Good Women, ed. Benson, lines 1580–1679) but Gower’s more gripping version includes Medea’s terrible revenge of burning Jason’s new wife Creusa to death and murdering the two sons of their own union (Confessio Amantis, ed. Peck, 5.3247–4222).

27 Cleo. Clio is the muse of History and is therefore appropriate here: she was famously invoked by Chaucer in TC (2.8–14).

Douglas writes in the Palis of Honoure of “Lady Cleo, quhilk craftely dois set / Historiis ald lyk as thay wer present” (lines 854– 55), but Dunbar associates her with the writing of poetry more generally: “My Lady Cleo, that help of makaris bene” (Goldyn Targe, Poems, 1:186, line 77). In another poem roughly contemporary with the Historie, Lyndsay — no longer in playful mode — rejects all classical gods or muses as sources of inspiration in favor of God alone. He promises to write: Withoute ony vaine inuocatioun To Minerua or to Melpominee.

Nor ȝitt wyll I mak supplicatioun, For help, to Cleo nor Caliopee: Sick marde Musis may mak me no supplee [confounded; assistance] (Ane Dialogue betuix Experience and ane Courteour, ed. Hamer, 1:204, lines 216–20) 28 Minerve. Minerva is the goddess of wisdom. In James I’s Kingis Quair, the narrator is led to her by the personification “Good Hope” after he has visited Venus (lines 778 ff.). In Douglas’ Palis of Honoure, the first procession seen by the narrator is that of Minerva, surrounded by mainly classical and biblical figures of prophecy, learning, and wisdom: “Yone is the Quene of Sapience, but dout, / Lady Minerve” (lines 241–42).

30–34 Quhais douchtines during . . . . did me schaw. Lyndsay’s assurance that he can personally attest to the squire’s levels of valor is combined with the revelation that Meldrum himself has supplied all the details that Lyndsay “did not knaw.” On the one hand, this invokes the great authority of eyewitness testimony. On the other, Lyndsay thereby reveals that, for at least some of this history, there is no authority other than Meldrum’s own word. Meldrum’s tendency to sing his own praises will be vividly dramatized in the Testament.

36 Descryve the deidis and the man. A glancing allusion to the opening phrase of Virgil’s Aeneid, Arma virumque cano (“I sing of arms and the man . . .”), translated by Gavin Douglas in his Eneados of 1513 as “The batalis and the man I wil discrive” (2:19, line 1). This reference to the empire-founding Aeneas (and indirectly also to the brilliance of Virgil’s poetry) makes lines 37–38 something of an anti-climax: Meldrum “spent his youth in love most pleasantly, without [incurring] disgrace,” although Lyndsay does then add that he performed “douchtie deidis” too (line 39). See note to lines 875–80 below for a more direct comparison of Meldrum to Aeneas.

48–64 Sir Lancelote du Lake . . . . cum na gude. The story of Lancelot and Guinevere’s affair was clearly well known in Lyndsay’s Scotland. The Complaynt of Scotland of c. 1550 cites a “lancelot du lac” (ed. Stewart, p. 50 [fol. 50v]) which may or may not refer to the fifteenth-century Older Scots Lancelot of the Laik. This romance, incomplete in its only extant copy, is based on material from the OF non-cyclical Lancelot du Lac and it recounts some of Lancelot’s youthful exploits and the early stages of his affair with Guinevere — appropriately enough for this comparison to the young Meldrum. Although Lancelot is a positive figure in the Older Scots Lancelot, Cooper argues that the relative dearth of Lancelot material in medieval English literature before Malory may indicate a populace for whom “Lancelot, if they had heard of him at all, was merely one of the minor knights; and to whom any ideas of Arthur’s incest and Lancelot’s adultery with Guinevere were either unknown, or else regarded as slanderous French fictions” (“The Lancelot-Grail Cycle in England,” p. 153). Lyndsay’s dig at Lancelot foreshadows Roger Ascham’s famous condemnation of Malory’s Morte Darthur as a danger to the young and the gullible (though an appropriate source of amusement for the wise): “the whole pleasure of which booke standeth in two speciall poyntes, in open mans slaughter, and bold bawdrye: In which booke those be counted the noblest Knightes, that do kill most men without any quarell, and commit fowlest aduoulteries by subtlest shiftes: as Sir Launcelote, with the wife of king Arthure his master . . . This is good stuffe, for wise men to laughe at, or honest men to take pleasure at” (The Scholemaster, ed. Wright, p. 231).

50 sword nor knyfe. See lines 156–60 where Meldrum dispatches his opponent with a dagger once his sword has shattered. The phrase itself is conventional and recurs here at lines 795, 1300, 1363, 1402, 1511. Compare the Bruce: “Yai seruyt yaim on sa gret wane / With scherand swerdis and with knyffis / Yat weile ner all left ye lyvys” (“They served them so plentifully with slicing swords and with knives that almost all lost their lives”; 16.458–60).

67–69 Ane gentilman of . . . . nobilnes lineallie discendit. Hamer notes that “the marriage of Meldrum daughters with nobility was not uncommon throughout their history” (3:189). In his History of Greater Britain of 1521, the Scottish Unionist scholar John Major remarked of the Scots that “they take inordinate pleasure in noble birth, and . . . delight in hearing themselves

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spoken of as come of noble blood” (p. 45). Nevertheless, while late medieval English society tended to distinguish between nobility and mere gentry, social demarcations in Scotland seem to have been less rigid (see Wormald, “Lords and Lairds in Fifteenth-Century Scotland,” pp. 181–200). See further note to line 1566 below.

75 Cleische and Bynnis. On squire Meldrum’s estates, see the Introduction, “Squire of Cleish and Binns.”

79 Proportionat weill; of mid stature. Compare Barbour’s description of Thomas Randolph, earl of Moray: “He wes off mesurabill [medium] statur / And weile porturat at mesur [fashioned proportionately]” (Bruce, 10.285–86). The Buik of King Alexander the Conquerour attributed to Gilbert Hay includes a lengthy disquisition on “phisnomye,” or how to assess men by the details of their appearance (ed. Cartwright, 3:22–31, lines 10108–483), and it speaks approvingly of the man who “haldis gude mesure in all his proportioun, / Off hede, of body, of lymmes vp and doun” and is “Nor hie nor law, nor fatt nor lene alsua,” because “In mydlin way þe wertew is evir neist [most present]” (ed. Cartwright, 3:29–30, lines 10408–09, 10421, and 10433).

Nevertheless, it is more common for heroes to be described as tall and broad. Hary says of Wallace that “Ix quartaris large he was in lenth indeid. / Thryd part that lenth in schuldrys braid was he” (Hary’s Wallace, 10.1224–25: McDiarmid notes that this would make Wallace about seven feet tall, 2:256n1224).

88 In Ingland first. It is not entirely clear whether this reference to Meldrum’s exercise of prowess “[i]n Ingland first” is meant to refer to the raid on Carrickfergus (an English-held town in Ireland, see lines 91 ff.), or if Lyndsay is alluding to events in Meldrum’s past which are not narrated here. The latter is implied by Meldrum’s extravagant farewell to the “lustie ladies cleir” of London in the Testament, line 216, but Meldrum’s reliability as a “witness” to his own life has been called into question by that point.

90 ff. the kingis greit admirall. James Hamilton, first earl of Arran (1475?–1529) was made commander of the Scottish fleet — thus “the kingis greit admirall” — in July 1513; he is named as the earl of Arran here in line 216 (see ODNB, “Hamilton, James, first earl of Arran (1475?–1529)” for details). The Scottish Navy left Leith on 25 July 1513 to sail for France in order to assist the French against Henry VIII, who had sailed for Calais in June 1513 (Macdougall, James IV, pp. 268–69). They took the longer route counter-clockwise around the island of Britain, apparently stopping in Ireland to bombard the English stronghold of Carrickfergus (“Craigfergus,” line 95). It is not clear whether James IV had intended them to attack Carrickfergus along the way (Pitscottie assumed Arran was disobeying orders in hopes of private gain; Historie and Cronicles, ed. Mackay, 1:256–58, but see discussion in Macdougall, James IV, pp. 268–69), or if they were simply taking the longer route to avoid the English navy, who were lying in wait for them off the coast of Kent. Certainly the English navy had hoped to intercept them: Hall’s Chronicle, a contemporary English chronicle written in the 1530s, records the English admiral Howard’s disappointment that “he hadde soughte the Scottyshe Nauye, then beynge on the sea, but he coulde not mete with theim, because they were fledde into Fraunce, be the coste of Irelande” (p. 558).

102–03 Savit all wemen . . . . all preistis and freiris. A chivalric obligation to protect women is cited in numerous manuals of chivalry, implied in numerous romances, and given explicit expression by Malory in the “Pentecostal oath” sworn by the knights of the Round Table at the end of “The Wedding of King Arthur”: “allwayes to do ladyes, damesels, and jantilwomen and wydowes soccour, strengthe hem in hir ryghtes, and never to enforce them, uppon payne of dethe” (Le Morte Darthur, ed.

Field, 1:97, lines 31–33). Malory shows little concern for protecting men of the Church, but the fifteenth-century Scottish translator of various chivalric treatises, Sir Gilbert Hay, is careful to include them in his Buke of the Ordre of Knychthede (a translation of a French version of Ramon Llull’s Llibre de l’orde de cavalleria): Alssua be vertu of fayth and gude custumes / knychtis defendis the clerkis and kirk men fra wikkit tyrane men / the quhilk agaynis the faith / and for default of faith schapis thame to derob and our’thraw bathe clerkis and kirkmen. (Chapter 7, Prose Works, ed. Glenn, 3:40, lines 32–36) The immediate model for Lyndsay may be Hary’s Wallace, who similarly refuses to slay “wemen and barnys” or “preystis als that war nocht in the feild [i.e., who did not fight]” when skirmishing in France (Hary’s Wallace, 9.647–52).

109 naikit as scho was borne. The squire’s later demand that the soldiers return her “sark” shows that this is meant literally (see note to line 119 below).

119 sark. This is a “chemise.” That the men have taken her “sark” is proof that she really is naked (line 109), since this is the item worn next to the skin, over top of which would go a “kirtill” (line 121). Compare Henryson’s The Garmont of Gud Ladeis: “Hir sark suld be hir body nixt / Of chestetie so quhyt” (ed. Fox, p. 162, lines 9–10).

120 And tak to yow all uther wark. As Hamer notes, Meldrum here “allows the men their proper share of plunder,” taking

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“wark” in the sense of “pieces of workmanship,” i.e., the lady’s costly outer clothing and jewelry (see DOST wark (n.), sense 7).

122 ane garland of hir heid. L’s “ane garland on her head” seems at first glance to be the sensible reading here, but the maiden is at this point “naikit as scho was borne” (line 109), so the enameled gold garland “of” (i.e., “from”) her head is evidently amongst the spoils that her attackers have stolen from her.

128 quhyte as milk. The tradition of describing a beautiful woman’s skin as “white as milk” goes back at least as far as Geoffrey of Vinsauf’s influential early thirteenth-century guide to writing elegant poetry, the Poetria Nova (trans. Nims, p. 37). See note to lines 944–49 below.

131 Sanct Fillane. St. Fáelán was an early Scottish confessor-saint whom an early Irish martyrology connects with Strathearn, the area of Perthshire to which Meldrum himself will return in triumph after his career in France. Although his legend became conflated with Irish saints of the same name, St. Fillan’s cult was well established in western Perthshire by the ninth century and his popularity was greatly enhanced in later medieval Scotland through Robert Bruce’s devotion to him: later generations of Scots could evoke the spirit of Robert Bruce by swearing by him. See Taylor, “The Cult of St Fillan in Scotland.” The fact that the maiden’s attackers swear by St. Fillan indicates that they are not, in fact, enemy English soldiers, but Irish or (most probably) some of Meldrum’s fellow Scots.

142 from his harnes flew the fyre. The image of blows so ferocious that they strike sparks from weapons or armor was conventional and presumably also realistic. See line 462 and MED “fir” (n.), sense 4b, for further examples.

195–96 Ane lufe taking, / Ane riche rubie set in ane ring. Rings as love tokens are a staple of medieval romance, often (though not always) magical. In Ywain and Gawain, the Middle English version of Chrétien’s Yvain, Alundyne presents Ywain with a magical ring which he later loses (ed. Braswell, lines 1527–44); in Perceval of Galles the hero helps himself to a ring as lovetoken from the maiden in the tent (ed. Braswell, lines 471–76); in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain refuses a ruby ring pressed upon him by Bertilak’s amorous wife (ed. Tolkien and Gordon, lines 1817–23). Meldrum himself will accept another ruby ring love-token from the Lady of Gleneagles. See lines 1002–06.

205–06 Suld I not . . . . and my honour. It is hardly necessary to comment on the irony of the lady’s wish to become Meldrum’s lover (to “lufe him paramour”) out of gratitude for his saving her “honour.” The trope of an insistent maiden disappointed in her pursuit of the hero is a commonplace of romance: it will be repeated after the squire's military triumphs in France (lines 685–91) and once again invites comparison of Meldrum to Lancelot, although the unattached Meldrum has no particular reason for refusing these ladies. This creates a build-up for his great affair with the lady of Gleneagles, whose advances he will not refuse, but the implied parallel with Guinevere also hints at her part in his tragic fall. See note to lines 863–65 below.

216 erle of Arrane. See note to line 90 ff.

233 munyeoun. “darling, favourite, lover.” From the French mignon, it is not recorded until the very end of the fifteenth century

by DOST or the OED. The term is (though not always) used in a derogatory sense, whence ME “minion.”

234 Meik . . . lyk ane lame. The description of a martial hero as being “meek like a lamb” off of the battlefield, contrasted with the ferocity of a lion on it (as at line 236), is more conventional than it might first appear. In the earlier twelfth century it was applied by St. Bernard of Clairvaux to the fledgling order of the Knights Templar in his In Praise of the New Knighthood (De laude novae militae), addressed to one of the order’s founders, Hugh de Payens: Thus in a wondrous and unique manner they appear gentler than lambs, yet fiercer than lions. I do not know if it would be more appropriate to refer to them as monks or as soldiers, unless perhaps it would be better to recognize them as being both.

(Clairvaux, In Praise of the New Knighthood, p. 48) 243 pruifit. C: pruift. L: proued. Although this word may well have been pronounced as a single syllable as Charteris spells it, the weak participial ending is otherwise spelled -it as if it were syllabic (as in the rhyme-pair “luifit,” line 244) so this is almost certainly a simple error on Charteris’ part.

245–53 Hary the aught . . . . was daylie skirmishing. Henry VIII had landed at Calais on 30 June 1513, but the Scottish fleet only arrived off the French coast in mid-September. Henry celebrated his capture of the town of Thérouanne in late August and Tournai in late September of that year. He apparently received news of the English victory at Flodden while at Tournai before returning to Dover in late October 1513, undisturbed by the Franco-Scottish navy which meant to intercept him. This allows for a window of perhaps a month for Meldrum to have performed the “douchtie deidis” (line 230) that establish his reputation, up to and including his great battle against the English champion Talbart. On Henry’s movements, see Scarisbrick, Henry VIII, pp. 35–

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38; the diary of John Taylor, clerk of the Parliament (LP Henry VIII, 1:626–27). On Scottish preparations for war, see Macdougall, James IV, pp. 264–76. On the Franco-Scottish navy, see Spont, Letters and Papers, pp. xliv, 185–89.

249 The King of France his greit armie. The king of France is Louis XII (d. 1 Jan 1514/15). For the grammar of this phrase, see DOST he (pron.), sense 3c, his “substituted for the inflection -is.”

265–71 Thair was into . . . . for to avance. Hamer suggests that “Maister Talbart” might be one Sir Humphrey Talbot, eldest son of Sir Gilbert Talbot who was then lieutenant or deputy of Calais, adding that “[h]is eldest son, Sir Humphrey, is not recorded in the State Papers, but he was known as “the Giant.” He died on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.” Hadley Williams, uneasily registering Hamer’s lack of support for this statement, points to the episode’s similarity to the common romance trope of a fight with a giant, as does Kinsley. An outstanding example of giant-slaying on behalf of one’s country is Guy of Warwick’s defeat of the Danish giant Colbrand for the grateful King Athelstan of England. In addition to the Middle English versions of Guy of Warwick, a separate ballad of Guy and Colebrande was in existence by the fifteenth century (see Purdie, Anglicising Romance, pp. 193–94).

Hamer’s unreferenced label of “the giant” for Sir Humphrey Talbot appears to derive from a 1569 visitation of officers of the College of Arms to Worcestershire. The section on “Talbot of Lacock” lists “Sir Gilbart Talbott . . . Lord Deputy of Callis” as having s three children, the eldest of whom is listed as “Henrey Talbott fil ob. s.p. [i.e., “died without issue”] (Sir Humphrey Talbott surnamed the Giant died in the Holy Land)” (The Visitation, ed. Phillimore, pp. 133–34). While this must be Hamer’s source, it does not in itself cite any source for the information and there is no other record of this Henry or Humphrey Talbot’s service in France. There are occasional references in LP Henry VIII to a son of Sir Gilbert Talbot serving in France, but they do not give a forename and seem likely to refer instead to his son Sir Gilbert “of Grafton” (see for example no. 1692, LP Henry VIII 1:775–76), who may be the “Sir Gilbert Talbot the younger” listed amongst the captains of the vanguard led by the earl of Shrewsbury (LP Henry VIII, 1:608, no. 4253 [16 June 1513]).

The most famous Talbot fighting in France is of course the earl of Shrewsbury himself, George Talbot. As well as being lieutenant of the vanguard in France in 1513, Shrewsbury was steward or master of the king’s house, and was therefore occasionally referred to as “master Talbot,” as for example in a blackletter pamphlet describing the meeting of Henry VIII with the French king Francis I at the Field of the Cloth of Gold in June 1520 (LP Henry VIII 3:303–06, no. 869 [11 June 1520]). The chivalric prestige of George, and of the Talbot earls of Shrewsbury more generally, is indicated by the Venetian ambassador Andrea Badoer in a letter of 1512 in which he describes him as being “of a noble and ancient family named Talbot, and to this day in France they still their babes by threatening them when they cry with the coming of the Talbots” (Cal. State Papers (Venice), 2:75, no. 185). If either Meldrum or Lyndsay himself wished to exaggerate Meldrum’s record of fighting in France, this “master Talbot” would be an ideal choice.

273–74 And on his bonnet usit to beir / Of silver fyne takinnis of weir. A “bonnet” often referred to a steel hat in this period: see Dunbar’s description of the followers of Ire dressed “In iakkis and stryppis and bonettis of steill” (“in padded leather jerkins, steel splints and steel hats”; “Off Februar the fyiftene nycht,” line 37, Poems, 1:150), or a 1539 certificate of the muster for Newcastleupon-Tyne, which lists dozens of men equipped with “a steill bonnet,” variously spelled, sometimes along with a “cot of playt” (Welford, History of Newcastle and Gateshead, pp. 174–94 [see pp. 186–92]). But it is difficult to imagine how such a bonnet might have borne silver “takinnis of weir,” and Hadley Williams argues that Talbart is instead wearing “a fashionable bonnet decorated with jewels or Italian-inspired cap badges.” A contemporary portrait of Sir Nicholas Carew in full jousting armor by Hans Holbein the Younger (1532–33) shows him wearing just such an elaborate cloth bonnet, complete with decorative pin (Hans, Younger Holbein, “Portrait”), and it might be noted that Meldrum sets out the next day wearing only “ane velvot cap” (line 377).

It is not clear what the silver “takinnis of weir” themselves are; they may be badges of his own arms and/or of St. George’s cross (on the use of St. George’s cross in the English army, see note to lines 424–45). Hadley Williams suggests they are the “spoils of war, or badges appropriate to his martial calling”; Hamer (3:195n271) notes only that they imply high status.

294 Your crakkis I count thame not ane cute. “I couldn’t care less about your loud boasts.” DOST traces the common expression “not ane cute” to the Middle Dutch cote (“ankle bone”) as used in playing games, and notes that Dutch also uses the phrase niet ene cote.

297 My gude chyld. DOST cites this line under sense 2 of child (n.), “A lad or boy, a young fellow.” The OED entry for child includes a more specific sense of “A young man of noble or gentle birth” (sense 3), and some of the citations from DOST’s sense 2 are listed there. Talbart’s condescension is nevertheless clear from his use of the familiar “thow” where Meldrum had used the formal “ye,” and it is underlined at line 307 when he addresses Meldrum unambiguously as “my barne” (my child).

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311–14 David . . . . Golias. The Biblical David’s defeat of the Philistine Goliath (1 Kings 17:4–51) inspired his inclusion in the list of those models of chivalric virtue known collectively as the Nine Worthies. See the Balletis of the Nine Nobles in the present volume, “David slew michti Golias” (line 25), and the Introduction to that poem. The boastful coward “Fynlaw of the Fute Band” in Lyndsay’s “Proclamatioun maid in Cowpar of Fyffe” (a preface to a 1552 performance in Cupar of his Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis, written especially for this local audience) also claims that “War golias in to this steid / I dowt nocht to stryk of his heid” (Hamer 2:30, lines 240–41).

317 Gowmakmorne. Goll mac Morna was one of the fearsome mythical warriors of the Ulster Fenian Cycle, and an enemy of the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill (see MacKillop, Dictionary of Celtic Mythology, pp. 228–29). Both figures were well known in the late medieval Scots-speaking world. In Barbour’s Bruce, when Bruce and his small retinue escape from the superior forces of the Lord of Lorne, the latter resentfully observes, “Rycht as Golmakmorn was wone / To haiff fra [Fyn] all his megne, / Rycht swa all his fra ws has he” (3.68–70: “Just as Goll mac Morna used to get all his retinue away from Finn, so he [Bruce] got his away from us”).

The narrator of Gavin Douglas’ c. 1501 Palis of Honoure sees “Gret Gowmakmorne and Fyn Makcoull, and how / Thay suld be goddis in Ireland, as thay say” (lines 1715–16). The boastful Fynlaw of Lyndsay’s Proclamatioun maid in Cowpar of Fyffe” is put to flight by what he believes to be “grit Gowmakmorne” (line 257). See note to lines 311–14 above.

319 Montruill. Kinsley thinks Lyndsay refers to Montreuil-sur-Mer in the Pas-de-Calais; Hamer thinks Montreuil-sur-Seine near Paris, over 200 km to the south (presumably because we are told that Henry’s troops are in Picardie [line 250]). Montreuil-surMer seems the most likely, given its proximity to Calais (see line 246) and the towns of Thérouanne and Tournai, which Henry VIII captured in August and September.

337 See note to line 294 above.

343 Monsour de Obenie. Robert Stewart (c. 1470–1544), latterly “d’Aubigny,” was a younger son of the tenth or first earl of Lennox who served in Louis XII’s army under his Franko-Scottish cousin, the Sir “Barnard Stewart” eulogized by Dunbar (Poems 1:177, and see note to the Testament, line 64). Robert inherited Bernard’s seigneurie of Aubigny upon the latter’s death in 1508, and was made captain of Louis XII’s Scots guards in October 1512 (ODNB).

353 it givis me in my hart. DOST cites this line mistakenly under the basic sense of “give,” but “to have misgivings” is clearly the sense intended, for which the MED offers two examples (y‘ven [v.], sense 26a). Kinsley notes a similar usage in Bruce, 19.97–98: “Myne hart giffis me no mor to be / With ȝow duelland in this cuntre.”

373–74 He lap upon . . . his stirroppis richt. A hero who leaps fully armed into the saddle is a common romance trope: see Bevis of Hampton, “Into the sadel a lippte, / That no stirop he ne drippte” (ed. Herzman et al., lines 1945–46) or, for a Scottish example, Florimond of Albany, “he but sturep on him sprang” (ed. Purdie, p. 102, line 474). Talbart does likewise at line 420: Meldrum will do it again at lines 472–76, explicitly “without support” and to the great delight of the Scottish spectators. It may not be a mere romance exaggeration; the biography of Jean le Maingre, marechal of France (d. 1421), records that as part of Jean’s knightly training he would leap sanz mettre le pié en l’estrief sus un coursier, armé de toutes pieces (“fully armed onto a warhorse, without putting his foot in the stirrup”) (Jehan le Maingre, ed. Lalande, p. 25).

DOST does not record this reflexive sense of the verb richt, “sit/stand up straight,” but see MED righten (v.), sense 1b.

384 Ane otter in ane silver feild. “An otter on a silver background.” Meldrum’s arms are also mentioned at lines 548–51 (when Meldrum and Talbart meet in battle) and — slightly different in detail — in the Testament (line 107). The silver background or “field” described at lines 384 and 548 may also be implied in Talbart’s dream of a large black otter coming “fra the see” (line 403): the late fifteenth-century heraldic manual The Deidis of Armorie describes heraldic silver or white as being “lik to þe wattir, quhilk is ane of þe clerast and quhittast / and mast clene elementis þat is” (ed. Houwen, 1:11). McAndrew notes that the family of Meldrum of Fyvie (Aberdeenshire) are “surprisingly little researched genealogically and agreeably varied heraldically,” and arms are also recorded for a branch of the family from Seggie in Fife (Scotland’s Historic Heraldry, p. 449). All show some variant of a black otter, or otters, on a silver background, sometimes emerging from the sea. Closest to the squire’s arms in the Historie are those of Meldrum of Fyvie: “Argent, a demi-otter sable issuant from a fess wavy azure, or Argent, a demi-otter sable issuant from the waves of the sea” (i.e., a silver background on which a black otter emerges either from a wavy blue bar across the middle of the shield — the “fess wavy azure” — or from blue and white wavy lines representing the sea; Scotland’s Historic Heraldry, p. 449). These arms are recorded for the Meldrums of Fyvie by Sir David Lyndsay himself in the Armorial he compiled in 1542 as Lyon King of Arms (see McAndrew, Scotland's Historic Heraldry, p. 272). Meanwhile, the banner of “Of silver schene, thrie otteris into sabill” that Meldrum describes for himself in the Testament (line 107) is closest to that recorded elsewhere for the Meldrums of Seggie in Fife: “Argent, three otters (2,1) passant sable” (i.e., a silver background with three horizontal black otters, two above one; McAndrew, Scotland’s Historic Heraldry, p. 449).

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390 Lyke Mars the god armipotent. I.e., “powerful in arms.” See also the Testament, line 76. The earliest recorded English example of this particular epithet for Mars, the god of war, is in Chaucer’s “Knight’s Tale” (CT 1[A]1982, 2441), but it seems to have been popular amongst Older Scots poets when writing in an aureate style: see Dunbar’s The Goldyn Targe, lines 112 and 152; Gavin Douglas’ description of the kingly figure in the Palis of Honoure, line 1921, and see Parkinson’s note on manuscript variants here; the eponymous hero of the sixteenth-century romance Clariodus is frequently compared to Mars and once described as “armipotent”(ed. Irving, 5.2262). Meldrum will be compared to Mars again at line 1074, and Meldrum associates himself with Mars in the Testament lines 69–70, 94–97, 126, 132, 187.

401–10 This nicht I saw . . . . in sic ane fray. The animal imagery in this prophetic dream echoes King Arthur’s terrifying dream of a dragon defeating a bear on the eve of his battle against the giant of Mont Saint-Michel, although in this case it is the giant-like Talbart himself (see note to lines 311–14) whose dream foretells his defeat by the young Meldrum. The dragon-bear dream occurs in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain and its immediate derivatives (Wace’s Roman de Brut, Layamon’s Brut), as well as in the Middle English Alliterative Morte Arthure (lines 760–806), a text almost certainly known in Scotland. See Purdie, “Search for Scottishness,” p. 99.

420 lap upon his hors. See Meldrum’s parallel feat and note to lines 373–74 above.

424–25 Sanct Georges croce . . . . all his geir. The English army had worn the cross of St. George since the fourteenth century.

Richard II’s Ordinances of War of 1385 decreed that everyone of whatever estate should wear a large cross of St. George on their front and back. See Keen, “Richard II’s Ordinances of War of 1385,” pp. 39–41. The sixteenth-century chronicler Edward Hall notes that when Henry VIII was received at Calais in June 1513, “ouer his riuett [light armor] he had a garment of white cloth of gold with a redde cross,” and when the Emperor Maximilian joined Henry’s forces, “Themperour as the kynges soldiours ware a Crosse of sayncte George with a Rose” (Hall’s Chronicle, p. 539).

437–38 The heraldis put thame . . . . within the bordour. By the later Middle Ages, heralds played an important part in both tournaments and genuine battles. They organized the pageantry of tournaments; they had “neutral” status in battle and so performed a vital role as messengers and diplomats, as well as being able to identify opponents by their arms. In both tournament and battle, they judged and recorded feats of prowess. See Keen, Chivalry, pp. 134–42.

444 accowterit. “equipped.” C has accownterit, L accountered and A accounted, all errors for accowterit from the French accoutrer. DOST records a similar spelling error of accomptirit in the 1552 Register of the Privy Council (accouterit [p.p.]).

445 burdounis. The basic meaning of burdoun is “staff,” as in a pilgrim’s staff, or cudgel, but here and at line 531 it is clearly used as a synonym for “lance” or “spear.” See OED bourdon (n.1), sense 2, which cites this line and Douglas’ Eneados, ed. Coldwell, 3:95, lines 69–70: “He with a burdon of ane lang stif tre, / The poynt scharpit and brynt a litill we [a little bit].”

448 God shaw the richt. “May God reveal [who has] the just cause.” The phrase recurs at line 1262. This was part of the ritual of judicial combat, and Kinsley notes its appearance in Alexander Scott’s roughly contemporary comic poem The Justing and Debait up at the Drum: “The harraldis cryd: ‘God schaw the rycht!’” (line 63, ed. Bawcutt and Riddy, pp. 269–78).

472–76 on he lap . . . . hors sa galyeardlie. See note to lines 373–74 above.

483–84 And cryit gif . . . . for his ladies saik. The notion that a knight was improved by fighting in the name of (or in hopes of impressing) his lady was ingrained in the ideology of chivalry, and Talbart has already offered to fight “for his ladies saik” at line 276. For a review of medieval literature on the idea, see Jaeger, Ennobling Love, pp. 198–213. The ultimate model of the knight who performs great feats “for his ladies saik” is Lancelot, on whom see Lyndsay’s disparaging remarks at lines 48–64 and note above. Meldrum will nevertheless promise the Lady of Gleneagles to do at least as much for her as ever Lancelot did for Guinevere (lines 1079–82).

504 Pertlie to preif their pith thay preist. Compare the fifteenth-century Scots romance Ralph the Collier: “Thay preis furth properly thair pithis to prufe” (line 863, Three Middle English Charlemagne Romances, ed. Lupack).

507 He outterit. L: He vttered. A: Vttered. DOST, citing this line, defines “outer” as “to swerve aside or refuse the encounter” (outer [v.1]). The OED is more specific in defining it as “to go out of the lists or course at a tournament” (again citing the line, and identifying it as a rare Scots usage: utter [v.1], sense 4). Both also cite Pitscottie: “Schir Patrickis horse wtterit witht him and wald on nowayis reconter his marrow” (i.e., “Sir Patrick’s horse carried him out of the lists and refused to meet his opponent”; Historie and Cronicles, ed. Mackay, 1:234, lines 26–27). This is clearly what has happened to Talbart, who demands a new mount and tests it carefully before resuming the tournament (lines 515–23): this time, “name of thame thair marrow mist” (line 529).

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556 cunnand. C: cunning. L: cunning. A: cuning. Charteris’ cunning is listed in DOST as an error unique to this poem for cunnand, itself a reduced form of convenant, “agreement.” Neither the MED nor OED list this variant at all, so the text has been emended here.

577 This bene bot chance of armes. “This is just the fortunes of war.” Meldrum will repeat a version of this remark to another opponent later. See note to line 832–34.

577–78 armes . . . . armes. A rare example of rime riche in Lyndsay, pairing armes (warfare) with armes (arms, in the literal sense of limbs).

585–88 Sum sayis . . . . never wes sene into Ingland. This description would fit with Hamer’s identification of “Talbart” with the Sir Humphrey Talbot who was reputed to have died in the Holy Land, although see note to lines 265–71 above on the problems with this. Alternatively, it could explain why no one else has heard of this supposedly famous champion. Or again, if George Talbot earl of Shrewsbury were jokingly meant (i.e., if Meldrum has exaggerated his own exploits somewhat), the claim that he “never wes sene into Ingland” would be amusingly ironic for the original Scottish audience: Shrewsbury was later appointed lieutenantgeneral in the turbulent Scottish borders (ODNB, “Talbot, George”).

589–90 Bot our squyer did still remane / Efter the weir, quhill peice was tane. Lyndsay’s (or Meldrum’s) chronology becomes vague here. Louis XII of France agreed a preliminary truce with Henry VIII in March 1514 (which included his allies the Scots, although they had not actually been consulted), and a formal peace treaty was signed in August 1514 (Scarisbrick, Henry VIII, pp.

50–56; Emond, “Minority of King James V,” pp. 12–13). This would indicate that Meldrum remained in France in 1514, but at lines 599–600 we are told that “the navie of Scotland / Wes still upon the coist lyand.” In October 1513, the combined FrancoScottish fleet was meant to intercept Henry VIII on his return to England, but they were scattered by storm and most of the Scottish fleet limped home at the beginning of November 1513, leaving only the largest ships behind in French pay (Governor Albany eventually sold the flagship St Michael to Louis XII in April 1514 [see ER 14:cxxxvi]). On 13 November 1513, Lord Dacre reported to Henry that “Th’ Erl of Aren, admirall of Scotland, is commen home with the shippes of Scotland . . . which hath brought writings and credence from the French king and the Duke of Albany . . . The Scottische soldiours which be commen home make ill reaport of the French king, sayng thei were not well entreated there” (Spont, Letters and Papers, pp. 188–89, nos.

95, 96; see also pp. xliv–xlvi). This contrasts markedly with markedly with Meldrum’s reported experience at the French court.

Lyndsay could conceivably have intended the “peice” of line 590 to refer to the lull following Henry’s capture of Tournai and the simultaneous disastrous news from Flodden (i.e., late September until the end of October 1513), but the description of ambassadors crowding the court of Louis XII at lines 614–18 suggests rather the formal peace negotiations of 1514. Lyndsay (or Meldrum) seems thus to be telescoping events from late 1513 and 1514.

591 the kingis gairdis. This refers to Louis XII’s Scots Guards, led by D’Aubigny. See note to line 343 above.

597–600 From Pycardie . . . .the coist lyand. On dating the Scottish fleet’s movements (and therefore Meldrum’s) see note to lines 589–90 above.

608 hakbut, culvering, pik and speir. Hackbuts and culverins were early portable guns, used in early sixteenth-century warfare alongside the pikes and spears listed here.

619 ane ambassadour. None of the candidates for this description are entirely satisfactory, and Lyndsay’s vagueness here may be deliberate. Hamer suggests John Stewart, Duke of Albany, the French-born acting regent of Scotland who was detained by the French crown until 1515 (Hamer, see also note to lines 1380–87 below). The official Scottish ambassador was Andrew Forman, Bishop of Moray, but his later reputation in some quarters as the architect of James IV’s ruin would seem to preclude seeing him as the “man of greit honour” here (line 620, see Macdougall, James IV, pp. 297–98). Yet another candidate is Antoine d’Arces, Seigneur de la Bastie, who would later become acting regent of Scotland. See note to lines 1395–1406 below.

629 lyke wyld lyounis furious. The villainous English setting upon the Scots “lyke wyld lyounis furious” is a caution against seeing Meldrum’s earlier description, “Rampand lyke ane wyld lyoun” (line 236), as an allusion to the lion rampant on the royal arms of Scotland.

633 Sutheroun. The sudden introduction of this term, literally “Southerners,” for the people Lyndsay has so far described merely as “Inglis” (see lines 265, 428, 567, 572), is reminiscent of the diction of Hary’s Wallace, where the term is frequent.

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661 sevin quarter lang. A “quarter” was a fourth of an ell: the OED gives a Scottish ell as 37.2 inches (ell [n.1], sense 1.a). This would make Meldrum’s sword about five and half feet long, a substantial weapon. He is later described as wielding a formidable two-handed sword (see note to line 1254 below).

691–98 Thocht Frenche ladies . . . . did thame noy. The lamenting at Meldrum’s departure is vaguely reminiscent of Wallace’s departure from France, where “Lordys and ladyis wepyt wondyr fast” (Hary’s Wallace, 12.319). But where Meldrum departs simply because “he in France wald not remane” (line 689), Wallace is anxious to return and defend his beleaguered country: “Till help his awn he had a mar plesance / Than thar to byd with all the welth off France” (Hary’s Wallace, 12.299–300).

710–848 Ane day . . . . payit thair ransoun. This sea-battle has distinct echoes of the “Red Reiver” episode of Hary’s Wallace, 9.184–391, and fainter ones of Wallace’s second sea-battle with John of Lynn, 11.809–906.

730 monie gunnis out ovir hir flaw. “many missiles flew right over her [i.e., the ship].” DOST does not record examples of gun used in reference to the missiles fired, but the OED lists two, from Chaucer’s Legend of Good Women and the Avowing of King Arthur: see gun (n.) sense 4. The Scottish ship is so much smaller and lower in the water that the English guns are finding it difficult to aim low enough to hit her, whereas the Scottish guns are finding the tall English ship an easy target. In Hary’s Wallace, the ship of the English pirate John of Lynn is far better armed and similarly “mar off hycht” than Wallace’s (11.893–94).

749 halbert. The halberd was a variant of the pole-axe, with an axe-blade and pick on either side of the shaft and a spear-head at the tip. The OED records references to them from the very end of the fifteenth century, but DOST only from the sixteenth, so Lyndsay is describing modern weaponry.

751 Out of the top. The “top” or “top-castle” was a platform at the head of a mast in fighting ships, often used by archers (see OED top [n.], sense 3.9a).

758 Swyith yeild, yow doggis, or ye sall die. Compare the Red Reiver episode in Hary’s Wallace: “On loude he cryit, ‘Stryk, doggis! ȝe sall de!’” (9.263).

762 tratour tavernar. Hamer thought this was intended as a slur on the English captain's social class; Kinsley thought he was calling him a “brawling tippler.” Both are possible, but Hadley Williams’ suggestion that this alludes to a proverb about empty boasts made in a tavern (Whiting T49) is the most convincing. Whiting’s entry is based on the following lines from Richard Coer de Lyon: Whenne they sytten at the taverne, There they ben stoute and sterne, brave and daring Bostfyl wurdes for to crake, speak And of here dedes, yelpyng to make. boasting Lytyl wurth they are and misprowde; haughty (arrogant) Fyghte they cunne with wurdes lowde, are able And telle no man is here pere; proclaim; equal But whene they comen to the mystere, time of peril (show-down) And see men begynne strokes dele, deliver Anon they gynne to turne here hele . . . (ed. Larkin, lines 3853–62) 776 And sone wes all the Sutheroun slane. Hamer takes “slane” in its usual sense of “killed” and describes this line as “a slight exaggeration, since two hundred men, we are told later [lines 840–41], were put ashore on the coast of Kent.” Hadley Williams objects that “The sense seems to be ‘defeated,’ given following events” and indeed there are men alive and begging for mercy at lines 779–80. DOST offers three examples of sla in this weaker sense of “to strike down” (sla, [v.], sense 1.1) and, although they speculate that these might actually belong to the more usual sense of “kill by striking” (sense 1.3), the MED actually records nonfatal striking as the first, well-evidenced sense for sl‘n (v.). It is possible that Lyndsay is using deliberately archaic terminology here, since the three DOST examples in question are from Barbour’s Bruce (c. 1375) and Wyntoun’s Original Chronicle (c. 1420). Another non-fatal sense of “slay” occurs at line 1134 below, and see line 149 of “The Unicornis Tale” elsewhere in this volume.

781–88 Yit wes . . . . ane thowsand syse. Either Lyndsay (or his informant, Meldrum) forgot that the squire had knocked the captain into “ane deidlie swoun” a moment earlier (line 770), or the squire’s blow was less deadly than originally implied.

790 Thrie thowsand nobillis of the rois. The “rose noble” was the most valuable of the various types of English noble — a gold coin — in circulation. They were introduced by Edward IV in 1464 and stamped with the York rose, hence the name. An act of the

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Scottish Parliament of 12 October 1467, under James III, ordered the valuation of “the Eduarde with the rose to xxxij s[hillings] of our mone.” In the squire’s own era, an act of Parliament of 20 August 1524 valued the various English nobles thus: “The Ros noble of Weiht for xliiij s the Hary noble of Weiht for xl s, the Angell noble for xxx s.” (Cochran-Patrick, Records of the Coinage of Scotland, 1:32 and 1:54).

803 ran and red. Kinsley refers back to “the redding” (i.e. the physical separation of combatants in a fight) of line 671, which fits the general sense here, but compare the phrase “[h]is erandis for to ryne and red” in Dunbar’s “Complane I wald, wist I quhome till” (Poems 1:68, line 44) where it simply means to “go and do.” Lyndsay might then be paraphrased “then both the captains did so,” i.e., arranged for the fighting to cease, rather than wading back into the thick of it themselves.

832–34 It wes but chance . . . . hapnit siclike adventure. This is similar to what Meldrum says earlier to the defeated Talbart, assuring him it was “bot chance of armes” (line 577), but it is closer still to the words of Wallace to the Red Reiver: “For chans off wer thou suld no murnyng mak. / As werd will wyrk thi fortoun mon thou tak” (Hary’s Wallace, 9.371–72).

844 the Blaknes. The well fortified Blackness Castle, on the south side of the Firth of Forth near Linlithgow, was often used as a prison. Its earliest mention in the Records of the Parliaments of Scotland in this capacity is from 1467 (Judicial Proceedings for 17 October), in reference to an Andro Johnson: “And for the contemption done to the kingis hienes, that his persoune be enterit in ward in the castel of the Blaknes lyk as wes decretit be the lordis of counsale of before” (RPS 1467/10/35).

848 ransoun. It was common practice to ransom such prisoners of war as seemed likely to be able to afford it; presumably this is the basis on which some of the English were “waillit furth” (“picked out,” line 839). See Ambühl, Prisoners of War in the Hundred Years War. 856 Straitherne. Strathearn is a valley in Perthshire (along the river Earn) where it meets northwest Fife. Either Meldrum has traveled overland through Fife or sailed north and into the river Tay, past Dundee — either route is logical enough for a man with lands in Cleish, northwest Fife. In her note to this line, Hadley Williams notes that “Meldrum’s route recalls Wallace’s,” at least as described in Hary’s poem. If so, it makes an interesting contrast: where the squire is feasted everywhere, Wallace must sneak back into the country, evading capture by the English. Strathearn is not specifically named, though he does enter it: “Wallace the land has tane / At Ernys mouth and is till Elchok gane” (i.e., Elcho Castle on the river Tay, near the mouth of the river Earn) (Hary’s Wallace, 12.329–30).

858 ane castell. This is Gleneagles Castle is in southeast Perthshire. The ruins of its grand fifteenth-century tower, just south of the famous modern golf course, are still standing (see https://canmore.org.uk/site/25906/gleneaglescastle).

863–65 Ane lustie ladie . . . . wes the moir. So much effort has gone into establishing who this “ladie” was in real life and what happened between her and Meldrum that it is easy now to miss the fact that Lyndsay himself never names her, nor tells us anything more than that she lives in a castle somewhere in Strathearn (line 856, and compare “Sterne of Stratherne” in the Testament, line 230); she owns another castle somewhere in the Lennox (see note to line 1057); her former husband was a relation of Meldrum’s (line 966); and eventually, that “scho aganis hir will wes maryit” to a man who is likewise unnamed (line 1465). This anonymity helps to highlight instead the literary allusions to Virgil’s Aeneid and the Squire of Low Degree (see notes to lines 875–80 below) as well as to invite the audience to compare and contrast the couple with Lancelot and Guinevere (see note to lines 205–06 above) although she is not married, she will be the unintentional cause of Meldrum’s doom. Perhaps the anonymity was also intended to help Lyndsay avoid accusations of slander, should his poem reach a wider audience than that for which it was originally intended. Identification of the lady and her two husbands was unnecessary for Lyndsay’s original private audience in Fife, who were already familiar with the dramatic story of Meldrum’s affair with Marjorie Lawson, Lady of Gleneagles. See the Introduction, “The Historie and History” for discussion.

875–80 Eneas . . . . put in vers. The squire’s storytelling is likened to that of Aeneas at Carthage in book 2 of Virgil’s Aeneid. Dido, a young widow like Marjorie, falls helplessly in love with Aeneas as he recounts the harrowing story of the fall of Troy and his escape from it. Gavin Douglas completed his translation of the Aeneid into Scots (the Eneados) in 1513, so it was readily accessible to a sixteenth-century Scottish audience. The implicit comparison does not bode well for the squire and the lady: Aeneas resumes his quest to found a new empire while the abandoned Dido commits suicide. In fact, however, Meldrum’s lady will go on to re-marry and indeed outlive the squire, while Meldrum will be permanently crippled in the vicious ambush described (lines 1211–1380). It is difficult to gauge how much irony Lyndsay intends here, or in his aside that the rest of the squire’s tale was, unlike Aeneas’, “langsum for to put in vers.” The parallels with the Aeneid are again hinted at with Meldrum’s otherwise conventional prayer to Venus at lines 906–16. Venus was Aeneas’ mother and the instigator of his disastrous affair with Dido.

900 ff. Bot still did on the ladie think . . . . Bawcutt and Riddy observe: “It is difficult to tell how far this episode is to be taken

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seriously and how far it contains elements of burlesque.” C. S. Lewis insisted that “the humour is not burlesque,” referring instead to its “wholesome sensuality” and “homely realism” (English Literature in the Sixteenth Century, p. 103). Bawcutt and Riddy point to James I’s Kingis Quair (at lines 274–350, 435–41, 470–97) for examples of the serious deployment of many of the conventions touched on here, including the May setting, the lover’s torments, the lover as the lady’s prisoner and thrall, the lady’s dawn walk, and the elaborate description of her beauty (on which see further note to lines 944–49 below).

901 Cupido with his fyrie dart. Ovid depicts Cupid, the god of Love, as a vengeful youngster who fires arrows tipped with gold or lead — causing love and revulsion respectively — in the tale of Apollo and Daphne (Metamorphoses 1.452–74). But the thirteenthcentury French poem The Romance of the Rose by Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun offered probably the most detailed and influential version of this extended metaphor for falling in and out of love: see trans. Dahlberg, pp. 42–44 (lines 865–984), for the arrows and pp. 54–69 (lines 1681–2764) for the narrator and the God of Love, here portrayed as an adult lord (ed. Langlois, lines 865–984 and 1681–2764). Chaucer, who made his own translation of a portion of The Romance of the Rose, imagines Troilus being shot by “the God of Love” in TC 1.206–10. In book 2 of Virgil’s Aeneid, Venus sends her son Cupid to cause Dido to burn with love for Aeneas. See note to lines 875–80 above on other allusions to the Aeneid.

907–26 Ladie . . . . be my paramour. The overheard lover’s complaint is a common trope of medieval courtly poetry. Famous examples include Pandarus overhearing Troilus’ lament (TC 1.547–50 and 2.519–60) or Chaucer’s narrator overhearing the Black Knight in The Book of the Duchess (ed. Benson, lines 458 ff.), but the closest analogue here is the late fifteenth-century English romance The Squire of Low Degree, a semi-comical romance extremely popular throughout the sixteenth century in England and told in the same racy octosyllabic couplets as Lyndsay’s Historie (see further the notes to lines 923–24, 934, and 962 below). The eponymous squire falls in love with a princess of Hungary (neither lover is ever named) but feels unworthy of her: he laments his plight in a beautiful garden (ed. Kooper, lines 68–88), where the princess overhears him from her room and decides to take pity on him (see the suggestively similar lines below, note to lines 923–24). She gives him a list of instructions of how to win her father’s consent, but a jealous steward — compare Lyndsay’s unnamed “cruell knicht” of line 1191 — is determined to keep the couple apart, first by telling the king about their liaison (who, however, is comically unperturbed) and then by ambushing the unarmed squire with a large party of men when he tries to visit the princess. Here the stories diverge: the squire of low degree slays the steward despite the desperate odds and his lack of armor; a series of misunderstandings keeps the squire either in prison or in exile for seven years while the faithful princess mourns his apparent death. Rather gruesomely, she has the mutilated body of what she believes to be the squire embalmed and kept at her bedhead this whole time. Eventually the deception is revealed, the couple are married, and the squire is made the king’s heir. The Hungarian princess’ fierce loyalty to what she believes to be the mutilated body of her squire contrasts with the way the lady of Gleneagles will drop abruptly out of Meldrum’s life after his own disfigurement in the ambush that ends their affair.

The Squire of Low Degree had been printed by Wynkyn de Worde as early as c. 1520 under the title Undo Youre Dore (see STC [2nd ed.] 23111.5). It had certainly found a market in Scotland by 1586, when a Scottish ship homeward bound from London was found to be carrying 50 copies of “Squire of low degre, Eng.,” twice as many as any of the other 26 books listed on the inventory (see Robertson, “A Packet of Books for Scotland,” p. 52).

923–24 Howbeit . . . . agane. Compare Squire of Low Degree: “Though I for thee should be slayne, / Squyer, I shall thee love agayne” (ed. Kooper, lines 153–54).

934, 962 squyeris dure unlok; bar the dure. This focus on the locking and unlocking of the squire’s door is again reminiscent of the Squire of Low Degree, whose alternative title in some prints was Vndo Your Dore (see STC [2nd ed.] 23111.5, “Here begynneth vndo your dore” [London: Wynkyn de Worde, ?1520]). The squire, believing himself to be unobserved, creeps up to the princess’ door: “‘Your dore undo! / Undo,’ he sayde, ‘nowe, fayre lady!’”; “Undo thy dore, my worthy wyfe”; “Undo your dore, my lady swete”; “Undo thy dore, my frely floure” (ed. Kooper, lines 534–35, 539, 541, 545). The lady, not recognizing his voice, retorts: “I wyll not my dore undo / For no man that cometh therto” (lines 551–52). Eventually she realizes who he is and makes a fulsome speech of welcome, but this only serves to give the jealous steward’s men enough time to attack. The squire kills the steward but is hauled away, while the steward’s disfigured body is left for the lady to find (and mistake for the squire’s) when she undoes her door at last. Meldrum’s affair runs in almost inverse parallel to that in the Squire of Low Degree, with the lady creeping up to his door but finding the lock already undone; Meldrum locking the door himself with her on the inside, and finally — tragically — Meldrum himself being horribly mutilated by the “cruell knicht” who wants to separate the lovers (see lines 1215 ff.).

944–49 His goldin traissis . . . . withouttin hois. The early thirteenth-century writer Geoffrey of Vinsauf provided a much imitated (and satirized) model for how to describe a beautiful woman, recommending among other things that a poet should “let the colour of gold give a glow to her hair;” that her skin be so white that “lilies bloom high on her brow;” that “her breast, the image of snow, show side by side its twin virginal gems,” and that “the border of her robe gleam with fine linen” (Poetria Nova, trans. Nims, pp.

36–37).

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951 vailye quod vailye. This translates as “come what may” (from Latin valeo, “prevail”), a common expression that Lyndsay assigns elsewhere to a fat, overconfident parrot who is determined to climb to the top of a tree in Testament of the Papyngo: “‘I wyll,’ said scho, ‘ascend, vailye quod vailye’” (line 161; she then falls and is fatally injured). For a more dignified example of the phrase in battle, see Barbour’s Bruce 9.148. This scene evidently made a strong impression on at least one early eighteenth-century reader.

George, 1st Earl of Cromartie, wrote to the Earl of Mar in 1707 that if he is forced to wait any longer for his salary, “I will study for as much to borrow as will cary [sic] my old bones up to complain, vale que vale, as Squire Meldrum said”; and again in 1708, to the same correspondent, “I now come to act in another scene, and to intreat for my freends, vale que vale, as old Squire Meldrum did sing in the dayes of yore” (Fraser, The Earls of Cromartie, 2:45 and 2:57, letters of 25 September 1707 and 17 January 1708).

953 courtlyke. C: courlyke. L: curtlike. The OED records adj. courtlike from the later sixteenth century, but no spellings without medial t. DOST cites only this line — likewise emended — for its entry for cour[t]lyk (adj.). A corrects to “courtly.”

955–64 Madame, gude morne . . . . my womanheid to spill. If the squire’s earlier lament recalled serious works in the courtly love tradition, this scene is far more reminiscent of fabliaux such as Chaucer’s Miller’s Tale in which — in a spoof of these same courtly conventions — the crafty young student Nicholas approaches his landlord’s wife Alison: And prively he caughte hire by the queynte [private parts] And seyde, “Ywis, but if ich have me wille, For deerne [secret] love of thee, lemman, I spille [die].

(CT 1[A]3276–78) After a brief and unconvincing protest — “Do wey youre handes, for youre curteisye!” — Alison “hir love hym graunted atte laste” (CT 1[A]3287–90). Meldrum’s lady is at least widowed when she makes her equally token objection.

963–66 Contemporary canon law imposed an extremely restrictive set of impediments to marriage based on kinship of either consanguinity or affinity, extending both to the fourth degree. This meant that marriage was prohibited, not only to a blood relative to within the fourth degree (i.e., someone with whom one shared a great-great-grandparent), but also to someone within four degrees of relation to one’s former spouse (see Sellar, “The Family,” pp. 98–99). The latter is clearly the case for Meldrum, although his relationship to the lady’s former husband is never spelled out. The solution was to seek a dispensation from the Pope, but this was an expensive business and was often ignored by couples. The Archbishop of St Andrews protested to the Pope in a letter of 1 September 1554 that “such was the connexion between families in Scotland, that it was scarce possible to match two persons of good birth who should not come within the forbidden degrees; and on that account . . . many married without dispensation, promising to obtain it subsequent to marriage; but afterwards instead of doing so, sought for divorce, or put away their wives on the pretext of the want of dispensation and of the expense of procuring one” (Liber Officialis Sancti Andree, ed. Forbes and Innes, pp. xxv–xxvi and 164–65).

No blood connection between the Meldrums and the Haldanes can be traced in the scant surviving historical records, but we do not know the name of William Meldrum’s mother or of his great-grandmother on his father’s side (see the conjectural Meldrum family tree in the Introduction, “Squire of Cleish and Binns”), so there is plenty of scope for the connection to have been a close one, whether with the Haldanes directly, or via the family of Sir John Haldane’s mother, Christian Grahame (named in a 1481 charter by his grandfather John, NRS GD198/16), or that of his grandmother, Agnes of Menteth (named in an instrument of resignation from 1472, NRS GD198/45, and a protest against a precept of chancery of 1473, NRS GD198/49).

987 Cupido. See note to line 901 above.

990–99 Nor ane . . . . I hard sane. Although references to sex are normally more coy than this in romances, such directness is not unknown. In the fifteenth-century Middle English Partonope of Blois, the heroine Melior has — like the lady here — engineered things so that she and her beloved are alone in a bedroom. When he puts an arm around her, she raises only a feeble objection, and: . . . . a-none ganne he In hys armes her faste to hym brase.

And fulle softely þen sho sayde: “Allas!”

And her legges sho gan to knytte, And wyth hys knees he gan hem on-shote.

And þer-wyth-all she sayde: “Syr, mercy!”

He wolde not lefe ne be þer-by; For of her wordes toke he no hede; But þys a-way her maydenhede

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Haþe he þen rafte and geffe her hys. (ed. Bödtker, lines 1562–71) The narrator’s disingenuous claim to be unsure what happened is entirely traditional.

991 wodbind. This can refer to ivy or similar green climbing plants, or to climbing honeysuckle. Either way it is a common metaphor for lovers clinging to each other. See Marie de France’s brief lai of Chievrefoil, telling of a secret tryst between Tristram and Isolde; chievrefoil translates as “goatleaf,” or honeysuckle (Lais, ed. Rychner, pp. 151–54). See also Chaucer’s description of Troilus and Criseyde when they finally get together: And as aboute a tree, with many a twiste, Bytrent and writh the swote wodebynde, Gan ech of hem in armes other wynde.

(TC 3.1230–32) 996 And with hir hair scho dicht hir ene. Hamer, Kinsley: “and with her hair she covered her eyes.” Bawcutt and Riddy object that “there seems to be no parallel for dicht in this sense,” and they translate as “wiped” based on DOST dicht, (v.), sense 3b: “the lady may be wiping away a (false) tear or even feigning surprise by rubbing her eyes.” But compare MED dighten (v.), sense 1b.b, which offers several examples of the sense “clothe, cover”; the exceptionally poor survival rate for Older Scots texts means that many usages attested in ME are likely to apply to Scots also, though they do not happen to be exemplified in the surviving corpus. Either way she is clearly feigning shame, much like the equally unrepentant Melior when she makes the token gestures of sighing “Allace!” and crossing her legs after luring Partonope into bed with her (see note to lines 990–99 above).

1002–06 he gaif her . . . . thir twa dissever. On the ruby ring love-token see note to lines 195–96.

1008 lammer. Although the OE plural form of “lamb” was lambru, lambur, and the description of sleeping maidens as being ‘as sweet as lambs’ would be appropriate (“lambs” is Hadley Williams’, Bawcutt, and Riddy’s preferred gloss), DOST (lam, lamb(e (n.)) notes that “The regular and only plur. forms known to Sc. are in -is, -es, unless we count some place-names in Lammer-.”

Lyndsay twice uses the expression “sweiter nor/than the lamber/lammer” elsewhere to describe women, in both cases rhymed with “chalmer” as here (Ane Satyre, line 531 and “Proclamatioun” line 152) and seeming to refer to “ambergris” as used in perfume. The terms amber/lamber/lammer were used interchangeably for ambergris and for the gemstone amber; see OED amber (n.1), sense A.I, and DOST lammer (n.).

1019 be him that deir Jesus sauld. Bawcutt and Riddy quip that “It is appropriate that in glibly lying to her maids the lady should swear by Judas” (i.e., Judas Iscariot).

1048 the futeball. Although not considered a noble pastime, football (or soccer) was enormously popular from the later Middle Ages onwards, not to mention violent (see Reeves, Pleasures and Pastimes, pp. 91–92.) It was banned by successive Scottish kings throughout the fifteenth century, evidently without the slightest success (see RPS James I, 1424/19; James II, 1458/3/7; James III, 1471/5/6; James IV, 1491/4/17). In 1497, students at the University of St Andrews were banned from playing ad pilam pedalem on pain of excommunication (Dunlop, Acta Facultatis, pp. 265–66). Meanwhile, however, the Treasurer’s Accounts for that same year record a payment “to Jame Dog to by fut ballis to the King” (TA 1:330). The footballing students of rival colleges of St Andrews would go on to cause a serious breach of the peace in 1537 (Acta Facultatis, pp. cxxxii, 380–81 [19 February 1537]). I am grateful to Professor Roger Mason for drawing these records to my attention.

1054 the Lennox. See note to line 1057 below.

1055 Makfagon. So C and L. S: Mackfarlon. Bawcutt and Riddy emend to Makfaron to rhyme with baron (line 1066), although they admit that this is not otherwise recorded as a variant of the name otherwise rendered consistently as Makferland or MacFarland at lines 1097, 1108, 1120, 1135, and 1143. (On the MacFarlanes, see note to line 1057 below.) If Makfagon is Charteris’ error, he may — as Hadley Williams notes — have been thinking of Hary’s wicked (albeit fictional) Highlander Makfadȝan in Hary’s Wallace (7.623–868) who led a band of supposedly savage Irish and Hebridean men in a raid on Argyll, to be defeated by the combined forces of Wallace and Lord Campbell of Loch Awe (possibly inspired by the attack of a real Maurice MacFadyane on the bishop of Argyll in 1452). As Boardman remarks: “Hary visualised the confrontation between Wallace and Campbell’s forces and MacFadzan’s men as a straightforward struggle between ‘civilisation’ and ‘savagery’” (The Campbells, p. 212). That the name “MacFadyan” became synonymous with Highland savagery for Lowland audiences is suggested by Dunbar’s inclusion of a Makfadȝane and his “Ersche” (i.e., Gaelic) followers in an infernal dance of the Seven Deadly Sins (Poems 1:152, lines 110, 116).

As for what stood in Lyndsay’s original text, neither Makferlan(d) nor Makfagon rhyme with line 1056’s baron, so it may be that the lines originally rhymed Makferland with brigand or tyran(d), which a distracted later copyist altered to the more common

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collocation of “bold baron.” Compare lines 1420 and 1493, where tyrane, tyrannis is used in the general sense of “villain.”

1057 Hir castell. This would seem to be Boturich Castle on the southeast bank of Loch Lomond in the Lennox, a region taking in much of present-day Dunbartonshire and west Stirlingshire. The current Boturich Castle is nineteenth-century country house built upon the ruins of the fifteenth-century castle. A charter of January 1508/9 includes “duas le Bothurches” — i.e., Boturich — among the lands consolidated into the barony of Haldane for John Haldane and Marjorie Lawson, who are both named in the charter (Reg. Mag. Sig. 2:702–03, no. 3288). On Haldane’s involvement in the disputed inheritance of the lands and title of the earldom of Lennox, see Napier, History of the Partition of the Lennox, pp. 77–79. Although Fraser describes a raid on Boturich Castle by “the Macfarlanes of Arrochar,” the only source he gives is Lyndsay’s poem (Fraser, Lennox 1:155). James MacFarlane likewise highlights the MacFarlanes’ general reputation as cattle-raiders and allies of the outlawed MacGregors and he likewise mentions this raid on the Haldane property of Boturich, but once again, Lyndsay’s poem is the only cited source (History of Clan MacFarlane, p. 52). Doubts over the truth of this particular episode notwithstanding, the general unruliness of the MacFarlanes is a matter of historical record; Hadley Williams (in her note to line 1143) cites a statement in the Acts of the Lords of Council for 21 July 1518: “‘the lardis of Bucquhannane and McFerlane wer takin and putt in warde for gret misreul maid be thaim in the cuntre,’” and the Council intended to consider how to deal with them so that the whole area including the Lennox “‘may be putt to peax’” (Acts of Council in (Public Affairs), p. 126).

1064 Dunbartane and Argyle. “Dumbarton and Argyll” in the west of Scotland. See note to line 1057 above on the extent of the lady’s lands in the Lennox (which included Dumbarton), and note to line 1055 above on the association of the MakFadyans — here conflated with MacFarlanes — with Argyll.

1076–77 scho gaif him . . . . his basnet bure. On the practice of bearing a lady’s token into tournament or battle, and the inspiration such practices drew from literary romance, see Keen, Chivalry, pp. 212–16.

1077–81 That worthie Lancelot . . . . I sall do. On Lancelot, about whom Lyndsay was earlier quite disparaging, see note to lines 48–64 above.

1088–92 Than . . . . at his command. From tournament and battlefield vows to more personal ones, vowing played a major part in chivalric culture. An influential literary precedent is the Voeux du Paon or “Vows upon the Peacock,” an early fourteenthcentury text incorporated into the Old French Alexander cycle which would be translated into Scots twice over the course of the fifteenth century, first as part of the Buik of Alexander and then as part of the Buik of King Alexander the Conquerour, associated with Gilbert Hay. Meldrum’s vow that “he suld never in hart be glaid” recalls one in the Older Scots romance King Orphius (a version of the Middle English Sir Orfeo): when the regent-nephew is told that King Orphius lies dead and unburied somewhere, he exclaims: “I sall never gleid be / Quhill [until] þat body buryit be, / Nor ever ane horss ane [f]it [one foot] to ryd” (ed. Purdie, Laing text, lines 60–62). On the culture of chivalric vows generally, see Keen, Chivalry, pp. 212–15.

1107 culvering, hakbut. See note to line 608 above.

1116 braid arrowis. See DOST brade (adj.), sense 2.b.1, for other examples of this epithet applied to arrows. MacFarlane’s troops do not appear to have any artillery with which to answer the squire’s “hakbute” or “culveryne” fire.

1134 tak and slay. On the sense of “slay” as to “strike down” rather than to kill, see note to line 776 above.

1143 In fre waird . . . . was Makferland seisit. I.e., he is technically Meldrum’s prisoner, but will not actually be imprisoned; see DOST ward (n.1), sense 4b.

1155–58 Gif uther thing . . . . in that art. Lyndsay makes the same claims to ignorance about love (perhaps equally tongue in cheek) in the Answer to the Kingis Flyting, lines 12–13. An influential model is Chaucer’s narrator in TC 1.15–21; 2.12–21 (as well as the narrators of his Book of the Duchess and The Parliament of Fowls).

1162 Ane douchter to the squyer bair. Pitscottie says she bore him two children (Historie and Cronicles, ed. Mackay, 1:299), although it is hard to see how he would know more about it than Lyndsay (Mackay gives Pitscottie’s approximate date of birth as 1532, decades after the events in question). The historical record offers no other hint of any children from the union, but Marjorie did have two sons with her first husband, Sir John Haldane, so it is possible that there is some conflation here. See further discussion in the Introduction, “The Historie and History.”

1167–68 In scarlot fyne . . . . sicht to sene. Bawcutt and Riddy note that “scarlot” was a rich cloth but not necessarily red in color; in this case, it is green. See OED scarlet (n.), sense 1a. On the distribution of green liveries for “Maying” celebrations, see

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Crane, The Performance of Self, pp. 39–72.

1169–70 The gentilmen . . . . mak ane band. This sounds like the bond of “manrent,” a practice common in late-medieval Scotland in which the bonded man offered life-long service in return for a lord’s protection, without any exchange of landrights. See Wormald, Lords and Men in Scotland, pp. 14–33.

1178 dispensatioun. See note to lines 966–68 above.

1183–84 Of warldlie joy . . . . the fatall end. A very common proverbial saying. For English examples see Whiting J58; for Older Scots ones, see Whiting, “Proverbs and Proverbial Sayings from Scottish Writings,” Part 1:194–95, “Joy.” 1189–90 Quhairthrow he stude . . . . defendit his honour. This passing allusion to more widespread friction caused by the squire’s liaison with the lady of Gleneagles (leading him to fight in “monie ane stour”) is, unlike some other aspects of Lyndsay’s tale, borne out by the historical record; see Introduction, “The Historie and History.”

1197 not in blude. Although all early prints read thus, Pinkerton (and following him Chalmers and Laing), emended to “neir in blude” in order to align the story more closely with the version recounted by Pitscottie, in which the “cruell knicht” (line 1191) is identified as Sir John Stirling of Keir, and is held to have organized the ambush on behalf of his uncle Luke Stirling (Historie and Cronicles, ed. Mackay, 1:299). Records show that Marjorie Lawson did marry Luke Stirling, but other aspects of both Lyndsay’s and Pitscottie’s account of this ambush are difficult to square with the few historical documents relating to it. See the Introduction, “The Historie and History.”

1221 tuik his licence from his oist. “[O]ist” can be translated either as “armed company” (as Hadley Williams glosses it) or “landlord, host.” But the more domestic scene of paying the bill at their inn seems more likely. Had they felt the need to travel with an armed host in the first place, it seems unlikely that they would dismiss it for the journey home.

1224 ovir the ferrie. There were various ferry-points across the Firth of Forth, but this is almost certainly referring to south Queensferry near Edinburgh. DOST (ferry (n.), sense a) notes that the name Queneferie occurs from c. 1295.

1241 kend. The usual sense of this word is “known,” as Bawcutt and Riddy gloss it; taken thus, she could be reassuring the squire that she is too well known to come to harm if she continues on alone. Another shade of meaning is “guided, shown the way” (see DOST ken (v.), sense 4b), the sense in which Kinsley takes it in order to paraphrase the line as “I shall be helped home.”

1244 no. C is generally a very accurate copy, but in this line the letter u was substituted for n. It has been corrected in L. 1254 ane lang twa-handit sword. The sixteenth-century Italian writer Giacomo de Grassi writes of the powerful two-handed sword: One may with it, as a Galleon among many Gallies, resist many swords and other weapons . . . And because its weight and bigness require great strength, therefore those only are allotted to the handling thereof which are mighty and big to behold, great and strong in body and of stout and valiant courage (quoted in Oakeshott, European Weapons and Armour, p. 148).

Compare lines 1351–53, where Meldrum is described as “sweipand his sword round about . . . Durst nane approche within his boundis.”

1259 be Goddis corce. This probably means “by the body of God,” although as Bawcutt and Riddy point out, “by God’s cross” (with metathesis of r) is also possible. The latter is certainly what L understood, since he printed “be Gods Croce,” followed by A with “by God his Cross.”

1262 shaw the richt. Meldrum uses the language of judicial combat here (see note to line 448 above) to underscore the injustice of the “cruell knicht[’s]” attack.

1281–82 Gaudefer . . . . At Gadderis Ferrie. Gaudifer is one of the main heroes of one of the branches of the OF Alexander cycle known as the Fuerre de Gadres, or “Foray of Gaza.” It was translated into Scots as part of the early fifteenth-century Buik of Alexander and again in the mid-fifteenth century Buik of King Alexander the Conquerour associated with Gilbert Hay. Gaudifer, fighting against Charlemagne’s men, earned their profound admiration when he defended the retreat of Duke Betys of Gaza’s forces against terrible odds. His name became a by-word for extreme courage and prowess, and Barbour accordingly likens Robert Bruce to him when he defends his own followers’ escape from the far more numerous forces of John of Lorne (Bruce 3.67–92). Hamer, Kinsley, and Bawcutt and Riddy all describe line 1282’s “Gadderis Ferrie” as Lyndsay’s own mistranscription of

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The Forray of Gadderis, but it seems unlikely that Scotland’s chief herald would not recognize such an element of chivalric vocabulary. If it is an error, it seems more likely to be a scribe’s or printer’s (both L and A retain “Ferrie/Ferry”). Otherwise, it might be noted that the MED records a late-medieval spelling of ferray in the Towneley Plays for “foray” (see forrai (n.)), while Anglo-Norman offers the related term fereis, “attack” (see AND).

1295, 1298 Thome; Thomas Giffard. Thomas Giffard, or Gifford, is named twice here although so many other characters go unnamed, including the “cruell knicht” leading the attack. This may be the “Thomas Giffert,” messenger-atarms, who is listed among several colleagues called to account for fermes [land rents] of barony of Strathavane (Strathaven, Lanarkshire) on 24 May 1530 (ER 16, p. 524); he may or may not be the same “late Thomas Giffert” whose Dalkeith lands are the subject of an instrument of sasine of 28 May 1546 (Cal. Laing Charters, pp. 135–36, no. 517). The messengers-at-arms were official couriers who also acted as “sheriffs in that part” — executing royal summonses and other writs, and issuing (and collecting) fines and other penalties, a potentially dangerous job in early modern Scotland which would have required robust officers. Thomas Giffert was thus exactly the kind of person whom Lyndsay’s “cruell knicht” was likely to have called upon to assist in his ambush of the squire. More importantly, the messengers-at-arms were under the control of the Lyon King of Arms by 1510 at the latest (see DOST messinger (n.), sense 1b). David Lyndsay would not hold this office until later in the 1530s (see Biography of Sir David Lyndsay); he was a herald by 1530 and is thus likely to have known Giffert personally.

1310–12 Tydeus . . . . fyftie knichtis. A hero of the OF Roman de Thèbes (itself based on Statius’ Latin Thebaid), Tydeus was another medieval by-word for displays of courage and prowess against terrible odds. While traveling alone as a messenger for Polynices, he fought his way out of a 50-man ambush arranged by Polynices’ brother and rival Ethiocles (Roman de Thèbes, ed.

Petit, lines 1483–1820; Statius, Thebaid, book 2). Barbour engages in a bit of one-upmanship by disingenuously comparing Tydeus’ solo defeat of 50 men to Bruce’s defense of a narrow pass against 200 comers (Bruce, 6.181–270). The “richtis” which Lyndsay describes Tydeus as defending may, as Hadley Williams notes, refer simply to “those of just conditions of combat,” since Tydeus was in fact representing Polynices’ claim to the Theban throne.

1313 Rolland with Brandwell. Roland was the most famous of Charlemagne’s douzeperes — the Frankish equivalent of the knights of the Round Table — alongside Oliver (on whom see note to line 1316 below). In the OF Chanson de Roland of c. 1100, Roland dies fighting the Saracens at Roncevaux, too proud to call for reinforcements until it is too late. When he realizes he is about to die, he addresses a eulogy to his sword Durendal and tries to break it to prevent it from falling into enemy hands, but it slices the rocks instead (ed. Bédier, lines 2300–54 [laisses 171–73]). In the OF Otinel and its ME descendants (Otuel and Roland, Otuel a Knight, and Duke Rowland and Sir Ottuel of Spayne), Roland battles with — and eventually brings about the conversion of — the noble Saracen champion Otinel/Otuel. An uncharacteristically restrained Roland also features in the fifteenth-century Older Scots comic romance Rauf Coilyear.

Roland’s sword is still named Durendal, Durindale, or Durnedale in the ME romances of Otuel a Knight, Roland and Vernagu, and The Sowdone of Babylone respectively, so Lyndsay’s “Brandwell” remains unexplained. In his Additional Notes (Hamer, 3:495–96), Hamer tries to argue that “Brandwell” is instead the name of Roland’s opponent. Finding no one of such a name in the tales of Charlemagne, he suggests rather wildly that it might be a corruption of “Brandelis,” a character who fights Gawain in the entirely unrelated thirteenth-century OF Lancelot-Grail Cycle. In fact Brandelis first appears in the First Continuation of Perceval, which coincidentally supplied the raw material for Golagros and Gawane (on which see note to line 1315 below).

“Brandwell” remains unexplained.

1315 Gawin aganis Golibras. This refers to the fifteenth-century Older Scots romance Golagros and Gawane (or The Knightly Tale of Gologras and Gawain in Hahn’s METS edition) in which Arthur sends Gawain into battle against the proudly independent Golagros, who has refused Arthur’s demands for homage. Gawain is victorious, but gallantly feigns defeat so that Golagros can consult his own followers over whether to die (his preference) or submit to Arthur, and whether they would like to be released from his service first if so. His men refuse to either abandon their lord or see him die, and Arthur in turn is so impressed by Golagros’ prowess and nobility of conduct that he releases him from all feudal obligations. Much of the narrative has been culled from the OF First Continuation of Chrétien de Troyes’ Perceval, but the name “Golagros” is unique to the Older Scots romance.

1316 Olyver wyth Pharambras. Oliver was the most famous of Charlemagne’s douzeperes after Roland (see note to line 1313 above). In the OF Fierabras, the AN Fierenbras, and the ME derivatives Sir Firumbras and Sir Ferumbras, Oliver converts the eponymous Saracen champion by defeating him in single combat. That the story was well known in Scotland is demonstrated by the fact that Barbour has Bruce cheer his men up during their flight across Loch Lomond by recounting the tale of “Ferambrace” (Bruce, 3.435–62).

1318 Sir Gryme aganis Graysteille. This refers to the Older Scots romance of Eger and Grime, in which Grime avenges the defeat

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of his friend Eger by the mysterious and terrifying Graysteill. Some version of it was in existence by 1497, when a payment was recorded in James IV’s Treasurer’s Accounts for two fiddlers “that sang Graysteil to the King” (TA 1:330, 19 April 1497). Its continued popularity in Lyndsay’s day is demonstrated by the inclusion of “syr egeir and syr gryme” in a list of contemporary romances and tales given in the c. 1550 Complaynt of Scotland (p. 50). The earliest extant texts, however, date from the seventeenth century.

1320 As onie knicht of the Round Tabill. Meldrum has of course been compared to (or rather contrasted with) Lancelot, one of the chief knights of Arthur’s Round Table, earlier in the poem. See note to lines 48–64 above.

1325–27 Amang thay knichts . . . . cum no mo. This clearly does not apply to the men attacking the squire, who are presumably not all knights in any case. It seems instead to refer to the knights “of the Round Tabill,” regarding whom Bawcutt and Riddy quote the “Pentecostal oath” described in Malory’s Morte Darthur: the kynge . . . charged them never to do outerage nothir mourthir, and allwayes to fle treson, and to gyff mercy unto hym that askith mercy, uppon payne of forfiture of theire worship . . . . Also that no man take no batayles in a wrongefull quarell for no love ne for no worldis goodis. (ed. Field, 1:97, lines 27–35) 1347 hochis and theis. Houghs are the “backs of the knees and thighs.” See OED hough (n.), sense 2. To “hoch” someone is to hamstring them. Hamer (thanking earlier editors) notes the similarity to the fate of Wetherington in the sixteenth-century ballad The Hunting of the Cheviot: “For when both his leggis were hewyne in to, / yet he knyled and fought on hys kny” (stanza 54), or the more flippant account in the seventeenth-century Percy Folio ballad of Chevy Chase: “For Witherington needs must I wayle / as one in dolefull dumps, / For when his leggs were smitten of, / he fought vpon his stumpes” (stanza 50). For both texts, see English and Scottish Popular Ballads, ed. Child, 3:303–15 (ballad 162). Another parallel can be found in the brawl-scene of the Older Scots comic poem Chrystis Kirk of the Grene. The miller is a powerful, well-built man whom even ten men fear to take on: nevertheless, “Syne tratourly behind his bak / They hewit him on the howis / behind” (ed. Ritchie, 3:262–68, lines 160–61). See the Introduction, “The Historie and History,” for Pitscottie’s even more graphic description of Meldrum’s injuries.

1375–76 Sall never man . . . . have mair plesour. The real “ladie,” Marjorie Lawson, went on to marry again at least once, possibly twice (see Introduction, “The Historie and History”), although Lyndsay does claim at line 1465 that this was “aganis hir will.”

1381–88 the regent . . . . of all Scotland governour. The regent of Scotland in 1517 was John Stewart, Duke of Albany. Son of Alexander Stewart, the rebellious younger brother of James III, Albany had been brought up in exile in France and built a career serving the French king, but he was sent for by the General Council of Scotland in September 1513 after the loss of James IV at Flodden. Louis XII was reluctant to release him, however, so Albany sent Antoine d’Arces (“Sir Anthonie Darsie”), Seigneur de la Bastie, to the Scottish Council in his stead in October 1513. Albany would not come to Scotland in person until May 1515 (Emond, “Minority of James V,” pp. 4–6). On de la Bastie, see note to lines 1395–1406 below.

1389–90 Our king . . . . wes the outrage. James V was born 10 April 1512 and crowned 21 September 1513, so these events took place during his minority in 1517. See note to lines 1484–85, below, on de la Bastie’s murder that same year, which would have dated Meldrum’s ambush readily for a contemporary audience even without this additional clue. Here, and again at lines 1492– 94, Lyndsay is careful to stress that the lawlessness of this period was not the young king James’ fault.

1391 this gude knicht. I.e., Antoine D’Arces, Seigneur de la Bastie.

1395–1406 Wald God . . . . to the ground. Previous editors are divided over whether this is a reference to Meldrum’s rescue of the besieged Scots at Amiens as described at lines 619–79. Hadley Williams assumes it is (p. 293n619–22); Hamer thinks “probably”; Kinsley “perhaps,” while Bawcutt and Riddy state firmly that “the incident to which de la Bastie refers is not included by Lindsay in the earlier part of the poem.” De la Bastie’s reference to the “sutheroun” attackers (line 1406) certainly helps to recall this incident (see note to line 633 above), but there is no mention of the famous de la Bastie or any other Frenchman in that earlier account; see note to line 619, above, on the difficulties of identifying the unnamed “ambassador” with the Scots at Amiens.

If the historical accuracy of this tale cannot be ascertained, the intended effect of this enthusiastic praise for the squire from de la Bastie is clear. Long before he was appointed Albany’s lieutenant regent in Scotland, de la Bastie (as he was most commonly called in Scottish records) was celebrated as an international star of the jousting lists and battlefields of Europe. Sometimes glamorously nicknamed “the White Knight” (see for example the 1514 letter from the Florentine ambassador in France [Cal. State Papers (Venice), 2:157, no. 370]), he was also “the Franch knight” whose lavish jousting contest with “the Lord Hamiltoun” was recorded in the Scottish Treasurer’s Accounts for 26 November 1506 (TA 3:xli–xlii). This “Lord Hamiltoun” is the earl of Arran who was admiral of the Scottish fleet in 1513. De la Bastie is thus the kind of real-life chivalric icon whom Meldrum aspires to be. His status as lieutenant Regent for Albany at the time of Meldrum’s attack makes his involvement in bringing Meldrum’s attackers to justice

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entirely plausible.

1403 Hercules. This figure was clearly well known in Lyndsay’s Scotland. In The Sex Werkdays and Agis, a brief “universal history” copied into the Asloan manuscript c. 1513–30, there is mentioned “Hercules þat slewe and wencust [vanquished] / þe monyest giandis and cruellest monstouris of ony / þat evir we reid” (ed. Houwen, p. 40, lines 316–18). The c. 1550 Complaynt of Scotland lists “the tayl quhou Hercules sleu the serpent hidra that hed vij heydis” (“the tale [of] how Hercules slew the serpent Hydra that had seven heads”; ed. Stewart, p. 50).

1422 Dumbar. Dunbar Castle was used as prison in this period. More importantly, it was held by de la Bastie on behalf of the Duke of Albany, to whom it had been returned as an inducement to bring him back to Scotland. See Acts of Council (Public Affairs), pp.

27–28, 20 November 1514.

1443–46Bot he . . . . art of medicyne. Bawcutt and Riddy note that “[t]he former knight who gives up combat to become a doctor is familiar in chivalric romance,” and they point to the example of Malory’s Sir Baldwin of Brittany in “The Fair Maiden of Ascolat” (Le Morte Darthur, ed. Field, 1:812–25). For a historical example see the life of John of Arderne, who served with Henry Plantagenet and John of Gaunt in battle, then learned how to repair wounds and wrote medical treatises. See ODNB, “Arderne, John (b. 1307/8, d. in or after 1377)” and Peck, “Gower and Science,” p. 193n54.

1455–62 Yit sum thing . . . . scho did so. See the Introduction, “The Historie and History.” on the disparity between at least one contemporary document and Lyndsay’s description of the lady staying and doting on Meldrum as he recovers, before finally being persuaded by friends to give up.

1471 Penelope for Ulisses. Penelope’s chaste twenty-year wait for Ulysses’ return from the siege of Troy made her one of the medieval ideals of wifehood. The first letter of Ovid’s widely circulated and translated Heroides was from Penelope to Ulysses, begging him to return. Lydgate highlights Penelope’s tears and distress in his Troy Book: For his absence, bothe eve and morwe, Was deth to hir and inportable sorwe. unbearable And ay in sothe for joie or any game, truth in all circumstances Whan it fel she herd Hectoris name, happened In any place anoon she fil aswowne at once; in a faint And gan hirsilf al in teris drowne . . . (ed. Edwards, 5.2173–78) One contemporary reader of a late fifteenth or early sixteenth-century manuscript containing Lydgate’s Troy Book and fragments of the Scottish Troy Book (Cambridge, University Library MS KK.5.30) quotes lines 5–6 from the Heroides 1 in the margin (fol. 274v: see Wingfield, Trojan Legend, p. 117).

1473 Cresseid for trew Troylus. Cresseid, with her famous betrayal of “trew Troylus,” is an ambiguous figure with whom to compare the lady of Gleneagles. On the other hand, both Chaucer and Henryson highlight her distress in Troilus and Criseyde and the Testament of Cresseid, and sympathy for her is implied by the reference to her “saikles slander” in the earlier sixteenth-century Scottish romance of Clariodus, ed. Irving, 5.70. Hadley Williams suggests that “the underlying sense is that the lady’s subsequent actions were not wholly within her own control,” as is also the case for Helen of Troy (p. 305n1477–78; see also note for lines 1475– 77 below).

1475 it wes. C: is wes. C’s rare typo is corrected in L. 1477–78 Helene . . . . brocht to Troy. Helen of Troy, the wife of Menelaus whose abduction by (and adultery with) Paris sparked the Trojan war, is another potentially ambiguous comparison, although Bawcutt and Riddy note that Guido delle Colonne’s influential Historia destructionis Troiae portrays her grief as genuine and bitter (ed. Griffin, p. 76). See also the reference to the “teeris of 1 Eleyne” in Chaucer’s Man of Law’s Prologue (CT II[B ]70).

1484–85 Bot he . . . . David Hume of Wedderburne. Antoine d’Arces, Seigneur de la Bastie, was murdered by David Home of Wedderburn on 17 September 1517, an event shocking enough to be noted in the Treasurer’s Accounts with the note “obiit Labastye” (TA 5:149). For a detailed discussion of the murder, Home’s motives, and the aftermath, see Emond, “Minority of King James V,” pp. 172–81 and 192.

1496–99 On Striviling brig . . . . the young squyar. On this allusion to the much later murder of Meldrum’s enemy, and the assumption that he was Sir John Stirling of Keir, see the Introduction, “The Historie and History.”

1504–05 Quha ever straikis . . . . ane sword slane. Compare Matthew 26:52 as quoted from two contemporary English translations:

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“For all that take the swerde, shal perish with the swerde,” in Miles Coverdale’s Biblia, the Bible, STC (2nd ed.) 2063; or “For all that ley hond on the swearde shall perisshe with the swearde,” in William Tyndale’s New Testament, STC (2nd ed.) 2828a.

1519 ane agit lord. This is Patrick, fourth Lord Lindsay of the Byres, who served as sheriff of Fife from 1514 (see Dickinson, Sheriff Court Book of Fife, p. 205). Upon his death in 1526 he was succeeded by his grandson John, fifth Lord Lindsay of the Byres, for whom Meldrum continued to work. A retour of 8 March 1525–26 confirms “John Lindesay” as heir to his late father “Sir John Lindesay of Pitcruvy,” with frank-tenement of the lands reserved “to Patrick, Lord Lindesay, grandfather of John Lindesay” (Fraser, Memorials of the Earls of Haddington, 2:250); an instrument of sasine of 10 February 1526/27 for lands in Calder is made in favor of “John, Lord Lindsay of the Byres” (NRS GD1/1088/5).

1538 Tchyref depute. Sheriff-deputes were appointed by the county sheriff — in Meldrum’s case, Patrick Lord Lindsay of the Byres — to serve under them and act in their stead in the sheriff courts: Meldrum seems to have been one of two Fife sheriff-deputes in 1522, with Thomas Grundistoun the other (Dickinson, Sheriff Court Book of Fife, pp. 250, 255, 258, etc.) and they were still in post as of March of 1527–28 (Reg. Mag. Sig. 3:125, no. 565 [21 March]). “All schireffs sall have gud and sufficient deputes or baillies, for quhom thay sall answere . . . and generallie it is trew that ilk scheriff and uther ordinar judge salbe halden to answer for their deputes, as themselves,” writes Skene in De Verborum Significatione (quoted in Dickinson, p. lv). Evidently it was a position of trust.

Dickinson notes that while some fought for the right to be a sheriff-depute, others complained of the expenses incurred (p. liv note 3). There was no salary attached to the post, so a depute “probably looked to his ‘perquisites’ to bring him in no inconsiderable return.” In other words, his income would be very much dependent on his honesty and decency (pp. lviii–lix). This offers some context for the many comments Lyndsay makes about the squire’s lack of interest in riches or payment (lines 1548–54), and Meldrum’s own insistence on the same in the Testament (lines 38–42) although he goes on to order a fantastically lavish funeral for himself.

1552 regaird. C: regaitd. L, S: regard(e). For the definition, DOST hazards a guess of “? A payment” (regard (n.), sense 7) though it cites only this example and another from the sixteenth-century works of Alexander Scott. In fact, support for DOST’s suggestion can be found in Anglo-Norman usage; the AND offers several examples of the sense “remuneration” or “reward” for regard (n.), sense 9.

1559–60 the Sonday . . . . Asch Wednisday. This is Quinquagesima, the last Sunday before the lean season of Lent begins and a day on which last-minute feasting might be expected.

1562 flaun. C: flam. L, S: flame. A “flaun” is a kind of custard or cheese cake, see OED flawn (n.); see also MED and AND flaun (n.).

The dishes of this feast in the lady’s honor recall the supper she laid out for him when he first arrived at her castle (lines 885–87).

This line is the only example recorded by DOST (flam (n.2)) of any reference to this item in Older Scots, and they label the prints’ spelling here a “var. of (or error for) ME. flaun.” None of the MED, OED, or AND offer examples of spellings with -m, so it has been treated as a typo and corrected here.

1566 Lordis and lairdis. Both terms derive from OE hl~ford and they were initially interchangeable, but from the earlier fifteenth century in Scotland, “laird” came to refer to “the ‘smaller barons’ or smaller landowners generally, as opposed to the greater or titled barons or ‘lords’” (quoting from DOST lard (n.), sense 3). All lords and lairds were landowners, but over the course of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the titles held by many lords became gradually dissociated from actual territories. The term lord came to denote a peer or a “parliamentary lord” who claimed a status similar to that of a peer and could expect to be personally summoned to parliament (such as Meldrum’s employers, the Lords Lindsay of the Byres). See Grant, “The Development of the Scottish Peerage.” “By contrast,” writes Wormald, “it was still their landed estates which gave the lairds their dignity and title; a laird had to be laird of somewhere” (“Lords and Lairds in Fifteenth-Century Scotland,” p. 187).

1589 the Struther into Fyfe. Struthers castle — “the Struther” or sometimes “Ochterotherstruther” in contemporary documents (see Fraser, Memorials of the Earls of Haddington, 2:261, no. 363) — was in northeast Fife, just west of Ceres and south of Cupar, within five miles of Sir David Lyndsay’s own estate at the Mount.

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The Baronage of Scotland, Containing an Historical and Genealogical Account ..., By Sir Robert Douglas (of Glenbervie), 1798; also printed in: Scots Peerage, by Sir James Balfour Paul

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OTHER LAWSON FAMILY CRESTS

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1) (Brough Hall, co. York, bart., extinct 1834. Crest granted 1592.

Ar. a chev. betw. three martlets sa. Crest—On a chapeau gu. turned up erm. a martlet sa.

2) (Brough Hall, co. York, bart.). Motto—Leve et reluis. (Longhirst, co. Northumberland; descended from Robert Lawson, of Longhirst, 1610).

(Nesham Abbey, co. Durham; descended from Thomas Lawson, 1499, m. the heiress of Cramlington, of Cramlington). Motto— Rise and shine.

(Little Osworth, co. Durham; 1558).

Ar. a chev. betw. three martlets sa. Crest—Two flexed arms ar. supporting the rising sun ppr.

3) (Popleton and Moreby, co. York; descended from Sir George Lawson, Knt., Treasurer of Berwick-upon- Tweed, and Lord Mayor of York in 1530; (Lawson, of Aldborough Lodge and Boroughbridge Hall, co. York). Motto—Loyal, secret; Loyal, confidential, adopted by Sir George Lawson, Knt., on his appointment as Treasurer of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Paly of four gu. and vert, on a chev. or, a greyhound’s head erased sa. betw. two cinquefoils az. on a chief of the third an ogress, thereon a demi lion ramp. ar. betw. two crescents of the fourth, on each three plates.

Crest—A wolf's head erased ppr. charged on the neck with three bezants, one and two, betw. the bezants a collar vert.

4) (co. York). Paly of six gu. and vert, on a chev. ar. three wolves’ heads erased sa. on a chief or, as many ogresses.

5) (Ushworth). Per pale sa. and ar. a chev. counter-changed.

6) (Isell, co. Cumberland, extinct 1806; descended from John Lawson, Lord of Fawlesgrave, Per pale ar. and sa. a chev. counterchanged.

7) (Brayton, co. Cumberland, created 1831). Motto—Quod honeatum utile.

Per pale ar. and sa. a chev. counterchanged, a canton sa. charged with two bars or.

Crest—Out of clouds ppr. two arma embowed, vested erminoia, cuffs sa. holding a sun also ppr.

8) (Longhirst, co. Northumberland).

Ar. a chev. betw. three martlets sa.

Crest—Two arms embowed couped at the elbow, vested erm. cuffed ar. supporting in the hands ppr. the sun in splendour gold.

9) (Cramlington, co. Northumberland). Motto—Tant que je puis.

Quarterly, 1st and 4th, quarterly, 1st and 4th, ar. a chev. betw. three martlets sa., for Lawson, 2nd and 3rd, ar. two chev. betw. three trefoils vert, for De Cardonel (granted to Mansfeldt, Esq., of Chirton, co. Northumberland); 2nd and 3rd grand quarters, Hilton, of Hylton Castle, co. Durham. Crests— 1st: Two arms embowed supporting a sun ppr., motto over, Rise und shine, for Lawson; 2nd: A dove ppr., for De Cardonnel.

10) (London). Per pale ar. and sa. a chev. counterchanged, in chief an escallop of the second.

11) (Boghall and Cairnmuir, co. Peebles). Ar. a saltire and chief sa. on the last three garbs or.

12) (Humbie, co. Haddington). Az. two crescents ar. in chief and a star in base or.

13) (Halheriot, co. Edinburgh, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, 1863). Motto—Dominus providebit.

Per saltire ar. and aa. a saltire gu. on a chief az. three garbs or. Crest—A garb or.

14) Ar. on a bend betw. two trefoils slipped sa. three mascles or.

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The History And Poetry Of The Scottish Border Their Main Features And Relations, By John Veitch, Ll.D., Professor Of Logic And Rhetoric, The University Of Glasgow, 2 Vols, Edinburgh, 1893 I cannot omit notice of a touching ballad by a lady born in Peeblesshire, and belonging to one of the older families of the district. Sarah Lawson, afterwards Mrs. Gordon of Campbelton, was the daughter of John Lawson, the last laird of Cairnmuir, an' estate lying near the source of the Lyne Water, and on the wild and lonely muirs that slope down from the Eastern Cairn Hill, one of the highest of the Pentlands. The Lawsons held Cairnmuir from the time of Sir Richard Lawson, who took a prominent part in public affairs, and who was made " Justice-Clerk " about 1488. He was of the family of Lawson of Humbie, and acquired Cairnmuir in 1500. His direct descendant parted with this and other Peebles shire estates in 1834-36. Miss Lawson married in 1833 Alexander Gordon of Campbelton, in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright.

Mrs Gordon died in 1890. She was a woman evidently of tender sensibility and much accomplishment. The poem that follows shows true poetic feeling, though it has certain defects in rhythm. Now and again one comes across solitary tombstones of this kind in moorland graveyards on the Border; but very seldom has the quickening suggestion of them been more truly or finely expressed.

"These lines were suggested to the author by the sight of a tombstone in the little solitary churchyard of Kirkcormack, which lies close by the river Dee, on the opposite side of the water to Argreenan House. This' churchyard, like many others in Galloway, is still occasionally used as a place of interment by a few families amongst the farmers and peasantry; although no trace is left of the place of worship to which it was once attached, save a grassy mound which apparently marks the site of the foundation. The tomb in question is in the interior of this mound; a flat stone engraven in characters nearly illegible with the name of 'The Honourable Patrick M'Clellan, aged 18'. Some armorial bearings can still be traced upon the stone, and likewise the date, 1535. The occupant of the tomb was probably one of the M'Lellans of Auchlane." (Source: Historical and Traditional Tales connected with the South of Scotland. Kirkcudbright, 1843)

M'CLELLAN'S TOMB, by Sarah Lawson Gordon "Young sleeper by the waters!

How many a year hath fled Since thy house's mournful daughters Here wept their early dead!

And many a Mass rose piously For thy repose to pray, But time hath dealt with these as thee, And all are passed away.

Man's work no more retaineth A place above the sod; But thy last long home remaineth 'Mid the changeless works of God.

Since thy stately kinsmen slowly Laid the funeral stone o'er thee, Within the chapel holy Close by the rushing Dee!

Nor love, nor prayer, young sleeper!

Thy memory hath kept: In death's cold realm the weeper Hath lain down by the wept.

Each trace of all that knew it For ages hath been flown; But heaven's sweet showers still dew it, And sunbeams kiss the stone.

That funeral stone's cold barrier When it hid thy faded bloom; Did e'en the stalwart warrior Drop a tear on thy tomb?

Could thy long rest be broken, Of thy lofty race thou'dst see Scarce one surviving token, Save the stone that covers thee.

Nor boots it now, young sleeper!

If thou wend'st at night or morn, If green or ripe the reaper Laid low the stately corn;

Did thy mother, anguish-laden, There vent her soul's despair?

Did perchance some sorrowing maiden Pour her heart's warm tear-drops there?

Thy proud forefather's dwelling The land knows no more; No trace remaineth telling Where they held their state of yore;

Alike to thee thy waking When the trump shall summon thee, Thy sleep of ages breaking Beside the rushing Dee.

When the weary pilgrim roaming Through fair Galloway, To the river chapel coming, There knelt him down to pray, --

Here where they wont to bend them And breathe the holy vow, The chapel-walls would lend them But little shelter now.

Did thy sculptured name remind him Of mortal life's brief span -Till he cast earth's cares behind him And went forth a holier man?

The chapel- walls lie level With the earth o'er thy breast; On their base the wild flowers revel And the lark makes her nest; ,

Yea! doubtless many wept thee In thy cold winding-sheet; And many a fond heart kept thee Unforgotten while it beat.

But the river where it floweth, And the hills that skirt the shore, And the breeze that o'er them bloweth, They are ever as of yore.

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The following letters are from: 51 Holograph. From the Chapter House, Miscellaneous Letters, Second Series, Vol. XX. leaf 160. (Source: Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII (Volume 1), Author: Great Britain Public Record Office, 1862)

1533, George Lawson to Heny VIII 1 Pleas it Your Highnes to be advertished that apon Satterdaye last ther past bye sex shippes oute of Scotland, supposed to be shippes of warre, and one lesse ship ; and, as farre as I can gett knowlege, is past Tynemouth haven as priviely as they can ; intending to take suche shippes of corn and vittalles as is now laden, cumyng to your town of Berwike ; whiche I assure Your Grace is above 1500 quarters of beanes otes and malt. I praye Our Lord save the same poer litil shippes ; and have send all along the see cost, from hens to Humber to geve warnyng of the same Scottishe shippes, so that the vittallers maye take your havens if it can be possible to save them, to other remedy maye be had for ther safegard.

Ther is parte of corn redy cumen to Aylemouth and to Holye Hand; and, if thies shippes of warre do nott lett, I doubt nott but Your Graces garysons shall have plenty of corn in short space; notwithstanding the prices as yete is as good chepe heyr as it is in the south parties.

The King of Scottes, apon Thursdaye last the 13th daye of this moneth, came to Hathyngton, 16 myle on this side Edinburgh, and thErle of Murrey rode from the Bordours to Lawther, to meyt Hym. And, as it was enformed by thErle of Angweys espielles, that the Scottes wold entre this Your Graces Realme, either to burne Cornell or Warke, the Fridaye at night than ensuyng; wherapon Your Graces Counsaill in this parties, assembled at Berwike, consulted to gethers, and maid a letter to my Lord Warden, the 1 From the Chapter House, Letters to the King and Council, Vol. III. No. 11.

"The names of The Erls, Lordes and Barons of Scotland now lying in Tevedale, asfar as I can " gett knowlege of George Duglas and his uncle. "The Erle of Murreye, The Erle of Mountrose, The Erle of Rothose, The Lord Gray, The Lord Oglebye, The Lord Dromond, The Lord Rovell, The Constable of Dunde. Thies are called in Scotland,"Barons". The Lard of Wymes, The Lard of Reythe, The Lard of Bagonye, The Lard of Fentre, The Lard of Coollanrye, The Lard of Loughlylle. With divers other noble men and gentylmen of estimation, whose names as yete is unknown."

tenour wherof, Your Highnes shall perceyve herin closed ; and the same Friday, having perfite knowlege

by George Duglas espielles that the same Erle of Murreye, accompaigned with divers Erles and Barons of Scotland, the names wherof is in a sedule herin closed2, (the King of Scottes than being at Mewros Abbeye) did wryte agayne to my said Lord Warden, with the power of the countrey to cum to Forde whiche is nye the Bordours ; so that your said Counsaillours mought report to hyme with Your Graces garysons, to assemble at Crookham Stone, to defend the Scottes, in case they wold make any suche invasion : albeit that night the Scottes came nott.

Sythens that tyme, this last Sondaye all the Counsaill being assembled to gethers at Norham, George Duglas declared unto them that of a surtie, by all thespielles he culd gett or have knowlege of, that the King of Scottes than lying at Pebylles, thErle of Murrey rode to hym to determyne and conclude fully to byrn the countres of Cookedale or Glendale, or sum other purpose in this your Realme, the same Sondaye at night, Mondaye at night, or elles Tuysdaye at night at the farthest. The said Erle of Murreye beyng still at Jedworth, accompaygned with the same Erles and Barons of Scotland, withe the nombre of 4000 men of the inlandes men as it is said, besides the countres of Tevedale and the Mershe ; whiche in all is estemed to be above 10000 men, having 20u or 24u small peces of ordenaunce carted for the feld.

And of this saying your said Counsaillours did wryte furthwith to my Lord Warden, to geve warnyng to the hole countre to resort to hyme and your Counsaill, to Chyllingham, or elles Bewyke, in all hast possyble, and my said Lord Warden to cum theder hyme self. The same Sondaye at night Sir Thomas Clifford, thErle of Angweys, his uncle, and brother, with your garysons and souldeours of Berwike, rode 271

to meytt Sir Arthur Darcy, Sir Richerd Tempest, and Sir William Euers, aboutes Etaill, or elles where as they shuld heyr or have knowlege, in case the Scottes wold make any suche entre in this Your Graces Realme. And that night the Scottes came nott; albeitt word is cumen they shuld be to gethers. Wherfore the best watches and espielles, that can be, is layid ; and every night all your Counsaill and garysons is on horsebakke redy to withstand your enmyes.1 And as further newes shalbe occurraunt, I shall acertain Your Highnes from tyme to tyme, beceching Your Grace to remembyr to cause sum of Your Graces shippes of warre to cum in thies parties, to defend your enmyes, and the safegard of your poer subgiettes. And, as I am most bounden, shall dayle praye to Our Lord for the preservation of Your most Royall Majestie long to endure. At your town of Berwike, this 17th daye of February.

Your most bounden bedman, {Superscribed) (Signed) George Lawson.

To the Kinges most gracious Highnes.

1 Among the Miscellaneous Letters in the Chapter House, Second Series, Vol. XX. leaf 194. is one from Lawson to Crumwcll, dated from Warkworth, 21 Feb. [1533] ; from whence it appears that down to that day the Scots had not carried their threatened invasion into effect, and that in addition to the 2000 men, then lying at Jedburgh and Kelso, an equal number more was expected by the next full moon. The whole Council had then repaired to the Lord Warden at Warkworth.

CCXLI. George Lawson to Crumwell.1 Sir, after my full hertie recommendation. At this present tyme my Lord Warden and the Counsell dothe wryte unto the Kinges Highnes of all such newes as is now occurraunt, and did assemble the countre at Hedgleye Moore with the hede gentylmen of the same, and so upon Thursday last came to Chellingham, then intending to have envaded Scotland, and to have brynt Kelsoo, or elles to have maid other entreprise for thannoyannce of the Kinges enmyes. And at that tym came the Kinges letters to the contrarye, that no envasion shuld be maid, whylles the Scottish King dothe remayn apon the Bordours ; whiche as yet maketh his abode at Mewros Abbeye, and dayle rydeth about, sum tyme to Kelso, to Jedworth, and to other places. And the saying is that He cumeth for the Larde of Hundeles fayr doughter, and to visit Marke Carrs concubyne. Ane other saying is, He taryeth for word from the Frensh King 2 of ane abstinence of warr, in trust to have peax with the Kinges Grace, and hathe no gret nomber ne power with Hym, that can be knowen. The Scottes be so subtile, that often they shyft ther power and removes ther garrysons. I assure you my Lord Warden dothe the best he can to have good espielles, and taketh as moche payne as may be, to his gret cost and charges to serve the Kinges Highnes, and to do that is possible for thannoyaunce of thenemyes, saving the Kinges subgiettes, and is as redy as any man to lepe on horsbakke at every skrye or burnyng of bekyns, for the defence of thies Bordours, and hath a right good order for the keping and continuaunce of the watches of the felles fordes and strayttes, to geve warnyng in tyme, and hathe caused parte of the fordes to be casten, and mo woll do, to stopp the entres of the Scottes in divers places.

I have payed this moneth wages, so that ther remayneth in thAbbot of Saynt Maryes handes and myne, of the 4000£ ye sent last, but 1500£, and the next moneth wages shall begynne the 3de day of Aprill, and of that payment ye do lake as yete 1000£, besides all other charges, as payment of the hyre of horses for carreage of ordenaunce that shuld have ben caryed towardes this intendyd rode that shuld have ben at Kelsoo, cowpers wages, carpenters, sawiers, smythes, laborers, with divers other charges at Berwik, whiche is wekely payd. So that for sending of more monye in tyme, I referr it to your wisedom.

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Also I maid you a scedule of certain necessaries to be provided and sent to Berwik, whiche I commanded my servaunt John Raven to resort to you to know your pleasure therin ; and so he to mak provision therof as ye wold commaund hym.

Also, Sir, I pray you remembre the letter for the taking of the musters, as I wrote unto you, and that it may be sent by post with diligens. Also concernyng Warke castell, it must nedes be had in reparation furthwith, for all the walle towerdes the watersyde is almost clene down to therth, and divers other places of the same castell farr in decaye. And as touching Cawe Mylles, my poore advice is, that if it stand not with the Kinges pleasure to repayr and make it strong, to cast it down to the hard erth, and cast all the stones in to the water of Whittotter that rynneth hard by itt.

Also I mervaill moche that no shippes of warr cumeth in thies parties; for the Scottes roveth upon thies sees ; and, be my faith, I feyr the shippes of corn that is laden, for ther came oute of Holdernes 4 shippes laden with corn 20 daies past, and I can heyr no worde of them. I pray God save them. I thank you for your kynd and hertie remembraunce in my causes, and your gentyll letter ye sent to me ; praying you to remember Rybbees heyr, and the respytt of the money I owe unto the Kinges Highnes in Maister Tukes charge ; whiche I woll not faile to paye at Cristenmas next, by Goddes help, who ever preserve you. At Alnewyk, this 22th day of Marche.

Your own ever hertly, (Signed) George Lawson.

I pray you remembyr the reward for the poore souldeours of Berwik, as I wrote unto you, for I assure you they do good service, and moche annoyaunce to the Mershe of Scotland.

1 From the Chapter House, State Papers Scotland, page 78.

2 Henry used Francis as a mediator, as will appear in the French correspondence.

1533, George Lawson To Crumwell. CCXLII. Sir, with all my hert I recommend me unto you. Signefying unto you that at this tyme Maister Capetain of Berwik dothe wryte unto the Kinges Highnes of the good and diligent exployttes and rodes done by the souldeours and garyson now lying within Berwik, aswell apon Sondeye at night last past, as also thaventure of 60 souldeours ryding oute of Berwik apon Mondeye last, into the Mershe of Scotland, where the said souldeours gatt, at a place called Myreburne, moche cattall and shepe. And, in ther home cumyng towardes Berwik, John Home, being in Coldingham abbeye, where all the countreye dothe nyghtly lodge theraboutes, issued oute, to the nomber of 200 and mo, did sett apon the said 60 souldeours. Who, seing the assemble of the Scottes, send hastely to Berwik for reskew ; and in the meane tyme the said Scottes be almost all on foote, encountred with them, and at moche defens past over Tyne, to tyme that after knowlege had to Maister Capetain apon this last Tuysdaye in the mornyng verey erly, caused the larom bell to be rong and therapon send his deputie, with yong Thomas Clifford his nephew, and the souldeours and garysons heyre, to reskew the said 60 souldeours. And, what by the sure keping to gethers of the said 60 souldeours, and by the sight and cumyng of the other souldeours and garysons of Berwik, the Scottes fled to Coldingham abbeye. And in this encountre and fleying, ther is not onely 60 prisoners, Scottes, taken, one hundred cattall and above 300 shepe, butt also the chief gonner of Coldingham slayne, and two other gonners taken; whiche Maister Capetain dothe kepe in prison in Berwike. So that, thanked be God, all the Kinges souldeours and garysons be cumen home in saftie, saving divers of them sore hurtt, but none in jeoperdie of liffe. I assure you this encountre and rode is moche to be praysed of thies poor souldeours; and, as I have often wryten unto you the assured and contynuall service and annoyaunce of thenimyes, that the poor souldeours of this town dothe, and 273

for the reward therof, I have wryten unto you my poor advice and mynd, whiche I pray you remembyr.

Also it may pleas you to have in remembraunce all suche letters and articles as I send unto you of late by my servaunt Rauf Brown ; for whose dispatchement and aunswer in every behelve, with your good remembraunce I hertly becech you. And concernyng certain reparations of the amendyng of the walles of this town and castell, as I wrote unto you, I pray you move the Kinges Highnes of his pleasure to be knowen therin.

Also I trust ye remember, as I have wryten unto you, the moneth end of the payment of thes garysons shall end the last daye of this moneth, and to begynne agayn the furst daye of Maij ; and by myne acompt, whiche I send unto you by my said servaunt, ye do perceyve in what case I am of all my receiptes. Wherfore, as ye may well know, it is yll being or remaynyng for me heyre in thies parties, and not having moneye to paye wages acordinglye. For without doubt, at the begynnyng of the moneth, moche crying and calling wolbe for moneye, of all handes.

And touching shipps of warre, it is a speciall thing to be remembyrd, consideryng the losse of the Kinges corne, as of divers his subgiettes that hath bene lost now lately. And assuredly the Scottes shippes of warre is now roving styll apon the costes betwene the Skate rode and Humber, so that no Englissh ship darre cum oute of haven. Also for sending of sperys, gonne powdyr and other artyllerye, as I wrote unto you, I pray you remembyre. v And thus Our Lord preserve you as I wold do, and as your gentyll hert can thinke. At Berwik, this Saynt Georges daye.1 Eftsoones, I pray you remembyr the hastie dispatchment of my servaunt, and that by your good help he have expedition of Maister Dauncye, for the warraunt for the wages of the 20" new gonners in Berwik.

All your own ever hertly, {Superscribed) (Signed') George Lawson.

To my right worshipfull Maister Cromwell Esquiere, and of the Kinges most honorable Counsaill. In haste.

1 In this letter was inclosed a copy of one of the same date from Northumberland to the King, with similar details. It is in Vol. VI. of the same Series, leaf 374. A rough draft of Northumberland's letter (which appears to have been transmitted to the King's Almoner, Edward Fox) is found in the Museum, Caligula, B. VII. leaf 260. After detailing the same events, he adds that on Saturday the 19th Mons. de Beawys arrived at Alnwick on his way from the French King to the Scottish Court.

1533, George Lawson To Crumwell. CCXLIII. Lawson to Crumwell.1 Right worshipfull Sir. After my hertie recommendation ; and have receyved of Maister Doctour Lee, thre thousand poundes, and indentytt with him for the receipt therof, in your name ; and shall, acording to the porpourt of your letter, applye my self to the utterest for themployment therof acordingly. Trusting that ye woll have in remembraunce, that the next moneth wages shall begynne the 29li daye of this instaunt moneth, and for further sending of moneye in tyme as ye shall thinke best ; for ane yll lyf have I emonges the garyson, whan they have nott ther wages redy to be payid at the begynnyng of the moneth.

I praye you remembyr the dispatchement of my servaunt in all thinges as I wrote unto you ; and also to remembyr the articles I send unto you. Also concernyng the shippes with corn, that was taken of Ester even by a Scottes barke, as I wrote unto the Kinges Highnes2; of trouthe the said Scottes barke had in chase, open of Skardeburghe, 15 shippes, wherof thre escaped, and the other 12 werre taken ; and of

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the same 12 ther was two laden with whete, malt, otes, and beanes, of the Kinges Graces, of my provision ; 5 laden with corn, of merchauntes of Newcastell ; one laden with corn, of Beverley ; and a nother laden with corn, of a man of Norfolke ; and the other thre were but balast, and had bene at ther merkett in Lincolnshire, with coles. And the maryners of the same thre balast shippes fled aland in ther botes, and came aland at Skardeburge. The Scottes, seing nothing in them but balast, tooke awaye all ther sales, ankres, and takell, and booged the same shippes, and lett them traves the see, so that none can tell whether they be sonken, or where they be cumen ; for I caused the Erle of Angwayes to send to a secret frend of his to Edenburghe, to know the verey trouthe herof. And moche affrayed I was, that ther had bene many moo shippes with the Kinges corn taken, than thies two ; for ther was than in Humber and at Skardeburghe 11 shippes redy laden to have cumen in thies parties; wherof, thanked be God, ther is sex cumen to Berwike in safetie with corn, and other thre is yete in Humber, and darre nott cum forth for feyr of enmyes. For ther is dayle shippes of warre of Scotland roving betwen the Skate rode and Humber. And, as I have often wryten unto yow, verey necessarie it is (if this warre shall contynew) to have shippes of warre to defend thies costes. For, as I perceyve, the the Scottes haith had gret avauntage ; as it is said, they have taken above 30 English shippes this yere, in divers places, of a gret value and substaunce.

And concernyng newes, the Scottes trusteth of peax by the meanes of Monsr de Bevis, that is now in Scotland ; albeitt thErle of Murreye, with this last garyson of Scottes that came to the Bordours, lyeth as yete in Tevedale; and, as it is said, shall depart aboutes this next Sondaye. And, because this is the last moneth of the foure monethes that was apointed by the Scottes, that divers shires in Scotland shuld fynd garysons apon ther Bordours ; now the Counsaill of Scotland is in handes to rayse a tax within the realme, for a certain season, to fynd a garyson of Scottes to lye as Jedworth, Kelso in Tevedale ; and at Duns, Langton, and Coldinham, in the Mershe ; in case that Monsr de Bevis do nott bring peax to passe at this tyme.

The King of Scottes was the last weke at Lawder and Mewros thre or 4 daies with a small company. And the Arsbusshope of Saint Andrewes is comyttid to warde in Saint Andrewes castell, in the keeping of thErle of Rothosse : sum saye because he woll lend the Scottishe King no moneye, and ane other saying is, because he haith wryten letters oute of the realme, contrary the Kinges mynd.1 As I shall heyr further of all occurrauntes, I shall advertishe you from tyme to tyme.

Thus the remembraunce of all maters I referre to your good wisedom; and to remembyr my mater with Maister Tuke, I hertely praye you. And ever ye to fare aswell in Our Lord God, as I wold doo. At Yorke, at my departour northwardes, this 7th daye of Maij at after noone.

Your own ever hertly, {Signed) George Lawson.

Maister Doctour Lee lakketh of his moneye of the payment of the 3000ÂŁ, 8s save a peny ; whiche he hathe maid good of his own purs.

(Superscribed) To the right worshipfull Maister Cromwell honorable Counsaill. In hast.

He is said in the " Diurnal " to have been suspected of the crime of lese-majesty, p. 17.

1 From the Chapter House, Miscellaneous Letters, Second Series, Vol. XX. leaf 191. - The same Volume contains, leaf 144, a letter from Lawson to Crumwell of the 18th of April, in which he states that the Council has written to the King about the corn ships having been taken by the Scots, but none from Lawson himself to the King.

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BURLINGHAM FAMILY OF MINNIE BURLINGHAM LAWSON

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W. F. BURLINGHAM IS THE FATHER OF MINNIE BURLINGHAM LAWSON

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DR. J. BURLINGHAM IS THE BROTHER OF MINNIE BURLINGHAM LAWSON

from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle Sept 24, 1939

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Syracuse Herald 6/6/1937 A cleanup and planning session will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the newly named Dr. James P. Burlingham Memorial Park, the former Gray Park, which is located on Gray Avenue and bordered by Dorchester Avenue and Rugby Road.

Neighborhood residents have been working on the park in an effort to return its flower gardens to the condition they were in under the care of Dr. Burlingham, who in the 1920s established a world-famous alpine plant collection at the site.

Syacuse.com 6/26/2007

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Office of the Mayor Matthew J. Driscoll, Mayor Media Advisory FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Media Center June 25, 2007

Official Dedication of Dr. James P. Burlingham Memorial Park This Weekend Final Clean Up Tomorrow Syracuse NY- The Dr. James P. Burlingham Memorial Park will be officially dedicated on Saturday, June 30, 2007 at 11:00 am. A final clean up and initial planning and landscaping of the park will be on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 beginning at 9:00am. The Park is located on Gray Avenue, bordered by Dorchester Avenue and Rugby Road.

This park, formerly Gray Park, was originally a 2 acre meadow behind the house of Dr. Burlingham which he slowly developed into flower gardens and a world famous alpine plant region in his spare time in the 1920s. After Dr. Burlingham passed away the Men's Garden Club of Syracuse maintained the gardens for a number of years but eventually they were unable to continue their efforts. In 1946 it was taken over by the Syracuse Parks Department and was expanded to 6 acres.

A small group of individuals from the neighborhood, including Carol Bresee, Ann & Jerry Gingalewski, Doug & Mary K. Greenlee, Ted Stettler, and Luke Tynan formed the Burlingham Park Association and decided to bring the park back to its original appearance with flower gardens and plants. With the help of the Syracuse Department of Parks, Recreation and Youth Programs, CNY Nurserymen and Landscapers Association, Marcellus Nursery, and initial funding through CNY Community Foundation, the Park is well on its way.

As part of the dedication ceremony on Saturday one of the doctor’s daughters, who is 94 years old, is expected to attend from New Hampshire and unveil the park sign, along with other family members from out of the area who will be presenting a stone bench they have donated. ### 203 City Hall – Syracuse, N.Y. 13202-1473 – (315) 448-8005 – Fax: 448-8067

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The Post-Standard, Syracuse NY 12/5/1946

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ISAAC STALKER FAMILY Isaac STALKER, one of the oldest residents of Rochester, Monroe County, NY came to America in 1828.

Isaac Stalker  https://gw.geneanet.org/ottopalfenier?lang=en&p=isaac&n=stalker&type=graph Born in 1815 - Lezayre Isle of Man England  Baptized 7 November 1815 - Lezayre Isle of Man England  Immigrated to America in 1828  Deceased in 1885 - Rochester Monroe Co Ny, aged 70 years old  Buried - Mt Hope Cem Rochester Monroe Co Ny Spouse Ester Clague 1809-1886  Born 3 July 1809 - Ballaugh Isle of Man England  Deceased 23 July 1886 - Batavia Genesee Co Ny, aged 77 years old  Buried - Mt Hope Cem Rochester Monroe Co Ny Parents Thomas Stalker 1791-1863  Born in 1791 - Isle of Man England  Baptized 20 November 1791  Deceased 26 February 1863, aged 72 years old  Buried - Mt Hope Cemetery Rochester Catherine Lord 1786-1853  Born in 1786 - Lezayre Isle of Man England  Deceased 29 November 1853, aged 67 years old  Buried - Mt Hope Cem Rochester Monroe Co Ny Children  John B Stalker 1835-1836  Thomas Henry Stalker 1837 Catherine Esther Stalker 1839-1910 o Born 5 November 1839 o Deceased 23 August 1910 - Batavia Genesee Co Ny, aged 70 years old o Married Thomas M. Lawson 04 Apr 1857 in St Luke's Church Roschester, Monroe Co., NY  Mary Ann (Jane) Stalker 1842-1842  Robert Stalker 1843-1929  James E Stalker 1844-1913  William B Stalker 1848-1927  George H Stalker 1850-1938 Siblings  Thomas Stalker 1813-1877 o Robert Stalker 1818o Catherine Stalker o Edward Stalker 1825-1906 o William Stalker 1827o James Henry Stalker 1829o Mary Ann Stalker 1833-1862 Residence: Residence: Residence: Residence:

[1850] Rochester Ward 5, Monroe, New York [1860] Rochester Ward 10, Monroe, New York, United States [1870] Rochester Ward 6, Monroe, New York, United States [1880] Walworth, Wayne, New York, United States

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MARRIES

FRANK EDWARD LAWSON

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LANCASTER MARRIAGE BONDS 1711-1712 Feb. 7, 1712, Isaac Stalker, p. Dent., co. York, gent., and Mary Bowerdall. Bdsm. : MilesBowerdale, p. Kirkby Lonsdale, gent. Witn. : John Brigg, Joseph Parke.

Nov. 26, 1712, Thomas Stalker and Mabel Sanderson, both of Whitehaven. Bdsm. : John Beeby, of Winskill, p.

Workington. Witn.: Eliz. Dalton, Eliz. Cowper. .

Nov. 19, 1713, Henry Stalker, of Whitehaven, and Frances Muncaster. Bdsm.: Thomas Stephenson, of Ulpha. Witn. : VVilliam Dodgson.

Cumberland parish registers, marriages. V. 1, EDITED BY W. P. W. PHILLIMORE, M.A., B.C.L., AND C. W. RUSTON-HARRISON. Published in 1910 Workington Marriages Richard Stalker, coalminer, & Mary Smith, w. , 1 Sep. 1774 Ralph Stalker, age 23, miner, & Mary Wilkinson, age 21. 14 Nov. 1803 Marriages at Moresby, 1813 to 1837.

[Isaac Stalker, husbandman, & Mary McMillen, 9 Mar. 1817 The London Gazette, July 9, 1822, INSOLVENT DEBTORS COURT OFFICE No. 33, PETITIONS of INSOLVENT DEBTORS to be heard at the Public-Office, Scotch Street, Carlisle - Isaac Stalker, late of Whitehaven in the Parish of St. Bees,., Cumberland, Husbandman THE EDINBURGH GAZETTE/JUNE 30, 1865. NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION. THE Copartnery Concern carried on by the Subscribers, as Spale Basket Makers in Glasgow, under the Firm of HARRISON & STALKER, and of which they were the sole Partners, was DISSOLVED aa on the 12th day of June 1865, of mutual consent. The Subscriber Isaac Stalker will continue to carry on the same business, at the same premises, on his own account, and is authorized to uplift and discharge all outstanding debts due to the Dissolved Concern. WILLIAM HARRISON. ISAAC STALKER. D. FORBES, Witness. WILL. M. MUIB, Witness. Gksgow, June 27, 1865.

History of the Police Department of Rochester, New York, Published in 1903 A distinction is made in the directory of 1847 between the City officers appointed by the Common Council and those Elected by the people. In the former list, under the caption "Police," are Ariel Wentworth, police justice; John Dart, high constable; William Charles, Jacob Wilkinson and John Kingsbury, Jr., police constables; under the heading "Watchmen” are William H. Moore, captain; Henry N. Alexander, first district; James Harrison, second; William H. Crowell, third; John Jenkinson, fourth; Isaac Stalker, fifth.

Slater's (later Pigot and Co's) Royal national commercial directory and topography of Scotland (1878) LANARKSHIRE. GLASGOW SPIRIT DEALERS Stalker Isaac, 103 North St Stalker Duncan J. house factor, 828 Saracen at. Possil park Stalker Helen, milliner, 109 Dumbarton rd Stalker Isaac, spirit dealer, 850 st. Vincent st Stalker James, shopkeeper, 47 Struthers st. Calton The Rochester directory - 1870 Stalker George, tanner, 18 N. Water Street, house 38 Stalker Isaac, tanner, 18 N. Water Street, house 38 Stalker James, tanner, 18 N. Water Street, house 36 Hanover Joiner Stalker Robert, tanner, 18 N. Water, bds. at house 38 38 Stalker Thomas H. skindresser, 18N. Water Street, house 112, N. St. Paul Stalker William (R. Tangueny & Co.), 6 State Street, bds. at house 38

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1885 obituary - Isaac Stallker - father of Catherine Lawson, mother of Frank E. Lawson

Esther Stalker - mother of Catherine Lawson, mother of Frank E. Lawson

Robert Stalker, brother of Catherine Lawson

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Landmarks of Wayne County, New York Author : George Washington Cowles, ed. 1824?-1901 WALWORTH. Robert Stalker, a native of Rochester was born September 19, 1843, son of Isaac and Esther (Clague) Stalker, he a native of Isle of Man, born in 1813, and she a native of the same place, born in 1809.

The paternal grandfather was Thomas Stalker a native of England, who emigrated from the Isle of Man to Rochester in 1828, where he died in 1857. His wife was Catharine Lord, a native of Isle of Man and of Scotch descent. She died in Rochester in 1856.

The father of subject was a wool sorter by occupation, and came to Rochester in 1826 where he died in 1885. He was secretary of the old volunteer fire department in Rochester, was an exempt fireman at the time of his death, and a member of the police force for a number of years. His wife died in 1887.

Subject (Robert Stalker) was reared in Rochester, was a wool sorter twenty years, and was on the police force from 1873 to 1877. He was also a member of the old volunteer fire department a number of years. He came in 1878 to Walworth and purchased forty acres, but now owns seventy acres. He married, July 5, 1869, Henrietta Deane, a native of East Walworth and daughter of John and Mary (Mercer) Deane, natives of England who came to Walworth in an early day, and died in Macedon.

Mr. Stalker and wife have four children: Charles A. Stalker., born March 11, 1870, in Rochester, and educated in the Walworth and Macedon Academies. He has followed farming and also was a book-keeper for William Stalker of Rochester, and was in the hospital one year, where he had his right leg amputated. He is a regular correspondent for the Wayne County Dispatch. He now holds the office of collector for the second time, and is secretary of the Phoenix Lodge No. 276, I. 0. G. T. ; Robert W. Stalker, born March 27, 1872, who resides at home and has charge of the farm; Harriet E. Stalker, born August 29, 1874, and died October 15, 1883; and Lillie B. Stalker, born August 26, 1884.

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