Abercairny on October 29 or 30, 1339. Maurice granted a letter of reversion. The letter is in form of indenture, and recites that owing to the state of war and the poverty of the inhabitants the canons had difficulty in collecting their annuity of forty-two merks from Dunning; consequently they grant the annuity to Sir Maurice, except ten merks from Peckaryn, from Pentecost 1344, for ten years, receiving as rent a stone of wax each of the first five years and two stone each of the latter five years, dated February 24, 1343-4. The question arises whether this Maurice is the Moray of 'Brunsergarthen' who obtained a dispensation to marry Joanna, Countess of Strathern, in July 1339, and therefore the Moray created Earl of Strathern in the spring of 1344. We are unable to find any such place as Brunsergarthen, which is not an unlikely version of Drumsargard, considering the constant misspelling of Scottish place-names in Papal briefs. It is therefore possible1 that this Sir Maurice is the earl. We observe that in the former writ he is not styled knight, from which we infer that he is not identical with the Maurice de Moravia who was taking a prominent part in 1335-6, and was forfeited by Edward 1.2 If then, in 1339, Maurice of Drumsargard was a young man, he might be the son of Sir John de Moravia of Drumsargard by Maria de Strathern. This has, indeed, been frequently asserted by previous writers. We now know that Maurice did not succeed to Strathern in right of his mother, nor was it for his own merit only that he was created earl, but that he was so created because he had married the countess. However, if he was son of Marie, he cannot have married his grandfather or uncle's widow, and Joanna the countess was not Johanna de Menteith. There is one objection to this view arising from the two writs under examination, which is that

1 Compare with p. lxxiii, note.

2 Bain, iii. 368. The non-mention of knighthood in the record there printed is normal, and does not affect the argument in the text.

if Sir Maurice had married a countess in her own hereditary right he ought to have been styled Lord of Strathern. The answer is that Joanna could not be countess by hereditary right, and not improbably if a created countess she was created for life only. Maurice, Earl of Strathern, was killed at Durham, and his widow was remarried within a year as stated above. If he was the party to Indenture cxxx., the annuity reverted to the abbey in 1346, and the second stone of wax was never paid. We have unfortunately no further evidence about the annuity till 1358, when the new Earl and High Steward again confirmed it, without any mention of its temporary alienation-CXXXIII. and cxxxiv.

ARDROSSAN.

Bricius de Ardrossan appears as a witness to Charter LXVIII. (1240), and to the Charter xcvi. (1268) by which Earl Malise granted an annuity of six merks from Abercairny in lieu of a similar annuity from Ballenolleth. He also appears as a witness to a charter of Sir Fergus to Lindores.2 This and the following charters set forth an arrangement of some importance. Bricius quitclaimed to the earl the lands of Bathaldy and Lanyrky to take effect after his death. The earl therefore makes a grant of four merks annuity from Mickrand or Muckrand, for the soul of Bricius as well as his own, for the purpose of endowing a chaplain, and also gives premises in Dunblane called Tolauch or Tuloch which Bricius had held. Bricius confirms this after the earl's death (No. XCVIII.) in 1271, and adds an annuity of a merk from land in Petlandy (probably that granted by Theobald) which he held in feu-farm from Lucas, son of Theobald. Bricius further grants to the abbey the sixteen acres which the deceased earl had granted him in exchange for Tulochs. Finally, in Charter CI., Bricius resigns all interest in Petlandy, and gives

1 See Strathern.

2 Charter XXXI.

sasine on November 30, 1371, by the hands of two servants Michael and Martin. This complicated arrangement seems to result in a commercial transaction without any benefaction, and we suspect that Bricius, probably of a great Ayrshire family,1 wishing to be quit of outlying possessions in Strathern, sold all his interest to the abbey, who acquired in such a way that Luke de Petlandy suffered no damage. This Bricius was not the dapifer of that name, for that officer witnessed his grant (No. XCIX.) as did the bishop. Luke de Petlandy confirmed the whole arrangement (No. cIII.).

COMYN.

Sir John Comyn, son of the late Sir John, granted to the abbey in 1278 (No. cv.) a right of access to Perth through his wood of Rosmadirdyne from the public road which leads from the monastery by the black ford, called in Scottish Athebethy, the abbey to make and maintain a bridge.

He also granted (No. cIx.) the person of Gillecrist Rothe, son of Gyllehtheny. Both these charters are granted at Gasknes in July, and with the same witnesses, first of whom are the granter's brothers, Sir William and Sir Alexander.

The granter of this charter must be the second Sir John Comyn of Badenoch, cousin of Alexander, Earl of Buchan, who might, at this date, be the proprietor of Gask in right of his wife Isabel de Quincy.

The genealogy of the Comyns has never been satisfactorily stated, and we are unable to explain by what title Sir John became possessed of property between Inchaffray and Perth; but that Gasknes, of which Rosmadirdyne (Ross Farm) was a member, is shown to have belonged to the Comyns of Badenoch.2 His brother, Sir William, claimed the earldom of Menteith, having married the daughter of Countess Isabella

1 See Fraser, House of Eglinton.

2

Robertson, 26-28.

by her second husband, Sir John Russell, and this William held Kirkintullach. The Sir John Comyn, deceased father of the granter, evidently had two wives, one of whom was, we think, Alicia, daughter of Sir William de Lyndesay of Lamberton,1 and by the second wife (probably this Alicia) he had John (half-brother of the granter), Robert, and Alicia.

DUNNING.

Anechol, Thane of Dunning, one of the witnesses to Earl Gilbert's charter of foundation, also witnessed the previous charter of Maderty Church (No. IV.), 1199 and the subsequent charter of 1200 (Nos. XI., XII., XIV., etc. etc.).

Whatever the meaning of thane, it seems that the earl had the patronage of the Church, which Earl Gilbert gave to the abbey, confirmed by King William in 1203-4.

Anechol is succeeded, 1208, by Gillemichel de Dunning.

Bricius de Dunning witnesses the charter of Earl Robert (No. LV.) and the charter of Robert de Meggefen (No. LVII.), and as seneschal the earl's confirmation (No. LVIII.). A Bricius de Dunning is witness in 1247 (No. LXXV.).

In 1258 Malise, son of Anechol, is a witness (No. LXXXIX.), and in 1271 a Bricius is dapifer (No. XCIX.).

Whether or no the families of the name now existing descend from this source, we have therefore no certain proof in these charters. Dr. Skene considered it likely that the later Thanes of Edindoning descended from Dunning.

GLENCHARNY.

Of the later charters to Inchaffray one of the most interesting is that of sale by Nevin MacEwyn and Mariota his wife, daughter and co-heir of Malmoran de Glencharny, for their souls, and specially for those of the said deceased Malmoran

1 See Crawford article in new Scots Peerage.

and Cecilia his wife (No. cxxxv.). Nevin and Mariota sell for forty marks their right of succession to Malmoran's property in Crage, Ardweny, and Ardbany (all in Maderty), mortgaged to Malmoran by the abbey. Great formality is observed, and a number of important personages, ecclesiastics and laymen, assembled to witness the transaction, probably to protect the act of a married woman parting with her heritage.

The record, which was attested with the seals of the earl (Robert the High Steward) and others, took place in the parish church of Perth in November 1365.

Sir Gilbert de Glencharny witnessed the charter of Earl Malise to Gilbert de Hay, and according to Sir William Fraser was identical with Gilbert, son of Earl Gilbert.

2

GORTHIE.

An early benefactor was Tristram, who granted to the abbey a croft in Edardoennech, near the pond of the mill of Gortin (No. XXVI.), witnessed by his wife Ela, his sons Henry, Tristram, and William, and his daughter Avice. This grant was confirmed by Earl Gilbert c. 1208, Henry, son of Tristram, being a witness with Galfridus de Gask (brother of Countess Ysenda) and Gillemichel de Dunning. Tristram appears as a witness to the great foundation charter of Earl Gilbert in 1200, about which time he probably became one of the principal vassals of the earldom. This Henry is the 'Rennarius' of Earl Robert, who witnessed No. XXXVII., when Tristram, son of Tristram, also witnessed. Henry the Rennarius of Earl Gilbert was perhaps his uncle. The brothers are also witnesses to No. XXXIX., granted in 1219, and Henry, son of Tristram, appears as witness to Nos. XLIII. XLIV. Henry granted a toft and three acres in Kyntochir (No. LV.); and as