Preceptum Johannis Gordoune de Ogiluy et Fynlater pro saisina terrarum de Auchnastank magistro Georgio Gordoune de Beldorny danda · 1 (A.D. 1560.)

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Johannes Gordone dominus feodatarius de Ogiluy et Fynlater dilectis meis Alexandro Duff balliuis meis in hac parte [etc.] Quia dedi [etc.] honorabili viro et dilecto meo consanguineo magistro Georgio Gordone de Baldurny et Jonete Ross eius sponse [etc.] omnes et singulas meas duas partes terrarum mearum de Auchnastank vocatas duas tertias partes earundem cum restricta multura cum earum pendiculis et pertinentiis/ jacentes infra vicecomitatum de Banff prout carta mea eis desuper confecta plenius continetur. Vobis igitur [etc.] precipio [etc.] quatinus [etc.] statum sasinam [etc.] prefatis magistro Georgio Gordone et Jonete Ross [etc.] tradetis [etc.]. In cuius rei testimonium huic precepto meo sasine mea subcriptione manuali subscripto sigillum meum est appensum apud Fynlater vigesimo die mensis Septembris anno Domini millesimo quingentesimo sexagesimo Coram his testibus magistro Johanne Duff Andrea Duff Johanne Gordon filio Jacobi Gordon de Blelek Archibaldo Guthre et magistro Willelmo Lawty notario publico cum diuersis aliis.

Johne Gordone of Findlatter.

THE PARISH OF BELLIE (OR FOCHABERS.)

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PARISH OF BELLIE.2 (circa A.D. M.DCC.XXVI.)

ELLIE is dedicated to Saint Peter.

Here is Saint Ninian's chapel, rebuilt about thirty years ago by . . . . . Dutchess of Gordon, quhairin the late Bishop Nicolson lyes buried.

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[From the original, in the possession of the Club.]

2 [From a MS. Account of Scotish Bishops, in the library at Slaines.]

3 ["Notes concerning the Roman Catholick Bishops that have been in Scotland since the reformation." (From a MS. Account of Scotish Bishops in the library at Slaines.)

"(1.) Mr. Winchester (commonly called Mr. Dunbar) who usually resided with the Duke of Gordon.

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THE PARISH OF BELLIE. (A.D. M.DCC.LXXV.)

This parish in Irish is called Bealidh, id est, Broom. It is situated on the east bank of the river Spey, at the mouth of it.

The church, 3 dedicated to St. Peter, standeth near the bank of the river, two miles above the frith. The patronage did belong to the Prior of Urquhart; and with the lordship of Urquhart came to the Earl of Dunfermline. It now belongs to the Duke of Gordon, by the purchase of Urquhart. The stipend, by decreet, is twelve hundred merks, and one hundred merks for communion elements. The school is legal. Mortifications for the poor are six hundred and fifty pounds Scots: catechisable persons, sixteen hundred. On the grave-stone of Mr. William Sanders is inscribed, that, 'he lived an hundred and eight years, and was minister of Bellie seventy-seven years'. The ministers since the reformation are Mr. William Sanders minister before M.DC., demitted in M.DC.LXIII.: James Horn, assistant, ordained on the twenty-eighth February M.DC.LVI., transported to Elgin, M.DC.LIX.: William Annand, assistant, ordained on the nineteenth May,

"(2.) Dr. Robert Nicholson, brother to Sir George Nicholson of Kemney (a lord of session) and son to Thomas Nicholson, burgess of Aberdeen, by . . . . . daughter to Birkenbog, where the bishop was born. He had formerly been a professor of philosophy in Glasgow. He resided (after he became a bishop) at Presholm in Rathven parish, near Gordon Castle, and dyed under Clem[ent x1.]

(3.) Dr. John Wallace (formerly an episcopal minister, and chaplain to John Earle of Perth, who was afterwards created Duke of Perth.)

"(4.) Dr. James Gordon (son to Clystirim, and himself heir) who resides at Clystirim in Rathven, and having gone A.D. M.DCC.XXIII. to confirm in the highlands and isles, returned about Christmass, the same year, having confirmed, it is said, about three thousand. It is talked, that such as have been confirmed, are troubled with the second sight no more."]

1 [From Shaw's History of the Province of Moray, pp. 11, 325.]

2 ["Bellie has been imagined by some to be the Gaelic word Bellaidh, signifying broom'; but others, more justly, reckon it a compound from the two Gaelic words Beul-aith, meaning the mouth of the ford.' This etymology is perfectly natural, as, a little above the church, there was, till the prodigious flood in the year 1768 destroyed it, and opened various channels, one of the finest fords upon Spey. There the Duke of Cumberland, with his Majesty's army, passed with great safety in the year 1746, a few days before the battle of Culloden." (The Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. xiv. p. 263. Edinb. 1795.)]

3 ["About a mile north of Gordon Castle, and three miles south of the frith, is the church of Bellie, upon the old east bank of the Spey, soon to be translated to Fochabers, where a very commodious and elegant church is to be built." (Id., p 265.)]

M.DC.LXIII., lived after the revolution: Charles Primrose, ordained on the twentyfifth of February M.DCC.II., transported to Forres, M.DCC.VIII., Thomas MacCulloch, from Birnie, admitted on the fourth of May M.DCC.IX., died on the twenty-sixth of November M.DCC.L.: Patrick Gordon, from Rynie, admitted on the third of October M.DCC.LI., died at London, February, M.DCC.LXIX.: James Gordon, admitted on the fourteenth of March, M.DCC.LXX.

The great ornament of this parish is the house of Gordon Castle, the seat of the Duke of Gordon. This house was founded by George Earl of Huntly, who died A.D. M.D.VII. It is a large and grand pile; but consisting of several apartments built at different times, it cannot be very regular. The rooms of state are grand, well finished, and furnished with fine pictures; and the library containeth a valuable collection of books. The house is environed with parks and inclosures, and much planting, old and young. The gardens are spacious, well laid out, and watered with a pond and jet d'eau. But the house, by its low situation betwixt the river to the west, and a high hill to the east, commandeth no view of the adjacent country. It was formerly called, The Bog of Gight, in Irish Bog na gaoith, id est, The Windy Bog.

Closs by the castle standeth the village of Fochaber, so called, in my opinion, from the Irish Fo-habir, id est, below the well; 2 for, above it, in the face of the hill, is a well or fountain, the waters whereof serve the town. The town is a burgh of barony, hath a weekly market, and in the centre of it there is a court house, with a steeple of modern architecture. It has a post office, and at the west of it, is the passage over Spey, called The Boat of Bog, upon the post road. As little more of this parish than the town of Fochaber falleth within the province of Moray,3 I shall not dwell any longer on the description of it. In some

1 ["This habitation was long known all over the north by the name of The Bog, for an obvious reason. Spalding, if I remember right, seldom uses any other term for it. The castle had doubtless been built here with a view to strength by ditches and inundation." (The Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. xiv. p. 265.)]

2["Fochabers is compounded of the two Gaelic words, foich, a green plain, and aber, a bay or junction of two waters; the burn of Fochabers here uniting itself with the Spey. Some years ago, Fochabers was removed southward, from the vicinity of Gordon Castle, to a rising ground, near a mile distant, and built on a neat plan, with an extensive square in the centre." (Id.)]

3 ["Fochabers is in the county of Murray, and the other, or country part of the parish, is in Banffshire." (Id. p. 263.)

The boundaries of the earldom of Murray are thus described in the famous charter by which King Robert I. (between the years 1307 and 1324) conferred that great territorial dignity on Sir Thomas Ranulph: "Incipiendo videlicet ad aquam de Spee sicut cadit in mare et sic ascendendo per eandem aquam includendo terras de Fouchabre

parishes (as in this) I shall meet with families of eminence and distinction, of which I shall only give a succinct account, as a full historical or genealogical deduction would too much swell this work.

The Family of Gordon.

This is one of the most illustrious families in the kingdom, for quality, antiquity, possessions, and people. There are besides the Duke, three peers of this name, videlicet, The Earls of Aberdeen, and Aboyne, and the Viscount of Kenmure, with a numerous and opulent gentry. I leave others to fetch the Gordons from Gordinia in Thessaly, or to derive them from Caesar's Gorduni. I shall only observe, that Adam de Gordon (1) (so he is commonly called), ancestor of this family, for his services to Malcolm Kenmore, obtained from him the lands of Gordon in The Merse. The Chartulary of Kelso, and the Ragman's Roll, give some account of Richard (2), probably son of the said Adam, (3) Thomas senior, (4) Thomasjunior, (5) Alicia and her husband Adam Gordon, father of (6) Sir Adam Gordon, whose eminent services to King Robert Bruce were rewarded with a grant of the lordship of Strathbogie, forfeited by David de Strathbogie lord thereof. And though this lord was, in King David Bruce's reign, restored to his own lands, yet, afterwards revolting to the English, he was again forfeited, and the grant of the lordship was confirmed by King Robert II., anno M.CCC.LXXVI., to the grandson of Sir Adam Gordon, videlicet, (7. 8.) John, son of Sir Alexander (penes Ducem Gordoniae.) To this John, King David Bruce had given the Forrest of The Enzie and Boyne. John was killed in the battle of Otterburn, anno M.CCC.LXXXVIII. And his son, (9) Sir Adam, was killed in the battle of Hamildun, anno M.CCCC.I., leaving no issue but a daughter and heiress called (10) Elizabeth. This lady married Alexander Seaton, second son of Sir William Seaton of Winton, which occasioned the distinction of the Seaton Gordons, and the ancient Gordons; for

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Rothenayk Rothays et Bocharme per suas rectas metas et divisas cum suis pertinencijs et sic ascendendo per dictam aquam de Spee usque ad marchias de Badenach⚫ et sic includendo omnes terras de Badenach et Kyncardyn et de Glencarni cum pertinentijs per suas rectas metas et divisas et sic sequendo marchiam de Badenach usque marchiam de Louchabre et sic includendo terras de Louchabre de Maymer del Logharkech de Glengarech et de Glenelg cum pertinencijs per suas rectas metas et divisas et sic sequendo marchiam de Glennelg usque ad mare versus occidentem et sic per mare usque ad marchias borealis Ergadie que est Comitis de Ros et sic per marchias illas usque ad marchias Rossie et sic per marchias Rossie quousque perveniatur ad aquam de Forne et sic per aquam de Forne quousque perveniatur ad mare orientale." (Registrum Episcopatus Moraviensis, pp. 342-344; Robertson's Index to the Charters, pp. xlix-li; Shaw's History of the Province of Moray, pp. 383—386.)]

she had two uncles, commonly called, Jock of Scurdarg, and Tom of Ruthven, and who (says Straloch) bore the paternal arms, without any mark of illegitimacy; and of those the ancient Gordons are descended.

Elizabeth's son (11) Alexander, assumed the name of Gordon, and was created Earl of Huntly, anno M.CCCC.xlix. He did the most significant service to King James II. by defeating the Earl of Crawford in the battle of Brechin, on the eighteenth of May, M.CCCC.LII., and thereby breaking the confederacy against that King. This was fully rewarded by a grant of the lordship of Brechin, the hereditary sheriffship of Aberdeen, and Crawford's precedency in parliament. Yet, upon the King's reconciliation to Crawford, Huntly generously resigned Brechin in his favours, and got the lordship of Badenoch, and the lands of Brae-Lochaber. His great estate was increased, by marrying the only child of Sir William Keith, and grand-daughter of Sir Alexander Fraser, thane of Cowie, with whom he got the lands of Touch-Fraser, Aboyne, Glentanir, Glenmuik, and Clunie. And, by his second wife, Aegidia Hay, heiress of Bog of Gight, and a part of Enzie, he obtained these lands. In a confirmation of his lands by King James II., anno M.CCCC.LVII., the onerous cause (says Burnet of Crimond) was, for keeping the crown on our head: but this charter is now lost. Dying anno M.CCCC.LXXIX, his son (12) George was lord chancellor, founded Gordon Castle, erected the Priory of Kingussie, and left three sons, videlicet, Alexander; Adam, who married the heiress of Sutherland; and William of Gight. (13) Alexander was made hereditary sheriff of the county, and constable of the castle, of Inverness: and, by a charter, dated the twenty-fourth March, M.D.V., got the castle of Inverlochie, in Lochaber, and the adjacent lands (carta in publicis archivis); and, dying M.D.XXIII., was succeeded by his grandson, son of John, who died M.D.XVII., videlicet, George, a man of unbounded ambition. He was lord chancellor, and on the thirteenth of February, M.D.XLVIII., got a charter of the earldom of Moray, the lordships of Abernethie, Petty, Brachlie, and Strathern, the castles of Tarnua, Abernethie, and Hallhill, the fishing of Spey, Lossy, and Findhorn. He had likewise the administration of the earldoms of Marr and Orkney, the lordship of Shetland, and bailiery of Strathdee. In the Queen

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1 ["This Earle George did build the house of The Boig of Geigh, hard vpoun the river of Spey, and finished the house of Strathbogie verie statelie and sumptuouslie, which his father Earle Alexander had begun. He erected also the church of Kingusie, in Badzenoch, and Sanct Peter his chappell, at Elgyn of Murray." (Sir Robert Gordon's Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland, p. 82.) In the charter room at Floors Castle there is a charter by George Earl of Huntly, dated " apud le Geych", on the twenty fourth of May 1481, confirming a charter granted by James Innes of That Ilk to William Meldrum of Fyvie, of the lands of Bogmothill in the lordship of Boyne, and the shire of Banff.]