tience of your readers), may be assigned to a desire of vindicating the veracity of the author of the "Memorie of the Somervilles," a quality altogether essential in a historian.-For the statement of this writer cannot be corrected, in a matter which must have come under his personal knowledge, without producing any other effect than a little gratification to the vanity of the family of Allanton. The charge of incorrectness will extend its influence to the character of his whole work, and leave a stain upon his reputation, both as gentleman and as an author.

Somerville, laird of Drum (and, de facto, Lord Somerville), who wrote in the year 1679, has asserted in his account of his own family, that Sir Walter Stewart of Allanton, Knight, ancestor of the present Sir Henry Stewart of Allanton, Bart. who died not long before the year 1670, was, "from some antiquity, a fewar (that is to say, he and his progenitors) of the Earl of Tweddill's in Auchtermuire, whose predecessors, until this man (Sir Walter), never came to sit above the saltfoot when at the Laird of Cambusnethen's table-which for ordinary every Sabboth they dyned at, as did most of the honest men within the parish of any account."* An assertion which he also makes when talking of his brother, Sir James Stewart of Kirkfield and Coltness, whom he styles "a gentleman of very mean familie upon Clyde, being brother-german to the goodman of Allentone (a fewar of the Earle of Tweddill's in Auchtermuire, within Cambusnethen parish), whose predecessors, before this man, never came to sitt above the Laird of Cambusnethen's salt-foot."+

On the other hand, the Allantons stoutly maintain, that both Sir Walter's immediate, and more remote ancestry, were princely and baronial, forming one of the most ancient branches of the HOUSE OF STEWART, that had existed as a separate family for no less than five centuries, directly asserting their claim to the following splendid descent:

"

1. Sir Robert Stewart, first baron

of Daldüe, born long before the year 1300, sixth son of Sir John Stuart of Bonkill-which last was lawful brother of James, high steward of Scotland, grandfather of Robert II. He obtained from his father, who died in the year 1298, in patrimony, the barony of Daldowie, upon Clyde, near Glas gow-accompanied Sir Allan Stuart of Darnley to Ireland in the year 1315— was present at the battle of Dundalk and died in the year 1330. He

2. Sir Alan Stuart of Daldüe. married a daughter of Douglas of Douglas, and fell at "the battle of Morningside," in the year 1385.

3. Sir Alan Stuart of Daldüe, Knight Banneret first of Allanton, which property he obtained from the church in reward of his military services in the year 1420. He got the lion passant of England, from "commanding" at "the battle of Morningside;"-accompanied Sir John Stuart of Darnley to France in the year 1419;-married at Paris a French lady of distinction. In remembrance of his exploits at a tournament, his representative bears a lance in his escutcheon. He died in the year 1444. 4. James Stuart of Allanton, which now became the principal title, though they still possessed Daldüe. A literary character-he compiled memoirs of his family, still extant, alluded to by Candidus under the name of the Stewart MSS. He married a daughter of Somerville of Cambusnethen, and died in the year 1489. He had two sisters, Margaret and Helen, but these both died unmarried.

5. James Stuart of Allanton. He married Janet, the daughter and heiress of Sir James Tait of Ernock. He died in the year 1547, aged 85.

He had a younger brother, Walter, who died without issue; also two sisters, Isabella, who died unmarried, and Marian, who married, but her issue are not mentioned.

6. James Stuart of Allanton. He married Marion, daughter of Sir James Lockhart of Lee, and died in the year 1549. He had two brothers, who died

p. 394.

+ Ibid. p. 380. The descent bestowed upon the family by Candidus, virtually involves the pedi VOL. I.

Baronet," in his Genealogical History of the Stewarts refuted. Vide pages 29, 60, 136, 137;-the matriculation of his arms in the Lyon Office, and elsewhere.

3 P

without issue, and a sister, whose progeny are not detailed.

7. James Stuart of Allanton. He married Helen, daughter of Somerville of Humbie. His brothers were, Walter and William, who died unmarried, and another, John, who died without issue, &c. By his wife, Helen Somerville, he had a son, James, which last predeceasing his father, left issue, Sir Walter Stuart of Allanton, the supposed calumniated person-and James, afterwards of Kirkfield and Coltness, Provost of Edinburgh.

The point thus turning upon mere matter of fact, I shall begin to explore, by examining into the authenticity of the more early parts of this imposing pedigree.

That the heroic Sir John Stewart of

Bonkill, who died in the year 1298, had any son of the name of Robert, rests solely upon the misconception of a passage from Hollinshed's Chronicle of Ireland, by which a Sir Robert Stewart was most awkwardly substituted for a Sir Robert Lacy.

For the full exposure of this error, we are indebted to the intelligence of the acute Andrew Stewart, author of the well known Letters to Lord Mansfield in the Douglas cause, whom some, doubtless, will be surprised to find quoted upon such an occasion. In the year 1798, he published his elaborate History of the Family of Stewart. On this illustrious stem, however, in the total absence of any authority, he was so uncourteous as to omit ingrafting the stock of Allanton, "Hinc illæ lachrymæ ;”- -a procedure which called from the pen of "the learned and worthy Baronet," a feeble pamphlet, under the name of "The Gealogical History of the Stewarts refuted." -The childish futility of the argument is only to be equalled by the shallow pedantry of the composition*

"In his refutation of the Genealogical History of the Stewarts, he has called in to his assistance all his old classical friends from the Grecian and Roman territories. In the muster roll of the foreign auxiliaries, there are Pindar, Aristophanes, Virgil, Horace, Sallust, Julius, Capitolinus, Statius, &c. &c. Under such circumstances, he can be no other than a great and accomplished scholar." (Andrew Stewart's Supp. p. 99.)

But the same author also remarks, "There is hardly any part of the splenetic performance in question, and of the classical

the audacity of the attempt by the utter nothingness of the result. He there complains, among other very singular matter, of the cruel affront; and, as the convenient Candidus is attempting to do upon the present occasion, formally obtruded upon our acquaintance the proud series of his imaginary ancestry.

In the Supplement to his History, afterwards published, Andrew Stewart incidentally unfolded the clearest evidence of the non-existence of Sir Robert Stewart, though without making any additional attack upon the remaining links,-accompanied with a calm, dignified, and annihilating, refutation of the miserable cavils of the learned and worthy Baronet" upon other topics ;— a rejoinder that, down to this day, is unanswered, and, as far as regards the family of Allanton, is unanswerable.* This was indeed, as all the world saw, a most unequal combat. It is to be regretted that the scene of the contest was so obscure, and the object for which they fought so trifling. We there recognize the perspicuity and force of reasoning of the author of the celebrated Letters, though in the evening of life, which it has become fashionable among some to withhold from their genuine author, and to attribute to the pen of Junius. Perhaps "the learned and worthy Baronet" is alone ignorant of the signal overthrow he then sustained. If, however, he really be aware of his disaster, why, encouraged by the demise of this formidable antagonist, and the lapse of a few years, does he encourage or permit Candidus to mock our judgment, by endeavouring to smuggle in upon us such stale and refuted trumpery.

tailed the fable, as far as I can discovBefore Symson, and those who re

learning displayed in it, but what might have been equally applicable to any other person, or to any other occasion." (P. 105.) We are here almost reminded of the character hit off by Buchanan in the Franciscan. "Novi ego, qui tantum ter quinque Latina

teneret

Verba, sed ingenii sic dexteritate valebat
Ut quocunque loco, de re quacunque parata,
Semper et ad nutum, posita in statione ten-

eret,

Ταῦτ ̓ ἀπαμειβόμενος.”

I am now able to determine the point about which Lord Galloway and Andrew Stewart contended.

This Symson published a History of the House of Stewart in the year 1712.

er, no one had, in the most distant manner, alluded to this visionary Bonkill descent: nay, it is expressly contradicted by the tradition of the family themselves, which, a century ago, surmised that they were sprung from Castlemilk; * an origin which, for reasons probably known to themselves, they have in modern times been at pains to disown. In no record, chronicle, or document, foreign or domestic, -nor can this be contradicted-are there the slightest traces of this tended Sir Robert Stewart, though

pre

there are abundance of other contemporary Stewarts, even of small notoriety. But it is extremely obvious, that, if proved, the fact of his existence would not necessarily identify him with a Sir Robert Stewart," Baron" of Daldüe; of which last it only remains to add, that he is also as airy a phantom as ever graced the antediluvian periods of a Welsh pedigree.

In the sequel, too, it will be apparent, that Daldüe could not, until a very long period afterwards, have belonged to the Stewarts.

The succeeding links of the pedigree, down to the James Stewart of Allanton, who is represented to have married a Janet Tait, daughter and heiress of a knightly personage, styled Sir James Tait of Ernock, rest exclusively upon the evidence of a family manuscript―necessarily a most impartial and unexceptionable authorityof no great antiquity; for determining which fact, as well as its general veracity, ample means will be afforded hereafter,-upon some careless assertions of Duncan Stewart, seemingly purloined from it, and, most especially, upon a certain "Historical and Genealogical Tree of the Royal Family of Scotland," loudly panegyrized by "the learned and worthy Baronet,"+ [which, in the year 1792, obtained the sanction and approbation of the Lyon Office, and of the Earl of Buchan, compiled by a Mr John Brown, hawker of pedigrees, and genealogist to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. By this experienced gardener, the old stock was pruned of its withering branches;

*Dunc. Stewart's Hist. of the Fam. of Stewart, p. 199.

+ Gen. Hist. of the Stewarts refuted, p. 137.

But it rather, vexatiously, here again happens, that in no genuine document is there mention of these personages, more than of their visionary predecessor, Sir Robert of Daldüe, though so high and distinguished. It would be an idle piece of mockery, indeed, to challenge their existence. So circumstanced, thus so fully disproved, this ridiculous ancestry is undeserving ; cism. But its falsity is even indepenof the slightest observation or critidently exposed, by the flagrant absurdities and fictions which it so impudently proclaims. Four generations are only assigned to two centuries. James Stewart of Allanton aspires to a daughter of Somerville of Cambusnethen, a most desirable match, which, if real, would have obviated the present discussion. The spectre, Sir Allan of Daldüe, actually subdues the of Douglas of Douglas! His son, Sir proud heart of a daughter of the house Allan Stewart of Allanton, knight banneret, "commanded" at the mighty "battle of Morningside" against "the English,' in the plains of Auchtermuire!

"THE BATTLE OF MORNINGSIDE!" in campis Gurgustidoniis.' Ubi Bombomachides Cluninstaridysarchides Erat Imperator summus NEPTUNI NE

POS!" *

Pity that such feats of arms, such unheard-of strokes of generalship, should only have been confided to Candidus, the "learned and worthy Baronet," and Mr John Brown! +

But the Banneret" being started, it would be inhuman to withhold his Apotheosis, pronounced by the "learned and worthy Baronet himself," over an obscure spring at Morningside, thereby also immortalized,- thus ven

* Vid. The Boasting Knight of Plautus. Act I. Scene I.

+ Duncan Stewart was so far wise as to omit all mention of it.

turously attempted to be transfused into our native language.*

THIS SACRED. FOUNTAIN.

IS. DEDICATED TO. THE. MEMORY. OF. SIR. ALLAN. STEUART.OF. ALLANTON. AND. DALDue.

KNIGHT. BANNERET.

art, as usual, of Allanton, though not a knight-and this is surprisingwho is married to a Janet Tait,-the alleged daughter, however, of one,who died in the year 1547: and I on my part subjoin the following document, the Latin portion of which I

GENERAL.

IN THE CAUSED. ERECT. THIS. MONUMENT.

YEAR. MDCCCXIII.

I may here state, that as little elsewhere, in any shape, has the faintest notice been yet adduced of the family of Allanton, previous to the sixteenth century.

Hitherto, then, we have vainly attempted to penetrate through the thick vail of obscurity, under which they are so effectually concealed. But I am now to present some original information-for which they are solely indebted to me-of this humble race, who have thus, in the shade, pursued the "noiseless tenor" of their career. The next link, still exclusively resting upon the authority of Mr John Brown and the immaculate manuscript, introduces to our notice a James Stew

* The original is as follows:
"D. M..

Allani. Stevart. de. Allanton,
Et. de. Daldue equitis. Banneretti.
Viri. egregii. Armis. acerrimi.
Ejusdem qui insigni. pugna
Apud. Morningside. clarus. factus.
Fons Sacer.
+

+

+ V. S. L.A. faciund. C. An. MDCCCXIII. H. S. XI. Gradus. distans. hic. a. duce. illo. fortissimo."

+From this we may form some idea of the justness of the remark of Candidus, that his "respected friend" is much more able, had he chosen to have undertaken the task of "vindicating his family honours."

Some ordinary contrivance-urn, vessel, &c. &c. for receiving the water.

the original in the note.*

"The Inventory of all the goods of the late Allan Stewart, taken down, at Allanetoune, from his mouth, ton his departure, the xijth day of the month of July, in the year of our Lord jmvxlvij, in presence of these witnesses, William Wallace, Alexan

* Inventarium Omnium Boncrum, quondam Allani Stewart factum apud Allanetoune per os decedentis xij die mensis Julii anno Domini jnvexlvij coram his testibus Willielmo Wallace, Alexandro Robesoune, Domino Johanne Lyndesai, meo curato diversisque aliis.

In primis fatetur se habere quinque boves, Item duas vaccas, Item duo animalia etatis duorum annorum, Item unam lye quy etatis unius anni, Item unum ly stot etatis unius anni, Item unum taurum ly bull etatis trium annorum, Item unum lie stot etatis duorum annorum, Item quatuor ly moderlesse calvis, Item xxxvij oues senes, Item xxij lie hoggis, Item in utensilibus et domiciliis xl, Item in avenis seminatis xl b. I

tem in Ordeo seminato iii b.

Debita que sibi debentur:

Imprimis Allanus Lockhart de lie et Alexander Lockhart in Wicketschaw ixxx mercas monete.

Debita que debentur aliis:

Imprimis Domino pro firma terra duas marcas viijd, Item Andree Cadder xxd mar

cas, Item Gavino Stewart lxxx mercas et Lord of Glasgui's hand, of fyve merk land iii marcas, vulgariter, to rentall him, at my of Daldowe Wester, et xxj s. land in Mosplatt: Item Joanni Steill xij s:-Item John Scot xx s:-Item Jonete Spier x peccas Ordei-Item Thome Russel xl s:-Item Willielmo Wallace x s-Item Alex Roger vi s :-Item Thome Smyth iiii s.

Cum nichil sit certius morte, nec hora ejus incertius, hinc est, quod, ego Allanus Stewart, sanus mente et corpore, condo testimentum meum in hunc modum sequentem: In primis nempe do et lego animam meam Deo Omnipotenti, Beate Marie Virgini, et omnibus sanctis celestis curie, corpusque meum terre, quator d. fabrice Sancti Kentigerni executores meos constituo Elizabet Tait meam sponsam et Jacobum Douglas in Todhallis ut ipsi disponant pro salute anime mee sicuti respondere voluerint coram Summo Judice in die judicii: Similiter do et lego mee sponse ut sequitur in vulgari [Then follows as in the text.] +"Est pauperis numerare greges."

66

der Robesoune, Master John Lyndisai, my parish minister, and sundry others. "In the first place, he acknowledges that he possesses five oxen-two cows -two animals, of the age of two years -one Ilye* quy," of the age of one year-one lye stot," of the age of one year-one ly bull," of the age of three years-onely stot," of the age of two years-four "ly moderlesse calvis"-xxxvij old sheep-xxij "lie hoggis"-utensils and household furniture to the amount of xls-in oats sown upon the ground, to the amount of xl bolls-in barley sown, iii bols.

"Debts which are owing to him : In the first place, Allan Lockhart of Lie, and Alexander Lockhart in Wickitschaw, ixxx merks of money.

"Debts which are owing by him to others:

In the first place, to the Laird for the rent of the land, two marks, viiid: Also, to Andrew Cadder, xxti marks: Also, to Gawin Stewart, lxxx marks et iii marks, in order, as it is termed in our native language, to rentall him, at my Lord of Glasgui's hand, of fyve mark land of Daildowie Wester, and xxjs land in Mosplatt: Also, to John Steill, xijs: Also, to John Scott, xxs: Also, to Janet Speir, x pecks of barley: Also, to Thomas Russel, xls: Also, to William Wallace, xs: Also, to Alex! Roger, vis: Also, to Thomas Smyth, iiiis. (Including a few more insignificant payments to other obscure people.)

"Seeing that there is nothing more certain than dth, and nothing more uncertain than the hour, Therefore I, Allan Stewart, entire in body and mind, make my testament as follows: In the first place, I leave my soul to the Almighty, and to the Blessed Virgin, and to all the Saints of Christ's Church in heaven; and my body to the earth, with four pennies to the Cathedral of Saint Mungo: I nominate my executors, Elizabeth Tait, my spouse, and James Douglas in Todhallis, to dispone for the good of my soul, as they will answer for their conduct to the great Judge at the last day. I moreover bequeath to my spouse, as follows in the vulgar:

"I Allane Stewart, intendis, God

The French "le," usually prefixed to all Scotch terms introduced into our Latin documents.

+ Young sheep.

willing, to pass wyt my Lord Governoure and my Lord Zester to ye_bordoure, to ye defence of ye Realme: Item, I leyf to my wife All my Steddingis yat I haif of my Lord Zester in Auhtarmuire, during hir lyftyme, wyt all my gudis, movable and immovable, and to use it to the proffeit and utilite of hirself and effame Stewart, my dochter, and eufame to abide at ye command and counsall of hir moder; and I Ordain hir to use hir at the comand and plessoure of hir moder, in all maner of sortis: Item, I Ordane Gawane Stewart, my sone, to geyf effame my dochter xx for geire yat I loupt to him in Edinburcht, and ane gray horse, scho budand at ye consall and comand of hir moder and her broyer; and as to ye lard of leyse payment, ye contrakkis beris in yaim self I tak one my saule, I gat nevir na payment of him, excepte je merkis of money."

[Confirmed 22d June 1548.]

Instead then of blazing at tournaments, and of "commanding" armies, this humble race have only been solicitous to gain a decent livelihood by raising a moderate crop of oats and barley;—instead of entering into solemn political negotiations with neighbouring barons, we find their representative implementing a bargain with a village matron for the sale of a few pecks of his grain ;-instead of richly caparisoned steeds and palfreys, he has nothing in the shape of such an animal;-baronial castles are transformed into steadings; circumambient moats into preliminary dunghills; the daughter of the house, whom we might have fancied noble, and peerless, with a splendid retinue of obsequious knights, and damsels arrayed in magnificent apparel, into possibly some such ordinary garlic-eating wench, though probably not so dainty in her diet, as crazed the intellects of the knight of La Mancha; for whom the damage of certain rejected clothing and accoutrements, transferred by her father to her bro

Either twenty pounds, marks, shillings, or pence, it is impossible to tell which, a shred of the paper in the original being torn away.

+Yat I loupt to him in Edinburcht.-"To Loup to change masters--to pass from one possessor to another; applied to property." Jamieson.

Not Allan certainly-it is even doubte ful if his son Gawin then possessed one,