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On 11 October 1483 William Douglas,
third of Drumlanrig appears as heir of James Douglas of Auchincassill,
though in what relationship is not stated, and as such received a number
of household goods from Robert Maitland of Queensberry and Elspeth his
spouse, who also alleged a
claim.
ENDOWMENT BY JAMES DOUGLAS OF AUCHINCASSIL OF A CHAPLAINRY IN GLASGOW
CATHEDRAL.
AMONG miscellaneous writs preserved in the municipal
archives of Glasgow is a small bundle of parchments, varying in date
from 1444 to 1472, and relating to properties in Glasgow and Linlithgow
with annualrents payable therefrom. So far as indicated by the contents
of these documents their connection with the Town Council of Glasgow is
not apparent, but an explanation is afforded by the abstract of a
Charter recorded in Registrum Episcopatus Glasguensis, It is there set
forth that Bishop Muirhead confirmed a Charter, dated 29th January,
1472-73, whereby James Douglas of Auchincassil founded a chaplainry of
£10, with a chaplain thereof, within the Cathedral Church of Glasgow,
on the south side of the nave, at the altar of St. Cuthbert, for the
praise, glory', and honour of Almighty God, the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, and of the glorious Virgin Mary, of St Cuthbert the Confessor,
and of all saints ; endowed by annual rents payable furth of tenements
in the burgh and city of Glasgow and in the burgh of Lynlythgw. After
the death of the founder, the presentation was to belong to the provost,
bailies, and community of the burgh and city of Glasgow. The witnesses
(whether of charter or confirmation is not clear), are the venerable
fathers in Christ, George by divine permission, abbot of Paisley; Colin,
abbot of the monastery of Corsragwell ; also circumspect and discreet
men, Masters William of Elphinstone, official general of Glasgow, Fergus
Colinson, rector of Kirkbryd, John Lathirdale, John Goldsmyth, notaries
public, and David Blar of Adamton, with sundry other witnesses to the
premises specially required.* This is not the first notice in the
Register of the altar of St. Cuthbert. On i6th May, 1467, Bishop
Muirhead confirmed to the vicars of the choir certain lands, tenements,
and annual rents formerly bestowed for services at the altars of St.
John the Baptist, St Blaise the Martyr, and St. Cuthbert the Confessor,
situated in the nave of the church. The vicars of the choir had been
formed into an incorporation, and it is probable that they received the
annual proceeds of the new endowment, and arranged for one or more of
their number performing the religious services required by the deed of
foundation, which unfrtunately has not been preserved. After the
founder's death, the collection of the annual rents may have devolved on
the Magistrates and Council as patrons, and, if so, the title-deeds,
being the bundle of parchments above referred to, would then come into
their hands.
The identification of the founder of the chaplainry
is not established. As a territorial title, Douglas of Auchincassil has
not been noticed except in connection with the endowment, though the
place itself, assuming it to be that described as the six pound land of
Auchingassil, is comprehended in the Duke of Queensbery's barony of
Drumlangrig, which was conferred on William Douglas, the lineal ancestor
of the present Duke, in the year 1388.
In 1472 Sir William
Douglas, the fourth baron, was in possession, having succeeded in 1464.
He was engaged in repelling the invasion of Scotland by the Duke of
Albany and the Earl of Douglas, and was killed at the battle of
Kirkconnel in 1484. Up till this time the barons of Drumlangrig had been
noted warriors, but Sir James Douglas, the next in succession, has the
reputation of having led a quieter life, and there is some ground for
surmising that he was the founder of the St. Cuthbert chaplainry.
Assuming that Auchincassil belonged to the family in 1472, it is readily
conceivable how the son; in the lifetime of his father, should bear the
designation contained in the foundation charter and relative writs. But
it has to be noticed that a few years afterwards the designation was
borne by another laird. On loth August, 1489, King James IV. granted in
feu-farm to his squire " Robert Mateland of Auchincassill," for his
faithful service, the castle stead and hill called the Mote of Tibbris,
with the pertinents. Between the Maitlands and the Douglasses there had
been protracted negotiations regarding these lands, anda settlement
seems to have been effected in 15 10. On 2lst July of that year "James
Mateland of Achingaschill" granted to " an honorable knight, Schir
Wilh'am Dowgless of Drumlangrig/ a bond in which it was recited that the
latter had granted to the former a new infeftment of i8 merks' worth of
land of Achnigascill and Achinbanze, and 8 merks* worth of land in the
town of the Tybberis in the barony of Tybberis and sheriffdom of
Drumfreis.
On his part, Maitland undertook that he and his heirs
should "stand leile and trew tennandis to the said Wilzeam and his ayris/'
and also renounced all right " to the twa akiris of land, the mote and
castelsted of the Tybbiris, to be broukit and joisit be the said Wilzeam
and his ayris in tym to cum."^ It is therefore not improbable that the
ownership of Auchincassil may have been the subject of contention for a
number of years, but, so far as ascertained facts go, there seems to
have been nothing to prevent its being the territorial designation of
the son of Baron Douglas in 1472.
On account of the original
charter not being in existence the circumstances under which the
chaplainry was founded and the special religious services which the
chaplain had to perform are not known, but it is probable that the whole
scheme was the outcome of communings between the country laird and the
cathedral clergy when the latter were visiting their rural charges.
Auchingassil was in Penpont parish on the border of Durisdeer which was
the prebend of the sub-chanter of the cathedral. Kirkbride then
adjoined, and is now partly absorbed by the parish of Durisdeer, and it
will be observed that the rector of Kirkbride was a witness to the
charter of 1472. As regards the endowments these were not derivable from
ancestral acres but consisted of investments secured for the special
purpose. That the money was to be collected and spent in Glasgow
sufficiently explains the acquisition of revenues from property situated
there, but the reason for going west to Linlithgow for the remainder is
not so obvious. As specimens of ancient conveyancing, full translations
of the two oldest title-deeds, the first a sasine and the second a
charter, may be given.
James III: Manuscript > 1483, 7
October, Edinburgh, Parliament > Parliamentary Register > [11 October
1483]
In the accioun and cause persewit be
Williame of Douglas of
Dru[m]langrig as aire to umquhil James of Douglas of Auchincassill,
on the ta part, again Robert Mateland of Quenysbery and Elspeth, his
spous, on the tother part, anent the movable gudis of areschip of
umquhile the said James clamyt be the said Williame to pertene to him as
aire for said, baithe the said partiis beand present, thare ressouns and
allegaciouns herde and understandin, the lordis auditouris decretis and
deliveris that the said Robert Matelande and Elspethe, his spous, sall
content, pay and deliver to the said Williame of Douglas as are to the
said James a faldin burde price viij crounis, a horse price tene merkis,
a chalice weyande vj unce withe the anorment of the alter, a suerde, a
fedder bed price xxx s., curtynnis and rufe of worsat and the aperillin
of a hall price v crounis, a silver pece weyande viij uncez, a cuschoune,
a silver salfat, a silver spune, a dusan of pewder veschele, a basyne
and a lawar of latoune price x s., a caldroune price xx s., a pot price
x s., a pane price v s., j chyar, a jak, a ladil, a guse pan, a elecruke,
a speit, a goune price x s., a doublat of silk, a candlestik, and a
fryinpan, and ordanis that lettrez be writin to distrenye thaim, thare
landis and gudis for the somez of money and gudis forsaide. And gif the
saidis Robert and Elspethe, his spous, has ony clame or richt to the
said gudis, that thai persew thaim lauchfully tharefor and justice salbe
ministrit to thaim,4 and saufande the richt of the clame of the said
chalice to the alter of Glasgw.
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