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Douglas of Longniddry
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This family was a cadet of the Douglases of Dalkeith, Earls of Morton,
and was distinguished for steady attachment to the doctrines of the
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| Douglas, [Longniddry, Scotland] ar. a lion's head erased gu.
on a chief of the last, a crescent betw. two stars of the first. |
Reformation, which, about the middle of the sixteenth century, were
spreading rapidly through this country.(1)
Longniddry is a coastal town in East Lothian, with a sweeping stretch of
coastline with dunes known as Longniddry Bents. It is a place closely
linked to the Douglas family, who owned
Longniddry castle. This castle
was destroyed in 1548 by the Scots, because its owner Hugh Douglas of Longniddry had sided with the English during the wars of the 'Rough
Wooing' when the English tried to force the marriage of the infant Mary
Queen of Scots (1542-1567/87) to the English Prince Edward. The rubble
of the Castle was used to build nearby
Redhouse Castle.
In the mid-19th century some ruins still remained, and the vaulted lower
apartments of the castle could still be seen within the mound, but
nothing remains now. Hugh Douglas of Longniddry, a scion of the House of
Douglas of Dalkeith, was an early promoter of the Reformed doctrines.
In the Duke of Somerset's expedition to Scotland in 1547, it is
mentioned “ 7th September, marched that day nine miles, and camped at
night by a toun standing upon the Frith called Longniddrie. There was
found a gentlewoman, the wife of one
Hugh Douglas. She was great with
child, whose estate the council understanding, my Lord's Grace, and my
Lord Lieutenant took order, that all night, without danger or damage,
she was well preserved.” The Douglases had the east part of Longniddry,
where the vaulted ground floor of the castle still remains. At that
time, the estate belonging to the Douglases comprehended a considerable
part of Hairlaw, Redcoll, and Setonhill, which have since been taken
away from the estate of Longniddry, and fallen into the possession of
different proprietors.
The history of the House of Seton mentions that
George Earl of Winton, who died 1650, “ did conquest two considerable feu lands in Longniddrie, hereditarilly; the one from Sir George Douglas
in the east, and the other from the laird of Corstorphine (Forrester of
Costorphine.") As also “ he bought hereditarilly the teynds of
Longniddrie from the then Bothwell, Lord Holyroodhouse.” The estates of
the Earl of Winton were forfeited in the rebellion 1715, and sold to the
York Buildings Company;—from whom Longniddry was purchased in 1779 by
John Glassel, Esq. who was a native of Dumfries, and settled sometime as
a merchant in Virginia. At his death, his only child, Joan, succeeded to
the property, and married Lord John Douglas Henry Campbell, brother, and
presumptive heir of William Duke of Argyle. Her eldest son, John Henry
Glassel Campbell, is the [present] proprietor of Longniddry. The farm of
Southfield, which formed a part of Longniddry, was sold by Mr Glassel,
and is now the property of Lord Wemyss.
In his 'Laws of Entail',
in 1585, James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, placed Francis Douglas of
Longniddry fourth in line of succession. This was next after William
Douglas of Lochleven who succeeded as 6th Earl of Morton. Francis
was the son of Hugh Douglas of Borg (c1538) , who was also called 'of Longniddry'. Hugh, with his wife Mariot Cockburn had for sons, one
of whom was Hugh described as being 'in(4) Longniddry'.
Notes:
1. When John Knox was obliged to leave St Andrews, on account of the
troubles to which the Protestants were then subjected, he was invited to Longniddry by Mr Douglas. There he was employed in conducting the
education of Mr Douglas' two sons, Francis and George, and also
Alexander Cockburn, the eldest son of the laird of Ormiston. This
Alexander Cockburn was a young man of great promise, but died at the
early age of twenty-eight. A brazen tablet was erected to his memory in
the aisle of the old church at Ormiston, which is still in existence.
While residing at Longniddry, Knox was in the practice of expounding the
Scriptures, and preaching the doctrines of the Reformation in a chapel,
about half a-mile to the west of which he then lived, close by the
present mansion-house of Longniddry, which, from his preaching in it,
still goes by the name of Knox's Kirk.
2.
Thomas Marjoribanks of that Ilk and of
Ratho, the son of John Marjoribanks of that Ilk and Helen Reid,
married Mary Douglas, a daughter of Douglas of Longniddry.
Thomas died in 1620.
3.
Margaret Douglas of Longniddry married William Melville, 3rd of
Raith who died 1502.
4.
If a person is described as being 'in' property, this a means that this
person is a tenant to a feudal superior and is not the owner of the
property. Read more about
'in', of' and 'at' a place.
See also:
• George Douglas of
Longniddry
• Hugh
of Longniddry
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Source
Sources for this article include:
The New Statistical Account of Scotland: Linlithgow, Haddington, Berwick
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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