• General Notes

  John Malherbe, Lord of Morham, & his wife Ada
  
  The primary source of information on the early Morhams was found in the charters of Neubotle Abbey (Liber S. Marie de Neubotle). Known today as Newbattle Abbey, it was the major recipient of the Morham family charters in the 13th century. More than twelve of these charters contain invaluable genealogical evidence in compiling the Morham (Malherbe) pedigree which begins in the late 12th century. All of the information presented on John Malherbe, Lord of Morham, and his wife Ada, has been drawn from the Neubotle charters. The numbering of the Neubotle charters does not reflect the date order of the documents. The charters are grouped and numbered only by similarity of the locations mentioned.
  
  John Malherbe is the only member of the Morham family to have used the ancestral name of Malherbe on a consistent basis. Appearing in eight of the Neubotle charters, he was always referred to as John Malherbe, Lord of Morham. (One possible exception is a Lothian charter circa 1206 where he appears as a witness using the name John de Morham). His son Adam, as previously mentioned, only used the Malherbe surname in one charter. Thomas de Morham, father of John Malherbe, is also found to be addressed as Malherbe only on one occasion. John Malherbe, Lord of Morham, was likely born about 1180-1185. He would have married his wife Ada by 1210, as his two known sons, John de Morham and Adam de Morham, are certainly born in the period 1210 to 1220.
  
  The earliest Neubotle charter of John Malherbe is likely one concerning the Mill of Bereford (Bearford) near Morham. Probably about 1215, this charter is stated to have been done on the same day as a charter of his mother. This would be Neubotle charter #102, where Ele St. Martin confirms the Crumwelstrother grant of her father Alexander St. Martin. Crumwelstrother was in Duncanlaw, a long time property of the St. Martins. In a later Neubotle charter, John Malherbe confirms the original hereditary grants of Crumwelstrother made by Ele St. Martin and her father Alexander. Duncanlaw passes into the permanent Morham famiy holdings during the generation of Ele St. Martin.
  
  The final charter of John Malherbe, Lord of Morham, is one in which he grants the rights of the meadow of Whitewellstrother to Neubotle Abbey. Stated to have been done during his enfeeblement, this charter gives a time frame as to his approximate date of death. His wife Ada seems to have married William Colville of Kinnaird as her second husband by 1228, which would make the death of John Malherbe and the date of his final charter circa 1226.
  
  The first Neubotle charter of Ada was made shortly after she had married William Colville as her second husband. In the charter (#99), Ada with her stated son John de Morham jointly confirm earlier grants of the deceased John Malherbe. Ada gives her spouse as William Colville in the text of the charter. Ada's eldest son John de Morham would appear to be in his minority at the time of this grant circa 1228-1230. John de Morham was making his own charters to Neubotle and Arbroath Abbeys by the mid-1230's. In two of the Neubotle charters he states that he was the son of John Malherbe and was married to the daughter of Malcolm Loccard. John de Morham, the eldest son of John Malherbe and Ada, died sans progeny by 1241. Adam de Morham, his younger brother, becomes his heir and the Lord of Morham after his death.
  
  The final charters of Ada occur in 1242/3 in which she is addressed as Ada de Colville. She has now become the widow of William de Colville and grants Kinnaird to Neubotle Abbey. A supplement to this charter was giving tenentcy of Kinnaird to the Loccard family of her former daughter-in-law. Adam de Morham confirms these grants in 1246, in which he states Ada was his mother. It is probable that Ada had died near the year 1245. Adam de Morham refers to his mother Ada as a high-born lady in the 1246 charter. She was likely born of one of the major Scottish families of the late 12th century, but no definitive evidence of her pedigree has been found to date. I might speculate that she could have been a Fraser considering the frequent appearance of Frasers as charter witnesses; but no real proof of her ancestry can be given.
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  Source:
  Bruce & Barbara Morrison
  
  Lexington, Kentucky
  
  Contact: NUbrubun55 (at) webtv.net
  
  © August, 2004
  
  
  
  Primary Sources:
  
  Registrum S. Marie Cambuskenneth; Declaration of Arbroath; Ragman Rolls, 1296; Liber S. Marie de Neubotle; Calendar of writs preserved at Yester House 1166-1503; Liber S. Thome de Arberbrothoc; Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland; Regesta Regum Scottorum, Vols. I, II, V, & VI; Calendar of the Laing Charters 854-1837; Liber S. Marie de Dryburgh; Liber S. Marie de Melros; Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland; Hand Acts of Alexander II; Hand Acts of Alexander III, the Guardians & John; Deeds relating to East Lothian, Wallace-James; Anglo-Norman Families, Loyd; The Surnames of Scotland, George F. Black. 

Details of John's family with Ada