General Notes

John de Chisholme, designated 'de la Ard,' of the the Aird. He isrepeatedly on record during his father's lifetime. We find him describedin the reign of Charles II, by Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh, LordAdvocate of Scotland, in his notice of the family of Chisholem, as 'JohnChisholme of that Ilk in the shyre of Roxburgh.' In 1389 he receives agrant of lands of Lower Kinmylies, near Inverness, from Alexander of theIsles, Lord of Lochaber. These lands were at once claimed by WilliamBishop of Moray, who, on the 20th of November in the same year, issued awarning against their occupation by 'John de Chisholme de la Airde,' andcharging him to quit claim, and to restore the Church's patrimony. He isagain mentioned in that year as 'John of Cheshelm of the Arde.' On the24th of April, 1420 he granted a charter, to his relative, John Rose, VIIof Kilravock, of the lands at Catrabundy and Little Cantray.

He married Catherine Bisset, daughter of Bisset of that Ilk, in right ofwhome he succeeded, on the death of her father, to a portion of theBisset lands in the Aird. By this lady he had issue - an only child,Morella, who married Alexander Sutherland, Baron of Duffus, grandson ofNicholas Sutherland, second son of Kenneth Earl of Sutherland, who waskilled at the battle of Halidonhill in 1333. In right of MorellaChisholm, Alexander Sutherland obtained the following lands of Chisholme- Quarrelwood, Clunie, and Clova, in Moray; Paxtoun in Tweedale,Kinsterrie in Nairnshire, and other extensive possessions. She is onrecord in 1424. From this marriage the house of Duffus is said to carrythe addition to their armorial coat armour, azure a boar's head erazed,or. Dovach, a dauther of this union, married Dunbar of Wesfield, who, inher right, succeeded to the lands of Clove and Clune in Moray, which hiswife had inherited through her mother, Morella Chisholm.

If further proof be required that Sir Robert de Chisholm of Quarrelwood,and Constable of Urquhart Castle, who came from the south and settled inthe Highlands early in the fourteenth century, was at the same timeprogenitor of the Chisholms of Strathglass and the head of the Chisholmsof the South, it will be found in the documents after given. The landswhich he then undoubtedly possessed on the Borders, as well as several ofhis states in the counties of Inverness, Moray, and Nairn, are shown bythese summonses and pleadings, quoted below, to have been carried on hermarriage by Morella Chisholm, only child and heir of line of hissuccessor, John de Chisholm 'de la Ard,' or of the Aird, to her husband,Alexander Sutherland, Baron of Duffus, whose family inherited them afterhis death. In the first summons, William Sutherland, Alexander'ssuccessor, is described as 'of Duffus and Quarrelwood, heir and successorto the umquhile Sir Robert Chisholme of Quarrelwood,' and the lands ofthe two Cantrays and others conveyed by Sir Robert Chisholme to HughRose of Kilravock, as the dower of Sir Robert's daughter, Janet, on hermarriage to Kilravock in 1364 are referred to in the same connection. Inthe second summons, Christian Sutherland, wife of the late WilliamUrquhat of Berriedale, in Caithness, is also described as 'heir andsuccessor to the umquhile Sir Robert Chisholme of Quarrelwood.' Thepleadings, which are endorsed the 20th of April, 1512, are still moreconclusive. In them most of the Chisholme lands, north and south, arementioned. Christian of Sutherland, lady of Berriedale, is shown to bethe grand-daughter of Alexander Sutherland, laird of Duffus, who 'marriedMuriel (Morella) of Chisholme, daughter and heir to umquhile John ofChisholme of all and whole his lands. of Chisholme and Paxton, in theSouth; Quarrelwood and Greshop, in Moray; Kinsterrie in Nairn, andBrightmony, 'the Clune, Clava, and the half of Ouchterurquholl and theoverlordship of the two Cantrays and the other half of Ouchterurquholl,'in the county of Inverness. 'Christian Sutherland, lady of Berriedale, isheir of line to follow and purs