General Notes

Sir Robert de Lawedre of the Bass, who followed in his father'sfootsteps, by attaching himself to the fortunes of Wallace in hispatriotic endeavours to secure the freedom of his country. He isfrequently denominated "the brave associate of Sir William Wallace." Hehad a charter from William de Lamberton, Bishop of St Andrews (1) of thatportion of the island of Bass, over which the abbey of St Andrews haduntil then retained a right, the larger part of the island having alreadybeen in possession of the Lauders for some generations. The condition ofthis charter was an annual payment of one pound of white wax in name offeu-farm: 'reddendo unam libram cere nomine albe firme.' This wasconfirmed by the charter of John Forfar, Prior to St Andrews, and isdated the 4th of June, 1316. It was stolen along with a number of otherdocuments from the Grange House, Edinburgh, by a housebreaker, 11thSeptember, 1826, and has never been recovered; 'The Grange House' wasthen the residence of Sir Thomas Dick Lauder, Baronet. Sir Robert wasambassador to England from Robert I upon various occasions, one of thesebeing in 1323, and was engaged in similar service for King David Bruce.On page xxviii (2) of the Appendix will be found an allusion to aratification by King Edward III of England, et totum consilium, dated atNorthampton the 4th of May, 1328, of a treaty, concluded at Edinburgh onthe 17th March of that year, between Robert, King of Scots, and theplenipotentiaries of the said King Edward III. To the faithfulperformance of all the articles of this treaty, Sir Robert swore by thesoul of the King of Scots, and on the Holy Gospels. This oath was takenin presence of the Bruce, and by his special command. At this time SirRobert was justiciary of the Lothians and that part of Scotland to thesouth of the Forth.

The Extracts from the "Index of Records of Charters," contained in No. xxof the Appendix to this volume, mention several charters granted by Rob Ito this baron of the lands of Penkatland, Nisbet and Colden, and ofLethberd Mill. He was witness to a charter in 1342. Sir Robert de Lawedrewas present at the battle of Halidon Hill, but according to Knyghton, hewas prevented from taking any active part in it through advanced years.As this battle exercised no little influence on the destiny of theQuarrelwood branch of the family, it is thought expedient to take noticeof the event in the following chapter, [Family of Lauder pp32-34]

(1) Robert Lauder gets a charter from William de Lamberton, Bishop of StAndrews, of the half of the Isle of Bass, reddendo unam libram cerænomini Albæ firmæ, which is confirmed by a charter of John Forfar, Priorto St Andrews, of the date of 4th of June, 1316. [Family of Lauder p:vii]

(2) "Collo, sic. Tractatus pacis firmate." This deed is in French. It isa ratification by King Edward III of England 'et totum consilium,' datedat Northamptoun, the 4th of May, in the 2d year of that King's reign, viz1328, of a treaty, concluded at Edinburgh on the 17th of March, 1327,(i.e. 1328) between Rober King of Scots and the Plenipotentiaries of saidKing Edward III. By this treaty it is agreed, 1mo, that a marriage shouldbe solemized as soon as possible between David, eldest son and heir ofthe King of Scots and Johanna, sister of the King of England, both beingthen under age; . . . 8vo, and finally, Hugh Earl of Rosse, and Robert deLawedre, Justiciary of Lothian, in presence of, by the special command,and on the soul of the King of Scots, swore on the Holy Gospels, to thefaithful performance of all the articles of the treaty. [Family of Lauderp:xxviii]