General Notes

REFN: 5856AN
NOTES ON A DEED BY LADY MARGARET DOUGLAS OF LOCHLEVEN. DATED 16TH OCTOB
ER 1560. BT CHARLES HENDERSON, S.S.C., F.S.A. SCOT.
I had occasion sometime ago to make an investigation into the history of c
ertain lands in the parish of Cameron, in Fifeshire, belonging to Colon
el John Anstruther Thomson of Charleton, and in doing so I found the Dee
d, which is exhibited by his kind permission.
In the phraseology of feudal conveyancing, it is a Procuratory of Resignat
ion. In other words, it is a warrant granted by Lady Douglas the own
er of certain lands in Fifeshire, for the purpose of rendering these ba
ck to the Over Lord or Feudal Superior, with the view of his giving a n
ew Grant or Charter to George Lermonth of Balcomy, in the east of Fife, t
he purchaser from her. In short, the object of the Deed is to effect a tra
nsfer of the lands from Lady Douglas to Mr. George Lermonth.
That which I deem to be interesting in this Deed, consists mainly in its b
eing granted by, and thus bearing the signature of, a lady who, and who
se children, were conspicuous in the tragic events of Scottish history whi
ch transpired within a few years after its date.
The granter of the Deed was Lady Margaret Erskine, then the widow of Sir R
obert Douglas of Lochleven. It was signed by her at Lochleven in her maid
en name of "Margaret Erskyn," and as Lady of Lochleven. It was not unusu
al for married ladies to sign their maiden names at this date, and it w
as a general custom to do so when they became widows. Lady Margaret Dougl
as was the mother of the Regent Murray, who, as is well known, was an ille
gitimate son of James the Fifth. It so happens that he (the son) is nam
ed in the Deed as "ane nobill and mighty Lord James Stewart," and Lady Dou
glas authorised her procurators and agents to appear before him as the sup
erior of the lands, he, holding such character as "commendator of Saint An
drews, and Convent of ye same." Lady Douglas was also the mother of Sir Wi
lliam Douglas of Lochleven, to whose custody Queen Mary was committed in h
is castle at Lochleven on 17th June 1567. Lady Douglas herself lived at Lo
chleven Castle during Queen Mary's imprisonment, and was practically the c
ustodian of the Queen's person. Further, it was her son George Douglas, wh
o, with Lord Seton and Sir James Hamilton, aided the Queen's escape to Nid
drie Castle on 2nd May 1568, and afterwards to Hamilton, and fought for h
er at LangsiDe on the 13th of that month; while the elder brother Sir Will
iam Douglas took part with the Regent's army, and is said, by his skill a
nd bravery, to have materially contributed to the defeat of the Queen's fo
rces, which proved the ruin of her cause, and the preluDe of her doom.
In the opening of the 21st chapter of the Abbot, Sir Walter Scott giv
es a graphic description of Lady Douglas.
We do not expect historical accuracy even in Sir Walter Scott's Novels, b
ut I may notice that Sir Walter speaks of Lady Douglas as the wife of S
ir William Douglas, which this Deed proves to be a mistake, as she describ
es herself in it as the widow of Sir Robert Douglas. Sir William Douglas w
as her eldest son. however, it is more important to notice that Princip
al Robertson, in his History of Scotland, states that Lady Douglas was t
he wife of Sir William, to whom Queen Mary was committed, while in fact s
he was his mother (Book 5). Mr Tytler and Mr Burton, however, give the tr
ue account of the relationship, and this Deed confirms them.
In thinking of the personages named in the Deed under consideration, and t
he time when it was granted, one is reminded how memorable a year 1560 w
as in Scottish history. In it Mary of Lorraine, the Queen Regent of Scotla
nd, died. In it the French forces, which had come to the aid of the Que
en Regent against the Lords of the Congregation, as well as Queen Elizabet
h's troops, which were in Scotland to aid these Lords, both departed fr
om Scotl