This is the third part of John Ochterlony's Account of the Shire of Forfar, written around 1682, and gives a fascinating, if brief and selective, picture of the county of Angus in the period.
Links to previous parts of this work are at the bottom of this post.
Guthrie. — The most part of the parish belongs to the Laird of Guthrie of that Ilk, a very ancient gentleman, and chief of his name; his house is well planted, good yards and orchards, good land, well grassed, and lyes pleasantly on the head of the water of Lounane in Strathbegg; Pitmowea and Commissare Wisehart have some interest there. Garbuddo, a gentleman of the name of Erskine, a cadet of the House of Dun, lyes at a great distance from the kirk, and had a chapple of their own, wherein the minister of Guthrie preached every third or fourth Sabbath-day, but is now ruinous. It is abundantly served of peat and turf, not only for their own use, but for the service of the whole countrey
about; is a murish cold countrey, and at a great distance from all gentlemen's houses and kirks about it. Mr Strachan, minister. In the Diocese of Brechine; Guthrie, patrone.
Panbryde, alias St Brigid.—The whole parish, except the Barronie of Panbryd, which belongs to the Earl Soutbesk, appertaines to Earl Panmure, wherein stands the house of Panmure, new built, and, as is thought by many, except Halyruidhouse, the best house in the kingdome of Scotland, with delicate gardens, with high stone walls, extraordinare much planting, young and old; many great parks about the new and old house, with a great deal of planting about the old house ; brave hay meadows well ditched and hedged; and, in a word, is a most excellent, sweet, and delicate place. The familie is very ancient and honourable, and has been alwayes very great, and were reckoned, before they were nobilitat, the first Barons of the shyre. They have allwayes been very famous for the loyaltie and good service to their Princes. Patrick Earl Panmure, grandfather to the present Earl, having served King James the Sixth and King Charles the First, of blessed memorie, loyallic, faithfullie, and truelie, in the qualitie of Bed-Chamber man, was advanced by King Charles the First to the dignitie of ane Earl, and did continue in his service and duetie to his Sacred Majestic in all his solitudes and troubles,through all the parts of the kingdome, in tlie tyme of the Rebellione; and afterward in all places of liis confinement, and at the Isle of Weight, till the bloodie traitors who afterwards imbrued their hands in his sacred blood, thrust
him from his attendance, but was the last Scotsman that attende his Majestic.
It is lykwayes known liow the late Earl, his sone, being a colonell of horse, behaved himself when this present King, his Majestic, was in Scotland, both at Dunbar, Inverkeithing, and other places, and how his estate was robbed and spoylt by the usurper's forces here, and he fyned in a vast soume of money, whereby he was forced to redeem his estate from forrfaultrie. The place is also famous for that great battle fought there betwixt the Scots and Danes, wherein the Scots obtained a great victorie, and is called the Battle of Panmure.
There was one of the Lords of Panmure killed at the famous battle of Harlaw, and most of all his name in his Prince's service against rebells and usurpers. Balmachie, belonging to a gentleman of the name of Carnegy, of the Familie of Southesk. Mr Maule, minister. In the Diocese of Brechine; Earl Panmure, patrone, and has newly re-edified his buriall-place with a chamber above, with a loft in the kirk, most sumptous and delicate, lie hath at Panmure a most excellent breed of horse and cattle.
Barrie. — It belongs to severall heritors. Earl Panmure hath ane interest therein, and the whole parish pay him feu, hath a Bailiery, and keeps Courts there, Woodhill, Kid, a pleasant place. Grange of Barrie, Watsone. Ravensbay, pertaining to the Laird of Gairdyne of that Ilk. Pitskellie, Alexander. Carnoustie to Mr Patrick Lyon, Advocat; the rest are but small heritors. It is ane excellent countrey, good cornes, and well grassed. It is famous for that great battle fought betwixt the Scots and Danes in the Links of Barrie, wherein the Scots obtained the victorie, with great slaughter of both Scots and Danes, which is to be seen at this day by the great heaps of stones casten together in great heapes in diverse places of that Links, which is said to be the buriall of the dead there slain. Those of the Danes who escaped the slauchter of that battle fled with their general Camus, and were overtaken by the Scots four myles from that place, and defeated: their general Camus being slaine upon the place, with many others. Camus
with all the dead were buried tnere, and a great high stone cross erected upon him, which is still extant, and gives name to the place, being called Camustone, and the pillar, the Cross of Camustone; it belongcth to the Earl of Panmure.
Within these two or thrie yeares the Cross, by violence of wind and weather, did fall, which the Earl caused re-erect and fortifie against such hazard in tyme to come. The remainder of the Danes that escaped that battle fled north-ward, where they were overtaken by the Scots at a place in this shyre called Aberlemno, ten myles distant from Camus-one, and there beat, and all of them, either killed or taken ; and there it is probable some great man was killed, there being ane cross erected there, and called the Crosstoun of Aberlemno ; they have both of them some antique pictures and letters, so wome out with tyme, that they are not legible, or rather, the characters are not intelligible in thir tymes. Barrie lyes midway betwixt Dundie and Arbroth, six myles distant from either. Mr Carnegy, minister. In the Diocese of St Andrews; the King's Majestie, patrone.
ANCIENT FAMILIES IN THE SHYRE.
Noblemen. — Earls Strathmore, Southesk, Airlie, Panmure, Lord Gray. Gentlemen. — Lairds of Edzell, Dun, Pitcur, Pourie, Fotheringhame, Fintrie, Claverhouse, Innerrarritie, Bonnietoune, Ouchterlony of that Ilk, Gairdyne of that Ilk, Auchinleck of that Ilk, Grange, Durhame, Balmashanner, Guthrie of that Ilk,Baljordie, Balfour, Ogilvy, Strathmartine, Nevoy of that Ilk, Buthvene, Deuchar of that Ilk, Thometoune of that Ilk.
Many great families are extinct in this shyre within these few years, as Earls Buchan, Dundie, Crauford, Lords Spynie, Olyfant, besydes many considerable barrens and gentlemen, whose estates are purchased by privat persones, and by merchants and burgesses of the severall burghs of the shyre.
The shyre is aboundantlie furnished of all things necessaro for life, such abundance of comes and cattle, that the consumption within the countrey is not able to spend the sixth part thereof.
I will add no more for our Familie of Ouchterlony of that Ilk but what I have said in the generall description of some places we have and had concern in, but that I have ane accompt of the marriages of the Familie these fifteen generations, viz. 1st, Stewart of Rossyth, in Fytfe; 2d, Maull of Panmure; 3d,
Ogilvy of Lentrathene, predecessor to the Lords of Ogilvy; 4th, Gray, of the Lord Gray; 5th, Drummond of Stobhall, now Perth; 6th, Keith, Lord Marishall; 7th, Lyon, Lord Glames; 8th, Cunninghame of Barnes: 9th, Stewart of Innermeath; 10th, Olyphant, of the Lord Olyphant; 11th, Scrimgeor of Dudope; 12th, Beatoun of Westhall; 13th, Peirsone of Loclilands; 14th, Carnegy of Newgait; 15th, Maull, cousine-germane to the deceist Patrick Earl of Panmure. All these are daughters of the above written families. The lamilie is very ancient and very great, having above fourteen score clialders of victuall, which was a great estate in those days.
My grandfather told me he saw a letter from Sir William Wallace, Governour of Scotland, directed to his trustie and assured friend, the Laird of Ouchterlony of that Ilk, requiring him in all haste to repair to him, with his friends and servants, notwithstanding his pass was not out; which pass did bear allowing him to travaill from Cunningharaehead to Ouchtermergitie, now Balmadies, which was his place of residence, about his lawfull affairs, and to repair to him againe in a short tyme therein prescrived—"for its lyke," sayes he, "we will have use for you and other honest men in the countrey within a
short tyme ;"—and accordingly the Barns of Air were burnt shortly thereafter.
The letter and pass are both together. Probablie the Laird of Drum, who purchased the estate, hath these and other antiquities of our Familie; but they cannot be had for the present. The armes of our Familie are thus blazoned—bears Azure, a lyon rampant, Argent, within a border Gules entoure, of eight buckles Or above the shield, ane helmet mantled Gules and doubled Argent ; and on the torse for a crest, ane eagle displayed Azure, with ane escallope in hir beek Argent, and the
motto above the crest — deus mihi adjutor.
Part One
