Galbraith of Culcreuch

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Note: Having received a considerable number of queries in relation to a possible entry for Galbraith of Culcreuch, I decided to pull together what evidence I had for them for inclusion within the  Second Series. Despite the many claims to an unbroken male line descent stretching back to the 12th century, extant evidence for this stirpes commences in the mid-15th century. The progression of writs for the lands of Over Johnstone, in Renfrewshire, which appear to have been the first their landed possessions, were useful in accurately laying out the line of descent from Thomas Galbraith of Johnstone (fl. 1452) down to  Robert Galbraith of Culcreuch, who disposed them in March 1598-99 and although he was father of at least six sons, no descendants can be traced with any degree of accuracy beyond the mid-17th century. Although the Balgair branch are generally said to have become heirs-male, their descent from Culcreuch is uncertain. I did contacted the Clan Galbraith Society with a view to discussing ancestry but never received a reply. The entry below is still a working draft and will be updated as new evidence comes to hand.

 

GALBRAITH of CULCREUCH

 

Thomas Galbraith of Johnstone, was in possession of the lands of Johnstone in May 1452, and was dead by May of the following year. He married Agnes Cunningham, who survived him and brought an action against James Galbraith of Culcreuch on 24 October 1493, for spoilation and uplifting the mails and duties of the lands of Johnston.[1] He was father of,

  1. James Galbraith of Culcreuch, (see below).
  2. Malcolm Galbraith, is styled son of Thomas Galbraith of Johnstone when witness to a Sasine in favour of Alexander Cunningham of Kilmaurs for the lands of Kilmaurs and others dated 30 August 1452.[2]

 

James Galbraith of Culcreuch, was in possession of Culcreuch by 16 May 1453, when James II issued letters appointing Robert Cochrane of that Ilk and others to be bailies to him.[3] He died about 1455-56 and the next for whom there is evidence is:

 

Andrew Galbraith of Culcreuch, succeeded and was infeft in the lands of Over Johnston upon chancery precept dated in 1456.[4] He was included in a Decreet by Patrick Houston of Glenbog and others are arbiters in a dispute between Gilbert and John Galbraith, brothers of John Galbraith of Garthele and himself, regarding the Testament of the late Gilbert Galbraith of Garthele on 9 December 1472 [5] and was a member of the inquest at the retour of John Stewart, Lord Darnley, as heir to Duncan, Earl of Lennox, on 23 July 1473.[6] He died about 1483-84.

 

Thomas Galbraith of Culcreuch, succeeded and was infeft in the lands of Over Johnston in 1484.[7] He was in the force commanded by John, Earl of Lennox, for the revenge of the death of the late James III. and was either killed during its route at Tallo Moss in October 1489 or else taken prisoner there and executed immediately afterwards. On 16th of that same month the king conveyed the lands of Culcreuch to Adam Hepburn, brother german of Patrick, Earl of Bothwell.[8]

 

James Galbraith of Culcreuch, succeeded and was a witness to Instruments taken by Humphrey Colquhoun of Luss on 28 March 1491.[9] He was infeft in the lands of Over Johnston upon chancery precept dated in 1492[10] and also witnessed a resignation by John MacAlpine, son and heir of the late William MacAlpine of Doune-Makmunen of his lands of Doune-Makmunen in favour of Humphrey Colquhoun of Luss at Edinburgh, on 9 December 1494.[11] He was father of,

  1. Andrew Galbraith of Culcreuch, (see below).
  2. Humphrey Galbraith, was tutor to his young nephew, James Galbraith of Culcreuch, during his minority and is named in that capacity when a member of an assize on 23 February 1533-34.[12]
  3. Walter Galbraith of Thomdarroch, received a remission under the Privy Seal on 3 March 1542-43, for the murder of James Galbraith.[13] He granted reversion for the lands of Easter Thomdarroch to Alexander Napier of Merchiston on 17 January 1543, which were set to him in tack for five years thereafter, and is then styled brother german to the late Andrew Galbraith of Culcreuch.[14] He was father of,

3a} Robert Galbraith of Thomdarroch, married in 1548, to Janet, daughter Seton of Tullibody, and had the lands of Thomdarroch redeemed by John Napier, fiar of Merchiston, on 5 November 1575.[15] He was father of,

3b} Walter Galbraith, is styled son of Robert Galbraith of Thomdarroch when witness to a Sasine in favour of John Napier, fiar of Merchiston, and Elizabeth Stirling, his wife, on 6 April 1573.[16] He was dead by May 1591 and had issue:

3c} James Galbraith, is styled grandson of the late Janet Seton, when Archibald Napier of Merchiston redeemed the lands of Mill of Lanrick from him on 22 May 1591.[17]

 

Andrew Galbraith of Culcreuch, was provided by his father to the lands of Johnston, in Renfrewshire, by charter dated 28 February 1509-10.[18] He married Margaret Stirling, and died after 2 May 1527, when he received a respite for the period of forty-six years for “treasonable cuming aganis the King in array of batell beside Linlithgow”[19] and before 23 February 1533-34. He had issue:

  1. James Galbraith of Culcreuch, (see below).

He was also father of a natural son:

  1. Walter Galbraith, in favour of whom a precept for a legitimation passed the Privy Seal on 28 July 1558.[20]

 

James Galbraith of Culcreuch, was under age at his father’s death with his ward and the gift of his marriage being granted to Robert Collace of Balnamoon on 22 January 1538-39.[21] Succeeding his father, he was infeft in the lands of Johnston as heir to him by Sasine dated 31 October 1544[22] and was pursued with his brother Walter, James Galbraith in Balquharne, John Galbraith, his servant, Humphrey Galbraith, son of John Galbraith in Bolgair, Humphrey Galbraith in the Glenne, Humphray Galbraith in Bellye and thirty-seven others in 1556 for having, in July 1554, gone to the house of John Lyle in Wester Kilfallet and broken up the doors and sought to murder him within.[23] He married Katherine Barclay with whom he had joint-infeftment in his lands of Over Johnston on 20 February 1547-48[24] and died before November 1575. He was father of,

  1. James Galbraith of Culcreuch, (see below).
  2. John Galbraith, was provided by Robert Danielstoun of Colgrain to the liferent of the lands of Meikle Cammeskane and Cameron, both lying in the Earl of Lennox, on 8 December 1563, and is then styled son of James Galbraith of Culcreuch.[25] He was the subject of a complaint brought before the Privy Council on 1 March 1587-88, for having, upon the previous 30th November, went with various accomplices to the chambers of deceased James Galbraith in Stirling and “violently broke up the doors of the same” and “reft and intromitted with all the gear, jewels, silver and gold formerly pertaining to the late James.”[26]
  3. Andrew Galbraith, is styled brother to James Galbraith of Culcreuch when denounced by the Privy Council on 20 March 1582-83, for having gathered accomplices to “the nowmer of xxiii personis or thairby, bodin in feir of weir, come upoun” Walter Kessen and others when in the process of executing letters raised against him by Aulay MacAulay of Ardincaple.[27]

 

James Galbraith of Culcreuch, succeeded his father and infeft in the lands of Over Johnston as heir to him on 9 November 1575.[28] He married by 20 June 1576, to Margaret Crawford (she survived him and married, secondly, to Sir Aulay MacAulay of Ardincaple), when he provided her to the liferent of those lands,[29] and died before 3 May 1593. He was father of,

  1. Robert Galbraith of Culcreuch, (see below).
  2. Marion Galbraith, married Adam Boyd, son of Lord Boyd, (marriage contract 10 December 1597[30]).

 

Robert Galbraith of Culcreuch, had succeeded by 3 May 1593[31] and on the 8th of that month, he was denounced king’s rebel for not having signed the General Band.[32] He became compelled through mounting debts to dispone his lands of Culcreuch in favour of Sir Alexander Seaton of Gargunnock in 1622. He married in March 1586, to Margaret, daughter James Seton of Tullibody, and on 23 March 1598-99, with her consent, he disponed the lands of Over Johnston to Alexander Cunningham of Craigens.[33] He died before February 1642 and was father of,

  1. James Galbraith, was served heir general to his father on 5 February 1642.[34]
  2. Alexander Galbraith, is styled son of Robert Galbraith of Culcreuch when witness to a Disposition by Archibald Edmonstone of Ballintone in favour of Alexander Bruce for the lands of Cessintullie and Wester Spittalton dated 24 January 1615.[35]
  3. Walter Galbraith, was apprenticed to Robert Meiklejohn, skinner in Edinburgh, on 28 March 1610.[36]
  4. Harry Galbraith, was included with his father in a complaint against them by Cuthbert Cunningham in Gonnochone and Katherine Kincaid, his wife, on 20 February 1612, that on the previous 23 October, they and their accomplices “to the number of three score persons, came by way of hamesucken to the complainer’s house in Gonnochane, put violent hands on them, and perforce ejected them and their five young bairns furth of the said house ; after which they demolished the house and destroyed the whole timber thereof.”[37]
  5. Adam Galbraith, who, “at his father’s instance” went to the house of John McMoreis, tenant and servant to Sir William Livingston of Kilsyth, and “attacked him with a grite battoun, giving him a number of cruell, bludie, bauch and blae straikis, for which McMoreis complained to the Privy Council on 10 January 1622.[38]
  6. Robert Galbraith, was included with his father and brother Adam in commission issued by the Privy Council for their apprehension and arrest on 3 April 1622 for “convocatioun of our leigeis in armes, beareing and weareing of hagbuittis and postollettis, lying in wait for Mr. Alexander Seatoun, and for yte shooteing at im the number of sex or aucht shoittis of hagbuuittis and pistollettis of purpois to have bereft him of his lyff.”[39]

 

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[1] Act Dom Conc. Vol. 1, p. 312.

[2] Laing charters, no. 136.

[3] Dundonald charter chest, no. 3.

[4] Ex. Rolls. Vol. 9, p. 664.

[5] Stirling Burgh Protocol Book, p. 68.

[6] Lennox charters, no 65.

[7] Ex. Rolls. Vol. 9, p. 683.

[8] RMS Vol. 2, no. 1901.

[9] Protocol Book of James Young, no. 418.

[10] Ex. Rolls. Vol. 10, p. 765.

[11] Protocol Book of James Young, no. 761.

[12] Pitcairn Vol. 1, pp. 165-166.

[13] PS1/17/29.

[14] GD430/116.

[15] GD430/138.

[16] GD430/136.

[17] GD430/124.

[18] GD148/81.

[19] Pitcairn Vol. 1, pp. 240.

[20] PS1/29/43.

[21] PS1/12/59.

[22] GD148/165.

[23] Pitcairn Vol. 1, p. 386.

[24] GD148/168.

[25] Glasgow Burgh Protocol Book, Vol. 3, no. 769.

[26] RPC First Series, Vol. 4, p. 257.

[27] RPC First Series, Vol. 3, pp. 559-560.

[28] GD148/305.

[29] GD148/307.

[30] GD8/417.

[31] RPC First Series, Vol. 5, p. 74.

[32] Pitcairn Vol. 1, p. 291.

[33] GD148/325.

[34] C22/16/206.

[35] GD86/414.

[36] Register of Edinburgh Apprentices.

[37] RPC First Series, Vol. 9, p. 335.

[38] RPC First Series, Vol. 12, p. 628.

[39] RPC First Series, Vol. 12, p. 706.