Bontine of Ardoch

BONTINE

of ARDOCH

 

Finlay Bontine, is the first for whom there is evidence. He acquired the lands of Milnton of Lee, in Dunbartonshire, which were confirmed to him by charter under the Great Seal of Robert III dated about 1402-1404.[1]

John Bontine of Ardoch, is the next for whom there is evidence but precise details of his relationship to Finlay Bontine have not yet been discovered. He was in possession of the lands of Ardoch by August 1452 and died about 1467. He was father of,

Nicol Bontine of Ardoch, is styled son and heir to John Bontine of Ardoch when witness to a Sasine in favour of Alexander Cunningham of Kilmaurs for infeftment in the lands of Kilmaurs dated 30 August 1452[2] and succeeding his father, he had Sasine for the lands of Ardoch and Myrton in 1467.[3] He was a member of the inquest at the service of James Haldane, as heir to his great-great grandfather, Duncan, Earl of Lennox, in a quarter-part of that Earldom on 21 May 1490[4] and witnessed a Sasine in favour of Matthew Stewart, son of John, Earl of Lennox for the Earldom of Lennox, on 11 June following.[5] He was still alive on 27 October 1516, when a liferent of Ardoch was reserved to him.[6]  He was father of,

Alan Bontine, younger of Ardoch, who died v.p. before November 1512 having had issue;

Archibald Bontine, younger of Ardoch, in favour of whom his grandfather, Nicol Bontine, resigned the lands of Ardoch, the Leis and Craigend with the mill, and which were confirmed to him under the Great Seal on 3 November 1512.[7] He was killed at the battle of Flodden in September 1513 and was father of;

John Bontine of Ardoch, succeeded and was infeft in the lands of Ardoch on 18 November 1516.[8] He married Hewisa, daughter of John Knox of Ranfurlie,[9] and died about 1560 having had issue;

  1. William Bontine of Ardoch, (see below).
  2. Robert Bontine, was included with Water MacAulay of Ardincaple and others in a respite to them under the Privy Seal on 3 March 1565/66 for the murder of John MacAus in Ardskadnoche in November 1565.[10] He was put to the horn for “non-compearance before the King and Privy Council to have answerit to sick thingis as sould have bene inquirit of thame” and his escheat goods gifted to Robert, Earl of Lennox, on 6 July 1579, and on 5 March 1579/80, he and John Cunningham of Drumquhassel and various accomplices had a remission of 5 March 1579/80, for having taken and held Dumbarton castle.[11] He is styled brother to William Bontine of Ardoch when bailie to a Sasine in favour of John Cunningham of Drumquhassel dated 5 April 1580.[12]

William Bontine of Ardoch, was infeft in the lands of Ardoch, Nether Lee, Over Lee, Craigend, with the turret, fortalice and manor at Ardoch upon precept dated 24 May 1560.[13] He married Janet, daughter of Walter MacAulay of Ardincaple, and died before April 1605 having had issue;

Archibald Bontine, younger of Ardoch, is so-styled when cautioner for Alan MacAulay of Ardincaple and others on 20 April 1585.[14] He died v.p. having had issue;

  1. John Bontine of Ardoch, (see below).
  2. William Bontine of Milndoving, witnessed a Sasine in favour of John Napier of Kilmahew and Susanna Cunningham, his wife, for the lands of Auchindonarie on 18 February 1622 and is then styled brother to John Bontine of Ardoch.[15] He was settled at Stuik for a number of years before acquiring the lands of Mindoving from William Sempill of Fulwood, which were confirmed to him under the Great Seal on 4 May 1649.[16] He married Martha Napier,[17] who was still alive in November 1673 when their son Archibald Bontine reserved a liferent to her.[18] He died before November 1654 having had issue, (see Bonein of Mildovan and Ardoch).
  3. Robert Bontine, subscribed a Bond of Caution to refrain from harming John Dunlop in Milligis in March 1607.[19]

John Buntine of Ardoch, succeeded and was served heir to his grandfather, William Bontine of Ardoch, in those lands on 30 April 1605.[20] He died before October 1647 having married, firstly, Jean, daughter of Robert Sempill of Fulwood, (she died in January 1608[21]) by whom he had issue.

  1. William Bontine of Ardoch, (see below).
  2. Hawisa Bontine, married Arthur Darleith, portioner of Blackthird, (c/m 28 November 1632[22]).

Surviving her, John Bontine of Ardoch married secondly, Margaret, daughter of James Bontine of Kirkton and sister and eventual heiress of Archibald Bontine of Kirkton, (c/m 13 February 1619[23]), who survived him and had a liferent of the lands of Hawthornhill reserved to her by his son William on 20 January 1648.[24] By her he had further issue;

  1. Thomas Bontine,
  2. Frances Bontine,
  3. Jean Bontine,
  4. Anna Bontine
  5. Margaret Bontine, to whom her maternal uncle, Archibald Bontine of Kirkton, granted a Bond for 300 merks Scots on 22 August 1644,[25] which she assigned to Matthew MacAulay, son of Patrick macAulay in Ardoch, on 30 November 1652.[26]
  6. Grisel Bontine,
  7. Elizabeth Bontine, all of whom disponed their grandfather’s lands of Kirkton to their half-brother, William Bontine of Ardoch, on 22 November 1652[27] and in which they are styled children by Margaret Bontine.

William Bontine of Ardoch, who, succeeding his father, had special service as heir to him in the lands of Ardoch on 21 October 1647 and in which he was infeft upon Sasine dated 5 November following. He married, firstly, Annabella Boyd, (c/m 2 and 5 November 1625[28]), and secondly, to Isabella, eldest daughter of Neil Montgomery of Langschaw, (c/m dated about 19 May 1640[29]), whom he infeft in a liferent of his lands of Over and Nether Leys on 20 January 1648.[30] He died in 1683 and was father of,

  1. Nicol Bontine of Ardoch, (see below).
  2. James Bontine, is styled brother to Nicol Bontine of Ardoch in a Bond dated in 1684.[31]

Nicol Bontine of Ardoch, succeeded his father and on 11 April 1707, he made a resignation of his lands for a new charter to himself and his heirs male. He died about 1725 having married firstly, Anna, daughter of Robert Barclay, Provost of Irvine,[32] (c/m 28 May 1660[33]), with whom, on his father’s resignation, he had conjunct infeftment in the lands of Ardoch and others on 26 January 1663.[34] and surviving her, he married secondly, on 6 March 1672, to Marjory, daughter of Mungo Campbell, 5th of Lawers,[35] (she was widow of John Campbell of Edinample[36] who had died in December 1668, and by whom she had issue). He was father of,

  1. Robert Buntine of Ardoch, succeeded and was infeft in the lands of Ardoch by Sasine dated 10 March 1722. He married on 24 August 1730, to Helen, daughter of Sir Robert Dickson, Baronet, of Inveresk,[37] and died s.p. before November 1740, when his nephew, Nicol Bontine, had service as heir to him.
  2. William Bontine, married Jean, only daughter of William Buchanan of Drummakill, (c/m 20 March 1701[38]), and died before November 1740. He was father of,

2a} Nicol Bontine of Ardoch, bap. on 15 March 1702 and was served heir of provision general to his uncle, Robert Bontine of Ardoch, on 29 November 1740.[39] He married Anna, only daughter of Captain James Cunningham, (c/m 26 November 1735[40]) and died at Ardoch, on 30 April 1760,[41] having had issue;

2b} John Bontine, younger of Ardoch, died s.p. on Friday 2 January 1761.[42]

2b} Jane Bontine, was served heir to her great-uncle, Robert Bontine of Ardoch, on 30 April 1767, and to her uncle, William Bontine, on 28 May 1771.[43] She married Thomas Ewing of Keppoch and had issue.

2a} William Bontine of Ardoch, bap. on 22 March 1705 and was served heir of taillie to his brother Nicol on 17 February 1761.[44] He married on 27 July 1738, to Margaret, daughter of John Haldane, 2nd of Lanrick,[45](she survived him and died s.p. at Balshagrie, on 23 April 1781[46]), and died s.p. at Ardoch, on 20 December 1770.[47]

2a} Robert Bontine, bap. on 22 April 1707 and died s.p. before December 1770.

2a} Archibald Bontine, bap. on 9 June 1712, and died s.p. before December 1770.

2a} Isabel Bontine, bap. on 6 July 1713 and died unmarried.

  1. James Bontine, to whom his father granted a heritable Bond for 5000 merks Scots on 6 June 1700[48] and was cautioner to the Testament of John Bontine of Geileston in 1724. He died s.p. in May 1740 and left his estate to Colin Campbell, third son of the late John Campbell of Edinample.[49]
  2. Isobel Bontine, married at Edinburgh, on 24 May 1687, to Robert Graham of Gartmore,[50] and had issue;

4a} Nicol Graham of Gartmore, who was father of,

4b} Robert Graham of Gartmore and Ardoch, succeeded his cousin, William Bontine of Ardoch, to whom he was served heir of entail in the lands of Ardoch on 1 April 1773.[51] He had issue, (see Graham of Gartmore).

 

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[1] RMS App. 2, no. 1796. He is likely identical to Finlay Buntyne who was one of the bailies of Dumbarton in 1387, 1388 and 1393 (Ex. Rolls. Vol. 3, pp. 157, 181, 197 and 334).

[2] Laing charters, no. 136.

[3] Ex. Rolls. Vol. 9, p. 672.

[4] GD198/53.

[5] Lennox charters, no. 88.

[6] Ex. Rolls Vol. 14, p. 587.

[7] C2/18/100.

[8] GD22/1/408/Bundle 1. See chancery precept of 27 October 1516 (Ex. Rolls Vol. 14, p. 587) which states that his father had died “in campo in Anglia” and in which a liferent was served to his great-grandfather, Nicol Bontine.

[9] MacFarlane’s Genealogical Collections, Vol. 2, p. 278.

[10] PS1/34/66.

[11] PS1/46/95v.

[12] GD86/251.

[13] Ex. Rolls. Vol. 19, p. 455.

[14] RPC First Series, Vol. 3, p. 738.

[15] RS9/1/203.

[16] C2/58/196.

[17] RD3/6/315 & RS9/2/24.

[18] RS9/2/24.

[19] RPC First Series, Vol. 7, p. 669.

[20] C22/3/145.

[21] CC10/5/4/202-204.

[22] Laing charters, no. 2199.

[23] GD22/1/271.

[24] C3/5/71.

[25] GD22/1/24/misc.

[26] GD22/1/38/misc.

[27] GD22/2/110.

[28] GD22/1/423/misc.

[29] GD22/4/3.

[30] C3/5/71.

[31] RD4/54/400.

[32] GD22/1/103/misc.

[33] GD22/4/7.

[34] GD22/1/408/Bundle 1.

[35] OPR – Duddingston.

[36] RD4/60/610.

[37] OPR – Cardross. See also: RS10/7/65.

[38] GD47/788.

[39] Services of Heirs.

[40] GD22/1/282.

[41] Scots Magazine, 1st April 1760 edition.

[42] Caledonian Mercury, 10th January 1761 edition.

[43] Services of Heirs. In which she is styled daughter of Nicol Bontine of Ardoch.

[44] Services of Heirs.

[45] OPR – Bonhill.

[46] Scots Magazine, 1st April 1781 edition.

[47] Scots Magazine, 1st January 1771 edition.

[48] CS228/C/4/42.

[49] CC9/7/56/480-482.

[50] OPR – Edinburgh.

[51] Services of Heirs.