Livingstone of Drumry and East Wemyss

LIVINGSTONE

of DRUMRY & EAST WEMYSS

 

Andrew de Livingstone, is the first for whom there is evidence and although descended of Livingston of that Ilk, the precise nature of that relationship is uncertain. He is named in his son Sir William’s charter to Newbattle Abbey in 1338 and has previously been cited as grandfather to the first Livingston of Callander, however, that is incorrect as his descendants can be traced via their possession of the lands of Gorgie and Drumry, and such evidence proves them to have belonged to a different stirpes entirely. He m. a woman named Elen who is also named in their son Sir William’s donation to Newbattle, although details of her surname and the family to which she belonged are not known. He was father of :

Sir William de Livingstone of Drumry, Craigmillar and Gorgie, succeeded and on 31 March 1328 he confirmed a grant made by his predecessor, Sir Fergus de Comyn, Lord of Gorgie, to the Holyrood Abbey of the right to make a dam for their mill at Saughton.[1] During the national turmoil which followed the death of King Robert I., in 1329, he adhered to the Scottish cause for which Edward III. of England forfeited his lands of Gorgie and Craigmiller in 1335-36.[2] They were still forfeited in 1337[3]although this appears to have had little effect as on 3 March 1338, he granted to the Abbey of Newbattle for the welfare of his own soul and those of Margaret, his wife, and their children, and his father Andrew de Livingstone and Elen, his mother, the liberty for their men to grind their grain from the lands of Eastcraig at his mill at Gorgie.[4] He was father of :

Sir John de Livingstone of Drumry, who is named in a charter concerning rights to the lands of Banks and Brerybanks in a dispute with Simon Shepman, Burgess of Lanark, on 22 August 1367.[5] He m. one of the daughters and three heirs of Sir Michael of Wemyss, with whom he obtained extensive lands in Fife including half of those of Wemyss, and d. by 14 January 1466, having had issue,

Robert de Livingston of Drumry, succeeded his father and being under age, his ward was gifted by Isabella, Countess of Fife, to Alan Erskine of Inchmartin on 14 January 1366.[6] He was of age by 1370 when he was witness to a confirmation by John de Craigie of the gifts made by John, son of Ralph, and Margaret, his wife, to John, son of Adam of Scralyne, and John of Bellenden.[7] He granted a charter to John de Wemyss of his lands of Myrecairney, Raith, Glennistoun, Nether Cameron and others, dated circa 1390 to be held by John and his heirs of himself and his own heirs,[8] and is named with Sir Alan de Erskine and Sir John de Boswell in a charter by King Robert III. granting the lands of Rires to Sir John de Wemyss on 16 October 1393.[9] He was k. at the battle of Homildon Hill in 1402, and was father of,

Sir Robert de Livingstone of Drumry and Easter Wemyss, succeeded on his father’s death in 1402 and was subsequently infeft in the lands of Wemyss although this was disputed by Margaret of Glen whose bailie, John Skyrling, attempted to break the Sasine in the hall of Wemyss but being denied access he did so at the door.[10] In an attempt at “ending the discord and strife that has happend before them and their friends” he and David de Wemyss, Lord of Methill, entered into a contract on 19 November 1428, to the effect that Robert, William’s eldest son and heir, would marry, David’s daughter, Euphemia, and also that David’s eldest son and heir, John, would marry Robert’s daughter Isabel.[11] Further resolving their disputes, he and Wemyss took instruments on the same day confirming that they had agreed that he shall have all the lands of west-Wemyss-shire from the Denburn of the Kirkwemyss-east in fee and heritage, and Wemyss would have all those from the Denburn west with the right to cut peat, turf and fish.[12] He was a member of an assise in 1464, and appears to have d. in 1467. He was certainly dead by 25 July 1468 and was father of :

  1. Sir William Livingstone of Drumry and East Wemyss, (see below).
  2. James Livingstone, was served heir to his father in parts of the lands of Newbigging, in the barony of Carfin, on 24 November 1466.[13]
  3. John Livingston, had a payment from the King’s exchequer in 1449, and is then styled son of Sir Robert Livingston of Drumry.[14]
  4. Margaret Livingstone, m. Sir John de Wemyss of Wemyss, (c/m 19 November 1429, when they were infants although the marriage did not take place until 1448[15]), and had issue.
  5. Isabel Wemyss, who was contracted to marry John Wemyss, eldest son and heir of David Wemyss, Lord of Methill, on 19 November 1428.[16]
  6. Isabella Livingstone, was a natural daughter. She m. Sir John Kinninmont of that Ilk, and to whom her father granted a charter dated 8 April 1449.

Sir William Livingstone of Drumry and East Wemyss, is styled eldest son to Sir Robert Livingston of Drumry in payments made to him from the King’s exchequer in 1449,[17] and succeeding his father, he had Sasine for the lands of Wemyss, Glassmont, Lochoreshire, Luthrie and the Mill of Balmakewin in 1467.[18] He became involved in extensive litigation with the Boswells of Balmutto concerning inheritance rights in the 1470s which were so complex in nature that they do not appear to have ever been satisfactorily concluded. He was contracted in 1427, to marry Euphemia, daughter of David Wemyss of Wemyss,[19]but it is doubtful if this was undertaken. He d. by 23 July 1501 and was father of :

Sir Robert Livingston of Drumry and East Wemyss, to whom his father resigned the lands of East Wemyss, Lochoreshire, Glassmont, all in Fife, and those of Gorgie, in the sheriffdom of Edinburgh, and Balmakewin, in the sheriffdom of Kincardine, which were confirmed to him under under the Great Seal on 7 February 1494.[20] He disputed the profits of the lands of West Wemyss with Sir John Wemyss of that Ilk based upon the agreement previously made between the late Robert Livingstone of Drumry, his grandfather, and David Wemyss, Laird of Methill, on 19 November 1428, and and d. before 24 March 1506. He was father of,

Sir Robert Livingstone of Drumry and Easter Wemyss, who was under age at his father’s deat with the gift of his marriage being granted to James, Abbot of Dunfermline, on 24 March 1506.[21] He had a charter for the lands of East Wemyss as heir to his grandfather, Sir William Livingstone, on 19 May 1508[22] and m. Janet, daughter of David Bethune, 1st of Creich, (she survived him and m. secondly, to James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran), although he did not long enjoy his estate and was k. at the battle of Flodden in September of 1513. He was father of :

Margaret Livingstone, succeeded her father in 1513 and had Sasine for the lands of Easter Wemyss, Lochoreshire, and others, on 8 November 1513.[23] She had a gift of the non-entries of the lands of Gorgie on 18 November 1515, which had belonged to her father[24] and had m. by 4 November 1525, to Sir James Hamilton of Finnart, (he was executed on 16 August 1540). They had issue.

 

 

 

[1] Cart. Newbattle.

[2] Cal. Docs. Scot. Vol. III. P. 335.

[3] Cal. Docs. Scots. Vol. III. P. 382.

[4] Reg. Newbattle. No. 44.

[5] RMS 1306-1424. No. 26.

[6] Wemyss charters.

[7] GD89/1/2.

[8] Wemyss charters.

[9] RMS 1306-1424. No. 87.

[10] Wemyss charters.

[11] Wemyss charters.

[12] Wemyss charters.

[13] GD40/4/73.

[14] Ex. Rolls. Vol. 5, p. 338.

[15] Wemyss charters.

[16] Wemyss charters.

[17] Ex. Rolls. Vol. 5. p. 338, 343 & 352.

[18] Ex. Rolls. Vol. 9. p. 673.

[19] Wemyss charters.

[20] C2/13/118.

[21] RPS Vol. I. No. 1241.

[22] C2/15/121.

[23] Ex. Rolls. Vol. 14, p. 526.

[24] RPS Vol.  I. Vol. No. 266.