Weir of Blackwood

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Extracted from The Red Book of Scotland Fifth Series (2025) Volume 17, pp. 344-350

 

WEIR

of BLACKWOOD

 

Rotaldo/Rathaldis de Weir of Blackwood, was bailie to Patrick, Abbot of Kelso, and is so-styled in an inquisition into the right of Andrew, son of Reginald, to an annualrent to be uplifted from the barony of Lesmahagow, dated June 1398.[1] He acquired the lands of Blackwood and Dermoundston, in the barony of Lesmahagow, from that Abbot by charter dated about 1400,[2] and was dead before July 1432. He was father of ;

Thomas Weir of Blackwood, had succeeded his father by 9 July 1432 when he entered into an agreement with the Abbot of Kelso for the removing of dykes on the lands of Blackwood.[3] He was witness to a charter by James, Lord Hamilton, granting the lands of Mauchan-Muir and other lands to John Hamilton, his eldest son, on 4 Fenruary 1473,[4] and died by 1479 having had issue,

Robert Weir of Blackwood, was infeft the lands of Blackwood, Rogerhill and Brownhill as heir to Roland Weir, his grandfather, in 1479[5] and died by October 1486. He was father of :

Thomas Weir of Blackwood, had succeeded by 24 October 1486 when he was witness to an Instrument relating to the lands of Cambusnethan,[6] and was complained of the Lords Auditors for the wrongful levying and withholding of fermes from the lands of Kype in 1490.[7] He married Egedia, daughter of John, Lord Somerville, who was infeft in the lands of Broughton by Sasine dated 12 October 1483. He had died by January 1506/07 and was father of :

Sir Alexander Weir of Blackwood, had succeeded to the lands of Blackwood by 27 January 1506/7 when he is named in a charter for the middle-part of the lands of Boughton in favour of Alexander Mowat of Stanhouse.[8] He was father of;

Thomas Weir of Moitt and Blackwood, succeeded by 31 August 1528 when he received a gift of the escheat goods of William Carmichael of that Ilk[9] and received a charter from James, Commendator of Kelso, for the lands of Drumbreckshill on 6 December 1542.[10]

He married Janet Tailliefer or Taylor, from whom he was divorced on 2 May 1523 for being within the forbidden degrees of consanguinity,[11] and is named with his sons in 1582. He died soon after and was father of,

  1. James Weir of Blackwood, (see below).
  2. Thomas Weir of Moit,
  3. John Weir,
  4. Richard Weir, was presented to the parsonage of Carstairs in succession to James Stirling, on 30 December 1578.[12]

James Weir of Blackwood, who, as heir apparent to his father, had a remission on 1 March 1577/8, for involvement in the murder of John Hamilton in Garen and John Brown, smith in Draffen,[13] and received a gift of the escheat goods of Arthur Hamilton of Mirretoun on 8 September 1579.[14] He also had the gift from the King of the surplus from the eight prebendaries of the Collegiate Church of Bothwell on 18 March 1580/1[15] and was living in 1595 when he made a resignation of the fee of his lands of Blackwood, Moitt and others, to his grandson and heir, George Weir. He married Eupham Hamilton and was father of,

  1. James Weir, fiar of Blackwood, (see below).
  2. Mr. William Weir, was included in the remainder of his nephew, George Weir’s charter for the lands of Blackwood in 1594, and is then styled son of James Weir of Blackwood.
  3. Archibald Weir, is included with his father and brother, Mr. William Weir, and others in a complaint to the Privy Council on 16 January 1593/94, by Patrick Luverance, messenger for deforcement.[16]
  4. Margaret Weir, married firstly, to Gilbert Brown, eldest son and apparent heir of Richard Brown, eldest son and apparent heir to Andrew of Hartree, (marriage contract 23 May 1573.[17] He died in May 1576[18]) and had issue. She married secondly, by 11 February 1581, to Robert Nisbet, younger of Dalzeil.[19]

James Weir, fiar of Blackwood, the eldest son, married Mariote Ramsay, (she survived him and married secondly, by 13 January 1594/95, to Willliam Bannatyne of Corshouse[20]) and died v.p.. He was father of,

George Weir of Blackwood, married first, to Margaret, daughter of William Weir of Stanybyres, (marriage contract 13 January 1594) and in implementation of his marriage contract his grandfather, James Weir of Blackwood, resigned the fee of the lands of Moitt, Blackwood and others to him for which he had a confirmation under the Great Seal dated 10 June 1595.[21]He married secondly, at Prestonpans, on 3 August 1609, to Barbara Johnstone, (marriage contract 24 July 1609[22]) and died by March 1649 when she his relict, complained that her terce of the lands of Mains of Blackwood and Mosmyning was being impeded by John Bannatyne of Corhouse. He was father of,

Marion Weir, married first, Lieutenant-Colonel James Bannatyne, brother of John Bannatyne of Corhouse, (marriage contract19 January 1642[23]) by whom she had no apparent issue; and secondly, at Edinburgh, on 10 June 1645, to William Lawrie, merchant,[24] by whom she had issue ;

  1. George Lawrie alias Weir of Blackwood, (see below).
  2. Thomas Lawrie alias Weir, was tutor to his nephew, George Weir, during his minority. He was father of,

2a} James Lawrie alias Weir of Auchenbeath, married Jean, daughter of Archibald Stirling in Hillhead of Avondale.[25]

  1. Barbara Lawrie, baptised at Edinburgh, on 14 June 1647.
  2. Jean Weir, married at Edinburgh, on 10 October 1678, to John Cunningham of Ballindalloch,[26] and had issue.
  3. Robina Weir, married John Ballantyne of Craigmuir.[27]

George Weir of Blackwood, succeeded his maternal grandfather, George Weir of Blackwood, and had the lands of Blackwood confirmed to himself by charter under the Great Seal on 24 June 1650, in which he is styled George Weir alias Lawrie, eldest lawful son procreate between William Lawrie, and Marion Weir, relict of Lieutenant-Colonel James Bannatyne, and daughter of the deceased George Weir of Blackwood.[28] He resigned those lands into the hands of the superior, Anne, Duchess of Hamilton, On 30 December 1671, for a new grant in favour of his mother and William Laurie, in liferent, and to himself in heritage. He died in April 1680,[29] having married firstly, to Agnes, daughter of George Cleland of Gartnes,[30] (she was buried in the Greyfriars, Edinburgh, on 14 August 1675[31]) by whom he was father of;

  1. Sir George Weir of Blackwood, (see below).
  2. Marion Weir, baptised at Edinburgh, on 3 July 1673 and was buried in the Greyfriars, Edinburgh, on 6 November following.[32]

He married secondly, to Helen, daughter of Robert Bruce, 1st of Broomhall, (marriage contract 21 April 1676) who survived him[33] and by whom he had further issue;

  1. William Weir, baptised at Edinburgh, on 5 July 1677 and was admitted an Advocate. He married at Edinburgh on 6 January 1702, to Elizabeth, daughter of John Stewart of Ascog.[34]

Sir George Weir, 1st Baronet of Blackwood, baptised at Edinburgh, on 12 June 1674 and was served heir general to his late father on 28 April 1681,[35] then to his maternal grandfather, George Cleland of Gartnes, on 28 July 1694. He was created a Baronet on 28 November 1694 with remainder to the heirs male of his body. He married Catherine, daughter of Sir John Jardine of Applegirth,[36] and died in February 1716,[37] having had issue;

  1. Sir William Weir, 2nd Baronet of Blackwood, (see below).
  2. Sir George Weir, 3rd Baronet of Blackwood, succeeded his brother, Sir William in 1722, and was served heir to his grandfather, George Weir of Blackwood, in a piece of ground called Browncastle in the parish of Kilbride, Lanarkshire, on 4 February 1724.[38] He died s.p. in 1735.
  3. Catherine Weir, married at Edinburgh, on 21 July 1728, to John Lockhart, brother to Lockhart of Cleghorn.[39]

Sir William Weir, 2nd Baronet of Blackwood, succeeded his father and was served heir to him on 3 January 1717.[40] Hedied on 17 January 1722,[41] having married firstly, at Pencaitland, on 9 March 1716, to Rachel, daughter of James Hamilton of Pencaitland,[42] by whom he was father of ;

  1. Catherine Weir, born at Edinburgh, on 1 December 1716 and was served heir to her father in the lands of Blackwood and others, on 2 July 1722.[43] She married on 26 July 1733, to Charles Hope of Craigiehall,[44] who assumed the surname and arms of Weir of Blackwood and succeeded to the lands of Blackwood. They had issue.

He married secondly, Christian, daughter of Philip Anstruther of Anstrutherfield, (she survived him and married secondly, in 1740, to John Stewart, 6th Earl of Traquair. She died at Traquair, on 12 November 1771[45]) by whom he had no issue.

 

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[1] Liber de Kelso. No. 517.

[2] Liber de Kelso. No. 524. The charter is inserted into the register after a charter dated 25 May 1400.

[3] NRAS2177/211.

[4] RMS 1424-1513. No. 2034.

[5] NRAS Blackwood writs. Also inserted in the Liber de Kelso but omits relationship to Rothaldis.

[6] GD40/4/91.

[7] Acta Dom. Conc.

[8] RMS 1424-1513. No. 3036.

[9] RPS Vol. I. No. 3985.

[10] RPS Vol. II. No. 5009.

[11] Liber Officialis Sancti Andreas, no. 39.

[12] RPS Vol. VIII. No. 1756.

[13] RPS Vol. VII. No. 1506.

[14] RPS Vol. VII. No. 2039.

[15] RPS Vol. VIII. No. 154.

[16] RPC First Series, Vol. 5, pp. 128-129.

[17] RD1/11/222.

[18] CC8/8/5/pp. 131-134.

[19] GD3/3/1/12.

[20] C2/40/153.

[21] C2/40/153.

[22] Acta Parl. 16th March 1649.

[23] C2/58/268.

[24] OPR – Edinburgh. See also: RS 42/1/132.

[25] RS3/104/323.

[26] OPR – Edinburgh. See also: RS3/96/215.

[27] RS42/7/f.359.

[28] RMS 1634-1651. No. 2160.

[29] C22/36/27.

[30] RS42/4/f.97.

[31] Greyfriars Burial Register.

[32] Greyfriars Burial Register.

[33] RS42/7/301.

[34] OPR – Edinburgh.

[35] C22/36/27.

[36] RS3/80/430.

[37] Services of Heirs.

[38] Services of Heirs.

[39] OPR – Edinburgh.

[40] Services of Heirs.

[41] C22/58.

[42] RS42/12/f.464. See also: OPR – Pencaitland.

[43] Services of Heirs.

[44] OPR – Abercorn.

[45] Leeds Intelligencer, 3rd December 1771 edition.