FERN-FAMILY DE BALINHARD.

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Arbroath and Balmerino.1 In all probability he was father to John de Balinhard, the first certainly recorded ancestor of the Carnegies of Southesk. His connection, however, with the Arbirlot de Balinhards must remain doubtful, though names, dates, and localities are in favour of its existence.

John de Balinhard, who died about 1275, was succeeded by his son, Christian, whose grandson, John, about 1350, parted with the family estate of Balinhard, which lay in the middle of the lordship of Panmure, and by exchange or otherwise acquired from Sir Walter Maule the lands of Carnegie in the parish of Carmylie in the same neighbourhood. From these lands the progenitors of the Carnegies of Kinnaird assumed their surname and title of "Carnegie of that Ilk."

Duthac de Carnegie, presumed to have been second son of John de Carnegie, first "of that Ilk," was the first of Kinnaird, having in 1401 purchased a part of these lands from Richard Ayre. Eight years afterwards he acquired from Mariota de Kinnaird the other half of the lands and "town" of Kinnaird. Mariota is understood to have been one of three co-heiresses, and to have been married to Duthac de Carnegie, who received her portion of the estate. The other two coheiresses are said to have been married respectively to David Panter of Newmanswalls and William Cramond of Aldbar. Since these persons are named along with Duthac as "lairds of Kinnaird" in a law-process of 1410, they seem to have had interests in the estate, which were probably acquired by mar

1 Reg. Vet. Aberbr. p. 197; Reg. Prior. S. And. p. 271; Lib. de Balm. pp. 9 sq. 2 A copy of the charter is in the British Museum, and runs thus :-" David [m.]: Dei gratia, etc. Sciatis nos approbasse et hac presenti carta confirmasse donacionem illam et concessionem quam quondam Walterus de Maule fecit et concessit Joanni filio et heredi quondam Joannis filii Christini, filii Joannis de Balnehard de terra de Carryneggii cum pertinenciis in Baronia de Panmure infra Vicecomitatum de Forfar tenenda et habenda eidem Joanni de Carinnegi filio, heredi predicti quondam Joannis filii Joannis et heredibus suis in feodo," etc.-(Fraser, Hist. Carnegies of Southesk, i. p. 1; Reg. de Panmure, i. p. 215.)

3 Crawford, Peerage, p. 446. The surname of Air subsisted in the parish of Farnell until the late period of 1851, when the last of the name (an unmarried female) died at an advanced age.

• Vide Charter under the Great Seal, dated 21st February 1409.

riage, but no evidence on the subject exists, nor is further mention made of their connection with Kinnaird, which must have been of a temporary nature.1

Duthac de Carnegie, however, did not enjoy his newlyobtained estate for any length of time, as, when the unfortunate dispute arose betwixt Donald of the Isles and Regent Albany regarding the succession to the Earldom of Ross, Duthac joined in that dreadful enterprise, and was left dead on the field. Walter, his only son, fought against Earl Beardie at the battle of Brechin, 18th May 1452, and for this he had his castle burnt down by the Lindsays, wherein, says Crawford, "all his writs and evidents were miserably consumed."2 In consequence of this outrage Walter made complaint to James II. that ". . . his mansione wes brvnt and his charteris . . . war thair throw analijt and distroyit," and he accordingly obtained a royal letter for an "inquisitione of knavlage" into the circumstances. Thus he endeavoured to supply, to some extent, the loss of his family papers.3

David, Earl of Crawford, afterwards Duke of Montrose, gave John, the son of this Walter (whom he styles his cousin), a liferent out of the lands of Glenesk. He, dying in 1505, was succeeded by his son, also John, who fell, with his king

1 The barony of Kinnaird was held by the ancient tenure of keeping the King's alecellar whenever the Court should have residence in Forfarshire, and the seal of John Carnegie of Kinnaird, Bailie-Depute of the Abbey of Arbroath, is appended to a sasine given by him in his character of Bailie pro hac vice of the lands of Balishan in favour of Lord Ogilvy of Airly, who was the chief Bailie of the Abbey. The sasine is dated 13th of October 1489. The seal bears an eagle displayed standing on a butt or tun. There appears to be a mullet in the sinister chief for difference, but the bearing of the ale-tun must have had reference to the tenure of the barony of Kinnaird, and not to the name of Carnegie. Sir Robert Carnegie, who died in 1565, bore the heraldic charge of a covered cup, or, on the eagle's breast, which may have been substituted for the ale-tun, or sign of territorial office, either in consequence of the bearing of the cup being derived from the tenure by which some other lands than those of Kinnaird were held, or from the family having been royal cupbearers-an office which some authors assign to them, though on insufficient evidence. In that noble heraldic manuscript, "The Buke and Register of Armes, done by Sir David Lindesay, Knight, alias Lion King of Armes," A.D. 1542, the arms of "Carnegye of Kinnarde" are thus pictorially blazoned :-Arg. An eagle, displayed, Az; armed, beaked, and membered, Gu. ; on its breast an antique covered cup, Or.

2 Peerage, p. 446.

3 Fraser, Hist. Carnegies of Southesk, i. pp. 17 sq.

FERN-SIR ROBERT CARNEGIE.

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and many kinsmen, at Flodden. It was not, however, till the time of Sir Robert, the fourth in descent from Duthac, that the family rose to importance.1 Sir Robert adopted the law as a profession. In 1547 he was appointed a Senator of the College of Justice, and in subsequent years he was largely employed in important national transactions, being on several occasions ambassador to France and England. He was a Privy Councillor under Chatelherault, the Queen Dowager, and Queen Mary, and at various times held high offices of trust. Sir Robert rebuilt the house of Kinnaird, and greatly enlarged the family estate, adding to it Panbride, Ethie, Idvie, Auchquhanden, Fithie, Balnamoon, and other lands in Angus, as also in Aberdeen, Fife, and the Lothians. He died in 1565, and by Margaret, daughter of Guthrie of Lunan, left a family of eight sons and eight daughters. The eldest of the former, Sir John, who succeeded his father, was so much the confidant of the unfortunate Queen Mary, that in 1570 she wrote to him a letter, still preserved at Kinnaird, craving his "advice and answere... after good advisement and deliberacioun," how to act in her difficulties.

Sir John died without male issue, and was succeeded by his next brother, David, previously styled "of Colluthie" in consequence of his marriage with Elizabeth Ramsay, heiress of Colluthie and Leuchars. He married, secondly, Eupheme, daughter of Sir John Wemyss of that Ilk, by whom he had four sons-David, ancestor of the Earls of Southesk; John, ancestor of the Earls of Northesk; Alexander, of Balnamoon; and Robert, of Dunnichen.

On the death of David Carnegie in 1598, he was succeeded

1 This Sir Robert had a natural son, John (Reg. Mag. Sigill. lib. 35, ch. 330), who bought the lands of Carnegie, and was designated John Carnegie of that Ilk, in 1581 (lib. 35, ch. 404, wherein Catherine Fothringham is mentioned as his spouse).— Macfarlane's MS. Notes on Geo. Crawford's Peerage of Scotland. This John Carnegie acquired the lands from Sir James Carnegie of that Ilk, who was head of the family in 1500; and Sir David of Kinnaird, the first of Leuchars, bought the same lands from Sir Robert's natural son or grandson. They passed to the Panmure family by excambion.-(Fraser, Hist. Carnegies of Southesk, i. pp. xxii sq. ; 45 sq.)