A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

OF FOUR-FOOTED BEASTS.
PATRICK, son of WALDEVE Earl of DUNBAR, married Ada, natural daughter ui~
King William, In his charter of confirmation of that of his father's to the ab-
IVaidevi Comitis. I
bacy of Kelso, he is designed Patricias Con: .:>ib(ir, jUius
have seen five charters of this earl in the custody of Mr David Simpson, historiographer,
who had them out of the Earl of Morton's charter-chest, all granted by
him to the abbacy of Melrose, with the consent of his wife Ada, of the lands of
Redpath, for prayers to be said for the souls of predecessors, and for the health of
King William, his Queen, and their son Alexander. The seals appended to these
five charters were entire, being of red wax upon white, having the impression of a
man in armour upon horseback, holding in his right hand a sword, and on his left
arm a shield, charged with a lion rampant within a bordure of roses, being about
eight in number, and the legend round, Sigillum Comitis Patricii de Dumbar.
Another PATRICK Earl of DUNBAR, in his charter of confirmation of these of
his predecessors to Kelso, is designed Patricius, miles, jiliits & bares Domini Patri-
cii Comitis de U1
Dumbar, Concilia: jilia; J'obannis. In this charter he dispones the
lands therein mentioned thus: " Prout in charta bona; memoriae Cospatricii, Wale-
"
vi, Patricii, 6*- Patricii avi mei, Comitum de Dumbar, plenius continentur:"
Here he gives a deduction of his genealogy as before. I have seen other five
principal charters of this Earl's to the abbacy of Melrose, in the custody of th.e
foresaid Mr Simpson ; the seals thereto appended were the same with the former
five, only with these variations, viz. the caparisons of the horse were charged with
the foresaid arms, and, on the back of the seal, by way of reverse, was a round
impression of a lesser seal, having a triangular shield charged with a lion rampant,
and the legend, sigillum armon/m. His successor, Patrick Earl of Dunbar, is designed
Earl of March. From him was descended Patrick Earl of March and Dunbar,
who married Agnes, sister and heiress of John Randolph Earl of Murray,
who was killed at the battle of Durham 1346, without issue: She bore to him two
sons, George and John.
GEORGE was designed Earl of MARCH and DUNBAR, Lord ANNANDALE and MAN ;
as in a charter of his, penes Comitem de Mortoun, to the abbacy of Melrose. And,
in another charter of his to French of Thornydyke, which 1 have seen in the custody
of David French of Frenchland, representer of Thornydyke. His seal of
arms is appended to both, not in an equestrian form, as his predecessors before car-
ried them, but in another form ; viz. a large triangular shield couche, and thereon
a lion rampant, within a boi'dure charged with eight roses ; the shield was adorned
with a helmet, and thereupon, for crest, a horse's neck and head, supported
by two lions seiant, and behind each of their backs a tree growing. This Earl, be-
ing disobliged by King Robert III. for refusing to marry his eldest son the Prince
with his daughter, conform to an agreement with the Earl, who had him advanced
considerable sums of money, renounced his allegiance to the crown of Scotland,
joined with the English, and made a great havock on the borders of his native
country, for which he was forfeited. But afterwards he procured a pardon from
Robert Duke of Albany, then Governor of Scotland, returned home, and lived in
peace till his death, which happened anno 1416. He had for issue, George, his
son and heir, and Sir Gavin Dunbar of Beil.
George his son and heir was not reponed to his father's estate, which was annexed
to the crown. But King James I. of Scotland was graciously pleased to
give him a pension out of the earldom of Buchan, which supported him according
to hi-, quu'ity. He died without issue.
The abovementioned JOHN DUNBAR, second son of Patrick Earl of March, and
his lady Agnes, sister and heir of John Randolph Earl of Murray, married Marjory,
daughter of King Robert II. He, in the right of his mother, pretended to the
earldom of Murray, which he got confirmed to him by a charter from the King
::ti:cr-in-iaw, dated the 9th March, " Anno regni secundo, dilecto filio nostro
;>i dc Dumbar, & Mariota; sponsx> ejus, filire nostrse charissima?." I h;>ve
insisted longer on this family than I designed, upon the account of their ancient
, and because many other noble families have their armorial figures from them
by descent, viz. the Homes, Hepburns, and others, as vassals and followers of
that ancient and great family. But, before I descend to them, I shall speak a little
of the bunches of the surname of Dunbar.