A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

OF FOUR-FOOTED BEASTS. 28.5-
endowed them with several lands, viz. the abbacies of Tongland, New-Abbey,
Souls-Sc.r, Kilconquhar, and Glenluce. The priories of Hoiycross, Lincluden,
Le^la.'.anago, St Mary-isle, and Whithorn, a work of most prodigious charge,
which few private families in Europe can be said to have done the like.
The family of the' e ancient lords ended in Allan Lord of Galloway, and High
Constable of Scotland, who, as Buchanan says, was Omnium ScrAwum longe $01
tissimus: He, having no male issue, left three daughters, the eldest whereof wa^
married to John Baliol, father to the competitor, 111 virtue of whose right he
claimed the crown of Scotland and lordship of Galloway. Baliol being forfeited,
the honour and remaining part of the estate devolved to the crown, where they
continued till Sir Archibald Douglas, for his good services, in defeating Edward
Baliol at Annan, had them bestowed on him by King David 11. who neveitln
had a claim by blood of his wife Dornagill;,. daughter to John Cumin, who married
Mary, second daughter to the said Allan Lord of Galloway.
The Douglasses continued to be lords of Galloway till the forfeiture of the Ear! i
of Douglas, commonly called the Black Douglasses, who carried the arms of Gallo-
way, vii.. azure, a lion rampant argent, crowned or, quartered with their own arms,
as do yet the principal branches of that noble family.
It is said before that the arms of the old Lords of Galloway were azure, a lion
rampant argent, collared with an antique crown or: But Camden, in his Britannia
tie Gallovedia, tells, that Henry I. King of England, gave a grant to Fergus Lord
of Galloway, for some special services, of carrying the lion crowned ;
of which that
family ever afterwards had the lion crowned, neglecting, it seems, to have it collared
only with an open crown.
There are three old families of note in Galloway, with one in Teviotdale, of the
name of M'Dowall, claiming their descents from the old Lords of Galloway, and
carrying their arms as a tessera of their descent.
The first is that of M'DOWALL or M'DOUGALL of Garthland, which appears to be
the principal family of the name; having seen in the custody of James Fergusson,
Esq. younger of Kilkerran, two bonds of Manrent, granted by M'Dowall
of Logan, and M'Dowall of Freugh, to Uthred M'Dowall of Garthland, as their
chief and principal, as the bonds, of the date 1593, bear. This family derives its
descent from Ethred M'Dougall, a younger brother to Roland Lord cf Galloway,
and, a younger brother of the abovementioned Allan, last Lord of Galloway, who
from his father got the lands of Garthland, and others in Galloway, still in their
possession, at least a great part of them ; for, as I am informed, there are charters
and evidents in the Tower of London which instruct their rise and descent to be
such. I have seen few of their old evidents, and few of such are to be found with
us of ancient families in that shire, they having suffered more depradations than
others; for, besides that devastation of Edward I. which was over the whole nation,
the M'Dowalls, and most of the gentlemen in Galloway, had all their ancient char-
ters carried off or destroyed ; particularly in King Robert the Bruce's days, they
being more attached to the BalioPs than the Bruce's interest, Baliol being the true
heir of Galloway ; and after, by the tyrannical usurpation of the Black Douglas,
then Lord of Galloway, who was so barbarous, that he not only destroyed the gentlemens'
charters, that they might be forced to hold their lands of the Douglasses,
but exacted sums of money yearly, as black-mail, from them, and caused every
parish pay a certain number of black cattle yearly, for his Ladner (thence called
Ladner Marte Kyeii), and upon refusal of any of his demands he imprisoned them.
I have seen, in the hands of the said Mr Fergusson, a charter of Archibald Earl of
Douglas, Lord of Galloway and Annandale, to Thomas M'Dowall of Garthland,
of the lands of Garthland, &c. of the date 1413.
As for the arms of M'Dowall of Garthland, they are to be seen illuminated in
the House of Falahall, with those of other barons, in the year 1604, being azure, a
water or sea in base, and in it a rock, proper, on which stands a lion rampant
argent, gorged with an open crown or. I have also seen them illuminated in
Esplin's Book of Blazons, with those of other barons and gentlemen of the kingdom,
in the year 1630, being azure, a lion rampant argent, only ; and next again,
in the Lyon Register, since the year 1661, as descended of the old Lords of Gal-
loway, azure, a lion rampant argent, crowned or; and for crest, a lion's paw erased