Murdostoun
Encyclopedia
Murdostoun is or was a vast estate in Lanarkshire
, Scotland
, which includes a castle
, (Ordnance Survey Grid Reference NS8257), which lies on the South Calder Water
near the village of Bonkle
in the parish of Shotts
, Lanarkshire
, Scotland
. The name MURDOSTOUN was derived from the words MURTHOCK and TON which meant dwelling of Murthock. Murdostoun can refer to the ancient barony of the Scott and then the Inglis
clan, the castle built by the Scotts or a bridge over the South Calder Water
.
and extended east as far as Hilhouserig and Hartwood Burn.
. 55°47′41"N 3°52′31"W
Murdostoun Castle was built by the Scott family in the 15th Century and was constructed as a keep or fortified residence. It stands on a good position high above the South Calder Water
and was one of many built as a defensive measure across the Forth and Clyde Valley. The typical design of these houses was of a tall square block of three storeys, set within a courtyard, with thick walls and battlements. For security, no access from the ground floor to the two floors above, could be made. The main hall on the first floor was reached by a removable staircase from the Courtyard and access to the top floor, where the sleeping quarters were located, was by a narrow stair within the walls. Other rooms were also created within the walls. The roofs were made of stone for protection against fire attacks and parapets and fighting platforms were provided around the wall tops.
Murdostoun Bridge crosses the South Calder Water
which divided the Murdostoun Estate from the Allanton
estate. The river is also the parish boundary. Equidistant between the Allanton
estate village of Bonkle
and Murdostoun Castle. The bridge was probably built by the Stewarts of Allanton, stylistically it is similar to the triple span Allanton
House bridge. The date of 1817 matches many of the cottages in Bonkle
, the Allanton estate village whereas the Murdostoun estate was unoccupied at this time.
.
, and as feudal lord swore fealty
to Edward I of England
. Sir Richard was ancestor of the family of Buccleuch and of Sir Walter Scott.
Sir Richard died in 1320. His decedent, Sir David Scott, sat in the Parliament held in Edinburgh
in 1487 as 'Dominus de Baccleuch.' His son, Sir Michael Scott, heir of Murdostoun, distinguished himself at the Battle of Halidon Hill
on 19 July 1333. He was slain at the Battle of Durham, 17 October 1346. He was succeeded by his elder son Robert, who died in 1389 who in turn was succeeded by his son Walter Scott of Murdostoun and Rankelburn. On 7 December 1389 he obtained a charter from Robert II of the superiorities of Kirkurd, and was honoured by a knighthood.
On 23 July 1446 by a charter of Excambion
the Scotts' lands of Murdostoun and Hartwood were exchanged with Thomas Inglis for his half of the Barony of Branxholm
in Roxburghshire
.
on the River Teviot
in Roxburghshire
. Their founder was Sir William Inglis, who at a Border foray in 1395 answered the challenge of an English champion, Sir Thomas Struthers, and killed him in single combat. As a reward for his prowess King Robert III made Sir William Inglis, a grant of the barony of Manor, Roxburghshire|Manor, which seems to have included the whole Manor Valley, a glen running south from the River Tweed
about three miles west of Peebles
, and known to readers of Sir Walter Scott as the scene of The Black Dwarf
.
Not long after the affair of Rulehaugh the Inglises seized opportunities of getting rid of Branxholm
. On January 31, 1420 John Inglis of Manor, son of Sir William Inglis, granted a charter conveying half of Branxholm
to Sir Robert Scott of Murdostoun in Lanarkshire
, who already owned an extensive domain in Ettrick Forest
and Teviotdale.
Thomas Inglis, John’s eldest son, found the frequent incursions of the English
cattle-raiders a source of annoyance; accordingly he arranged with Sir Walter Scott, Sir Robert’s successor, to exchange the rest of Branxholm
with the Scott lands in Lanarkshire
, and on July 23, 1446 the bargain was embodied in a charter of excambion
.
The Scotts settled at Branxholm
, which forms part of the Buccleuch
estates to this day; while Thomas Inglis removed to Lanarkshire
. On his death Murdostoun went to his eldest son, Thomas, and his heirs, who also held for a time the superiority of Manor. The property of Manor went to John, the second son, but in time it became restricted to Manorhead, a farm at the top of the glen, which remained in the younger branch of the family till 1709, when it was sold.
The Inglis family remained in residence at Murdostoun for about the next 300 years. The old stock of Inglises ended with Thomas Inglis of Murdostoun, who succeeded about 1696, and sold the estate to Alexander Inglis, merchant in Edinburgh
, second son of David Inglis of Fingask, and a descendant of the Inglises of Inglistarvit, Fife
.
The death of Alexander Inglis in 1719 signalled the end of the connection of this part of the Inglis family with the Barony of Murdostoun. Alexander Inglis, having no heirs, bequeathed the Estate to his nephew Alexander Hamilton, with the proviso that he took the Inglis name.
; the youngest, Major-General James Inglis Hamilton
, distinguished himself in the American Revolutionary War
, and died on July 27, 1803. He adopted, James Anderson, the son of a sergeant-major at Saratoga, New York
.
He re-entailed Murdostoun on his adopted son, James Anderson, who took the surname Inglis-Hamilton. Colonel James Inglis Hamilton
, Laird of Murdostoun, died at the Battle of Waterloo
in 1815.
He joined the Glasgow Town Council in 1842 and took up a series of posts: as river bailie in 1843, ordinary magistrate in 1845 and senior bailie or acting chief magistrate in 1847. He was active, on horseback and in his office, in suppressing civil disturbances in 1848.
He period as Lord Provost, which ended in 1854, coincided with the question of a water supply for Glasgow. He retired from the council at the end of 1855 and died on 12 September 1866. He had married Isabella King in 1852 and she, along with a daughter and two sons, survived him.
MR. STEWART, like several of his predecessors in the office of Lord Provost, was a native of Glasgow. He was born in 1810. His father was a native of Ayrshire, a circumstance which awakened in the breast of his son, while he was still a mere boy, a longing to connect himself with that county by the purchase of an estate as soon as fortune should enable him to do so - a desire, however, which, in as far as Ayrshire was concerned, was not destined to be fulfilled. At a very early age he was placed in the counting-house of Mr. Dixon of Govanhill, father of the late Mr. Dixon of Belleisle, and there he acquired a thorough knowledge of finance and accounts, and also a practical knowledge of the coal and iron businesses. On the death of his father, who for several years had carried on the business of an iron and coal master at Omoa on the estate of Cleland, belonging to the family of Stair, Mr. Stewart reconstructed the works, and having acquired in lease an extensive mineral field, which was found to contain an excellent seam of blackband ironstone, he in the course of a few years acquired a considerable fortune, to which after years of great success were to make great additions. Notwithstanding the claims which his business had upon him, he found that he had sufficient time to devote to municipal affairs, and accordingly he became a member of the Town Council in 1842 as one of the representatives of what was then known as the second ward, the ward in which his own Mansion House of Parson's Green was situated.
In 1843, and when he had been only one year in the Town Council, he was appointed to the office of River Bailie, in immediate succession to the late Mr. Alexander Baird, of Gartsherrie fame. In 1845 he was elected as one of the ordinary magistrates; and in 1847 he attained the office of senior bailie, or acting chief magistrate. In the autumn of that year Mr. Hastie, the then Lord Provost, was elected as one of the two representatives of the city in Parliament, one result of which was that he was resident chiefly in London, and another, that the duties which, had he been resident in Glasgow, he would have required to discharge personally, were devolved upon, and had to be performed by Mr. Stewart, as acting chief magistrate.
In the early part of 1848 trade was, in consequence of the mercantile depression which began in the course of the previous year, in a wretchedly bad condition, and vast numbers of the population were out of employment, and consequently in a state bordering upon starvation. Moreover, a few weeks previously another revolution had overthrown the Government of Louis Philippe; and the whole of Europe was in a state of excitement and discontent. It is not to be wondered at that in such circumstances there was in this populous district a strong tendency to disturbances, and, indeed, disturbances did ensue, not, it is to be added, without some loss of life and also some destruction of property. Of course Mr. Stewart had to play a prominent part as the actual head of the magistracy, and that he performed his part well was universally admitted.
When the Colonel of the regiment of cavalry which had been called out to assist in the suppression of the disturbances appeared on the scene with a squadron, Mr. Stewart, who by the way was an excellent horseman, mounted the horse of an orderly dragoon, rode with the Colonel and his men into the very thick of the fray, and acted with great decision and promptitude; and the disturbances were speedily suppressed. Indeed, under a man of less courage, less judgment, and less force of character the loss of life would have been very serious and the injury to property immense, to say nothing of the effect which a successful riot would have had on the working population of all the adjacent mining and manufacturing districts. In 1851, on the expiration of Sir James Anderson's term of office, Mr. Stewart was elected as his successor - many of his supporters thus seeking to recognize the very valuable services rendered by him in the trying scenes of 1848.
In 1852 Mr. Stewart was married to Miss Isabella King, one of the daughters of a well-known and highly-esteemed citizen, the late Mr. King of Levernholm Campsie.
Shortly after his elevation to the office of Lord Provost, Mr. Stewart applied himself to the important question of a water supply for Glasgow, a task in which he had the valuable support of his esteemed friend the late Bailie James Gourlay, in the memoir of whom will be found a very full and most interesting account of the violent opposition which the scheme encountered. Suffice it to say here that the opposition only tended to increase the perseverance and the energy of Mr. Stewart; and ultimately - and, as is well known, to a great extent through the influence which he had with the Prime Minister of the day, Lord Palmerston, of whom two or three years previously he had become a personal friend - the Water Bill was carried, the benefit which it conferred being beyond all question one of the greatest boons ever conferred upon the city. When we think of the obloquy which was heaped upon Mr. Stewart, on the virulence with which he was assailed, on the worry to which from first to last he was subjected, and on the weeks, nay the months of anxiety which he had to pass through, all in his endeavours to procure for his fellow-citizens a bountiful supply of pure water, we do not feel surprised that his health became affected and that the seeds were laid of the disease which was destined not many years afterwards to terminate a career of so much worth and so much usefulness to the community at large.(1)
In 1856 Mr. Stewart acquired from Mr. Baillie Cochrane, now Lord Lamington, at a cost of £55,000, the estate of Murdostoun, situated in the parish of Shotts, Lanarkshire, and immediately began to improve it upon an extensive scale and with great taste.(2)
We should mention that, although his Provostship terminated in 1854, Mr. Stewart remained in the Town Council until the end of 1855, in order that, as Chairman of the Water Scheme, he might give the town the benefit of his services in carrying through the Bill. On retiring from the Council he ceased to take any interest in municipal affairs; but as a county proprietor he took an active part in all county matters.
Mr. Stewart died suddenly, of heart disease, on 12 September 1866, survived by his wife, by a daughter, and by two sons, the elder of whom, Mr. Robert King Stewart, B.A., is proprietor of Murdostoun and Langbyres, and the younger, Mr. William Lindsay Stewart, is proprietor of the lands of Stanmore, situate in the upper ward of Lanarkshire.
(1) To commemorate Provost Stewart's services to the community a Memorial Fountain has been erected in the West-End Park at the expense of the City.
(2) This property belonged down to the middle of the fifteenth century to the Scotts of Buccleuch, and was then exchanged by them for part of the lands of Branxholme in Roxburghshire, belonging to a family of the name of Inglis. In later times Murdostoun belonged to James Inglis Hamilton, who commanded the Scots Greys at Waterloo, and who was killed at the head of his regiment in the somewhat reckless charge which our heavy cavalry made on Marshal Ney's "grand battery." It then passed to Admiral the Hon. Sir Alexander Inglis Cochrane, captor of the Danish West India Islands, and next, in 1832, to his son the late Admiral Sir Thomas Inglis Cochrane, the father of Lord Lamington. This estate Mr. Stewart added to in 1865 by the purchase of the lands of Langbyres, situate in the vicinity of Murdostoun.
, about 1881. Sir Robert served as the Lord Lieutenant
for Lanarkshire
from 18 April 1921 until his death on 20 December 1930. Sir Robert was a master mason in Lodge Livingstone St. Andrew No. 573. (The younger son, William Lindsay Stewart, became proprietor of Stanmore near Lanark
.)http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/mlemen/mlemen087.htm
Sir Robert King Stewart and Lady Alice Christie Stewart had three sons:
Mr. John Christie, Lady Stewart's father, died in 1902. Lady Stewart received title to the 3,000 acre Ardean Estate near Blairingone
as her portion of the estate.
The Stewarts usually wintered abroad to escape the worst of the Scottish winter. Murdostoun was the first house in Scotland to receive electric lighting in September 1882. The electricity was generated by a steam powered generator. They acquired a motorcar in 1908 and the telephone was installed in 1910.
The Stewarts were active in World War I
. John Christie Stewart served as staff captain. Alexander Caldwell Stewart joined the Cameronians. He was wounded at the Battle of Festubert
in 1915 for which he received the Military Cross
. Alice ran three hospitals. Robert served as convenor of the County Council, director of the Red Cross, and served with the Territorial Army for which he was honoured as Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE). Major Alexander Caldwell Stewart was wounded again and received a bar to the Military Cross. Alice was awarded the Order of the British Empire
(OBE) for her work.
Sir Robert King Stewart, KBE, died in December 1930 at the age of 78. Lady Alice then removed to Cleghorn house, about eight miles from Murdostoun, in what is now South Lanarkshire
to allow her son to have full use of Murdostoun Castle.
Lady Alice Christie King Stewart, O.B.E., J. P., passed away at Cleghorn House on September 5, 1940 after catching a chill in her garden. The Glasgow Herald wrote:
Captain Stewart married Agnes Violet Averil (Ava) Douglas (b. 1901), daughter of Brigadier General Douglas Campbell and Violet Averil Margaret Vivian and grand-daughter of the first Baron Swansea
, in Holy Trinity Church
, Brompton
, London
on Saturday afternoon, February 18, 1928. Boy Scouts
from the bridegroom's company in Lanarkshire and Girl Guides
from the bride's company in Dumbartonshire came to London for the wedding and formed a guard of honour. Mr Stewart had Mr Jack Lockhart as best man. Canon F. Stewart of Sketry, Glamorgan; Rev. Doctor Archibald Fleming of St Columba's Church of Scotland
; and Prebendary Gough of Holy Trinity were officiating clergy. A reception was held the previous day in the home of the Hon. Mrs. Merry at 18 Hill Street, Berkeley Square.
Captain Stewart served as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Scottish Branch of the British Red Cross Society
.
Captain Stewart was invested as Commander of the Order of the British Empire
on June 12, 1947.
Captain Stewart served as Lord Lieutenant
for Lanarkshire from 16 June 1959 until the expiration of his term on 19 August 1963. Captain Stewart was a master mason in Lodge Livingston St. Andrews.no. 573. He was also an avid hunter.
Sir Robert King Stewart and his son, Captain John Christie Stewart each served as Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland
.
The Stewarts were related to the famous Victorian lady traveller and author, Miss Isabella (Ella) Robertson Christie (b. 1861, d. 1949), sister of Lady Alice Margaret Christie Stewart (b. about 1863, d. September 1940), and to the family of John Hill of Homestead Plantation
, West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
, whose mother, Isabella Christie (sister to Alexander Christie of Milnwood, Lanarkshire), married George Hill (b. 1785, d. 1852) of Old Monkland, Lanarkshire, where he had an ironworks.
Lady Stewart and her sister, Miss Ella Christie, published a reminiscence of their lives entitled A Long Look at Life, by Two Victorians in 1940.
Mrs Averil Stewart published a book of poetry, Mercury in the Garden, in 1946. Mrs. Stewart also wrote a memoir of her mother-in-law, Lady Alice Christie King Stewart, and the sister of the mother-in-law, Miss Ella Christie, entitled Alicella, which was published in 1955 by John Murray
of London.
The Stewarts remodeled Murdostoun Castle into a very comfortable residence. They were fond of their dogs and created a pet cemetery in which their dogs were buried.
Captain and Mrs. Stewart had no children. After their deaths in the 1970s, the Murdostoun estate passed to a nephew and the property was sold in 1979.
The National Library of Scotland
has an inventory of family papers from Murdostoun Castle, which are stored in boxes at the library.
care unit. This nursing home
was managed by Four Seasons Health Care, Ltd. Murdostoun Castle has three main buildings set in 37 acres (149,733.8 m²) of mixed park and woodland. The Frank Jamieson wing was a modern purpose built facility, providing nursing and social care in a selection of differing rooms. Many of the rooms were for single occupancy, although several were large enough for sharing companions. The majority had private toilet facilities. As well as bright airy rooms, a large conservatory and enclosed garden area are available. The two care facilities were closed down recently leaving just the 20 bed brain injury rehabilitaion centre.
Recent refurbishment by the Huntercombe Group mean the castle and the newer buildings on the site are managed as rehabilitation and care centres from a variety of neurological conditions including brain injury and alcohol and substance abuse.
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, which includes a castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, (Ordnance Survey Grid Reference NS8257), which lies on the South Calder Water
South Calder Water
The South Calder Water is a river in Scotland. It runs west from the high plateau between Shotts and Fauldhouse, which also produces the River Almond, which flows east into the River Forth.The river is known locally as "The Cawder".-Route:...
near the village of Bonkle
Bonkle
Bonkle is a village three miles north-west of Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Murdostoun Castle is located nearby.- External links :* *...
in the parish of Shotts
Shotts
Shotts is a small rural town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located almost halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh . As of the 2001 census, the population was 8,235...
, Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The name MURDOSTOUN was derived from the words MURTHOCK and TON which meant dwelling of Murthock. Murdostoun can refer to the ancient barony of the Scott and then the Inglis
Inglis
Inglis is a modern surname, derived from Early Modern and Middle English forms of the word English.- Surname :May refer to:* Agnes Inglis , American anarchist* Alfred Inglis , Kent county cricketer...
clan, the castle built by the Scotts or a bridge over the South Calder Water
South Calder Water
The South Calder Water is a river in Scotland. It runs west from the high plateau between Shotts and Fauldhouse, which also produces the River Almond, which flows east into the River Forth.The river is known locally as "The Cawder".-Route:...
.
The Barony of Murdostoun
The Barony of Murdostoun once included the lands of HartwoodHartwood
Hartwood is a village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Nearby settlements include Shotts, Allanton and Bonkle. The area is rural, with fewer than 50 houses....
and extended east as far as Hilhouserig and Hartwood Burn.
Murdostoun Estate
The vast Murdostoun Estate contained many farms. The main ones were: Foulburn, Castlehill, Easthouse, Westhouse, Penty, Muimailing, Easterhill, Westerhill and Shapenknowe. Other near the Murdostoun Castle were Eastwood, Westwood, Rosebank and Heughbank. The estate was reported to consist of 1,760 acres in 1872. The former Allanton Estate lay just to the east.Murdostoun Castle
Murdostoun Castle lies 1100 meters west-northwest of the village of BonkleBonkle
Bonkle is a village three miles north-west of Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Murdostoun Castle is located nearby.- External links :* *...
. 55°47′41"N 3°52′31"W
Murdostoun Castle was built by the Scott family in the 15th Century and was constructed as a keep or fortified residence. It stands on a good position high above the South Calder Water
South Calder Water
The South Calder Water is a river in Scotland. It runs west from the high plateau between Shotts and Fauldhouse, which also produces the River Almond, which flows east into the River Forth.The river is known locally as "The Cawder".-Route:...
and was one of many built as a defensive measure across the Forth and Clyde Valley. The typical design of these houses was of a tall square block of three storeys, set within a courtyard, with thick walls and battlements. For security, no access from the ground floor to the two floors above, could be made. The main hall on the first floor was reached by a removable staircase from the Courtyard and access to the top floor, where the sleeping quarters were located, was by a narrow stair within the walls. Other rooms were also created within the walls. The roofs were made of stone for protection against fire attacks and parapets and fighting platforms were provided around the wall tops.
Murdostoun Bridge - Dated 1817
Murdostoun Bridge is a single span segmental-arch bridge. Constructed predominantly of yellow ashlar sandstone, with chamfered wing wall, hoodmoulded arch ring and low ashlar parapets.Murdostoun Bridge crosses the South Calder Water
South Calder Water
The South Calder Water is a river in Scotland. It runs west from the high plateau between Shotts and Fauldhouse, which also produces the River Almond, which flows east into the River Forth.The river is known locally as "The Cawder".-Route:...
which divided the Murdostoun Estate from the Allanton
Allanton, North Lanarkshire
Allanton is a village on the A71, in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK.Allanton Colliery was the last colliery to be built and the first colliery to be taken over by the National Coal Board in 1951.Places nearby include Hartwood, Newmains, Shotts and Wishaw....
estate. The river is also the parish boundary. Equidistant between the Allanton
Allanton, North Lanarkshire
Allanton is a village on the A71, in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK.Allanton Colliery was the last colliery to be built and the first colliery to be taken over by the National Coal Board in 1951.Places nearby include Hartwood, Newmains, Shotts and Wishaw....
estate village of Bonkle
Bonkle
Bonkle is a village three miles north-west of Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Murdostoun Castle is located nearby.- External links :* *...
and Murdostoun Castle. The bridge was probably built by the Stewarts of Allanton, stylistically it is similar to the triple span Allanton
Allanton, North Lanarkshire
Allanton is a village on the A71, in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK.Allanton Colliery was the last colliery to be built and the first colliery to be taken over by the National Coal Board in 1951.Places nearby include Hartwood, Newmains, Shotts and Wishaw....
House bridge. The date of 1817 matches many of the cottages in Bonkle
Bonkle
Bonkle is a village three miles north-west of Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Murdostoun Castle is located nearby.- External links :* *...
, the Allanton estate village whereas the Murdostoun estate was unoccupied at this time.
The Murthock Family 1241-1296
The family Murthock can be traced back as far as the reign of Alexander III of ScotlandAlexander III of Scotland
Alexander III was King of Scots from 1249 to his death.-Life:...
.
The Scott Family - 1296-1466
In 1296 Sir Richard Scott married the daughter and heiress of Murdostoun and became the owner of the properties of Murdostoun and HardwoodHardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...
, and as feudal lord swore fealty
Fealty
An oath of fealty, from the Latin fidelitas , is a pledge of allegiance of one person to another. Typically the oath is made upon a religious object such as a Bible or saint's relic, often contained within an altar, thus binding the oath-taker before God.In medieval Europe, fealty was sworn between...
to Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
. Sir Richard was ancestor of the family of Buccleuch and of Sir Walter Scott.
Sir Richard died in 1320. His decedent, Sir David Scott, sat in the Parliament held in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in 1487 as 'Dominus de Baccleuch.' His son, Sir Michael Scott, heir of Murdostoun, distinguished himself at the Battle of Halidon Hill
Battle of Halidon Hill
The Battle of Halidon Hill was fought during the Second War of Scottish Independence. Scottish forces under Sir Archibald Douglas were heavily defeated on unfavourable terrain while trying to relieve Berwick-upon-Tweed.-The Disinherited:...
on 19 July 1333. He was slain at the Battle of Durham, 17 October 1346. He was succeeded by his elder son Robert, who died in 1389 who in turn was succeeded by his son Walter Scott of Murdostoun and Rankelburn. On 7 December 1389 he obtained a charter from Robert II of the superiorities of Kirkurd, and was honoured by a knighthood.
On 23 July 1446 by a charter of Excambion
Excambion
-Definition:Excambion : The exchange of land. The deed whereby this is effected is termed "Contract of Excambion".There is an implied real warranty in this contract, so that if one portion is evicted or taken away on a superior title, the...
the Scotts' lands of Murdostoun and Hartwood were exchanged with Thomas Inglis for his half of the Barony of Branxholm
Branxholme
Branxholme is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, overlooking the River Teviot, three miles southwest of Hawick, on the A7 road to Langholm....
in Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh is a registration county of Scotland. It borders Dumfries to the west, Selkirk to the north-west, and Berwick to the north. To the south-east it borders Cumbria and Northumberland in England.It was named after the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
.
The Inglis Family - 1466-1719
Their earliest home was at BranxholmBranxholme
Branxholme is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, overlooking the River Teviot, three miles southwest of Hawick, on the A7 road to Langholm....
on the River Teviot
River Teviot
The River Teviot, or Teviot Water, is a river of the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, and a tributary of the River Tweed.It rises in the western foothills of Comb Hill on the border of Dumfries and Galloway...
in Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh is a registration county of Scotland. It borders Dumfries to the west, Selkirk to the north-west, and Berwick to the north. To the south-east it borders Cumbria and Northumberland in England.It was named after the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
. Their founder was Sir William Inglis, who at a Border foray in 1395 answered the challenge of an English champion, Sir Thomas Struthers, and killed him in single combat. As a reward for his prowess King Robert III made Sir William Inglis, a grant of the barony of Manor, Roxburghshire|Manor, which seems to have included the whole Manor Valley, a glen running south from the River Tweed
River Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
about three miles west of Peebles
Peebles
Peebles is a burgh in the committee area of Tweeddale, in the Scottish Borders, lying on the River Tweed. According to the 2001 Census, the population was 8,159.-History:...
, and known to readers of Sir Walter Scott as the scene of The Black Dwarf
The Black Dwarf
The Black Dwarf was a satirical radical journal of early 19th century Britain. It was published by Thomas Jonathan Wooler, starting in January 1817 as an eight page newspaper, then later becoming a 32 page pamphlet. It was priced at 4d a week until the Six Acts brought in by the Government in 1819...
.
Not long after the affair of Rulehaugh the Inglises seized opportunities of getting rid of Branxholm
Branxholme
Branxholme is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, overlooking the River Teviot, three miles southwest of Hawick, on the A7 road to Langholm....
. On January 31, 1420 John Inglis of Manor, son of Sir William Inglis, granted a charter conveying half of Branxholm
Branxholme
Branxholme is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, overlooking the River Teviot, three miles southwest of Hawick, on the A7 road to Langholm....
to Sir Robert Scott of Murdostoun in Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, who already owned an extensive domain in Ettrick Forest
Ettrick Forest
Ettrick Forest is a former royal forest in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland.It is a large area of moorland, south of Peebles, stretching from Dollar Law to Selkirk.-See also:*James Hogg*Craik Forest*Wauchope Forest...
and Teviotdale.
Thomas Inglis, John’s eldest son, found the frequent incursions of the English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
cattle-raiders a source of annoyance; accordingly he arranged with Sir Walter Scott, Sir Robert’s successor, to exchange the rest of Branxholm
Branxholme
Branxholme is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, overlooking the River Teviot, three miles southwest of Hawick, on the A7 road to Langholm....
with the Scott lands in Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, and on July 23, 1446 the bargain was embodied in a charter of excambion
Excambion
-Definition:Excambion : The exchange of land. The deed whereby this is effected is termed "Contract of Excambion".There is an implied real warranty in this contract, so that if one portion is evicted or taken away on a superior title, the...
.
The Scotts settled at Branxholm
Branxholme
Branxholme is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, overlooking the River Teviot, three miles southwest of Hawick, on the A7 road to Langholm....
, which forms part of the Buccleuch
Buccleuch, Scottish Borders
Buccleuch is a hamlet off the B711, on the Rankle Burn, to the north of the Craik Forest, by Phenzhopehaugh Hill, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, in the former Selkirkshire....
estates to this day; while Thomas Inglis removed to Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
. On his death Murdostoun went to his eldest son, Thomas, and his heirs, who also held for a time the superiority of Manor. The property of Manor went to John, the second son, but in time it became restricted to Manorhead, a farm at the top of the glen, which remained in the younger branch of the family till 1709, when it was sold.
The Inglis family remained in residence at Murdostoun for about the next 300 years. The old stock of Inglises ended with Thomas Inglis of Murdostoun, who succeeded about 1696, and sold the estate to Alexander Inglis, merchant in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, second son of David Inglis of Fingask, and a descendant of the Inglises of Inglistarvit, Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
.
The death of Alexander Inglis in 1719 signalled the end of the connection of this part of the Inglis family with the Barony of Murdostoun. Alexander Inglis, having no heirs, bequeathed the Estate to his nephew Alexander Hamilton, with the proviso that he took the Inglis name.
The Inglis-Hamiltons - 1719-1850
Alexander Inglis Hamilton's three sons succeeded in turn. The eldest, Alexander Inglis Hamilton, died on April 27, 1783; the second, Gavin Inglis Hamilton (1730–97), was the historical painter and archeologist at RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
; the youngest, Major-General James Inglis Hamilton
James Inglis Hamilton
General James Inglis Hamilton, was a Scottish soldier. He enlisted the British Army in 1755 and he commanded several regiments. He was the only colonel of the 113th Regiment of Foot...
, distinguished himself in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, and died on July 27, 1803. He adopted, James Anderson, the son of a sergeant-major at Saratoga, New York
Saratoga, New York
Saratoga is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 5,141 at the 2000 census. It is also the commonly used, but not official, name for the neighboring and much more populous city, Saratoga Springs. The major village in the town of Saratoga is Schuylerville which is...
.
He re-entailed Murdostoun on his adopted son, James Anderson, who took the surname Inglis-Hamilton. Colonel James Inglis Hamilton
James Inglis Hamilton
General James Inglis Hamilton, was a Scottish soldier. He enlisted the British Army in 1755 and he commanded several regiments. He was the only colonel of the 113th Regiment of Foot...
, Laird of Murdostoun, died at the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
in 1815.
History of the Stewart family
Stewart trained in accountancy before acquiring his father's iron and coal business at Cleland. Discovery of a seam of blackband ironstone led to considerable wealth.He joined the Glasgow Town Council in 1842 and took up a series of posts: as river bailie in 1843, ordinary magistrate in 1845 and senior bailie or acting chief magistrate in 1847. He was active, on horseback and in his office, in suppressing civil disturbances in 1848.
He period as Lord Provost, which ended in 1854, coincided with the question of a water supply for Glasgow. He retired from the council at the end of 1855 and died on 12 September 1866. He had married Isabella King in 1852 and she, along with a daughter and two sons, survived him.
MR. STEWART, like several of his predecessors in the office of Lord Provost, was a native of Glasgow. He was born in 1810. His father was a native of Ayrshire, a circumstance which awakened in the breast of his son, while he was still a mere boy, a longing to connect himself with that county by the purchase of an estate as soon as fortune should enable him to do so - a desire, however, which, in as far as Ayrshire was concerned, was not destined to be fulfilled. At a very early age he was placed in the counting-house of Mr. Dixon of Govanhill, father of the late Mr. Dixon of Belleisle, and there he acquired a thorough knowledge of finance and accounts, and also a practical knowledge of the coal and iron businesses. On the death of his father, who for several years had carried on the business of an iron and coal master at Omoa on the estate of Cleland, belonging to the family of Stair, Mr. Stewart reconstructed the works, and having acquired in lease an extensive mineral field, which was found to contain an excellent seam of blackband ironstone, he in the course of a few years acquired a considerable fortune, to which after years of great success were to make great additions. Notwithstanding the claims which his business had upon him, he found that he had sufficient time to devote to municipal affairs, and accordingly he became a member of the Town Council in 1842 as one of the representatives of what was then known as the second ward, the ward in which his own Mansion House of Parson's Green was situated.
In 1843, and when he had been only one year in the Town Council, he was appointed to the office of River Bailie, in immediate succession to the late Mr. Alexander Baird, of Gartsherrie fame. In 1845 he was elected as one of the ordinary magistrates; and in 1847 he attained the office of senior bailie, or acting chief magistrate. In the autumn of that year Mr. Hastie, the then Lord Provost, was elected as one of the two representatives of the city in Parliament, one result of which was that he was resident chiefly in London, and another, that the duties which, had he been resident in Glasgow, he would have required to discharge personally, were devolved upon, and had to be performed by Mr. Stewart, as acting chief magistrate.
In the early part of 1848 trade was, in consequence of the mercantile depression which began in the course of the previous year, in a wretchedly bad condition, and vast numbers of the population were out of employment, and consequently in a state bordering upon starvation. Moreover, a few weeks previously another revolution had overthrown the Government of Louis Philippe; and the whole of Europe was in a state of excitement and discontent. It is not to be wondered at that in such circumstances there was in this populous district a strong tendency to disturbances, and, indeed, disturbances did ensue, not, it is to be added, without some loss of life and also some destruction of property. Of course Mr. Stewart had to play a prominent part as the actual head of the magistracy, and that he performed his part well was universally admitted.
When the Colonel of the regiment of cavalry which had been called out to assist in the suppression of the disturbances appeared on the scene with a squadron, Mr. Stewart, who by the way was an excellent horseman, mounted the horse of an orderly dragoon, rode with the Colonel and his men into the very thick of the fray, and acted with great decision and promptitude; and the disturbances were speedily suppressed. Indeed, under a man of less courage, less judgment, and less force of character the loss of life would have been very serious and the injury to property immense, to say nothing of the effect which a successful riot would have had on the working population of all the adjacent mining and manufacturing districts. In 1851, on the expiration of Sir James Anderson's term of office, Mr. Stewart was elected as his successor - many of his supporters thus seeking to recognize the very valuable services rendered by him in the trying scenes of 1848.
In 1852 Mr. Stewart was married to Miss Isabella King, one of the daughters of a well-known and highly-esteemed citizen, the late Mr. King of Levernholm Campsie.
Shortly after his elevation to the office of Lord Provost, Mr. Stewart applied himself to the important question of a water supply for Glasgow, a task in which he had the valuable support of his esteemed friend the late Bailie James Gourlay, in the memoir of whom will be found a very full and most interesting account of the violent opposition which the scheme encountered. Suffice it to say here that the opposition only tended to increase the perseverance and the energy of Mr. Stewart; and ultimately - and, as is well known, to a great extent through the influence which he had with the Prime Minister of the day, Lord Palmerston, of whom two or three years previously he had become a personal friend - the Water Bill was carried, the benefit which it conferred being beyond all question one of the greatest boons ever conferred upon the city. When we think of the obloquy which was heaped upon Mr. Stewart, on the virulence with which he was assailed, on the worry to which from first to last he was subjected, and on the weeks, nay the months of anxiety which he had to pass through, all in his endeavours to procure for his fellow-citizens a bountiful supply of pure water, we do not feel surprised that his health became affected and that the seeds were laid of the disease which was destined not many years afterwards to terminate a career of so much worth and so much usefulness to the community at large.(1)
In 1856 Mr. Stewart acquired from Mr. Baillie Cochrane, now Lord Lamington, at a cost of £55,000, the estate of Murdostoun, situated in the parish of Shotts, Lanarkshire, and immediately began to improve it upon an extensive scale and with great taste.(2)
We should mention that, although his Provostship terminated in 1854, Mr. Stewart remained in the Town Council until the end of 1855, in order that, as Chairman of the Water Scheme, he might give the town the benefit of his services in carrying through the Bill. On retiring from the Council he ceased to take any interest in municipal affairs; but as a county proprietor he took an active part in all county matters.
Mr. Stewart died suddenly, of heart disease, on 12 September 1866, survived by his wife, by a daughter, and by two sons, the elder of whom, Mr. Robert King Stewart, B.A., is proprietor of Murdostoun and Langbyres, and the younger, Mr. William Lindsay Stewart, is proprietor of the lands of Stanmore, situate in the upper ward of Lanarkshire.
(1) To commemorate Provost Stewart's services to the community a Memorial Fountain has been erected in the West-End Park at the expense of the City.
(2) This property belonged down to the middle of the fifteenth century to the Scotts of Buccleuch, and was then exchanged by them for part of the lands of Branxholme in Roxburghshire, belonging to a family of the name of Inglis. In later times Murdostoun belonged to James Inglis Hamilton, who commanded the Scots Greys at Waterloo, and who was killed at the head of his regiment in the somewhat reckless charge which our heavy cavalry made on Marshal Ney's "grand battery." It then passed to Admiral the Hon. Sir Alexander Inglis Cochrane, captor of the Danish West India Islands, and next, in 1832, to his son the late Admiral Sir Thomas Inglis Cochrane, the father of Lord Lamington. This estate Mr. Stewart added to in 1865 by the purchase of the lands of Langbyres, situate in the vicinity of Murdostoun.
Robert Stewart
Murdostoun Castle was acquired by Robert Stewart (b. 1811), son of Robert Stewart and Mary Herbert of Stair, East Ayrshire, in 1850 from Lord Lamington for £55,000. Robert Stewart married Isabella King, daughter of John King, about 1852. Robert Stewart died on 12 September 1866. Robert and Isabella had two sons, Robert King Stewart (b. 1852) and William Lindsay Stewart (b. 1859).Sir Robert King Stewart, KBE
Robert Stewart was succeeded as Laird of the Murdostoun estate by his elder son, Sir Robert King Stewart, KBE, (b. 1852). Sir Robert married seventeen-year-old Alice Margaret Christie (b. about 1863, d. September 1940), daughter of John (b. July 1822, d. August 1902) and Alison Philp Christie of Cowden, near Dollar, ClackmannanshireDollar, Clackmannanshire
Dollar is a small town in Clackmannanshire, Scotland. It is one of the Hillfoots Villages, situated between the Ochil Hills range to the north and the River Devon to the south. Dollar is on the A91 road, which runs from Stirling to St. Andrews. The town is around 3 miles east of Tillicoultry...
, about 1881. Sir Robert served as the Lord Lieutenant
Lord Lieutenant
The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
for Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
from 18 April 1921 until his death on 20 December 1930. Sir Robert was a master mason in Lodge Livingstone St. Andrew No. 573. (The younger son, William Lindsay Stewart, became proprietor of Stanmore near Lanark
Lanark
Lanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland. The name is believed to come from the Cumbric Lanerc meaning "clear space, glade"....
.)http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/mlemen/mlemen087.htm
Sir Robert King Stewart and Lady Alice Christie Stewart had three sons:
- Robert Craig Christie Stewart (b. 1882). This son died young.
- Captain John Christie Stewart (b. 1888), Eton, B.A. (Oxon)
- Major Alexander Caldwell (Bey) Stewart, M. C., (b. 1891 or 1892, d. 1927), who made his home at Arndean, ClackmannanshireClackmannanshireClackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'....
. He married Florence Hamilton Lighton (b. 1894), daughter of Sir Christopher Robert Lighton, 7th Bt., in 1923. Major Stewart died suddenly at Edinburgh on 8 February 1927, following an operation. Funeral services were held Blairingone Church on Friday, February 11. He was survived by his wife, a daughter, and a son, who continued to reside at the Arndean estate.
Mr. John Christie, Lady Stewart's father, died in 1902. Lady Stewart received title to the 3,000 acre Ardean Estate near Blairingone
Blairingone
Blairingone is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It lies on the A977 road at its intersection with Vicar's Bridge Road near the extreme south-westerly point of the region, approximately 3 miles south-east of Dollar....
as her portion of the estate.
The Stewarts usually wintered abroad to escape the worst of the Scottish winter. Murdostoun was the first house in Scotland to receive electric lighting in September 1882. The electricity was generated by a steam powered generator. They acquired a motorcar in 1908 and the telephone was installed in 1910.
The Stewarts were active in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. John Christie Stewart served as staff captain. Alexander Caldwell Stewart joined the Cameronians. He was wounded at the Battle of Festubert
Battle of Festubert
The Battle of Festubert was an attack by the British army in the Artois region of France on the western front during World War I. It began on May 15, 1915 and continued until May 25.-Context:...
in 1915 for which he received the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
. Alice ran three hospitals. Robert served as convenor of the County Council, director of the Red Cross, and served with the Territorial Army for which he was honoured as Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE). Major Alexander Caldwell Stewart was wounded again and received a bar to the Military Cross. Alice was awarded the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(OBE) for her work.
Sir Robert King Stewart, KBE, died in December 1930 at the age of 78. Lady Alice then removed to Cleghorn house, about eight miles from Murdostoun, in what is now South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire
South Lanarkshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the former county of Lanarkshire. It borders the south-east of the city of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns and smaller villages....
to allow her son to have full use of Murdostoun Castle.
Lady Alice Christie King Stewart, O.B.E., J. P., passed away at Cleghorn House on September 5, 1940 after catching a chill in her garden. The Glasgow Herald wrote:
"Among her many activities the following may be mentioned. She was vice president of the Council for Scotland of the Queen's Institute of District Nursing; honourary president of the Glasgow District Nursing association; president of the Lanarkshire branch of the British Red Cross society; president of the Lanarkshire Girl Guides; county organiser of the Scotland's Garden scheme and vice-president of the Franco-Scottish society.
...
"In the Girl Guide movement she was a pioneer, and was actively concerned with the origin and growth of the movement. During the last war she was commandant of the Hartwoodhill Red Cross Hospital."
Captain John Christie Stewart, CBE
Sir Robert's son, Captain John Christie Stewart, CBE, succeeded him as laird of Murdostoun.Captain Stewart married Agnes Violet Averil (Ava) Douglas (b. 1901), daughter of Brigadier General Douglas Campbell and Violet Averil Margaret Vivian and grand-daughter of the first Baron Swansea
Baron Swansea
Baron Swansea, of Singleton in the County of Glamorgan, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.The barony was created on 9 June 1893 for the industrialist Sir Henry Vivian, 1st Baronet. He had already been created a Baronet, of Singleton in the County of Glamorgan, on 13 May 1882. He was...
, in Holy Trinity Church
Holy Trinity Brompton Church
Holy Trinity Brompton with St Paul's, Onslow Square is an Anglican church in Brompton, London, United Kingdom. The church consists of three church buildings, HTB Brompton Road, HTB Onslow Square and HTB Queen's Gate, as well as being the home for Worship Central, St Paul's Theological Centre and...
, Brompton
Brompton
A Brompton, Brompton, or The Brompton can be:* Brompton, London, England* Brompton Oratory, a Catholic church* Brompton Bicycle, the largest bicycle manufacturer in the United Kingdom* Holy Trinity Brompton Church, an Anglican church...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on Saturday afternoon, February 18, 1928. Boy Scouts
Boy Scouts
A Boy Scout is a member of a Scouting organization. There are thousands of national Scouting organizations or federations; these are grouped into six international Scouting associations with some non-aligned organizations....
from the bridegroom's company in Lanarkshire and Girl Guides
Girl Guides
A Guide, Girl Guide or Girl Scout is a member of a section of some Guiding organisations who is between the ages of 10 and 14. Age limits are different in each organisation. It is the female-centred equivalent of the Scouts. The term Girl Scout is used in the United States and several East Asian...
from the bride's company in Dumbartonshire came to London for the wedding and formed a guard of honour. Mr Stewart had Mr Jack Lockhart as best man. Canon F. Stewart of Sketry, Glamorgan; Rev. Doctor Archibald Fleming of St Columba's Church of Scotland
St Columba's Church, London
St Columba's Church is one of the two London congregations of the Church of Scotland. The church building is located in Pont Street, Knightsbridge, near Harrod's department store....
; and Prebendary Gough of Holy Trinity were officiating clergy. A reception was held the previous day in the home of the Hon. Mrs. Merry at 18 Hill Street, Berkeley Square.
Captain Stewart served as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Scottish Branch of the British Red Cross Society
British Red Cross
The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom branch of the worldwide impartial humanitarian organisation the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with over 31,000 volunteers and 2,600 staff. At the heart of their work...
.
Captain Stewart was invested as Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
on June 12, 1947.
Captain Stewart served as Lord Lieutenant
Lord Lieutenant
The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
for Lanarkshire from 16 June 1959 until the expiration of his term on 19 August 1963. Captain Stewart was a master mason in Lodge Livingston St. Andrews.no. 573. He was also an avid hunter.
Sir Robert King Stewart and his son, Captain John Christie Stewart each served as Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland
Grand Lodge of Scotland
The Grand Lodge of Antient, Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland was founded in 1736 – although only a third of all lodges were represented at the foundation meeting of the Grand Lodge....
.
The Stewarts were related to the famous Victorian lady traveller and author, Miss Isabella (Ella) Robertson Christie (b. 1861, d. 1949), sister of Lady Alice Margaret Christie Stewart (b. about 1863, d. September 1940), and to the family of John Hill of Homestead Plantation
John Hill (planter)
John Hill of Homestead Plantation was a wealthy industrialist, sugar planter, philanthropist, and benefactor of Louisiana State University.-Early life in Scotland:...
, West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, whose mother, Isabella Christie (sister to Alexander Christie of Milnwood, Lanarkshire), married George Hill (b. 1785, d. 1852) of Old Monkland, Lanarkshire, where he had an ironworks.
Lady Stewart and her sister, Miss Ella Christie, published a reminiscence of their lives entitled A Long Look at Life, by Two Victorians in 1940.
Mrs Averil Stewart published a book of poetry, Mercury in the Garden, in 1946. Mrs. Stewart also wrote a memoir of her mother-in-law, Lady Alice Christie King Stewart, and the sister of the mother-in-law, Miss Ella Christie, entitled Alicella, which was published in 1955 by John Murray
John Murray (publisher)
John Murray is an English publisher, renowned for the authors it has published in its history, including Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lord Byron, Charles Lyell, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Herman Melville, and Charles Darwin...
of London.
The Stewarts remodeled Murdostoun Castle into a very comfortable residence. They were fond of their dogs and created a pet cemetery in which their dogs were buried.
Captain and Mrs. Stewart had no children. After their deaths in the 1970s, the Murdostoun estate passed to a nephew and the property was sold in 1979.
The National Library of Scotland
National Library of Scotland
The National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. It is based in a collection of buildings in Edinburgh city centre. The headquarters is on George IV Bridge, between the Old Town and the university quarter...
has an inventory of family papers from Murdostoun Castle, which are stored in boxes at the library.
Murdostoun Castle Today
Murdostoun Castle was recently used as an alcohol related brain damageBrain damage
"Brain damage" or "brain injury" is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. Brain injuries occur due to a wide range of internal and external factors...
care unit. This nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
was managed by Four Seasons Health Care, Ltd. Murdostoun Castle has three main buildings set in 37 acres (149,733.8 m²) of mixed park and woodland. The Frank Jamieson wing was a modern purpose built facility, providing nursing and social care in a selection of differing rooms. Many of the rooms were for single occupancy, although several were large enough for sharing companions. The majority had private toilet facilities. As well as bright airy rooms, a large conservatory and enclosed garden area are available. The two care facilities were closed down recently leaving just the 20 bed brain injury rehabilitaion centre.
Recent refurbishment by the Huntercombe Group mean the castle and the newer buildings on the site are managed as rehabilitation and care centres from a variety of neurological conditions including brain injury and alcohol and substance abuse.
See also
- BonkleBonkleBonkle is a village three miles north-west of Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Murdostoun Castle is located nearby.- External links :* *...
- WishawWishawWishaw is a large town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the edge of the Clyde Valley, 15 miles south-east of Glasgow....
- North LanarkshireNorth LanarkshireNorth Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire...
- ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
- South Calder WaterSouth Calder WaterThe South Calder Water is a river in Scotland. It runs west from the high plateau between Shotts and Fauldhouse, which also produces the River Almond, which flows east into the River Forth.The river is known locally as "The Cawder".-Route:...
External links
- Murdostoun Castle & Salsburgh Heritage Group
- The Inglis of Murdostoun
- History of the Lands of Murdostoun
Further reading
- Smith, John Guthrie and Mitchell, John Oswald. Old Country Houses of the Old Glasgow Gentry, Second Edition. Glasgow: James MacLehose & Sons, 1878.
- MacLehose, James. Memoirs and Portraits of 100 Glasgow Men. Glasgow: James MacLehose and Sons, 1886.
- Christie, Ella & Stewart, Alice Christie King. A Long Look at Life, by Two Victorians. Seeley, Service & Co. Ltd., 1940.
- Stewart, Averil. Alicella. London: John Murray, 1955.