The Feuding Hamiltons

Complaint by George Hamilton in Westland and others

against

Patrick Hamilton in Colcreoch and others for assault on their persons

– Edinburgh 28th June, 1642 –

Complaint by George Hamilton in Westland, William Hamilton of Garrive, William Reid in Craigdarroch, Rebecca Hendersone, spouse to Mr John Charters, minister at Currie and Mause Henderson, widow of Mr Henrie Charters, W.S., heritor of the lands of Craigdarroch, and the said Mr John for his interest as follows : –

The said Mause and Rebecca Henderson possess the said lands heritably by good and sufficient rights and the said George Hamilton is their tenant, who by himself and the said William Reid, his son, has been in peaceful possession thereof this long time, till now that on the 7th June instant Patrick Hamilton in Colcreoch {Coalcreoch}, Bessie Dumbar, his spouse, William Hamilton, his brother,_ _ _ , his wife, Margaret Hamilton, sister to the said Patrick, John Dumbar, son to Patrick Dumbar of Penkley {Pencloe}, Andrew Hamilton, son to John Hamilton of Hillend, John Campbell in Eshmark {Ashmark}, and Grissel Andersone in Knockshinnoch, with several others, armed with swords and staves came to the said lands of Craigdarroch, brought with thame the household plenishing {furniture} of the said Patrick Hamilton, forciblie entered within the same and placed the said plenishing there, patt on sixteene heid of nolt {cattle} upoun the grisse roumes {grass space} of the said lands.

And upon the tenth day of the same moneth the saids Patrik and William Hamiltons and thair wyffes, the said Margaret Hamilton and Grissel Andersone, Eufame Campbell in Eshmark, Helen Dumbar spouse to Andrew McNacht in Cumnock Mayns, Jean Dumbar , spous to Connell Wilsone in Lochbrowing {Lochbrowan} , Sara Campbell, spous to William Kirkwood in Over Garrive, Jean Campbell in Boutfoot, Bessie Hamilton, daughter to Johne Hamilton in Blackcraig (the saids women being all hounded out be their husbands), all boddin {equipped} with swords, rungs, pitch forks and other weapons invasive, came to the said William Reids hous in Craigdarroch, entered within the same, brake and abused his haill plenishing, kuist the same to the doore, strake, hurt and wounded the said Williame and his wife, thrust thame out of thair houses, tooke the said Patrik Hamiltons plenishing out of the house they had putt in the day before and sett it in the said William Reids house, hounded out thair dogs at the compleaners bestiall {farm livestock} being upon the ground, wirried a number of thair sheepe, cruellie birsed {pressure applied by a crowd} and bruised thair nolt with rungs and scattered thame so as they could not find the same agane. And, when as upon the morne the said George Hamilton and the said William Hamilton of Garrive and William McKall, his servant, came to thair awne lands and desired thir persons to suffer thame peaceablie to possess thair houses and roumes, the said Bessie Dumbar strake the said William Hamilton twice upon the head with a rung, then drew a knife and strake him in at the hersche {buttocks}. And when the said William McKall preast to take the knife from her she bait him and wounded him with the knife to the effusion of his blood, so as to the said George Hamiltoun wes forced to retire to his dwelling of Westland three myles distant from his possession of Craigdarroch.”

Charge having been given to the said William Hamilton, Helen Dumbar, Grissel Anderson, Eufame Campbell, Sara Campbell, Jean Campbell, Patrick Hamiltoun, Bessie Dumbar, Margaret Hamiltoun, John Dumbar, son of Patrick Dumbar of Penclay, Andrew Hamiltoun, John Campell in Eshmark and Jean Dumbar, none of whom compeared {appeared}, but the said George and William Hamilton compearing personally and the said Mr John Charters also compearing for himself and the other pursuers, the Lords ordain the defenders to be put to the horn and escheated {lands returned to owners}.

Complainants

• George Hamilton in Westland – either Meikle or Nether Waistland
• William Hamilton of Garrive – the original name of Mansfield
• William Reid of Craigdarroch
•  Rebecca Henderson was the daughter of Laurence Henderson, merchant. She married Mr John Charteris, Minister of Currie, Edinburgh from 1631 until his death in 1688, aged 64 years. He was the son of  Henry Charteris, Professor of Divinity and later Principal of the University of Edinburgh. ( He was married three times and had 23 children).
• Mause Henderson, widow of Mr Henry Charteris (

Defendants

• Patrick Hamilton (Coalcreoch)
  • Spouse Bessie Dunbar
  • brother William Hamilton
    • his spouse?
  • sister Margaret Hamilton
• John Dumbar,
  • son to Patrick Dumbar (Penkley)
• Andrew Hamilton
  • Son to John Hamilton (Hillend)
• John Campbell (Eshmerk)
  • Spouse Eufame Campbell
• Grissell Andersones (Knockshinnoch)
• Helen Dumbar
  • Spouse Andrew McNacht (Cumnock Maynes)
• Jean Dumbar
  • Spouse Connell Wilsone (Lochbrowing)
• Sara Campbell
  • Spouse William Kirkwood (Over Garrieve)
• Jean Campbell (Boutfoote)
• Bessie Hamilton
  • Daughter John Hamilton (Blackcraig)

Places 

• Blackcraig
• Boutfoot (at the foot of the Bowt)
• Craigdarroch,
• Cumnock Mayns (Castlemains)
• Eshmark (Ashmark),
• Garrive,  Over Garrive (Mansfield)
• Hillend (of Corsencon),
• Knockshinnoch,
• Lochbrowing (Lochbrowan)
• Penclay (Pencloe)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• Many thanks to Stuart Clarkson, Guelph, Ontario, Canada