WebCatt's Genealogy

McKerlie

excerpts from
HISTORY OF THE LANDS AND THEIR OWNERS IN GALLOWAY
BY P.H. McKERLIE, F.S.A. SCOT., F.R.G.S.&C.

[sent to me by Robert McKerlie of Ontario, Canada]

[here is a map showing Galloway District with some info about the area]

VOLUME FIRST

EDINBURGH: WILLIAM PATERSON
MDCCCLXXVII [1877]
PARISH OF SORBIE, WIGTONSHIRE

CRUGGLETON.

This formed at one time a separate parish, and is now included in Sorbie. The church of Cruggleton is very ancient. By whom it was built is not known, but being so close to the castle, there is every reason to believe that the ancient owners of the fortress and lands were the founders. As mentioned by Symson, it was in ruins in 1684. It was in connection with the Priory of Candida Casa, at Whithorn, and served by a Vicar. The lands which had accrued to it, are believed to have been the modern farms of Baltier and Cults. Part of the ruins still remain, surrounded by the church-yard.

Not far distant from the church stood the castle, in ancient times a fortress of vast strength, and in regard to which and its owners, many stirring narratives have been handed down. Built on the highest ridge of the iron-bound coast, on a jutting precipice, 200 feet above the sea, the position was most commanding. It was erected by the Sea-Kings, and as heretofore understood Magnus, King of Norway, was the builder in 1098, but this could not have been accomplished by him. He was not a sufficient time on the coast. The materials had to be brought from a distance, as the same description of stone is not to be found in Galloway. Professor Munch, of Christiana, has given us greater enlightenment on the subject, in his "Codex Flateyensis."

From this source we learn that Thorfin {fourth son of Sigurd II., killed at Clontarf, near Dublin, in 1014, whose mother was a daughter of Malcolm Malbrigid, called King of Scotland} conquered and ruled Galloway, from Solway to Carrick, and seems to have held it to his death in 1064. His rule lasted, it is believed, from thirty-four to thirty-five years. There was a contemporary and rival, Malcolm, also King of Scotland, who outlived Malbrigid four years, and historians have made the two rival kings as one and the same.

It is also stated in the Nial Saga, that Kari, Solmund's son, passed the winter, after the battle of Clontarf, with Earl Malcolm, near Whitherne. There can therefore now be no doubt that Cruggleton Castle was built a good many years before the time of Magnus. However, beyond the statement that Earl Malcolm resided near Whithorn, we are left in ignorance as to the name of his residence. Cruggleton castle is near Whithorn, as well as the fortlet of Carghidown, which covered half an acre, on the Tonderghie property, Burgh-head; also Castle Feather, close by, on the estate of Physgill. All were built by the Norsemen. There can be no question that Earl Malcolm resided in one of them, and from the extent of Cruggleton Castle, there is every reason to believe that it was then built, and occupied by him. As already stated, the precipice on which it was situated is fully 200 feet above the sea. It covered about one and a half acres of land. Within the walls, which were battlemented, there was a courtyard, and buildings with eight towers. Another wall lined the interior side of the fosse or moat, fifty feet wide, and very deep, over which was a drawbridge. The gate was strongly fortified, with a guardhouse over it and portcullis. Landward, it was thus, in these times, considered impregnable. On the other side, the sea made it equally so. Immediately under the castle, there was a landing place, where vessels of small burden could be drawn up and secured in tempestuous weather. The means of communication was by a path up the precipice, intersected at the harbour by a gate, having a small guard-house over it, and defended by a portcullis, &c., The path then ascended in a winding direction, and at the battlemented wall was another gate, fortified in the same way. Magnus arrived off the coast in the year 1098, and avowed his intention of retaining possession of Galloway, but we repeat he had no time to build such a castle. The date of Thorfin's death, and the short rule of King Magnus, corroborate the statements handed down in regard to the first occupation by the Cairills, who obtained possession about the beginning of the twelfth century. Their ancestor was Cairill, an Irish king, or chief, who passed over to Scotland in the tenth century, it is believed, and obtained a grant of lands in Carrick, Ayrshire, which took from him the name of Caroltoun, now Carleton, {see Dailly parish}. The Irish Chronicles inform us of the great power the Cairills at one time possessed in Ireland. They ruled over a large section of that country, several being kings or chiefs, the principal of all having been the chief of Oriel, and Arch King of Argiall, whose territory was the present counties of Monaghan, Louth, &c., Eile or Ely, now called King's, and also the county of Fermanagh, with the Hall and Court of Tara, in Meath, were possessed by the others. Previously the name seems to have been Cairill, as found in the Annals of Tighernac. In "A.D.582, Baidan Mac Cairill Ri Uladh obit." which in English is, "Baidan, son of Cairill, King of Ulster, died." The constant wars between the various kings or chiefs, which ultimately caused Ireland to fall as a conquered country to England, was at the period we write of, the cause of Cairills settlement in Scotland. He appears to have at once taken an active part against the Norsemen. For these services, the lands which took from him the of Cairilltoun, were granted. We are specially told that besides being particularly instrumental in giving the Danes a notable overthrow, he took Eric, the son of Swain {or Sweyne}, prisoner, and as a reward the king gave him the said lands. In Henry Charteris' copy of Henry the Minstrel's Wallace, published in 1570, it is also stated,

"Keirly in Irish is but Ker Little call'd,
In Carrick he had heritage of ald.
His forbear, which aye worthy was of hand,
St. David King, him brought out of Ireland.
Syne at Dunmoir, where first Norways came in,
This Ker made great discomfiture of their kin,
With seven hundred vanquished nine thousand,
Some drown'd in Doon, some slain upon the land.
Those whole lands the King gave him until,
How Wallace past now further speak I will."

These lines, however, embrace two periods; for McCairill obtained the lands in Carrick long previous to the reign of King David the First, but his descendant doubtless got Cruggleton during the lifetime of the good king, when Prince of Cumbria, about the beginning of the twelfth century, and the castle became their residence. There are no charters to give us the particulars, which would now be so interesting. At that time there were none in Galloway. Carrick, in Ayrshire, then formed a part of the district. There is every reason to believe that Cairilltoun and Cruggleton were both possessed for sometime together, and that the latter was taken from the Norsemen by the McCairills. In no other way could Cruggleton have been then got possession of. In regard to Carltoun Castle and lands, the next possessors to be traced are the Cathcarts, who obtained a charter from King Robert the Bruce in 1324. As we have already mentioned, the whole of Galloway was under the rule of the Norsemen for a considerable time, and the lands annexed to the Castle of Cruggleton were extensive. The retaining of this acquisition was not an easy matter, as various traditions handed down tell us. Different attempts by the Norsemen to retake the castle appear to have been made, but all without success. After the death of King David, a desperate descent was made by the Norsemen to recover their supremacy in Galloway, but they were defeated by the Galwegians. The Chronicle of Man mentions this as having occurred in 1142, but the date should be 1154, the year after King David's death. One of the attacks by the Norsemen is handed down in the interesting tradition of the old boatman. As related, the Norsemen, finding it impossible to retake the castle of Cruggleton by open assault, tried to do so by strategy. The fleet kept hovering about the coast, and on what was thought a favourable opportunity, an old man stealthily approached the castle in a boat, bearing the dreaded flag of Denmark. This was the famous Reafen, or enchanted standard, in the powers of which the Norsemen implicitly believed as carrying conquest. It contained the figure of a raven, which had been in woven by the three sisters of Hinguar and Hubba, with many incantations. The object was to gain access close to, or, if possible, on the ramparts, unfurl and wave the standard, when the garrison would have become powerless, and those in ambush would have immediately taken the fortress. The Carrols were, however, too much on the alert to allow of this, and before the boatman could perform his perilous task, he and his standard were seized, and the latter committed to the flames in the courtyard. For long afterwards, as these superstitious times have handed down, the old boatman, with his standard, annually appeared on the ramparts, and after waving it, they both vanished in thin air. It is a curious fact, that about three centuries previously, viz., in 875, King Alfred of England is stated to have captured a similar standard in Devonshire. From our Galloway tradition, the Danes must have recovered it, or got another. Besides the constant fighting at home, the McCairills, like many others, served with distinction in the Crusades; and then obtained, and have since carried as their crest, the distinguished emblem of the Order of Saint Constantine. Various traditions of exploits in the Holy Land were for long current in Galloway.

We now come to another interesting period in connection with this property. The McCairills had defined the power of the Norsemen, &c., and continued in uninterrupted possession for about two centuries, when Lord Soulis {so styled, but no doubt Sir John}, about 1282, went, as pretended, on a friendly visit to William Cairill, and while his guest, treacherously got a large body of his followers introduced within the walls, who in the end overpowered the garrison, and took the castle. William Cairill escaped. Again, in 1292, John Comyn, Earl of Buchan, as an adherent of Edward I. of England, had possession, which he enjoyed, however, only for a short time, having been, on the 8th September 1296, supplanted by Henry de Percy; and he again, on the 22d August 1297, by John of Hoddleston. John Comyn evidently thought he had obtained the castle and lands for himself and family; for during his short tenure, he obtained leave from Edward the First to dig for lead in the Calf of Man, to cover the eight towers of the castle. Driven from his inheritance, William Cairill or Kerlie subsequently joined the immortal Wallace, and fought at the battle of Loudoun Hill in July 1296. He is specially mentioned as one of those who rallied round the patriot at Lennox Castle. As one of his favourite lieutenants and firmest adherents, he was present in the many desperate encounters that took place. It is handed down by tradition, that he was at the head of five hundred men at the disastrous battle of Falkirk, most of whom were slain in an ineffectual attempt to rescue Sir John the Graham. In the year 1297, Wallace visited Galloway, and retook the castle {the Black Rock of Cree} for his friend. This was a daring feat, and under the guidance of the latter.

From the account given, they must have approached from the bay of Cruggleton or Rigge in a boat, the promontory concealing their approach. This was at night-fall. Previously a body of men had been placed in ambush on the landward side. Wallace, Kerlie, and Stephen of Ireland went by themselves, and evidently got out of the boat on to the precipice, where the water is deep, for the description given states "the water under." Further to the west, at very low tides, there is a little space left where men could walk on the rocks, and get to a part easier to climb; but then at that time discovery was certain, and the assault would have failed. Besides, it is dangerous from the rapidity with which the tides rise on that coast. The place where the gallant trio must have climbed shows what men they were. The apparent impossibility was the cause of their success, for it could not have been guarded like the other parts of the ramparts. However, they not only climbed the dangerous precipice in safety, but got over the ramparts, killed the warder, raised the portcullis, let down the drawbridge, and opened the gate, when Wallace blew his horn, and those in ambush rushed in.

The English garrison of sixty men was thus surprised, over-powered, and all put to the sword, a priest and two women only having been spared. We give the particulars of this daring deed of the great patriot, and his companions in arms, as it attaches even greater interest to the old Castle. William Cairill or Kerlie was, however, too much attached to Wallace and the cause of independence to remain at home. He accompanied the patriot to the end of his career. Wallace and he went to meet Robert the Bruce on Glasgow Muir, the first night of July 1305. For this purpose they kept in the neighbourhood waiting for the time. They were attended by a young man, a nephew of Sir John Menteith, who, it is averred, was purposely attached to betray the patriot. This he carried out faithfully; for, while Wallace and Cairill were asleep in a house at Robrastoun or Robroyston, their arms were secretly removed, Cairill killed, and Wallace, as is well known, taken alive, and reserved for a worst fate. Such was the end of "trew Kerlie," the constant adherent and last earthly friend of the great patriot. We have continued to call him Cairill, but with him the name first was changed to Kerlie. It appears spelled in various ways as Kerle, Keirlie, Kierly, &c... It has lately been stated to be the given from his having been lower in stature, than Wallace, but strong and muscular, for "trew Kerle {was} douchty in mony deid." This we do not agree in as regards his height, for, from his deeds, he must have been a tall and powerful man, which is supported by what is known of his descendants. From want of documents much that would be interesting has been lost.

William Kerlie was one of that small band of patriots to whom Scotland owes its independence; for had there been no Wallace, there is every reason to believe that Robert the Bruce would not of risen in arms, or succeeded to the throne. Wallace kept alive, by his glorious deeds, the spirit of independence, which so many in Scotland were willing to sell to Edward the Usurper. It is also to be remembered that Bruce had not, like Wallace, Edward I. for an opponent, but a feeble king and a divided kingdom. Bruce was strongly supported by the Church, and thus got adherents, and, in return, afterwards loaded the religious houses with lands.

Whom William Kerlie married we cannot now learn, but he left a son about seven years old, named William, to inherit his possessions. The original lands, as obtained from the Norsemen, were extensive, some in the parish of Glasserton still bear their name, and those of Polltoun or Powton immediately contiguous, are believed to have been also a portion, which now embrace Galloway House and grounds.

We now come to a epoch which crushed the prosperity of the Cairills or Kerlies in Galloway. Instead of the patriotism of William Kerlie meeting with the reward which his gallant services deserved, when honours and lands were so freely bestowed on others, in many respects far less deserving, his son and heir was not only forgotten, but defrauded of his patrimony. Robert the Bruce confiscated the property of Sir John, commonly called Lord Soulis. He had no property in Galloway, but, as we have already shown, had, when on a friendly visit to William Kerlie, got possession, through treachery, of Cruggleton, in the year 1282. The cunning and fraud, so characteristic of the Church in those times, with the power possessed over the King, made it easy for the churchmen of the Priory of Candida Casa to conceal the existence of the young heir, William Kerlie, by representing that the Castle and lands of Cruggleton belonged to Lord Soulis, whose property had been confiscated, thereby to obtain for the Priory a charter of the same. This charter was granted in 1309, when William Kerlie was about eleven years of age. It is not now extant, the only record of it to be found being in Robertson's Index of Charters, where it is entered, "Carta Candida Case, of Craigiltoun, quhilks perteinit to Lord Soullis." This fraud does not appear to have been known to the Kerlies, and when known, the superstitious religious awe then felt made them impotent against the Church.

It has been suggested by one of the old faith, as it is called, who is well versed in such matters, that the Church may have obtained the transfer through the pious and well-intended ideas of young Kerlie's relatives. There is no doubt that hundreds of such transactions took place before the Reformation, when abbots and priors worked on the religious feelings of the holders of lands, and then, when the superiority was obtained, doled out to the real owner what allowance they pleased. Many families were thus ruined. This ill-gotten wealth in a measure accelerated the Reformation, as the cupidity of the Church at last aroused the laity.

Again, in the year 1366, Gilbert Kennedy of Dunure, progenitor of the Earls of Cassilis, obtained a charter from David II., who was so ready to give grants of lands belonging to others to covetous supporters. This charter was one of confirmation, as heir to his father, John Kennedy. Both father and son had made themselves very serviceable to the king, the later having been one of his hostages in England. Neither Sir John nor Sir Gilbert, however, obtained possession.

William Kerlie married, but whom, all trace is lost. His son, who succeeded him, was also called William, and seems to have inherited the hostility of his forbears to the English. His name holds a good position amongst the leading Scottish knights to whom Charles VI., King of France, forwarded fourteen hundred suits of armour and a large quantity of gold, conveyed by John de Vienne, Admiral of France, who was sent to Scotland with two thousand chosen warriors to assist against the English. As Mr. Tytler states in his History of Scotland, "the proportion in which the French money was distributed gives a pretty correct idea of the comparative consequence and power {of each}." The original document, dated 16th November 1385, we have read, and as it is interesting in regard to different families, we will give the names, &c., below. We may observe that the lettering and spelling of several of the names in the document are both incorrect and indistinct; but the only letter not quite in William Kerlie's name is the l, as there is a kind of blot at the bottom. We have, therefore, given it as printed in Rymer.

- - -

The Kerlies, of Irish Celtic origin, appear to have retained all the characteristics of that people, and shared the misfortunes which had attended those of their name McCairills in Ireland. Instead of exposing the Church, and getting crown charters, they held by their own Celtic laws and ideas, which ended in their ruin. Had they been Normans, a very different result would have followed, for no Norman is known to have forgotten to get a crown charter in these troublous times. Having no crown charter for Cruggleton, &c., at the Reformation, the ruin of the Kerlies was involved in that of the Church of Rome in Scotland.

- - -

The position of the Kerlies at this time seems to have been so completely bound up in the Church of Rome, that their independence had departed. The last inhabitant of the Castle was John, who, in the Inquisitiones de Tutela, under date 20th June 1583, is therein called McCarole.

As handed down, the early history of the McCairills, now McKerlies, was contained in the Archives of the Monastery of Crossraguel, and lost when that religious house was destroyed by fire. Much more that was interesting, and of a subsequent date, was at the priory of Candida Casa, every vestige of which has disappeared, caused, it is believed, by the Monks having either destroyed all the records, or carried them abroad, when compelled to take to flight at the Reformation. There is no doubt that the information given in these monastic records would have been damaging to the Church, and their destruction or removal was absolutely necessary; but it causes a sad blank in histories such as we now write, for not only the chronicles of the ancient families, but deeds and the registers of lands were kept by the monks at the abbeys and priories.

Much information at one time existed in Galloway, in regard to the McKerlies, and a good deal has been handed down from father to son, all of which corroborates, that besides the origin, the position of this family, for many centuries, entitled them to more prosperity than fell to their lot.

- - -

About the end of last century, a great portion of the fine old castle was pulled down. {it is believed under the sanction of Sir Stair Agnew of Lochnaw}, for materials, to build farm steadings and dykes. Sir Stair Agnew was devoid of all taste or respect for things of the past, as will be found on reference to Lochnaw. In September 1830, it was mentioned by Mr Alexander Stewart, formerly tenant of Cutloy, but then residing in Wigtown, that he distinctly remembered the removal of parts of the buildings on which the name, &c. of the McKerlies was fully engraved. Unfortunately as relics, these stones are lost, having been made use of as materials by those who removed them. The simple statement of Mr Stewart was taken and written down, without what we would now wish to know having been ascertained, viz., how the name was spelled, and what armorial bearings were shown. The remains, specially noticeable from a distance, of this once large castle, are now limited to a forlorn arch.

- - -

Arms.- Azure, a chief argent, and a fret, gules.

Crest.- The sun, or, shining on a cross-crosslet fitchee, sable, placed on the dexter side of a mount, vert.

Motto.- In hoc signo vinces.

[Rough translation from WebCatt:

Arms - Blue, upper part silver (white), with a gold fret (bars crossed and interlaced, representing a trellis, usually composed of eight pieces)

Crest - Gold sun on a black cross cross having the three upper ends terminating in three little crosses, and pointed at the lower extremity (generally tapered from the center downward), placed on the right side of a green a mound or hill, covered with grass, generally with a tree or trees on it

Motto - Upon this, victory is imprinted. (or something similar - I don't speak Latin)]

 

see also excerpts from biography of William Wallace about
Kerly of Cruggleton

go to main page | Kerley Information