While looking for the author of The Robertons - A Noted Lanarkshire Family which appears in my last three posts (originally printed in the Hamilton Advertiser on August 7, 1943), a librarian at the South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture center also found an another piece on Roberton history, again from the Hamilton Advertiser, but published in July 1874. Entitled Earnock and its Early Proprietors, it is another lengthy writing that I will present in a number of postings.
Earnock and its Early Proprietors
(from the Hamilton Advertiser, July, 1874)
The estate of Earnock (Meikle and Little), the properties of
Udstoun, Wellhall, Allanshaw, Stonehill, Neilsland, and adjoining small farms,
Eddlewood, Earnockmuir and Kennedies, lying on the west side of the Strathaven
road, and extending to the western extremity of Hamilton parish, although
included in the original grant, in 1314, of the barony of Cadzow, by King
Robert Bruce to Walter Fitz-Gilbert, the approximate founder of the ducal
family of Hamilton, appear to have been parcelled out at an early period to
some of the younger members of the family and their connections – the
Robertouns, the Machans and others. As some of those families took a prominent
part in public and local affairs of the olden time, formed alliances by
marriage with the neighbouring nobility and gentry, and a number of their
members and descendants rose to eminence and distinction in the army, at the
bar and in the walks of literature, a sketch of their history, gleaned from the
pages of Nisbet, Douglas, Anderson and other genealogists, may be found
interesting. We begin with
The Robertouns.
This family was one of the oldest untitled families of
Lanarkshire. The first of the name met with in the records is Robertus de
Robertoun, or Robertus de Villa Roberti.
He is said to have been of Flemish extraction, and obtained the lands of
Robertoun, in the Upper Ward of Lanarkshire, and those of Earnock, in the
parish of Hamilton, from Malcolm IV or William the Lion (1160-1200). In 1228, he witnessed a charter by Hugo of
Biggar, son of Robert, son of Waldeve of Biggar, patron of the Church of
Strathaven, whereby he grants, in pure and perpetual alms to God and the Church
of St. Machute of Lesmahagow, the whole teinds of the lands of Richard de
Baird, lying on the south side of Aven, namely, the Great and Lesser Kype,
Glengeel, Polnebo, Lochar and all the lands lying on that side that can be
cultivated. The other witnesses to the
charter are Reginald de Crawford, Sheriff of Ayr and Archibald of Douglas.
