350 Theory as to the Origin of the Crosses 



In 1438 Sir Charles Murray of Cockpool had seisin of the lands 

 of Ryvel.^ ' He also had two charters under the Great Seal of 

 these lands and others, dated January 1449 and April 1452.^ 



In 1454 Mariota, daughter of Sir Thomas Murray, Knight, resigned 

 by deed all rights she may have had in the lands of Ryvel ' fratri suo 

 Karolo de Moravia domino dictarum terrarum de Ryvel. '^ 



About the year 1474 Cuthbert Murray succeeded his father, and 

 in that year had seisin of the lands of Ryvel, Howelset, and Arbig- 

 land.4 



On Sept. 4, 1487, Cuthbert Murray is said to have mortified an 

 annual rent for the souls of James III and John, Master of MaxweU, 

 whom he had slain in the course of the feud with that family. Lord 

 Maxwell, in his turn (presumably the heir), was bound to find a 

 priest to sing for the souls of each of Cuthbert's friends in Ruthwell 

 Church.^ 



In 1494 John Murray inherited Ryvel from his father, Cuthbert. 



In 1494 John Murray had been returned heir to his father Cuthbert 

 in the hereditary lands of Cockpool, Ryvel or Ruthwell, as well as of 

 Rampatrick, or Redkirk, also part of the Corrie property.^ 



appears in the year 1405. . . . He Avas a witness to several charters by 

 Archibald, fourth Earl of Douglas, in the early part of the fifteenth cen- 

 tury, and from this Earl he obtained, upon his resignation, a charter 

 of the lands and " tenements of Ryvale," in which he is described 

 as " our beloved cousin, Sir Thomas of Murray, Knight." ' 



1 Scots Peerage 1. 218 ; Mansfield Charter-Chest. 



2 Reg. Mag. Sig., 22 April 1452. and Exch. Rolls, v. 670. 

 ^ Scots Peerage 1. 218 ; Mansfield Charter- Chest. 



^ Scots Peerage 1. 219 ; Mansfield Charter-Chest. Johnstone (pp. 39, 48) 

 assumes that Cuthbert Murray received Ruthv/ell among the forfeited 

 estates of the Corries, who liad joined the rebelhon of the Duke of Albany 

 and Archibald. Earl of Douglas (• Bell-the-Cat ') against James III of 

 Scotland ; he introduces the date of July 22, 1484, when the rebels made 

 an unsuccessful raid upon Lochmaben, ten miles from Ruthwell. This 

 theory does not appear to harmonize, however, with the facts adduced 

 above. 



^ Scots Peerage 1. 220 ; Caerlaverock Book 2. 446. Can 1487 stand for 

 1488, since James III was not slain till June 11, 1488? And why should 

 Murray provide for masses for the king's soul, if Johnstone is right in 

 calUng him one of the leaders of the king's forces in repelhng the raid 

 of 1484? 



" Johnstone, p. 48 (cf. p. 70); Scots Peerage 1, 222 which, has the 

 spelhng ' Revel.' 

 (138) 



