98 Intermediate Lecfvres. 



20th April, 1883. 

 Mr Rutherford, Secretary, in the Chair. 



LOCHMABEN CaSTLE. 



The sixth and last of the course of lectures was given by the 



Rev. W. Graham, Trinity, Edinburgh, his subject being " Loch- 



maben Castle : Its Past, Present, and Future." Mr Graham, in 



the course of his remai-ks, gave some interesting particulars which 



are not generally known. After referring to its earlier histoiy 



and other circumstances connected with its recent demolition since 



the close of last century, he touchod specially on the hereditary 



keepersliip of the Castle. The hereditary keeper is Capt. Hope- 



Johnstune of Annandale, a descendant of Wallace, through David 



Hallidiiy's daughter, a niece of Wallace, marrying Johnstone, its 



hereditary keeper. This is told by The Minstrel, book 5th. 



Wallace, accompanied by Grajme, took the Castle from the 



English in 1304. Wallace proposed to Gra;me to take the 



Castle, and Graeme agreed. When about a mile from the Castle, 



in the Smallrigg direction, the night being dark, a consultation 



was held. Wallace said to his brother-in-law, Halliday, 



" Methinks thou knowest this country best. I hear no noise of 



folk." Halliday s.iid, " I will take ane wi' me and ride before to 



let ye see the way to the Ca.stle." At length they reached the 



Castle gates. Halliday asked the porter to open, he having some 



acquaintance with him as a neighbour, though his aim he said 



was to do the English ill. John Watson, the porter, opened the 



gate. John Halliday " soon by the craig him threw," and with a 



knife " sticked him dead." Wallace and Grseme then entered, 



taking the keys out of the dead potter's hands, and slew all 



e.xcepting the women and children. They examined the Castle 



next morning, and sent for " Johnstone, a man of gi'eate degree," 



and made him the "captain of that place." After that Graeme 



ami Wallace left the Castle for the Corehead and Crawford Castle 



by Kirkpatrick and " Aisdaill Woddis." This was the story of 



the taking of Lochmaben Castle by Wallace and the Graime, and 



the appointment of Johnstone of Annandale the full captain 



keeper, in whose family directly or indirectly it has remained 



from that time till now. 



" Within the bounds of Annandale the gallant Johnstones ride ; 

 They have been here a thousand years, and a thousand more 

 will bide." 



