90 THE CASTLE OF DUMFRIES. 
his accounts make it appear that the castle was waste. To the 
Sheriff, the King writes :—‘ The King to his beloved and faithful 
Eustace de Maxwell, our sheriff of Dumfries, in Scotland, Greet- 
ing ; Since we have intrusted you with the keeping of our aforesaid 
county and the pertinents thereof, so that you may answer con- 
cerning the revenues accruing to us at our Exchequer of Berwick, 
as in our letters patent made thereupon is more fully contained, 
and have learned that the accounts which we hold you to be bound 
to render to us of your receipts of the said revenues from the 
time when you had the said charge, as yet remain to be rendered, 
at which we are much surprised; We therefore command you, 
firmly enjoining that, whenever you are forewarned by our beloved 
Thomas de Burgh, our chamberlain at Berwick, to render your 
said account at the aforesaid Exchequer, you, without making any 
excuse whatever, go and there render that account, as is 
customary, and according to the tenor of your commission above 
said; For we have commanded the foresaid chamberlain to hear 
that account and do further what the nature of the account re- 
quires in this part. 
“The King being Witness; at the town of St. Johnstone, 
13th day of August (1336); By the King himself.’’ 
Sir Eustace’s accounts for the rents and dues of his sheriff- 
dom discover how greatly the district had suffered through the 
war. 
From many of the holdings both in town and country there 
was no return, because of their being waste, or for the reason that 
their holders had been ejected. The revenue suffered from this 
cause and also through the king granting lands to the sheriff and 
others on conditions terminating the dues to the crown. A few 
extracts will serve the present purpose. 
This is the heading :—“ Accounts of Eustace de Maxwell, 
sheriff of Dumfries, of the dues of the same county from the 15th 
day of October in the ninth year of king Edward the Third after 
the Conquest, up to the feast of St. Michael next following.”’ 
“The same renders account of £6 received from the term of 
St. Michael in the 9th year, from the Ward of the Castle of Dum- 
fries, and not more, because the same sheriff will be able to raise 
nothing thence from the barony of Staplegorton, which was wont 
to render 20 shillings a year for the same ward, nor from 
the barony of Mallayknok, which was wont to render 
