74 Fawside or Falside Castle. [Sess. 



Thor of Tranent of certain lands, which was witnessed by Ed- 

 niondo de Ffauside. Another, in the time of William the Lion, 

 Gilberto de Ffauside, witnessed a charter of the monastery of 

 St Maria of Newbattle. In 1246 Donatius Sybald witnessed a 

 charter by De Quincy, Count de Wynton, to Adam of Seaton, de 

 maritago hteredes Alani de Faside. Seven years thereafter this 

 same Alan bound himself to pay to the monks of Dunfermline 

 yearly the sum of " quinque solidas argenti." In 1371 William 

 de Seaton granted to John de Fawside, for true and faithful ser- 

 vice, the whole lands of Wester Fauside in the barony of Trau- 

 ernent — a gift which was confirmed by King Eobert II. on the 

 20th of June. Again, in 1425, William of Fawside and Marjorie 

 Fleming his spouse obtained the lands of Tolygart ; and the 

 lands of Wester Fawside were confirmed to John of that Ilk 

 in June 1472. John Fawside married Margaret, daughter of 

 Sir John Swinton of that Ilk, and at his death she became 

 prioress of the Cistercian nunnery of Elcho. The family is 

 now extinct. 



The nearest lands to the east were those of Preston, belonging 

 to a kinsman of the Fawsidians, Hamilton by name. With them, 

 as with all those around them, the Fawsidians lived in the 

 greatest concord and friendship np to or near the year 1520. 

 At this time disputes and misunderstandings arose between 

 the two families regarding the removal of certain landmarks 

 on the estate of Preston. The Fawsidians were charged with 

 the offence, which was indignantly repudiated. Occasionally, 

 too, there would be a raid made into each other's keeps, and 

 depredation committed. These did not improve matters, but 

 nothing of a serious description took place, nor was blood shed 

 between them, till about 1540, when matters became more 

 serious and complicated. There happened to be a small 

 stream not far from the estates — indeed it flowed between the 

 two, and served to water the cattle of both. As ill-luck would 

 have it, the Prestonian cattle became suddenly sick, and many 

 died. What was the cause of this sickness ? The cattle had 

 been quite well till within a day or two ; now they suddenly 

 dropped off. Had any one been seen near them ? Their kins- 

 men the Fawsidians had, and the conclusion was that it was 

 they who had poisoned the upper waters, for none of their cattle 

 had as yet, at any rate, been so afflicted. Pietaliation must take 



