Kenmure Castle. 179 



The Unfortunate Baliols. 



During the wars of the Bruce Kenmure Castle and lands still 

 belonged to the Baliols, and not to the Gordons. Edward Bruce, 

 fighting on behalf of his brother Robert, invaded Galloway, and 

 laid siege to all the castles belonging to Baliol. A desperate 

 battle was fought at Craignell, and another near the Bridge of 

 Dee, where a "Standing Stone" still commemorates the site. 

 During this raid he took thirteen castles of inferior strengths in 

 Galloway. Kenmure was one of them, because on the 25th July, 

 1307, a letter was written from Eymar de Valence, commander 

 of the Scottish forces to Sir John Ablee, or his lieutenant, at 

 Dumfries, commanding him to give with all haste to Sir Umfra- 

 ville and Alexander Baliol a tonel of the King's wine that they 

 may do the King's business on the enemy. This letter is dated 

 from the Glenkens. When Bruce became King he bestowed the 

 lands by charter on Robert Boyd. David II. again granted 

 lands to Gilbert Ker, or Carrick, as he was sometimes called. 

 After the fall of the Brucian power the castle and lands reverted 

 back to Baliol, for I find it recorded in " Bain's Calendars " that 

 Baliol granted a charter to Sir William de Alburgh, his valet, 

 "of all the lands in the Glenkens, called the Barony of Kelles, 

 with the granter's castle in ' insula arxe,' and likewise the rever- 

 sion of his Barony of Cressemyghelle (Crossmichael) and Kisdale 

 (Kirkdale), in Gallway, for the yearly redendo of a rose in the 

 season of roses." This was signed and sealed at his castle of 

 Botille 29th November, 21st of his reign (1352). In 1352 the 

 whole of tliese lands were erected into a free barony with pit, 

 gallows, and " sac " by letters patent from the castle of Botille. 

 Again in the old inventory of the titles to Kenmure I find that 

 on 8th April, 1358, another charter was granted by Robert, 

 Steward of Scotland, and Earl of Stratherne, to William de 

 Gordon, Lord of Stitchell, of the New Forrest of Glenkenne, 

 within the Sheriffdom of Dumfries. This shews that the Gordons 

 had not yet obtained Kenmure Castle, but only certain lands in 

 the Barony of Gordownstone, etc. Probably this is Avhere 

 M'Kerlie has become mixed. 



The Fighting Gordons. 

 This William Gordon was the ancestor of the Gallowav 



