Kenmure Castle. 181 



He arrived just as the King was about to confer the honour on 

 Maxwell. " Stop, my Sovereign," cried Lochinvar, "the reward 

 is mine." " How so?" replied Maxwell, " for I killed the boar; 

 see, here is the head." Turning to Lochinvar, the King said, 

 " How happens it that you have not the head if you killed the 

 Doar?" "Because," said Lochinvar, "while I lay asleep from 

 fatigue, this man came and cut off the animal's head." "But 

 how am I to decide," said the Monarch, " when the head is in the 

 other claimant's possession?" "Let this decide," said Gordon, 

 and he threw down the tongue of the boar. The head was 

 examined, and the tongue found wanting. " How did you kill 

 him?" asked Alexander. " I gored him down." " Then, rise up, 

 Sir Adam Gordown," said Alexander, "be thy sirname for the 

 future 'Gordown.' " Gordon therefore got the knighthood and 

 the lands of Maxwell. Thus the boar's head became part of the 

 armorial bearings of Lochinvar. History, however, does not 

 bear out this tradition. The name was in existence and was also 

 spelled the same, viz., "Gurdon," one hundred years after the 

 supposed incident, and, further, the charters of the lands do not 

 confirm the tradition ; therefore I am afraid it is only another of 

 the many pleasant traditions which we all cherish, but are only 

 founded on romance. 



Gordon Charters. 



The first record I can find of the Gordons being infefted in 

 Kenmure estate proper is a precept granted to Thomas Kirk, 

 Stewart depute of Kirkcudbright, to infeft Alexander de Gordon 

 in the lands of Kenmore in Glenkennes. This precept was 

 granted by Archibald Earl of Douglas at Threave Castle on the 

 3rd day of February, 1403. Various other precepts, charters, 

 etc., were granted at Threave between the years 1403 and 1455. 



After the downfall of the Douglases I find that on the 23rd 

 March, 1487, a charter under the Great Seal was granted in 

 favour of Alexander Gordon, son and apparent heir to Sir John 

 Gordon of Lochinvar, of " all and sundry the lands of Ken- 

 more, with the Mill thereof, lands of I-aggan and Balmaclellan, 

 called the Park, with the pertinents thereof, lying in the Lord- 

 ship of Kirkcudbright." This charter is important, because it 

 erected those lands into a Barony to be called the Barony of 

 Kenmore in all time coming. 



