184 Kenmure Castle. 



way." A desperate encounter ensued, during which Maclellan 

 was slain at the door of St. Giles' Church by James Gordon. 

 After much litigation and delay, the I.aird of Lochinvar and his 

 son were put to the horn and declared rebels. 



Robert died, and was succeeded by his son James. Eleven 

 vears afterwards a remission was granted to all the parties, dated 

 the 13th January, 1538. The real secret, however, which 

 hastened this settlement was that in the meantime young 

 Maclellan ha^ fallen desperately in love with Helen, the fair 

 daughter of his father's murderer. James Gordon, the Laird of 

 Lochinvar, wisely agreed to the suit, so that the tragedy not only 

 ended in a happy marriage, but the bridegroom brought the ring 

 in one pocket and " letters of slains," pardoning his goodfather, 

 in the other. James Gordon was one of those who accompanied 

 the King to France, when he went there in search of a wife. 



SoLWAY Moss. 



Li 1542 he was also one of the nobility who allowed them- 

 selves to be taken prisoners at the inglorious rout of Solway 

 Moss. In the official report of Lord Wharton to the King, con- 

 taining the names of the prisoners and the pledges, I find the 

 following : — " The Larde of Loughinware a man of two hundred 

 markes lands, and in goods better than a thousand pounds, his 

 pledges, his cousins, two of them with my Lord Scrope, and one 

 with mv Lord Conyers, for four score and fifteen." After the 

 Laird of Lochinvar had regained his liberty he became so 

 enraged at the excesses of Lord Wharton, who ravaged Galloway 

 and the borders, that he resolved to summon his Galloway men 

 for the purpose of revenge. He took Lochmaben Castle, and 

 then laid siege to Caerlaverock. He invested it so closely that 

 Wharton was unable to succour it, either by sea or land. The 

 fortress, however, proved so strong that Lochinvar's troopers 

 failed to storm it. But they so persistently invested it that the 

 defenders were at last starved out. This was in 1546. 



Along with Lord Maxwell, James Gordc;^ of Lochinvar 

 entered heartily into a scheme of revenge by raiding the Border 

 Marches, and driving out the English. The details of these skir- 

 mishes are too long to be given here. While they were thus 

 engaged the balefires blazed forth from Criffel to the Knock of 

 Glenluce, summoning all the warriors to arms to defend Edin- 



