124 Transactions. 



3d. Cuthberb Welsli, who succeeded his uncle Cuthbert as heir to certain 

 lands, and had two sons, John, his successor, and Thomas Welsh. 



The daug-hters also sur\'iving' were : — Margaret Welsh, who, 

 previous to this year of 1600, had married Hector Maxwell, of 

 Fourmerklaud, alias Rue Tower, and who appears to have been of 

 the Maxwell family, designed of Steilston and Kilness, in the 

 barony of Holywood ; Mai'ion Welsh, unmarried, and residing at 

 Collistoun at the time of her father's decease. It would otherwise 

 appear that the eldest son, David Welsh of Collistoun, had had a 

 daughter, Jean Welsche, who forms the subject of the following 

 um-egistered and hitherto unknown contract of marriage. The 

 William Gi^ierson of Kirkbride, the would-be husband, was the son 

 of Robert, the son of Grilbert Grierson of Kirkbride, who again is 

 supposed to have been a son of the Laird of Lag, killed at Flodden 

 in 1513. All had been the hereditary owners of those lands of 

 Kirkbride, which they had held from their chief and superior, the 

 Laird of Lag. Tliis William Grierson, of the contract of marriage, 

 had from Sir William Grierson of Lag a charter of the 40s land of 

 Kirkbride, in the barony of Holywood, dated the 28th of June, 

 1614. Herbert Cunnynghame of Craigend and Swyre, Notary, 

 Town Clerk, and afterwards Provost of Dumfries, and who had 

 married the daughter of a " John Grier of Swyre," and who draws 

 out the contract of marriage itself all in his own neat small hand- 

 writing, may thus very probably have been not unremotely 

 related to the contracting- parties of both surnames. This contract 

 not having been recorded in the public register for some reason 

 unknown, by association on the part of the lady, as the niece of 

 the Reformer, the contract may be said to possess a borrowed 

 lustre and interest : 



" Copy Contract of Marriage. 

 " 1st November, 1613. 



" At Drumfries, the fyrst day of November, the yeir of God MDC. and 

 therteene yeiris (1613), it is contractit and agreeit betuix William Griersoun 

 of Kirkbryid, on that one part, and David Welsche of Collistoun, takkand 

 the burden on him for Jeane Welsche, his laufull dochter, on the uther part, 

 in maner following : That is the said William sail, Godwilling, compleib 

 and solemnizat the halie band of matrimonie with [each] utheris publiclie as 

 efferis, betuix the dait hereof and the fyrst day of December nextocum, and 

 thairefter indew utheris with bodies and guidis, as becumis mareit personis 

 of Christiane dewtie. For the quhilkis cause of marriage, the said David 

 Welsch of Collistoun, takkand the burden on him for his said dochter, 

 bindis and oblaisses him, his aires, executoris, and assignais to content and 

 pay to the said William Griersoun, in name of tocher with his said dochter, 



