124 TRANSACTIONS. 
3d. Cuthbert Welsh, who succecded his uncle Cuthbert as heir to certain 
lands, and had two sons, John, his successor, and Thomas Welsh. 
The daughters also surviving were :—Margaret Welsh, who, 
previous to this year of 1600, had married Hector Maxwell, of 
Fourmerkland, a/zas Rue Tower, and who appears to have been of 
the Maxwell family, designed of Steilston and Kilness, in the 
barony of Holywood; Marion 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 
unregistered and hitherto unknown contract of marriage. The 
William Grierson of Kirkbride, the would-be husband, was the son 
of Robert, the son of Gilbert 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. This 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. 
“ Ist 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 sall, Godwilling, compleit 
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, 
