275 



On the Estate of Lees, in the Parish of Coldstream, Berwick- 

 shire. By James Hardy. 



The lands of Lees, were a portion of the territory of Hirsel, 

 belonging to the monastery of St. Mary of Coldstream ; but they 

 have not been observed, under their present appellation, in any 

 of the charters at present accessible to the public. In May 6, 

 1601, "terrsede Braidhauch et Lies, ad viginti sex solidatas et 

 octo denariatas terrarum," were part of the barony of Linton, 

 which Dominus John Ker de Hirsell, knight, held in feu-farm, 

 originally from the church, but now from the crown.* In 1621, 

 on the dissolution, by Act of Parliament of the "priory" of 

 Coldstream, in favour of Sir John Hamilton of Trabroun, knight, 

 he acquired with the other ecclesiastical, property of that house, 

 "all and haill the landes of Braidhauche Dedriche and Leyis 

 lyand on the south syid of the burne of Leitte towarde the 

 monasterie."f This Sir Thomas, third son of Thomas, first Earl 

 of Haddington, was a great spendthrift. "Having gotten in 

 partage, the barony of Trabroune, and great sums of money be- 

 sides, by his riotous living, he dilapidated all, and he himself 

 died before his father's death." j The first Earl of Haddington 

 died in 1637. 



On January 8, 1 633, Lancelot Pringill de Leyes, is retoured 

 heir of Alexander Pringill de Leyes, his father — "in terris de 

 Braidhauche et Leyis, cum lie Onsteid vulgaritervocato Henhouse- 

 wallis, Byrewallis, et Dowcat hill, in dominio de Cauldstreame."§ 

 In 1648, Act. Pari. Carl L, in an Act for "putting the kingdom 

 in ane posture of warr for defence," " Lancelote pringle of 

 Leyis" is one of the commissioners for Berwickshire. || He was 

 dead in 1681, when his name is cited in an Act of Eatification in 

 favour of Eobert Pringle of Cliftoun of the lands of Cliftoun, as 

 having, in conjunction with his son Eobert, purchased a five 

 merk land in Cliftoun, from Andrew and David Young of Har- 

 well, in that place.^[ Of Eobert nothing more can be ascertained, 

 but in 1676, "Leyes" was the property of James Pringle.** 

 Like many other estates at that period, it had become encumbered, 



* Inquis. Valorum, No. 7. t Acts Pari. Scot., vol. iv., p. 648. 



X Scot's Staggering State, etc., p. 70. 



§ Inquisit. Eetornat. Abbrev. Berwickshire, No. 187. 



|| Acts Pari. Scot., vol. vi., part ii., p. 33. 



IT lb. vol. viii., p. 288. ** Fountainhall's Decisions, vol. i., p, 529. 



It 



