296 An Account of Simprin, Berwickshire, by Jas. Hardy. 



We next learn from a royal writ of Edward III., dated at 

 York, 4th March, 1333-4, that the property of the vill of Simprin 

 had become sub-divided, and this appears to have been in conse- 

 quence of its being inherited by heirs female. The deed bears 

 that Patrick de Graham de Lovet and his ancestors, were seized 

 in their domain as of feu from the time of Alexander III., king 

 of Scotland, of the third part of the vills of Sempryng, Daltone, 

 and Merton.* Now, we know, that in the reign of Alexander 

 III., Sir John Bisset of Lovat died without heirs male, and left 

 his estate to his three daughters, of whom Mary the eldest was 

 married to David de Graham, of the Kincardine family, who was 

 thereupon designed Dominus de Loveth.f The third daughter 

 was married in 1292, which furnishes a date.j In the reign of 

 Edward II. or III., the aforesaid Patrick de Graham quit-claimed 

 the third part of the above three vills to the English chamberlain 

 for Scotland, named John de Weston ; who was, however, ex- 

 pelled by Eobert de Bruys during the War of Independence, and 

 other tenants were instituted adverse to English interests. § 

 Master John de Weston, clerk, was conjunct receiver and dis- 

 penser at Edward I's Exchequer at Berwick, from 1298 to 1304, 

 of the money accruing from lands, &c, in Scotland, and for pay- 

 ing the military expenses of upholding the king's occupation of 

 that kingdom || On August 16th, 1308, in the second year of 

 Edward II., John de Weston, clerk, is dispatched to assist Eobert 

 de Umframvill, Earl of Angus, one of the newly-appointed 

 guardians of Scotland, in organising his department of the 

 Government, (Pot. Scot. I., p. 56) ; on December 3d, he was 

 Edward's eschetor beyond the Scottish sea (p. 61) ; and constable 

 of the Castle of Porfar (p. 61). In 1309, he is fixed in charge 

 of the exchequer at Berwick, being termed in one deed as 

 " Meistre Johan de Weston, nostre chaumbrelein d' Escoce." 

 (p. 112). In 1315, he is directed to stay at Berwick, where his 

 services were indispensable, instead of, as had been proposed, 

 coming to London, to render an account of his stewardship, 

 during his tenure of office, (p. 151). On the 17th June, 1317, 

 he was relieved by the appointment of James de Broghton, clerk, 

 as his successor, (p. 172), In Oct. 1318, he is occupied at York 



* Eot. Scot, i., pp. 269, 270. 



t Nisbet's Heraldry, i., p. 91, and Remarks on Bagman Roll, p. 16. 



% Ibib i., p. 91. § Rot. Scot. ubi. sup. || Hist. Doc. Scot, ii., p. 365, etc. 



