REPORT OF THE MEETINGS FOR 1898 263 



Appendix II. 



An Ancient Galloway Charter. By C. S. Eomanes, 

 Edinburgh. (Plate VII.) 



Mr 0. S. Romanes, C.A., exhibited the following ancient 

 Galloway Charter. He stated that it was by King William 

 the Lion, confirming two religious donations of Alan, Lord of 

 Galloway, (date 1210 to 1214), of part of the lands of Sipland, 

 near Kirkcudbright. A reference to Sir Herbert Maxwell's 

 valuable work, "Dumfries and Galloway," supplies many 

 graphic and interesting sketches of the ancient Lords of 

 Galloway (pp. 58 and 59), and particularly of Alan, the son of 

 Eoland, whose gifts to St. Cuthbert's Church and to St. Oswald 

 the Martyr's Church are confirmed by William the Lion. It 

 is interesting to note that Alan was nearly related to the King, 

 being the husband of Margaret, one of the three daughters 

 of David, Earl of Huntingdon, the King's brother, whom 

 Buchanan styles Alan " Scottorum longe potentissimus," (by 

 far the most powerful of Scots). In virtue of his great 

 estates in the counties of Northampton and Leicester, Alan was 

 present at Runnymede when King John granted the Great 

 Charter in 1215, and his name appears in the preamble of the 

 Charter as one of the greatest barons. Alan died in 1234, 

 and was buried at Dandrennan Abbey. Sir Herbert Maxwell, 

 quoting the Annals of Ulster, says that he was the last of the 

 Lords of Galloway to receive from the chroniclers the title of 

 King. A very great and important personage is thus brought 

 before us when we read the Royal charter confirming Alan's 

 gifts. 



The charter was purchased at the great Phillips' sale in 

 London this summer, and is in perfect preservation, though, as 

 usually happens with very ancient deeds, it is minus the seal : — 

 Willelmus, Dei gracia. Rex Scottorum, omnibus probis homini- 

 bus tocius terre sue, clericis et laicis, salutem: — Sciant presentes 

 et f uturi me concessisse et hac carta mea confirmasse donationem 

 illam quam Alanus, filius Rollandi, Constabularius, fecit Deo et 

 ecclesie Sancti Cudberti de Kircudbriht de ilia parte de 

 Sipland quam Kineth tenuit, et donationem illam quam idem 



