52 Report of the Meetings for 1892. 



The history of the estate of West Nisbet and its owners, to the 

 time of its acquisition by the Kers, is fully and sympathetically 

 told by Mr Eoss, Marchinont Herald, in his interesting intro- 

 duction to Alexander JVishefs Heraldic Platen, published in 1892. 

 The following is little more than a bare list extracted from the 

 narrative of Mr Eoss. 



1. Adam Nisbet of West Nisbet. Received sasiae of the lands of 



Nisbet in 1451. 



2. Philip Nisbet, his son. 



3. Adam Nesbitt de West Nesbitt, 1480. 



4. Sir Philip of Nisbet of that Ilk, 1489. Received on 11th June 1497 

 a crown charter " of the lands of Pewtoua and the honss thereof 

 Hand near the zettis of Nisbet." Pewtoan is now Pntton Mill on 

 the contigaons estate of Duns Castle. 



5. Adam Nisbet, eldest son of the preceding, 1502. 



6. Philip Nisbet of that Ilk, 1524. 



7. Adam Nisbet, 1540. 



8. George Nisbet, on 31st May 1551, conveyed to Elizabeth Cranstoun, 



daughter of Cuthbert Cranstoun of Thirlestane Mains, in contem- 

 plation of their marriage, the lands of Mungoiswallis and the west 

 mill of the town of West Nisbet, with the lands of Otterburne. 

 Evidently a stirring man in his day. Was obliged to find caution, 

 along with Alexander Lord Home, Edgar of Wadderlie, and others, 

 for their attempt on the life of Archibald Douglas of Kilspindie, 

 provost of Edinburgh, at Aberlady on 18th August 1556; and 

 twelve years later we find him besieged in his house at Mungois- 

 wellis, by the formidable David Home of Wedderburn — the slayer 

 of Sir Anthony de la Bastie— with whom he seems to have 

 quarrelled. He died in 1600, and was succeeded by his eldest 

 son. 



9. Sir Philip Nisbet of that Ilk. 



10. Sir Alexander Nisbet of that Ilk, son of the preceding. Married (in 

 1609 P) Katherine Swinton, only daughter of Robert Swinton of 

 that Ilk, and built the oldest part of the mansion house of Nisbet 

 as we now see it. A devoted adherent of Charles I., he was 

 reduced to great straits on the downfall of that monarch ; and the 

 story of his long struggle with his creditors, aided as they were by 

 his political opponents — the Covenanters— who were then the 

 dominant party in the State, to retain possession of his ancestral 

 domains, is as thrilling as a romance. It ended, in March 1652, by 

 his executing — "compelled by necessity" — a disjjosition of the 

 property to Mr John Ker, Merchant Burgess in Edinburgh (brother 

 of Sir Thomas Ker of Cavers) who had acquired the rights of the 

 original creditors and received assignations to their bonds. After 

 the Restoration, Sir Alexander made a final effort to regain pos- 

 session of the estate, but it proved fruitless. 



