LYLE, Lord,
an (extinct) title in the peerage of Scotland, conferred about 1446
on Sir Robert Lyle, descended from William de Lyle, one of the
witnesses of the foundation charter of the monastery of Paisley by
Walter, high steward of Scotland in 1164. Ten years afterwards he
was one of the prisoners taken along with William the Lion at
Alnwick, and died before 1200. His son, William de Lyle, had two
sons, the elder of whom, Radulphus or Ralph, was designed de Insula,
dominus de Duchal, the barony of that name, which gave the local
designation, being in Renfrewshire. This Ralph lived in the reign of
Alexander II. His son, Sir William, was one of the nominees on the
part of Robert Brus in his competition with John Baliol for the
crown of Scotland in 1292. Sir William’s son, Sir Alexander Lyle,
joined Edward Baliol, and was by him appointed sheriff of Bute,
which, according to some, was their ancient possession, hence their
name of L’Isle. He was also made, by Baliol, lord-high-chamberlain
of Scotland. He was slain by the men of Bute, known at that time by
the name of the lord-high-steward’s Brandanes, and his head
presented to the steward of Scotland.
His son, Sir John Lyle of Duchal, was in great favour with
David II., from whom he received a charter of the barony of
Buchquhan in Stirlingshire. He was one of the ambassadors to England
in 1366. His son, also named Sir John Lyle, married one of the
daughters and coheirs of the old earls of Mar, in whose right he
added the coat of Mar to his paternal arms. On the death of
Alexander Stewart, earl of Mar, he put in his claim as one of the
heirs of the earldom, to which he and the Lord Erskine should have
succeeded by right and proximity of blood, but King James I. took
possession of it. His son, Sir Robert, was one of the hostages for
that monarch on his liberation in 1424, when his annual revenue was
estimated at 300 marks.
Sir Robert’s son, also Sir Robert, first Lord Lyle, was
created a peer by James II. His only son, Robert, second Lord Lyle,
was a privy councillor to James III., and an ambassador to England
in March 1472, when he concluded a truce with that nation. Accused
of sending treasonable letters to James of Douglas, then an exile in
England, and to some Englishmen, enemies of the kingdom, and of
receiving letters from them, he was tried in parliament 22d March
1481-2, before an assize, the king sitting as judge, and declared
free and innocent of the charge. In 1484 and 1485 he was employed
four several times to treat with the English. He joined the party
formed against James III., and with some others went to England in
May 1488, under a safe conduct from Henry VII., and he was there
when James was murdered at Sauchieburn 11th June
following. He returned home before 24th July, and was
appointed great justiciary of Scotland. He was one of the
commissioners for opening the Estates, 8th October, but
he afterwards joined the earl of Lennox and other nobles who took up
arms to avenge the death of James II. They were, however, defeated,
and Lord Lyle was forfeited in June 1489, but the act of forfeiture
was rescinded and annulled by the king and parliament, 5th
February 1489-90, and the clerk register ordered to expunge it from
the records. He was at the same time restored to his office of
justiciary.
The eldest son of this nobleman, Robert, third Lord Lyle, died
in 1511, leaving by his wife, Mariot Lindsay, a daughter of the
house of Dunrod, a son, James, fourth lord, a minor, when the king
assigned his wardship and marriage to James Bethune, archbishop of
Glasgow, whose niece he married, being the daughter of David Bethune
of Criech. He had a son, John, who predeceased him, and a daughter,
Jean, married to Sir Niel Montgomery of Lainshaw, in Ayrshire, a
grandson of the first earl of Eglinton. Her descendant, James
Montgomery of Lainshaw, tendered his vote as Lord Lyle at the
elections of representative peers in 1721 and 1722, but it was not
received, as did also Sir Walter Montgomery at the general election
of 1784, and at subsequent elections, but his vote was not allowed.
