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Notes on
Newark Castle, Renfrewshire |
NOTES ON NEWARK CASTLE, RENFREWSHIRE.
By G. WASHINGTON
BROWNE, ARCHITECT, F.S.A. Scot
This castle, built as a place of
residence rather than a fortified stronghold, stands within a few feet of
the water’s edge on the southern bank of the river Clyde, near its mouth,
within the county of Renfrew and parish of Port-Glasgow. The ancient
barony of Newark lay partly within the parish of Port-Glasgow, but chiefly
within that of Kilmalcolm, and
was afterwards included in the parish of Port-Glasgow. The earliest record
of it I have found is of date 1373, when Robert Danyelstoun, knight, held,
inter alia, a crown charter of Finlawstoun in the barony of Renfrew
and shire of Lanark. He died without male issue, and his property fell to
his two daughters and co-heiresses Margaret and Elizabeth. In 1402 the
latter was married to Sir Robert Maxwell first of Calderwood, who thus
came into possession of the lands, which were then called Danyelstoun-Maxwell.
This Sir Robert was connected through his mother, Isabella Lindsay of
Crawford, with the royal family
of Stuart, and the royal arms are said by some to be carved upon a panel
under one of the windows to the courtyard, but it is too much worn to be
identified with certainty now. Sir Robert was a man held in high esteem at
the Court of Scotland, and was commissioned one of the ambassadors to
negotiate for the release of James I. and of other nobles. Being of an
adventurous spirit he joined in the French wars in 1420, and was mortally
wounded shortly after his arrival in that country. He was succeeded by his
son John, then a minor, who married first Margaret, daughter of William
second Lord Borthwick, by whom he had one son and two daughters; and
second Margaret Rutherford, by whom he had one son, George, the ancestor
of the Maxwells of Newark, and who was known as George Maxwell of New-werk
of Finlawstoune-Maxwell. The oldest remaining portions of the castle, -
the two blocks forming the southern extremities of the eastern and western
wings, and tinted black on the several plans, - were probably built by him
in the second half of the 15th century ; for while up to this time the
estate is referred to as the lands of Newark, in 1484 the wood in
which is situated the place of Newark was excluded from certain
lands distrained for payment of a debt of 400 merks due by Patrick
Maxwell, son and heir of the late George Maxwell of New-werk of
Finlawstoune-Maxwell. In 1491 Robert, Laird of Lile, acquired the place
of Newark by charter under the Great Seal on account of a balance of
the above debt, subject to the condition that Maxwell was to recover
possession if the debt was paid within seven years; and again in 1494 it
is referred to as a place and Manor House. The more modem part,
forming by far the larger part of the castle (hatched in the plans), was
probably built at the close of the 16th century by Patrick Maxwell, whose
monogram, P.M. interlaced, is cut in panels in the window heads, and also
in the tympanum of the entrance door. Here also is carved the legend, "The
Blissingis of God be heirin," and the date 1597. The panel in the westmost
dormer of the river front bears the date 1599.
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