The
History
of
The Castle of St Monance
This
is still in its earliest stages:
generally secondary sources form the basis for the following.
Hopefully, readers will continue to offer insight and
direction as to where additional evidence may be found to support or supplant the ideas
presented here and to correct any errors that may be found.
The earliest whispers detected of ownership of the castle site is in
Alexander III (1241-1286; reign 1249-1286) spending part of his childhood at the St Monance
residence of his half-sister Marjory Canmore and his brother-in-law, Sir Alan Durward
( c.1218-1275). Whether remains of the
castle of Alan Durward will ever be found or excavated at the current site of
the castle is unknown. This may
well have been a motte-type castle, a wooden or stone or earthen structure, whose remains would have
been incorporated into the castle’s foundation, or traces of a full-blown
stone castle may yet be discovered.
During
the years 1265-67, Alan Durward erected a shrine or chapel to the local
saint, a hermit whose cave is near the current church. His name was St. Monan
and he is associated with the early days of Christianity in the area, perhaps a
monk from Iona.
Durward’s
wife Margery was the daughter of King Alexander II (1198-1249; reign 1214-1249),
born prior to his marriage to Mary de Soules, the mother of Alexander III.
The Durward was of Norman descent and had close ties to the royal family.
His father and grandfather had been Keepers of the Door for the king and the
family name changed with Alan from de Lundin to Durward, in recognition of this
role which had become hereditary. Alan was perceived as the epitome of
knighthood during the reign of Alexander II and for his services to that monarch he was rewarded in 1230 with the
lordship of Urquhart
in Moray, following the area’s revolt against the king, with significant assets
and the king's daughter Margery of Scotland, as his bride.
Durward's first wife was Isabella, Countess of Athole by whom he may have
had a daughter who only lived a few years. They had no male heir and the
title was inherited by the son of her first marriage. After Alexander II’s death, Durward was
one of the guardians to the minor
Alexander III.
The
issue of Marjory’s il/legitimacy was later to play a significant role in the
family’s fortunes. In 1251 when
Alexander III was in England to wed the daughter of Henry III, Alan lost his
status as Guardian of the young king due to it being revealed that he and the
Chancellor of Scotland (the Lord Abbot of Dunfermline Abbey) were attempting to
have the Pope declare Marjory legitimate so that she might succeed to the throne
in the event of Alexander III dying without issue.
Edward
I of England, “Longshanks” was invited to select the legitimate heir
following the death of the “Margaret, the Maid of Norway” (1286-1290)
granddaughter and sole heir of Alexander III, en route to assuming her Scottish
throne. In 1281, when 13 prospects
put their claims forward, among them was one of
Alan and Marjory’s heirs, Nicholas de Soulis, through their daughter
Emerguarde, who claimed the throne through that line of Marjory to Alexander II.
Had it been possible to prove her legitimacy, his would have been the
senior claim.
Margery and Alan had three daughters who survived him, and one son who did not.
At his death, his estate was divided equally between the three daughters :
Ermengarde, Anna and one whose name is unknown.
Ermengarde, their eldest daughter married Nicholas de Soulis who is subsequently recorded as being of Fife. Their second daughter Anna, married Colbran MacDuff (?-1270), the 8th Earl of Fife, who was murdered by Sir Patrick Abernethy. The third daughter married John Bisset.
Which daughter inherited the castle is unknown. While some have suggested
as logical that the MacDuff lordship of Fife would have taken the castle, one
could argue that would be unnecessary since the castle is located a relatively short distance
from their castles of Elcho, MacDuff and Wemyss.
Alan Durward had many titles during his life.
He was Justiciar of Scotland between 1246 and 1251 and again in
1256-1257. He was granted the
lordship of Urquhart by Alexander II, was earl of Atholl through his first
marriage; claimant to the earldom of Mar. lord of half the lands of St. Monans
along with his brother-in-law the earl of Buchan and the holder of extensive
estates in Angus, the Mearns and Mar (much of modern Tayside and Grampian; as
well as the castle and property of Bolsover in the English Midlands.
He was Chief Justiciar of the Realm and a Member of the Council of
Regency during the king’s minority years.
Another of Alan’s titles was that of Earl of Kintyre-Oneil.
This thanage was alienated by Alexander II to Alan Durward.
However, conflicting evidence raises some questions.
Local history in Kintyre indicates that Colin Durward was Lord of
Oneil in 1234 and the lands of Coull, Kincragy and Corse belonged to him.
This would appear to have been an uncle or brother.
Similarly, was he an earlier warden of the door who was replaced by Alan,
or had it become a family title and position?
Or, could it merely be that this is a variant of the spelling of Alan,
resulting from a period in which there was little standardization (for instance,
Doorwood is one of the variations of his surname.
In 1233 Alan built a hospice for travellers on the north/south road of
Kincardine O’Neil. The
foundations of this building can still be seen in the churchyard.
On
7 March 1338, the church of Kincardine O’Neil was erected into a prebend of
the Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Machar in Aberdeen by a gift of Duncan,
Earl of Fife. Duncan had clearly inherited
some of the lands of the Durwards.
The next name associated with the
property, though not necessarily the castle, is Sir John Kinloch (c1411-?) of Cruvie and
St. Monance.
He died without sons and his two daughters, Margaret and Janet, inherited
his estate. Janet married John
Ramsay and we have been unable to trace the heirs of that relationship.
However, there is record of a Ramsay selling an interest in the Cruvie
property to a Sandilands and Carnegie in the 16th century.
John’s
daughter Margaret married James Sandilands (1433-c.1505) of Calder [a title
associated with the MacDuff as the Oneille/Durward heir – but that connection
has also not been determined] and Edinburgh on 25 July 1453.
Margaret died about 1493 after bearing two children, John, (1464-1493/4)
and Christian (1467-1520). Christian
married David Hepburn (born 1464).
Margaret’s
son, John Sandilands, inherited his father’s property of Calder, a title
associated with the MacDuff family, and that branch of the family can be traced
in the histories of the Lords Torpichan.
Margaret’s castle of St. Monance was not inherited by her children.
Instead, James Sandilands’ son, another James, by his second wife,
Margaret Ker, inherited that estate.
The
Sandilands are an interesting family: first
records I have located of the direct family are in relation to the marriage of
Eleanor Douglas (1325-1360), daughter of Archibald the Grim and his sole
legitimate heir, to James Sandilands (1319 – pre-1358).
By some means, Sandilands was persuaded to abandon the claim their son
would have had to the Douglas estate in favor of her illegitimate half-brother.
The
Sandilands’ family almost certainly did major construction and restoration on
the site of an earlier castle. One
of the many mysteries to be uncovered will be an attempt to determine to which
period the many additions/replacements can be allocated.
For over 150 years they were the lords of the lands.
In 1622 Sir William Sandilands and his son and heir, Sir James
Sandilands, Knight Friar of St Monans, Granted a charter to the feuars
“erected the port and town of St Monance in an free Burgh of Barroney” . . .
For the sum of ‘ten pounds usual money of this realm’ he rented to
them annually ‘the mair and sward’, pointing out that they had never been
charged before. Courts were held
three times a year at the castle. They
gave the village of St Monance baronial rights:
while retaining to themselves the benefits of the village economy.
Between
1644 and 1649, another James Sandilands (1623-1666/7) ran through the family
fortune in a mere five years. In
1949, facing bankruptcy, he sold the castle to General Sir David Leslie
(?-1682).
David
Leslie was considered by many as the most able general of Scotland’s
Covenanters
during the civil war. As the fifth
son of Patrick Leslie of he had to make his own fortunes.
He served in Europe for 30 years with Gustaf of Sweden before returning
to Scotland to serve on the side of the Covenanters during the war.
It was his brilliant cavalry charge at Newark Castle in England that
saved the day and led to King Charles I’s surrender to the Scottish forces,
led by his relative, Alexander Leslie, Commander of the Covenanter’s forces.
Leslie then led the troops at Philiphaugh and that defeat led to Montrose
being ordered to abandon the fight and flee to the continent.
However,
with the beheading of Charles I by the English, David Leslie’s allegiance
changed and he joined the Royalist forces.
Unfortunately, the extreme Presbyterians were in control of all
government activities, including the army.
In 1650, Oliver Cromwell invaded Scotland after Charles I’s execution
and when Scotland was preparing to crown his son, Charles II.
David Leslie was now the leader of the Royalist forces and for two months
was successful in harrying and defeating Cromwell.
However, on 3 September 1650 Cromwell defeated the Loyalist army at
Dunbar after the Committee of Divines, the religious leaders who governed both
army and country, insisted that Leslie abandon his strong military position and
attack. At least 3,000 Scots were
killed and 10,000 made prisoner. Within
a short period Leslie was captured and sent to the Tower of London where he
languished for the next nine years, until the return of the crown after
Cromwell’s death.
David
Leslie was rewarded by King Charles II with the title of Lord Newark:
both the name by which St. Monance was referred and the name of the
castle in England at which battle he defeated the King’s father’s army and
led to Charles I’s capture and ultimate regicide.
David Leslie also received a pension of L500 per annum from his grateful
monarch.
David
Leslie did very extensive renovations to the castle:
adding an additional story to the buildings and adding the unique Dutch
gables to the roof of the main hall. While
local lore attributes the building of the doo-cote in celebration of his release
from the Tower (1661), this is not accurate.
It is listed among the assets of the castle in 1649 when he was using it
as collateral and is of the style of the early 16th century, not 17th.
After
his death in 1682, his son, another David, assumed the title and inherited the
castle. When he died in 1694 he
left his estate to his five daughters (Jean, Mary, Elizabeth, Grizel and
Christian), his only son, another David, having pre-deceased him.
To
David’s eldest daughter, Jean “Green Jean” Leslie (?-1739/40), went the
castle. She married Alexander
Anstruther (1652-1743) and they held the castle briefly until her husband’s
bankruptcy in 1725 forced its sale.
A
nephew, Sir John Anstruther bought St Monance castle at the auction held to
settle Alexander’s debts. The
castle remained in this branch of the family until Sir Wyndham Carmichael
Anstruther sold it to the Baird family in the 19th century.
By
the 19th century, the castle was no longer a residence for the
Anstruther or Baird families. It
was not the castle but the property associated with the barony that had value.
The castle had deteriorated into storage space for farmers and
accommodation for servants of the family who resided in nearby Elie.
By
the 19th century, the castle was no longer a residence for the
Anstruther or Baird families. It
was not the castle but the property associated with the barony that had value.
The castle had deteriorated into storage space for farmers and
accommodation for servants of the family who resided in nearby Elie.
The
Thompson family purchased the property from the Bairds for farming purposes.
The castle was merely a curiosity that graced a corner of those lands.
As a young boy, John Thompson played on the crumbling remains and dreamed
of winning the lottery and restoring the castle to its former glory.
After his father’s death and realizing that with a young family and
with responsibilities of both father and farmer his priorities had changed and
the lottery had not been won. However,
he did want to share with others the love he had for the castle and to stop the
inevitable ruination that was befalling the castle.
In 2000 John and uncle transferred ownership to the Crewe & Nelson
family so that the historical research, archaeology and restoration work he had
wished for could become a reality. These
pages represent the initial research into the castle’s history.
There are many gaps and documentation may never be found.
But the search is on.
Erskine Beveridge, 1889, courtesy of David McBain
By
the 19th century, the castle was no longer a residence for the
Anstruther or Baird families. It
was not the castle but the property associated with the barony that had value.
The castle had deteriorated into storage space for farmers and
accommodation for servants of the family who resided in nearby Elie.
The
Thompson family purchased the property from the Bairds for farming purposes.
The castle was merely a curiosity that graced a corner of those lands.
As a young boy, John Thompson played on the crumbling remains and dreamed
of winning the lottery and restoring the castle to its former glory.
After his father’s death and realizing that with a young family and
with responsibilities of both father and farmer his priorities had changed and
the lottery had not been won. However,
he did want to share with others the love he had for the castle and to stop the
inevitable ruination that was befalling the castle.
In 2000 John and uncle transferred ownership to the Crewe & Nelson
family so that the historical research, archaeology and restoration work he had
wished for could become a reality. These
pages represent the initial research into the castle’s history.
There are many gaps and documentation may never be found.
But the search is on.
Erskine Beveridge Photograph, 1889, courtesy David McBain
By
the 19th century, the castle was no longer a residence for the
Anstruther or Baird families. It
was not the castle but the property associated with the barony that had value.
The castle had deteriorated into storage space for farmers and
accommodation for servants of the family who resided in nearby Elie.
The
Thompson family purchased the property from the Bairds for farming purposes.
The castle was merely a curiosity that graced a corner of those lands.
As a young boy, John Thompson played on the crumbling remains and dreamed
of winning the lottery and restoring the castle to its former glory.
After his father’s death and realizing that with a young family and
with responsibilities of both father and farmer his priorities had changed and
the lottery had not been won. However,
he did want to share with others the love he had for the castle and to stop the
inevitable ruination that was befalling the castle.
In 2000 John and uncle transferred ownership to the Crewe & Nelson
family so that the historical research, archaeology and restoration work he had
wished for could become a reality. These
pages represent the initial research into the castle’s history.
There are many gaps and documentation may never be found.
But the search is on.
The
Thompson family purchased the property from the Bairds for farming purposes.
The castle was merely a curiosity that graced a corner of those lands.
As a young boy, John Thompson played on the crumbling remains and dreamed
of winning the lottery and restoring the castle to its former glory.
After his father’s death and realizing that with a young family and
with responsibilities of both father and farmer his priorities had changed and
the lottery had not been won. However,
he did want to share with others the love he had for the castle and to stop the
inevitable ruination that was befalling the castle.
In 2000 John and uncle transferred ownership to the Crewe & Nelson
family so that the historical research, archaeology and restoration work he had
wished for could become a reality. These
pages represent the initial research into the castle’s history.
There are many gaps and documentation may never be found.
But the search is on.
Sketch by D McBain, 1948, courtesy of his son, David McBain
In
the summer of 2000 Simon Wilson, a distinguished architect from West Wemyss
commenced the architectural drawings and Tim Upson-Smith and Jonathan Trigg
added the archaeological stone by stone dimensions of the current structure.
Tim Upson-Smith did the inking of these drawings [link to drawings].
The
archaeologist, Derek Alexander, is doing preliminary geophysical and topographic
work. We hope to be ready to do the
initial phase one of the dig on the site within the next two years.
Peter
Gillies, the laird of Ballencrieff Castle, who took a burned out and abandoned
(for 200 years) ruin in East Lothians and turned it into the most exciting
restoration of a private residence in Scotland, has agreed to act as special
advisor on the restoration phase.
Many
consents and approvals must be sought before work can commence, but the dream is
there and the history is waiting to be discovered and revealed.
A
grand adventure awaits . . . join in the fun.
Visit us often and send along any suggestions you may have for research
or the site. And wish us sunny
skies at our Stormy Castle . . .