John HAIRSTANES

HAIRSTON.org ID#2181
Father*John HAIRSTANES1
Birth*John HAIRSTANES was born in Scotland.1 
He was the son of John HAIRSTANES.1 
Marriage*John HAIRSTANES married Janet BATTIE.1 
Anecdote*KINGSGRANGE.
The name of this property was Spottes or Little Spottis in the sixteenth century. Earlier than this period we can find no information. On the 8th February 1540, a letter of reversion was given by Edward Maxwell of Lochrutton, in favour of John, Lord Herries, of the land of Little Spottis and Breconside, which had been disponed to them as stated under Breconside, parish of Kirkgunzeon, and redeemed by Sir John Maxwell of Terregles, Knight, and Agnes Heres, his spouse, on the 25th November 1562. Then we find on the 25th May 1590, that Robert, second son of John Maxwell, Lord Herries, acquired King's Grange and Little Spottes. After this John Redik of Dalbeattie, had a decreet by the Lords of the Council against William, Lord Herries, decerning him to pay thesum of five hundred merks to Sir John Gordon of Lochinvar, in implement of his obligation, dated 3rd May 1592, to pay that sum "for satisfactioun of ye skayt sustenit be Jone Redik of Dalbatie be demolishing of ye hous of Grange Cassin, dune be ye gudeman of Hillis (parish of Lochrutton) and his friends at sic time as ye said laird of Lochinvar wald require him yrto." There was a letter of charge, dated 9th December 1592, at the instance of Jone Redik of Dalbetie, on a decreet of redemption of that date against William, Lord Herries, Sir Robert Maxwell of Spottis, and others, of the land of Kingsgrange, or Little Spottis. As will be found under Breoch, parish of Buittle, he purchased the land of Chapeltoun under charter, dated 11th August 1593. We next find that on the 14th February 1596, there was a crown precept for the infeftment of Jone Redik of Dalbeattie in the land of King's Grange or Little Spottis.

After this there is a difficulty in ascertaining who the proprietors were. On the 8th April 1621, there is a sasine of the ten merk land of Grange in favour of Matthew Hairstanes of Craigs, parish of Balmaclellan, upon a precept furth of the chancery. On the 9th December 1629, John, burgess of Dumfries, brother and heir of Matthew Hairstains of Craigis, had retour. Our next information is in March 1632, when John M'Naucht, had sasine of the land of King's Grange. On the 12th December 1643, James Hamilton of Bothelhauch, heir of Alison Sinclair, daughter of John Sinclair of Wodislie, had retour in dimidia part of the ten merk land of Spottes called Kingsgrange. We suppose that this must have been a wadset. We next trace that on the 31st March 1646, Sarah, wife of Samuel Lockhart, merchant burgess, Edinburgh, had retour as daughter and heir of her father John M'Naught, merchant, Edinburgh. After this we find Robert Gordon the owner of Grange. As will appear he must have been one of the Gordons of Troquhain, parish of Balmaclellan. The entry is, Robert Gordon of Grange, and Anna Davidson, his spouse, in liferent, and John Gordon, their son, in fie, had sasine of the land of Nethertoun of Kilquhanerly, on the 22nd September 1664. James Gordoune of Grainge gave sasine to Roger Gordoun, of Troquhen, parish of Balmaclellan, of the lands of Grainge, Litlerichorne, Nether Bigguhannadie, Corbietoune, &c. Then in October 1688, Rodger Gordone had sasine of the land of Grange, the toune and land of Stawbush, waird-meadow, some riggs and aikers within the toune and territorie of Urr, with the pertinents. In October 1668, Margaret M'Clellan, spouse to William Ewart, provost of Kirkcudbright, had sasine of half of the land of Grange; and in June 1669, we find in a renunciation (see Kilquhannadie, Kirkpatrick-Durham), that Robert Gordon was then of Grainge. Nothing more is learned until the 28th January 1708, when Ann M. Maclellan, spouse to Thomas Telfer of Townhead, had sasine. We suppose that she was a female descendant of the M'Naughts. In 1760, Patrick Gordon was of King's Grange, but we trace nothing about him. He was a shareholder in Douglas, Heron &, Co's. bank at Ayr, and probably came to grief like so many others.

In 1799, Alexander Copeland of Collieston, Dumfriesshire, was in possession. The farms then were Kingsgrange, Chappeltoun, Glenshalloch alias Waterside, Aucheninnes, with the manse place of Dalbeattie, In September 1874, the land was sold to Gladstone, residing in Birmingham, for £29,000. The farms are King's Grange, Bushabield, Nethertoun, and Townhead. The word grange, as we have mentioned elsewhere, means the buildings pertaining to a corn farm. In this case they appear at one time to have pertained to the King. The word is from the Gaelic grainnse.2 
Property*JOANNES HAIRSTANIS senior burgensis de Dumfries, heares Mathei Hairstanis de Craigs, fratis,--in annuo redditu 400m. de 20 libratis terrarum de Dumkow antiqui extentus, infra parochiam de Kirkmaho.--(Vide Kirkcudbright.) xi.93.

also -- "heir to his brother Mathew Hairstanes of Craigs." NAS.Retours, Dumfries #139.3 

Family

Janet BATTIE
Children

Sources (www.HAIRSTON.org)

  1. [S97] Edgar, Robert. An Introduction To The History of Dumfries, J. Maxwell & Sons, Dumfries 1915, Personal Collection - pdf file of complete book.
  2. [S99] History of the Lands and Their Owners in Galloway, Peter Handyside M'Kerlie, William Patterson, Edinburgh - 1879.
  3. [S117] Inqvisitionvm Ad Capellam Domini Regis Retornatarvm Quae In Pvblicia Archivis Scotiae, Abbreviatio. Vol. 1., (Great Britian: His Majesty King George III, 1840). Unknown repository.
Last Edited12 Nov 2015