 Genealogical Collections : The Ancient Bairds
There is a tradition that as King William the Lion was hunting in one of the south-west counties of Scotland, and happened to straggle from his attendants, he was alarmed at the approach of a wild bear, and cried for help; upon which a gentleman, of the name of Baird, who had followed the King from England, ran up and had the good fortune to kill the bear, for which signal service the King made a considerable addition to the lands he had given him before, and assigned him for his coat-of-arms a bear passant, and for his motto, Dominus fecit; and if it will contribute to the credibility of this story, one foot of the bear came north with Ordinhnivas ancestor, and is still preserved and indeed it well deserves it, because of the enormous size, being fourteen inches long and nine broad, where it is cut from the ankle.1
It is not much above 300 years since the name of Baird was heard of in the north of Scotland, except it may have been the families of Indety and Balmaduthy whose genealogy I do not know. The earliest writ in which it is mentioned that I have heard of is among Sir James Innes, of Innes papers. It is a precept of Sasine by John Lord Lindsay, of the Byres directed to Beroald, John and Andrew of Innes, and James the Barde,2 his bailies for infefting James of Innes, of that ilk, son to Sir Robert Innes in the lands of Aberchyrdar, which lie in Boyne in Banffshire and near the place where this James Baird was settled. It bears date February 1, 1464. Now, to take the account of his pedigree and coming to this country, and of the two first marriages which his descendants made in it, from an old sheet genealogy which Lord Newbyth gave the late Auchmedden about 1695, which is the only instruction I have been able to find.
One James Baird, descended of the family of Cambusnethan (which had ended some fourscore years before in an heiress called Jean Baird, as mentioned in the public records, married to Alexander Stuart of Darnley)3 was settled in the county of Lanark, with his wife, daughter to Ker, of Cessford, ancestor to the Duke of Roxburgh, but an unhappy difference arising between him and another gentleman in that neighbourhood, which could not be made up by the interposition of friends, so that bloodshed was like to ensue,4 and the Earl of Huntly inviting him to the north and promising his friendship and protection, he accepted the offer, and the Earl gave him some lands in the Boyne in property, or wadset. This happened anno 1430, and that Earl of Huntly, who lived till 1470, continued his friendship to him and his family all his life. The origin of this was the vicinity of the family of Gordon's first settlements in the Border to those of the Bairds of Cambusnethan, and other families of that name, and inter-marriages between them.
Anno 1436. The Earl of Huntly gave his cousin, Elizabeth Gordon daughter to Sir John Gordon the first Laird of Pitlurg (by his lady, Margaret Maitland, sister to Sir Patrick Maitland of Gicht) in marriage to this James Baird's eldest son, likewise called James,5 This young James attended the Earl of Huntly at the battle of Brechin, May 18, 1452.6 His eldest son was Thomas Baird, who, in 1463, married Helen Urquhart, daughter to Sir William Urquhart, of Cromarty, by his lady, a daughter of Lord Forbes.7 Their eldest son was another Thomas from whose time there are good vouchers to instruct the descent of the family.
Upon the death of Sir Patrick Maitland of Gicht, his estate fell under precognition because of unwary securities given to creditors and George II, Earl of Huntly got the gift of it from King James II. Sir Patrick left two daughters by his lady, daughter8
to Sir Robert Innes of that ilk. The Earl gave the eldest Janet, in marriage to Thomas Baird, her cousin-german, and with her the lands of Ordinhnivas, Drumnakeith, and Pittinbrinzian, in the Boyne and several lands, fishings, and houses about Banff, particularly the lodging formerly belonging to Lord Airly, and now to Lord Fife. Upon that side of which, called Auchmull, there was a stone built into the wall with Ordinhnivas coat-of-arms cut upon it, and which stood till 1735, when that side was taken down.
This marriage was in 1490, and is instructed by the following writs.9 |
The Earl of Huntly gave Sir Patrick Maitland's other daughter11 in marriage to Annan of Auchterallan, an old family in Aberdeenshire, whose lineal representative is Mr. Alexander Annan merchant in Aberdeen. The Earl of Huntly
gave the present Estate of Gicht to his own third son, William Gordon and the lands of Pitrichie to Sir Patrick's heir male12 and Lord Newbyth's short genealogy bears that Sir Patrick Maitland himself was killed by Robert Innes, his brother in-law,
at the Smiddy of Auchindoir, as they were travelling to Edinburgh together.
Janet Maitland died June 6, 1539. The time of Thomas Baird's death is not known. Their children, of whom any memory now remains, were 1. George, his successor.
2. Thomas Baird of Sandbay, of whom no male posterity now remains. 3. William Baird of Byth, of whom was lineally descended the late James Baird, of Chesterhall, father to Dr James Baird, physician at Edinburgh, Mr.George Baird, one of the principal merchants in Glasgow,
and four daughters, all married in the south; and the late Alexander Baird, town-clerk of Cullen, whose father was a younger brother of Chesterhall's, and who has left several sons now in a good way.13
George Baird, of Ordinhnivas married in 1516 to Janet Fraser daughter to the Laird of Philorth:- her mother was daughter to Nicol Earl of Erroll, and that Lady Erroll's mother was Lady Elizabeth Gordon, daughter to the Earl of Huntly.
Alexander Ogilvie, of that ilk, predecessor to the Earl of Findlater, enters into a mutual bond of manrent with this George Baird and William Baird, his eldest son and apparent heir (who it seems died without issue) his kinsmen and friends, in the strongest terms
for all the days of their lives, subscribed at Fyndlatyr, September 28, 1553, before witnesses; Mr. Alexander Ogilvie of Glassaugh, and James Ogilvie of Cullen.
George Baird died in 155714 and Janet Fraser in 1558. Their children were Walter, who succeeded: and Janet, who was married to
Alexander Ogilvie of Glassaugh, they left nine sons behind them and some of them married and had children, but their male posterity is long extinct.
Walter Baird of Ordinhnivas, married Catherine Grant, daughter of John Grant of Balindalloch, who was brother of the Laird of Grant. She was widow of Alexander Lesly, second Laird of Kinninvie,15 to whom she bore three sons
and three daughters: Robert, who succeeded his father, William, who died without issue, and Walter, who went to Denmark, where he married and had children. Marion, married to Sir James Stuart of Culcovy, Jean to Nathaniel Gordon of Clunymore,
and Isabel to Nathaniel Grant of Tullochgorum. Walter Baird succeeded to a good fortune in those days, and was a man of an active mettled spirit, and of considerable esteem and weight in the country. February 26, 1559, he got a charter from John Gordon of Findlatyr, and another,
July 12, 1560 from John Stuart, Lord Darnley, on Ordinhnivas, Auchinkyp, and Burnside. But eight years after, viz., August 12, 1568, George Earl of Huntly grants another charter upon these lands to George Baird of Auchmedden, proceeding upon Walter Baird's resignation. Now it is said,
Walter had unluckily killed a gentleman in chance medley, and was obliged to fly into France, where he stayed several years till his peace was made up and after his return, sold some lands about Banff. But the above resignation must have been a trust-deed, for their descendants kept Ordinhnivas
above fifty years after. Walter had several natural children before his marriage. To one called Mr. Gilbert, who was bred a writer, he leaves 1000 marks by his will. This Mr. Gilbert's grandson, called likewise Mr. Gilbert, was sent, in 1676, by Sir James Baird to oversee Archbishop Sharp's
affairs at Saint Andrews. He married there and left one daughter; married to --Donaldson, merchant in that place. They left three children, Captain Robert Donaldson, a good sea officer, who has been in most parts of the world, and has lately bought a small estate near the town; another son,
who was long in North America, and lately returned home; and a daughter unmarried. Captain Donaldson is married to a daughter of Bruce of Powfoulis, great-grandchild to Sir James Baird. Gilbert Baird became a magistrate at Saint Andrews, and left a good character behind him. He left to his daughter
several lands and houses in and about St. Andrews, which now his grandson possesses.
Walter Baird continued Catholic to his death, which happened December 14, 1599, leaving only one daughter by his lady. Catherine Grant was a most judicious, active woman, and according to the tradition of the country and some letters which remain,
in all respects an excellent wife. Her mother was daughter of Cuming of Ersay. She died March 15, 1592, and by her last will it appears she then held several large farms 16 in her own hand, and left a great stocking of cows, horses, milk cows, and young cattle, labouring oxen,
and sheep upon them.
Walter Baird's daughter, Lillias, was married August 16, 1578, to Gilbert Baird of Auchmedden, to whose descent we must now return as far as it can be traced back.
Several men and women, descendants of the family of Ordinhnivas, besides those mentioned before,
are spoken of in old letters and papers, and in the Records of the Sheriff and Town Courts of Banff, but it is now impossible to ascertain their proper generations, nor have they any male posterity now remaining. There is particularly one, Thomas Baird in Burnside,17 2 August 16, 1554.
He was setting out Hibernico bello, which is explained the war against the rebellious Highlanders, and assigns to his wife, by a parchment deed written in Latin, of this date, at Banff, a great many crofts he had at that place, and property and profitable leases, held by him in Aberdeen and Banff shires.
It is very probable that he was a son or grandson of Janet Maitland.
It appears from the preceding extracts that Baird, of Posso, was an ancient and well-allied family in the shire of Peebles. That the estate came about 100 years ago to an heiress, who married a gentleman of the name of Nasmyth, and
his Armorial Bearings are matriculated in the new Register with those of Baird, of Posso; and the present Sir John Nasmyth, of Posso, is lineally descended from them.
Footnotes:
Please note that the footnote numbering had to be changed from that of the book to conform to web pages.
(1) This curious relique is in my possession W.N.F.
(2) See Acta Dominorum Concilii et Auditorum- Ed.
(3) Sir Alexander Stuart, afterwards of Darnley, married about 1360 (see Dalrymple's Collections, 394) Jean Baird, the heiress of Cambusnethan. See Introductory Notes, ante, sub an. 1292- Ed.
(4) One account bears
that James Baird slew the other gentleman in a duel. -W.B.
(5) The date assigned to this is too early, The first Earl of Huntly here referred to was not created Earl till 1449; though indeed, Auchmedden may call him Earl in 1436. The Sir John Gordon here referred to was John Gordon of
Scurdargue, founder of the "Jack " branch of the ancient Gordons, son of Sir John Gordon (slain at Otterbourne in 1388), by Elizabeth Cruikshank of Assuanly, and uncle of Elizabeth, the heiress of Huntly, mother of Alexander, first Earl. -Ed
(6) Alexander first Earl of Huntly, defeated the
Earl of Crawford at Brechin in 1452, and thus "kept the crown on the head of the King". Crawford was in arms to avenge the death of William eighth Earl of Douglas, slain by James the II. in Stirling Castle. -Ed
(7) It is not clear which Sir William Urquhart is here referred to, for it
appears from Macfarlane's MS. Genealogical Collections that there were three of the name between 1416 and 1475. Macfarlane, however, in his list of the "old writs of the Family of Cromarty," quotes a charter of date 1441 by John de Santo Claro to Esabel de Forbes, spouse to William
de Urchard, Sheriff of Cromarty. Douglas, in his Baronage, states that Sir William Urquhart, fourth of the family, married Susanna, daughter of the first Lord Forbes. -Ed.
(8) She was a granddaughter of Sir Robert Innes, ninth of the family, daughter of Sir Walter (tenth),
and sister of Sir Robert (eleventh). Shaw (History of Moray, 2nd Edit., pp. 81-85) states that Margaret, second daughter of Sir Walter (tenth), by his lady Euphemia, daughter of Hugh, first Lord Lovat, married Patrick Maitland of Netherdale. See also History of the Family of Innes,
where Sir Patrick's name is misspelt Moreland. Compare also Auchmedden's account of the murder of Sir Patrick Maitland postea. The Maitlands of Gight and Netherdale were descended from Robert Maitland, third son of Sir Robert Maitland of Thirlestane, by a daughter of Sir Robert Keith,
Great Marischall of Scotland. Robert Maitland married the heiress of Schives and Gight in Aberdeenshire. (See Robertson's Index of Charters: Nisbet's Heraldry, i, 293.)-ED.
(9) In the charter-chest of Gicht.- W.B. The Gicht here mentioned must not be confounded with the Bog of Gicht,
now Gordon Castle, the stronghold of the "Cock of the North" in Moray. This Gicht, now a ruin, stands on the banks of Ythan in the parish of Fyvie in Buchan. For a view of it and description see Pratt's History of Buchan, pp. 273.4. The writs mentioned in the text, says the late Mr. Joseph
Robertson, the highest authority on such matters, will probably be found in the charter-room at Haddo House, though some may have found their way into the Ellon charter-chest.-Ed.
(10) Thomas is designated of "Ordynhuff" as early as 1489 (Acta Dom Concilii et Auditorum) or in that year he
is ordered by the Lords of Council and Session to pay to James Turing, burgess of Edinburgh, as assignee of Alexander Maister of Huntly, a "last of salmond of ye mesure of banf full red and swet."-Ed.
(11) Elizabeth Apud Perth. 18 Junii ann. MCCCCLXVII. Rex (Jac. III.) Concessit Georgio Dom.
Gordoune haered. suis et assign. terras de Schives infra vice com. de Aberdeen: terras de Nater-dale, Pettenbrinzeane, et Dumnakethe infra vicecom. de banff, quas Elizabetha Matland et Joneta Matland, fil. et haered. quondam Patricii Matland militis, apud Francland resignaverunt (Reg. Sig. Mag.) -Ed.
(12) From whom descended the Maitlands of Pitrichie, now represented by the Arbuthnots and Forbeses.-Ed.
(13) Auchmedden, it will be observed, only follows out the line of George, the eldest son, which ended in his grand-daughter, Lillias, who married a namesake of her own, but of a totally different family, to the history of which the rest of the account is devoted. With the exception of the short notice in the text of the descendant of William of Byth, the third son, he quite gives the go-by to the older family, a more detailed account of which will be found in the Appendix.-Ed
(14)
16th September, 1532, the Carmelite Friars at Banff, proprietors of part of the salmon fishings in Dovern, now belonging to Lord Fife, let them to George Baird of Ordinhnivas for years. They also grant him a charter of lease of the Dowhaugh of Banff for nineteen years; the rent twenty bolls of meal and
twenty bolls of malt:- W. B.
(15) The first Kinninvie was a son of Newlesly, about Anno 1500.-W.B.
(16) The will is transcribed in the notes appended to the MS. The farms are Bankheid, Dallachy, Auchannachy, and the Liez(?) and Auchnagorth.-Ed.
(17) He is a witness to a deed quoted in the Appendix.-Ed.
May 2nd, 1543 Thomas Baird of Burnside gets a nineteen years tack of the Dowhaugh of Banff. -W.B. |
