John of Crawford, son to the Laird (Dominus), of Dalgarnock (by his
charter of alienation, without date), grants, gives, and confirms to his
beloved cousin, John Fergusson (Domino de Craigdarroch), his mill in Balmakane
in Jargbruch, and to his heirs and assignees, etc., with room to build a
mill-house with free ish and entrie thereto, etc. There is another very old
charter by the same person to John Fergusson in an old hand, without date, at
least not legible, Ut in primario hujus libelli. John Crawford of Balmakane, by
his charter, dated Feby. 6th, 1398, grants a charter of confirmation of the
four merks worth of land of Jarbruch and the mill, and confirms to Jonkyne
Fergusson, his son, right to tho mill of Jarbruch, etc. [Records of the
Clan..., p. 385]
Douglas of Drumlanrig
1450 circa - Elizabeth Douglas married John Fergusson, 5th of
Craigdarroch, son of Matthew Fergusson, 4th of Craigdarroch and Elizabeth
Menzies. She was said to be of the Drumlanrig family. [
The
Peerage ]
1512 - William Douglas of Drumlanrig, John Fergusson of
Craigdarroch, with his son Thomas, and their accomplices, went through the form
of a trial on the 30th of September, 1512, at Edinburgh, for the murder of
Robert Crichton of Kirkpatrick (one of the Sheriff's party, and probably a near
relative), and were acquitted, on the ground that the deceased Robert Crichton
was "our soverane lordis rebell, and at his home," when the conflict occurred.
[History of the burgh of Dumfries, with notices of Nithsdale, Annandale, and
... By William McDowall, p. 189]
" The Last Relic of Inverugie Castle." - To the description of this
interesting carving, given in the last number of S. IN. Q., the following notes
may be added :- The coat impaled with that of Keith is the form of the arms of
Douglas borne by the Earls of Morton, namely : First and fourth, the paternal
coat of Douglas ; second and third, Argent, three piles issuing from a chief
gules charged with two stars of the field, for Douglas of Dalkeith. In the
carving the chief in the arms of Keith is brought down so far as to make the
shield appear to be parted per fess. The en graving seems to show three pullets
on the chief, not a chief paly of six, which is the earliest and most authentic
form. In the Douglas coat the crown with which the heart is ensigned is more
like an antique than an imperial crown, and the coronet above the shield is not
of the modern form of an earl's coronet, or of the form of coronet of order of
British nobility, as now borne. The initials " W. E. M." and " A. C. M." are
obviously those of " William, Earl Marischal," and " Anne, Countess Marischal."
P. D.-M'C. [Scottish Notes and Queries, v7 p 12 1893-94
In the mid 14th century the estate of Inverugie passed to the Keith
Earl Marishals who's main seat was the coastal fortress of Dunnottar castle
near Stonehaven south of Aberdeen. They built the present ruined stone castle
of Inverugie to the south of the original wooden Motte around 1660. Though
there must have been an intermediate towerhouse on or near the site of the
present ruin. As it would be ridiculous to suggest the Keiths would reside in
the Cheynne's dilapidated cow urine/clay washed Motte tower for three centuries
before considering building a more up to date dwelling place.
The
present ruined stone castle was built by the 4th Earl Marischal as a more
comfortable seat to Dunnottar since it's devastation by Oliver Cromwell in his
failed pursuit of the Scots regalia used to crown King Charles II. Inverugie
was a long oblong tower house four storeys high with crowstepped gables of
mixed rubble construction. Which suggests the incorporation of materials taken
from an earlier stone building. There were also two large conical roofed round
towers, one at the north-east corner and the other at the south-east corner.
This was an odd plan, usually such round towers were set at diagonal corners in
the classic Z-plan arrangement. On the middle of the west side was a third
narrow tower containing the main turnpike staircase. This faced out to the
cobbled courtyard with it's enclosing wall beside the river Ugie. To the south
of the site was the original courtyard entrance with additional buildings
possibly built after 1660. Above this entrance was a datestone of 1670 with the
coats of arms of Keith and Douglas of Morton. In the late 1800's an oak carved
Heraldry shield was discovered in a nearby cottage with the arms of William
Keith, 7th Earl Marischal and his wife Anna Douglas, the daughter of the Earl
of Morton though it's date was carved as 1660.
The basement vault of
the oblong tower house contained the storage area and kitchen entered from
courtyard level. The next level was the great hall where the Keiths would have
wined and dined their honored guests. In the north and south corners of the
hall were doors to small interior turnpike stairs accessing both round towers.
The remaining two levels were bedrooms and possibly a chapel. There was also
small private apartments in each of the round towers with extra toilets.
Although several of the west facing windows were large they were protected by
metal cages and interior bars for extra security. There is a distinct lack of
gun loops for small arms fire which is unusual since the 1660's were still
troublesome times.
By the early 1800's Inverugie had passed from the
Keiths to a James Ferguson who apparently kept the building in perfect order
until his death in 1820. It was then ransacked and the roof and flooring
stolen. In 1899 for some long forgotten reason Inverugie was blown up. By who
and why is a puzzle. This is a great shame because the present ruin is little
more than one level high. If it had still been reasonably intact it would have
made an ideal location for a Clan Keith Heritage Centre and grants could have
been sought in restoring such an interesting, historic building.
