Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

PROCEEDINGS OF XnE EAKL OF AXnUS, 1599. cxxxvii
and some of the piiueipal Johiistoncs. But lifithcr did lie succeed with
them. They said they would speak to their fiieuds, hut would not promise.
He wrote again on se\'eral occasions to Sir James Johnstone to the same effect
as before, and apparently with no better result.
While Angus was considering his answer to tlicir offers of submission,
which have been already alluded to, the Johnstones took the castle of
Lochmaben, and " reft the poor tenants' geir." Angus thereupon made a raid
irpcn them and burnt some of their houses. He then asked the laird of
Ix)chinvar, younger, to speak to the Johnstones and get them to surrender the
castle which they had taken. But the Johnstones with great spirit declined to
give it up, saying that they had as good "kindness" to that castle as to any
house or land in Anuandale, and would render it neither to king, queen,
nor lieutenant. Upon this Angus made another raid upon them, and this
time '-brint Hov/gill, Davie of Ivirkhillis, and sura utlier of Y/amfra that
wes at the taking of Lochmabanc." He now made another application to
Lady Johnstone by the laird of Elsclieillis, to have pledges sent to him.
But no pledges were entered nor was the castle of Lochmaben surrendered.
Meanwhile the Johnstones were guilty of many depredations. Lady John-
stone.wrote to Angus that her husband's friends would do nothing but what
the laird of. Bucclt-uch offered to do. By another missive to the earl she
guaranteed the safely of true men and the poor tenants of Johnstone only.
Sir James Johnstone complained to the king of ''the skayth done to his
thevis," probably by Angus. The latter referring to his complaint, says that
the king should not heed such trifles since they had the "heirschip" of the
country and blood of all men betwixt Sanquhar, Carlaverock, and the water
of Urr. He added that more harm had been done to the laird of Carmichael
within the last six days " upoun a nicht nor all the skaith thai haiff pre-
tendit."^ The king now supplemented what his lieutenant had done. Those
> "iDforuiatioun o£ the haill proceedingis ag.inis the Johuestonis." Register of the
Privy Council, vol. vi. j.p. St.'J-S46.
VOL. 1. S