Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

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IXTRnDUcTlOX.
Tlie remaiiiMig dale is tliat of Annan. This (evrilory coulirir.eil, as
filivaily stati'il, in possession of tlic families of Brncc, lJandol])}i, jMarcli and
Douglas, till the. year 1 fJO, when it lajised to tlie crown. Thoroafter the
lordship of Annandalo was administered hy oflicers of the crown, imlil it
was bestowed, along with llio earldom of Jdarcli, upon Alexander, sccoivl son
of King James tlie Second, and afterwitrds Dulco. of All.iany, oii or before
4th August 1-J.55, when the. gift to liini of the lord.ship of Annandalo is
mentioned.^ Upon the subscqiient forfeiture of the Duke of Albany, the
lordshi]) of Auiiandale and the castle of Lochmabcn were annexed to the
crown, by act of parliament, and again administered b}' royal olTicials."
Tlic office of steward of Annandalo was held under the crown l^y the
family of Jfaxwell, in tlie same manner a? they h.ii,l previously held it under
the Douglases.' They continued to hold it till it v.-as fafeiled '.villi the
estates In' the attainder of Joim, ninlli Lord ilaxwell, in the year ICOS.
After being some years in the hands of tlie crown, King James the Sixth
conferred the lieritable office of steward of Annandalo upon John i^Iurray of
Lochmabcn, afterwards raised to the peerage by the style of Earl of Aiinaii-
dalc.* On the failure of his heirs the oflice of heritable steward of AnnanJale,
along with tlie title of Earl, was conferred by King Charles the Second on
James Johnstone, Earl of Annandale and llartfell.'' The covats of the
stewartry v.'Cie held at Lochmabcn. For the same period the Johnstone
chiefs were lords of the I'egality of Afoffiit, holding their regality courts at
Jlijflat.''' On the pas.sing of the act of parliament for the abolition of heri-
table jurisdiction.' in the year 1717, Gcorg.', tliird AlaiYjuis of Annandale,
Was allowed £2200 for the stewartry of Annandale, and for the ix-gality of
Moffat £S00, in all £.0000 sterling in full of his claim for £11,000.
1 Acts of tlio l\'.rli.-iraciits of Sco'J.im', of Scotlaud, vol. iv. j.|i. CGi, GGii.
voL ii. ji. 4.";. 5 23ril April Wi'M, Aiinaiiil.-»lo I'tcragi',
- 1st October 14S7. H^hl. p. 179. -Minutci-; of KviJuuco, 1S4), ji;). IIGG, 1107.
= Exolie juer Kolh, vol. xi. })[>. .'540*, 341*. " Aniiaiulale rccr.igo, Minutes of Jilvidenoe,
* 4tli March 1G17, Acts of Hie rarli.iment^ 1S7G, p. 103.