Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

XXX
IXTllODUCTION.
Onicc's lauds. TlieVesnlt of these investigations was stated by iiiiii in the
legal piocess in n paper entitled " lloviseJ ehjections for his Grace to the
scheme printed in the locality cf IMoffafc in 1852." Tliat; legal document
disclosed a very interesting chapter in the history of two lieiresses of
Carruthers or ^louswald, a barony in Annandale, ending in the tragic death
of tlie younger of thorn on 25th September [15G-t].
Simon Carruthers of ilouswald at his death, circa 1548, left, no son, but
two daughters, Janet and Marion, who were judicially acknowledged co-
henesses of Moaswald. Innnediately on the death of their father, or on 13ih
August 15-18, Queen Mary granted to Sir Janie.s Douglas of Lrumianrig the
ward and marriage of these youthful co-heiresses. Their mother was a
si.sier of Charles JIurray of Coekjiool, who was an influential propiietoi' in
Annandale. He appears to h.ave been jealous of the gift of the ward and
marriage of his tv/o nieces having been bestowed by Queen I\iary on his
neighbour. Sir James Douglas. The laird of Cockpool set himself to thwart
the benefit of the gift to Douglas, at least in reference to the younger of the
co-heiresses, and she ended her life by committing suicide wliile residing
with him at his castle of Cumlongan.
AYhen Sir James Douglas received the gift of the ward and marriage of
llie two daughters of Simon Carruthers they were barred from succeeding
to their paternal landed inheritance by an entail. Acting in their interests,
Sir James, at his own expense, procured the reduction of the entail, lle
also made payment of £2000 to John Carruthers, who claimed to be heir of
entail to Simon Carruthers. By these means he secured them in their suc-
cession to their father's estates. The gift of their vard and marriage had
cost him £1000, and lie had for about twelve years sustained them in food,
clothing, and other necessaries. The estate of Mouswald, to which they Avere
now the heiresses, had not been a very profitable one to Simon Carruthers,
their father. It was situated in " sa troublus" and "sa brokin ane cuntre,"
that " the maist part was cwlhir reft and witiihaldiu fra hi:n or laid waist."