The Sterling genealogy

60 THE STERLING GENEALOGY
of Janet Striviling, daughter and heiress of the deceased An-
drew Striviling of Cadder, with the ward of her lands of Cadder
and the mill thereof, lying in the regality of Glasgow. In 1529
Sir John had a Crown gift of the marriage. Janet Striviling was
infeft as heiress of her father in 1534 and soon after married
James Stirling, eldest son of Sir John.
This marriage was a favorable one for the Keir family, as
through it they acquired the valuable estate of Cadder, which has
ever since been united with Keir.
But the parties seem to have been ill assorted, for soon after
the marriage questions arose in the civil court between the heiress
and her father-in-law regarding the alienation of the estates, and
at the end of seven years the marriage was annulled, chiefly through
the dishonor of the heiress. On July 8, 1535, Janet brought an
action in the civil court against her father-in-law and her hus-
band, setting forth that the former, having her marriage and the
disposition of her ward lands, " causit ane pretendit matrimony
to be maid betwix the said James and hir and senoyne the said
Johnne hes haldin and as yit haldis her in subjection and will
nocht suffir her to speik with hir friendis and hes compellit hir
to mak diuers alienationuis and takkis of hir lands." The Lords
of Council ordered Sir John and James to " bring and produce
the said Jonet before the Lordis, that sche may shew hir mynd to
theim in the premises " and that all alienations made by her in
the meantime should be null.
This judicial injunction continued in force till the year 1541,
when the arrangements effected for the conveyance of Cadder to
her husband, and their divorce, rendered it necessary that the
heiress should personally appear in the court of Session to have
the first decree recalled. This she did on July 29, 1541, when
she declared that she did so of her " awin free motive will," that
she had been and was at free liberty and desired the said decree
to be null, that she might dispone her lands at pleasure, as other
heritors did, " and that I am nocht compellit hereto, of the quhilk
I geif my bodily aith."
This was preparatory to her alienation of Cadder, and on the
7th of December following Janet Striveling again appeared before