The Sterling genealogy

38 THE STERLING GENEALOGY
the son of Somerled of Argyle and the Isles. John of Lorn
granted to Mary, his aunt, the wife of John de Strevelyn, the
lands of Rathoran and others in Lorn, to be held of the grantor
wife, but the relationship of Christian to Sir John is not known. Certain it is she
was not his daughter and consequently she could not succeed to the barony.
Playfair in his British Family Antiquity says: "John de Strivelin, an officer of
the King of England, who having under hirn Michael and David de Weemyss, Michael
de Arnst and Richard de Melville, with many other Scots of the English party, blockaded
the Castle of Lochleven, in the time of Lent, which was held by Sir Alan Wypout for
David II (of Scotland). He passionately vowed never to desist from his enterprise
until he had overthrown the castle and put the garrison to the sword; yet he raised
the siege and retired with the imputation of pe-jury, says Fordun, as if the offence
had consisted, not in swearing rashly, but in failing to accomplish what was imprac-
*
tible." (P. 452, Part I, Vol. VII.)
Androw of Wyntoun in his "Cronykil" thus relates at length the story of the siege
of Lochleven Castle, built by Congal, son of Dongart, King of the Picts, upon an island
in the Lock, this being the earliest historical account of the fortress.
A thowsand and three hundyr yhere
Fyve and theretty to tha clere
Fra lychtare wes the swete Vyrgyne,
A knycht Schyre Jhon cald off Stryvelyne,
That in fewte was that day
At the Kyng of Inglandis fay,
Wyth a welle gret multytud
Off manlyk men bathe stowt and gude
Sum that ware cleue Inglis men,
Sum Scottis Inglis sworne then
Mychale off Arnot wes ane off tha,
Mychale and Dawy off Wemys alsua,
Rycharde alswa the Malewyll,
And mony othir in to that qwhyle,
That to the Kyng of Ingland
Off fewte sworne (had) made the band,
For till assege togyddyr ewyn
Thai past to the Castell off Lochlewyn.
Fra the Myde-lentryn that yhere thare
In that assege thai bydd and ware.
And as thai spyid all abowt
That castell, thai cowth nane wyth-owt
A place to ly in (fynd) so plesand
Na to thare purpos swa gaynand,
As was the kyrkyharde off Kynros:
For — thi thare — in on set purpos
Thai lugyd thame, there for to be
Byddand (thar) oportwnunyte
Offtyme, as thare hart was set
That ilke castell for to get.
Thare — in thai made a fortalyce
Till hald and trete thare jupardyce.
Set thai war cald Crystyne men,
All Crystyne dedis thai dyde noucht then
In till that halowyd place to ly
Thare Kyngis castell till aspy,
To thare fays capytale
To wyn off were than that castale.