LEARMONTH-LERMONTOV. A HYISTORY OF THE NAME AND FAMILIES

David Learmonth, eldest son of Robert Learmonth, Provost
of St Andrews (1494-1498), and nephew to John Learmonth,
became the chaplain to Alexander Archbishop of St Andrews, and
was a Canon of St Andrews Priory in 1491-1505 (“Reforming of
the Scottish Church” by. John Winram (c. 1492-1582). Therefore
by this period the Learmonths had moved ahead in their careers,
not only because they were energetic people but also because they
served the very powerful Church of Scotland. A charter was
granted to David Learmonth, his son James and his wife, by
Catherine Ramsay dated 20th April 1517 whereby they were to
continue living in the house in South Street which they had
repaired and adorned.
David Learmonth was elected the Provost of St Andrews in
1506 and held this position until 1521. He was also the Member of
Parliament for St Andrews from 1524 (“Fife: pictorial and
historical; its people, burghs, castles, and mansions” by A. H.
Millar, Cupar-Fife, Westwood & son, 1895, p. 166).
David Learmonth was designated as a landowner in Clatto
(references are in many documents). We were unable to find the
charter that would explain how David received these lands.
However we believe that the family continued to own the land
there until 1601. On the lands of Clatto, at the south eastern
extremity of the parish, there are the remains of an old tower which
is said to have belonged to an ancient family called Seaton, of
whom tradition says that they were notorious robbers and
murderers. The old road from Cupar to Kingshorn passed through
Clatto and in the face of a hill, which forms its boundary, there is
alleged to have been a cave, which communicated to the tower.
The Seatons would wait in the cave for travellers to pass. They
would rush out on the unsuspecting people, drag them into the
caves, then rob and murder them. Clatto Castle belonged to the
Seatons from 1400 to 1510. These branches of the Seaton family
were all executed for their many crimes by King James
().
On 28th December 1520, the castle of Dairsie was
conveyed by feu-charter by Andrew, Archbishop of St Andrews
- 54 -
and his chapter, to David Learmonth of Clatto and his son James
(“Dairsie Parish. Civil History” ).
Dairsie Castle belonged to the Learmonths for over 100
years so its history deserves a special place in our account. No
satisfactory origin has been suggested for the name of Dairsie. In
ecclesiastical documents dated 1240 relating to St Andrews, there
was mention of a farm in the area with the spelling Deruesyn. The
Castle of Dairsie, where a Parliament was held in 1335, may have
been built by Bishop Lamberton, which was later demolished, and
a new castle erected on the same site when the Learmonths
obtained the estate. The whole of the castle was, most probably,
erected by the Learmonths in about 1550 from existing remains.
From an examination of old drawings, Dairsie Castle had been
originally a simple circular keep, intended as a baronial stronghold
rather than a fortified house. At a later stage, as the refinements of
civilization became necessities, the keep may have been gradually
decorated internally, but its outward form probably remained
unaltered for centuries. The close relationship with France
exercised great influence upon castle-building in Fifeshire more
than on any other part of the kingdom, and Dairsie may be taken as
a good example of this type of construction (“Fife: pictorial and
historical; its people, burghs, castles, and mansions” by A. H.
Millar, Cupar, Fife, Westwood & Son, 1895, p.p. 163-164).
The Dairsie Castle had many owners after the Learmonth
family and by year 1990 was in complete ruins. In May 1992,
Chris Ruffle bought Dairsie Castle from Andrew Logan, sight
unseen, as part of the sale of Dairsie Farm. It was an unpromising
start, for Dairsie was referred to as "an unsuitable candidate for
restoration" by Historic Scotland. The restoration was completed
in 1995 (Illus. 14).
- 55 -