The family of Burnett of Leys, with collateral - Electric Scotland

20 mi. FAMILY CM UUKNETT Ol I.i
i.crt Hamilton, held the wealthy prebend of Kincardine,* and
bclon-cd to the influential Some and Sanquhar branch of the house
of Hamilton. It is on record, to his credit, that he built an altar in the
ihcdral dedicated to St. Andrew, and that on 27th April, 1541, he
founded a chaplainry for a yearly mass to be said after his death, the
sums payable to the vicar, sacrist, etc., being similar to those mentioned
in connection with Duncan Burnet's mortification, and the foundation
also including some benefactions to the poor (Chartulary of Aberdeen,
I
, 417;. But the laudable efforts of Bishops Elphinstone and Dunbar to
reform the laxity of church discipline had been crowned with only partial
success. Prebendary Hamilton had a daughter, and, that lady being
richly endowed, it seems to have been thought no scandal that she
became wife of the baron of Leys. It was about that period that the
dignified clergy, foreseeing the coming storm, began systematically to
dilapidate their benefices whenever they
obtain Crown confirmations of these gifts.
could command interest to
The marriage of Alexander
Burnet and Janet Hamilton must have taken place as far back as 1540.
In 1542 good Bishop Dunbar was dead, and Hamilton's kinsman, the
Earl of Arran, being regent, it is perhaps not wonderful to find Leys'
father-in-law dealing with the rich prebend of Kincardine as if it had
been his private property.
On 5th November, 1543, Canon Hamilton conveyed to Alexander
Burnet of Leys and Janet Hamilton, his wife, in liferent, and Andrew,
their son, in fee, with further remainders to Archibald, brother of Andrew,
and John, son and heir apparent of Alexander and Janet, the lands of
Strondraff(?Stranduff), in the barony of Kincardine, to be held of the rector
of Kincardine. The reddendo was a feu-duty of 5 6s. 8d., with sheep,
geese, capons, poultry, etc., as also three suits at Kincardine O'Neil.
As a salve to the conscience of both parties, the condition was
imposed that each heir must swear to defend the orthodox faith, and
-t the prebendary in leading the tithes of Kincardine, Glentanner,
etc. Another charter was the same day granted by Hamilton to
*
ICincanll! '
A IIo,pital had been founded in the I3th century at Kincardine on the Dee by Alan the
, and liberally endowed by that powerful lord: and both Hospital and Church of
wilh
consent of the Karl of Fife as Doorward's representative,
icorporatcd with the Cathedral ,f Aberdeen, the rector being a prebendary, and having a
manse on the west side of the Chanonry of Old Aberdeen at its south end.