Worcester, Oct. 1850.
The curious subject brought forward by J.M.G. under this title, and
enlarged upon by JARLTZBERG (Vol. ii., p. 282.), leads me to trouble you
with this in addition. Elizabeth Mure, according to the _History and
Descent of the House of Rowallane_ by Sir William Mure, was made choyce of,
for her excellent beautie and rare virtues, by King Robert II., to be Queen
of Scotland; and if their union may be considered to illustrate in any way
the singular custom of _Handfasting_, it will be seen {343} from the
following extract that they were also married by a priest:--
"Mr. Johne Lermonth, chapline to Alexander Archbishop of St. Andrews,
hath left upon record in a deduction of the descent of the House of
Rowallane collected by him at the command of the said Archbishop (whose
interest in the familie is to be spoken of heirafter), that Robert,
Great Stewart of Scotland, having taken away the said Elizabeth Mure,
drew to Sir Adam her father ane instrument that he should take her to
his lawful wife, (which myself hath seen saith the collector), as also
ane testimonie written in latine by Roger Mc Adame, priest of our Ladie
Marie's chapel (in Kyle), that the said Roger maried Robert and
Elizabeth forsds. But yrafter durring the great troubles in the reign
of King David Bruce, to whom the Earl of Rosse continued long a great
enemie, at perswasion of some of the great ones of the time, the Bishop
of Glasgow, William Rae by name, gave way that the sd marriage should
be abrogate by transaction, which both the chief instrument, the Lord
Duglasse, the Bishope, and in all likelihood the Great Stewart himself,
repented ever hereafter. The Lord Yester Snawdoune, named Gifford, got
to wife the sd Elizabeth, and the Earl of Rosse's daughter was maried
to the Great Stewart, which Lord Yester and Eupheme, daughter to the
Earle of Rosse, departing near to one time, the Great Stewart, being
then king, openly acknowledged the first mariage, and invited home
Elizabeth Mure to his lawfull bed, whose children shortlie yrafter the
nobility did sweare in parliament to maintaine in the right of
succession to the croune as the only lawfull heirs yrof."
"In these harder times shee bare to him Robert (named Johne
Fairneyear), after Earle of Carrick, who succeeded to the croune;
Robert, after Earl of Fyffe and Maneteeth, and Governour; and
Alexander, after Earle of Buchane, Lord Badyenoch; and daughters, the
eldest maried to Johne Dumbar, brother to the Earl of March, after
Earle of Murray, and the second to Johne the Whyt Lyon, progenitor of
the House of Glames, now Earle of Kinghorn."
So much for the marriage of Elizabeth Mure, as given by the historian of
the House of Rowallane. Can any of your readers inform me whether Elizabeth
had any issue by her second husband, Lord Yester Snawdoune? If so, there
would be a relationship between Queen Victoria and the Hays, Marquesses of
Tweeddale, and the Brouns, Baronets of Colstoun. One of the latter family
received as a dowry with a daughter of one of the Lords Yester the
celebrated WARLOCK PEAR, said to have been enchanted by the necromancer
Hugo de Gifford, who died in 1267, and which is now nearly six centuries
old. In the _Lady of the Lake_, James Fitz-James is styled by Scott
"Snawdon's knight;" but why or wherefore does not appear, unless Queen
Elizabeth Mure had issue by Gifford. Robert II. was one of three Scottish
kings in succession who married the daughters of their own subjects, and
those only of the degree of knights; namely, David Bruce, who married
Margaret, daughter of Sir John Loggie; Robert II., who married Elizabeth,
daughter of Sir Adam Mure; and Robert III., who married Annabell, daughter
to Sir John Drummond of Stobhall.