Lambroughton - The Cunningham Family's Connection With Lambroughton

The Cunningham Family's Connection With Lambroughton

The feudal allocation of tenements to the vassals of the overlord, De Morville, was carried out very carefully, with the boundaries being walked and carefully recorded. The term 'ton' at this time was added to the site of the dwelling house, not necessarily a grand stone-built structure, which was bounded by a wall or fence. The tenements were held in a military tenure, the land being in exchange for military assistance to the overlord. In later years the military assistance could be exchanged for financial payment. Robertson records Lambruchton as one of the many lands held by the De Morvilles.

It is likely that the Lambroughton mentioned in the early records refer to the site the farm now known as Townhead of Lambroughton. Pont records a Mains of Lambrochtoun in 1604 and as the term 'mains' refers to the home farm of an estate, cultivated by or for the 'owner', then we can assume that the main dwelling was here or hereabouts. The 'place ' of Lambroughtoun is mentioned in 1544. It should be noted that it was the custom of a landowner or farmer to take the name of the land which he owned or cultivated.

Warnebald/Wernebald or Vernebald from Flanders was a vassal of Hugo de Morville (died 1202), hereditary Constable of Scotland. They both came to Scotland via Burg in Cumbria. Hugo, who came from Morville in the department of Manche in Normandy, granted the Barony of Kilmaurs to Wernebald in around 1140 and Lambrochton was the most important of the lands given in this grant The De Morvilles also held Appleby and Pendragon Castles and other lands in Cumbria at this time.

The earliest reference to the use of the Lambroughton name in any form of personal context seems to be that of a Gulielmus (William) de Lambristoune who was a witness to a charter conveying the lands of Pokellie (Pokelly) from Sir Gilchrist More to a Ronald Mure at a date around 1280. We do not know if this Guilielmus was a Cunninghame, however we are told by Timothy Pont the cartographer and topographer in the early 17th century that Lambrouchtoune was the ancientest inheritance of the predecessors of the Cunninghames of Glencairne. Kennedy records that Lambroughton was part of the dowry of a grand-daughter of the High Constable.

The Barony of Kilmaurs was composed of the lands of Buston, also Bowieston and Buythstoun (now Buiston), Fleuris (now Floors), Lambroughton, Whyrrig, (now Wheatrig) and previously Quhytrige, and Southwick or Southuck (now South Hook). South Hook (previously also Southeuck or Seurnbenck) is near Knockentiber and was part of the tenement of Lambroughton within the barony, showing that the lands of Lambroughton were fairly sizeable at one time.

King Alexander II (1198–1249) gave the whole barony of Kilmaurs to Henry de Conyghame and then it is recorded that all the lands of Cunyngham were granted to a Robert Stuart, son of Walter (before 1321).

The Barony was originally held by the powerful De Morville family who were related to John Baliol through his mother, Devorgilla, a daughter of the De Morville family and the founder of Sweetheart Abbey in Kirkcudbright. Another view is that Devorgilla was the daughter of Alan of Galloway and was not a de Morville. However her nieces Margaret and Elena (Ela), married into the de Ferrers and de la Zouche families, related to the De Quinceys, Earls of Winchester from whom the Lambrochtoun lands may have been inherited. It is pertinent to point out that lineage and relationships are made more difficult by the not infrequent habit of indirect male heirs assuming the names and titles of their indirect family inheritances. The De Morville's were also related to another claimant for the Scottish crown, John Comyn. John Baliol's nephew. Bruce and his supporters murdered John Comyn in the church at Dumfries. Baliol lost the crown to Robert the Bruce, who ruled from 1306–1329, then rewarded his loyal supporters, the Cunninghames, by granting the lands of Lambrachton and Polquharne (also Polcarn) to a Hugo de Cunynghame of Lambroughton who died without issue and in 1321 the king then gave the lands of Lambrachton and Grugere to Robertus de Conyngham of Kilmaurs. This Robert was then known as Robert de Cunninghame of Lambroughton.

Alan de La Zuche and William de Ferreres (cousins) who had held these lands previously from Hugh de Morville (see Floors Farm) were dispossessed. Alan de La Zuche descendants gave rise to the Ashby De La Zuche family and town, whilst the Marquis of Townsend is the direct descendant of William De Ferreres. The De Ferreres family came over from Ferrieres-St.Hilaire in Normandy with Duke William and had extensive lands in England, founding Merevale, Darley & Abbey Dore abbeys. The 1328 Northampton peace treaty between Scotland and England did not return lands to those who had suffered forfeiture. During the reign of Edward II the dispossessed lords, including de la Zouche and De Ferrers, under the leadership of Edward Balliol invaded Scotland and may have regained their lands temporarily. In 1363 under the treaty of David II with Edward III of England, the lord 'Ferrars' was still trying to repossess lands in Scotland.

The importance of the tenement is illustrated by the efforts made by dispossessed lords to recover them and by fact that William Cunninghame of Lamberton (see 'Lamberton in the Scottish Borders') (1297–1328) was Bishop of St.Andrews in 1322 and he was the 'Guardian of Scotland' for a time during the inter-regnum when Cumyn, Baliol, Bruce and others were disputing the crown of Scotland. At the battle of Bannockburn he never failed his younger friend, indeed, it was he who observed the crucial moment in battle where the Scots, greatly outnumbered, were beginning to flag. It was at that point he decided to take a hand and leaving the safety of the Scots baggage train, he led the charge of the 'small folk'—women, old men and others who had been injured or otherwise excluded from the fighting—armed with sticks, kitchen knives, meat cleavers, indeed, anything they could lay their hands on—to the aid of the flagging Scots. It was this crucial intervention which finally turned the battle. From a distance, the English mistook them for a fresh army, and the sheets and blankets they had tied to poles to be banners and flags. In that moment, the Battle of Bannockburn was won.

William was also charged with the responsibility for disbanding the Knight's Templars in Scotland and probably allowed them to escape gaol and execution in exchange for finance, weapons and other assistance against the English. He died in 1328 and was buried at St. Andrews.

King Robert III (1340–1406) granted the lands of Lambrochton and Kilmaurs to Sir William Cuninghame. Robert Stewart, first Duke of Albany (Brother of King Robert III) later granted these lands to Robert Cuninghame. In 1413 Sir William de Cunynghame Lord of Kilmaurs endowed the collegiate church at Kilmaurs with all of his lands of the Southuck (now South Hook) within the tenement of Lambrachtoun and other properties. The income was to pay for three priests to say prayers for the safety of his soul, that of his parents and of Hervy the church's founder, etc. In 1346 a William Baillie, the Baillie of Lambistoun or Lambimtoun, vulgarly called Lamington is listed by Dalrymple amongst the prisoners taken by the English at the Battle of Durham which had taken place on 17 October of that year. He was in the company of a Thomas Boyd of Kilmarnock and Andrew Campbell of Loudoun. Details of the Lairds of Lambroughton are contained within the papers of Dick Cunyngham (1627) of Prestonfield, Midlothian.

The Cunninghame chiefs had only a slight connection with the barony of Kilmaurs after 1484 when Finlaystone became the family seat. Sir William Cunningham of Kilmaurs had married Margaret Denniston, sole heir to Sir Robert Denniston in 1405. The dowry included the baronies of Denniston and Finlaystone in Renfrewshire, the lands of Kilmaronock in Dumbartonshire, and the barony of Glencairn in Dumfrieshire. In 1616 many parcels of land belonging to the Barony of Kilmaurs were disposed of, together with Kilmaurs place and other possessions. In 1520 Lambrochton was acquired by Hugh, first Earl of Eglintoun (see Townhead of Lambroughton). Paterson (1866) states that Lambruchton was one of the lands inherited by Alexander Cuninghame of Corshill in May 1546, held by right of Royal Charter.

In 1632 Alexander Conyngham had Lambroughton and Crumshaw Mills; in 1640 Johne Conyngham held part of the lands of Langmure, probably including Lambroughton, at a valuation of £200 a year, the rest being held by Stewart Fergushill at £66, 12 shillings and 10 pence.

In 1667 Mr. John Cuninghame of Lambrughton (later Sir John) was one of the thirteen Commissioners of Supply for Ayrshire. The main purpose of the commissioners was to organise the collection, in an effective manner, of taxes. Their significance was that they held their power directly from royal authority and not as a feudal right. They later took on the role of organising education and the control of roads, bridges and ferries. They were replaced in 1890 by the County Councils, but survived with a few vestigial functions until 1929.

Sir John Cunninghame of Lambroughton was the patron of Dreghorn and Kilmaurs kirks in 1670. He was an advocate, one of the most distinguished lawyers of his day, and obtained the sanction of parliament to use vacant stipends for the purpose of repairing churches and manses in these parishes. He already possessed the lands of Lambruchton, before acquiring the in 1683 the barony of Caprington from John Earl of Glencairn. John Cuninghame of Broomhill, Lambructon, and Caprington was created a baronet on 21 September 1669 to him and his male heirs only. and died 1684, succeeded by his son, Sir William, who is titled 'of Caprington' only. The history of the family is that of the Cunninghame's of Caprington from this point on.

In 1675 Sir John Cunninghame Bart., conveyed to Robert Cunningham, druggist / apothecary, Edinburgh, the lands of 'Langmuir, Langsyde, Auldtoun and Lambrochtoune in whose family they seem to have remained until 1820, when George Cunninghame was the owner. This same Robert was cousin-german to Anne, daughter of Sir Robert Cunynghame of Auchinharvie and inherited the lands of Crivoch-Lindsay, together with Crivoch corn mill and Fairlie-Crivoch, including the Chapel lands and glebe of Fairlie-Crivoch. See Chapeltoun.

Various mentions are made to a Thirdpart, such as in 1574 when it was a thirdpart or 5 merkland of Lambroughtoun Robertoune, being in that barony and not part of the Barony of Kilmaurs.

It is likely that the Lambroughtons were a cadet family of the Cunninghames of Kilmaurs.

Townhead of Lambroughton (Lambrochtoune) itself must have passed to the Longmuirs by 1734 as it is recorded by McNaught that Gabriel Longmuir of what is now High Langmuir owned the farm at this date.