Gilbert Kennedy, 4th Earl of Cassilis

Gilbert 4th Earl of Casillis, was a confidant and adviser to Mary, Queen of Scots and was with her when she visited Carrick in August, 1563. Tradition has it that the Maybole people gathered at the Howmoor to see their tall Queen with her retinue pass on her way from Dunure Castle to Ardmillan where she stayed before journeying to Ardstinchar. Queen Mary gave Gilbert a necklace as a keepsake and this necklace is still in the possession of the present Marquess of Ailsa. It was his daughter Jane Kennedy who tied the handkerchief round Queen Mary's eyes before she knelt to be beheaded at Fotheringhay that Wednesday morning on the 8th February, 1587.

Notes

• Became a Protestant after his marriage to Margaret Lyon (contract signed, 30 Sept 1566)
• Fought in the Battle of Langside on 13 May 1568, for Queen Mary's side.
• In 1570 he was guilty of horrible cruelty in torturing the commendator of Crossraguel, for the purpose of obtaining a lease of tithes. For this, he was compelled to find security for £2,000.2 (see below)
• In 1571 he joined the King's party.
• He died at Edinburgh on 11 Dec. 1576 from the effects of a fall from his horse. Source: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Kennedy,_Gilbert_(1541%3F-1576)

Roasting of the Commendator of Crossraguel

From Wikipedia - Dunure Castle

In 1570, a dispute arose between Gilbert Kennedy, 4th Earl of Cassilis, and Allan Stewart, the succeeding lay Commendator of Crossraguel Abbey over the ownership of some of the abbey lands and their rental income. The Earl's uncle was Quintin Kennedy, the last true abbot of Crossraguel. It was Quintin who challenged John Knox to a debate on the Catholic Mass. Gilbert had expected to secure the Commendatorship, however Allan obtained it through the influence of his relative, Captain James Stewart of Cardonald. Gilbert, with sixteen men, caught Allan Stewart unawares in Crossraguel Woods whilst a guest of the Laird of Bargany, and tricked him into journeying to Dunure. At the castle he was deprived of his horse and weapons and guarded by six of the Earl's men.

For two days Gilbert left the commendator to consider his fate and because he was obstinate and refused to sign over the lands and rentals he tortured him twice, roasting and basting his feet and body over a brazier in the Black Vault of the castle, aided bizarrely by his cook, baker and pantrymen. As a result of the torture sessions of the first and seventh days of September 1570, the lands were signed over to Gilbert.
The Commendator was rescued from his confinement by the Laird of Bargany, Allan's brother in law, who arrived with a body of men; first hiding in the chapel and then storming the castle.

The rights to the abbey lands were settled, partly by the Earl providing Allen Stewart with sufficient funds to allow him to live 'comfortably' for the rest of his life. In the meantime he had been taken to the Cross of Ayr where he had denounced the Earl of Cassillis. The Earl however was never fully brought to book for his actions by the Privy Council and Allen Stewart never walked again.

Sources

1. [S6] G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume VI, page 258; volume lll, page 75, 76

Links

• http://www.maybole.org/history/articles/kennedy/portraits.htm
• http://thepeerage.com/p10940.htm#i109396
• http://www.clanmacfarlanegenealogy.info/genealogy/TNGWebsite/getper...
  • http://www.stirnet.com, Peter Barns-Graham, Kennedy01
  • The Scots Peerage (Cassillis)
  • Burkes Peerage 1838 (Ailsa) page 16
• The Scots peerage : founded on Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom Author Paul, James Balfour, Sir, 1846-1931. “Kennedy, Earl of Cassillis.” Page 475 Archive.Org
• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LJKR-LGD