John Leighton of Ullshaven

The Leightons of Usan were a fiery race, and, as already indicated the name is recorded in connection with more than one "slaughter" but no other member of the family has earned noteriarty by being a party to such a savage and brutal crime as that which disgraces the history of John Lichtoun. His name does not appear prior to the 26th of March 1540 when his father, "«i»pro filiali amore et ob dotem«/i»" resigned in his favour the lands of Campsy in the Barony of Willishavin, which were confirmed to John L and his spouse Jonete Levingstoun and the survivor and their lawful heirs.

The marriage in all probability took place about the date of this charter of 1540.

https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2020/11/notorious/

Seventeenth-century Leightons seemed prosperously situated, but what of John Leighton (or Lichtoun)? After some fruitless typing I found the quite revealing Memorials of the Leightons of Ulishaven, with a chapter subtitled, in warning, “The Black Sheep.”[3]

The family life of John Leighton, sometime Laird of (let’s call it) Usan, seems an unhappy one. Some years before the events in the story, he had married one of the daughters of Alexander Livingston and Elizabeth Hepburn. Following the death of his father, Thomas Leighton, his mother (Helen Stirling of Easter Brakie) had remarried – perhaps, in John’s view, with indecent haste.[4]

In April 1548, he seized his mother “violently” from Ardinhall (modern Arnhall?), presumably the home of her second husband James Straton. John Leighton was already in trouble for this bold action, but a year later he struck again, involving the Livingstons in the process.

“[He] being at the horn and fugitive for the violent taking of the deceased Helen Stirling his Mother out of the place of Ardinhall…”

“On the 20th of May 1549 it is recorded that his father-in-law Alexander Livingstone of Dunipace, Director in Chancery had a letter of gift of his escheat, he being at the horn and fugitive for the violent taking of the deceased Helen Stirling his Mother out of the place of Ardinhall … belonging to the Laird of Lowrestoun in April 1548 and taking her to Ullishavin against her will, binding her as a thief and for the alleged cruel slaughter of his said mother on Whitsunday in Pasche week namely on the 24th April 1549 in the place of Dulladis at 12 o’clock at night.”

Three men, likely Leighton’s servants, were convicted on 28 May for “‘the cruel slaughter and murder of Helen Struieling Lady Ullishavin spouse of James Stratoune, and Jonet Sawlie her servant within the place of Dullady,[5] committed under silence of night of forethought felony on April 24th last, the said Helen and Jonet being pregnant at the time…,’” for which they “were duly hanged.”

On 29 May 1549, “John Lichtone of Ullishaven was ‘denounced rebel and put to the horn as a fugitive from law’ in connection with the above murder, but no further record of him appears to exist.”[6] The author of the Leighton volume notes that “no other member of the family has earned notoriety by being a party to such a savage and brutal crime as that which disgraces the history of John Lichtoun”; he goes on to suggest that perhaps Leighton was in turn slain by his mother’s relatives.[7]

John Leighton left children at his death, and within a few months Janet Livingston was married to (Sir) Robert Bruce, nephew [actually, grandson] of (Sir) David Bruce of Clackmannan.[8] The Livingston genealogy is silent on any later history, while the Leighton genealogy covers the descendants of John Leighton of Usan and Janet Livingston of Dunipace.

Not a thread I had planned to tug on, but here we are!

Notes

[1] It was their granddaughter, Jean Livingston, who was executed for the murder of her husband, John Kincaid of Warristoun.

[2] Edwin Brockholst Livingston, The Livingstons of Callendar and Their Principal Cadets: The History of an Old Stirlingshire Family (Edinburgh: Printed at the University Press by T. and A. Constable for the author, 1920), 345-47; Sir James Balfour Paul, The Scots Peerage, 9 vols. (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1904-14), 3: 534.

[3] Clarence F. Leighton, Memorials of the Leightons of Ulishaven (Usan), Forfarshire, and Other Scottish Families of the Name in 2 parts (London: The Electric Law Press, Ltd., 1912-31), 2: 55.

[4] Leighton, Memorials of the Leightons, 2: 54.

[5] In which Helen Stirling had a life interest (ibid., 2: 58-59).

[6] Ibid., 2: 56-58.

[7] Ibid., 2: 56, 59.

[8] M. E. Cumming Bruce, Family Records of the Bruces and the Cumyns… (Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1870), 280, 281.

Research notes

Alexander Leighton From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dr. Alexander Leighton was born in Scotland about 1570.[1] The Dictionary of National Biography states that he was descended from an ancient family possessed of the estate of Ulysham (Ulishaven) near Montrose.[2]

2. Branch, Garland (1980). "The Leighton Connection". Archived from the original on 28 October 2009. Retrieved 6 January 2007. < link >

References

• Memorials of the Leightons of Ulishaven, Forfarshire & other Scottish families of the name : 1260-1518. < FamilySearch > Due to copyright restrictions, this book cannot be viewed online.
• https://www.clanmacfarlanegenealogy.info/genealogy/TNGWebsite/getpe...
• https://www.stirnet.com/genie/data/british/gg/guthrie1.php
  • (A) Alexander Guthrie, 5th of Guthrie m. Agnes Falconer (dau of Sir Alexander Falconer, 5th of Halkerton)
    • (i) Alexander Guthrie, 6th of Guthrie (dspm before 20.06.1616) m. Jean Leighton (dau of _ Leighton of Ulishaven)