Marjory de Abernethy

V. Marjory de Abernethy- int. Palm Sunday 1259, Sir William Douglas "Longleg", bur. St. Bride's Church, Douglas

The Scots Peerage, ABERNETHY, LORD SALTOUN

5. Marjory, married to Hugh, eldest son of Sir William of Douglas, ' Longleg.' The marriage-contract, dated Palm Sunday 1259, is still in existence in the form • of an indenture between Sir Hugh de Abernethy, the brother of the bride, and Sir William de Douglas. Sir William Eraser, who gives a facsimile of the deed,4 says it is the oldest marriage-contract which has appeared in the history of any Scottish family. Marjory Abernethy is believed to have been buried in St. Bride's Church, Douglas, where a sculptured effigy in the extreme south-west angle of the church is still pointed out as hers.

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The Scots Peerage, DOUGLAS, EARL OF DOUGLAS

1. Hugh Douglas, oldest son, of whom nothing is known or recorded except the circumstances of his marriage//and a traditional anecdote related by Godscroft. His contract of marriage with Marjory Abernethy, sister of Sir Hugh Abernethy, has been preserved. It was entered into in Edinburgh Castle on Palm Sunday, 6 April 1259, in presence of friends of both parties. The bridegroom was under age, and probably the bride also, and various provisions were made for their maintenance for four years, probably till Hugh Douglas attained majority.1 Godscroft narrates another document, now lost, by which Sir William granted lands in Douglasdale to his son Hugh in fulfilment of the contract. Nothing further is on record of Hugh Douglas, and he completely dis- appears from the page of history. It is uncertain whether he succeeded to the estates of Douglas, but in any case he deceased before 1289, as in January of that year his brother William was in possession.

References

• 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 by Paul, James Balfour, Sir, 1846-1931 Publication date 1904-1914. Vol. 7. Page 398-399. Archive.Org
• http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~mainegenie/genealogy/ABERNETH.htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Longleg,_Lord_of_Douglas cites
  • Balfour Paul, Sir James -The Scots Peerage IX vols. Edinburgh 1906. Page 137-138. Archive.Org
  • Fraser, Sir William -The Douglas Book IV vols. Edinburgh 1885.[2]
  • Hume, David -The history of the House and race of Douglas and Angus. London 1820. [3]
  • Maxwell, Sir Herbert -A History of the House of Douglas II vols. London 1902. Page 16 - Archive.Org
• https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/st-brides...
• (https://www.poms.ac.uk/record/person/9325/; accessed 15 December 2021)
• Tomb of Marjory Abernethy, wife of Hugh Douglas. “Hugh fought at the Battle of Largs. Other than that, little is known of him.” image from page http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/Places/Churches&Abbeys/stbr...
• https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/douglas/stbrides/index.html