The Barony of Clackmannan

1334 – 1358 Thomas Bruce - 1st Baron of Clackmannan

Thomas Bruce became the Baron of Clackmannan and was granted the castle and lands of Grassmainston, Gartlove, Wester Kennet, Hillend, Carsehill, Greys, Park Meadow, Dryfield, Tullygarth, Pitfoulden and others within the Sherrifdom of Clackmannan from his cousin King David II as a reward for organising an uprising against English rule.

Barony passed from father to son

1358 – 1403 Sir Robert Bruce - 2nd Baron of Clackmannan

Sir Robert Bruce inherited the Barony after his father's death. As a minor when his father died, he was put under the care of "appropriate men" who were Sir Robert Erskine & Sir John de Menteith. He received his charter for the lands of Clackmannan from King David II in December 1359. He received a further charter for the lands of Rait, in Perthshire from King David II in January 1368. He received a third charter for the Lands of Kennet, Grassmainston, Pitfoulden, Carse & Gragory from King Robert II in October 1375. Sir Robert granted a charter for the lands of Kennet, Pitfoulden and Cruicket to his youngest son who became Thomas Bruce 1st of Wester Kennet, Pitfoulden and Cruicket.

Sir Robert Bruce was captured and killed on 23rd July 1403 at the Battle of Shrewsbury.

Barony passed from father to son

1403 – 1405 Sir Robert Bruce - 3rd Baron of Clackmannan

Sir Robert Bruce inherited the Barony of Clackmannan and its lands at the death of his father. He received the charter of the Lands of Rait from King Robert III in 1393. Died around 1405.

a1 Sir Robert Bruce, 2nd Baron Clackmannan & Rate; proprietor of lands of Kennet & Isobell Stewart

a1b1 Sir Robert Bruce, 3rd Baron of Clackmannan <1389 - d<1406
x NN mistress

a1b1c1 Thomas Bruce, 1st of Wester Kennet, Pitfoulden and Cruicket.

xx Annabelle Scrymgeour

a1b1c2 Sir David Bruce, 4th Baron of Clackmannan, who succeeded.
a1b1c3 Alexander of Stanehous and Airth

From the Charters of Clackmannen See Discussion. On Geni these are two Roberts. [Now merged - Sharon 2023]

9th December, 1359
is the first charter yet known containing any grant of the Castle and Barony of Clackmannan. It was made by King David Bruce to and in favour of his beloved and faithful cousin, ("dilecto et fedeli consanguineo nostro,") Robert de Bruys of the Castle and Barony of Clackmannan, the lands of Grasmenston, Gartlove, Wester Kennet, Hillend, Carsehill, Greys, Park Meadow, Dry- field, Tullygarth, Pitfoulden, and others, within the Sheriffdom of Clackmannan (.It Is probable that he may have been the son of Sir Robert de Bruce mentioned in Nos. 1.[above] and 2,who was living between 1326 and 1330. Robert de Bruce, it will be observed, who obtains the lands of Clackmannan, is not called "Dominus," or Sir, in the first charter ; he therefore was probably very young at the time of his father's death, (which Chalmers, in his MS. notes to Douglas' Peerage of Scotland, fixes in 1332), and this may account for a period of 27 years before we again find among the present existing charters any notice of Clackmannan or the Bruces. On the authority of Johnston's MS., before quoted, this second Robert is stated to have married Isabel, daughter of Sir Robert Stewart of Rosyth Castle, a second cousin of King Robert II.

1363 — From the Acts of Parliament of this date, vol. 1, p. 168, " Robert de Bruce "is then stated to be proprietor of the lands of Kennet.

20 Oct. 1364. — A Crown Charter by King David Bruce to and in favour of " Robert de Brays," who is again styled " consanguineo nostri" of the lands of Grassmynston, Gartlove Carse, "La Park meadow," Crage Roy,Dryfield,and others, with the pertinents all lying within the Sheriffdom of Clackmannan.

17th Jan. 1367. — A Crown Charter by King David II to and in favour of Robert de Bruys who is again designed " consanguineo nostro," granting the lands and barony of Rate in the county of Perth to be holden of the King and his successors in fee and heritage, and in free barony for service of 3 suits at the King's Courts at Perth — granted at Restenneth on the above date.

2 May 1389 Thomas obtains Kennet from his father .— Charter of Robert de Bruys of Clackmannan and Rate to and in favour of Thomas de Bruys, his son, where- by " for good services" he grants the said Thomas the lands of Wester Kennet and others for payment to his said father of a silver penny yearly. In the history of Noble British Families, part 3, p. 15, it is stated that Robert de Bruce died about this period, and the next Charters of resignation were probably made by the possessor of the estate on succeeding thereto. [WHY, THO?]

4th Oct., 1393 — Crown Charter of Resignation by King Robert III., proceeding on the Rocuratory of Resignation of Robert de Bruys, whereby the King new grants the lands and Barony of Clackmannan, and all the pertinents, to Robert de Bruys, whom failing, to David Bruys, his eldest son, and the heirs male, procreated or to be procreated, of his body, whom failing, to Thomas Bruys, also his son, and the heirs male of his body, to be held of the King and his successors in fee and heritage.

By this Charter, Robert deBruys had gone through the ceremony of resigning or giving them back to the King during his life, and the King then made a new grant of them to him, and his two sons, and their heirs male.

10th June, 1393 — Charter by Robert de Bruys, Lord of Rate and Clackmannan, to his " beloved son, Thomas de Bruys," and his heirs, and assigns of an annualent of ten merks, payable furth off his lands of Tullygarth, lying in the county of Clackmannan, and that in con- sideration of a certain sum of money paid to him, the said Robert de Bruys, in his urgent necessity. To be holden of the said Robert de Bruys and his heirs redeemable on payment of the sum of 25 merks.

18th February, 1399 — Crown Charter of Resignation and Confirmation by King Robert III., ratifying and confirming the Char- ter No. 9, granted by Robert de Bruys to his son, Thomas, of the lands of Wester Kennet, Pitfoulden, and the Cruikitland, all lying in the county of Clackmannan. From this time the estate of Kennet con- tinued separate from that of Clackmannan, and although the families continued on the most intimate terms, and the heiress of Kennet, in 1568, married one of the cadets of Clackmannan, the estates have never been united. https://archive.org/stream/collectionstowar1868clac/collectionstowa...

If there isn't a generation inbetween:

BRUCE, EARLS OF ELGIN AND AILESBURY Balfour Paul, James, ed. (1906). The Scots Peerage, Vol. III. Edinburgh: David Douglas. pp. 467–468. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.

Thomas de Bruys is the first of this family that can be distinctly proved to have been in possession of Clackmannan. He died before 1348, in which year the lands of Clackmannan were in possession of Marjorie Charteris, his widow, she having a third, the remainder being in the possession of his son and heir Robert de Bruys, during whose minority Sir Robert Erskine and John Menteith had a grant of his ward. The exchequer account audited March 1359-60, but extending over the whole period from Easter 1348, shows that in 1359-60 Thomas had been dead at least eleven years, that his widow was then alive, and his son and heir Robert was under age. It seems probable that Thomas de Bruys, one of the associates of Robert the Steward, Guardian of the realm, whom he joined with the gentry of Kyle, and whose important services in organising an armed resistance to the English in 1334, are adverted to by Fordun and others, was identical with this Thomas of Clackmannan. Such services as his could hardly have failed of recognition by the Crown, and the accounts already referred to show that he had at one time, not defined, been in possession of a large portion of the Crown lands in the county of Clackmannan.

By Marjorie Charteris he had issue a son and heir, [Sir Robert Bruce, 2nd Baron Clackmannan & Rate; proprietor of lands of Kennet Sir Robert de Bruys], who succeeded him. He must have been born ante 1348, and was still a minor under the guardianship of Sir Robert Erskine and John of Menteith in 1359-60. In pursuance of the revocation5 of all grants of Crown lands resolved on by Parliament in 1357, the Sheriff reported that he had assumed possession of these lands on behalf of the King, but a large proportion of the lands in question, Clackmannan included, were regranted by King David to Robert de Bruys, who had on 9 Decernber 1359' a Crown charter, dated at Perth, of the lands and barony of Clackmannan and others, in which he is styled ' dilectus consanguineus noster.' He had also a Crown charter of the lands of Kennet 20 October 1365, and on 17 January 1369-70 lhe had a Crown charter of the lands of Rait in Perthshire ; in these charters also he is termed ' con- sanguineus.' He died before or about 1389, as his son had then succeeded to Clackmannan, having married Isabel, daughter of Sir Robert Stewart of Durisdeer and Innermeath [some say of Rosyth], and sister of Sir Robert Stewart, who fell at Shrewsbury, and by her had issue two sons, viz. : —
1. Sir Robert, who succeeded.
2. James, was rector of Kilmany in Fife, and consecrated Bishop of Dunkeld in the Abbey of Dunfermline, 4 February 1441-42. On 30 March 1444, as one of the mandatories of the Pope, he confirmed an agreement between the Abbot of Dunfermline and the burgh of Perth. In this year he was made Chancellor of the Kingdom, and was styled 'con- sanguineus ' by King James II. in a royal charter 1444. On the death of Bishop Cameron of Glasgow he was translated to that see, but died in 1447 before his consecration.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Bruce,_2nd_Baron_of_Clackmanna....

Potential source of additional family tree information: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~lzrslong/b1247.htm

First Baron of Clackmannan, was killed in the battle of Shrewsbury July 23, 1403 [acc to Sir James Balfour writing in the 1600s, referenced here:http://redbookofscotland.co.uk/bruce-of-clackmannan#_ftn7 as the 3rd Baron of Clakmannan. Sharon Doubell 2020]

https://archive.org/stream/collectionstowar1868clac/collectionstowa...

No. 1. — The first record in the present series is an extract from old Public accounts of the kingdom, dated 20th June, 1330, " Compotum Reginaldi More Camerarii Scotie reddit. apud Glackmannane vicesimo die Junii anno Gratia; 1330 de receptis suis expensisin diem presentis compoti." In this half-yearly account the following payment is taken credit for " Domino Roberto de Bruys in partem quingentarum marcarum sibi concess. per Dominum Regem defunctum de anno hujus compoti £40." It does not appear from the account which Sir Robert de Bruce this was ; it however goes far to disprove the statement in the second volume of Chalmers' History of Dunfermline, p. 424, that a Sir Robert de Bruce was not the first of the Bruces of Clackmannan, but that a Thomas de Brace, who left a widow "Marjorie Charleris," was, prior to 1358, Lord of Clack- mannan. No Thomas is mentioned in these charters till Thomas obtains Kennet from his father, in 1389. In 1326, Sir Robert de Bruce, probably the Sir Robert above mentioned, was a witness to a charter of King Robert the Bruce of lands in Nith to the Abbey of Melrose, (Liber Cash : S. Cracis Munimenta Ecc : S. Crucis de Edin.) ; and, in 1327, Sir Robert de Bruce, Lord of Lydlysdale, and Reginald More, were witness to a charter of Wm. de Lyndsey, (Glasgow Chartulary). This Reginald de More, the King's Great Chamberlain, had the lands of Skaithmuir, on the Carron, and was father to Sir William More of Bothkennar, whose daugh- ter and heiress, Christian, married Sir William Lindsay of Byres.

These Public accounts also contain the fol- lowing entry, which, when read with the state- ment that the account was rendered to the King (David Bruce) "at Clackmannan," shows that it was still a Royal residence. "Item onerat se de 16 celdris siliginis superius per emptionem quas liberavit Simoni de Pebles granetareo de Clackmannan super compotum 13 c. de quibus respondebit." The Royal larder at Clackmannan was well filled at this time as the Chamberlain, or Chan- cellor of the Exchequer, as he would now be called, also takes credit for 23 chaldrons of wheat, 43 chaldrons of barley, 103 chaldrons of oats, all delivered to Simon de Peebles, the keeper of the Clackmannan granaries, — 46 hogsheads of wine, 29 carcases of beeves, 160 muttons, 29 Baconum superius, 4 last, 5748 alecum, 4040 salmon, 9908 hard fish, 80 gross- arum anguillarum (eels), and a barrel contain- ing 288 large eels, 1 porpoys, also barrels of olive oil and vinegar, a great deal of cloth, and a variety of clothing — 107 pounds of ginger, 101 pound "de Gingebrat," 118 pounds of zucar, 4 pounds of mace, &c. &c.

No. 2, is a further extract from the Public accounts, and dated 25th June 1330. " Com- potum Reginaldi More reddit. apud Clack- mannan 25th die Junii anno Gratia} 1330 de firmis quarundam terraram infra Vice, de Strivelyn.
This account only relates to some feu duties payable from lands in Stirlingshire, but its being rendered "at Clackmannan" indicates that the King still occupied the Castle as a Royal residence.

No. 3; dated 14 Dec. 1331.— Compotum Reginaldi More Camerarii Scotie reddit. apud Sconam 14th die Decembris anno Gratiae 1331 de receptis suis et expensis a 14th die Martis 1330 usque in diem presentis compoti.
In this account credit is taken for the following Et Domino Roberto de Bruys de veteri arrer. ex remissione Custodis 4 Celdris. This appears to be the same Sir Robert de Bruys mentioned in No. 1 as having received a grant from King Robert de Bruys of 500 marks. If he be the same Robert Bruce, or the father of the one who received the grant of Clack- mannan, &c, he was a blood relation of the King, for in No. 4, by which Clackmannan was con- veyed to Robert de Bruys, he is styled " Con- sanguineo nostro," and a simple Knight or lesser Baron was never styled " consanguineus" or cousin in Royal grants unless a blood relation, or very closely connected with the King by marriage. Two of the rare instances in which the word "consanguineus" is thus applied to Knights occur in Charters dated 1350 and 1390, to Sir Alexdandri Lindsay of Glenesk, and Sir David Lindsay his son, but they were nearly connected with royalty, the former having married the niece, and the latter the daughter of Robert III. ' In Sir David Lindsay's case the word Cousin was used before he was created Earl of Crawford.

No. 4, dated 9th December, 1359, is the first charter yet known containing any grant of the Castle and Barony of Clackmannan. It was made by King David Bruce to and in favour of his beloved and faithful cousin, ("dilecto et fedeli consanguineo nostro,") Robert de Bruys of the Castle and Barony of Clackmannan, the lands of Grasmenston, Gartlove, Wester Kennet, Hillend, Carsehill, Greys, Park Meadow, Dry- field, Tullygarth, Pitfoulden, and others, within the Sheriffdom of Clackmannan. This charter is believed to be still in existence. It was quoted by Dr Nathaniel Johnston in 1691, when he wrote his MS. History of the Braces, now among the Harliem MS., No. 3079, in the British Museum, and the original is presumed to be with the Bruce charters in the repositories of the Hon. Bruce Oglivie, who, through his mother, is descended from the Bruces of Clack- mannan. As explained under No. 3, the word " consanguineo nostri" are a recognition of this Robert Bruce as the King's blood relation. It is probable that he may have been the son of Sir Robert de Bruce mentioned in Nos. 1. and 2, who was living between 1326 and 1330. Robert de Bruce, it will be observed, who obtains the lands of Clackmannan, is not called "Dominus," or Sir, in the first charter ; he therefore was probably very young at the time of his father's death, (which Chalmers, in his MS. notes to Douglas' Peerage of Scotland, fixes in 1332), and this may account for a period of 27 years before we again find among the present existing charters any notice of Clackmannan or the Bruces. On the authority of Johnston's MS., before quoted, this second Robert is stated to have married Isabel, daughter of Sir Robert Stewart of Rosyth Castle, a second cousin of King Robert II. The year previous to this grant, Sir Thomas de Murray, Lord of Both- well, granted to Sir Robert Stewart, his cousin, the Barony of Shanbody, to be held of Thomas de Moravia and his heirs, " for service at the King's Court of Clackmannan," which is corro- borative of the belief that until the grant of 1359 (by No. 4) Clackmannan had continued to be a Royal residence when the King, assisted by the principal Officers of State, exercised jurisdiction according to the custom of the period. Edward de Brace, a son of this Robert of Clackmannan, is said to have married, about JuUL /4/7 1440>j_ the heiress of Sir William de AirthTlfiid acquired that estate. The Airth charters (now in the possession of Mrs GaUwey, the sister and heiress of Lieut.-Colonel Richard L. B. Dundas of Blair, the representative of Bruce of Airth,) commence 1417, when, by a charter of that date, Robert, Duke of Albany, Regent of Scotland, grants the lands of Airt h, or a portion "i'lL of them^to Sir William deT3rawford, knight of gu . Manuel. <§In 1457, John, Lord Lindsay o{tt/KcAatiM4 Byres, appears to have been in possession of the z ta^u^ jjL^ Barony of Airth. In 1483, David, Lord Lynd- 1^«, f\ju sey, was seized of the Barony of Airth. In *V**'^ ^*^J 1497, there is a precept from King James tom^^^Jm Robert Bruce, Sheriff of Stirling, directing him ' to deliver seizin of the lands and Barony of Airth and others to Patrick Lindsey, brother of John, Lord Lindsey. In 1508, Sir Robert Bruce, knight of Airth, and John Montgomery, procurator for Euphemia, wife of the said Sir Robert, and Robert Bruce, his son, are men- tioned in a precept of seizin of this date, granted by the Earl of Lennox, of an annulet of five marks out of the lands of Baldrave, in the Sheriffdom of Dumbarton.

If there isn't a generation inbetween:

BRUCE, EARLS OF ELGIN AND AILESBURY Balfour Paul, James, ed. (1906). The Scots Peerage, Vol. III. Edinburgh: David Douglas. pp. 467–468. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.

Thomas de Bruys is the first of this family that can be distinctly proved to have been in possession of Clackmannan. He died before 1348, in which year the lands of Clackmannan were in possession of Marjorie Charteris, his widow, she having a third, the remainder being in the possession of his son and heir Robert de Bruys, during whose minority Sir Robert Erskine and John Menteith had a grant of his ward. The exchequer account audited March 1359-60, but extending over the whole period from Easter 1348, shows that in 1359-60 Thomas had been dead at least eleven years, that his widow was then alive, and his son and heir Robert was under age. It seems probable that Thomas de Bruys, one of the associates of Robert the Steward, Guardian of the realm, whom he joined with the gentry of Kyle, and whose important services in organising an armed resistance to the English in 1334, are adverted to by Fordun and others, was identical with this Thomas of Clackmannan. Such services as his could hardly have failed of recognition by the Crown, and the accounts already referred to show that he had at one time, not defined, been in possession of a large portion of the Crown lands in the county of Clackmannan.

By Marjorie Charteris he had issue a son and heir, Sir Robert de Bruys, who succeeded him. He must have been born ante 1348, and was still a minor under the guardianship of Sir Robert Erskine and John of Menteith in 1359-60. In pursuance of the revocation5 of all grants of Crown lands resolved on by Parliament in 1357, the Sheriff reported that he had assumed possession of these lands on behalf of the King, but a large proportion of the lands in question, Clackmannan included, were regranted by King David to Robert de Bruys, who had on 9 Decernber 1359' a Crown charter, dated at Perth, of the lands and barony of Clackmannan and others, in which he is styled ' dilectus consanguineus noster.' He had also a Crown charter of the lands of Kennet 20 October 1365, and on 17 January 1369-70 lhe had a Crown charter of the lands of Rait in Perthshire ; in these charters also he is termed ' con- sanguineus.' He died before or about 1389, as his son had then succeeded to Clackmannan, having married Isabel, daughter of Sir Robert Stewart of Durisdeer and Innermeath [some say of Rosyth], and sister of Sir Robert Stewart, who fell at Shrewsbury, and by her had issue two sons, viz. : —
1. Sir Robert, who succeeded.
2. James, was rector of Kilmany in Fife, and consecrated Bishop of Dunkeld in the Abbey of Dunfermline, 4 February 1441-42. On 30 March 1444, as one of the mandatories of the Pope, he confirmed an agreement between the Abbot of Dunfermline and the burgh of Perth. In this year he was made Chancellor of the Kingdom, and was styled 'con- sanguineus ' by King James II. in a royal charter 1444. On the death of Bishop Cameron of Glasgow he was translated to that see, but died in 1447 before his consecration.