Alexander Colquhoun of Luss

ALEXANDER COLQUHOUN OF LUSS

Alexander Colquhoun of Luss is the son of Sir John Colquhoun of Luss. NRS: GD8/340

The Question of Knighthood

According to Sir William Fraser: 'It does not appear that Alexander Colquhoun was ever knighted. Among the Luss writs there is none in which he is designated knight, although in some of the numerous official documents connected with the Macgregors he was so designated, apparently through mistake.' The Chiefs of Colquhoun I: 232

His Last Will and Testament

Att Rosdo, the sextein and sevintein dayes of Maij, the zeir of God jm vjc and sevintein zeiris, the quhilk day the said Allexander Colquhoun of Lus declairis out of his mouth that his bairnis, viz., Vmphra, Jeane, Allexander, Nans, Kathrein, Walter, Adame, Helein, Marie, and George Colquliounes, his lawful sones and dochteris, [are] to be his executouris and intromettouris with his guidis and geir ; and ordanes Jeane to haif quhatsumever silver and gold be in his kistis, by and attour quhatsumever is provydit to hir, with all the help hir brother may, swa be his will is, that he be first respectit in speciallie to advance her with the soume of ten thousand pundis, in name of tocher, for contentatioun of all, sche disponand all benefeit sche micht haif be hir father, in favouris of Johne, quha is to pay the said soume. Lykas, he ordanes his eldest sone Johne, Mr. Andro Boyd, Bisehop of Argyle, the Laird of Buchanan, . . . . . . . . . . His will is, that notwithstanding quhatsumever provisioun is anent the Ireland landis, that Adame haif the same. Item, the said Allexander Colquhoun of Lus will is that his son Vmphra haif the comprysit landis, viz., the Camroun and Balveis land, and that Johne Colquhoun, portioner of Mylutoun, dispone his assignatioun of fourtie akeris land of Banaohtane to the said Vmphra, and that Johne Colquhoun, fear of Lus, sone and air to the said Allexander, being helper and consenter to his said fatheris will, quhilk he promeiss. Witness day, zeir, and place foirsaid, John Colquhoun of Camstrodan, Mr. Archibald Camroun, persoun of Inchekalloch, John Colquhoun in Mylntoun, Parian Macfarlane of Auchenvennel, Andi'o Colquhoun, and Johne Buntein of Ardoch, writer heirof I, John Colquhoun, fear of Lus, obleiss me, be thir presentis, to peiforme and do my fatheris will in the haill premiss abonewritten, and farder to the weill of my brether and sisteris, sa far as I may, day and place. Witness foirsaidis : Sic subscribitur, Allexander Colquhoun of Lus, Johne Colquhoun, fear of Lus ; John Colquhoun of Camstrodan, witnes, Mr. Ard. Camroun, witnes, John Colquhoun, witnes, Johne Buntein, witnes. Item, to Thomas Falasdail he willis to be gevin at MertjTnes nixt ane thousand merkis. Item, to Johne Colquhoun of Camstrodane he willis to be gevin ane thousand merkis at Mertymes next. Item, to Robert Colqulioun of Ballarnik he willis to be gevin ane thousand merkis money, to be payit at the said terme. Item, to John Colquhoun of Mylnetoun he willis to be gevin fyve hundreth merkis money, and that in contentatioun of his pairt of the harschip of Colquhoun, to be payit at the said terme. Item, to Patrik Colquhoun than-, he willis to be gevin fyve hundredth merkis at the said terme, for the foirsaid hairschip. Item, to Andro Colquhoun, his seruand, he willis to be gevin fyve hundreth merkis money at the said tenne ; and to Beatrix Colquhoun, his seruand, ane hundreth pundis money at the said terme. Item, he ordanes and willis Mr. Archibald Camroun's band, conteining the soume of ane hundreth pundis, be deliuerit to him, without payment making of the said soume, in tackin of his guid will to discharge the said Mr. Archibald of the said soume. Item, to James Colquhoun he willis to be gevin fyve hundreth merkis money at the said temie. Item, he ordanes the haill thing that lyis upoun Balveis landis to be onlie gevin to Vmphra, his secund sone, and the Cameroun to be sauld to the said Vmphrai's vse, and his bairnis pairt of guid that will fall him, to be maid in silvir. And ordanes Thomas Falasdaill to mak renunciatioun and resignatioun of his richt of vmquhile Mr. Johne Johnestoune's hous in Edinburgh, in fauoris of the said Vmphra, and thir haill thingis being maid in ane forme to be imployit v|">oun the bying of the landis of Balvie, and that be the advyse of the Laird of Buchanan, the Bischop of Ai'gyle, and his eldest sone Johne ; and, failzeing that the saidis thingis will extend to the soume that may by the saidis landis, ordanes the soume that sail happin be the price of the saidis landis to be fillit furth aff the haill held of his geir. In witnessing of the premiss to be his will, he subscriuit thir presentis, writin be Mr. Archibald Cameroun, persoun of Inche Kalloch, with his hand, at Rosdo, the said day abonewrittin, befoir tliir witness, Thomas Fallasdaill of Ardochbeg, Mr. Johne Campbell, minister at Lus, James Colquhoun at Poirt of Rosdo, and John Colquhoun, his eldest sone, and Duncane Macinturnour, in Tor. Sic subscribitur, Allexander Colquhoun of Lus ; Johne Colquhoun, wtnes, Mr. Johne Campbell, witnes, James Colquhoun, witnes, Duncan Macinturnour, witnes. Chiefs of Colquhoun I: 230-33

Confirmation was granted on 7 September 1620. [National Records of Scotland, Glasgow Commissary Court, The Testament Testamentar and Inventory of Alexander Colquhoune of Luss, 'quha deceist within the parochin of Luss.' reference CC9/7/17]

Death

Alexander Colquhoun of Luss died on 23 May 1617.

Evidence from the National Records of Scotland

                    1

2 May 1588: Bond by Walter Colquhoun of Kilmardony, one of the curators of John and Alexander Colquhoun, lawful children of the said Sir John Colquhoun of Luss, to make the evidents therein mentioned furthcoming at the pleasure and desire of Lord Boyd. Dated at Glasgow, 2 May 1588. National Records of Scotland, Boyd Papers, Burgh of Kilmarnock, reference GD8/340

                   2

19 September 1595: Receipt by Alexander Colquhoun of Luss, to Robert Boyd of Baddinhaith, of the writs and evidents that he had in keeping of the said Alexander. National Records of Scotland, Boyd Papers, Burgh of Kilmarnock, reference GD8/392

                   3

12 November 1595: Copy discharge by James, Master of Paisley, to Thomas, Lord Boyd, as principal and Alexander Colquhoun of Luss, William Muir of Rowallan, John Crawfurd of Crawfurdland, and Archibald Boyd of Portincross, as cautioners, of the sum of 5,000 marks, contained in Contract of Marriage, dated 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 and 28 Apr last, between the said Lord Boyd and Marion Boyd, his lawful daughter to the said James, Master of Paisley. National Records of Scotland, Boyd Papers, Burgh of Kilmarnock, reference GD8/398

                  4

7 November 1599: Letter of assurance by Alexander Colquhoun of Lus for himself and in name of his surname, kin, friends, followers, parts and partakers assuring Andrew McFarlan of Arroquhar, John McFarlan, his son and apparent heir, Andrew Dow Mcfarlan of Gartartin, Malcolm McFarlan, his son, and the rest of the surname, kin, friends, parts and partakers, to be unhurt, unharmed, unpursued, unmolested and untroubled in their persons, lands, rents, heritages, rooms, steadings, tacks, possessions, corn, cattle, goods and gear, until the last of November instant. Signed by granter. National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Graham Family, Dukes of Montrose (Montrose Muniments), reference GD220/6/2005

                   5

21 November 1599: Act of cautionry by Mungo Lyndsay of Bonnill and Walter Colquhoun of Kilmardannie for Alexander Colquhoun of Luss, 5000 merks, and many other similar bonds. National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Graham Family, Dukes of Montrose (Montrose Muniments), reference GD220/6/2005

                   6

19 January 1605: Contract between Thomas, Lord Boyd, and Alexander Colquhoun of Luss, as administrator for John Colquhoun, fiar of Luss, his son and apparent heir, whereby the said Alexander binds himself to deliver to the said Lord, the gift and recognition of the £10 land of Dynnarbuk and Auchentuerly and on the other part the said Lord binds himself to pay to the said Alexander, £2,000. National Records of Scotland, Boyd Papers, Burgh of Kilmarnock, reference GD8/507

                   7

29 November 1605: Contract between Thomas, Lord Boyd, on the one part, and Helen Buchanan, spouse to Alexander Colquhoun of Luss, on the other part anent the fulfilment of a contract, between the said Lord and the said Alexander, as administrator to John Colquhoun of Luss, his son, anent the £10 land of Dynnarbuk, Auchentuerly and Spittal. National Records of Scotland, Boyd Papers, Burgh of Kilmarnock, reference GD8/504

                   8

10 November 1609: Renunciation by Alexander colquhoun of Luss of an annual rent of £100, out of the lands of Dynnarbuk and Auchentuerly, to Thomas, Lord Boyd. National Records of Scotland, Boyd Papers, Burgh of Kilmarnock, reference GD8/527

                   9

1 April 1616: Correspondence. Alexander Colquhoun of Luss, Garscuib, to the laird of Glenurquhy: 'In favour of Donald, recipient's son, who has been visiting friends of his mother; he wishes that ye wald plant him in sum mid place betuix yow and me quhair he mycht carie a deutie first to yow, and quhair I mycht oversie his weill'. National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Campbell Family, Earls of Breadalbane (Breadalbane Muniments), reference GD112/39/26/4

Biographical Summary

Family Group Sheet

Marriage Contract: 18 Aug 1595

Spouse: Buchanan, Helen (Margaret)

• Born: ABT. 1574 at: Luss, Scotland or Buchanan, Sterling, Scotland
• Death: Luss, Scotland, date unknown
• Gender: Female
• Parents: Father: Sir, George Buchanan Mother: Margaret or Mary Graham
• Marriage: 8 AUG 1595 , Scotland

Spouse: Lus, Sir_Alexander_Colquhoun_XV_& XVII of (Alasdair)

• Birth: ABT 1573, Dumbarton, Scotland
• Death: 23 MAY 1617 Luss, Scotland
• Gender: Male
• Parents: Father: Lus, Sir_John_Colquhoun_XIII_KT & XV Mother: Lady, Agnes Boyd

Children: 6 sons, 5 daughters

• 1. Name: John Colquhoun, Baronet Born: ABT. 1595 at: Luss, Dumbarton, Scotland Married: at: Died: ABT. 1650 at: Italy Spouses: Lilias Graham
• 2. Name: Humphrey Colquhoun Born: ABT. 1598 at: Dumbarton, Scotland Married: at: Died: UNKNOWN at: Balvie, Scotland Spouses: Margaret Somerville
• 3. Name: Alexander Colquhoun Born: 1600 at: Luss, Dumbarton, Scotland Married: at: Died: 18 JUN 1632 at: Tullichewan, Scotland Spouses: Marion Stirling
• 4. Name: Walter Colquhoun Born: ABT. 1600 at: Dumbarton, Scotland Married: at: Died: UNKNOWN at: Sweden Spouses:
• 5. Name: Adam Colquhoun Born: 1601 at: Luss, Dumbarton, Scotland Married: 1621 at: Died: DEC 1634 at: Dumbarton, Scotland Spouses: Christian Lindsay, Lady
• 6. Name: George Colquhoun Born: ABT. 1604 at: Dumbarton, Scotland Married: at: Died: UNKNOWN at: Sweden Spouses:
• Name: Patrick Colquhoun Born: 1604 at: Luss, Dumbarton, Scotland Married: at: Died: UNKNOWN at: Spouses: [not listed)
• 1. Name: Jean Colquhoun, Baroness Cathcart Born: ABT. 1606 at: Dumbarton, Scotland Married: at: Died: UNKNOWN at: Dumbarton, Scotland Spouses: Allen Cathcart, 5th Lord; Lt.-Col. Sir Duncan Campbell, 2nd Baronet of Auchenbreck; Sir William Hamilton, Baronet
• 2. Name: Nancy Colquhoun Born: ABT. 1608 at: Dumbarton, Scotland Married: at: Died: UNKNOWN at: Corkagh, Co. Donegal, Ireland Spouses:
• 3. Name: Katherine Colquhoun Born: 1610 at: Luss, Dumbarton, Scotland Married: at: Died: UNKNOWN at: Maybole, Scotland cSpouses:
• 4. Name: Helen Colquhoun Born: ABT. 1612 at: Dumbarton, Scotland Married: at: Died: UNKNOWN at: Spouses:
• 5. Name: Mary Colquhoun Born: ABT. 1614 at: Luss, Dumbarton, Scotland Married: at: Died: UNKNOWN at: Spouses:

Biographical Summary

Alexander Colquhoun, third son of Sir John Colquhoun, got a charter under the great seal of the lands of Woltoun, Auchindouarie, &c., in Dumfries-shire, dated 5th February 1597. In his time occurred the bloody clan conflict of Glenfruin, between the Colquhouns and Macgregors, in February 1603, regarding which the popular accounts are so much at variance with the historical facts. The Colquhouns had taken part in the execution of the letters of fire and sword issued by the crown against the Macgregors some years before, and the feud between them had been greatly aggravated by various acts of violence and aggression on both sides. One of these, tradition, mistaking the name of the chief of the Colquhouns, namely, Alexander, for his brother Sir Humphry, murdered eleven years previously in his castle of Bannachrea, relatives as follows. Two of the clan-Gregor were said to have been benighted in the territory of the Colquhouns, and applied at the house of a dependent of the laird of Luss for food and shelter, which were denied them. Retiring to an outhouse they killed a sheep, for which, after they had partaken of it, they offered payment, but instead of its being accepted, they were seized and carried before the chief of the Colquhouns, who ordered them to be instantly executed. To revenge their death the chief of the clan-Gregor, Allester MacGregor of Glenstrae, assembled a force of about four hundred men, and marched towards Luss. The chief of the Colquhouns hastily mustered his retainers, and being joined by the Buchanans and other friendly septs, and by a body of the citizens of Dumbarton, under the command of Tobias Smollett, a magistrate of that town, and an ancestor of the author of Roderick Random, his forces soon amounted to double the number of the Macgregors. Logan, in his History of the Gael, follows the tradition in naming the chief of the Colquhouns Sir Humphry, and Smibert, in his History of the Highland clans, not only adopts this mistake, but goes still farther wrong in making Sir Humphry’s murder take place sometime after the conflict at Glenfruin, and then at the instigation of a man of power whom the laird of Luss had offended, rather than from private motives of enmity on the part of the Macfarlanes, as already narrated. If there is any truth in the story of the execution of the two Macgregors, it must have been done by order of Alexander Colquhoun. But in the dying declaration of Allester Macgregor, who was hanged at Edinburgh with some of the clan, there is nothing said respecting the execution of these two men as the cause of the conflict. The invasion of the Lennox by the Macgregors was but the result of the lasting feud which subsisted between the two clans. The Macgregors and Colquhouns met at Glenfruin, a short distance from Luss, on the day named, and after a fierce contest, the latter were defeated, with one hundred and forth men slain. The Macgregors carried off six hundred head of cattle, eight hundred sheep and goats, two hundred and eighty horses, with the “haill plenishing, goods and geir of Luss.” The fatal field was ever after called by the Highlanders, the vale of Sorrow or Lamentation. After the battle, many of the widows of the slain Colquhouns appeared in deep mourning, before King James the Sixth at Stirling, and exhibiting on spears eleven score bloody shirts belonging to their deceased husbands, demanded vengeance of the Macgregors. The device succeeded. The whole Macgregor race was proscribed and their very name prohibited, and it was not till the year 1774 that the severe penal enactments against them were finally repealed. A curious letter from Alexander Colquhoun, the laird of Colquhoun and Luss, to James the Sixth, has been preserved. It bears date 1606, and shows that Alexander had proceeded actively against the Macfarlanes for their murder of his brother, as well as for many other alleged injuries, including “slaughters, murthers, hariships, thefts, reivings, and oppressions, fire-raising, demolishing of houses, cutting and destroying woods and plantings.” For merely civil compensation the courts had decreed to him sixty-two thousand pounds Scots, a large sum in those days, but the laird of Luss refers his whole injuries, civil and criminal, to the royal consideration. By his wife Helen, daughter of Sir George Buchanan of that ilk, he had five sons and a daughter.

The eldest son, Sir John, in his father’s lifetime, got a charter under the great seal of the ten pound land of Dunnerbuck, dated 20th February 1602. He was by King Charles the First created a baronet of Nova Scotia by patent dated the last day of August 1625. He adhered firmly to the royal cause during all the time of the civil wars, on which account he suffered many hardships, and, in 1654, was by Cromwell fined two thousand pounds sterling. He married Lady Lillias Graham, daughter of the fourth earl of Montrose, brother of the great marquis, by whom he had three sons and two daughters. His two eldest sons succeeded to the baronetcy. From Alexander, the third son, the Colquhouns of Tillyquhoun were descended.

Sir Alexander Colquhoun of Luss1

• http://www.thepeerage.com/p1366.htm#i13658
• M, #13658, d. 23 May 1617
• Last Edited=12 May 2008
• Consanguinity Index=0.5%

Biographical Summary

Sir Alexander Colquhoun of Luss was the son of Sir John Colquhoun of Luss and Agnes Boyd.2 He married Helen Buchanan, daughter of Sir George Buchanan of that Ilk.3 He died on 23 May 1617.3

In 1603 he continued the feud with the MacGregors, reaching a climax in an encounter at Glenfruin.3 He lived at Luss, Argyllshire, Scotland.

Children of Sir Alexander Colquhoun of Luss and Helen Buchanan

• Jean Colquhoun+ 2
• Sir John Colquhoun of Luss, 1st Bt.+ d. c 1650
• Humphrey Colquhoun 2
• Nancy Colquhoun 2
• Katherine Colquhoun 2

Citations

• 1. [S37] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 1, page 666. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition.
• 2. [S37] Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition.
• 3. [S37] Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition, volume 1, page 860.

References

• http://www.clancolquhounsociety.co.uk/ (dead link)
• https://archive.org/stream/chiefsofcolquhou01fras#page/232/mode/1up Colquhoun I: 232-237
• https://archive.org/stream/chiefsofcolquhou01fras#page/n30/mode/1up Colquhoun I: xxv
• https://www.clanmacfarlanegenealogy.info/genealogy/TNGWebsite/getpe...
• Stirnet Genealogy, Peter Barns-Graham, Colquhoun01
• 1 Howard, Joseph Jackson, Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica, Vol. 2, New Series, London: Hamilton, Adams, and Co. (1877), 536, Google Books (Digital Library).
• 2 Mosley, Charles, editor, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd. (1999), Vol. 1, p. 630.
• Fraser, Sir William. Chiefs of Colquhoun and Their Country (T. & A. Constable, Edinburgh, 1869) Vol. 1, Page xxv See XIV
• Chiefs of Colquhoun and Their Country (T. & A. Constable, Edinburgh, 1869) Vol. 1, Page xxv See XIV, Pg 167
• The Peerage, http://www.thepeerage.com/p1366.htm#i13658
• Yates Publishing Title: U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900.

Biographical Summary

Alexander Colquhoun was born in 1573. He was the son of John Colquhoun 15th Laird of Luss

This interesting surname is of Scottish locational origin from a place called Colquhoun in the former county of Aberdeenshire (now part of Grampian region), first recorded in the form of "Colghoun" in 1246. The name appears to derive from the Gaelic "coil", "cuil", a nook, corner or "coill(e)" a wood plus "cumhann" narrow; hence "narrow corner or wood". Colquhoun is the name of a Scottish family descended from Umfridus de Kilpatrick, who acquired the lands of Colquhoun in the reign of Alexander 11 (1214-1249). The surname is first recorded in the mid 13th Century. Vmfredus de Kelquon witnessed a confirmation charter by Robert 1 to Sir John Colquhoun (1308). About the middle of the 14th Century Sir Robert Colquhoun married the heiress of Humphrey de Luss and thus became Lord of Colquhoun and Luss.

Alexander married Helen Buchanan in 1595 [1] and died in 1617. [2] [3]

References

1. Crosley, Charles (1904). Descent and Alliances of Croslegh, or Crossle, or Crossley of Scaitcliffe: and Coddington of Oldbridge; and Evans of Eyton Hall, London: Priv. print., The De La More press. Page 189-190. < Hathitrust >