Sir James Chisholm, 3rd of Cromlix

Biographical Summary

"III. Sir Jams Chisholm of Cromlix, the nephew to whom his uncle, the first Bishop William, alienated a large portion of the Church lands of his diocese, shortly before the Scottish Reformation. On the 3Oth of November, 1571, he is "delaited" for remaining- "fra the Raid of Leith." He was, however, discharged by the Treasurer. In January, 1575-76, Sir James Chisholm, along with the Earl of Eglington, Lords Elphinstone and Livingstone, became cautioner that Sir Adam Gordon of Auchindown, brother of the Earl of Huntly, should enter and keep within ten miles of the burgh of Kirkcudbright, and that he should behave himself dutifully, and refrain from any treasonable practices against the King, the realm, and the lieges, under a penalty of 10,000 merks Scots. He married and had issue

• James, his heir and successor.
• William, who succeeded his uncle William as the second Bishop Chisholm of Vaison.
• John Chisholm, who, in 1572, was by his party sent to France for a sum of money, "the quhilk he obteinit', but on his return, arriving in the Firth of Forth, in July of the same year, the Regent ordered the vessels to be boarded and to have the passengers captured. John Chisholm, however, " beforehand was landit with a great sowme of gold, and had delyverit the same to the Abbot of St. Colomb's Inche in keaping. The Lord Lyndesay was directit to searche (for) him on the land side, and he was quicklie apprehendit. There was fundin among his writtis a minute of the gold delyverit to John Chisholm, and the said John being examinat, and this minute shawn to confront him, he was boisted with torture unles he sould tell whare it was ; so that for feir, he declarit and thus was the gold quicklie gotten and delyverit to the Regent."

SOURCE: History of the Chisholms, with genealogies of the principal families of the name; Alexander Mackenzie; 1891; page 198