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THE BUCHANANS Of
TREAN Compiled by Malcolm S. Gray While men lived under a patriarchal Government it was natural for them to pay particular attention to Genealogies and to apostate together in tribes and relations for security and local advantage. This kind of Government has invariably been adopted in the early stages of society and is still generally practiced in the more unpolished societies & among uncultivated & savage tribes. We are much delighted with the exact and agreeable manner in which the Hebrews of old kept their genealogies which beside its other uses serves to throw that simple and venerable proof of its authenticity on the whole of their sacred History and indeed the nature of their civil policy led them to be very exact and careful in keeping their genealogies on account of the restoration of dilapidated inheritance to its ancient owners or their nearest relatives at the year of Jubilee. Also among the Highlanders of our own country who keep themselves in clans or tribes & for ages went out in distinct bodies under their chiefs to every national and public enterprise. We will find it a frequent custom among even the poorest class to value themselves on being descendants of some eminent person who was distinguished for his bravery, riches or nobility, and will repeat their pedigree back to that person if they are enquired who they are. William BUCHANAN of AUCHMAR led by the honourable <sic>desire of tracing out the origin of
his clan and of every family of note among them was at much labour
<sic>in rinnafing <sic> every charter and
ancient MS. To which he had access that might lead to give the proper account
of his subject. Whether he has been able to effect his purpose fully or but
moderately I leave it to better judges to determine. But
reading his history it occurred to me that I might from his account together
with what was within my own knowledge of what followed trace out my own
pedigree to the reign of Malcolm the second, King of Scotland or the year 1012.
According to AUCHMAR the BUCHANANS are descended from ANSLEM BUEY [1], son to
OKYAN, provincial King of of the south part of Ulster
in Ireland, who in their 8th generation assumed the name BUCHANAN
and in their 12th succeeded to the Estate of Lenny, and if any part
of AUCHMAR’S History can be relied on with confidence I think his account of
the ancient families of BUCHANAN and LENNY bids fairest to be correct as he had
access to the charters and documents of these families of note. And as I am of
the last Cadets of the family of LENNY & was come to years of understanding
while my grandfather who lived to the age of ninety was in full possession of
his intellect until his last days, and three of his brothers all who lived to
upwards of eighty years and by each of whom I have been agreeably entertained
in the winter evenings by the rehearsal of ancient things at a time when no
newspaper could be seen in a farmer’s house and when general information was
acquired by country people by social intercourse in the winter evenings by this
source of information I received accounts of many transactions of the foregoing
three or four generations, many of which indicate the rudest state of society.
In the foregoing pages of this narrative there are lists of the names of my
ancestors also a genealogical tree of my ancestors extending to the present
time. [NOTE:
By Malcolm S Gray; the lists are hand drawn, as is the tree, I will do my best
to copy them in a different format, later] The
After
James` time it became impracticable to any of his offspring to claim that
Estate nor indeed after the death of the old men of his day could they evidence
their rights. But James` eldest son went under the designation of Laird of
LENNY as also does his son to this day. But
to return to ROBERT ROY of whom I am descended the name ROY was applied to him
& his brothers on account of his red hair & many of his descendants to
this day are red haired. There are but little of his transactions handed down
to us. It is probable that he died young as his son James made so early an
appearance as a public person. He left two sons James and another whose name I
do not know but who also had a son of amiable manner and was remarkable for every ingenious and nice workmanship. He went abroad to
push his fortune and no account of him returned. There was some handsome sum of
money made by a BUCHANAN of these times recovered which his friends thought
probable might have been made by him, but as they did not know where he settled
they could not lay claim to it and it was laid out for some public use by those
of the name who recovered it. James went always under the Appelation
<sic>of SHEMAS
MAC ROB RUAI, he was a most active and sagacious man. Of his
manners take this instance; some Military men were one day passing by his
house. A stout fellow from among them stepped up to him said, “You, Pansy
Carle, have got a pair of good shoes and mine are bad – put them off
immediately & let me have them”. James said “My good sir let the men pass
by that they may not mock us both and then you shall have them if you please”.
The man Complied – then James took the fellow and asked him to the gable of the
house & asked him rubbing him to the wall if he wanted his shoes or would
have them. The poor fellow frightened by his hard grip pleaded hard for pardon
& promised never to make a similar attempt on any man in future. James was
thrice in his life spoiled of all his goods& gear yet died in affluence in
old age without pain or sickness after having given to his seven daughters an hundred pounds scotch each as portion they all
married to the most respectable young men in the neighbourhood.
<sic> He also left his son Robert with whom he
lived in his old age comfortably set in half the BALMENOCH of LENNY. The
morning preceding his death he girded on his large highland plaid which was at
that time the favourite <sic> dress of the
highlanders, but probably finding a weakness asked his son what he was to be
employed in through the day. He answered “ I have
bespoke some of my neighbours to repair a piece of my
barn which is failing”. “Very well”, said he “but make all the dispatch you can
for you shall have something more to do by night”. And scarcely was their task
finished when they were called in to witness the last struggle of nature in
death of this venerable old man. James lived in a very eventful period, at a
time that seems to be marked with Lawless carnage & violence. Man had no
security for life and fortune. Government could not attend to enforce the
salutary laws that were in existence. By the feudal system then in force every
landlord could raise their vassals & often employed them to hurt their neighbours <sic> instead of defending their nation or
enforcing Justice & those that were ferocious tyranised
<sic> over their own vassals with impunity – whose very lives were at
their mercy as well as their goods. James as might have been expected was the
butt of fortune. He was at one time herried
<sic> as the term expressed it by Freebooters or the Chearn
Choile [7] <sic> at another time by the King’s
forces, which I take to be Montrose’s army [8] which ravaged the neighbourhood <sic> out of revenge for their siding
with Argyle in the contest of the times. Perhaps it was for a similar reason
that the Laird of LENNY was carried to Linlithgow
prison when Arthur BUCHANAN with the Laird of Lorry & the GOUIN DU [9]
undertook the daring task to rescue him. The Smith or Gouin, son in law to the
aforesaid James was a remarkably strong man & he took his great hammer. The
three rode to Linlithgow with a horse for the Laird
to ride home upon. FERGUSON the Smith broke up the prison with his mell <sic> while Lorry [10] and MOCHASTEL [11] rode
furiously through the town & fired where ever they saw a door or window
opened thus terrifying the people who
kept within doors until the prison was opened & the Laird of Lenny fairly
mounted. Then the four rode home in triumph. James was a third time spoiled by
the English who had their camp on BOCHASTEL. I suppose they must have been part
of Cromwell’s army as they were an English army. James’ wife went to their
Commander to plead for one of her own kine
<sic> to help to support her young family taking a group of her girls to
move the Commander’s sympathy also Robert, her son who was on the breast. The
General would have granted her request but when he was informed whose wife she
was he refused her that small favour <sic>
which shows that James made himself singular in opposing the intruding army of
that usurper. I could not discover in any history that fell my way any account
of this army but their principal Commanders were BUCHAN and CANAN and when
leaving this country they marched Northward crossing
the hill of BALMENOCK by the path of CLACH ARTUR. During the time of the civil
wars in Alexander
called Alexander Roy married a Mary BUCHANAN of
the ancient LENNIES sister to Andrew BUCHANAN late of BALMENOCK [14] he
was a firm bodied man & expert at every husbandry kind of work, he lived in
TREAN [15] most of his time and died upwards of eighty years – he officiated as
an elder in the Church of CALLANDER. He had a most retentive memory and was the
best historian of a country husbandman that I ever conversed with – to him I am
much indebted for a great deal of information concerning the ancient feuds and
battles of the BUCHANANS who contended in their turn with the MCGREGORS,
MCFARLANES, STEWARTS & MCLARENS, with others from RUSKIE & REDNOCK the
name of whose clan I have forgotten but I think they were called MCLUCKIES. Alexander’s
children were John whose children’s names were John called JAMAICA & James
presently in CALLANDER having a numerous family. Also
Alexander and Frances who have both left issue. Alexander had another
son called Peter an antiburgher <sic> minister
who settled near CROMARTY – a pious amiable man he left two daughters one of
them a Mr ROSS a merchant of that place the other to
a minister Mr. MACLEAN in Inverness. Alexander had a daughter married to ALEX
STEWART who lived in LENBHRI in the Braes of DOUNE she left one son who died
unmarried. Peter
also called Roy settled in BALMENOCH and died in the thirty – fourth year of
his age leaving two daughters one of whom died unmarried & the other
married a Duncan WRIGHT who lived at TULLOCH near STIRLING. Peter was a bold
manly stout person as an instance of his temper take the following: While
unmarried and with his mother, the Laird of LENNY who took refuge in the Castle
of STIRLING in the year 1715 issued orders to his tenants to join ARGYLES men
near DUNBLANE the most of them obeyed and set off but called at TREAN expecting
Peter and Alexander to go according to orders. Peter as if surprised, asked
where they were going. They told him that it was where they expected him to go
also. Peter told them that he would not go nor should he allow them to go
either but finding them fixed in their resolution he went to the house took out
his sword & protested that their heads would answer for it if any of them
would offer to go an inch further for this purpose they returned home. One of
them named Solomon said to his neighbours <sic>
while returning “ Do ye think men that Peter would really hurt us if we
persisted “ one of them answered, “you may depend on it that he would take your
head off your neck before he would allow you to go one foot further” Peter’s
oldest brother was a few days before obliged to rise with his Land Lord – Laird
of KEIR [16] who sent a message to his tenants to meet him at such a place all
armed & with provisions otherwise he would not leave them a Cock to Crow Day [17]. KEIR and his men being
on the opposite side it was natural for one of Peter’s disposition to act in
the manner he did rather than meet his brother whom he greatly loved, as an
enemy in battle. As a further proof of Peter’s agility & manner; one day
with some of his neighbours <sic> attempting to
get hold of an unruly young stout horse which was like to defy them when Peter
was put a little out of patience he ran with full speed after the horse
overtook him & held him fast by the tail to the admiration of his
companions. James lived in FARMSTON [18] married a BUCHANAN of ARDOCH [19]
family in STRATHIRE & although of very respectable parents she turned out a
foolish woman – broke her husbands heart. He lived a sober retired life &
left a son and daughter. His son died without issue & his daughter was
married near !!!
Robert’s oldest son was John he married Janet BUCHANAN daughter of Patrick
BUCHANAN in TARANDUIN [20] a man of much sense and virtue. The Laird of LENNY
took a medical gentleman who was on a visit at LENNY house to see this Patrick
when he was on his death bed – that gentleman said that he never conversed with
any country husbandman of more sense and solid judgment. His daughter possessed
so much of her Father’s virtues that few men could excel her for sense &
penetrating judgment joined with meekness and modesty. They had to struggle
hard on their first outset in the world having removed from ANIE [21], their
first residence, to TOMBEA [22] & from thence to CUILANTOGLE [23] &
afterwards to OFFERANCE [23] where they remained during the wifes
<sic> life time as subtenant to ANNET who prevailed with John to give him
up the farm to possess it himself. ANNET [24] could not lawfully claim the
farms as the occupiers of farms were declared to be the lawful tenants of farms
by the commissioners for forfeited Estates [25] & the farmers of COIS &
DUNCRAGGAN [26] kept their farms by law from ANNET’S grasp who claimed them
equally. And besides John paid the land lord’s rent and a similar sum in kind
or money to ANNET so he had no claim on gratitude from his subtenant but ANNET
got the most part of the gentlemen in the neighbourhood
<sic> to favour <sic> him & John did
not like to disoblige some of them but had he stuck to his farm as his neighbours <sic> did who had much less ability or
friends he would have done his son a real benefit and his family never got any
more kindness from ANNET or friends than other strangers. After John gave up
the Farm of OFFERANCE he divested himself as it were of worldly cares and spent
the remainder of his days among his children being about eighty years for he had
the pleasure of seeing them all settled in prosperous conditions as well as
examples of virtue & piety he kept a hundred pounds the interest of which
he bestowed in the families where he resided & that sum was divided among his family
according to his testament at his death. Few
men lived more happy in his family than John being
married to one of the best wives & blessed with amiable & virtuous
children whom he saw all settled comfortably in the world joined to respectable
partners & most of them bring up thriving families. John died at the age of
ninety years having seen or might easily have seen sixty of his own progeny between children,
grand-children & great –grand-children all living in harmony and affluence
without any stain on the character of any of them as far as I have heard. John
officiated as an elder in the JOHN,
the oldest son of the above became an active young man as he grew up & was
perhaps the best penman in Scotland in his time he learned to excel in writing,
herding his father’s Cows there being a school master boarded in his father’s
house at the time who kept a small private school in that neighbourhood
& when he equaled his teacher he got some copperplate line which he
imitated so that he wrote round copperplate text which was in vogue at that
time. He went as a clerk to a merchant in STIRLING where he was taken notice of
by the magistrates who at one time employed him to write a letter or petition
which they were sending up to London concerning some Government affair. His
friends in STIRLING offered to get him into the Excise where few but
gentlemen’s children were getting at that early period of the Institution which
offer he accepted altho’ <sic> something
against his father’s inclination – wishing him rather to return home to work on
the farm with him. John continued in the Excise during his lifetime. He got
early into GLASGOW & became so much attached to that place that he even
retired from office before he would remove and became a clerk to a company
there but soon got his former pound where he continued for life. He was so much
the favourite <sic>of the best in town that his
brother officers with whom he would not always associate in their rambles
ironically called him Gentle<sic> John having made some money he joined
in a sea trading concern by which he lost the most of it and did not choose to
marry as he thought his salary too limited to maintain a family in the way he
wished to live. He died at the age of sixty six. He was a well looking man much
resembling his father in size & likeness: Of an amiable cheery penetrating
disposition pious and candid. There
were six daughters in the family who were married of whom it will not be to
much for me to mention here that they all excelled in every virtue that would
adorn spouses and mothers nor do I know where to make a distinction in their
moral or social characters such a tract of sweetness, piety frugality &
modesty might be observed in each of them in the families where they had their
lot. It might be said of each of them in the families where they had their lot.
It might be said of each of them as of the virtuous women [32] their husbands
praised them & their children arose up after them & called them
blessed. So much is observed of the effect of good example in families that
frequently there is family likeness in virtue as well as in ill. The family of
OFFERANCE altho’ <sic> they were proverbial for
cleanliness in their time & also branded with pride for not mixing much
with their very rude neighbours <sic> for to
the honour <sic> of our times lewd language
profane companies & dirty habits are generally despised as it was among
them. The names of the Daughters with their husbands are exhibited in a tree of
the family of OFFERANCE preceding this narrative. John’s third son was PETER who
died at the age of twenty three, he was of his father’s and oldest brother’s
size, quiet, meek and pious & very engenious
<sic> & his father’s favourite. <sic>
My father ( John’s second son) ROBERT went to STRATHAVEN in the year 1740/41
the year of the great frost, his brother who was in the Excise had his charge
there at the time & there Robert engaged with a Maltster
& learned the Malting business & came home and traded in that line
having the use of his father’s barn & horses when needed & wrought on the
farm when necessary & by that means made some money to set out in the world
without troubling his father who had a large family of daughters to provide
for, he married JANET BLAIR, daughter to WILLIAM BLAIR, who lived in LITTLE
SHANOCHIL in MONTEATH. His father in law gave him a part of the farm where he
continued for the space of five years & then removed to a farm in DRUNKIE
but after continuing for a space of six years in DRUNKIE he was under the necessity to give up the
farm on account of bad health for three years until his health returned &
then came back from OFFERANCE where he had a cot house on his father’s farm having reserved
power to resume his possession at pleasure there he continued until his lease
of ten years was out. He entered to a share of LITTLE SHANOCHIL on his marriage
1746, entered to DRUNKIE 1757 & got TOMBEA along with DUNABEIN 1754,
removed to OFFERANCE 1757, returned to DRUNKIE year 1760, removed from DRUNKIE
to TREAN in LENNY 1770 where he continued until his death which happened on the
10th Aug. 1802 aged 85 years & a quarter of a year. Robert was a
stout healthy man an excellent farmer & took the lead among his neighbours <sic> in ever improvement in husbandry in
his time in straighting <sic> ridges, in clearing his land from stones, sowing seed
& turnips & such improvements as were at that time taking place also I
believe he was the first in the parish that brought the two horse plough in use
he had always delighted himself in horse dealing as far as convenience afforded
& had taken a licensed still on the north line footing which he occupied
eight years until the north line footing
was further removed that his farm of TREAN was out of its limits –
during that time he had much advantage to keep good horses putting it in his
power to begin the two horse plough with good effect. His youngest son WILLIAM
being grown up to manhood and uncommonly expert in every kind of husbandry work
by his example brought that improvement to general use in the neighbourhood <sic> but it was pretty general some
years sooner in the low country. Few men experienced more domestic happiness
than he did altho’ <sic> only four of his
children survived himself together with his wife all the deaths in his family
happened in a natural way by the visitation of the Almighty. His wife was
possessed of every domestic virtue & his children most exemplary and
dutiful he saw his sons & daughters settled in the world in comfortable
circumstances. His last complaint was a swelling which began imperceptibly
something more than half a year before his death & gradually increased
until a month before his death when it became painful and terminated in death.
His sight failed much four years previous to his death
which put it out of his power to read even with any kind of glasses. He felt
this as a great want as he was very fond of reading but as his sons were about
him he had the pleasure to get them to read to him as oft as he pleased &
his principle amusement was with his grand children who were all uncommonly fond
of his company he had several of his grand children brought up in his family
& the 8th born a few weeks before his death – he and his oldest
son with their families living together in peace & harmony. He retained all
his faculties entire until the last moments except his sight – even his
strength was more than common. At 80 he built a good piece of the march dyke
west side of the farm equal to the best built dyke in the neighbourhood
<sic> & could at that age bind corn after the shearers <sic> a
good part of the day to good purpose. He was ordained an elder of the parish of
Port by the Revd. John FERGUSSON I believe in the
summer of 1767 & again admitted as an elder in the His
First Children died in the birth, a boy & a girl & then a boy. His
daughter CATHERINE died of the small - pox in the third year of her age. His
daughter CIRSTIAN died in her 17th year. She was a tall well looking
woman & seeming to bid fair to be one of the most penetrating and amiable
of characters. Her complaint was a fever which passed on the whole family.
MARGARET the next in age to MARY mentioned above also died of a fever three
years before CIRSTIAN that fever also passed on all the family. MARGARET also
was tall and beautiful of a meek and amiable temper, the favourite
<sic>of all her friends & acquaintances, she
died about the age of 19. NOTES
End
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