{"id":60496,"date":"2016-01-25T14:51:34","date_gmt":"2016-01-25T14:51:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scotclans.com\/?p=60496"},"modified":"2016-01-25T14:51:34","modified_gmt":"2016-01-25T14:51:34","slug":"cunninghams-and-the-montgomeries-the-oldest-feud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/project1-m9gb2xku8.live-website.com\/?p=60496","title":{"rendered":"Cunninghams and the Montgomeries – The Oldest Feud"},"content":{"rendered":"

For a long time in the fifteenth century and beyond the families of Cunninghams of Glancairn and the Montgomeries of Eglinton were deadly and bitter rivals, a bloody feud that\u00a0makes Romeo and Juliet looks like child’s play. \u00a0It was described by John Lesie (exiled bishop of Ross who wrote the ‘Historie of Scotland’)\u00a0as ‘the auldest fead hes bene of thame all”.<\/p>\n

The Chief of the Montgomerys had become Bailie of Cunninghame in 1366. \u00a0During the fifteenth century both the chiefs of Clan Cunningham and Clan Montgomery became Lords of Parliament. \u00a0The Chief of Montgomery was made Lord Montgomery in 1444 and the Chief of Cunningham, ‘Lord Kilmaurs’ in 1450. \u00a0The Cunningham Chief was then further promoted to ‘Earl of Glencairn’ in 1503 and the Montgomery Chief \u00a0‘The Earl of Eglington’ in 1507. \u00a0Competition between the two families at this point was there, but very low key.<\/p>\n

The feud began mostly over the Bailieship of the land of Cunninghame in 1425. \u00a0The Baillieship of Cunninghame had long been in the hands of the Cunninghams\u00a0but in\u00a01448 the Crown (King James II) \u00a0took it away from the Cunninghams and moved it into the hands of their neighbours, the Montgomerys.<\/p>\n

Sir Alexander Montgomery was made Bailie (Chief Magistrate) of the King\u2019s Barony (District) of Cunninghame, which had been held by Sir Robert Cunningham, who was married to Alexander\u2019s sister.\u00a0\u00a0 Sir Robert believed that his position as Bailie was to be permanently held by the Cunninghams and not part of his wife\u2019s dowry, as claimed by his brother-in-law. \u00a0 So both the previous owner and the new owner were within the same family – this must have added fire to the feud.<\/p>\n

Over what was a relatively minor matter their feud was to continue over centuries, despite\u00a0legal judgements and government action. \u00a0It is arguably one of the longest and bloodiest feuds in Clan history. \u00a0Lasting from the mid 15th Century to the mid 17th Century.<\/p>\n

Both the Montgomerys and the Cunninghams were powerful clans in the northern lowlands of Ayrshire<\/a>, they were neighbours and the landscape they lived in had a lot to do with their feud and keeping it going. \u00a0The district is cut off by hills and water, to the south is the River Irvine, to the west the River Clyde, the north are the Kilbirnie Hills which form a natural barrier and in the east the hills that divide the district from Lanarkshire.<\/p>\n

From 1425 onwards the feud between these Clans saw murders, assassinations, mounted troops raiding civilians killing many of them, the sacking of castles, burning of crops and fields. \u00a0The feud was to cause both families to erratically loose then gain fortunes as at one time one was winning then the next time they would loose. \u00a0 \u00a0This was all happening while Scotland and England were struggling for the throne. \u00a0The Cunninghams seemed to get the better of their rivals during the decade or so of fighting, but the Earl of Eglington(Montgomery) held great favour with James V and so benefited from the power that this gave them.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Two Castles Destroyed<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"eglington\"
Eglington Castle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Both Clans had lavish castles that were only a few miles from each other; The Montgomeries of Eglinton had their castle on the banks of the Lugton and the Cuninghames<\/a> hailed from the parish of Kilmaurs and\u00a0Stevenston, their Castle was\u00a0Kerelaw Castle.<\/p>\n

\"Montgomeries
Montgomeries of Eglington<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With growing power came a corresponding growth of rivalry, until the jealousy and mistrust culminated in The Cunninghhams set fire to Kerelaw Castle in\u00a01488. Although slow to take hold the floors were made of oak, as well as the beams and the furniture. \u00a0The fire spread gradually but surely from the basement to the turrets. \u00a0This was the end of Kerelaw Castle, it remains in ruins to this day. \u00a0Now the Cunninghams were angrier than ever and set on revenge. \u00a0They nursed their wrath for years.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Earl of Glencairn\u00a0retaliated by later burning down Eglinton Castle\u00a0in 1528, the castle was rebuilt afterwards.<\/p>\n

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\"Kerelaw
Kerelaw Castle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Opposing Sides in Battle and a Chief Slain<\/strong>
\nThe two families were for a good while on opposite sides of the political fence and also religious; Cunningham was Protestant and Montgomery was Catholic.<\/p>\n

The Montgomery’s and the Cunninghams were on opposing sides at the\u00a0Battle of Sauchieburn<\/a>\u00a0(1488), with Hugh Montgomery among the victorious rebels. \u00a0\u00a0Alexander Cunningham, 1st Earl of Glencairn\u00a0was killed in battle as was the defeated James III.<\/p>\n

In 1568\u00a0at the Battle of Langside<\/a> the Montgomerys fought on the side of\u00a0Mary Queen of Scots. \u00a0They were defeated and the Queen lost. \u00a0The Earl was declared guilty of treason by the Regency and imprisoned in Doune Castle<\/a>. After being released he worked hard trying to secure safety and tolerance for other catholics. \u00a0His next two successors would follow him in supporting Mary Queen of Scots. \u00a0The Cunninghams were Protestants and did not.<\/p>\n

During the upheavals of the 1560s and early 1570s \u00a0Alexander, 4th Earl of Glencairn (Cunningham) was among the most single-minded protestants of the Reformation. \u00a0In the Civil war he emerged as one of the core of the King’s men who overthrew Mary Queen of Scots. \u00a0The 3rd Earl of Eglington (Montgomery) was Catholic and until 1571 a Queen’s man, but in that year he and the other conservative Ayrshire lords changed sides and were thus able to end up on the winning side in 1573. \u00a0Finally the Cunninghams and the Montgomerys were on the same side.<\/p>\n

The Murder of Hugh Montgomerie<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\"Lainshaw
Lainshaw Castle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 1585\u00a0Hugh Montgomerie, 4th Earl of Eglinton was travelling to Stirling. \u00a0He had been ordered to attend court by the King. \u00a0The Earl was accompanied by\u00a0a few domestic servants. \u00a0He stopped at Lainshaw Castle to dine with his close relative, a Montgomery, the Lord of Lainshaw, whose Lady was a Margaret Cunningham of Aiket Castle, with sisters married to John Cunningham of Corsehill and\u00a0David Cunninghame of Robertland.<\/p>\n

There was a plot to betray and kill the Earl, Hugh Montgomery, the story goes that he was followed from the castle and murdered. \u00a0It is believed that the Lady, who was a\u00a0Cunningham or some say a servant who was a\u00a0Cunningham\u00a0climbed to the battlements after the meal to hang out a white table napkin and thereby signalling the troops who waited outside that the Earl was there.<\/p>\n

\"Annick
Annick Ford<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thirty Cunninghames attacked the Earl as he crossed Annick Ford and cut his servants to pieces; the Earl himself was dispatched with a single shot from the pistol of John Cunningham of\u00a0Clonbeith Castle. His horse carried his dead body along the side of the river, still known as the ‘Weeping’, ‘Mourning’ or ‘Widows’ path.<\/p>\n

Revenge on the Cunninghams \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A wave of bloody revenge swept over Cunninghame and elsewhere.\u00a0In retribution the Cunningham relatives, friends and supporters were killed without mercy by the Montgomerys.<\/p>\n

Aiket was killed near his home; Robertland and Corsehill escaped to Denmark. Clonbeith was traced to a house in Hamilton, possibly Hamilton Palace\u00a0and hacked to pieces by Robert Montgomery and John Pollock. Robert also killed the Earl of Glencairn’s brother the Commendator of Kilwinning Abbey, Alexander of Montgreenan, thought to have instigated Hugh’s murder. He rode to Montgreenan and shot the Commendator at his own gate.<\/p>\n

The Crown attempted to step in but failed. \u00a0At a parliamentary session in 1606, the Earls of Glencarin and Eglinton, along with their followers, fought each other from \u201cseven till ten hours at night\u201d.\u00a0 Neither the King nor the Parliament was able to settle the dispute. \u00a0The crown had made repeated attempts to reconcile the families between 1595 and 1604.<\/p>\n

Kilwinning Abbey<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Kilwinning
Kilwinning Abbey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 1570 the two Clan also clashed over control of Kilwinning Abbey. By this time the Montgomieries’ dominance of local patronage was almost complete; only the abbey remained outside of their jurisdiction. \u00a0 The\u00a0Earl of Glencairn’s\u00a0 fourth earl’s son of his second marriage, Alexander Cunningham of Montgreenan, was appointed commendator of Kilwinning Abbey and contested the right of Hugh Montgomery, third earl of Eglinton, to act as bailie of the abbey’s regality. \u00a0 \u00a0Alexander was thought to be the instigator behind the plot to kill the 4th Earl of Ellington, Hugh Montgomery.<\/p>\n

Interestingly there are tales of a Ley tunnel which is said to run\u00a0rom Kilwinning Abbey, under the ‘Bean Yaird’, below the ‘Easter Chaumers’ and the ‘Leddy firs’, and then underneath the Garnock and on to the Montgomery’s Eglinton Castle.<\/p>\n

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The King Steps In … Again<\/strong><\/p>\n

James VI was made aware of the situation and he decided to intervene on behalf of the Earl of Eglinton.\u00a0 A reason for this may have been that the Earl of Eglinton was a Roman Catholic and the Earl of Glencairn was suspected of heresy and, indeed, of being in league with Henry VIII, who was trying to gain domination of Scotland.<\/p>\n

The government of King\u00a0James VI of Scotland\u00a0eventually managed to make the chiefs of the two clans shake hands. In 1661 Lord High Chancellor William Cunningham, 9th Earl of Glencairn, married Margaret Montgomery, daughter of Alexander, 6th Earl of Eglinton, drawing a line under the feud.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For a long time in the fifteenth century and beyond the families of Cunninghams of Glancairn and the Montgomeries of Eglinton were deadly and bitter rivals, a bloody feud that\u00a0makes Romeo and Juliet looks like child’s play. \u00a0It was described by John Lesie (exiled bishop of Ross who wrote the ‘Historie of Scotland’)\u00a0as ‘the auldest […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":60542,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1513,163,460],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ayrshire","category-cunningham","category-montgomery"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/project1-m9gb2xku8.live-website.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/project1-m9gb2xku8.live-website.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/project1-m9gb2xku8.live-website.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/project1-m9gb2xku8.live-website.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/project1-m9gb2xku8.live-website.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=60496"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/project1-m9gb2xku8.live-website.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60496\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/project1-m9gb2xku8.live-website.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=60496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/project1-m9gb2xku8.live-website.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=60496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/project1-m9gb2xku8.live-website.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=60496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}