The Parish of Strathblane and its Inhabitants from Early Times

A Chapter of Lennox History

By John Guthrie Smith FSA Scot

Glasgow

James Maclehose and Sons

Publishers to the University

1886

pages 69,70,71

The Woodend of Mugdock, otherwise Woodside, or the Forester Land of Mugdock

This poffle of land, though mentioned last in the account of the feuing off of the Barony of Mugdock, was really the first to be detached from it. It is situated at the extreme south-east corner of Mugdock Wood, and the greater part of it is in the parish of Strathblane, a small part only being in East or New Kilpatrick. It is an old holding of the Weirs of Barrachan, a family who have been in the Barony from time immemorial, and who were put in possession of it by a charter from William, Earl of Montrose, dated in 1569 in favour of Walter Weir and Margaret Buchanan his spouse. Considering that it was only a house and garden and some 12 acres of land, the description of it in the charter is misleading : "the arable lands, airds and crofts of land and meadow, houses and yards thereof called the Forrester Land;" but there is no doubt it was never much if at all larger than it is at present; indeed, the charter goes on to state that all is enclosed "within a ditch lying on the east end of the wood or park of Mugdock."

The tradition in the Weir family is that they got this piece of land for services rendered to the Montrose family when an incursion was made on the Barony of Mugdcok.

Among the Montrose papers is a commission under the Great Seal "for judging in a spoulzie and depredation committed by the Earl of Argyll and other upon several tenants of Mugdock, " dated 16^th February, 1569. It may be that this "spoulzie" took place when Archibald, Earl of Argyll, who was then acting on behalf of the unfortunate Queen Mary, came to Glasgow, 18^th august 1568, "with ane greit company of men, and assaigit the castell thairof," or perhaps when he and the other lords who were with him, in obedience to the Queen's commands, "wreitt out of Ingland," "that thay should not preceid nor gang fordwart", "skaillit thair folkis, and depairtit to thair awne boundis." It does not appear that Montrose and Argyll were particularly at enmity at this time; the "spoulzie" therefore may have been merely the usual conduct of a Highland host when they found themselves in the low country, and the Weirs, who were leading people of the Barony, may have headed the tenants and saved the caste and other parts of it from the savage Argyllshire Highlanders, and been rewarded by the grateful Earl. All this, however, is mere conjecture, fro there is nothing further recorded as to this raid or incursion either in public or private documents.

There used to be a house on this small property which was used as an inn, and as it stood close to the old mill of Mugdock, it would be a convenient spot for refreshment of man and beast after toiling through mosses and muirs with grain for the mill; and as it was just at the foot of the Bank of Mugdock, it would no doubt often be a resting-place for the weary traveller before, with a stout heart, he set himself to climb that remarkably "stae brae."

When Walter Weir and his spouse got a grant of the Woodend they were only tenants of Barrachan, which adjoins it in Kilpatrick Parish, but ion the 27^th April 1630, Walter Ware, who was probably their grandson, had a feu charter of it on the same terms as the other tenants on the Barony.

Barrachan and Woodend descended from father to son, and at the beginning of last century were in the possession of John Wair or Weir. His son Gilbert succeeded, and following him was a James. This James Weir of Barrachan made a settlement in 1822 in favour of his sons, James (of whom afterwards), John, William, and Robert; and his three daughters, Elizabeth, wife of James Douglas of Barloch; Jean, wife of William Weir in Craigdow; and Janet, wife of Walter Watson in Craigash.

James Weir, the eldest son, had an only daughter Christina Weir, who, by her settlement, disponed her lands of Barrachan and Woodend to her cousin, James Weir, and he on her death, succeeded her.

The later James Weir of Barrachan and Woodend had three sons who each succeeded to these lands in turn, viz, John Weir, William Weir and lastly James Weir now of Barrachan and Woodend.

The present position of the Barony of Mugdock, in Strathblane, and the lands of Easter Mugdock-Mitchell may be thus summarized. They originally consisted of –

• Part of the lands of Strathblane, including Mugdock
• Garchbeth or Gartbeth – the modern Carbeth
• Auchengillan, originally in Kilmannan
• Quinloch or Camlacht
• The lands of Easter Mugdock or Mugdock-Mitchell

These lands belonged in property to the Earls of Montrose. They are now divided into the estates of –

• Auchengillan, the property of James Provan
• Auchengillan, the property of Mary and Agnes Aitken
• Craigmore, the property of the heirs of James Ritchie
• A poffle of Auchengillan, the property of John J. Pollock of Aucheneden
• Carbeth Guthrie, the property of Ebenezer McAlister
• Wester Carbeth or Garvel, the property of James Freeland
• Craigallian and Ballochalary and part of Carbeth, the property of Allan Graham Barns-Graham
• Craigend, the property of Sir James Buchanan Bart
• The Middleton of Mugdock, the property of John Brown
• The Easterton of Mugdock, the property of Robert Ker
• Bankend, the property of William Graham
• Woodend the property of James Weir of Barrachan
• Leddriegreen the property of Mr and Mrs Andrew Jameson