Mr Jervise and

of the parish were the Middletons. others have attributed the origin of this family to Fettercairn, but there is nothing to identify them with that parish until the seventeenth century. They were early in possession of the "Middle towns" of Conveth, and adopted the territorial name. For about three centuries they bore the designation of Middletons of that Ilk, though part of the estate had probably gone from their possession. Towards the middle of the sixteenth century they exchanged the remainder for Kilnhill and part of Bent, when they assumed the name of Middleton of "Kilnhill." Their interest as landowners in the parish terminated in 1606.

The Wisharts were the next family to be classed among the proprietors of the parish. They obtained possession of Conveth, Haulkerton, and Scotston in 1246. The two last were held only for a few years, and the chief interest of the family was subsequently confined to the Mill and Mill-lands of Conveth, which were then, as now, joined to Pittarrow. They continued in possession of the heads of the house until the beginning of the seventeenth century, when the necessities of Sir John Wishart led to their disposal. They were transferred to the possession of a younger brother, who sold them before 1631, and so terminated the immediate connection of the family with the parish.

Early in the fourteenth century, probably the whole barony of Garvock, and certainly the lands of Johnston, were in possession of a family named Fraser, whose chief was designated Thane of Cowie. They soon passed, through marriage with the heiress, into

the hands of the Keiths-Marischal. Johnston and Burnton continued in possession of that family until the time of the fourth Earl Marischal, who disposed of them about the middle of the sixteenth century. Other portions of the barony, as well as Haddo, had in the meantime been acquired by Keiths, descendants of the second Earl Marischal, to be held by successive generations; and one of the later members of the family was for some years in possession of Burnton. The last of the Keiths closed his connection as a proprietor in the parish in 1677. The Keiths-Marischal are now represented in the parish by the Earl of Kintore.

The lands of Blackiemuir came into the possession of Sir David Lindsay, first Earl of Crawford, towards the close of the fourteenth century; but they continued only for a few years, and the connection of that noble family with the parish was a temporary one.

Another family belonging to the peerage, whose chief estates lay in Perthshire, held possessions in the parish of Conveth for nearly a century and a half. Patrick, Master of Gray, who owned lands in Kinneff, died before 1464; and three years after that date, Annabella Forbes, who is supposed to have been his relict, died, leaving to her heir, William Meldrum—a child by a second marriage-the barony of Scotston and Powburn, which was resigned by his son and successor in 1543. The third Lord Gray, another son of Annabella Forbes, acquired an interest in part of the lands of Middleton in 1481, and they were gifted to his granddaughter and her husband, Sir John Campbell, in 1539. They were afterwards, in 1593, joined to the Haulkerton estate by the mar

riage of Sir Alexander Falconer with a daughter of the sixth Lord Gray.

During the sixteenth century there were numerous changes in the parish, and several new families introduced. Strachan of Thornton was a short time in possession of Haddo. Scotston and Powburn fell into the hands of Allardice of that Ilk in 1543, and, with a short interruption, continued in the family until 1628. Irvine of Drum may then have acquired Redmyre, which was certainly in the family's possession in the beginning of the next century.

In the seventeenth century, Redmyre passed from the Irvines to Stuart of Inchbreck, whose progenitor, according to Mr Jervise, was laird of Johnston in the middle of the sixteenth century. The Stuarts were proprietors of Redmyre until 1806. Early in the seventeenth century the Marquis of Hamilton appears in connection with Scotston and Powburn. Kilnhill was then in possession of James Livingstone, who was son of Sir John Livingstone of Dunipace, the head of a distinguished family. Blackiemuir was owned by Moncur of Slains. Later on in the century, Mill of Conveth was acquired by the Carnegies; and it continued in their possession until 1831, when it was purchased by Crombie of Thornton.

The only new proprietor of the eighteenth century was Lord Gardenstone. His nephew disposed of Johnston in 1806 to James Farquhar, whose representatives are still in possession. And Redmyre was owned by a family named Allardyce from 1806 to 1853, when it was acquired by the present proprietor, Dr Johnston of Kair.

B

CHAPTER II.

DE BERKELEYS.

Umfrid or Humphrey de Berkeley was not only the first proprietor of lands in Conveth of whom information has come down, but he was the first person whose name is actually identified with the parish. He was descended from the noble English family of Berkeley, being the son of Theobold de Berkeley, who was born in 1110, and lived in the reigns of Alexander I. and David I. He came to Scotland with William the Lion, among whose followers also were his uncles Walter and William, and his nephew Robert. These four Berkeleys were founders of families in Scotland; and one of the most powerful and opulent in Kincardineshire was that of which Humphrey was the originator. For various services, he received from the king a grant of the lands of Balfeith, Monboddo, Glenfarquhar, Fordoun, &c. The district, which included Conveth, was called "Mernez" or Mearns, which is said to denote "little hills." Donations from his extensive estates were granted to the monks of Aberbrothwick, or Arbroath. There is a charter without date, but supposed to belong to the years 1204-11, in which Umfrid de Berkeley grants the lands of Balfeith to the Abbey of Arbroath. Along with these lands it confers "conveniences of peatery and pasture from his fen of Kirkell and Cuneueth, so that the monks and their men may have grazing

for one hundred beasts with their followers, and for as many swine, and as numerous a breed of horses, as the monks may choose to have on the foresaid land." For the maintenance of those beasts, they were also granted a right of shealing, from Pasch to the Feast of All-Saints, in Tuberlach, Crospath, or Glenferkaryn.

Humphrey de Berkeley was succeeded by his only child, a daughter, named Richenda, who, in the reign of Alexander II. (1214-49), renewed and confirmed the donations which her father had made. She died without issue, and was succeeded by her uncle.

John de Berkeley, on succeeding to the estates, dispossessed the monks of the gifts which they had received from his brother, and which had been confirmed by his niece. The ecclesiastics, however, took measures in defence of their rights, the result of which was, that he was compelled to give them a portion of his lands of Conveth in lieu of those which he had taken. This transaction also occurred in the time of Alexander II., by whom it was ratified.

Robert de Berkeley was the next representative of the family, and there is evidence that he concurred in the compromise which his father had made with the monks. It is nowhere specified what portion of Conveth was thus assigned to the Church, though it certainly included the lands attached to the Mill.

Hugh de Berkeley was the son and successor of Robert. He received from Robert the Bruce (130629) a charter over the lands of Westerton of Conveth. This included the ancient St Lawrence, and