Lesmahagow

William Bannatyne of Corhouse was, in 1596 indicted as "art and part in the away-taking and the reifing of Margaret Hamilton, dochter of John Hamilton of Auchnaglen, furth of James Weir's house of Dargavill." The charge proceeded on the narrative, that John Hamilton having placed his daughter, Margaret, a child of ten years old, with William Weir in Dargavill, who was her uncle by the mother's side, to be educated and brought up until of age, trusting that no interruption to her education should take place, nor violence be attempted against her; notwith-standing whereof, William Cunninghame, Tutor of Bonningtoune, accompanied by certain brethren and servants of William Bannatyne of Corhouse, mounted on William's horse, and at his instigation, with forbidden weapons, came on the 28th day of March preceding under silence and cloud of night, to the said John Weir's house of Dargavil, within the sheriffdom of Lanark, and violently entered therein, threatened to take John Weir's life, took his purse from him, in which was much gold and silver, injured him in various parts of the body, and left him lying for dead, and afterwards took away Margaret with them to Corhouse, where she was received and kept all that night in the knowledge of the said William Bannatyne, and subsequently, by his orders, conveyed to the borders, where she was kept and detained; her away-takers remaining continually in house and company with the said laird of Corhouse, who intended, during her minority, to induce her to act to her own disadvantage. Bannatyne, on being called, his advocate requested Hamilton to swear to the accusation given in against him, whereupon he declared that he was informed by report that he did it, but would not take it upon his conscience that the same was done. The matter being remitted to an assize, in presence of judge and jury, Bannatyne was accused of the crime, which he denied. "The assizes than passed furth of court, to ane secret (quiet?) place, in the yard of the Tolbooth, where they voted on the points of the dittay, and having resolved, re-entered the court, and found and declared the panel clene, innocent and acquit of the crime." It is remarkable that no witnesses were examined on either side, and thus ended on of the most curious cases recorded by Pitcairn in his "Criminal Trials."
(Pitcairn," i. 378.)

In 1631, William Bannatyne of Corhouse was a benefactor to the library of the University of Glasgow, to the amount of 20 merks. In 1632 he was served heir to his father, William, in the lands of Corehouse, with dwelling-house and mill. In 1643 John Bannatyne of Corhouse was one of the Commissioners named by Act of Parliament for raising a tax, ordered to be levied by the Convention of Estates, to meet the loan of 200,000 merks. His name appears in the same year as one of the War Committee for the County of Lanark, and again in the years 1647 and 1648. (Act Parl.29, 132, 298.) He was appointed one of the Local Commissioners of Excise in 1661, a Justice of Peace in 1663, and Commissioner of Supply in 1667.

It is a witticism of Dickens that "accidents will occur in the best regulated families," and the following account, abridged from the "History of the Somervilles" may possibly be thought to illustrate the remark. In 1650 the army being encamped at Corstorphinr, and young Corehouse there with his father, who was Lieut-Colonel of Stewart's regiment of horse, he invites young Somerville of Cambusnethan to his father's tent, who made this young gentlemen very welcome, and entertained him respectfully, because of his having a Bannatyne to his mother, of which surname himself is supposed to be the chief. At parting he proffered him the shelter of his tent, knowing that that gentlemen had there none of his own, because his stay in the army was uncertain, having the Earl of Eglintoun to wait upon at Court, which was then ambulatory, as the King's affairs required. This kind offer of Corhouse, Cambusnethan accepts for some few days, during which time they became very familiar, and contracted great friendship, which still continued until affinity made it more firm and lasting.

The army being beat at Dunbar, the 3d of September 1650, young Corhouse narrowly escaped being knocked on the head or made prisoner, for his father's tent was cut down above him by the enemy before he could get to horse; however, he escaped unwounded, and came safe to his father's house the day after this unfortunate battle. The country being all in consternation because of the great loss, and his father gone to Stirling to rally his broken regiment, the son wearies to be confined within the walls of Corhouse, ane invincible place of strength before the use of guns, there being near approaching to it the river Clyde, surrounding three parts of the flinty rock whereupon the house stands. The front is open, but it is strongly walled, and has a drawbridge before the entry, which closes with ane iron yett. In this house the English never set foot until half a year after Worchester fight.

The English sending none of their troops to the west until near Martinmas, the country gentry that were not yet gone up to the King's army at Stirling, followed their ordinary recreation of hunting and hawking. Young Corhouse, being at this sport, was pleased to come to Cambusnethan, there to renew his acquaintance with that gentleman's son, where his welcome was suitable to the civilities he had met with from him in the camp. Having stayed there two days, Corhouse invites young Cambusnethan to his father's house, and would have him alongst with him, which he condescended to. Having procured his parents' license, they set furth well furnished with hawks and dogs, which gave them much sport; the fields and ways betwixt Cambusnethan and Corhouse being fitted for hawking and hunting. At night they came to Corhouse, being courteously received by the lady (a daughter of the house of Lee), her husband being then at Stirling, and modestly by the young ladies. When they appeared, the first that came in sight was Miss Margaret, afterwards lady to Sir James Johnston of Westerhall. The youngest, Miss Martha, was not seen until supper, and then came into the room in plain country dress. The truth is, she needed nothing else, being an ornament to her clothes when at the best, which afterwards she wore a fine and fashionable as any lady of her quality within the nation, and that without wronging her husband's fortune or her own credit. It is proper in this place, as I suppose, to give a description of her person and qualifications, both being excellent. To begin with the first, at her age of fifteen complete, se attained to her full height, which was so far above the ordinary stature of most women, that she was accounted amongst the tallest of our nation, but so that diminished nothing of her handsomness, every part answering thereto, as a slender waist, large shoulders, big breast, henches full and round. Her visage was long, her nose high, her brow bent and smooth as alabaster, her chin and cheeks somewhat full, with a little red, especially in hot weather. There was nothing bore so little proportion with the rest of her body as her hand and foot, both being extremely small, but weil shapen, white and full of flesh. Her skin was smooth and clear; her hair being of bright flaxen (which darkened as she grew in age), added much to her beauty, wherein there was no blemish, her mien being answerable to that, and her person gave occasion to those who saw her at church or any other public meeting to assert that she graced the place and company where she was. It has often been observed when this gentlewoman walked upon the street, which was but occasional (being better employed at home), that the eyes, not only of the men, but also those of her own sex were upon her, admiring her parts and handsomeness.