BIRKWOOD

BIRKWOOD
The seat of John Gregory McKirdy Esq, - (Click to see larger image)

The residence of John Gregory McKirdy, Esq., is a handsome castellated mansion, beautifully situated on the river Nethan, about half a mile above the pillage of Abbeygreen.

The estate extends to the west over the Blackhill, including the Tower and Beacon woods, and has been much improved by the present proprietor, and by his father, the late John McKirdy, Esq. Within the grounds is Monkstable, the place where, of old, the monks of the Abbey of Lesmahagow kept their sumpter horses and mules, to convey their brethren between the Archbishopric of Glasgow and the Abbey of Kelso. From the old deeds in the Charter Chest at Birkwood, it appears that these lands formerly belonged to the Church, and came into possession of the late Mr. McKirdy about the beginning of this century, by purchase, after passing through the hands of the Selkirk, Hamilton, and Weir families.

The following information regarding the family of McKirdy is almost exclusively derived from Sir Bernard Burke's work upon the landed gentry. (London, 1858.)

The Makurerdys (Mackirdys or M'Kirdys) were the principal possessors of the. Island of Bute at an early period. . Subsequently, King James IV., in 1489, leased the Crown property in Bute, which, in 1503, was feued in one general charter to the Makurerdys, Bannatynes, Stewarts, and others, the greatest portion falling to the Makurerdy s. These feu rights descended .to Robert Makurerdy of Lubus and Kerrymonach, who married, circa 1725, Janet, daughter of Donald Frazer, Esq., and widow of McKay of Gerrachty, and had two sons-William, who died without leaving a family, and John, of whom presently.

Robert Makurerdy was drowned while on his passage from Ireland, and was succeeded by his second son John, who married, in 1760, Grace Gregory, daughter of Robert Macgregor, Esq., and had issue-Alexander, who died in 1805 unmarried; John, who succeeded him in 1810 ; and two daughters. John, his successor, afterwards of Birkwood, was born 14th July 1764, and married Mary, eldest daughter of David Elliot, Esq. of Liddesdale, and by her had sons-1. John Gregory, his heir; 2. Charles Clark; 3. David Elliot, Colonel in the army, and Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the 69th Regiment. Daughters-1. Mary Wood, who died unmarried in 1858 ; 2. Susan, married 1841 to Andrew Scott, Esq., and died 1852, leaving issue.

John Gregory McKirdy, Esq. of Birkwood, one of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County of Lanark, married, 1841, Augusta, daughter of the late Captain James Bradshaw, R.N., M.P. for Brackley, County of Northampton.

Among the curiosities at Birkwood are two holograph letters of Prince Charles Edward, addressed to his father, of which the following are copies:

Perth, September 10, 1745.

Sr

Since my Landing everything has succeeded with me to my wishes. it has pleased God to prosper me hitherto, even beyond my expectations. I have got together about 3000 men and am promised more brave determined Fellows, who are resolved to Die or conquer w' me. the Enemy March' a Body of regular Troops to attack me, but w" they came near they changed their minds and by taking a different rout and making forced marches have escaped to y' north to y' great disappointment of my Highlanders. But I am not at all sorry for it; I shall have ye greater glory in beating 'em w' they are more numerous and supported by their Dragoons. I have occasion every Day to reflect on yr. Majesty's last words to me, viz. yet I should find Power if it was not with justice and clemency an uneasy thing to myself and grievous to them and me, 'tis owing to ye observance of your Rule and my conforming to ye customs of ye People, if I have got their Hearts to a degree not to be easily conceived by those who do not see it. One who observes ye Discipline I have established would take my little army to be a Body of Pickt veterands and to see ye Love and Harmony what reigns among us he would be apt to look upon it as a large well-order' Family in w' every one love another better than himself. I keep my Health better in these wild mountains than I us' to doe in ye Campania Jollie and sleep sounder lying on your ground than I us' to doe in your Palaces at Rome. there is one thing, and but one in w°h I have had any difference with my Faithful Highlanders; it was about setting a Price on my kinsman's Head; w' knowing your Majesty's generous Humanity, I am sure will shock you as much as it did me. When I was shewn the Proclamation setting a Price on my Head I smiled and treated it with ye disdain it deserved ; upon w°h you flew into a most violent rage and insisted upon my doeing the same by him. As this flowed solely from ye Poor men's Love and esteem for me; I did not know how to be angry with them for it and try's to bring 'em to temper by representing if it was a mean and barbarous Principle among Princes it must dishonour them in ye eyes of all men of Honour ; yet I could not see how my Cousins having set me the example would j ustifie me in imitating yet w°h I so much blame in him, but nothing I could say would justifie them. Some went even so far as to say, shall we venture our Lives for a man who seems so Indifferent about his own? thus I have been drawn in to doe a thing for w°h I condemn myself. Your Majesty knows that in my nature I am neither cruel nor revengefull and God who knows my heart, knows yet if ye very Prince, who has forced me to do this (for it is he who has forced me) was in my Power, ye greatest pleasure I could feel would be in treating him as youre Black P. treated his Prisoner ye K. of F., to make him ashamed of having skewed himself so inhuman an enemy to a man for attempting a thing, whom he himself, if he had any spirit, would despise for not attempting. I beg your Majesty would be under no uneasiness about me. He is always safe who is in God's keeping. if I die, it shall be as I have lived wt' Honour; and the pleasure I take in thinking I have a Brother in all respects more worthy than myself, to support yd just cause and rescue my injured Country from y e oppression under when it groans (if it will suffer itself to be rescued) makes life more indifferent to me. As I know and admire the fortitude with which your Majesty has supported your misfortunes and ye generous disdain with w°h which Majesty has constantly rejected all offers of Foreign assistance on terms with you thought dishonest to yourself and injurious to your Country, if your cold but Interested Friends should at any time take advantage of your tender affection with which they know you love me I hope you will reject them with the same magnanimity, you have hitherto shewn, and leave me to shift for myself as Ed d ye 3r° left his brave son, when he was in danger of being opprest by numbers in your Field. No Sr, let it never be said yet to save your son you injured your Country. When your Enemies bring in Foreigners and you reject all Foreign assistance on dishonest terms; your deluded subjects of England must see, who is the true Father of his People. for my own part I declare once for all, yet while I breathe I will never consent to alienate one Foot of Land who belongs to the Crown of England, or set my hand to any treaty inconsistent with its Soveraignity and Independency. if the English would have my life let 'em take it if they Can, but no unkindness of their Parts shall ever force me to do a thing yet may justifie them in taking it. I may be overcome by my enemies but I wont dishonour myself. if I die it shall be sword in hand fighting for your liberty of those who fight againste me. I know there will be fulsome addresses from ye different Corpora°° of England, but I hope they will impose on none but the lowest and most ignorant of the People ; they will no doubt try to revive all the errors or Excesses of my Grandfather's unhappy reign and impute 'em to your Majesty and me, who had no hand in 'em and suffered most by 'em. Can anything be more unreasonable than to suppose yet your Majesty ; who is so sensible of and has so often considered y° fatal errours of your Father would w' your eyes open go and repeat 'em again, notwithstanding your repeated assurances your Majesty has given 'em in your declarations and in my manifestos, yet you will invade no man's Property, they endeavour to persuade the unthinking People yet one of y° 1°t things they are to expect will be to see Publick credit destroyed, as if it would be your intention to render yourself contemptible in the eyes of all the nations of Europe, and all the K°° you propose to reign over, Poor at Home and insignificant abroad. they no doubt try likewise to frighten your present Possessours of Abby Lands and Church Lands w' vain Terrours as if ye Majestys intention was to resume 'em all; not considering you have lived to Long in R. C. Countries and read ye History of England to carefully not to have observed the many melancholly monuments to be seen there of y° folly of those Pious Princes, who thinking to Honour Religion have hurt it by heaping superfluous Riches on the Church, whereby they have insensibly raised up a Power yet has too often proved an overmatch for their successors. I find it a great loss y° brave L' Marshall is not w' me, his caracter is very high in ye country and must be wherever he is known. I'd rather see him than looo French who if they should come only as Friends to assist your Majesty in ye Recovery of your just Rights, your weak people would believe yet they came as invaders. There is one man of your country whom I would wish to have my friend, and yet is the D. of Argile, who I find is in great credit with them on account of his great abilities and good qualities and his many Dependants by his large Fortune; but I am told I can hardly Flatter myself with the Hopes of it. The hard usage w°h his Family recd from ours, has sunk deep into his mind. Wt have those Princes to answer for, who by their Cruelties have raised enemies not only to themselves but to their innocent children? I must not close this letter without doing justice to your Majestys Prot' subjects, who axe I find as zealous in yr cause as ye R. Catholics w°h is wt Dr Wagstaff has often told me I should find when I came to try 'em. I design to march from hence to-morrow and hope my next will be from Edinborough. I am your Majesty's most obed. subject and Dutiful Son,

CHARLES.