Mortimer as a Surname

in Scotland


DATUM VI.                                                    To Return.

Biographical Notes.

  M102:  Alan, 1126, married Anicea Vipont and so assumed the Lordship of Aberdour, in Fife; described as "soldier", related to the Mortimers of Attleborough, in Norfolk ( see "Norman Lineage").

  M105:  William, 1180, "of Aberdour", gifted land to the Abbey on Inchcolme; present at the Siege of Alnwick, 1174, where he is reputed to have fought bravely and was taken hostage; probably the son of M102.

 M106:  Hugo, 1175-1200, Prior of the Isle of May, an island off the coast of Fife,  5 miles SE of Anstruther; ( interesting use of the ancestral name "Hugo", see Hugo, Bishop of Coutance, in "Norman Lineage").

  M107:  Constantine, 1200-1215, associated with Lindores Abbey, at Newburgh on the south shore of the Firth of Tay, Fife; "Constantine" was a name used by the Mortimers of Attleborough.

  M108:  Hugo, 1221, clerk to King Alexander II, sent as envoy to King Henry III of England, to agree the date of his marriage to Henry's sister, Joan; son of M109.

  M109:  Roger, 1189, acquired, by marriage to Christina de Maule, lands at Fowlis Easter ( just west of Dundee); in 1209, then Sheriff of Perth, he was a royal emmissary sent to negotiate with King John of England; said to be the son of a "Constantine"; and to have had a son, Hugo (M108).

  M110:  Edmond, 1302, probably a kinsman of the Mortimers of Fowlis Easter.

  M111:  Roger, 1312, named in a garrison in Dundee; in 1333, a Roger led a section of the Scottish army at the battle of Halidon Hill; probably the son of M114.

  M112:  William, 1314-1320, as a witness.

  M113:  Roger, 1368, a charter of Dunmore, ( ? in the Sma' Glen, 7 miles N of Crief, Perthshire or on the south bank of Loch Leven, Fife.

  M114:  Roger, 1296, as Lord of Fowlis, "did homage" to Edward 1 of England; 1300-1316, signatory to numerous charters of Coupar Angus Abbey, and of a gift to Lindores Abbey; related by friendship to the Earl of Mar who held lands in the parish of Alvah in Banffshire,( see M116); he was granted the lands of Ballandro, in the parish of Benholm, Kincardinshire, by John, Earl of Atholl, but this was not confirmed till 1360, and these lands remained in Mortimer hands untill 1468.

  M115:  Robert, 1465, of Ballandro, registered an Armorial Seal.

  M116:  "Male", *1390, a cadet of the Mortimers of Graigievar, had a grant of land in the parish of Alvah, in Banffshire, from the then Lady of Mar; probably refers to John M203.

  M117:  James, 1465, of Ballandro, son of M115, registered an Armorial Seal.

  M118:  James, 1553, otherwise "Mortymar", witness to legal action of M125.

  M119:  John, 1414, resigns as Prior of Strathfullen, under Dunkeld.

  M120:  Roger, 1364, "of Fowlis Easter"; held lands in Perthshire and Fife; he married a Margaret of Menteith; in 1377 having no sons, resigned his lands to his daughter,Janet,M136 who is later described as an "heiress of Aberdour", which would suggest that this Roger was a direct descendant of the Mortimers of Aberdour.

  M121:  John, 1476, already well established at Flemington, in the parish of Aberlemno in Angus; the family held other lands in the surrounding area, viz; Parkford, Bellahill et al.; Parkford was still in Mortimer hands in 1700.

  M122:  Thomas, 1628, sold the Mains of Flemington with lands at Baltrielavis and Bellahill to Patrick Lindsay, Bishop of Ross; by this time there had been eight generations of Mortimers, at Flemington.

  M123:  John, 1492, a burgess of Montrose.

  M124:  Thomas, 1499, was sued for the non-payment of rents,  (to the Barony of Inverarity); Probably the son of M121 and the grandson of a previous John.

  M125:   John, 1565, of Flemington, was a member of a jury; had been party to a long legal action, 1551 - 82, over inheritance of Flemington; son of a "John Mortimer of Flemington".  

  M126:  John, 1395-1420, a burgess of Dundee, a "custumar".

  M127;  Walter, 1506, chaplain to Dunkeld Abbey, Perthshire, auditor and steward to the Bishop; in 1507, travelled on a Mission to Rome; died 1514.

  M128;  John, 1490, son and heir to a "John Mortimer of Flemington", had a charter for Flemington, dated 23rd January 1490, directly from the King, James IV.

  M129:  John, 1549, otherwise "Sir John", vicar of Strathmartin in Dundee, was in possession of the Vicarage in 1554.

  M130:  Patrick, 1567, was Reader to the church of Fowlis Easter (just west of Dundee); and was "allowed" the Vicarage in 1571-2, was Reader in 1574 and "presented to" the Vicarage in 1775; was a witness to a charter in 1587.

  M131:  Malcolm, 1532, "sacristan" of the Collegiate Church of Tain in St.Andrews; was in possession of "temple-lands" in Fowlis Easter, in 1545.

  M132:  Robert, 1620, Jesuit priest.

  M133:  George, 1622, a "trafficking Jesuit", languished in a Glasgow prison, awaiting deportation, ( I believe the actual order, dated 12 Sept 1622, still exists).

  M134:  Katherine, 1359, mistress of David 11, was murdered at Soutra whilst riding from Melrose toEdinburgh; was thought to have come from London.

  M135:  Patrick, 1681, baillie of Cupar ( in Fife); member of the Scottish parliament, 1681-2.

  M136:  Janet, 1377, inherited the estate of Fowlis Easter from her father M120; said to have been an "heiress of Aberdour"; married Sir Andrew Grey of Broxmouth; their son, born in 1390, was the first Lord Grey. A Coat of Arms of the Mortimers is included in a memorial window in the church at Fowlis Easter.

  M138:  Isobel, 1391, daughter of Bernard ( M142); married Sir Andrew Leslie, laird of Balquain, in the parish of Inverurie, Aberdeenshire; founded chapel at Braco in memory of her husband who had been killed there in 1420, by the Sheriff of Angus, having been outlawed for the abduction of many women.

  M139:  "Sister of M136", 1377, married a Mortimer of Craigievar; being "an heiress of Aberdour".

  M141: "Male", 1377, of Craigievar; marries M139.

  M142:  Bernard, 1391, of Craigievar; was a procurator in the transfer of land to Lady of Mar and the Garrioch, in 1404, ( see M116).

  M144:  Malcolm, 1453, nephew of M138.

  M145:  Edmond, 1457, inherited Craigievar; in 1435, had served on a jury at Kildrummy, probably the son of M142.

  M147:  John, 1480, of Innentier,(near Craigievar); baillie to Lord Leslie, (see M138).

  M148:  Thomas, 1480, acted as a "representative".

  M149:  Alexander, 1480, a chaplain.

  M150:  Alexander, 1487, of Craigievar; acted as a witness, probably the same Alexader as M152.

  M151:  Duncan, 1467, witness to a charter in regard to Castle Forbes, which is 9 miles NNE of Craigievar.

  M152:  Alexander, 1503, held Craigievar from 1495 till 1513; associated with Barclay of Towie, Forbes of Pitsligo, Leslie of Balquain ( see M138).

  M153:  William, 1513, son of M152; aquired lands in the barony of Leslie, in the parish of Inverurie, ( see M138); charter granted in 1528; these lands were thereafter held by Mortimers till 1627; he was a witness in 1543; his wife was Elizabeth Gordon.

  M154:  Patrick, 1622, "of Enzean", in the parish of Inverurie.

  M155:  Alexander, 1528, was granted, by his father, M153, the lands at Innentier; his wife was Margaret Menzies; he died just before 1551.

  M157: John, 1551, grandson of M153; is named as heir apparent and, in 1554, inherits Craigievar and the lands in the barony of Leslie; in 1575, he inherits the lands at Innentier, from his mother, ( see M155); his wife was Katherine Gray.

  M164:  Janet, 1578, daughter of M157; settlement made when she married a Lumsden.

  M165:  James, 1577, son of and heir apparent to M157; marries Elizabeth Arbuthnot; now entering a lawless period, with James and his father, John, being involved in serious fracas and, consequently, subjected to many "Bonds of Caution" which inevitably led to their subsequent impoverishment and the sale of Craigievar.

  M167:  John, 1600, son of M165, marries his cousin Helen Symmer, from Brechin in Angus and this link with the county of Angus is further confirmed by a bond being given by Lord Glammis in1601; in 1610, he sells Craigievar and all the other lands to William Forbes, alias "Dantzig Willie"; by 1624, he had moved to Brechin, where he is given the Archdeacon's house, by his father-in-law.       N.B:- Craigievar Castle is now in the ownership of the National Trust of Scotland.

  M168:  Alexander, 1614, brother of M167; outlawed on a charge of murder.

  M173:  William, 1636, brother of M167; married Violet Layng; got sasine of the lands of Glencat, in the parish of Birse, Aberdeenshire, ( a rather remote moorland area); he had a daughter, Marjorie.

  M180:  John, 1656, son of M173; inherits Glencat; marries Elizabeth Rose ( Ross).

  M181:  George, *1672, elder son of M180; inherited Glencat but dies before 1672.

  M182:  William, 1696, having inherited Glencat from his elder brother, M181; working farmer but classed himself as "ane gentleman"; in 1685, he married Janet Burnet ( with a tocher of 1000 merks); sold Glencat, in 1696, to John Gordon of Cluny, but may have stayed on as a tenant farmer; he died in 1732, in relative poverty.

  M187:  Henry,1469, burgess of Aberdeen, ( by marriage); probably a younger son of the Craigievar Ms.

  M188:  Andrew, 1497, burgess of Aberdeen ( by marriage); probably a younger son of the Craigievar Ms.

  M189:  John, 1590, brother of M165, and uncle of M167; "Thesaurer" ( Treasurer) to Aberdeen Town Council till 1616; in 1595, became a burgess of guild, ex gratia; died 1635.

  M191:  Alexander, 1594, brother of M189; merchant burgess in Aberdeen.

  M193:  Thomas, 1635, son of M189; a leading citizen of Aberdeen; bought lands in the parish of Turriff; acquired the estate at Hazelhead ( on the outskirts of Aberdeen), by marriage to a Chalmers heiress; subsequently held various diplomatic posts; in 1650 he negotiated with " the Inglische army for the tounes saiftie"; still alive in 1656.

  M194:  Thomas, 1673, son of M193; inherited Hazelhead; burgess of guild (merchant) in Aberdeen.

  M195:  Robert, 1664, brother of M194; licensed as a minister; was, for a time, minster at the Tron Kirk in Edinburgh; married Ann Murray and had five children, one of whom was named Helen.

  M196:  Alexander, 1667, brother of M194 and M195; student at Mar College; licensed minster, was minster at Kirkcubright; may not have married; died 1716.

  M197:  Alexander, 1478, son and heir to M198; acting as a witness.

  M198: John, 1490, of Auchinbaddy, in the parish of Alvah, Banffshire.

  M199:  John, 1551, subject of a Precept of Remission, (a pardon for not attending a "gathering" at Gladsmuir, in1548, during the English occupation).

  M200:  Alexander, 1554, of Auchinbaddy, till 1573; married Beatrix Mowat.

  M201:  William, 1557, probably the son of M200; gave to eldest son lands including Casteltoun of Kinedward.

  M202:  John, 1576, of Auchinbaddie; probably the son of M201; served on a jury of Inquest, in 1587.

  M203:  John, 1384, possibly a younger brother of Bernard of Craigievar ( M142); baillie to Margaret, Countess of Douglas, Lady of Mar and the Garrioch, (see M142); had a charter of lands at Auchinbaddy, in the parish of Alvah, Banffshire.

  M204:  George, 1588, "apparent" to Auchinbaddy; had to subscribe to a Bond of Defence to King and Country of 1000 merks ( John of Craigievar had to subscribe 3000 merks); was laird of Auchinbaddy in 1600; married Katherine Meldrum; was subject to bonds of caution against feuding; was a member of a jury in 1618.

  M205:  Henry, 1563, was Reader at Alvah church, and Exhorter in 1567.

  M207:  Walter, 1641, son of M204; included, with his son George, in a list of "delinquents", for refusing to raise levies to aid the suppression of the Irish rebellion at that time.

  M208:  George, 1641, son of M207; had two children, George ( M210), by his first marriage to Jean Cumming, and Bethia by his second to Elizabeth Leslie of Eden; died 1693.

  M210:  George, 1679, son of M208; merchant in Danzig; had three daughters; died in 1716.

  M212:  William, 1605, got sasine for the lands at Lochagan, which is near Auchinbaddy; could probably have been a younger son of George, M204.

  M213:  Thomas, 1646, "in Findlater"; buries his mother in Cullen Kirk.

  M214:  William, 1646, marries Margaret Kelman in Cullen Kirk.

  M215:  Roger,  1296, "of the County of Perth", did homage to Edward I of England at Berwick, (see Ragman Rolls); probably a great-grandson of M109.

 M251:  John, 1526, " of Flemington, had a charter relating to the payment of annual rent to his uncle, Gilbert Strathauchin, canon of Aberdeen and Moray; (extract from the Flemington Charter).