Camden's Britannia newly translated into English, with large additions and improvements ; publish'd by Edmund Gibson ...

STRATHERN.

* 1.1AS far as the River Tay, which bounds Fife on the North side, Julius Agricola, the best of all the Propraetors of Britain un∣der Domitian the worst of the Emperors, carried his victories in the third year of his Expedi∣tion; having so far wasted the Kingdom. Into this aestuarie falls the noted River Ern,* 1.2 which rising out of a Logh of the same name, bestows it on the Coun∣try it runs through; for it is called Straith-ern, which in the antient British, signifies a Valley upon Ern. The Banks of this Ern are adorned with Drimein-Castle,* 1.3 belonging to the family of the Barons of Dromond,* 1.4 who have risen to great honours since King Robert Steward the 3. married a wife out of this family. For the Women of that family, for charming beauty and complexion, are beyond all others; insomuch that they have been most delighted in by the Kings.

* 1.5And upon the same bank Tulibardin-Castle shews it self aloft, and that with more honour, since by the favour of K. James 6. John Murray Baron of Tulibar∣din, was advanced to the title and dignity of Earl of Tulibardin. Upon the other bank, lower, stands Duplin-Castle,* 1.6 the seat of the Barons Oliphant,* 1.7 and still remembers how great an overthrow (not to be equalled in former Ages) the English that came to assist King Edward Balliol, gave the Scots there: insomuch, that the English writers of that time, attribute the victory wholly to God's power, and not to any valour of man; and the Scots report, that there fell of the family of Lindsay 80 persons; and that the name of Hays had been quite extinct, had not the head of the family left his Wife big with child at home. Not far off stands Innermeth,* 1.8 well known for its Lords the Stewards, of the family of Lorn8 1.9.

But after the conflux of the Ern and the Tay, by which the latter more expatiates it self; he looks up upon Aberneth,* 1.10 standing upon his banks, antiently the

Royal Seat of the Picts, and a populous city; which (as we read in an old fragment) Nectanus, K. of the Picts, gave to God and S. Brigid, until the day of judg∣ment, together with the bounds thereof, which lie from a stone in Abertrent, to a stone near Carful that is Logh∣fol, and from thence as far as Ethan. But a long time after, it fell into the possession of the Douglasses, Earls of Angus, who are called Lords of Aberneth, and are some of them there interred.

The first Earl of Strathern* 1.11 that I read of, was9 1.12 Ro∣bert Stewart, in the year 1380. then David a youn∣ger son of K. Robert 2. whose only daughter being given in marriage to Patrick Graham, was mother of Mailise or Melisse Graham, from whom K. James 1. took the Earldom, after he had found by the Records of the Kingdom, that it had been given to his* 1.13 Mo∣ther's Grandfather, and his Heirs Male. This Terri∣tory (as also Menteith adjoyning) is under the go∣vernment of the Barons Dromond, hereditary Stewards of it.

Menteith,* 1.14 as they say, hath its name from the River Teith, called also Taich, and thence in Latin they name this little Territory Taichia. Upon the bank of which lies the Bishoprick of Dunblain,* 1.15 erected by K. David the first of that name* 1.16. At Kirk-Bird, that is, St. Brigid's Church, the Earls of Menteith have their principal residence; as also the Earls of Montrossl. 1.17 of the same family, not far off at Kin-kardin. This Men∣teith (as I have heard) reaches to the Mountains that enclose the East side of Logh-lomond. The anti∣ent Earls of Menteith were of the family of Cumen; anciently the most numerous and potent in all Scot∣land, but ruin'd by its own greatness. The later Earls are of the House of Graham,* 1.18 ever since Mailise Graham attain'd to the honour of Earl [d].

Notes

• * 1.1

  ••••••••h-ern ••••••attry.
• * 1.2

  ••••e River 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.3

  ••••••••ein.
• * 1.4

  ••••••••ns ••••••mond.
• * 1.5

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 of ••••••••r∣••••
• * 1.6

  Duplin.
• * 1.7

  Baron Oli∣phant.
• * 1.8

  Lords of Innermeth
• 8 1.9

  Inch-chafra, i.e. in the old Scottish tongue, the Isle of Masses; hereby may be remembred whenas it was a most famous Abbey of the Order of St. Augustin, founded by the Earl of Strathern, about the year 1200.
• * 1.10

  Abernethy
• * 1.11

  Earls of Strathern.
• 9 1.12

  Malisse, who, in the time of K. Henry 3. of England, marry'd one of the heirs of Robert Muschamp a potent Baron of England. Long after¦ward, &c.
• * 1.13

  Avo pa∣terno.
• * 1.14

  Menteith. Stewartry
• * 1.15

  Dunblain.
• * 1.16

  See the Addition•• Kird-bird▪
• l. 1.17

  Montross is now a Marquisate.
• * 1.18

  Earls of Mente••th