Carta to Walter Steward, in marriage with Marjory the King's daughter, of the barony of Bathkat, the lands of Ricardtoun, the barony of Rathew, the lands of Bernys, befide Linlithgow; the land called the Brome, near the Loch of Lithgow; the lands of Bondingtoun, with the lands of Eryngaith, near Lithgow; the lands of Gallowhille, near Lithgow; ane annual furth of the Kers of Striveling; ane annual rent of 100 fhillings out of the lands of Kinpunt; and the lands of Edinhame, in vicecom. De Roxburgh (a).
Carta to Walter Stewart, of the barony of Bathcat, the lands of Richardtoun, the barony of Rathew, the lands of Bernes, the lands of Boundingtoun, Ednam, Kenpont, &c. Edinburgh.
The Barony of Ratho came into possession of the Stewart of Scotland when he married Margery, the daughter of Robert the Bruce, who gave it with her marriage. When Robert II the son of that marriage ascended the throne in 1371, Ratho and the whole lands of the Stewarts, being formed into a Royalty, were given as an appanage of his son and heir as Stewart. In December 1404, Robert II granted his son James the Stewart, the Barony of Ratho and all the other estates of the Stewart of Scotland, which were now formed into a royal jurisdiction. When the Sheriffdom of Renfrew was settled by dismembering Lanarkshire, the Barony of Ratho was disjoined from Lothian and annexed to Renfrewshire.
See also article on Charles Maitland. (Extracted from Great Seal 1660).
Extract from Clason’s New Statistical Account of Scotland: -
There is no authentic notice to be found of the Barony of Ratho earlier than the beginning of the fourteenth century. It is not improbable that this was one of the many forfeited estates, which fell into the hands of the Crown during the wars carried on by the different competitors for the Scottish throne, upon the death of Alexander III for in 1315, the Barony of Ratho and other estates, were granted by Robert I to the Steward of Scotland, upon his marriage with Robert's daughter, Margery(see above) , through whom the sovereignty of this country eventually devolved upon the Stewart family. On the accession of Robert II in 1371, the same barony with its pertinents and other estates, were settled on the King’s eldest son, as the Prince and Stewart of Scotland; (see Chalmer’s Caledonia) and the whole estates of the Stewarts were formed in 1404 into a principality, with regal jurisdiction. In the middle of the seventeenth century, this property appears to have been in the possession of a Lord Collington, as it is specially mentioned in the report of a commission appointed by Charles II to take account of the losses sustained by him during the usurpation of Cromwell. In 1563, Ratho estate became by purchase the property of Mr. Alexander Fowlis, in whose favour a charter and new gift were granted by the King as superior, with the customary legal minuteness. It is as follows: “Of all the sundries, the lands of Ratho, with the pertinents thereof, comprehending all and haill the thirty-six oxengate of the town and lands of Ratho, with the mansion, tower, fortalice, manor-place, houses, biggings, yards, orchards, doucats, loch and meadow thereof called Ratho Myre, lying within the parish of Ratho and Sheriffdom of Edinburgh and by annexation within the barony and Sheriffdom of Renfrew, united and erected into a haill and free barony, called the barony of Ratho, to be holden to his Majesty.” This property continued in the family of Fowlis till 1778, when Mr. Archibald Christie succeeded as heir to Alexander Fowlis. In 1786, it was purchased by Thomas Macknight Crawford of Belleville, in North Carolina; and in 1818, it became the possession of A. Bonnar, Esq.
The following was recorded in London on 12th March 1946 and was entered in the Register of Entails of Scotland in 1954.
I IAN Logan Roney-Dougal, Esquire, of Ratho in the County of Midlothian, heir of entail in possession of the lands and others after mentioned, videlicet: - ALL and WHOLE the lands and Estate of Ratho, in the County of Edinburgh, videlicet: - ALL and WHOLE the lands and Barony of Ratho with the pertinents Comprehending therein ALL and WHOLE thirty six Oxgates of Land of the Town and Lands of Ratho with the Mansion House, tower, fortalice, manor place houses, buildings, yards, orchards, pigeon houses, Loch and meadow thereof formerly called Ratho Myre, tofts, crofts, outsets, insets, parts, pendicles, annexed, connexes, dependencies, tenants, tenandries and services of free tenants of the same with that part of the commonty or common muir of Gogar added to the said estate of Ratho in place of the former right upon the said commonty and together also with the parsonage teinds of the said Lands and Barony and all and sundry pertinents thereof lying within the Parish of Ratho and Sheriffdom of Edinburgh and by annexation within the Barony and Sheriffdom of Renfrew which lands and others above described with certain other lands were united and erected into an entire and free Barony to be called the Barony of Ratho conform to Charter under the Great Seal granted by Charles the first as Prince and Steward of Scotland for the time dated Twenty third June sixteen hundred and twenty in favour ofJames Duncan then of Ratho and his heirs therein mentioned also conform to another Charter under the Great Seal in favour of Alexander Fowlis then of Ratho in liferent and John Fowlis his son in fee granted by Charles the Second dated Forth June Sixteen hundred and sixty three; As also ALL and WHOLE the lands of Easter Lidgate and others part of the North Crofts or North Row of Ratho (after described) on both sides of Ratho burn consisting of eleven acres and sixty eight hundredth parts of an acre or thereby lying on the east side of the road leading from the Village of Ratho to the Manse with the cothouses and yards upon the said lands purchased and acquired by the late Thomas MacKnight of Ratho from the Reverend Doctor Thomas Davidson of Muirhouse conform to Disposition dated thirtieth August Seventeen hundred and ninety nine and infeftment thereon bounded on the east partly by the said lands of Ratho and partly by the lands which belonged to the late Alexander Reid of Ratho Bank on the north by the Minister’s Glebe and garden, on the west by the said road and on the south partly by the road leading from Ratho House to the Village of Ratho and partly by a small marshy bit of ground belonging to the aforesaid Barony of Ratho lying within the Parish of Ratho and Sheriffdom of Edinburgh with the teinds parsonageand vicarage of the said lands and others but declaring that a house and green on the west side of the said road leading to the Manse and which on the plan of the Estate of Hatton drawn by John Ainslie is said to be part of Easter Lidgate is excepted from the lands hereby described as also ALL and WHOLE the lands of Ratho commonly called the North Crofts or north row of Ratho (and which includes the said lands of Easter Lidgate and others before described) with the meadow ground and houses and yards thereto belonging consisting of fifty five acres and forty hundredth parts of an acre part of the estate and Barony of Hatton but lying detached from the rest of the said Estate of Hatton bounded on the south partly by the road from Bonnington running through the Town of Ratho and partly by the lands of Ratho above described, on the east partly by the lands of Ratho above described and partly by the lands sometime belonging to Alexander Reid and afterwards to George Reid on the north partly by the lands belonging sometime to the said Alexander Reid and afterwards to the said George Reid and partly by the Minister’s Glebe and Garden and the churchyard of the parish of Ratho and on the west partly by the lands sometime belonging to the said George Reid and partly by the lands of Ratho above described as also ALL and WHOLE the lands of Westhall consisting of thirty nine acres and nine hundredth parts of an acre lying in a narrow stripe of ground to the north of the remainder of the said estate of Hatton and bounded on the south partly by a stone dyke which is the march between the said Lands of Westhall and a plantation on the north of the Sunny side park which is the Northmost part of the remainder of the said estate of Hatton and partly by the lands lately belonging to Cunninghame of Bonnington on the east from the east end of the aforesaid stone dyke separating the said lands of Westhall from the plantation on the north of the Sunnyside park until you come to the north point of the said lands of Westhall by the lands of Ratho above described and on the west from the said north point of the said lands of Westhall until you come to the aforesaid lands sometime belonging to the said Cunninghame of Bonnington which lye on the south march by the road leading from Ratho to Bonnington with the teinds parsonage and vicarage of the said lands above described parts of the said Barony of Hatton which lands before described being parts and portions of the said Estate and Barony of Hatton are included in a Disposition of part of the said Barony granted by Gilbert Meason of Moredun and John Tait, Writer to the Signet, Trustees of the late William Davidson of Muirhouse in favour of the said Doctor Thomas Davidson dated the Seventeenth and Eighteenth August Seventeen hundred and ninety eight and recorded in the Books of Council and Session the Tenth November Eighteen hundred and nineteen which whole lands and Barony of Hatton of which the lands and other before described are a part are described in the ancient Title Deeds and Investitures thereof as follows, videlicet. ALL and WHOLE the Lands and Barony of Haltown comprehending therein the Lands and others afterwritten, videlicet, ALL and WHOLE the Lands of Haltown and Mains of Haltown within the whole bounds, marches and limits of the same with the Castle Tower fortalice manor place houses biggings yards orchards dovecots and other parts pendicles and pertinents of the same the Lands of Westhall and north row of Ratho and Mill of the same called Kirkmill and Mill lands thereof and Lands called Priestlands all lying in the Parish of Ratho and Sheriffdom of Edinburgh and formerly by annexation within the Sheriffdom of Renfrew: which lands were with other lands and heritages united and incorporated into one free Barony called the Barony of Hatton by virtue of a Charter under the Great Seal in favour of Sir John Lawder of Hatton afterwards Earl of Lauderdale, great grandfather of James Earl of Lauderdale, dated the Third day of July Sixteen hundred and ninety one years, as also ALL and WHOLE the following portions of the lands of Mary - lands part of the said lands and Barony of Ratho now annexed to Ratho Policy or occupied by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Union Canal, videlicet, one rood seven and a quarter falls taken from the Northwest Park and annexed to Ratho Policy; As also two roods and five falls taken from the said Park and occupied by the Canal: As also two falls and three fourths of a fall taken from the garden and occupied by said Canal: As also two roods and thirty three and a quarter falls taken off Gogar Muir Park occupied by the new line of road opposite thereto and the said Canal extending the said several portions to one acre two roods eight falls and a quarter of a fall as acquired by the late John Bonar of Ratho from James Gibson Craig of Riccarton conform to Contract of Excambion between them dated Thirtieth November and Eleventh December Eighteen hundred and twenty six and Sixteenth February Eighteen hundred and thirty two. But excepting the liferent of the feuduties payable furth of parts of the said lands and others hereby described conveyed to Andrew Bonar Esquire late Banker in Edinburgh, afterwards residing in London, conform to Disposition granted to him in liferent by the deceased John Bonar of Ratho dated the Thirtieth day of January Eighteen hundred and thirty five but that during his liferent only: Which lands and others are held by me under Disposition and Deed of Entail dated the twelfth day of November Eighteen hundred and sixty eight and recorded in the Register of Tailzies the Sixteenth and in the Books of Council and Session the twenty-seventh both days of March Eighteen hundred and seventy one that is I, the said Ian Logan Roney – Dougal. take instruments in the hands of the said Notary Public subscribing that the said lands and others are now held by me free from the conditions provisions and clauses prohibitory irritant and resolutive of the Entail by virtue of the Act Eleven and Twelve Victoria Chapter Thirty six (the Entail Amendment Act Eighteen hundred and forty eight) and the subsequent Entail Acts:And I consent to the registration hereof in the Register of Tailzies and also in the Books of Council and Session and others competent therein to remain for preservation and thereto constitute my procurators et cetera: IN WITNESS WHEREOF etc., etc.