THE HISTORY
Origin & History of The Barony
Learn more about the early Historical References to Balmachreuchie and of the barony dating back to 1072 AD.
Origin of the Name
The place name Balmachreuchie could originate from several sources. One theory suggests it is an Anglicized version of a Gaelic name, which breaks down into three parts: ‘Bal’ meaning ‘settlement’, ‘na’ meaning ‘of’, and one of the following terms:
‘chreuchie’ referring to ‘peat-stacks’ or stone and clay; or
‘creuthachaidh’ referring to small springs; or
‘crao-bhachaidh’ referring to clumps of trees or a wood, on a hill.
All are prounounced the same: bal – muh – crew – hee. A literal translation of Balmachreuchie could be any one of the following: “The Settlement at the Peat Stacks” or “The Settlement of stone and clay buildings” or “The Settlement at the small springs” or “The Settlement at the small wood, or Woodhill”. [Notes on Strathardle, Dundee, 1880]. Balmachreuchie Farm is currently a small farm in lower Strathardle.
Another interpretation suggests the name could mean “town of the sons of Cruach” in Gaelic, derived from BAL (town of), MAC (son of), and Cruach (a personal name), thus forming BALMACHREUCHIE.
Historically, the Ferguson family, once closely associated with this name, referred to it as “Woodhill.” This name was also used for properties they owned in the New World, indicating that Balmachreuchie was commonly known in English as Woodhill, suggesting another possible name could be the Barony of Woodhill.
History
Early Historical References to Balmachreuchie and of the barony
1101 - 1200
Around 1072 AD, King Malcolm Canmore and Queen Margaret established the Abbey of Dunfermline. It held the churches of Moulin and Strathardle, along with the lands of Persie and others in the district. (Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness, vol.20, fo.229) The parish church, dedicated to St. Michael, was under the Abbey’s jurisdiction before the Reformation. The name Kilmichael (Kirkmichael) comes from the Gaelic phrase ‘Cill Mhicheil,’ meaning “Church of St. Michael.”
By the mid-twelfth century, Strathardle was designated as a Royal Thanage, which was a a royal administrative and socio-economic unit equivalent in rank to the son of an earl. According to The Chartulary of Arbroath, during King William the Lion’s reign, a figure named Macbeth served as Sheriff of Scone and Thane of Strathardle.
An important historical document is a charter granted to William, Earl of Douglas. This charter, which included the lands of ‘Balmachothlie (Balmachreuchie), Logibryde, Blaborg within the barony of Schathurd (Strathardle), is undated. However, it could not have been issued before January 1358, when William became Earl of Douglas during King David II’s reign. (Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scottorum)
Another interesting record mentions a charter by Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar, granting lands in Perthshire and Forfarshire to Walter Ogilvie, detailed in the same registry.
Moreover, the Abbey of Coupar Angus, founded in 1164 and located southeast of Strathardle in Strathmore, acquired substantial lands in Strathardle. These medieval monasteries and abbeys, including Coupar Angus, played crucial roles in regional economic development.
The Abbey operated sheep farms, producing wool that was exported via Perth to the textile centres of Flanders. Notably, the Spaldings, traditionally of Flemish origin through East Anglia, have a significant presence in Strathardle, marking a historical link to the many families of Flemish descent in the region.
1280 - 1350
In 1280, Duncan, Earl of Fife, issued a charter granting parts of the lands of Balmachreuchie to Sir Robert Lauder. The detailed contents of this document are preserved in the Advocates Library in Edinburgh. Here is a direct excerpt from the charter:
“To all who shall see or hear this charter, Duncan, Earl of Fife, wishes everlasting salvation in the Lord – know that we have given, granted, and by our present charter confirmed, to Sir Robert Lauder, knight, for his homage and service, all the lands of Balmacoychely (Balmachreuchie) and all our land of Loghibride, that namely, which Lord Robert, the Rector of the Church there, held from us in farm, together with all our land of Upper Blaborg, in our Barony of Strathurd (Strathardle), within the Sheriffdom of Perth -to have and to hold by the said Robert, his heirs and assignees, of us and our heirs, in fee and heritage for ever, by all their right meiths and marches, freely, quietly, fully, peacefully, and honourably, in huntings and fowlings, ways, paths, woods, haughs, lakes, waters, warrens, fish ponds, mills, multures, moors, marshes, fields, meadows, hainings, pastures, and with all other liberties, conveniences, easements, and just pertinents named or unnamed to the said land belonging, or that may belong in the future – performing thence to us and our heirs, the said Robert, his heirs and assignees, three suits of Court yearly, at the three Capital Pleas, of our court of Strathurd, together with the extrinsic Scotch service to our Lord, the King of Scotland, from the said land, yearly, duly, and customarily – and rendering thence to us and to our heirs one pair of gilt spurs at the feast of Christmas yearly, if demanded, for all other secular exaction, service, or demand, which may be claimed by us and our heirs. Moreover we, Duncan and our heirs aforesaid, shall warrant, secure, and defend forever the whole land aforesaid, with all that pertains or may pertain to it, to the said Sir Robert, his heirs and assignees, against all men and women.”
From the medieval to the Georgian period, covering the early 14th century to the late 18th century, the barony of Balmachreuchie was predominantly held by three families: Ferguson, Maxwell, and Spalding. Their history has been deeply intertwined in the records for hundreds of years. From the Victorian era to the present, the barony has changed hands multiple times, from Rutherford to Aytoun, Atkinson-Clerk, Steel, and others, until finally to Spalding.
1350 - 1400s
Ferguson (1350s-1400s): The Ferguson family of Balmachreuchie dates back to the early thirteenth century in Strathardle. They were a notable presence in the area until 1840 when Adam Ferguson, the last of the family line, sold Easter Balmacruchie (also known as Woodhill) and emigrated to America.
“Ferguson” is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname “MacFhearghuis.” In 1232, according to the Chartulary of Moray (page 87), Gillemichael, son of Adam from the old Fergusons of Balmacrochie, exchanged a davoch of land in Pitcarmick, Strathardle, with the Bishop of Moray for lands in Dolays Michael, Strathspey.
Another record from 1358 details a dispute involving Fergus, son of Adam of Balmacrochie, and Robert de Atholia, son of Duncan of Atholl. Both were ancestors of the Robertsons of Struan, who contended over their lands with the Sheriff of Perth.
A passage from The Book of Garth and Fortingall (page 118) captures the ongoing conflicts:
“…in 1358 the Sheriff of Perth is allowed £12 for deforcements made upon him by Robert, son of Duncan de Atholl and Fergus, son of Ade, who failed to give suit for the lands of Balnafert, Balmacreechie, Balnakand, and others.”
In 1389, during the Raid of Angus, the Robertsons from Upper Strathardle, along with the Stewarts of Atholl, attacked settlements in Glen Esk, Angus. They killed many residents and stole their cattle. In retaliation, Sir Walter Ogilvie led forces from Angus, including Lindsays and Ogilvies, into Strathardle for revenge. However, they were decisively defeated by the Fergusons of Balmacreuchie.
1400s - 1540
Maxwell (1400s to 1700): From the 1400s until around 1700, the Maxwell family played a significant role in Balmachreuchie’s history. As noted in The Book of Caerlaverock: Memoirs of the Maxwells, Earls of Nithsdale, Lords Maxwell and Herries (Edinburgh, 1873, p.120), "It was about this time [1400] that the lands of Balmacreuchie in Perthshire, were acquired by the Maxwell family..."
In 1485, John Maxwell, the fourth Lord Maxwell, was officially installed as the heir to his grandfather, Robert, the second Lord Maxwell. On May 8th, he assumed control of the lands of Carusalloch in the county of Dumfries, following a precept from James III. Ten days later, on May 18th, he also took possession of the lands of Grenan in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright. Subsequently, on April 11th, 1486, under another Crown precept, he was installed in the lands of Balmachreuchie, situated within the lordship of Strathardle and the county of Perth.
Before the Spaldings acquired the barony, Blackcraig Castle, near the farm of Balmachreuchie, served as the baronial seat. A significant event took place on 13 October 1505 at Caerlaverock, where John, Lord Maxwell of Nithsdale, granted Sir William Maxwell of Tealing, his heir and assignee, the lands of Strathardle within his barony of ‘Balmacrewchy’ in Perthshire.
Witnesses to the signing included Edward Maxwell of Tynwald, Nicholas Macbare, provost of Dumfries, Thomas and Robert Maxwell (full-blooded brothers), Robert Gladstone, George Douglas, and John Turner chaplains, John MacHome rector of Castlemilk, and William Robert a chaplain, notaries public. (Register of the Great Seal.II.2890/xiv.127)
This charter was later ratified by King James IV on 14 November 1505 while he was in Edinburgh, further cementing the transfer of lands and the responsibilities that came with them.
John, Lord Maxwell, who held the charter, was also the steward of Annandale and husband to Agnes Stewart. The Maxwells, known as the Wardens of the West March and Stewards of Annandale, defended Scotland’s western borders and enforced the king’s law for generations. Tragically, the 3rd Lord Maxwell died at the Battle of Flodden in 1513 alongside King James IV and many others from the Scottish nobility. The family’s ancestral home, Caerlaverock Castle, erected in the 13th Century, remained a Maxwell stronghold.
In the early modern period, Strathardle was controlled by a few families, including the Spaldings of Ashintully, the Fergusons of Balmachreuchie, and the Robertsons of Straloch. In 1510, William Scott of Balwearie sold various lands in Perthshire to John Ferguson in Dunfallanty, encompassing areas in Strathardle and Glenshee (RGS.1.3457). Following this, the central parts of Strathardle, known as the barony of Douny, were officially granted by King James IV to John Ferguson and his heirs on 20 January 1512 (RGS.II.3682).
According to Reverend Adam Ferguson of Moulin, the Fergussons of Balmachreuchie, along with those of Dalnabrick, Cally, Balintuim, and other related families, controlled much of the central region of Strathardle at the time.
On 28 July 1534, King James V confirmed Robert, Lord Maxwell, in the lands and barony of Balmacreuchy in Perthshire while residing at Falkland Palace in Fife (RGS.III.1402/xxv.145). A subsequent document from 6 June 1540, issued in Edinburgh, reaffirmed this, incorporating his many lands and baronies into a free barony of Maxwell (RGS.III.2164/xxvi.412).
1540 - Late 1700s
By 1539, some lands within the barony of Balmacreuchie had been transferred to John Robertson of Straloch, also known as Ruadh or the Red, upon his marriage to Elizabeth Maxwell, daughter of the Laird of Tealing.
On 7 July 1550, a legal dispute involving two tenants from the lands of Easter Perce (Persie) came before the Abbot of Coupar Angus Abbey. Witnesses included John Spalding of Ashintully and Mr. Robert Spalding, marking the early appearances of the Spaldings in Strathardle records. (The Protocol Book of Sir Robert Rollok, 1534-1552) (Scottish Record Society, Edinburgh, 1931)
Shortly after, on 5 August 1550, Robert, Lord Maxwell, was officially recognized as the heir to his father in the lands and barony of Balcreuchy (Balmachreuchie). (National Records of Scotland.Retours.Perth.9)
The Maxwells continued to manage and distribute their lands over the years. On 15 January 1585, Alexander Maxwell of Tealing granted his son George Maxwell a feu charter for the lands and town of Easter and Wester Dalnabreck within the barony of Balmachreuchie. Helen Bruce, Alexander’s spouse, retained a life rent. (National Records of Scotland.GD190.3.80/4)
On 10 November 1591, David Maxwell of Tealing and his son, Hugh Maxwell, heir apparent, granted a charter to James Spalding, the resident tenant of the lands of Corridou. This charter officially leased the town and lands of Corridou within the barony of Balmachreuchie to Spalding under feu farm conditions. The terms included an annual feu-duty of £10, alongside dues of 12 geese, 6 hens, and 6 capons. Furthermore, Spalding was required to mill his corn at Enocht Mill, attend three head courts annually, and accompany his feudal superior in war and hunts. The charter was officially recorded in Dundee. (Calendar of the Laing Charters, 1223)
Three years later, on 23 November 1594, David Maxwell of Tolmie (Tealing) and his son Hugh granted a charter of the lands of Balmacreuchie to Thomas Ferguson, a portioner, and Alexander Ferguson, a burgess of Dundee. This was documented by the Court of Session, Scotland’s highest civil court. (National Records of Scotland, CS228.5.3.9)
Dundee, established as a Royal Burgh in 1180, operated semi-autonomously with its own elected burgh council. The burgesses of any Scots burgh amounted to less than ten percent of the male inhabitants. To qualify as a burgess, one had to meet specific criteria such as being a son of a burgess, marrying a burgess’s daughter, completing an apprenticeship within the burgh, purchasing the right, or being granted it for significant services. They could be merchants or tradesmen, operate businesses, vote in elections, and were considered the social and economic elite.
Notable local families often secured market access by having a member become a burgess. For instance, David and George Maxwell of Tealing were admitted as burgesses of Dundee in 1605. The Dundee Burgess Register records entries from the early sixteenth century, with representatives from the Maxwell family participating since the 1520s and the Ferguson also playing significant roles in the two centuries following.
Throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Fergusons were prominent burgesses of Dundee. Notable family members included William Ferguson, born in 1563, the son of Reverend David Ferguson. He was admitted as a physician burgess in the same year, married Euphemia Kinloch in 1573, and died in 1630, buried in Howff, Dundee. Alexander Ferguson became a mariner burgess in 1585, while David Ferguson was admitted in 1556. James Ferguson, a malt-man, joined the burgess ranks in 1560, and his will was recorded in 1581. Another David Ferguson, a meal-man, was the father of James Ferguson, who became the master of Dundee Grammar School in 1605 and a burgess in 1606.
On 12 November 1591, a related transaction saw David and Hugh Maxwell sell a quarter of the lands of Wester Ennoch, in the barony of Balmachreuchie, to Donald Robertson or Neilson, and his spouse Janet Robertson. James Spalding of Corridou and Andrew Spalding of Ashintully witnessed this transaction, formalized through an instrument of sasine. Feu-farm arrangements like this meant that while the land was sold, the feudal superior retained certain rights and was entitled to benefits such as annual payments. (Calendar of the Laing Charters.1251/1252)
On 8 May 1612, Hugh Maxwell of Tealing was appointed sheriff of Forfar and his deputies as Sheriffs of Perth by Letters under Quarter Seal. This appointment facilitated his management of the lands inherited from his father, Sir David Maxwell of Tealing, including the Easter and Wester Dalmabrecks, Pitcairn with its mill, Balmylne, both Wester and Easter Ballatoun, and Easter and Wester Innoch with the mill of Brodarg and Coredun, all in the barony of Balmacreuchie. These lands were notably distant from Perth, situated in the Highland mountains, making travel to Perth both tedious and costly. (NRS.GD190.3.80/5)
Earlier, on 13 February 1605, David Maxwell of Tealing and his son Hugh, described as fiar of Tealing, engaged in a property transaction in Perthshire. (Secretary’s Register of Sasines, Perth, 1601-1609, volume 3, folio 426)
By 13 July 1619, Robert, Lord Maxwell, was recognized as the heir to his brother John, Lord Maxwell, for the lands and barony of Balmacreuchie. (NRS.Retours.Perth.270)
Subsequently, on 19 September 1621, while in England, King James VI granted Robert, Earl of Nithsdale, various lands and baronies located mostly in the southwest, including those of Balmacreuchie in Perthshire, now consolidated into the lordship and barony of Maxwell. (RGS.VIII.228/I.37)
On 18 March 1670, Janet Stewart was declared heir to her brother-german Alexander Stewart of Balmyle, for parts of the lands of Balmyle within the barony of Balmachreuchie. (NRS.Retours. Perthshire.1124)
Following closely, on 6 April 1670, John, Earl of Nithsdale, succeeded Robert, Earl of Nithsdale, as heir to the lands of Balmacreuchie, uniting them within the expanded lordship and barony of Maxwell. (NRS.Retours.Perth.808)
By 1677, the barony of Balmachreuchie was under the control of the Spaldings of Ashintully. Sometime later, on 26 May 1696, William, Earl of Nithsdale, inherited from his father, Robert, the Earl of Nithsdale, the lands of Balmacreuchie, now part of a larger estate including lands in Roxburgh, Dumfries, and Kirkcudbright within the barony of Maxwell. (NRS.Retours.Perth.1025)
On 1 July 1698, John Murray, Earl of Tullibardine, was granted a Crown Charter for Balmacreuchie, officially recognizing it as a barony. It’s presumed this John Murray was either the Marquess of Tullibardine born on 6 May 1684, son of John Murray, 1st Duke of Atholl, who died unmarried at the Battle of Malplaquet on 11 September 1709, or his father, who also held the title of Marquess of Tullibardine. (NRS.SIG1.162.120)
Spalding: Late 1700s - Early 1900s
Spalding (Late 1700s to Early 1900s): The Spaldings, barons of Ashintully, were a prominent family in Strathardle’s history, with roots tracing back to Flanders. Ashintully is the anglicized form of: ‘Eas an Tulaich,’ Gaelic for “on the brow of the hill.”
Settling first in East Anglia and then in Scotland, they established themselves in Dundee and Angus after supporting Robert the Bruce, receiving land grants around 1318. By the mid-sixteenth century, the Spaldings had a significant presence in Strathardle, becoming the principal family and recognized as clan chiefs.
The latter half of the sixteenth century was a tumultuous period marked by lawlessness among Highland clans, including the Fergusons, Spaldings, Rattrays, and the MacGregors. In 1563, the MacGregors were declared outlaws, and many sought refuge with the Spaldings in Strathardle. That led to conflicts with the Campbells, who pursued the MacGregors into the area, only to be thwarted. The strife included a siege of Ashintully Castle, and in 1601, the Macdonells and Macintoshes raided Strathardle, stealing numerous cattle and horses, though they were stopped at Enochdhu.
In legal affairs, Sir William Frazer’s history notes that on 20 September 1571, John Wemyss issued a precept from Elcothe charging Andro Spadyne of Achyndullie to meet in Leith on 1 October, “bidden in feir of Weir,” to serve the King. Later disputes included one in 1666 when the Earl of Wemyss’s claim to the patronage of Kirkmichael parish was contested by Spalding of Ashintullie.
The Spaldings also played a role in international conflicts. In 1577, Captain David Spalding of Ashintully raised a company to fight for the King of Spain in Flanders against Dutch Calvinists seeking independence for the Netherlands. (Register of the Privy Council of Scotland.II.641/736) Most Scots were fighting against, not for, the Spanish. David Spalding reportedly returned with enough plunder to build Ashintully Castle. . Later, David Spalding of Ashintullie faced accusations of sheltering Alexander Ruthven of Freeland, involved in the 1582 Ruthven Raid to assassinate King James VI.
Throughout the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, the Highland Perthshire, along with other parts of Scotland, was notorious for its unruly clans engaging in reiving (cattle rustling) and feuding. In 1587, an Act labeled the Fergusons of Strathardle and Glenshee, the Spaldings of Ashintully, and the Rattrays of Dalruzion, along with the McGregors, as ‘broken men’ (outlaws), necessitating further legal action for their control. (RPCS.I.383) In 1590, an Act of Caution for good behavior listed Andrew Spalding of Ashintully and Baron Ferguson. Sir John Murray of Tullibardine ensured their compliance under a bond of 1000 merks each.
On 9 September 1600, James Moyll from Catgibbon lodged a complaint alleging that Andrew Spalding—possibly a cousin to David Spalding, the apparent of Ashintullie—and others, stole three cows, a calf, and a bull from him at night. They allegedly took the livestock to lands belonging to Andrew Spalding of Ashintully, where they were harbored for eight days. However, the court dismissed the claim when Moyll failed to prove his accusation. (RPCS.VI.370)
In another legal matter, on 12 December 1601, Andrew Spalding of Ashintully witnessed a bond for 500 merks between Archibald Campbell of Persie and William Spalding, a portioner of Boreland in Blacklunans. (NRS.Register of Deeds, Books of Council and Session, 5 November 1602) Andrew Spalding’s son David later married Archibald Campbell’s daughter, Margaret.
Further disputes continued, as Andrew Spalding of Ashintullie reported to the Privy Council on 23 November 1602. He claimed that in August, Robert McNab, an associate of Lord Drummond, along with other clan members, raided his land in Glenbeg at night, stealing 7 oxen (worth £20 each), 2 cows (worth 12 merks each), and 9 mares and stallions. (Register of the Privy Council of Scotland.VI.482)
By February 1603, Sir Duncan Campbell of Glenorchy had compensated Andrew Spalding of Ashintully with a bond for 440 merks for some cattle stolen from him. (Registered on 5 January 1604 in the Register of Deeds, Books of Council and Session)
In 1605, King James VI granted Lord John, the Earl of Wemyss, the lands and barony of Wemyss, which included Kirmichael, Balnauld, and Baile na Cille (now Balnakilly), and designated them a free burgh of barony. The Spaldings later acquired these lands, partly through intermarriage with the Wemyss family.
The Privy Council regularly reprimanded the Spaldings of Ashintullie for their misdeeds in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century. Their actions contributed to a long-term feud with the Robertsons.
On 10 January 1615, King James VI issued a Crown Charter that officially recognized the Barony of Ashintully as a free barony, granted to David “Deas” Spalding. This was significant as David’s stepmother was Ann Wemyss, linking the barony historically to the Wemyss family’s lands.
On 1 April 1629, at Holyroodhouse, King Charles I granted Andrew Spalding of Bordland one-third of the lands of Strathardle. That included multiple locations, such as: the lands of Ashintullie; the town and lands of Over and Nether Wereis, complete with its mill and mill-lands; the town and lands of Spittell, also equipped with a mill; Chapel crofts, also known as Glenbeg; the town and lands of Cammis; Tomazecharaw; Dathanagane; Soilzeries; Over and Nether Tomenamown; Tomephin; Ballechragan; the lands of Pitvirren; the lands and towns of Easter Downie, Balinauld, Balinkilyie, and Glengynit; Dalreach; Wester and Middle Inverchroskies; and Kirkton, commonly known as Kirkhillock or Tomechlachan.
These lands, previously incorporated into the barony of Ashintully under a charter from David Spalding Ashintullie during King James VI’s reign, had been resigned by David into the hands of Mr. John Adamson, Notary Public. This incorporation into the free barony of Ashintullie was further confirmed by King Charles I on 16 July 1631. Furthermore, the King established Kirkton (or Kirkhillock or Tomechlachan) as the central settlement of this burgh of barony and decreed that an annual Michaelmas Fair be held there on 29 September. (RGS.VIII.1393 and RGS.VIII.1816)
A 1649 rental record from the County of Perth details contributions from landowners in the Parish of Kirkmichael. On 4 August 1649, William Spalding of Ashintullie was listed with a payment of £540.00. Other contributions included Janet Robertson at £36.00, Patrick Robertson at £24.00, John Mustard at £4.0.0, and John Brae at £8.0.0 for their respective shares of Balmacrochie. (The Rental of the County of Perth, Act of the Estates of the Parliament of Scotland)
On 19 February 1673, Francis Pearson, minister at Kirkmichael, also known as Strathardle, secured a decree to increase his stipend. The decree affected several landholders, including John Mustard and John Ferguson, portioners of Balnacruchie, as well as Andrew Spalding of Ashintullie. (The Diocese and Presbytery of Dunkeld, 1660-1689, John Hunter, minister of the parish of Rattray, Perthshire, 1918, Vol. 2, page 288)
On 27 December 1675, Francis Pearson, the younger minister at Kirkmichael and related by marriage to the Spaldings, witnessed a charter at Balmyle. The charter, issued by Janet Stewart, sister of the deceased Alexander Stewart and feuar of the referenced lands, granted Alexander Aissone, brother of John Aissone and portioner of Balmyle, one-fourth of the lands of Balmyle within the barony of Balmacreuchie. This document was formally registered on 24 October 1681 in the Register of Sasines for Perthshire.
Andrew Spalding of Ashintully’s first marriage was to the daughter of Sir Patrick Maxwell of Newark, Teiling, and Balmachreuchie, as noted in (NRS.SIG1.147.11). On 1 July 1677, he was granted expansive rights through a Crown Charter. This charter confirmed his ownership of the barony of Ashintully and the barony of Balmacreuchie, including the lands of Easter and Wester Bleaton. These lands and others were transferred to Andrew Spalding of Glenkilry, and various parties were consolidated into the free Barony of Balmachruchie.
The same charter also noted that David Spalding of Ashintully had previously exchanged certain lands with the Duke of Atholl, facilitating the expansion of the Ashintully barony. Additionally, the charter authorized the establishment of a weekly market and two annual fairs in Kirkmichael, including one on Michaelmas Day. (NRS.SIG1.147.11) Furthermore, Andrew was granted additional lands in Strutherdale and the lands of Ashintullie, broadening his holdings. (NRS.RGS.66.121) (SIG.1.147.11)
On 3 August 1675, Andrew entered into a marriage contract with Jean, the daughter of William McIntosh, 18th Chief of Clan McIntosh, solidifying alliances through marital ties (NRS.B59.8.22). Andrew passed away in January 1705, and his son David was legally recognized as his heir in 1707 and 1711. (NRS.Services of Heirs)
In a significant political role, Andrew was appointed Commissioner of Judiciary for the Highlands in 1682 (RPCS.VII.509). He was tasked with enforcing the Stuart king’s religious policies to replace Presbyterianism with Episcopalianism in the Church of Scotland. This imposition sparked armed resistance from the Covenanters, contributing to the turmoil that led to King James VII’s abdication in favor of the Dutch Protestant William and Mary Stewart in 1689. During this period, Andrew Spalding might have participated in the ‘Highland Host,’ enforcing royal authority in Covenanter strongholds of southwest Scotland during the 1680s.
Andrew had several children from different marriages. His offspring included David, his heir apparent; Charles, who died in 1715; and John, who later inherited from Charles. He also had a daughter, Elizabeth, who married Reverend John Pearson, and another daughter, Anabel, who died in 1719 as the wife of John Farquharson of Ravernie. Another son, Andrew Spalding of Glenkilry (1670-1755), further continued the family lineage.
David succeeded to Ashintully in 1705 and, on his death in 1744, was succeeded by his only legitimate son, Daniel. He held the title until he died in 1784. Daniel’s sister, Betty, died in 1774. After the deaths of his children, George Spalding, born to Andrew Spalding of Glenkilry in 1726 and died in 1800, succeeded to Ashintully.
David Spalding, the 4th Baron of Ashintully and Balmachreuchie, falsely accused his childhood friend Lachlan Rattray of witchcraft. With a commission from the Privy Council, obtained by his father Andrew and his uncle from Whitehouse, Lachlan was arrested and imprisoned in Ashintully Castle, then taken to Inverness for trial. Although found guilty and condemned, he was later freed and fled to Flanders as a soldier.
During 1691-1692, the Hearth Tax was implemented to fund military efforts, including actions against the Jacobites, charging 14 shillings per hearth from all householders except the very old and ill. In Kirkmichael, the laird of Ashintullie’s estate had nine hearths. Tax records also list several Spaldings on this estate: William, two Davids, Robert, George, Alexander, Colin, and two Andrews. Additionally, on the Laird of Dalmunie’s land, there were two Johns and another Andrew Spalding. Balmachreuchie was not mentioned in these records.
The people of Strathardle, predominantly supporters of the House of Stuart, actively participated in the Jacobite Risings of 1715 and 1745. During the 1715 uprising, the Earl of Mar raised the Jacobite flag in Kirkmichael and recruited 500 men from the region, including Spaldings, Robertsons, Fergusons, and Rattrays, to fight at Sheriffmuir and Preston in Lancashire.
According to The Jacobite Correspondence of the House of Atholl, the Marquis of Tullibardine specifically instructed Andrew Spalding of Glenkilry to rally the men of the Baronies of Ashintillie and Balmacreuchie, along with his own lands of Glenkilry, to support King James VIII, the Old Pretender. Most Spalding from Strathardle fought at Sheriffmuir, and some participated in the Siege of Preston. Alexander Spalding was captured at Preston and sold in Maryland in 1716. (Source: Directory of Scots Banished to the American Plantations, 1650-1775)
On 13 February 1721, David Spalding of Ashintully received a Crown Charter confirming the Lands and Barony of Balmachruchie. (NRS.C2.89.102; RGS.89.102) (NRS.SIG1.153.38) A few months later, in July, he also acquired the lands of Tullineydies and others. (NRS.SIG1.153.40/2; RS90.8)
Additionally, surviving documents include the will of Charles Spalding, the eldest son of Andrew Spalding of Ashintully by his third marriage, confirmed on 17 November 1730 by the Commissariat of Dunkeld. (NRS) By 1732, David Spalding had taken control of Ashintullie and sold Spittal and Glenbeag in Glenshee to the Duke of Atholl. (The Chronicles of Atholl.V.app.lxix)
According to a presumed eighteenth-century tradition, a young Ferguson from Balmacrochie, Niall Morn am Brac or Big Neil of the Trouts, rendered significant service to the King. In return, he requested a charter that would allow him to mandate the removal of all trees within casting line length of the river, on both sides, to improve fishing in the Strath above Blairgowrie. Big Neil, a Jacobite sympathizer during the 1745 rebellion, reportedly hid in a cave near Raven’s Rock on the river until a storm swept him into the water. Legend has it he was saved by the ghost of Lady Lindsay, who had been condemned for murder in 1500.
In a related development, Thomas Spalding, a family member who had settled in Edinburgh as a writer to the Signet (or lawyer), purchased the lands of Burnside of Ashentilly in the parish of Kirkmichael on 9 December 1743. (NRS.RH8.1287)
Daniel Spalding of Ashintullie, one of the initial officers of Louden’s Highlanders, which later became the Black Watch, Royal Highland Regiment, raised in Perthshire in 1739, chose to resign his commission at the outbreak of the ’45. He returned to Strathardle to support the Jacobite cause by raising men for the rebellion.
A letter from Commissary Bissett to James Murray, Duke of Atholl, dated 30 November 1745, details the significant attrition in Lord George Murray’s Regiment. (The Chronicles of the Families of Atholl and Tullibardine, 5 volumes, Edinburgh, 1908, volume III, pages 96-97)
“That [Jacobite] Lord George Murray’s Regiment, being Ashintully’s men, and the Strathardle, Blackwater, and Forest of Alyth men, were by desertion reduced to 60 [who are mostly Ashintully’s men that were left]… he informed me of three more of your Grace’s vassals that had joyn’d the rebels, that I had not known till then, to witt – Robertson of Easter Bleaton, Baron Ferguson’s son, and Kinnaird’s grandchild, who are but two boys of about 15 or 16 years of age, who run from school to follow the multitude...”
In the Jacobite uprising of 1745, several Atholl gentlemen were notably involved. James Ferguson, the younger of Baledmund, was taken prisoner but later acquitted; Captain Thomas Ferguson, the younger of Balyoukan, was wounded at Culloden alongside his brother Archibald. James Ferguson of Dunfallandy, also captured, was acquitted. James Ferguson, son of John Ferguson in Dunfallandy, was killed during the conflict. Other participants included Captain Thomas Ferguson of Balyoukan, Robert Ferguson in Middlehaugh, Adam Ferguson in Edradour, and Fergus Ferguson, a fisherman from Glen Elbert, all vassals or tenants of the Duke of Atholl.
Numerous Spaldings from Strathardle also joined the Atholl Brigade, supporting the Jacobite cause. These included Andrew Spalding of Glenkilrie, a captain; Charles Spalding of Whitefield, a captain of the 3rd Battalion who was captured at Kilsyth in November 1745 but later pardoned; David Spalding of Ashintullie, and his natural son Daniel, both captains; John Spalding, younger of Whitefield and John Spalding the younger of Glenkilrie, both officers; and John Spalding of Ennod in Strathardle, of the 3rd Battalion, who was also pardoned. (Chronicles of Atholl, vol.3, fo.301) (The Muster Roll of Prince Charles Edward Stewart’s Army, 1745-1746) (Jacobites of Perthshire, 1745)
On 9 February 1746, James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl, instructed Thomas Bisset, the Commissary of Dunkeld, to collaborate with Alexander Robertson of Straloch to seize any rebels in Strathardle and encourage his vassals to seek protection in Dunkeld under the King’s troops. However, allegations of Bisset’s Jacobite sympathies arose, and the army officer in Dunkeld declined to support his venture into Strathardle. (NRS.GD1.90.1)
Those who supported the Jacobite cause faced severe repercussions, including imprisonment, execution, transportation, or forfeiture of lands. Many clan chiefs lost their lands, but the Spaldings and Fergusons of Strathardle largely retained their lands and titles. David Spalding of Ashintully, who had participated in the uprising, died by 1748, and the Commissariat of Dunkeld confirmed his testament. (NRS) His successor faced discord with local landowners, leading to a legal dispute brought before the Court of Session in 1749. (NRS.CS228.S.3.63)
On 6 August 1755, Reverend Robert Ferguson, who was linked to both the Spaldings and Fergusons in Strathardle, was granted a Crown Charter of the lands of Kirkmichael. (NRS.SIG1.60.57)
In 1759, a tax record listed a George Spalding residing in the parish of Kirkmichael, who might have been the same George Spalding of Glenkilry involved in a 1787 sasine for the lands of Wester Ennoch, favoring Thomas Edward of Easter Pool. (NRS.E326.1.98) (Perth and Kinross Archives.ms56.38)
By 1765, David Spalding of Ashintullie and William Bruce of Wester Pitcarnock had entered into a joint financial obligation. David Spalding had passed away by 1767. (NRS.SC49.49.10) (NRS.GD174.2065)
A 1771 tax list recorded James Ferguson of Easter Balmachreuchie holding lands valued at £34.0.0, and Paul Farquharson in Ashintully and Balnabrioch with lands valued at £429.0.1; also included were lands in Wester Balcruchie valued at £46.13.4. (NRS.E106.26.2)
The Valuation Roll of Perthshire on 1 January 1835 listed Adam Ferguson and Alexander Ferguson holding parts of Easter Balmacrouchy valued at £34.0.0 and £15.0.0, respectively, and Adam Ferguson for Wester Balmacrouchy valued at £46.13.4.
Surviving gravestones in the Kirkmichael, Strathardle kirkyard include John Mustard from ‘Balinagrughie,’ who died on 6 December 1839, and his wife Ann Shaw, who passed on 22 March 1844. John Spalding of Dalreoch, born in 1787, later died in 1858.
Robert Mackintosh: c. 1804
During his most successful period, Robert Mackintosh became a significant landowner in Strathardle and Glenshee, earning the title Mackintosh of Ashintully. In 1767, as the Ashintully estates were being fragmented to settle debts, he acquired the feu-rights to a substantial portion of property previously held by the Spaldings of Ashintully. This acquisition included:
(1) the barony of Ashintully, (nominally a third part of Strathardle), Weirie, Soilzarie, Tomnamoan, Tonifin, Ballachraggan, Pitvirran Easter Downie, ” the town and lands of Kirktown commonly called Kirkhillock alias Toinaeblaclian “otherwise Kirkmichael with fortalices, manor places, &c., tenandries and services of free tenants, two free fairs yearly on 29 September and 1 March, and the patronage and teinds of the parish and kirk of Kirkmicliael, all as granted to Andrew Spalding by charter under the Great Seal dated 1 July 1677;
(2) the lands and barony of Balmachreuchie; and
(3) the town an lands of Morcloich or Whitefield, Borland, Dunydea, Wester and Middle
Downie, and Glentatnich. General David Graham of Gorthie had initially acquired these rights at the judicial sale of the Spalding property in 1766, confirmed by a Crown charter on 23 February 1767. The properties were then sold to Robert Mackintosh for £8,900 Sterling—a considerable sum at the time—on 30 March following, with a reservation of part of Balmachreuchie. Sasine for this transaction was given on 13 March 1770. Additionally, Robert acquired the lands of Meikle Binzean in Glenshee and lands in Glenbeg from Colin Mackenzie younger of Finegand. (Perth Sas. xxxiii. 259; Do. 147, 479)
However, Mackintosh’s ownership was short-lived as he faced financial difficulties within a decade, leading to the judicial sale of these lands between 1780-1782 to benefit his creditors. Robert Mackintosh died unmarried in Edinburgh in 1805 at the age of 78 and was buried in Calton Hill Cemetery.
Rutherford: 1823 - 1849
On 20 December 1823, Janet Rutherford was formally granted the lands of Ashintully and others through a Crown Charter. (NRS.RGS.169.71) This was followed up on 14 April 1824 by a royal signature, affirming her ownership of Ashintully and the “lands and barony of Balmacruckie... all the lands which had been disposed to Andrew Spalding of Glenkilry which with others were erected into a free barony called the Barony of Balmachruckie.” (NRS.SIG2.92.443)
Janet Rutherford of Ashintully passed away on 9 November 1849. Her inventory was officially registered in 1852 with the Commissary Court of Perth, document number 715. The inheritance of her lands and titles was transferred to her nephew, Roger James Rutherford Aytoun of Ashintully, who was legally recognized as the heir to his grand-aunt on 17 December 1850. (NRS.Services of Heirs)
Aytoun: 1849 - 1946
On 12 March 1850, Roger James Rutherford Aytoun of Ashintully was formally recognized as the heir to the deceased Miss Janet Rutherford of Ashintully, based on a deed of disposition of Tailzie dated 30 April 1844. It was entered in the Register of Tailzies on 30 November 1844 and recorded in the books of Council and Session on 20 December 1849. Roger was the son of Shadwick Mariot Walker Taylor, a Captain in the Royal Artillery, residing in Glendevon, Perthshire, and his wife Eliza William Miller or Aytoun, Janet’s niece.
The line of succession, should Roger fail to produce an heir, was specified to pass to Howard Douglas Aytoun, his third son; failing him, to Eustace de Vesey Aytoun, the fourth son; then to the fifth son John Aytoun, followed by Mariot Aytoun, the sixth son; next in line was the eldest daughter Clara Rutherford Aytoun, and failing her, to the youngest daughter Eliza Aytoun. The inherited properties included the lands and barony of Ashintully, which encompassed the Mains of Ashintully, the towns and lands of Over and Nether Wearies, the mills, mill-lands, multures thereof, and the towns and lands of Soilerzies, Over and Nether Tomnamoar.
In a sasine dated 12 March 1852, Roger James Rutherford Aytoun was formally documented as the Barony of Ashintully’s owner, accounting for a third of Strathardle. This included the Mains of Ashintully, Over and Nether Wearies, Soileries, Over and Nether Tomnamoen, Tomfin, Ballochraggan, Pitweem, Easter Downie, and Kirkton alias Kirkhillock. Furthermore, it included the Barony of Balmachreuchie, which consisted of Easter and Wester Balmacreuchie, Easter and Wester Dalnabreeks, Petermack, Balnabreck, Balmyle, Easter and Wester Ballintyne, Morchloich alias Whitefield, Kirkassel, Bridgend of Mesteloich, Craigadellie, Stewavails, Christamaes, Edinamuchty, Glen Corryvaik, Boreland, Donnnies, Glentatrich, Redoch, Enoch Stylemonth, Glenkilry, Crags of Enoch, Brochdearg, Ballochraggan, and part of Walton of Blair in the Lordship of Scone.
Anna Maria Rutherford Aytoun of Ashintully was served as heir to her father, the deceased Roger James Rutherford Aytoun of Ashintully, who had passed away on 29 November 1871, leaving behind his wife, Catherine Georgiana Bannerman. Anna Maria inherited the lands and barony of Ashintully and the lands of Ballachraggan in Perthshire. This transition was officially recorded on 8 October 1872 and 2 November 1872. Later, on 9 September 1881, Anna Maria subscribed to an instrument of disentail, impacting the future management and inheritance of the estate. (NRS, Services of Heirs)
On 4 November 1881, Anna Maria Rutherford Aytoun, then known as Anna Aytoun, subscribed to a notarial instrument granting her husband, David Crawford Rutherford Lindsay, an annuity of £400 for his lifetime to commence after her death. Anna had married David, the eldest son of Captain Alexander Cruickshank Lindsay of Edinburgh, connecting her to a landed family in Angus or Forfarshire.
On 30 July 1909, Anna Maria Rutherford Aytoun Lindsay Carnegie of Kinblethmont disentailed the lands and barony of Ashintully, along with other properties including 'Balmakeithly.' Anna was acknowledged as the immediate lawful superior of a quarter of the lands of Easter Balmacreuchie. This title had previously passed through several hands: initially held by the deceased John Mustard, portioner of Balmacreuchie, followed by Adam Ferguson of Woodhill within the barony of Balmacreuchie, then Janet Rutherford of Ashintullie, and subsequently John Thomson Mustard in Lochee as of 13 November 1840.
Anna Maria Rutherford Aytoun Lindsay Carnegie passed away on 9 September 1922. Without direct heirs, her extensive estates, including the barony of Ashintullie and Balmachruckie, were claimed by her eldest sister, Eliza Clara Rutherford Aytoun, on 18 May 1923. Eliza was formally served as heir to her sister on 5 May 1923 and again on 23 May 1923, acquiring the lands and baronies of Ashintully and Balmachreuchie, as well as the lands of Walton of Blair in the Lordship of Scone. (NRS.S/H) (NRS.SP797.1)
Isabella Mary Rutherford Aytoun, another sister, was served joint heir to Anna on the same day, although she did not inherit the lands of Ashintully among others. (NRS.S/H)
Upon Eliza’s death on 13 May 1937, the estates were inherited by Mrs. Elizabeth Jean St Clair Aytoun or Girling. Subsequently, on 20 August 1941, Elizabeth was served heir to Eliza in the lands of Ashintully. (NRS.S/H) By 1946, Elizabeth, alongside Joanna Mary St Clair Aytoun and Dorothy Alison St Clair Aytoun or Neilson, as heritable proprietors of Ashintully, sold the estate to Major Henry Fox Atkinson-Clark.
Atkinson-Clark: 1947 - 1997
The sale of Ashintully was formally documented in a 1947 disposition by Elizabeth Ayton and others to Henry Atkinson-Clark, which implied ownership of Balmachreuchie. According to Major Atkinson-Clark’s will, dated 1 October 1971, Ashintully was bequeathed to his widow, Mrs. Maud Shireff Atkinson-Clark. Upon her passing in 1992, the estate was sold by her trustees to Mrs. Carolyn Steel, Simon Edward Graham Guest, and John Derek Steel.
Steel/Palmer: 1997 - 2011
In 1997, Ashintully was transferred to Melanie Jane Palmer and Emma Lucinda Palmer. This transaction was officially recorded on 22 January 1998. (NRS.797.1)
Spaulding: 2011 - Current
After the Act of Abolition of Feudal Tenure by the Scottish Parliament in 2004, which detached the lands from the barony of Balmachreuchie, the barony itself was reassigned in 2011 to Dr. Timothy Spaulding of Kentucky, a descendant of the Spaldings who historically held the title. He acquired it with the intention of bequeathing it to his only son, Nicholas James Spaulding, maintaining the family's historical ties to the land.
