The lands belonging to the Carruthers of Wormanbie, a caset branch of Holmains, sat north of Annan on the eastern bank of the river Annan itself.
These lands were infelt to Thomas Carruthers of Flemingraw in 1492 but he alsio recieved the lands of Corry from James II, as his share in the Battle of Arkinholme, near Langholm May 1455.
The battle was fought between the Douglas’s. The Douglas earldom was a menace to the Crown, and when the Earl was forced into England his brothers. Earls of Moray, and Ormond, opposed, and were defeated by, the royal army, itself under the command of a Douglas, the Earl of Angus. Carruthers fought on the side of the Crown
The first mention of a Carruthers in Wormanbie was of Roger Carruthers on a charter to him in 1472. The lands were split into Over Wormanbie and Nether Wormanbie, the former beng under Holmains, the latter under Lord Maxwell.
Over Wormanbie appears in 1535 when Thomas Carruthers of Over Wormanbie served on a Mouswald assize (trial by Jury).
However by 1812, the last of the main line of Wormanbie was dead and the estate passed to her 2nd cousin James Carruthers, a merchant in Liverpool.
Carruthers held the lands until 1858 when the estate was sold by David Alexander Carruthers, who had no male issue. However part of the estate was returned into the family through the grandson of David, that being Louis Carruthers Salkeld, where it remained until 1922.
William Carruthers
Of this line was that the famous natural scientist William Carruthers (1830-1922), who was a renowned Botanist and keeper of the Botanical Department at the Natural History Museum 1871-1895. He recieved his Fellowship of the Royal Society in 1871. The Royal Society describes itself as; a self-governing Fellowship made up of the most eminent scientists, engineers and technologists from the UK and the Commonwealth. Fellows and Foreign Members are elected for life through a peer review process on the basis of excellence in science. It is the oldest known scientific acadamy in existence having existed since 1663.
Below is a letter from William and included in the George Englemann collection dated 1869
223
CARRUTHERS OF WARMANBIE
A note from the Dumfries Burgh Court Records by
A.E.Truckell
On 19th November 1578 and page 760 of the Burgh Court Book of Dumfries schir John Bryce, Vicar of Dumfries and William Paterson produced and had minuted in the Court Book documents relating to the family of Carruthers of Warmanbie extending backwards to 1472, mentioning several other properties besides Warmanbie, and a bond by the Grahams ‘to be friends’ to Carruthers of Warmanbie. They then delivered the documents ‘in a kist’ to Thomas Carruthers of Warmanbie. As most of this predates the Register of Sasines and it is possible that no other record of the documents has survived it is felt that publication would be desirable . Most notaries public in Scotland at this time were clerks ‘by apostolic authority’. The ‘sir’ before their names signifies that they were in Holy Orders but had not taken a degree.
Page 760 Carrutheris. wormanbie [19 November 1578]
The quhilk day schir Johne bryce vicar of drumfreis & william patersone producit in Jugement ane precept of sesyng made be vmquhile robert lord maxwell to thomas carrutheris of warmanbie of all & haill the hundreth schillingis land of nether wormanbie with the pertinentis of the date the nynt day of the moneth of februare the yere off god Dxxxvi zeris ane Instrument of sesyng of the samyn landis vnder the syng & subscriptione of schir Johne oliver notare of the date the viij dav of the moneth of marche the zere of god Dxxxvij zeris ane Instrument of sesyng of sex markland of flemyng raw of ane vmquhile thomas carrutheris of the date the xxvij day of the moneth of maij the zere of god Jaj iiiic iiijxx xij zeris vnder the sygne & subscriptione of schir Johne weill notare ane Instrument of sesyng of vmquhile cuthbert Irwyng of robgill gevin be vmquhile herbert corrie of newbie superior thareof be vmquhile schir Johne walker notare transumptit furth of the sade schir Johne prothogall be vmquhile schir Johne turnor officiale of nyth & vnder the syng of schir thomas conelsone notare as the sade transumpt of the date of the zere of god Jai vc xxxj zeris & the viij day of the moneth of marche & the principall Instument tharein Ingrossit of the date the xviij day of february 1530, ane charter made be ane vmquhile roger carrutheris of wormanbie to vmquhile Johne carrutheris his sone of all & haill the sextene ss land of raffellis & four ss annuell rent furth of the landis of robequhat of the date the first day of marche 1472 with ane Instrument of sesyng procedyng tharevpon vnder the sygn & subscriptione of schir william chapman notare of the date the vij day of marche 1472, ane contract betuix thomas carrutheris of wormanbie & richie Irwyng of gretnayhill for the set of xx aiker of land of beltenement with certane vther bandis of under the subscriptione off herbert cunyghame notare of the date at drumfreis the xxviij day off marche 1566. Item ane band off richie the grahame of netherbie dik the grahame will grahame geordie grahame thom grahame & hew grahame his sones bindand thame to be freynds to thomas carrutheris of wormanbie as the samyn off the date at netherbie the xxiij day off maij 1565 at mare lenth proportis & [?]& the sade schire Johne bryce & william patersone Instantlie in Jugement delyverit the same in ane koist [kist] to the sade thomas carrutheris & protestit the same suld be minutit in ane act of court for thare discharge of the samyn And tharevpon descyrit Instrumentis.
