Sir Simon Carruthers, was the 10th Laird of Mouswald (Musfaud) and was its 5th Baron since it was elected by the Scottish Crown into a Barony in August 20th, 1452. Interestingly the Barony was originally erected as the Barony of Carruthers (Cuyeris) where the lands were used indiscriminately as being ‘of Carruthers’ as well as ‘of Mouswald’ by the general populace. He was a knight, as there is inference and allusion to him listed in a deed in the Register of Retours dated 1607 as Sir Simon.
The first mention of Musfaud was a conveyance of lands during the reign of Alexander II (1214-1249), to include Musfaud to Robert de Brus, great grandfather of the future King Robert the Bruce. The lands progressed to be known as Mouswald (the name taken from the Anglo-Saxon formerly spelt Musfaud, Muswald and Mosswald where the word Walda, or Wealt, signifying “the woody district,” and along with with the prefix moss, or mous, may be interpreted as “the forest near the moss (peat bog)). It was during this period that the first use of the name Carruthers was recorded being used by the ‘owner of the ancient lands of Carruthers itself. William de/of Carruthers (of that Ilk) is mentioned as having made a donation to Newbattle Abbey in lothian. Surnames in Scotland came from the ownership of the property that the individual held
For their undivided support of the Bruce family and services to the same, Thomas, son of John Carruthers and great grandson of William, was given a charter of lands from King Robert the Bruce. This kernel grew into a large estate where Mouswald remained the principle seat of the Carruthers’ Chiefs for over 200 years. The line was passed to Thomas’s brother William in 1334, named after his great grandfather, after he bent the knee to Edward III of England and lost his lands and honours. During this time his brothers stayed true to the Scottish crown.
However, back to Sir Simon Carruthers 10th and last of the Mouswald line. He was born in 1517 to his father Simon 9th and his wife Katherine Carlisle, daughter of William, Lord Carlisle and inherited from his father also Simon, the Mouswald estate at the age of 14. In 1538 at the age of 21, he married Agness, daughter of Cuthbert Murray of Cockpool. On the passing of Agnes some time later, Sir Simon married his second wife Mariota Johnston, sister of the Johnston Chief of the time. Both marriages potentially political with a joining of other ancient stock of the area, as well as one must hope, honest infatuation and love.
Interestingly, in the Proceedings of the Society, the house of Douglas had already set its eyes on the Mouswald lands. This can be viewed in ‘a bond of fealty, service and dependence, from January 1544, 4 years before Sir Simon was killed, where *Andrew Roryson of Bardennoch gave all in favour of James Douglas of Drumlanrig. It seems without doubt that this was to help undermine the demise of the house of Mouswald and the absorption of the Mouswald estates by the Douglas’s.
Sir Simon 10th however, was well aware of the devious nature of Drumlanrig, and did everything he could to ensure his own family’s stability. This included a new erection of parts of the Mouswald Barony from Queen Mary (of Scots) to include the parish of Carruthers, as well as other parcels of lands in order to enhance the Mouswald Barony itself. In a comparison, Mouswald was seen as a minor barony, but Simon remained an influential and powerful man of his time with just under 100 men at his disposal and although not as large as Holmains in the numbers he could field, nevertheless he was well counted on.
The final mention of him was in the Acts of Parliament in 1548, both Carruthers of Mouswald and his kinsman Carruthers of Holmhendis (Holmains) are mentioned. Both Carruthers Lairds along with others, amongst whom figure “John Jardane of Apilgirth, Gawyne Johnstoun of Kirktoun, Johnstounfo Cragoburn, Cuthbert Irwinfo Robgill,and Cuthbert Johnsstoun of Lochirbe” (Lockerbie), were charged with ” certain crymes of tressoun and lese majeste.”
It is therefore certain that Sir Simon was alive in 1548, but had died/been killed before 13th August of that year, as his daughters were made wards of Drumlanrig by Queen Mary. This is a situation that played into Douglas’s personal ambition to own the Mouswald lands. Although no great accounts exists, Sir Simon was most certainly killed in a border raid by the ” Thevis of the Marche,” namely, that Lord Herries, in a report upon the state of the Marches thirty years later, made reference to the Laird of Mouswald as being amongst the barons slain in this way during an attack into the debatable lands in an attempt to bring law and order into the region.
Simon Carruthers left no male heir and consequently, on his death, questions arose as to whether his two orphaned daughters Janet and Marion would became co-heiresses of the barony, or whether it passed under the entail of 1544 to the heir male, who is said at this time to have been John Carruthers of Woodfoot, probably a son of William, brother of the 8th of Mouswald.
Within the short space of four or five years, things had changed dramatically. John of Woodfoot was himself dead before 1560 and no less than seven of the series of heirs named in the entail had failed (were dead), some of them very probably having been killed in the raid in which Sir Simon fell.
A lawsuit ensued, in which Douglas was ultimately successful, by bargaining for a small sum with the heir-male (John Carruthers of Woodfoot), “who probably could not
carry on the contest, as appears from a subsequent deed.” The entail was set aside, and the young ladies did became co-heiresses to the Mouswald lands, although in retrospect based on the outcome, it may have been better for them if they had lost it. It was this situation that allowed Douglas to home in as it were.
Interestingly, all the papers connected with this litigation seem to have perished. By 1550, James Douglas had secured the Mouswald house and lands ‘ for his wards’ and progressively by removing the girls from the scene took total control of the lands. Firstly, through the elder daughter Janet, being married off to Thomas Roryson of Bardenoch, son of *Andrew, allowing her half of the estate to go top Sir James. Secondly, having refused to be married off Marion the youngest of the girls of an ancient house found herself friendless and deserted, until death seemed the only means of escape from her enemies. Driven by madness or despair to suicide, or as tradition will have, it was found lying dead with strong suspicions of foul play, the poor creature perished miserably, and the unscrupulous Douglas accomplished his land-grabbing goals as of March 1588.
Simon himself, although the family carried arms, would not have borne them on a shield, but rather as Holmains did or Douglas did, had them added on a mantle or above the door of their abode. In fact, in an old photograph showing of the remnants of the Mouswald Tower, it clearly shows the arms of Drumlanrig above the tower doorway.
But who was Sir Simon 10th of Mouswald?
He was a family man and cared greatly about his daughters, this is shown in wishing his daughters to be well looked after if anything happened to him, which sadly wasn’t to be the case. He was an astute man, being well aware before hand of the Douglas’ wish to take his lands. Further, and in an attempt to save his family, it seems he was named in taking part in the wholesale surrender to the English aggressors in 1547 along with his cousin the Laird of Holmains and the other Lairds of the South West. For this he was charged with Treason in June 1948, 4 weeks or so before he was killed riding into the debatable lands in support of the other lairds. This excursion was an attempt to make his own lands and those of others, safer. Maybe this was also an attempt to make amends to the Scottish crown. However, even in his youth he was deemed an honourable man, having accepted the debt of the building of the place and tower at Polcornar incurred by Adam Johnston, who was asked to leave the lands themselves in 1535.
At the time he would have been dressed of his era in the attire of any other Laird at the time, and with no tartan or kilts. History shows that he would probably have been bearded, again as was the style at the time, and due to nutrition in that era, was smaller in stature than today’s average. His attire would have included a steel bonnet or burgonet, a ruffed collar, a back and chest plate armour, possibly thigh armour, leather gauntlets, cloak, breeches, riding boots and spurs. His weaponry, going by logistics and historical factrs of the era, would have possibly inculded some cof the following; a rapier or back sword, a long lance (Pricker), a dagger, a small targe (shield) and a small crossbow. Pistols were carried, but not by everyone as they were not easy to use, reload at speed nor were they as accurate as a crossbows.
Sadly even being well armed, both Sir Simon and other lairds and men it seems were ambushed and killed by the inhabitants of the debatable lands at that time.Sir Simon Carruthers 10th of Mouswald, was only 31 when he was killed.
What if the line of Mouswald had not been deemed extinct in 1548?
a) The Mouswald arms would have needed reviewed, see above, as they would not have passed muster in 1672 after the Lyons Act, as they mirrored the powerful family of the Brouns of Colstoun. (Holmains incorporated the ancient Carruthers arms and that of Sir Simon to achieve the Chiefly arms we recognise today).
b) What would have happened to the Barony if the daughters had been allowed to inherit without the controlling and devious input of Sir James Douglas. Who would have carried the line, if allowed to rather than a husband in those days?
c) If Woodfoot had accepted and fought for the inheritance rather than simply being bought off by Douglas, the male line of Mouswald would have survived and the chiefly line continued in that House, as such if the line continued to the present day, they would have remained Chiefs of our family.
d) If it had continued, would they have stayed in Mouswald Tower or moved into more salubrious accommodation in the same vein as Holmains did with Kirkwood House?
All are questions of ‘ifs and buts’ however, although offering intriguing thoughts, this remains water under the bridge and since 1548 and the legally accepted extinction of the house of Carruthers of Mouswald, Holmains have been recognised as our Chiefs, which happily continues to this present day under a very healthy Holmains’ line.
An absolutely fascinating and vivid account of the Curruthers, thank you! The illustrations and detail is also appreciated.
Kind regards,
Lance Miller, Baron of Jedburgh Forest (Scot)
Thank you, much appreciated