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Notes by James Bruce Pringle (who is the second son of the second son of the eighth baronet of Stichill, and first cousin to the tenth baronet of Stichill. He can be contacted via E-mail: jpaltd (at) gotadsl (dot) co (dot) uk.)
William, first of Craigleith and constable of Cessford castle, was at Cessford from at least 1467, when he witnessed a charter, as constable. Dand Pringle, a son or grandson of his, was constable in 1515. William, first of Torwoodlee obtained a one third share of Clifton in 1509, some four years before he was killed at Flodden. All his children were minors at that time. Sir Robert Pringle (3rd Bt) of Stichill married Katherine, eldest daughter of James Pringle of Torwoodlee, which makes her my great-great-great-great grandmother. The Pringles of Greenknowe also married into the Torwoodlee family.
I have spent years trying to ascertain who fathered William of Cessford. All the evidence points to David Pringle. If that is the case, James of Smailholm, William of Craigleith and Alexander of Trinlyknowe were brothers. Why else would they have obtained leases in the Tweed ward with adjoining properties? Trinlyknowe is next door to Craigleith, which is next door to Whytbank, which is next door to Torwoodlee. William of Craigleith and Alexander of Trinlyknowe were therfore uncles of William first of Torwoodlee. Smailholm Tower ignores William of Cessford and shows Alexander of Trinlyknowe as James brother.
The next question is where does David fit in. According to Alexander Pringle's Records, George, Alexander, Robert and David were brothers but only David had any successors. Just not plausible. The importance of the period 1400 to 1460 in the family's history is not to be discounted because it was during this period that the Pringle's of Smailholm branched off the main line. Adam Pringle of that Ilk's eldest son died without any male heir. Mariotte of that Ilk was the first heiress. She took with her at least three parcels of land that her father had as chief tenant of the King. One of which went to Lord Borthwick, another to her son and Hoppringle to her cousin Adam, eldest surviving son of her grandfather's second surviving son. The fact that there was not an immediate male heir and George's continuing adherence to the former Earl of Douglas meant that the family suffered much loss of land, power and prestige. It seems that the Pringles owned half of the barony of Smailholm but this holding was not in the hands of just one person.
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Alexander Pringle who was designated of Newhall on 8 July 1539 in a matter of arbitration, was on 8 October 1540 designated of Whittoun in a sasine to lands in Caverton Rox., as heir to his father Robert. In 1541 he had a lease to Williamhope in the Yarrow ward. He died around 1569 and was succeeded by his son George.
Alexander, in fact is the lynch pin between William of Cessford and the Pringles of Craiglatch from whom the Pringles of Stichill descend. Thanks to the publication by the Walter Mason Trust of the Protocol Books.
Pringle of Cessford was the first Pringle to live in East Teviotdale (by a generation). Clearly, not all Pringles descended from this area were descended from Torwoodlee.
Between Robert first of Stichill and Sir Robert 1st baronet was John who died in 1646, predeceasing his father. He married Margaret Scott of Buccleuch (natural daughter of the first Earl).
The Pringles of Stichill are, I believe, the oldest cadets of the Pringles of Smailholm - one generation before Torwoodlee and two/three before Whytbank. Yet you do not see mention of them in Smailholm Tower or Gala House. In fact, in Gala House, descendants of the Pringles of Stichill are shown as cadets of much younger branches, which irritates me every time I go to Scotland.
The family tree depicted in Smailholm Tower is wrong. William of Cessford and Alexander of Trynlyknowe were probably sons of David, and James' brothers. If not, they could only be sons of George or Alexander, Douglas Squires. William figured prominently in border affairs and was probably a depute warden of the Middle March.
Why did James, William and Alexander receive lands in Ettrick Forest when James' brothers Adam and Thomas didn't?
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Robert Pringle in Baitingbush for 25 years (second son of Pringle of Craigleith, who lost his estate in 1597) made his fortune by 'uplifiting the fines and casualties' levied by the Jedburgh and Dumfries courts. He must have been paid a good percentage of the fines collected. So much did he make that he was able to purchase the free barony of Stichill (1628) from John Gordon of Lochinvar and the Greenknowe estate and tower (before 1649) from the Marquis of Huntly.
Cragleith was uplifted by the crown and given to James Pringle of Smailholm and became part of the new Barony of Galashiels. James Pringle agreed to return part of the estate (Newhall) to Robert's elder brother a few years later for a fee; and handed the Knowes (part of the estate) to Pringle of Whytbank.
About 75 years later, Newhall passed to Pringle of Stichill and he used the family's ownership of this land to support his application or claim to a baronetcy in 1682/83. Two hundred years of land ownership was required to acquire a baronetcy.
Craigleith therefore was in the hands of William Pringle in Cessford, Whittoun, Caverton, Hutt, etc. since at least 1482/83, which makes him and his descendants the oldest cadets of the Pringles of Smaiholm.
I am certain that William of Craigleith and Alexander of Trinlyknowe were the second and third eldest surviving sons of David of Pilmuir, Ranger of the Tweed Ward of Ettrick Forest. This view is supported by the proximity of their lands, later disputes, destination of conviscated lands, return of conviscated lands, manrent bonds, legal papers and by Alexander Pringle of Whytbank in his 1840 manuscript.
David of Pilmuir was first mentioned in 1440 and was probably the son of Alexander Pringle, the Douglas squire last mentioned in 1459; James of Smailholm succeeded his father in 1466 as ranger, although his father lived until 1480; William was first mentioned as constable of Cessford castle in 1467, on a preceeding occasion Ker of Cessford used David Pringle's seal and it was no doubt due to David Pringle that William became constable of Cessford castle; William and Alexander were witnesses together to a notarial instrument in 1468. Alexander Pringle rendered his brother James' Tweed Ward accounts on several occasions, as his deputy (not his son). Is it likely that James Pringle, who had some influence in the Tweed Ward would support land being let to William of Cessford in preference to his 'brothers' Adam of St John's Chapel or Thomas of Wrangholm.
The Smailholm family tree in Smaiholm tower is incorrect. It omits the Pringles of Craigleith and places the Pringles of Trinlyknowe in a different generation
The shield hanging in Old Gala House showing the Armorial Bearings of the various branches of the House of Pringle shows Newhall coming off Pringle of Whytebank (Woodhouse). Presumably because of another error in identification, namely the mix-up between Robert Pringle, first of Stichill and Robert Pringle of Woodhead WS - see The Records of the Pringles (chapter headed Pentcaitland) and in particular the bottom of page 302 and the top of page 303.
Pringle of Newhall came off the Pringles of Smailholm circa 1447 (at least two generations earlier than Whytbank), as William, was constable of Cessford castle in 1467.
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