Records of the Pringles of the Scottish Border, by Alex Pringle

Chapter 5

LEES

IN June 1543 William Hoppringill gets from the queen-dowager a tack for 11 years of the 10 husbandlands in Graden, occupied by his sister Jonet, extending to the third part thereof, together with the third part of the fishings (P. S.).

JAMES

In October 1559 Jonet Hoppringill, prioress of Coldstream and the Convent thereof of the Cistercian order, for the augmentation of their rental, and for money paid for the reparation of their place destroyed by the English, grant in feu to James Hoppringill of Langmuir and his heirs the lands of Coldstream called Lees and Braidhauch, with the salmon fishings; presently occupied by him; paying yearly 18 merks (MS., R.). See Coldstream Abbey.

James appears to have died in 1575. By his wife Jonet Hoppringill, he had issue, Alexander, his heir.

ALEXANDER

In 1576 Alexander has a transumpt made of the notary's account of the sasine of his father in the above lands, at which James Hoppringill, younger, of Tynnes acted as bailie ; also the charter of the said lands granted to Thomas Hoppringill of that Ilk and transferred by him to Sir Walter Ker of Littledean is declared null and void. In 1578 the prioress and convent of Coldstream having disobeyed the royal letters to infeft Alexander Hoppringill, son of the late James of Langmuir, in the lands of Lees, Braidhauch, and others, in Coldstream, John Cockburn, Sheriff-depute of Berwickshire, on precept of Chancery grants him sasine therein: witnesses, John Hume in Manderston, George Hoppringill in Coldstream (MSS., 11.),

In 1579 Alexander married Margaret, daughter of Thomas Ramsay of Wylliecleuch (R. D.).

In April 1580 Jonet, Alexander's mother, being summoned by John Ker of Hirsell for intromitting with the teind sheaves of Lees, Braidhauch, and Deadrigs, of which he was tacksman, objects to the case being tried by William Cranston, Commissioner of Lauder, because he was brother to Cuthbert of Thirleston Mains who was at deadly feud with Alexander Hoppringill of Slegden, her cousin, through his accompanying Alexander Hume of Manderston to the Mains where they killed two of Cuthbert's servants : the Lords order the case to be tried before the commissioners of Edinburgh (A. D.). It appears that Jonet and her cousin Alexander of Slegden were grandchildren of William first of Torwoodlee, and that her son Alexander was cousin to a Hoppringill of Newhall. In April 1581 Jonet having married as her second husband William Brown, burgess of Haddington and tenant of Lethington, her son Alexander becomes her tenant of her half of the lands of Coldstream, paying her yearly 32 bolls victual (A. D.). In 1581 Alexander and the brothers of Alexander Hume of Manderston are freed by the Lords from a horning at the instance of Robert Logan of Restalrig, the Gowrie House conspirator, who had wrongly accused them of breaking into his barns at Netherbyres (P. C.).

On 4th November 1587 died Jonet Hoppringill, Alexander's mother.

In 1611 Adam Hope of Newtoun complains that he and two of his sons were attacked with swords and wounded by John and Lancelot Pringill of Lees and three sons of the late Thomas Ramsay of Wylliecleuch : the Lords and John Pringill and Alexander and Thomas Ramsay guilty, and ward them in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh (P. S.).

In July 1631, the Lords of Council, before they give decision as to the lands claimed both by Alexander Pringill and the Earl of Home, appoint the lairds of Redhouse, New Abbey, and Newhall to visit the lands, take all manner of trial by witnesses respecting the marches and possession of the said lands, and report to them on 1st November (A. D.).

Alexander appears to have died in 1632. By his spouse Margaret Ramsay, he had issue :

1. Lancelot, his heir.

2. John.

LANCELOT

In 1626 Lancelot Pringill, servitor to the Earl of Holderness (his cousin) summons David Crichton of Lugton and his son to pay him a sum of money they owed him (A. D.). The Earl (who was the second son of Sir Robert Ramsay of Wylliecleuch) made his fortune by rescuing the King, James VI., from the conspirators in Gowrie House.

In March 1633 Lancelot, son of the late Alexander Pringill, gets sasine of Lees, Braidhauch, and others; present John Pringill, younger, of Buckholm (spouse of Catherine Ramsay) : and in 1634 Lancelot grants sasine of the same to his spouse Joneta Ker, daughter of the late William Ker of Linton (son of Sir John Ker (S. E.). ln August 1636 the King granted and gave anew to Lancelot and his heirs the 5-merk lands of the half of the barony of Clifton (G. S.). In September, the Lords of Council, hearing that in English districts on the Borders “ the contagious sickness of the Pest “ was prevalent, commit intercourse with them to the care of the Sheriffs, etc., including Lancelot (P. C.). In July 1641 the Earl of Lothian writing to his father, the Earl of Ancrum, from Newcastle, where the army of the Scottish Covenanters lay, says: “ My Lord, my last letter to you since coming here was sent by Lancy Pringill “ - who, no doubt, was soldiering under him.

In 1647 Robert, Lancelot's second son, on a precept of his father's of 1645, gets sasine of the lands in Clifton, while James, the eldest son, is given sasine of Lees. In June 1647 the Bailie of Melrose Regality decerns Thomas Pringill in Longhaugh to return to Lancelot a " rapier sword with a black sheath hilt '' as good as he received it, or pay him 200 merks, the price thereof, he is also to pay expenses within 6 days or be put to the horn and poinded. (A. D.).

In 1648 the Lords ordain the Homes and Kers and Alexander to possess the lands in dispute between them, as they have done for 70 years bypass, as after the visitation in 1631 there was no need for further probation (A. D., Scott).

Lancelot died before June 1652. By his spouse Jonet Ker he had issue:

1. James, his heir.

2. Robert.

JAMES

In 1662 Sir James Home of Eccles is ordained by the Lords to pay to James Pringle of Lees a bond for 1000 merks granted by him to James's father, who assigned it to his son Robert Pringle, who was then in London (A. D., Durie). In July 1697 the Lords ordain James to pay to Robert Innes, W.S., a bond for 1000 merks, of which he was assignee, granted in 1631 by Alexander Ramsay (physician to James VI.), Nicol Ramsay, eldest brother to the late John, Earl of Holderness, Lancelot Pringill of Lees, and Alexander Dickson in Upsetlington - all of whom were legators to the late Earl of Holderness who died in 1626 (A. D.). In July 1698 James, who was accused of dilapidating his estate, having ref used to enter help to his father, the Lords adjudge the whole of the lands, Lees, Braidhauch, and others in Coldstream, to belong to Innes in payment of the debt, now amounting, principal and interest, to £4151 Scots, and ordain the superior to infeft him therein (A. D.).

In September 1697 in virtue of a, heritable bond granted to him by James Pringle of Lees, elder, with consent of Helen Trotter, his spouse, and James their eldest son, for the causes therein mentioned, amounting to £3253 Scots, George Clerk gets sasine of an annual rent of £195 furth of Lees, Braidhauch, and others in Coldstream, with the malt kiln and barn belonging thereto; redeemable at Regent Murray's tomb in St Giles, on 40 days' premonition (A. D.).

James died ….., leaving by his spouse Helen Trotter :

1. James, his heir.

2. Robert, died in 1674 ; buried in Greyfriars.

3. Helen.

JAMES (SURGEON)

In April 1688 James Pringle, surgeon-mate in Colonel Wauchope's Regiment, is made burgess and guild-brother of Edinburgh by right of James of Lees his father (City Records).

In the Douglas Cause-the Duke of Hamilton against the son of Lady Jane Douglas (who died in 1753), sister of the late Duke of Douglas-the famous lawsuit that excited all Scotland 1761 to 1769, one of the witnesses, Mrs Hewit, " deponed that during Lady Jane's sickness in London she was attended by

Mr James Pringle, Surgeon to the Guards, and, after he left the city, by Mr Fordyces, and that both these gentlemen declared that Lady Jane's disease was a broken heart."

James died at Little Queen Street, London ; by his spouse he had issue :

1. James, his heir.

2. Helen.

JAMES

Helen Pringle died in Edinburgh, and in May 1765 her brother german and executor James Pringle of Lees made her testament, showing £50 addebted to her - part of £200 sterling bequeathed to her by James Marjoribanks of Lees (T. E.).

In August 1769 James died at the house of Lees, unmarried. He left a Will conform to a disposition whereby he gave and conveyed to Edward Marjoribanks of Hallyards, his cousin, all his heritable and movable property, " for the favour and affection I have and bear to him." He left 20 shares, £700 paid on each share, in Bank of Scotland stock, amounting to £14,000 Scots (T. L.).

Edward Marjoribanks of Hallyards, West Lothian, was for many years a wine merchant in Bordeaux, and returned to Scotland in 1770 ; when he was served heir to his father, James, in the lands of Lees, and to James Pringle in the lands and barony of Wylliecleuch. Edward's son, John Marjoribanks, was born at Bordeaux in 1762, became a Captain in the Coldstream Guards, bought the estate of Eccles, improved it and sold it to the Greigs, removed from Lees to Edinburgh, became partner in a banking firm, Lord Provost 1814-1815, a Baronet in 1815, M.P. for Berwickshire, and latterly lived chiefs at Lees, where he died in 1833.

COLDSTREAM

In 1578 George Hoppringill appears, and in 1584 witnesses the Will of Isabella Home, wife of Alexander Hoppringill of Slegden (T. E.). By his wife, Catherine Renton, he had issue :James, Archibald, Alexander, David, John, Gavin, Alison, and Christian. He died in 1598, leaving the oversight and defence
of his children to John of Buckholm and John Home, elder, of Manderston (T. E.).

In 1580 and 1605 Thomas Pringill appears, and in 1647 has sasine of a house. By his wife, Malie Blyth, he had a son, Alexander (A. D.).

In 1582 William Hoppringill in Mersington appears as an arbitrator between the Hoppringills of that Ilk, Bow, and Hoppringill. He died in 1586, leaving free gear £1259 ; his executors being his widow, Isabella Home, and his son Alexander (T. E.).

In 1635 George Pringill of Coldstream, called of Hounam, acts as bailie at the sasine of James Hoppringill, younger, of that Ilk in the lands of Wylliecleuch.

In 1647 John Pringill and wife, Jonet, get sasine of a house built by them in the market place (S. E.).

In 1653 is registered the Will of Archibald Pringill of Hawkslaw, made by his brother John (T. L.).

In 1675 Robert Pringle, merchant, agrees to pay £21 and a new French riding hat yearly for five years as the rent of a house, and in 1677 gets sasine of a malt barn in the new town. In 1683 having become responsible for three bonds amounting to £958, the Lords adjudge and declare Robert's house called Pringle's Hall, malt barn, and others, with the teinds, to belong to Hugh, son of Sir Hugh Campbell of Cessnock, who had acquired the bonds (A. D.).