Robert Kerr's History of Bathgate Part 3
16th century Bathgate
c 1500 - James IV occasionally (with Earl of Angus and Laird of Pardovan) went on falconry expeditions to Bathgate Bog, which at that time had bitterns.
1507 - James went on a hawking expedition in the Bathgate area.)
c1520 In Kirkton Kirk graveyard - the pre-reformation table tombstone for Andrew Crichton of Drumcross has a Latin inscription; It shows a lance, sword, shield, and lion.
1532 - Mathew Hammyltoun was granted ½ the lands of Drumcross (sasine was given by handing over of earth and stone of the lands, and shutting of the house, at the home of Patrick Loch of Drumcroce).
1534 - There was a reference to the office of Sheriff of Renfrew within the Lordship of Baythcat.
c 1538 - Alex. Hamilton was fined in default of suit and presence for lands of Bathgate, which had belonged to John, Earl of Lennox. 1538 - James Hamilton (of Innerwick?) excambed lands in Perthshire for part of lands of Bathgate belonging to Thos. Hamilton, which included the lands of Ester and Wester Inche. (It seems that in 1467-68 - ½ of "le Bathket Inche" was disponed by John Lord Darnley - later Earl of Lennox - to Michael of Hamilton).
1539 - Sasine in favour of James Lawson of Hieriggis, in lands of Lochtullo, with pertinents, namely the villa of Lochtullo or Boghall, Starlaw, and Denis, lying in the Barony and Parish of Bathgateand Sheriffdom of Renfrew.
1541 - Thos Marjoribanks was Provost and MP for Ediinburgh - he was an Advocate in 1549
1542 - John Clerk - a dealer at Linlithgow and Bathgate Cattle Marts - was summoned to appear in Court for buying and selling cows, oxen and sheep on the way to market - (thus causing inflated prices); There was a reference to John Murehed, Thos Douglas and Gilbert Cameron, all of Bathgate. By 1542, cattle Marts (markets) were being held in Bathgate.
1543 - Rents from Drumcross went to Robert Hamilton of Briggs - Keeper of Linlithgow Palace - 1543-52
(In 1543 - Drumcross lands were owned by the Crown).
1555 - John Hamilton - a monk from Paisley, became Reader and Vicar at Bathgate.
1561 - Wm . Hammyltoun's Charter in favour of Helen Heiring?, of the lands of Shilhillis in the Lordship of Bathgate and Sheriffdom of Renfrew by annexation - witnesses - Thos Henry of Kirktoun, Peter Duncan of Bathgaittoun.
1563 - There was a marriage contract involving Janet, daughter of Peter Hammyltoun, Laird of Bathgate.
1564-65 - Wm Raltoun of Starlaw, and Wm Nemo of Drumcross - both recorded.
1566 - James Knox, Reader at Bathgate, was censured by the General Assembly for baptising and marrying while unqualified to do so.
1566 - Patrick Walker of Badlormy got the right and title to an acre of land with house and kailyard on the west side of Bawbardie; otherwise called the Lane-end; in the Parish of Baythcat and Sheriffdom of Renfrew; (Gilbert Cammertoun of Birkinshaw recorded.)
1567 - In this year, Robert Hamilton was killed by his brother Alexander; Alexr. was "Heedit" (beheaded); Robert's wife, who plotted the murder, was burned at the stake.
1567 - Wm Schaw was Laird of Knockhill. 1567 - Sasine in favour of Dominus John Hammyltoun - monk, of Paisley, in the vicarage of Bathcat - book and church keys given by James Hammyltoun, Clerk and son of Alexr. Hammyltoun of Baythcat - Done in the Parish Kirk of Bathgate in 1567 - witnesses included John Flemying of Harthill, John Meik of Inche of Baythcat, and Wm Nemocht of Drumcorss.
1567.(or 1572) John Gray - the first minister of Bathgate Parish Kirk - was presented with "the haill vicarage, with the manse and gleib".
1569 - John Mure in Drumcorss, David Harde in Quhytsyde (1569-70); George Hammyltoun, tutor of Baythcat Cuthbert Tyndale in Eister Torbane, Patrick Auld in Westir Torban in Barony of Baythcat,in Sheriffdom of Renfrew, Alexr Hammyltoun in the toun of Bathycat - Quhitlaw, with John Hammyltoun, monk of Monastery of Paisley .
c 1569 - The late Barbera Wethirspun was described as Lady Bathgate.
1570 - Sasine in favour of W Ramsay of Bangour Law, got the lands of Quhytsyde (tenanted by D Flemyng), and lying in the Barony of Bathcat and Sheriffdom of Renfrew; (Witnesses - Wm Creichton of Drumcross, David Flemying of Quhytsyde, John Forsyth of Blakcrage.)
1570-71 - John Bryss in Starlaw;
1571 - Marriage contract - John Thomsoun in Kirktoune of Baythcat, and Mgt Kerr of Drumcorss (James Kerr agreed to instruct the couple on his craft of wabster/weaver;) - Witness - Robt Thomsoun in Bangour Mylne
1572-73 - John Mure in Drumcorss, Wm Goff in Medilrige; 1572-3 - John Warden in Drumcorss; 1572-3 - James Mutar in Nether Kynnele; 1573 - David Herring, living be-east of Kirk of Baythcat.
1573 - James Cochrane of Barbachlay was an Executor.
1576 - Kirktoune of Baythcat recorded.
1576 - R. Duncan of Castell-hill. 1576 - Overtowne of Bawbarde or Castlehill, in Parish of Baythcat and Sheriffdom of Renfrew. 1576 R Duncan of Castellhill, in favour of P Walker of Badlormy - re ¼ of Ovirtowne of Bawbarde or Castellhill - Witnesses - P Polwart of Hildirstoun, John Eastoun of Scottinflat in Torphiching.
1577 - Geo Chalmers in Paddockschaw
1584 - James Cocherane. of Barbachlay.
1588 - .James Cochran of Barbachla (in Bathgate Parish) sat in judgement on the Assizes.
1596 - James VI granted permission to Bathgate to hold 7 Fairs annually. A weekly market could now be held in the toune of Bathcat. In 1596 - a new Parish Kirk was built at the junction between North Street and Cochrane Street; it was probably the first post-Reformation Kirk to be built in Bathgate, and probably replaced the old Kirkton pre-Reformation Kirk [Between 1567 and 1994 - 33 ministers served the Parish Kirk.]
By 1596, a new town centre had been created, to replace the Kirkton/ Inch/ Kaim/ Guildiehaugh/Bathgate Castle and Old Hall Bathgate area; it probably wasn't long before the new town centre had North Street, Main Street, The Hill/ Hill Street, Market Street, the Bunker (town square), also High Street, Kaim Head and Cochrane Street.
1598 - Sasine in favour of Elizabeth Hamilton, daughter of Alexr. Hamilton of Schielhill; witnesses - Wm Chrytoun of Drumcrocemaynes; Thos Herring at church of Bathgate; Alex Tyndale of Torbane; Wm Wardroppe of Torbanehill;
1599 - Kirkton House was possibly built A tablet stone removed from the site when the house was demolished in 1862, was built into the gable of an outhouse at. Petershill Cottage - it said - "Thos Shairp and Marion Dalmahoy 1599;
1599 - Bathgate Parishioners were split into pro and anti Covenanters factions. A Curator who denounced Presbyterianism was chased up the "Style" - (a well known corner of auld Bathgate).
Ancient places of the parish of Bathgate - mainly 16th and 17th centuries and mainly "lost" - Crostone (1298); Braidschaw (1562); Buchtlaws; Peithill Knoll (1545-50); Gogstanes; Gutterslap; Peithill syke; Ethistoun (1538); castellhill (1576); Insula de Eistoun de Torbane(1578); lie Manisquarter (1595); middil-Quarter (1607); speirismailling (1618); Dykeheid (1614); Compton, Cocksmuir,Craigshinnie (1610); Bellamount (1576?); Eistrig (1630); lie Lone (1631); Ryislaw-Bog; London; Mounteery; Muirhall, Salsyde (1665); Ester seat de Torbain (1683); Snipedub, Stepends, Swindinem, Westminster (in ruins 1852).
16th C place names of Bathgate Parish - lie Manisquarter (1595); Ester Torbane (1538); Torbaynehill (1560); Treyis (1558); Insche of Baythcat (1566-67); Ester Inche (1538); Mekill Inch (1557); Wester Inch (1538); Loch tullo (1539); Bogheid (1552 ) Bogheid of Baythcat (1567); lie Bogheidfurde (1549-50); Braidschaw - (1562) Castlehill (1576); During the 16th C., many place names in the parish of Bathgate were first recorded, including - Eastoun (1583); Inche de Eistoun (1572); Insula de Eistoun de Torbane (1578); Ethiston 1538); Quhytesyde (1564/65); The Hardhill (1583/84); Hillis de Ballencrieff (1538); lie Standhill (1549/50); Torreoch (1500); Estir Quhitla (1565-66); Peithill Knoll - (1549-50); Peithill syke (1549-50); Ryislaw-Bog (1549-50): Bawairdie (1583); Bawbordie (1566); Nethir Bawbarde (1538); Ovir Bawbarde (1538); Ovirtowne of Bawbarde (1576); Coustone (1596); Coustoun (1539); lie Maynis of Bathgait (1599-1600); Bog dyke (1549-50); Bowgawir-Bog (1549-50); Kirktoune of Baythcat (1576) Ballincreif (1502-03); Balbachlo (1506); Denis (1539); Drumcroce (1532);. lie Long (1595); Drumcors Mainis (1595); In the early 15OOs, a stone was erected at Kirkton with heraldic device in memory of Andrew Crichton of Drumcorse. In 16th C., John Murhede and Thomas Douglas of Bathcat became sureties for a convicted Gilbert Cameron. By the 16th c., the Hamiltons were a powerful family in West Lothian, with lands in Bathgate and Torphichen and other parishes. 16th c - Couston castle was possibly built by
Polwarth - it was later property of Wm Sandilands, 3rd son of Lord Torphichen.
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