Humphrey’s donation was renewed and augmented by Richenda, his only child and daughter, with consent of her husband, Robert, the son of Warnebald, ancestor to the Earl of Glencairn. The witnesses to this deed were, Dom. J. Wishart, vicesm. de Mernis, et Johanne filio ejus; Dom. Duncano de Arbuthenot, et filio ejus; Humphreo de Middleton, cum multis aliis. This second grant was confirmed by Alexander II.; the witnesses being A. Abbato de Melross, Ro. Abbato de Newbottle, Tho. de Hay, Alex. de Seton, cum multis aliis, vicesimo die Martii, anno regni nostri, vicesimo quarto. After the death of Robert the son of Warnebald, the monks prevailed on his widow, Richenda, to dispone these lands to them for the third time; et ad majus hujus rei testimonium, in posterum una cum sigillo meo huic scripto, sigillum venerab. patris nostri R. Abredonensis episc. et sigillum Domini Anselm Cammel feci apponi coram his test. Dom. A. Archide Brechin, Dom Nigello de Moubray, Dom. Roberto de Montealto, et Dom. Will. de Hunyter, cum multis aliis. This third deed was confirmed by Alexander II. at Aberbrothwick, the 7th March, (anno 1236,) and thirty-second year of his reign. Coram test. venerab. patr. Ro. Epis. Abre; Willielmo Comite de Marr, Waltero de Moravii, R. de Montealto.
These six documents, viz. the three donations, and the three respective confirmations, were extracted from the Chartulary of Aberbrothwick, which still remains in the Advocates’ Library of Edinburgh, and they may, therefore, be deemed quite authentic.
Humphrey, and his daughter Richenda, having died without male issue, John de Berkeley, the brother of Humphrey, succeeded, and, being dissatisfied with the alienations they had made, he turned the abbot and monks out of all their possessions in his domains. But he was obliged to compromise the matter with them; and, with the concurrence of his heir Robert, he gave them the mill of Conveth, with its appurtenances, in lieu of the lands of which he dispossessed them, burdened, however, with the yearly payment of thirteen merks of silver to him and his heirs.
This agreement was not only signed and sealed by the abbot and monks of Aberbrothwick; by John, and his heir, Robert de Berkeley; but also, una cum sigillis vener. virorum Greg. Episco. Brechin, et, Dom. Willielmo de Bosco, Dom. Regis Can. et Dom. de Lunden, fratris illustr. Regis Alex. apponi procururerent; coram test. Willielmo Capellaro, Dom. Episco. Brechin, Mag. Andrea de Perth, Mag. Hugo de Milbourn, cum multis aliis. This deed was confirmed at Dundee, by King Alexander II.; coram test. Greg. Episco. Brechin, Willielmo de Bosco, nostro cancellario; Ro. de Lunden, nostro fratre; Hugo Cameron, cum multis aliis. These deeds have been preserved in the Chartulary of Aberbrothwick, from which they were extracted; and they sufficiently establish, that Theobald, Humphrey, and John, must have lived in the time of Alexander I. David I. Malcolm IV. William the Lion, and Alexander II. kings of Scotland, who were cotemporary with Henry I., Stephen, Henry II. the first of the Plantagenets; Richard I. and John, kings of England.—Upon the demise of John, the son of Humphrey, he was succeeded by his son,
(3.) Robert de Berkeley, who, as it is already observed, consented to the agreement between his father, and the abbot and monks of Aberbrothwick. He was succeeded by his son,
(4.) Hugh de Berkeley, who obtained a charter from King Robert Bruce, upon Westerton, being lands lying near the mill of Conveth, in Kincardineshire.
(5.) Alexander de Berkeley succeeded his father, Hugh, and to the paternal estates added Mathers, in consequence of his marrying Catharine, sister to William de Keith, marischal of Scotland, as vouched by a charter, dated anno 1351, granted by William de Keith, “with consent (as the deed expresses it) of Margaret, my wife, to Alexander de Berkeley, and Catharine, my sister, his spouse, and the longest liver of them two, and the heirs male of their bodies, my lands of Mathers, datum apud mansum capitale nostrum de Strathekin, die Martii inventione sanctæ crucis, anno 1351. Coram test. reverendo in Christo patr. Dom. Philippo, Dei gratia, Episc. Brechin. Dom. Willielmo eædem gratia Abbato de Aberbrothwick, David de Fleming, Willielmo de Liddel, militibus; Johan. de Seton, et aliis.” This charter is confirmed by King David Bruce, at Perth, the 18th of March, and twenty-first of his reign: coram test. Roberto seneschallo, nepote nostro, (the first king of Scotland of the Stewart race,) Tho. Seneschal, comite de Angus, Tho. de Moravii panacri nostro Scotiæ, Roberto de Erskine, et Tho. de Falside, militibus.
The original charter from William de Keith, and the confirmation by David Bruce, are both in the possession of Mr. Barclay of Ury.
(6.) David de Berkeley, 2d of Mathers, succeeded to his father Alexander; and he married the daughter of John de Seton, who witnessed the above charter from William de Keith. His son,
(7.) Alexander de Berkeley, 3d of Mathers, was his successor, and he married Helen, the daughter of Græme of Morphy. Their son,