Sir John of Methil and Wemyss, Knight Ian Mor Nan Ualmh, Muckle (Mickle) - John of the Caves Circa 1203 - circa 1265

Sir John fought bravely and valiantly in the Norwegian wars with William the Lion, King of Scotland. John is listed as John, son of Michael, by Malcolm, Earl of Fife, in a charter of the church of Abercrombie to the monks of Dunfermline, and ranks as a witness immediately after the earl’s brothers, as noted in the Registrum de Dunfermlyne, p 83. He is also referred to as John son of Michael in the witness of several charters in the reign of King William the Lion. He granted in 1239 his right to the Church of St. Mary of Wemyss to the Hospital of Soutra, a small religious house on the ridge of the Lammermoors, some miles to the west of Penshiel. Bishop Gamelon of St. Andrews writes of Sir John as the true patron of the church of Wemyss. He is also believed to have built the first stone castle on the site of the MacDuff castle. Prior to then the castles had been built of wood. From Rambles in Scoonie and Wemyss , by A. S. Cunningham we know that Sir John, who is described by Bower the historian as a brave knight, was stricken in years, and was suffering from an anguish fever when the Norwegians tried to conquer Scotland. The story is also documented in the work of Sir William Fraser as taking place on the eve of the battle of Largs in 1263. While under the effects of the malady he fell into a slumber and had a vivid dream. He thought he stood in the north porch of the church of Dunfermline, and there a lady of great beauty and royal robes appeared on the scene. She suddenly entered the building and led by the hand a noble-looking knight, clothed in shining armor, a sword at his girdle, and crowned helmet on his head. The pair were followed by three other knights, gay and active, dressed in similar brilliant armor. Sir John, transported at the sight of so much beauty and valor, begged of the lady to reveal who she was, and the visitor from the other world replied:--”I am Margaret, formerly Queen of Scotland; this is Malcolm, my husband, and these are our three sons, kings of this realm while in the flesh, with whom I hasten to Largs to defend the country and gain victory over the tyrant who strives unjustly to subdue our realm.” In response to what he considered to be an invitation from the unearthly visitants, Sir John, despite his weakly condition, journeyed from Wemyss to Dunfermline. He related his dream to the prior, showed his devotion by kissing the relics in the church of the saintly Queen, and while thus engaged his malady vanished. It was with difficulty he could tear himself away from the sacred spot, and while he lingered and thought of the days when Queen Margaret worshipped in the sacred edifice, a messager arrived with news of the victory gained over the Norwegians at Largs. (page 264) The account of this story is the last recorded act of Sir John of Methil and Wemyss. The name of his wife is not known but he had two recorded sons, Michael and John. Sir Michael Wemyss of Wemyss Circa 1265 - circa 1319 Michael, who became Sir Michael Wemyss, succeeded Sir John. He was first known as Michael de Methkil and later Michael ‘de Wemeth’. He witnessed a charter by his father in the reign of King Alexander II. In a charter by Sir John of Anesley, his land is said to march with the lands of Cameron. This first charter by Sir John of Anesly, was in favor of John of Wemyss and Amabilla his spouse, of the lands of Upper Cambronn, cira 1250. In 1290 Sir Michael is described as a partisan of John Baliol and was present when Baliot did homage to Edward I. Then in 1296/7 he, (as was required of all Scottish nobles) also paid homage to and swore fealty to Edward I of England. The reign of Alexander III (1249 - 1286) was the Golden Age of Scotland, but upon his death a struggle for the throne took place. Alexander left no descendant except his little granddaughter, Margaret, the child of Eric of Norway and his daughter Margaret of Scotland. By treaty between England and Scotland she was to become the Queen of England by marriage with Edward, Prince of Wales and was educated in Scotland with the view to that marriage. Sir Michael Wemyss, along with his brother or son, Sir David and the great Sir Michael Scott, of Balweary, was commissioned by the estates of Scotland as ambassadors to bring home the little maid who was then in Norway. (There is some dispute still as to whether it was Sir Michael or his son David Wemyss who actually made the voyage. In Sir Fraser’s work he sites Wyntown as a person of intimate connection to the Wemyss family as stating that it was Sir David the son of Sir Michael who was the ambassador. Fordun, edition 1871, vol. I. p 311. Wyntownis Cronykil, B. viii. c. 1.) Great preparations were made to receive the young queen. A ship was fitted out at Yarmouth in a most sumptuous manner, and messengers from both kingdoms were dispatched northward to accompany the royal child. The men accompanied by other knights and ladies of the realm went to escort the little maid of Norway to her mother's native land. She was taken from the tender care of her home on a stormy voyage across the North Sea. The attendants pledged her father to guard her safety, and they did, but she withered like a transplanted flower and died on the Orkneys. Her death left Scotland without an heir. Had she lived the course of our history certainly would have been changed. Wallace might have lived his life in peace. Robert Bruce would have died unknown. The Kingdoms of Scotland and England would have become merged in the early day without all the bloodshed that followed in the after years. Elizabeth would not have been the founder of the British Empire and the Stuarts would never have ruled England. But destiny controls events. In Castle Wemyss is still preserved a silver basin which was presented by the King of Norway to Sir Michael Wemyss on the occasion of his service to bring the Scottish princess home. Margaret's death left thirteen claimants to the Scottish throne, out of which arose the wars that ended at Bannockburn in 1314. Sir Michael Wemyss took a propionate part in public affairs at home in Scotland. He was one of the Scottish barons who assembled at the great convention held near Norham in June 1291, when the competitors for the crown of Scotland acknowledged the supremacy of King Edward the First, and the Scottish fortresses were surrendered. He was also one of the forty commissioners chosen on behalf of Baliol to meet with a similar number chosen by Bruce and others nominated by the English king, to consider and report upon the claims of the competitors, and his name appears upon their testimonial authorizing the king to give judgment.(Fonders, vol. I. page 764-767; Palgrave’s Historical Documents, page 52-55) This testimonial was issued in June 1292. The following December Sir Michael was present at Newcastle-on-Tyne, and affixed his seal to an attestation of King John Baliol’s fealty to Edward. Although Sir Michael favored the claims of Baliol and acknowledged him as king of Scotland there is no evidence that he did homage to the English king at this time. King John Baliol’s brief and unfortunate career as king of Scotland lead to the attack by the English king, Edward at Berwick in March of 1296 and the defeat of the Ccttish army at Dunbar, and the victorious march of Edward over a great portion of Scotland. Sir Michael met with King Edward at Stirling in June of 1996 where he appears to have sworn homage and oath to the English King. In 1297 Sir Michael was summoned to attend King Edward in Flanders; but he does not seem to have been happy with the English King. There is no clear evidence as to what part Sir Michael played in the war of independence, or whether he supported the patriotic movement of Wallace, though there is reason to believe that he was no warm adberent of the English rule. Edward I of England was one of the claimants of the Scottish throne and invaded Scotland in 1304 and occupied Sir Michael's castle in East Wemyss, Fifeshire, Scotland, for one day and one night. This was the sight which is now in ruins and locally known as Macduff's Castle. Sir Michael was seventh in line of descent from Macduff and was an unwilling host to Edward I. Two years later, in 1306 King Edward, ‘Hammer of the Scots’ wrote to Sir Aymer de Valence, the King’s Royal Guardian for Scotland complaining that he had ‘found neither good speech nor good service in him’ {Laird Michael}, and ordered him to ‘burn, strip and destroy Sir Michael's manors and lay waste to his lands, ‘or worse if possible’. Edward, etc., to our dear cousin and faithful Eymar de Valance, greeting--Seeing that we have not found in Sir Michael of Wemyss good word or good service, and that he has now well shown himself to us in such wise, that we hild him a traitor and our enemy; we command you that ye cause his manor where we lay, and all his other manors, to be burned, his lands and his goods to be destroyed and his gardens to be stripped bare, that nothing remain, and all other such may take warning; and we will have such regard to the person or persons on whom we intend to bestow his lands, that as to this burning, wasting , and stripping, they shall with reason hold themselves well content. And as to Sir Gilbert de la Haye, to whom we showed great courtesy when he was lately with us in London, and in whom we thought we could trust, and whom we have now found to be a traitor and our enemy, we enjoin you to cause burn all his manor and houses, destroy all his lands and goods, and trip all his gardens, that nothing remain, and that worse be done him, if worse be possible, than is said before of Sir Michel, as of our traitor and enemy...And we pray you, fair cousin, as we confide in you, our lieutenant in these parts, ye do this so speedily and so openly that we may know your good will therein. And we thank you as much as we can for what you have done. Given under our privy seal, at Markeyatt, 19th June [1306 ] Original mandate is in the Public Record Office, London. It is also printed in National MSS of Scotland, Part II. No. xiv. Edward I of England compelled Sir Michael to swear fealty to England, but later when Robert Bruce led the army of Scotland against the English forces, Sir Michael espoused the cause of his Scottish countrymen and led his clan in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. This battle established Scottish independence under King Robert I (Bruce) which was recognized by Edward II in 1326. The two armies met on midsummer day, the 24th of June 1314, by the Bannock Burn below Stirling. Bruce and the Scottish clans were out numbered. The English had 60,000 men , the Scots only 40,000. Bruce had chosen his ground carefully. The Scottish army, with only a hand full of light cavalry and no archers to match the English, was drawn up on higher ground. The heavily armed English knights thus found themselves forced t o advance through the waterlogged meadows which bordered the Bannock Burn. The battle was joined by sunrise and long before noon the English were in full flight and their King was making for Dunbar and the border as fast as his horse could carry him. The English lost 10,000 foot soldiers and 200 knights, while the Scots lost only 4,000 men. Sir David Wemyss, son of Sir Michael was also in the battle of Bannockburn. Both father and son fought gallantly and returned home safely after the battle. Sometime after the battle of Bannockburn the castle was rebuilt as a single tower house. It was eventually incorporated in the now demolished East Tower. The rebuilt MacDuff Castle was on a scale which put the old structure completely in the shade. In 1315 Sir Michael was at Ayr with King Robert the Bruce and witnessed the set of settlement of the Scottish Crown by Robert the Bruce. Sir Michael took part in 1319 with his son Sir David in the perambulation of lands of Gaitmilk and Caskieberran

Email me on:
Jodie's Genealogy Files