CHARTERIS, Margaret ¹

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  General Notes:

"ABBOTS OF CUPAR ABBEY....

John Schanwell (a.d. 1480-1509), after his appointment to the abbacy, was made visitor of the Cistercian monasteries in Scotland, and is said to have deposed the Abbots of Melrose, Dundrennan, and Sweetheart. On the 10th of March 1487-8, he granted a lease of the lands of Murthlie in Mar, to Margaret Charteris and her sons, John and Alexander of Strachan ; on the 15th of March 1493-4, he granted a lease of the same lands to William Forbes of Towie."

from Memorials of Angus and Mearns ²

  Research Notes:

EARLY CHARTERIS IN SCOTLAND

The origin of the name Charteris is said to be from Chartres in France. Some from that egion may have travelled to Scotland with King David I of Scotland, or possibly earlier. Sir Thomas de Charteris was appointed Lord Chancellor of Scotland in 1280.
Andrew de Charteris rendered homage to Edward I of England then changed his allegiance to support Scottish Independence, for which he forfeited his lands to Balliol. His son William supported Bruce, and is said to have been with Bruce when Comyn was murdered in 1306. Sir Thomas Charteris was appointed ambassador to England, then Lord High Chancellor of Scotland in 1342 by King David II. He was killed at the Battle of Durham in 1346. ³

Margaret married Alexander STRACHAN 3rd of Glenkindie, son of Thomas DE STRACHAN 2nd of Glenkindie and Unknown. (Alexander STRACHAN 3rd of Glenkindie was born about 1410 and died By 1488.)

  Marriage Notes:

"From a sett, dated 1488, of the lands of Murthlich in Mar (now Morlich), which belonged to the Abbey of Cupar, it appears that Margaret Charteris was the name of the lady of Glenkindie at that date, and that she had 'twa sonnis callit Johnne and Alexander of Strathaquhyn.' "

"31 July, 1504. Margaret, Lady of Glenkindie, and her sone, Sande Gordone, raised an action of spulzie before the Assize, who declarit yai could (not?) decide nor determine in the actioune of spulzie of a mair."

from The Strachans of Glenkindie

Note:

The author, James Allardyce, concludes, that Margaret, Lady of Glenkindie, may have been a widow as early as 1488, and certainly by 1504. He also adds that she must have been married before to a man surnamed Gordon. No reference has been found to this possible marriage, so far, in the Gordon literature, and it is noteworthy that in the first extract quoted above 'Sande Gordon' is called 'Alexander de Strathaquhyn'.

However it does, also, raise the question as to whether Margaret was the first or second wife of Alexander Strachan, and indeed the mother of Duncan, the 4th laird, since 'her' sons are named, but not Duncan himself, who succeeded Alexander. It may be that Duncan was the child of a first marriage, and that his mother have died after his birth. ¹