The Barony of Cowie, Stirlingshire is a Scottish feudal barony that was created in the early 12th century by

King David I David I or Dauíd mac Maíl Choluim (Scottish Gaelic language, Modern: ''Daibhidh I mac haoilChaluim''; – 24 May 1153) was a 12th-century ruler who was David, Prince of the Cumbrians, Prince of the Cumbrians from 1113 to 1124 and later Ki ...

. In 1563,

Adam Erskine Adam Erskine, Commendator of Cambuskenneth, was a Scottish landowner and courtier. Career He was a son of Thomas Erskine, a younger son of John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine. His father's wife was Margaret Fleming, later Countess of Atholl. He was ma ...

, the perpetual Commendator of Cambuskenneth, the head of the Abbey, signed a charter of some of its lands to John, 6th Lord Erskine. Erskine was granted the lands of Cowy, Murtoun and Baddnidayth in the barony of Cowy in the Sheriffdom of Stirling. Erskine later became the Earl of Mar. The original Barony lands were between

Cowie Cowie may refer to: People *Cowie (surname) Places *Cowie, Aberdeenshire, an historic fishing village located at the north side of Stonehaven, Scotland **Cowie Castle, a ruined castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland ** Chapel of St. Mary and St. Natha ...

and Stirling, starting just north of the town of Bannockburn.

History

The name Cowie probably comes from the

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

word ''Collaidh'', meaning wooded place. Cowie has been occupied since at least

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...

times. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, Cowie was held directly by the King. In the early 12th century,

gave lands of Cowie to Cambuskenneth Abbey. In 1207, the lands of Cowie were again confirmed upon Cambuskenneth Abbey. During the middle of the 16th century, the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

transformed the Scottish social and political landscape. When the nation formally adopted

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

in 1560, one of these reforms was the abolition of monasteries, abbeys and other church lands.

Cambuskenneth Cambuskenneth ( gd, Camas Choinnich ) is a village in the city of Stirling, Scotland. It has a population of 250 and is the site of the historic Cambuskenneth Abbey. It is situated by the River Forth and the only road access to the village is alo ...

was closed and many of the buildings were looted and destroyed, including the removal of stones for construction work in

Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...

. The Barony remained primarily in the Erskine family (with some Stewart holders) from 1563 until the first

Jacobite rebellion , war = , image = Prince James Francis Edward Stuart by Louis Gabriel Blanchet.jpg , image_size = 150px , caption = James Francis Edward Stuart, Jacobite claimant between 1701 and 1766 , active ...

. In 1715, John, 6th Earl of Mar (9th Baron of Cowie), became a leader of the Jacobite rebellion of

James Edward Stuart James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 16881 January 1766), nicknamed the Old Pretender by Whigs, was the son of King James II and VII of England, Scotland and Ireland, and his second wife, Mary of Modena. He was Prince of Wales fro ...

, the Old Pretender. Mar had no military experience and was a poor general. In an indecisive battle at Sheriffmuir in 1715, Mar was unable to defeat a smaller force under the Duke of Argyll. With the failure of the ’15, Mar fled with the Pretender to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, where he spent the rest of his life in exile. In 1716, a Writ of Attainder was passed against Mar, which stripped him and his heirs of all their lands and titles. The Murrays of Polmaise were one of the beneficiaries of the Attainder. In 1716, Sir William Murray of Touchadam and Polmaise became the first Murray holder of Cowie. He died childless and was succeeded by his uncle William Murray, 8th of Touchadam & of Pitlochrie and Polmaise in 1729. He succeeded by his son William Murray of Touchadam, Pitlochie and Polmaise in 1758. The Barony remained in the Murray family until 1926 before returning to the Stewarts. The current (20th) Baron of Cowie is Alan Robert Dennis, a professor of information systems in the Kelley School of Business at

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

References

{{reflist

External links

Barony of Cowie

Historic Scotland

Registry of Scots Nobility

Scottish Barony Register
Baronies in the Baronage of Scotland Feudalism in Scotland Stirlingshire

History

See also

References

External links