ne was Malise, who
had married Murialla, the widow of Fergus, son of Gilbert, Earl of
Strathearn, the benefactor of Inchaffray. He got with her the lands of
Tullibardine in dower. A son, Henry, and a daughter, Ada, were born to
them. The daughter married Sir William Murray, who got the lands of
Tullibardine conveyed to him, in 1284, by his mother-in-law, and
confirmed, for his greater security, by his brother-in-law, Henry.
This Sir William Murray was one of those who were summoned to Berwick
by Edward I. in 1292 to hear the advocacy of the claims of Bruce and
Balliol. Henry, the brother-in-law, became Steward of Strathearn on
the death of his father, Malise. His only daughter married Sir Maurice
Drummond of Concraig, and carried with her the office and lands held by
her father. Sir Maurice was the first Drummond who was Steward of
Strathearn. Both he and his wife were buried within the choir of the
Church of Muthill. It is not to libel human nature to say that the
Tullibardine Murrays looked with disfavour upon the passing of the
Stewardship to the Drummonds of Concraig. The latter, however, were
legally in possession, and the Murrays had to bide their time. The
opportunity was not long in coming. King Robert II. died in 1390. He
is described by Froissart as a man "not valiant, with red, bleared
eyes, who would rather lie still than ride." His reign was prosperous
but at his death "every man did what seemed right in his own eyes."
His third son, nicknamed the Wolf of Badenoch, quarrelled with the
Bishop of Moray and burned his Cathedral of Elgin. The Duke of
Rothesay, heir to the throne on the death of his father, Robert III.,
was starved to death in Falkland Palace by his uncle, the Duke of
Albany in 1401. In these wild days Strathearn had its own troubles.
In or about the year 1391 the Stewardship was held by Sir John Drummond
of Concraig the grandson of Sir Maurice, who lies buried in the choir
of Muthill Church. Sir John married Matilda Graham, the sister of Sir
Patrick Graham who subsequently became Earl of Strathearn in right of
his wife Euphemia, the daughter of Earl David, first Earl Palatine. It
was his duty, as Steward of Strathearn, to try Sir Alexander Murray of
Ogilvy for the murder of William de Spalding. This was specially
unfortunate, seeing that Sir Alexander Murray's father had got the
Barony of Ogilvy in compensation for the loss of the Earldom of
Strathearn, when it was assumed by R