By a prudent management of his affairs, John Muirhead of Shawfutte (variously, Schawfutte) was able to acquire a “competent eƒtate in the barony and regality of Glaƒgow, in vaƒsalage of the archbiƒhops of that ƒee”. This, according to Nisbet, was in sharp contrast to the manner that the family of James Muirhead of Lauchope squandered his inheritance.
Of the second son of James and Jean (Fleming) Muirhead, John of Shawfutte, born circa 1512, it is known that he was married twice, first to Elizabeth, the daughter of Crawfurd of Ferm, who was born circa 1516; and secondly to Jean Oliphant, the daughter of Sir Alexander Oliphant of Kellie in the county of Fife.
1654 Map Of Lanarkshire Showing The Estate Of Shawfutte ~ Reproduced by permission of the Trustees of the National Library of Scotland.
John Muirhead of Shawfutte made a living as a feuer, that is to say, a tenant-farmer.
Of John Muirhead of Shawfutte, Nisbet noted that:
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“the undoubted chief and repreƒentative of the antient family of Muirhead is John Muirhead of Brediƒholm, who, though he wore in his arms a creƒcent before, as a mark of cadency, intimating his deƒcent, as a ƒecond brother, from the ƒtem and root of the family; yet now he may lay it aƒide, as he has a juƒt title to do, ƒeeing, as heir-male, he repreƒents the principal family.” |
John Muirhead of Shawfutte died in the year 1592, and left issue of only one son also named John.
It was that son, John Muirhead (2nd) of Shawfutte, born circa 1550, who purchased the estate of Bredisholm from archibishop Spotiswood. John obtained a crown charter for the estate on 29 June, 1607, according to John M. Morehead in his book, The Morehead Family Of North Carolina And Virginia. (Note: According to Nisbet, the charter was granted on 01 March, 1607.) He effectively became John Muirhead (1st) of Bredisholm by the purchase.
John Muirhead (2nd) of Shawfutte / (1st) of Bredisholm married ----- Oliphant of Kelly. John died at some time prior to 1635, leaving only a single son, named James, but known by the name of the newly acquired estate of Bredisholm. A James Muirhead of Shawfit was listed as a burgess and freeman of the burgh of Glasgow on 20 August, 1607.(1.74)
Left: Bredisholm Estate ~ Used with kind permission by Alan Dawson, Senior Researcher/Programmer for the Centre for Digital Library Research, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland. / Right: 1654 Map Of Lanarkshire Showing The Estate Of Bredisholm ~ Reproduced by permission of the Trustees of the National Library of Scotland.
It might be noted here that the name of Bredisholm is believed to be linked to St. Brigid (variously, St. Bride), the popular saint of the early Celtic Church.(1.75)
James Muirhead (2nd) of Bredisholm married Margaret Drummond. Margaret was the daughter of James Drummond, commendator of Inchassry, and the granddaughter of David, Lord Drummond and his wife, Lilias Ruthven. James and Margaret Muirhead raised a family of two sons and a daughter: James, John and Lillias.
John Muirhead, the second son of James and Margaret (Drummond) Muirhead, made a living as an advocate in the Court of Session. He became the progenitor of the line known as Muirhead of Persilands in Lanark.
Lillias Muirhead, the daughter of James and Margaret (Drummond) Muirhead, married twice, first to Sir Walter Stewart (variously Stuart) of Minto, and secondly to Sir James Drummond of Macheny.
The oldest son of James and Margaret (Drummond) Muirhead, James Muirhead (3rd) “of Bredisholm”, was married three times. Each union resulted in children, including the following. By his first wife, Grizel, daughter of Robert Hamilton of Bathgate, James fathered two sons and a daughter: James, to whom the inheritance of Bredisholm descended; George, of Stevenson in Bothwell, who married and had issue, but whose line died out prior to the mid-1800s; and Elizabeth, who married Patrick Hamilton of Neilsland.
James Muirhead (3rd) of Bredisholm secondly married Grizel, daughter of James Hamilton of Westport, who were descended from the Hamiltons of Silvertounhill. This Grizel was the widow of Alexander Cochran of Barbachlay of Linlithgow. They bore one daughter, Margaret, who married James Hamilton of Aikenhead. This James Hamilton (variously, Hamiltoune) had previously been married twice and had fathered twenty children, all girls, by those wives. Between him and Margaret, were born ten children, both sons and daughters. He had inherited the estate of Aikenhead, situated in the parish of Cathcart, in Lanarkshire, from his father, Robert Hamiltoun. It had become Robert’s possession on the death of his father, James, who had served as Provost of Glasgow between 1614 and 1629. It was James Hamilton, Provost of Glasgow, who had built the mansion house called Aikenhead (variously, Aickinheid and Aitkinehood).
Aikenhead Estate ~ Source unknown.
James Muirhead (3rd) of Bredisholm’s third wife was Bessie Crawfurd, daughter of James Crawfurd of Kiphyre in Lanarkshire. This union resulted in the birth of two daughters: Lilias, who married James Hamilton of Blanterferm, by whom she had children; and Anne, who married John Stark of Achinvole and Gartsherrie, by whom she had children.
James Muirhead (4th) of Bredisholm, the eldest son of James and Grizel (of Robert Hamilton) Muirhead of Bredisholm, of course by taking the appellation “of Bredisholm”, is believed to have resided at the estate of Bredisholm. James may not have resided at Bredisholm, though, because in 1671, one year before he married, he purchased the estate of Daldowie from James Woddrop, younger of Dalmarnock. Daldowie, situated in the parish of Old Monkland in Lanarkshire, remained in the possession of the Muirhead family until 1724 when James’ grandson, John, sold it to Robert Bogle of Glasgow.
On 06 June, 1672 James Muirhead (4th) of Bredisholm, the eldest son of James and Grizel Muirhead, married Helen Stewart. Helen was the daughter of Alexander Stewart, the 4th Lord Blantyre. Their union resulted in the birth of five sons: James, John, William, George and Walter, and two daughters: Euphemia and Margaret. James, the eldest son, died prior to 1719. He was succeeded in the ownership of the estate of Bredisholm by the second eldest son, John. The daughter, Margaret, married John Stark of Achinvole and Gartsberrie.
John Muirhead, of Bredisholm, the second-born son of James Muirhead of Bredisholm, became (5th) "of Bredisholm" in 1719 upon the death of his father. John married Lilias Hamilton, a daughter of James Hamilton of Aikenhead. They had no children, and therefore the titles, properties and chiefship of the Muirheads of Lauchope and Bredisholm were passed laterally to his sister, Euphemia’s son, James Grosiert / Grosset.
The descendants of Euphemia Muirhead, one of the daughters of James Muirhead and his wife, Helen (Stewart), will be continued in the section titled, Of The Generations Which Continued On In The Homeland.
