Plenderleith | The Forum of Scotland's Baronage

Arms Intro

THE BARONY OF

Plenderleith

Roxburghshire | Before 1319

Plenderleith is in Roxburghshire a few miles northwest of the Cheviot Hills which separate Scotland from England – an area that has historically been a contested and lawless land. The Barony of Plenderleith likely consisted of approximately half of the parish of Oxnam.

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History 1

The Roman Road known as Dere Street runs through the parish on the way from York to the Antonine Wall.

The barony lands appear to have lain between Oxnam to the west and Hownam to the east.

There was once a chapel at Plenderleith which belonged to Jedburgh Abbey before the Reformation.

The Barony of Plenderleith was erected by King Robert the Bruce sometime before 1329 for William Wishart, son of his ally Sir John Wishart. The erection of the barony at this time by King Robert during his reforms of the baronage makes Plenderleith one of the oldest baronies in Scotland surviving today.

1923 OS map Roxburghshire Sheet n XXVI. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland (CC-BY NLS)

History 2

William Wishart was succeeded in the barony by his daughter Alicia

who married Sir George de Abernethy, 4th Baron of Saltoun.

Sir George succeeded to Plenderleith through jure uxoris (i.e. - the medieval doctrine ‘by right of his wife’). Abernethy was an ally of King David II. He joined the king and his army in their invasion of England and eventual defeat at the Battle of Neville’s Cross, where both men were taken prisoner. It is believed that the claimant to the Scottish throne, Edward Balliol, granted Plenderleith to Walter de Selby, who in turn passed the lands to his son, though it seems that neither man was properly invested in the barony, only holding power over it. Sometime following the restoration of King David in 1357 Abernethy regained possession.

History 3

The Barony of Plenderleith was passed through the Abernethy line

until the early seventeenth century,

when John Abernethy, 8th Lord Saltoun, was forced to sell many of his estates. The barony passed through several hands before it was sold to Robert Ker, 1st Earl of Roxburghe, a politician who served as Lord Privy Seal for Scotland. He was succeeded by his grandson William Drummond, who took the surname Ker upon becoming 2nd Earl Roxburghe. John Ker, the 5th Earl, was made Secretary of State for Scotland and was a key architect in the Union with England. For his services he was made Duke of Roxburghe in 1707, the last creation in the Scottish peerage.

Unknown, John Ker, 5th Earl and 1st Duke of Roxburghe, about 1680 - 1741. Statesman｜National Galleries of Scotland (CC-BY NC)

History 4

John, 3rd Duke of Roxburghe, was a famous bibliophile who gathered a unique collection of antique books

and was high in the favour of King George III.

King George made him Groom of the Stool and a Privy Counsellor. He was briefly succeeded by his cousin William, 4th Duke of Roxburghe, who, upon dying childless in 1805, left the titles dormant. They were claimed in 1812 by Sir James Innes, Baronet who was a descendant of the 1st Earl of Roxburghe and adopted the surname Innes-Ker upon becoming 5th Duke of Roxburghe.

Pompeo Batoni, John Ker, 3rd Duke of Roxburghe, 1740 - 1804. Bibliophile｜National Galleries of Scotland (CC-BY NC)

History 5

His descendants, the Dukes of Roxburghe,

have continued to hold high position within British society,

including in the Army, Parliament and in the service of the Crown. They held the Barony of Plenderleith into the 21st century when it passed by assignation to the current Baron.

Harmon Family Sword depicted on the Baron’s Arms

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