BRUNSTANE HOUSE
EDINBURGH
Brunstane House was built by Gilbert de Crichton on the site of an earlier tower
house, and named Gilbertoun. The core can still be seen today: an L-shaped
tower house with two pointed towers, front and back, and a wheel stair.
1547
Gilbertoun was ‘cast doun’ after the Battle of Pinkie, as the
Crichtons had backed the wrong side.
1597
John Crichton moved away to set up plantations in Ulster, and sold
the house to Jean Flemying, who had become Lady Maitland of
Thirlestane on her first marriage to John Maitland (1582/3-1595).
1609
Jean’s son John Maitland, 2nd Lord Maitland of Thirlestane,
inherited Gilbertoun, probably still in a ruinous state, on the death of
his mother. A year later he married Isabel Seton, daughter of the
Earl of Dunfermline, Lord Chancellor of Scotland.
1616
Lord Maitland was created 1st Earl of Lauderdale and his first son,
John, was born on 24 May at Lethington (now Lennoxlove).
John Maitland and Jean Flemyng, their son John and his wife Isobel Seton, are
all buried at St. Mary’s, Haddington, in the Lauderdale Aisle. Their splendid
monument, carved by Italian sculptors in London, was commissioned by John
Maitland, 2nd Earl and first and only Duke of Lauderdale, in 1675.
Copyright Angela Wrapson
4 December 2011
1632
John Maitland married Lady Anne Home, daughter of the 1st Earl of
Home (1566-1619) and Mary Dudley.
1638
John and Anne took up residence at Brunstane House, which had
been rebuilt for them by his parents. Their initials are above the
original door into the house, on the left of William Adam’s porch of
1750 and partially obscured by it.
1645
John became 2nd Earl of Lauderdale on the death of his father,
inheriting Thirlestane and Lethington. His only child, Mary, was born
the same year. A fervent Royalist, he fought on the King’s side in
the Civil War, but was imprisoned after the Battle of Worcester in
1651 and only released at the Restoration of King Charles II.
1660
Lauderdale rose quickly in the King’s favour and soon became the
King’s representative in Scotland.
1666
His daughter Mary married John Hay of Yester, the future 2 nd
Marquess of Tweeddale.
1671
Anne, 2nd Countess of Lauderdale, died in Paris.
1672
Lauderdale, who had been courting Elizabeth Murray, Countess of
Dysart, since the death of her first husband in 1669, and practically
living with her at Ham House near Richmond, married her on 14
February within ten weeks of Anne’s death. According to the
marriage contract he granted her rent revenues from Brunstane,
Lethington and Bolton. He also commissioned her cousin Sir
William Bruce – appointed King’s Surveyor-General the year
before, and already extending the Palace of Holyroodhouse for the
use of Charles II – to start work on Brunstane.
Copyright Angela Wrapson
4 December 2011
The Duke and Duchess in 1672 by Sir Peter Lely
At the same time the Lauderdales commissioned Bruce to renovate Lethington
and extend Thirlestane - which involved demolishing the parish church at Lauder
and building a replacement. The work at Brunstane was finished in 1675.
1682
The Duke of Lauderdale died and there was immediately a dispute
over his funeral expenses, which the Duchess refused to pay. The
body lay, embalmed, for six months at Thirlestane until his brother
Charles, now 3rd Earl of Lauderdale, unwillingly took responsibility.
The Duke was buried in the family vault at St. Mary’s, Haddington,
and though 2,000 horsemen attended his funeral, the Duchess and
his daughter Mary did not. Thirlestane he left to his brother Charles,
but the Duchess inherited Brunstane and Lethington. Charles
challenged the Will, but she had herself created Baroness
Brunstane under the Great Seal of England and won the case.
1696
The Duchess died at Ham House, leaving Brunstane to her eldest
son by her first marriage, Lyonell, 3nd Earl of Dysart. He continued
to live at Ham House, but allowed his sister Elizabeth (1659-1739),
and her husband Archibald, Lord Lorne, the use of Brunstane.
1701
Lord Lorne was created 1st Duke of Argyll. By then the Duchess
was living in Campbeltown, where she prompted the construction of
a new harbour and the institution of the first regular shipping service
between Campbeltown and Glasgow.
Copyright Angela Wrapson
4 December 2011
1703
The 1st Duke died ‘in the arms of a black whore’ and their son John,
2nd Duke of Argyll (1680-1743), took up residence at Brunstane
House. He was a strong supporter of the Treaty of Union, and
tradition has it that some signatures were subscribed there.
1735
John bought Brunstane from his cousin, the 3rd Earl of Dysart.
2nd Duke of Argyll
1743
John died, leaving 5 daughters, and his brother Archibald, Earl of
Ilay (1882-1761) – first Governor of the Royal Bank of Scotland –
became 3rd Duke of Argyll and the new owner of Brunstane House.
1747
The 3rd Duke sold Brunstane to Andrew Fletcher, Lord Milton
(1692-1766), to pay for the rebuilding of the family seat at Inverary.
Lord Milton was Keeper of His Majesty’s Signet in Scotland,
Governor of the British Linen Company’s Bank, and a close friend.
Both employed William Adam as architect.
At Brunstane William Adam constructed the octagonal panelled
parlour, with painted landscapes by the Norie brothers over the
doors, trompe l’oeil leaves and garlands on the ceiling and
architraves, and two built-in cupboards. He also commissioned a
monumental plaster overmantel from Thomas Clayton showing the
Saltoun arms with symbols of justice and war.
On the first floor he remodelled the bedchamber and its adjacent
closets, adorning them with more plasterwork, including an
overmantel showing the battle of Portobello, Panama (1739), and
inset bars for tapestries.The major external works he planned were
not carried out.
Copyright Angela Wrapson
4 December 2011
Copyright Angela Wrapson
4 December 2011
1767
Brunstane was sold to the 8th Earl of Abercorn a year after Lord
Milton’s death. In 1660 he had commissioned Sir William Chambers
to build Duddingston House, so Brunstane was leased out.
1874
The 1st Duke of Abercorn sold Brunstane to the Benhar Coal
Company.
1891
Sir James Millar of Manderston bought the estate and leased it to
Mr. William Parks, farmer. The Parks family was famous for its shire
horses, and latterly the prize pigs raised by his twin daughters, but
swine fever put an end to Brunstane Farm in 1978.
1987
Lord Adrian Palmer sold Brunstane House to Sean Hignett, the
sitting tenant, who sold the Lauderdale wing on to George Kerevan
and Angela Wrapson, who live there today.
Copyright Angela Wrapson
4 December 2011