Jean de Atholia, Heiress of Glenesk

1. Jean de Atholia. She was the only daughter of 2. Robert de Atholia and 3. Jean de Strivelyn. She married Alexander Menzies 1368. 3rd son of Sir Robert Menzies of Menzies & Weem and Margaret de Oyth.

Their only daughter was Janet, who married James Stewart, the illegitimate son of the Earl of Buchan.

From page 25 of Comitatus de Atholia. The earldom of Atholl: its boundaries stated. Also, the extent therein of the possessions of the family of de Atholia, and their descendants, the Robertsons. James Alexander Robertson 1860

Duncan Earl of Atholl, to Alexander Menzies of Fothergill, upon the marriage of Jean, daughter to the said Robert, one of the heirs of Glenesk."—Robertson's Index, page 51, ?^o. 46. The above Jean (or Janet, as called in the Latin charters), it will be observed, could have had no brother; as then she would not have been an heir at all of either father or mother, and only a coheiress, if any sister existed. She was also designed "Domina de Strathtummel," from the large possessions she had therein. Her husband, Menzies of Fothergill, and herself, were both alive in 1381, as will be shown hereafter. Their marriage likely took place in 1370, or not long before it. The notice of the charter of Robert, which has just been given, is only its title, and does not mention the lands he had granted his daughter Janet on her marriage; but from the great importance of the property conveyed, it was the interest, of course, of Menzies to have his wife's charter confirmed by the Crown, which, as has been shown, causes it, of course, to appear among those of King David the Second. We find, by a Crown charter dated in 1379, that Janet resigned the southern part of Strathtummel, also the lands of Garth and Bolfracks, in favour of Alexander Earl of Buchan—very probably in consequence of the betrothal of Jean's child Janet to a son of this Earl; there was a marriage at a later period between these parties. This, therefore, proves these were a part of what Janet had got by charter, on her marriage with Menzies of Fothergill, from her father, Robert de Atholia. They became afterwards the property of the Stewarts of Garth— so designed from one of the estates here mentioned—by the marriage of Janet's only child, also named Janet, with Duncan Stewart [SIC: James], the illegitimate son of the Earl of Buchan. The north part of Strathtummel, not resigned in the charter, namely, Bonskeid3 and Fincastle, likewise came to Janet's descendants,—the families so designed being younger sons of the old Stewarts of Garth; and no doubt it was through this daughter of Robert de Atholia that they inherited these lands,—indeed, it is almost impossible to suppose that they did not form the remainder of her Strathtummel property. It has been before mentioned, that Janet and her husband, Menzies of Fothergill, were alive in 1381. This fact is proved from the Account, aud evidence mentioned therein, of the Family of Menzies, in Nesbit's 2d volume, page 244,

... This fact is proved from the Account, aud evidence mentioned therein, of the Family of Menzies, in Nesbit's 2d volume, page 244,

1 At this period, in Latin charters, the name of Menzies was always called' de Meyners.

2 On the estate of Bonskeid there is a wood named Coillevrochan, which was given in consequence of King Robert Bruce having there, it is said, partaken of a very hasty breakfast with Duncan de Atholia, when on his way to Rannoch after the defeat at Methven.

and understood to be drawn up by M'Farlane of that ilk1—one of the best Scotch antiquarians—where he mentions the marriage of Sir Robert de Meyners, and from a note marked (e), both here given from the above quoted page ;—thus, "Of this marriage there were two sons,—John, the heir of the family, and Alexander de Meyners de Fothergill, who, by his wife Janet, got lands in the shire of Aberdeen in the north, (e) Charter penes Mr George Crawford, by which Euphemia domina de Ross filia et hseres Willielmi Comitis de Ross, confirms, as superior, a charter granted by Janet de Meyners, domina de Fothergill, to Alexander de Meyners, her husband, of the lands of Fechelly, in the barony of Kenedicard and shire of Aberdeen, dated 9th March 1381." It has thus been proved by this marriage of Janet, and the mention of the Strathtummel lands as her property, that they Previously must have formed part of the possessions of her father, Robert de Atholia. lie married a second time; and, it has been stated, to the co-heiress of Ferdill, situated in the Stormount, in Perthshire. He undoubtedly acquired one half of the lands of Ferdill, as there is a Crown charter for them,—thus: "Carta Roberti fil. Duncani de Atholia," etc., etc.,—in the Printed Record of the Great Seal, page 28, and number 42, dated in the year 1362.

• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=ancestors...
• http://genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00299451&tree=LEO
  • Historic Memoirs of the Stewarts of Fothergill, Edinburgh, 1879., Stewart, Charles Poyntz. tree front