THE property of Allan Graham Barns Graham, Esq., is situated in the parish of Cambuslang and county of Lanark.
In ancient times the manor or barony of Drumsargat formed the whole of the parish of Cambuslang. The Olifards held it of old, and it afterwards belonged to the family of De Moravia or Murray of Bothwell. "Archibald the Grim," the third Earl of Douglas, married the heiress of this family and thus became possessed of both of their baronies. In the reign of King James II., about the middle of the fifteenth century, these estates passed from the Earls of Douglas to James, Lord Hamilton, and a large part of the parish of Cambuslang still remains in possession of the ducal house of Hamilton. The estate of Westburn forms part of the five pound land of old extent of Cambuslang, in the barony of Drumsargat. In the beginning of the seventeenth century it was in the hands of Andrew Hamilton, who is said, by Nisbet, to have been a cadet of Torrance, and the same fact is stated in the Register of the Lyon Office, in the diploma of Armorial Bearings granted to his son Gabriel.
This "Andro Hamiltoun of Westburne deceist in the monthe of Merche 1628;" and his death seems to have taken place at Westburn, for in a legacy dated "at ye Westburne ye first day of Merche," the preamble states that he was at the time "verie seik in bodie." (1) He was succeeded by his son,
Gabriel Hamilton of Westburn, (2) who married Margaret, daughter of Sir Robert Cunningham of Gilbertfield, in Cambuslang parish, and by her had Gabriel, Archibald, and James. He added in 1657 largely to his estate. He was a person of some eminence, and, according to Wodrow, was severely persecuted. His name frequently occurs in Lanarkshire business during the protectorate of Cromwell and the reign of Charles II. He died in 1669, (3) and was succeeded by his elder son Gabriel, who dying without issue the estate passed to his younger son,
Archibald Hamilton of Westburn. This gentleman married Margaret, daughter of Claud Hamilton of Barnes, and by her he had Gabriel his successor, Robert, who died without issue, and Anne. (4) On his death he was succeeded by his son,
Gabriel Hamilton of Westburn. He had a charter of confirmation under the Great Seal dated February 1733. His successor was his son, Captain Gabriel Hamilton of Westburn, who married Agnes, daughter of George Dundas of Duddingston, a cadet of Dundas of Dundas, long settled in Linlithgowshire. (5) On his death the next laird was John Hamilton of Westburn, his son, who had succeeded to the estate of Duddingston in right of his mother, and assumed the name of Dundas. He married Grizel, daughter of John Hamilton of Barnes, by whom he had Gabriel, his heir, and three other sons, who died young, and five daughters. John Hamilton Dundas died in 1820, and was succeeded by his son,
Gabriel Hamilton Dundas of Westburn and Duddingston. He married Isabella Bryson, daughter of James Dennistoun of Colgrain, by whom he had six sons and five daughters. In 1826 he sold Westburn to the trustees of the deceased Adam Graham of Craigallian, and it is now the property of Allan Graham Barns Graham of Cambuslang and Craigallian, whose family have held lands in this parish since 1784. The present representative of the united families of Westburn and Duddingston is the eldest surviving son of this Gabriel Hamilton Dundas, last of Westburn - Gabriel Hamilton Dundas, Major in the Austrian service.
The present house of Westburn was built in 1685. In 1703 the Hamiltons acquired the lands of Gilbertfield and others from the Cunninghams, (6) and at the same time made considerable additions to the house.
(1) Commissary Record, &c.
(2) Andrew Hamilton had a younger son who was father of the Rev. Archibald Hamilton of Cambuslang. This reverend gentleman had a son, Archibald Hamilton, merchant in Glasgow, father of Provost Gilbert Hamilton.
(3) Besides his three sons mentioned here Gabriel Hamilton had several daughters, of whom Elizabeth married James Hamilton of Newton, by whom she had a daughter, Elizabeth, who married John Gray of Dalmarnock. Upon the failure of the male line of the Hamiltons of Newton the representation of the family devolved upon the Grays of Carntyne and Dalmarnock, of whom the Rev. John Hamilton Gray was the late representative. Rebecca married Walter Buchanan of Moss and Auchintoshan, the ancestor of the Cross-Buchanans of Auchintoshan (which see).
(4) Anne Hamilton married, in 1734, the Rev. Mr. Millar of Milheugh, minister of Hamilton. He was the ancestor of Miss Millar of Milheugh, who married the late Andrew Bannatyne, LL.D. (see Milheugh).
(5) He had, besides his heir, seven sons and six daughters, of whom Christian, the sixth, married the Hon. Charles Napier, and had issue; and the seventh, Mary Ann, married Robert Gray of Carntyne, and had issue John Hamilton Gray, who is mentioned in a preceding note.
(6) This knightly family of Cunninghams had been long settled in this parish, and their interesting old residence of Gilbertfield is still in existence.
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