William Fenton (abt. 1370 - abt. 1420)

Born about 1370 in Airlie, Angus, Scotland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about 1420 at about age 50 in Airlie, Angus, Scotland

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Biography

William was born about 1370 eldest son to William Fenton of that Ilk whose main abode was his castle of Baikie in the parish of Airlie, Angus.

A charter of Cambuskenneth Abbey dated 13 February 1390/91 discloses that a bitter dispute arose between “William Fenton the son” (of William of Baikie) and the Abbot regarding the third part of the lands of Kintillo in the parish of Dunbarney, near Bridge of Earn.^[1] The dispute was put to arbitration and it was found that William Fenton should restore to the Abbot’s men of Kintillo ten oxen and five cows, which had been taken unfairly from them. Robert of Dunbarney, William’s man there, was found to have broken his contract with the Abbot and to have slandered him. For this offence, Robert was ordered to attend at the Abbey of Cambuskenneth on Lady Day, hoodless, hoseless, hatless, shoeless, beltless and knifeless during the celebration of High Mass, with a candle of two pounds weight as an offering to Our Lady and there on his knees to ask forgiveness of the Abbot and the Convent. Significantly, the third part of the lands of Kintillo were to remain in Fenton possession up to 1530. The principal arbiter chosen by William Fenton was a neighbouring laird, Walter Murray of Drumsagard who held Ardormie in Alyth and Cullow and Artithol in Cortachy. This is of considerable bearing as there was clearly a close association between them, although Walter Murray was by then about sixty years of age. When Walter purchased Glasswell and Torbirns beside Kirriemuir, William Fenton was one of the witnesses of his charter signed in Dundee on 29 August 1392. About then or a little later, Walter was to be a witness to an informative charter made in favour of William Fenton.

The Register of the Great Seal records a document which had been dated at Auchterhouse as 21 August 1488.^[2] Although erroneous by date, this yields more valuable information on the family. The witnesses, David Lindsay of Glenesk and Walter de Moravia (c1330 -1410c) show that the date is in error and would more feasibly be 1388. It is for the installation of William Fenton and Matilda Ramsay in the lands of Balkeerie in the parish of Eassie which Matilda was resigning into the hands of the feudal superior in order to receive them back in conjunct fee with her husband William Fenton. The document mentions several other intriguing details. Firstly that Matilda was “sister” to the feudal superior, Alexander Ogilvy Sheriff of Forfar and lord of Auchterhouse and secondly that she resigned Balkeerie in her widowhood with the consent of friends. This reveals much when interpreted. Either Alexander Ogilvy had married Matilda's sister or a deceased brother of Alexander had married Matilda. The latter may be the case and as there is no mention of her children it appears that there was no issue of that marriage. However the terms of the contract were such that this was a heritable grant to be held of the heir or heirs procreated between William Fenton and Matilda. That clause recognises that Matilda was still of chidbearing years. This post nuptial charter was granted by Alexander Ogilvy when Sheriff of Forfar so should be placed after 1392 but in or before 1398 when the witness David Lindsay became Earl of Crawford. Furthermore, the document had been witnessed by William Fenton of that Ilk which suggests that he may have been the father of the grantee. Summarising, it appears that during or shortly before the early 1390's, the widowed Matilda Ramsay married William Fenton, the heir apparent of Baikie, and their contract ensured that their heirs would be entitled to specific property. Indeed this title to Balkeerie continued in the Fention family and was still held by the Fentons of Ogil into the 1500’s.

William Fenton and Matilda Ramsay had issue:

• Walter his heir
• Thomas progenitor of Fenton of Ogil
• Andrew of Simprim (this is not proven but deduced as discussed later).

The descendants of the three Byset heiresses continued to hold their shares of land in Strathmore, At Kinrossie near Perth on 25 April 1403, William Fenton of Baikie and Margaret del Ard of Erckless and Thomas Chisholm, her son and heir, agreed to divide between them a selection of the lands to which they were heirs portioners. The extent and spread of their lands is shown in the detail of the indenture. ^[3] As a result of the exchange, William Fenton gained possession of the whole barony of Rethy (Reedie, Auchendorie and Kinalty) in Angus, all the lands of Collace and Buttergask in Perthshire and all the lands of Quodquen in Clyde -Valley. In return, Margaret and Thomas gained full rights over the barony of Gask in Angus, the manor of Kinrossie and also Strathy and Pronny in Perthshire. In Aberdeenshire, William Fenton surrendered his interests in lands in Mar and in Cruden in this exchange giving him control over all of the adjacent lands of Drumblade and Lessendrum near Huntly. The parties agreed that the lands of Aird should remain divided as of old. This indenture without doubt would simplify the overall management of their estates by concentrating their holdings into larger and less diverse units. The old Byset family seat of Aird however must have carried special significance for both parties to wish to hold to the divisions made to the heiresses in the thirteenth century. In this exchange of lands in 1403, the heir of Margaret del Ard is included in the agreement yet William Fenton alone authorises the exchange on his side. In time, William Fenton had an heir so it may be assumed that his heir was not born or not then of age. This implies that William Fenton here is the same that was termed “the son” in 1390. The business transaction may have been carried out following him inheriting his father's estate about 1400.

It is assumed that it was this William Fenton, who was styled lord of that Ilk when witnessing a charter by James Douglas dated 25 October 1408 and confirmed by his brother, the earl of Angus, a week later in Edinburgh. ^[4]

In an instrument regarding the ownership of the Muir of Farnell drawn up on 20 July 1410, William was a witness with Alexander Ogilvy of Auchterhouse, sheriff of Forfar and in the ratification of this at Forfar on Saturday 10 January 1410/1, the witnesses included William Fenton lord of Baikie and William his brother. ^[5]

In 1414 this lord of Baikie is described as William Fenton senior when he received an annuity of Lady Egidia Stewart from the Customs of Montrose.^[6]. In the same year by mandate of the Chamberlain, a Thomas Fenton received payment from the customs of Montrose. No designation or relationship is given but given the coincidence of the source of payment and other facts it seems probable that they were close kinsmen. Perhaps Thomas was a younger brother of William Fenton senior and he may have been the founder of the family of Fentons of Ogil, more of whom later. Here the designation “William Fenton senior” may have been used to differentiate him from his brother of that name, rather than a son. (c.f. the daughters of Walter Fenton)

William arranged the marriage of his young sister Janet who married in 1416, as his first wife, to Hugh Fraser, Lord of Lovat. Their contract of marriage was drawn up in an Indenture written in the vernacular on 3 March 1415/16 at Baikie whereby William Fenton of that Ilk provided his sister with a generous tocher to be paid out of his lands of Strathglas while Hugh Fraser was to give her dowry out of his lands in Nairn. The agreement was sworn by William and Hugh taking an oath on the holy evangels. ^[7]

William Fenton of Baikie died within a few years of this, being described as late or umquhile on 9 August 1422. He was succeeded by his son Walter.

Sources

1. ↑ Registrum monasterii S. Marie de Cambuskenneth, A.D. 1147-1535 Chrtr.181 see [1]
2. ↑ Registrum magni sigilli regum Scotorum Vol.ii 1561 see [2]
3. ↑ Registrum magni sigilli regum Scotorum Vol. i, 942 see [3]
4. ↑ Douglas Book Vol.iii Abridgements No.361 see[4]
5. ↑ Registrum Episcopatus Brechinensis,Vol.i Chrtr.20 see [https://archive.org/details/registrumepiscop02bann/page/26/mode/2up and Chrtr.23]
6. ↑ Exchequer Rolls, Vol.iv, p.196
7. ↑ Registrum magni sigilli regum Scotorum Vol.ii 179 see [5]