J. W. Buchan and Rev. H. Paton. Published 1925-7.
Glencotho, lying on the west side of Holms Water, was a part, not of the barony of Glenholm, but of the barony of Oliver Castle. As such it belonged prior to 1306 to the Frasers. The Hays and the Flemings thereafter divided the barony between them, but no record remains of the method of division. Glencotho was feued prior to 1434, in which year David Hay, Lord of Yester, confirmed a grant of the lands by William Vernoure, burgess of Edinburgh, to John of Schaw, Laird of Haly. Prior to 1467 the property was 'recognosced' in the hands of the King, but was of new granted to David Hay of Yester. Three years later, Robert, Lord Fleming, held the superiority, which was acquired, along with other property, from David Hay in exchange for lands in Biggar, his son John receiving a charter from King James III. on 12th July, 1470. But, notwithstanding that charter on 16th June, 1512, John, Lord Hay of Yester, granted a charter of Glencotho to Arcibald Dickson, on the narrative that the barony of Oliver Castle had been recognosced by the King, who had given a new grant to Lord Hay, and that Dickson had held Glencotho before the recognition.
On 30th April, 1523, there is record of a tack or lease by Patrick Dickson to John, Lord Fleming, of his 6 merk 3s. 4d. lands of Glencotho for nineteen years and periods of nineteen years thereafter for ever more, at a yearly rent of £4 3s. 4d.; that deed contains also an assignation to Lord Fleming of a reversion granted to Dickson by Walter Hunter of Polmood over Quarter and part of Glencotho. Two years later, on 24th November, 1525, Walter Hunter grants an instrument acknowledging that Glencotho and Quarter have been redeemed by Malcolm, Lord Fleming, and resigning them in his favour.
Like other lands in Glenholm, Glencotho was divided, and part of it was afterwards dealt with in portions as 'outsets' or pendicles of Rachan, Whitslade, Glenkirk, Cardon, etc. Glenhigton, the property adjoining Glencotho on the north, was treated in a similar fashion. With the records available it is not possible to present a coherent account of these 'outsets,' and it is not necessary. What is clear is that the property which continued to be known by the name of Glencotho was a 40s. land, and described as the half of the original lands called by that name. Of this 40s. land the story can be told.
GEDDES OF GLENCOTHO
On 24th August, 1537, Charles Geddes, portioner of Rachan, had a Crown charter of inter alia the 40s. lands of Glencotho, and his family remained in possession till 1752. He wadset a part of the lands to John Paterson in 'Smallippis' (Smellhope), the reversion price being fixed on 1st July, 1559, at 100 merks, to be paid on the altar of the Virgin Mary in the Church of St. Cuthbert of Glenhom.
To this wadset John Paterson's son, Thomas, succeeded in 1563, after which the debt was apparently paid, as there is no further reference to the wadset. There was another wadset over Glencotho granted prior to 1627 by Charles Geddes (son of above Charles) to his brother James, which was renounced in that year by William Geddes (son of James), with consent of his wife, Margaret Porteous, to James Geddes of Kirkurd.
CARMICHAEL OF GLENCOTHO
Glencotho, along with the other possessions of the Geddes family, was purchased in 1752 by John Carmichael of Skirling, who had a Crown charter of the lands dated 23rd February, 1753. In the same year John Carmichael conveyed the property to his father and mother-in-law, William Grant of Prestongrange and Grizel Millar, his wife, but this was only for the purpose of creating a mid-superiority, and at the same time William Grant granted a feu charter to Carmichael (feu-duty £6 Scots). This mid-superiority need not be further dealt with. The right of property remained with John Carmichael (afterwards fourth Earl of Hyndford) till his death in 1787, and passed under the entail along with Skirling, Castlecraig, etc.. In 1810 an Act of Parliament was passed authorising Sir Thomas Gibson Carmichael to sell parts of the entailed lands, including Glencotho and South Slipperfield, and to apply the prices received in the purchase of the lands of Scotstoun, which adjoined Castlecraig. The lands were sold by public auction, and Glencotho was purchased by Sir Thomas himself at the upset price of £8207.
THE OTHER PROPRIETORS
In 1812 he re-exposed it, but failed to find a purchaser until 1814, when it was sold to John Hay Forbes, advocate (afterwards Lord Medwyn), for £8456 6s. 7d., who also bought Slipperfield, the combined price being £16,900.
In 1821 the property again changed hands, and was sold to Sir John Hay, Baronet, of Smithfield and Haystoun, with whose family it remained till 1855. To Glencotho the greater, part of the lands of the Leesk was added in 1852, and in 1855 Sir Adam Hay, Baronet, sold the property for £10,000 to Robert Paterson of Birthwood (near Coulter). From him George Hope, farmer Fentonbarns, Drem, purchased Glencotho in 1861 for £10,852, and it passed to his son, Alexander Peterkin Hope, Oxwell Mains, Dunbar, who was served as heir in 1877. He sold the property that year to Adam Brown, residing at Bennan, Tynron, and the present proprietor is Mr. Stephen Brown, Boreland, Lockerbie.
The present rental is £440.
This information is reproduced from A History of Peeblesshire by J. W. Buchan and Rev. H. Paton, published in three volumes between 1925-7 by Jackson, Wylie and Co. of Glasgow. The original book includes many refences to the sources of the information, pedigrees and plates.
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