In 1655 Robert Grierson 1st Baronet was born at Barquhar Farm.
On 21st September 1676 Robert Grierson 1st Baronet [aged 21] and Henrietta Douglas Lady Grierson [aged 19] were married at Drumlanrig Castle [Map] or Sanquhar Castle [Map]. She the sister of William Douglas 1st Duke Queensberry [aged 39]. She the daughter of James Douglas 2nd Earl Queensberry and Margaret Stewart Countess Queensberry.
On 3rd November 1684 [his brother-in-law] William Douglas 1st Duke Queensberry [aged 47] was created 1st Duke Queensberry. Isabel Douglas Countess Queensberry [aged 42] by marriage Countess Queensberry.
In 1685 Robert Grierson 1st Baronet [aged 30] was created 1st Baronet Grierson of Lag in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia. [his wife] Henrietta Douglas Lady Grierson [aged 28] by marriage Lady Grierson of Lag.
On 11th May 1685, despite the reprieves Margaret Wilson [aged 18] and Margaret McLachlan were drowned at Wigtown, Wigtownshire on the orders of Robert Grierson 1st Baronet [aged 30], for refusing to swear an oath declaring James II and VII [aged 51] as head of the church.
Some Remarkable Passages of the Life and Death of Mr Alexander Peden Chapter 24. The broth was hell-hot in these days; they 'wanted long-shanked spoons that supped with the devil:' I could give many instances, but at this time shall only mention the drowning of these two women at Wigtoun in Galloway, the 11th of May 1685, (which some deny to be matter of fact) viz. Margaret Lauchlan, who was past sixty-three years, and some of her intimates said to me. She was a christian of deep exercise through much of her life, and of high attainments and great experiences in the ways of godliness; and Margaret Wilson [aged 18] who was put to death with her, aged twenty-three. The old woman was first tied to the stake, enemies saying, 'Tis needless to speak to that old damn'd bitch, let her go to hell: but,' say they, 'Margaret, ye are young; if ye'll pray for the king, we will give you your life.' She said, 'I'll pray for salvation to all the elect, but the damnation of none.' They dashed her under the water, and pulled her up again. People looking on said, 'O Margaret, will ye say it I' She said, 'Lord, give him repentance, forgiveness and salvation, if it be thy holy will.' Lagg [aged 30] cry'd, 'Damn'd bitch, we do not want such prayers: tender the oaths to her.' She said, ' No, no sinful oaths for me ' They said, 'To hell with them, to hell with them, it is o'er good for them.' Thus suffered they that extraordinary and unheard-of death.
In 1695 [his brother-in-law] William Douglas 1st Duke Queensberry [aged 58] died. His son James [aged 32] succeeded 2nd Duke Queensberry.
On 2nd December 1734 Robert Grierson 1st Baronet was buried in the Grierson family burial plot in the churcyard of Dunscore Old Kirk.
On 15th April 1736 [his former wife] Henrietta Douglas Lady Grierson [aged 79] died at Turnpike House in Dumfries.
Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes
Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.
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Some Remarkable Passages of the Life and Death of Mr Alexander Peden Chapter 24. All this cruelty was acted by Sir Robert Grierson of Lagg, (who stirred up others to assist him,) a great persecutor, a great swearer, a great whorer, blasphemer, drunkard, liar and cheat, and yet out of hell.