Lamonts & Campbells - The Early Years

The Lamonts & Campbells - The Early Years
It is difficult to prepare an article that accurately describes the difficulties between the Lamonts and the Campbells, without looking at a lot of very ancient history (which is typically vague) and examining the geography of Cowal.

I hope this effort will provide some background information for those seeking to understand.

Dunoon
Dunoon is known as a seaside resort, particularly to citizens of Glasgow who will yet today take a ride 'doon th' water' to visit. Dunoon's history is quite old and we must examine portions of it, in order to place it in its proper place within this article.

For those approaching Dunoon via ferry, the Old Parish Church (later known as The High Kirk and now known as Dunoon Old & St. Cuthbert's) can be seen standing on high ground, overlooking the Castle Gardens and the Dunoon Pier. The Church has written records showing it to be a place of worship as far back as 1270, although it is believed the Church may have existed as much as two or three centuries prior to that date. This hypothesis could easily be supported by the archaeological discoveries in Ardnadam Glen, located just outside Dunoon. There are findings there to indicate settlements dating back to 4000 B.C., including a Christian settlement dating back to a period around 500/600 A.D.

The ruins of Dunoon Castle stand atop Castle Hill. This castle would have had great strategic value, for its placement would have allowed seeing as far as Ailsa Craig, the Renfrewshire coastline, the area near Dumbarton Castle, the entrance to the River Clyde, Gareloch, the area between it and Loch Long and the entrance to Holy Loch.

It was at the Castle Gardens and at the Church where the terrible events of 1646 took place, finally resulting in the execution of the Marquis of Argyll in 1661.

For all intents and purposes, it would appear the bad blood between the Lamonts and the Campbells began in the period prior to the Battle of Bannockburn when Robert the Bruce was attempting to establish himself as the King of Scots.

Who were the Lamonts?
History tells us the Lamonts are one of the oldest (if not the oldest) calns in Scotland. There are many ideas as to where the name Lamont originated. The generally accepted theory is the name was derived from 'Lauman', who was the son of Ferchar.

Unfortunately, there are many variations of Lauman. Black's Surnames of Scotland suggests it was 'Lawman' and draws the obvious line to the name being derived from the clan chief having been an overseer of the law. Hector McKechnie's The Lamont Clan says 'Lauman' was correct and the name was Norse. He goes on to say that Sir Lauman's mother was a daughter of Somerled, who was known as ri Innse Gall,or King of the Hebrides.

There is some possibility of this, as Somerled in the Scots Gaelic is Somhairle, which is anglicized as Sorley, another name connected to Cowal.

Brown's Memorials of Argyllshire mentions an MS of 1450, where the genealogy of the Lamonts is traced to the same source as that of Somerled, Thane of Argyll.

Moncrieffe suggests the name was 'Ladman', a chief whose history can be traced to 1239 Cowal.

There is also possible evidence that traces Ferchar's genealogy back through generations of Irish names, to Niall Glumdubh (Black Knees), who died in 919. Mckechnie mentions this particular line, which may have given Moncrieffe reason to say that Ladman was descended from from the Irish Prince Anrothan, son of Aodh O'Neill, who was king of the North of Ireland from 1030-1033, who crossed the Irish Sea to Argyll and married a daughter of the local King.

At any rate, Sir Norman Lamont points out, in The Lamont Papers 'Cowal has been the home of the clan for the indisputable period of 700 years and probably for 700 more, as the origin of the clan which seem to me to have the greatest inherent likelihood is that its founders came over from Ireland in the so-called Dalriada invasion of 503 A.D.'

There is written evidence that at some point around 1238, Duncan, son of Ferchar and Lauman, son of Malcolm, son of Ferchar, granted to the monks of Paisley the Church of Kilfinan with its patronage; along with 'those three halfpenny lands which they and their ancestors had at Kilmun' and some land with a Chapel at Kilmory in Loch Gilp.

Lamont goes on to say - 'These grants are of great importance as providing the wide extent of the possessions of the clan at that period; and this is confirmed by a description of those possessions on record before the death of Alexander III in 1285, when the Clan Lamont owned all Cowal and a part of Argyll proper from a point on Loch Awe to Braeleckan on Loch Fyine.'

it is commonly felt that Lamont's comment suggesting 'Clan Lamont owned all Cowal' might be based on Brown's Memorials, which says 'the family of Lamonts possessed all Cowal and part of Argyll proper'.

It must be pointed out this hypothesis is repeated in Brown's History of Cowal, yet there are no source citations for this statement.

Dr. C.M. MacDonald's History of Argyll refers to the 1153 Charter granted by Duncan to the monks of Paisley and further comments this hypothesis points to a period of Cowal's history when the Lamonts held a much greater territorial sway than they did in later years - 'When they were as powerful in Cowal as the MacDougalls in Lorn and more important as an Argyll clan than the Campbells of Lochawe, who had barely emerged at that time into historical importance.'

The decline of the Lamont estates and the rise of the Campbells can be linked with Dunoon Castle and its own rise in importance to Scottish history from the 14th century through the 17th century.

It is suggested the Lamonts built Dunoon Castle as it was known to have existed in the 14th century. McKechnie says that even the traditions of the Campbells states 'the Lamonts built Dunoon Castle which they held until the wars of the Bruce.'

The Split Between the Clans
And here is where we begin to see the split between the Lamonts and the Campbells.

In the closing years of the 13th century, Scotland was divided into two parties, one supporting the Bruce and one supporting john Baliol. The Lamonts sided with Baliol, and as history clearly shows, their descendants paid the toll for that decision. Lamont of Cowal was one of the chiefs who rose with MacDougall of Lorne against the Bruce and defeated him in at Dalrigh in Glendochart in 1306. They were said to be the only ones in opposition to him in 1308. After bannockburn in 1314, Bruce took the lands of those who had risen with MacDougall. Campbell of Lochow (who was ancestor of the Dukes of Argyll) was given authority to take part of the Lamont land holdings.

It is another unfortunate circumstance that this was not the last time the Lamonts would pay a heavy price for backing the wrong side.

Another blow was suffered by the Lamonts when Colin Campbell of Lochow was instrumental in the recapture of Dunoon Castle. In 1334 the Castle was surrendered to Edward Baliol after the defeat at Halidon Hill. The Earl of Atholl was left to look after the Castle, but he made the error of leaving the Castle temporarily. Robert Stewart (grandson of the Bruce) who had sought refuge in Dumbarton Castle, planned an attack on Dunoon Castle, which had been entrusted previously to the Campbells. Sir Colin Campbell led the successful attack, which was soon followed by the recapture of Rothesay Castle. Sir Colin Campbell and his family were suddenly a powerful force in Scotland.

Now there appears a period where the enmity between the Lamonts and the Campbells faded away. In 1358, King David granted a Charter to Gilbert of Glassary, which confirmed in him all the forfeited estates of John MacEwan. Later that same year, Colin Campbell and Duncan Lamont (son of John) solemnly promised to support Gilbert against all persons and signed a bond in Dunoon to that effect.

There is a tradition that states the Campbells seized further Lamont lands when the 'Great Lamont of the whole of Cowal' gave to the Black Knight of Lochawe a flagstone grave in Kilmun in which to bury his son. Since the Campbells were already in control of this land, the tradition is highly suspect.

There are many reports of events taking place over the next century to suggest the Lamont/Campbell feud was still very much alive.

It is known there was considerable enmity caused when John Lamont, who was the Lamont Chief and had no sons saw one of his daughters married to the Chief of Clan Maclachlan and another married to Dugald Campbell of Auchinbreck. In order to keep his lands out of the hands of his new sons-in-law, John Lamont had all his lands entailed by the Crown upon his brother Duncan, who had seven sons, and all his heirs male. This Charter was granted by King James III whilst still in minority, which led to the entail's validity being questioned. This dispute came to court in 1546 and the enmity resulted in the killing of the Lamont Chief's brother, the elder Archibald, in a quarrel with Lachlan Maclachlan, who was assisted by Archibald Campbell and his son Dougal. Subsequent arbitration resulted in the entail being held as valid, yet whilst John Lamont was entitled to the lands, he was ordered to pay Maclachaln and Campbell 1,000 marks each. Lachlan Maclachlan was ordered to leave the realm within one month and be banished during the will of the Earl of Argyll. Maclachlan and Campbell were ordered to come to the Parish Kirk of Dunoon on 11 May 1548 in the presence of the Earl of Argyll 'and there in their most humble manner ask the said John Lamont's forgiveness and deliver to him their swords by the hilts'.

Lamont had won his case, yet had to pay damages to the losing parties, who were to get away with an apology and the temporary exile of the murderer!!

The last clause of the decision is an interesting one, particularly in light of the events to take place at Toward and Dunoon, a century later:

'They ordain John Lamont to discharge all rancour and unkindness with all manner of herschipps (ravages) and slaughter made upon him by the said Archibald and Lauhlane in time bygone and to stand at perfit unite and concord and ilk ane of thame to take and trew plane and afauld (honest) part with others in all their lesum (lawful) actions but fraud and gile'.

Stand at perfit unite, indeed!