Person Page - 193

Walter MacFarlane 1st of Gartartan or Gartvertane^1,2

Gartartan_Castle - MacFarlane

• Father: Sir Iain/John MacFarlane of that Ilk & Arrochar, 11th Baron, 8th Chief of the Clan MacFarlane^3,2 b. c 1480, d. 9 Sep 1513
• Mother: the Honourable (?) Herries of Terregles⁴ b. c 1480

• Relationships: 6th great-grandfather of Dougald MacFarlane, 2nd cousin 7 times removed of Margaret MacDonell, 11th great-grandfather of Donald James MacFarlane
• Charts: Ancestry of Archibald MacFarlane

The ancestry chart of Archibald MacFarlane (ID # 34) is presented because he unites the ancestry of both his parents. If an individual appears more than once in Archibald's chart this indicates descent from the individual in more than one line. By clicking on the each instance (i.e. Ancestry of Archibald MacFarlane (#5)) each line of descent will be shown.

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• Birth*: Walter MacFarlane 1st of Gartartan or Gartvertane was born circa 1506 in Arrochar, Dunbartonshire, Scotland.^1,5,2
• Marriage*: He married Janet Galbraith, daughter of James Galbraith 13th of that Ilk, 7th of Culcreauch and Agnes Colquhoun, circa 1520 in Culcreuch Castle, Fintry, Stirlingshire, Scotland.^1,5,2,6
• Death*: Walter MacFarlane 1st of Gartartan or Gartvertane died on 10 September 1547 in battle of Pinkie Cleugh, Midlothian, Scotland.^1,5,2
• Biography*: Gartartan, the most powerful and wealthest, Cadet House was founded by the only son of the second marriage of Sir Iain/John MacFarlane of that Ilk & Arrochar, 8th Chief & 11th Baron, to a daughter of Herbert, 1st Lord Herries.
  
  Walter MacFarlane of Ardleish, Tarbet, & Gartartan, 1st Baron, Tutor of Arrochar, who was born circa 1506 in Scotland, and was killed on 10 September 1547 at the battle of Pinkie Cleugh in East Lothian, Scotland.
  
  On 19 October 1529 he, as Tutor of the chief and thus exercising the latter's authority, was summonded to appear before the Privy Council with four other barons to tender advice anent restoring peace in Menteith. This indicates that his eldest brother the Chief (Andrew MacFarlane of that Ilk & Arrochar, 9th Chief & 12th Baron) was not able to act for himself. Was it at this time that Andrew made his journey to Rome? He was given extensive lands around the north end of Loch Lomond and on 17 September 1531 he received a charter to the barony of Gartartan in Perthshire from King James V., of which on 1 February 1536 he made a Precept of Sasine to his young heir, Andrew.
  
  At the battle of Glasgow Muir (1544, Lanarkshire, Scotland) Walter fought under his nephew (and later chief), Duncan MacFarlane of that Ilk & Arrochar, 10th Chief & 13th Baron, for their liege lord and mutual second cousin Matthew, 13th Earl of Lennox, and in July 1546 he commanded the light infantry when Earl Matthew led the expedition around the Firth of Clyde on behalf of his ally, King Henry VIII of England. Walter was forfeited for his part in that raid, but soon found respite and met his end fighting for Scotland on the "Black Saturday of Pinkie." He married his distant cousin Miss Janet Galbraith of Galbraith & Culcreuch who became Lady Gartartan, daughter of James Galbraith of that Ilk & Culcreuch, 13th Chief & 7th Baron. They had issue four children, a daughter and three sons:
  [ from 'The barons of Arrochar and their cadets' a manuscript by Chevalier Terrence Gach MacFarlane; chapt. 1-12d & chapt. 22 -start ]
  
  Progenitor of the MacFarlanes of Gartartan & Ballaggan.
  
  He held lease for Ardeish, a farm on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond & Stuckgown a farm about a mile south of Tarbet. He and some 200 men "well armed in shirts of mail and two-handed swords" fought with Lennox in an army supplied by King Henry VIII of England. They took the islands of Bute and Arran, defeated the Earl of Argyll, and burned down the castles of Rothesay and Dunoon. However when they attempted to take Dumbarton Castle they were defeated. Walter was fortunate to recieve an indulgance of 3000 pounds. This was provided by Andrew, Lord Evandale, Henry, Lord Methven and Sir John Hamilton of Finnart. Walter fell with his nephew, Duncan, the thirteenth Chief, together with many clan bowmen, 10,000 nobles, lairds and common men at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547.
  
  The founder of the Gartartan family was Walter of Ardleish, third son of John, the 11th Chief. His mother was a daughter of Herbert, Lord Herries. Walter had several sons, Andrew Dubh, who succeeded him; one unnamed who received from his father the estate of Dulator, near Port of Monteith; and possibly Malcolm Beg of Letter in Strathgartney (Loch Katrine), to whom (and his son Walter) reference is made in Vol 1 pp 96/97.
  
  The patrimony of Walter of Ardleish in the Arrochar country was the estate of Stuckdown (Stuckgowan?), Tarbet; the Gartartan (anciently part of Vartane) lands near Gartmore in West Perthshire being acquired in 1551 from John Lyle:.. of the reason for the description 'of Ardleish' we have no record.
  
  His adventures in the Lennox and his exploits during the Lennox/Glencairn rebellion during the minority of Mary, Queen of Scots, are described in Chapt. X1V Vol 1. It may be noted that his nephew, Duncan 13th Chief, chose Walter as his regent at Arrochar when he himself was absent 'upon the war path'. Both fell at the fatal Battle of Pinkie in 1547.
  
  [History of Clan Macfarlane Vol. II - manuscript by James Macfarlane; Chapt. 37]
  
  Pitcairn's Criminal Trials, under date 16th August, 1536:- 'Walter MacFarlane found John Napier of Kilmahew and John Buntyn of Ardoch, as cautioners for his entry at the next Justice-aire of Dumbarton, to underlie the law for art and part of convocation of the leiges in great numbers, in warlike manner, etc...'
  
  (History of Clan Macfarlane Vol. II - manuscript by James Macfarlane; Chapt. 42 attributed in error to Walter of Auchenvennal Moulan)
  [E-mail from Terrance Gach MacFarlane rec: 26 Nov 2009 confirms this account concerns Walter of Gartartan]
  
  As to Walter of Ardleish & Tarbet being third son of (Sir) John (who we are agreed was not Sir & did not fall at Flodden) the Historians cause confusion by calling him "first son by daughter of Lord Herries but she was a second wife. The elder two sons, by a daughter of James Lord Hamilton, were Andrew (the Wizard) 12th chief and Robert of "Inversnait".
  
  Your point is a good one regarding the third son getting such a good "bit" but the same, or similar remark would apply to Gartartan. I expect the Herries lady had money or her people drove a hard bargain. There is a record of a Campbell wife getting all the land from Stronafyne to Gordon [Gorton] as tocher or jointure.
  
  Anyhow this Walter was a fine fellow. He was in command of 140 men with Lennox and Glencairn in the taking of Bute and Arran, in time of Mary Queen of Scots and in this connection there is a promontory beside Millport called MacFarlane point or some such name. I have wondered if this has any association with this campaign.
  
  - from correspondance of clan historian James Macfarlane to a Mr Hadderwick dated 8th May 1948.²