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Hugh Montgomery of Eglinton killed
James Boyd, 2nd Lord Boyd, in 1484, aged
16, with the main estate and castle of
the Boyds', 10 miles east. Robert Boyd,
4th Lord Boyd, killed Patrick Montgomery
in 1523, and Sir Neil Montgomery in
1547.
Hugh, third Lord Montgomery, supported
Prince James against his father James
III. He fought at the Battle of
Sauchieburn in 1488 that saw the death of
James III, and his son become king.
Alexander Cunningham, 1st Earl of
Glencairn, died in the battle alongside
the defeated James III.
The following year, Lord Montgomery
was made Baillie of Bute and Cunningham,
this being the start of the
Montgomery/Cunningham feuds, as the
Cunningham's took exception to loosing
the Baillie of Cunningham.
Lord Montgomery then began
building Skelmorlie Castle,
completed in about 1502, north of
Largs in Ayrshire,
on lands taken from the
Cunninghams', setting of fueds that
lasted to the 1660s.
Skelmorlie Castle Large
Image
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In 1508, Hugh Montgomery was created
Earl of Eglinton.
The Earl of Eglinton survived the
battle of Flodden in September 1513
against the forces of Henry VIII of
England, that saw many other Scottish
Nobles, and King James IV himself
killed.
1561, The Montgomerys' reached a
settlement with the 5th Lord Boyd, ending
the feud that had lasted 77 years.
Hugh, the 3rd Earl, a devout Catholic,
supported Mary Queen of Scots against the
protestant reformation. He fought for the
Queen at the Battle of Langside in 1568,
where he was taken prisoner. Hugh was
released in 1571.
1586, the 4th Earl was killed by the
Cunninghams' of Glencairn. The earl was
riding to Stirling when he was attacked
by Cunninghams' and their men. The 4th
Earl was shot dead in the attack, said to
be by John Cunningham of Colbeith. The
original Eglinton Castle was set on fire
by the Cunninghams' around that time as
well.
The Montgomerys' responded to the
murder and burning of the castle by
killing every Cunningham they could find.
John Cunningham of Colbeith was said to
have been tracked down and cut to
pieces.
1660s, William Cunningham, 9th Earl of
Glencairn, married Margaret Montgomery,
daughter of Alexander, 6th Earl of
Eglinton, ending the
Cunningham-Montgomery feud.
The 6th Earl of Eglinton was captured
by the Parliamentarians at Dumbarton
during the Civil War in the early 1650s.
He was imprisoned in Berwick until the
restoration of the Stuart’s to the
throne in 1660.
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