Seagate Castle is a castle and fortified town house in North Ayrshire, in the town of Irvine, close to the River Irvine, Scotland. The castle was formerly a stronghold, a town house, and later a dower house of the Montgomery Clan. The castle overlooks the oldest street in Irvine, which was once the main route between the town and the old harbour at Seagatefoot, which by 1606, was useless and abandoned due to silting. The remains of the castle are protected as a scheduled ancient monument.[1]
The meaning of Yrewin, c.1140; Irvin, c.1230; Orewin, c.1295 and Irewin, c.1429-30 may be 'west flowing river.'[2] 'Green river' as in the Welsh river named Irfon is also suggested. It has had many other variants, such as Irwyn, c.1322, Irrvin, c.1528, and Irwin, c.1537.[3] Paterson suggests 'clear river'.[4]
The first record of Irvine is in 1163, and the harbour at that time was near the sea-gait or Seagate, the castle being first built to protect it. Progressive silting was recorded by several early authors, who recorded that wind blowing the sand hindered the movement of ships, sometimes stranding them for several months.[5] Irvine was created a Royal Burgh by King Robert II in 1372[6] and this castle is the last of the town's old civil and ecclesiastical buildings to survive, the Carmelite friary,[7] tollbooth, chapel, bridge, and port having vanished without trace.
The castle
Seagate Castle in the 1850s
Benedict of Peterborough in 1184 records a castle of 'Hirun', which has been taken as referring to Irvine.[8] The original, probably-wooden castle tower or motte, was therefore built some time before 1184, being rebuilt in stone in the 1360s and then remodelled and expanded by Hugh the 3rd Earl of Eglinton, around 1565.
Armorial panelling at the first floor hall level
In the twelfth century the castle of Irvine lay within the lordship of Cunninghame, which had been granted by David I to Hugh de Morville, Lord High Constable of Scotland. In 1196 the lordship passed from the de Morville family, through failure of male heirs, and then descended through various families, among whom were the Balliols. Robert the Bruce granted the lordship to Robert the Steward.[9]
In 1366 the castle passed into the possession of Sir Hugh de Eglintoun, along with the office of chamberlain of Irvine and bailie of the Barony of Cuninghame,[10] granted to him by Robert the Steward, High Steward of Scotland, later Robert II in this year. Sir Hugh, had married the Steward's half-sister, Egidia, by which marriage he had an only child, Elizabeth. Elizabeth de Eglintoun, as sole heiress, married John Montgomerie of Eaglesham, to whom the estates and possessions passed, including the barony of Ardrossan.[9]
Masons marks, door jambs, face carving, etc. at Seagate Castle
Seagate Castle, probably the third castle in Irvine's historical timeline, is not a typical town lodging, having some of the characteristics of a castle or fortalice, built as a showpiece between 1562–85,[11] in style more a palace, place, or mansion house.
Montgomerie Coat of Arms of the late seventeenth century
The castle is thought by some to incorporate the remnants of the strong twelfth-century castle of 'Irewin', described as being a stronghold of some strength in 1184, however, this has not been verified.[10] The triangular tower in the north-west corner has been suggested as having been part of this earlier castle.[10]
The earliest representation of Seagate Castle was drawn by John Ainslie and is to be found in the Eglinton Estate Book.[12]
In 1945 Seagate Castle was given to the Burgh of Irvine by Mrs. Walker of Castlepark.[13]
Irvine Development Corporation (IDC) funded a trial excavation in October 1992 to locate the medieval castle. It revealed mediaeval deposits to a depth of 2.8m. and a short length of wall, however, no clear dating evidence was unearthed.[14]
The three panelled armorial panel may have carried the full conjoined arms at the top and the standard coat of arms of Montgomerie and Drummond at the bottom.
Constables
Seagate castle was held by a Constable on behalf of the lord; Irvine muniments records show that Philip de Horssey was constable as son-in-law to Richard de Morville; between 1391 and 1425 the post was held by Thomas de Vauce; in 1428 John de Brakanrig inherited the post through his wife; in 1438 Thomas Spark held the post and sold lands and the post of constable to William Cunningham of Craigends. An annual payment of two merks had been made throughout this time and this ceased with the post's demise in 1596.[15]
Architecture
The entrance doorway is of the Scottish Renaissance Gothic style, and the building, less defensive and more an elegant mansion, has elegant moulded windows and other ornate embellishments.[16] The castle is entered through a vaulted pend running through the north section of the main block, which has a fine ornamental arched doorway, opening into the courtyard and having similarities with the southern entrance passageway at Linlithgow Palace.[17] A lengthy main block faces the street, to the east of this three towers projected, two were round and one was triangular; probably because of the lie of the land. It has been suggested that this tower is of a much older construction, but other authorities dispute this. A small guardroom and a prison pit may have existed in this area.[17]
Detail of the entrance doorwayDetail of the old watchtower overlooking the old harbour
The south half of the long main block and one round tower now are reduced to the basement and foundations, but the remainder is fairly entire as far as the wallhead. The courtyard with a curtain wall and subsidiary building existed to the east. The ground floor is fairly complete with vaulted accommodation, with two guard rooms, each having a single door; a typical defensive precaution of the time.[17] The kitchen and fireplace survive, as do the two principal rooms to the south, the southernmost of which was the only room to connect with the upper floor; a private stair leading up from it to what was probably the great hall.[17][18] The kitchen has an arch, a large window, and aumbries, together with a serving hatch in the adjoining passageway.[17] The upper floors, with their fireplaces and fine moulded windows, were reached via the round tower entered from the courtyard.[17]
The ornate entrance off Seagate has attracted some debate as to its origin, being visually more ecclesiastical than baronial in appearance, variously described as 'Saxon', 'Norman', or 'Scottish Gothic' in style. McGibbon and Ross were of the opinion that the doorway is quite typical of sixteenth and seventeenth century Scottish Renaissance Gothic work as found in several collegiate and parish churches and not necessarily Norman in origin.[19]Kilwinning Abbey was being sacked and progressively demolished at this time and stonework may have been removed to build this doorway and also used for the building of the rest of the structure. The Romanesque mouldings at Seagate have been compared with similar work, circa 1573, found at Blairquhan (old) Castle, possibly Maybole, and several other West of Scotland castles.[20]
A cesspool was conveniently, but unhygienically located just outside the back door of the kitchen in the courtyard, with a channel running to it from the fireplace. Other pipes linked to this channel from garderobes upstairs.[18] A good number of different mason's marks are located on the stonework in the entrance pend and elsewhere. The building may have been harled, a form of roughcast.
Smugglers and destruction
Interior of the 'ancient tower'
After being unroofed in around 1746, Seagate ceased to be inhabited by family retainers, however, the Castle became the haunt of smugglers, thieves and beggars. After nightfall the locals shunned it, and if any property was stolen in the town it was the first place to be searched. In the 1800s people still living could remember seeing the smugglers' " wee still " sitting in the large kitchen fireplace producing illicit spirits.[9]
Locals extensively quarried the building for their own purposes, however in 1810, Earl Hugh (the 12th Earl) made extensive repairs to the building, blocking up the windows, doors, etc. In 1839 a great storm caused considerable collapse of stones into the courtyard. When inspected in 1883 the vaults, kitchen, and other apartments, were found full of rubble, soil, and rubbish of all kinds, much of which was the refuse chiefly of adjoining properties. The Earl of Eglinton had this all removed, which took about a month, the debris being buried in the Low Green.[9][21]
In 2010 the building, although still roofless and ruinous, exhibits the high status of its former status as a town house; council minutes record that some restoration works were carried out by Enterprise Ayrshire in the 1990s,[22] the town council having had some repairs carried out in 1971.[23]
The Montgomeries
The coat of arms of the Montgomerie and Drummond families
The Montgomerie family may have built the castle as their town house and as a jointure house for the dowager countesses.[24] The coat of arms of one owner, probably the builder, Hugh Montgomerie, 3rd Earl of Eglinton, are on a roof boss in the entrance pend, together with his 'HM' initials and the arms of his wife, Agnes Drummond, with 'AD' incised; he married her in 1562. Sir Hugh he died in 1585.[16]
Love gives Hugh's wife's name as Margaret Drummond of Innerpeffray;[24] however, a Dame Agnes Drummond (Lady Loudoun) was the daughter of Sir John Drummond of Innerpeffray[25] and widow of Sir Hugh Campbell of Loudoun. Hugh had previously married, Lady Jean Hamilton, a daughter of the Earl of Arran, however, this ended in a divorce in 1562.[26]
Over the centuries Seagate Castle, the Garden, or Easter Chambers in Kilwinning,[27]Kilmaurs House, Auchans Castle, and Redburn House all have been used as dower houses by the family.
Abandonment
Seagate Castle was inhabited until approximately 1746 when its roof was removed by the Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton (1723–1769) and used in the construction of a new church in Ardrossan parish that the earl was building;[24] Pocoke on his journeys through Scotland in 1760, visited Irvine and described the castle as ruinous.[25][28]
Mary Queen of Scots and Marymass
Lady Mary of Eglinton on the Montgomerie family crestThe commemorative plaque on the castle wall
It is recorded on the plaque at the entrance that Mary, Queen of Scots, stayed at the castle in 1563.[29] The 3rd earl was a great supporter and he is said to have entertained the queen and her four Marys; Mary Seton; Mary Beaton; Mary Fleming; and Mary Livingston at the castle.[16][24] This visit to the castle is said to be the origin of the town’s Marymass celebrations, held in August of each year; however, it is more likely that Marymass has its origins in the dedication of the church to the Blessed Virgin Mary whose festival of Assumption is on 15 August. Saint Inan's festival was on 18 August.[30] It has even been suggested that the festival was named after Lady Mary of Eglinton, from the family crest, who decapitated a Viking who had tried to kidnap her. This one of several versions of the story.[31]
In the 1880s at the Marymass Fair, the carters, freemasons, and others on their return from the parade on the racecourse, came back via the Seagate, stopped and arranged themselves in front of the old Castle to sing " Auld Lang Syne."[9][31] The Carter's continue that tradition to this day.
Treaty of Irvine
The memorial to the Scottish Army Campsite at Knadgerhill; a battle that never happened
The castle information plaque records that the 'Treaty of Irvine' between Scotland and England was signed at Seagate Castle on 9 July 1297; this would have been in the earlier castle. In 1297 Edward I had sent a punitive expedition under Sir Henry Percy to Irvine to quash an armed uprising against his dethronement of John Balliol. The Earl of Carrick, Robert Bruce, Bishop Wishart and others led the Scottish army, however, after much argument they decided to submit without a fight. The armies had been encamped in sight of each other, the English at Tarryholme and the Scots at Knadgerhill, with the old Trindlemoss or Scotts Loch between them.[32] Rodolph de Eglinton is said to have hosted the negotiations at Seagate Castle. The Bruce never accepted the surrender conditions and Edward I did not confirm it.[33]
The story became embellished with a purely fanciful involvement of William Wallace in a brave action here.[34] The original treaty survives and is to be found in the Public Record Office, London. Through this treaty certain of the Scottish leaders submitted to the English; the treaty also is known as the 'Capitulation of Irvine'.
Major General Robert Montgomerie
Robert Montgomerie was a son of the sixth Earl and lived in Irvine,[35] probably at the Seagate Castle townhouse. In February 1682 an odd case of witchcraft occurred in the general's household. An Irish serving-maid was accused of stealing some silverware, however, she declared herself to be innocent and in a fit of anger offered to raise the Devil, who would reveal the identity of the real thief. She was not taken seriously, however, she set about this task, entering the cellar and drawing a circle around herself and performing a complex ritual with a Bible, riddle, and a black cock's feathers. The result was that she conjured up the Devil and obtained the details of the theft. The silverware was duly located, however, the General reported her to the authorities who imprisoned her in the Irvine tolbooth.
She admitted having learnt the ritual from a Dr. Colvin in Ireland, a man skilled in the use of medicinal herbs and incantations. Her ultimate fate is not recorded.[36][37] Whilst the ritual was being performed the general and his wife had been struck with an inexplicable sense terror and the dogs of the town had been barking in fear.[38]
Views of Seagate Castle
The castle from the East
A view from the North
Windows looking onto Seagate
The East guardroom
Micro-history
Seagate was found to be in danger of partial collapse in 2010 and in 2011 North Ayrshire Council carried out repair works to consolidate the structure of the castle.
George Gemmell of Craigfoot was a notable royalist prosecutor of the Covenanters; he is said to have lived at Seagate Castle in the seventeenth century.[15]
The Earls of Eglinton also had a house called Castlepark in Eglinton Street.[39]
In 1859 the crowds at the Robert Burns Centenary celebrations had sung 'Auld Lang Syne' outside the castle walls.[31]
Castle details from 1890
The Seagate Castle entrance doorway
Window and armorial panelling over the entrance doorway
Seagate Castle from the north-east
Seagate's first floor plan
Related Research Articles
Earl of Eglinton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created by James IV of Scotland in 1507 for Hugh Montgomerie, 3rd Lord Montgomerie.
Archibald Montgomerie, 11th Earl of Eglinton was a Scottish General and member of parliament (MP) in the British Parliament. He was also the Clan Chief of the Clan Montgomery. Montgomerie fought in the Seven Years' War, where he served with George Washington. He also was the patron of the poet Robert Burns.
Stanecastle was a medieval barony and estate in North Ayrshire, Scotland, first mentioned in 1363 and now part of the Irvine New Town project. Its nearest neighbours are Bourtreehill and Girdle Toll.
Kilwinning Abbey is a ruined abbey located in the centre of the town of Kilwinning, North Ayrshire.
Eglinton Castle was a large Gothic castellated mansion in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland.
The Barony of Giffen and its associated 15th-century castle were in the parish of Beith in the former District of Cunninghame, now North Ayrshire. The site may be spelled Giffen or Giffin and lay within the Lordship of Giffin, which included the Baronies of Giffen, Trearne, Hessilhead, Broadstone, Roughwood and Ramshead; valued at £3,788 9s 10d. The Barony of Giffen comprised a number of properties, including Greenhills, Thirdpart, Drumbuie, Nettlehirst and Balgray, covering about half of the parish of Beith. Giffen was a hundred merk land, separated from the Barony of Beith, a forty-pound land, by the Powgree Burn which rises on Cuff hill. The Lugton Water or the Bungle Burn running through Burnhouse may have been the Giffen barony boundary with that of the adjacent barony and lands of Aiket castle.
Eglinton Country Park is located on the grounds of the old Eglinton Castle estate in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Eglinton Park is situated in the parish of Kilwinning, part of the former district of Cunninghame, and covers an area of 400 ha ([98 acres ] of which are woodland. The central iconic feature of the country park is the ruined Eglinton Castle, once home to the Eglinton family and later the Montgomeries, Earls of Eglinton and chiefs of the Clan Montgomery. Eglinton Country Park is managed and maintained by North Ayrshire Council and its Ranger Service.
The Barony of Peacockbank was in the old feudal Baillerie of Cunninghame, near Stewarton in what is now East Ayrshire, Scotland.
The Castle of Clonbeith is in the old feudal Baillerie of Cunninghame, near Auchentiber, on a sideroad off the B778, in what is now North Ayrshire, Scotland.
Busbie Castle was situated in what is now known as Knockentiber, a village in East Ayrshire, Parish of Kilmaurs, Scotland. Knockentiber is 2 miles (3.2 km) WNW of Kilmarnock and 1/2 mile NE of Crosshouse. The castle overlooked the Carmel Glen and its Burn, which runs into the River Irvine, a mile or so to the south, after passing through the old Busbie Mill.
During the years 1781–1782, at the age of 23, Robert Burns (1759–1796) lived in Irvine, North Ayrshire for a period of around 9 months, whilst learning the craft of flax-dressing from Alexander Peacock, who may have been his mother's half-brother, working at the heckling shop in the Glasgow Vennel. Dr John Cumming of Milgarholm, a provost of Irvine, claimed that he had invited Burns to come to Irvine to learn flax dressing. During this time he made a number of acquaintances, befriended several locals and took regular walks into the Eglinton Woods via the old Irvine to Kilwinning toll road and the Drukken or Drucken (Drunken) Steps. Steps over the Red Burn and back via the site of Saint Brides or Bryde's Well at Stanecastle. Burns had several other connections with the Eglinton Estate and other branches of the Montgomerie family. He probably left in March 1782.
The Drukken, Drucken Steps or Drunken Steps were stepping stones across the Red Burn in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland and are associated with Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns. Drukken is used on the commemorative cairn plaque, but Druken or Drucken may also be used.
Auchans Castle, House, House of Auchans or Old Auchans, is a mock military mansion, Category A listed, T-plan building of a late 16th-century date converted to the L-plan during the early-to-mid-17th century; its ruins stand about 1 km W of Dundonald, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Parish of Dundonald. It was held at various times by the Wallace, Cochrane and Montgomerie families.
Skelmorlie Castle stands on the eastern shore of the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, at the north-western corner of the county of Ayrshire. The structure dates from 1502, and was formerly the seat and stronghold of the Montgomery Clan. The modern village of Skelmorlie lies to the north of the castle.
The Lands of Lainshaw lie in Strathannick and were part of the Lordship of Stewarton, in East Ayrshire, Scotland. Lainshaw House is a category B listed mansion, lying in a prominent position above the Annick Water and its holm in the Parish of Stewarton, Scotland. Part of the much older Lainshaw Castle is contained within the several later building phases of the present day Lainshaw House. The names 'Langshaw' or 'Langschaw' were used in historic times. Law Mount near the High and Laigh Castleton farms has been suggested as the site of the original castle, granted in the 12th century to Godfrey de Ross by Hugo de Morville.
Trindlemoss Loch, Scott's / Scot's Loch or the Loch of Irvine was situated in a low-lying area running from Ravenspark to near Stanecastle and down to Lockwards, now represented only by the playing fields off Bank Street in the Parish of Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The loch was natural, sitting in a hollow created by glaciation. The loch waters were progressively drained and in 1691 this was finally achieved.
The harbours serving Irvine at Seagatefoot and Fullarton in North Ayrshire have had a long and complex history. Irvine's harbour was one of the most important ports in Scotland in the 16th century. Across from the main harbour at Fullarton on the River Irvine there was also terminal for the ICI-Nobel Explosives plant on the River Garnock. Much of the harbour went into decline in the 19th century when Glasgow, Greenock and Port Glasgow achieved higher prominence as sea ports. There was still some commercial sea traffic linked to local needs, though the harbour went into further terminal decline in the 20th century. The weir on the River Irvine forms the formal upper limit of the harbour.
Montgomerieston, sometimes known as Montgomeryston or Ayr Fort, was a small burgh of regality and barony of only 16 acres or 6.5 hectares located within the walls of the old Ayr Citadel, also known as Cromwell's Fort or Oliver's Fort, situated in the town of Ayr, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Montgomerieston was named for the Montgomerie family, Earls of Eglinton.
The lands of Broomlands or Broumlands formed a small country estate about a mile to the east of Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland situated on the east bank of the Annick Water in the Parishes of Dreghorn and Irvine.
The Murder of Hugh Montgomerie, 4th Earl of Eglinton at the Annick Ford in Stewarton, East Ayrshire, Scotland, took place in 1586 as a consequence of a long running feud between the Montgomeries, Earls of Eglinton and the Cunninghames, Earls of Glencairn, families who were competing for power and influence locally and nationally. The significant repercussions of this act were felt throughout the county of Ayrshire and beyond. The spelling 'Montgomerie' is used throughout for both the family and Montgomery for the clan and clan and district names 'Cunninghame' in the same fashion.
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