Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-05

Thorfinn with whom The subsequently
divided the territory thsy had acquired,
and became King OF the Scots. with a
palace az Scone.
What is the true version OF this muir
der which has been made so famous By
Shakespeare, will never be known. suct
a'labyrinth Of fiction and fable surrounds
all the history OF these ancient times that
1t is now impossible 20 discover how or
when the family OF Calder first settled
In Nairnshire; but neither tradition nor
the most ancient records point 10 their
property having been held by any other
family, and at the end of the thirteenth
century a Thane Of Cawdor IL first mem
TONED in an authentic document.
This is Donald, who was one "of the
good and faithful men Of the county,
who at Marin. on Wednesday, the Feast
OF st. Lawrence, 1895. gave their oaths
10 the valuation of KilrayOck and Ester
Gedeys' the property Of Hugh Rose OF
Kiiravock.
Donald was succeeded by his son Will
liam, who received from Robert Bruce,
King of Scotland, a charter dated Au-
gust sth, 1910. i'm confirmation Of his he
reditary thanedOm. Both these docu-
ments are still kept in the charter-room
at Cawdor among many others of almost
equal interest.
According TO old Laclf,n shaw. the
historian. the Thames. las constables Of
the kings house, resided in the Castle Of
Marin, and had country seat at what
is now called Old Cawdor, half a mile
north from the present seat. a house on
a small moat with a dry ditch and
drawbridge," the ruins of which were
still visible when he wrote in 1920.
William. the sixth Thane, as q youth
was about the Court Of James H., as the
King calls him. in a charter which is pre-
served his own beloved squire (dilectus
familars scutifer noster); in later life
he was appointed Crown Chamberlain
beyond Spey. and seems to have been a
good scholar and man Of business. In
1lH he received letters from the king al
lowing him to build his Castle Of cav
dor. and to fortify it with walls. meats.
and iron portcullis. and to furnish it with
turrets and other defensive ornaments
and apparatus. TO appoint constables,
janitors and jailers to the castle. pro-
vided always that the king shall have
free ingress and egress to and from the
castle"
Thane William, having obtained leave
to build his castle, was much perplexed
as TO the choice of a site. till he was
"
sure he had collected for the purpose Of
a Golfer. to bind it on an ass. and build
his castle wherever the ass should stop
This. says tradition. he did: and the
ass, passing by the two hawthorn trees,
stopped at the third on the edge OF the
burn, and there lay down with his bur
den. and around this tree the Thane built
his castle.
To this day there is in the lowest vault
Of the tower the trunk of a hawthorn
tree firm and sound though much
Clipped by collectors Of relics, growing
out of the rock and reaching to the top
OF the vault, and below it lies the old
treasure chest. silent witnesses 20 the
truth Of the story. The other two trees
have now disappeared-the last one as
lately as the year 1886.
The castle which Thane William built
stands to this day unaltered, though at
subsequent dates various additions have /
been made around it,
An interesting story is told about the !
old iron door Of the donjon. Archibald !
Douglas, Earl Of Moray, had I'm 1854 for /
feited his estates for fortifying his two |
castles. LOchindorb and Darnaway. /
against James III. The King himself re- /
paired Darnaway and used 1t as a hunt /
Ing lodge, throwing large tracts Of coun- /
try out of cultivation that he NIGH. |
better enjoy the sport afforded by the
valley of the FIndhorn: but, considering |
that from its strength and situation
against James III. The King himself re-
Lochindorb was dangerous he resolved
10 have it destroyed, and gave the
Thane of Cawdor commission for carry
ng out the work, agreeing to pay him for
ling so the not very munidcent sum Of
"a