Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 2 Vol 1.djvu/69

ABERGAVENNY COMPLETE PEERAGE 19 

In 1351 Sir James Douglas had the grant of the Barony of Aberdour [S.], co. Fife, from his uncle William, sometime Earl of Atholl [S.], to whose barony of Dalkeith he suc. before 1369. His great grandson James, often regarded as Lord Dalkeith [S.], on 14 Mar. 1457/8 was cr. [S.]. William, the 6th Earl had, 16 Mar. 1638, a very comprehensive Charter of the lands, Earldom, and Barony of Morton, with all his other lands, and " was at the same time erected into a burgh of Barony and the title was altered to EARL OF MORTON AND LORD ABERDOUR." Since that time the title of Lord Aberdour [S.] has been used as the courtesy title belonging to the eldest son of the Earl of Morton [S.]. See Morton, Earldom of [S.], cr. 1457/8.   i.e. ", and " Barony [S.] (Stuart), cr. 1581, with the Dukedom of [S.], which see; extinct 1672.  

or (as it was at one time styled) On account of the notoriety of this dignity, and to assist in forming a judgment as to how far the possession of the castle and demesne of Abergavenny could be supposed to constitute a Barony by tenure, a brief account is here given of its possessors previous to 1392, the date when the (then) possessor was first summoned as "." Before the period when a writ of summons converted a Barony into a personal instead of a territorial dignity, the owner of this castle, &c. doubtless by its tenure possessed a Feudal Barony, which was, however, but one among very many others.