OS1/26/21/61C

Continued entries/extra info

[To be ] attached to name Sheets. JB.

Pennant, who travelled in this quarter in
1772, is the only writer who mentioned a different
memorial stone as being that which conjecturally
might be referred to this event: but we shall soon
see that he refers to the Cross so frequently alluded
to in this volume, as indicating the place where
Marjory Bruce was thrown off her horse on Renfrew
Muir. His words are: "Continue my journey
towards Renfrew. On the road see a mount or
tumulus with a foss around the base and a
single stone erected on the top. Near this
place was defeated and slain Sumerled, Thane
of Argyle, who in 1159 (1164) with a great army
of Bandith, collected from Ireland and other
parts, landed in the bay of St. Lawrence, and led
them in rebellion against Malcolm IV. That
this mount was raised in memory of so signal
an event is not improbable, especially as we
are told by a most respectable writer that his
troops retired unmolested: therefore might have
leisure to fling up this usual tribute to the
honour of their leader" P.172. Vol 2 Lond. 1790
Pennant, in riding from Paisley to Renfrew,
has never quitted his saddle, otherwise he would
have observed that the upright stone was totally
unconnected with the tumulus and its circumjacent
foss. The tumulus and foss to which
he obviously refers, lay to the west of the road
about 80 yards: and 160 yards further west
stood the Cross, which unvarying tradition
says, was Commemorative of the "woeful hunting"
of dame Marjory Bruce, mother of Robert II.