Hi Loretta, My knowledge of history and dates is pathetic but it looks to me as if for some reason these lairds didn't want the earl to know they had weapons and voted with their feet. A Scottish history book for those dates would probably help but no doubt someone on the list has it already in their heads. Cheers, Mary

A good gathering to stay away from!. The only thing more frightening would be a similar gathering in Ireland. Murray NZ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary Paton" <em.paton86@iinet.net.au> To: "Loretta Layman" <lynneage@h-o-l.com> Cc: <AYRSHIRE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 4:27 PM Subject: Re: [AYR] Definition of Walpynshawing > Hi Loretta, > > My knowledge of history and dates is pathetic but it looks to me as > if for some reason these lairds didn't want the earl to know they had > weapons and voted with their feet. > > A Scottish history book for those dates would probably help but no > doubt someone on the list has it already in their heads. > > Cheers, > Mary > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > AYRSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Thanks to everyone for their very helpful replies. You prompted me to do some research on the Montomgerys, Earls of Eglinton, in an attempt to find the reason for the lairds' failure to comply. There seem to be two possibilities. 1. Since there had been a long-standing feud between the Montgomerys and the Cunninghams, perhaps the majority of lairds were on the side of the Cunninghams. 2. Since the Earl at this time (1532) was a staunch Roman Catholic and the Protestant Reformation was taking hold in Ayrshire as well as many other places in Scotland, perhaps the lairds did not wish to declare their military strength because they did not want to either stand with the Catholic Earl or, as Mary was close to guessing, show him their vulnerability. Thanks again folks. Loretta