I found this book in the Library in Strathaven. Wish I had copied more of it. Oh well, guess I'll have to go back. A HISTORY OF STRATHAVEN AND AVONDALE, by William Fleming Downie AVONDALE CASTLE. There are no historical records to tell us when the first peel or keep of Strathaven was built. However, it is fairly certain that the rocky eminence on the south east side of Strathaven was occupied by a stronghold or fortress from remote times. St. Mary�s Chapel in the Grave Yard was building the 10th of 11th century and it is reasonable to believe that a keep of other form of stronghold was built to protect the Church and the people living in the settlement of Strathaven. There is substantial evidence, however, that a Castle was built on the rocky eminence about the year 1350, probably by the Flemings or the Bairds who owned large areas of land in Avondale. Some years later the Castle passed into the family of Douglas. At the foot of the Castle rock flows the Powmillon Burn, which formed part of a moat. The Castle was built 35 feet above the Powmillon Burn. It was a five story building with walls 10 feet thick, surmounted by a battlement which was 5 feet higher than the roof. The Castle was surrounded by a four feet thick outer wall, with thirteen turrets at equal distances. According to tradition, the samestone used in the construction of the Castle came from the Haggs Quarry, Glassford, and the whinstone was quarried from the rocky bed of Powmillon Burn beside the Castle. The courtyard of the Castle was laid with paving stones and in the centre of it there was an excellent well of cool, clear water. There was also a well within the Castle building. The house which served as a bakehouse, brewhouse and washinghouse to the Castle, originally stood where the Town Mill and Mill Cottage now stand. The Castle gardens which lay to the east of the brewhouse, sloped beautifully to the south, were of considerable extent, and were enclosed by a high stone wall, but nothing of this wall is to be seen today. The pleasure grounds were on the high ground, extending an extensive view and well adapted to the war-like exercises of ancient times. The Douglases, owners of Avondale Castle at the time, became very powerful and from time to time gave military aid to their King, James II. To reward the Douglas family for their services to the Crown, James II gave a Charter to Strathaven on 23rd April, 1450, creating the village a Burgh in Barony. By the year 1455, William, Earl of Douglas to whom the Charter had been granted, became too powerful for the peace of mind of King James II, and the King resolved to take some action. William was invited to Stirling Castle and after some heated discussions they came to blows and in the ensuing action William was killed. James, the Ninth Earl of Douglas, took up arms to avenge his brother�s death. In retaliation, James II sent an army into this area. According to Gray�s Chronicles, "in the month of March, 1455, Avondale Castle was burned down and the possessions of Douglases were confiscated and given up to fire and sword". The Barony of Avondale was conferred on Sir Andrew Stewart an illegitimate grandson of the Second Duke of Albany. The House of Douglas was supplanted by the House of Stewart and Sir Andrew Stewart, first Lord Avondale succeeded the Douglases and rebuilt the burnt down Castle about the year 1458. He resided in the Castle only occasionally. Some years later Sir Andrew Stewart, third Lord Avondale, had a feud with some of his neighbours which made him eventually determined to leave the district. On 2nd September 1534 he exchanged with Sir James Hamilton of Finnart (the famous Architect) in Renfrewshire, the Castle and the Barony of Avondale for the Barony of Ochiltree in Ayrshire. Sir James strengthened and enlarged the Castle. In the year 16ll the Barony was sold to James, Second Marquis of Hamilton, hi s heirs and relations and in whose ownership the Castle remained for the next 300 years. The Castle became the residence of the Marquis�s aged mother, Margaret Lyon, Lady Dowager, widow of John, First Marquis of Hamilton. She died at the Castle in 1625. In the year 1639 hostilities broke out between the Royalists headed by the Marquis of Hamilton and the Covenanters headed by Lords Fleming, Montgomery, Loudoun, Boyd, Lindsay and others. The Covenanters seized Avondale Castle and compelled all those in the district, suspected of favouring the Royalists, to give security that they would not rise in arms. In the year 1650 Quinton Hamilton of Barncluith, a younger son of the Hamilton family, was appointed Captain of the Castle in the Royalists� interests. He furnished and garrisoned the Castle at his own expense. During Cromwell�s administration in Scotland (1651-1660) Avondale Castle was the occasional residence of Duchess Anne of Hamilton and her sister Susan, when they were expelled from Hamilton Palace and the estates were under forfeiture. After the Restoration and during the troublous times of persecution Avondale Castle was used as a Military Station to overawe the inhabitants of the surrounding country who were staunch Covenanters. In 1668 by the orders of the Earl of Linlithgow, a company of foot and fifteen horse were stationed at the Castle to keep down Conventicles. In the violent years of 1685 William Paterson, a Covenanter, was taken to the Castle and shot by Captain Bell. He was buried in the Grave Yard and his tombstone can be seen to the present day. Duchess Anne of Hamilton, daughter of the First Duke of Hamilton and niece of the Second, was born on the 165h January, 1632, at the Palace of Whitehall. By an exclusive right or privilege, the Dukedom of Hamilton with the titles and estates devolved on her. During the time of Cromwell�s protectorate the Duchess was often reduced to the greatest straits and was dependent on a faithful attendant, who at times employed herself in spinning, to procure the ordinary comforts of life for her noble mistress. After the Restoration, the Duchess was reinstated to her titles and estates and she was not forgetful of such devotion. She rewarded this dutiful woman by giving her a grant of land in the Parish of Lesmanhagow. The Duchess was not favourably disposed to Cromwell�s party because of the sufferings of the Hamilton family during the regime. On one occasion as Government troops were passing from Hamilton to Ayr through Strathaven, they were fired upon from the Castle. The General, on being told who lived there, exclaimed, "She must be a bold woman indeed!" In 1656 she married Lord William Douglas, who had been created Earl of Selkirk in 1646. In response to a petition from the Duchess her husband was created Duke of Hamilton in 1660. William the Third Duke of Hamilton died on 18th April, 1694, at Holyrood Palace, aged 59 years, after a life of service to the community. His wife, Duchess Anne, was much distraught after his death but long survived him. They had a family of 6 daughters and 7 sons, but only 3 daughters and 7 sons were to survive to adult life. The Duchess was a staunch Presbyterian and for these troubled times seems to have been tolerant, as, although she attended the preaching of ejected ministers, she did not object to hearing the English form of worship. After the Battle of Bothwell Bridge, she requested the Duke of Monmouth not to allow his soldiers to disturb her grounds, on learning that many fugitives had taken shelter on the estate of Hamilton Palace. Avondale Castle, Brodick Castle and Hamilton Palace were alternately the residence of Duchess Anne, although at one period Avondale Castle could not be used due to damage caused to it by the English soldiers. Avondale always held a special place in her affection from her earliest childhood, into old age. She always tried to attend Communion in St. Mary�s Church, Strathaven, at least once a year. In the year 1699 the Duchess had the Church rebuilt, during which time it is believed that the religious services were held in the Castle. In 1704 she gifted two engraved Communion Cups to the Church. The Duchess also provided a new school and waulk mill in which woollen material, woven locally, was cleansed and beaten by mechanical means after wetting, in order to shrink and thicken the material. Duchess Anne was at all times kind and considerate of the village people and of her farm tenants. During the period of bad harvests she allowed tenants to have back rents. She made a payment to James Hamilton of Middleraw, a farm near Calderbank, now known as Caldermill on the west side of Southaven, when he accidentally burned John Allison�s kiln at Over Crewburn Farm, when he was drying his corn. Duchess Anne led a busy and useful life attending to estate, household matters and the religious and educational needs of her people. By the month of October, 1716, she was in very poor health and at y o�clock in the evening of 17th October of that year she passed peacefully away at Hamilton Palace after an eminent and virtuous life. After the death of the Duchess, the Castle was occupied for some years by the Duke of Hamilton�s Chamberlain and Gardner. At this time the Castle was still a very noble building surrounded by a high outer wall, with a gate in the High Causey near the Old Grave Yard. Within the Castle�s outer wall were one or two houses for servants. There was a gaol containing a Court Room, which was entered by an outside Stone Stairway with the dock and bench and two small cells with barred windows. There was also a well in the Courtyard. Nestling close to the west side of the Castle wall was the Plough Inn which had just been built in the year 1707. On the east side of the Castle wall there was a narrow road leading to a farm, some thatched houses and the Corn Mill which had been built about the year 1650 by William, Second Duke of Hamilton. A little further out from the wall stood some thatched houses bordering narrow streets, built close to the Castle for their protection. By the year 1725 the Castle had fallen into the possession of the inhabitants of the village, who used it for various purposes during the winter and especially in rainy weather. It served as a place of amusement for such games as handball, coils and an ancient game called trench. The extensive view from the battlements made it the resort of persons who could view the surrounding countryside in perfect safety. It was also used as a market place and one of the rooms was used as a court hall. Again, while St. Mary�s Church was undergoing repairs, religious services were held in the Castle hall. There are records of two persons, James Currie and James Tennant, being baptised there in 1725. In 1730 part of the country was harassed by gangs of marauders known as Annandale thieves. A number of these were apprehended and lay bound in stocks in one of the strong rooms for a lengthy period. At this period the Castle, from neglect and lack of maintenance, began to fall into ruin. As if nature wished to lend a hand in its more speedy destruction, in the summer of 1736 lightning struck several of the turrets, and in January, 1737 on that memorable night commonly called the "windy night" a great part of the roof was blown off. In the year 1740 the Castle Gates from the entrance in Sandknowe were taken to Hamilton and placed at the Hamilton family vaults. During the ensuing years, parts of the Castle walls collapsed or were pulled down by the village inhabitants. The stones were removed and used by those who were building, rebuilding, or extending their houses. As the years passed the Castle fell further into decay. The villagers also carried away stones from the high outer wall which surrounded the Castle and its Courtyard until nothing of the outer wall remained. The next major disturbance to the Castle and its grounds occurred when the new road from Strathaven to Glassford Bridge near Stonehouse was constructed in the year 1826. The road cut through the Castle grounds immediately north of the Castle building. During this operation a deep well was laid open in which a bunch of keys was found. The keys were sent to the Duke of Hamilton. The stones used to build the road retaining walls were taken from the Castle ruins. AT the same time trees were planted round the Castle. In the year 1847 another portion of the walls collapsed and reduced it to it s present derelict condition. The history of Avondale Castle is not complete without its legends of dark deeds and hidden passages. According to tradition the wife of a certain lord, whom she had displeased, was buried alive in a part of the wall of the Castle which today stands detached from the present ruin. A small niche was made in the wall, sufficient to enclose the body. Some food and water were deposited in it and the woman was led in. As the priest pronounced the words, " go in Peace" the poor woman was bricked up. Such was the fate said to have been imposed upon the woman in Avondale Castle. Certainly, in the middle of last century when a portion of the Castle walls fell down, bones were discovered which suggest that a human body had been built up in a walled press or cupboard. Yet another tradition relates the occasion when two brothers, John and Hugh Hamilton, quarrelled over a game of chance. To escape the consequences of his brother�s displeasure, the younger fled, but was pursued and stabbed to death in Pathfoot. Horror stricken at what he had done, John rushed back to the Castle gate and told Cochrane the steward that he had killed Hugh. The sympathy of Cochrane was aroused and by his help the culprit escaped. Again, according to tradition, subterranean passages existed leading from the Castle to Sweetie�s Braes, Peggy�s Holm on the Mill Brae and the Tower, an ancient watch tower one mile north of the village. However, when the new road was cut at a depth of nearly 20 feet through the Castle ground in 1826, no subterranean passages of any kind were uncovered leading from the Castle. Until the year 1912 the ruins of the picturesque Castle had been quite neglected. However, in that year the Town Improvement Committee negotiated with Alfred Douglas, 13th Duke of Hamilton, owner of the Castle. Agreement was reached, and work commenced to clear away the debris which was deposited on the ground immediately behind the Castle, to point and strengthen the walls and lay bare the original plan of the Castle. During the course of excavations a stone trough, some stone cannon balls and monogrammed and sculptured stones were unearthed. The trough, sculptured stones and cannon balls were put on display in from of the Castle. In the centre of the building a well was discovered which contained water. From the appearance of the walls now exposed, the general scheme of the ground floor of the Castle with its vaulted roofs could not be grasped. The bottom of the circular stairway which ascended the tower and several of the original steps were also uncovered. When the debris had been removed and the ground cleared the size of the Castle became known. It measured about 68 feet long and 40 feet broad. There was a turret in the north west corner of the building which was about 20 feet in diameter and 48 feet in height. The front wall and side wall of the Castle were now only about 35 feet in height. The Castle stands in an acre of ground surrounded by trees. The grounds were laid out with paths, rockers, flower beds and summer seats. A railing was erected along the top of the retaining wall bordering the road. A flight of steps and substantial iron gate were erected at the Castle entrance. The Castle and grounds were open to visitors from dawn to dusk, summer and winter, and was visited daily by a caretaker. In the year 1921 a German field gun made by Kurt of Lessen, arrived in Strathaven, a relic of the 1914-18 war. For a few months it was on display at the north east corner of the John Haste Museum. In the year 1922 it was hauled by a steam traction engine from there to the Castle where it was to be on permanent display. The gun was taken down the Mill Brae and round by a narrow road beside the mill dam to a point immediately behind the Castle. The traction engine stood on Stonehouse Road on the other side of the Castle from the gun. A wire rope was then passed from the traction engine through one of the Castle windows, across the ground at the back of the Castle and down the steep slope to the gun at the side of the mill dam. The wire rope was connected to the gun. The traction engine was put into neutral gear and the engine started. The wire rope drum on the axle of the traction engine started to turn while the traction engine remained stationary and the gun was slowly hauled up the steep bank on the level ground behind the Castle. The field gun was then manhandled into a permanent position on a piece of flat ground on the East side of the Castle building. The barrel of the gun was pointed towards the War Memorial on Kirk Hill. The Castle and grounds attracted many visitors over the years. During the 1939-45 war the field gun, together with the Castle railings and gate, were removed for scrap to help the war effort. In the year 1968-69 the Castle walls were again pointed and strengthened and the window openings and the entrance to the tower were built up. An iron gate was erected at the entrance to the Castle to replace the temporary wooden one. It continues to be a source of great interest to visitors. Today the Castle looks over the town of Strathaven, a silent reminder of its historic and turbulent past. Note: You can see from this information that Helen Hamilton who md. John Brownlee the 1st Laird of Torfoot was much too old to be the dau. of Lady Anne. She is not listed as a dau. of Anne's father. She may have been a dau. of the 2nd Duke who was a brother to James, the 1st Duke. He had four daughters but I don't know their names. I think she probably was not. More likely she was of the family that owned the other half of Torfoot. Betty