Hugh Gifford

• Preferred Name: Hugh Gifford^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20]}
  
• Gender: M
  
• FSID: LZ86-TXW
  
• Death: 1365 in Castle Yester, Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland at LATI: N5.9043 LONG: E2.7469
  
• Alternate Birth Date: 1306 with note: rootsweb > The Ancestry of Overmire Tifft Richardson Bradford Reed: Sir Hugh III (Laird of Yester) ** Gifford
  
• Wizard?: with note: Description: Legend of his wizardry summoning demonic forces to build Goblin Ha at Yester Castle Multiple internet sources ascribe the building of the Goblin Hall or Goblin Ha to this man, Sir Hugo de Gifford, and his magical powers. One such source is www.edinburghlive.co.uk There is a fairly recent You Tube video of the ruins, as well. Whether true or not, it makes for interesting reading/viewing and is a cool story to tell about one's ancestor!
  
• Birth: 1322 in Castle Yester, Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland at LATI: N5.9043 LONG: E2.7469
  
• Occupation: knighted by the king with note: Modified | History 9 January 2018 by Bob Crumbaker
  
• Notes:

  === Life Sketch ===
  https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/ecco/004896980.0001.000/1:254?rgn=div1;view=fulltext
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_de_Giffard
  Hugh was born eldest son to Sir John Gifford of Yester by his wife Euphemia Morham probaby about 1310.[1]
  
  He appears to have been knighted by 1332 when a Hugh Gifford was present as a witness with other neighbouring knights at Lamberton to a Charter by Henry Coceur, son and heir of Henry Coceur of Trebroun on 29 June 1332. [2] Although there was no age restriction for witnesses this seems to imply he was born about 1310 if he was then a knight. If Hugh was born about 1320 then perhaps the clerk intened to record Sir John Gifford, his father.
  
  A Papal Mandate to the Bishop of St Andrews declared null the marriage of Hugh Giffard and Elizabeth More, of the dioceses of St. Andrews and Glasgow, if the facts were as stated, namely, that they were married by their friends when Hugh was in his ninth and Elizabeth in her eleventh year. On reaching the age of puberty, they expressly renounced the marriage, which was never onsummated. They submit that, at the age at which they married, the doctrine malicia supplet etatem could not apply. [3]
  
  He appeared At Baru, on 2 December 1345 as Hugh Gifford lord of Yester regarding a charter by his maternal grandfather the late Lord Thomas de Morham by which he granted to Holyrood Abbey the advowson on the church of "Baru" and all its appurtenances. Hugh exemplified that his deceased mother Euphemia had confirmed her father's charter, [4]
  
  On a Roll of King David II (probably circa 1346) is recorded a Charter of Confirmation by Hugh Gifford laird Yester to John Douglas son to James lord Douglas, regarding the barronies of Zester ( in Scots Z is pronounced Y), Morham, Duncanlaw, in sheriffdom of Edinburgh, Tealing in Forfarshire, Polgavie in Perthshire and Herbertshire in Stirlingshire. [5]
  
  A writ, issued after a compact at Haddington, records that, on Tuesday after Feast of Holy Trinity A.D. 1350, Hugh Gififard, Lord of Yester bequeathed to burgesses of Haddington and his tenants in the village of Giffardgates for the foundation of two tenements at the east end of Haddington Bridge for the weal of his soul and those of his predecessors and successors. [6]
  
  He married Johanna Douglas about 1355 and by her had four daughters, Jean, Alice, Mary and Euphemia who on his death, about 1365 became heiresses while still young children.
  
  Sir Hugh had died by 1366 when his widow was granted Papal permission to marry Sir Nigel Cunningham.
  
  Hugh Giffard of Yester
  «b»Biography«/b»
  The origins of Hugh Giffard of Yester indicate that he and his brothers are the first of the Giffards in Scotland. Given the standing of Hugh with the Huntington retinue, it is very l
  
  === --Other Fields Ref Number : Quality: 0 ===
  --Other Fields Ref Number : Quality: 0
  
  === !#21-v1-p155,-v6-p421fn(a); !#21-v6-p421 ===
  !#21-v1-p155,-v6-p421fn(a); !#21-v6-p421;
  
  === Name Suffix: Lord Of Yester ===
  Name Suffix: Lord Of Yester
  
  === #189-v5-p140; ===
  #189-v5-p140;
  
  === b. 1324, Yester; father of: 1. Janet/Joh ===
  b. 1324, Yester; father of: 1. Janet/Johanna/Jean who m. Thomas de Hay 2.Alice who m. Thomas Boyd [Gail Martin BURR LINE b.c. 1304, d. bef 11 Mar1408; son of John (son of William) Giffard and Euphemia Morham; m. JoannaDouglas; father of: 1. Alice who m. Thomas Boyd 2. Janet Jean who m.Thomas de Hay [Eileen McKinnon-Suggs REFN: HWS43261 Ancestral FileNumber: 9GXF-CT (Research):See attached sources.
  
  === The male line of the Giffords of Yester ===
  The male line of the Giffords of Yester ends here.
  
  === Line in Record @I17469@ (RIN 17467) from ===
  Line in Record @I17469@ (RIN 17467) from GEDCOM file not recognized: _UID 61DD27CA9ECCD61193C3973FD6E9BB5E8421 Line in Record @I17471@ (RIN 17469) from GEDCOM file not recognized: _UID 9EA4322446A2D61193C3E88C9393015FB7BE Line in Record @I17497@ (RIN 17490) from GEDCOM file not recognized: _UID 58B834DE985DD61193C294AD8A14235EB341 Line in Record @I17498@ (RIN 17498) from GEDCOM file not recognized: _UID 79535B7C3451D61193C2CDEE4AFA0D5ECE7B 1 _UID F5FBE40DF5E0D51193C2F02AB1EEA056A0A9
  
  === Line in Record @I19238@ (RIN 19236) from ===
  Line in Record @I19238@ (RIN 19236) from GEDCOM file not recognized: _UID 4AE427CA9ECCD61193C3973FD6E9BB5E741A Line in Record @I19240@ (RIN 19238) from GEDCOM file not recognized: _UID 87AB322446A2D61193C3E88C9393015FA7B7 Line in Record @I19273@ (RIN 19264) from GEDCOM file not recognized: _UID 48BF34DE985DD61193C294AD8A14235EAAAA Line in Record @I19274@ (RIN 19274) from GEDCOM file not recognized: _UID 695A5B7C3451D61193C2CDEE4AFA0D5EC5E4 1 _UID EC02E50DF5E0D51193C2F02AB1EEA0569F90 L.D.S. Pedigree Disc 6
  
  === From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 J ===
  From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996. From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.
  
  === Nickname: Laird Yester
  Name Suffix ===
  Nickname: Laird YesterName Suffix: Lord of Yester
  
  === Ancestral File Number: 9GXF-CT ===
  Ancestral File Number: 9GXF-CT
  
  === PEDIGREE RESOURCE FILE, VOL 6, LDS GENEA ===
  PEDIGREE RESOURCE FILE, VOL 6, LDS GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY;
  
  === Hugh Giffard III & Joanna (Jonet) Dougla ===
  Hugh Giffard III & Joanna (Jonet) Douglas
  
  Sir Hugh Giffard III will become the last Lord of
  Yester in the male line, which had begun with the first Hugh Giffard in 1166. Hugh Giffard III came of age after 1340, and is first found in a charter dated Oct. 15, 1345. This was a confirmation charter of King David II regarding the granting of the lands of Lethington to Sir Robert Maitland of Thirlestane by "Hugh Giffard, son of the deceased John Giffard of Yester." A second confirmation of King David II was to a charter of Hugh Giffard, Laird of Yester, to John de Douglas son of James, Lord Douglas, concerning lands in the baronies of Yester, Morham, Duncanlaw, Tealing, Polgavie, and Herbertshire. (Great Seal of Scotland #1008). The purpose or intent of this charter remains unclear, and is not mentioned in the Yester writs. The charter is undated, but is very likely to have been done in 1346. The only other charter in which Hugh Giffard III may be found occurs in Yester writ #26, which was dated "Tuesday after Feast of Holy Trinity A.D. 1350". In this writ he is titled Hugh Giffard, Lord of Yester, a noble and discreet man. He grants to the east end construction of the Haddington Bridge two tenements and pieces of land in the north end of the village of Giffardgate. A comparison of the terms of address used for Hugh Giffard in these charters would imply that he was youthful in 1345, and not long into his majority. In addition, considering the evidence previously discussed in the charters of his parents, Hugh's birth must have been very close to the year 1322. Hugh Giffard III was knighted, but this very likely occurred at some time after 1350.
  
  When Hugh Giffard III was the age of 9, he was entered into a verbal bond of marriage with the 11 year old Elizabeth Mure, daughter of Sir Adam Mure of Rowallan. The date of this agreement was about the year 1331. This marriage was never ratified or consummated, and the bond was dissolved by Papal authority on Oct. 12, 1344. By 1336/1337, Elizabeth Mure had become the mistress of the 20 year old Robert Stewart, the future King Robert II of Scotland. After two Papal dispensations, Elizabeth Mure and Robert Stewart would officially marry in 1349. Their first son, born circa 1337, would become the future King Robert III. Elizabeth Mure died by 1355, and because her husband Robert did not become King until 1371, Elizabeth was never Queen of Scotland.
  
  All evidence points that Hugh Giffard's marriage to Joanna Douglas must have occurred about the year 1345. The couple would have four daughters who become the co-heiresses of all the Yester estates in the latter portion of the 14th century. (The four co-heiress daughters will be discussed in the final chapter.) It is very obvious that Hugh Giffard and Joanna Douglas could not have had any male heirs as sometimes has been suggested. The death of Sir Hugh Giffard III must have occurred before 1366, as his widow Joanna Douglas had a Papal commission dispensation (March 16, 1366) to marry Sir Nigel Cunningham. (Scots Peerage Vol. IX). Evidence in the Yester writs indicates that her second husband, the elderly Sir Nigel Cunningham, would function and be titled as the Lord of Yester for the next 10 or more years. The four daughters, and eventual heiresses of Hugh Giffard, would have been in their minorities at the period of his death and the re-marriage of his widow. With the death of Sir Hugh Giffard III, the seven generations in the male line of the Giffards of Yester would come to a close.
  
  Joanna Douglas is found in three Yester writs, all after the death of Sir Hugh Giffard and her subsequent marriage to Nigel Cunningham. These writs are dated March 10, 1375; Feb. 5 &15, 1398; and the last in 1400. The first writ of Nigel Cunnigham which was placed in the Yester charter chest was dated 1362. Cunnigham family writs are found in the Yester charter chest for about a 20 year period. In the 1375 writ (# 32), Nigel Cunningham identifies himself as Lord of Yester and that Joanna (Jonet) Giffard is his wife. In the writs of 1375 and 1398, her first name is given in the Latin version as "Jonet". The writ of 1400 (Yester #43) was done in English rather than Latin, and in this writ she is found to be termed the more familiar "Johanna". This writ was done by the young Tassy Maxwell, who twice states Joanna "Giffard" the Lady Superior of Yester to be his Grandmother. (Tassy Maxwell was the son of Mary Giffard, youngest daughter of Hugh Giffard and Joanna Douglas.) Joanna Douglas was still living as stated in the 1400 charter, and must have been near the age of 75. Joanna Douglas had adopted the common practice of using the last name of a deceased husband after his death. Thus the references to her as Joanna "Giffard". Her mother-in-law Euphemia Morham had done this in 1328, and her eldest daughter Joanna Giffard also did the same after the death of her husband Sir Thomas de Hay. This eldest daughter appears to have joined her aged mother Joanna Douglas at Yester after the death of Thomas de Hay at Locherworth c. 1392. Daughter Joanna Giffard is found to have termed herself Joanna "Hay", the widow of Thomas de Hay, and a Lady of Yester in a 1399 document. The term "Lady Superior" seems to have been used to identify the older Joanna Douglas from her daughter Joanna, as both appear to be called Lady of Yester by 1398.
  
  Ancestry of Joanna Douglas:
  
  Joanna Douglas has been stated to be the daughter of Sir James Douglas "the good" and also the daughter of Sir James Douglas of Lothian in a few internet sites. Unfortunately, these sites give no sources or any documentation for the statements. (The Scots Peerage does not list Joanna as a daughter of either Sir James Douglas). Both James Douglases would fit the time frame of Joanna's birth, but Douglas of Lothian, who dies in 1323, would seem the less likely from a dating standpoint.
  
  The charter of Hugh Giffard to John Douglas made circa 1346 concerning Giffard lands may provide some clues. This charter would be close in date to Hugh Giffard's marriage to Joanna Douglas, and would likely be a Douglas related to Joanna. John de Douglas is stated as having been the son of James, Lord Douglas in the document. This seems like a reference to one of the above discussed Sir James Douglases, but a contradiction exists as to which. James Douglas "the good" was always referred to as "Lord Douglas", but had no known son John. James Douglas of Lothian had a second son John who was killed in 1349, but was always addressed as Sir James Douglas "of Lothian".
  
  The 1366 papal dispensation given at the time of Joanna's second marriage to Nigel Cunningham could provide a definitive answer, but a critical piece of information is lacking. The dispensation says: "Joanna Douglas is related to Nigel Cunningham in the third degree of affinity". This means she is not related to Nigel Cunningham by blood (consanguinity), but a second cousin to someone who was closely connected to him. In all likelyhood this was his deceased first wife. If her name could be discovered, proof of Joanna's ancestry would be possible. Other connections of Hugh Giffard and Joanna's descendants with the Black Douglas line provide clues and suggestions, but no absolute proof of the Douglas ancestry of Joanna. Joanna Douglas certainly is descended from the Douglases originating with Archibald Douglas in the early 13th century. But whether her descent is through the Black Douglas line of Sir James Douglas "the good", or their cousins the Douglases of Lothian requires more documentation to resolve.
  
  In Summary: Hugh Giffard III ( c. 1322-1365) married Joanna Douglas in 1345/46. After the death of Hugh Giffard, Joanna Douglas married Sir Nigel Cunningham as her second husband in 1366. Joanna Douglas can be shown to be living as late as the year 1400 in the Yester charter of her grandson "Tassy" Maxwell.
  
  Children of Hugh Giffard and Joanna Douglas:
  
  1. Joanna, who married Sir Thomas de Hay of Locherworth.
  
  2. Alicia, who married Thomas Boyd of Kilmarnock.
  
  3. Euphemia, who married a McDowell of Mackerston.
  
  4. Mary, who married the father of Eustace "Tassy" Maxwell.
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Bruce & Barbara Morrison
  
  Contact: NUbrubun55 (at) webtv.net
  
  Primary Sources
  
  Calendar of writs preserved at Yester house 1166-1503; Liber S. Marie de Neubotle; Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland; Liber S. Marie de Dryburgh; Liber S. Marie de Melros; Regesta Regum Scottorum, Vols. I, II, V, & VI; Hand Acts of Alexander II; Hand Acts of Alexander III, the Guardians & John; Lindores Abbey Chartulary; Coldingham Priory Charters; Inchaffray Abbey Charters; Calendar of the Laing Charters 854-1837; History of Northumberland, Hodges; Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland; The Kingdom of the Scots, G.W.S. Barrow; Northumberland and Durham Deeds; Earl, David of Huntington, Stringer; General Armory of England, Scotland, & Wales; The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland; Registrum S. Marie Cambuskenneth; Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum; The Surnames of Scotland, George F. Black; Northampton Record Office; Coupar Angus Charters; Declaration of Arbroath; Ragman Rolls, 1296; The Scots Peerage; Marmion, Sir Walter Scott; The Great Historic Families of Scotland, James Taylor; Calendar of Patent Rolls of King Henry III; Acts of King David I & Henry, Earl of Huntington; Liber S. Thome de Arbebrothoc; The Black Douglases, Michael Brown; Deeds Relating to East Lothian, Wallace-James.

1. Alice Gifford, b. 1350 in Yester Castle, Yester, Haddingtonshire, Scotland, United Kingdom     d. 1384 in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

1. Joanna Gifford, b. 1346 in Gifford, Garvald, Haddingtonshire, Scotland     d. 1 JAN 1400 in Castle Locherwart, Pebbles-shire, Midlotian, Scotland, United Kingdom
2. Alice Gifford, b. 1350 in Yester Castle, Yester, Haddingtonshire, Scotland, United Kingdom     d. 1384 in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

1. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Hugh Gifford -
   Author: Ancestral File (TM), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, July 1996 (c), data as of 2 January 1996
   Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2737222795
   
2. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Hugh Gifford -
   Author: The Scots Peerage; Sir James Balfour Paul {1904-1914, 2000 rev} with Addenda et Corrigenda {2000}, Page number: V:140, VIII:422
   Note: Source Media Type: Book Source Media Type: Book
   Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2736741135
   
3. Title: Ancestry Family Trees
   Author: Ancestry Family Tree
   
4. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Hugh Gifford - Published information: birth-name: Hugh Gifford
   Note: Published information: birth-name: Hugh Gifford Published information: male Published information: birth: 1306; Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland Published information: death: 11 March 1409;
   Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:3246995819
   
5. Title: Millennium File
   Publication: Name: http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid=7249&h=100211947&indiv=try;
   
6. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Hugh Gifford -
   Author: Burke's Peerage & Baronetage, 106th Edition, Charles Mosley {1999}, Page number: 1579
   Note: Source Media Type: Book
   Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2736742367
   
7. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Hugh Gifford -
   Author: Stirnet.com, Peter Barns-Graham, Chairman, Name: http://www.stirnet.com;, Page number: Temp27, Boyd1
   Note: Peter Barns-Graham, Chairman, Stirnet.com (http://www.stirnet.com).
   Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:3246398939
   
8. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Hugh Gifford -
   Author: The Scottish Nation; or the Surnames, Families, Literature, Honours, and Biographical History of the People of Scotland;, Page number: II:298
   Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2736742557
   
9. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Hugh Gifford -
   Author: Complete Parochial History of the County of Cornwall; John Camden Hotten, London {1867-1872}, Page number: VI:421a
   Note: Source Media Type: Book
   Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2736742422
   
10. Title: American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI)
    Publication: Name: http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid=3599&h=2921742&indiv=try;
    
11. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Hugh Gifford - birth: 1324; Yester, East Lothian, Scotland
    Author: "FamilySearch® Ancestral File™ v4.19", The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3 Feb 2001, SLC - Family History Library, 25 N. West Temple Street~Salt Lake City, UT 84150 U.S.A.~SLC - Family History Library~25 N. West Temple Street~~Salt Lake City~~UT~~84150~~U.S.A.
    Note: birth: 1324; Yester, East Lothian, Scotland
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:3248100114
    
12. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Hugh Gifford - birth: 1324; Yester, East Lothian, Scotland
    Author: "Genealogical Research of Kirk Larson", Larson, Kirk, Personal Research Works including Bethune & Hohenlohe Descendants,1981-2001, Kirk Larson, Private Library, Kirk Larson, 23512 Belmar Dr.~Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 U.S.A.~Kirk Larson~23512 Belmar Dr.~~Laguna Niguel~~CA~~92677~~U.S.A., (253) 390-9307 (fax)
    Note: birth: 1324; Yester, East Lothian, Scotland
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:3248100112
    
13. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Hugh Gifford - birth: 1324; Yester, East Lothian, Scotland
    Author: "Pedigree Resource File - CD-Rom", The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 12 Feb 2001, SLC - Family History Library, 25 N. West Temple Street~Salt Lake City, UT 84150 U.S.A.~SLC - Family History Library~25 N. West Temple Street~~Salt Lake City~~UT~~84150~~U.S.A., Page number: Compact Disk #25
    Note: birth: 1324; Yester, East Lothian, Scotland Alternate Title: Family History Resource File
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:3248100111
    
14. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Hugh Gifford -
    Author: Ancestral File (R), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2680860794
    
15. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Hugh Gifford -
    Author: Ancestral File (TM), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, June 1998 (c), data as of 5 JAN 1998
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2737222797
    
16. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Hugh Gifford -
    Author: Newsgroup: soc.genealogy.medieval, at groups - google.com, Page number: John Theravious, 26 May 2001
    Note: Source Media Type: Book
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2736742371
    
17. Title: Hugh Gifford, of Yester d. Abt 1366: MacFarlane Clan & Families Genealogy
    Author: “Hugh Gifford, of Yester d. Abt 1366: MacFarlane Clan & Families Genealogy.” http://www.clanmacfarlanegenealogy.info/genealogy/TNGWebsite/getperson.php?personID=I4120&tree=CC. Accessed 12 Jul. 2019.
    Publication: Name: http://www.clanmacfarlanegenealogy.info/genealogy/TNGWebsite/getperson.php?personID=I4120&tree=CC;
    Note: Source created by RecordSeek.com
    Page: Created by http://RecordSeek.com
    
18. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Hugh Gifford - birth: 1324; Yester, East Lothian, Scotland
    Author: "International Genealogical Index™ - Version 5.00", The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Common Index of International Genealogical Information (Salt LakeCity:UT, Family History Center, July 1996 © data as of 2, SLC - Family History Library, 25 N. West Temple Street~Salt Lake City, UT 84150 U.S.A.~SLC - Family History Library~25 N. West Temple Street~~Salt Lake City~~UT~~84150~~U.S.A., Page number: Film Number: 1985651
    Note: birth: 1324; Yester, East Lothian, Scotland Repository:Family History Library35 N West Temple StreetSalt Lake City,UT 84150 USA
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:3248100115
    
19. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Hugh Gifford - Published information: birth-name: Hugh Gifford
    Note: Published information: birth-name: Hugh Gifford Published information: male Published information: birth: 1306; Scotland Published information: death: 11 March 1409; Scotland Published information: birth-name: Hugh Gifford Published information: male Published information: birth: 1306; Scotland Published information: death: 11 March 1409; Scotland
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:3246324317
    
20. Title: rootsweb > The Ancestry of Overmire Tifft Richardson Bradford Reed: Sir Hugh III (Laird of Yester) ** Gifford
    Author: Sources: 1) Jim Weber Database http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET &db=jweber&id=I19062 2) Burke's Peerage & Baronetage, 106th Edition, Charles Mosley Editor-in-Chief, 1999 Page: 1579 3) Families Database, Stirnet, Copyright 2002 http://www.stirnet.com/HTML/genie/british/ss4as/seton02.htm#link1 4) Dirk Peters Database, 18 Jun 2003 http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET &db=dirkpeters&id=I88995 5) Database of joekare1@cox.net, 1 Aug 2003 http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET &db=:2617431&id=I36180 6) Burke's Peerage & Baronetage, 106th Edition, Charles Mosley Editor-in-Chief, 1999 Page: 1579 7) GIFFARD OF YESTER, by Bruce and Barbara Morrison, Website 2007 http://community-2.webtv.net/NUbrubun55/GIFFARDOFYESTER/page2.html Sources: Title: The Ancestry of Overmire, Tifft, Richardson, Bradford, Reed Author: Larry Overmire Publication: RootsWeb World Connect Project, © 2000-2010 Date: 26 Jan 2010
    Publication: Name: https://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=glencoe&id=I16619;
    Note: ID: I16619 _UID: 9F5CC1E804B644989EE0F6E0663FBE4D3EFE Name: Sir Hugh III (Laird of Yester) ** Gifford Sex: M 1 Birth: ABT 1322 in Yester Castle, Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland Death: 1365 Note: LAIRD OF YESTER Hugh was the last of the Gifford Lairds of Yester. His four daughters were co-heiresses. WARNING: Some show him b. 1306. FROM GIFFARD OF YESTER, by Bruce and Barbara Morrison: Sir Hugh Giffard III will become the last Lord of Yester in the male line, which had begun with the first Hugh Giffard in 1166. Hugh Giffard III came of age after 1340, and is first found in a charter dated Oct. 15, 1345. This was a confirmation charter of King David II regarding the granting of the lands of Lethington to Sir Robert Maitland of Thirlestane by "Hugh Giffard, son of the deceased John Giffard of Yester." A second confirmation of King David II was to a charter of Hugh Giffard, Laird of Yester, to John de Douglas son of James, Lord Douglas, concerning lands in the baronies of Yester, Morham, Duncanlaw, Tealing, Polgavie, and Herbertshire. (Great Seal of Scotland #1008). The purpose or intent of this charter remains unclear, and is not mentioned in the Yester writs. The charter is undated, but is very likely to have been done in 1346. The only other charter in which Hugh Giffard III may be found occurs in Yester writ #26, which was dated "Tuesday after Feast of Holy Trinity A.D. 1350". In this writ he is titled Hugh Giffard, Lord of Yester, a noble and discreet man. He grants to the east end construction of the Haddington Bridge two tenements and pieces of land in the north end of the village of Giffardgate. A comparison of the terms of address used for Hugh Giffard in these charters would imply that he was youthful in 1345, and not long into his majority. In addition, considering the evidence previously discussed in the charters of his parents, Hugh's birth must have been very close to the year 1322. Hugh Giffard III was knighted, but this very likely occurred at some time after 1350. When Hugh Giffard III was the age of 9, he was entered into a verbal bond of marriage with the 11 year old Elizabeth Mure, daughter of Sir Adam Mure of Rowallan. The date of this agreement was about the year 1331. This marriage was never ratified or consummated, and the bond was dissolved by Papal authority on Oct. 12, 1344. By 1336/1337, Elizabeth Mure had become the mistress of the 20 year old Robert Stewart, the future King Robert II of Scotland. After two Papal dispensations, Elizabeth Mure and Robert Stewart would officially marry in 1349. Their first son, born circa 1337, would become the future King Robert III. Elizabeth Mure died by 1355, and because her husband Robert did not become King until 1371, Elizabeth was never Queen of Scotland. All evidence points that Hugh Giffard's marriage to Joanna Douglas must have occurred about the year 1345. The couple would have four daughters who become the co-heiresses of all the Yester estates in the latter portion of the 14th century. (The four co-heiress daughters will be discussed in the final chapter.) It is very obvious that Hugh Giffard and Joanna Douglas could not have had any male heirs as sometimes has been suggested. The death of Sir Hugh Giffard III must have occurred before 1366, as his widow Joanna Douglas had a Papal commission dispensation (March 16, 1366) to marry Sir Nigel Cunningham. (Scots Peerage Vol. IX). Evidence in the Yester writs indicates that her second husband, the elderly Sir Nigel Cunningham, would function and be titled as the Lord of Yester for the next 10 or more years. The four daughters, and eventual heiresses of Hugh Giffard, would have been in their minorities at the period of his death and the re-marriage of his widow. With the death of Sir Hugh Giffard III, the seven generations in the male line of the Giffards of Yester would come to a close. Joanna Douglas is found in three Yester writs, all after the death of Sir Hugh Giffard and her subsequent marriage to Nigel Cunningham. These writs are dated March 10, 1375; Feb. 5 &15, 1398; and the last in 1400. The first writ of Nigel Cunnigham which was placed in the Yester charter chest was dated 1362. Cunnigham family writs are found in the Yester charter chest for about a 20 year period. In the 1375 writ (# 32), Nigel Cunningham identifies himself as Lord of Yester and that Joanna (Jonet) Giffard is his wife. In the writs of 1375 and 1398, her first name is given in the Latin version as "Jonet". The writ of 1400 (Yester #43) was done in English rather than Latin, and in this writ she is found to be termed the more familiar "Johanna". This writ was done by the young Tassy Maxwell, who twice states Joanna "Giffard" the Lady Superior of Yester to be his Grandmother. (Tassy Maxwell was the son of Mary Giffard, youngest daughter of Hugh Giffard and Joanna Douglas.) Joanna Douglas was still living as stated in the 1400 charter, and must have been near the age of 75. Joanna Douglas had adopted the common practice of using the last name of a deceased husband after his death. Thus the references to her as Joanna "Giffard". Her mother-in-law Euphemia Morham had done this in 1328, and her eldest daughter Joanna Giffard also did the same after the death of her husband Sir Thomas de Hay. This eldest daughter appears to have joined her aged mother Joanna Douglas at Yester after the death of Thomas de Hay at Locherworth c. 1392. Daughter Joanna Giffard is found to have termed herself Joanna "Hay", the widow of Thomas de Hay, and a Lady of Yester in a 1399 document. The term "Lady Superior" seems to have been used to identify the older Joanna Douglas from her daughter Joanna, as both appear to be called Lady of Yester by 1398. Children of Hugh Giffard and Joanna Douglas: 1. Joanna, who married Sir Thomas de Hay of Locherworth. 2. Alicia, who married Thomas Boyd of Kilmarnock. 3. Euphemia, who married a McDowell of Mackerston. 4. Mary, who married the father of Eustace "Tassy" Maxwell.