Holmains Castle

Holmains Castle belonged to the Carruthers family but nothing of it now remains.

The Carruthers family owned the lands of Holmains from at least the 14th century.

By the end of the first quarter of the 15th century the Carlyles of Torthorwald granted the 10 pound lands of Ecclefechan to the Carruthers of Holmains.

In 1525 James V granted various lands to John Carruthers de Holmendis and his wife, Blanche Murray, including the six merk land of Castelbank in Egilphecene. John Carruthers de Holmendis received a new grant of various lands from James V in 1542 including the ten pound land of Egilphechane of old extent.

In 1556 William Irving of Bonshaw possessed the forty shilling land in Ecclefechan of which Carruthers of Holmains held the superiority.

George Carruthers of Denbie obtained letters of inhibition against his brother, John Carruthers of Holmains, in 1618 preventing him from disponing or intromitting with (transferring ownership of or dealing with) the 5 merk land of Eccelfechan, the 6/8 land of Raffles and the 6/8 lands of Howthat which he should have infefted George in.

In 1666 George Carruthers, youngest son of the late George Carruthers of Denbie, disposed of the 40 shilling lands of Denbie, the 5 merk land of Ecclefechan “possest by William Irving elder and younger”, the half merk land of Raffles and the half merk lands of Howthat to the 1st Earl of Annandale. The Earl’s factor and Chamberlain was James Carruthers of the family of Holmains.

In 1680 John Carruthers of Holmains granted a tack of a £5 land of his £10 land of Ecclefechan to the younger William Irving of Kirkconnelincluding the clause “perpetually and continually as long as the grass groweth up and the water runneth down”. William Irving married secondly Margaret Carruthers, daughter of John Carruthers of Holmains, and had a daughter.

In 1699 George Carruthers, son of the late John Carruthers of Holmains, received a charter from William II of various lands that had been owned by his father, including “all and haill the ten pound land of Ecclefechan of old extent”, which was incorporated into the barony of Holmains.

In 1710 William Herries, son and heir of Francis Herries of Hartwood, sold Ecclefechan, presumably the ten pound land of Ecclefechan, to George Carruthers of Holmains.

In 1715 George attempted to terminate the tack his father had made to William Irving due to it not having an expiry date however the Court ruled that his father’s intention had been to grant a perpetual right to Irving and his successors and so dismissed the case.