Mannerston House

Mannerston House is a largely 17th century which incorporates part of a 16th century castle.

In the 14th century the lands of Mannerstoun were owned by Henry Graham. When he died without leaving a male heir Mannerstoun passed via one of his daughters to her husband who became known as Robert Livingstone of Drumry. Later the superiority of the barony of Abercorn passed from the Grahams to the Lindsays, with the Livingston family possessing Mannerstoun in the early 15th century and holding it from Lindsay of the Byres.

Henry de Lewyngstoun is on record in 1431, styled as lord of Manerstoun, granting the lands of Middle Binning to his son, also Henry.

John Livingston of Manerstoun married Agnes d’Erth, one of four co-heiresses of William d’Erth de Plane. Their daughter, Agnes Livingston, married Alexander Forrester of Torwood in 1463 and was given a share of the lands of Carnock and Plane.

In 1475 there was a boundary dispute between Henry Livingstone of Mannerston and John Martyne, laird of Medhope, regarding the bounds of the baronies of Linton and Newlands. Livingstone and Martyne were co-portioners of the the lands of Blyth in Linton.

Further conflict occurred in 1478 regarding the mill of Abercorn with John Martyne accusing Henry Livingstone and George Hamilton of the Tays of “brekin of the said mylne, and the wasting of the profit of the samyn heddertillis sen the tyme of the brekin of her, and the awaye takin of thre pottis, &c.” A document of 1480 describes a division of lands between the late Henry Livingstone of Mannerston and the late John Martin of Medope.

In 1493 Alexander Hepburn, son and heir of Alexander Hepburn of Whitsome, was found to be illegally occupying and manuring the third part of the half of the lands of Midhope which John Martin’s widow, Christian Martin, had the right to occupy and manure as per a contract she signed with James Livingston of Mannerston.

In 1507 James sold the barony of Plane to Alexander Livingston of Dunipace.

A letter of reversion from 1523 indicates that Margaret Roull had been given the lands of Medhope for the “sum of £100 Scots, being half the value of the marriage of John Livingstone of Manerstoun” but offered to resign them if the £100 was repaid (with expenses). In 1528 John Livingston granted a charter in favour of Sir James Hamilton of half the lands of Manerstoun and Medop.

Sir James Hamilton of Finnart received a grant in 1537 of half the lands of Medop, half the lands of Mannerstoun and half the mill of Abercorne from Elizabeth Martyne, Lady of Falscastell, who held the lands from John Lindsay, 5th Lord Lindsay of the Byres.

In 1538 James V confirmed a charter to Sir James Hamilton of Finnart by John Lindsay, 5th Lord Lindsay of the Byres, of the lands, tower, fortalice, mill and fisheries of Meidhoip, and the lands of Manerstoun. Sir James was convicted of treason and executed in 1540 and the same year the King confirmed a new charter to Lord Lindsay of various lands.

In 1650 James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Abercorn, resigned the lands and barony of Abercorn to George Seton, 3rd Earl of Winton, and George’s son, Alexander Seton, created Viscount Kingston by Charles I the following year. In December 1661 Viscount Kingston assigned the lands and barony of Abercorn to Walter Seton who paid the Viscount £3000 Sterling and received a charter of confirmation in January 1662.

The lands and barony of Abercorn at this time consisted of “the lands of Duddingston, Duntarvie, the arable lands of Winchburgh, the lands of Philipstoun, Gallowscruik Binns, Manerstoun, Easter and Wester Scotstoun, Mirrielees, Greigfoot, Cauldcoats, .. Meidhope with tower” and “the office of Sheriff of Linlithgow with fees, casualties and privileges and the dominical lands of Abercorn, the mill and lands of Mortoun, and the burgh of Newtoun of Abercorn.”