Maclellan's Castle

The Maclellans of Bombie and Kirkcudbright were minor actors in the age of the Border Reivers, but they strode the stage nonetheless. Their story is typical of the Scottish nobility of their time. I am a descendant of the Maclellans, through Margaret Maclellan, who married Patrick Vans (or Vaus) of Lybrack in 1611. Her brother was the 1st Lord of Kirkcudbright and her father was the Sheriff and Provost of that town. Her grandfather, on the other hand, was killed at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547. Her great-grandfather was killed in a feud on the streets of Edinburgh in 1526. Her great-great-grandfather was killed at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. Going even further back was Sir Patrick Maclellan of Bombie, Sheriff of Galloway, who was put to death at Threave Castle by the Earl of Douglas for refusing to support the latter's plot to overthrow the king. This family is just one example of a society where violent death was the norm.