| He had on 7 August 1413 a charter by Robert, Duke of Albany, of the lands of Kilmaurs, Lambrachtown, Kilbride, Skelmorlie, Polquharn, Redhall, Hassendean, and Ranfurly, co. Renfrew, resigned by his father Sir William, to be held to Robert himself and the heirs-male of his body, whom failing, to his father Sir William, whom failing, to Thomas, Alexander, and John, his (Sir William's) brothers, whom failing, to Sir Humphrey Conynghame, and Archibald his brother (Sir William's cousins), whom failing, to William of Conynghame, son of the late Sir Archibald Conynghame, Knight, whom all failing, to Sir William's nearest lawful heirs; reserving Sir William's liferent in the lands. Sir Robert was one of those magnates who went to meet King James I at Durham as hostages for his deliverance 3 February 1423-24. He was knighted by the King at his coronation on 21 May 1424, and was one of the jury on the trial of Murdach, Duke of Albany, 1425. He was one of four chiefs despatched shortly afterwards on an expedition to Loch Lomond against James Stewart, son of Duke Murdach, who had caused a disturbance there, and burned the town of Dumbarton. Sir Robert and Sir Alexander Montgomery of Ardrossan had a joint commission for governing and defending Kintyre and Kuapdale 10 August 1430. On 31 January 1448 King James II granted to Sir Alexander Montgomery the heritable office of Bailie of the King's barony of Cunningham, formerly held by Sir Robert, a grant which gave rise to the long and bitter feud between the Cunninghams of Kilmaurs and the Montgomeries.5 |