Individual Details

William McCulloch: This William managed his finances poorly. He first married
Elizabeth Dunbar (RMSRS 1546-1580, 80.2231) and wadset (mortgaged) the first
property given him by his father Symon in 1574. He had received the bulk of the barony
of Myretoun by 1582 with the new charter his father obtained for him. In 1594, William
and his second wife, Marie McCulloch heiress of Cardiness, sold and mortaged (by
wadset) more of their land (RMSRS 1593-1608, 518). In 1596, the barony of Myretoun
was heavily burdened by a bond of 15,000 merks in favor of Sir Patrick Vaus of
Barnbarroch, who granted a letter of reversion and a tack of barony to William at a rent
of 1300 maerks until the bond was redeemed. In effect, William was now only a tenant
on his own barony. To simplify the transaction, Sir Patrick renounced a previous bond
for a much smaller sum, now paid off, over the lands of Dowrie and Drumtroddane
(Calendar of Myretoun Writs, 42), but in spite of this, William, having gotten Sir
Patrick’s money, displayed some hesitation in carrying out the conditions of the contract.
So, on 7 Mar 1598, Vaus secured from the Court of Session a decreet (a decree or final
judgment) of registration (Calendar of Myretoun Writs, 43). At this point owing to
missing documents there is a break in the narrative and not until 1615 was there further
notice of this burden. In the meantime, Sir Patrick was dead, and his son, Sir John Vaus
of Longcastell and Barnbarroch, had inherited his father’s rights. The burden remained
the same, but the annual rent paid by William had in someway increased to 1400 merks:
the rate of interest, too, had gone up. Further, William’s son, Alexander, had been made
a party to the bonds, along with no less than five cautioners of surety for them, of whom
one, John McCulloch of Ardwall, was destined to figure prominently in the history of
Myretoun. Clearly, a new bond to Sir John had been substituted for the bond to Sir
Patrick. But William McCulloch was just as casual in his dealings with the son as he had
been with the father. He had never obtained the subscription of his cautioners to the
undertaking (Register of the Privy Council, X 50). So, under pressure from Sir John, he
granted an undertaking to convene his cautioners in the parish kirk of Wigtown and make
them subscribe, failing which, he was to remove from the barony, of which Sir John was
to take actual possession (Calendar of Myretoun Writs, 51). The following year, William
transferred his right of redemption to his son (Calendar of Myretoun Writs, 52). The end
was now in sight. In December 1621, William and his son, Alexander, assigned the
reversion contained in their contract with Sir John Vaus in favour of Dr John McCulloch
of the house of Killasser, and agreed to infeft him in the barony of Myretoun (Calendar of
Myretoun Writs, 70). The doctor at once repaid the £10,000 to Sir John Vaus (General
Register of Sasines), and, on 15 Aug [1622] received sasine on a Crown Precept
(Particular Register of Sasines Wigtown, I, 78).
With the intervention of Dr John McCulloch, any physical association with Myretoun by
William McCulloch seems to have come to an end. The final assignment to Dr John was
signed by William in Edinburgh, and by his son, Alexander, at King Street, London,
where he may have gone to repair his fortunes (Calendar of Myretoun Writs, 71). By
February 1623, both were residing at Refad of Airds in Ireland, to which district many of
their compatriots, including the Laird of Kilhit, had retired, driven there as much by
financial embarrassment as by the religious troubles of the times. It is not known when
or where William died, but he was dead by 1626 (Calendar of Ardwall Papers, 182). He
had the following issue by his second wife, Marie McCulloch (Calendar of Ardwall
Papers, 176): Alexander McCulloch; Agnes McCulloch who married Duncan Crawford
of Nether Skeldoun (Reg of Deeds 366), her daughter Isobel Crawford married William
McCulloch (the second) of Nether Ardwall (Calendar of Ardwall Papers, 216); and
Elizabeth McCulloch who married John McCulloch of Ardwall, later of Myretoun, on 1
Nov 1608 (Protocol Book, Jas Glover, 85a). (Epperson)

The McCulloch's of Myrton lived in southern Scotland overlooking Luce Bay. Myrton is in southwest Scotland along the coast. Across the bay from Myreton lies another McCulloch region related to Ardwall. King Robert DeBruce of Scotland knighted Captain Cullo O'Neill and chose him to be his standard-bearer and Secretary of State around 1318. He gave Sir Cullo O'Neill lands in Lorn, Myreton, and Achawan which encompass Killerar and Ardwall in Gallaway. Sir Cullo O'Neill died in 1331.

. William McCulloch of Myreton (Myrton, Portpatrick, Wigtownshire ?)
......(& Ardwell , Killasser, Parish Stoneykirk, Wigtownshire, Scotland, ?)
......dc.1626 Ireland
......m. Marie of Cardoness, dc.1616 about 54yrs, they had son,

2. Alexander McCulloch, b. Scotland, d. Sep 1642, Ireland, had son,

3. William McCulloch of near Randalstown, co. Antrim, N. Ireland, had son,

4. James McCulloch of Grogan, nr. Randalstown (Parish Drummaul),
......co Antrim, N. Ireland, had son

5. James McCulloch II of Grogan, nr Randalstown (Parish of Drummaul),
.....m. Mary Ferguson (dau of Dr. James Ferguson of Belfast), had children :

.....5a. Margaret McCulloch m. Francis Iredell of Lewes, Sussex, England.

.....5b. William McCulloch m. Miss Coleman and had son,
............6a James McCulloch of Camdey (?) nr. Dundalk, Ireland

.....5c. James McCulloch

.....5d. Henry McCulloch*
...........m. Miss Houston, aunt of Dr. William Houston of Co. Antrim, N. Ireland

.....5e. Miss McCulloch m. Charles McCartney, merchant in Dublin, Ireland

.....5f. Jane McCulloch

Death	Abt 1626	Ireland
Marriage		Elizabeth Dunbar
Marriage		Marie McCulloch of Cardoness

Spouse	Marie McCulloch of Cardoness (1562 - 1616)
Child	Alexander McCulloch ( - 1643)
Child	Agnes McCulloh ( - )
Child	Elizabeth McCulloh ( - )

Spouse

Elizabeth Dunbar ( - )

Father	Symon McCulloch ( - 1583)
Mother	Marian Gordon ( - )

Notes