TORPICHEN. TORPICHEN, pemMy SAINT JOHN OF TORPICHEN'. Barony [S.] J. Sir James Saxdilaxus, Kni^lit of St. .7 dim of I 15G4 Jerusalem, Prior, or Preceptor, i>f tbs Knights Hospitallers oi tb.it order at Torpidien, co. Linlithgow, resigned his ecclesiastical dignity and its possessions to the Crown, and received, under the style of "Jambs SaKDBLAHDIS, Lord or Sr. JoHM,"(») a charter from Queen Mary [S.]. 24 Jan. 1 563/4, ( b ) confirming to liim. his heirs and attigni, the lands and Raronies of TVnflcllKN, Listoun. l'allintrodo, Tankertoun, Denny, Muryeiilter. Stanhoep and Oaltua within the Sheriffdoms of Edinburgh, Peebles, Linlithgow. Stirling, Lanark, and Kincardine as also all Templars lands, "commonly called Temple lauds." 4c, the whole to be " into one entire and free Barony called the Baronv of Toupicben.'X) whereby accordingly he became LORD TORPICHES.C 1 ) or possibly LORD SAINT JOHN OF TORPICHEN [S.J, or even LORD SAINT JOHN[S.]( e ) the grant being " by royal charter to him and his heirs anil assignees, "0 He was 2d s. of Sir James Sandii.ands. of Calder, a zealous reformer (d. 1560). by Margaret, or Mariot. only da. of Archibald FORRESTER, of Corstorphine ; harl resided many years at Malta. becoming a Knight of the onler of St. John, and being, in 1538, made Prior of that order at Torpieheu, which office, however, having become of the reformed faith in 1553, he resigned in 1564, and obtained, in consequence, an hereditary peerage [S.], ns above mentioned. He hi. Janet, da. of ( — 1 Murray. of Polmsiise. but d. s.p. 29 Nov. 1598. 40G II. 1596. ~. James (Sanhtlanps), Lord Tohpicqex [8.1. £>n>at- nephew aud h., being b. and h. of James Sandji.asds, of Calder, by Jean, da. of James (Ross), 4th LORD lioss of HalkfieaI) [S.J which James Smidilands lastnamed (who d. 1577) was s. aud h. of John SaNDILakds, of Calder Id. between 1553 and 1567), elder br, of the late Lord. He sin: to lie peerage [S,], 27 Not. 1599, and was served heir to his said great-uncle, 12 May 1597. In the "decreet of ranking" of 1606, he was placed next after Lord Boyd [S.] and next before Lord Paisley [S.], whose peerage is dated 15S7. He m, firstly, Elizabeth, da. of Jainea Heriot, of Trabroun. He m. seeondly, shortly before his death, Mary, 1st da. and coheir of Gilbert (SoMERVltXl), 8th Loud Somkhville [S.j, by Margaret, da. of John Souerville, of Cambusnethan. He </. Aug. 1617. Funeral entry in Lyon office. His widow m. (being then 20) William Doi'ulas, of Pompherstouu.(iJ) ( a ) " The Knights of St. John were fixed at Torpichen, as far back as the time of David I. [S.] (1124-2153). The Master, or Preceptor, of Torpichen. sat in Pari, on 3 Feb. 1489, he figures as Damlnua Saudi Johnnnis in the Rolls of Pari, and is ranked as premier Baron immediately after the Earls." [Riddell, p. 88 ; and also Riddell's " .Devon, case " pp. 59-66]. The appointment to the Preceptory of Torpichen was vested in the Grand Master of the order, whose residence (after the capture of Rhodes in 1552) was at Malta. ( b ) "This charter was the sole instrument that cr. the Honour of Lord Torpichen [S.j It was received as proof of the creation of the dignity by the Commissioners appointed in 1606 to determine the precedency of the Peers of Scotland and the then Lord Torpichen [S.] was rauked accordiug to the date of it ; a precedency always held by his successors." See note to (Mr. Fleming's) "Authorities, &c." on the Berkeley claim, 1862 (p. 47), where some extracts translated from the above- named charter are given. ( c ) See vol. iv, p. 247, note "a," sab " Holyroodhousk " aa to Scotch peerages founded on the estates of Bishoprics or religious houses. (d) Torpichen is one of the four peerages conferred during the reign (1512-67) of Queen Mary fS.] See vol. v, p. 305, note "d," sub "Methven." (°) See " Riddell, p. 90, note, shewing that the grautee was called by all the three designations. (f) Wood's "Douglas" quoting "Mag. Sig. L. xxsii. No. 182." (S) " The delicacy of this young lady's person, and the sweetness of her disposition, made her enjoy two husbands before she attained to the 20tU year of her age." [" Memorie of the Somervillcs," 1679].
