Lefnoreis Castle

Lefnoreis is recorded as being the most important of the three castles in the parish of Old Cumnock, the other two being Borland Castle and Terringzean Castle. The spelling of the placename The name of the fortification is commonly recorded as variations of both Lefnoreis and Lochnorris with the former version more widely used on maps and many other variations in spelling and title, such as the Ward of Lefnorris, Lefnoreise, Tower of Leifnorris, Liffnoris, Leifnoreis Castle of Lesno in 1654, Lesnoris in 1685 and finally as Lissnorris in 1747-1755. It is also recorded as Craufurdstoun as is the near by Terringzean Castle. Considerable confusion has arisen in the writing of the castle's name arising from the use of the Long s to represent a lower case s in documents until around 1800 in printed documents and well into the 19th century for written documents. The convention previously being to use a letter similar to an elongated f, leading to a lower case s being easily and often confused and interpreted as an f. On the above mentioned maps this led to Lissnorris for example apparently having the spelling Liffnorris. An actual f had a short horizontal stroke to differentiate it. The intended pronunciation of the name might therefore be closer to Lesnories. Ward It is unusual for the term Ward to be applied to a fortification's name. In Scottish Law a Ward is "..the oldest form of feudal land tenure, viz. by military service, with various attendant rights and obligations, esp. that of the superior to uphold and draw the rents of the lands of a deceased vassal while the heir was uninfeft or remained a minor, as an equivalent for the loss of military services during such period, the usage being termed simple ward. Later commutation was admitted for a monetary payment in lieu of the drawing of rents." This implies that the use of the name Ward only applied to periods in which the male heir was a minor, etc. ==Description of the castle and lands==

Paterson records that Lefnoreis was a tower known as the 'Ward'. Lord Bute in 1897 carried out extensive excavations at the castle's site and discovered part of the walls of a fortification of considerable strength and also a causeway composed using water-worn stones. In 1885 the foundations had still been visible above ground, the building being demolished circa 1759. To the west of the castle site and close to the site of the old Lefnoreis walled garden lies the recently restored Lady's Well (2018) that drains into the Lugar Water. 1756 is the first date recorded for the well although the well's name suggests a pre-reformation date that would make it contemporary with Leifnorris Castle. Until 1944 the well designed by Robert Adam stood as a small square structure with four arched openings and a pyramidal roof. The Craufurds also held lands in Ochiltree and Dalmellington. ==The Lairds of Lefnoreis==

The first recorded lairds of Lefnoreis were the Craufurds in 1440, On the third of October 1528 the laird of Leiffnoris was at Mauchline Castle in the company of the bailie of the Barony of Kylesmuir, Hugh Campbell and the lairds of Ardgowan, Haining, Caprington and Ochiltree. It was the eve of the annual Mauchline Fair. The estate belonged to the family until 1635 when it was purchased by William, 2nd Earl of Dumfries. His heiress, Penelope, married the second son of the 1st Earl of Stair and the Dumfries title passed into the Dalrymple family. The Crichton-Stuarts, Marquesses of Bute inherited Dumfries House and estate. The coat of arms of the Craufurds of Lefnoreis was "Gules, a Fess Ermine, and in Chief, two Stars. Or." This translates from heraldic terminology as a shield with a red background with a band of ermine running horizontally across and two gold stars above the horizontal band. ==Historical incidents==

William Craufurd in 1510 was involved in the taking back of Loch Doon Castle from the Kennedy Clan. In 1560 and 1572 George Craufurd sat in the Scottish parliament and in 1589 William Craufurd was appointed as a commissioner to ensure that all Jesuits were to leave the country for a month. In 1608 the Privy Council of Scotland issued an order that the Cunninghames of Caprington, Dalkeith and Auchincors were not to meet at Cumnock Church as violence was foreseen. The families were in dispute and elsewhere murders had taken place on the sabbath at churches. William Cunninghame of Caprington and his son and the laird of Lefnoreis and his son were to refrain from meeting with their men at the church or suffer a large fine, the order remaining in force until 1 April 1609. ==Dumfries House==

William Dalrymple, 5th Earl of Dumfries, was responsible for commissioning John, Robert and James Adam to design and build Dumfries House between 1754–59, the old castle then being abandoned and the stone removed. ==See also==