Polnoon Castle
| Polnoon Castle | |
|---|---|
| Eaglesham, East Renfrewshire, Scotland UK grid reference NS58505132 |
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Polnoon Castle mound
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 Polnoon Castle
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| Coordinates | 55°44′22″N 4°16′24″W / 55.739444°N 4.273333°W |
| Type | Tower |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Polnoon Farm |
| Controlled by | Montgomery clan |
| Open to the public |
Private |
| Condition | Significant rubble remains |
| Site history | |
| Built | 14th century |
| Built by | Sir John Montgomery |
| In use | Until 17th century |
| Materials | stone |
Polnoon Castle was a 14th-century fortification located on a motte beside the Polnoon Water in the Parish of Eaglesham, East Renfrewshire, Scotland.
The Barony of Eaglesham (1158, Egilsham; 1309, Eglishame) formed part of the grant made by David I (1124–53) to Walter fitz Alan, the founder of the house of Stewart. Eaglesham may well have come into the possession of the Montgomery family during Walter's floruit, since the family were certainly lairds of Eaglesham at a later date, and a certain Robert of Montgomery was one of Walter's prominent tenants.
Robert, likely an ancestor of the later Montgomerys family, appears as a witness in a charter to Monastery of Paisley around 1160.
John de Montgomery and his brother are listed on the Ragman Roll, rendering homage to Edward I of England for their estates in 1296. A later Sir John, the ninth Laird or Baron of Eaglesham, was one of the heroes of the Battle of Otterburn in 1388, capturing Sir Henry Percy, nicknamed 'Hotspur' in single combat and holding him ransom. Sir John's mother was a Douglas and a long term feud had existed between the Percy and Douglas families.
Ransoming important captives was the custom in the 14th century and Sir John used the money paid over by the English for the release of Hotspur to build himself a fine castle at Polnoon. It is said that following the chivalrous treatment of his captive, Sir John gained the lasting friendship and admiration of Sir Henry Percy and that he may have even assisted in the technical design and construction of the fortifications.
The ballad of the 'Battle of Otterburne' commemorates the events of 1388 that led to these developments:
The Percy and Montgomerie met,
Of other they were richt fain,
They swakked swords until they swat,
And their red blude ran between.
Yield thee, yield thee, Percy, he said,
Or I swear I’ll lay thee low!
To whom shall I yield, said Earl Percy,
Since I see that it maim be so?
As soon as he knew it was Montgomerie,
He stuck his sword-point in the ground;
But the Montgomerie was a courteous knight,
And quickly took him by the hand.
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Wikipedia