ASHKIRK: A family of this name were vassals of the bishop of Glasgow in the twelfth century and took their surname from their lands in the barony of the same name in Selkirkshire. Between 1165 and 1182 William the Lion granted to the Church of Glasgow and to Orm de Ashkirke and his heirs certain lands in the neighborhood of Ashkirk within boundaries named, with the liberty of "plowing, sowing, and waynage within the fence that was raised around their deer-parks on the day on which this charter was framed" (REG., p. 28—29). In the reign of Alexander II (1214—1249) a curious family dispute arose respecting the legitimacy of Henry de Eschirche which furnishes the following particulars relating to three generations of the family:

Memorandum orient the brothers AschircheStolen from Fore bears

"Their first ancestor was named Acolf. This Acolf had two sons. The first born was named Huhtred, This Huhtred had a son also named Huhtred. This second Huhtred begot Richard his true heir. The second son of Acolf was called Orm. Orm begot Adam. Adam begot William. This William begot Henry, to whom it was opponed that he was illegitimate, and Alexander, his younger brother, whose legitimacy was not disputed" (ibid., p. 127). All the individuals here named along with others of the same designation, appear as witnesses in various charters of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries (LAC., p. 28; Melros, p. 109,118, 120,121, 126, etc.; Neubotle, p. 109; REG., p. 28, 46, 65). The dispute concerning Henry's legitimacy was apparently terminated in his favor by a settlement made at Roxburgh according to which he granted to his brother Alexander "the half of the whole fief of Eschirche in all things for his homage and service, to be held of him and his heirs for a reddendo of half the service in all things belonging to half of the same fief of Eschirche" (REG., p. 126). Alexander de Askirke held land of Walter de Ridale in the reign of Alexander II (Melros, p. 254), Henry de Askirk had a grant from David II in 1363 of the land of quondam Ade de Glenton in the burgh of Roxburgh (RMS., I, 155), and Gilbert Askyrke or Gib of Askirk was burgess of Arne, 1415 and 1438 (Ayr, p. 9; Friars Ayr, p. 49). Askyrk 1415.