376
The present parish of LONGFORMACuS comprehends the old parishes of Loch-
ermacus and Ellem.     Longformacus is the modern corruption of Lochermacus,
which is the form of the name in old charters.    This was still the name of the
parish in the reign of Queen Mary (y), and during the age of Charles I. (z).
Locker is a frequent name in Scottish topography, as Locher-wart, Mid-Lothian,
Locher-castle, Locher-moss, and Locker-water, in Annandale, and there are the
rivulets Locher in Lanark and Renfrew.     It also appears, perhaps, in the
form of Locher-by, in Annandale, Locher-by, in Yorkshire, and Locher-by, in
Hampshire.   The word is probably the British Llwcher, or Lloucher, signifying
a place of pools, or a stream that stagnates into pools.    There are several such
riverets in Wales under the form of Loucher.    The Gaelic term is Locker.    As
Rodericks was annexed, as we have seen, to Linton ; Maccus, the name of a
person which we know existed in Roxburghshire, was adjoined to Locher.
The church of Locher-macus, owing to whatever cause, does not appear in the
ancient Taxatio.     The advowson of the church seems to have been always ap-
purtenant to the manor.     But the ancient Lords of Lochermacus cannot be
easily traced.    Before the accession of Robert I., Morthingtori of Morthington
had become the proprietor of this parish.     Randolph, the first Earl of Moray,
obtained from the gratitude of that great king, his uncle, the baronies of Mor-
thington and Longformacus, which had pertained to Agnes de Morthington
and her husband, who had resigned them (a).    After the death of the illustrious
Randolph on the 22nd of July 1332, those baronies were successively held by
his son Thomas, who fell on the disgraceful field of Dupplin in 1332 ; and by
John, the third Earl, who fell on the more disastrous field of Durham in 1346.
Black Agnes, their sister, and Countess of Dunbar, enjoyed Morthington and
Longformacus; from her those baronies descended to her son George, Earl of
Dunbar.    This great person soon after granted to James Sinclair, of the Roslin
family, the barony of Longformacus, to be held of the Earls of Dunbar; and
the Earl's liberality was confirmed by Robert III. in 1393 (6).    But when this
earldom was forfeited in 1434, the Sinclairs seem to have become tenants in
chief of Longformacus (c).    This family was now involved in some measure in
the various fortunes of the Earldom of Dunbar ; yet did they retain the barony
of Longformacus till late times.    The property of this barony with the ad-
vowson of the church, now belong to Home of Longformacus.    Morthington,
(y) Parl. Rec., 763.	(z) Pont's Map in Blaeu, No. 8.
(a) Roberts. Index, 9, 11	(b) Roberts. Index, 144.
(c) Dougl Peer., 249.