Monboddo House
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Monboddo House (coor d|56.89|N|02.42|W|region:GB) is a historically famous mansion in Kincardineshire, Scotland. The structure was generally associated with the Burnett of Leys family. The property itself was owned by the Barclay family from the 13th century. In 1593 the Laird was James Strachan, and thence it passed into the Irvine family and thereafter the Burnetts of Leys. There is a notable adornment on the structure with the arms of Irvine impaling the arms of Douglas with initials R.E. and I.E. and dated 1635. Monboddo House is situated in the Howe of Mairns near the village of Auchenblae approximately nine miles from the North Sea.
In 1714 the well known judge and philosopher James Burnett, Lord Monboddo was born in Monboddo House. Lord Monboddo is renowned for his service as a member of the Court of Session, an author of several works during the Scottish Enlightenment and a precursive contributor to the Theory of Evolution. When he was appointed to the Court of Sessions, James Burnett took the title of his father's estate, Monboddo House. In 1773 the author Samuel Johnson, frequently accompanied by James Boswell, visited Monboddo House to call upon James Burnett.
Monboddo House fell into a state of disrepair as of the 1960's; nevertheless, a number of notable features remain. A well proportioned Hall is on the first floor (second floor in American vernacular), which has relics of early panelling. The Hall is provided by two garderobes. While the basement has no vaulting, the westernmost basement chamber is the old kitchen, containing a very large fireplace arch.
Other nearby famous noble homes in northeast Scotland built by the Burnetts of Leys are Crathes Castle and Muchalls Castle. There is extant considerable genealogical data concerning the Burnett of Leys family (see particularly G. Burnett, 1901).
References
- Burnett, George,The family of Burnett of Leys, edited by J. Allardyce, New Spalding Club, Aberdeen (1901)
- Tranter, Nigel, The Fortified House in Scotland, Volume IV, (1962 to 1971)
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