In 1426, the Duchess of Touraine {sister of William, sixth Earl of Douglas, and afterwards the wife of William, the eighth Earl} bestowed upon William Douglas of Leswalt the lands of Cruggleton, &c., as compensation for Lochnaw, which was confirmed by James I. in a charter dated March 1427. This exercise of power arose from the Douglas family having been created Lords of Galloway.

Lands were then thus unceremoniously disposed of in Galloway, but in many instances only nominally, possession not being obtained. The Kerlies kept possession for some generations after this period, and Candida Casa the superiority, which had been obtained in the manner already stated. The Kerlies, of Irish Celtic origin, appear to have retained all the characteristics of that people, and shared the misfortunes which had attended those of their name McCairills in Ireland.

Instead of exposing the Church, and getting crown charters, they held by their own Celtic laws and ideas, which ended in their ruin. Had they been Normans, a very different result would have followed, for no Norman is known to have forgotten to get a crown charter in these troublous times. Having no crown charter for Cruggleton, &c., at the Reformation, the ruin of the Kerlies was involved in that of the Church of Rome in Scotland.