The other Sir William was not yet a knight, when, along with his cousin (Sir William the elder), he was taken at Dunbar. He was commited to Rochester Castle, and was set free on condition of serving King Edward abroad, 18 August 1297, Richard Siward, perhaps his stepfather, becoming main-prize for him. He was second in command of the garrison of Stirling under his cousin; and after the surrender he was sent to Wallingford Castle, where he remained till 2 February 1306-07, if not longer. As William Olyfaunt, Knight, he granted a bond to Sir Hugh le Despenser, the father, for 100 shillings, 5 June 1309; this being the first known occurrence of the modern form of the name. He seems to have remained in England till 1313; on 21 October of that year he had a safe-conduct to go to Scotland. His return to the national party synchronises with the recovery of Stirling Castle by the Scots after Bannockburn; he witnesses a charter of King Robert on 12 February 1314-15. His seal is set to the renowned letter of the Scottish barons to the Pope in 1320. He is mentioned in the record of the Parliament held in March 1326-27; rendered an account as the King's Escheator, 16 January 1329-30; died 5 February thereafter, and was buried in Aberdalgie church, where a fine tomb to his memory was erected two or three generations later.
The Oliphant estates, as Sir William left them to his successors, consisted of (1) the aforesaid lands of Dupplin, Hedderwick, and Cranshaws, inherited from his Olifard forebearers, (2) the lands of Aberdalgie adjoining Dupplin, Turin near Forfar, Glensaugh in the Mearns, Pitkerie in Fife, and perhaps Gallery on the Northesk, which appear to have come into the family through a Wishart heiress, and (3) Gasknes (now Findogask) in Strathearn, Newtyle, Kinpurnie, Auchtertyre and Balcraig in Forfarshire, Muirhouse in Midlothian, and Hazelhead in Ayrshire, which he acquired, mostly by new gift from the King. |
