A charter of the lands of Brunston granted by James IV in 1493 to Edward Crichton and his wife Agnes Cockburn specified a feudal rent of a red rose on the feast day of St John the Baptist.

[3] In 1546, the Protestant reformer George Wishart stayed at Brunstane with Alexander Crichton and was arrested soon after at the house of John Cockburn of Ormiston.

Regent Arran brought four cannon from Edinburgh Castle at the end of February and captured their houses.

[6] On 6 April 1548, the English commander Grey of Wilton reported that Alexander Crichton's house had not been burnt, but, "Marry!

the topp is pulled downe, so much of the stone as was lyked, which laye in redyness to bylde, caryed to Edynborough, his yong trees cut up, and all worse handled than if it had been with fyer.