His writings included Aeneas; a translation (1628) of Boyd of
Trochrig's Latin Hecatombe Christiana; The True Crucifixe for True
Catholikes (1629); a paraphrase of the Psalms; the Historie and
Descent of the House of Rowallane; A Counter-buff to Lysimachus
Nicanor; The Cry of Blood and of a Broken Covenant (1650); some
sonnets and various poems and an important musical document: Mure's
Lute-Book.
His history of his own family which was written shortly before
his death, "The Historie and Descent of the House of Rowallane",
which he derived from his own families papers gives interesting
insights into not only his own family but also of that of his
neighbours and to the history of Cunninghame in general. In it he
states that his family stems from "the tribe of O-More in Ireland
and that lands in Cunninghame were first granted to Gilchrist Mure
by Alexander III for his Gallant actions during the battle of
Largs. Shortly after this Gilchrist gained the lands of Rowallan
through marriage to Isobell Comyn the daughter of Sir Walter Comyn
one of the most powerful men in the land.
William in his writing however was very pro-Robert the Bruce and
seems to have no love for the Comyns who were Bruce's rivals and
describes them thus: "The Cummings, then the terror of the whole
kingdome, in the reign of the latest Alexanders……did prey at
pleasure, in everie part of the land, vpon the goods & houses
of all…". Another interesting passage lists Gilchrist's neighbours
who witnessed one of his charters: "Guilielmus de Cunynghame, Hugo
de Eglingtone, Joanes de linsay, Adam de ffullertone Milites,
Robertus Boyd, Jacobus Boyd, Adam Wallace..". This passage is
interesting as all the names seem to be of men who lived on lands
very close to Rowallan and certainly most of them had also had a
part to play in the Battle of Largs. The only name here which
little is known about is 'Adam Wallace'; could this be 'Alan
Wallace' the father of William? If so, then it would lend some
extra weight to Ayrshire's claim to be the hero's birthplace. It
would also suggest that his father too may have seen military
action. Many of these men, or their sons were also among the first
to join William Wallace's uprising - again not surprising if they
were already friends.
After his death, he was succeeded by his son, also called
William, who too was a leading supporter of the Covenanters and who
even went as far as holding outlawed religious gatherings or
'conventicles' in his own house at Rowallan.
