Tuesday 7 March 2023

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No - not chess! The new AI software ChatGPT has been trained on millions of texts, documents and reports on the open internet to generate answers to questions posed to it. Apparently these AI systems can do quite a good job and provide almost instantaneous answers, though they can be prone to mistakes and duff gen and can be fed erroneous facts deliberately.

I thought I'd give it a try to see what it might have to say about Sir Gervase de Rait and Rait Castle as well as later Raits. I posed the questions "Who was Sir Gervase de Rait?", "What is the history of Rait Castle near Nairn in Scotland?", and "Who were the Raits of Hallgreen in the Mearns, Kincardineshire?" I got these replies.

"Sir Gervase de Rait was a 14th-century Scottish knight who is believed to have been born in or near Rait Castle in Nairn, Scotland. He was a member of the Rait family, a powerful Highland clan that controlled the castle and surrounding lands.

Sir Gervase de Rait is best known for his involvement in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. He fought on the side of the Scottish king, Robert the Bruce, and is said to have been present at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, which was a decisive victory for the Scots over the English.

After the war, Sir Gervase de Rait was granted lands and titles by King Robert the Bruce in recognition of his loyalty and service. He became known as the Lord of Rait and went on to play an important role in the governance of the region.

Sir Gervase de Rait died in the mid-14th century and was buried in the churchyard of the nearby village of Auldearn. His tomb is still visible today and is a popular attraction for visitors interested in Scottish history."

*****

"Rait Castle is a ruined 14th-century castle located near the town of Nairn in Scotland. The castle was originally built by the Cummings, a powerful Highland family, around 1300. The castle was besieged and captured by Robert the Bruce in 1308 during the Wars of Scottish Independence. After the war, the castle was granted to the Dunbars, another powerful family, who expanded and strengthened the castle.

In the 16th century, Rait Castle passed into the hands of the Mackintoshes, who were loyal to the Scottish crown. They further expanded and fortified the castle to withstand attacks from rival clans. During the 17th century, Rait Castle was abandoned and left to fall into ruin. In the 18th century, the castle was used as a quarry for local building projects, leading to further deterioration of the structure.

Today, the castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is open to visitors. Although the castle is in ruins, visitors can still see the remains of the great hall, the tower, and the courtyard. The castle is also known for its impressive views of the surrounding countryside."

*****

The Raits of Hallgreen were a prominent Scottish family who lived in the Mearns area of Kincardineshire in the northeast of Scotland. The family was known for its significant influence in the region, particularly in the areas of landownership and politics.

The Raits of Hallgreen were descended from William Rait, who was granted the lands of Hallgreen by King Robert III in the 15th century. Over the years, the family acquired additional lands and estates, including the nearby Raemoir Castle.

The family was active in local politics, and several members served as provosts of the nearby town of Inverurie. In addition, the family was known for its support of the Presbyterian Church and played an active role in the Scottish Reformation.

Perhaps the most famous member of the Raits of Hallgreen was Sir William Rait, who served as the 8th Baronet of Hallgreen in the 18th century. Sir William was a prominent politician and held several high-ranking positions in the Scottish government, including Lord Advocate and Lord Justice Clerk. Today, the Raits of Hallgreen are remembered as an important Scottish family with a long and influential history in the Mearns area of Kincardineshire.

*****

Unfortunately, the sources where ChatGPT obtained its facts and information are not given. Because my Rait questions are fairly obscure and specialist topics, then there is probably little fake or malicious details provided - though there could very well be some badly interpreted or misunderstood concepts given in good faith.

For instance, some of the information provided by ChatGPT about Gervase is new to me - I mean we thought he was on the side of Edward I as was his brother Andrew and that he died about 1297 when his lands were given to his brother. But maybe the brothers were on opposing sides and his lands were  in fact confiscated, even though he submitted to Edward in 1296. Of course, both nobility and gentry were removed from their power centres, whether by violent or peaceful means, and whether to their advantage or not, when kings found their own positions under threat. Clearly Andrew was Edward's man, but maybe Gervase was not. And what of his grave in Auldearn? Is this the system putting two and two together and getting it wrong - perhaps another Rait is buried there. It's odd that there is no mention of Gervase after 1297 and yet it is surmised he fought at Bannockburn.

In the answer about Rait Castle, it is interesting that the Castle is not described as a hall house, and that Gervase is not mentioned in the context given. And to my knowledge, while Rait may have passed to the Comyns (Cummings), then to the Mackintoshes, then to the Campbells of Cawdor, it never passed to the Dunbars. There is possibly a confusion here with Dunbar Castle.

The Hallgreen family was not really originally descended from William Rait, but rather first Mark and then his son David. And although we know of some proporties belonging to the Rait family in the Mearns, I don't believe I have ever come across Raemoir Castle (or House as it is now called).