DOUGLAS/DRYSDALE
The Clan Douglas
Arms: Quarterly, 1st, Azure, a lion rampant Argent crowned with an Imperial Crown Or (Earldom of Galloway); 2nd, Or, a lion rampant Gules, armed and langued Azure, surmounted of a ribbon in bend Sable (abernethy); 3rd, Argent, three piles Gules (for Wishart of Brechin); 4th, Or, a fess checky Azure and Argent, surmounted of a bend Sable charged with three buckles of the Field (Stewart of Bonkhill); overall, on a escutcheon Argent, a man's heart ensigned of an Imperial Crown Proper and on a chief Azure three stars of the Field (Douglas) Badge: A salamander Vert encircled with flames of fire Proper Motto: Jamais arriere (Never behind) Gaelic Name: Dubhghlas Tartans: Douglas, Douglas (Grey).
Septs: Cavers, Douglass, Drysdale, Forest, Forrest, Glendinning,
Inglis, Kirkpatrick, Lockerby, MacGuffie, MacGuffock, Morton, Sandilands.
The Douglasses were one of Scotland's most powerful families. Sir William de Douglas had 2 sons who fought at the Battle of Largs against the Norse in 1263.
Another William Douglas was governor of Berwick and was taken prisoner when the town was besieged by the English. He was released after he agreed to accept Edward I as overlord of Scotland but later fought with William Wallace for Scotland's independence. He was captured by the English again and died in prison in 1302.
His son, "The Good Sir James" was a lifelong friend and supporter of the Bruce and died in Spain carrying the Bruce's heart to the Holy Land. Sir James had joined with the King of Castille in his crusade against the Moors and was killed leading a
charge against an enemy that far outnumbered his own force. The Bruce's heart was recovered from the battlefield and returned to Scotland.
James' illegitimate son, Archibald the Grim, consolidated the family's position of power and helped defend Edinburgh castle from Henry IV in 1400. He later became Lieutenant General of Scotland. Archibald and his son were both killed fighting the English in France.
By the fifteenth century, the Douglases had become very powerful. So powerful that they were seen as a threat to the crown. In 1440, the Earl and his brother were invited to dine with the then 10 year old King James II. After dinner, the Douglasses were taken, given a mock trial and beheaded. The young King was shocked although 12 years later he invited their cousin, the new Earl to Stirling Castle where the King himself murdered him.
George Douglas, first Earl of Angus founded the Red Douglas branch of the family. He was Lord Chancelor for Scotland and his grandson married Margaret Tudor and was thus guardian of the young James I.
William Douglas became Duke of Hamilton through marriage and most of the Douglas titles devolved to the Dukes of Hamilton. The Douglas-Hamiltons are the heirs to the Clan chiefship but because of Lyon Court laws are not able to matriculate as chiefs because of their hyphenated surname.
Sixteen Century Outlaws (Ninth Edition)
On the twentieth day of May, One thousand Five Hundred and Three years: ‘We, Thomas, William and James DOUGLAS, sons of the departed Thomas DOUGLAS of Brashwood Haugh in the Parish of Drysdale, and the shire of Dumfries, left our native place for the reason here assigned, viz: Defending our just and lawful rights against our unjust neighbour, Johnston of Greenstone-Hill, who, being determined to bring water to his hill through our property, and having obtained leave of his friend the King (James I) began his operations on Monday, the 16th May. We prevented him by force. The next day he brought twenty of his vassals to carry on the work. We with two friends and three servants (eight in all) attacked Johnstone with his twenty, and in the contest fourteen of his men were killed, along with their base leader. A report of these proceedings was carried to the King and we were obliged to fly the alarm being sounded. We took shelter under the shadow of the Ochil Hills in a lonely valley on the river Devon. After having lived there two full years, we returned home in disguise, but having found our property in the possession of Johnson’s friends and a great reward offered for our lives. We having purchased a small plot called Haugh of Boller, and changed our names to the name of our native parish, and are clearly in mind to spend the residue of our days under the eye of the Ochils and wish the name of DRYSDALE to flourish in the lonely valley; the King passed through this with his court, on the 12th of June 1506, going from Stirling to Falkirk – dined in Halliday’s Green (an eastern neighbour), but we were not known.
The above has been preserved among the descendants of Thomas, William and James DOUGLAS: (now known by the name DRYSDALE), copied at several times by different individuals –
Simon DRYSDALE of the Haugh of Boller –1680 (1st edition).
Robert DRYSDALE of Tillicoutry –1708 (2nd).
John DRYSDALE at Dunfermline –1835 (3rd).
James DRYSDALE at Dunfermline –1839 (4th).
John DRYSDALE at Montrose –1841 (5th).
John DRYSDALE at Coalanaughton –1866 (6th).
Thomas Drysdale GILLESPIE at Kilburnie-1869 (7th), at Redding(near Falkirk)-1874 (8th) and 1880 (in its current english format, 9th edition).
Ninth Edition reprinted by the following individuals-
Mrs Francis SCOTT-December 1933.
Margaret SCOTT of Calashields.
James DRYSDALE of Lower Hutt-April 1930.
James Laird DRYSDALE of Wellington.
John Hamilton BACKHOUSE of Hamilton.
Andrea Kim BACKHOUSE of Auckland-October 1999.
On the towrin’ cauld Ochils, the dreary winds cough,
Now piercin’ the cauld on the top o’ Benclough.
The snow it is driftin’ on moorland and fen,
And shepherds are moving their sheep free the glen,
Now changed the scene! In that valley there be,
Where Devon winds gently, its course to the sea,
In yon hallow’s spot, on the banks where it flows,
Our forefather’s ashes in silent repose.
The above document was given to us by John BACKHOUSE in 1999. It is a historical record of the DRYSDALEs. We have tried to use the internet to fill in the gaps between Thomas, William and James DRYSDALE, and James Laird DRYSDALE. The following information is a starting point for future research.
Thomas DRYSDALE of Brashwood Haugh in the Parish of Douglas had at least three sons:
Thomas b 1474
William b1476
James b1478
I believe I have identified the authors of the 9 editions, on the internet:
Simon DRYDALE b1630, Clackmannan, Scotland – author 1st edition. Father: Thomas.
Robert DRYSDALE b1626, Tillicoutry, Scotland – author 2nd edition. Father: John.
Alexander DRYSDALE, born 1756 married Margaret MOODIE b 1764. They had 9 children:
Thomas b1782
Mary b1783
Christian b1785
Elspet b1789
James b1790 – author 4th edition
Joan b1793
Barbara b1794
Alexander b1796
John b1798 – author 3rd, 5th and 6th editions
Mary b1783 married Edward GILLESPIE b. They had 11 children:
Mary b1806
Margaret b1809
James b1810
Isabella b1812
Alexander b1815
Christian b1816
John b1819
Mary b1821
Edward 1824
Barbara b1825
Thomas Drysdale b1827
John DRYSDALE, probably a grandson of one of Alexander and Margarets children, married Sarah LAIRD, in about 1860. Their son James Laird b1895, at Armadale, Scotland, married Sybil MORRISON. They had 4 children, all born in Dunedin:
Helen Kathleen Laird b 1925
Douglas Newton Laird b1927
Alison Mary b1928
James Ian b
Helen married Keith BACKHOUSE in Wellington in 1945. They had 6 children:
John Hamilton b 1945
Jenniffer Noeline b1947
Peter Laird b1950
Pamela Mary b1951
Geoffrey Ronald b1953
Paula Jane b1963
John married Pauline SUMMERELL in Whangarei in 1967. They had 3 children:
Gregory Alan b1963
Andrea Kim b 1968
Cindy Ann 1970