A collection of historical and genalogical records
Drysdale - a Douglas sept
Information
Drysdale is considered a sept of the Douglas clan, but it is quite likely that this was a separate family which existed previous to when the three Douglas brothers adopted the Drysdale name. A sept is a family that can be related to a clan or larger family for various reasons. Usually this came about either through marriage or by a small family seeking protection from a larger and more powerful neighbour.
Members: 18
Latest Activity: on Friday
Story of the creation of the Drysdale family
The following is said to tell the story of the creation of the Drysdale family, it was actually part of the Black Douglas clan which remained in Scotland, following their failed attempt against the Scots crown in 1455. [Earlier references to Drysdale, or Dryfesdale can be found]
"On the Twentieth Day of May, One Thousand Five Hundred and Three Years
We, Thomas, William, and James Douglass, sons of the departed Thomas Douglass, of Brushwood Haugh, in the parish of Drysdale, and 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 Greenstonhill, who, being determined to bring water to his mill through our property, and having obtained leave of his friend, the King, began his operations on Monday, the 16th of May, We prevented him by force.
The next day he brought twenty of his vassels to carry on the work. We with two friends and three servants, (eight in all,) attacked Johnston 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 tocsin being sounded).
We took shelter under the shadow of the Ochil Hills, in a lonely valley on the river Devon. After having lived there a full two years, we returned home in disguise, but found all our property in the possession of Johnston's friends, and a great reward offered for our lives. We, having purchased a small spot, called the Haugh of Dollar, and changed our names to the name of our Parish, are clearly in mind to spend the residue of our days under the ope 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 Falkland - dined on Halliday's green. (an eastern neighbour;) but we were not recognised."
The above story has been preserved among the desendants of Thomas, William, and James Douglass, now known by the name of Drysdale, and copied at several times by different individuals - first, by Simon Drysdale of the Haugh of Dollar, in the year 1620; by Robert Drysdale of Tillicoultry, in 1708; by John Drysdale, Dunfermline, in 1835; by James Drysdale, Dumfermline, in 1838; by John Montrose Drysdale, in 1841; by George Drysdale, Aberdeen, in 1845; by David Drysdale, Glasgow, in 1857; by John Harrower Drysdale, Aylmer, Ontario, Canada, in 1920; and now by Nicholas Edwin Kontzie (great-great-grandson of Jane Drysdale), Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in 2000.
Discussion Forum
Scots living in Holland in 17th & 18th Centuries
Started by Ronald Drysdale. Last reply by Russell Lynn Drysdale on Friday. 13 Replies 0 Likes
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scots_International_ChurchThe Scots International Church or the Scottish Church (Dutch:…Continue
Tags: Drysdale, Netherlands, Douglas, Rotterdam, church
The Drysdales of Dollar
Started by Ronald Drysdale. Last reply by Ronald Drysdale Mar 29. 18 Replies 1 Like
The 1998 publication - 'History of Dollar' contains a lot of information concerning early Drysdale feuars & tenants in Dollar i.e. residents of Dollar prior to 1605 & thereafter:…Continue
Tags: Lag, Dumfries, Dollar, Douglas, Gregorsoune
The origins of the surname Drysdale
Started by Ronald Drysdale. Last reply by Russell Lynn Drysdale Mar 1. 26 Replies 2 Likes
In a previous post I gave some background information on the Barony and lands of Dryfesdale:…Continue
Tags: Moffat, Johnston, Maxwell, Gresson, Kirkpatrick
Early Douglas and Drysdale migrants to South Africa
Started by Ronald Drysdale. Last reply by Ronald Drysdale Oct 26, 2024. 3 Replies 1 Like
Hi all,Following on from William Douglas's recent comment:…Continue
Comment Wall
Add a Comment
-
Comment by Ronald Drysdale on May 16, 2023 at 17:09
-
Scottish Heraldry and Thomas Drysdale, the Islay Herald
Sir David Lyndsay of the Mount (c.1486 – c.1555) was a Scottish knight, poet, and herald who gained the highest heraldic office of Lyon King of Arms.
In 1542, he produced a Scottish roll of arms known today as the Lindsay of the Mount Roll.
It contains 400 Scottish coats of arms, some of which were added later in the 16th century, and forms the basis of the official Scots heraldic registry in use today.Another copy of the facsimile comprising accurate redrawing of his own drawings was published in Edinburgh in 1878.
https://electricscotland.com/heraldry/facsimileofancientheraldic.pdf
Plate 64 shows the arms of Lord Boyis of Dryvisdaill of auld.
The content of the book and register of arms was approved by the Lords of His Majesty's Privy Council at Holyroodhouse on 9th December 1630. Signed by Sir James Balfour Lyone and Thomas Drysdaill, the Islay Herald
-
-
Some references to the Lands and Barony of Dryfesdale, in the period 1100 - 1580:
The Church
Robert de Brus
Ingebald
De Bois
Crichton
Patrick Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell
CarruthersFrancis Stewart, Earl of Bothwell
See attached pdfThe%20Lands%20and%20Barony%20of%20Dryfesdale%20for%20pdf.pdf
-
-
Skirmish at Drumlanrig and the burning of Dryfesdale
-
Comment by Russell Lynn Drysdale on May 7, 2023 at 17:21
-
William , on Douglas Archives my genealogy -a year or so ago I looked and found none listed prior 1503.
-
Comment by William Douglas on May 7, 2023 at 14:35
-
I did a search of the Douglas Archives for:
Last Name contains Drysdale AND Birth Year less than 1600 AND Tree equals My Genealogyand found only five named:
http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/famgen/search.php?mybool=AND&nr...William
-
-
Thanks Robert,
Referring to your earlier post on Drysdales in Clackmannanshire in the 1841,1881 and 1921 census, I also did a records search on Drysdale births on the 'Scotlandspeople', 'Find my past' and 'Freereg' websites for the period 1600-1650 and this shows the family name very much concentrated in the Clackmannanshire, Edinburgh and Fife regions in Scotland:
Scotlands People - Births only 1600-1650 - all Scotland
Freereg + FindmyPast - Births only 1600-1650 - all England
County/City
County/City
Aberdeen
1
Yorkshire
4
Berwick
7
Essex
3
Clackmannan
91
Norfolk
1
Dumfries
2
London
5
Edinburgh Midlothian
88
Warwickshire
1
Fife
59
Durham
3
Perth
8
Lincolnshire
1
256 Births total
Northumberland
3
21 Births total
-
-
After an extensive records search for people with the name Drysdale (before the year 1600) I've managed to come up with a fairly comprehensive list of just under one hundred people, mostly in Clackmannanshire and Fife, and, as far as I can tell, these represent the totality of the known Drysdale 'Clan' in that era - see picture below and attached pdf file:
and the pdf file:
Listing%20of%20all%20early%20Drysdales%20pre-1600%20mentioned%20in%...
Of course there must have been a number of other Drysdales living in Scotland during this period, but as yet, no reference or source material has been found to indicate their existence.
-
-
Some addditional references to Thomas Drysdaill the Islay-Herald, Also Bessie Hunter, Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia & Sir Johne Campbell.
-
-
30-5-1555 Charter at Edinburgh - Link between John Drysdale, William Douglas of Lochleven & Mary Queen of Scots.
Page 1
Page 2
-
-
Some references to the name Drysdale in Historical Records, Books etc. 1490-1650
James Drivissdale Culross
James Drysdale Lochleven
Andrew Drysdale, Clackmannanshire
Achilles Drysdale & David Drysdale of Drymen
John Drysdale of Tillicoultry
John Drysdale, Clackmannanshire
William Drysdale, Black Barony
James Drysdaill, Leith, Cowsogall
James Drysdaill, Alva, Clackmannanshire
© 2025 Created by William Douglas.
Powered by
You need to be a member of Drysdale - a Douglas sept to add comments!