The Douglas Archives

A collection of historical and genalogical records

Were there more than one Drysdale making visits to France?

Paying closer attention to the text of a previously posted piece.... 

 Source: Copy-book of Sir Amias Poulet's Letters, Written During His Embassy to France, 1577  ...''lettres will come to your hands long tyme before their aryvall. I am aduertised that Moulynes ys corrupted, and that he goeth ouer for some badd practise. And althoughe he pretend to make this voyage to lyue in lyberty of conscience, one of his familiers hath said to a third that this Moulins hath refused this jornye three tymes, and then he goeth comandyd and not of his owne free will; he is sayd to haue crounes for this jorney, and that his errand toucheth the Q. of Scootes in honor and lyfe. He hath dayly conferance with Mons Morvilliere, who of lykelyhoode would aunswere him with fewer wordes if he sought nothing but his pasport; he is accompanied with divers archers of the K: garde and amonge others with DRYSDALE, whoe is latly retorned out of his contrey, and finally a freind of his hath sought to provide for him some sufficient man in the French tonge and hath promised good intertaynment. THIS DRYSDALL hath sayde of latte to my Scecretary that the K: of Scotts inquiereth dailie for his mother, where she is prisoner, and why he cann nott see hir. And THIS DRYSDALL said further that he fyndeth it very strange that all French men haue accesse to the Scottishe Q, and that the same is forbyden to all Scotts, and thinketh great vnkindnes in your Honor, because you denyed him a lycens to passe ouer twooe English geldings, which he sayth he passed afterwards without your helpe for sixe shillings. Capt Moulynes is maryed to a French woman, and hath good lyvings in Fraunce, and leaveth his wyfe and children behinde him. I leave these men to your better consideracion. ''...     
further readings from other sources say                                                                     

  1.)...''all those that has done or do their duty to us And she [MQS] adds that James Drysdale one of the Laird of Lochleven's servants had threatened to murder William Douglas and avowed that he would plant a dagger in her own heart Goodall ii 299
 The ruffian Drysdale owed his life to the Queen's clemency for he was concerned in the murder of Rizzio and was pardoned by her This letter shows the Queen's solicitude about little Douglas He was not lost He found his way to Paris Sir F Walsingham Elizabeth's ambassador on the 18th of October 1572''....

 Source: Life of Mary Queen of Scots Drawn from the State Papers with six subsidiary memoirs  by George Chalmers

  2.)  11th November 1572 

from H. Killingrew to Lord Burghley

...''Morton will not be at Edinburgh till the 13th. Divers be come out of France, amongst them "LITTLE DOUGLAS," and DRYSDALE; he is not yet advertised what they bring, but they, doubtless, come not empty-handed. Trusts he will advise the Queen to work effectually with the King's party, and that out of hand. Grange has had letters of late out of France, and gives out that the French King has promised him aid if the Queen of England shall assail him.''...  

 Source: Elizabeth: November 1572', Calendar of State Papers Foreign, Elizabeth, Volume 10: 1572-1574 (1876), pp. 200-210.

  3.) 1574 -...''Liddell had brought letters of commendation to your honour from her majesty’s ambassador in France and from one DRISEDALE, A GENTLEMAN OF CREDIT IN THE FRENCH COURT , who used, as he said, to give advertisements to her majesty''...                        

 Source: Calendar of the State Papers related to Scotland and Mary Queen of Scots vol 3 4 5 1547-1603 

 4.) 17th October 1580- ...'' JOHN DRISDALE A MAN OF PRACTICE , takes on him to be conductor to the rest of this company .  The Earl of Crawford and young Fentre, a Papist, are lately gone to Rome.  The young Earl of Huntly goes to mass in Orleans.  Madame “Antran,” wife of the Earl of Lennox, last summer preparing to pass to Scotland, had also prepared certain''...              Source:Calendar of the State Papers related to Scotland and Mary Queen of Scots vol 3 4 5 1547-1603 

 A RUFFIAN , A GENTLEMAN OF CREDIT & A MAN OF PRACTICE- I could be wrong but I think these were different people. 

 I must credit assistance with this material once again to Teresa Pollak , as well as Ronald Drysdale and William Douglas.

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Comment by Russell Lynn Drysdale on July 26, 2023 at 22:57

William , I copied pasted that material as it was written, Carlanock - I beleive is meant to be  Carlaverock [Maxwell] , Hixidom I haven't found a reference  for - Ecclefechan I  believe is correct , Also- this reference - makes you wonder if pre press proofreading was an added expense .

...''John, eighth Lord Maxwell, having joined the ranks of the Lords who supported Queen Mary, and having in 1570, when only seventeen years of age,resisted with a considerable body of men Lord Scrope, who was sent by Queen Elizabeth to lay waste in Dumfriesshire the lands of such as were attached to Queen Mary, the Castle of Carlaverock, as Camden informs us, again sustained,in that year,' a siege by the Earl of Sussex, who acted nominally in the interests of James the Sixth,  and by him its fortifications were so dismantled that it ceased to be a place of strength. He " took and cast down the castles of Carlaverock, Hoddam, Dumfries, Tinwald, Cowhill, and sundry other gentlemen's
houses, dependers on the house of Maxwell."....

The Earl of Sussex seems to have made a bit of a mess too.

Source:

Comment by William Douglas on July 26, 2023 at 10:29

Castles of Carlanock, Hixidom??

I have never heard of them!

Hecklefeaghan / Ueclefeaghan is probably Ecclefechan

I have yet to look up the remainder of the places listed.

Comment by Russell Lynn Drysdale on July 25, 2023 at 17:49

In 1570 Lord Scrope made a raid into Dumfriesshire by order of Queen Elizabeth, to punish the inhabitants for the support they had given to Queen Mary. On 21st April, 1570, Lord Scrope reported that he had entered Scotland and encamped at Ueclefeaghan. He states that he had  burned the town of Hoddame, Maynes, Troltrow, Revel, Calpoole, Blackshaw,. Sherrington, Bankeud, Lowgher, Lowgherwood, and Hecklefeaghan."
They burned Dumfries to the Blackness of Ashes " and  took and cast down the Castles of Carlanock, Hixidom, Dumfries." 

Source: 

PROCEEDLNGS AND TRANSACTIONS OF THE DUMFRIESSHIRE AND GALLOWAY NATURAL HISTORY & ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY. SESSION 1899-1900.

Comment by Russell Lynn Drysdale on July 21, 2023 at 14:23

@ William Douglas- Content updated.

Making conections

The more information you can give about the people you mention, the more chance there is of someone else connecting with your family.

Dates and places of births, deaths and marriages all help to place families.

Professions also help.

'My great-grandmother mother was a Douglas from Montrose' does not give many clues to follow up! But a bit of flesh on the bones makes further research possible. But if we are told who she married, what his profession was and where the children were baptised, then we can get to work.

Maybe it is time to update the information in your profile?


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