The Douglas Archives

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Drysdale - a Douglas sept

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Drysdale - a Douglas sept

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.

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Latest Activity: Feb 27

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

Sonja Sauerbier

Started by Russell Lynn Drysdale Nov 21, 2023. 0 Replies

This unknown lady is Sonja Sauerbier. I did not arrive at this conclusion on my own, this is Wilma Hamilton van der Garde's Auntie Sonja Sauerbier. Mistery solved. Thank you Wilma !Comment by …Continue

Tags: Drysdale, C., Thomas, Sauerbier, Sonja

Runaway slaves in Jamaica in the 19th century.

Started by William Douglas. Last reply by William Douglas Jun 14, 2023. 7 Replies

County a Mundingo, to Mr Drysdale, a Carpenter, Kingston, marked PR both shoulders.George, a Chamba, to Mr Drysdale Port Royal Mountains formerly to PA and Richards marked HD, both breasts. Left…Continue

Tags: Drysdale, Slave, Jamaica

related royal family connection

Started by June carter. Last reply by Russell Lynn Drysdale Jul 11, 2015. 3 Replies

douglas , Drysdale, drummond , gardiner , clarkContinue

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Comment by Ronald Drysdale on May 7, 2023 at 21:41

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 Genealogy

and found only five named:
http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/famgen/search.php?mybool=AND&nr...

William

Comment by Ronald Drysdale on May 6, 2023 at 22:19

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

Comment by Ronald Drysdale on May 6, 2023 at 19:37

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. 

Comment by Ronald Drysdale on May 4, 2023 at 22:07

Some addditional references to Thomas Drysdaill the Islay-Herald, Also Bessie Hunter, Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia & Sir Johne Campbell.

Comment by Ronald Drysdale on May 4, 2023 at 18:32

30-5-1555 Charter at Edinburgh - Link between John Drysdale, William Douglas of Lochleven & Mary Queen of Scots.

Page 1

Page 2

Comment by Ronald Drysdale on May 3, 2023 at 20:22

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

Comment by Robert Wang on April 30, 2023 at 3:14

Hi. In the story of the creation of the Drysdale family, it is said that the 3 brothers took shelter beneath the Ochil Hills. The locations of Alva, Tillicoultry, and Dollar within the county of Clackmannan are situated consecutively from west to east beneath the Ochil Hills. The total number of Drysdales from census data in various locations within the counties of Clackmannan and Fife are described below.

CENSUS YEAR
LOCATION 1841 1881 1921
DUNFERMLINE 187 142 114
ALVA 116 47 14
TULLIALLAN 86 42 27
TILLICOULTRY 65 48 12
CLACKMANNAN 63 55 4
ALLOA 52 64 67
CULROSS 45 8 1
DOLLAR 36 34 13
DALGETY BAY 31 9 4
ST. ANDREWS 1 1 6
CUPAR 0 9 10
KIRKCALDY 0 2 14
TOTAL 682 461 286
Comment by Ronald Drysdale on April 28, 2023 at 22:47

Two early Drysdales of note:

Sir Andrew Drysdale , Chaplain, St Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh Castle, 1559

Thomas Drysdale Islay Herald at King Charles 1 Coronation 1630

 

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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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