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Drysdale - a Douglas sept
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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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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
Early Douglas and Drysdale migrants to South Africa
Started by Ronald Drysdale. Last reply by Ronald Drysdale Oct 26. 3 Replies 1 Like
Hi all,Following on from William Douglas's recent comment:…Continue
Spelling of Douglas and Drysdale family names - variants
Started by Ronald Drysdale Oct 1. 0 Replies 2 Likes
Hi all, As many of you will have discovered when researching historical ancestors electronically, oftentimes important records are missed because the surname is spelt in a slightly different way,…Continue
The Raid of Holyrood - Bothwell, James Douglas of Spott, Wauchope, Colville & Archibald Douglas
Started by Ronald Drysdale. Last reply by Russell Lynn Drysdale Sep 9. 9 Replies 0 Likes
Reference:…Continue
Tags: Drysdail, Dryisdaill, Holyrood, Palace, Bothwell
Douglas brothers & name change to Drysdale 1503 story - Lammonbie Mill
Started by Ronald Drysdale. Last reply by Ronald Drysdale Jun 8. 8 Replies 1 Like
The Dollar Magazine March, 1909 (Vol. viii., No. 29) contains an article entitled "The Drysdales of Dollar and their Dumfriesshire Origin" by R. Paul (1909)…Continue
Tags: Dryfesdale, 1503, Dollar, Lockerbie, mill
Comment Wall
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Comment by Ronald Drysdale on May 6, 2023 at 22:19
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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
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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.
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Some addditional references to Thomas Drysdaill the Islay-Herald, Also Bessie Hunter, Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia & Sir Johne Campbell.
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30-5-1555 Charter at Edinburgh - Link between John Drysdale, William Douglas of Lochleven & Mary Queen of Scots.
Page 1
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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
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Comment by Robert Wang on April 30, 2023 at 3:14
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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
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Mary Queen of Scots first visited Lochleven Castle in 1561 as a guest of its owner, Sir William Douglas. Her last stay, in 1567–8, was as his prisoner.
A link between John Drysdale & Sir William Douglas of Lochleven, dated 1569, following Mary's imprisonment there, has been been copied from the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland vol 20 1568-1579 and is shown below:
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Comment by William Douglas on April 22, 2023 at 8:49
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The CDAA newsletters about the Drysdale family can be found here:
http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/CDAA&CDSA/CDAA_newslett...
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It is possible to find quite a few early Drysdales in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in the period 1480-1513, this was first pointed out in the 1989 edition of the Clan Douglas Association of Australia Newsletter in a very good article by Neil M D Ewins.
The Exchequer rolls are available for download on the Internet Archive website and I've extracted the data I've found there:
The Exchequer rolls of Scotland 1480-1487 Vol 9
Drummy (Drumme) in Tullicultre let to John Drisdale and others, 569, 601
Drysdale (Drisdale, Dryisdale), Andrew, tenant of Hervyisdawac, 569, 602, 635.
Drysdale Janet, tenant of Coschnachtan and Hervyisdawak, 569 ; of Eliotisdawac, dead, 602.
Drysdale John, son of Maurice, tenant of Drummy, 569, 601
Drysdale, John, junior, tenant of Drummy, 569, 601.
Drysdale John, tenant of Schanach, 635.
Drysdale Margaret, tenant of Schanach, 635.
Drysdale Robert, tenant of Eliotisdawac, 569,602, 635
The Exchequer rolls of Scotland 1488-1496 Vol 10
Drivisdale (c/. Drysdale), mill of, let to William Bell of Aikin, 655.
Tillicoultry
Drysdale, Andrew, his widow tenant of Hervisdawak, 668; died, 733.
Drysdale David, tenant of Coschnachtain, 668, 733.
Drysdale Isabel, widow of John Proudy, tenant of Hervisdawak, 733.
Drysdale John, tenant of Drummy and Schan-nach, 668, 733, 758.
Drysdale John, son of Andrew, tenant of Hervisdawak, 733.
Drysdale John, son of Robert, tenant of Ellokisdawak with his father, 668, 733, 758.
Drysdale Robert, tenant of Ellokisdawak with John his son, 668, 773, 758.
Drysdale Robert, tenant of Drummy and Schannach, 668, 733, 758.
The Exchequer rolls of Scotland 1497-1501 vol 11
Dryisdale, Cuthbert, tenant of Coischnach- tane, 411.
Drysdale John, tenant of Drummy, 411; of Hervyisdawak, 412.
Drysdale Robert, tenant of Elokisdawak, 412.
Drysdale Thomas, tenant of Drumniy, 411.
The Exchequer rolls of Scotland 1502-1507 Vol 12
Dryisdale (Drisdale), Cuthbert, tenant of Cosnauchtane, 639, 681.
Drysdale John, son of Robert, tenant of Ellokkis Dawok, 639; do.,
in place of his late father, 681; tenant of Herwisdawik and Drummy, 639, 681.
Drysdale Robert, tenant of Ellokkis Dawok, dead, 639.
Drysdale Thomas, tenant of Drummy, 639,681.
The Exchequer rolls of Scotland 1508-1513 Vol 13
Dryisdale, Cuthbert, tenant of Coschnauch- tane, 641.
Drysdale John, tenant of Drummy, 641 ; of Ellokis Dawok, 641; of Herwist Dawok, 641.
Drysdale Thomas, tenant of Drummy, 641.
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