Thomas, William and James Drysdale
The following is said to tell the story(1) 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.
"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.
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.
An early known association was a James Douglas (a 'ruffian') is said
to have been in the household in a security capacity on Lochleven when
Mary Queen of Scots escaped, on 2nd May 1568.
Notes:
1. The name Drysdale, or Dryfesdale appears to pre-date the 1503 the
creation of the Drysdale family noted above.
In the
year 1274 Hugh of Dryfesdale on the quitclaim of land of Todrig , which
was witnessed by Heirs of Aymer Maxwell | Nicholas of Synton, master |
Aymer Maxwell | Maurice, chaplain (Coldstream) | Alexander, clerk (Coldstream)
| Coldstream Priory | Richard, chaplain of Bishop William of Glasgow,
vicar of Ashkirk | Robert of Coldstream, clerk | Alexander of Synton
(II), sheriff of Fife | John of Lilliesleaf | John of Musselburgh,
master, official
2. The surname Drysdale was first found in Dumfriesshire
(Gaelic: Siorrachd Dhùn Phris), a Southern area, bordering on England
that today forms part of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Area.
Specifically, the family claims descent from Dryfesdale, a civil parish
in Annandale.
The "dale" takes its name from the river Dryfe, commonly known as Dryfe
Water. Lockerbie falls within the civil parish of Dryfesdale and is
generally believed to have been an ancient Viking village c. 900. "There
is also a Roman work situated upon an eminence in the centre of the
extensive holm of Dryfe and Annan, and which is called Gallaberry, or
the station of the Gauls. The most perfect relic of this kind, however,
is the British fort at Dryfesdale-gate, occupying two acres of ground,
and the counterpart of which is a large Roman work, about half a mile
due east, separated only by a moor, on which a bloody battle was fought
between the army of Julius Agricola and the forces of Corbredus Galdus,
the Scottish king"
The Church of Dryfesdale was dedicated to St Cuthbert in 1116. One of
the first records of the name was Gawine Dryfesdale and John Dryesdale
in 1499 "for thare being aganis the Kingis hienes in the battell and
feyld committit besyde Striuelin one Sanct Barnabeis day."
I assume that Thomas, William, and James Douglass are just announcing
that they have started a new, unconnected line.
See also:
•
The Drysdales of Dollar, by Rev. Robert Paul
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