Notes:

Immigration: 1644, Fled from Scotland to Glencoe, Ulster, Ireland, where the Irwins had property, because of the religious troubles in Scotland.

The Lairds of Drum, had always been Royalists, but in the 1600s, with the strength of the "Covenanters" and the weakness of the King and his few supporters, the Laird and his estate suffered badly. Alexander, the Xth Laird, was imprisoned and a decree was issued by the Covenanters to demolish the Tower and the Castle of Drum, but the decree was never carried out.
It was under these conditions that Robert Irvine, one of the younger sons of the Xth Laird fled to County Antrim, Ireland, to escape the persecution. There he settled at Glenoe, near Larne, and being perhaps twenty-five years of age, married Elizabeth Wylie, starting a cadet branch of Drum Castle that took roots only through two generations, the third in a large part, coming to America.
In 1644, the King commissioned the raising of an army in support of his struggle with the Parliament in England. Robert Irvine, who had fled to Ireland earlier, returned to Scotland in answer to the King's call for assistance. On April 14, 1644, "The young Laird of Drum and his brother Robert rode through Abirdene having two cullouris, one having the King's Armes, the other having the Irving Armes."
To get recruits for service in England. However, the Covenanters, being already in force, forestalled the efforts of the Royalists and pursued the Young Laird and his brother, making it necessary for them to flee the country.

"On 10 June, 1644, Alexander Irving, younger, of Drum, Marie Gordon, his lady, Robert Irving, his brother, Mr. Alexander Irving, sone to John Irving of Auchtamford, etc., shipped abour Fraserburghe, and to sea they go. But his Lady was so troubled with sea-sickness that they landed in Caithness, where Francis Sincklair, son to the Earl of Caithness, seized them and sent word to the Estates, now sitting at Edinburgh: quharait the Estates was marvelous blythe for getting such a riche pray, who gave order for their transportation. They were wardt in the Tolbuith, Edinburgh."
Montrose, now supporting the Royalists, arrived in triumph after his victory at Kilsyth and released all the prisoners from the Tolbooth (Scot: prison). The Irvines now joined the camp of Montrose, but scarcely had they done so when Montrose was completely defeated at Philiphaugh, on the 13th of September.

The Irvines were again consigned to their dungeons.

Family/Spouse: Elizabeth Margaretta Wylie. Elizabeth (daughter of Alexander Wylie) was born on 28 Feb 1619 in Midlothian, Scotland; died in 1650 in Diocese of Dublin, Leinster, Ireland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. David Irwin was born about 1645 in Drum Castle, Aberdeen, Scotland; died in 1678 in Glenco, County Antrim, Ulster, Ireland.

Notes:

Alexander Irvine, eldest son of the 9th Laird of Drum and Marion Douglas, was born in 1594, and died in February 1657. He was buried in Drum's Aisle, at St. Nicholas Church, Aberdeen, Scotland. He became the 10th Laird when his father died in January 1630. Alexander was knighted at some point, probably just before the middle of 1617, for after that date he was referred to as "Sir Alexander Irvine," or various spellings thereof, in all public records.

Sir Alexander married Magdalene Scrymgeour, eldest daughter of Sir John Scrymgeour and Margaret Seton, in July 1617, and they had ten children.

Alexander and his sons were caught in a period of great turmoil and unrest in Scotland. While the old Laird tried to be neutral in the struggle between the Covenanters and the Catholics, he couldn't hide the fact that he was a staunch Royalist and supporter of King Charles I.By remaining loyal to King Charles he lost most of his fortune (but not his land holdings).

Text Box: Drum Castle, Near AberdeenDrum Castle was a royalist stronghold in a predominantly Covenant district, and was thus an obvious target. In June 1640, during one of the Laird's absences (perhaps in prison), a strong force led by Robert Munro of the Clan Munro (Munroe) surrounded the castle. Even though the attackers had artillery, Lady Irvine and her people defended the castle for two days before finally surrendering. The castle was then looted. Although there were casualties Lady Magdalene was not harmed.

Drum Castle was again sacked on May 2, 1644 by Clan Campbell (A chair with Drum symbols on it is now in the Scottish Museum in Edinburgh, and is believed to have been taken from Drum by the Campbells during the raid).Soon after Drum was sacked and looted for a third time.

Alexander, 10th Laird of Drum, his brother Robert Irvine of Fedderet, and as well as his two oldest sons, Alexander and Robert, were imprisoned at Edinburgh Castle several times. Robert died in the dungeons. He had escaped the Covenanters in Scotland by going to County Antrim in Ulster, and while there married Elizabeth Wylie. A few months later he returned to Scotland to join the forces being raised in support of the King by Alexander, his older brother. Robert was soon capturedby the Covenanters, however, and died on February 4,1645 in Tolbooth Prison in Edinburgh (torn down in 1817). David, his son, was born while he was in prison, but he never saw him.

The Laird's eldest son Alexander, near death, was set free after Montrose's victory over the Covenanters at the Battle of Kilsyth in August 1645. Tradition has it that after he recovered he joined Montrose's army and continued the fight against the Covenanters. He survived the war and married Lady Mary Gordon in 1643. He succeeded his father as the eleventh Laird of Drum when the elder died in 1657.

Robert's son David married Sophia Gault and had a son named Robert who married Margaret Wylie. Robert and Margaret had ten children:Margaret who married Ephraim McDowell;Mary who married her cousin John Wylie; Thomas who married and settledin Cushendal, Ireland; and Alexander, George, David, William, Robert, James, and Samuel. The last seven came to America on the ship George and Anne. It sailed from Londonderry May 9, 1729, and landed at Philadelphia.

Many of the immigrants who arrived in Pennsylvania in the1720s and 1730s moved down the Shenandoah Valley into Virginia where less expensive land was being opened for settlement. The seven brothers, who descended from Robert,joined this migration, and settled in Augusta County, Virginia. The McElroy family from the same ship did likewise, as did the family of the Reverend John Irvine, thought to be cousins of the seven brothers.

Borden's Grant, comprising about one hundred thousand acres, and designated Beverly Manor, was what drew many of the settlers down the Valley of Virginia to the area that became Augustus County. Beginning in 1737, numerous family units of Irvines/Irwins/Erwins settled in what was called "A Scotch-Irish Settlement."

Alexander married Margaret\Magdalene (of Dudhope) Scrimgeour on 2 Jul 1617. Margaret\Magdalene (daughter of John (1st Viscount Dudhope) Scrimgeour and Margaret (of Parbroath) Seton) and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Alexander, known as 'Little Breeches' because he followed the Continental fashion of short trousers, was responsible for the building of the Jacobean mansion of Drum in 1619. He was Sheriff of Aberdeen and he and his wife, Marion Douglas, were noted local philanthropists.

The laird was rich enough to lend money to King James VI. He asked for a special dispensation to eat meat on Wednesdays and Fridays as well as other days, gave L10,000 for a scholarship at Aberdeen University - which survives today as the Drum Bursary - and a large number of other benefactions including '32 bolls of meal' for the poor people of nearby Drumoak. His wife also founded a hospital for spinsters in Aberdeen.

Buried:
He was buried within the old church of Arbirlot, where a monument was erected to his memory at the east end of the church, on which the particulars of this mortification were recorded. Part of the monument was covered by the low floor of the gallery afterwards erected, so that only a very small part of the inscription could be read from the pews below. The monument was accidentally destroyed when the church was taken down in 1832.

Alexander married Marion (of Buchan) Douglas about 1590. Marion (daughter of Robert (4th Earl of Buchan) Douglas and Christian (Countess of Buchan) Stewart) was born in 1567 in Morphie, Scotland; died about 1650; was buried in Auehterhouse Chapel. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buried:
The burying-place of her maternal ancestors

John married Margaret (of Parbroath) Seton in Sep 1596. Margaret (daughter of David (Sir) (of Parbroath) Seton) and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Alexander married Elizabeth (of Marischall) Keith in 1552. Elizabeth (daughter of William (3rd Earl Marischal) Keith and Margaret (of Inverugie) Keith) was born about 1532 in Dunottar, Kincard; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Note: Robert is sometimes described as the 5th earl, and the successors numbered one more than here.

We believe we have it right!

Robert + Christian (Countess of Buchan) Stewart. Christian (daughter of John (Master of Buchan) Stewart and Margaret Ogilvy) died on 20 Sep 1580. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

James + Margaret (of Kinnaird) Carnegie. Margaret (daughter of Sir Robert (of Kinnaird) Carnegie and Margaret (of Lunan) Guthrie) and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]