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- The Spaldings of Ashintully, Perthshire, Scotland
The Spalding family highlighted here lived in Perthshire, Scotland, forseveral hundred years before 1745, and dispersed to Germany, Sweden,Jamacia, Georgia, Liverpool and elsewhere. The castle of Ashintully wasthe clan center in Perthshire.
Spalding highlights and lowlights
In 1318, Peter Spalding helped followers of Robert the Bruce enter andsieze the town of Berwick from the English. He was English and a burgessof the town, but he was married to a cousin of Sir Robert Keith, Marshallof Scotland. He was granted lands by Bruce on 1 May 1319 in Ballourthyand Petmethy in Forfarshire (now Angus), together with the Keepership ofthe Royal Forest of Kilgerry. He also received a flag with a gate uponit, having a portcullis half raised, and the motto "Nobile Servitium".
Around 1060, King Malcolm III "Canmore", who killed Macbeth in 1057,built Whitefield Castle in Strathardle as a hunting lodge. Over 500 yearslater, in 1576, Colonel David Spalding led members of his clan to fightin Flanders for the King of Spain. After 7 years, with the resultingplunder, he built Ashintully Castle, 1 km to the southeast of WhitefieldCastle, which served as a model.
In 1615, David "Deas" Spalding started the first regular Highlands marketplace: "Michael Mass Fair". In Gaelic he was called "Daidh Deas" (lineover "e" in Deas). Deas, as here used, requires half-a-dozen Englishwords to give the full meaning - ever, or very restless, ready, brave,wise, etc. Deas means south, and is a relic of Druid sun-worship.Everything if south or sunwards was perfect.
But 200 years later, another David Spalding, also Laird of Ashintully,was remembered much more harshly. "He condemned and executed many mostunrighteously, particularly a man of the name of Duncan, who was drownedin a sack in what is still called 'Duncan's Pool.'"
During the early 1700's, the family followed the Jacobite cause, lost itslands, and dispersed. Over the years, offshoots of the original Spaldingsof Berwick migrated to Aberdeen, Perthshire, Edinburgh, Germany, Sweden,Jamaica, Liverpool, and Georgia. At least three books have been writtenabout them, by the branches in Germany, Liverpool and Georgia. TheAberdeen branch might be related to the well-known historical society the"Spalding Club" established in 1839. Ashintully Castle, now a 3000-acresheep ranch and Bed&Breakfast, has been visited by Spaldings from theseplaces and more.
Following the stories of these people, and the times in which they lived,is fascinating, and makes history come alive. Just think. Until the mid1700's there were no roads or wheeled vehicles of any kind in this partof the highlands, and Gaelic was spoken universally.
[To be added: accomplishments of Thomas Spalding of Sapelo, ThomasSpalding Wylly his grandson in gold rush times, Drs Robert and HintonSpalding in Jamaica, etc.]
Geography
The action takes place in Strathardle, a valley at the beginning of theScottish Highlands in Perth county, which is part of the Taysidedistrict. The "District of Atholl" seems to be a smaller area alsocontaining Strathardle. It is a beautiful area consisting of rollinghills separated by glacial valleys. These are the foothills of theGrampian Mountains. The most popular skiing in Scotland is at the top ofnearby Glenshee.
Find Dundee on a map, between Edinburgh and Aberdeen on the east coast.27 km NW is Blairgowrie, and twice as far is Pitlochry. 18 km NW ofBlairgowrie is the village of Kirkmichael. 2.5 km NE of Kirkmichael isAshintully Castle, 120 m higher at an altitude of 340 m. It is marked onboth the Ordinance Survey Landranger map (1:50,000), sheet 43 "Braemar &Blair Atholl" and the 1:25,000 Pathfinder map, sheet 295 "Upper GlenShee". Get also Landranger Sheet 53 "Blairgowrie" and Pathfinder sheet310 "Bridge of Cally". The pathfinder maps include lots more names ofsmall landholdings which come up all the time.
Kirkmichael is lat 56 degrees 44 minutes North, lon 3 deg 30 min West.
I've made a small attempt at a gazetteer of Strathardle: a detailed listof places mentioned in "Strathardle, Its History and Its People" andtheir map coordinates.
Timeline
1286 to 1390 Wars of Independence against England
1319-05-01 Robert the Bruce rewards Peter Spalding, for help capturingthe town of Berwick, with lands in Forfarshire.
1456 David Spalding sat in Parliament of Scotland for Burgh of Dundee
1545 George Wishart and John Knox begin spreading Protestantism inScotland
1560 First Reformation Parliament, First Book of Discipline
1562 Reformation reaches Strathardle, eviction of Priest John Hammill
1576 Colonel David Spalding fights in Flanders for King of Spain for 7years
1583 Colonel David Spalding, Laird of Ashintully, builds AshintullyCastle with the plunder from Flanders
1583 New Laird of Ashintully: Andrew Spalding, son of David
1587 Execution of Mary Queen of Scots
1603 James VI of Scotland becomes James I, King of England
1607-11-30 Laird Andrew Spalding died
1607 New Laird of Ashintully: David Deas Spalding son of Andrew
1609-06-22 Testament of "Andro Spalding of Essintullie"
1615 David Deas Spalding granted rights to organize Michaelmas market byJames VI
1638 National Covenant: Protestant, anti-Catholic; pro King butanti-bishop
1641 Laird David died in Dunstaffnage Castle
1641 New Laird of Ashintully: William Spalding 2nd cousin of David
1644 Campaign of Earl of Montrose, James Graham against Covenanters,Argyll, Campbells
1649-08-04 Records on "Rentall of the County of Perth, by Act of ...Parliament"
1650 First parish records of birth, death, etc. are recorded.
1651 Rev. Francis Piersone, parish minister of Kirkmichael, formsPresbytery (?) Marries daughter of Andrew "Madadh Brae" Spalding at somepoint
1651 Cromwellian occupation of Scotland
1661 Laird William Spalding died
1661 New Laird of Ashintully: Andrew "Madadh Brae" Spalding, son ofWilliam
1675 Birthbrief by Charles II indicates they are "lesser barons" (no"baron" title)
1681 Act of Parliament for Andrew Spalding - the "mains of Ashintully"
1689 Crown offered to Protestants William and Mary, but opposed inHighlands
1689 James Graham "Bonnie Dundee" leads Jacobite Rebellion, wins atKilliecrankie, and dies
1705-01 Laird Andrew Spalding died
1705 New Laird of Ashintully: David Spalding son of Andrew
1707 Parliamentary Union with England
1715 Jacobite Rebellion led by Earl of Mar, defeated at Sheriffmuir
1744 Laird David Spalding died
1745 Jacobite Rebellion - Bonnie Prince Charlie, defeated at Culloden in1746
1777 First road, bridge, connects Strathardle with Blairgowrie and thelowlands
1947 Aton family, 3 daughters, sold Ashintully to family of currentowners?
Genealogy
When I'm finished cross-checking the genealogy in my computer (containinga few hundred entries now) I'll provide a GEDCOM file and an HTML versionof it here.
Sources
I have a copy of these
F.J.S and M.S, "Notes and Traditions Concerning the Family of Spalding"1914, Henry Young & Sons, Liverpool. 250 pages.
A. G. Reid "Strathardle - Its History and its People", 2nd Edition,Blairgowrie Printers 1986, 1992
E Merton Coulter's "Thomas Spalding of Sapelo" Louisana State UniversityPress, Univ, LA 1940
Lovell, Caroline Couper, "The Golden Isles of Georgia", 1939, Little,Brown and Company, Boston. 300 p.
Vanstory, Burnette, "Georgia's Land of the Golden Isles", Revised Ed.1970, University of Georgia Press, Athens. 225 p.
Sasines of Perth, Edinburgh, & general register:
RS 52/22 pp 395v-396v C044361 1740-10-21 James Spalding - missing lastpage
RS 52/23 pp 276r-277r C044361 1743-05-09 John Spalding
RS 52/23 pp 344v-345v C044388 1743-11-29 Thomas Bisset of Glenilbert <=Thoma\
s Spalding
RS 27/135 pp 175r-177r C044401 1749-03-21 James Spalding of Bonnymills
RS 27/143 pp 346r-351f C044401 1754-05-18 James Spalding of Bonnymilns
RS 27/144 pp 259v C044401 1754-09-26 Ann Learmonth, relict ofThomas Spal\
ding of Leith Mill
RS 27/155 pp 328r-337v C044401 1760-03-04 James Spalding of BonnytounMilns
RS 27/201 pp 215v-221r C044401 1772-10-20 James Spalding, merchant inGeorgia
get: RS 27/17 pp 473-? 1719-01-16 John Spalding - mentions ThomasSpalding
Internet sources on Spaldings
Spalding Memorial - an ambitious project to update and publishinformation based on a 1300 page/15000 name book first published in 1872.
The Spalding Family of Monroe Michigan - Andrew Spalding born inPerthshire, Scotland in 1790 and Isabella Morris, born April 1803,married September 25, 1824 in Bendochy, Scotland. They immigrated to theUS in 1843. It shouldn't be too hard to find a link from Andrew to theother Spaldings discussed here.
Spalding and Dawson Families - Lots of information about some Spaldingsin Great Britain, Maryland, Kentucky, who may or may not be related.Thomas Spalding was born in Fornham All Saints Parish, County Suffolk,England, around 1640. He came to Maryland about 1657/1658.
General Internet sources
Tay Valley Family History Society - good WWW pages, publications, etc!The Society is based at its Research Centre, 179 Princes Street, DundeeDD4 6DQ http://www.sol.co.uk/t/tayvalleyfhs/
Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet (Cyndi Howells)http://www.oz.net/~cyndihow/sites.htm
Other useful references
C. Fergusson, "Sketches of Strathardle": Lectures of Charles Ferguson tothe Gaelic Society, 1889-1900 at Inverness, transcripts held by theBlairgowrie library
Privy Council records of some sort on disciplinary measures.
Register of Alyth
Register of Deeds, Durie (e.g. vol 229 heritable Bond 30 may 1750)
Register of Edinburgh Academy (and/or University?)
"Records of Invercauld"
Maps: 1st Ordinance Survey map of 1867
William Owen, "Highland place-names", Great Glen Publications,Invermoriston, Inverness-shire
Major-General Stewart, "Sketches of the Highlanders", vol i, p 70.
John Prebble, "The Lion in the North - One Thousand Years of Scotland'sHistory", Penguin, 1981 edition.
Andrew Fisher, "A Traveller's History of Scotland", 1994
Indexes to the "Service of Heirs in Scotland".
Duke of Athole, "Families of Tullybardine and Atholl"
Lachlan Rattray, Mansuscripts.
Stodart, "Scottish Arms"
"Jacobite correspondence of the Atholl family, during the Rebellion,MDCCXLV-VI" (1745-46)
"Old Law Paper, Edinburgh. First Division, Feb 15, 1814" Ashintullyestate dispute
Major ?T. D.? Robertson-Reid "A Short History of Clan Robertson"
Liddell, Colin Pitlochhry - Heritage of Highland District"(?)
McDonald - "History of Blairbowrie", 1899.
Marshall, "Historic Scenes of Perthshire"
Scottish Statistical Accounts, 1791 (the first)
Ghost of Mause (Fiction?)
Living in Atholl : A Social History of the Estates, 1685-1785
Rights of Way - a guide to the law in Scotland published by The ScottishRights of Way Society Ltd, 1 Luton Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9PH. ISBN: 09502811 31.
Journal of Roman Archaeology, volume 4 (1991), p 315..Lawrence Keppie
Roman Britain beyond Hadrian's Wall: some recent research
----review of----
W. S. HANSON, Agricola and the conquest of the north;
G. S. MAXWELL, A battle lost: Romans and Caledonians at Mons
Graupius;
G. S. MAXWELL, The Romans in Scotland;
S. S. FRERE and J. J. WILKES, Strageath, excavations
within the Roman fort, 1973-86.
Mormon library in Salt Lake:
Eduard Spalding in German "Spaldings in Scotland, Sweden & Germany",1898, 88p? 0282490
Charles Spalding "Some memoranda in relation to Thomas Spalding ofSapelo" 35 p ms. 1878 0184501 item 14
Bible records 1772-1904 40 p. Sara Leake Spalding et al. 0203240
Johnstone & Spalding Families of Eastern Scotland. Film area 0924442 item2
Listed by Amazon.com:
Monumental inscriptions (pre-1855) in North Perthshire John FowlerMitchell (Hard to Find)
Perthshire in history and legend Archie McKerracher (Hard to Find)
(perthshire book??), Leah Leneman / Hardcover / Published 1986 Our Price:$30.00
Help, Feedback
Please let me know of any corrections, additions, or other good sources!
If you can read handwritten sasines from Edinburgh in the 1700's (see thelist above), I'm willing to pay for transcriptions!
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Neal McBurnett
Last modified: Sat Sep 29 22:28:51 MDT 2001
From http://bcn.boulder.co.us/~neal/spalding/
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