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Published: August 28th 2022
"The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see." Winston Churchill
Many cultures memorize their family trees, first passing them on orally, and then documenting them in sagas or in written text such as St. Matthew did in Chapter One of his Gospel which lists the 42 generations from Abraham to Jesus. I am blessed having descended from cultures that valued their genealogies; including the Scots, the Scandinavians, and the various tribes of Western, Central, and Eastern Europe, which eventually combined into nation states and empires. I have been able to trace ancestors back 60 generations to King Fjolnir of Uppsala (240-300 AD), Sweden and for many others back to the the 6th century...going back further is a work in progress!
Creating my family tree and my ancestry blogs are meant primarily to be a legacy for my children and others in the tree. But for me personally, as with many others, Churchill's words ring true. I have always been a forward looking person, and knowing where I've come from gives me some insights into why I am the way I am. I have always been a student of history, and history books are
my favorite genre. History comes alive for me when I can relate directly to historical characters. So as you read the next several blogs, please know where this is coming from, and enjoy learning history through some of Linda and my ancestors.
Subsequent to posting my planning blog to for this trip (see
Planning for Ancestral Visitations to Scotland) I tried to separate Linda and my family trees so that all her ancestors would be shown as some multiple of great grandparent rather than a cousin of mine. I eventually realized that I could ascend her family tree, and when an ancestor was identified as being some multiple great grandparents, we shared that ancestor in common. The first ancestors we have in common are 1) Sir Robert Douglas, Lord of Lochleven and Lady Margaret Balfour, Countess of Morton, 2) Sir Archibald Boyd of Bonshaw and Lady Christian Mure, and 3) Sir Archibald Gillespie Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll and Lady Elizabeth Stewart, Countess of Argyll, all of whom are our 15
thgreat grandparents: making Linda my 15th cousin. This means that all their ancestors are our common great grandparents. In all, we share about 2000 ancestors over the previous 500 years. But I am fearful
of eliminating some aunts and uncles who may not be my ancestor but would be Linda's. Again, a work in progress, but necessary as I we have 12,500 ancestors in our tree, which has become unwieldy.
Together, our individual and common ancestors provided a treasure trove of not only Scottish aristocracy, but also the Plantagenet kings of England; the Capet kings of France; the Viking kings of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden - Norwegian vikings kings of the Isle of Man, Dublin, the Hebrides and the Dukes of Normandy; the Swedish Varingian Viking founders of Russia and Ukraine, who also served as the body guards of the Byzantine Emperors; several Byzantine Emperors; the Holy Roman Emperors; the Carolingian emperors; and the Dukedoms of what are now Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy; the Hapsburg founders of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; Polish and Hungarian kings; and even the Khan of the Cumans, a nomadic tribe from the steppes. In my travels I have been to many of the homelands of these ancestors not knowing we were related to their dukes and counts. With the exception of Poland I doubt I will revisit these countries to view them from the perspective of tracing
our ancestors. However, my interest is at least expanding to the European continent of 1000 years ago...lots of research!
Turning back to our Scottish ancestors, there are too many to cover them all. I decided to focus on the castles where they lived. There are as many as 3,000 castles in Scotland. I have identified about 40 castles and palaces built by the major branches of our ancestors, five battlefields where they fought the English and so many died, and eight abbeys and cathedrals where they were crowned and buried. They range from the Scottish Lowlands between Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, and Ayrshire; to Sterlingshire, Fife, Perthshire, Kinross-shire, Angus-shire, and Aberdeen-shire; to Morayshire, Ross-shire, and the Highlands; and ending in the Lothians where Edinburgh is located and the Borders. All these castles and relatives are from the Late Medieval Period, ending in the late 1600's or early 1700's, as by then ancestors immigrated, or were deported, to the British Colonies in North America.
Upon reviewing my itinerary, Linda decided no to go…too hectic! This is probably for the best. She is pet sitting and visiting our children and grandchildren instead.
This blog tells of my visit to
ancestral castles and villages in Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, and Ayrshire.
22/23 Aug 2022 Monday/Tuesday. Linda dropped me off at the Colorado Springs airport about noon. My flight to Chicago and the red eye flight to Edinburgh were uneventful. The transit could have gone very wrong. I forgot to set my watch on Central Time. I thought it was 5 PM, when it was really 6 PM and they were already boarding. Fortunately my gate was right across from the Club. I landed in Edinburgh at 8:20 AM and picked up the rental car in downtown Edinburgh (the prices there were much cheaper than the airport location). It was a nightmare driving at stick shift through street under construction and crowded with those attending the various festivals. At one point I found myself driving down a street for buses and taxis. I just kept going. Also my Google Maps didn't work in Scotland. My rental car had GPS, but I had to identify each destination by their postal code. By this time I was so stressed that I skipped a couple castles in the outskirts of Glasgow and drove minor roads directly to:
(Note: There may be a discrepancy in identifying an ancestor's relationship due to these ancestors ascending through multiple branches, with some branches having less time between generations than the other. For example, King Robert I the Bruce is variously identified as being our 19th or 20th ggf...great grandfather)
Douglas Castle, the stronghold of the Douglas family in the Late Medieval times. The first castle was erected in the 1200’s, and destroyed and replaced several times. In 1307, during the Wars of Scottish Independence the castle was captured and garrisoned by the English. Sir James “The Good” Douglas (18
th ggf), unmarried with only mistresses, and right hand man of King Robert I the Bruce (19
th ggf), successfully recaptured his family seat by storming the castle on Palm Sunday while the garrison were at chapel. He had the garrison killed and thrown into a cellar, before the structure was burned. The event was known as "Douglas' larder." After this the English called Sir James the “The Black" Douglas. I guess it is all a matter of perspective! King Robert I the Bruce rewarded the loyalty of the Douglases, and Sir James' heirs were created the Earls of Douglas. Douglas Castle was rebuilt as one of their
strongholds. By the 1400's, the growing power of the Black Douglases threatened the Stewart monarchy. In 1455 King James II, who married Mary of Egmond and Guelders (16th ggps) tasked the Red Douglas Sir George Douglas, 4
th Earl of Angus, who married Lady Isabel Sibbald of Balgony (15
th ggps) to lead his army against the rebellious Black Douglases, defeating their forces at the Battle of Arkinholm. Douglas Castle was sacked and the Black Douglas titles and lands in Lanarkshire were forfeited to the "Red" Douglas Earls of Angus. Today only a single corner tower of the 17th-century castle remains.
After a short walk around the castle to get a sense of where our ancestors first got started in Scotland, I stopped by
St. Brides Church where many Douglas's, including Sir James "The Good" or "The Black," are interned. Initially a parish church, Sir Archibald ‘the Grim’ Douglas, 3rd Earl of Douglas modified the church as a resting-place for his father, Sir James “the Good’ Douglas. Sir James died in Spain on his way to taking King Robert I the Bruce’s heart to the Holy Land. He was waylaid in Spain by King Alfonso XI, who promised him his weight
in gold if Sir James would agree to help fight the Moors. James was insulted, replying that “Scots only fight for the Man on the Cross and for freedom.” Declining the gold, he fought for the Man on the Cross and for freedom. He died on 25 Aug 1330 fighting the Moors at the Battle of Tepa, Andalusia, Spain; an event that is still commemorated to this day. From then on, the church became the mausoleum of the Black Douglas earls.
My next stop was
Caerlaverock Castle in Dumfries and Galloway; the seat of the Maxwell clan. Caerlaverock was a stronghold of the Maxwell family from the 1200’s until the 1600’s, when the castle was abandoned. Around 1220 King Alexander II of Scotland (21st ggu) granted the lands to Sir John Maxwell (22nd ggu), making him Warden of the West March. Sir John built the first castle at Caerlaverock to control trade in early times. This early castle was abandoned in favor of a nearby rock outcrop. It was here that Sir John's brother Sir Aymer Maxwell, Chamberlain of Scotland, who was married to Lady Mary McGeachen of Mearns (22nd ggps), constructed the present castle. The unique three-sided castle is one of the most dramatic in Scotland. Situated on the main route from England to Scotland, it was attacked, destroyed and rebuilt many times. It was besieged by the English during the Wars of Scottish Independence, and underwent several partial demolitions and reconstructions over the 1300’s and 1400’s. In the early 1600’s, the Maxwells were created Earls of Nithsdale. They built a new lodging within the walls, described as among "the most ambitious early classical domestic architecture in Scotland". In 1640 the castle was besieged for the last time and was subsequently abandoned. The castle retains the distinctive triangular plan first laid out in the 13th century.
Our daughter Rosanna married Evan Maxwell, so there is a possibility that we are related to Evan through distant ancestors, although he believes his Maxwell family came from Ireland. Of course, they could have come from Scotland before they moved to Ireland as so many Scots did. They were referred to as Ulster Scots.
After a quick tour of Caerlaverock Castle, I drove to Dumfries where Robert the Bruce slew his rival, Sir John "The Red” Comyn (20
th ggf) at the since-demolished Greyfriars Abbey. This act put Robert the Bruce first in line as King of Scotland and a hunted man.
I drove north and spent the night at the Friars Carse Country House Hotel.
24 Aug 2022 Wednesday. (Note: I woke up, took a shower, and started to dress. I bent down to pick up something and lost all the strength in my legs. I crawled to the phone and called the front desk. A lady and man arrived shortly to help me up. Once standing I was OK except for painful legs. This was the first of several episodes on my trip which allowed me to identify as being disabled as walking longer distances and climbing many stairs was very difficult. Once I got home, I saw my doctor and am in the process of having everything checked out.)
Today I followed the Nith River Valley from Dumfries and Galloway to Ayrshire. This valley is chock a block full of our ancestors' castles.
The first castle I visited today was
Drumlanrig Castle, which served as
Bellhurst Manor, the Duke of Sandringham's estate in Outlander. It stands on the site of an ancient castle built by Sir William Douglas, Lord of Nithsdale, who married Princess Egidia Stewart (17th ggps), the daughter of King Robert Stewart II and Queen Consort Euphemia de Ross from my Ross tree (18th ggps), and who was the first occupant of the ancient castle. Sir William loved to fight, so once Scotland enjoyed a brief period of peace, he joined the Teutonic knights. He was murdered in Danzig (now Gdansk), Poland where his coat of arms adorns the High Gate. I hope to visit Gdansk next year when Linda and I visit the Polish and Slovakian towns from where her great grandparents immigrated to America. The first castle was demolished three hundred years later and replaced with the present palace built by Sir William Douglas, 3rd Earl of Queensberry (a distant cousin)
in 1689. He was very loyal to King Charles II, who made him 1st Duke of Queensberry in 1684. When the Duke discovered how much the castle cost to build, he refused to live in it and moved back to Sanquhar Castle!
Nearby is
Sanquhar Castle, also ruined, was built by Sir William de Crichton de Sanquhar, 1st Laird of Sanquhar who was married to Isabel de Ros (not part of the Ross branch)(18th ggps).
From there I drove to
New Cumnock where Linda's Hair ancestors lived before immigrating to the British colonies of North America in the early 1700's.
Ayrshire was the center of the Wars of Scottish Independence, with both William Wallace and King Robert I the Bruce waging guerilla warfare against English dragoons in the late 1200's and early 1300's. Ayrshire was also the center of religious warfare in the 1600's. This story of religious warfare starts in 1547 when John Knox, a follower of John Calvin early Reformation leader, introduced Presbyterianism to Scotland in direct opposition to the state Anglican Church and its hierarchy. Presbyterianism flourished and became the de facto religion of Scotland. In 1638 matters came to a head when King Charles I enforced his order that Anglicanism would replace Presbyterianism as the state church, with himself as the head of the church. As a result, thousand revolted and signed a National Covenant confirming that God, not the king, was the Head of the Church. Those who signed the covenant were known as Covenantors. In 1649 King Charles I lost his head in the English Civil War. King Charles II signed the Covenant to get Scottish support for his Restoration as monarch of both Scotland and England. Once he was restored as King of England, he then reinstalled the episcopal form of church governance. Covenanter pastors were removed from their pulpits. They began to hold secret services outdoors which were known as conventicles. Thousands would flock to hear their preaching. In 1679 King Charles II outlawed Presbyterianism and those who disobeyed were initially imprisoned or deported to the colonies. But starting in 1680, those who disobeyed could be executed on the spot. This was known as "The Killing Times" where thousands of Covenantors were executed for their faith. Persecution ended in 1688 when the Stewart dynasty was replaced by King William of Orange (the Netherlands) and the Queen Mary Stewart, joint regents, in the Glorious Revolution.
My ancestor, Patrick John Hugh Machefee (9th ggf), was banished to Charles City, Charles County, Virginia Colony on 17 Oct 1684. His descendants assumed the last name Mahaffey and founded the town of Mahaffey, PA where my father and my grandmother Anna Elizabeth Weaver (her mother was Anna Elizabeth Ross of the Ross clan from whom I am a descendant) are buried.
Coincidentally, Linda was raised in the Scottish Covenantor Church. We went to Geneva College, a Covenantor school, and were married in her Covenantor church. It is amazing that Covenantors are still around almost 400 years later, but it makes sense as many were banished to British Colonies in North America.
I then drove to
Dundonald Castle, the original castle of the Stewarts, who would become the Kings and Queens of Scotland and eventually of England, Wales, and Ireland. There have been three medieval castles on this site. The first was built by the Norman knight Sir Walter FitzAlan, 1
st High Steward of Scotland (23
rd ggf), who came from Oswestry Castle in Shropshire, England to Scotland in 1136. There is no surviving evidence of this castle above ground today.
The second castle was built in the late 1200’s by Sir Alexander Stewart, 4
th High Steward of Scotland (20
th ggf). This castle was predominantly built of stone, and would have been one of the grandest baronial residences of its time. It was largely destroyed by the Scots during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 1300s. There is little remaining of this castle. Sir Walter Stewart, 6
th High Steward of Scotland married Princess Marjorie Bruce (19
th ggps), the daughter of King Robert I the Bruce of Scotland and Isabel of Mar (20th ggps). When King Robert I the Bruce passed away, this marriage resulted in the Stewarts becoming the royal family of Scotland.
The third castle, in its current ruined condition, was built by King Robert II Stewart, to mark his accession to the throne in 1371. King Robert II was married Queen Consort Euphemia Ross (18
th ggps), part of the Ross Clan trunk of my tree. I will be visiting Ross ancestors when I get to Tain, Ross-shire later in this trip. As such Dundonald was the principal early residence of the Stewart family for generations. The present Dundonald Castle is in better shape than Douglas Castle, but not by much. You would think that such an important castle would be on the tourist trail. I have found that planning itineraries around pilgrimages or ancestors gets one off the tourist trail to very important sites ignored by guidebooks.
My final castle of the day was
Dean Castle, originally called
Kilmarnock Castle, which served as
Beaufort Castle, the home of Lord Lovat "The Old Fox" in Outlander. King Robert the Bruce gave Kilmarnock Castle to the Boyd family in return for Sir Robert Boyd, 1
st Baron of Kilmarnock (20
th ggf), support during the Battle of Bannockburn. Sir Robert died on 19 Jul 1333 as prisoner of the English after the Battle of Halidon Hill. The castle served as the Boyd stronghold for over 400 years. Most prominent of these was Sir Robert Boyd, 1
st Lord Boyd (15
th ggf), Great Chamberlain of Scotland, Regent for King James III of Scotland. He was a strong supporter of Mary, Queen of Scots, and as a result he had to flee to England.
I met up with a friend; a part of my Camino family from when I walked the Camino de Santiago. We met the first day at the Albergue Roncal in Cizur Menor, but due to falling on the way down the Alto de Perdon, I was not able to keep up; just randomly running across members which is normal for the Camino. It was great to share memories of our pilgrimage. She kindly treated me to dinner.
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Dancing Dave
David Hooper
40 castles and palaces
You never cease to amaze me, Bob. You have identified 40 castles and palaces of your ancestors and you are in the process of visiting all of them. The only castle I know in Scotland is Lochnaw Castle at Stranraer in Southern Scotland where my mother was residing as a member of a religious cult and as a result of a fire she lost her life. I attempted to force a fire and coronial enquiry as the circumstances were suspicious, without success. A quirk in Scottish law denied it. You will find the castle but not the events I refer on the internet as some things are 'best withheld'. Makes the success of your ancestral research all the more meritorious. I am honoured to call you and Linda friends and we have spent memorable times at our respective homes in Australia and USA. Best wishes from Denise and I and keep up the good work!