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Clan Irving is a Lowland or Border Clan whose territory covers the southern part of Dumfriesshire and Galloway, named as the West March.The Clan names are predominantly Irving and Irvine although there are many different spellings of the name on both sides of the Border.

Scottish Clans

Sir George MacKenzie of Rosehaugh, the Lord Advocate (Attorney General) writing in 1680, said:

"By the term 'chief' we call the representative of the family from the word chef or head and in the Irish (Gaelic) with us the chief of the family is called the head of the clan".

So the words "chief" or "head", and "clan" or "family", can be clearly seen to be interchangeable. It is correct to talk of the MacDonald family or the Stirling clan for example. The idea that Highlanders should be listed as clans while the Lowlanders should be termed as families was merely a 19th-century convention. For example, the Lowland Clan MacDuff are described specifically as a "clan" in legislation of the Scottish Parliament in 1384.

The Border Clans whose territory is in the West March, and these are listed in the Act of 1587 (translated version), are as follows:

Scotts of Ewesdale, Littles, Thomsons (Thomesonis in the untranslated version), Glendinnings, Irvings, Bells, Carruthers, Grahams, Johnstons, Jardines, Moffats and Latimers.

The Border Irvings are recognised as a Clan by an Act of Scottish Parliament 29th July 1587. The Court of the Lord Lyon recognises the Irvings of Bonshaw as the Chiefly line .

Act of Scottish Parliament 1587

[James VI: Translation 1587, 8 July, Edinburgh, Parliament Parliamentary Register 29 July 1587]

An Act of the Scottish Parliament of 1587talks of the "Chiftanis and chieffis of all clannish ... duelland in the hielands or bordouris" – bringing into use the word 'clan' and 'chief' to describe both Highland and Border families. The Act goes on to list the various clans, including the Maxwells, Johnstones, Turnbulls, Elliotts, and other famous Border Reiver names as mentioned above.

Origins

It is agreed amongst historians studying ancient British history that the early peoples of Scotland consisted mainly of Gaels and Picts, and with the arrival much later of the Angles and Norsemen. It would be reasonable to assume that the Irvings/Irvines stemmed from Gaels and formed part of the movement of the population between Ireland and the south west of Scotland. There is plenty of evidence that exists today of the early Christians and of Vikings presence in the Western Isles and in the northern parts of Ireland. So the assumption is founded on the Irvings/Irvines settling in the south western coastal areas and inland of what is now modern day Scotland – Dumfries & Galloway.

The Name

There has been some study into the origins of the Name and researchers tend to agree that the ancient Celtic spelling of the name – 'Erin-viene' or 'Erin-fiene' – means a true westland man' and could well be the origin for the town of Irvine in Ayrshire or the parish of Irving in Dumfriesshire. In Gaelic, the word 'Erin' means the 'west' and 'viene' or 'fiene' means 'man' or 'person'. Interestingly 'Erin' is used by some people today to describe Ireland and the word 'Alba' to describe the ancient kingdom of Scotland

History

There has been much written about the Border Irvings as a Clan and about the Irvings of Bonshaw, from which line the Clan Chief is recognised. The fact remains that there is no known evidence or fact to support any conjecture of Border Irving history up to the time when Malcolm Caenmor introduced the system of parishes as a form of local governance towards the end of the 11th century.

The Border Irving lands in the 11th century were extensive, stretching from Annandale to the Liddesdal .Kirtledale became the parish of Irving until the end of the 16th century when it was divided into two separate parishes of Annan and Kirkpatrick-Fleming.

Notable events in Border Irving clan history are summarised as follows:

In the 10th Century

Scottish king David I (1124-1153 AD) granted feudal superiority of Annandale in 1124 to the Norman family De Brus ("Bruce") who held the territory until Robert De Brus, Earl of Carrick, acceded to the throne of Scotland in 1306.

The Border Irvings became vassals, initially under De Brus and then for the next four hundred years until finally achieving independence under the Johnstons.

In the 11th Century

Robert De Brus was concealed in a cave in the Kirtle cliffs when a guest at Bonshaw Tower in 1298 when he fled the English court of Edward I.

In the 12th Century

A 'William De Irwyn', second son to the clan chief, purportedly being taken into service with Robert De Brus. This 'William De Irwyn' held a number of offices in the Royal Household, being rewarded with part of the Forest of Drum in 1323 and free barony for his devotion to duty.

In the 15th Century

Battle of the Kirtle in July 1484, the Duke of Albany and the Douglases were routed, the Master of Maxwell was killed and the Merkland Cross marks the spot.

In the 16th Century

It was during this century that the feud existed between the Johnstons and Irvings on one side and the Maxwells with their supporters on the other.

Battle of Solway Moss in 1542, Christopher Irving of Bonshaw commanded the light horse, surviving the battle and continuing the resistance against Henry VIII.

1543 through to 1548, continued border clashes with the English Wardens – the Earl of Lennox, Lords Dacre and Wharton in particular – and the Scottish forces.

During 1566, the Irvings fell out of favour with Queen Mary, and in true Borderer style, changed sides and joined the then Regent Moray who then appointed one of Bonshaw's younger sons, Edward, as Governor of Annan three years later.

1585-1586, the Irvings and Johnstons were at war with the Maxwells.

During the last decade of the 16th century, there was an ongoing feud between the Bells of upper Kirtledale and the Irvings of lower Kirtledale.

December 1593 Battle of Dryfe Sands, the Johnston-Irving alliance led by Sir James Johnston of Lochwood met the Maxwells and the battle that followed was notable in that it was the last Clan battle to be fought in Scotland. The Johnston-Irving alliance inflicted a crushing defeat on the Maxwells with Lord Maxwell being slain on the field. The Maxwells never fully recovered even to this day.

In the 17th Century

During the Civil War in the middle of the 17th century, the Irvings supported the Royalists and anti-Presbyterians.

Between 1672-1677, the general registration of Armorial bearings of the nobility of Scotland, William Irving of Bonshaw registered the ancient armorial achievement of Irving of Bonshaw, these being:

"..... bears argent three hollin leaves proper above the shield ane helmet befitting his degree mantled vert doubled argent next is placed ane torse for his crest ane arm gauntleted holding ane branch of hollin consisting of seven leaves all proper. The motto is ane scroll Haud Ullis Labentia Ventis".

In the 18th Century

Colonel Paulus Aemilius Irving was i/c 15th Regiment of Foot under General Wolfe during the capture of the Heights of Abraham at Quebec. Later became Governor of the Province of Quebec. His son, General Sir Paulus Aemilius Irving was created "Baronet of Woodhouse and Robgill"; the title became extinct in 1852.

In the 19th Century

Colonel J.B. Irving (1844-1925) inherited the Tower and estate as heir of succession and was author of 'The Book of the Irvings &c.' in 1907.

Succeeded by his surviving son, Captain Sir R.B. Irving (1877-1954), KB, OBE, RD, DL, who fought at the Battle of Jutland and commanded the 'Queen Mary' in 1936. Granted a knighthood in 1943 and retired in 1944. He died in 1954 without issue.

His successor was Commander G. R. I. Irving RN (1895-1970).

Clan Chief

By Interlocutor dated 25 August 2014 the Lord Lyon King of Arms recognised Captain Robert Alec Snow Irving RN (Retd.) of Bonshaw as Chief of the Name and Arms of Irving of Bonshaw.

The Lord Lyon's full Findings and Reasons for the decision can be found on the Court of the Lord Lyon website at: http://www.lyon-court.com/lordlyon/636.html

The Irvines of Drum

The Irvines of Drum were granted lands of the Forest of Drum in 1323, many years before the Irvings of Bonshaw came to prominence and expanded their influence in the Borders of Scotland.

The theory that the Irvines of Drum and the Irvings of Bonshaw are two separate Clans but one family with a common ancestor is not uncommon and in fact a similar situation exists with other Scottish Clans.

James Irvine-Fortescue of Kingcausie has investigated this theory in his treatise "Memorandum on the Origins of the Family of Irvine of Drum" (July 2000). This treatise provides a strong argument that the Irvines of Drum originated from south west Scotland but there is no further connection with the Border Irvings.

This was endorsed by David Irvine 26th Baron of Drum in August 2000.

Clan Border Towers

Of the remaining Border Irving Towers within Clan territory, only Bonshaw and Robgill, along with the ruins of Woodhouse, Stapleton and New Kirkconnel at Ecclefechan remain

Bonshaw and Robgill are the only remaining Towers still in private hands and currently lived in.

Bonshaw Tower is known to have been built in the 1560's and there has been previous construction on the site between 1542 and 1548. Although Bonshaw Tower has been set alight, the English failed to burn down or indeed to blow it up with their cannon. It has been successfully withstood four sieges by the Maxwells and was described by Lord Scrope, when English Warden of the West Marches, as "one of the strongest howses of that border".

Bibliography

• Irving, Colonel J.B. Colonel J.B. Irving (1907). The Irvings, Irwins, Irvines, or Erinveines: or any other spelling of the name: An Old Scots Border Clan. Aberdeen: Rosemount Press. ISBN 978-1-902930-18-3.
• Maxwell-Irving B.Sc. F.S.A Scot., Alastair M.T. Alastair M.T., Maxwell-Irving B.Sc. F.S.A. Scot. (1968). The Irvings of Bonshaw, Chiefs of the Noble and Ancient Scots Border Family of Irving. ISBN 0-08-030866-X.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Maxwell-Irving B.Sc. F.S.A Scot., Alastair M.T. Alastair M.T., Maxwell-Irving B.Sc. F.S.A. Scot. The Border Towers of Scotland: The West March. ISBN 978-1899316311.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Anderson, William William Anderson (1861). The Scottish Nation. ISBN 978-1295966516.
• Anderson, William William Anderson. The Scottish Nation: Volume G-L. ISBN 978-1295966516.
• MacDonald Fraser, George George MacDonald Fraser (1971). The Steel Bonnets, The Story of the Anglo-Scottish Border Reivers. ISBN 0-00-272746-3.
• Sadler, John John Sadler (2005). Border Fury, England and Scotland at War 1296-1568. ISBN 978-1-4058-4022-4.
• Mackie, R.L. R.L Mackie (1962). A Short History of Scotland. ISBN 978-0050010426.
• Warner, Philip Philip Warner (1995). Famous Scottish Battles. ISBN 0-85052-487-3.
• Mackintosh, Donald Donald Mackintosh (1998). The Irvines of Drum and their Cadet Lines 1300-1750. ISBN 9780893087104.
• Mercer, Roger Roger Mercer (1997). Kirkpatrick-Fleming, An Anatomy of a Parish in South West Scotland. ASIN B005ZL914A.

External links

Scottish Heraldry and Genealogy

• Court of the Lord Lyon
• The Heraldry Society of Scotland
• Association of Scottish Genealogists and Researchers in Archives
• National Genealogical Resource
• General Register Office, Scotland
• Burkes Peerage and Gentry

Research and Family History

• Scottish Family History Societies
• The Written History of Scotland
• Scotland's written legacy
• National Archives of Scotland, at Edinburgh
• National Archives, at Kew

Museums & Libraries

• Edinburgh City Library
• National Library of Scotland
• National Museums of Scotland

Category:Clan Irving Clan Irving Category:Irving Category:Clan Chiefs Category:Scottish Borderers Category:Border Reivers Category:History of Scotland Category:Kinship and descent Clan Irving

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Category:Castles in Dumfriesshire Category:Category A listed buildings in Dumfries and Galloway Category:Listed castles in Scotland