| History of the House of
Ochiltree of Ayrshire Scotland and of those who came to America...
(KING DUFFUS MENTIONED)
Clementine Brown Railey
1916
Sterling Kansas
The historical matter in this volume has been gleaned from various
sources. Much has been quoted from "The Covenanter, Cavelier, and
Puritan" by Temple, "The Scot Irish in America" by Hanna and "The
Annals of Avusta County Virginia" By Waddell. Also other sources
remembered by family members or obtained from public records.
Authenticity has been the keynote of this work and whenever there has
been a doubt as to this is, it is so stated.
This history traces the family back to the nobility of Scotland, in
one case of on to Bruce, of the other, Wallace, still farther back to
the Norman Knights, followers of King David I into Scotland on
his accession to the throne in 1124 with a blending down the lines of
Norman, Saxon, Dane and Celt...
The name Ochiltree has been spelled in various ways, such as
Ockeltree, Okiltree, Okletree, Ogletree, Oughiltree, Auglitree,
Uchilrie, and Ocheltree, in some instnces now pronounced with the long
sound of "O". A member of one branch of the family that spells it
"Ocheltree" states that his father had told him that it was originally
spelled :"Ochiltree." We find it spelled thus in Scottish
history and by the laarger portion of the family. As it would
not be practicable to follow out the various methods of spelling, we
adhere to the one standard spelling..
The word Ochil, in Scotch, Uchel in Welch means high and the original
signification for the name Ochiltree is said to have been a place of
high trees or as on tradition, it was a landmark and could be seen for
miles around. We read also of the Ochil hills in Scotland..There
is a town of the same name in Ayrshire Scotland...
The family name was Stewart and that the Ochiltrees in America are
descended from Andrew Stewart, Lord of Ochiltree of Scotland of the
Royal House of Stewart has been handed down in all branches of the
family, not as a tradition but as a fact, of those who emigrated to
America were well aware. Just where the American families branch
from the Family Tree is just not tradition but should not be
overlooked. Henry Miller Ochiltree deceased many years ago, grandson
of James Ochiltree, who was born about 1740 and emigrated to America
told his son, Thomas that the name of Thomas had come down in the
family, in honor of Lord Ochiltree. It is interesting to note
that the name Thomas first appears in the line, in the name of Andrew
Thomas Stewart, Lord of Castlestewart, County of Tyrone Ireland, a
descendant of the third Lord of Ulster in 1610 and was created Lord
Castlestewart in the Peerage of Ireland..About the time of the
emigration of the Ochiltrees to America, he claimed and was granted
the right to vote at an election of Scottish peers and later, claimed
the title and lands of Ochiltree, in Scotland, but this clam was
allowed by the House of Lords...
The partial record has been received of
the North Carolina branch which was represented in Texas by Judge Will
Beck Ochiltree and his son, Thomas Peck Ochiltree, whose ancestors
came to America in 1739.. This record begins with: "Lord Ochiltree,
Island of Jura Scotland" This tells us that Lord Ochiltree was,
in 1608, made the King's Lieutenant over the Western Isles. The Island
of Jura is off the west coast of Scotland..The given names of the
members of this family were David, Duncan, Malcolm, Hugh, Archibald,
Murdock. all representative of Stewart names.
A descendant of Michael Ochiltree who came from Armaugh County Ireland
in 1792 says,"My grandmother, Nancy Ochiltree Lowry was born in
Armaugh in 1775 was a good woman, very much a lady and very proud of
her descent from Royalty and of the family name of Stewart."
Although nothing perhaps has been found to fully establish the point
of connection, with any particular branch of the European line, or
descent of Lord Ochiltree in Scotland or Ireland, enough has been
given for a starting point for research in those countries. The original home of the Ochiltrees was Ayrshire.. We are told by the
Highlands that is the northern part of Scotland inland from the coast.
There were many instances in the unsettled and turbulent condition of
affairs, during and subsequent to the Reformation of families being
forced to leave Scotland and for greater security, to change their
names..
In the case of the Ochiltrees, the name
is a surname, it would seem distinguished the Protestant branch of the
Stewart family. It was also a protest against the conditions,
the combating of which, eventually, caused the loss of title and
lands of Ochiltree in Scotland. The adoption of the name of
their ancestral lands, forever designates their ancestry and origin
and their firm stand against the existing perils of those times. As
the American branches were strongly Protestant and Presbyterian, it
would certainly seem that they had descended from the Protestant and
Presbyterian branch of the family in Europe.
The line of descent of the Ochiltrees is
as follows:
Kenneth McAlpin united the Scots and Picts under his sway and was
succeeded by his son, Constantine. He had another son Hugh whose son
Doir was made Thane of Lochaber. Doir's son Murdock had a
son Ferquhand who had a son, Kenneth who married the daughter of his
kinsman, King Kenneth II. Their son, Banquo and three of his
sons were murdered by enemies.. A fourth son, Fleance or as he was
called Flahald, escaped to Wales and was graciously received by
Griffith ap LLewellyn whose daughter he married.. He was murdered at
the instigation of some of the Welch nobles. Walter the son of Fleance
revenged his father's death and had to flee from Wales.
LLewellyn being dead, he found shelter at the Saxon Court of Edward
the Confessor, quarreled with a courtier who belittled the
Welch and had to flee to Brittiany in France also inhabited by a
branch of the Celtic race where he married a daughter of Alan, Earl of
Brittiany who joined William of Normandy in the invasion of England in
1066. Walter accompanying him.. After the overthrow of the
English at the battle of Hastings and the establishment of the Normans
in England, Walter received a grant of land in Shropshire on the
border of Wales. He fell out with the Normans however, and went
north to his father's country where he was well received by the king,
his distant kinsman, Malcolm III who granted him the lands of Renfrew
and Kyle in Ayrshire in lieu of Lochaber, the former possession of his
house.
Walter left a son, Alan and Alan a son Walter who as a Norman knight
accompanied King David I on his march to the Clyde, the most northern
boundary of his possession on his accession to the throne of Scotland
in 1124. He was granted the greater part of Renfrew, Immerwick,
Hassandean and large estates in Teviodale and Lauderdale and was made
the first High Steward of Scotland.. This office became
hereditary in this family for several generations were the High
Stewards of Scotland..There were Walter, Walter, Alexander, James,
Walter. Before the fixed surnames they were known by the name of
their office. When they complied with the fashion of
armorial bearings, which did not prevail until two generations after
their settlement in Scotland, they adopted the fess cheque for
computing to their office at the exchequer table. Walter the sixth
High Steward so distinguished himself in the fierce fighting against
the English for the independence of Scotland that he gained the favor
of King Robert the Bruce, Robert I of Scotland. He married his
daughter Marjorie.
Their second son, Robert, was the first
of the Stewart kings, the family of the greatest opulence and power in
Scotland. His wife was Elizabeth Mure, daughter of Sir William
Mure. He ascended the throne as Robert II on the death of his
uncle. his mother's brother, King DavidII. The second son, RobertIII
whose wife was Countess Margaret of Montieth had a son Murdock, whose
wife was Mariell daughter of Sir William Keith...They were the parents
of James the Gross who had a son, Alexander who became the first
Lord of Avondale, whose nephew, died at Solway Moss in 1513
fighting against the ancient enemy of his country, England.. There was
scarcely a family of any note in Scotland which had not to mourn some
lost on Floden Moor..
Andrew Stewart, son of the Second Lord of Avondale or Avandale,
exchanged his barony, with his kinsman, Sir James Hamilton of the
Stewart line, for that of Ochiltree in Ayrshire and was ordained by
Act of Parliment March 13, 1542, to be called "Lord Stewart of
Ochiltree." His son Andrew Stewart, the second Lord Ochiltree
was called the Good Lord Ochiltree. He was an active promoter of
the Reformed faith and in zealous supporter of John Knox and was one
of the Lords of the Congregation. He was wounded at the battle
of Langside, fighting against Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. Of his five
sons, William was slain by the Earl of Bothwell and James, created
Earl of Arran, was the father of Sir James Stewart of Killeith, who
became fourth Lord Ochiltree in 1615. Margaret, second
daughter of the second Lord Ochiltree, married John Knox.
His brother Henry Stewart married Margaret Tudor, widow of James IV
and was created Baron Methven, another brother, Sir James Stewart of
Beath was ancestor of the Stewarts Earls of Moray through his son
James, Lord Doune.
Comments on this book were sent in
by Dan Ogletree of Virginia
Beach, Virginia...
This book has often been used by the
American Ochiltrees/Ogletrees to prove their royalty. However, there
are glaring discrepancies.
First of all let me say that the lineages in the book are probably
very good. She did over 300 pages of lineages which required a
lot of work and devotion.
The narrative part is where many have to take exception. It is
believed that she started the royalty myth and it was picked up and
expanded on by her latter day disciples. As one Scottish
historian and genealogist said when shown the book - "She certainly
did not know much about Scottish History did she".
Here are some specifics:
1. She states Duncan and David arrived in 1739. No proof of this
whatsoever. In fact one descendant said Duncan arrived in the
same party as Flora MacDonald. If this is the case the year would have
been 1774. Source: Information pamphlets handed out at the tomb
of Flora MacDonald.
2. She states that Duncan and David were the sons of Lord Ochiltree
of Jura. There was never a Lord Ochiltree of Jura according to
the Royal Scots Ancestry Society and in 1739 there was no Lord
Ochiltree of anything.
3. There has been nothing produced where any of these early
arrivals claimed royalty. It seems to have been done on their
behalf by Raily and her disciples.
Even the congressional record of Thomas Peck Ochiltree makes no
mention of it. The civil war records of his father Thomas Beck
Ochiltree make no mention of it. North Carolina records has page after
page on Duncan but it is not mentioned.
4. She also states that Ochiltree was not a family name but one
that came into being when Lord Ochiltree adopted it as part of his
title. In actuality there were more than 300 Ochiltree families
roaming around Scotland for 250 years before a Stewart used it as part
of a title. These Ochiltrees, our true ancestors, had
occupations such as lawyers, clergymen, fish mongers, laborers,
weavers, etc.
5. In general terms she describes a name change. Not one
shred of evidence has been produced substantiating any name change
from Stewart to Ochiltree. One book, "Lyon in Mourning" has been
used for this purpose but when you look at the referenced pages, it
makes no mention of any name change. It further says that
Alexander Stewart who was supposed to have changed his name was a
servant and not royal.
6. And finally, Ms. Railey on page Viii of the book states
"Although nothing, perhaps, has been found to fully establish the
point of connection, with any particular branch of the European line,
or descent from the first, second, or third Lord Ochiltree in
Scotland, or in Ireland, enough has been given for a starting point
for research in these countries". In other words she never saw
anything either.
Some Descendants of Alexander
Ocheltree....
Compiled by Helen Ocheltree
Frisco Texas 1974
The name Ocheltree as a surname distinguished the Protestant branch of
the Stewart family following the great religious reformation which
took place in about 1625. "That the family name was Stewart, and
that the Ochiltrees, In America, are descended from Andrew
Stewart, Lord of Ochiltree, of Scotland, of the Royal House of
Stewart, has been handed down, in all branches of the family, not as a
tradition but a fact of which those who emigrated to America were well
aware."
Mogallus, a Prince of Scotland who had a son Grimus, or
Grim-Macdubh, or Chinet, or Girg MacKinath, or Greg, by some called
the son of King Duffus, who succeeded as King of Scotland in 995.
Then Malcom went against him, but at length matters were accommodated
so that Grimus was to reign until he died and that the crown was to be
conferred on Malcom and his heirs, but Grimus turning a tyrant, the
nobles sent for Malcom and when matters came to a battle, Grimus was
taken and had his eyes put out and the law for succession
confirmed..He died 1003--1008 and was buried at Malcom.
Grimus had a son who was the father of Bancho..Some say his mother was
the daughter of King Duffus Bancho, Thane of Lochabyre, general
of the Army with MacBeth, Governor of the Western Isle under King
Duncan I.He was slain by MacBeth's confederates in 1040.
Bancho had a son Fleance, who, fearing the same fate with his father,
fled to Wales by night and was honorably entertained by the Prince.
He married Nesta alias Mary daughter of Gruffuth ap Llewelyn, Prince
of North Wales.
They had Walter I...This young Welchman returned to Scotland after the
restoration of Malcom Canmore, who for his eminent services against
the insurrection of Galloway and his being a branch of the Royal
Family, was created Lord High Steward or general receiver of the
King's revenue) of Scotland, the name of which offices became
afterwards the surname of the family...He died in 1116.
Walter I had a son Alan, "the Stewart" in the reign of David I (King
of Scotland 1124-1153). He went with Godfrey of Bullogn and
Robert, natural son of Henry I, King of England, to the Holy Land and
gained much renown. He married Margaret of Galloway.
Their son, Alexander I, The Stuart, by some flourished in the
reign of King William, the Lion. He died 1191.
His son Walter II The Stuart, lived during the reign of King Alexander
II King of Scotland 1214-1249.. He died in 1258..From this time the
younger sons of the family had the surname of Stuart derived from the
office.
Walter II married Aida de Dunbar and they had a son Alexander II The
Stuart, general of the Army of King Alexander III (1249-86). He
signalized himself in the battle of Largs against the Danes 15 August
1263. He died in 1286.
His son John, The Stuart, in the time of brave Sir William Wallace,
was slain in the Battle of Falkirk 1298. He was called the Stuart of
Bute in right of his wife Martha, heiress daughter of Lord of Bute...
Their son, Walter III, Lord High Steward of Scotland, who died 1320
had married Marjory Bruce daughter of Robert Bruce, King of Scotland.
Their son, Robert II was the 100th King of Scotland.
Robert II was Lord High Steward of Scotland and Earl of Strathern.
He succeeded King David Bruce 1370, and William, Earl of Douglas
dropped his claim 1373. The King died at the Castle of
Dundonald 12 April 1390. and was buried at the Abbey of Scone.
He reigned 19 years and was age 75. He married, first, Eilzabeth
Muir, daughter of Sir Robert Muir of Rowaland. She died before he was
king. He married, second, Euphame widow of John Randolph, Earl of
Murroy and the second wife of King Robert. She was Queen
of Scotland and the daughter of Hugh, Earl of Ross she died 1376.
Among his many children by both wives, Robert II had, by his first
wife, Elizabeth, Robert Stuart, First Earl of Monteith, in right of
his first wife and earl of Fife by the resignation of the Countess.
He was made Regent of Scotland. His brother Robert III, made him
Duke of Albany 1399..He died September 3, 1420. He
married, second, Mauriella, daughter of Sir William Keith, Marshall of
Scotland.
Among his many children by both wives, Robert had by his first wife
Margaret a son, Murdock, who succeeded his father as Duke of Albany
and Regent of Scotland.. After the restoration of King James I
(1406-1437) that King growing jealous of the Duke's power and
discovering some troublesome intrigues, Murdock was beheaded May 19,
1425. Murdock married Isabel, daughter and coheiress of Duncan,
Earl of Lennox.
They had among their children a son named James Stuart, Knight, who
fled to Ireland where he died. His son Walter Stuart, Knight of
Morphy had a son Alexander Stuart, Lord of Evandale 1488.. Alexander
married Margaret, daughter of Sir John Kennedy of Blairquhan...Their
son was Andrew Stuart, "Groom of the Stole" to King James IV
(1488-1513) of Scotland.
Andrew exchanged the Lordship of Evandale-Annandale for the Barony of
Ochiltree and became ancestor of the Lords of Ochiltree. He died
1548. He married Margaret, daughter of James Hamilton, Lord of
the Privy Council and created Earl of Arran August 10, 1503..
By his first wife Beatrix, daughter of Lord John Drummond, Andrew
had:, Andrew Stuart, Marjory Stuart who married John Knox and
Christian Stuart who married John Bosswell of Auchinleck.
Andrew Stuart, called the Good Lord Ochiltree was a great instrument
in the reformation.. From him, the Lords of Ochiltree
descend...
The connection of the Lords of Ocheltrees and the branches in American
is not known. The first Ocheltrees came over in 1739 and settled in
North Carolina and it is thought the second in 1760, although some
written dates are conflicting.
The former accounting of Alexander Ochiltree authored by Clementine
Railey is mentioned, however this article is authored by Maud
Ocheltree and Lula Neal both of Bayard Iowa in 1974.
Alexander Ocheltree was born in Scotland in 1742..About the year 1760
he came to America landing first in Pennsylvania from Armagh Ireland
with his brothers Matthew and Michael...Matthew settled in Delaware
where, in 1761, he married Mary Maxwell, daughter of James Maxwell..
Matthew died May 14, 1798 and is buried in the red Clay Creek
Presbyterian Church yard near the Maxwell homestead in Mill
Creek Hundred, New Castle County Delaware.. Mary who died
earlier is believed to be buried in Hockessin Delaware where they had
made their home.
Michael went from New Castle Delaware to Rockbridge County Virginia
about 1794 or 1795.. He bought land there in 1797.
On September 20, 1798 he married Betsey Findley and died the following
May in Botetourt Couty.. Alexander went first to Augusta County
Virginia and the to Greenbrier County West Virginia. He married
Elizabeth McCoy. They were among the first white settlers in
this area, former ones being killed by Chief Cornstalk, the Chief of
the Shawanese tribe and was born 1747. Chief Cornstalk attacked
Donnely's Fort which was a settlement about 10 miles north of
Lewisburg WVA...The women and children got safely within the confines
of the fort but Alexander and a Mr. Burns were killed by the Indians.. |
