The Lindsays of America a Genealogical Narrative and Family
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AB^.-n. IQlo National Library of Scotland III! II llllll llll I! I! II II *B000448700* : . : Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from National Library of Scotland http://www.archive.org/details/lindsaysofameric1889lind : THE Xinosa^s of Hmerica. GENEALOGICAL NARRATIVE, FAMILY RECORD BEGINNING WITH THE FAMILY OF THE EARLIEST SETTLER IN THE MOTHER STATE, VIRGINIA, AND INCLUDING IN AN APPEN- DIX ALL THE LINDSAYS OF AMERICA. BY MARGARET ISABELLA LINDSAY. " Every family is a History in itself and even a poem to those who know how to read its pages." —A. Lamartine. ALBANY, N . Y . JOEL MUNSELL'S SONS, PUBLISHERS. 1889. Copyrighted by JOEL MUNSELL'S SONS, Albany, N. Y. ****** v> B °- <\7 \ 'Q79 TD MY FATHER; THE LATE Major George F. Lindsay, of the U. S, Marine Corps, US R SLIGHT TOKEN f my profound respect and admiration for one "who was in every way a true and noble gentleman, son, husband, father and officer! "Who al- though I was denied the great boon and comfort of knowing him, losing him in my infancy as I did, yet -whose character shines so beautifully forth, from all learned of him from my Mother and relatives, that the mind has often imagined it knew him ; also for his deep interest in, and correcting early por- tions of the family genealogy, and TD THE MEMORY DF MY DEAR MDTHER, Margaret Fraser Lindsay, Whose sympathy has encouraged me so frequently in this -work, THIS BQDK IS HFFECTIDKrHTELY EEHICRTEI] BY THEIR DiUJEHTER, PREFACE. My Dear Kinsmen and Clansmen : The following historical narrative and record of our family has long been a cherished wish of my heart from the moment that I began to read the stirring and interesting accounts in Scottish history and romance of our illustriqus forefathers, but more especially after perusing those beauti- ful old books (in 3 volumes) entitled " The Lives of the Lindsays," by our noble and most talented transatlantic cousin, the late Lord Lindsay, Earl of Crawford and Bal- carres, whom my father knew, and in the early stage of their acquaintance corresponded with, thus elucidating and estab- lishing more thoroughly our descent from the House of Crawford and Edzell. Prior to this, my father had but the knowledge gained from a descendant of his grand uncle, Opie Lindsay of Virginia, of our early ancestry in this country, some of which was not satisfactory. This wish to give to the entire family a history of our ancestors, as well as to fulfill the intention my father had of making out a new record of the branch planted in Virginia, gave shape and meaning to my idea, until at length I made the first stroke of my pen in earnest of my labors. Many difficulties beset vi Preface. my path from time to time ; the relatives who could have been interviewed to advantage were dead ; letters were most tardy in bringing replies, and often then, further ques- tions had to be returned, to be as patiently waited again for. When I hopefully wrote to some of our old court-houses in Virginia, in the vicinities our forefathers once resided in, looking forward to gain requisite data of births, marriages, deaths, wills, etc., I met with this response from the clerks " of the courts : The records of the early period I wished were long since lost by neglect, war, or destruction by fire." This was particularly so with the Fairfax court-house, as regards the early register of marriages. Fortune, however, favored me in the old Northumberland county court-house, that early portion of Virginia ; here through the energies and kindness of its polite clerk, Mr. W. S. Cralle, I was enabled to gain a few important items, which he found in some of the old mutilated and time-worn records under his care. My love, faith, and energy bore me along, year by year, for these last eight years, until at last my labor is over, and I can say, my work is done ! As I progressed with my search after relatives and new fragments of history, one family of Lindsays after another sprang into notice, until I beheld, with surprise, that the clan on this side of the Atlantic was as large, if not larger, than that in old Scotland, England and Ireland. Verily, I said, the race flourished in these United States ; and as the old branches wear out over there, here we have the twigs growing and strengthening yea'r by year ! The interest manifested in my subject was Preface. vii cordial and universal ! Each bosom who answered me, seemed to be awakened with genuine pleasure and pride, and accorded me kind aid and words. It was this universal kindness and interest in my labors, together with several requests from different Lindsays, to mention their families in my book, that made me add the appendix herein. I must not forget to mention that the gentle sympathy, and the assistance in discovering relatives, the ever ready ear and heart for me during all my work, until death took her from me three years and a few months since, that I received from my most devoted and noble mother, kept my love, faith, and energy in my task, in constant repair. To one and all of you, dear kinsmen and kinswomen, and the clan in general ! I give sincere and heartfelt thanks for your aid and kindness, and trust you will deal gently in your criticisms on my book, only bearing in mind my great good will and heart to serve you and perpetuate our good and grand old name, so that after generations may have that knowledge of their forefathers which has so long been denied to many of you, and should it be that any Lindsay family in America has been neglected in my appendix, I pray their kind indulgence and forgiveness on the ground of not having or being able to gain information regarding them. Those estimable volumes, " The Lives of the Lindsays," already mentioned, which several of you have inquired about, with a view to purchasing, I may here reply, are no longer obtainable, being out of print, as their publisher, Mr. Murray of London, wrote me. They first came out for viii Preface. the public in 1849, an d were re-issued in 1859, the demand, I suppose, being so great for them. The author was doubly- kind to my family in not only honoring my father with a set on their first publication in 1849, but in 1875 making my only brother, Walter Edzell Lindsay, the recipient of the later edition, and sent to him in the care of our clansman, the Reverend Dr. J. S. Lindsay of Virginia, who was then visiting Europe, and who had called upon Lord Lindsay by invitation. We were a little disappointed to see that the alterations promised my father, had not been made in the re-issue (1859) of our pedigree given in volume 1, appendix, page 248, of the work. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Remarks on genealogy — why families should keep it up — effect of good maternal influences — great men always in- debted to their mother more or less for success in life — the proper pride for one's ancestry — Lindsay traits — Sir David Lindsay of The Mount Lord Lion King at Arms — his genius and character — love of King James the Fifth for him, his power, and the admiration for him in Scotland — his con- nection with the Lindsays in Virginia — wealth and rank of the Lindsays in Scotland i CHAPTER II. Walter and William de Lindsay our earliest ancestors in Scot- land, 1 1 16-33 — the latter from whom we descend — Baron Baldric de Limesay, their father, the Anglo-Norman, contemporary with the Conqueror William, the Norman — their connection — his vast territories in England — mar- riage of Lindsays to Royal Princesses — noble de Toeny ancestry of the Lindsays — latest discoveries, tracing the lineage back to Niord, King of Sweden, 40 B. C. — see chart of the de Toenys 9 CHAPTER III. Scottish ancestry continued — William de Lindsay of Luffness, 1236, succeeds as the representative of the Lindsays — House of Glenesk and Edzell — Walter younger of Edzell, Contents. our direct ancestor — his grandson David, the celebrated Bishop of Ross — his remarkable character — high honors — the only one of note to pray for the ill-fated Queen Mary on her execution — his son Sir Jerome or Hierome Lindsay of The Mount, Lord Lion King at Arms — his eldest son, David the Divine, founder of the Lindsay family in Nor- thumberland county, Virginia — their title to the represen- tation of the Lindsays of The Mount, and other honors . 17 CHAPTER IV. The Reverend David Lindsay, Episcopal clergyman of Wico- mico parish, Northumberland county, in Virginia, our early forefather — he probably came to the colony during the reign of Charles the First, from 1645-55 — evidence of his vicinity in 1655 — account of the colonial ministry — early religious laws — death of the Reverend David in 1667 — inscription from his tombstone, possibly the oldest in America 26 CHAPTER V. The family of the Reverend David Lindsay — his wife Susanna Lindsay — had evidently malicious friends in the colony — she is living in 1665, two years before her husband's death — dies presumably between this and the execution of his will in 1667 — items of court concerning her — copy of the Reverend David's will — his daughter Helen Lindsay, his heiress, sole legatee, etc., also, supposition of his son Robert's death before 1667 — the Opies of Northumber- land early connections of the Lindsays, through Helen, daughter of the Reverend David 36 CHAPTER VI.