THE HISTORY AND GENEALOGY OF THE GURLEY FAMILY Gl'RLRY COAT 01' ARMS MOTTO l)rofunda Cnnit l\lay it Le realized in whatever clime, in seeing clearly our du1y to Cod, and to avoid danger By ALBERT E. GURLEY WILLIMANTIC, CONN, 1897 HARTFORD, CONN. S,rcss of Ube <tase, 1ockwoob & :l!rafnarb <tompanr 18q7 PART Fl~ST .Q)lemoriaf&' OF THE SCOTTISH HOUSE OF GOURLAY DY THE Rev. CHARLES ROGERS, D.D., LL.D. Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland; of the Royal Soeic,ty of North­ ern Antiquaries, Copenhagen; of the Royal Society of Boh<•mia, and of the Royal Heraldic Society of Italy; Associate of the Imperial Archreological Society of Russia; and Correspond inis Member of the Historical Society of Berlin; of the, Royal Society of Tasmania, and of the Historical and Genealogical Society of New England, JE~lnburgb PRIVATELY PRINTED MDCCCLXXX\' [II . CONTENTS FAMILIES IN THE SOUTIIERN CoUNTrns, 11 FAMILIES IN FIFESHIRE: Gourlay of Kincraig, rs Families at Largo, Falkland, and King's Kettle, 22 Families at Dysart, Wemyss, Scoonie, Elie, and Ans- truther, . 23 Family at Dunfermline, . 24 Family at Kingshorn, :q Families in Ceres, . 25 Families at St. Andrews, 27 FAMILIES IN LANARKSHIRE, S'!"IllLINGSUIRE, AND PERTIISIIIIU;;: Families in Lanarkshire, 30 Families in Stirlingshire, 3 I Families in Perthshire, . 32 FAMILIES IN THE NORTHERN COUNTIES, 33 PREFACE. In publishing this " History and Genealogy of the Gur­ ley Family," the author has attempted to gather together all the records of those who made an attempt to write and pub­ lish a work of this kind, and embody them in one book, also to search all town, church, and historical records, where any­ thing was to found relating to the Gurley name. In writing a work of this kind it requires a great deal of patience and perseverance to ever make such a work a success, as several made the attempt, but gave it up and died without ever completing it. No one need ever think of writing a history and genealogy of their name, and think of doing or carrying on any other business at the same time, and whoever does will fail of ever making much progress with the work, and will soon give it up and le.ave it for some one else to do. The author of this book has had great pleasure in finding so many Gurleys who have lived an honorable and religious life; they have filled many high and important offices, and are doing the same to-day with honor and credit, although they are not seekers of office, but prefer to live an honest, humble life in quietude and peace. Part First contains a very interesting account of our first ancestor. of which the author of this history has been ahle to find any record of is Ingelram de Gurley, who accom­ panied " William the Lion " from Normandy, France, lo Scotland, in the year u74, and· for hts sage counsels and good advice King William gave him a tract of land in Kin­ crnig, in Fifeshire, which, I believe, is possessed by the name to this day. ·· Part Second contains the history and genealogy of Wil­ liam Gurley, who was born in Inverness, Scotland, in the year 1665, and came to this country at the age of fourteen years, with Rev. Solomon Stoddard, to Northampton. i\fass. Part Third contains the history an<l genealogy of a \Vil- 8 PREFACE. liam Gurley, who was born in the city of \Vcxfor<l, Ireland, March 12, 1757, and was a descendant of James Gurley or Scotland. Part Fourth contains the history and genealogy of Capt. Denjamin Gurley of Marblehead, Boston, Mass. Part Fifth contains the history and genealogy of Rev. Joseph Gurley and Rev. John Gurley, two brothers (Episco­ pal clergymen), who settled in Virginia about 1760. PREFATORY NOTE. These " Memorials of the Scottish House of Gourlay " I have been enabled to produce, consequent on the cost of research haying been defrayed by an honored member of the sept. The inquiry has· been conducted amply, and it is to be hoped that the result will prove interesting not only to the members of tl!e family, but also to those concerned in genealogical studies. CHARLES ROGERS. Edinburgh, 6 Barnton Terrace, July, 1888. MEMORIALS OF THE SCOTTISH HOUSE OF GOURLAY. FAMILIES IN THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES. During the sixteenth century the family of Gourlay held the lands of Sutton Grange in Yorks hire; they also had pos- sessions in Cumberland. · · William Gourlay of Sutton Grange, who was living about 1588, is describ~d as a valiant captain in sundry martial services both at home and abroad."' During the twelfth century ·the family effected a settle­ ment in Scotland. Ingelram de Gurley is described as having accompanied William the Lion when that king, in 1174, returned from-his captivity in England. From King William he received lands in Lothian and Clydesdale. .a He had a son Hugh, who, in 118o, is a wit­ ness to a grant by Ingelram de Baliol to the Abbey of Ar­ broath.J Hugh de Gurley possessed lands in the Lothians, also in Fife.4 Ingelram de Gurley witnessed various charters during the reign of Alexander II. (1214-12-1-9.) He is one of four witnesses to a charter by which Syliald, son of Walter, grants to the monks of Cupar certain rem:,; of the l\'lill of Lundyn; the charter is undated, but is in the register followed by another dated in 1220.5 As " Ingeram de Gurle " he is witness to a charter by which Alan, constable of Lammermoor, grants to the 6 church. of Melrose a right of pasture. 1 Fn,ter's Visitations of Yorkshire, 168. 3 Howe's History of En!,l'land, p, 153, • Register of A berbrothoc, 39. • Chartulary of Newbottle. • Rental Hook of Abbey of Cupar, I., 3.2. • Chartulary of Melrose. 12 THE GURLEY FAMILY GENEALOG\'. In 1245 Ingelram de Gurley witnesses a grant by Hew of Malhewe to Thomas de Ross of the lands of Ross of Milnc­ 1 tor, Hallingshaw, and Bathstruth in Angus. · Among those who, in 1296, did homage to Edward I were Matthew cfe Gurle, whose locality · is not given; Roger Gourlay and William· de Gourlay, of the county of Edin­ burgh; William de Gourlay of Balgally in Forfarshire; and Adam de Gourlay, of the county of Roxburgh.2 On the 2d January, 1303-4, Adam de Gourlay, the homager, also Alan de Gourlay, were. member~ of a jury appointed by Edward I to determine as to the succession to Sir. Thomas de Char­ tres, who owned lands in the barony of Wilton, and had died in the year preceding at enmity with the king.J In a mandate, dated 2d September, 1296, whereby lands and goods are restored to certain ecclesiastical persons, is named Patrick of Gurleghe, parson of the church of Log­ horward, in the shire of Edinburgh.• On the 23d December, 1292, Edward I, as overlord of the Kingdom of Scotland, intimated to William de Soulis, en­ voy from Scotland, his remission to William de Lamberton of a fine of ten merks, in which he was amerced by an as­ size, at the instance of Hugh de Gurlay, in reference to a tenement in Linton.s Hugh de Gurlay was, on the 24th May, 1297, invited by Edward I. along with th~ young Earl of Carrick, afterwards King Robert I, and Jamcs the Stew­ ard of Scotland, and many others, to accompan_y him in his proposed expedition to Flanders.6 In the account rendered by Robert Peebles, Chamberlain of Scotland, in 1328, there is included a payment of one hundred sh;Jlling-s to Hugh de Gurlay, by the king's mandate, for a certain old debt.7 On the 24th July, IJI4, Edward H granted at York. under his own Privy Seal, protections atfl safe condn<.'ts to John de Gourlay and Symon de Gourlay, who were about to proceed to France, along with \Villiam de Umfravillc, in • Re~ster of Aberbrothoc, 338. • Ragmam Roll. •Exchequer Q. R. Miscellanea, placita, etc., No.~ • Rotuli Scotiae, Vol. i., 25. 26. 'Rotuli Scotiae, Vol. i.. 2~1 26. • Close Roll,,, Edward I, m. 27. 'Exchequer Rolls, Vol. i., 2J6. THE GURLEY FAMILY GENEALOGY. 13 quest of money for the ransom of Sir Ingelram de Umfra­ ville, a prisoner with the Scotts.1 Sir Ingelram was probably made captive at the battle of Bannockburn. On the 30th March, 1359, Patrick Gourlay, bailie of Ha<l­ dington, rendered to the Chamberlain at Dundee his ac- count, for that burgh.2 . On the 26th October, 1365, "John µourlay, merchant of Scotland,'' received permission to enter England with four companions; and at the same date William Gourlay, "mer­ chant of Scotland/' with four companions, had a similar license.J •. In August, 1534, Mr. Norman Gourlay, apparently a native of the Lothians, was, along with David Stratoun, of the house of'Lauriston, charged with heresy in the Abbey Church of Holyrood. At the trial, James V, then in his twenty-second year, was present, clothed in red. i Condemned to perish at the stake, the prisoners were, on the 27th August, borne to Greenside vVell, and there burned. The spot of execution was selected so that the flames might be witnessed by and strike terror among the people of Fifeshire. · · Norrpan Gourlay had denied the existence of purgatory, and affirmed that the Pope was Antichrist. ◄ . On the site of Melbourne Place, at Edinburgh, stood a large mansion, known as Robert Gourlay's house, and hav­ ing over the principal entrance the legend: "0 Lord in the is al my traist, 1569." Robert Gourlay, the original owner; was a messenger-at-arms connected with Holyrood Abbey, an office bestowed upon him by the commendator, Adam Bothwell, Bishop of Ortney.