929.2 Sea 8G SCOTT THE FA;v; ILY OF THOMAS SCOTT ANT MARTHA SWAN "" n r* ei &rt ,?5fc - SC TT lA Cw-UVM** ,' L I B HAHY OF THE UNIVERSITY Of ILLINOIS tela. Co? -3 IlWJS HISTORICAl SURVEY anin ilartfja ^matt §cott A Century in America anb Mutton £>tuan ^rott A Century In America 1856*1956 A Sketch By A Grandson George Tressler Scott ILLUSTRATED For Complimentary Distribution Only PRIVATELY PRINTED A copy may be obtained on request of the Illinois State Historical Library, Springfield, Illinois. PRINTED BY MONTCLAIR PRINTING COMPANY MONTCLATR, NEW JERSEY CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE Foreword 3 Acknowledgments 4 I. ANCESTRY OF THOMAS SCOTT 5 II. ANCESTRY OF MARTHA SWAN 13 III. THOMAS AND MARTHA SWAN SCOTT 16 A. The Family in Northern Ireland 16 B. The Voyage to America in 1856 20 C. Thomas and Martha Scott in America 20 IV. CHILDREN OF THOMAS AND MARTHA SCOTT . ' . 23 A. Common Experiences and Characteristics 23 B. Seven Brothers in Dry Goods in Illinois 24 C. The Twelve Children Individually 29 V. GRANDCHILDREN AND LATER DESCENDANTS OF THOMAS AND MARTHA SCOTT 42 VI. POSTSCRIPT 64 APPENDIX A. Footnotes 65 B. Lindsay Family 68 C. Bibliography 70 11 ABBREVIATIONS: App.-Appendix; PL-plate (picture) ; Gen.- generation; Bib.—Bibliography in App.; b.—born; m.—married; d.— died; c—about; (?)—uncertain; *—indicates Thomas Scott*, Martha Swan Scott* and their four parents to distinguish them from others 3 with the same names. Elevated numerals in the text, e.g., refer to Footnotes in App. A—For Lineage Notations, see App. A 1. FOREWORD A Century of a Family in America is commemorated in 1956 in this simple collection of memorabilia which seeks to preserve in permanent form the gist of many memoirs, old and recent. Life is a continuum as we move each moment from past into future. Our forebears live in us and as we observe them, we better understand ourselves. The cultivation of a worthy heritage normally develops a quality yield and enriches life; thus a good yesterday can evolve into a better tomorrow. In the words of Robert Browning: "There shall never be one good lost. What was shall live as before." Con- nection with ancestors pioneering in a new field of endeavor in a new land and with kindred carrying on in many contributive occu- pations throughout America gives a satisfying sense of family par- ticipation in human progress. This Scott-Swan group is typical of thousands of similar families that are the warp and woof which compose the strong fabric of our nation. "We inherit the results of the labors of our ancestors. May their descendants remember them with filial regard and be worthy of our heritage!" "Honor thy father and thy mother" is ever valid. This sketch is primarily for our family and so it is familiar as well as objective. Its foci are Thomas Scott* (1802-1865), Scots- Irish farmer, miller, churchman, community leader, and his estim- able wife, Martha Swan Scott* (1802-1864). Some of the record is regrettably fragmentary and uncertain; further research by a younger person can make it more nearly complete and correct, for 4 10 which a few guiding clues are included. ' Documentation is very deficient but sources are considered authentic unless with (?). Tradition, even when uniform, may not be accurate. Repetitions are for clarity, blank spaces are for later write-ins. If a place in Ireland is mentioned without a County name, Co. Down is implied,—in America without a State name, Illinois is implied. Footnotes are in App. A. The writer commends Genealogy as an interesting avocation, particularly during retirement. Our dual relation to past and future appears in a prayer in The Upper Room: "Father, we thank Thee for the noble examples of those who have gone before us. Consecrate us to the welfare of those who come after us," and in the ascription by Isaac Watts: "O God, our Help in ages past, Our Hope for years to come." ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Basic and general indebtedness is to my mother, Anna Tressler Scott, and to my sister, Vera Scott Cushman (both deceased), for collections of press-clippings, records, memoranda, diaries, corres- pondence, notations and pictures gathered during seventy-five years. The skeletal framework is articulated by an excellent tabulation of names and dates by the late Robert Lindsay Scott of Chicago and by an invaluable family tree about nine feet long by Elizabeth Lind- say Gladstone of Conway, Wales. Data were generously furnished by many relatives in America; very highly contributive were Mrs. Mary Scott Black of Pasadena, Frederick Hossack Scott of Chicago, Mrs. Josephine Tower Coss of Mendota, 111., and the "Life of John ,, Edwin Scott by Myra Hossack Kingsbury. Thanks are expressed to the Pastors and Clerks of the First Presbyterian Churches of Westfield, N. Y., Mendota, 111. and Ottawa, 111. From Ireland much helpful information came from Miss Alice Murphy, J. A. McCracken, J. P. and John Lyons, Esq. of Rathfriland, Mrs. Martha Swan Whit- ley of "Ambleside," Bangor, Arthur Lindsay Haire with his sister Kathleen of "Riverview," Banbridge, and the Genealogical Office, Dublin Castle; from England from Dr. David Moore Lindsay of Weybridge, Sussex, and from New Zealand from Miss Kathleen Haire of New Plymouth. At the generous instigation of the Earl of Dalkeith (Scott of Buccleuch), Scottish background was authori- tatively added by the Unicorn Pursuivant of Arms, Iain Moncreiffe, O.St. J., F.S.A. Scot. A number of important items were gleaned on the spot in Ireland and Scotland in May 1956 by my son David Alan Scott. The Bibliography (App. C) indicates many sources used. Errors and omissions are mine. A friend, Miss Nathalie M. Farr, expertly prepared copy for the printer. To an ever devoted wife, Ruth Cowing Scott, is awarded the Order of the Golden Halo. To each of these and to many others unnamed often unknown, deep gratitude is expressed. Corrections and information, espe- cially regarding the ancestry of Thomas and Martha Scott*, are requested. Many are indebted to the Illinois State Historical Library for its kind service in distribution. 181 Summit Avenue George Tressler Scott Upper Montclair, N. J. Summer of 1956 I. ANCESTRY OF THOMAS SCOTT A. In Scotland Scot is a Gaelic word used in Ireland where it meant rover or wanderer, possibly referring to sea-rovers arriving there from the Iberian peninsula before the Christian Era. In Scotland, Scot meant Gael,—one of the Gaelic-speaking Celtic people that immigrated from north Ireland from the Fifth Century A.D. onward, settled along the west coast of Caledonia and pushed inland, subduing and joining the native Picts and various groups arriving from the Continent. From these Scots the name Scotland was taken about the Twelfth Century. We shall later see many of their descendants, including the forebears of Thomas Scott*, moving back to Northern Ireland in the Seventeenth Century. The earliest historical record of the name Scott is that of Uchtred(us) filius Scot(i) who was a witness to the foundation Charter of Selkirk c. 1120 and a courtier of King David I. Thereafter many of the name Scotte, Scotus and le Scot are recorded. Uchtred had a good English name and lived in the Lowlands near the Border. He had two grandsons; 1) Richard was the an- cestor of the Scotts of Buccleuch and 2) Michael of the Scotts of Balweary. Inasmuch as tradition in several countries uniformly and definitely connects the Thomas Scott* family with Buccleuch branch, we slap-trace that lineage here. From the above Richard descended Sir Richard le Scott (d.1320) and five generations later, Sir David. "Buccleuch" first (?) became a title about 1470 with David Scott, Lord of Buccleuch. Thereafter the title is continuous. The notable Border Chieftain Sir Walter Scott of Buccleuch had an estate in Selkirkshire about 30 miles south of Edinburgh. His son Sir Walter was ele- vated to the Peerage in 1606 as Lord Scott of Buccleuch and the latter's son Walter was created the 1st Earl of Buccleuch in 1619. The Estate and Title of the 2nd Earl, Francis Scott, eventually passed to his second daughter Anne. She married James, Duke of Monmouth; they were created the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch in 1673 and carried her family name Scott. Their de- scendant in the 8th degree, Sir Walter John Montagu-Douglas-Scott, born December 30, 1894, is the present Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, hold- ing numerous other important titles and countless honors, offices and degrees. His son, the Earl of Dalkeith, very cordially supplied directly and through the Unicorn Pursuivant of the Lord Lyon King of Arms of Scotland authentic first- hand data for this Sketch. 2 "The principal area inhabited by Scotts in the 17th Century" according to Pursuivant Iain Moncreiff "was Selkirkshire and Roxburghshire, and parts of Lanarkshire and Dumfriesshire. In the old days when the chiefs of the great Names were held responsible for the deeds of those who bore their Name, a number of folk assumed such names to bring themselves within such a Chief's protection. But the principal families named Scott seem all to have been branches of Buccleuch or Balweary; and these two stocks claim to be one in origin." One important branch of Buccleuch and an old and powerful Border family is Scott of Harden of which Lord Polwarth is the head. It came into leadership at a time when there was no male heir of the Chieftain. Of this Harden Sept was the famous poet and novelist, Sir Walter Scott; visualizing a grand future, he erected the Castle of Abbotsford, near Melrose Abbey whose abbots there forded the River Tweed.