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Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 2001-07 > 0996010257


From: (Shawn Potter)
Subject: New Buchanan Royal Descent?
Date: 24 Jul 2001 14:30:57 -0700


I am seeking constructive comments on the following new Buchanan royal descent.

I have not seen this particular line before. Gary Boyd Roberts in
"Ancestors of American Presidents" shows a Buchanan descent from King Robert
III through Margaret Edmonstone to President James Buchanan; but he notes
that he considered that line too tentative to include in "The Royal
Descents of 500 Immigrants." If the tentative aspect of that line which Gary
refers to is the link between Margaret Edmonstone and Janet Buchanan, wife
of Thomas Buchanan, 3rd Laird of Carbeth, then it is worth noting that this
line doesn't suffer the same weakness.

By the way, these Buchanans also are twice descended from King Robert II
through the wife of Patrick Buchanan, 16th Laird of Buchanan, who was an
unnamed daughter of Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll.

Shawn


Lineage

1. Robert III, King of Scotland = Annabella Drummond
2. Mary Stewart = George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus
3. William Douglas, 2nd Earl of Angus = Margaret Hay
4. Helen Douglas = William Graham, 2nd Laird of Graham
5. Isabel Graham = Walter Buchanan, 15th Laird of Buchanan
6. Patrick Buchanan, 16th Laird of Buchanan = dau 1st Earl Argyll
7. George Buchanan, 17th Laird of Buchanan = Margaret Edmonstone
8. Janet Buchanan = Thomas Buchanan, 3rd Laird of Carbeth
9. John Buchanan, 1st Laird of Gartincaber = _____
10. George Buchanan, 2nd Laird of Gartincaber = Elizabeth Leckie
11. John Buchanan, 1st Laird of Blairlusk = _____
12. George Buchanan, 2nd Laird of Blairlusk = Elizabeth Mayne
13. William Buchanan = Janet _____
14. Walter Buchanan = Mary Roney

Documentation

1-2. Mary Stewart, second daughter of King Robert III of Scotland, married
firstly George, 1st Earl of Angus, in 1397. (Smith, The Parish of
Strathblane, pp. 104-105) The 1st Earl of Angus was taken captive at the
Battle of Homildon Hill on September 14, 1402. (Paul, vol. i, p. 173) The
1st Earl of Angus died in 1404. (Smith, The Parish of Strathblane, pp.
104-105)

2-3. William Douglas, 2nd Earl of Angus, was the eldest son of Mary Stewart
and the 1st Earl of Angus. (Paul, vol. i, pp. 173-174) The 2nd Earl of Angus
married Margaret Hay, daughter of Sir William Hay of Yester, in about 1425,
when they obtained papal dispensation for their marriage. (Paul, vol. i, p.
175) The 2nd Earl of Angus was succeeded by his eldest son in 1437. (Paul,
vol. i, p. 175)

3-4. Helen Douglas, daughter of the 2nd Earl of Angus and Margaret Hay,
married William Graham, 2nd Laird of Graham. (Paul, vol. vi, pp. 222-223)
The 2nd Laird of Graham died in about 1471; Helen Douglas was alive in 1480.
(Paul, vol. vi, p. 222)

4-5. Walter Buchanan, 15th Laird of Buchanan, married a daughter of the
Laird of Graham and his wife, a daughter of the Earl of Angus. (Auchmar, p.
44) The 15th Laird of Buchanan married Isabel before November 26, 1463.
(Smith, Strathendrick, p. 286) The 15th Laird of Buchanan died before the
end of 1526, when the 17th Laird of Buchanan succeeded him. (Smith,
Strathendrick, p. 286)

5-6. Patrick Buchanan, 16th Laird of Buchanan, was a son of the 15th Laird
of Buchanan and his wife, a daughter of the Laird of Graham. (Auchmar, p.
44) The 16th Laird of Buchanan married a daughter of the Earl of Argyll.
(Auchmar, p. 45)

6-7. George Buchanan, 17th Laird of Buchanan, was a son of the 16th Laird of
Buchanan and his wife, a daughter of the Earl of Argyll. (Auchmar, p. 45)
The 16th Laird of Buchanan had two sons and two daughters. (Auchmar, p. 45)
The 16th Laird of Buchanan died before March 4, 1502/3. (Smith,
Strathendrick, p. 287) [Therefore, the 16th Laird of Buchanan probably
married in about 1494; and he probably was born before about 1473; and his
wife probably was born in about 1474--this means she must have been a
daughter of Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll, rather than a daughter of
Colin Campbell, 3rd Earl of Argyll, as supposed by Auchmar; and the 17th
Laird of Buchanan probably was born in about 1497.]

7-8. George Buchanan, 17th Laird of Buchanan, married firstly Margaret
Edmonstone, daughter of the Laird of Duntreath, and married secondly Janet
Cuningham, daughter of the Laird of Craigens. (Auchmar, pp. 45-46) At this
point in his narrative, Auchmar mentions three children of the 17th Laird of
Buchanan, saying the first child--John--was a son of Margaret Edmonstone and
the second and third children--William and Margaret--were born to Janet
Cuningham. (Auchmar, pp. 45-46) Later in his narrative, Auchmar says Thomas
Buchanan, 3rd Laird of Carbeth, married firstly a daughter of Laird Douglas
of Mains, and married secondly Janet Buchanan, daughter of the Laird of
Buchanan. (Auchmar, pp. 112-113)

8-9. John Buchanan, 1st Laird of Gartincaber, was the eldest son of Janet
Buchanan and the 3rd Laird of Carbeth. (Auchmar, p. 113) The third son of
Janet Buchanan and the 3rd Laird of Carbeth, William Buchanan, was born in
about 1547. (Smith, Strathendrick, p. 347) [Therefore, the 1st Laird of
Gartincaber probably was born in about 1541; and his mother, Janet Buchanan,
probably was born in about 1521; and Janet Buchanan must have been a
daughter of the 17th Laird of Buchanan. But it is unclear from currently
available records whether Janet Buchanan was a daughter of the Laird's first
wife, Margaret Edmonstone, or his second wife, Janet Cuningham.]

9-10. George Buchanan, 2nd Laird of Gartincaber, was a son of the 1st Laird.
(Smith, Strathendrick, p. 350) The 2nd Laird of Gartincaber married
Elizabeth Leckie, daughter of Walter Leckie of Disheour. (Smith,
Strathendrick, p. 350)

10-11. John Buchanan, 1st Laird of Blairlusk, was the eldest son of the 2nd
Laird of Gartincaber and Elizabeth Leckie. (Smith, Strathendrick, p. 350)
George Buchanan, second son of the 2nd Laird of Gartincaber, served as
attorney for his mother, Elizabeth Leckie, on November 25, 1634. (Smith,
Strathendrick, p. 350) [Therefore, George Buchanan, second son of the 2nd
Laird of Gartincaber, probably was born before about 1613; and the 1st Laird
of Blairlusk probably was born before about 1609.]

11-12. George Buchanan, 2nd Laird of Blairlusk, was the eldest son of the
1st Laird of Blairlusk, probably by an unknown first wife. (Smith,
Strathendrick, p. 350) The 2nd Laird of Blairlusk sold Blairlusk to his
brother, moved to Deroran, County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1674, and married
Elisabeth Mayne in 1675. (Smith, Strathendrick, p. 350)

12-13. William Buchanan, father of Robert Buchanan of Cumberland County,
Pennsylvania, was second son of the 2nd Laird of Blairlusk and Elisabeth
Mayne. (Smith, Strathendrick, pp. 350-351)

13-14. Walter Buchanan, who lived in East Pennsborough, Cumberland County,
Pennsylvania, was a brother of Robert Buchanan of the same county and a son
of William Buchanan, son of the 2nd Laird of Blairlusk. (Browning, p. 541)
Walter Buchanan is memorialized on a large stone in Evergreen Cemetery at
Gettysburg, Adams County, Pennsylvania, that contains the following
inscriptions: "Here lyes the body of Andrew Buchanan who departed this life
January the 19th, 1759, Aged 43 years." "In memory of Walter Buchanan who
departed this life in the year 1780 [sic.] and of Mary Roney wife of Walter
Buchanan." A neighboring stone contains the following inscription: "Here lyf
the Body of Robert Buchanan who departed this life the 28th of Sept in the
year of our Lord 1748, Aged 51 years. Also here lyf the body of James
Buchanan who departed thif life the 21st of Nov in the year of our Lord
1751, Aged 20 yearf." (Photographs provided by Florence O'Neal.) The stone
memorializing Andrew Buchanan, Walter Buchanan, and Mary Roney contains the
following arms: Or, a lion rampant sable, armed and langued gules, within a
double tressure flory counterflory of the second. Crest: A hand holding up a
ducal cap, tufted on the top with a rose gules, within a laurel branch,
disposed orleways proper. Motto: Audaces juvo clarior hinc hones.
Supporters: two birds. (Zieber, p. 43) These are the arms of the family of
Buchanan of that Ilk. (Sir Ian Moncreiffe of that Ilk, "The Highland Clans,"
New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1967, pp. 198-199) Walter Buchanan
signed his will February 27, 1786, with a codicil dated July 8, 1786, in
which he named his wife, Mary, and children: James, William, Robert, Walter,
Elizabeth, Janet, Mary, Margaret, and Ann. His will was proved in York
County, Pennsylvania, on December 13, 1788. (York County Probate Records,
Will Book G, p. 347) Robert Smith moved the Buchanan family stones from
Black's Cemetery, Upper Marsh Creek Presbyterian Church, to Evergreen
Cemetery at Gettysburg during the first week of September in 1856.
(Evergreen Cemetery Burial Permit Book)

Sources

1. Charles H. Browning, "Americans of Royal Descent, A Collection of
Genealogies of American Families whose Lineages are Traced to the Legitimate
Issue of Kings," (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1894)

2. William Buchanan of Auchmar, "An Historical and Genealogical Essay upon
the Family and Surname of Buchanan," (Edinburgh: Printed and Sold by William
Auld, Turk's Close, Lawn-Market, 1775--first published in 1723)

3. Sir James Balfour Paul, Lord Lyon King of Arms, "The Scots Peerage,
Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland,
Containing an Historical and Genealogical Account of the Nobility of That
Kingdom," (Edinburgh: David Douglas, vols. i-ix, 1904-1914)

4. John Guthrie Smith, F. S. A. Scot., "Strathendrick and Its Inhabitants
from Early Times: An Account of the Parishes of Kintry, Balfron, Killearn,
Drymen, Buchanan, and Kilmarnock," (Glasgow: James MacLehose and Sons,
Publishers to the University, 1896)

5. John Guthrie Smith, F. S. A. Scot., "The Parish of Strathblane and Its
Inhabitants from Early Times: A Chapter of Lennox History," (Glasgow: James
MacLehose and Sons, Publishers to the University, 1886)

6. Eugene Zieber, "Heraldry in America," (New York: Greenwich House, Classic
1895 Edition, Crown Publishers, Inc., 1984)

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