SKIRVINGS IN SCOTLAND
Where a Watson and a Skirving marry is clear, but I keep looking for more links. The families came from roughly the same area. We see the name used as a middle name to reinterate the link. Alexander Skirving Watson is the prime example. Is there a recurring relationshp between the two family lines? Am I imagining a broader pride in the Skirving component?
We are really looking for clues. What follows are simply that.
But what of the Skirvings themselves? It is believed that a Skirving ancestor died at Culloden in 1746, but I have not found a reference to substantiate that. I cannot find comprehensive lists of the fallen. Clans are noted, but not foot soldiers supporting the Stuarts. The English on the Hanovarian side are a little better, even for their opponents and I give a link to "List of Rebels" under WEBLINKS IN SCOTLAND. Rebels in this sense are the defenders of Scotland.
The reference to a Skirving ancestor died at Culloden appears at the top of a handwritten family tree that I have. I do not know for certain, but think the original document from which this was compiled, was by James Watson. It is perhaps safer to refer to 'Black Jack' Skirving who reputedly bore the standard of the Earl Marshal of Scotland at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He evidently prevented its capture by the English.
Read more: https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Skirving
This website asserts that "Skirving" as a name is locational and derives from a place called 'The Lands of Skirvane', in East Lothian. With our ancestral Watsons coming from that same area, it is more than likely that the Skirvings that are referred to are the same family and you will see below how the known link came about.
Our romantic view of Scottish history expects our ancestors to be seen in this light, but the situation was more complex and many Scots supported the unionist view for a variety of reasons. This list was produced for the "commisioners of excise" in a very thorough and efficient way. We find excise officers amongst our Watson ancestors later. Does this indicate a similar aptitude and career and thereby political leanings? Such surmising needs to be done with caution and taken simply as a possible line of investigation. Elsewhere I wonder if Skirvings and Watsons even knew each other at this period.
What we do know though is the following:
George Skirving was feuer or proprieter of Melrose (Died 1813). He married Catherine Vogan of Selkirk (Died 1803). "Feuer" and "proprieter" come from notes handed down to me. Feu implies NOUN = a perpetual lease at a fixed rent or VERB = grant (land) on a feu ease. The grave within the Melrose Abbey grounds notes him as a "portioner" ie NOUN = one that portions or has a portion: such as the owner of a portion of a descendent's estate : a small laird. Another definition along the same lines is "the proprietor of a small estate or piece of land resulting from the division of an original piece of land among co-heirs or otherwise, a small land-owner".
At this point it may be useful to look at the section under MELROSE in which there is the gravestone for Vogan, Skirving, Dods and Watson. index.asp?pageid=728268
One of their children was Janet
Janet (1780 - 1849) married James Watson. (See index.asp?pageid=723220).
Although we lose track of "Skirvings" line after Janet and James, they continiue the reference as a middle name in one of their offspring, George Skirving Watson, and this is repeated with others in subsequent generations even though George dies young.
It is this generation that move to Poland, Macau, India and other places and we trace some of them under their own sections.
Quite where everyone was living or what they were doing requires more research. Haddington is one such place in Lothian.
This Wiki entry on a William Skirving is tantalising. The area in which the story was located stretched from Fife to Edinburgh and then to Haddington where he was educated. Haddington has some connections with our Watson ancestors. Broadly speaking, is this "our" Skirving family? William Skirving was a "radical whig" who believed in the threatening concept of universal suffrage and was transported to Australia for his efforts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Skirving This outlook seems to fit in with that of another Skirving, Adam.
This document refering to Adam Skirving's song Tranent Muir gives us a tantalising glimpse. We see a reference to Haddington and we know that Watsons also had Haddington links. Did they know each other. While I am unsure how this Skirving fits in the likihood is that he does and I include the following on this basis.
The song Tranent Muir needs airing here :
The chevalier being void o' fear did march doon Birsle Brae man
Through Tranent e'er he did stent as fast as he could gae man
While General Cope did taunt and mock wie many a loud hurrah man
E'er next morn proclaimed the cock we heard another craw man
The brave Lochiel as I heard tell led Cameron on in cloods man
The morning fair and clear the air they loosed wie devilish thuds man
Doon guns they threw and swords they drew and soon did chase them aff man
On Seaton's crafts they burst their chafts and gart them run like daft man
The bluff dragoons swore blood and oons they'd mak' the rebels run man
And yet they flee when them they see and winnae fire a gun man
They turned their backs the fit tae crack such terror siezed them a' man
Some wet their cheeks some fyled their breeks and some for fear did fa' man
Smith made sic' haste sae spurred his beast 'twas little there he saw man
Tae Berwick rade and safely said the Scots were rebels a' man
O'er Soutra Hill ere he stood still afore he tasted meat man
Lang may he brag on his swift nag that bore him aff sae fleet man
But Gardner brave did still behave like to a hero bright man
His courage true, like him were few, that still despised flight man
For king and laws and country's cause in honours bed did fa' man
His life but not his courage fled while he had breath tae draw man
At yon thorn tree that you may see beneath the meadow mill man
There's many slain lie on the plain the clans pursuing still man
Sic' unco whacks and deadly hacks I never saw the likes man
Lost hands and heids cost them their deeds that fell near Preston Dyke man.
This arrangement is attributed to the Tannahill Weavers and apparently sung many years later in defiance during protests.
Google books : The works of Robert Burns with Dr. Curries memoir of the poet and an Essay on His Genius and Character.
Another song by Adam Skirving or at least attributed to him, is Johnnie Cope. (There is some conflict of opinion whether he was the author).
Chorus
Hey, Johnnie Cope, are ye wauking yet?
Or are your drums a-beating yet?
If ye were wauking I wad wait
To gang to the coals i' the morning.
Cope sent a challenge frae Dunbar:
'Charlie, meet me an' ye daur,
An' I'll learn you the art o' war
If you'll meet me i' the morning.'
Chorus
When Charlie looked the letter upon
He drew his sword the scabbard from:
'Come, follow me, my merry merry men,
And we'll meet Johnnie Cope i' the morningl
Chorus
'Now Johnnie, be as good's your word;
Come, let us try both fire and sword;
And dinna rin like a frichted bird,
That's chased frae its nest i' the morning.'
Chorus
When Johnnie Cope he heard of this,
He thought it wadna be amiss
To hae a horse in readiness,
To flee awa' i' the morning.
Chorus
Fy now, Johnnie, get up an' rin;
The Highland bagpipes mak' a din;
It's best to sleep in a hale skin,
For 'twill be a bluidy morning.
Chorus
When Johnnie Cope tae Dunbar came,
They speired at him, 'Where's a' your men?'
'The deil confound me gin I ken,
For I left them a' i' the morning.
Chorus
'Now Johnnie, troth, ye werena blate
To come wi' news o' your ain defeat,
And leave your men in sic a strait
Sae early in the morning.
Chorus
'I' faith,' quo' Johnnie, 'I got sic flegs
Wi' their claymores an' philabegs;
If I face them again, deil break my legs!
Sae I wish you a' gude morning'.
Chorus
Meaning of unusual words:
wauking=waking
speired=asked
blate=shy
sic=such
flegs=frights
philabegs=kilts
As the Jacobite army advanced south in 1745, a Hanoverian force, led by Sir John Cope, was in pursuit. Bonnie Prince Charlie reached Edinburgh first, however, and Cope assembled his troops to the south, at Prestonpans, waiting for reinforcements. But the wily Jacobite commander Lord George Murray circled round and launched a surprise attack early one morning and routed the government forces, some say in less than 15 minutes. This Jacobite song recalls this famous victory.
Adam Skirving appears in Vol XXIII of the Accounts and Papers of the Landowners in Scotland of 1874 for the House of Lords as :
Owner : Skirving, Adam of Croys
Address of owner : Croys, Dalbeattie
Estimated acreage of property : 727 acres
General annual value n £ & S : 938 3
Painters
Yet another Skirving, but of about the same period and area was the painter Archibald Skirving. A painting by him, a Portrait of a young lady, possibly Lady Pringle, née Emilia Anne MacLeod (1786-1830) is valued at £22 500. What is of interest to us is that he is recorded as being from Athelstaneford, near Haddington, Inveresk and lived from 1749 until 1819.
This connection with Athelstaneford so close to Haddington is tantalising as the latter is also a home area of Watsons. I suspect, as I have done above, that there is some link, but it could be very indirect. And then there is the contempory painter George Watson, (born at his father's estate, Overmains, Berwickshire not that far away, in 1767, the son of Frances Veitch of Elliott. John Watson) and even Henry Raeburn. They certainly came across each other.
Missing links
This is where we are finding snippets of information and guess as to their relevance. The cutting above refers to the Skirving, the song writer, as being from Haddington. Tranent is not that far away. But the landowner with the same name who became and member of the House of Lords is from Dalbeattie in Dumfriesshire some distance to the west. Are they the same person? The event in the song is some time before 1874 of the records of landowners, but that does not negate the possibiity. This needs further investigation as it is the only possible lead on Skirvings that I can find.
All this only gives us a glimpse of the Skirving connection and has admittedly little hard evidence of our family line. But it may give a little to work from in future. Also of interest is this website : http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Skirving
