Redheugh, Newcastleton, ELLIOT CLAN SOCIETY … new biography explores the life, loves and family of the ... Venn by John Russell (Guildford 1745–1806 Hull). Pastel on oval canvas,

“Wha daur meddle wi’ me?”

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Dear Kinsmen,

With this newsletter you will find the Programme outline and ticketapplication form for the International Elliot Gathering 2017. There isa slightly new format in that we are co-producing a Scocha concertwith the Holm Show on the Newcastleton showground to kick offthe Gathering weekend. Tickets are not only for Clan members butfor the general public so get your request in early. Scocha are anextremely popular Hawick rock ‘n folk band and sell out at everyconcert. One of their first performances (when there was only two ofthem!) was at the Elliot Gathering twelve years ago and they havegone from strength to strength since then.

There is an exciting new development from the Edinburgh Tattoowhich is themed next year as a “Splash of Tartan,” a part of Scotland’sYear of History, Heritage and Archaeology. They are planning tofeature the Elliots and Agnews on the same evening, Wednesday 23rdAugust 2017 which fits in very nicely with our Gathering.

Kirkandrews on Esk is an outstandingly situated little church which isholding their annual Friends event especially to coincide with ourGathering, so please plan to go to this if you can. I am hoping theremay be a Ceilidh in the village planned for later on that Saturdayevening so gear yourselves up for a busy weekend.

Anything to do with the Gathering please contact us using [email protected] email address and we will try to help.

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Eliott of Redheugh

Redheugh, Newcastleton, Roxburghshire TD9 0SB

www.elliotclan.comwww.elliotclanusa.comwww.elliotclanaustralia.orgwww.visitnewcastleton.com

“Here’s to all Elliots and Elliot’ bairnsAnd them that lie in Elliots arms.”

No. 77 – Autumn 2016 Chief: Margaret Eliott of Redheugh

ELLIOT CLAN SOCIETY

Newsletter

NOTICES ANDNEWS ITEMS

An Infamous Mistress by JoanneMajor & Sarah Murden published byPen & Sword. A mistress of George IV,career courtesan GRACE DALRYMPLEELLIOT led a fascinating life. Thismajor new biography explores thelife, loves and family of thecelebrated personality who ended upas a prisoner of war during the FrenchRevolution. Set for the first time inthe cotext of Grace’s wider family,this is a compelling tale of scandaland intrigue. Her portrait byGainsborough hangs in the FrickGallery NY.

Borders Journeys: Where do youcome from? What stories lie in yourfamily history? Have you everwondered? Maybe you have hit adead end in your research or justdon’t know where to start. BordersJourneys can help you unlock yourScottish ancestral heritage.www.bordersjourneys.co.ukancestry@bordersjourneys.co.ukTel:0131 4507151 or 07794 021819.Borders Journeys is registered withVisit Scotland Ancestral WelcomeScheme and Ian is a member of theAssociation of ProfessionalGenealogists.

CLAN ROOM: To avoid disappointment, please warnus if you intend to visit Redheugh.Email or telephone us on the follwingUK number: 013873-75213 [email protected]

The Sir Arthur Eliott Memorial Trust 2016This year’s grants were given to: Mhairi Herd, 3rd year BSC AdultNursing, Napier University; Callon Neil Herd, BSc Hons Product Designat Napier University; Emma McNeill, Criminology at Napier University;Michael Peden, MSc Automotive Engineering, The University of Bath;Sara Yahia Mohammed, BA Medicine and BA Surgery, University ofAberdeen; Daniel Yahia Mohammed, History & Politics EdinburghUniversity; Finlay Skelton, History Edinburgh University; Iain Rennie,Btec Extended Diploma in Engineering; Daniel Robert Nixon, Politics,University of Glasgow.

TOTAL £1,325

The Newcastleton Common Riding donated £250 generously to theMemorial Trust this year. Our yearly awards are given out of annualincome which does need an injection from time to time to keep upwith inflation. We are a registered charity No. SCO 17755.

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The existence of two Eliot earls, one of St. Germans and the other of Minto, failed to shake this belief,notwithstanding the work of themid-19th century Americangenealogist, William Harvey Elliot,whose Genealogy of the Elliots,published in the USA, appears tohave escaped twentieth centuryattention.

Following discussions with MargaretEliott of Redheugh, I agreed toundertake further research, despite alack of direct access to a universitylibrary and various archives. This didnot, however, affect my aim to findsufficient evidence to establish thehistory of the Elliots before theirarrival in Liddesdale during the earlyfourteenth century. The list ofsources, primary and secondary, onwhich I have relied is not therefore along one, but together they meetthe test of providing a sufficiency ofproof. Acquisition of the works ofleading scholars relating to theperiod under review, GeoffreyBarrow, Richard Oram, MichaelPenman and Michael Brown andothers, including Michael Jones andKatharine Keats-Rohan relating thepost-Conquest settlement ofBretons, was essential, as wasinformation provided by the Bretonhistorian, Professor Louis Elegoet(from whose surname the EnglishEligott was almost certainly derived)regarding the toponymic origins ofthe old Breton name Halegouet withits several French-corrupted variants,including Helliet, Alliot and Elliot.Access to certain database, such asthose of the People of MedievalScotland and The Soldier of LaterMedieval England, based on HundredYears’ War muster rolls, was crucial,but incontrovertible evidence hasnow emerged from Y-Chromosomeresearch and surviving maps. Theresults of the Elliot DNA project(2005 to 2015-Appendix C) involvingsamples from nearly three hundredmale Elliots (Eliotts, Elliotts andEliots) has revealed the predominantElliot DNA haplotype to be

THE RESEARCHER’S STORY . . .I first became interested in the history of the Elliots duringmy teens, following visits toLiddesdale and Hermitage Castle,and to my grandmother Catherine,nee Elliot’s cousin at the Toftholmand Gorrenberry farms.

Many years later a chance remark bya distinguished French acquaintanceof Breton origin sparked an activeinterest into soe serious historicalresearch, since graduating as amature student of Modern Historyfrom University College London in1971.

He had insisted that the name Elliotwas Breton, just as any trawlthrough Breton telephonedirectories would have long since suggested, but thanks to Y-chromosome research and thedigital revolution is it now easier toconfirm the Celtic-Brythonic originof the name and its many variants.These appear in databases culledfrom French etats-civils. Some ofthe Anglo-Breton variant nameswhich have dogged past research into Elliot history, principally those ofAlliot, Allot Ellot Eligott, Ellacottand Elicott, also originated inBrittany. Doubts about the ethnicorigin of the Elliots, English andScottish, had until that stage arisenfrom a long-standing, unsupportedassumption that the Eliots of St.Germans in Cornwall were ofNorman origin. As for their Scottishcousins, attempts to trace theirorigins were made almostimpossible by destruction of thefamily records by fire at StobsCastle in 1712. The unsubstantiatedassumption that the St. GermansEliots were Normans and that theScottish Elliots were not did nothelp. The other misquided view(promoted by a well known rhyme)that an Eliot with one L and one Tcould not be an Elliot, Eliott orElliott, despite the fact that the oldparochial St. Germans spelling ofthe name was Ellyot, and that Eliotwas a Peebles parochial spelling.

Celtic-Brythonic. Its salience andendurance indicates themaintenance of an extraordinarilytight kinship, and the strength andvigour of Elliot lineages, possiblyequaling that of any other so-called‘clan’. Several thousand Elliots today,in the United Kingdom, Ireland, theUSA, Canada, Australia and NewZealand share a common Bretonancestor. Thegeographic distributionof the name revealed in fifteenthcentury muster rolls, suggests thatnumerous Breton Elliot mercenariessettled in various English locationsalong with their families, during theperiod immediately following theConquest in 1066.

Keith Elliot Hunter’s scholarly workon the Origins of the Elliots isavailable to read on theelliotclan.com website.To put it in some sort of contextwe print the old tradition accordingto Capt. Scott of Satchells b.1613whose account of local familieswas published in 1688 which ismentioned at the beginning of thework.

The town of Elliot was theirAntiquitieWhich stands in Angus at the footof GlenshieWith brave King Robert Bruce theyhither cameWhich is three hundred and eightyyears agone;In west Teviotdale* these gentlemen did dwellThey were twelve great families, I heard my goodsir* tell:Their chief was then a Baron ofrenownDesigned Reid-heugh, which is nowcalled Larriston*

*west Teviotdale = Liddesdale*goodsir = grandfather*Larriston = at the time the Elliotchiefs were based at Larriston.

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CHARLES ELLIOTT was adescendant of the 6th son ofGilbert of Stobs “Gibbie wi’ the golden gartins’.

At the age of eighteen he wentto London and trained as acabinet-maker. He quicklyshowed an aptitude forbusiness in 1774 becoming apartner in Davis & Elliott of 97 New Bond Street.

Charles prospered in his trade,making furniture for the RoyalFamily and becoming one ofthe most noted cabinet-makersof the period.

After being widowed when hiswife Sarah Ann Sherman diedin 1784 he married secondlyEling Venn. He had three sonsand two daughters with hisfirst wife.

Comparative literature:

N. Barton, 'Rise of a RoyalFurniture Maker', Country Life, 10 Feb 1966, p.293.

G.C. Williamson, John RussellR.A., London, 1894, pp.44 and142, No. 3.

Charles Elliott and Eling Venn

A Pair of Pastel Portraits of CharlesElliott (1752–1826) of New BondStreet, London; and his wife, ElingVenn by John Russell (Guildford1745–1806 Hull). Pastel on ovalcanvas, in matching gold-colouredframes. The second signed and dated1789, in pencil, centre right: J RussellR A. pt/1789. Dimensions: The first60 by 44 cm (23.5 x 17 inches); thesecond 59 cm x 44 cm (23 x 17inches). John Russell is renowned for his portraits in oil and especially

pastel; in 1790 he was appointed officialPainter-in-Crayon (i.e. pastel) to KingGeorge III and the Royal family. As a result,his pastel portraits were highly soughtafter and his works were considered on apar with those of Sir Joshua Reynolds(1723-1792). The sitters here are CharlesCharles Elliott and his wife, Eling Venn.Elliott was an English cabinet-maker andimporter by Royal appointment, whoarranged the funeral carriage for AdmiralLord Nelson after the victorious Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Emily Current and Meritt Elliott

The two met while studying at UCLA in the late '90s andlaunched their own stylingbusiness not long aftergraduating. To this day, theybalance styling celebrities likeEmma Roberts, Jessica Alba andSarah Silverman with designing,but they're no longer involvedwith Current/Elliott. They left in 2012, reportedly overdisagreements with the brand'sowner, Serge Azria.For spring2015, Current and Elliottlaunched The Great, a multi-category contemporaryline that they feel is a fullerexpression of their "whimsicalAmericana" aesthetic.

Emily Current, left, and Meritt Elliott, right.

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Certainly it was the habitat of thehawk, not the dove. For the Lid (‘thegushing stream’) or the watershed atits source were the boundaries ofnations and tribes from timeimmemorial. Whether under thedominion of Roman, Briton,Norseman or Scot, Liddesdale

remained always an uneasy restlessfrontier region poised betweenconstantly warring races.

In Roman times, this country wasinhabited by a large tribe called theSelgovae who – with the Novantesin Galloway – the Romans failedeither to gain as allies or to subdueas vassals. In 117AD serious troubleerupted, leading to heavy casualtiesamong the legions. Little is known of this disaster but Professor I. A.Richmond suggests that it was inthis area of south western Scotlandthat the Ninth Legion suffered itsignominious defeat, following whichthe entire Legion was cashiered andall mention of their name removedfrom the army lists. These eventsand the difficulty of policing theregion led to the building of thegreat wall between Newcastle andCarlisle, begun under Hadrian in122AD. Even then the Romansfound it expedient to establish alarge outpost housing a cohort, one thousand strong and partlymounted at Bewcastle only tenmiles south of the Liddel.

After the departure of the Romangarrisons, the British tribes wereassailed from the east by the Angles

LIDDESDALE – An Arena of Ancient Warfareand appear to have established amain defensive line along theforward edge of the hills aboveLiddesdale and in a great arcoverlooking the upper reaches ofthe Tweed valley. The size andextent of the Catrail* or “warfence”,together with the system of hillforts behind it, suggest that whathad once been simply a major tribalboundary (dated c.100BC by Dr. IanM. Smith, Ancient MonumentsCommission) may have beenconverted at this period into amilitary barrier by the Britons in adetermined effort to contain theAngle invaders – perhaps followingthe death of the great British hero,Arthur, in AD 539. It is significantthat a great battle was finally foughtbetween the Celts of Strathclydeand the Angles of Northumbria nearthe Catrail in AD603 at Dagistan, theancient name of the Dawston burn,a tributary of the Liddel. By 616,following their victory, the Angleshad driven a wedge between thesenorthern British and their comradesin Wales and Liddesdale soonbecame part of their Northumbriankingdom.

In the 9th century the Norsemenapproaching from the Solway,evidently made this same highground the limit of their settlementand established here their frontierwith Northumbria. Certainly theplace-names of Liddesdale andEskdale are often of Norse originwhile those of Teviotdale andTweeddale are mainly Anglo-Saxon.Indeed the positive evidence ofNorse landowning which is to befound in charters relating toDumfriesshire, is notably lacking ineastern Roxburghshire. Thus in thewestern valleys, the Norman barons,like de Brus (Bruce) and de Soulis,were granted lands in Annandaleand Liddesdale in the reign of David 1 (1124-1153).

*Cat = battle or conflict, Rhail = fence.This vast ditch about 26 feet wide witha rampart on each side 10 feet high,extended for 45 miles connectingimportant hill forts.

The remote hills of Liddesdalein the Borderlands.

If any one place in thehistory of Scotland can besingled out as a specialarena of war, perhaps thevalley of the Liddel and itssurrounding hills merits thisbloody distinction.

formed into the TelegraphConstruction and MaintenanceCompany who manufactured thesecond Atlantic cable much thickerand more costly than the formerone.

The firm afterwards became Elliot& Co. of Westminster, Cardiff andDurham, wire-rope makers.

Sir George Elliot was a member ofthe Royal Commisssions on CoalSupply and on Accidents in Mines,and in 1874, in recognition of hispublic services, he was created aBaronet.

He was elected a member of theIron and Steel Institute in 1877.

He was also a member of theInstitution of Civil Engineers and ofthe Institution of MechanicalEngineers.

His eldest son Ralph died aged 35at the Cape of Good Hope and hissecond son, George William Elliot,then MP for Richmond Yorkshire,succeeded to the baronetcy.

He began his working life as a pitlad using a quarter of his wages tofund evening classes and went onto become extremely successfuland widely known in his later yearsas a colliery owner.

He married in 1836 Margaret Greenof Rainton, Durham and they hadtwo sons and four daughters.

He entered up his career as colliery owner in1840 when Messrs.Backhouse and Mounseypurchased, on his advice, theWashington Colliery, near Durham– Mr. Elliot taking equal shares withthem. In 1851 he resigned hisappointment as chief viewer ofMonkwearmouth Colliery, andbecame mining engineer to the late Marquis of Londonderry.

In addition to his collieryundertakings, he established, inconjunction with Sir Richard Glass,important works for themanufacture of wire-rope.

In 1864 the firm of Glass & Elliotwas amalgamated with another and

SIR GEORGEELLIOT1st Baronet. 1815-1893.

Eldest son of Ralph Elliot,

a coal miner and Elizabeth,

daughter of Henry Braithwaite

of Newcastle upon Tyne.

THE YARRAEMIDGESFrom

‘A Song for Yarrow’

by Walter Elliot

Walkers that stray on the SouthUpland Way

If the’re lucky, the’re bitten bie acleg*

But if they’re the sorts that gaunroon in shorts

Maistly they’re wanten a leg.

An in the trough o St. Mary’s Loch

If the heid o a monster dis loom

Dinnae make a mess bie phoneLoch Ness

It’s a Yarrae midge oot for a soom.

A midge: a very small stinginginsect that makes up for its size byflying swarms of millions. Theyfavour warm summer evenings inthe Borders.

*A cleg – A Scottish horsefly.

The midges in Yarrae ae as big as asparrae

An when it is put tae the test,

Some that Ah knew could bit theirwey thru

Anorak, jersey and vest.

In Yarrae, ye know, a lang time ago

Elephants roamed day and night

Till the midges came in and thendid begin

Tae swalle them up in yin bite.

The midges Ah’ve seen hae weebeady een

Big teeth an huge flappin lugs

Yin that Ah saw, fought a closedraw

Wi yin o Jim Mitchell’s best dugs.

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UNITED KINGDOMS161 Thornton, Norman R.B. Edinburgh

S160 Livingston, Katie M., St. Martins Perth

W9 Oliver, Cross Hands, Llanelli

CANADAC1125 Boutin, Line, St. Etienne QC

C1126 Elliott, Dave, Jean, Harrison & Lindsay,Wallaceburg ON

C1127 Elliott, Scott, Diane, Mitchell Kendall, Windsor ON

C1128 Staffen, Diane William, Cameron, Hamilton ON

C1129 Hurst, Lisa, Rod, Andrew, Devon, Belle River ON

C1130 Elliott, Jon & Debra, Sarnia ON

C1131 Zuwala, Denise, Ted, Elizabeth & Aaron,Brantford ON

NEW ZEALANDN333 Maureen Lock, Westcourt 4870 Cairns QLD

UNITED STATESUS3838 Swalley, Keith, Surprise AZ

US3839 Young, Wescott, Reddick FL

US3840 Elliott, Greg, Jacksonville Beach FL

We welcome the following new members to the Society

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UNITED STATESUS3841 Nye Norma, Robesonia PA

US3842 Doolin, Kate, Sunrise FL

US3843 Budds, Garrett James, John’s Island SC

US3844 Budds, Michael Heyward E., Asheville NC

US3845 Baker, Shawen Elliott, Harpersville AL

US3846 Elliott, Gary Bruce, San Antonio TX

US3847 Bokelman, Debbie, Washington KS

US3848 Elliott, Larry, Anderson CA

US3849 Elliott, Gary, West Sacramento CA

US3850 Elliott, Kami, Pittesburgh CA

US3851 Brown, Olivia, Antelope CA

US3852 Elliott, Kirk, Aliso Viejo CA

US3853 O’Meara, Marie Elliott, Galt CA

US3854 Elliott, Karen Lucile, Oakhurst CA

US3855 Herin, Susan Olivia Elliott, Mariette GA

US3856 Tuck, Bonnie, River Oaks TX

US3857 Elliott, Debra & Norman, Ft. Worth TX

US3858 Dockery, Marie V. Young Harris, GA

US3859 Vasquez, Linda, Stockton GA

US3860 Barney, Dallas, TX

US3861 Carlson, Julia Gage, Cambridge MA

US3862 Lewis, Debra, Searsport, ME

Details of new members received too late for publication will appear in the next newsletter.

REMINDER FOR UK MEMBERS: Annual subscriptions due this October 2016: Single Membership£18.00, Family Membership £20.00, Life Membership £150.00 to The Treasurer, Elliot Clan Society, 20South Liddel Street, Newcastleton TD9 0RP. On line: Please put membership number as reference.Sort Code 80-17-06. A/C 00668159.

Visitors to the Clan Room — September 2015 to September 2016Leanne Perks, Mermaid Beach, QLD, AustraliaJulia and Justine Tregloan, Mesa,Arizona, USALine Boutin, St. Etienne, QuebecCanadaOscar, Colin and Lucy Elliott andTracy Woodburn, Colinton, AB, CanadaCarrie Elliott, Kevin Brewer, OttawaON, CanadaHilary and Allan Elliott, Ottawa,ON, CanadaAlexandra Ergas, Emily Westwickand Maureen Elliott, NorthVancouverCarol and Jim Budds, Charleston SC,USA

Jim and Lynn Elliott, Vista CA. USAKathie Elliott McWhirter, Mt.Pleasant USAJohn and Janet Elliott, GilmanFlorida, USALynn Harrington, Colorado SpringsUSAAnthony and Sandra Elliott,Wombwell, Barnsley UKTrevor Elliott, Lelant, UKJulia Elliott, Halifax, Nova ScotiaCanadaKatie and Stan Livingston, St. Martins, Perthshire UKTerry Elliott, Chesterfield UKElliot and Sayuri Walker, Carlisle UKRyan J. Elliott, Fishers, Indiana USA

Ruthie Epting, Phill Duggins,Charlotte, NC, USALorraine and Bernard Elliott, NorthVancouver, BC CanadaAlexandra Ergas, Emily Westwickand Maureen Elliott, NorthVancouverSandy Elliott, West Vancouver,CanadaBen and Mary Ellen Kemker,Bartlette, Tennessee, USASteve and Vicki Sanders, TennesseeUSAClive Baugh, Swanley Kent UKSimon James Elliott, Vermont USAWilson Elder Athens Georgia USARidley Elliott, Parmeston N. New Zealand