Scotland Project > Scottish Clans > Clan Glen
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Welcome to Clan Glen
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Clan Team
Team Goals
The focus of this team's work is to identify, improve and maintain profiles associated with the Lairds and Chiefs of Clan Glen together with members bearing the name Glen, the related families and those recognised as septs of Clan Glen.
Team To Do List
This list will be developed by the Team. If you are working on a specific task, please list it here:
- promoting the entries of those bearing the name Glen on Wikitree.
- ensuring entries appearing on Wikitree are as accurate as possible, correcting mistakes once spotted.
- encouraging interest in and study of Clan Glen
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Septs
Clan History
Clan Branches
Other Names Associated with the Clan
Allied Clans
Rival Clans
Clan Research and Free Space Pages
Source Material
Image Credits and Acknowledgements
- Doug Straiton, who compiled most of the research for this team.
Information below this line should be summarized and incorporated into this Team page. Detailed information should be moved to additional Clan pages.
Clan Glen
Names: Glen, Glenn, de le Glen
There is very little original source material for the early family of Glen. There is a publication Memorials of the Scottish family of Glen available but which is not detailed and also inaccurate in places. There is another published genealogical research paper Genealogical Notes Regarding the Family of Glen, of Glenn by Thomas Allen Glenn which is more informative and is used, in the main, as the major source work for the early families.
According to Thomas Allen Glen there were two distinct, unrelated, originating families of Glen. One, noticed on many of the web sites purporting to provide a "Clan history" is that of The Glen in the parish of Traquair in Peeblesshire. The other is derived from a family that assumed the surname from the estates of Glen in Renfrewshire.
Peebleshire
This family, believed to be of Celtic origin, once owned an extensive glen in what became the Parish of Traquair and from which they gained their surname. Prior to 1292, "The Glen" was held to a Duncan de le Glen. Duncan died in 1292 as it is his widow, Sara, that paid homage to Edward I., stating she had been a widow for four years. Duncan is believed to be the first to use the location as a name. A son, Colban, also appear on Charter record. Noticed in the discussion regarding the Parish, in Origines parochiales Scotiae,[1] is the suggestion that, other than the lands belonging to the church of Traquair, a church founded to Saint Kentigern c. 1120, the Parish was royal demense.
The lands of "The Glen" are said[2] to be high on the Quair (Quair Water) and comprised of the Forest (of Quair) the Merse and Clydesdale.
The lands of the family are lost prior to 1493 when they appear in the hands of Gilbert Cokburn and had been divided into three, East, West and Nether Glen.
Rev. Charles Rogers in his work on the family of Glen suggests that Duncan and Sarah Glen had no children and the lands thus returned to the Crown but this is an error as they had a son Colban, who married an Annabella, who appears to have been a Douglas. It seems though that they had no surviving heirs.
Renfrewshire This family is noticed as the Glens of Lennox in the work by Rev. Rogers.
The second family of the Scottish families to assume the name were located in Renfrewshire. They are said to have taken their name from a Glen near Lochwinnoc, out of which flows the Black Cart Water. This lordship, comprising Bar, Brigend, Lynthills, Gaytflat, and other lands, was granted by David I. to Walter the Steward. The Stewards (Stewarts), holding of the King in capite, by subinfeodation, sub-tenanted these lands among their retainers. This is observed by a grant of Peter Auchingowan in Lochwinnoc to the convent of Dalmunlin, on the Waters of Air, about the beginning of the 13th century.[3]
The first Glen noticed on record was a Richard de le Glen c. 1290.[4]
This family of Glen are descended from, according to a Charter of 1292, a family of Ness/Nase. Glenn then further provides that "the family of de Ness was from Ness, or Ness Strange, near Shrewsbury, and descended from the powerful Norman house of Déstrange, the first of whom is said to have been Guy Déstrange, younger son to the Duke of Brettaign. The de Ness accompanied Walter Fitz Alan from Shropshire to Scotland, and Henry de Ness held under the Steward in the lordship of Glen, 1180".[5]
Glen of that Ilk In his work, Scottish Arms,[6] Stodart confuses both families. He provides that a Robert Glen married Margaret Bruce, natural daughter of Robert I., this from the family of Renfrewshire.
In 1296 John del Glen and Sarah of Glen swore fealty to Edward I.. These are two different families. John Glen had a charter of Balmuto, Fife, from Robert I., which later passed by marriage to the Boswells. This the Renfrewshire family. Stodart then is confused as he mentions that John Glen, with his wife, Margaret Bruce, had a charter of Nether Pittedie from David II..
In 1304 there is a David de Glen noticed at the defence of Stirling castle under Sir William Oliphant. He was taken at the siege and then imprisoned. He is noticed in a variety of prisons between 1304 and November 1313. Albeit that Rev. Rogers suggests he was with Bruce again prior to 1308 and had three children this does not appear consistent with the Charter record.
In 1328 a legacy left by the Queen is paid to Colban del Glen, who appears later as holding the multures of Estchel, probably Eshiels, near Peebles, and within a few miles of the lands of Glen, from which the family probably took their name. This Colban was of the family of Peebleshire.
In 1332 Roger del Glen renders the accounts of the provosts of Peebles at Scone. This likely from the family of Peebleshire although Thomas Allen Glenn, in his work, suggests he was likely from the Renfrewshire family.
In 1545, Alexander Glen was in parliament as sergeant, and James, George, and Andrew Glen represented the burgh of Linlithgow frequently from 1625 till 1664. From this family probably descended the Glens of Longcroft, Linlithgow, whose heiress was Elizabeth, Countess of Dalhousie. By this date, both lands lost or sold, these individuals may be from either family.
Legends - Relationship with Robert Bruce
There must have been a very strong relationship between John de le Glen and Robert Bruce. History records, although Thomas Allen Glenn misunderstood, that Margaret Bruce, an illegitimate daughter to Bruce by an unknown mother, married Robert, the eldest son to John. There are numerous Charters to the couple from her half-brother King David II., discussed on his Profile page. Legend also suggests, and recorded in Glenn's work, that Robert de Glen was one of those who accompanied the heart of Bruce to the Holy Land, and the Linlithgow line used two crests, one a martlet; the other an arm, the hand grasping a heart, in commemoration of that event.[7] Further, the Glens of Bar (a holding of this line of the family) possessed the sword of Bruce, which a descendant carried to Ireland, in 1606, the inscription on the blade apparently leaving no doubt as to its original ownership.
Armorials Given two distinct families there are likely a number of variants between the crests and shields. On record:
The first notice may actually be recognition of the mark of illegitimacy born on Scottish Arms; the bordure gobony. The marriage between Robert de le Glen and Margaret Bruce, illegitimate daughter to Robert Bruce (King Robert I.).
Source:
- ↑ Origines parochiales Scotiae : the antiquities ecclesiastical and territorial of the parishes of Scotland; published by the Bannantyne Club; Volume 1, Part 1, page 219
- ↑ Origines parochiales Scotiae : the antiquities ecclesiastical and territorial of the parishes of Scotland; published by the Bannantyne Club; Volume 1, Part 1, page 222
- ↑ Genealogical Notes Regarding the Family of Glen, of Glenn by Thomas Allen Glenn
- ↑ Stevenson, Documents, i, 367-68, no. 301; cited from People of medieval Scotland - Richard de le Glen
- ↑ Glenn; Genealogical Notes Regarding the Family of Glen, of Glenn
- ↑ Scottish arms : being a collection of armorial bearings, A.D. 1370-1678, reproduced in facsimile from contemporary manuscripts, with heraldic and genealogical notes; Robert Riddle Stodart; Volume 2, page 148/149
- ↑ There is, apparently, an iron seal in possession of a descendant. The arms of Linlithgow branch are identical with those of Bar.
- ↑ Scottish armorial seals; William Rae Macdonald, page 131
- ↑ Scottish arms : being a collection of armorial bearings, A.D. 1370-1678, reproduced in facsimile from contemporary manuscripts, with heraldic and genealogical notes; Robert Riddle Stodart; Volume 2, page 116