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Subject: [DNA-R1B1C7] Lending credibility to the NIAL THERORY
Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:42:02 EDT

R1B1C7 DNA that is connected to certain surnames and to these ancient family
surnames appears to lend more credibility to the alleged decedents of NIALL
OF THE NINE HOSTAGES THERORY
.Gene
_Clan Irwin Association_ (http://www.clanirwin.org/hbonshaw.php) THE
IRVINGS OF BONSHAW
HISTORY. According to ancient family traditions (which are largely supported
by known historical fact; and which are first recorded in the very short
family history, “The Original of the Family of the Irvines or Erinvines',
written in 1678 by Dr. Christopher Irvine, M.D., Historiographer Royal of Scotland)
the Irvings of Bonshaw are descended from DUNCAN, known in the family as
'Duncan of Eskdale', a younger brother of Crinan, the husband of Princess
Beatrix and father of King Duncan I of Scotland. The paternal grandfather of Duncan
of Eskdale and Crinan was DUNCAN, hereditary Abthane of Dule and lay abbot
of Dunkeld. The latter Duncan is now believed to have been a direct descendant
of NIALL OF THE NINE HOSTAGES, who was high King of Ireland early in the 5th
century A.D and progenitor of the oldest recorded families in Europe that
are still extant in an unbroken male line. The Duncan, as Abthane of Dule-an
ancient title connected with St. Adamnan's abbey of Dull, and dating from
nearly 200 years before the union of the Scottish and Pictish crowns in 843
A.D.-was of more consequence than any one of the seven Pictish 'Mormaers', being
second only to the king himself in power and importance. He appears to have been
appointed Governor of Strathclyde when that region was conquered by the
Saxons and given to Malcolm I of Alban (the early name of Scotland) in 946. His
residence in Strathclyde is supposed to have been the old fort of Eryvine, or
Orewyn, where the town of Irvine now stands, so we refer to him the '1st of
Eryvine'. Both Duncan and his neighbour Dubdon, Mormaer of Athole, were killed
at the battle of Duncrub c. 965 A.D., while leading their forces against a
strong rebel army of their fellow countrymen.*
DUNCAN, 1st of ERYVINE, was succeeded by his eldest son and heir, also
DUNCAN, about whom we know little except that he also seems to have succeeded
Dubdon as Mormaer of Athole, as he is called 'Lord of Athole'. At the battle of
Luncarty (of uncertain date), where the Danes were routed, Duncan commanded the
left wing of the Scottish forces, under King Kenneth III. This Duncan is the
progenitor of the oldest recorded families in Great Britain; the noble
family of Dunbar is certainly descended from him, and traditionally so are the
noble families of Irving and Home, all in the male line; not to mention the
Royal Family and numerous other families by female descent.
DUNCAN, 2ND OF ERYVINE, was succeeded by his eldest son, CRINAN, who married
Princess Beatrix (or Bethoc) daughter and heiress of King Malcolm II of
Scotland, and by her was father of Duncan I, who reigned as King of Scotland for
six years. Crinan was the progenitor in the male line of all the kings of
Scotland down to Alexander III (died 1286), and in the female line of all the
sovereigns of Scotland down to the present day, with the sole exception of
Macbeth, who murdered his son, King Duncan, in 1040, and reigned for the next
seventeen years. Tradition tells us that Crinan maintained a residence at
Eryvine, but that he was the last of his family to do so, the fortress being used
solely for military purposes thereafter. He was killed by Macbeth's forces in
1045, while trying to avenge his son's death and grandson's deposition.
*A standing stone on the battlefield just north of the village of Dunning,
in Perthshire, still marks Duncan's tomb.
**This article was copied from “THE IRVINGS OF BONSHAW, Chiefs of the Noble
and Ancient Scots Border Family of Irving”, written by Alastair M.T.
Maxwell-Irving, B.Sc., F.S.A. Scot. (of the House of 'Irving of Dumfries'), printed
in 1968, and partially reproduced here, only changing fonts and style to fit
our site.
THE NAME. About 1020, DUNCAN OF Eskdale's eldest son married an heiress of
the ancient British royal line of Coel Hen and took up residence at her
ancestral home, the ancient hill-fort of Dumbretton (the name means 'Fort of the
Britons'). Shortly afterwards, either she, or one of his descendants, built a
new castle in Kirtledale, two miles further east and on or near the present
site of Bonshaw; he took up residence there and gave it the name Irwyn which had
by then become firmly associated with the family-as Irewyn in Ayrshire,
Owyrn in Eskdale, and Heryn (the seat of Crinan's brother Grim, Thane of
Strathearn) in Strathearn.
BRUCE'S CAVE. The Irvings and Bruces became very close friends and allies.
Tradition relates that “The Bruce” was a guest at Bonshaw in 1298, and when
he fled from the court of Edward I of England, in 1306, his first night back
in Scotland was spent in the security of its fastness. - There is a cave in
the Kirtle cliffs at Cove, in which the Irvings ae reputed to have hidden Bruce
from the English on at least one occasion around this time.
BONSHAW TOWER. Bonshaw Tower and the modern house adjacent to it stand on a
piece of level ground, bounded on the east by a high cliff with the Kirtle
Water washing its base; on the south by the steep ravine down which the Old Caul
Burn runs to meet the Kirtle; on the west by rough ground and the farmyard
of Bonshaw Mains (one barn there is dated '1764' and initialed 'W.I) where
ramparts and ditches once stood. To the west lie the lands of Dumbretton,
Robgill lies to the south, Woodhouse a little further downstream, and Cove beyond.
Wysebie is across the river, and further upstream lies Braes and Old
Kirkconnel. Of the numerous Irving towers that once guarded the central Irving
territory of Kirtledale, only Bonshaw; the ruins of Woodhouse, Stapleton, and New
Kirkconnel (at Ecclefechan); and part of Robgill, incorporated in a modern
mansion; now remain.
The present tower at Bonshaw is now known to have been built around 1535-50,
and probably between 1542 and 1548, the latter date being the known date of
erection of the Irvings' lesser stone tower at Kirkpatrick, (a dated armorial
stone from the tower is preserved there.) further down the Kirtle. It
successfully withstood four sieges by the Maxwells in 1585-6, during at least two
of which cannon was used.
The Tower is a solid rectangular keep. A 58-step wheel stair climbs from the
ground level basement (prison floor) to the parapet walk above the third
floor. The first floor was the Great Hall with a great fireplace, 9ft wide x 7ft'
high; second floor was the principal family room, serving as withdrawing
room and bedroom; third floor, former garret, now serves as the history room,
having a long, handwritten ancestral chart hanging on the wall. Mounted just
below the top of the north gable is the old clan bell, the only one of its kind
known to exist, which once summoned the clan in times of danger.
This article was written by Betty Irvin, using some excerpts extracted from
'The Irvings of Bonshaw' by Alastair M.T. Maxwell-Irving, B.Sc., F.S.A. Scot



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