Our Glynn Family History Since 1292 A.D.
Origins of the Clan Name
The Clans of Scotland, in their true and unique context, did not come about until after Robert the Bruce, himself of Norman descent, had beaten back the English invasion which began in 1296, thus unifying Scottish interests against those of English imperialism. It was his great victory at the Battle of Bannockburn which truly consolidated Scotland’s sense of National identity, even though by then the majority of its ruling class was of Norman blood.
Clan Glen (sometimes simply “Glenn” or “Glynn” or “Glennie”) is a small clan whose existence has been documented as early as the year 1292. The very name “Glen” speaks of a feature of the land itself, meaning “Valley”. It is Celtic and found in Wales (usually “Glyn”) Scotland, often “Glenn” or “Glin”, and in Ireland as “Glynn” or “McGlynn” (common in Donegal). It appears that distinct families bearing this name arose independently in the regions of Peebles, Renfrewshire, and even across the border in England.
Our present focus shall be upon Clan Glen within Renfrewshire, its connection to Peebleshire, tracing its branches through Bar and thence to Ulster and the distant shores of America.
Other coats are found with similar motifs. Others
According to the accounts of Thomas Allen Glenn, the lordship of Glen – encompassing the lands of Bar, Gaytflat, Lynthills, Brigend, and others – was originally bestowed by King David I upon Walter the Steward. Glenn surmises that Richard, lord of the Glen, or his forebears, must have acquired this lordship through marriage to a woman of the Stewart lineage. The Glen surname itself originates from this lordship of Glen in Renfrewshire.
The limited Y DNA data that has been published concerning the Glens suggests that the ancient origins of the Glens of Bar may lie in Anglo-Norman ancestry. This aligns with Thomas Allen Glenn’s hypothesis that the Glen family were originally known as de Ness and accompanied Walter fitz Alan from Ness in Shrewsbury, England. Glenn believed that the Stewarts granted them the lands within the lordship of Glen. Indeed, a Roger de Ness witnessed a charter of Walter fitz Alan to Paisley Priory around the year 1173. Furthermore, a Henry de Ness appears in several charters of Alan Stewart, son of Walter fitz Alan, relating to the lands of Paisley. Notably, the Glens continued to hold lands rented from Paisley Abbey well into the 16th century.
Many volumes have been penned about the Glens, yet few remain in print or are readily available in digital form for our perusal.
Crests, Seals, Coats of Arms & Other Insignia
Clan Glen Coat of Arms
The Glen Coat of Arms proudly displays three martlets. As the heraldry expert William Newton informs us, the martlet, a mythical bird lacking feet, served as a symbol for a knight-errant, ever journeying. These “martlets” clearly have feet.
Clan Glen Clan Pin
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Glynn Clan Coat of Arms (Scotland)
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Glynn Clan Coat of Arms (Ireland)
Early Historic Records
The name “Glen” first graces the historical record in the year 1292, when King Edward I confirmed a charter concerning the lands of Gaytflat by Richard, lord of the Glen, in favor of his son John. It is noted that a man named Robert Nase (or Richard Ness) had previously held possession of these lands under Richard’s predecessors. This Richard, lord of Glen, may well be the first recorded Glen hailing from the Lennox region.
The prior charter appears to have been recorded after Richard’s demise, for a mere two days later, the lands of the late Richard de Glen were held in wardship pending the marriage of his heirs.
“November 14th, 1292. Grant by the king, overlord of Scotland, to Richard Freser, for a fine of 100 marks, whereof he will pay 25 marks a year, of the wardship of the lands late of Richard de Glen, tenant in chief of the royal dignity of Scotland, until the full age of the heirs with the marriage of the same.”
However, the lands do not appear to have been restored upon the marriage of any heir of Richard de Glen, as they were forfeited in the year 1298, perhaps due to the actions of a son of Richard de Glen.
The surname next surfaces in the year 1296 in a petition submitted by various widows “whose husbands had died in the army against the king.” Sarah, the widow of Duncan of the Glen (who died in 1292), swore an oath of fealty to King Edward I and beseeched the king for the restoration of her husband’s lands.
“Sarah, who was the wife of Duncan of the Glen, who has remained a widow for four years, petitions for her inheritance which is seised in the hand of Earl Patrick, by reason of the war.”
As we shall discuss further, this Duncan of Glen may be the first recorded Glen of Peebleshire.
Glens of the Lennox
In the year 1304, Sir David of Glen was taken as a prisoner while defending Stirling Castle. He later came to terms with the king in the same year. Thereafter, he received an allowance while held captive in an English prison at Newcastle-on-Tyne, a period that extended through the year 1313.
In the year 1319, a John of Glen was described as King Robert the Bruce’s “seargand” (a term indicating service) when the King granted him rights to a pond at Balmuto. This John was presumably the son or grandson of Richard, lord of Glen.
John’s son, Robert, wed Margaret, a daughter of King Robert the Bruce himself. Margaret and her husband received a grant of Nether Pitedye, with Margaret being referred to as “the king’s sister” by King David II. Some commentators suggest she was an illegitimate daughter of the King, while others propose she was the daughter of the King’s second wife, Elizabeth de Burgh.
Glens of Barr
Robert of Glen was succeeded by William of Glen, who passed away in the year 1373. Paul of Glen, William’s son and heir, conveyed lands in Kilmun to Sir Archibald Campbell of Lochow. Paul’s son and heir, John of Bar, entered into the service of Robert Stewart of Lorne. This John may have had multiple sons, including William and Alan. Rental records from the lands of Paisley Abbey contain several references to Alan Glen, who is identified as the son of John, lord of Glen. He was likely the brother of William of Glen, who witnessed a donation of fishing rights at Crockat Shot by Robert Lord Lyll to the Monks of Paisley in the year 1452. William of Glen was succeeded by Robert Glen, who was deceased by the year 1506. Robert was succeeded by James Glen of Bar, the first of that name in this line.
James Glen served as the captain of 102 foot soldiers at the Battle of Flodden. Around the year 1525, “James Glen of ye Bar” is mentioned in the Paisley Abbey rental records. He served on an assize in 1543 and died a year later.
He was succeeded by his son, also known as James Glen of Bar. This James appears in various legal documents, including witnessing a charter in 1560 and a letter of reversion in 1566. The latter instrument reveals a long-standing dispute between James and John Semple of Fullwood in 1562. In the year 1564, upon a petition by James Glen of Bar, Robert Sempill, the third Lord Sempill, was stripped of his Commission of the Judiciary by the Privy Council for abusing Glen. James Glen of Bar was married to Catherine Hamilton. From a document dated 1568, we learn that James had sons named William (his heir) and James.
William Glen of Bar succeeded his father. He died in the year 1608, possibly without any surviving issue. William was succeeded by his younger brother, Alexander Glen of Bar, around the year 1610. In turn, Alexander was succeeded by his son Archibald Glen around the year 1629. Thereafter, Bar Castle passed into the hands of the Hamiltons.
William Glen, armiger, witnessed an instrument conveying fishing rights at Crochat-Shot to the monks of Paisley in 1452. His successor, James Glen, received the lands of Bar, Bridge-end, and Lyntchels in the lordship of Paisley from Robert, Abbot of Paisley. James Glen of Bar granted an obligation to Hugh Campbell of Kilbirnie on January 30th, 1558-9, agreeing to protect him in the infeftment of the Woodend of Greenock concerning the liferent of Dame Marion Montgomery, widow of William, Lord Semple. Joining the forces of Queen Mary at the Battle of Langside, he was forfeited by the Regent in 1568 but was restored in 1573.
Alexander Glen of Bar was served heir to his brother William on January 23rd, 1610. In February 1629, his nephew, Archibald Glen, became bound to serve himself heir to his lands.
Archibald Glen, of the Bar family, graduated from the University of Glasgow and subsequently served as a Regent of that College. In 1596, he was ordained minister of Rutherglen, from which charge he was translated to Carmunnock in 1603. He died in February 1614 at approximately forty-four years of age. His premature death was attributed to sorcery by Margaret Wallace, wife of a Glasgow merchant, who was later burned as a witch on the Castle-hill of Edinburgh. By his wife, Janet Muir, Mr. Archibald Glen had two sons, David and Thomas. His nephew, Robert Glen, succeeded him in his parochial charge. Robert Glen died in August 1621 and bequeathed his library to his cousins, David and Thomas Glen, the sons of his uncle and predecessor.
Thomas, the younger son of the Reverend Archibald Glen, became a prosperous trader in the Saltmarket of Glasgow; he died in 1735.
Glens of Peebleshire
In 1324, King Robert the Bruce granted Colban of Glen the lands of Cults in Peeblesshire. Colban, who bore a Celtic name like Duncan of Glen, was married to Annabel Douglas and likely received these lands as tocher (dowry).
The lands of Glen, situated on the left bank of the Quair stream in Peeblesshire, gave their name to their early proprietors before the Wars of Scottish Independence. In 1296, Sarah of the Glen swore fealty to King Edward I of England. Records from September 3rd of that year show Sarah, as the widow of Duncan Glen (d. 1292), petitioning Edward for the restoration of her lands, then held by Patrick, the fourth Earl of Dunbar. Duncan and Sarah Glen died without issue.
Meanwhile, Sir David de Glen of the Lennox served under Sir William Oliphant in the defense of Stirling Castle in 1304 against Edward I’s siege. After a three-month siege, Edward captured the castle, imprisoning the defenders, including Sir David, in Newcastle. Records from January 13th, 1304-5, and November 12th, 1305, document payments for their upkeep.
Upon his release, Sir David de Glen became a devoted supporter of King Robert the Bruce. Sir David had three sons: Colban, John, and Roger.
In 1324, King Robert the Bruce also granted Colban de Glen, Sir David’s eldest son, charters for the lands of Eastshield in Lanarkshire. Queen Elizabeth, Robert the Bruce’s second wife, also bestowed a bequest of one hundred shillings upon him, paid before June 26th, 1328.
Colban de Glen had a son named Robert, in honor of the King, who became a royal favorite. King Robert the Bruce had two wives. His first wife, Isabella, bore him Marjory, who married Walter the Steward. His second wife, Elizabeth, bore him David (his successor) and two daughters, Elizabeth (who died unmarried) and Margaret.
Margaret married Robert de Glen with the approval of her brother, King David II, who granted them lands in Nether Pitedie, Fife. Subsequently, Robert Glen received lands in Glasgow Forest, Aberdeenshire, while Princess Margaret received lands in Morphie, Kincardineshire.
Princess Margaret Bruce remarried in 1344 to William, fifth Earl of Sutherland, jointly receiving a charter for the Earldom in 1345. Margaret died in 1358, leaving three sons: Alexander (who died young), John (d. 1361), and William (who succeeded as Earl).
The death of Robert de Glen, Princess Margaret’s first husband, is unrecorded. Royal charters mention a Sir Robert de Glen, Rector of Liberton (1357, 1367), suggesting his entry into the clergy may have dissolved the marriage. King David II revoked a land grant in Aberdeenshire “lately in the hands of Robert de Glen.”
King Robert the Bruce granted John de Glen, Sir David’s second son, lands in Balmutache (Balmuto), Fife. These remained in the family until the early fifteenth century, when Mariota, Sir John Glen’s co-heiress, married Sir John Boswell of Balgregie. Their descendant, Thomas Boswell, acquired Auchinleck estate and died at Flodden (1513). The Boswell families of Balmuto and Auchinleck produced notable figures like David Boswell (Lord of Session, 1798) and Alexander Boswell (Lord Auchinleck, 1754), father of James Boswell. Sir Alexander Boswell, the biographer’s son, died in 1822.
King Robert the Bruce granted Roger de Glen, Sir David’s youngest son, an annuity, continued by David II. A Lennox Glen descendant settled near Stirling, but their early history is untraced.
Towards the late seventeenth century, John David Glen leased Foot-o’-Green farm in St Ninians Parish. He had six sons and a daughter, Margaret. His eldest son, John (b. 1709, d. 1792), became minister of Forgandenny (ord. 1741), marrying Elizabeth Thomson and having three daughters (Margaret and Agnes unmarried; Elizabeth married Dr. Johnston, ancestors of Glen-Johnston family).
John Glen’s third son, James (b. 1714), died unmarried. His fourth son, Robert (b. 1717), became a Glasgow tanner. His fifth son, William (b. 1720), was a St Petersburg merchant (d. unmarried). His sixth son, Alexander (b. 1722), was a Bannockburn manufacturer.
John Glen’s second son, Archibald (b. 1710), succeeded to the lease, married Elizabeth Anderson, and had five sons and seven daughters. His eldest daughter, Margaret (b. 1738), married a Liddell (parents of Archibald and William Liddell). Isobel, the fifth daughter, married Thomas Anderson (grandparents of Bishop David Anderson, Mayor Thomas Darnley Anderson, and William Archibald Anderson). Catherine (b. 1754), the sixth daughter, married William Kidston (grandparents of William Kidston of Ferniegair). Mary (b. 1756), the youngest, married Reverend Thomas Burns.
Of Archibald Glen’s sons, John (b. 1736) farmed in Lanarkshire (ancestors of Sir Andrew Orr). Robert (b. 1741) died young; another Robert (b. 1752) settled in Russia. William (b. 1744) was a Glasgow merchant and Stirlingshire Magistrate (ancestors of the Glen family of Stratton Audley Park). Alexander (b. 1748) was a Glasgow and West Indies merchant (ancestors in West Indies and Newfoundland).
William Glen (b. 1789), son of Alexander Glen, was a poet (“Wae’s me for Prince Charlie”). He married Catharine Macfarlane and had a daughter. Widowed, Mrs. Glen ran an Aberfoyle orphanage.