Callendar Livingstons

[Bruce]

Through most of the earlier part of the middle ages the Callenders were very important in the Kingdom of Scotland. In 1282 Richard Callender was constable of Stirling Castle. However, with the coming of the Wars of Independence, they fell from grace. Most of the Scottish landowning classes submitted to Edward I in 1296, when he invaded Scotland and defeated King John. We find John de Callender and his son Alwine hence signing the Ragman Roll that year. However, most families eventually joined the Scottish cause of Robert the Bruce. Patrick Callender, on the other hand, supported Edward Balliol’s claim to the Scottish throne and a consequence his lands were confiscated by David II. The lands were granted instead to Sir David Livingstone, who married Patrick Callender’s daughter to cement his hold on them.

The beginnings of the Callendar Livingstons

The Lands of Callendar were held by the Thanes of Callendar from around the time of David I (1124-1153) until 1346. The Thanes of Callendar had a residence close to the present site of Callendar House and this has been excavated in recent years.

In 1346 the lands of Callendar were granted by David II to Sir William Livingston and his spouse, Christian, daughter of Patrick the last Thane of Callendar. Patrick lost the lands by forfeiture, possibly because he was a supporter of the Balliol claim to the throne, but this is not verifiable.

Sir William Livingston played an important part in Scottish affairs. Amongst other things, he helped to negotiate the release of David II from English captivity following the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Neville’s Cross in 1346. As one of the great noble families, the Livingston family remained prominent in Scottish history for the next four centuries.

In the fifteenth century the monarchy suffered from a series of long minorities, because most Stewart monarchs died young leaving a child as their heir. The nobility fought over control of the king’s person during these minorities, and while the Stewart dynasty itself remained remarkably stable, the power of the noble families fluctuated with the age of the king and the various alliances made amongst the nobility.

In 1439 James II was seized by his mother from Sir William Chrichton and given to Sir Alexander Livingston who was then made Keeper of the King's person. Sir Alexander and his son, James, controlled the king during the 1440s and imprisoned the king's mother.

On his majority in 1450, James II turned against the Livingstons and forfeited the lands of Callendar and their other estates, giving them to his wife, Mary of Gueldres. James Livingston then took part in a rebellion against James II which was swiftly put down, but by 1453 James Livingston was back in favour, the lands of Callendar were returned to him and he was created Lord Livingston of Callendar.


James Livingston, 1st Earl of Callendar
In the sixteenth century, Alexander, 5th Lord Livingston was one of the guardians of Mary, Queen of Scots, during her minority and he accompanied Mary to France when she fled the "rough wooing" by England as a small child. Alexander died in Paris in 1550 before Mary returned to Scotland. His son, William, 6th Lord Livingston, went into captivity with Mary in England but as a Protestant he was released and allowed to return to Scotland in 1573. He died in 1592, five years after Mary had been executed.

In the seventeenth century, James, 8th Lord Livingston fought on the king's side during the civil wars. He was created 1st Earl of Callendar by Charles I in 1641. After the defeat of the Scots army at the Battle of Preston in 1648 James went into exile and in 1651 Callendar House was besiged by Cromwell's army, led by General Monck. James returned to Callendar House following the Restoration in 1660.

In the eighteenth century, James, 4th Earl of Callendar (and also 5th Earl of Linlithgow after inheriting the title on his uncle's death in 1695), took part in the Jacobite rising of 1715. He was part of the defeated army at the Battle of Sheriffmuir and he died in 1723.

Following the 1715 rising, the government forfeited the estates of all the Jacobites who had taken part in the rebellion. The lands of Callendar were amongst these forfeited estates and in 1720, along with other estates, Callendar Estate was sold by the government to the York Building Company

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Bruce,

Thank you for that very informative summary of the Callendar Livingstons. As I say I am not well acquainted as yourself with the more precise details of that old very old lowland Livingston family with many branches. Some years ago I purchased a copy of the second edition published in 1920 by Edwin B. Livingston of his first book The Livingstons of Callendar that was originally published in 1887. At one time I was looking up information regarding a branch of the Westquarter Livingston family who were connected to the old Callendar Livingstons. I can't even imagine how many hours - or should I say years - that Mr. Livingston must have spent researching all the many diverse branches of this old Scottish family. It really boggles the mind. It is quite a lovely 500 page volume with what I presume is a golden family crest emblazoned on the front cover. The original edition back in 1887 apparently he privately published.

Following his privately published first edition of The Livingstons of Callendar as you probably know years later in 1910 he published the follow up book The Livingstons of Livingston Manor focusing on wealthy land owner Robert Livingston of Albany County son of Rev. John Livingston who settled in the then British colony of New York in the 17th century and his family.

https://www.familysearch.org/search/cat ... %20Library

https://archive.org/details/livingstons ... 4/mode/2up


regards,
Donald.

[Bruce]

Hi Donald,
This is a tree from *Myles Livingston (1775) to James Michael Nuckill Livingston (1589) his 4th G.Grandfather, who was the original Earl of Callendar *see attached.
regards Bruce

[Bruce]

Hi Donald,
There is a certificate here for Myles Livingston,and the original Marriage document - *see attached
regards Bruce.

https://www.familysearch.org/search/lin ... n/details/
Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950

*here are some of the details on that record
Brief Life History of Myles

When Myles Livingston was born on 27 September 1775, in Lismore, Argyll, Scotland, his father, Donald Livingston, was 34 and his mother, Christian McCaskill Campbell, was 34. He married Janet Livingston on 20 June 1812, in Killarrow, Argyll, Scotland, United Kingdom. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 1 daughter. He died about 1841, in Halton, Ontario, Canada, at the age of 67.

[Bruce]

Hi Donald,

For what its worth I have discovered a link that shows Philip Livingston of New York (1716) as 1st cousin (11 times removed) to William Livingston (1290) of the Callendar Livingstons; the page of descendance (jpg) may be interesting for the record.
I also noted that they share common 14th G.Grandparents "Alexander Livingston (1150) and Janet Stewart (1140"- the next generation back is Thurston Livingston (the line founder) who also married a Callendar girl.

Let me know if you would like the page (jpg) sent on to you.

regards Bruce