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Welcome to the Sir Thomas Page
The
following Extract regarding the Ancestors of
Lieutenant General Sir THOMAS MAKDOUGALL BRISBANE, K.C.B.
transposed
from
GENEALOGICAL
AND HERALDIC HISTORY
of
THE COMMONERS
of
GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND
ENJOYING TERRITORIAL POSSESSIONS OR HIGH OFFICIAL RANK
BUT UNINVESTED WITH HERITABLE HONOURS.
BY
JOHN BURKE, ESQ.
VOL.11.
LONDON:
MDCCCXXXV (1835)
Lineage
This
family, confessedly the chief of the name, appears to have possessed Bishopton,
in Renfrewshire, with lands in the counties of Stirling and Ayr, long prior to
the date of any charters they have preserved. CRAWFURD, in his Renfrewshire,
takes notice of "Bishopton, the ancient inheritance of the Brisbanes, the
chief of that name," and of "Allanus de Brysbane, filius Whelhelmi de
Brysbane, who obtained a grant of the lands of Macherach, in Stirlingshire, to
which Malcolm, Earl of Wigton, (so created in 1334) is witness."
(Charta penes burgum de Dumbarton).
Also Thomas and Alexander Brisbane, brothers, who are witnesses to a
charter, bearing date, 9th September, in the 32nd of David II. (1361); and
Thomas Brisbane, witness to a charter, dated 22nd Semtember, 1409.
The designations are not given but witnesses to such instruments, were
generally the great officers of the crown.
Previous to all these, there was a William Brisbane, chancellor of
Scotland, anno 1332, mentioned in Hale's annals, in all probability an ancestor
of the family before us, as its armorial bearings, the three cushions should
seem to have been adopted in allusion to such civil office. There is an old
wooden chair still preserved at Brisbane, having these arms and the date 1357,
carved upon it.
JOHN
BRISBANE, of Bishopton, was s. by his son,
JOHN
BRISBANE, who obtained, on the 1st September, 1407, a charter for
infefting him. as heir to his father in the lands of Bishopton, and who was
infeft accordingly. He appears to have been succeeded by his son,
JOHN
BRISBANE, whose son and
heir,
JOHN
BRISBANE; of Bishopton, was executor in 1490, to Thomas Sempil, of
Eliotston, his Brother in Law. He m. Mary daughter of Sir William Sempil, of
Eliotston, by Agnes, daughter of Alexander, second Lord Montgomery, (MS. History
of the Eglinton family),and was s. by his son,
MATHEW
BRISBANE, of Bishopton, who, falling at the battle of Flodden, 9th
September, 1513, and leaving no issue, was S. by his brother
JOHN
BRISBANE, whose retour of service in the lands of Killingcraig, &C,
holding of the crown, relates the circumstance of his brother's death at Flodden
; and whose: charter, dated 4th July, 1514, of the estate of Bishopton, is
granted, by John, Lord Erskine, son of Lord Robert, who also fell at
Floddenfield. This John Brisbane was s. by his son,
JOHN
BRISBANE, of Bishopton, who, as heir of his. father, obtained a charter,
dated 12th August, 1523, from John, third Earl of Lennox, of the lands of
Ballincleirach, in the district of Campsie, and county of Stirling.
From a sasine, dated in 1523, it appears that his wife was Elizabeth,
daughter of Sir William Lindsay, of Dunrod.
He fell at the battle of Pinkie, 10th September, 1547, and was s. by his
son,
JOHN
BRISBANE, of Bishopton, who was served heir to his father in the lands of
Killingcraig, 20th May, 1549. He
was s. at his decease by his eldest son,
ROBERT
BRISBANE, who m. in 1562, Janette Stewart, daughter of James Stewart, of
Ardgowan and Blackhall,* (marriage contract dated
29th August, in that year). He died
in 1610, (his wife surviving) and was S. by his son, (having made large
additions to his estate),
*This
branch of the house of STEWART was founded by
JOHN
Stewart, natural son of King ROBERT III. who obtained from his royal father
charters of the lands of Ardgowan and Blackhall. 'His lineal descendant, the
above
JAMES
Stewart, of Ardgowan and Blackhall; m. Janette, 'daughter of George Maxwell, of.
Newark, and had, with four sons, and two elder daughters,
JANETTE,
the lady mentioned in the text, as becoming the wife of ROBERT BRISBANE. Through
this alliance, the subsequent BRISBANES descend from King ROBERT III. who was
great grandson of King Robert the Bruce.
JOHN
BRISBANE, of Bishopton, who espoused first, 24th December, 1595, Anna
Blair, daughter of The Laird of Blair, and had issue,
m-I. JOHN, his heir.
m-II. Robert, who wedded, in 1636,
Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Lyon, of Auldbar.
f-I. Janet, m. in 1612, to
Fleming, of Baghall, second son of John, first Earl of Wigton.
f-II. Grissel, m. in 1623, to Walter
Dennieston, of Calgrain.
f-III. Elizabeth, m. to James Shaw, of Bailliegellie, in Ireland, of the
family of Shaw of Greenock, and was mother of JAMES SHAW, who is mentioned
hereafter, as the husband of his cousin, ELIZABETH
BRISBANE, and continuator of the family.
f-IV. Sarah, m. to Sir William Mure,
of Rowallan.
Mr.
Brisbane losing his first wife on the 8th March, 1608, m. secondly, 28th April,
1612, the Hon. Jane Sempil, daughter of Robert, fourth Lord Sempil, and sister
of Hugh, fifth Lord, (the latter nobleman is a party to the marriage contract)
and had two other sons and two daughters, namely,
m-I. William.
m-II. James.
f-I. Anne, m. in 1628, to James Campbell, son of Sir James Campbell, of
Ardkinglass.
f-II. Barbara.
He
d. in 1635, and was s. by his eldest son,
JOHN
BRISBANE, of that Ilk, who m. first,
Mary,
daughter of Sir John Hamilton, of Orbiston, and had issue,
m-I. JOHN, who m. in l644, his
cousin german, Mary, daughter of Sir
William Mure, of Rowallan, and widow of Walter, third Lord Blantyr. He
died in 1649, his father then living, leaving three daughters in infancy.
One of whom, ANNE, was afterwards m. to William
Fullarton, of that Ilk, the two others appear to have died unm.
f-I. Elizabeth, who m. on the 26th June, 1657, her cousin, JAMES SHAW,
eldest son of James Shaw, of Bailliegellie,
(of; this marriage more presently).
f-II. Sarah.
f-III Anna, m. in 1663, to Robert Hamilton, of Barns.
f-IV. Jannet,' m. in 1662, to
Captain Hamilton, of Woodside.
f-V. Marion.
f-VI. Jean.
John
Brisbane, the elder, wedded secondly, Jean, daughter of James Chalmers, of
Gadgirth, but had no other issue. The
death of his son without heirs male, placing the estates at his disposal, be
made The contract of marriage between his eldest daughter, ELIZABETH, and his
nephew, JAMES SHAW, by which the estate of Brisbane was to be settled on the
heirs male of that marriage, and James Shaw, was himself to assume the surname
and arms of Brisbane; with which covenant complying, accordingly be became
JAMES
BRISBANE, of that Ilk. There
is a letter of remission to this James Brisbane, from JAMES VII. dated 26th
February, 1686, for fines imposed on him for any irregularities his wife had
been guilty of in consequence (no doubt) of attending conventicles, or
Presbyterian meetings, so obnoxious to the court in those days, and deemed the
most irregular of all conduct:
James
and Elizabeth Brisbane had issue,
m-I.
JOHN, heir.
m-II.
James, writer to the signet, who m. in 1691, Anne, second daughter of
John Cranstoun, of Glen.
m-III.
William, a captain in the army, died unm.
f-1.
Anne, m. to Ramsay, M.D. of Ayr.
The
eldest son,
JOHN
BRISBANE, of Brisbane, espoused Margaret, daughter of Sir Archibald
Stewart, of Blackhall, (contract dated 17th and 26th October, 1685) and had two
sons and four daughters, viz.
m-I.
JAMES, his heir.
m-II.
Thomas, who m. in 1715, Isabel, daughter of Sir Thomas Nicolson, of
Ladykirk, and had issue,
m1.
Thomas, heir to his uncle.
m2.
John, who entered the navy, and distinguishing himself during the
American war, attained the rank of admiral. He
m. Miss Young, daughter of Admiral Young, and died in 1807;
having had (with daughters) several sons, of whom,
a)
John - Douglas, the eldest, was drowned on board of one of the French
Prizes, after Rodney's action, in 1782.
b)
Thomas - Stewart, lieutenant-colonel in the army, was killed at St.
Domingo, in 1795, while commanding a corps with great distinction.
c)
William - Henry, a naval captain, was poisoned by the French prisoners at
Gibraltar, in 1796.
d)
Charles (Sir) a distinguished naval officer,**
who m. in 1792, Sarah, daughter and co-heir of the late Sir James Patey, knt. of
Reading, and dying in 1829, left issue,
i) Charles, captain in the 34th regiment, m. in 1832,
Miss Barrett Leonard, daughter of Sir
Thomas Barrett Leonard, bart.
ii) John-William-Douglas, a lieutenant R.N.
iii) Lavinia, m. to Colonel Ewart.
iv) Arethusa.
**
Sir CHARLES BRISBANE entered the
naval service about the year 1779, on board the Alcide, of 74 guns, under the
auspices of his father, whom he afterwards accompanied into the Hercules,
another third rate. This ship formed part of Sir George Rodney's fleet, in the
memorable engagement of the 12th April, 1782, wherein Mr. Charles Brisbane was
wounded. In 1790, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant; in 1793, proceeded
with Captain Tyler in the Meleager frigate to the Mediterranean, and during the
two following years served with distinction under Hood and Nelson. In 1795, he
was made commander, and in the following year obtained a post captain's
commission. In 1815, he was nominated a Knight of the Bath, and advanced
to the rank of rear admiral, 12th August, 1819. The following exploit of the
gallant admiral cannot be omitted even in the limited space to which we are
confined. Towards the end of the year 1806, Captain Brisbane was despatched from
Jamaica, with a squadron of frigates, consisting of the Arethusa, Latona, and
Anson, to reconnoitre the island of Curacoa, and to ascertain whether the
inhabitants were disposed to an alliance with Great Britain. And on the 1st
January, 1807, the little squadron, reinforced by the Figgard frigate, arrived
off Curacoa. No orders, whatever,
had been given to attack the island, but having by means of the pilots taken on
board at Aruba, perfectly ascertained the situation of the place, Captain
Brisbane determined to capture it by a coup de main; and imparting his intention
to the respective captains under him, and taking the sole responsibility on
himself, he led his ships into the harbour. It is well deserving of remark, that
previously to this, and unknown to their officer, the men, participating in the
spirit of their gallant leader, had arranged themselves for attack, and when
called to quarters, they were found with the words "Victory or Death,"
chalked upon their hats. Under cover of a severe and destructive cannonade,
Captain Brisbane landed with his boat's crew, when fort Amsterdam was instantly
captured, the commodore himself being the first to scale the walls ; and by ten
o'clock the same night the British flag, hoisted on fort Republique, announced
the surrender of the entire island. For this gallant exploit, Captains Brisbane
and Wood received the gold medal, and were knighted.
m3.
Stuart.
m4.
Alexander.
m5. Charles.
f1. Margaret, m.
in 1738, to John Mitchell, esq. of Middleton, advocate, and had Issue.
f2. D'Arcy, m. to
Sir Walter Maxwell, bart. of Pollock.
f3. Mary, m. to
the Honorable George Cranstoun, seventh son of the fifth Lord Cranstoun, and had
issue,