ADAM SCOTT and RE-SETTLEMENT OF
SCOTTS IN IRELAND.
Adam Scott is believed to be a
descendent of the SCOTTS OF WOLL, a Cadet Branch of the SCOTTS OF HARDEN, from
SELKIRK, in the Borders of Scotland.
The Scotts of Woll and other Border
Clans were offered re-settlement and property in Northern Ireland, to
help hold the Protestant Line in Ireland, for the English Government. Offers were made to Laird’s
sons and tenant farmers to take over properties confiscated from
Irish Catholic families in Counties: Fermanagh. Armagh, Tyrone, and Londonderry. To keep them there,
their records were destroyed, so they could not go back to Scotland.
(Deportation?) (Ardstraw – Fairy Water-Omagh)
The move to Ireland from Scotland was a peace offering to settle border disputes between various clans and the Scotts
and their branches as well as the English. During the 300 years wars
in the Border area, they were participants in defending Scotland
against the English and suffered loss of lives, land and status. The
offers were made by the March Wardens
appointed by the English Govt. at the time of the Union of the Crowns
of Scotland and England. The Scotts of Woll were sheep and cattle
farmers and like most Borderers, were capable horsemen……Border
Reivers who had an important place in the
history of the Borders and Scotland.
The Scotts of Harden, from whom the
Scotts of Woll, is a “brother branch” to the Scotts of
Buccleuch, holders of the Scott Clan Chiefship; being descended from
the original UCHTRED SCOTT, Circa 1120 AD. by one of his two sons,
Michael of Balwearie, from whom Harden and Polworth, from whom
Ancrum, from whom Woll are descended.
SCOTT CLAN CHIEF RECOGNISES ‘IRISH’
SCOTTS (1988).
The present Chief of the Clan Scott,
The 9th Duke of Buccleuch and 11th Duke of Queensberry, of Drumlanrig Castle and
Bowhill, has decreed that ALL descendants of the re-settled Scotts in Ireland are
to be recognised in the future as being members of Clan Scott irrespective of where
they were born. It is his wish that they share equal status in the
Clan with those born in Scotland. They are to be regarded equally as Scots. The Scotts of Woll belonged to
the Selkirk area in Scotland, where the Buccleuchs have lived for
generations. And he acknowledges the Scotts (Scots,
Scoti) came originally from Ireland as Celts to settle in Dal Riada
(Argyle and Galloway), prior to 11th century.
[Sources: Information from “The Scotts”- Capt. Walter Scott of
Satchell 1688. From Robert Harden Scott, member of the Border Families Society,
Selkirk, Press release supplied to Clan Scott Association of
Australasia, and Story of the Irish Race – Seumas MacManus.]
With the Potato Famine in Ireland
during the 1800’s, descendants of the Border families from Scotland
who were re-settled in Ireland were offered passage to Canada,
Australia and New Zealand, under an immigration scheme. Some
were “indentured” to land holders before they left Ireland, to
work for a period of 2 years.
Thomas Scott was one of those selected.
In Australia they were given accommodation and were paid a yearly wage (approx. 35
pounds)
[ Refs: (1) Tindal Letters (2) Bawden Lectures
----- Grafton H.S. – U.N.E.]
NOTE:
In 2009, the Year of the Homecoming in
Scotland, a special event was held in Dumfriesshire, arranged by the Scottish
Government, to Welcome Home to Scotland all the descendents of the “deported
Scots” who were settled in Ulster (Northern Ireland) at the time of
the Union of the Crowns. It was by way of an apology to compensate for the breakup of the
Border families and to enable them to regain their Scottish roots.
For the record Jean Scott Deaner
2009