Hunthill House
The Rutherfords of Hunthill - Our Family History
The first Rutherford known to Scottish history was Robertus Dominus de Rodyrforde, who witnessed a charter of King David I in 1140. The Rutherford record is continuous from the time of Hugo de Rutherford who was mentioned as a witness to a land grant about 1215. His grandson, Sir Nichol de Rutherford, signed the Ragman Roll like nearly all Scottish lairds except Wallace himself, but later joined Wallace, to whose wife he was related, and assisted him in the Battle of Biggar and the capture of Sanquhar Castle.
The progenitor of the Hunthill cadet was Sir George Rutherford of Chatto. Chatto and Hunthill are ancient estates quite near each other in Roxburghshire, Scotland. Hunthill is located very near Jedburgh just to the southeast of town and Chatto is located almost due east of Jedburgh near the Northumberland border. The family was later styled “of Hunthill” in the lifetime of Sir George’s son Robert. Sir George Rutherford of Chatto was the squire of Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas. Sir George's son, Robert Rutherford, married the 4th Earl of Douglas' grand daughter, Margaret Glendonwyn
Central to Rutherford genealogy in Scotland and to the Hunthill Rutherfords specifically is the family’s connection and descent from the powerful Black Douglases and their kin, the Glendonwyns. The Glendonwyns, today are called the Glendennings, and are direct descendants of "The Good Sir James" who carried the heart of Robert the Bruce to Spain where he was killed by the Moors. This is a long and colorful story which is the source of the various Douglas coats of arms which bear a human heart as a charge. The Rutherfords and Glendonwyns were the "scutifers' or squires to the Douglas family along with the Home and Hoppringle families. Sir Robert Rutherford’s wife, Margaret Glendonwyn, was the grand daughter of both Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas and Margaret Stewart daughter of John Stewart, King Robert III of Scots.
Margaret Glendonwyn’s father was Sir Simon Glendonwyn of Glendonwyn and Parton (a 1455) who was married to Elizabeth Lindsay daughter of Alexander Lindsay, 2nd Earl of Crawford and Marjory (Margaret) of Dunbar a descendant of Gospatrick the great earl. Alexander Lindsay's aunt, Agnes Dunbar, was the wife of Sir James Douglas - 1st Lord of Dalkeith and as such was also the great great aunt of Sir Simon Glendonwyn. The Hunthill coat of arms carries a charge of three passion nails which came from the Douglas of Morton coat of arms. Margaret Glendonwyn, daughter of Sir Simon Glendonwyn married Sir Robert Rutherford of Chatto (a 1484, d before 05.1495) and acquired the land in Roxburghshire that is called Hunthill through marriage. Sir Robert Rutherford had confirmation of his late father's gift of Nether Chatto on November 21, 1429 from Archibald 4th Earl of Douglas, as "his dear esquire", with a Crown confirmation on March 25, 1439.
The Hunthill or Chatto cadet spells its name Rutherfoord and/or Rutherford. There are many junior lines from this family; Longnewton, Bankend, Littleheuch, Capehope, Ladfield, Knowsouth and Kidheugh.
The Hunthill Rutherfords have many descendants in America from the Nisbet-Crailing area; the Wigton-Walkers, the descendants of Thomas Rutherford of Paxtang, PA, the descendants of James Rutherford of Walker’s Creek, VA, the descendants of James Rutherford of Cub Creek, VA and the descendants of General Griffith Rutherford.
Early Scottish History
Scotland is an ancient Celtic country with various ethnic strains and a complex ethnic history. For we Rutherfords, however, Scotland begins during the reign of King David I and his parents, Malcolm Canmore and Queen/Saint Margaret. The accession in 1057 of Malcolm Canmore as King of Scotland introduced a new era marked by fundamental changes of the ancient Celtic culture and institutions. Long an exile among the English, Malcolm had acquired a profound interest in their customs and affairs. The consequent trend toward ‘Anglicization' of his realm was sharply accelerated when, in 1067, he married Margaret, an English princess later canonized as St. Margaret. She had been forced into exile in Scotland by the Norman Conquest in 1066. Under her influence, many of the teachings of the Celtic church were brought into harmony with the church of Rome. The royal family of King Malcolm and Queen Margaret became the actual cradle for Scotland's cultural shift toward the Flemish and Norman sphere of influence. Their three sons; Prince Edgar, Prince Alexander and Prince David, were to receive their educations at the Norman and Flemish court in England.
In 1097, Prince Edgar one of the six sons of Malcolm and Margaret, ascended the Scottish throne. The Anglicization of Scotland acquired tremendous momentum during the reign of Edgar and those of his brothers Alexander I and David I. Under these monarchs, all of whom had been deeply influenced by their mother's religious and cultural views, the Norman and Flemish feudal system was established in Scotland. The reorganization was confined at first to ecclesiastical reforms but gradually affected all sectors of Scottish life. Norman French replaced the Gaelic language in court circles, while English was spoken on the Scottish Borders and in many parts of the Lowlands.
David I claimed universal ownership of the land of Scotland in the Carolingian tradition called feudalism. As king he conveyed huge grants, particularly in central and southern Scotland, to Norman, Flemish and Scottish nobles, who thereby became loyal vassals of the Crown. All three princes reined as Kings of Scotland but it was David I who was to mold Scotland into a new nation; part Celtic and part Flemish. Following the death of Norman knight Simon de Senlis, the Earl of Northampton, in 1111, his widow Maud married Prince David. Maud was the great-granddaughter of Siward the Dane and of the Flemish house of Boulogne. To their marriage, she brought David the title of the earl of Huntingdon, with its extensive lands in the English Midlands, and a claim to the vast Northumbrian estates. When he ascended the Scottish throne in 1124 as David I, Maud went north with him as his queen, followed inevitably, by a large retinue of her Flemish kinsmen. They received large estates in Scotland and, in this way, a new feudal system from Flanders took the place of the older Celtic way of life. These Flemish knights were the ancestors of many Scottish families: Balliol, Beaton, Bruce, Cameron, Campbell, Comyn, Crawford, Douglas, Erskine, Fleming, Fraser, Graham, Hamilton, Hay, Innes, Leslie, Lindsay, Lyle, Murray, Oliphant, Rutherford, Seton and Stewart.
At about this time, Robertus dominus de Rodyrforde, first appears in the Scottish records. Robertus dominus de Rodyrforde witnessed a royal charter in 1140 granted by King David I of Scotland to Gervasius de Rydel. This indicated that Robertus held an established position at that time. His title included the Latin word dominus, which indicated he was the lord of a manor and/or a knight, and the Latin preposition "de", meaning "of", which was used in conjunction with land holdings or places of origin. It is interesting to note, the third syllable was spelled "ford" with the Flemish ending of "e" and almost identical to the Flemish toponymic name of Ruddervoorde in West Flanders, Belgium. Ruddervoorde or Ridervoorde means "a knight's river crossing" and interestingly the Gervasius de Rydel mentioned about has a surname with a similar etymology.
Under David I [1124-53] and Malcolm IV [1153-65] the Flemish counts, Thierry de Alsace [1128-63] and his son Philip de Alsace [1163-91] cooperatively developed a program to settle Flemish immigrants in various areas of Scotland, including Roxburgh. The purpose of this settlement policy initially was twofold: 1 - to define a border between Northumberland and Scotland and 2 - to develop a similar infrastructure as existed in Flanders at the time. In the long run, very strong economic and religious ties were also to develop between Roxburgh and Flanders. Not surprisingly, Counts Thierry de Alsace and Philip de Alsace were also the overlords of the Seigniory of the Court of Ruddervoorde in West Flanders. In 1128 Lambert de Ridefort [Ruddervoorde] served as a witness for Count Thierry de Alsace. In 1154 Lambert de Ridefort and his brother Eustachius [Eustache] served as witnesses to Gerald, Bishop of Tournai and Count Thierry dí Alsace. Sir Gerard de Ridefort [de Ruddervoorde] - 10th Grand Master of the Knights Templar accompanied Thierry de Alsace, Count of Flanders on his 4th crusade to Outremer in 1164, at which time, Gerard entered the service of King Amaury I of Jerusalem.
At the same time in Scotland, King Malcolm IV's daughter Marie married Eustache III, Comte de Boulogne. Eustache III was the brother of Godfroi de Bouillon, conqueror of Jerusalem. This created a dynastic link between the court of Scotland and that of Jerusalem and that of Flanders, which exercised great influence over the silk and spice trade at its midway point in Outremer.
King Malcolm's successor, his brother William I "the Lion" (1165-1214), continued Flemish settlement in the Roxburgh area and at the same time did battle militarily and politically with the English. In 1173, when William invaded northern England, he was reinforced by a Flemish contingent sent by Philip d’ Alsace, Count of Flanders. When William I invaded Northumberland in 1173 he was captured by the English and released only when he agreed to the Treaty of Falaise promising to recognize Henry II of England as overlord.
In 1188, William the Lion received a papal bull promising the independence of the Scottish church from England. Following the death of Henry II of England in 1189, Richard I "the Lionhearted" was crowned king of England. Through a deal with William I, England received 10,000 marks to fund Richard I's crusade to the Holy Lands. In the same year, the Treaty of Falaise between Scotland and England was annulled, effectively fixing the borders between Scotland and Northumberland as they are known today. Prior to this annulment, the border had been at the Firth of Forth. which followed the division of the old kingdom of Northumbria [Bernicia] and Scotland.
Rutherfords of that place and period:
During the reign of King William I "the Lion", Gregory de Rothirforde witnessed two charters of Roger Burnard to thirteen acres of the lands of Fairnington to the monastery of Melrose. It should be noted that Fairnington was eventually a Rutherford estate. Other charters were also witnessed by Gregory de Rothirforde in the reign of King Alexander II.
Gregory de Rothirforde's son Hugo de Rodirforde, a Scottish baron, witnessed a grant of Philip de Valoniis of the lands of Terpenhow in Northumberland to Robert de Stuteville in 1215 during the first year of the reign of King Alexander II. Philip de Valoniis had served as a hostage in King William the Lion's place and remained two years in England. In gratitude William made him High Chamberlain of Scotland and gave him the barony of Panmure. Philip's son William inherited the office of High Chamberlain and the estate.
In 1230 the seigniory of the court of Ruddervoorde in West Flanders was in the possession of Lamkin de Riderford. He inherited this title following the death of his father Sir Haket de Riderford who received it from the Dean of St. Donatian church in Bruges.
In Scotland Hugo de Rodirforde and Richard de Rodirforde witnessed a charter of Richard Burnard of Fairnington to the abbey and convent of Melrose in 1252, during the reign of King Alexander III. Neighbor Roger Burnard was established in the lands of Fairnington in the 13th century and made two grants to the monks of Melrose in his lifetime. Patrick Burnard also held lands further north near Gordon in Berwickshire about 1250. Down to the middle of the 14th century the family owned Fairnington in the county of Roxburgh and continued to figure prominently among the benefactors of Melrose Abbey. In 1296 William de Fairnington of Roxburgh paid homage to Edward I. "The Rutherfurds of that Ilk and their Cadets" by Thomas Cockburn-Hood published 1884, 1899 and 1903
Early Roxburghshire
The original place called Roxburgh or Rokesburg was located about a mile upstream from the confluence of the rivers Teviot and Tweed and about 3 miles downstream from the hamlet of Rutherford. The spot, which is no longer occupied, was a good site for a fortress owing to the height of the ground and the presence of a river on either side. In the Middle Ages it was also an important place for crossing the Tweed whose lower stretches could not be forded safely. It was originally called Rawic's or Roc's Burgh. It had also been known from Roman times as Marchedum and Marchmound, meaning a hill on the march or border.
By 1120 Roxburgh was "a going concern" ... "although possibly a recent foundation" and "from the first it was an enclosed and defensible place" "14th Report on the Ancient Monuments of Scotland: Roxburghshire" vol. 1, p. 252
Although little of either the fortification or the royal castle of Roxburgh has been allowed to survive, today one can view it's elevated site between the Tweed and the Teviot rivers. It’s composed of earthworks and deep surrounding ditches on three sides, as well as, parts of the massive walls, and some foundations of the towers and entrances. The space within the walls, once occupied by the castle and by a church and other buildings, is now largely overgrown with trees. The ancient burgh or town of Roxburgh, which lay outside the fortification on lower land just downstream, has wholly vanished. It is not to be confused with the present settlement known as Roxburgh about 2 miles up the Teviot, nor with nearby Kelso.
The fortification was built on the exposed end of a long narrow glacial mound or kame which rose some 70 or 80 feet between the converging courses of the Tweed and Teviot. The space enclosed by the fort was some 800 feet in length and its greatest breadth, upstream, was about 300 feet. Around the whole perimeter of the mound connecting the bastions and towers rose the curtain walls to a height of about 30 feet from a massive base. The total length of the walls was no less than 2,100 feet, enclosing an area of about 3.5 acres. [Roxburgh as Place Name and Family Name Over the Centuries - Donald C. MacGregor - 1965]
King David I and Roxburgh Castle
King David I decided he needed to use his manpower resources wisely if he wanted to change the nature of the land he governed. Since he owned Tweeddale by hereditary right, he decided to develop his earldom by creating a strong castle and build a thriving town around it. Roxburgh's position made a logical location for a stronghold. It was bounded by the River Teviot on its south side and by the Tweed to the north, the long teardrop shaped mount which was to become Roxburgh Castle was seventy to eighty feet high and dominated the the rolling hills which surrounded it. The Teviot and Tweed rivers join the east of the castle to make a peninsula which surrounded the burgh and its castle.
Although there is a strong likelihood that earlier forts had occupied the mount, it was David and his Flemish and French friends who probably gave the place its name. Roxburgh is usually styled 'Rokesburgus' or 'Rochesburgus' in the early documents. Roches is the French word for stones or rocks and the name would have signified to these early inhabitants the nature of the castle-mount, because, unlike Edinburgh or Stirling, it is not a single roche but a big stoney ridge - Rocksburgh.
The strategic importance of Roxburgh in terms of a military operation is underlined by the fact that David massed his army at Roxburgh before he invaded King Stephen's England in 1138. Not only was this site inherently strong but it also lay very near the junction of two medieval roads, and it controlled a relatively low crossing point of the Tweed - probably the last before the bridge at Berwick. For more than a century Roxburgh Castle stood at the centre of Scottish politics. It acted as a royal court on several occasions and many of the king's recorded acts ended with the phrase "at Roxburgh" and the date of the document.
In 1255 the strength of Roxburgh was recognized when the English faction at the quarrelling Scottish court kidnapped the young Alexander III and held him prisoner at Roxburgh. The royal wedding of Lord Alexander, the son of Alexander III, and Margaret de Dampiere, daughter of the Count of Flanders, followed in 1282 but the castle was to be occupied by the English at the end of the thirteenth century.
"The ancient parish of Roxburgh was more extensive than the modern parish; and it took its name from an ancient burgh, now called Old Roxburgh, in connection with which was an ancient famous castle; but the parts of the ancient parish on which the burgh and the castle stood, are now united to Kelso. A chapel, subordinate to the mother church of Old Roxburgh, anciently stood on the manor of Fairnington." The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, edited by John Marius Wilson and published in 1868 - volume II, p.677
The name Rokesburg appears in a deed or charter granted about the year 1120 by David, Earl of Lothian and Cumbria. It is worth recalling that David was the fourth son of Malcolm III of Scotland. Malcolm to whose name the appellation Canmore (i.e. "big head") is usually applied, had overcome Macbeth in 1054 with the aid of MacDuff, regaining the throne of Duncan his father whom Macbeth had murdered. Malcolm (whose wife, Margaret later became a Saint) died in 1093 and was succeeded in turn by his three older sons before David came to the throne in 1124. During David's constructive reign of 30 years Rokesburg, located at a strategic point on the River Tweed, suddenly became noteworthy as the site of a royal castle which was protected by unusually strong fortifications. "Early Scottish Charters prior to A.D. 1153" by Sir Archibald Lawrie
On December 9th, 1165 King Malcolm IV died at Jedburgh Castle and was succeeded by William "The Lion". The castle was later forfeited to the English in 1174. This was to help raise the ransom demanded for the safe return of Scotland's King William the Lion who had been captured by the English. In subsequent years, Jedburgh castle was the royal residence. The sphere of Scottish royal power rotated between Jedburgh and Roxburgh castles for nearly two centuries and protected the kingdom's two dominant cities.
King Alexander III was born at Roxburgh Castle in 1241 and crowned king at Scone in 1249 when he was eight years old. Two years later, he married Margaret, daughter of King Henry III of England [a distant cousin]. The couple had been engaged since infancy. His wife Margaret died in 1275 followed by his sons, David in 1281 and Alexander in 1284. This left Alexander III without a family or a male heir.
Alexander III was to marry again at Jedburgh Abbey in 1285, this time to Yolande de Dreux. The wedding feast was held at Jedburgh Castle. Tradition has it that a ghost appeared at the wedding feast and predicted Alexander III's death. Alexander's new wife Yolande de Dreux was from a noble family of Flanders/Burgundy which had supported the 1st and 2nd Crusades and the Knights Templar in particular. By all accounts, the couple were happily married and seemed likely to produce an heir. However, on March 19th, 1286, six months after their marriage, all was to change. The king had been in council with his lords in Edinburgh and had set out on a stormy night, anxious to rejoin his new wife at Kinghorn Tower. As he neared his destination, his horse stumbled and he fell to his death over a steep cliff. All were mindful of the prophecy made at the king's wedding. King Alexander III was the last of Scotland's Celtic kings.
Rutherfords of that place and period:
Sir Nichol de Rothirforde I was a witness to several donations to the church of St. Mary of Melrose Abbey and to the monastery of Kelso. In 1270 and 1272 Sir Nichol de Rothirforde I was designated as “Nicholaus de Rutherfoord, miles". This title indicated the family had attained an influential position in Roxburgh County, Scotland. Without a doubt, Sir Nichol was one of the gallant company at Jedburgh in 1283 when the marriage of King Alexander was solemnized. "The Rutherfurds of that Ilk and their Cadets" by Thomas Cockburn-Hood published 1884, 1899 and 1903
During the rule of King Alexander III, Scotland had been a peaceful and prosperous kingdom. Things were to change. The country was devastated without its rightful leader and Scotland fell into many years of conflict both foreign and domestic. King Alexander III was succeeded briefly by his infant grand-daughter Margaret, "the Maid of Norway", who died while traveling back to Scotland from Scandanavia. King Alexander III's death also presented an opportunity for Edward I of England "Longshanks" to intrude into in Scottish affairs and the succession to the Scottish throne. Robert the Bruce's grandfather “the Competitor” and the Comyns both began pressing their claims to the Scottish Crown. The situation escalated eventually into the Scottish Wars of Independence.
The Ragman Roll
Alexander's death brought into Scottish history the formidable figure of Edward I of England, who had recently completed the conquest of Wales. Before the Maid of Norway traveled to Scotland, it had been agreed by a panel of `guardians' that she should marry Edward's son and heir, although Scotland still should retain its independence. On her death, Edward was invited to choose between the claimants to the throne. At this point, sensing an opportunity, he chose John Balliol over his chief rival, Robert Bruce. Edward selected him, but even he reacted against the dictatorial treatment he subsequently received from the English king. In 1296, Balliol made an alliance with France and invaded England.
Edward responded with a counter-invasion, and large numbers of Scottish nobles including Bruce and his son came to pay him homage. Furious, Balliol confiscated Bruce's lands in Scotland and gave them to `Red' John Comyn. Edward captured Berwick with great slaughter; then, with Bruce at his side, defeated Balliol at Dunbar, before conducting a ruthless campaign as far north as Elgin. Edward required 2000 Scottish landowners to sign the "Ragman Roll" at Berwick-on-Tweed, August 28th, 1296 acknowledging him as king. The Ragman Roll has been described as 'a list of Flemish and Norman lords' who Edward I saw as a potential threat to his occupation of Scotland. Several Rutherfords were among those forced to sign. In fact, Sir Nichol Rothirforde’s daughter, Margarette de Rothirforde del Counte de Berwyk, was a personage of such consequence that she was also compelled to sign the Deed of Submission, popularly known as the "Ragman Roll".
In 1297, a young Scot named William Wallace became involved in a fight with some English soldiers at Lanark. He escaped with the help of a girl, possibly his wife, but she was captured and executed. Thus began the wars of independence between Scotland and England.
The Rutherfords and Sir William Wallace
Sir Nichol de Rothirforde I was married to Euphemia de Lisle the daughter of William de Lisle. Through this first marriage Sir Nichol came into possession of large tracts of land in England and Scotland. Upon his death it is thought that his son Peter took the English lands and sided with Balliol and his son Nichol II took the Scottish lands and sided with Sir William Wallace and Robert the Bruce in the Scottish War of Independence. It is thought there may have been a second wife and mother for Nichol II. Nichol's son Peter de Rothirforde [de Rotherfeld or Routherfelde] inherited land in the English West Riding including the manor of Hickleton. He was closely associated with the Balliols, and there may suggest some connection to the Rutherford coat of arms: "Argent, an orle gules, and in chief three martlets sable, beaked of the second." Sir Nichol de Rothirforde II was married after 1274 to Marjorie de Lamington in Roxburgh. Marjorie de Lamington was of the house of Lamington which was connected by marriage to Sir William Wallace having married a near relative of Marion Braidfute, Wallace’s wife. Sir Nichol de Rothirforde II was a well known friend of Sir William Wallace's. "The Rutherfurds of that Ilk and their Cadets" by Thomas Cockburn-Hood published 1884, 1899 and 1903
Marion Braidfute was the 18 year old heiress of Hugh Braidfute of Lamington located near Lanark. There is not evidence that Wallace and she were ever married. Marion was murdered shortly after the birth of their daughter. The bard Blind Harry the Minstrel mentions a young maiden named Marion Braidfute of Lamington, who Wallace allegedly courted and wed. Oral tradition has it that Wallace killed the Sheriff in revenge for the murder of Marion Braidfute. The son of Sir William Balliol was said to be Sir William Baillie of Hoprig who, according to many historians, was the first Baillie whose name appears in known records. He was knighted in 1357 and received a royal charter to the Barony of Lamington. Legend has it that the wife of Sir William Balliol was the illegitimate daughter of Sir William Wallace and Marion Braidfute of Lamington.
Robert "the Bruce" and James "the Good" Douglas
After Edward I had over-run Scotland, Sir Nichol de Rothirforde and his brother Aymer de Rothirforde del Counte de Roxburgh, signed the “Ragman Roll,” swearing fealty to the King of England at Berwick on Tweed on August 28th, 1296. A promise thus extorted by force was not considered binding and Sir Nichol de Rothirforde was one of the first Scottish barons who joined Sir William Wallace in fighting for the independence of Scotland.
It is believed that Sir Nichol was also connected with Wallace through the Hallidays. Thomas Halliday was a nephew of Wallace, and a friend of Rothirforde. Previous to the Battle of Biggar, as narrated by Blind Harry the Minstrel, Halliday brought his uncle a welcome contingent of three hundred "wee armed warriors" from Annandale, led by “twa gud sonnis, Wallas and Rudyrfurd.” Among the chiefs who remained faithful to Wallace was "gud Rudyrfurd, chyftaynlik” with a lordly air, who with sixty followers held his ground against the English in Ettrick Forest.
Sir Nichol de Rothirforde held considerable land located in several different counties. His estate at Doddington Mill in Northumberland were seized by the English King in 1296 as Sir Nichol was declared a rebel, for his support of the Scottish cause. "The Rutherfurds of that Ilk and their Cadets" by Thomas Cockburn-Hood published 1884, 1899 and 1903
William Wallace in the south and Sir Andrew de Moray in the north started a resistance campaign and a few months later triumphed over a vastly superior force led by Edward's viceroy at Stirling Bridge. After this victory, Wallace and a severely wounded Moray were appointed Guardians of Scotland and promptly invaded England over the winter of 1297/8 causing widespread havoc. At some point around this time, Wallace was knighted. Wallace in his turn was defeated by Edward the following year at Falkirk, but remained at large until 1305, when he was captured and executed as a traitor in London. Six months after Wallace's execution there was a rebellion in Scotland again.
With the capture and execution of Wallace in 1305, Robert the Bruce became one of the "regents" for Scotland along with the other claimants to the Scottish throne which included "Red" John Comyn. Robert the Bruce murdered Comyn in February 1306 in Greyfriers Church in Dumfries which had two outcomes 1] the Pope excommunicated him for sacrilege and 2] he had to fight for the throne against the Balliol factions of which Comyn had been the leader.
At one point legend tells, Robert the Bruce lay on a bed of straw, heartsick with discouragement. All seemed lost for Scotland and for his future. Idly he watched a spider hanging from its web and trying to swing itself from one beam to another of the wretched cottage roof. Six times the spider tried and failed. "If it tries again and is successful," said the fugitive to himself, "I too will make another attempt." On its seventh attempt the spider was successful. Taking heart from the spider's success, he now won back one stronghold after another. At last, on June 24, 1314, the English and Scottish forces met in the great battle of Bannockburn, which was to decide the fate of Scotland.
Robert was crowned King of Scots in March or April 1306 but lost two battles that same year - one against Edward I at Perth and the second at Dalry against the lord of Argyll, a kinsman of Balliol/Comyn. Robert then had to go on the run and his family was hunted down and killed, including his sisters. This was the time of the spider and "try, try and try again". Robert was accepted by the Pope as King of Scots in 1328 and his excommunication was lifted. Bruce proved to be a wise king and during his reign, from 1306 to 1329, was called "good king Robert."
In his later years he longed to go to the Holy Land to fight against the Muslims, who were again in possession of the Sepulcher of Christ. He was the more anxious to do this because he was troubled at the thought that when he was a young man he had slain his rival John Comyn before the very altar of God. When he knew that he must die without fulfilling his desire, he asked Lord James Douglas to be responsible for taking his heart to the Holy Land. Robert the Bruce died in 1329 and was succeeded by his son David II then aged 4 yrs.
When the Bruce died, Douglas put the king's heart in a silver casket and started with it for the Holy Land. In Spain he found the Christians hard pressed by the Muslims and went to their aid. In the heat of the battle of Granada he threw Bruce's heart into the midst of the infidel host, crying: "Go thou before as thou wert wont to do, and Douglas will follow!" The brave Douglas perished in the battle, but one of his knights recovered Bruce's heart. He carried it back to Scotland, where it was buried in Melrose Abbey. Each January 2nd the people of Granada remember with a fiesta the sacrifices made by those who died at the battle of Granada. Sir Robert de Rutherford was a friend of Robert the Bruce and of the "Good Sir James Douglas", and fell with Sir James in Spain, guarding the Bruce’s heart. Our Glendonwyn ancestors also accompanied James Douglas to Spain. Robert the Bruce and James Douglas are both maternal Rutherford ancestors.
The reign of Robert the Bruce was a high point in Scottish history. It saw Scotland united in purpose as never before. However, in the Middle Ages each king had to make his own destiny, and the accession of Bruce's five-year-old son David II was a signal for further chaos; just four years later Berwick fell to the English and the war was on again. Sir Robert de Ruthirfurde, patriot and friend of Robert Bruce, fought valiantly against the English during the war of Scottish independence. His son, Sir Malcolm Ruthirfurde was given the keepership of Edgerston during the reign of David II for his good service and that of his father. He, along with the Douglases at Hermitage and other pele castles along the Middle March, formed Scotland's first line of defense against an English invasion.
It was not until 1329 before the English king admitted that Scotland was free. However, when the news came that the English had agreed to Scottish independence, Robert the Bruce was dead. He had achieved more in his reign than many others had. He had united a realm behind him. From now on there would be no conflict of loyalties between Scots who held land on both sides of the border. After 1318, all Scots landholders had to decide which lands they wanted and swear fealty to the relevant king. If they wanted their Scottish lands then they forfeited their English lands and vice-versa.
Rutherfords of that place and period:
Sir Richard de Ruthirfurde, designed Ricardus dominus de Rutherfoord witnessed a charter to the abbacy of Coupar in 1328, and a donation of William de Felton to the monastery of Dryburgh in 1338. His son, William de Ruthirfurde was later designed “Willielmus de Rutherfoord dominus ejufd” in his donation to the monastery of Kelso in 1354. William forfeited part of his lands as appears from a charter of King David II granting to John de Allintum all the lands which belonged to Sir Richard de Ruthirfurde in the barony of Craufurd Lyndesay, April 12, 1357.
Sir Richard Rutherfurd of that ilk was a powerful Borders figure during the reign of King Robert III with whom he was a mighty favorite. In a Confirmation of that Prince, of a Charter of William Turnbull of Minto, [Willielmo Stewart nepoti suo, Ricardus de Rutherfurd, dominus ejusd. is a Witness anno 1390.] This Sir Richard being a man of parts, was appointed one of the ambassadors extraordinary to the Court of England anno 1398, and managed his negotiations with dexterity and prudence. Soon hereafter he and his sons were made Guardians [wardens] of the Marches, anno 1400, and did their country signal service in repelling the insurrections of the Borders. "The Rutherfurds of that Ilk and their Cadets" by Thomas Cockburn-Hood published 1884, 1899 and 1903
"Sir Richard Rutherfurd of that ilk and his wife Jean Douglas had a son, James Rutherfurd I of that ilk, born about 1395. James Rutherfurd I died in battle before 15th July 1455. He married Christian Lauder daughter of Sir John Lauder of the Bass family and Katherine Landells of Swynset [Swinsyde]. They had James Rutherfurd II of that ilk, and of Edgerston, born about 1420 and died in 1498. He married Margaret Erskine. All of the above mentioned properties are in Roxburghshire." Gregory Lauder-Frost – Scottish genealogist - FSA Scot
Sir Richard de Ruthirfurde of that ilk, in possession of all the estates and dignities of the family, was a person of great interest and activity on the Borders around 1390, and was a mighty favorite of King Robert III of Scotland. He was appointed one of the ambassadors extraordinary to the Court of England in 1398, and managed negotiations with dexterity and prudence. “A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 2”, 1882, P. 1694
Sir Richard, as one of the principal persons on the Borders, was bound as Warden of the Marches, and with his five sons performed signal service for Scotland in repelling the insurrections on the Borders through 1400. He and his sons were eventually taken prisoners, along with Sir John Turnbull, called “out with the sword,” and were deemed men of such mark that Henry IV, King of England, issued an order October 30, 1400 to the Earl of Northumberland to keep in safe custody Richard de Ruthirfurde, knight, and his five sons, lately taken in war. They were not to be ransomed or set free under pain of highest forfeiture. Douglas' Peerage of Scotland, Vol.. 2, 1813, p. 461
Richard of Rutherfurde witnessed a charter by Cyril Saddler in 1330, a deed of gift by Thomas Vigurus, burgess of Roxburgh, to Sir William of Fultoun, and another by the latter to the monastery of Dryburgh, circa 1338. “The Scots Peerage Founded on Wood’s edition of Sir Robert Douglas’s Peerage of Scotland” edited by Sir James Balfour Paul, Vol. VII, Edinburgh, 1910, p366.
By tradition, Sir Richard de Ruthirfurde was the progenitor or direct male ancestor of the Rutherfurds of Edgerston and the cadets at Hunthill, Hundalee, Fairnington, Fairnilee, Chatto, Nisbet-Crailing, Castlewood, Townhead and Longnewton.
Roxburgh Castle and neighboring Rutherford
Roxburgh Castle stood at the very center of Scottish political life for several centuries. Two historical events best highlight this volatile period. They also better explain the movement of the Rutherford family from the Roxburgh Castle area to further south near Jedburgh Castle. First would be the fascinating story of how Roxburgh Castle was won back by the Scots from the English in 1313. The English occupation was brought to a swift end by a daring and famous assault by Sir James "The Good" Douglas. Sir James Douglas, better known as the Black Douglas or the Good, took back the castle by scaling the walls on its south side. Sir James had developed a special portable scaling ladder and with his men disguised beneath cowhides, and under cover of nightfall, he ordered everyone down on all fours as they approached the castle. The English never suspected as the Scots rushed under the walls, threw up the ladders and ascended to surprise the garrison.
The castle then changed hands many times but spent more than 100 years under English control until being retaken by the Scots in 1460. King James II, known from a birthmark as "James of the Fiery Face" died as a cannon exploded during the siege of Roxburgh Castle. Fascinated by artillery, his fascination got him killed when he was standing too close to a bombard which exploded. "A soldier's king, James was impulsive and masterful, with the charm and versatility of the Stewarts." George Douglas was also injured during the siege of Roxburgh Castle by the same exploding cannon that killed the king, James II. At Kelso abbey it was George Douglas who placed the crown on the young James III's head. After taking the castle, the Scots reduced it to rubble to ensure that it would never again became a place of strife between the two nations.
Whoever visits this pleasant and somewhat overgrown rural spot today may find it difficult to imagine that for 400 years Roxburgh Castle was the strongest fortification in the strategic border country, or that it was during several reigns a royal residence and one of the four chief seats of the Scottish government. For centuries every event of consequence involving relations between Scotland and England, or England and France, or at times England and Spain, was reflected in the events at Roxburgh Castle. Roxburgh Castle was totally destroyed in 1550 and now only a few fragments of masonry are left. These lie mostly on the south side of the site by the River Teviot. Roxburgh was a large castle and it is surprising that so little of it has survived, even taking into account the energy of the stone-robbers from across the Tweed at Kelso.
Nowadays, Roxburghshire is divided into 31 parochial districts and became part of the new Borders region in 1975, which in turn became the Scottish Borders council in 1996. Rutherford is situated in the parish of Maxton whose town center is directly west of Rutherford on the Tweed. Maxton, like Rutherford and Roxburgh Castle, lies on the south bank of the river Tweed.
Rutherford of that ilk – The hamlet of Rutherford on the Tweed
The town name of Rutherford or Ruderforde first appears in a charter of William the Lion shortly after 1165. A settlement at this location is no doubt of great antiquity. The nearby moor of Rutherford has the vestiges of a Roman encampment, with a Roman causeway. Quite near the ford itself is a circular fort [perhaps pre-Roman] called Ringley Hall. In its glory days, Rutherford had a hospital dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene. Hospitals in those days were as much an inn as a hospital. Therefore, the mission of Saint Mary Magdalene's Hospital was to take in travelers and care for the poor and sick of the area. In those days, there was no church at Rutherford, only a chapel within the hospital. The chapel churchyard also had a cemetery. In 1296 the master of the hospital swore fealty to Edward I "Longshanks" of England. These were the days of Sir William Wallace's fight for Scottish independence from the English. This "fealty" was achieved at the point of a sword. Later when Scotland had won its freedom, King Robert the Bruce granted the newly created hospital to the protection of the Abbey of Jedburgh. In about 1770 the cemetery was ploughed under. The gravestones were broken up and thrown into field drains by a farmer. In 1296 there was no parish attached to Rutherford, even so, Rutherford was to become a parish of its own at a later time.
"The present parish of Maxton comprises the ancient parishes of Maccuston/Mackiston and Rutherford." After its destruction by the English, Rutherford was absorbed into Maxton parish, a small town to the west. “The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, edited by John Marius Wilson published in 1868” - volume II, page 401
During the reigns of Saint/Queen Margaret and Saint/King David [mother and son] abbeys were created at Kelso, Melrose, Dryburgh and Jedburgh. These were strategically placed defenses against English invasions. This defensive line across the Cheviot Hills also included the smaller parishes, such as, Rutherford, Makerstoun and Maxton and at the center of the line were the castles at Roxburgh and to the south at Jedburgh. The Cheviot Hills is a region of heather covered moorlands and smoothly rounded hills divided by deep glens. The Tweed River itself has always been a barrier against the English. Hadrian's Wall to the south had been the traditional border between Scotland and England, but the English pushed it back to the Rutherford's front door on the Tweed. Rutherford's position as a key fording area on the Tweed made it very important militarily. If Jedburgh Castle fell, the next line of defense was Rutherford.
Jedburgh, second only to Roxburgh castle, was the political, religious and military center of "the lands of Rutherford". Jedburgh was made a royal burgh in the reign of Saint/King David I and received a charter from Robert the Bruce. Central to the town of Jedburgh are the old red sandstone ruins of the Augustinian Abbey of Saint Mary, standing on the high left bank of the Jed River. Lands, churches, houses, and valuable fisheries, on both sides of the border, were bestowed on the abbey by David I, Malcolm IV, William the Lion, and other royal and noble benefactors. Alexander III chose to be married in the abbey church to Yolande de Dreux in 1285. The town also has been called Jedward, Jedworth, Jethart and Jeddart. Scotland's style of hanging them first and trying them afterwards is known as "Jeddart Justice," a term which originated when Sir George Hume summarily strung up a gang of reivers during the reign of James VI.
For several centuries there was always some sort of fighting in the Cheviot Hills. As a result, fortified farmsteads known as pele castles sprang up throughout the area. Near to Rutherford are the famous castles/peles of Roxburgh Castle, Smailholm Tower, Ferniehirst Castle, Cessford Castle and Littledean Castle. There were also significant Rutherford towers at Hundalee, Hunthill, Edgerston and at Rutherford itself.
Foreign politics also created friction on the Scottish border. England and France were constantly at war and Scotland was France's ally. In this way, Scotland was forever caught in the middle. For centuries the English and Scots took turns invading each other. To complicate things even more, the French were Catholic and the English were Protestant with the Scots historically torn between the two. Many Rutherfords were among the Scottish soldiers who went to France to fight the English. As a result, the lands of Rutherford and the surrounding areas became a lightening rod for English cruelty.
By 1297, English troops led by Sir Richard Hastings had so plundered and wrecked the abbey at Jedburgh that in 1300 it was declared uninhabitable and the canons fled to Thornton-on-Humber. They hadn't even started rebuilding the abbey when it was ravaged again in 1410, 1416 and in 1464. Reconstruction began in 1478 and the tower was partly rebuilt by 1508. But then, English troops led by the Earl of Surrey torched the place in 1523, another English force led by Lord Evers burned it down again in 1544 and the Earl of Hertford led more English troops to destroy the abbey for a third time not too long afterwards.
The Rough Wooing
In a later period, the English warden Sir Ralph Eure, invaded Scotland southwest of Rutherford eventually losing a great battle at Ancrum Moor. The battle of Ancrum Moor was fought between the parishes of Maxton and Ancrum in 1543 at Lilliard's Edge. This place is named for a young woman of the name of Lilliard who fought with great bravery along with the Scots, and who lies buried in the field of battle. In this effort, the English commander, Sir Eure thought he had gained the cooperation of the Rutherford clan. The Rutherfords had agreed to fight with the English on the English side of the border in order to redress compliants against the Carrs/Kerrs. In fact on September 30, 1543 the Earl of Suffolk thought it unwise to mount a winter campaign north of the border with 10,000 English troops because of the threat of the Rutherfords at Hunthill, Hundalee and Edgerston. However, Sir Eure proceeded anyway making the fatal mistake of burning out dozens of border towns and then attempting to enter Rutherford country near Jedburgh. Jedburgh itself was burned to the ground and Adam, George, and Gawen Rutherford were taken prisoner.
From the times of Lord Thomas Rutherford of Edgerston, third son and eventual heir of Lord James Rutherford who lived from about 1460 to 1517, the Rutherfords had been allies and members of the clan Hume. Lord Thomas Rutherford even served as the bailie for Sir Patrick Home/Hume. Lord Thomas' son and heir was Lord Robert Rutherford of Edgerston who lived from about 1490 to sometime before October of 1544. Lord Robert was the leader of the dominant Rutherford line at the time of the Hertford invasion. He's honored among the Rutherfords for defending Edgerston from Walter Kerr of Cessford. For his efforts, he was declared an outlaw.
The English were pressing their campaign into Scotland in 1544 when the Rutherfords then joined their former rivals, the Kerrs, and defeated the English at Ancrum Moor. Ancrum Moor is a stone's throw from both Rutherford and Jedburgh. The battle was fought in February and Sir Ralph Eure, the English warden was killed. John Rutherfurd of Edgerston also died at this battle. Now the English thought they had been betrayed by the Rutherfords, but to the contrary, the Rutherfords had not agreed to fight for the English in Scotland. They had agreed to fight across the border in England and only against their enemy the Kerrs. This was in return for the safety of the Rutherford family. The Rutherfords had kept their end of the bargain. Lord Robert was to learn what many of our ancestors were to learn in America and throughout the empire; "never trust the English!" During the last months of his life, Lord Robert saw the ancestral village of Rutherford "spoiled" by Henry VIII's thugs in July of 1544. Two months later the town was "destroyed" on September 9th, 1544. The rest of the village was burnt, razed and cast down between September 9th and September 13th, 1544. On September 16th Hundalee was "razed and brent".
Two days later, after the burning of four noble Rutherford estates, the Rutherford Lords of Hunthill and Hundalee rode out to meet and remind the English army of its covenant with them. The English called the Rutherfords liars for obeying the Scottish governor's command to attack at Ancrum Moor. Lord Robert reminded them that they were in Scotland now and the items of their covenant with the English had been strictly kept. Hertford then agreed to spare the already burned Rutherford estates. Lord Robert had hoped to "ride both horses" and had failed. The English responded by sending another even larger force of foreign mercenaries the following year, cutting deep into Scotland sacking Edinburgh itself.
These times of the "Rough Wooing" are not forgotten on the Borders. Today every Border town celebrates this turbulent period by holding an annual Common Riding. Varying in style and content from one community to the next, they are all basically commemorations of the ancient need to ride the marches or "boundaries" of their communities for security purposes. The "riding clans" such as the Rutherfords, Scotts, and Kerrs ride out on horseback with banners flying. Toasts are drunk, ancient local customs are rehearsed, and everybody has a good time! The Common Riding was originally a military exercise to secure the town's defenses. The Common Ridings are also called "ride-outs." Ride-outs are led by "principals" whose "troops" follow on horseback around the town's outer limits. Ride-outs symbolically ensure that no rival clan has shifted the stone fences that formed local borders. Every July in Jedburgh, they have a rideout on "Festival Friday". Participants go riding to Ferniehirst Castle, the ancestral home of the Kerr family and then out to Jedburgh Castle There they present the new 'Callant' to the Kerr family and then ride back to town in great ceremonial style.
Another surviving tradition from that time is called "The Hand Ba' Game". It is celebrated on Candlemas [February 2nd] and comes from the troubles of 1549 when a few Scots played a post-battle football game with the severed heads of some Englishmen. Candlemas is a day of celebration in the town, culminating in a football game between the 'uppies' and the 'doonies'. Nowadays, a leather ball replaces the Englishman's head. In the good old days, they'd often captured an Englishman, cut his head off and kick the head around the town like a football. The boundaries of the game stretch from Castlehill, which is up on high ground, to Townfoot, down at the bottom. In this way, the town of Jedburgh is divided into the 'uppies' and the 'doonies' to form teams. English volunteers are always welcome!
Leaving Scotland
Migration accelerated during this violent period, principally for economic and religious reasons. The violence of the two Civil Wars sent many Rutherfords abroad, first to the continent to fight for religious causes and eventually to Ireland and the Commonwealth at large. Immigration to Ireland began in the early 1600s. The Ulster Plantation brought thousands of Scottish Presbyterians to Ulster. When Charles I sought to impose his preferred style of worship and doctrines upon the Church of Scotland, a protest movement arose which culminated in the signing of a National Covenant in 1638. The Solemn League and Covenant was a pledge to maintain a reformed church throughout the British Isles and was agreed to by the governments of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1643. The new settlers maintained links with their relatives and co-religionists in Scotland. In fact, when William of Orange came to Ireland in 1690 many of his troops were Scots who had been serving in the Dutch Scots-Brigade loyal to the House of Orange.
Leaving Ireland
Among the leading Scottish Covenanters of the day was Rev. Dr. Samuel Rutherford, a member of our Hunthill cadet of the Clan Rutherfurd. Rev. Samuel is our many times great uncle. He was born near Nisbet-Crailing in Roxburghshire and started his education in the family church at Jedburgh Abbey. He played a prominent role in the Westminster Assembly, which brought forth the “Westminster Confession of Faith” and its catechisms. He also wrote a book called “Lex Rex” (“The Law Is King”), whose principles greatly influenced the English philosopher John Locke. Followers of Rutherford and Locke include such notable figures in the United States as Rev. John Witherspoon, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison. The principles of Rutherford and Locke, such as having a system of checks and balances between three different branches of government, formed the foundation of American democracy. It was General George Washington, who said: "If defeated everywhere else, I will make my stand for liberty among the Scots-Irish in my native Virginia".
Beyond religion, the fundamental cause behind the Scots migration from Ireland was economic. Repressive trade laws, rack-renting landlordism, famine, and the decline of the linen industry were major factors in stimulating the overseas movement of the Scots-Irish or Ulster Scots. The loss of the United States was a great blow to the British Empire and changed the migratory paths of Rutherfords who were yet to leave Britain from 1776 onward. In the 18th and 19th centuries Canada, New Zealand and Australia became the Rutherford destinations rather than the USA. “The sun never set on the British Empire” and even far away Egypt, South Africa and India saw Rutherford military families, thus spreading the surname across the globe into the 20th and 21st centuries.
The Rutherford Emigration to America
Our Rutherford ancestors were Presbyterian Dissenters from Scotland and Ireland. They are found on the rolls of the earliest "Dissenter Presbyterian churches" in Pennsylvania and Virginia. The members of these churches at Paxtang, PA, Cub Creek, VA and Peaks of Otter, VA were uniformly of Scots-Irish descent.
Many Rutherford groups may well have made the same journey and at about the same time as their near relatives General Griffith Rutherford and Thomas Rutherford of Paxtang, Pennsylvania. In fact, Griffith lived with our James and William Rutherford in Cub Creek Virginia prior to moving to North Carolina. Griffith's name is often associated with our direct ancestors James and William Rutherford in tithe, will and land records. It’s worth noting that our Rutherfords are the only Rutherfords with whom Griffith has a documented association beyond his own wife and children.
The descendants of Thomas Rutherford of Paxtang, Pennsylvania remained in the Dauphin County area. Pennsylvania and New Jersey remained a launching ground for Scots-Irish emigration to Virginia and onward.
The Dissenters
The Presbyterian dissenters have a long and interesting history on their pilgrimage from Scotland to Ireland to Pennsylvania to Virginia. From 1608-1697, 200,000 Presbyterians left the Scottish Borders and Lowlands crossing the North Channel to Northern Ireland. Here they took up the productive farm land offered by King James VI, and soon developed a flourishing textile industry. The native Irish Catholics soon became hostile. The Ulster Scots and the English settlers joined forces in mutual self-defense. Cities soon became fortresses. In 1618, Londonderry was encircled with a twenty-four foot high, six foot thick wall of lime and stone
In 1632, Charles I commanded that the Presbyterians join the Church of England. All those who resisted were called "Dissenters." This policy met with such opposition that an army was raised to force the Scots out of Ulster. Some of these dissenters emigrated to America while others returned home to Scotland. Those who remained in Ireland faced imprisonment. The Church of Ireland (same as the Church of England/Episcopalian, except in name), began to persecute the Dissenters, as well as, the Catholics. Limits were placed on Presbyterian ministers and on what subjects they could preach. In addition, they were subject to fines, deportation and imprisonment if they were found in violation. The Presbyterian clergy could not legally perform marriages and were forced to hold secretive services at night well hidden from discovery. The "Black Oath" of 1639 required that the Protestants of Ulster older 16 swear obedience to the crown of England.
In 1641, the Catholic clergy began to wage an all out religious war against the Scots-Irish. On 23 October 1641, Catholic peasants undertook a four month campaign to wipe out Ulster homesteaders. Less than two months later the Scots sent a desperate letter to the English Parliament asking for help. They stated they were in a miserable condition, and the rebels increased in men and munitions daily. All manner of cruelties and torment were brought upon the Protestants. Eventually the Catholic uprising was quelled and bloody reprisals commenced. Some priests claimed as many as 200,000 Irish Catholics were killed. The property of every Catholic landowner became subject to confiscation. Those who were accused of plotting against the English crown were executed; other participants were banished.
More conflict arose when King Charles tried to force the Protestants to use the prayer book of the Church of England. In 1638, hostilities broke out. King Charles also enraged English Puritans, who defeated his troops in the first English Civil Wars (1642-45 and 1648-49). In 1649, King Charles was executed and the Puritan general Oliver Cromwell was named as chairman of a ruling Council of State. (He was later called "Lord High Protector"). Scotland tried to break free of English control. Cromwell marched into Scotland, defeating the enemy twice, in 1650 and in 1651.
The Restoration and the Covenanters 1660 - 1689
Following Cromwell King Charles II was restored to the throne and swore to uphold the Solemn League and Covenant and to establish a Presbyterian Government, the crown having been placed on his head by the Marquis of Argyll. Yet, little more than a year after his restoration to the throne, Charles had Argyll executed at the Cross of Edinburgh because Argyll strictly adhered to Presbyterianism.
King Charles II, known to his English subjects as "the Merry Monarch", was wont to say that Presbyterianism was no religion for a gentleman and he made great efforts to restore the episcopacy in Scotland. Charles quickly developed had a vindictive attitude both to his former enemies and to the Presbyterians in Scotland who had been his allies. In England, the Act of Uniformity of 1662, the Conventicle Act of 1664 and the Five Mile Act of 1665 were concerted efforts to persecute those Protestants who failed to accede to the 49 Articles and the Book of Common Prayer. In Scotland, the Act of Proclamation of 1662 banished from their manses and parishes all ministers who lacked an episcopal license. The result was that on 1 November 1662, over 400 ministers came out of their churches and manses. This was followed by the Act of Fines of 1663, designed to punish those revolting clergy. The enforcement of those fines was placed under military control, using the newly formed standing British Army.
The Killing Times
The collection of those fines led to the first military rising of the Covenanters, at St John's Town of Dalry in Galloway on 12 November 1666. A small party of armed Covenanters overpowered some troopers under the command of Sir James Turner who were torturing a Covenanter who would not pay his fine. The Covenanters then marched from Dumfries to Lanark, increasing to some 2,000 in number. At Rullion Green, they encountered the superior forces of the Crown under General Dalziel. Some 1,000 Covenanters who determined to go forward at all costs were disastrously defeated. Over 100 prisoners were taken, to be afterwards executed, after various degrees of torture, at appointed spots all over the country. Other prisoners were subsequently transported as indentured labor to America.
The persecution of the ousted clergy and Covenanters, and anyone providing them shelter or support, continued along with heavy fines. By 1677, landowners and masters were required to sign bonds for all persons residing on their land. Their landowners refused to accept this impossible undertaking. The Government loosed upon the south-west, and Ayrshire in particular, the Highland Host - a body of 6,000 Highlanders and 3,000 Lowland militia who lived in free quarters while they extracted the bonds and looted the country. The simmering uprising led to the assassination of Archbishop Sharp, the symbol of the episcopacy and the persecutor of many Covenanters, at Magus Moor near St Andrews on 3rd May 1679. In the 1680's Charles II also dispersed Presbyterian congregations and invalidated their marriages. Married couples were dragged before ecclesiastical courts and charged with fornication; their children were declared illegitimate. The Presbyterians lost all their property to the Church of England. Ulster Scots again began to emigrate.
The Hope of Religious Freedom in America
The period of the Restored Monarchy in Scotland was a period of marked economic and political development. Yet the continued persecution of dissidents drove men to lands abroad where thought was considered more free. A small Quaker-Scottish colony was established in East New Jersey in the 1660s and in 1684; a Presbyterian settlement in Stuart's Town in South Carolina. Rockbridge County was also settled mainly by Scots-Irish Presbyterians. These rugged frontiersmen came in droves, establishing churches soon after their arrival. In 1720, there was the first mass migration from Ireland into America. A second wave of migration began about 1760 and lasted until the outbreak of the American Revolution. Other Scots-Irish immigrants trickled into Colonial ports at various times. In the 1730's many Scots-Irish families migrated down the "Great Road" from eastern Pennsylvania into the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. By 1737, calls for ministers were being sent to Presbytery by the people of Beverly Manor.
Presbyterianism was strict in many ways, but it also stressed freedom of religious thoughts. Conceived as a religion for the common people, it promoted no iron handed and self-serving ruling establishment. The Presbyterians believed human eyes were so clouded with sin that divine revelation could only be found in the Bible. They believed it was the duty of all Christians to study the Bible and the need for literacy was stressed. Along with the establishment of churches, we also find they soon established schools in the communities where they settled.
In 1685 Charles II died, James VII, a Catholic, then became King. James VII tried to turn Great Britain into a religious state in which only Catholicism could be practiced. He was deposed in 1688, and fled to southern France. In 1689 he tried to re-capture the throne by marching an army of Catholics into Ulster. They laid siege to the fortress city of Londonderry. Protestants were shot in their homes, women were tied to stakes at low tide, so they might drown when the ocean waves came back. The army which besieged Londonderry was fought off with a desperation. The Ulstermen had no trained army officers, were without sufficient food or ammunition, and faced deadly fevers, yet the invaders were beaten off. James' bid for the throne failed and he was succeeded by William of Orange. Ulster became safe for Protestants.
James' downfall became known as the "Glorious Revolution," as it spared Presbyterians almost certain massacre. However, persecution continued. Presbyterians were not allowed to sell religious books, teach anything above primary school, and in 1704, Presbyterians were barred from holding major civil and military offices. Presbyterian minister, William Holmes, returned from America with encouraging news that the New England colonies offered refuge to Presbyterians. In 1718, Governor Samuel Shute of Massachusetts encouraged the Scots-Irish families to scrape together their savings and head for the New World. Meanwhile the Church of England, which now owned all the lands, continued to pile indignities upon the Scots-Irish. Presbyterian farmers paid excessive rents and then had to use their profits for tithes to the church of England. “Scotch-Irish Presbyterians From Ulster to Rockbridge” Angela M. Ruley 1993
...... and yet more reasons to leave
The reasons to emigrate from the Ulster region began to multiply. Crop failures in the 1720's, famine in 1741, farm rents soared in the 1770's, and the Ulster linen industry collapsed in 1772. A sermon delivered during this period stated the Ulsterman's reasons for leaving Ireland: "To avoid oppression and cruel bondage; to shun persecution and designed ruin; to withdraw from the communion of idolators; to have opportunity to worship God according to the dictates of conscience and the rules of his word."
Emigration continued at such a rate that the British government interceded. New regulations improved conditions on board ships, but increased passenger fares beyond the reach of many potential passengers. Some ships broke the restriction by secretly stowing away passengers after clearing customs, but the number of emigrants dropped by eighty percent.
By 1725, most of the ships carrying Ulster immigrants bound for America had steered from Puritan New England to the more tolerant parts of William Penn's Quaker colonies. The Delaware Shores and particularly the harbor of Philadelphia took immigrants by the thousands. Pennsylvania became the center of Scots-Irish settlements in the New World and the starting point for the massive immigrant flow to the south and west. In 1728, 5,605 of 6,208 new immigrants to Pennsylvania were Scots-Irish. Most of the ships left the Port of Londonderry, Ireland and docked at Philadelphia. “Scotch-Irish Presbyterians From Ulster to Rockbridge” Angela M. Ruley 1993
Samuel Blunston – the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania
Samuel Blunston was authorized to provide Licenses to would be land owners in the area west of the Susquehanna River. When William Penn died in 1718, his descendants were not sure they had authority to issue Land Patents or other deeds. In addition, William Penn really did not have a treaty with the Indians to do so, either. So for a long time the Land Office was closed. However, in the 1730's the Penns gave Samuel Blunston authority to issue land deeds in the form of Licenses. These were called "Blunston Licenses". They were really promissory notes to issue a proper deed whenever they were able to do so legally. The Blunston License list is available in the Pennsylvania State Land Office (Dept. of Internal affairs) in the capitol, Harrisburg, PA, Page 7 of "Blunston’s License Book" office #64) an old manuscript volume with 24 leaves, each written on both sides. At the top of page one, bearing the date 11 day of January 1733, appears this note: "A record of Licenses Granted to Sundry Persons to Settle and take up land on the West side of Susquehanna River by virtue of a commission from the Hon. Thomas Penn Esq. To Samuel Blunston of Lancaster County".
Included in the "Blunston's License Book" are these ancestors:
1 - James Rutherford - page 8 - August 24th, 200 acres on Letorts Spring - no survey
2 - John Rutherford - page 8 - August 24th, 200 acres on Letorts Spring - no survey
3 - Robert Rutherford - page 8 - August 24th, Robert Rutherford for himself and his grandson Robert Weakley on Letorts Spring joining to the West side of Samuel Chambers - no survey. Their land was on the south side of the Conodoguinet Creek next to the widow Jack. James Rankin, William Ralston, John Parker, James, John, Thomas & William Patton, James Patterson and son James also had land on the south side of this creek.At this time the Weakley family also settled near their kinsmen the Rutherfords in Cumberland County. Robert Rutherford was the patriarch of the Rutherford family and patented land for himself and his grandson Robert Weakley. Robert Weakley moved south with his uncle James Rutherford and cousin Griffith Rutherford, possibly with the migration of Rev. John Caldwell who led a group of settlers south to Lunenburg county, VA in 1739. William and James Weakley remained behind in Pennsylvania. By 1748, William Weakley had joined his kinsmen to the south and was listed among the tithables for Lunenburg county, VA, along with Robert Weakley and James Rutherford and Griffith Rutherford. Griffith was to go on to become a famous general of the American Revolution. Rutherford counties North Carolina and Tennessee were named for General Griffith Rutherford. Weakley County, Tennessee, was named for Col. Robert Weakley.
Letorts Spring Neighborhood – Carlisle, Pennsylvania
1 - Robert Miller - license #1 January 24th, 1734 - Robert Miller, 200 acres. No Survey returned. At the head of Letorts Spring [Robert Miller is not found in Lunenburg - Joseph and John Miller are]
2 - Samuel Chambers - license #2 March 30th,1734 - Samuel Chambers 200 acres. (No Survey returned. To be taken where the same may be found Vacant and return the Bounds. (No Bounds returned)
The Chambers brothers are the name sakes for Chambersburg, PA. The brothers held the farthest western land holdings issued by Samuel Blunston near Shippensburg, PA. Judge George Chambers, author of "Tribute to the Principles, Virtues, Habits and Public Usefulness of the Irish and Scotch Early Settlers of Pennsylvania" was a descendant of Benjamin Chambers as were the members of the Chambers family of Iredell County, N.C., including Henry Chambers (1708-1782), who moved from Pennsylvania to Iredell (then Rowan) County where he bought a large tract of land on Third Creek in 1754. His son, Henry Chambers (1750- 1817), who farmed the land his father had purchased, and was the father of Joseph Chambers (1791-1848).
3 - Robert Rutherford - license #77 August 24th,1734 - Robert Rutherford for himself and his grandson Robt. Wakely [Weakley]. No Survey. On Letorts Spring Joyning to the West side of Samuel Chambers. [Robert Rutherford is not found in Lunenburg]
4 - John Rutherford - license #78 August 24th, 1734 - John Rutherford, 200 acres. No survey. On the South side of Letorts Spring Bounded by the westwd by William Craig. [John Rutherford is not found in Lunenburg - unique entry]
5 - William Craig - license #79 August 24th 1734 - William Craig, 150 acres. No Survey. On the side of Letorts Spring Bounded to the Eastward by the land of John Rutherford. [William Craig is found in Lunenburg]
6 - James Rutherford - license #80 August 24th 1734 - James Rutherford, 200 acres. No Survey. At head of Letorts Spring. [James Rutherford is found in the Lunenburg tithes with his son William Rutherford, as well as, Griffith Rutherford]
7 - Francis Grimes - license #81 August 24th, 1734 - Francis Grimes, 200 acres. No survey. At the Round Meadow on the north Side of Yellow Britches Creek. [Francis Grimes is found in the Lunenburg tithes next to the Caldwells – the Rutherfords are involved with his estate]
8 - Francis Lawson - license #82 August 24th 1734 - , Francis Lawson, 200 acres. No Survey. On the Northside of Yellow Britches Creek where the Potowmac Road goes by the turn of the Creek at the Indian Cabin. (NB this Grant is not assigned to Robert Moon.) [Francis Lawson is found in the Lunenburg tithes - along with Hugh, Roger, Bartholumy, Jonas, John Sr., John Jr. and William Lawson - the Rutherfords are involved with his estate]
9 - John Hogshead - license #86 August 24th, 1734 - John Hogshead, 200 acres. No Survey. On the South side of Letorts Spring Opposite Robert Rutherford and Bounded on the East by William Edmonston to be laid on both sides the Barren Hill. [John Hogshead is not found in Lunenburg]
10 - William Weakley - license #88 August 24th, 1734 – William Weakley, 150 acres. No Survey. On the South Side of Letorts Spring and Joyning to the West side of William Craigs. [William Weakley is found in the Lunenburg tithes with James Weakley and Robert Weakley – closely connected to the Rutherfords]
11 - James Weakley - license #89 August 24th 1734 - James Wakely [Weakley], 200 acres. No Survey. Near the head of Letorts Spring on the West side Joyning on the west of James Rutherford. [James Weakley is found in the Lunenburg tithes with Robert Weakley and William Weakley Weakley – closely connected to the Rutherfords]
12 - William Davison [Davidson] - license # 91 August 24th, 1734 - William Davison, 200 acres. No Survey. Where the Same may be found Vacant (No Bounds returned)
In 1724 a John Davidson settled on Chickaslunga Creek in the Susquehanna Valley. Accompanied by William Davidson, he crossed the Susquehanna before 1734 and settled in the vicinity of Letort's Spring . "Assessment List and Other Manuscript Documents of Lancaster County Prior to 1729," comp. H. Frank Eshleman, Papers and Addresses of the Lancaster County Historical Society, 65 vols. (Lancaster, Pa., 1897-1961), XX, 183
First to Pennsylvania and then on to Virginia
Upon arriving in the New World, most of the immigrants from Ulster faced economic hardship and intolerance in the colonies established by earlier settlers, many proceeded on to the desolate wilderness frontiers. Many of these immigrants pushed to the frontiers. Many stopped a while in Lancaster and the Cumberland region of Pennsylvania. In 1730, their flow of migration was deflected temporarily by the foothills of the Alleghany Mountains, and their migration took a southwesterly course into western Maryland, the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and the back country of the Carolinas. Upon arriving on the frontier, the Ulstermen erected crude dwellings with dirt floors as temporary shelters to house their families while they cleared the land and planted the crops. Once the lands were cleared and the crops were in the ground, they undertook the erection of more permanent homes. Roads were soon laid out, mills erected, meadows irrigated, and the settlement began to grow. There was little social intercourse, except within the churchyard.
During the administration of Governor William Gooch (1727-1749), a rapidly growing number of Presbyterian dissenters under the leadership of the Reverend Samuel Davies successfully petitioned the colonial government to license Presbyterian meetinghouses and ministers in several Virginia counties. By the 1760s, Presbyterian influence in Virginia had grown to an impressive degree of religious toleration, so much so that a Presbyterian meetinghouse was established in Williamsburg in 1765. “Scotch-Irish Presbyterians From Ulster to Rockbridge” Angela M. Ruley 1993
The Caldwell Settlement at Cub Creek, Virginia
John Caldwell was the leader of a group of Presbyterians that entered Brunswick County, Virginia in 1739, establishing the Cub Creek Presbyterian Church. Names found in Lunenburg County records in 1746 include John Hardin, John Beard, John Mills, David Logan, Andrew Frazier, James Rutherford, Robert Humphries and John Davis. The Cub Creek Presbyterian Meeting House is the site of a few rough gravestones and the foundations of the second church, built about 1800. This church burned in 1937 and was built on the site of the little log church built here in about 1742. Cub Creek was one of the six churches of the first Presbytery of Virginia. A tall poplar is traditionally the shelter for the first crude pulpit around which the congregation gathered while outposts, armed with rifles, watched for lurking Indians. Founders of Cub Creek Church were Scots-Irish.
History of Cub Creek Presbyterian Church, Charlotte County, Virginia began with the it's first log structure known as the Caldwell Meeting House. The meeting house was probably erected shortly after John Caldwell led a group of Scots-Irish to "the back parts of Virginia" and established the Caldwell Community on Cub Creek around 1738. Edward Weakley was the son of James Weakley (b. 1704) and Jane Wilson. This branch of the family was closely related to the Rutherfords, including James, Robert, John, and Griffith Rutherford. James Weakley was the brother of William and Robert Weakley who migrated south to the Cub Creek area of VA with the Caldwells. They all settled in what would eventually be Cumberland county sometime between 1727 and 1734.
In late 1727, John Caldwell, his wife and five children, landed at Newcastle in the Colony of Delaware, a part of "a considerable exodus of Scots Presbyterians from Ulster County, Ireland. Looking for religious freedom and for exemption of taxation for the support of the Established Church." Finding the choicest locations in Pennsylvania already occupied they moved on to Virginia and when the Act of Toleration was passed in 1738 they were in Albemarle County, Virginia, having removed there about 1733. On May 26, 1738, John Caldwell appeared before the Philadelphia Synod of the Presbyterian Church, asking the Synod to officially ask the government to ensure frontiersmen the right to worship as they pleased as there were a large group of Presbyterians planning to settle in the back parts of Virginia.
On May 30th, such a letter "To the Honorable William Gooch, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Virginia" was approved by the Synod, and James Anderson carried the letter to Williamsburg and received a favorable reply from Governor Gooch. There is evidence to suggest the occupation of the land was under way when Governor Gooch's reply was communicated to the Synod at their session in 1739. The Caldwell Settlement occupied an area of about 5 or 6 square miles on Cub, Wallace and Turnip Creeks and was bounded on the south by the Staunton River.
There appears to have been at least three buildings. The original meeting house was used until it was replaced in 1820. The second building, if indeed there were three, may have been built at, or near, the original site and used until the last building was erected at an unknown date. At a meeting of the Presbytery at Cub Creek Church, October 13, 1774, the seed was planted for two schools of higher learning to be established in Virginia. "Thus was founded at Cub Creek Church, ‘Liberty Hall Academy', afterwards ‘Washington College' and still later ‘Washington and Lee University'." The other was to be a seminary in Southside Virginia, ‘Hampden-Sydney College'. “Cub Creek Church and Congregation, 1738-1838” by Elizabeth Venable Gaines, Presbyterian Committee of Publication, Richmond, Virginia 1931
Burke County, North Carolina
Our Rutherfords migrated to North Carolina in the period following the Revolutionary War to Burke, Lincoln and Rutherford counties. Our William Rutherford Jr first appears in the NC record in 1785, four years after the Revolution. Rutherford county North Carolina and Tennessee are named for our cousin and Revolutionary War hero General Griffith Rutherford. Another cousin, John Rutherford, was co-founder of Rutherford College, NC.
In North Carolina the Rutherfords were part of a social movement which was later named "The Quaker Migration" even though few Rutherfords were actually Quakers themselves. The Quaker migration was a massive protest against slavery. Some 50,000 North Carolinians left the state and moved to Indiana, Ohio and Illinois to protest slavery during the thirty years prior to the Civil War. Our Rutherford family was among them.
Struggles to oppose slavery on legal grounds in North Carolina led to court battles and finally to the migration North as laws on behalf of slave owners became more and more restrictive both in North Carolina and nationally. The Rutherford "slaves" that are indicated in the various pre-Civil War censuses were indeed black Rutherfords. Many of the Rutherfords in our Burke County line were either of Cherokee descent or had married into Cherokee families, such as, the Hyatts and the well known Birchfields of Cades Cove, Tennessee. Under the laws of the day a single drop of black blood made you black. It was purely a racial definition, but to this day it still defines an entire ethnic group. The Cades Cove Cherokee are directly related to our Burke County Rutherfords and are descendants of Oowahooskee, chief of the Northern Band Cherokee.
As the frustration with more and more restrictive and harsher laws over slaves and slave owning were passed, members of this movement began to illegally assist escaping slaves to flee the state. These Rutherfords and others became more and more involved in aiding escaping slaves. They traveled through Virginia, Kentucky and crossed the Ohio River near Louisville, KY into southern Indiana. Rutherfords began to move to Indiana where they could keep control of the long routes that slaves were being escorted over to reach free states. Despite all of these good efforts, those members of the Rutherford family who could not pass as white, although freemen, often were not allowed to go to Indiana. Local whites who supported slavery were aware of why the Rutherfords and others were leaving. As a result, selling the land became impossible - there was a boycott against those who wanted to leave. Yet another strategy was to develop. Instead of selling their land, many simply traded their land for slaves, who in turn, accompanied them north to freedom. These "slaves" were the nucleus of the Indiana and Ohio underground railroads. Black communities still exist in southern Indiana that were founded by freed blacks from the Quaker Migration.
Washington County, Indiana
David Rutherford, along with his sons William Rutherford and Hezekiah Hyatt Rutherford, first appear in the Indiana records in the 1820 census for Posey Township, Washington County, Indiana very close to Livonia and Paoli – Washington and Orange counties. William Rutherford was executor of his father's estate, David P. Rutherford, in 1828. William’s near neighbor was Daniel Sherwood who was the step-father of Miranda Emaline Hagan future wife of William McKinney Rutherford of Marion County, Iowa. In the early 1840s Miranda Hagan and William Rutherford migrated to Marion County, Iowa where they married in 1848.
Nearby Livonia, Indiana was laid out by David and James McKinney, near kin to the Rutherfords and also Rutherford descendants themselves. William McKinney Rutherford was the son of Ann McKinney.
Nearby Paoli is located in southern Indiana on the edge of the Hoosier National Forest in Orange County, Indiana. It was founded by Quakers who had left North Carolina bringing with them slaves who had been freed. These free men and women settled on 200 acres of wooded land, which was deeded to them. The settlement was called Paddy's Garden, and it became part of the "underground railroad." A church and a cemetery were built, but only the cemetery remains today. The Rutherfords had lived at Paddy’s Creek in North Carolina. The Rutherfords held church associations with the Presbyterians, Quakers, Methodists and Baptists in Indiana. These groups in southern Indiana having one common thread, they were all anti-slavery.
Marion County, Iowa
Daniel Sherwood, Miranda Emaline Hagan’s stepfather, came to Marion County, Iowa in 1842 after marrying Miranda’s mother Julia Phelps Hagan. Julia had been widowed when her husband, Francis Hagan, died of cholera. William McKinney Rutherford also migrated to Marion County, Iowa where he married Miranda in 1848. Miranda was 18 and William was 24 years old. Being next door neighbors in Indiana, they certainly knew each other. However, Miranda was only 12 and William was 18 at the time she came west with the Sherwoods. The Sherwoods had been neighbors of the Rutherfords in the area of Posey Township, Washington Co., IN. William McKinney Rutherford’s father [also William] owned land in section 11 and 13 next to Daniel and Hugh Sherwood in Washington Co, IN in the 1830s and continued to buy acreage after William McKinney Rutherford and the Sherwoods left for Iowa. (Washington County Early Land Records – pages 18-19) (Obit - Miranda Emaline Hagan Rutherford - wife of William McKinney Rutherford - Knoxville Journal, Knoxville, Iowa - July 26th, 1907) (Marion County Probate Records - William McKinney Rutherford - filed March 22nd, 1880 - Box 506, case B and 732 - Box 634 case 1839 and 2060)
In 1848 William McKinney Rutherford and Miranda Hagan were married 3 weeks before Miranda's 18th birthday in Marion County, Iowa. They were some of the earliest settlers in that area of Iowa. The county had only been formed three years earlier in 1845. From the 1860 US Census we know that William and Miranda Rutherford had five of their eventual ten children by 1860: Julia A., William Francis, John, E. Rutherford [female] and Lizza Rutherford
children:
1 - Julia Ann Rutherford
12/1849 Marion Co., Iowa
husband Henry Bickford of Dallas, Iowa2 - William Francis Rutherford
b. 5/4/1851 Attica, Marion Co., Iowa
d.12/14/1926 Mt. Pleasant, Iowa
burial: Highland Park Cemetery Kirksville, MO
m. Olive Jane Dunn
b. 9/21/1850 Highland County, Ohio
d. 9/16/1907 Kirksville, MO
burial: Highland Park Cemetery Kirksville, MO3 - John T. Rutherford
b. abt 1853 resident of Hannibal, MO4 - E. Rutherford [female]
b. 1856 – died young5 - Lizza Rutherford
b. abt 1858
husband Dr. C.F. Elrod of Chariton, Iowa6 - Aretta Rutherford
husband J.M. Rowland resident of Knoxville, Iowa7 - P.H. Rutherford
resident of Hannibal, MO
"December 14, 1903: H. B. Kreighbaum has resigned his position with P. H. Rutherford in Hannibal, MO"8 - Addie Rutherford - Adeline Amanda Bates
m. [1] John Bates of Marion County, Iowa and Hutchinson, Kansas
b. Feb. 21, 1861, in Marion Co. Iowa
d. 19381938 obituary in the Hutchinson, Kansas newspaper:
Mrs. Addie Amanda Bates, 76, died yesterday morning at the home of her brother, E. T. Rutherford, 225 West Second,. (Hutchinson, Kansas). Mrs. Bates a resident of Hutchinson and vicinity for half a century, had been ill with paralysis for several months. The funeral will be at 10:30 Wednesday morning at the Crocker Funeral parlors (no one knows of this funeral home in Hutchinson) The Rev. Gordon B. Thompson will be in charge. Interment will be in Memorial Park cemetery. Members of the Rebekah Lodge will be in charge of services at the grave. Mrs. Bates was born Feb. 21, 1861, in Marion Co. Iowa. She was educated in Iowa schools and taught school in Iowa before coming to Kansas. An early settler of Kent community in Valley township. She drew the plan for the Valley school and church building. She was a member of the First Methodist church and a past noble grand of Myrtle Rebekah lodge.She is survived by three brothers. E. T. Rutherford, Hutchinson, P. H. Rutherford, Hannibal, Mo. and D. S. Rutherford, Columbia, Ia. (A brother and wife are buried right next to Addie).
1900 Census Hutchinson, Reno, KSSeries: T623 Roll: 496 Page: 49
Bates John W head Jan 1860 40 m 8 IA IN IA
Adeline A wife Feb 1861 39 m 8 0/0 IA IN IN
Lorin? L son Mar 1884 16 KS
Harry C son Mar 1886 14 KS
Maggie E dau Dec 1887 12 KS1910 Census Hutchinson, Reno, KSSeries: T624 Roll: 453 Page: 91
Bates John head 49 m2 18 IA IN IN
Addie wife 45 m1 18 IA IA IA
Marguerite dau 22 KS IA IA1920 Census Hutchinson, Reno KSSeries: T625 Roll: 546 Page: 8
Bates Addie head 58 Div IA IN IN9 - Ernest T. Rutherford b. 1870 Marion County, Iowa
d. 1945 Hutchinson, Kansas
buried: Memorial Park cemetery - Hutchinson, Kansas
resident of Knoxville, Iowa and Hutchinson, KS
m1. Minnie R. Robuck May 15th, 1891 Marion County, Iowa
m2. Rosalia ‘Rose’ Ermine Rutherford
b. 1864
d. 1952 Hutchinson, Kansas
buried: Memorial Park cemetery - Hutchinson, Kansas10 - D.S. Rutherford
resident of Columbia, IowaAttica, Iowa
Attica’s 1980 population was 90 people. It is located on SH 5, 11 miles southeast of Knoxville, the tiny town's claim to fame is one of the few drivable covered bridges left in the state. The bridge is located four miles southwest of town, and is still in its original position. The town of Attica is a typical, tiny, tree-shaded rural town.
“Citizens of Attica, Iowa, aren't allowed to throw onions at other people under any circumstances.”…….. Iowa Blue Law
Indiana Chapel Cemetery records – Attica, Iowa
Highway 14 for 8.8 miles and east on G76 for 6.3 miles.William and Miranda Rutherford are buried at Indiana Chapel Cemetery, Attica, Iowa, as are the May and Sherwood families.
Kirksville, Missouri
William Francis Rutherford and his wife Olive Jane Dunn Rutherford moved the family to Kirksville, Missouri where their oldest daughter Ora Z. Rutherford attended school at Kirkville Normal School. Aunt Ora graduated in 1910 as a certified school teacher and continued her studies at the University of Chicago where she graduated in History in 1911.
In Kirksville, the family didn’t live far from the Normal School and not far down the road from Highland Park Cemetery where William Francis Rutherford and his wife Olive Jane Dunn Rutherford are buried. William Francis Rutherford worked as a teacher, a merchant and a farmer. His wife, great grandma Olive Jane Dunn Rutherford, died in 1907. Great Grandpa William Francis Rutherford lived his last 19 years as a widower and died in 1926 at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. He was brought home to Kirksville and was buried next to his beloved wife.
children:
1 - Ora Zelpha Rutherford
b. 4/17/1877 Gosport Iowa, Marion Co.
d. 12/17/1950 Kennewick,WA
m. [1] Earl Phylander Story
b. 7/16/1882 Wichita, Kansas
d. 5/5/1949 Kennewick, WA2 - Corda May Rutherford [twin]
b. 9/16/1879 Gosport Iowa, Marion Co.
d. 3/1952 Hunnewell, MO
husband Benona Hatton Jr. m. 19193 - Bertha Lucy Rutherford [twin]
b. 9/16/1879 Gosport Iowa, Marion Co.
d. 8/16/1962 Centerville, Iowa - Appanoose
husband Carl B. Kirby married 1/24/1906
b. 5/22/1882 Ringold Co., Iowa
d. Melcher Iowa, Marion Co.4 - Loa Rutherford
b. 1881 Marion Co., Iowa
d. 1888 Albia, Iowa5 - Edward Walter Rutherford
b. 9/24/1882 Marion Co., Iowa
d. 12/22/1953 Melcher, Iowa
m. [1] Artie L. Elliott Dec. 13, 1905
b. 9/20/1881 Marion co., Iowa
d. 3/6/19766 - Olive Anna Rutherford
b. 1883 Marion Co., Iowa
d. 1884 Marion Co., Iowa7 - Elizabeth "Beth" Grace Rutherford
b. 3/10/1884 Gosport, Marion Co., Iowa
d. 5/19/1976 San Diego, CA
m. [1] James Herbert McKinney 7/7/1915 Adair Co., MO
b. 5/9/1882 Brookfield, MO
d. 8/9/1953 San Diego, CA8 - Frank D. Rutherford
b. 12/13/1886 Bellaire, Smith Co., Kansas
d. 6/6/1969 Hastings, Adams Co., Nebraska
m. [1] Vinal Mae Phifer 11/24/1915 Cora Church Parsonage - Cora, Kansas
b. 8/24/1897 Cora, Smith Co., Kansas
d. 10/13/1998 Hastings, NE9 - Albert Loyd Rutherford
b. 10/2/1890 - Attica, IA [Marion Co., Knoxville, IA ]
d. 12/17/1955 - Walla Walla, WA
Goshen County, Wyoming
Following her graduation form the University of Chicago, Aunt Ora was diagnosed with uterine cancer and suffered a radical hysterectomy. Aunt Ora thought her life was pretty much over, so she packed up her books and belongings and headed west for the state of Wyoming. Wyoming, at the time, was one of the few places on earth where women could vote and was a favorite location for forward thinking women of her time.
The story goes that she arrived at Torrington, Wyoming with little money and not knowing a single soul. As she stood on the station platform, a handsome cowboy came to her rescued and helped her with her bags to a local boarding house. The cowboy, Earl P. Story, and Aunt Ora were later married. They had filed for joint homesteads in Goshen County and built a sod house to live in. Aunt Ora was the local ‘school marm’. Among her papers in my possession is her Teacher’s Certification for the State of Wyoming. Her diplomas and certificates have hung on my wall since I was a child.
Uncle Earl, on the other hand, was a cowboy and from what I’ve heard, couldn’t read or write. He had come west from Wichita, Kansas to raise horses for the army at nearby Fort D.A. Russell. The problem during the WWI era was clear, the army was mechanizing and had little use for the horse anymore. Despite the eventual failure of the homestead, my mother Betty Jeanné Rutherford, having been raised by Aunt Ora and Uncle Earl was a lifelong bookworm and horse woman.
Kennewick, Washington
During the depression years my mother also lived with Great Aunt Beth in San Diego, as well as, with Uncle Earl and Aunt Ora in Goshen County, Wyoming. Times were tough during the depression for my grandfather, Albert L. Rutherford, so it was decided that Mom would come live with Uncle Earl and Aunt Ora. Eventually, the three left for Washington State on the southern bank of the Columbia River at Kennewick. Uncle Earl and Aunt Ora bought a small farm where they raised garden crops, potatoes and horses. Mom’s older sister Ora Jr. came to live with the family prior to 1937 when she died at the age of 14. Mom attended Fruitland Elementary School [her 1st grade teacher was my principal], Park Junior High School and Kennewick High School where she graduated valedictorian.
Grandpa Albert Rutherford came to live with us when I was very young. We were, quite simply, inseparable. My Great Uncle Frank Rutherford and Great Aunt Vinal Rutherford came to visit several times. Their visits are among the strongest memories of my childhood. Great Uncle Frank died during my 2nd year of college in 1969 and Great Aunt Vinal died at the age of 101 in 1998. Grandpa Rutherford died at the VA hospital in nearby Walla Walla when I was 7 years old. Aunt Ora, Uncle Earl, Ora Jr. and Grandpa Rutherford are buried at the foot of the tallest oak tree in Riverview Heights Cemetery - Kennewick, WA.
Betty Jeanné Rutherford
b. 2/12/1928 - Bakersfield, CA
d. 6/7/2002 San Diego, CABetty Rutherford Keating, 74 of San Diego, CA died Friday June 7th. Mrs. Keating was born in Bakersfield, CA, she was the daughter of Albert Loyd Rutherford and Bernice Ring Rutherford. During the early years of the great depression, Mrs. Keating moved to Goshen County, Wyoming to live with her aunt and uncle, Earl P. Story and Ora Rutherford Story. Her uncle had homesteaded in the territory of Wyoming from the year 1910. Mr. Story raised horses and Ora Rutherford Story was the local one-room school teacher. In the late 1930's, Mrs. Keating moved with her aunt and uncle to Kennewick, Washington where she graduated valedictorian of Kennewick High School's class of 1946.
Mrs. Keating married Arthur Raymond Wiegand on Sept 7th, 1947 in Kennewick, WA. She was divorced on June 24th, 1954 and had one child by this marriage, Gary Rutherford Wiegand.
Mrs. Keating married Herman Harold Harding on February 20th, 1955 in Kennewick, WA.. She raised Mr. Harding's children as her own and by means of a reciprocal adoption the entire family took the name of Harding. She was widowed on December 2nd, 1965 when Mr. Harding died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 41.
During this time, Mrs. Keating was the Director of Services for the American Red Cross at the Veteran's Hospital in Vancouver, WA. At a 1967 White House reception, she was honored for her work with the American Red Cross by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Betty married Harvey Keating on April 9th, 1977 in the Old Governor's Mansion in Sacramento, CA. Mr. and Mrs. Keating had just celebrated their silver anniversary this past April. Mrs. Keating was an active member of the Grossmount Hospital Auxiliary for the past 10 years.
Interment was on August 14th, 2002 at the Riverview Heights Cemetery in Kennewick, WA.
