The Drummonds of Roxburghshire

A romantic combination of mountains and flat, fertile ground, Roxburghshire is surrounded by Berwickshire to the north, England to the east and south, and on the west by Selkirkshire and Dumfries. The Gazetteer of Scotland, 1806, described Roxburghshire in the following: "The whole abounds with the most romantic scenery; exhibiting in every part the rough appearance of hills, mosses, and mountains, interspersed, however, with narrow vallies, in which run numerous streams, long since familiar from poetical description."

What follows is the genealogy of my Drummond ancestors from the parish of Melrose in Roxburghshire, Scotland; moreover, it includes the Stevenson family that brought this ancestry to America.

1. Andrew Drummond married Helen Mathison August 15, 1712, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.¹ Andrew was a weaver in Bridgend, Roxburghshire, Scotland, a hamlet in the parish of Melrose.¹ Bridgend was about a mile west of the town of Melrose, Roxburghshre, Scotland. Andrew was probably, yet I have not proven it beyond doubt, the son of Thomas Drummond, baptized November 5, 1645, in Melrose parish. This Thomas Drummond was the son of Thomas Drummond, who was in Buccleuch's Regiment; a regiment raised by Francis Scott, 2nd Earl of Buccleuch. He recruited this Covenanter regiment, 1643, from the presbytery of Selkirk. They were a part of the invading army into England, 1644, after the Covenanters signed an alliance with the English parliament against King Charles I. The regiment was commanded on the field by Lieutenant-Colonel Walter Scott, presumably a kinsman of Lord Buccleuch. The alliance between the Covenanters and Parliament culminated in the battle of Marston Moor, July 2, 1644, where the army of Charles I was decisively beaten. Several Covenanter regiments, including Lord Buccleuch's, ended up back in Scotland in 1645 to counter the threat of the Marquis of Montrose. The family was living in Bridgend at the time of the baptism of all their children.

Children of Andrew Drummond and Helen Mathison are:

i. Margaret Drummond, born in Scotland; baptized June 14, 1713, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.¹ The witnesses to her baptism were Thomas Mathison and Nicol Mercer.¹
ii. William Drummond, born in Scotland; baptized March 20, 1715, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.¹ The witnesses to his baptism were Thomas Mathison and John Napier.¹ He died on June 10, 1789. His home was in Bridgend, Roxburghshire, Scotland at the time of his death.² He was 75 years old.²
iii. Thomas Drummond, born in Scotland; baptized March 24, 1717. The witnesses to his baptism were Thomas Mathison and William Darling.
iv. George Drummond, born in Scotland; baptized November 1, 1719, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.¹ The witnesses to his baptism were George Drummond and Thomas Mathison.¹
v. Isobel Drummond, born in Scotland; baptized March 18, 1722, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.¹ The witnesses to her baptism were John Cranstoun and George Martine.¹
vi. Helen Drummond, born in Scotland; baptized November 15, 1724, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.² The witnesses to her baptism were Walter Murray and James Mathison.²
vii. Jannet Drummond, born in Scotland; baptized June 18, 1727, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.² The witnesses to her baptism were Andrew Paterson and Walter Murray.²
viii. Andrew Drummond, born in Scotland; baptized April 25, 1731, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.²

2. Helen Drummond was born in Scotland; baptized November 15, 1724, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland, and died January 28, 1788.² Her home was in Bridgend, Roxburghshire, Scotland at the time of her death.² She was 63 years old.² She married William Stevenson September 28, 1750, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.² Helen was living in Bridgend at the time of the marriage. He was born Abt. 1708. He was from the parish of Southdean, Roxburghshire, Scotland.² He died November 28, 1798. His home was in Bridgend, Roxburghshire, Scotland at the time of his death.² He was 90 years old.² The family was living in Bridgend, Roxburghshire, Scotland when his children were baptized.

Children of Helen Drummond and William Stevenson:

i. William Stevenson, born in Scotland; baptized September 15, 1754, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.² The witnesses to his baptism were Andrew and William Drummond.²
ii. Margaret Stevenson, born in Scotland; baptized December 5, 1756, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.²
iii. John Stevenson, born in Scotland; baptized October 26, 1760, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.² The witnesses to his baptism were Andrew and William Drummond.²
iv. Elizabeth Stevenson, born in Scotland; baptized May 22, 1763, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.² The witnesses to her baptism were Thomas and James Marr.²

3. John Stevenson was born in Scotland; baptized October 26, 1760, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland,² and died Aft. May 30, 1837, the date of his will. The family was living in Bridgend, Roxburghshire, Scotland at the time of his baptism. He married Isabel Waugh November 16, 1782, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.² The cautioner was William Martin.² Of John's children, Thomas and John were baptized when the family was living in Darnick, Roxburghshire, Scotland. The rest of their children were baptized when the family was living in Bridgend, Roxburghshire, Scotland. John and his family moved to the United States of America, 1810.

Children of John Stevenson and Isabel Waugh:

i. William Stevenson, born in Scotland; baptized December 28, 1783, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.² The witnesses to his baptism were James Slater and William Stevenson.²
ii. Thomas Stevenson, born in Scotland; baptized June 8, 1785, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.² The witnesses to his baptism were Thomas Wilson and William Martin.²
iii. John Stevenson, born in Scotland; baptized June 26, 1787, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.² The witnesses to his baptism were Thomas Wilson and William Martin.²
iv. George Stevenson, born in Scotland; baptized July 24, 1789, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.² The witnesses to his baptism were Andrew Mercer and John Leech.²
v. Agnes Stevenson, born July 17, 1791, in Scotland; baptized, 1791, and died September 13, 1850.² The witnesses to her baptism were Andrew Mercer and William Martin.²
vi. Henry Stevenson*, born October 14, 1793; baptized November 22, 1795, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland;² died November 08, 1843, in Northfield, Boone Co., Indiana. The witnesses to his baptism were John Rutherford and John Martine.² He married Phebe Foote November 15, 1819, in Butler Co., Ohio, daughter of John Foote and Mary Grigson.³ She was born November 08, 1797, in Ohio Co., Virginia, and died February 13, 1870, in Northfield, Boone Co., Indiana.³
vii. Janet Stevenson, born in Scotland; baptized April 10, 1796, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.² The witnesses to his baptism were Andrew Mercer and John Rutherford.²
viii. Nelly Stevenson, born Abt. September 1797 in Scotland; died March 28, 1799, of small pox.²
ix. Mary Stevenson, born April 17, 1800, in Scotland; baptized May 25, 1800, in Melrose parish, Roxburghshire, Scotland.² The witnesses to her baptism were John Rutherford and John Mercer.²

The cemetery at Melrose Abbey, a portion of which can be seen in the photograph above, contains the gravestones of several Drummonds. The gravestone near the center foreground, leaning to the right, is inscribed with the following:

IN MEMORY OF
ANDREW DRUMMOND, Portioner
of Bridge-end, who died 6th Oct^r.
1842. aged 86 years.

The gravestone also mentions Mary Drummond, his daughter. The cemetery at the abbey was used as the cemetery for Melrose parish until more recent times.

All of the facts here have been taken from the documents listed below. The records were transcribed by me from the records of Melrose parish. The spellings are given as they appear in the original documents. Henry Stevenson, the grandson of Helen Drummond, is my maternal 4th great-grandfather and the grandfather of Captain Henry McCoy, his namesake. The old map below shows the location of Bridgend and Melrose.

Sources -
Parochial registers of the parish of Melrose, on two Microfilm rolls:
¹Baptisms, 1642-1723; Marriages, 1642-1723.
²Baptisms, 1723-1854; Marriages, 1723-1855; Burials, 1734-1741, 1781-1854.
³Foote, Abram. Foote Family: Comprising the Genealogy and History of Nathaniel Foote of Wethersfield, Conn. and His Descendants. Vol. II: Burlington, Vermont: Free Press Printing Company, 1932 [p. 843].

* Henry's surname is spelled "Stevenson" on all records in Scotland, as well as census information from Indiana, however, it is spelled "Stephenson" on his gravestone. That is also the spelling used by his father in his will, which also gives "Isabella" as his wife's name. Janet, daughter of John Stevenson and Isabel Waugh, became "Jane" in America.

Notes: A special thanks goes to Greg Sullens for editing the photo on this Web page. The photo remains my property and may not be used, copied, or stored for any reason.

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