Mansons, Hendersons, Davidsons, Bruces and Rorisons, with genealogy and some Gunn interest; ‘Thomas Sinclair Gunn History Supplement 25’, 2 June 1903
REVIEW
Again, this is mainly Mansons, Hendersons, Davidsons and Rorisons, but with some useful genealogy for those names. There are bits and pieces which relate to mainstream Gunn history. Ther is a touch of U.S.A....
KEY ISSUES / PEOPLE / PHRASES
· MANSON FAMILY. George Manson 1850-1876 water-colour painter and etcher. ... The Lairds of Lyth in 1524 were Kenneth, Donald and William Manson on a charter from Andew Stuart, Bishop of Caithness, the write confirmed by the Pope in 1532. By marrying one of the Manson family Lyth went to the Bruces of Stanstil, some of whom were Williamsons... Banniskirk ... Bailie Bruce F.S.A.
· Only mention of a Bruce in Gunn narrative, namely Elizabeth, wife of big Marcus Gunn’s second son Alexander... gave colour to a tradition with respect to the Bruces of Munsary... One of the Clan Gunn committed some serious depredation and had to flee the country. Years afterwards he returned to Caithness, took his mother’s name and became the ancestor of the Munsary family... David Bruce merchant Glasgow ... Gunns in Dale, ostensibly a Bruce he was buried in the Gunns’ ground at Dirlot churchyard...
· Wrong reckoning of Caithness lineages... Davidsons in Buckies and Oldhall thought to be Gunns.. Sir Robert Gordon makes Donaldsons, Georgesons, Robsons, Jamesons etc quite rightly Gunns but the embarrassment is that as certainly Mackays, Sutherlands and Gordons were called by the same patronymic as the these Gunns ... howcver Achingills, Buckies and Oldhall Davidsons not belonging to the Norse Clan, but to the Celtic stock of ... Savidsons of Tulloch Castle Dingwall are notable... In St Peter’s Church Thurso Adam Davidson d June 1587 aged 66 and his wife Catherine Sinclair d May 1592 aged 70... coats of arms also show no Gunn link... In Bank Street Thurso ‘Davidsons Entry’ named after them ?... House now called ‘The Pride of Thurso’ was named ‘Bowermadden House’ and was property of Dunbar Sirs of Caithness; not the Sutherlands who assumed the Dunbar surname, now of Ackergill Tower... Captian Gunn... townhouse of the Earls of Caithness?... 1679 arms include Davidson, Cunningham and Brownhill... relatives of these Davidsons – Millers, Thurso, Buckie, Madras (see earlier posts involving the Rev. Miller of Madras...) and of Scrabster gave it away to 12 poor women as an almshouse... Magnus, Magnussons, Brabsterdorran Hendersons, Rorisons...
· THE RORISONS. Brabsterdorran Hendersons. William Rorison of Nottingham and Gersay. Son of Roderick or Rori Henderson, eldest son of Hugh portioner of the lands of Bransterdorran. William married Janet Gordon, widow of James Sutherland of Forse 31 January 1665. Wadste from lord Glenorchy in 1676 Gersay and Coghill, Watten... son John... John died without issue... succeeded by his brother David who married Margaret, daughter of Colonel Francis Sinclair of Scrabster (son of John, first of Assery) and Anne, daughter of Francis Sinclair of Stirkoke... in 1689 and 1697 disposed of the wadset to o Sir Robert Dunbar of Northfield and ‘vanishes’...
· December 1887 D. C. Sutherland of Rianacoill Forse wrote of this branch in connection with a letter of William Rorison to George Sutherland from Nottingham 16 February 1658...
· Rorison Dean of St. Andrews b. 1851, son of Rev. Gilbert Rorison Peterhead; but Gunn or Celtic?
· Rorison from the USA; Arda B. Rorison New York. Great great granddaughter of the American general and and territory Governor Arthur Sinclair b. Thurso 1736 says Rorisons went to the USA just after 1776... James Rorison, Margaret Charters, Alexander, Castle Douglas Galloway, Basil Dunbar Douglas Rorison b. Dalry 1760 her relative, his one grandmother a cousin of the Earl of Selkirk and his other grandmother cousin to the Douglas Duke of Queensbury... but are they Caithess Rorisons... Margaret Balfour... General Arthur St. Clair
· Retelling of history; Henderson family began under the seventh son of Gunn the Coroner in the 14thcentury... Keith stuff... dispute between sons James and Henry as to who should lead the family... Henryson / Henderson.. James moved into Sutherland... Rev. Alex Gunn of Watten... Mr D. E. Henderson MHR USA parliament