'Muirhead1'Index links to: Lead / Letter
Families covered: Muirhead of Bredisholm, Muirhead of Lachope (Lauchope), Muirhead of Schawfute (Shawfoot)

                               
(1) BLG1863 reports that "The family of Muirhead ranks among the oldest and most respectable in Scotland." Nisbet (p256) reports that "The family of Muirhead of Lauchop, or Muirhead of that ilk, has been always reputed as one of the ancientist families in all the shire of Lanark. It is not known how soon they had the lands of Muirhead, that being past all memory, and their first original charters have had the fate of many others, to be lost".
(2) BLG1863 merely names the wives of the first few lairds. The identity of their fathers is given by Nisbet. However, given that BLG1863 refers to Nisbet but appears not to support his identification of the spouses, we report what Nisbet says but do not make the connections.
Sir William Muirhead of Lachope
m. Jean Hay (dau of Sir William Hay of Locharret (Locherworth))
1. William Muirhead of Lachop (a 1445) this generation omitted by BLG1863
  A. William Muirhead of Lauchop
  BLG1863 suggests that William d 1506 and was Secretary of State. We follow Nisbet, supported by Wikipedia, in showing that to have been his brother.
  m. Mariota Hamilton
  i. John Muirhead of Lauchop & Bullis (d Flodden 09.09.1513)
  m. Margaret Hepburn (dau of Patrick, Lord Hepburn of Hailes, sister of Patrick, Earl of Bothwell)
  a. John Muirhead of Lauchop
  m. Margaret Borthwick (dau of Lord Borthwick)
  (1) James Muirhead of Lauchop
m. Jean Fleming (dau of John, Lord Fleming, ancestor of Earl of Wigton)
  (A) James Muirhead of Lauchop
  m. Janet Baillie (a 1552, dau of Alexander Baillie of Carphin, m2. J. Hamilton of Stenhouse, "Lady of Cruddeldykes")) ## see here ##
  (i) James Muirhead of Lachope (a 1570)
  m. Janet Hamilton (dau of David (not James) Hamilton of Bothwelhaugh, brother of Hamilton of Orbiston)
(a) Sir James Muirhead of Lachope (d 1622)
  m1. Jean Houstoun (dau/heir of James Houstoun of Craigton (brother of ?? of that ilk) by Margaret, dau of Patrick Fleming of Barrochan)
  ((1)) James Muirhead of Lachope
  m. Jean or Mary Dalsell (dau of Robert, Lord Dalsell (Dalziell))
  ((A)) James Muirhead of Craigton (disinherited)
  m. Helen Lindsay (dau of Patrick Lindsay, Archbishop of Glasgow)
  ((i))+ 1 sons + 1 daughter
((B)) Claud Muirhead of Lachope
  Nisbet suggests that Claud married a Wauchope of Niddry. BLG1863 refers to that but suggests that it "may be more correct" to identify her as ...
  m. Jean Dalzell (dau of Earl of Carnwath)
  ((i)) John Muirhead (dsp)
  m. ??
((C)) Gavin Muirhead of Lachope
  m. Janet Douglas (dau of William Douglas, Earl of Selkirk, later Duke of Hamilton)
  ((i)) William Muirhead (d unm Wyendale)
  ((ii)) John or James Muirhead, last of Lachope (d 1738, Captain in Ireland)
  ((a)) 2 daughters
  ((D)) Jean Muirhead possibly of this generation
  m. (before 1662) John Hamilton of Woodhall (d by 1695)
((2)) Thomas Muirhead (minister of Cambusnethan)
  ((3)) daughter
  m. Alexander Garthshore of that ilk
  ((4)) daughter
m. John Crawfurd of Ruchsolloch
  ((5)) (Alison) Muirhead
  m. (1625) (Thomas) Baillie of Polkemmet (d Kilsyth 1645)
  BLG1863 reports that Sir James married a 2nd time but does not name that wife. Nisbet names her Margaret Somerville. We suspect that he did in fact marry three times, the other wife being ...
  m2. (sp?) ?? Hamilton (dau of John Hamilton of Udston)
  m3. (after 1618, sp?) Margaret Somerville (d 1617, dau of James Somerville of Cambusnethan, widow of Gilbert Somerville, 8th Lord)
  (b) Thomas Muirhead of Johnston
m. Elizabeth Hamilton (dau of _ Hamilton of Bathgate)
  ((1)) Margaret Muirhead
  m. John Crawfurd of Milnton
((A)) (John) Crawfurd of Milton
  ((i)) Margaret Crawford (d 28.03.1737
  m. Sir William Stewart, 2nd Bart of Castlemilk (d 11.1715)
  (c) Margaret Muirhead (d by 05.1655)
m. John Hamilton of Udston
  (ii) Thomas Muirhead (uncle of James Muirhead of Lachop) possibly of this generation
  m. (c1550s?) Euphame Hamilton (dau of Andrew Hamilton, 1st of Ardoch
  (B) John Muirhead of Shawfoot (Shawfute or Schawfute) - continued below
  (C) Margaret Muirhead
  m. Thomas (probably not James) Hamilton of Woodhall
  (D) Jean Muirhead possibly of this generation --
  m. Matthew Hamilton, 6th of Torrance (d c1551) --
  ii. Richard Muirhead, Secretary of State (d 1506, Dean of Glasgow, Lord of Session)
  Shown by Wikipedia as Secretary of State for King James IV from 04.08.1493 to 04.03.1506.
  B. Andrew Muirhead, Bishop of Glasgow (d 20.11.1473)
  C. Udastus (Vedastus) Muirhead (a 1476, Dean of Glasgow, Rector of Glasgow University)
  D. Janet or Jean Muirhead ("Bonnie Lass of Lochbrunnach")
  m. Gavin Hamilton (son of Sir James of Cadyow & brother of Lord James)

 

 

John Muirhead of Shawfoot (Shawfute or Schawfute) - continued above
m1. Elizabeth Crawfurd (dau of _ Crawfurd of Ferm)
m2. Jean Oliphant (dau of Sir Alexander Oliphant of Kelly)
Not clear which wife was mother of ...
1. John Muirhead of Shawfoot & Bredisholm, Lanarkshire this generation omitted by BLG1863
  A. James Muirhead of Schawfute & Bredisholm (d before 1635)
m. Margaret Drummond (dau of James Drummond (Commendator of Inchaffray), son of Lord David)
  i. James Muirhead of Bredisholm (d before 15.05.1688?)
BLG1863 reports that James obtained a charter on Bredisholm on his marriage with Agnes Hamilton and "was thrice m., and had children by each", naming the children of the 1st marriage. Nisbet names his 3 wives albeit wrongly naming Agnes as Grissel and misidentifying her mother.
  m. (after 13.07.1647) Agnes (probably not Grissel) Hamilton (dau of Robert Hamilton of Bathgate)
  a. James Muirhead of Bredisholm (d before 1719)
  m. (06.06.1672) Helen Stewart (d 1735, dau of Alexander, Lord Blantyre)
  (1) John Muirhead of Bredisholm (dsp c1760, 2nd son)
  m. Lillias Hamilton (dau of James Hamilton of Aikenhead)
  (2) Euphemia Muirhead
  m. Archibald Grosset of Logie (d by 1777)
  Bredisholm passed into the Grosset family, members of which lassumed the name Grosset-Muirhead.
(3) Margaret Muirhead
  m. John Stark of Auchinvole & Gartsherry
  (4) other issue - James (a 1689, dvp), William (d unm), Alexander or George (d unm), Walter (d unm), Margaret
  b. George Muirhead of Stevenson had issue ("the line is now extinct")
  c. Elizabeth Muirhead
m. (mcrt 28.02.1670) Patrick Hamilton of Neilsland
  m2. Grisel Hamilton (d by 1662, dau of James Hamilton of Westport, widow of William Cochrance of Barbacklay who d 1645)
  d. Margaret Muirhead
  m. James Hamilton of Aikenhead (d 1740)
  m3. Bessie Crawfurd (dau of James Crawfurd of Kipbyre)
  e. Lilias Muirhead
  m. James Hamilton of Blantyrefarm
  f. Anne Muirhead
  m. John Stark of Auchinvole & Gartsherry
  This may also be the James who married ...
  m4. Anne Hamilton (a 05.1688, dau of James Hamilton of Woodhall)
  ii. John Muirhead (advocate) ancestor of Muirhead of Persilands, Lanarkshire
  iii. Lillias Muirhead
  m1. Sir Walter Stuart of Minto
  m2. Sir James Drummond of Macheny (cousin)

Main source(s): BLG1863 ('Muirhead of Bredisholm'), 'A System of Heraldry' (Alexander Nisbet, vol II, 1816, p256+ (in Appendix))
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