Greer family genealogy
Of Sea Park, Carrickfergus
Arms: Az. a lion rampant or, armed and langued gu. betw. three antique crowns of the second, on a canton ar. an oak tree eradicated, surmounted by a sword in bend sinister, ensigned on the point with a Royal Crown, all ppr. Crest: An eagle displayed ppr., charged on the breast with a quadrangular lock ar. Motto: Memor esto (Be mindful of thy ancestors).
This family is descended in the direct male line through the MacGregors, and Griersons from the ancient Highland Clan MacAlpin; and (see the “Carroll” of Ely O’Carroll pedigree, p. 77, in Vol. I.), in the female line, from the ancient Irish Clan, the O’Carrolls of Ely O’Carroll, through Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Carroll of Ely O’Carroll, commander, under King James II., of Carroll’s Dragoons. He was killed at the battle of the Boyne, 1st July, 1690.
1. Alpin, King of Scotland, who d. 834, had, with others, three sons, the two eldest, Kenneth and Donald, were Kings of Scotland; his third son:
2. Prince Gregor had two sons, the eldest of whom was:
3. Dongallus (d. 900), m. Spontana, sister of Duncan (or Donogh), a King in Ireland. His eldest son:
4. Constantine (d. 940), married Malvina, his cousin, dau. of Donald VI., son of Constantine II. His son:
5. Gregor, Standard bearer to his uncle Malcolm I., was killed by the Danes in 961; m. Dorvigelda, dau. of the commander of the army. His eldest son:
6. John, killed in battle in 1004, m. Alpina, daughter of Angus, great-grandson of Achaius, brother of Kenneth the Great. His son:
7. Gregor, Laird of Glenurchy, m. dau. of Campbell of Lochow, ancestor of the Dukes of Argyle. (His son Gregor was Bishop of St. Andrews.) His eldest son:
8. Sir John MacGregor, Laird of Glenurchy (d. 1113), m. an English lady of great beauty who came to Scotland with Queen Margaret. His son Gregor was Bishop of Dunkeld, and Lord Chancellor of Scotland, 1157. His eldest son:
9. Sir Malcolm MacGregor, Laird of MacGregor (d. 1164), m. Marjory, youngest dau. of William, chief of the army, and nephew of the king. His eldest son:
10. William, Laird of MacGregor (d. 1238), m. dau. of William Lindsay, first Lord Crawford, by his wife Marjory, dau. of Henry, Prince of Scotland, and brother of King William the Lion. His son Alpin was Bishop of Dunblane. His eldest son:
11. Gregor, Laird of MacGregor (died 1300), mar. Marian Gilchrist. His son:
12. Malcolm, Laird of MacGregor (d. 1374), m. Mary, dau. of Malise MacAlpin, of Fennick. His second son:
13. Gilbert Gregorson, Laird of Arde and Lag, took the name of Grierson. He received by charter, dated 17th May, 1410, the lands of Lag, Dumfriesshire, from his cousin Henry Sinclair, second Earl of Orkney; m. Janet, dau. of Sir Simon Glendoning, of Parton, by his wife Lady Mary Douglas, dau. of Archibald, fourth Earl of Douglas, and first Duke of Touraine, by his wife the Princess Margaret (Stewart), dau. of King Robert III.
[See here Greer corrigenda]
14. Vedast-Grierson, of Lag, succeeded in 1457 to the family estates, on death of his eldest brother Gilbert. His son:
15. Roger Grierson, of Lag, was fatally wounded at Sanchieburn in 1488: married Lady Isabel de Kirkpatrick, daughter of Roger de Kirkpatrick of Closeburn and Rockhall, Dumfriesshire, by his wife Margaret, third dau. of Thomas, first Lord Somerville of Carnwath, by his wife Janet, dau. of Alexander Stewart, Laird of Darnley, ancestor of King James I. of England. By this matrimonial alliance the Rockhall estate came into possession of the Griersons, and is at the present time the residence of Sir Alexander Grierson, 9th Bart., the head of that family, after 400 years’ possession in same family. His son:
16. Roger, of Lag, killed at Flodden Field, 1513; mar. Janet, third dau. of James Douglas, fifth Lord Drumlanrig, by his wife Janet, dau. of Sir David Scott, of Buccleuch, ancestor of the Dukes of Buccleuch and Queensberry; was M.P. at Edinburgh, in 1487. His son:
17. Sir John Grierson, of Lag (d. 1566), m. Egidia, dau. of Sir John Kennedy, of Cullean (by his wife Janet Stewart), fourth son of David, third Lord Kennedy and first Earl of Cassillis, ancestor of the Marquis of Ailsa, by his wife Agnes, eldest dau. of William Lord Borthwick.
18. Roger Grierson, of Lag (died 1593), m. Helena, second dau. of James Douglas, seventh Lord Drumlanrig, by his wife Christian, dau. of John Montgomerie, Master of Eglinton, son of Hugh, first Earl of Eglinton. His son:
19. Sir William Grierson, Knt., of Lag and Rockhall, Dumfriesshire, d. 1629, m. 9th May, 1593, Nicola, dau. of Sir John Maxwell, fourth Lord Herris (and second son of Robert, fourth Lord Maxwell), by his wife Agnes, Lady Herries, in her own right, dau. of William, third Lord Herris, and granddau. of Archibald Douglas, fifth Earl of Angus. (His sons were called Grier.) His fifth son:
20. Sir James Grier, of Capenoch, Dumfriesshire, and Rock Hall, Alnwick, Northumberland (d. 1666), m. 1626, Mary, dau. of Rev. John Brown of Glencairn, Dumfries, and widow of Thomas Grier of Barjarg Tower, Dumfriesshire. His second son:
21. Henry Grier (died 1675), m. 1652, Mary, dau. of Robert Turner of Turnerstead, Northumberland; and in 1653 removed to and settled at Redford, county Tyrone, Ireland. His son:
22. James Greer, of Lisacurran, co. Armagh (b. 1653), m. 1678 Eleanor, dau. and co-heiress of John Rea of Lisacurran. His son:
23. John Greer, of Grace Hall, co. Armagh (b. 1688), married 1717, Mary, dau. of Jeremiah Hanks, of Birr (and widow of John Chambers of Dublin). His second son:
24. Thomas Greer, of Rhone Hill, co. Tyrone (b. 1724, d. 1803), m. 1746, Sarah, his cousin, dau. of Thomas Greer, of Bedford, by his wife Elizabeth, dau. of Archibald and Jane Bell. His son:
25. Thomas Greer, of Rhone Hill, and Tullylagan (b. 1761, d. 1840), m. 1787, Elizabeth, only child and heiress of William Jackson, of Edenderry, King’s Co. His fourth son:
26. Alfred Greer, of Dripsey House, co. Cork (b. 1805), m., first, in 1836, Helena, dau. of Joshua Carroll (great-great-grandson of Lieut. Col. Thomas Carroll, Commander of Carroll’s Dragoons—see the “Carroll” of Ely O’Carroll pedigree, p. 77, Vol. I.), of Sydney Place, Cork, and had issue five sons: 1. Thomas, of whom presently; 2. Joshua-Carroll (d. 1855); 3. Alfred; 4. George-Thomas, who mar. Elizabeth-Mary Boileau; 5. MacGregor, Capt. R. E. Alfred Greer m. secondly, in 1853, Peggy, only dau. of Major John Bowen Colthurst, of Dripsey Castle, co. Cork, and by her had issue, Georgina de Bellasis, who in 1878, married Robert Travers Bowen-Colthurst, of Oakgrove and Dripsey Castle, co. Cork, and has issue. The eldest son:
27. Thomas Greer, of Sea Park, Carrickfergus (b. 1837, and living in 1888), m. 1864, Margaret, only child and heiress of John Owden, of Sea Park, co. Antrim, and niece of Sir Thomas Scambler Owden, Lord Mayor of London, in 1879. Mr. Greer was High Sheriff for Carrickfergus in 1870, and of co. Tyrone, in 1873; was the last representative, in the Imperial Parliament, of the ancient Borough of Carrickfergus, and is the 27th in direct male line from King Alpin. Issue:
- Thomas MacGregor (b. 1869), of whom presently.
- Helena MacGregor, b. 1865.
- Georgina-Beatrice, b. 1872.
- Eva-Mildred, b. 1874.
28. Thomas MacGregor Greer:[1] son of Thomas; living in 1888; educated at Eton and Cambridge.
Notes
[1] Greer: This sirname was (see No. 8 on this pedigree) originally MacGregor, It may be well here to mention that the following Scotch families are of Celtic Irish origin, whose ancestors at an early period peopled Galloway and Argyle, from Ireland: Campbell, Colquhoun, Lamont, MacAllister, MacArthur, MacCallum, MacCrory, MacDonald, MacDougall, MacGregor, MacLachlin or MacLaughlin, MacLean, MacNeal, MacQuary, etc.