:Tom writes:

I have always wondered, as have many others, which
: "noble" family the Caldwell's were
: affiliated with.
: It has been said that they came to Scotland in the train
: of the FitzAllan's or de Morvilles (or both).
: The family bane seems to have originated almost
: simultaneously in central Ayrshire and in Renfrew. It
: also appears that there are other families that are
: similarly located. ie: there seems a definite split
: between the lands in Renfrew and the lands in Ayrshire
: and yet the families seem to have connections to each.

Here is my two cents:

George Crawfurd's History of the Shire of Renfrew, 1782, mentions that the Caldwells of Renfrewshire/Ayrshire had marital relationships with other landed families (Wallace, Semple, Stewart, Montgomery, Mure, and Pollock). Reference is made to a land charter involving Robert Boyd and John Caldwell at Annandale in 1606. This family remained in residence until 1641, when the land was transferred into the Taggart family.

In researching my kinsmen, I have a suspicion that I may be related to David Calwell, b. 1693, Lochwinnoch, and a long line of earlier Calwells, some of whom had migrated to Ulster Planations in the first half of the 17th century and some of whom later returned to Scotland. The Fall 1989 issue of Caldwell Family Newsletter refers to an Andrew Calwell, who leased land in Ulster Ireland from John Cunningham of Craifield, Parish of Beith, Ayrshire, who first acquired the land in 1610. At the time of this issue, the Newsletter had not as yet recognized that Andrew Caldwell, father of Rev. Dacid Caldwell, originally spelled his surname Calwell, a common Scottish variant of Caldwell up to the 17th century. Backissues are available from Marilyn Janda, Editor, .

The Fall 1988 Caldwell Family Newsletter mentions additional Calwells for the County of Down, 1630, that included John, Thomas, Robert, and William. The Caldwell spelling was not used at that time. It has yet to be established any of these Calwells are lineal ancestors.

Most of the Ulster Plantation Scots had migrated from Ayrshire. A map is shown in the Fall 1989 issue of Caldwell Family Newsletter showing the Scottish origins of Ulster Plantation settlers as of 1600-1641. Reference: Raymon Gillespsie, Colonial Ulster: The Settlement of East Ulster 1600-1641. Tom Caldwell, who is a regular contributor to this website, may find it helpful to compare this map with what information he has as to the Ayrshire towns in which he located references to Caldwells.

The given names of Caldwell's in Antrim, Donegal, Down, Londondery, and Tyrone for the 1660's, some of whom are listed in Hearthmoney Rolls, and some taken from other sources, are set forth in the Fall 1990 Caldwell Family Newsletter. Given names included Alexander (1), Andrew (2), David (2), hugh (1), James (1), John (8), Mathew (1), Robert (8), Thomas (1), and Williams (9).

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