ORIGIN OF THE IRISH VANCES

a review of the evidence

by

Jamie Vans

and

P. A. Vans of Barnbarroch

3rd Edition ©1983, 2001 and 2007 Vans Family Archive

Vans Family Archive65 Church Road, Gurnard, COWES, Isle of Wight, PO31 8JP, UK

FOREWORD

The recent spate of information available online has made it clear that this paper really needs to be completely rewritten - and I may one day find the time to carry out this task. In the meantime I have added two sections which will, I hope, as as a stopgap and help to keep the debate alive and to make as much information as possible immediately available. Readers of earlier editions will find one completely new section, on Hugh Vans of Boston and the other members of the Ayr branch of the family. A crucial section though which deals with the question of an illegitimate son of Sir John Vans, I have simply inserted into the text leaving the remaining argument intact. This can be found on page 6.

With so much information available online new members of the Vans family can now be identified in 16th, 17th and 18th century Scotland and in some cases it has been possible to connect these to the Barnbarroch family. I am attempting to keep the website up to date and I am happy to answer questions by email and to distribute the database.

When my father Alec died in 1998 I found among his papers the typescript on which "The Origin of the Irish Vances" is based and at once realised how important a part of the family history it is, especially for the many Irish and American members of the family.

Alec had the perfect education and work experience1 for the job of collating the information and had produced an almost complete and, I believe, thoroughly convincing picture of the first years of the Vances in Ireland as far as the evidence then available permitted. As further documentation came to my attention I have added a considerable amount of new material and have largely rewritten the first part of the text. The second part remains substantially as Alec wrote it, though here too I have edited, rewritten to some extent and added new material. I have also added a number of footnotes throughout to allow the reader to check facts and references to specific texts. I hope and believe that Alec would have agreed with the changes I have made.

On the difficult question of what name to use for the family: for simplicity's sake we have used Vaus for Sir Patrick of Barnbarroch (though he himself usually wrote Waus, Wauss or variants of that) and we have used Vaus for his children. However once in Ireland they seem to have changed quite soon to the Vans/Vance form and this change is reflected in the text. I hope that no ambiguities arise from this usage and apologise for any illogicalities. As Alec said this question has always plagued the genealogist and will no doubt continue for the rest of time to make life difficult for anyone researching the family history. Recent research has found a wide variation of spellings: Vans, Vanns, Vanse, Vas, Vass, Vaus, Vauss, Vause, Waus, Wauss and Vance all seem to be completely interchangeable even within a single document without any discernible pattern of use according to the date or particular branch of the family.

I am grateful to all those who have given information to Alec and to me; if any items remain unacknowledged I apologise for the oversight; we have not intended to infringe any copyright or to take credit for anyone else's work. For errors in the text and failures in the argument I apologise and happily accept the ultimate responsibility. I hope this will be of interest to many descendants of the Vance family and will allow many of you to identify your ancestors with greater accuracy, if not with the certainty which Alec and I had hoped and intended to achieve.

I regret very much that I have not been able to research the first Vances to move on from Ireland to the US but am happy to start collecting material with that in view. If you would like to assist with that project, I suggest you first look again at any evidence or family tradition you have in the light of the information gathered here to see whether any new light is cast; then

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mail or email me whatever information you have. I will try to draw all the threads into a coherent narrative one day or will share it with anyone else who decides to undertake the project.

If you are not already a member, do join the Vance Family Association through which you can contact other members of the family and where you may find useful information particularly about the Vances in America.

I have also attempted to ensure a fair hearing for the reservations of those who dispute our conclusions and I hope that this publication will work as much to stimulate new research as to establish an orthodox view of the truth. At least the reader will find here the most complete collection of the various theories proposed and the evidence on which they are based. Without some documentary proof there can be no definitive conclusion, only a view based on the balance of the available evidence.

With best wishes to all the family,

Jamie Vans of Barnbarroch March 1, 2007http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~vfarch.

CONTENTSPage

Part 1: Notes on the history of the family of Vans of Barnbarroch 3Part 2: Identity of the Rev. John Vaus 5Part 3: Early Vances in Ireland

A. The first Settlers 15B. Sir Patrick and the ten sons 16C. Who was Lancelot Vance? 19D. Who were the three sons of Thomas/Lancelot Vance? 20

Part 4: Hugh Vans (ca 1699 – 1763) Merchant of Boston, and others 23Part 5: Conclusion 28Appendix and footnotes 29Genealogical tables:

1. Descendants of Sir Patrick Vaus2. Descendants of John Vans, merchant of Ayr

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Part 1: Vans of Barnbarroch

Please refer to the genealogical tables at the back

According, to Robert Vans Agnew in his introduction to Correspondence of Sir Patrick Waus2 :- "A son, or perhaps a nephew, of Willielmus de Vaux of Dirleton in East Lothian settled in Galloway where he is said to have married an heiress about the year 1384 and obtained the lands of Barnbarroch, which he held under the Douglasses, who were at that time Lords of Galloway, and to whom he was allied, Willielmus (whose son or nephew he is supposed to have been) having married Catherine Douglas. This was Johannes de Vallibus or Vaus, the first of the name at Barnbarroch. From this John Vaus of 1384 the family has continued in the male line in unbroken descent, and in possession of the same lords of Barnbarroch to the present time. In the fifth generation from him the representative of the family was Patrick Vaus who, while yet a minor, succeeded to the estate in 1482."

With the evidence which has so far been discovered, this is the closest it it possible to get with certainty to the origin of the family of Vans of Barnbarroch. It is clear that they descend from those carrying the name de Vaux who came to Britain with William, Duke of Normandy in 1066, though the details of their descent from their Norman ancestors cannot be established. In The Anglo-Norman Era in Scottish History 3 , the only easily available source of reliable information on the Vaus or de Vaux family at the time of the Norman conquest of 1066, Professor Barrow suggests that the family was not of great distinction at this time. The fact that they were minor landowners in Norfolk before moving to Scotland and the Borders, supports this view. No hard evidence has yet been found for the details of the link back to the family of Vaus of Dirleton; it is clear though that the Barnbarroch family is a cadet branch of Vaus of Dirleton.

Barnbarroch can be found in Wigtownshire, in SW Scotland, not far from the county town Wigtown. The present mansion of Barnbarroch was built in about 1771 and replaced an earlier house which presumably dated in part at least from the 14th century occupation of the site. The house is now a ruin due the the fire of 1941, and should not be approached. The fire unfortunately destroyed many of the family's possessions and the family records which were some of the most complete in the area. Some of these, though, have survived and can be found in the Scottish Record Office in Edinburgh.

The name changed gradually from de Vaux, to Vaus, to Vans. Its pronunciation in Scotland to this day is with a long a, as "Varnss". If you try that, it is easy to see how that would have developed from Vaus in the spoken work. In writing, of course there was no "right" way to spell in medieval and Stuart times - and in handwriting "n" has always been hard to distinguish from "u".

Playfair in "Baronetage of Scotland, (quoted by Balbirnie) and Balbirnie himself in his "Genealogical and historical account of the family of Vance4 " claim a connection with the lords of Baux, in Provence. There is absolutely no evidence to show any such link or any reason to suppose that there is any truth in the idea. The heraldic evidence shows clearly that there is no such connection. There is even less reason to imagine any connection with Kings of the Visigoths or with any Biblical figures.

The family's most famous figure is Sir Patrick Vaus of Barnbarroch5 (d. 1597) who was a member of the Privy Council of King James V and went as his Ambassador to Denmark to negotiate the marriage of James's son, later James VI of Scotland and I of England.

Patrick Vaus (or Vans) of Lybrack, younger son of Sir Patrick Vaus was one of a number of

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Scots who were given land in Ulster by James VI and I in about 1610; his son is believed by my late father Alec and by me and contrary to the accepted view based on Balbirnie’s book, to be the Rev. John Vaus of Kilmacrenan from whom many Irish and American Vances are descended.

Another branch of Irish Vances claims to descend from “Lancelot” Vance. Alec and I demonstrate below (I think convincingly) that no Lancelot ever existed, but that in fact his name was Thomas, son of Alexander Vans of Barnbarroch (who died 1709, son of Patrick of Barnbarroch who died 1673, son of Sir John of Barnbarroch who died 1642, son of Sir Patrick who died 1597.)

Whatever the correct version of the origin of the Irish/American Vances there is no doubt that in most cases they descend from Sir Patrick; recent research using DNA testing seems to confirm this and seems likely to be an invaluable tool in the long run.6

In 1747 John Vans of Barnbarroch assumed the name of AGNEW at his marriage to the heiress of Sheuchan, Margaret Agnew. Their son, Robert Vans Agnew (b 24 April 1755), may have been christened "Robert Vans" (no evidence exists); he certainly wrote his name Robert Vans Agnew. Robert gave all his children the second Christian name "Vans"7 . I believe that his children did the same and that most future generations called themselves by the surname VANS AGNEW until my father, Patrick Alexander Vans of Barnbarroch returned to the name VANS in 1965. Some also adopted fully the name Agnew, dropping Vans completely.

Conveniently for the researcher, this ensures that all those who are or were called Vans Agnew descend from the first John Vans Agnew through his marriage in 1747; and all those who are Vans, Vance or Vaus, who descend from Vans of Barnbarroch but have never used the name Agnew, are from offshoots from the family before this date. Thus all known American and Irish Vances from this stock are definitely offshoots from before 1747.

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Part 2: The Rev. John Vaus

Hitherto there has been no general agreement on the identity of the Rev. John Vaus, rector of Kilmacrenan, diocese of Raphoe, Co. Donegal, believed to be the first Vaus/Vance in Ireland. According to Balbirnie8 the Rev. John Vaus, first recorded there in 1617, died in 1661 or 1662 leaving three sons from whom are descended many Vances in Ireland and the USA.

The favoured theory - treated almost as a fact by Balbirnie9 and writers following him - has been that the Rev. John was the eldest son of Sir John Vaus, eldest son of Sir Patrick Vaus of Barnbarroch, the head of the family in the second half of the 16th century. This would have meant that the Rev. John was the true head of the family and the rightful heir to the Barnbarroch lands, in place of Sir John's actual heir and supposed eldest son Patrick. Someone, amongst the Irish and American Vances descended from him, would now therefore have been the proper heir to the Barnbarroch title and perhaps to the estate as well. The trouble with Balbirnie's theory is that he is not able to produce a scrap of evidence to support it and that no suggestion of any such person as this supposed John is found in McKerlie's "Lands and their owners in Galloway10 ", a comprehensive work based on the archives of many, if not all, the major families of Galloway.

Balbirnie attributes to Sir John a supposed estate in Donegal called Longcastle. This connection has no basis in fact. Longcastle (parish of Kirkinner)11 was a property near Barnbarroch owned by the Vaus family; like the smaller estate of Lybrack it was used as a resource to give to one of the sons of the head of the family, to own and manage, practising the skills of a propertied man of the time which he would later need if and when he inherited Barnbarroch.

Uniquely in the family, John apparently chose to remain John Vaus of Longcastle even after the death of his father in 1597 gave him the right to call himself Barnbarroch; he seems to have stuck to this for most of his life, though there are also some documents which call him "Barnbarroch". There is no evidence to suggest that this Longcastle was anything but the property in Kirkinner parish, Wigtownshire.

Balbirnie further claims that the supposed John, son of Sir John of Longcastle, had quarrelled with his family and was therefore "as dead to his family" through "some family misunderstanding" but produces no word of evidence to support this assertion.

Sir John is known to have had two sons, Patrick and Andrew, and five daughters by his wife Margaret McDowall. No record remains of any other children. While it is not uncommon to find that the names of younger sons and daughters have been lost, in this case we know from McKerlie12 the names of two sons, those of his daughters and even the names of their husbands. It seem inconceivable that an eldest son John could have gone unrecorded by McKerlie who had access in his research to all the family papers at Barnbarroch.

Even a conspiracy on the part of the family involving the destruction of letters, title deeds and other papers could not have succeeded in hiding the existence of this eldest son , since McKerlie delved into the archives of more or less every family in Galloway and would undoubtedly have found some mention of the existence of any such person.

In some families it is common to call the eldest son by the same name as his father. in the Barnbarroch family this is not the case; in the five generations since 1450, no eldest son was given the same name as his father, and this has occurred only once since. Such an event would therefore be surprising though is not, of course impossible.

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However, unless and until some evidence can be found which supports Balbirnie's assertions one can only assume that this John did not exist and that the rest of Balbirnie's story, including his references to Longcastle in Ireland, is equally based on a misunderstanding of the available facts with perhaps a tinge of with wishful thinking.

The above was written some years ago. In February 2007 a correspondent, E. Kane13 , dropped something of a bombshell, having unearthed this record of a son John born illegitimately in 1640 to "Sir Johnne Vass of Barnbaroch, fornicator with Catharine Ronald" found online in the records at the Scottish Records Office.14

Balbirnie was right then - or was he? He claims the Rev. John was installed as rector in Kilmacrenan as early as 1617 or even before. In that case the John born in 1640 is clearly not the same man. Or are the dates of the Rev. John wrong as has always seemed possible?

A further confusion arises from the date of birth of the illegitimate John: Sir John Vans of Barnbarroch was to die in 1642. It seems a little unlikely that, as an oldish man, who would have had an illegitimate son but of course it is possible. If he did, this son was clearly not the heir apparent to Barnbarroch since at least two much older sons were alive. He was anyway usually known as Vans of Longcastle. His eldest son and heir Patrick was abroad and his name does not appear on documents to do with the family property at this time (whether by his own choice or merely because he was absent or for some other reason it is impossible to say); could the "Sir John of Barnbarroch", the father, actually be the grandson of Sir John of Longcastle, the son of the absent Patrick?

This John's date of birth is unknown but newly discovered evidence shows that he had a brother Patrick, the third son, merchant in Edinburgh and keeper of the Tolbooth and that Patrick was born about 1625. John must therefore have been born by 1624 at the latest and very likely several years earlier since his parents' marriage was in 1615. By 1640 he was therefore of an age when he might have been sowing wild oats in Edinburgh and getting a girl into trouble. He was married in 1649 to Grizell McCulloch; she died after 1684 and he lived until 1696.

He and Grizell appear in the family's version of the line of descent as having a single child, a son John; as far as I know there is no surviving documentary evidence which confirms this, but the records of this period are incomplete so this is not surprising. The relevant paragraph in McKerlie15 reads: "John Vans, as is learned from sasine, 20th May, 1690, had issue one son. He is mentioned as John Vans of Barnbarroch, and John, his heir appearend. The son predeceased the father. The latter died in 1696." It is impossible to know whether Mckerlie saw evidence that " The son predeceased the father" or whether he assumed this to be the case since he did not inherit Barnbarroch. Kane's discovery and imaginative testing of the facts raises the extraordinary possibility that this is the same person as John the illegitimate son of Catherine Ronald.

John was succeeded at his death in 1696 by his second brother Alexander, putative father of Thomas ("Lancelot") Vance.

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It will take much further research to sort out the facts of this case and it may never be possible to be certain, but the proved existence of the illegitimate John is clearly of huge importance:

a) Is he the source of the story that a John, eldest son of Sir John and rightful heir to Barnbarroch was shunned by the family and disinherited? This seems quite possible. Although as an illegitimate son of Sir John (ca 1574-1642) his claim to the inheritance was non-existent, as the eldest and perhaps only son of John (ca 1624-1696) he might reasonably be said to have been the heir to Barnbarroch. The story of his identity may well have become confused by the time Balbirnie wrote his account. There seems to be no way of determining which John Vans was actually his father unless some further evidence is forthcoming.

b) Are there any surviving descendants of the John Vans born in 1640? Those who believe that they are descended from the Rev John Vans and whose family histories also include the story that their forebear was the rightful heir to Barnbarroch, might usefully revisit the account they have been given, looking for the possibility that they are descended from this other John Vans.

b) Could he be the Rev John Vans of Kilmacrenan? His tenure of the post is said to date from 1617; even if the dates allotted to him are wildly wrong, it seems to be beyond the bounds of possibility that the John Vans born in 1640 could be the same person.

We must therefore resume the hunt for the Rev John Vaus of Kilmacrenan.

Research in the Scottish Record Office16 by Kathleen Mason has shown that Sir Patrick Vaus had an illegitimate son, John Vaus in Capenach, mother unknown, described as "brother natural" and as "brother" to Sir John Vaus. One can only suppose that he was born before Sir John; to give an illegitimate child the name of your son and heir would be strange indeed. This John must therefore almost certainly have been born before 1574, the approximate date of the birth of Sir John; he would therefore have been more than 43 in 1617 and more than 87 in 1661; though average life expectancy in the family at this time, for males who survived infancy, appears to be no more than 55, a reasonable number of people are recorded as living to 90 and beyond; it is therefore possible that he was the Rev. John. No mention is made in the available documents of his being a minister of the church nor of his residing in Ireland, but this does by any means rule him out.

In January 1580/1, conceivably on the occasion of this John's 21st birthday (Sir Patrick married his first wife in December 1560) Sir Patrick made provision for him with the gift of £50 yearly for life from the income of the parsonage of Wigtown. This should not be taken to imply that John was himself parson of the town.

It was Kathleen Mason's contention that this John was later to become the Rev John Vaus of Kilmacrenan. The heraldic evidence however is strongly against his candidature. Balbirnie17 describes and illustrates the arms of the Rev John with which his will was sealed: "Argent, on a bend gules three mollets".18

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Now these are not the arms of Vans of Barnbarroch but those of a younger son, and indeed those of the younger son of a younger son. The arms of Vaus of Barnbarroch had at most one mullet (or mollet), showing that that family was a cadet branch of Vaus of Dirleton.

A younger (usually third) son would have taken one further mullet, the arms of his younger (usually third) son would have then been differenced with the three mullets described by Balbirnie. The evidence of the Rev. John's seal, (a shield carrying a bend differenced with three mullets) shows that he was of the Barnbarroch family but was of a cadet branch. Had he been the rightful head of the family, or had even believed himself rightly or wrongly to be the head of the family, he would have used the arms of Barnbarroch without the difference: "Argent, on a bend gules a mullet".

It is very possible that the rules of heraldry were not always applied to the letter in seventeenth century rural Scotland, but his seems a most unlikely mistake for the rightful heir to make.

Is it possible that he chose to use the arms differenced with three mullets, knowing that the undifferenced arms of Vans of Barnbarroch would be unbelievable but hoping that in Ulster he might attain some spurious social status by passing as a younger son? This can only be a matter for speculation; in our view John of Capenoch is almost certainly ruled out as the Rev John on the basis of the heraldic evidence.

The remaining plausible candidate is John Vaus, eldest or only son of Patrick Vaus of Lybrack, second son of Sir Patrick Vaus of Barnbarroch. His existence is attested by McKerlie who, in his section on Lybrack (parish of Kirkinner)19 says that the first notice of this small property is a decreet dated 13 July 1594 of the lands of Lybrack to Sir Patrick Vaus of Barnbarroch and his second son Patrick. Sir Patrick married Patrick's mother in 1573 (April); thus his eldest son John could have been born by early 1574 and Patrick by say mid-1575. So in 1594 (when he got Lybrack) Patrick might have been as old as 19. This is only guesswork of course, and the reader

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must judge how plausible he thinks it is. However 19 or 20 might reasonably be judged to be the age for a young man to begin his life as a man of independent means.

This John Vaus should not have differenced his arms with a third mullet either, of course. Assuming that Patrick of Lybrack used two mullets, these would have been the arms of his son too, after Patrick's death. However it is easier to believe in this sort of confusion in a cadet branch of the family than in the heir to Barnbarroch.

Patrick of Lybrack's elder brother John (later Sir John of Longcastle) was probably already married by 1594 at age 19 or 20; this is shown by the fact that his eldest son Patrick was in turn married in 161520 and so was probably born in 1595 or 1596.

It is therefore quite reasonable and in line with the family custom at that period to suggest that it was on the occasion of his brother's marriage in 1594 or of his own marriage a year or two later that Patrick was set up in Lybrack by his father, to provide him with a property which would support him, the male equivalent of a dowry. This was standard practise among the landed class in Galloway at this time. The young husband was given an estate and the wife a cash dowry.

However it is recorded in Sir Robert Douglas's Scots Peerage21 that Patrick Vaus of Lybrack married Margaret McLellan, daughter of Sir Thomas McLellan of Bomby in 1611 and the date of this marriage might be thought to disqualify Patrick as father of the Rev. John if the latter was to be rector of Kilmacrenan in 1617. It may however be useful to consider the issues that arise from this information.

The document22 on which this date is based relates to the estate of Margaret McLellan's first husband and in particular to the settlement of debts left by him. It seems likely that its date coincides with that of her marriage to Patrick of Lybrack but I understand, on the basis of research carried out on my behalf in Edinburgh, that this is not stated specifically in the document. It is therefore not in itself proof of the date of the marriage.

Douglas states that Patrick Vaus of Lybrack married Margaret McLellan, daughter of Sir Thomas McLellan of Bomby in 1611. The document on which this date is based is a decreet (or deed) relating to the estate of Margaret McLellan's first husband, William McLellan of Gelston, and in particular to the settlement of debts left by him. It is possible that the date of the decreet coincides with that of her marriage to Patrick of Lybrack but it is not in itself proof of the date of the marriage.

An enquiry to the National Archives of Scotland to establish the significance of the deed led to the following23 :

"The date above [12 March 1611] is the date when the decreet was recorded at Edinburgh Commissary Court in the above register and is unlikely to be the actual date of the marriage itself.

"........ The decreet was obviously recorded and signed in Edinburgh as it appears in the Edinburgh Commissary Court Register of Acts and Decreets covering the period 10 July, 1610 to 21 January, 1612. Why it was recorded in Edinburgh, as opposed to Kirkcudbright, Wigtown or Dumfries Commissary Courts is a matter of pure speculation. Perhaps Patrick Vaus was based in the capital. If they lived out-with Scotland soon after their marriage then any legal documents would normally have had to have been recorded in Edinburgh."

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Research carried out by proxy into this decreet resulted in the following letter (extracts)24 :

".......this document is about ...... the edict raised at the instance of Margaret McLellane of Gelstoun relict of the late William McLellane of Gelstoun and Patrick Vaus of Librak her spouse for his interest. She was the only executrix in her husband's will, and had to pay off all the creditors as he died in debt, and she was wanting to be discharged from this obligation.

"........ The will was confirmed by the Commisariot of Edinburgh on 24 May 1605. ....... She was not married to Patrick Vaus at the time of the confirmation in May 1605, but could have married any time between then and 12 March 1611, the date of this deed."

As a result of the Vans Family Archive website a number of people have contributed unsolicited accounts which tend to substantiate the proposition that Patrick may have been married before the date of the decreet; much of this information comes, however, from unsubstantiated sources amid a jumble of garbled facts and wild speculation. However it is evidence of a family memory or tradition that Patrick of Lybrack was the ancestor of at least one branch of Irish Vans/Vances.

Linda Olson, from the USA, quotes25 "a personal account by Ethel Vance Dunn in 1961":

"... Elizabeth I ordered Father Pat Vans26 to renounce his Catholic religion ... become a Presbyterian: return to Scotland; take up his titles and estates; marry and raise a family - or else!!......[he] married another cousin descendent of King Robert Bruce III. They had a family of 15 children. The 11 daughters all married into the English Peerage. The first son, John- succeeded- ......the youngest son, Patrick of Lybreck was our next ancestor ....... Our ancestor, Patrick Vans of Lybreck was one of Elizabeth's "Undertakers". He had his young wife-cousin along, never dreaming of what his contract would lead to.......

"When Patrick's son was born in 1607, he was registered in Dublin Castle as 'John Vance', son of Patrick Vans of Lybreck, Scotland and Bally Houtra, Ireland ..... (returned to Scotland) There Jonny attended school as John Vance and finally college where he was ordained a Pres. Minister. He held a living (church) one year, near our ancestral castle, then married his cousin and to the horror of his parents he took his wife to Ireland, near his birthplace, to preach to the Catholic Irish, who had been forbidden the services of their Priests or even to hear a Pres. Minister......... His parents disinherited their son to save themselves... His will at Dublin Castle was signed Rev. John Vance, Rector of Kilmacreenan... the tape of the will bore the seal of the Vans of Barnborrough Castle..."

James W. Barnett, of the USA, traces his ancestry to a Joseph Vans, said by LDS records to have been born in Ireland in 1612.27 This LDS CD-ROM contains a supposed record of the birth of a son John in 1596 at Lybraugh, Scotland to Patrick Vans. However the same CD-ROM also notes the births of: John son of Patrick, at Barnbarroch in about 1610, and John son of John, in Kirkcudbright in about 1590. These two strongly suggest wish-fulfilment rather than fact, and cast some doubt on the authenticity of all information from this source.

From Colleen O'Shaughnessy quoting a letter from Jacquie Stearns28:

"Trace genealogy from a Joseph29 (who was a brother of our ancestor Patrick of Lybrack and son John who succeeded Sir Patrick) Vance of Wigton, Scotland. Patrick Vans of Lybrach was one of Elizabeth's "undertakers" She sent him to Ireland. He had a son born in 1607 he was registered in Dublin Castle as "John Vance" son of Patrick Vans of

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Lybrack, Scotland and Bally Houtra, Ireland. This John Vance became a Presbyterian minister, lived one year near our ancestor's castle then went to Ireland. The family disinherited him. He died in 1661. His will @Dublin Castle signed Rev. John Vance, Rector of Kilmacreenan. The seal of the Vans of Barnbarroch Castle was on the tape on the will, showing that he was that ilk whether they claimed him our not. He left a large family."

"Sir Patrick of Lybrack md. his cousin Margaret____________two sons born in Ireland 1605-16101. John2. George1610 family went to ScotlandSon John married his cousin and became a minister and returned to IrelandSon George went to Germany and married a poor girl. He used the Irish spelling of his birthplace--George died in Germany ......... He had two sons. His widow returns with his two sons to Ireland to meet John's group, the Vances of Cook, Ireland. (According to Balbirnie30 , John Vance of Coagh was the grandson of the Rev John Vaus of Kilmacrenan)

It should also be noted that, in the Ulster land grants of 160831 , Sir Robert McClelland (sic) of Bomby, brother of Margaret who married Patrick Vaus of Lybrack, received 2,000 acres in the same barony in Donegal (Boylagh and Banagh) as Patrick's own lands.

A search on the internet produces a Joseph Vaus of Wigton in Cumbria, probably one of the Vaus of Catterlen family. It must be considered as a possibility that references to Joseph Vaus actually refer to this family and not to Barnbarroch or Lybrack.

Some details in the various accounts coincide strikingly, even to the language used; however it is possible that they have a common source and should really be taken not as separate references but merely as repetitions of this original source. The LDS material may or may not be genuine and the research of any documentary proof of the birth of a son to Patrick of Lybrack (in whatever year) must be a priority.

What possibilities does this evidence open up and what conclusions can we safely draw from it?

It is possible, even likely, that Patrick's marriage took place some time before 1611; Margaret McLellan's first husband having died in early 1605, it could therefore reasonably have been in 1606, allowing the birth of John and George before 1610 when they returned to Scotland and Joseph by 1612. Note the coincidence that both Patrick Vaus and Robert McLellan had neighbouring lands in Ulster from 1608. Perhaps 1608 is also the date of the marriage.

If, however, Patrick is to have a son John in 1596, as per the LDS record, this must be the child of a previous marriage as it predates the death of Margaret McLellan's first husband. At this time Patrick was probably 20, so this is possible, even probable. His elder brother was married before the death of their father in 1597.

The use of the name Joseph would be a departure from all usual practice in the Barnbarroch family, where names were nearly always drawn from a small pool. However a Blaise and a Ninian exist as a precedent from earlier generations - and a move to Ulster might be the sort of event to spark off a new usage.

There is increasing and, I believe, convincing evidence that the Rev. John Vaus of Kilmacrenan

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was the son of Patrick of Lybrack and that Patrick had one or more further sons. Although this view remains unsubstantiated by any contemporary documents, it exists strongly as a strand in the family history as told by more than one branch of his descendants. His second son may well have been George, born before 1610, as stated, and his third, Joseph. (McKerlie32 surprisingly does not know the name of Patrick's wife, lists his children as "John, who succeeded and Margaret" and goes on to state that "it is more than probable that there were others, but the above are all we find mentioned" Of course, if any younger were in Ireland, it is reasonable he should know nothing of them).

There is, of course, a possibility that the Rev. John was illegitimate and that this accounts for the often repeated story that he was disinherited and shunned by the family. Alternatively, it may be that the estate of Patrick of Lybrack, when his heirs obtained it (at his death some time between 1637 and 1649), simply did not amount to much - and that later generations have somewhat embellished the truth of the story.

Of the possible variations, the most likely is that his eldest son John was born in 1596 by a previous marriage and was therefore just about old enough to become the rector of Kilmacrenan in 1617 or even (at a time when finding a livelihood for one's son may have been extremely difficult) in 1613. Until some definite evidence or at least a clear account preserved in a branch of the family is forthcoming, this is probably as far as the research can progress.

In his section on Lybrack McKerlie writes33 : "Whom Patrick Vans married , we do not trace, but he had issue:

John, who succeeded. Margaret, married William McLellan of Colin34 .

"It is more than probable that there were others, but the above are all we find mentioned. Patrick Vans died prior to 1649 ....... John Vans succeeded his father ....... he was followed by Patrick Vans of Lybrack, who, we suppose, was his son. We find his sasine on 6th December, 1691". Sasine was a form of property right in Scotland.

In volume 3 of "Lands and their owners in Galloway" which deals with the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, home of the McLellans, McKerlie gives no information about the marriage and indeed makes no mention of Margaret McLellan.

Though neither McKerlie nor Douglas makes any mention of such a thing, it is therefore a possibility that this marriage to Margaret McLellan was Patrick's second and that he already had a child John at the time of his marriage to Margaret.

Sir Patrick Vaus of Barnbarroch married his second wife Catherine Kennedy, mother of both Sir John of Longcastle and Patrick of Lybrack in April 1573. Sir John, born at earliest 1574, was married by the time of his father's death in 1597, aged at most 23; we would assume that the earliest likely date for his marriage would be 1594. His brother Patrick, born at earliest 1575 and presumably married after his elder brother, could therefore have been married as early as 1595, (the average age for first marriages of males in the family is 25, so 1600 would seem to be statistically the most likely age for his marriage) and could have had a son by 1595 or 1596. If this son of an earlier marriage is to be equated to the Rev. John of Kilmacrenan, this would make him between about 17 and 22 at the time of his first appearance in Ireland (according to Balbirnie) as rector of Kilmacrenan in 1617. While this seems, by our ideas a very early age for anyone in normal times to be appointed an incumbent of a parish in the Episcopalian church, those were certainly not normal times by 21st century standards, and his appointment is not ruled out by his age.

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In fact it appears from the record of the Royal Visitation 1633 quoted by the Rev. James B. Leslie35 that a Rev. John Vaux was appointed as Rector of Kilmacrenan in 1615, having been ordained priest in 1612 or 1613 when this young man would have been no more than 12 or 17 years old; but while in modern terms this would be completely implausible, a precedent exists in the Barnbarroch family: Sir Patrick Vaus himself, grandfather (or just possibly even father) of the Rev. John of Kilmacrenan, appears to have been no more than 15 years old when appointed Rector of Wigtown in 154536 . It therefore seems conceivable that the same could be true of the Rev. John; no doubt the gift of a church living was a way of providing younger sons with an income early in life.

Leslie's entry on the Rev. John continues: "? B.A. St. John's College, Cambridge 1605". It does seem extremely unlikely that our Rev. John could have held a degree from Cambridge at such a young age; but considering that he was brought up in Scotland at the very end of the 16th century, it seems very unlikely that he ever went to Cambridge or held any such degree at any time and it may be that the entry is flawed as indeed the presence of the "?" rather suggests. A search in a list of Cambridge students of the time37 has produced no trace of anyone of the name Vans, Vaus or Vance and we are inclined to discount this information entirely. If the main facts of the life of the Rev. John as reported by Balbirnie are true, it is however impossible that the Rev. John could have been the son of Patrick of Lybrack's known wife, Margaret McClellan.

The fact that McKerlie gives a certain Patrick as succeeding to the lands of Lybrack fits Balbirnie's assertion that the Rev. John's eldest son was named Patrick. However, it should be borne in mind that McKerlie was not sure whether Patrick was John of Lybrack's son or merely his successor as owner of Lybrack. There were after all (and still are) a great many Patricks in the family.

William Gillesland Vance in a letter38 to Mrs. A.V. Robinson of Seattle, Washington dated 21 March 1933 says: "William Balbirnie was at least terribly inaccurate - let me set this straight: Sir Patrick Vans (sic) of Barnbarroch had Sir John (of Longcastle) who succeeded, Patrick Vans of Lybrack, his second son, and Robert. He also left 11 daughters. Lybrack was an estate owned by Sir Patrick and was his provision for Patrick�Jr. ...... Herewith a record of Patrick Vans gent of Lybrack showing him and not Sir John as the first Vans in Ireland. He left a son Sir (!?) John Vans of Lybrack who in turn left Patrick Vans of Lybrack. Rev. John Vaus A.M. Rector of Kilmacrenan was the first Patrick of Lybrack's grandson. I have all the data from Barnbarroch Charter Chest. I have also the decree of the privy council (the Scottish Privy Council, which was more or less governing Scotland at that time) in which this Patrick Vans of Lybrack is given l,000 acres and ordered to build a "bawn"39 and establish upon his acres 36 inland Scots. his barony was called "Ballyhoutra" and was in the precinct of Bolaigh40 ."

William Gillesland Vance was himself a thoroughly unreliable witness - but we do not see what interest he can have had in spreading this theory unless he believed in it. From his point of view, if inventing details for his own social purposes, a descent from the eldest son of Sir John Vaus of Longcastle, as in Balbirnie's story, would appear to offer greater distinction.

He was at least correct in some details. A draft article by Mrs. Kathleen Neill (Director of the Irish Genealogical Society) on the Vaus/Vance genealogy, which she kindly allowed us to see, says "In 1610 Sir John Vaus of Longcastle obtained 1,500 acres in Downeconnelly41 a place in Donegal in the parish of Inver where several Vances are found settled in the latter part of`the 17th century, Boylagh and Banagh barony, Co. Donegal from William Stewart (brother of Alexander Stewart, Lord Garlies, and cousin of the King). The same year Patrick Vaus (or Vans) of Lybrack, parish of Mochrum, Wigtownshire, (younger brother of John Vaus, and second son of Sir Patrick Vaus of Barnbarroch) was granted 1000 acres of land in Boylaghoutra, also in Boylagh and Banagh barony, Co. Donegal .......... Patrick Vaus was obviously a relative of Rev.

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John Vans (perhaps an uncle)42 . As Patrick Vaus sold his property at Boylaghoutra in 1613, and nothing further is evident of (Sir John Vaus of Longcastle) it is improbable that either contributed to this name in Ireland."

During the course of my research, evidence in the form of a family history written by Ethel Vance Dunn43 has emerged of at least one branch of the family for whom the descent of the Rev. John Vance from Patrick of Lybrack is the current tradition: "When Patrick's son was born in 1607, he was registered in Dublin Castle as "John Vance" , son of Patrick Vans of Lybreck, Scotland and Bally Houtra, Ireland......(returned to Scotland) There Jonny attended school as John Vance and finally college where he was ordained a Presbyterian Minister. He held a living one year, near our ancestral castle, then married his cousin and to the horror of his parents he took his wife to Ireland, near his birth place, to preach to the Catholic Irish, who had been forbidden the services of their Priests or even to hear a Presbyterian Minister.......... His parents disinherited their son to save themselves. His will at Dublin Castle was signed Rev. John Vance, Rector of Kilmacrenan. the tape of the will bore the seal of the Vans of Barnbarroch Castle." Although there are inaccuracies in both this extract and in other parts of the text, it nevertheless attests to a surviving belief in this version of the family history.

Coincidentally another new contact44 cast some doubt on the above account by revealing that William Gillesland Vance had lived at some time with Ethel Vance Dunn and had persuaded her that he was the adopted heir to the Barnbarroch title. Mrs. Dunn's information about the identity of the Rev. John's father may well have come from William Gillesland Vance and should therefore be treated with great caution.

We had hoped to come to a definite and conclusion as to the identity of the Rev. John Vaus of Kilmacrenan and to prove our case beyond reasonable doubt. On the available evidence this is impossible and we are able to eliminate categorically only one of the three candidates to be the Rev. John.

There is no evidence other than Balbirnie's assertions that John Vaus, son of Sir John Vaus of Longcastle, ever existed and we can safely be assume that he is a purely imaginary figure at least until some evidence of his existence and of his supposed quarrel with his family is found.

The known dates from the life of the Rev John Vaus tend to suggest that he was the illegitimate son, John Vaus in Capenach, since this allows him easily to have become rector in 1617, living to a ripe old age and dying in 1661. It is, of course, possible that the Rev. John was illegitimate and that this accounts for Balbirnie's story that he was disinherited and shunned by the family. Alternatively, it may be that the estate of Patrick of Lybrack, when his heirs obtained it (at his death some time between 1637 and 1649), simply did not amount to much - and that later generations have somewhat embellished the truth of the story. The heraldic evidence is anyway strongly against this illegitimate John being the Rev of Kilmacrenan and seems to me to make his case impossible to support.

We prefer to believe that the son of Patrick Vaus of Lybrack remains the most likely candidate to be the Rev John. Whether he was the offspring of a previous and unrecorded marriage, whether the marriage of Patrick with Margaret McLellan took place earlier than the evidence of the decreet would suggest, or whether he became Rector of Kilmacrenan at a very early age it is impossible at this distance to say. However the arguments for this case remain strong and the tradition persists in some branches of the family. Patrick was known to have interests in the relevant area of Ireland. The evidence of the Rev John's seal is convincing. Taking all the above together there is no better candidate to be the Rev. John Vans than the eldest (or only) son of Patrick Vaus of Lybrack second son of Sir Patrick Vaus of Barnbarroch.

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Part 3: Early Vances in Ireland

A. The first Settlers

From references in sources45 we have studied and indexed, we extract the following pre-1700 references to early Vauses in Ireland

a. Vaus, Patrick - one of the original planters in Donegal - period therefore 1608-1610

b. Vaunse, John - served in Cromwell's army as a "1649" officer as Provost Marshal - period therefore 1649

c. Vauss Patrick, officer in Cromwell's army - 1649, grant of land in the Liberty of Limerick - 1668

d. Vause William, served in Cromwell's army - 1649, rank of Ensign - 1649, received land round Cork and Dublin - 1667

e. Vantz, Hector, estates forfeited by native Irish were assigned to him - 1688.

f. Vantz, Patrick, estates forfeited by native Irish were assigned to him - 1688

g. Vance or Vanss, Patrick, of Lifficulty, will dated 1697.

h. John (Vance?) (spelling of name not given) was mentioned in Dromara, Co Down - 165946 .

i. Balbirnie's information on the Rev. John's will47 dated 1661, which shows that the Rev. John had at least one son, William Vauss, two (at least) grandsons John and William, and a daughter Jane, married to David Cunningham.

Let us try to sort these out.

a. Patrick Vaus, described as one of the original planters: in view of the evidence given by Katherine O'Neill above, this can only refer to Patrick of Lybrack. As Patrick of Lybrack died before 1649, the other Patricks named in the above list must refer to one or more others of the same name. There are three Vauses listed as serving in Cromwell's army.

b. John, is shown to be a provost marshal in or around 1649. Presumably he cannot be either the the Rev. John himself, owing to to the latter's position as a clergyman, nor the son of Patrick of Lybrack if it agreed that the Rev. John was Patrick's son. The most likely answer is that he was a son of the Rev. John, born say in 1620, which would make him 29 in 1649, old enough to be a provost marshal in wartime, one would imagine. He is very unlikely to have been the Rev. John's eldest son because it is most unusual in the Vaus family for the eldest son to be called after his father. So we identify this John provisionally as a son of the Rev. John but not the eldest son.

c. Patrick who was a "1649" officer and had a grant of land in 1668 as a reward: we already know from McKerlie that Patrick of Lybrack's son John may have had a son Patrick (the Patrick who had sasine of Lybrack in 1691). As John (b) above has been equated to Rev. John it follows that Patrick was probably Rev. John's son.

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If Rev. John's son William equates to (d) William (only an Ensign in 1649), it seems very likely that William was younger than John (who in turn was not the eldest) and Patrick is therefore the eldest son.

There does not seem to be any need therefore to look further than the Rev. John's family for the identities of the three "1649" officers Patrick, John and William; and it makes sense from the point of view of Rev. John's will to consider William the youngest of his sons, because he is the only one mentioned, the others presumably reached maturity and independence. But we would stress that there are probably other solutions which could be devised to fit the same set of evidence. We hope to have given above a fair assessment of that evidence.

B. Sir Patrick and the ten sons

Let us try to test the strength of the strong oral tradition dismissively reported by Balbirnie48 that there was a Sir Patrick Vance who had ten sons all of whom fought at the Battle of the Boyne (1690) or otherwise in King William's army (presumably around the same date).

Let us say that the ten sons (if they existed) ranged in age from 35-40 down to 18 or thereabout in 1690. Then they would have been born between 1650-55 and 1670-72 say. Their father Sir Patrick would have been born between say 1620 and 1650. So "Sir" Patrick could easily equate to Patrick, probable eldest son of the Rev. John, since we have already worked out that Patrick would have been born in about 1618-19 or so (if his younger brother was born in say 1620. This incidentally gives a marriage date for Rev. John of 1617-18, again very early in life.

McKerlie was not principally interested in the actual lives of the people he mentions in his work; he was mainly interested in land ownership. It is possible that in the sources he consulted (in the case of the Barnbarroch family the Barnbarroch Charter chest and Vans Agnew compilations from that source), there was simply no reference to the Irish careers of this branch of the Vaus/Vans family, particularly as they were not in the direct line of succession.

Balbirnie describes the Vances being "chiefly confined to Donegal49 " during the 17th century, but the list above of early Irish Vauses/Vances shows that this idea is untenable. Travel both inside Ireland and between Ireland and Scotland was not all that difficult - the journey by sea to and from Galloway was being performed no doubt by hundreds or indeed thousands of people as a matter of course; in the 17th century exchanges of preachers were common between Galloway and Ulster, for example50 . So there is no question but that the Vauses could have spread well beyond the bounds of Donegal before the beginning of the 18th century.

To summarise the reconstructed Vaus early history in Ireland: Sir Patrick Vaus of Barnbarroch has - 2nd son Patrick of Lybrack who has - eldest or only son Rev. John - eldest son Patrick, 2nd son John, third son William. Patrick of Lybrack and his son John being the first of the name in Ireland.

There is one extra argument in favour of this reconstruction: it was not the custom in the Vaus/Vans/Vance family to call the eldest son after the father. This reconstruction does not violate this rule, whereas Balbirnie's suggestion that the Rev. John was the eldest son of Sir John of Longcastle does. Younger sons were usually called after the father, paternal uncles and maternal uncles.

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How did the idea that this Patrick was a "Sir" get currency? He was certainly not a baronet - the only rank whose title "Sir" is hereditary. Given his exploits both on the field (bearing in mind he was in Cromwell's army and was rewarded with a grant of land) and in raising so many sons for the Protestant cause, it seems perfectly conceivable he was knighted by King William, around the time of the battle of the Boyne. It is equally possible that this knighthood is a myth and that he had no such title51 .

This "Sir" Patrick has not so far as we can see been equated in Balbirnie with any of the Patricks known from wills etc. Who was he? Do we know where he lived (he must have had an establishment to raise ten sons during the 1650s, 1660s and 1670s)? Could "Sir" Patrick equate to Patrick Vans of Lifficulty? According to Balbirnie, Patrick Vans of Lifficulty was the first of the known Patricks to die. He made a will52 in 1697 and was dead by 169853 . Balbirnie says his sons were not mentioned by name in the will, which is a pity, but that it contained the names of his three brothers, John, David and James. He was therefore not the son of Rev. John, since their names were Patrick, John and William54 . No one has suggested that he also had sons David and James.

"Sir" Patrick, would have been nearly 90 in 1697 and his ten sons were born between about 1650 and 1672; Patrick of Lifficulty left the care of his four children to his brothers in 1697. He must therefore have been younger than "Sir" Patrick as the youngest of the ten sons of "Sir" Patrick would have been 25 in 1697 and no longer in need of care.

Let us see if we can identify all the ten sons of "Sir" Patrick using as a starting point the details of their wills recorded by Balbirnie55 .

a. Patrick Vance of Lifficulty had three brothers, John, David and James. This is the minimum list of brothers of course, not necessarily the total list. The will of 1697 was witnessed by Thomas and Alexander Vance.

b. George Vance of Raneel (parish of Inver, Donegal) died February 1711-12, leaving sons John, Thomas, William, George, Alexander, Hugh, witnesses to the will being Hugh Vance and James Vance.

c. James Vance of Drumgorman (also parish of Inver), will dated 1737, son Patrick, bequests to Alexander Vance and Mr. Patrick Vance, minister56 , as well as to his daughters.

d. David Vance, of Drumgorman, will 1739, brothers Alexander and Thomas, also Patrick Vance, executor.

e. Alexander Vance, merchant, of Londonderry, administrator of (the estate of) David Vance, parish of Inver, date 1743.

f. Thomas Vance of the Point, parish of Inver, will 1745, son John Vance, mentions a bond due by Alexander Vance, of Londonderry; three other children not named, Hugh and Patrick Vance, executors.

Putting all these items together, and starting with c. and d, this gives brothers James, David and Alexander. The James/David pair of brothers fits well with Patrick of Lifficulty, so this gives (if correct) Patrick, John, James, David and Alexander. As George had a son Hugh and a Hugh Vance witnessed his will, it is very likely he has a brother Hugh, the same Hugh as turns up in item f. one would like to think. The same argument goes for the Thomas mentioned in item a.,

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the name Thomas as the name of one of George's sons, and the appearance of Thomas of the Point in item f., who mentions Alexander Hugh and Patrick.

This gives as brothers Patrick of Lifficulty, John of unknown origin, David and James of Drumgorman, George of Raneel, Alexander, merchant in Derry, Thomas of the Point and Hugh all as brothers making 8 out or 10.

It should be noted that four of the above Vances all had land in Inver parish, Donegal, viz: George of Raneel, David and James of Drumgorman and Thomas of the Point. Note also that Sir John Vaus of Longcastle was given 1,500 acres probably in Inver parish at Dunkinealy in 1610. According to my reconstruction these ten brothers and in particular the four in Inver parish in the last part of the 17th century were Sir John's great-great nephews, his brother's great grandsons.

Alec tentatively identified William of Blenevoher as one of the ten sons57 There are several candidates for the posts of ninth and tenth brother, but we will leave that group for a while and consider Lancelot Vance and his three sons. We cannot explain why Balbirnie never identified Patrick of Lifficulty as one of the ten sons. There is no objection to it that we can see. The fact that Patrick of Lifficulty had three brothers two of whom had the names David and James - not the commonest in the Vance family at that time - as occur belonging to two of four brothers Vance in Inver parish, would seem to be a strong suggestion that Patrick of Lifficulty was one of the ten sons of "Sir" Patrick.

For a while we thought this Patrick must also equate to Patrick of Forthill, Co.�Longford 58 - but Balbirnie must have been right to steer clear of this equation if he is right about the dates, as Patrick of Lifficulty was dead by 1698, but Patrick of Forthill was alive in 1703.

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C. Lancelot Vance?

If it were not for one or two other exotic Christian names in the Vance family around this time - like Hector and Archibald - we would dismiss Lancelot out of hand as being an impossible Christian name for a Vance or at least extremely unlikely. We still think it is unlikely and unprecedented in the family. It is not even a Scottish Christian name, whereas Hector and Archibald are, and could be derived from maternal uncles. Moreover Lancelot is abbreviated to Lance and this gives the curious jingle "Lance Vance". It just sounds all wrong and did from the moment we first read about it. Balbirnie himself was left trying to equate Lancelot and William on his genealogical tables as sons of the Rev. John59 .

Research by Mrs. Kathleen O'Neill has unearthed a Captain (later Colonel) Thomas Lance, as to whom the source she quotes60 gives just the same information about his part in the siege of Londonderry as is given by George Washington Vance and Balbirnie61 for Lancelot Vance. Lance as a surname is unknown in Ireland then or now. We propose without further ado that Lance is a transcription garble for Vance - a name which was clearly already common among the Protestant population of Ireland in 1689. This Thomas Vance is said to have come from Coleraine, just as Lancelot Vance is said to have.

The only idea we have had as to how George Washington Vance got from Thomas Lance to Lancelot Vance is that he or perhaps an assistant having found a reference to Thomas Lance, wrote down (justifiably, something looking like "Lance? Vance?" in his notes, meaning "could Lance be a mistake for Vance?" and then when he came to consult his notes he mistook his own meaning or that of his assistant, and knowing that Lance is an abbreviation for Lancelot, created the personage Lancelot Vance by incorrectly expanding the "Lance Vance" note.

George Washington Vance himself raises the possibility of this sort of confusion62 where he states that the name Vance is wrongly written Lance in the Archives of Armagh and Balbirnie further says that he has doubts about the authenticity of a Lancelot Vance63 .

We find on referring again to William Gilliesland Vance's letter64 that he states as a fact: "Rev. John Vans rector of Kilmacrenan left Dr. Launcelot Vance (I found this in Irish records, the Barnbarroch chest has no record of this Launcelot but the Dublin Castle has plenty)........" We cannot explain how William Gilliesland Vance could find a lot of evidence for Lancelot when on the face of it there is good evidence that his name was really Thomas, and in any case he was not a son of the Rev. John (according to me and for that matter according to George Washington Vance) but a son of the main Barnbarroch family.

Assuming that the Vance at the siege of Londonderry was named Thomas and not Lancelot, who was this Thomas Vance? (Incidentally the next part of the argument is not affected by whether his name was Thomas or Lancelot, but we will call him Thomas all the same). The only known Thomas Vance of the right period is Thomas of the Point. But his will is dated 174565 , so that rules him out.

There is a most interesting statement in George Washington Vance (quoted by Balbirnie) on the ancestry of Lancelot/ Thomas: "The first of the name (Vance) who came from Scotland was a Puritan (sic, the Scottish equivalent would be Presbyterian) clergyman who came over to avoid persecution at home. He left two brothers behind, one of whom was killed by Mosstroopers, the other produced an offspring but I believe only one son, and either that son, or his son after him adopted the name Agnew".

This makes a good deal of sense when taken in conjunction with the available information on the main Barnbarroch family at that time (see attached table). John Vans Agnew of

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Barnbarroch (1724-1780) married Margaret Agnew of Sheuchan, took the name Agnew and agreed that the Vanses of Barnbarroch would use that name in future; they therefore christened their children "Vans" as the last of their baptismal names in order to keep the name Vans in existence.

The father of this John Vans Agnew was Colonel Patrick Vans of Barnbarroch (ca. 1694-1733) who was, according to McKerlie66 , the youngest of three brothers. The names of the other two, he did not know. Colonel Patrick Vans of Barnbarroch served abroad in the European wars in Germany and Spain and/or in France and in the Revolution67 and for several years from 1701 onwards in the Enniskillen Regiment in Ireland. So this Colonel Patrick is not easily confused with the other Patricks mentioned earlier.

The three brothers (Colonel Patrick Vans of Barnbarroch and his two elder brothers, names unknown ) were the sons of Alexander Vans of Barnbarroch, younger brother of John (I) Vans of Barnbarroch (d. 1696). This John (I) had a son, also called John (II), who predeceased him. Alexander Vans of Barnbarroch, died in 1709. His father Sir Patrick married in 1615, so John (II) and Alexander were probably born between say 1616 and 1620 or so.

Alexander thus probably married some time between say 1640 and 1650, so Colonel Patrick Vans of Barnbarroch and his two elder brothers could have been been born between say 1641 and 1660. These dates fit Thomas Vance's likely age at the siege of Londonderry in 1689, the earlier date making more sense, if he really died of exhaustion after the siege. It is hardly possible to fit in yet another generation, so we reckon that George Washington Vance's "Puritan clergyman who first came over about the year 1660 and lived at Coleraine, and had one son named Lancelot." is an inaccurate conflation of the arrival in Ireland first of the Rev. John Vaus, and secondly of Thomas Vans/Vance, eldest son or second son of Alexander Vans of Barnbarroch.

Patrick succeeded to Barnbarroch in 1709 by which time, McKerlie says, both Patrick's elder brothers were dead (Patrick could not have inherited Barnbarroch otherwise), and George Washington Vance says "Lancelot" was dead. Even so it is certainly arguable that on the death of Alexander of Barnbarroch his executors should have sent for John of Coagh, eldest son of Lancelot/Thomas, as the rightful heir68 . People and news seem to have travelled freely between the Ulster and Scotland at this period. It is possible though that Thomas was cut off from his family either by a family row or just through a failure to keep in touch69 .

There seems to be no objection to questioning the accuracy of George Washington Vance's version so far as the Puritan clergyman is concerned, while retaining the element of the three brothers since this is so close to McKerlie's version of the history of the main Barnbarroch branch of the family.

D. The sons of Thomas/Lancelot Vance?

George Washington Vance quoted by Balbirnie70 says: "the two younger accompanied him (i.e. their father, "Dr. Lancelot" Vance) to Derry. The eldest, who was then married, and settled in the town of Coagh, did not retire to Derry, his name was John, (he was my (i.e. GWV's) great grandfather)."

The eldest son of "Lancelot" Vance is therefore identified as John of Coagh.

"......... Of the two younger sons, one of them settled in the County of Donegal, and produced a family there, one of whose descendants became a Presbyterian minister in Belfast ...... The other son lived some time after the siege of Derry71 with my grandfather72 , in Coagh, until he

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obtained a lease of some land in Castle Caulfield, where he resided, and produced a family. His descendants are settled principally about Castle Caulfield, the Lurg and Dungannon, all in the County Tyrone, and these we call the Castle Caulfield branch. Of this branch is Andrew Vance, of Bridge Street, Dublin, merchant, and George Vance, of London, a Surgeon of great repute......."

The information on the "Castle Caulfield branch" is enough to identify it unequivocally with the Vances of Terryscollip and Drumherk, County Tyrone. This branch was said by a genealogist member of it73 to have been founded by

1. George Vance of Terryscollip(1640?-1758)74 said to be buried in Benburb churchyard,

2. son John of Drumherk (1677- 1759),

3. eldest son John of Drumherk (1727-1793),

4. sons George, a surgeon in London and Andrew, a merchant in Dublin among others.

This pedigree also says that number 2, the first John of Drumherk, had an elder brother William who died in 1774. This casts some doubt on John's reported date of birth, 1677; he would in that case have been born 97 years before William's death; William must therefore have been born in 1676 at the latest and aged 98 when he died and his father George must have been born before say 1650 and have lived to 108. However, if we take the death dates of all of them as being more plausible than their reported birth dates, the two brothers might well have been born between say 1690 and 1710, and their father George born between say 1670 and 1685. This makes the story that he lived for some time after the siege of Derry with his elder brother in Coagh rather more plausible as he would then have been a young man at the time, living in the family home until he took possession of a property of his own.

This pedigree contains a most serious error in its initial stages: it states that George Vance of Terryscollip came from a family of Vauses living in Wigton in Cumberland, (now Cumbria), England. There certainly was a family of Vaus or Vaux (the name is found spelt both ways) living near Wigton (Cumbria) in the 17th and early 18th centuries, but this is the wrong Wigton, - the correct town being Wigtown in Wigtownshire, Galloway, Scotland. The last connection between the Vaus family of Wigton and the Vaus/Vans family of Barnbarroch was way back in the 12th century in the period when their Vaux ancestors were establishing themselves in England and the Scottish Borders. There was indeed a George Vaus of Wigton born in 1640, he lived and died there and his death is shown in the Wigton parish records as taking place in 1731. No doubt his date of birth accounts for the error in the birth date of George Vance of Terryscollip given in the pedigree.

The best way to use William Vance's pedigree sheet is to assume that there was indeed a George Vance of Terryscollip75 , born some time after 1640 and died (probably) in 1758.

Having identified the eldest son of Thomas/Lancelot as John of Coagh and the youngest son with some confidence as George Vance of Terryscollip, let us now turn to third brother, the other younger son. It is said that this son settled in Donegal and that one of his descendants became a Presbyterian minister in Belfast. This information fits Patrick of Forthill and that branch of the family like a glove. We can eliminate Patrick of Lifficulty as we have already shown that he was probably one of the ten sons of "Sir" Patrick and was not the same person as Patrick of Forthill. It so happens we have evidence that Patrick of Forthill did come from Donegal at some stage, because Balbirnie gives evidence76 that his son Patrick was born in Donegal. A descendant of this family, according to Balbirnie, was a certain Patrick Vance,

21

Presbyterian minister in Belfast, recorded at least up to relatively recent times.

Balbirnie made Patrick Vance of Forthill one of the ten sons of "Sir" Patrick, but we think there is better evidence that Patrick of Lifficulty was one of the ten sons and naturally there cannot be two Patricks in the same set of brothers.

So the three sons of Lancelot/Thomas are identified as John of Coagh, Patrick of Forthill and George(?) of Terryscollip.

The letter, previously quoted, by William Gilliesland Vance, goes on "Dr. Launcelot left John Vance of Coagh and Sir James who became Lord Mayor of Dublin, and Patrick a colonel under the Cromwellian régime......." This almost fits our reconstruction of Thomas's sons - John of Coagh, George of Terryscollip (could be wrong Christian name, altered to fit the parish records of Wigton, Cumbria) whose descendants became distinguished citizens of Dublin, and Patrick of Forthill77 .

The pedigree we are proposing for George(?) is, of course, rather more distinguished than the one provided for him by William Vance, as George was, if we are right, the grandson of Alexander Vans of Barnbarroch, nephew of Patrick Vans of Barnbarroch and first cousin of the John Vans of Barnbarroch who married the heiress Margaret Agnew of Sheuchan. The Vaus/Vaux family of Wigton, though of distinguished pedigree originally, (like all the Vaux descendants) was of no more than yeoman standing in the 17th century. Perhaps this will reconcile those who have hitherto been relying on William Vance's pedigree to this revised version of it: see the attached genealogical table.

One thing that is puzzling about the above reconstruction is that no offspring are shown for John and William, younger sons of the Rev. John. Indeed we have no real evidence of what happened to John and William themselves. Rev. John's youngest son William could be the William of Aughavea, Ballyclug, Tyrone whose will is dated 171378 . Balbirnie says he "expects" this William was the third son of George of Raneel, but George did not die until 1712, so it seems unlikely that his third son should have died the next year - not impossible but unlikely, particularly as George himself died comparatively young compared to his brothers (1712 compared to 1730s - 1740s). We have said earlier that Patrick's ten sons were probably born between 1650 and 1672, so George was probably between 40 and 62 in 1712. But Rev. John's son was an Ensign in 1649, presumably aged about 20 or so, perhaps less79 and therefore born in about 1629 and aged 85 in 1713, which is certainly possible even in those chancy days.

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Part 4: Hugh Vans (ca 1699 – 1763) Merchant of Boston, and others

A new piece of information recently came to light which opened up a fresh line of research into the American descendants of the Vans family. The following record is on the internet at the University of Notre Dame, “Rare Books and Special Collections,” http://www.rarebooks.nd.edu/digital/colonial_american/letters/index.shtml:

HUGH VANS LETTER. 1731. 1 letter. A one-page letter written and signed by Hugh Vans (c1699-1763) of Boston, to his uncle Col. Patrick Vans of Barnbarroch (Scotland). Hugh Vans was a Boston merchant and author of several pamphlets on monetary topics, including An Inquiry into the Nature and Uses of Money (Boston, 1740). Much of the letter's content pertains to the ongoing dispute between the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the colony's Royal Governors regarding the Governors' manner of payment. MSN/COL 8506-1.

His uncle, Col. Patrick, was my 5 times Great Grandfather but there was no extant family record of Hugh. However there seemed to be no doubt about the authenticity of this so although the name of his father remained a mystery, his descent from the Barnbarroch family (and that of his descendants) seemed proven.

The text of the letter I transcribed (rather swiftly and subject to correction) as follows:

Dear Sir

My last to yow was of the 16th of Dece. ult together with a coppy of the same by another conveyance soon after and though the first miscarried the ship having been lost on the cost of Nova Scotia Government yet I doubt not the coppy gott safe to your hands and shall not now trouble yow wth another coppy. I have had butt one letter from the parts where Cus. Patt is and no mention of him butt their being a vessel I sent thither expected every day I hope then to hear. Wee had butt little news in these parts Only that as their were great disputes in our late Gov. Burnett’s time concerning the fixing a salary of £1000 sterling p annum on the Gov. present or for the time being that difference does still subsist under the present Gov. a native of the province and who was sent home by the people as Regent in this very controversy and now strenuously insists upon his Royl. Ma’s just reaction to him for the same to the great hindrance of the business of the Proce. these 7 months and as I believe they will stil refuse most people hope that of the Ministry as they threaten should throw it into Parliat that the other Plantations being mostly under difficult circumstances both as to Govert and Trade will use their interest in so wise an affair. Yow mest note the people readily complyed wth the quantum but not to fix it.

We are all in a good state of health blessed be God and (joy ------). Dutifil regards to Aunt and yow and our love to the family and I remain with great respect Dear Sir yor

Dutifull Nephew & Humble Servt

Hugh Vans.P.S. I canot forebear again recommending CousinPatt to your serious & speedy consideration.

Boston 14th April 1731 To the Honerable Colll Patrick Vans

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There is a good deal of information, unchecked by me as to it’s sources, at http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=wrandall&id=I0213.

In the Origin of the Irish Vances, Alec and I have proposed that Thomas/"Lancelot" Vans was the son of Alexander of Barnbarroch. According to this version of events, the father of Hugh Vans of Boston was therefore either the brother of Thomas/"Lancelot" or indeed was Thomas/"Lancelot" himself.

I considered another possibility: that Alexander was not actually the uncle of Hugh but his great uncle or even, conceivably, some other relation, to whom Hugh wrote as to an “uncle”. The text of the letter, which is signed “Your Dutifull Nephew & Humble Servt Hugh Vans” seemed unequivocal and, I felt, made it certain that he was indeed the nephew of Alexander.

As to other leads which could be followed up: the question of his birth seemed an obvious starting point. I found a curiously coincidental record at “Scotland's People,” (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk) of a Hugh Vans, born in Ayr in 1698 to John Vans, Merchant in Ayr, and Jonet Crawford. The extract of this couple’s marriage certificate gave no details of John’s parents. However by good fortune I happened to re- read the will of Barbara Vans (née McDowall, d 1744) widow of Patrick Vans of�Barnbarroch:

In this extract Hugh Vans of Boston is described as eldest lawful son and heir to the deceased John Vans, merchant in Air (Ayr).

He is therefore, as I had thought was possible, the Hugh who was born in Ayr on 9 Jan 1698 - and John Vans merchant in Ayr was the son of Alexander Vans of Barnbarroch and Margaret Maxwell.

Hugh Vans married Mary Pemberton Vans, in Boston on 18 Feb 1727. Marge goes on “Mary was the daughter of Rev. Ebenezer and Mary (Clark) Pemberton, and she was born 14 Apr 1703 in Suffolk, Boston. Hugh Vans and Mary Pemberton were married by Rev. Joseph Sewall in Boston on 17 Aug 1726”.

Their children (all born in Boston) were: 1. John (18 Feb 1727 - aft 1790 probably) no further info.2. Ebenezer (21 Apr 1729 - ) no further info.3. William (10 Apr 1730 - 1797) sailor and merchant in Salem. Married Mary (formerly married to (unknown) Clark and maiden name unknown, 1736 - 1770) and had 3 girls and William (1763 - 1840)� consul in France 1794-99; who’s wife may have been Lois Robinson.4) Mary (21 Dec 1732 -)5) Catherine (baptised 29 Oct 1739)

William may also have married Eunice (d 1790)4) Mary Vans - born 21 Dec 1732

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Marge Rice's letter continues

“This seems like an appropriate time to give you some data from my information sheets on Hugh Vans. LDS/IGI (and we know how full of errors that can be) shows Hugh Vans was born abt 1699, and "of Suffolk, Boston". He died 1 Apr 1763 "in his 64th year", and Mary Vans died 25 May 1761 in Boston. The will proven in Boston shows William Vans as an heir of Hugh Vans. Hugh was listed as "a prominent citizen in Boston, in 1746". He was a merchant, who subscribed to a publication called "Prince's Chronology" and "most of the subscribers were born before 1700" (this comes from New England Historical and Genealogical Review, Volumes 6 and 17).

“That in "February 6, 1758, in his old age, after a career of activity in his own, and in town affairs, he was adjudged a bankrupt", is stated in a booklet "Two Forgotten Pamphleteers", by Andrew McFarland Davis, which I found at a genealogical library in Wisconsin.

“Hugh was the author of "Some Observations on the Scheme Projected for Emitting 60,000 L" and "An Inquiry Into the Nature and Uses of Money" according to Davis. He was a Boston "merchant in good standing", who wrote on the famed Massachusetts Currency Controversy of 1720 to 1740.

“From Andrew Davis's 1910 book "Two Forgotten Pamphleteers", I copied the following:"The name of the family is supposed to have been at one time DeVans, and then to have become Vans, and finally the spelling has been altered in many instances to Vance. The suggestion of French origin for the family carries with it the idea that they were Huguenots. A hundred years later, a grandson of Hugh, who had inherited the pamphleteering instincts of his ancestor, gave vent to his feelings as a disappointed litigant by publishing the story of his grievances. He referred to his grandfather, Hugh Vans, as a respectable merchant in the City of Boston. An allusion to the fact that his ancestry were French Huguenots is couched in language too fantastic for reproduction as historic evidence, but the fact that he did so may be cited as a tradition as to the origin of the family." In the same booklet, page 17, Hugh Vans is quoted as saying "I was in Stockholm, Sweden, in the year 1718," and it states that in 1725 and again in 1726, he was elected constable, but was excused from service.

“I find that in 1994, I made myself a note (and other than PA Archives, I have no other source): "It is possible that this Hugh Vance was the son of John Vance of Paxtang (Dauphin Co.) PA, who died July 1734. Pennsylvania Archives shows that John died, leaving a wife Mary, and children, among others named Hugh, George and Jean. A Moses Vance lived in Paxtang and died April 1786 - I need to search more on this line.”

Since then, Marge has been able to pass on a copy of Andrew Davis’s "Two Forgotten Pamphleteers"; but it is not possible to be certain what he meant by "language too fantastic for reproduction as historic evidence". I wonder whether it was the absurd section in�Balbirnie's book where he claims that the Vans family is descended from the Lords de Baux and from Visigoth leaders80. Nor is there anything more about Stockholm and Hugh Vans’s business there 1718.

To whom does the letter refer as “Cousin Patrick”? The table below shows Hugh’s closest known Patrick cousins, each nephews of his father and of his uncle Patrick - in my estimation the likeliest candidates by some distance to be Cousin Patt. He had, as far as I know, no other 1st cousins and no 2nd, 3rd or 4th cousins called Patrick.

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Widow GORDONColonel Patrick VANS of Barnbarroch, MP & Jean CAMPBELL

1st Cousin1706-<1733PatrickVANS

Thomas (‘Lancelot’) VANS

1st CousinPatrickVANCE

SpouseParentsRelationship(Birth-Death)First & Mid NameLast Name

Of the above two, Patrick Vance was probably the second son of Thomas, the eldest son of Alexander Vans and Margaret Maxwell (Thomas must be presumed to have died before his father, before 1709 in other words, since he did not inherit the estate). Patrick is thought to be the Patrick Vance of Forthill mentioned by Balbirnie.

Patrick Vans was the eldest son of Hugh’s uncle Patrick by his first wife; little is known about him except that he presumably died before 1733 - otherwise he would have inherited from his father. The tone of Hugh’s postscript surely makes it clear that this Patrick is not the cousin referred to.

Presumably, one can assume that Cousin Patt was abroad somewhere, either in Ireland or elsewhere. Hugh’s father had another brother whose name is also unknown and this brother may also have had a son Patrick of whom nothing is known. There is therefore no conclusive way to know to whom Hugh was referring, but some reason to suppose that it was Patrick Vance of Forthill.

Clearly it is important now to find out whether there are any living descendants of Hugh Vans, particularly in the male line.

Furthermore, Hugh was not the only son of John Vans, merchant of Ayr. John also had 6 more sons as well as 6 daughters by Jonet Crawford:

1. Alexander VANS b. 16 Jul 1699 occ. “Sailor In Ayr” d. bef 1751 Orig. Ayrm 18 Nov 1721, KIrkinner, Elizabeth BLACK occ. Servantand had issue

1. John VANS b. 11 Mar 1722, Ayr2. Hugh VANS b. 19 Dec 1723, Ayr3. Alexander VANS b. 12 Jun 1727, Ayras well as 2 daughters

2. Patrick VANS b. 13 Feb 1703, Ayr, d. young presumably3. Patrick VANS b. 1 Jun 1710, Ayr4. John VANS b. 14 Jun 1712, Ayr, d. young presumably5. David VANS b. 16 Aug 1713, Ayr6. John VANS b. 13 Dec 1716, Ayr

John also probably married 2nd Jonet Cockburn and had a further son William (b 13 Dec 1722) and 3 more daughters. He must have been a pretty energetic man! So far I have been unable to trace his descendants any further but clearly they represent another possible source of Irish and American Vances.

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Families of Vans/Vaus offshoots, clearly related to the Barnbarroch family were also extant in Edinburgh in the 17th century81 , in Paisley, near Glasgow in the 17th and 18 centuries and elsewhere. The difficulty lies in connecting early records, in which family members are sometimes referred to as "cousin of the laird of Barnbarroch and son of the late John" or some similar phrase, to later records where there is no mention of such relationships. Another chapter of this work is probably necessary though in due course.

I have so far failed to relate any of the newly discovered Vans males to the forebears of American Vances that I know of but this remains an exciting line of research, a game for any number of players.

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Part 5: Conclusion

A huge amount of material is now available and becoming more accessible which may well help to unravel with some degree of certainty the complicated story of the Vans family and it's efforts to cope with the problems personal, political, religious and economic of a turbulent period of Scottish history, from the mid fifteen hundreds to the mid seventeen hundreds. Whether it will then be possible to confirm or refute Balbirnie's version of the family as part of Irish history in a corresponding and later period is another issue, especially since as far as I understand many records were destroyed in a fire. However, while Balbirnie is infuriatingly unreliable when dealing with the family in Scotland he may be a better source when it comes to more recent events since he clearly spoke to many people in Ireland and recorded stories which went back only a few generations and in which the tellers were perhaps less concerned than he was to show the old Scottish family in a flattering light or to amplify their connection to some aristocratic inheritance.

Study of large scale historical maps showing the whereabouts of all the baronies and lands mentioned might be a great help in unravelling such a complicated story if it could be allied to the traditions and records of land ownership82 .

All the sources of information from which we have reached our conclusions are liable to errors great and small though the Scottish Records Office has put online images of many original records which are an exciting and, presumably accurate resource. Of the others McKerlie is the most scholarly and painstaking, but he cannot be taken to be infallible; as far as I can tell his information is generally accurate but younger sons are sometimes missing and illegitimate ones not mentioned. One should not, in any case, accept any source without question, and these notes should be treated with due caution though we have tried to assemble the facts as best recorded. Alec, when he wrote his original persuasive essay, had the advantage of having no evidence concerning the date of the marriage of Patrick Vaus of Lybrack and was therefore able to avoid any speculation such as I have indulged in. I consider, though, that the facts as presented are the most complete and accurate available and that the arguments based on them are at least sensible and possible within the known data and I hope that further research may eventually clarify the questions that remain unanswered. At the very least I hope to have shown that the accepted versions of much of the story of the Vances should be treated with caution and that their history requires a great deal of further research before it can be considered complete.

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Appendix

For the benefit of readers we give the latitude and longitude of all the Irish place names we have been able to find on the maps available to us (or some other indication of their location):

Benburb 54.25° N 6.45° W

Castle Caulfield just west of Dungannon

Coagh 54.40° N 6.35° W

Drumgorman somewhere in Inver parish (q.v.)

Drumherk somewhere near Benburb or Castle Caulfield

Dunkineely (= Downeconnelly?) 54.40° N 8.20° W

Inver (Place) a few miles NE of Dunkineely. Inver parish is presumably named after this place

Kilmacrenan 55.05° N 7.40° W

The Point: A promontory known as St John's Point extends SW from Dunkineely and we would assume that the Point equates to this

Raneel somewhere in Inver parish

Terryscollip somewhere near Benburb or Castle Caulfield

Sources

as well as a number of private individuals mentioned in the text

Scotlands People, the official government source of genealogical data for Scotland, http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/

William Balbirnie, An Account, Historical and Genealogical, From the Earliest Days till the Present Time, of the Family Of Vance in Ireland, Vans in Scotland, Anciently, Vaux in Scotland and England, and originally, De Vaux in France, (Latin De Vallibus.)

McKerlie, History of the Lands and their Owners in Galloway, Alexander Gardner, Paisley, 1906.

Douglas, Sir Robert, The Scots Peerage, Ed. Balfour, Sir James, David Douglas, Vol V, Edinburgh, 1909

G E C, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland and Ireland, GB & the UK, Alan Sutton (reprint), 1982

Major William Gilliesland Vance, letter to Mrs A. V. Robinson of Seattle, Washington, USA dates 21 March 1933 - copy provided by a correspondent in the US.

William Vance, A correct pedigree of the Vance Family from the year 1640, 1882.

Mrs. Kathleen Neill (Director of the Irish Genealogical Society)

Rev. James B. Leslie, Raphoe Clergy and Parishes, privately published 1940, copy held at the

29

Church of Ireland, Representative Church Body Library, Braemor Park, Rathgar, Dublin 14.

R. Vans Agnew, Correspondence of Sir Patrick Vaus 1540-1597, David Douglas, Edinburgh 1882

John Venn, Alumni Cantabrigiensis, Part I, Vol IV, Cambridge University Press 1927

Decreet, 12 Mar 1611, Edinburgh Commissariot Register of Acts and Decreets, ref: CC8/2/42, held at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh

Robertson, John F, The Story of Galloway, J H Maxwell Ltd, Castle Douglas, 1963

A number of books referred to in the text are now available over the internet:

Balbirnie's Account, Historical And Genealogical, From the Earliest Days till the Present Time, of the family of Vance In Ireland, Vans In Scotland, Anciently, Vaux in Scotland and England, and originally, De Vaux in France, (Latin De Vallibus.) from Andrew J. Morris at http://www.genealogy.org/~ajmorris

http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~leighann/parishes/kirkinner/kirkinner2.html gives access to much valuable information including the volumes of McKerlie's History of the Lands and their Owners in Galloway, which deal with Wigtownshire.

"History of the Lands and their Owners in Galloway, Vols III, IV and V," P. H. McKerlie, Parishes of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, can be bought on CD from James Bell, 5 Drumblane Strand, Kirkcudbright, DG6 4EX http://www.kirkyards.com

30

1 Alec was a scholar at Cambridge University before joining the Intelligence Corps and the Foreign Office where he worked for some 30 years.2 Correspondence of Sir Patrick Waus 1540-1597, Edt. R. Vans Agnew, David Douglas, Edinburgh 1882.3 Barrow, G W S, The Anglo-Norman Era in Scottish History, Oxford University Press, 1980.4 William Balbirnie, An Account historical and genealogical from the earliest days till the present time of the family of Vance in Ireland, Vans in Scotland & England & originally de Vaux in France, Latin de Vallibus, 1854-1860.5 "Sir Patrick Vans", Concise Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 1920.6 Go to http://www.vancegenealogy.com/index.php for details7 Shown by the family bible in which he recorded this action and which is in the Vans Family Archive.8 William Balbirnie, An Account historical and genealogical from the earliest days till the present time of the family of Vance in Ireland, Vans in Scotland & England & originally de Vaux in France, Latin de Vallibus, 1854-1860, p. 289 Balbirnie, pp 21, 2810 P. H. McKerlie, History of the Lands and their Owners in Galloway, Alexander Gardner, Paisley, 1906.11 McKerlie Vol ii p 18612 McKerlie Vol ii, p 21113 E. Kane, Re: V-lineages - Sir John's bastard, 23 Feb 2007, by email; the record is indexed at indexed “Scotlands People,” http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk under the name Sir Johnne Vas14 “Scotlands People,” http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/, Wills, Birth,Marriage and Death records. 15 McKerlie Vol ii, p 21316 Inventory of Writings of the Estate of Barnbarroch secured by Kathleen Mason, Scottish Record Office GD99//3 items 414, 429, dated 1625 and 1629.17 Balbirnie p 47.18 The bend is the sash-like diagonal stripe across the shield, in colour gules or red. On this is superimposed the the silver star, known in heraldry as a mullet.19 McKerlie Vol ii p 23620 McKerlie Vol ii p 21121 Douglas, Sir Robert, The Scots Peerage, Ed. Balfour, Sir James, David Douglas, Vol V, Edinburgh, 1909. It has been stated that Douglas describes Margaret as the daughter of Sir Robert McLellan, 1st Lord Kirkcudbright, son of Sir Thomas; Douglas's text is however quite clear and the information given is unequivocal: her father was not Robert but Thomas.22 Decreet, 12 Mar 1611, Edinburgh Commissariot Register of Acts and Decreets, ref: CC8/2/42, held at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh.23 Robert Brown, Search Room Archivist, Historical Search Section, National Archives of Scotland, email dated 17 July, 2001 24 Alison Mowat MA, member of the Society of Genealogists, letter dated 18 September 200125 Linda Olson, emails dated Tue, Mar 27, 2001 and previous. Coincidentally another contact cast some doubt on the above account by revealing that William Gillesland Vance had lived at some time with Ethel Vance Dunn and had persuaded her that he was the adopted heir to the Barnbarroch title. Mrs. Dunn's information about the identity of the Rev. John's father may well have come from William Gillesland Vance and should therefore be treated with great caution26 From details which follow this is clearly Sir Patrick Vaus of Barnbarroch (died 1597) father of Sir John of Barnbarroch and of Patrick of Lybrack. Sir Patrick did have 11 daughters, though they did not marry into the peerage; and Patrick of Lybrack was indeed the 2nd cousin of his wife Margaret.27 James W. Barnett, letter dated 6 Feb 2003 and subsequent emails28 Colleen O'Shaughnessy, emails dated Friday, March 21, 2003 and previously29 There certainly was no Joseph among the sons of Sir Patrick Vaus of Barnbarroch. There was, however, an illegitimate son John, born before Sir Patrick's legitimate heir, who may be misnamed Joseph here. Alternatively this could refer to Joseph, possible son of Patrick of Lybrack, mentioned above.30 William Balbirnie, An Account historical and genealogical from the earliest days till the present time of the family of Vance in Ireland, Vans in Scotland & England & originally de Vaux in France, Latin de Vallibus, 1854-186031 http://members.aol.com/lochlan2/donega12.htm, Land Grants in the Precinct of Liffer, barony of Raphoe and county of Donegal, 1608 A.D., from Hill's "Plantation of Ulster"32 P. H. McKerlie, History of the Lands and their Owners in Galloway, Alexander Gardner, Paisley, 190633 McKerlie, Vol ii pp 236-734 The use of the name Margaret could be taken as a further tiny piece of evidence that her mother was also Margaret - but Margaret is not uncommon in the Vaus family at this time.35 Rev. James B. Leslie, Raphoe Clergy and Parishes, privately published 1940, copy held at the Church of Ireland, Representative Church Body Library, Braemor Park, Rathgar, Dublin 14.36 R. Vans Agnew, Correspondence of Sir Patrick Vaus 1540-1597, David Douglas, Edinburgh 1882.37 John Venn, Alumni Cantabrigiensis, Part I, Vol IV, Cambridge University Press 1927.38 No copy or full transcription of this letter is held in the Vans Family Archive. I regret that I do not know where the original is held and am unable to ask for permission to reproduce these extracts.39 A fortified farmhouse40 Rev. John could not have been the first Patrick of Lybrack's grandson unless Balbirnie's dating of 1617 for his being given the parish of Kilmacrenan is utterly wrong, as we have seen that even Patrick's son John could only have been about 21 in 1617.41 Same as Dunkineely?

42 Note: Patrick had a son John.43 Email from Linda Olson to the author, 27 March 2001, quoting a personal record, written by Ethel Vance Dunn in 1961.44 Email from Ann Rice to the author, 10 May 2001.45 Alec's sources are not clear here but include: O'Hart, The Irish and Anglo-Irish Landed Gentry Acts of Settlement and Explanation, see Records of Ireland (sic).46 I am unable to confirm that reference.47 Balbirnie p 2948 Balbirnie p 45..49 Balbirnie p 32.50 Robertson, John F, The Story of Galloway, J H Maxwell Ltd, Castle Douglas, 1963, p 13251 It was a reasonably common practice for the descendants to award this rank to their ancestors retrospectively without any basis in fact as a way of increasing the distinction of their own descent.52 Balbirnie p 30.53 Incidentally all these people seem to have been quite good at knowing when they were going to die with an uncanny tendency to write a will just in time.54 Or Patrick, Lancelot and William if Balbirnie were correct.55 Balbirnie p 31-32.56 Not Patrick Vance of Lifficulty then.57 Balbirnie p 32.58 Balbirnie p 32.59 Balbirnie p 65.60 Dalton's Army List 1689-1714.61 George Washington Vance, A genealogical account of the family of de Vaux or Vance, extensively quoted by Balbirnie from p 26.62 Balbirnie p 27.63 Balbirnie p 29.64 William Gillesland Vance, letter to Mrs. A.V. Robinson of Seattle, Washington dated 21 March 1933.65 Balbirnie p 32.66 McKerlie, Vol ii p 214.67 Of 1688-9 in which James II of England was dethroned and replaced by William III.68 George Washington Vance says Lancelot/Thomas left three sons, the eldest of whom was John of Coagh.69 Could this be the origin of Balbirnie's belief that the first Vans in Ireland was the rightful heir to Barnbarroch and that a family rift prevented him from coming into his entitlement?70 Balbirnie pp 28 and 36.71 1689.72 Error for great grandfather.73 William Vance - 'A correct Pedigree of the Vance family from the year 1640' a single printed sheet in genealogical table form - date 1882 (not now in the archive - JV)74 These are the dates given by the author.75 But perhaps his name was not George.76 Balbirnie p 31.77 'Colonel under the Cromwellian régime' is an anachronism and cannot be correct. Oliver Cromwell died in 1658; his son Richard succeeded him as Lord Protector of England but resigned in 1659. The monarchy was restored in 1660. The 'Colonel' may have been another Patrick Vance.78 Balbirnie p 33.79 We have not tried to find out the average age of Ensigns in Cromwell's armies in those days, but it was a very junior officer rank.80 “a branch of the Visigothic Balti, a race which boasted of having given a long line of monarchs to the Western Goths, with the formidable name of Alaric at their head. This was in the year 500 of the Christian era” William Balbirnie, An Account historical and genealogical from the earliest days till the present time of the family of Vance in Ireland, Vans in Scotland & England & originally de Vaux in France, Latin de Vallibus, 1854-1860.81 From which branch almost certainly descends William Vans Murray a notable figure in American history82 Period maps of relevant areas can be found at http://www.ulsterancestry.com/

Sir Patrick VAUS of Barnbarroch( - 22 Dec 1597)

Sir John VANS of Barnbarroch(ca 1574 - Jun 1642)

Sir Patrick VANS of Barnbarroch( - 1673)

John VANS of Barnbarroch(bef 1634 - 29 Aug 1696)

John VANS( - bef 1696)

John VANS of Barnbarroch(bef 1634 - 29 Aug 1696)

John VANS**(26 May 1640 - )

Alexander VANS of Barnbarroch(bef 1635 - 1709)

Thomas (‘Lancelot’) VANS( - bef 1709)

Unknown VANS( - bef 1709)

Colonel Patrick VANS of Barnbarroch, MP(ca 1678 - 27 Jan 1733)occ. Soldier, first MP for Wigtonshire after the Union

John VANS(ca 1679 - ca 1744)occ. Merchant in Ayr

Patrick VAUS(ca 1625 - ca 1679)occ. Merchant in Edinburgh, Master of Edinburgh Tolbooth

John VANS(29 Jul 1649 - ca 1699)occ. Master of Edinburgh Tolbooth

Patrick VAUS(ca 1625 - ca 1679)occ. Merchant in Edinburgh, Master of Edinburgh Tolbooth

Charles VASS( - 1706)occ. Sailor

Patrick VAUS(16 Jan 1659 - )

Alexander VAUS(16 Sep 1660 - )

Descendants of Sir Patrick Vaus

Andrew VAUS of Craigdhu( - ca 1661)

Alexander VAUS of Craigdhu( - bef 1674)

Patrick VAUS of Lybrack(ca 1580 - 1637 - 1649)

Rev John VAUS Rector of Kilmacrenan (probably)( - 1661 or 1662)

Patrick VAUS

George VANCE of Raneel( - 1711-1712)

Patrick VANCE of Lifficulty

John VANCE

David VANCE of Drumgorman

James VANCE of Drumgorman

Hugh VANCE

Alexander VANCE in Derry

Thomas VANCE of the Point

William VANCE of Blenevoher?

Unknown VANCE

John VAUS

William VAUS

Robert VAUS of Campford( - ca 1656)

William VAUS

Alexander VAUS of Barrachan

Alexander VAUS of Barrachan( - 13 Nov 1828)

William VAUS(1 Oct 1739 - )

Alexander VAUS of Alticry( - aft 1626)

John VANS(ca 1679 - ca 1744)occ. Merchant in Ayr

Hugh VANS(9 Jan 1698 - 1 Apr 1763)occ. Merchant and author

John VANS(18 Feb 1727 - )

Ebenezer VANS(21 Apr 1729 - )

William VANS(10 Apr 1730 - 23 May 1797)occ. Merchant

William VANS(22 Feb 1763 - 30 Mar 1840)occ. Merchant, Consul to France 1794-99

Rebecca VANS(29 Jan 1764 - 9 Nov 1846)

Mary VANS(24 May 1765 - )

Mary Clark VANS(17 Sep 1767 - )

Mary VANS(21 Dec 1732 - )

Catherine VANS(ca 1739 - )

Alexander VANS(16 Jul 1699 - bef 1751)occ. “Sailor In Ayr”

John VANS(11 Mar 1722 - )

Hugh VANS(19 Dec 1723 - )

Alexander VANS(12 Jun 1727 - )

Jane VANS(27 Jun 1725 - )

Elizabeth VANS(3 Feb 1731 - )

Patrick VANS(13 Feb 1703 - )

Patrick VANS(1 Jun 1710 - )

John VANS(14 Jun 1712 - )

David VANS(16 Aug 1713 - )

John VANS(13 Dec 1716 - )

Margaret VANS(30 Jan 1701 - )

Elizabeth VANS(15 Oct 1704 - )

Margaret VANS(22 Nov 1705 - )

Jean VANS(29 May 1709 - )

Agnes VANS(20 Feb 1715 - )

Barbara VANS(12 Oct 1718 - )

Descendants of John Vans, merchant of Ayr

ORIGIN OF THE OVERSEAS VANCES

an update

by

Jamie Vans of Barnbarroch

©2008 Vans Family Archive

Vans Family Archive65 Church Road, Gurnard, COWES, Isle of Wight, PO31 8JP, UK

jvans@dsl.pipex.com

1. Work in progress

I do apologise to those of you to whom I have already sent the following paragraphs.

I am starting to try to collate the Scottish, Irish, American and other overseas Vances in the hope of finally sorting out the connection between them/you and my family of Vans of Barnbarroch.�Many or all of the American Vances are convinced, by family tradition and through a book by William Balbirnie, that they are descended from Vans of Barnbarroch through an immigration from Scotland to Ireland round about 1600 - and genetic tests seems to indicate that this could be true of at least one group of these overseas Vances.�You may be familiar with the work I have already done on the Scottish side of the family which can be found at�http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~vfarch�and with my published paper, "The Origin of the Irish Vances".

My aim is to collect every (!) recorded Vance and try to piece together the entire picture, using all the available sources and taking into account the genetic data.

I should add that in former times Vans, Vanns, Vanse, Vas, Vass, Vaus, Vauss, Vause, Waus, Wauss and Vance all seem to be completely interchangeable even within a single document without any discernible pattern of use according to the date or particular branch of the family.

This is a new project to me and the data is not yet online but I plan to post it in due course and, if possible, demonstrate the connection to the� Barnbarroch family.

I am co-ordinating my work as far as I can with that of the Vance DNA research project - for further details of that, see�http://www.vancegenealogy.com/index.php. I would urge any male Vances to take a look at the website and consider having a DNA test done as this seems to be a potentially useful tool in untangling the truth of the matter.

I would be very grateful you would be prepared to share your data with me, preferably as a gedcom file to save me re-typing it all.

2. The name Vans, Vaus or Vance.

It has become apparent that Vans, Vanns, Vanse, Vas, Vass, Vaus, Vauss, Vause, Waus, Wauss and Vance are all completely interchangeable even within a single document without any discernible pattern of use according to the date or particular branch of the family. It is therefore not possible to eliminate any line of enquiry just because of the way the name is spelt. Anyone whose family uses any such name may be a Barnbarroch relative - and may not!

3. Rev John Vaus of Kilmacrenan

It has been rather cleverly, if tentatively, brought to my attention by E. Kane that although the arms of the Rev John as described by Balbirnie are not the arms of Barnbarroch, nor even (correctly according to the rules of heraldry as I understand them) a younger son of Barnbarroch, they are precisely the arms of another branch of the Vaus family, that of Vaus of Menie (also written Many, Meny and no doubt in other ways too).

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These are described on the website of The Heraldry Society of Scotland1 as:

"vais of meny was: Argent, on a bend Gules three mullets Argent"

Note the two additional spellings of Vaus, 'Vais' and 'Was', calculated to confuse the genealogist.

Kane proposes, with some justification, that the Rev. John may be a descendant of Meny rather than of Barnbarroch. The first mention of Vaus of Menie seems to occur in 1435. Five or six generations later, the male line came to an end when Margaret, daughter of John Waus of Many, married John Carnegie. A John Vaus, believed to be a Vaus of Meny and the son of John, Burgess of Aberdeen, was mentioned in the will of Blaise Vaus of Barnbarroch (dated 1456) quite a long way down a long list of potential heirs if Blaise should die without a direct male descendant.

A common ancestor between Barnbarroch and Menie is therefore indirectly but emphatically confirmed and I assume that the arms described express the fact that Menie was a cadet branch of Barnbarroch; it is possible, though, that it was, like Barnbarroch, a branch from the Vauses of Dirleton, presumably a more junior one since the arms show more differences.

In any case the common ancestor must date from the first half of the fifteenth century (as a cadet of Barnbarroch) at the latest and possibly from before the first appearance of Vaus of Barnbarroch in 1384 (as a cadet of Dirleton).

If I have understood the currently available DNA evidence correctly, it is not impossible that the descendants of the Rev. John Vans could connect to the Barnbarroch line as far back as this and probably only a wider range of results will establish whether this is likely to be the case.

Of course this presupposes that the story that the Rev. John was the ancestor of many Irish and American Vances is true; and since Balbirnie's account seems to be the sole evidence for this, this may be a suitable subject for further debate in the future.

(Menie is in Aberdeenshire in the parish of Belhevie and has been in the news since Donald Trump announced his plan to build a golf course on its unspoilt dunes).

4. Lancelot Vance

Alec initially proposed the theory that Lancelot (albeit not called Lancelot but Thomas) was one of two unknown elder sons of Alexander Vans of Barnbarroch and Margaret Maxwell. In the first place he said that if it were not for one or two other exotic Christian names in the Vance family around this time - like Hector and Archibald - he would have dismissed Lancelot out of hand as being an impossible Christian name for a Vance.

1 http://www.heraldry-scotland.co.uk/index.htm

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In fact there is a record of a Lancelot Vause!2 He lived, married, had twelve children and died in London in 1617. Although I note the rather attractive coincidence of his death date with the supposed appointment of John Vans as Rector of Kilmacrenan, I do not believe that this Lancelot is connected with the Scottish branch of the family (except from the time of the Norman Conquest, probably).

Alec went on "We still think it is unlikely and unprecedented in the family. It is not even a Scottish Christian name, whereas Hector and Archibald are, and could be derived from maternal uncles. Moreover Lancelot is abbreviated to Lance and this gives the curious jingle 'Lance Vance'". As he said, it just sounds all wrong as Balbirnie himself thought and he was left trying to equate Lancelot and William on his genealogical tables as sons of the Rev. John3 .

The conclusion that he could be the son of Alexander was largely based on a statement in George Washington Vance (quoted by Balbirnie) on the ancestry of Lancelot/ Thomas: "The first of the name (Vance) who came from Scotland was a Puritan (sic, the Scottish equivalent would be Presbyterian) clergyman who came over to avoid persecution at home. He left two brothers behind, one of whom was killed by Mosstroopers, the other produced an offspring but I believe only one son, and either that son, or his son after him adopted the name Agnew".

This makes some sense when taken in conjunction with the available information on the main Barnbarroch family at that time (see the chart overleaf). John Vans Agnew of Barnbarroch (1724-1780) married Margaret Agnew of Sheuchan, took the name Agnew and agreed that the Vanses of Barnbarroch would use that name in future; they therefore christened their children "Vans" as the last of their baptismal names in order to keep the name Vans in existence. It can therefore be safely assumed that any branch of the family using the name Vans or Vance is an offshoot from the tree before John Vans Agnew and his children. John, the first "Vans Agnew" was the grandson of Alexander, and this accords with what George Washington Vance suggests above.

However the work of the Vance/Vans/Wentz DNA Project4 would seem to indicate that there is a flaw in this argument. The male line down which my own DNA has descended is known and it is reasonable to assume that the subjects whose DNA is closest to mine are those who share the most recent common ancestor with me. Most, if not all, the tested individuals who fall into Group 1 believe themselves to be descended from Lancelot. Therefore, the oldest common ancestor amongst those Vances tested should be the father, or at most the grandfather of Lancelot.

But all the members of Group 1 also firmly believe that they are descended from the Rev. John Vans; and he is supposed to have been in Ireland as Rector of Kilmacrenan by 1617. If only the Rev. John had had a son Thomas (or even Lancelot); in fact they were Patrick, John and William.

The father of the first John Vans Agnew was who was, according to McKerlie5, the youngest of three brothers. The names of the other two, he did not know. Research has now shown that one of the two brothers of Colonel Patrick Vans of Barnbarroch (ca. 1694-1733) was John, who was a merchant in Ayr; and father of Hugh Vans of Boston. It is safe to assume that he must have been younger than Patrick, since otherwise he would surely have inherited. He was, after all, still living in the vicinity and could not have been easily done out of his inheritance.

2 Find my Past, http://www.findmypast.com3 William Balbirnie, An Account historical and genealogical from the earliest days till the present time of the family of Vance in Ireland, Vans in Scotland & England & originally de Vaux in France, Latin de Vallibus, 1854-1860 p 65.4 Adam Bradford Vance/Vans/Wentz Y-DNA Project, http://www.vancegenealogy.com/index.php5 McKerlie, Vol ii p 214.

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The three brothers (Colonel Patrick Vans of Barnbarroch, his elder brother, name unknown, and John of Ayr) were the sons of Alexander Vans of Barnbarroch and Margaret Maxwell. Alexander could have been born as early as 1620 but the first known mention of him is in 1635 and it has been suggested that he was born in about 1630. He could therefore have married some time between say 1640 and 1650 but the date suggested in the relevant IGI records6 (unreliable though they are) suggests a date for his marriage of 1674. Since his son John (merchant of Ayr) is known to have been married in 1697 and to have died in about 1744, a birth date for him of around 1679 is entirely plausible. A marriage date for his father of 1674 therefore fits the available facts quite neatly.

If Thomas Vance was to be of an age to serve as a captain or even colonel at Londonderry in 16897 it seems likely he must have been born before 1660. It is difficult now to reconcile him with the eldest son of Alexander Vans of Barnbarroch and it seems more likely that he was in some way descended from the Rev, John Vans.

5. David Vans and Agnes Jones

Another interesting lead that has come to light, amongst the Wigtownshire Vances, is the family of David Vans and Agnes Jones. David Vans was brought to my attention by a Canadian descendant8 and is of interest for two particular reasons: first, his descendants also include many of the Vances presently living in Wigtownshire; second, further research9 suggests that it may be possible to ascertain his relationship to the Barnbarroch line - and this, in turn, would make his male descendants into a kind of 'control group' to be used in assessing the results of the DNA testing programme.

The proposed line goes:

David Vans (1783-1819) was the son ofAlexander Vans (1747-1838) who was the son ofAlex Vans (1701-1755) and Magdalena(1712-1762)

Alexander (who m Magdalen Cooper) was said by Mckerlie10 to be the son of William, son of Robert Vaus of Campford and Rosina Agnew, 3rd son of Sir Patrick Vaus of Barnbarroch (who d 1597).

Clearly one or perhaps two generations are missing from this sequence; however those dates given appear plausible and I am eagerly awaiting the outcome of a DNA test on one of the living descendants. Further testing of this line would, of course, be invaluable.

The following are known descendants of David Vans whose issue I have not yet been able to trace; clearly it would be most useful to make contact with them or their descendants in an effort to find out more about this line and to obtain some DNA samples. They include many of the current Wigtownshire family. One would think that, from so many names, it must be possible to come up with someone willing to take a DNA test!

6 37. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA, http://www.familysearch.org/7 John Graham, John Michelborne, Robert Ashton, Ireland Preserved: Or The Siege of Londonderry, and Battle of Aughrim, Published 1841, can be found at http://www.google.co.uk/books8 Bruce McPherson, Vance Family, by email, 14 Dec 20079 Gail MacLean, Vans Family, by email, 17 Feb 200810 McKerlie Vol ii, pp 93 and 235

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First & Mid Name (B i r t h -Death ) Spouse P a r e n t s

Alfred A. 1873-1938 Joseph Robert VANCE & Hannah Bautenheimer ARMSTRONGAllan 1890-1890 James Armstrong VANCE & Ella Amelia COOPERAndrew L. 1904-1913 John B. VANCE & Emma J. PARKSArthur Farrel 1909- Joseph James VANCE & Zellah Beatrice FARELLAubrey J. 1908-1959 George S. VANCE & Alta W. BECHRAFTBasil Jean William Ernest VANCE & Elizabeth HARTLEYBasil Edward 1912-1976 Cecile Dell CLARK George S. VANCE & Alta W. BECHRAFTBrianne Nicole 1993- Bruce Donald VANCE & Lianne Grace STADLEMEYERBryan Bruce 1982- James Bruce VANCE & Mary Frances BOYLECharles 1895- George VANCE & Catherine McGINNISCharlie Daniel D. VANCE & LauraClifford Neil MacMillan VANCE & Mary Edith BOYDCornelius 1889- John B. VANCE & Emma J. PARKSDavid 1815- David VANS & Agnes JONESDavid 1844-1922 Minnie SMITH George VANS & Margaret LITTLEDavid 1872- David VANCE & Matilda LITTLEDavid 1885- Rose DESMOND James VANCE & Mary MacMILLANDavid L. 1893-1893 John B. VANCE & Emma J. PARKSDewey 1899-1899 John B. VANCE & Emma J. PARKSDexter Gale 1910-1911 William Alexander VANCE & Eva Mae WHITEHOUSEDonald 1920-1969 Joseph James VANCE & Zellah Beatrice FARELLDonald L. Edith KELLY James Byrd VANCE & Hattie Belle CROSBYDuncan 1887- Joseph VANCE & Margaret MACPHERSONEarl Gladys GLOVER John B. VANCE & Emma J. PARKSEdward Ruth PAYNE William James VANCE & Eva Della CUDMOREErnest 1891-1891 James Armstrong VANCE & Ella Amelia COOPEREugene Helen Henry Robert VANCE & Ada KELLOGFrank James 1936-1942 Frank VANCE & Marion DEFRAINGay Cleone 1909-1978 Raymond CAREY William Alexander VANCE & Eva Mae WHITEHOUSEGeorge 1881- Robert VANCE & Margaret Jane MORDENGeorge Alexander 1879-1931 George VANCE & Catherine McGINNISGeorge Edwin 1894-1964 Florence McNEIL James VANCE & Jesse COATESGlenn William James VANCE & Eva Della CUDMOREGordan 1898- George VANCE & Catherine McGINNISGrafton Angus 1907-1975 KLANN Robert VANCE & Jeannie Mae ANGUSHarold Dora Irene KELLY James Byrd VANCE & Hattie Belle CROSBYHarry 1894- William VANCE & Mary Elizabeth LATTERHoward M. 1911-1937 James Byrd VANCE & Hattie Belle CROSBYIan James 1976- James Bruce VANCE & Mary Frances BOYLEJ.R. 1913-1945 Samuel VANCE & Elizabeth A. CUDMOREJames Gladys CHAMBERS Robert Wallace VANCE & Gertrude STAFFENJames 1841- Joseph VANS & Sarah ALLENJames 1866- James VANCE & Susan GOODWINJames 1872-1872 David VANCE & Margarite GREENARDJames 1879-1922 Mary LOWE Robert VANCE & Margaret Jane MORDENJames 1883- Thomas VANCE & Elizabeth SMITHJames ca1899-1927 James VANCE & Mary MacMILLANJames Earl 1901-1920 James VANCE & Jesse COATESJames P. 1884- George VANCE & Catherine McGINNISJames T. 1866- Robert VANCE & Annie JACKLINGJames Weldon 1924-2002 James VANCE & Florance Ann LILLIEJean William James VANCE & Eva Della CUDMOREJohn Joseph VANCE & Margaret MACPHERSONJohn -1966 Isobella Rowan (Cissie) LINDSAY William John Forsyth VANCE & Mary

McMaster FINDLAY

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John 1831-1869 Robert VANS & Mary HOGGJohn 1864- John VANCE & Matilda REECEJohn 1868- Thomas VANCE & Elizabeth SMITHJohn 1873-1876 David VANCE & Matilda LITTLEJohn Alexander 1950- Bruce Allan VANCE & Ella Mae DOWNJohn D. Belva KITCHEN John B. VANCE & Emma J. PARKSJohn Douglas 1923-1969 Norma COMRY James VANCE & Florance Ann LILLIEJohn MacMillan -1959 Neil MacMillan VANCE & Mary Edith BOYDJohn T. ~1868- Julie Ann PURDY Robert VANCE & Annie JACKLINGJonathan Allan 1991- Bruce Donald VANCE & Lianne Grace STADLEMEYERJoseph 1855- John VANCE & Matilda REECEJoseph 1860- Robert VANCE & Margaret Jane MORDENJoseph 1866-1872 Joseph Robert VANCE & Hannah Bautenheimer ARMSTRONGJoseph 1868-1900 Joseph VANCE & Margaret MACPHERSONJoseph 1870- William VANCE & ElizabethJoseph H. 1872-1917 George VANCE & Sarah E. MORDENJoseph Jason 1894-1928 Vera HOLLEY James Armstrong VANCE & Ella Amelia COOPERKenneth Carol ROSEBOUGH Henry Robert VANCE & Ada KELLOGLeo Henry Robert VANCE & Ada KELLOGLewis Daniel D. VANCE & LauraMalver 1898-1898 John B. VANCE & Emma J. PARKSMilo ca1921- Roy W. VANCEOzzie J. 1874- Joseph Robert VANCE & Hannah Bautenheimer ARMSTRONGPeter C Findlay 1915- William John Forsyth VANCE & Mary McMaster FINDLAYRalph John VANCE & LilyRichard Henry Robert VANCE & Ada KELLOGRichard Dale 1939-2000 Fred D. VANCE & Alice BRITTRobert James VANCE & Louisa HUTCHISONRobert 1854- George VANS & Margaret LITTLERobert ca1859-1860 David VANCE & Matilda LITTLERobert 1866- Thomas VANCE & Elizabeth SMITHRobert 1869-1892 Robert VANCE & Margaret Jane MORDENRobert 1888- George VANCE & Catherine McGINNISRobert 1896- James Armstrong VANCE & Ella Amelia COOPERRobert 1908-1975 Agnes SEIGEL Alexander B. VANCE & Nora Dell SAULERobert Angus 1903-1970 Robert VANCE & Jeannie Mae ANGUSRobert James 1925-2000 Joseph James VANCE & Zellah Beatrice FARELLRobert T. 1880- Robert VANCE & Annie JACKLINGRussell G. ~1914- KOEHN William Alexander VANCE & Eva Mae WHITEHOUSESamuel 1849-1917 Joseph VANS & Sarah ALLENSamuel Goodwin 1879-1947 Edith SOMMERS James VANCE & Susan GOODWINThomas 1871- Thomas VANCE & Elizabeth SMITHThomas Dennis 1928-1937 Joseph James VANCE & Zellah Beatrice FARELLWilliam William James VANCE & Eva Della CUDMOREWilliam 1872-1901 Joseph Robert VANCE & Hannah Bautenheimer ARMSTRONGWilliam 1873- Robert VANCE & Margaret Jane MORDENWilliam 1875-1908 Flossie CLARK George VANCE & Sarah E. MORDENWilliam 1875- Thomas VANCE & Elizabeth SMITHWilliam 1880- Joseph VANCE & Margaret MACPHERSONWilliam 1880- William VANCE & Mary Elizabeth LATTERWilliam Alton 1912-1999 Margaret Julia DORBANSKI William Alexander VANCE & Eva Mae

WHITEHOUSEWilliam H. 1868-1868 Joseph Robert VANCE & Hannah Bautenheimer ARMSTRONG

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6. Vances in Australia

Balbirnie traced the following descent::

Further research, particularly in the online Registry of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Victoria, Australia11 , has lead to some 35 male descendants of the Rev. William Forde Vance's son, the Rev. George Oakley Vance, the first Headmaster of Geelong Grammar School. Unfortunately, this has not yet led to any surviving male Vance descendants; clearly it would be of great interest if someone of this line were able to take a DNA test from comparison with the other descendants of the Rev. John of Kilmacrenan.

6. Vaus of Lochslyn

The first recorded Vaus of Lochslyn (or Lochslin, in Rosshire) is John, second son of John Vaus of Barnbarroch, and born somewhere around 1400. His line cannot be traced beyond three daughters born around 1536-1540; however another John who died before 1609 was named as an heir to Sir Patrick (d 1597) and he left two sons, John and David - and of them, nothing further is known.

7. Other Vans/Vances males whose descendants are unknown

The following table lists some of the male Scottish Vances whose existence is proven but whose descendants are unknown. It is certainly not a complete list, by any means, as I have so 11 Registry of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Victoria, Australia, http://online.justice.vic.gov.au

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far collected details of very few names in isolation but have only recorded family groups. If nothing else, it demonstrates the difficulty we face in trying to establish a complete picture of the family. I apologise for any repetition of those who have already appeared in my list of Descendants of David Jones.

It is worth noting that besides the Vans families in Wigtownshire and Ayr there were also clusters in Edinburgh and Leith from whom an offshoot in the 17th century leads to London. In addition there were in Scotland ancient branches of Lochslyn and of Meny in Aberdeenshire. In England there were Vaux/Vaus families in Cumberland, Northamptonshire, Sussex and Kent as well as in London whose connection to the Vaus/Vans families of Dirleton and Barnbarroch probably dates back to the time of the Norman Conquest.

First & Mid Name Birth-Death Active dates Suffix Title Parents

3 other sons 1700-1760 Colonel Patrick VANS of Barnbarroch, MP & Barbara McDOWALL

Abraham -<1593 George VAUSAdam 1836-1870 Adam VANS & Jane STRATONAlexander 1658- Adam VANS & Jonet LYELLAlexander 1697- Colonel Patrick VANS of Barnbarroch, MP

& Jean CAMPBELLAlexander 1727- Alexander VANS & Elizabeth BLACKAlexander 1727- Alexander ->1626 of Alticry Sir Patrick VAUS of Barnbarroch & Lady

Catherine KENNEDYAlexander 1490-1550 Patrick VAUS of Barnbarroch & Margaret

KENNEDYAlexander 1480-1550 Robert VAUS of Barnbarroch & Euphemia

GRAHAMAlexander 1610 of FreughAlexander -1450 Willielmus VAUS of DirletonAlexander 1660- 1660-1720 Patrick VAUS & Margaret HAMILTONAlexander 1683- Alexander VAUS & Margaret INNESAlexander 1718- Patrick VAUS in Kildarroch & Helen

CUNNINGHAME in KildarrochAndrew 1681-<1699 John VANS & Rachel GRAYArchibald 1712- Archibald VAUS & Susanna CONYERSCharles 1831- Adam VANS & Jane STRATONChristopher 1763- 1763-1820 Adam VAUS & Mary WOODDavid 1713- John VANS & Jonet CRAWFORDDavid ca1725-1797 Unknown VANSDavid (1528-1533)David 1560-1630 John VAUS of LochslinDavid 1550-1620David ca1590- William VAUS & Agnes BAXTERDavid ca1597- Richard VAUS of Culquhirk & Unknown

CANTEbenezer 1729- Hugh VANS & Mary PEMBERTONGeorge 1671- Adam VANS & Jonet LYELLGeorge -?1570 1470-1570 ? Bishop of WhithornBlaise VAUS of Barnbarroch & Elizabeth

SHAWGeorge 1715- Archibald VAUS & Susanna CONYERSHenry -ca1613 William VAUS & Agnes BAXTERHew >1590- 1615 John VANS & Anna SEMPILLHugh 1723- 1723-1775 Alexander VANS & Elizabeth BLACKHugh ~1676- 1677-1737 John VANS & Rachel GRAYJames 1668- Adam VANS & Jonet LYELLJames 1709- John VANS & Margaret ADAMJames ca1841- Adam VANS & Jane STRATONJames -<1457 John VAUS of Barnbarroch & Elizabeth

KENNEDY

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James 1679- James VAUS & Jean HOGJames 1680- Alexander VAUS & Margaret INNESJames Sagewick 1812- 1812-1870 Samuel VANS & Elizabeth MATTHEWJohn -<1696 John VANS of Barnbarroch & Grizell

McCULLOCHJohn 1590-1670 Hew VANS & Elizabeth PURVESJohn 1640- 1640-?1700 Sir John VANS of Barnbarroch & Catherine

RONALDJohn 1682- John VANS & Christian PENSTOUNJohn 1712- John VANS & Jonet CRAWFORDJohn 1716- John VANS & Jonet CRAWFORDJohn 1722- Alexander VANS & Elizabeth BLACKJohn 1727- Hugh VANS & Mary PEMBERTONJohn 1500 Robert VAUS of Barnbarroch & Euphemia

GRAHAMJohn fl 1597John 1696John 1533 of Colingarroch Ninian VAUS Prior of IncheJohn C16thJohn 1500-1600John 1609 of Lochslyn John VAUS of LochslinJohn <1560->1629 1570-1650 in Capenach Sir Patrick VAUS of Barnbarroch &

UnknownJohn 1613- John VAUS & Jonet VAUSJohn 1624- Abraham VAUS & Marion DOUGLASJohn 1648- Adam VAUS & Agnes BROWNJohn 1673- James VAUS & Jonet MADIN or MAIDINPatrick 1703- John VANS & Jonet CRAWFORDPatrick 1706->1738 Colonel Patrick VANS of Barnbarroch, MP

& Jean CAMPBELLPatrick 1710- John VANS & Jonet CRAWFORDPatrick 1680-<1699 John VANS & Rachel GRAYPatrick 1509 Robert VAUS of Barnbarroch & Euphemia

GRAHAMPatrick 1534 Thomas VAUS in WhitehillsPatrick 1659- Patrick VAUS & Margaret HAMILTONPatrick 1673- James VAUS & Jean HOGPatrick 1677- Alexander VAUS & Margaret INNESPatrick 1715- Patrick VAUS in Kildarroch & Helen

CUNNINGHAME in KildarrochQuentin 1503Randell ca1788-1849 RN Lieutenant Samuel Barrington VANS RN &

Caroline RANDELLRobert 1616- John VAUS & Jonet VAUSRobert 1622- Abraham VAUS & Marion DOUGLASRobert 1679- Alexander VAUS & Margaret INNESSamuel 1730-1790 Hugh VANS & Mary PEMBERTONSamuel 1829- Adam VANS & Jane STRATONSamuel ca1590- William VAUS & Agnes BAXTERThomas 1704- John VANS & Margaret ADAMThomas 1450 Robert VAUS of Barnbarroch & Euphemia

GRAHAMThomas 1583Unknown -<1709 Alexander VANS of Barnbarroch &

Margaret MAXWELLUnknown -<1733 Colonel Patrick VANS of Barnbarroch, MP

& Barbara McDOWALLUnknown Richard VAUS of Culquhirk & Unknown

CANTWilliam 1722- John VANS & Jonet COCKBURNWilliam 1763-1840 William VANS & Mary CLARKEWilliam -<1610 1585William 1739- Alexander VAUS of Barrachan & Magdalen

COOPERWilliam 1765- Adam VAUS & Mary WOOD

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8. Conclusion

My apologies for such an indigestible tract! My excuse is the hope that some of these leads may strike a chord somewhere and lead to a breakthrough in the research.

Best wishes to all the family.

Jamie Vans of Barnbarroch.

Isle of WightMarch 15, 2008.

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