Clan Pringle
Encyclopedia
Armigerous clan
An armigerous clan is a Scottish clan, family or name which is registered with the Court of the Lord Lyon and once had a chief who bore undifferenced arms, but does not have a chief currently recognized as such by Lyon Court...
from the Scottish Borders.
Origin of the Name
According to the detailed book 'The Records of the Pringles', published by Alexander Pringle in 1933, the surname Hoppringill, or Pringle, dates from the reign of Alexander III of ScotlandAlexander III of Scotland
Alexander III was King of Scots from 1249 to his death.-Life:...
(1249–86) and is one of the oldest names of the Scottish Border region.
Pringle
Pringle
Pringle is a Scottish surname, and may refer to:* Aileen Pringle , American stage and film actress* Alexander Pringle , Scottish Conservative politician* Andrew Seth Pringle-Pattison , Scottish philosopher...
is a placename derived from a locale in the Parish of Stow on the right side of Gala Water, about ten miles North of Galashiels. Hoppringle lies about one half mile up from the bank of the river on the Southern slopes of a ridge separating the valleys of the rivers Armet and Todhole (now named Armet Water and Toddle Burn).
This ridge, with its level crest, abuts at its Western extremity on the Gala in a remarkably rounded knob some 300 ft above the level of the river, which winds around its base in a semi-circle. It is this ring-like boss which no doubt gives the place its name of Hoppringhill, as it is occasionally written in older records.
The first syllable is the name Hope, Hopp, Op orUp, derived from the Old Norse Hop - a haven, denoting a small enclosed valley branching off a larger one. The other syllables include ring (or rink ), and hill. As such names are always descriptive, Hoppringill means simply the small enclosed valley of the ring, or round hill.
The full name of Hoppringill was in use for 300 years. The last recorded usage in its full form is by a Chief of the Clan whose will, dated 1737, is in the name of John Hoppringle of that Ilk. Around 1590, however, Pringill, which had appeared rarely before, begins to become the dominant form, until around 1650, when it gave way to Pringle. This change closely follows similar changes in the spelling of words like Temple and Single, derived from Tempill and Singill. The final syllable was never actually pronounced gill.
Castles and Tower Houses
The original seat of the Chief of Clan Pringle was at Hoppringle and later at Torsonce on the Gala WaterGala Water
The Gala Water is a river in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland and a tributary of the River Tweed. It is sometimes known as the "Gala", which nickname is also shared with Galashiels, which it flows through. The "Braw Lads O Gala Watter" is a song about people from Galashiels.-Gallery:...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The Pringles also built: Smailholm Tower
Smailholm Tower
Smailholm Tower is a peel tower at Smailholm, around five miles west of Kelso in the Scottish Borders. Its dramatic situation, atop a crag of Lady Hill, commands wide views over the surrounding countryside. The tower is located at grid reference , just west of Sandyknowe farm, and is now a...
, Buckholm
Buckholm
Buckholm is a Farm near to the A7, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland.Places nearby include Abbotsford, the Bow Castle Broch, Clovenfords, Darnick, Eildon, the Gala Water, the Lugate Water, and Stow.Buckholm Tower is at the foot of Buckholm Hill....
Tower, Torwoodlee Tower and House, Old Gala House
Old Gala House
Old Gala House is a museum and conference centre situated in the Old Town area of Galashiels in the Scottish Borders. The building was originally built as a tower house in 1487 by the Hoppringill family, who had been granted the lands of Gala by the Earl of Douglas. In 1583, Andrew Hoppringill...
, Whytbank Tower, Yair House, Stichill
Stichill
Stichill is a village and civil parish in the historic county of Roxburghshire, a division of the Scottish Borders. Situated north of the Burgh of Kelso, Stichill lies north of the Eden Water and from the English Border at Coldstream....
House and the Haining House in Selkirk
Selkirk
The Royal Burgh of Selkirk is a town in the Borders of Scotland. It lies on the Ettrick Water, a tributary of the River Tweed. At the time of the 2001 census, Selkirk's population was 5,839. The people of the town are known as Souters, meaning cobblers.Selkirk was formerly the county town of...
.
The Pringles also owned at various times: Greenknowe Tower
Greenknowe Tower
Greenknowe Tower is a 16th century tower house, located just west of the village of Gordon, in the Scottish Borders. Although a roofless ruin, the stonework of the tower is well preserved, and represents a fine example of a later tower house, built more as a residence rather than as a place of...
and Craigcrook Castle
Craigcrook Castle
Craigcrook Castle is a well-preserved castle in Blackhall, about west of the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. The castle primarily of the 17th century, though with later additions. In the 19th century it was the home of Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey, and became known for its literary gatherings...
.
Clan Chief
The Chief of Clan Pringle is unknown at present. The Hoppringles of that ilk, afterwards the Pringles of Torsonce, on Gala WaterGala Water
The Gala Water is a river in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland and a tributary of the River Tweed. It is sometimes known as the "Gala", which nickname is also shared with Galashiels, which it flows through. The "Braw Lads O Gala Watter" is a song about people from Galashiels.-Gallery:...
, were the Chiefs of the clan and the senior branch of the family. The last Clan Chief was John Hoppringle of that Ilk and Torsonce, who died on 21 December 1737. His only daughter, Margaret, married Gilbert Pringle, 2nd son of the 2nd Baronet of Stitchill
Pringle Baronets
There have been two Baronetcies created for members of the Scottish Pringle family, one in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia and one in the Baronetage of Great Britain. One creation is extant as of 2008....
, carried the estates into that branch of the family (which were sold by the 6th Baronet of Stitchill).
According to Burkes Landed Gentry, John Pringle of Lees then became heir male, but his family is also is extinct.
However, according to the book ‘Records of the Pringles’, John Hoppringle of that ilk had a younger brother called James Pringle, who had two sons. The eldest called Thomas Pringle, and the younger called James Pringle, who was a wright and burgess of Edinburgh. It is yet unknown if they had issue.
Pringle Baronets of Stitchill
There have been two Baronetcies created for members of the Scottish Pringle family. One for the Pringles of StichillPringle Baronets
There have been two Baronetcies created for members of the Scottish Pringle family, one in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia and one in the Baronetage of Great Britain. One creation is extant as of 2008....
, in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia created in 1683. The second created for Dr John Pringle of Pall Mall, in the Baronetage of Great Britain in 1766. The present Baronet of Stichill is Lt-Gen Sir Steuart Pringle of Stitchill, 10th Baronet
Steuart Pringle
Lieutenant-General Sir Steuart Robert Pringle, 10th Baronet, of Stichill KCB DSC is a former Royal Marines officer who became Commandant General Royal Marines and who was seriously injured by an IRA car bomb.-Military career:...
.
See also
- PringlePringlePringle is a Scottish surname, and may refer to:* Aileen Pringle , American stage and film actress* Alexander Pringle , Scottish Conservative politician* Andrew Seth Pringle-Pattison , Scottish philosopher...
- Smailholm TowerSmailholm TowerSmailholm Tower is a peel tower at Smailholm, around five miles west of Kelso in the Scottish Borders. Its dramatic situation, atop a crag of Lady Hill, commands wide views over the surrounding countryside. The tower is located at grid reference , just west of Sandyknowe farm, and is now a...
- Smailholm, Scottish BordersSmailholm, Scottish BordersSmailholm is a small village in the old county of Roxburghshire in south-east Scotland. It is situated at and straddles the B6397 Gordon to Kelso road. The village is almost equidistant from both, standing 6 miles NW of the abbey town of Kelso...
- Old Gala HouseOld Gala HouseOld Gala House is a museum and conference centre situated in the Old Town area of Galashiels in the Scottish Borders. The building was originally built as a tower house in 1487 by the Hoppringill family, who had been granted the lands of Gala by the Earl of Douglas. In 1583, Andrew Hoppringill...
- Steuart PringleSteuart PringleLieutenant-General Sir Steuart Robert Pringle, 10th Baronet, of Stichill KCB DSC is a former Royal Marines officer who became Commandant General Royal Marines and who was seriously injured by an IRA car bomb.-Military career:...
- Pringle BaronetsPringle BaronetsThere have been two Baronetcies created for members of the Scottish Pringle family, one in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia and one in the Baronetage of Great Britain. One creation is extant as of 2008....
- StichillStichillStichill is a village and civil parish in the historic county of Roxburghshire, a division of the Scottish Borders. Situated north of the Burgh of Kelso, Stichill lies north of the Eden Water and from the English Border at Coldstream....
- Border ReiversBorder ReiversBorder Reivers were raiders along the Anglo–Scottish border from the late 13th century to the beginning of the 17th century. Their ranks consisted of both Scottish and English families, and they raided the entire border country without regard to their victims' nationality...
- Scottish clanScottish clanScottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
- Scottish clan chiefScottish clan chiefThe Scottish Gaelic word clann means children. In early times, and possibly even today, clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the Scottish clan. From its perceived founder a clan takes its name. The clan chief is the representative of this founder, and...
- List of Scottish clans
- Scottish crest badgeScottish crest badgeA Scottish crest badge is a heraldic badge worn to show allegiance to an individual or membership in a specific Scottish clan. Crest badges are commonly called clan crests, but this is a misnomer; there is no such thing as a collective clan crest, just as there is no such thing as a clan coat of...
- List of crest badges used by Scottish clan members
- Scottish heraldryScottish heraldryHeraldry in Scotland, while broadly similar to that practised in England and elsewhere in western Europe, has its own distinctive features. Its heraldic executive is separate from that of the rest of the United Kingdom.-Executive:...