Corrie family
Encyclopedia
The Corrie family, also known as the Currie family, was a Scottish family which was once seated in what is today the civil parish
of Hutton and Corrie, in Dumfriesshire
, Scotland
. The leading branch of the family were the Corries of that Ilk. Members of the family are on record in the Middle Ages. The family held numerous lands, but lost the lands from which they derived their surname, with the marriage of an heiress, sometime during the reign of James V, King of Scots
.
and Currie
, but the family derives it's surname
from the lands of Corrie, in what is today the civil parish
of Hutton and Corrie, in Dumfries and Galloway
, Scotland
. The place name is derived from the Gaelic coire, meaning "cauldron
", which was used in place names to describe a circular valley
on the side of a mountain
.
and England
. At one time, the family held the Barony of Corrie, in what is today Hutton and Corrie, in Dumfries and Galloway; Kelwood, which is now with the parish of Kirkandrews upon Esk, in Cumberland
; Comlongan, Ruthwell
, the Barony of Newbie; the Barony of Stapleton; Robgill; part of the parish of St. Patrick, which is now divided into the parish Kirkpatrick-Fleming
; and Gretna.
, remembered for his valiant deeds at the Battle of Largs
, in 1263. His name is recorded in the saga as "Ferus" and "Perus", and it describes him as a brave Scottish knight
who rode out through the ranks of enemy—the Norwegians—and back to his own lines to safety before being slain. Modern historians have tentatively identified this saga character with Piers de Curry. from Ayrshire
, who was a vassal of the Stewarts.
An early member of the family was Walter Corrie, who is recorded in the Ragman Rolls
. Another early member of the family is recorded in the Rotuli Scotiæ, in 1367-1368, where he is granted safe conduct by Edward III, King of England
—"Robertus Corry de Valle Annandiæ de Scot, cum sex equitibus". The Corries of that Ilk, and the Corries of Newbie, appear numerous times in Public Records in the 15th and 16th centuries. During the reign of James V, King of Scots
, the family lost their old seat from which they derived their surname, when a Johnstone of Annandale married the daughter and heiress
of Sir Thomas Currie. A branch of the family held Kelwood until the end of the 16th century, when it passed into the possession of the Charteris family
.
, Berwickshire
. Many notable Curries trace their ancestry to a Currie who is recorded in early records of the area—one William Currie (fl. 1609), who held lands called "Currie Parks". A son of William (fl. 1609) was William Currie (died 1681). A son of William (died 1681) was one James Currie, from whom descended James Currie, the biographer of the Scottish poet Robert Burns
.
Another son of William (died 1681) was William Currie (1628–1695). Descending from this William, in the male-line, was William Currie (1721–1781), who was a London banker. A son of William's was Mark Currie (1759–1835). Sons of Mark included Vice-Admiral Mark John Currie
, RN (1795–1874), and Sir Frederick Currie, 1st Bt
(1799–1875). From Sir Frederick descend the Currie Baronets
—whose son was Sir Frederick Larkins Currie, 2nd Baronet (1823–1900), whose sons were Sir Frederick Reeve Currie, 3rd Baronet (1851–1930), and Sir Walter Louis Rackham Currie, 4th Baronet (1856–1941). A son of the 4th baronet was
Sir Walter Mordaunt Cyril Currie, 5th Baronet (1894–1978).
A younger son of William Currie (1721–1781) was Isaac Currie (1760–1843), whose son was Raikes Currie
. A son of Raikes was Philip Henry Wodehouse Currie, 1st (and last) Baron Currie of Hawley
.
borne by the heads of the family was blazoned gules, a saltire, in chief a rose argent. The same arms were borne by the Corries of Newbie. According to Alexander Nisbet
, the Corries of Kelwood bore the same arms but differenced with a chief sable (as illustrated in Pont's manuscript); according to R. R. Stodart, they differenced their arms with a chief argent.
Like other families that were historically seated in the Annandale vicinity (such as the Johnstones of Johnstone, and the Torthorwalds of that Ilk), the heraldry
of the Corrie family resembles that of the Bruces.
As late as 1881, no coat of arms had been registered in Scotland for the names Corrie and Currie, although in England, the mid-19th century, Sir Frederick Currie, 1st Baronet was granted arms blazoned gules, a saltire couped argent in chief a rose of the last barbed and seeded proper.
The heraldry borne by the Corrie family has also influenced the heraldry of another family—the Lowry-Corry Earls of Belmore. The mother of the first earl descended from John Curry from Dumfries
, who settled in Belfast
as a merchant, in 1641.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Hutton and Corrie, in Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries is a registration county of Scotland. The lieutenancy area of Dumfries has similar boundaries.Until 1975 it was a county. Its county town was Dumfries...
, 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 leading branch of the family were the Corries of that Ilk. Members of the family are on record in the Middle Ages. The family held numerous lands, but lost the lands from which they derived their surname, with the marriage of an heiress, sometime during the reign of James V, King of Scots
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
.
Surname
There are numerous etymological origins for the surnames CorrieCorrie (surname)
Corrie is a unisex surname in the English language. The name has several different etymological origins. The name is found in numbers in the north of Ireland...
and Currie
Currie (surname)
Currie is a surname in the English language. The name has numerous origins.-Etymology:In some cases it originated as an habitational name, derived from Currie in Midlothian, Scotland. In other cases it originated as a habitational name, derived from Corrie, in Dumfriesshire, Scotland...
, but the family derives it's surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
from the lands of Corrie, in what is today the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Hutton and Corrie, in Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
, 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 place name is derived from the Gaelic coire, meaning "cauldron
Cauldron
A cauldron or caldron is a large metal pot for cooking and/or boiling over an open fire, with a large mouth and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger.- Etymology :...
", which was used in place names to describe a circular valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
on the side of a mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
.
Lands
The family has held lands in both ScotlandScotland
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...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. At one time, the family held the Barony of Corrie, in what is today Hutton and Corrie, in Dumfries and Galloway; Kelwood, which is now with the parish of Kirkandrews upon Esk, in Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
; Comlongan, Ruthwell
Ruthwell
Ruthwell is a village and parish on the Solway Firth between Dumfries and Annan in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.Ruthwell's most famous inhabitant was the Rev. Dr. Henry Duncan. He was a minister, author, antiquarian, geologist, publisher, philanthropist, artist and businessman.In 1810, Dr...
, the Barony of Newbie; the Barony of Stapleton; Robgill; part of the parish of St. Patrick, which is now divided into the parish Kirkpatrick-Fleming
Kirkpatrick-Fleming
Kirkpatrick-Fleming is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. It is located around north-west of Gretna, and west of Annan, between the Kirtle Water and the A74 motorway....
; and Gretna.
History
An early member of the family may be recorded in Hákonar saga HákonarsonarHákonar saga Hákonarsonar
Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar is an Old Norse kings' saga, telling the story of the life and reign of King Haakon Haakonarson of Norway. The saga was written by the Icelandic historian and chieftain Sturla Þórðarson, in the 1260s...
, remembered for his valiant deeds at the Battle of Largs
Battle of Largs
The Battle of Largs was an engagement fought between the armies of Norway and Scotland near the present-day town of Largs in North Ayrshire on the Firth of Clyde in Scotland on 2 October 1263. It was the most important military engagement of the Scottish-Norwegian War. The Norwegian forces were...
, in 1263. His name is recorded in the saga as "Ferus" and "Perus", and it describes him as a brave Scottish knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
who rode out through the ranks of enemy—the Norwegians—and back to his own lines to safety before being slain. Modern historians have tentatively identified this saga character with Piers de Curry. from Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
, who was a vassal of the Stewarts.
An early member of the family was Walter Corrie, who is recorded in the Ragman Rolls
Ragman Rolls
Ragman Rolls refers to the collection of instruments by which the nobility and gentry of Scotland subscribed allegiance to King Edward I of England, during the time between the Conference of Norham in May 1291 and the final award in favor of Baliol in November 1292; and again in 1296...
. Another early member of the family is recorded in the Rotuli Scotiæ, in 1367-1368, where he is granted safe conduct by Edward III, King of England
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
—"Robertus Corry de Valle Annandiæ de Scot, cum sex equitibus". The Corries of that Ilk, and the Corries of Newbie, appear numerous times in Public Records in the 15th and 16th centuries. During the reign of James V, King of Scots
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
, the family lost their old seat from which they derived their surname, when a Johnstone of Annandale married the daughter and heiress
Beneficiary
A beneficiary in the broadest sense is a natural person or other legal entity who receives money or other benefits from a benefactor. For example: The beneficiary of a life insurance policy, is the person who receives the payment of the amount of insurance after the death of the insured...
of Sir Thomas Currie. A branch of the family held Kelwood until the end of the 16th century, when it passed into the possession of the Charteris family
Clan Charteris
-Origins of the Name:Chartres, the French city famed for its cathedral, is claimed as the origin of this name. William, a son of the Lord of Chartres, is said to have come to England with the Norman Conquest, and his son or grandson came north to Scotland with the retinue of David I...
.
Possible descendants of the family
A branch of the Corrie family settled in DunsDuns
Duns is the county town of the historic county of Berwickshire, within the Scottish Borders.-Early history:Duns law, the original site of the town of Duns, has the remains of an Iron Age hillfort at its summit...
, Berwickshire
Berwickshire
Berwickshire or the County of Berwick is a registration county, a committee area of the Scottish Borders Council, and a lieutenancy area of Scotland, on the border with England. The town after which it is named—Berwick-upon-Tweed—was lost by Scotland to England in 1482...
. Many notable Curries trace their ancestry to a Currie who is recorded in early records of the area—one William Currie (fl. 1609), who held lands called "Currie Parks". A son of William (fl. 1609) was William Currie (died 1681). A son of William (died 1681) was one James Currie, from whom descended James Currie, the biographer of the Scottish poet Robert Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
.
Another son of William (died 1681) was William Currie (1628–1695). Descending from this William, in the male-line, was William Currie (1721–1781), who was a London banker. A son of William's was Mark Currie (1759–1835). Sons of Mark included Vice-Admiral Mark John Currie
Mark John Currie
Captain Mark John Currie RN played a significant role in the exploration of Australia and the foundation of the Swan River Colony, later named 'Western Australia'....
, RN (1795–1874), and Sir Frederick Currie, 1st Bt
Sir Frederick Currie, 1st Baronet
Sir Frederick Currie, 1st Baronet was an English diplomat.He was educated at Charterhouse and had a distinguished career in the British East India Company and the Indian Civil Service...
(1799–1875). From Sir Frederick descend the Currie Baronets
Currie Baronets
The Currie Baronetcy is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 11 January 1847 for Frederick Currie, Foreign Secretary to the Indian Government and a member of the Supreme Council of India...
—whose son was Sir Frederick Larkins Currie, 2nd Baronet (1823–1900), whose sons were Sir Frederick Reeve Currie, 3rd Baronet (1851–1930), and Sir Walter Louis Rackham Currie, 4th Baronet (1856–1941). A son of the 4th baronet was
Sir Walter Mordaunt Cyril Currie, 5th Baronet (1894–1978).
A younger son of William Currie (1721–1781) was Isaac Currie (1760–1843), whose son was Raikes Currie
Raikes Currie
Raikes Currie was Member of Parliament for Northampton from 1837 to 1857. He was a partner of the bank Curries & Co, Cornhill, City of London, and had several interests in the newly developing colony of South Australia...
. A son of Raikes was Philip Henry Wodehouse Currie, 1st (and last) Baron Currie of Hawley
Philip Currie, 1st Baron Currie
Philip Henry Wodehouse Currie, 1st Baron Currie GCB , known as Sir Philip Currie between 1885 and 1899, was a British diplomat. He was Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1893 to 1898 and Ambassador to Italy from 1898 to 1902.-Background and education:Currie was the son of Raikes Currie, Member...
.
Heraldry
The coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
borne by the heads of the family was blazoned gules, a saltire, in chief a rose argent. The same arms were borne by the Corries of Newbie. According to Alexander Nisbet
Alexander Nisbet
Alexander Nisbet is one of the most important authors on Scottish heraldry. He is still much-cited, and his publications are still in print after nearly 300 years....
, the Corries of Kelwood bore the same arms but differenced with a chief sable (as illustrated in Pont's manuscript); according to R. R. Stodart, they differenced their arms with a chief argent.
Like other families that were historically seated in the Annandale vicinity (such as the Johnstones of Johnstone, and the Torthorwalds of that Ilk), the heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
of the Corrie family resembles that of the Bruces.
As late as 1881, no coat of arms had been registered in Scotland for the names Corrie and Currie, although in England, the mid-19th century, Sir Frederick Currie, 1st Baronet was granted arms blazoned gules, a saltire couped argent in chief a rose of the last barbed and seeded proper.
The heraldry borne by the Corrie family has also influenced the heraldry of another family—the Lowry-Corry Earls of Belmore. The mother of the first earl descended from John Curry from Dumfries
Dumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
, who settled in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
as a merchant, in 1641.