Arms Intro
THE BARONY OF
Poulton

Midlothian | 1726

Poulton or Polton is a village in Midlothian, lying beside the River North Esk to the south of Edinburgh. The name is derived from the Old Scots for ‘farm by a pool.’

Barony of Poltoun Arms, History of Scotland, Baronage History and Heraldry, Scottish Heraldic Heritage
History 1
An early reference we have to the area is Sir William de Polton who is in mentioned in a charter of 1300 and may have held the land.
In 1303, the Battle of Roslin was fought nearby between the Scots and English during the Wars of Independence.

Around 1400 the lands of Poulton were acquired by the Ramsay family who had become powerful by supporting the victorious Robert the Bruce during the wars. Sometime before the sixteenth century they built a house at Poulton. In 1579, a complaint was raised against the Ramsays by Richard Abercrombie, who owned land in Poulton and claimed that members of the family had been raiding his land. The Ramsays continued to hold Poulton until 1672 when it was sold.

Barony of Balvaird, 1896 map Perth and Clackmannan

1907 OS map Edinburghshire VIII.13. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland. (CC-BY NLS)

History 2
In 1711, Sir William Calderwood, an advocate and deputy sheriff of Edinburgh, bought Poulton.
When he was elevated to the Court of Session that year, he took the title Lord Polton.

His son Thomas inherited his father’s estates. Following his marriage, Thomas assigned Poulton to his wife Margaret, who was a noted diarist whose writings survive to this day. Poulton was inherited by their son, William Calderwood of Polton, who was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Horse Guards. William was succeeded by his sister Anne, who was married to James Durham of Largo.

Barony of Balvaird, 1896 map Perth and Clackmannan

Stubble and Pines © 2017 Anne Burgess (CC BY-SA 2.0)

History 3
Upon inheriting the estates, she commissioned the now famous architect Robert Adam to enlarge and modernise Polton House in the fashion of the day.
She was succeeded in Poulton by her second son, Thomas Durham Calderwood of Polton,

who served in the British armed forces, as did many members of the family. The most distinguished of these was Vice Admiral Sir Philip Charles Henderson Calderwood Durham of Fordel, Polton and Largo. Sir Philip was involved throughout the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and is known for taking the first French Tricolour in 1793, and in 1815 for ordering the taking down of the French colours at Guadaloupe, the last of the war. He captained the Defiance at the Battle of Trafalgar, and was a pallbearer at Lord Nelson’s funeral before finishing his career as Commander-in-Chief of Britain’s most important naval base at Portsmouth.

History 4
Sir Philip’s niece, Lilias Durham Calderwood of Polton,
had married Robert Dundas of Arniston, in 1822.

Her uncle agreed on her marriage that she would hold the lands and estate of Polton, which was then inherited by their descendants. Robert Dundas of Arniston was a Justice of the Peace, and was made a Baronet in 1898. His son Robert, 2nd Baronet was also a JP, and served in the British Army, including in Egypt in the 1880s and the Boer War, rising to become a Lieutenant Colonel. He was succeeded by his brother, Henry Herbert Philip Dundas, 3rd Baronet, who was a Major in the army.

Arms Intro
History 1
History 2
History 3
History 4
Arms Intro
Barony of Poltoun Arms, History of Scotland, Baronage History and Heraldry, Scottish Heraldic Heritage
THE BARONY OF
Poulton

Midlothian | 1726

Poulton or Polton is a village in Midlothian, lying beside the River North Esk to the south of Edinburgh. The name is derived from the Old Scots for ‘farm by a pool.’

Barony of Balvaird, 1896 map Perth and Clackmannan

1907 OS map Edinburghshire VIII.13. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland. (CC-BY NLS)

History 1
An early reference we have to the area is Sir William de Polton who is in mentioned in a charter of 1300 and may have held the land.
In 1303, the Battle of Roslin was fought nearby between the Scots and English during the Wars of Independence.

Around 1400 the lands of Poulton were acquired by the Ramsay family who had become powerful by supporting the victorious Robert the Bruce during the wars. Sometime before the sixteenth century they built a house at Poulton. In 1579, a complaint was raised against the Ramsays by Richard Abercrombie, who owned land in Poulton and claimed that members of the family had been raiding his land. The Ramsays continued to hold Poulton until 1672 when it was sold.

History 2
In 1711, Sir William Calderwood, an advocate and deputy sheriff of Edinburgh, bought Poulton.
When he was elevated to the Court of Session that year, he took the title Lord Polton.

His son Thomas inherited his father’s estates. Following his marriage, Thomas assigned Poulton to his wife Margaret, who was a noted diarist whose writings survive to this day. Poulton was inherited by their son, William Calderwood of Polton, who was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Horse Guards. William was succeeded by his sister Anne, who was married to James Durham of Largo.

Barony of Balvaird, 1896 map Perth and Clackmannan

Stubble and Pines © 2017 Anne Burgess (CC BY-SA 2.0)

History 3
Upon inheriting the estates, she commissioned the now famous architect Robert Adam to enlarge and modernise Polton House in the fashion of the day.
She was succeeded in Poulton by her second son, Thomas Durham Calderwood of Polton,

who served in the British armed forces, as did many members of the family. The most distinguished of these was Vice Admiral Sir Philip Charles Henderson Calderwood Durham of Fordel, Polton and Largo. Sir Philip was involved throughout the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and is known for taking the first French Tricolour in 1793, and in 1815 for ordering the taking down of the French colours at Guadaloupe, the last of the war. He captained the Defiance at the Battle of Trafalgar, and was a pallbearer at Lord Nelson’s funeral before finishing his career as Commander-in-Chief of Britain’s most important naval base at Portsmouth.

Barony of Balvaird, 1896 map Perth and Clackmannan
History 4
Sir Philip’s niece, Lilias Durham Calderwood of Polton,
had married Robert Dundas of Arniston, in 1822.

Her uncle agreed on her marriage that she would hold the lands and estate of Polton, which was then inherited by their descendants. Robert Dundas of Arniston was a Justice of the Peace, and was made a Baronet in 1898. His son Robert, 2nd Baronet was also a JP, and served in the British Army, including in Egypt in the 1880s and the Boer War, rising to become a Lieutenant Colonel. He was succeeded by his brother, Henry Herbert Philip Dundas, 3rd Baronet, who was a Major in the army.

Arms Intro
History 1
History 2
History 3
History 4
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