The Four Brothers Mystery

Rutherford historian Gary Rutherford Harding states that the Scots-Irish Rutherfords descend from four brothers:

“The Rutherfords of Tyrone, Down and Monaghan counties all descend from one common ancestor; Captain James Rutherford of the Scottish Brigade in Holland.”^[1]

“The Scots-Irish Rutherfords descend from four brothers who were banished from Scotland to Ireland about 1689 for their Presbyterian beliefs. They are the sons of Capt James Rutherford and nephews of Rev Samuel Rutherford of Anwoth and St Andrews, Scotland. At least two of them were in the army in support of William of Orange in 1690. And two of them were Presbyterian ministers.

• Rev John Rutherford settled in co Down in Newry (Wigton-Walkers of VA)
• Rev Samuel Rutherford settled in Co. Monaghan (Rutherfords of Trenton New Jersey and Cub Creek, VA)
• Robert Rutherford settled at Oritor, Co. Tyrone (his son Robert also lived at Oritor).
• unknown “Captain” Rutherford settled at Derryloran, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone. (Rutherfords of Paxtang, PA) Robert Jr’s son Thomas Rutherford, b 1707 emigrated circa 1729 to Pennsylvania, settling at Paxtang.”^[1]

But, what evidence is there that Ulster-Scots Rutherfords are descended from these four brothers?

Unfortunately, there are no genealogical records of the births, marriages or deaths of these four brothers. But, we do have evidence of their presumed father Capt James Rutherford — also referred to as Capt Jheemes Rutherfoord. So let’s start with him…

Captain James “Jheemes” Rutherfoord of the Scots Brigade in Holland

Captain James Rutherford was born in abt. 1605 CE, in the village of Nether Nisbet, near Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, Scotland, the son of William (or his brother Andrew) Rutherford, farmers and millers.^{[2] [3] [4]}

James, and his brothers, Rev George Rutherford (1602–1665) of Kirkcudbright, and Rev Samuel Rutherford (1600–1661) of “Lex Rex” fame, are believed to be the grandsons of William Rutherford (c.1545–c.1620 m. Haufie Ker) the founder of the Littleheuch cadet branch of the ancient Rutherfoord Hunthill line of Roxburghshire.^{[2] [3] [4]}

There is no baptism record for James, but there is enough documentation of his life to paint a picture of him…

1638: Prisoner at Lillo

James Rodersort of the Scots Brigade was captured at Calloo and held prisoner in Lillo.^{[5] [6] [7]}

1639: Marriage to Margaret Gledstane

Jheemes Ridderfort of Scotland and Margariet Gleetseel had their banns published in ’s-Hertogenbosch and Woudrichem in the Province of Noord-Brabant on 22 Oct 1639 and they were married in the Fort Crevecoeur near ’s-Hertogenbosch on 24 Nov 1639.^[8]

1651: Mention in reference to his brother Rev Samuel Rutherford

“This appointment was immediately transmitted to him [Rev Samuel Rutherford (1600–1661)] by his brother, Mr James Rutherford, then an officer in the Dutch service, who, by the way fell into the power of an English cruiser, and was stripped of everything, and confined a prisoner in Leith, till he was, through the intervention of the States, set at Liberty. As he had, in consequence of this disaster, nothing but a verbal invitation to offer, Rutherford refused to accept it. James Rutherford returned directly to Holland, and the magistrates of Utrecht, still hoping to succeed, sent him back with a formal invitation in the end of the same year.” ^[9]

1666: Mention in the journal of Sir John Lauder

In 1666 Captain James is found in the journal of Sir John Lauder of Fountainhall, still in the Dutch Service. During the Anglo-French alliance against Spain, which was signed in March 1657, James served alongside the French at the Siege of Gravelines where he lost his leg. John Lauder describes it as a “tree leg”. Lauder also bought a book or collation from Captain James Rutherford and later bought a copy of “Lex Rex” written by James’s brother Rev. Samuel Rutherford. ^[10]

1668: Death in Utrecht

Captain James Rutherford died intestate in Utrecht sometime before 9 Mar 1668. In the Testament, Dative and Inventory of James Rutherfoord at the Commissariot Court of Edinburgh on 9 Mar 1668, his nieces Agnes and Barbara were appointed as his executors to handle his estate. ^[11]

Note: It is puzzling why, if Captain James had four sons, none was appointed as executor, or even mentioned in the “Testament, dative and Inventory”. In 1668 the legal age of an Executor in Scotland was 14. If the 1607 baptism date for James’s wife, Margaret Gledstane is correct (she was already a widow when she married him in 1639), we would surely expect some of the sons (if not all four of them) old enough to be an Executor. We can only presume their circumstance (i.e. possibly being in military service in Holland) did not allow one of them (as closest of kin) to be present at the court.

Why four sons?

So, why do we think that James had four sons and that they were the progenitors of the Ulster-Scots Rutherfords?

The presumption is that because Captain John Rutherford, “Captain” Rutherford, and Captain Robert Rutherford served in William of Orange’s army (from the Dutch Republic) and fought for him at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, and were then awarded Servitor Land Grants in County Down and County Tyrone, they must also be the sons of Captain James Rutherford of the Scots Brigade in Holland (also referred to as the Anglo-Dutch Brigade or Anglo-Scots Brigade).

In 1886 in his acclaimed work, Pennsylvania Genealogies; Scotch-Irish and German, William Henry Egle states:

“RUTHERFORD OF PAXTANG

In the year 1689, several brothers, of the Scotch family of Rutherford, joined the army of William III when he invaded Ireland — were present and fought at the battle of the Boyne. Two of them were company officers, and the third was a Presbyterian clergyman. They all remained on the island, one settling in the county Tyrone, another in the county Down, and the minister in the county Monaghan. Several of the sons of these men emigrated to America during the decade between 1720 and 1730; among them was Thomas Rutherford, the progenitor of the family in Paxtang.”^[12]

Egle’s work on the Rutherfords is highly credible, based on his interviews and personal testimony from Pennsylvanian descendants of Thomas Rutherford (1707–1777), and Thomas’s “Memorandum Book”.^{[12] [13]}

But, it must be noted, that Egle does not make a link between the brothers and Capt James Rutherford, although Gary Rutherford Harding states:

“Captain James Rutherford had 3 sons; John, Samuel and Captain Rutherford. These three, two officers and a pastor, served in the army of William III. Tellingly, Thomas Rutherford’s memorandum book is the source of some of this same information. However, Thomas did not indicate which of the three brothers was his own father. Obviously the first generations knew who Thomas’ father was, but never bothered to notate this key piece of information.

Pennsylvania Genealogies; Scotch-Irish and German
by William Henry Egle, MD, MA
Harrisburg, 1886
“Rutherford of Paxtang” — Introduction
“Memorandum Book” 1729–1777
by Thomas Rutherford
Paxtang, Pennsylvania”^[14]

It is worth pointing out that one of the brothers, John Rutherford, also referred to as Capt John Rutherford or Rev John Rutherford, is recorded in the book Genealogy of the descendants of John Walker of Wigton, Scotland, with records of a few allied families by Emma Siggins White, published in 1902.^[15]

And also in: Ancestry of John Barber White and his descendants by Almira Larkin White published in 1913.^[16]

But, without any documented proof why do we still think the brothers are sons of Capt James Rutherford?

The association with Rev Samuel Rutherford

The common theme found in various Rutherford family’s oral traditions is that their family is in some way descended from, or related to, Rev Samuel Rutherford the famous divine, and a descendant of the Hunthill line.

Such examples are:

“And yet it seems to be well known that John Rutherford who m. Isabella, dau. of Rev. Joseph Allein, was nearly related to Rev. Samuel Rutherford, by some even thought to have been his son.” Ancestry and descendants of John Barber White

“By his mother’s side, too, his descent was equally distinguished and Presbyterian, for she was a descendant of Samuel Rutherford, the famous Scottish divine, one of the Westminster Assembly, whose last words are enshrined in the well-known hymn “Glory, The glory dwelleth in Emmanuel’s land.” Thomas Mayne Reid, newspaper article 1906

“In the early history of the Rutherfords there is said to have been a Rev. Samuel somewhere in every generations. This story is of the second one in our line. The relationship between the eminent Divine, The Rev. Samuel Rutherford (1600–1661), and the second Rev. Samuel among our ancestors has not been determined. It seems the latter must have been a grandson, or possibly a nephew, as it is said no son survived the first Samuel Rutherford. The second Samuel was a Presbyterian Minister who preached a more liberal doctrine and one that displeased the Bishops of the Church. In 1689 he was banished from Scotland to Ireland. Two brothers went with him. Samuel Rutherford settled in Monaghan Co, one brother in Down Co, and the other in Tyrone Co. All these brothers married in Ireland.” Edna Rutherford Davis, The Gathering of the Clans

As referenced above, the records suggest that Samuel had no living male descendants by the time of his death in 1661. Rev Samuel’s brother George had two sons, Samuel and David; Samuel died young, and there is no record of a marriage or children for David.

So, the only possible genealogical connection to Samuel and the Hunthill line has to be made through his brother Captain Jheemes. Therefore, it is asserted that the four brothers who are the progenitors of the Ulster-Scots Rutherfords must be James’s sons. i.e. the families’ oral traditions are sure they are related to Rev Samuel Rutherford, but as he had no male descendants, the connection can only be through sons of his brother James.

Rutherford historian William Kenneth Rutherford asserts the brothers are sons of James in his Genealogical history of the Rutherford Family, as does Kenneth Rutherford Davis in The Rutherfords of Britain — although KRD qualifies the connection by declaring WKR to be his source. You would expect that KRD must’ve been satisfied that WKR’s assertion is correct — even though no evidence is provided — otherwise, as a respected historian, he wouldn’t have validated it by repeating it, bearing in mind his scathing criticism of the inaccuracies and lack of sources in Cockburn-Hood’s Rutherfurds of that Ilk, and their cadets.

But the fact is, there doesn’t seem to be any genealogical evidence linking John, Samuel, Robert and “the Captain” as brothers, or the sons of James Rutherford.

However, there is one way that this can be proved one way or the other without needing to find further genealogical documentation, and that is through Y-DNA genetic testing of living descendants.

References

1. Rutherford Surname Forum, Genealogy.com — Gary Rutherford Harding, 2005.
2. Rev Hew Scott, Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae, vol. 7 (1927), page 418 (1866).
3. Rev Hew Scott, Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae, vol. 7, page 419 (1866).
4. Kenneth Rutherford Davis, The Rutherfords in Britain: A History and Guide, page 86 (1987).
5. The Scots Brigade, Netherlands, Scottish History, Electric Scotland.
6. Scots Brigade, Wikipedia.
7. The Scots Brigade in the service of the Dutch Republic, 1689–1782, DBNL, page 59.
8. Dr. Ir. J. Maclean, De huwelijkintekeningen van Schotse militairen in Nederland, 1574–1665 (De Walburg Pers, Zutphen 1976), pages 165 and 320.
9. Robert Chambers and Rev. Thos. Thomson (eds.), Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen, published by Blackie and Son, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and London (1856).
10. Sir John Lauder, Journals of Sir John Lauder, 1666, pages 132 and 162.
11. Rutherfoord, James, 9/3/1668, residenter in Utrecht — Testament Dative and Inventory, Edinburgh Commissary Court, Scotland’sPeople CC8/8/73.
12. William Henry Egle, MD, MA, Pennsylvania Genealogies; Scotch-Irish and German: Rutherford of Paxtang — Introduction, Harrisburg, 1886.
13. William Henry Egle, MD, MA, Notes and Queries, Historical, Biographical and Genealogical, Relating Chiefly to Interior Pennsylvania, 1st ser., vol. 1 (first published 1894).
14. Gary Rutherford Harding, Rev. Samuel Rutherford, Hunthill.
15. Emma Siggins White, Genealogy of the Descendants of John Walker of Wigton, Scotland.
16. Almira Larkin White, Ancestry of John Barber White and his Descendants.