THE TOWN OF GREENBURGH, 29 1 



Irvine in the kingdom of Ireland, in the year 1660." From this manu- 

 script it appears that the oldest branch of the family styled the " Irvines 

 of Bonshaw," were settled on the banks of the river Eshe, where they 

 continued for many successive generations with varying fortunes. From 

 this stock are descended the English and Irish Irvines, among the latter 

 having been the 'Rt. Hon. General Sir John Irvine, Commander-in-chief 

 of his majesty's forces in Ireland in the year 1779. 



A very early offshoot of this parent stock were the "Irvines of Drum." 

 The eldest son of the house of Bonshaw, William, having been knighted 

 by King Robert Bruce in the year 1296, and for long and faithful servi- 

 ces in the field, having been endowed with the lands of Drum on the 

 river Dee in Aberdeenshire, which are to this day in possession of his 

 descendants. The castle of Drum is about ten miles from the city of 

 Aberdeen, and is now inhabited by Alexander Irvine, Esq., the lineal 

 descendant of the above Sir William. Sir William Irvine of Drum mar- 

 ried the daughter of Sir Robert Keith, Knight, Lord Marshall of Scot- 

 land, and of Margaret Hay, daughter of Gilbert Hay, Lord Hay, first 

 Constable of that family. The manuscript referred to observes, that, 

 " The king gave him the lands of the forest of Drum, and he himself 

 having carried a private coat of arms whilst he was concealed under the 

 name of the Earl of Carrick ; he likewise gave him that, with permission 

 for him and his descendants forever to bear it as their armorial bearing, 

 with this motto, "sub sole, sub zimbra virens" alluding to the family's 

 great fidelity to him in his troubles. The badge or bearing consists of 

 three holly leaves banded gules, on a shield argent" The history relates 

 the vicissitudes which befell this family with much minuteness, and 

 records their alliances with many of the most distinguished families of 

 the kingdom; Abernethy, Forbes, Ogilvie, Douglas, Leslie, Dundas, 

 etc., etc. There were several families of consideration which sprung 

 from these alliances, among which are named the Irvines of King 

 Caussie, Cutts, Glassil, Easterclane, Cornyhaugh, Murthil, and Astain- 

 ford — all of which estates were in the north-eastern counties of Scotland., 

 During the civil wars they suffered severely in property, and have since 

 lost much of their former influence ; although still retaining a position of 

 the highest respectability among the gentry of that part of Scotland. 



The first of the family who settled in America was William Irving, 

 the son of Magnus Irving, who was born in 1731 ; and who, on coming 

 to this country in 1763, altered the orthography of the family name, 

 changing the final letter from e to g, to accord with the English usage. 

 He was married at Falmouth, England, in 176 1, to Sarah, daughter of 

 John Sanders, Esq., of Falmouth, England. This gentleman was a very 



