The following information and photos have been contributed to our Livingston Web Site to share with other Livingston researchers by Joe Slavin and Rita O'Connor. Please contact Joe Slavin or Rita O'Connor direct if you want to use these photos in any way as they were kind enough to share them with us to use on our web site.

Joe Slavin and Rita O'Connor are both 'great, great, great, great grandchildren of William Todd Livingston Sr.'s younger brother, George Livingston Sr. who was born 1718 in King & Queen County, Virginia.

1. Callendar House

Entrance to Callendar House - Joe Slavin

Front of the Callendar House - Falkirk, Scotland - Joe Slavin and his cousin, Rita O'Connor

Front of Callendar House - Joe standing on the grounds

Back side of Callendar House

Back side of Callendar House

Callendar was the home for the most powerful Scottish Livingston line from William de Livingston, who first acquitted the lands in the mid 1350's on till they were lost for good about 1713-1715.

2. Inside Callendar House

Models inside Callendar House depicting stages of construction
# 1 (photo by Falyn)
# 2 (photo by Falyn)

Kitchen of Callendar House

Exhibit inside Callendar House (photo by Falyn)
This exhibit is supposed to represent when seige was laid to Callendar House during the Jacobite uprising.

Restored ancient chair inside of Callendar House (photo by Falyn)

Mock-up of Alexander Livingston and wife - one of the exhibits inside Callendar House

This is Alexander Livingston of Callendar (Regent of Scotland in 1437), son of John Livingston of Callendar (father of both James Livingston the first Lord Livingston of Callendar and Alexander Livingston of Phildes, executed Jan 1450), grandson of William, greatgrandson of William, gg grandson of Andrew de Livingston, father of James Livingston, the first "Lord Livingston" of Callendar. After James Livingston succeeded his father, Alexander, and became the first 'Lord Livingston' of Callendar, he was succeeded by his own son, James, as the second 'Lord Livingston' of Callendar. This second James had no children, so the title passed to that James brother Alexander's son, James Livingston, who then became the third 'Lord Livingston' of Callendar. This third James was succeeded by his son, William Livingston (in the exhibit) who became the fourth 'Lord Livingston' of Callendar and William's son, Alexander (in the next exhibit with Mary, Queen of Scots) became the fifth 'Lord Livingston' of Callendar.

Alexander was also the father of Alexander Livingston of Phildes, Perthshire, executed (hanged and then beheaded on Castle Hill) during the purge of the Livingstons done in 1449-50 by King James II. Alexander of Phildes was father of Alexander Livingston of Dunipace, who in 1495 purchased these lands from the local abbey, charter confirmed in Rome by Pope Alexander II in 1496. Alexander Livingston of Dunipace was father of both David Livingston (eldest son) who was left the lands of Bantaskine, and Master Alexander Livingston (born approx. 1490) of Dunipace and Phildes (recovered these confiscated lands of Phildes).

Exhibit - William Livingston, the fourth Lord Livingston of Callendar

Exhibit - Alexander Livingston the 'fifth Lord Livingston of Callendar' (successor to Alexander Livingston, Regent of Scotland in 1437)- Photo of Mary Queen of Scots - Alexander was a guardian for Mary, Queen of Scots, and his daughter, Mary Livingston, was a childhood companion of and lifelong friend of Mary, Queen of Scots.

Exhibit - Alexander Livingston Photo of Magdalea Livingston, daughter of Alexander Livingston (fifth Lord Livingston of Callendar) and friend of Mary, Queen of Scots.

Exhibit - Ann Livingston the last Livingston to live in Callendar House - married to William Boyd, Earl of Kilmarnock.

Lady Ann Livingston, daughter of James Livingston the Fifth Livingston Earl of Linlithgow, by marrying William Boyd, the Fourth Earl of Kilmarnock, against her mother's wishes- became the Countess of Kilmarnock. William Boyd was basically broke and of poor character and habits for many years. Lady Ann, having to give her own bond before even the tradesmen would give the household the normal things needed for life, but her support of the 'exiled House of Stewart' allegedly led to her and her husband joining the army of Prince Charles Edward (known as the 'Young Pretender' in the Jacobite cause. William was eventually captured and taken to London and imprisoned in the Tower, then finally executed on Town Hill.

While on his march from the Highlands to Edinburgh in September 1745, the Prince 'slept at Callendar House'.

In 1721 Callendar House had been leased for a 29 year period to Lady Ann Livingston's representatives, but in 1742 this was abandoned for an extended lease of 30 years to Lady Ann's husband (William Boyd, the Earl of Kilmarnock). In 1747, Lady Ann was said to have been persuaded to leave Callendar House on the approach of the replenished forces of the Duke of Cumberland (nicknamed 'the Butcher').

Callendar House was later claimed by the Commissioner for Forfeited Estates, but this claim failed, and eventually it passed to Lady Ann's Forbes family descendants. Today it is owned by the State and houses Falkirk Historical Museum.

Exhibit - Earl of Kilmarnock (William Boyd)

The Livingston Earls of Linlithgow descended from the Lord Livingstons of Callendar, the seventh Lord Livingston of Callendar, being later named the First Livingston Earl of Linlithgow. With the second Livingston Earl of Linlithgow, Callendar was also made an Earldom and the first Livingston Earl of Callendar inherited that estate.

3. Stirling Castle

Entrance to Stirling Castle

Left front - left of the entrance to Stirling Castle

Left center front - in between the two above photos

Stirling Castle - Joe and Rita on the external walls

Rita sitting down among the external walls - front side of the castle

Rita on the walls of Stirling Castle

Rita and Betsy on the side walls of Stirling Castle

Inside the outer walls - Rita and Betsy - view of the surrounding countryside taken from a different place in the castle (near the doorway leading to the kitchen area)

Joe in the Stirling Castle courtyard where the Earl of Douglas' body allegedly landed when tossed out of the window of the King's chambers. This was a later Earl of Douglas than Robert, whose coat of arms is on the window of Edinburgh Castle. King James ordered Douglas to appear before him at Stirling Castle and ordered Douglas to break off his allegiances with certain Highland Clans. When the Earl of Douglas refused, King James stabbed Douglas with his dagger, then one of James' attendants felled Douglas with his Pole Ax, then the others in attendance fell on Douglas with daggers, swords, etc. Afterwards, they picked Douglas' body up and threw it out the window to the courtyard below. This is where Joe is standing in the courtyard in Stirling Castle.

Rita and Betsy in the courtyard where the Earl of Douglas' body fell when tossed out the window. Rita is reading the plaque in the courtyard which tells the tale of the Earl's sad fate at the hands of King James and attendants

Rita at the outer walls of Stirling Castle

Joe at Stirling Castle

Rita and Joe in front of the statue of William Wallace ("Braveheart" in the movie) that stands along the way to the entrance to stirling Castle. There is a monument of Wallace and his rebellion that stands at the other end of the valley from Stirling Castle. William Wallace was a grizzly giant of a man for his time (1297) standing 6' 6" tall. This is the William Wallace in whose rebellion the Sheriff of Lanark was killed in 1297 while trying to suppress it and it is believed that this Sheriff of Lanark was Andrew de Livingston who was Sheriff of Lanark in 1296.

One of the Livingstons was at the siege of Stirling Castle before Robert the Bruce came to power.

Holyrood Church (Abbey?) as seen from the outer walls of Stirling Castle

4. Edinburgh Castle

Margaret's Chapel - The exterior of the ancient chapel inside of Edinburgh Castle

Margaret's Chapel - Interior of chapel

# 1 - Within the Castle

# 2 - Within the Castle

Rita making sure we noticed sign for 'Foogs Gate' inside Edinburgh

Foogs Gate within Edinburgh Castle

Rita showing part of the ancient wall (dating from the Roman Empire) inside of Edinburgh Castle

Weapons Racks - Rita

Second rack full of period weapons

Coat of Arms - "Top Coat of Arms" - Alexander Livingston, regent of Scotland beginning in 1437

Coat of Arms - "Middle Coat of Arms" - Robert, the Earl of Douglas

Coat of Arms - Both rows of names at the very bottom of the window and the bottom two coats of arms, which are for people not identified (third row of names)

Coat of Arms - Very bottom of window where the three rows of names showed

The above coat of arms all appeared on the same one window inside one of the main rooms inside of Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh. Note all the windows in this large room were stained glass, each containing four different coats of arms, two at the bottom level, one at mid level, and one at the top level. The ranking of the individuals whose coat of arms appeared on a window was based on the more important a person you were in Scotland, the higher up on your window your coat of arms appeared - so the Stewart coat appeared at the top of one window. In 1449/50, when Alexander was on a diplomatic mission to England for the still young King James II, the King decided to purge the Livingstons of property and power, and imprisoned as many as his troop could round up putting them into Dunbarton Castle (now a ruined castle) and executing (hanging and then beheading) Alexander's younger son, Alexander Livingston of Phildes, Perthshire, Scotland, along with Robert Livingston. When Alexander returned to Scotland, he too was imprisoned in Dunbarton Castle but soon released. An elderly man by then, Alexander seems to have just faded away after his imprisonment and probably died not long after. The lands of Callendar were restored in 1458 and after King James II died in 1466, the Livingstons were invited back into the government. Alexander Livingston's eldest son, James, succeeded him to the estates of Callendar, becoming the first 'Lord Livingston' of Callendar.

Robert, the Earl of Douglas, had his coat of arms at mid level on this same window.

The very bottom of the window shows the names of the people whose coat of arms appear above, the names also in order of their importance - top name applies to the top of window coat of arms, middle name applies to the mid level coat of arms. Here we see 'Alexander Livingston, Regent (of Scotland) 1437' as the top name, 'Robert, Earl of Douglas' as the middle name. The date on Alexander's name is '1437'. He was the regent then as King James I was dead, killed by an assassin (sent by one of the nobles disgusted with his despotic rule) in the abbey one night, and James II was only 6 years old, so the Queen Mother and young James (after Sir Henry Critchton released them to Alexander Livingston) came under Alexander's protection - thus he was a Regent of Scotland.

5. Falkirk and Callendar Park Map

Scottish Ordinance map showing the town of Falkirk with Callendar House located in Callendar Park to the southeast of the word "Falkirk"

6. Misc. Images in Scotland

Rita standing inside a window in a wall standing of an abandoned old church somewhere in the Scottish Highlands - southeast of Fort Agustus and northwest of Perthshire - located along a narrow back road on the way southward from Fort Agustus to Edinburgh.

Joe in the evening at the Falkirk High Street Commuter Rail Train Station - waiting for a commuter train bound for Edinburgh

Callendar House is located in Callendar Park. Callendar Park is considered a part of Falkirk. (Do not confuse this with 'Callander' which is located near Stirling and has no connection whatsoever to Callendar House or the Livingstons.)

Additional notes from Joe Slavin:

The earlier Alexander Livingston of Callendar (the one who was Regent in 1437) besides being father of James Livingston, the First 'Lord Livingston' of Callendar and of Alexander Livingston of Phildes, was one of the sons of John Livingston of Callendar House who was a son of William de Livingston (who first was granted the lands of Callendar in 1346 or 1347 and cemented his claim by marrying Sir Patrick de Callendar's daughter, Christine de Callendar) who was son of William de Livingston who was son of Andrew de Livingston.

Andrew was the sheriff of Lanark in 1296 and a member of Parliament in that year, as was his kinsman (possible brother Archibald de Livingston). The Sheriff of Lanark was killed in 1297 while suppressing William Wallace's (Braveheart) rebellion. It is assumed Andrew was still that sheriff in 1297. Archibald became sheriff of Linlithgow in 1301.

The ancestors of Andrew and Archibald leave us with a gap of a generation or two that cannot be tracked, so we have a gap before we get back to William de Livingston, who was one of the sons of Thurstan de Livingston, who was son of Leving (or Living) a Saxon who came to Scotland sometime around the Norman Conquest. The names of Leving and Thurston appear on the charter of the church of the village of Livingston, Scotland.

Alexander Livingston of Phildes' (he was hanged and beheaded on Castle Hill in Edinburgh in January 1450 by King James II's orders during James' 45 day purge of the Livingston family) son, Alexander Livingston of Dunipace's sons, David and Alexander, inherited the lands of Bantaskine and Dunipace, in that order - the second becoming Master Alexander Livingston of Dunipace and Phildes, the first 'Lord Dunipace'.

In the 'Laird of Warrestoun' the 1600 ballad written about the execution in Edinburgh of Jean Livingston (Lady Warrestoun), the daughter of John Livingston (the younger), third 'Lord Dunipace', John is referred to as 'Great Dunipace'. John's father was John Livingston (the elder), second 'Lord Dunipace', and son of Master Alexander Livingston of Dunipace and Phildes. Jean's trial on murder charges (her nurse and her groom killed her abusive husband, Sir John Kincaid, (the Lord of Warrestoun) and subsequent execution raised quite a stir in Edinburgh and Scotland in her day due to her youth (21), great beauty and repentance, as well as her majestic bearing while walking calmly to her execution site - described in the Domestic Annals of Scotland as looking like she was going to her wedding.

One of Jean's brothers was the David Livingston who inherited Dunipace from John Livingston, the younger, Knight. David was a member of Parliament, was named the Knight Banneret (or Baronet) of Nova Scotia and later the Knight Baronet of Livingston - Dunipace. He was the fourth 'Lord Dunipace' and seemingly spent this Knight baronet into bankruptcy. John is the leading candidate for being the John Livingston who emigrated to Virginia - to become John Livingston I of Poropotank Creek. Julian Livingston is convinced that this is "our John" - facts supporting the theory including the use of a Coronet Seal, the description of sounding like that of a Livingston Knight Baronet's Seal by 'John Livingston, the elder' (John Livingston II) of Virginia. Julian mentioned in his book that Dunipace was the only Livingston Knight Baronet at the time that was gone, whose Seal would be unaccounted for.

Sir Robert Spotswood himself met an unexpected fate - finding his fortunes suddenly reversed and himself tried on semming trumped up charges with a conviction and execution - the lands of Dunipace then passing onward. The passage from person to person is documented in the Scottish book, 'The Lands and Lairds of Dunipace'.

Joe, Rita and Falyn - thank you again for sharing the photos and the above information with us!

lmoore@hal-pc.org