Order of Succession
the last Lords of Ashintully and Morcloich
In order of Scottish laws of primogeniture:
(son of David) Sir William the 5th Spalding of Spalding and Lord of Ashintully and Morcloich
(son of William) Sir Andrew “Madadh Brae” the 6th Spalding of Spalding and Lord of Ashintully and Morcloich
(son of Andrew) Sir David the 7th Spalding of Spalding and Lord of Ashintully and Morcloich died 1744 (wife Grizel Lyons)
(son of David) Sir Daniel (/David ) the 8th Spalding of Spalding and Lord of Ashintully and Morcloich
(2nd son of David, brother to Daniel) Thomas of Leith Mills (Captain Highland Regiment died 1749 drowned serving in Holland)
(Privy Council Register Volume XII, Fol. 344. 1743. November 29. Sasine on Disposition by Thomas Spalding of Leith mills, writer in Edinburgh, acquirer thereof by Disposition and Sasine from David Spalding of Ashintully late proprietor APPENDIX 245 of the same, in favour of Thomas Bisset of Glenilbert, late Commissary of Dunkeld, of these parts and portions of the lands and barony of Ashintully, viz. the lands of Wester Burnside of Ashintully, Cragincral, Lecknafir, East Brae of Ashintully, Cratfarick, Donadacaik, Bualvaick, Bualfarick, Glenkilrybeg and Tominturen. Dated 18 November 1743, and Sasine given on 23 November 1743, in presence of Charles Fleming in Westertoun of Ashintully, etc.)
(son of Thomas) Sir James the 9th Spalding of Spalding and Lord of Ashintully and Morcloich (Jamaica, St Simons Island)
(son of James) Sir Thomas the 10th Spalding of Spalding and Lord of Ashintully and Morcloich (Thomas of Sapelo Island)
(son of Thomas) Charles Spalding of Sapelo Island the 11th Spalding of Spalding
(Nephew of Charles) Thomas Spalding ll of Sapelo Island the 12th Spalding of Spalding
(nephew of Thomas) Randolph Spalding the 13th Spalding of Spalding (Savannah and Spalding County, GA USA) died 1954
Harold Stephens Willingham of Marietta was asked by Randolph to carry the name forward died in 2000. Though the next in succession would be from the Thomas Spalding Wylly line, older brother to Harold’s grandfather Alexander Campbell Wylly.
Randolph was last male Spalding of Spalding and would have been rightful heir to the Barony of Ashintully and Morcloich had the family still held their ancestral lands. Before his death he asked his cousin’s son Harold Stephens Willingham to take up the name of Spalding so as to carry on the surname with the next direct male in-line to become the Spalding Clan Chief. Harold would not, so the direct blood line is no longer represented with the surname. (The next in line direct descendants outside of Randolph’s request is the Thomas Spalding Wylly line.) Many remaining descendants carry the patronymic name of Spalding.
Today the Spalding Clan is considered an armigerous clan, as there is not a Clan Chief recognized by Lord Lyons representing Clan Spalding and bearing the surname of Spalding. The few remaining descendants of the last Spaldings are planning to reinstate the gathering of Spaldings along with the next in succession and direct blood-line.
SPALDING OF SCOTLAND Fuedal Barony 1318 the Ancient and Noble Armorial bearings representing the family of Spalding in Scotland" defined by Sir George Mackenzie High Authority "Or, on a cross az. five crosses crosslet of the first. Crest-A cross crosslet fltchée or. Motto-Hinc mihi salus."
After the rebellion of 45 the highlands were in a state of confusion. The surviving chiefs and gentlemen who had taken part in the rebellion had been compelled to leave the country in order to save their lives. The Spalding estates were immediately forfeited to the government, their chiefs and chieftains were forbidden to play their ancient role of clan leaders. In 1747 the Act of Proscription provided a way out. Highland Chiefs who took the King's shilling and donned the red coat could again carry their swords and muskets and wear the plaid and bonnet, recapturing the warlike essence of who they were. Many of the surviving Spalding clansmen, including their newest chief, transitioned into the service of the King. In 1744 David Spalding the Laird of Ashintullie and Morcloich died, soon after his son Daniel. The Baronial title by right of hereditary succession now went to Thomas Spalding son of David Spalding and Grizel Lyons. Thomas Spalding taking up the King's Proscription and as the new Laird of Ashintullie and Morcloich received a cash bond purchase of an officer's rank. Though all estates and monies had been forfeited to the crown disposition was given to Clan Chiefs beginning with the rank of Lieutenant in the British Army. T. Spalding was first listed as an officer on Jan 1st 1747, "Sous-Lt Thomas Spalding Stewart's Regiment, 2nd batallion, 4th Company" and again was listed in 1749 as having obtained the rank of Captain. In 1749 traveling between the British Garrisons of Maestrict and Bommel in Holland delivering a large quantity of weapons across the Rhine River, Thomas Spalding drowned. No other details were given, other than the orders for the delivery.
Thomas Spalding was born in Ashintully Castle in Perth to David Spalding and Grizel Lyons Spalding sometime around 1710. Thomas was a lawyer by trade but joined the Highland Regiment as an officer and died in service of his country. He was the grandson of Lord Andrew Spalding, the Clan Chief of Spalding who held Fuedal Baronies in Scotland and the Castles of Ashintully and Morcloich. This Thomas Spalding of Ashintully married Anne Learmonth and they had one surviving heir, James Spalding of Edinburgh, Jamaica and Georgia. This James Spalding married Margery Mackintosh granddaughter of John Mohr Mackintosh and daughter of William Mackintosh the Clan Chief of the Borlum Mackintoshes. They had one son, Thomas Spalding of Sapelo, born in 1774 on St Simons Island, as a British subject and last heir apparent to the Baronial Estates and titles, thereafter title was rejected in concurrence to the Emoluments Clause of the United States.
1318 SPALDING OF SCOTLAND "Or, on a cross az. five crosses crosslet of the first. Crest-A cross crosslet fltchée or. Motto-Hinc mihi salus."
1587 SPALDING OF ASHINTULLIE “ Ar. a two-handed sword in pale az”
Lt Col Charles Spalding (CSA) son of Thomas Spalding of Sapelo
BRURO, MCINTOSH CO., GEORGIA, March 12, 1871. DEARSIR:-Your favor of the 27th ultimo reached me a few days since. As regards your request that I would duplicate my letter of last year, which you have mislaid, I can only reply in substance, as I kept no copy. My grandfather, James Spalding, came to America about the year 1760; he was the only son of Capt. Thomas Spalding, an officer in a Highland regiment, who lost his life by drowning, while serving in Holland. From my grandfather's Bible, I make the following extracts: "Thomas Spalding and Anna Lermouth were married in the City of Edinburgh about the year 1734-and afterwards his widow married Murdoch McLean, of the family of McLean of Loch Buy of the island of Mull, a captain of the 84th regiment." James Spalding, the son of Thomas and Anna, was married Nov. 5th, 1772, to Margery McIntosh at the house of her father, William McIntosh, planter, on Sapelo River, Georgia. From this marriage was born at Frederica, on the island of St. Simon, March 25, 1774, Thomas Spalding, my father, an only child. Thomas Spalding married, at the residence of her father, Richard Leake of Belleville, Sarah Leake, my mother-and they had numerous issue, and many of their descendants still survive but as it is not necessary to your object that I should enumerate them all, I will only add that none of the male line of James Spalding remain, except myself, a man advanced in life and childless, and my two nephews, Thomas and Bourke Spalding (sons of Randolph Spalding, deceased); they are now living on Sapelo Island, the former recently married. From the above you will see that we are not connected with your family, or with that of Maryland, nor do I think we can be traced to any English family of our name, as my forefathers were established in Scotland from a very remote period, early in the fourteenth century. Very respectfully and truly, Your ob't servant, CHARLES SPALDING.
"Being an adherent of the Stuarts, Capt. Thomas Spalding was forced to leave Scotland after the rebellion of 1745, and became a Captain in a Highland Regiment under Gen. Sir James Stuart, in foreign service, and lost his life by drowning, while serving in Holland, whilst crossing the river Rhine with his regiment. By reference to the "Register of Sasines" of the County of Perth, Scotland, it will be found that Thomas Spalding, writer to the Signet, of Edinburgh, conveyed, in the year 1743, by an instrument dated November 29, and recorded the same day, to Thomas Bisset, of Glenelbert, Commissary of Dunkeld, the following property: Of all and whole these parts and portions of the lands and Barony of Ashantilly - the lands of Wester Burnside of Ashantilly, Craigencrab, Leiknafer, East Brae of Ashantilly, Creilfarick, Donanbadock, Bualrick, Bualfauck, Glenhilrybeg and Laidsmount, with appurtenance, lying in the Parish of Kirkmicheal. What is given above requires explanation to parties ignorant of Scotch laws and terms. The Register of Sasines is a record of all conveyances or encumbrances on Real Estate, which is required by law to be kept in each Shire of Scotland; and the Commissary of Dunkeld was not, as might be supposed, a military personage charged with the provisioning of troops, but a high legal functionary, in whose Court alone could any Real Estate (in that land of strict entails), however encumbered, be brought to account and sequestered for the benefit of creditors. (The Commissary Courts were about this time merged in the Court of Sessions.) From the foregoing explanation it will be understood that Thomas Spalding was a ruined gentleman, whose Estate in the year 1743 was placed in the keeping of the court. It is supposed that his financial ruin was brought about in a great measure by the participation of the family in various abortive attempts to restore the Stuarts to the throne of Scotland prior to 1745. He left a widow and several small children at Leith Mills, near Edinburgh. It is not believed that any of these children grew to man's estate, except James; as in all the correspondence for nearly twenty years between mother and son, no mention whatever was made of any other children" Charles Spalding of Sapelo Island
James visited the estate of his father, Ashantilly, before the turn of the eighteenth century. After long delays and opportunities allowed for redemption by Scotch law, their feudal lands had been sold by order of the Lords of Session, and thus another family that had been seated for many generations in the Scottish parliament as Barons of Ashantilly, gave way to newer proprietors.
The Spalding Memorial by Charles Warren Spalding
Savannah Newspaper 1887
Charles Harris Spalding (1808-1887), Confederate soldier, son of Thomas Spalding (1774-1851) and Sarah Leake (1778-1843), was born on Sapelo Island, McIntosh County, Georgia, on January 17th, 1808. After attending Edinburgh University he returned to his native county, where he resided until the Civil War. On July 16, 1834, he married Eliza V. Houstoun (1810-1836), eldest daughter of James Houstoun and Mary Ann Williamson. After her death he married Evelyn West Kell (1820-1898), daughter of John Kell and Margery Spalding Baillie.(There were no children by either marriage). At his mother's death in 1843 he inherited Ashantilly, a house on the mainland a few miles from Darien, and made it his winter residence. He was always active in politics; he represented McIntosh County in the state senate three terms (1841-1844); in 1844 he ran unsuccessfully for Congress. On September 27, 1861, in Riceboro, Liberty County, he was appointed lieutenant colonel, 1st Battalion Georgia Cavalry (later consolidated with the 2nd Battalion to form the 5th Regiment Georgia Cavalry) After the war Spalding and his wife lived at the Nook, his residence in Spalding County; he died there on February 4, 1887, and was buried in St. Andrew's Cemetery, Darien. Evelyn West Kell Spalding died in Sunnyside, Georgia, on August 17, 1898 (her seventy-eighth birthday), and was buried beside her husband. As the Macon Telegraph observed at the time of his death, "Charles Spalding was a type of the elegant and cultured Southern gentleman who made the hospitality of the seaboard of Georgia delightful at home and famous abroad in the better and happier days of the South. Well born, well bred, well educated, and supplied with a generous fortune, he filled his allotted sphere from first to last as a brave and honest gentleman and a citizen of whom any country might be proud....There may be new glories, new power, and new fortunes awaiting what is called the New South. She will be happy if her new civilization shall breed such men as Charles Spalding."