INTRODUCTION
BALIOLLE SCOTI was motivated to do this research when I found that my fathers Scott family tree sent from Norfolk, meshed with the ancient vellum family tree of the Balliol Scot family, enabling me to trace in some depth the ancestry of the Leman Scott family now living mostly in Southern Africa. There must surely also be Leman Scotts still living in England, and possibly elsewhere with whom we have lost contact. This has been a fascinating project reaching back to the tumultious times in the wake of the Norman conquest, the Scottish border wars, the rise and fall of the Balliol family, the change of name and the establishment of the Scott family in Kent, some seventeen generations of loyal service and great achievments to England, the subsequent demise of the Scotts of Scot's Hall, and events that led to the emigration of my Father's family to South Africa. I have separated the historical events covered by this document into three main time phases, as follows:- 1) The ancient history covers the period from the tenth to the thirteenth centuries. After the Norman conquest, William the Conqurer granted land and estates in England to his Norman supporters, including the Balliols, who established themselves on the Scottish border. The uniting of the Balliol line, and that of the Scottish Kings of Malcolm's line from Duncan 1 to Sir John Balliol, who married Devorguilla de Galloway, a direct descendant of David I, King of Scotland. Their son John Balliol was King of Scotland through his mothers line from 1292 - 1296. See "History I" 2) The second section is from the late thirteenth to seventeenth centuries, from the time of Sir William de Balliol le Scot who added the "le Scot" to his surname, and thus started the change of name from Balliol to Scott. He moved from the Scottish Border town of Berwick on Tweed to Kent, where his family and descendants resided in or near Scot's Hall near Smeeth, at the Royal Manor of Brabourne, and Chilham Castle. A remarkable seventeen generations of renowned Scotts lived in Scot's Hall and surrounding areas, and many achieved high office in the service of England. Most are buried in or near Brabourne church, where there is a Scott chapel.. See "History II" 3) The last section of the history is from the 1600's when Thomas Scotte married Mary D'Oyley. Our branch of the family then lived probably in Sussex then Northern Norfolk and later, London. During the late 1700's, John Scott married his second wife Thomasine Leman, and the name Leman has been appended to the Scott surname of all their male descendants to this day. These periods are still being researched and the records will be updated from time to time. In the late 1800's Fanny Eliza Scott and her two sons Reginald and Donald emigrated to South Africa. This history currently covers the timespan only as far as these two brothers and their wives. The family Reginald and Dagmar raised in South Africa are included in the family tree, but at this stage only briefly in "History III" The Balliol Scott Family Tree covers all of the above up to the present. This has been compiled from the documents listed below, and will be updated promptly on the receipt of any new relevant information. The sources of information I have used range from the ancient and beautifully illuminated documents, which I refer to here as the "Scot's Hall scrolls", as this is where they originated. The family tree which was commissioned by my father Reginald W L Scott, through several publications, and the Internet. James Renat Scott's "Memorials of the family of Scott of Scot's Hall" has been a most interesting and useful source and covers that period in minute detail, the memorials in Brabourne church, and several historical records on the Internet, including Brian Tompsett's research of the Scottish Kings (Hull University). These are all listed on the Reference page, and all internet sites I have used are linked and can be accessed directly from there. Numbered items in the script refer to the reference page items. I have kept the history as brief as possible so as to retain an interesting overview. Serious students, however, will be able to get a lot more detailed information from the references, and perhaps continue the research in greater depth. Input, photographs and encouragement from Robbi, my wife, and family members - my sister Marjorie in particular, and many of my neices and nephews have proved invaluable in recording the not so distant history, as were the notes found in the family Bible. Other sources include the S.A. Archives, The Genealogy Institute of South Africa, The Cory Library at Rhodes University, the LDS (Mormon) Family Library and website, and Genuki and Cyndi's List websites. This is an ongoing project and there is still much research to be done. Also, I am still collecting anecdotes and photographs for inclusion in more complete records in the years ahead, and which will be included in this website during regular updates. Information about marriages, and newly arrived children and grandchildren will be appreciated, and will be included promptly. If requested, any photographs sent to me will be copied and the originals returned. Finally, I hope you enjoy perusing the contents of this site as much as I have enjoyed the research and puting it all together. To view updates click here
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