Wow. Another place to go and sniff “essence de Templeton.”
09.08.05.14:32 - Just a quick “Google,” and look what I found! An actual documented connection between The Family and a patch of Scotland back in the olde days. I woulda never thought to go to Chapeltoun to investigate these tid-bits:
The name Chapelton is relatively recent as Pont’s Map of 1604 does not show such a place name; however, he does show a Templeton in approximately the right place between the Annick Water and the river Glazert. Other Knights Templar temple-lands were to be found at the Templehouse and Fortalice in the old village of Darlington near Stewarton, Templehouse near Dunlop, at Templetounburn on the outskirts of Crookedholm and at several other places in the area, such as Temple-Ryburn and Temple-Hapland.In 1312 the Knights Templar order, whose Scottish headquarters had been at Torphichen, was disbanded[3] and its lands given to the Knights of St. John[4] who today run the St John Ambulance amongst other activities. Lord Torphichen as preceptor obtained the temple-land tenements and the lands passed through the hands of Montgomerie of Hessilhead to Wallace of Cairnhill (now Carnell) in 1720, before passing out of the hands of the aristocracy.
[snip]
The name change from Templetoun to Chapelton may have resulted from the end of the official existence of the temple-lands sometime after 1720 or as a result of the breaking up of the ownership of these lands at around this date or possibly slightly earlier. Thus the name Templeton was in use in 1604[6], in 1654., but not by 1775[2]
This is sweetened by the following nail-on-the-head history:
Dobie[4] in 1876 records that Hugh, Earl of Eglinton inherited in May 1661 the 10 merkland of Langshaw with the patronage of the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin within these lands. A reference is made to a James Wyllie, whose family held these lands for several generations. [snip]
It is relevant here to note that Dobie lists three families with the name Tempiltoun in the Kilmaurs valuation role of 1640 whilst no other Cunninghame parishes have this name listed. One of the oldest graves in Kilmaurs-Glencairn churchyard, dating from the 17th. century, is that of a Tempiltoun. The family Bible of the Templetons is held by the Forrests of Byres Farm, who are direct descendants.
Ya gotta love Wikipedia!
