The Veach family crest
An historical marker for James Veitch, the Scottish immigrant - click on the image to learn more
The Veaches
We do not have a photograph of our great-grandmother Amanda Veach, but we do have one of her three brothers LeRoy, Benjamin and Pleasant.
Amanda Veach (1844-1884) was the wife of our great-grandfather Francis Marion Gray (1844-abt 1915). She was descended from the Veach / Veitch family of Maryland, which has a fascinating ancestry back to the Veitches of Dawyck Castle in Scotland, and the Scottish royal families of Stewart and Bruce.
The Veaches in America
Amanda Veach was the 4th gr-granddaughter of James Veitch (1628-1685), who immigrated from Scotland to Maryland, about 1651. Her Veach line is well described in the genealogy We Veitches, Veatches, Veaches, Veeches, An Historical Treasury of the Descendants of James Veitch, the Sheriffe, by Laurence R. Gurthie and Wanda Veatch Clark (Midstate Printing Co., Oregon, 1974), updated in 1992 with two additional volumes.
James Veitch was the Sheriff of Calvert County, Maryland from 1653-1657. He lived a prosperous life and his descendants were numerous in colonial Maryland. My gr-grandmother Amanda came from one Veach branch that eventually moved to North Carolina and then to Johnson County, Illinois, where she married my gr-grandfather Francis Marion Gray.
The Veitches of Dawyck
Dawyck Castle, Peebleshire, Scotland
The Veitch Historical Society describes the paternal ancestry of the immigrant James Veitch (1628-1695), whose earliest forebears were Lairds of Dawyck Castle in Peebleshire, Scotland, tracing back to the 13th century.
The castle is no longer in existence today, having been demolished in 1830. An Elizabethan style mansion was built in its place, known as Dawyck House. There is a world famous arboretum, Dawyck Botanic Garden, on the grounds which is open to the public.
The Royal Scots
Click on the image above to view a chart of Laurel & Lowell's descent from Scottish royalty
James Veitch the immigrant (1627-1685) was the grandson of Laird John Veitch (1557-1606), who married Janet Stewart (1555-1606). Janet can be traced back to numerous royals to Robert I The Bruce, the King of Scotland from 1306 to 1329.
This link to the Stewart Society has an abundance of information on this royal Scottish family. This link shows the connection between the Houses of Stewart and Bruce.