MORTIMER, as a surname, was first recorded in Scotland in 1126. For it was in 1126 that an Alan Mortimer married Anicea Vipont, the heiress to the lordship, castle and lands, of Aberdour, in Fife, on the north bank of the Firth of Forth.
Also, around this time, William Mortimer of Attleborough, in Norfolk, was active as an envoy between England and Scotland and assisted in the introduction of Norman style feudalism into lowland Scotland, by arranging the marriage of young Norman knights into the Scottish aristocracy, and it is my belief, that Alan must have been a younger son of William.
Subsequently, up to the introduction of parish records, there are relatively few recorded mentions of "Mortimer" as a surname in Scotland.
However, by plotting the locations of these "mentions", during this period, i.e. from 1126 to 1700, we can deduce the migration of the name outwards from Aberdour; recognising that inheritance through the eldest son is more likely to be recorded, and that the younger sons would tend to become tenant farmers on the estates of the family or family friends, or move into a trade or business or a profession (e.g. the Church).
However, it must be noted that the immigration, at some time, of another Mortimer family into Scotland from England, can not, of course, be excluded, nor can we exclude the possibility that the name could have been "assumed by association".
It is the purpose of this Site, to track the movement of the name through the various counties of Scotland, and to establish linkage points for those tracing their own MORTIMER ancestry backwards from the present day.
In the latter half of the 17th century (1650-1700) i.e., consequent to the introduction of Parish Records, based on the I.G.I. records of baptism, there were 67 "new families", with the surname MORTIMER, scattered through 34 parishes in 8 counties in Scotland.
[ "new family", in this context, is based on the record of the first baptism ]
The distribution of these families, within their parishes, is set out in tabular form on the linked page, DATUM I.
To see DATUM I - - - - - - - CLICK HERE.
DATUM I can be seen as the interface between the periods before and after the commencement of Parish Records; each of these 67 families being a potential link between research backwards through parish and other public records, and the database being collated within this Site.
A noticeable feature of the distribution of the 34 parishes displayed in DATUM I, is the geographical clustering in Aberdeen/Banff and in Angus/Fife. This clustering is demonstrated in DATUM II, which is an outline map of these parishes ( copy taken from Parish Maps published by the I.H.G.S. see -- www.ihgs.ac.uk/ ).
DATUM II can be obtained on request, by e-mail from mortimer@globalnet.co.uk
Reverting back to DATUM I, each of the "new families" can be identified by three things (1) the parish in which the first baptism was registered, (2) the first name of the father, and (3) the date of the first baptism, (and by deduction, the approximate age of the father).
These are now listed in DATUM III.
Also displayed in DATUM III, are the recorded "mentions" of a MORTIMER during the period 1126 to 1700, in a similar format i.e. (1) parish, (2) first name { plus identifying number }, and (3) date of "mention".
[ Editor's note:- May I say at this point, that I am particularly indebted to the late Mrs.Mary Mackie (nee Mortimer), who spent many years, sifting through a wide variety of sources, to compile a collection of over 120 "mentions" of the surname Mortimer during the period 1126 to1700. Her original treatise is lodged with the Library of the University of Aberdeen, where she graduated M.A. in 1923.]
To see DATUM III - - - - - - - - CLICK HERE.
In DATUM III, the tracking from Aberdour, in the 12th century, towards the clustering in Perthshire / Angus and Aberdeenshire / Banff, in the 17th century, can be clearly discerned. This tracking would appear to be a MAIN LINE from Aberdour, in Fife, into Perthshire and Angus, with a MAIN BRANCH into Aberdeen and Banff, arising in the 14th century.
These twin tracks are displayed in greater detail in DATUM IV ( MAIN LINE ),and in DATUM V ( MAIN BRANCH ).
To see DATUM IV - - - - - - - - CLICK HERE.
To see DATUM V - - - - - - - - CLICK HERE.
Within the context of these tracks, the identification of genealogical conections between and amongst individual names can now investigated.
To this end, and based on Mary Mackie's research, "Biographical Notes" on each of these names, have been prepared, as DATUM VI.
To see DATUM VI - - - - - - - CLICK HERE.
The probability of determining definite genealogical lineage can be assessed by a study of the relative dates, individual biographies, local geography, contemporary social history and, of course, the application of the traditional Scottish naming pattern. This task will become easier as the database increases.
Given that there are approximately three generations per century, we are therefore looking for an outline lineage of eighteen generations, between 1126 and1700.
In DATUM VII, those names with definitive "domiciles" have been sorted into a presumtive "18 Generation Timescale", on which further research will be required to establish the genealogical linkages.
To see DATUM VII - - - - - - - - - - - - CLICK HERE.
In DATUM VIII, these "domiciles" are plotted onto the outline parish map, previously displayed as DATUM II, and thereby located within their respective Counties.
To see DATUM VIII - - - - - - - - - - - - CLICK HERE.
In DATUM I, we discussed the "interface" around 1650 to 1700; now, in the light of DATUM VII and DATUM VIII, this can be taken further, by considering each relevant County seperately.
For Angus/Forfarshire - - - - - - - - - CLICK HERE.
For Perthshire - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
For Fife - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
For Aberdeenshire - - - - - - - - - - - - CLICK HERE.
For Banff/Morayshire - - - - - - - - - CLICK HERE.
For the Lothians - - - - - - - - - - - - - UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
Research is ongoing and will be included in regular updates.
For "Norman Lineage" - - - - CLICK HERE.
For "Notes & Queries" - - - - CLICK HERE.
To Return to "INDEX" - - - - CLICK HERE.