'Weir01'Index links to: Lead / Letter
Families covered: Weir (Were) of Blackwood, Weir of Craighead, Weir of Powneill, Weir of Stanebyres

                               
It is interesting to speculate about the matter but, other than the similiarity of name, we have no reason to suggest that the following family was connected to the de Vere family of the Earls of Oxford.
Baltred de Vere (a 1165, in Scotland)
1. Walter de Vere (a c1190)
  A. Ralph de Vere (a 1214)
  i. Thomas de Vere (a 1266)
  a. Richard de Were (a 1294)
  (1) Thomas de Were of Blackwood, Lanarkshire (a 1316, d temp David II who r. 1329-71)
  (A) ?? Were (a 1389)
  (i) Rotaldus Were of Blackwood (a 1400, d temp James II who r. 1437-1460) the first mentioned by 'NisbetPlates', probably father of ...
  (a) Ralph Weir 'of Blackwood' (a 1406) mentioned by 'NisbetPlates' but not by Commoners, apparently married ...
  m. (sp) Mary Somerville (dau of William Somerville, 2nd Lord)
  (b) Henry Weir of Blackwood (a 1435) mentioned by 'NisbetPlates' but not by Commoners
  (c) Thomas Were of Blackwood mentioned by Commoners but not by 'NisbetPlates', identified as father of ...
  ((1)) Robert Were or Veyr of Blackwood (a 1479)
  ((A)) Thomas Weir of Blackwood - continued below --
  m. Aegidia Somerville (dau of John Somerville, 3rd Lord) --
2. David de Vere

 

 

Thomas Weir of Blackwood (a 1542) - continued above
m. (by 1483) Aegidia Somerville (dau of John Somerville, 3rd Lord)
'NisbetPlates' mentions 2 successors between Thomas and James (m. Euphan Hamilton) who are not given by Commoners: Alexander of Blackwood (a 1507) & Thomas of Blackwood (a 1547). Both 'NisbetPlates' & Commoners report that James was confirmed as eldest son of his father Thomas. The issue is whether this Thomas as father or grandfather or greatgrandfather of James. Provisionally, we follow Commoners in omitting the Alexander and 2nd Thomas mentioned by 'NisbetPlates'.
1. James Weir of Blackwood (a 1531, d 1595)
  m. Eupham Hamilton
  A. James Weir (dvp)
  m. Marion Ramsay (dau of George Ramsay of Dalhousie, m2. William Bannatyne of Corehouse)
  i. George Weir of Blackwood (d c1646)
  m1. (1594) Margaret Weir (dau of William Weir of Stanebyres) @1@ below
  a. Mariotte Weir
  m1. James Bannatyne (d after 09.04.1642, Major, brother of John of Corehouse)
  Commoners reports that Major Bannatyne dsp but 'NisbetPlates' suggests that they had a daughter, Margaret.
  m2. William Lowrie @2@ below
m2. (sp) Barbara Johnston
  B. William Weir, probably Sir William of Stanebyres (Stonebyres)
  Commoners & 'NisbetPlates' show a William as 2nd son. In his above-mentioned work, D'Alton identifies Margaret, wife of the above-mentioned George of Blackwood, as his 1st cousin. That would mean that her father must have been 'of Stanebyres'. Apart from Margaret, the following comes from 'History of Ireland from the Earliest Period to the Year 1245 ... and ... and Full Statistical and Historical Notices of the Barony of Boyle' by John D'Alton (1845) which confirms that this William was 'of Stanebyres'.
m1. ?? Hamilton (dau of Sir John Hamilton of Lettrick & Bargeny) wife of Sir William, possibly mother of ...
  i. George Weir of Stanebyres
  a. James Weir of Stanebyres & Kirkfield (a 1675, Major)
  m. Rachel Carmichael (dau of Walter, Master of Carmichael (son of 1st Lord)) wife of James, possibly mother of ...
  (1) William Weir of Stanebyres d c1712)
(2) Daniel Weir of Stonebyres (d 21.05.1724, MP) found on HoP ("Daniel Weir")
  m. (14.09.1713) Elizabeth Hamilton (dau of Sir John Hamilton of Halcraig, Lord Halcraig)
  (A)+ 2 sons
  ii. Margaret Weir must be of this marriage
  m. George Weir of Blackwood (d c1646) @1@ above
  m2. (mcrt 31.01.1652) Mary Carmichael (dau of James Carmichael, 1st Lord, widow of Sir William Lockhart of Carstairs)
  Possibly of this generation, but (if so) not known of which marriage, were ...
  iii. Katharine Weir
  m. (1667) Alexander Fergusson of Kilkerran
  iv. Jean Weir
  m. William or John Cuninghame of Bandalloch
  C. John Weir of Poneil or Powneill (dvp 1587 or 1592)
The following comes from the above-mentioned work by D'Alton.
  i. William Weir of Powneill (d 1632)
  a. Walter Weir of Powneill
  D. Robert Weir of Craighead
  Robert is not mentioned by either Commoners or 'NisbetPlates'. The following comes from the above-mentioned work by D'Alton.
  m. _ Lindsay (sister of Sir David Lindsay)
  i. Alexander Weir of Craighead (d 1632)
  m. (1614) Ann Dunbar (dau of Sir James Dunbar of Derrygonelly)
  a. Alexander Weir (b c1632?, d 1689?, Captain, 2nd son)
  m. Sarah Goodwin
  (1) Robert Weir (b 1676, d 1743)
  m. Anne Carleton (dau of Captain Christopher Carleton)
  (A) Alexander Weir of Managhin, co. Fermanagh
  m. (1745) Barbara Crozier (dau of John Crozier of Hagberadunbar)
  (i) Robert Weir, Sheriff of co. Fermanagh (d 1816)
  m. Mary Rynd (dau of Thomas Rynd of Ballywhillin)
  (a) John Weir had issue
  m. Caroline (dau of John Uary? Charoley? of Belcamp)
(ii) John Weir (dsp, Captain)
  (iii) Barbara Weir
  m. John Johnson of Brookhill, co. Leitrim
  (B)+ other issue
  (2) John Weir (d young)
  b.+ other issue - John, Jane, 2 daughters
  E. daughter
  m. James Reid
2. Isobel Weir possibly of this generation --
  m. James Hamilton, 3rd of Raploch --

 

 

William Lowrie
m. Mariotte Weir (dau of George Weir of Blackwood) @2@ above
1. George Lowrie, later Weir of Blackwood
  m1. Anne Cleland (dau of George Cleland of Gartness by Margaret Hamilton of Wishaw)
  A. Sir George Weir, 1st Bart of Blackwood (bpt 12.06.1674. d 07.01.1716)
  m. Catherine Jardine (dau of Sir John (sb Alexander?) of Applegarth by Margaret Douglas)
i. Sir William Weir, 2nd Bart of Blackwood (d 17.01.1722)
  m1. Rachel Hamilton (dau of Senator James Hamilton of Pencaitland by Catherine Denholm)
  a. Catherine Weir (b 01.12.1716, d 05.12.1743)
  m. (26.07.1733) Charles Hope of Craigie Hall (son of Charles, 2nd Earl of Hopetoun, by Henrietta Johnson)
  Their elder surviving son inherited Blackwood and assumed the name Vere-Hope, the Vere presumably being viewed as the original version of Weir.
  m2. (sp) Christian Anstruther (dau of Sir Philip Anstruther of Anstruther-field, m2. John, 6th Earl of Traquair)
  ii. Sir George Weir, 3rd Bart of Blackwood (d unm 1735-6)
  iii. Margaret Weir
  m. (mcrt 13.04.1721) William Hamilton of Dalserf
  iv. Catherine Weir (d 17.09.1780)
  m. John Lockhart of Cleghorn
  B.+ other issue - Marion (bpt 03.07.1673), Margaret (d young)
  m2. (mcrt 21.04.1676) Helen Bruce (dau of Robert Bruce of Broom Hall)
  D. William Weir (bpt 05.07.1677)
  m. Elizabeth Stewart (dau of John Stewart of Ascog)
  i.+ issue - George (b 24.12.1709), William (b 02.04.1711), Mary (bpt 08.02.1704), Helen (b 27.01.1708), Elizabeth (b 18.07.1712)

Main source(s): Commoners (vol 3, 'Vere of Blackwood and Craigie Hall', p319+), 'NisbetPlates' ('Weir of Blackwood') with input as reported above
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