Thomas de Culwen

Daughter of Fergus Of GALLOWAY was born circa 1115 in Galloway, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland and died in Scotland. She married Thomas DE CULWEN circa 1135. Thomas was born circa 1110 in Scotland and died in Scotland.

from Rootsweb Gen-Medieval

I while ago I was searching through the old GEN-MEDIEVAL archives and came across a short discussion re: Uchtred of Galloway, Thomas de Culwen and the Curwens of Workington. For anyone who may be interested, I have attached what information I have found regarding their connections;

The History of the Ancient House of Curwen, by JF Curwen, states that Thomas de Culwen was the son of Uchtred, Lord of Galloway. pg. 30. "Soon after 1185 Thomas (de Wyrkington) received the great lordship of Culwen. Several theories have been advanced as to how Thomas received this grant, but the one which seems to accord best with the facts, is derived from the pedigree at Workington, dated 1725, in which it appears that this possession came to him through his first marriage with Amabilis, the daughter and heiress of Thomas de Culwen, the son of Uchtred, lord of Galloway. And as Patric was his eldest son by this marriage he inherited the estate and styled himself de Culwen. Thomas son of Thomas (de Wyrkington) by his second wife, Grace, succeeded to Workington estates, but having no son, and his daughter dying childless these English estates would revert to the right heir male of Thomas fil Gospatric, i.e. to Patric de Culwen who thereby united the estates". Source, Th! e History of the Ancient House of Curwen, by JF Curwen, published 1928, pg. 30.

However, the aforementioned being stated, it is possible that Thomas de Culwen may have actually been the son of a daughter of Fergus of Galloway instead. The old Curwen pedigree at Workington dated 1725, suggests that Roland, Lord of Galloway was a cousin to Sir Thomas de Culwen, pedigree states, "The evidence in ye Study at Workington will prove Sir Tho de Culwen was Cosen to Roland Earl of Galloway." Source, Rev. Federick W. Ragg in his published article, "de Culwen", Transactions, CWAAS, New Series, Vol. 1914, pg. 428.

Rev. Frederick W. Ragg in his published article "de Culwen", was of the mind that Thomas de Wyrkington's wife Grace or Grecia, was the daughter of Thomas de Culwen, not Amabilis. He states, "The charters of Thomas, son of Gospatrik, mention and imply only one wife. We know her name but not her descent. They had a daughter Amabilia, and hence perhaps the confusion. This being understood, the connection apparently implied by the said evidence could be this :- the daughter of Fergus of Galloway married Thomas de Culwen, whose son Thomas was the father of Grecia (Grace) who married Thomas de Wrykington. This would account for the grant of Culwen which must by moral certainty have gone to a connection or relation". Source, Rev. Frederick W. Ragg in his published article "de Culwen", Transactions CWAAS, New Series, Vol. 1914, pg. 425, 426.

Timothy J. Cartmell