55-717: (Redirected from DeCourcey ) DeCourcy , DeCourcey , De Courcy , or De Courcey is a surname. People with the surname include: DeCourcy/De Courcy Affreca de Courcy (late 12th-/early 13th century), noblewoman from the Kingdom of the Isles Alfred De Courcy (1866–1931), Birmingham whistle maker Anya De Courcy (born 1997), Trinidadian footballer Bob DeCourcy (1927–2012), Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender Brigie de Courcy (fl. 2000s–2010s), Irish television producer Charles DeCourcy (1857–1924), justice of
110-563: A whodunit by Dorothy L. Sayers , initially published in the US as Suspicious Characters , sees Lord Peter Wimsey , on holiday in Kirkcudbright , investigating the death of an artist living at Gatehouse of Fleet ; the book contains some remarkable descriptions of the countryside. S R Crockett , a bestselling writer of historical romances active before the First World War, set several novels in
165-523: A church or monastery at Whithorn , Wigtownshire , which remained an important place of pilgrimage until the Reformation . A Brythonic speaking kingdom dominated Galloway until the late 7th century when it was absorbed by the English kingdom of Bernicia . English prevalence was supplanted by Britons and Norse-Gaelic ( Gall-Ghàidheal ) peoples between the 9th and the 11th century. This can be seen in
220-524: A copy of the Wycliffe Bible was circulating in Galloway around 1520, and secret groups (proto-conventicles) gathered to hear a man named Alexander Gordon preach from it. With the end of the monasteries, the large ecclesiastical landholdings created under the medieval Lordship of Galloway were broken up amongst hundreds of small landowners. In the case of Dundrennan Abbey , much of the abbey's lands came into
275-569: A crannog, the Black Loch of Myrton site was later recharacterized as a "lochside village". Promontory forts are highly topographically-defined sites, which in Galloway generally occupy coastal promontories overlooking the Solway Firth. Investigation of one such site at Carghidown revealed a "sporadically occupied refuge" according to Toolis, who also notes that "hardly any promontory forts occupy strongly defensive locations or have immediate access to
330-501: A date of about 1180 may not be far off the mark, considering the time-frame of de Courcy's rapid rise to power. It is possible that de Courcy's marriage could have attributed to his success in Ulaid, considering the military resources of the Crovan dynasty. Less speculative is the likelihood that de Courcy's success was used by the Crovan dynasty, who were allied by marriage with Cenél nEógain , as
385-521: A fleet from the Isles to battle the de Lacys . Although the expedition ultimately proved a failure, the annals note that the surrounding countryside was plundered and destroyed by the invaders. The identity of the castle noted by the chronicle is almost certainly Dundrum Castle , which was possibly constructed by de Courcy before 1203. The defeat of 1205 marks the downfall of de Courcy, who never regained his Irish-lands. Affreca founded in 1193 Grey Abbey , in
440-473: A gradual incorporation of Galloway into Scotland. Scotland's legal system was administered as a system of three provinces, each with a justiciar (high official). The Justiciar of Galloway was one of these, along with justiciars for Lothian and "Scotia" (lands north of the Forth and Clyde). Additionally, Whithorn remained an important cultural centre; medieval kings of Scots made pilgrimages there. Folklore holds that
495-460: A large number of small landholders began to consolidate into larger estates. The Irish cattle trade increased until up to 10,000 head of cattle per year were being exported through this route in the year 1667. It was in this year that the importation of Irish cattle to England was banned. However, the importation of Scottish cattle was not banned; this created a new opportunity for Galloway landowners to profit from illicit Irish cattle. By this time,
550-402: A matrimonial-alliance with the powerful Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (d. 1176). In 1167, the reinforced Mac Murchada made his return and easily regained Leinster, and later gained further lands. One of the wealthiest and coveted settlements in 12th century Ireland was Dublin , a seaport and seat of a somewhat independent kingdom ruled by various Norse-Gaelic kings. In September 1170,
605-411: A means of settling old scores. In a series of conflicts between 1201 and 1204, de Courcy finally fell from power. By 1205 he was forced from Ireland altogether, and his lands were awarded to Hugh de Lacy, 1st Earl of Ulster (d. 1242). Sometime in 1205, de Courcy rose in rebellion, and gained military support from Affreca's brother, Ragnvald Godredsson ( Old Norse : Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson ), King of
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#1732844809915660-469: A mediaeval French text popularly known as The Song of Dermot and the Earl state that, about six months later, the deposed King of Dublin, Ascall mac Ragnaill (d. 1171), launched a sea-borne assault on the town with a force that numbered either sixty or one hundred ships respectively. Although Mac Turcaill's men successfully made landfall near the town, the sources indicate that his forces were utterly crushed by
715-593: A number of Iron Age and Roman period sites indicate the Scottish Southern Uplands as a possible ore source for the lead material, though it is unclear how early extraction of lead could have taken place in Galloway specifically. Metallurgical testing done on three lead beads recovered from the Carghidown site (dated to c. 360 BC–AD 60 ) indicated a closer affinity to the Southern Uplands than to
770-548: A number of prominent individuals associated with the Stuart monarchy held lands in both Galloway and in Ulster, facilitating the illicit trade, which "may have been tolerated for political reasons". Many of these landowners were also Episcopalians . Galwegian Gaelic seems to have lasted longer than Gaelic in other parts of Lowland Scotland , and Margaret McMurray (d. 1760) of Carrick (outside modern Galloway) appears to have been
825-638: A period of Scottish allegiance, a Galloway contingent followed David, King of Scots , in his invasion of England and led the attack in his defeat at the Battle of the Standard (1138). Alan died in 1234, leaving three daughters and an illegitimate son, Thomas ( Tomás mac Ailein ). Alexander II of Scotland , Galloway's suzerain, planned to divide Galloway between Alan's three daughters and their husbands (all Norman noblemen) and to exclude Thomas under Norman feudal law. However, Thomas considered himself Alan's heir under
880-803: A sample from the Isle of Man . The area around Whithorn, containing both the Carghidown and Rispain Camp sites, appears to have become a local power centre. The Carghidown site is located only a short distance to the east along the coast from St Ninian's Cave , while the Rispain Camp site is several miles inland. Following the start of the Roman conquest of Britain , the Roman general Gnaeus Julius Agricola campaigned northward, reaching Scotland around AD 79. A possible comment about "trackless wastes" may have referred to Galloway, but this
935-691: Is a great deal of good pasture. The northern part of Galloway is exceedingly rugged and forms the largest remaining wilderness in Britain south of the Highlands . This area is known as the Galloway Hills . Historically Galloway has been known both for horses and for cattle rearing, and milk and beef production are both still major industries. There is also substantial timber production and some fisheries . The combination of hills and high rainfall make Galloway ideal for hydroelectric power production, and
990-634: Is thought that the Iron Age inhabitants of the Barsalloch Fort site were the Novantae people. The Rispain Camp site is also associated with the Novantae. In the west, the city of Rerigonium (literally 'very royal place'), shown on Ptolemy 's map of the world, is a strong contender for the site of Pen Rhionydd , referred to in the Welsh Triads as one of the 'three thrones of Britain' associated with
1045-565: Is today County Antrim and County Down ). He reached Down (modern day Downpatrick ), drove off Ruaidrí Mac Duinn Sléibe , King of Ulaid (d. 1201), and consolidated his conquest of the area with the erection of a castle . He thereafter ruled his lands with a certain amount of independence for about a quarter of a century. According to the Dublin Annals of Inisfallen , the marriage between Affreca and de Courcy took place in 1180. Although scholars consider these annals particularly unreliable,
1100-663: Is unclear. The source of this comment is the version of Tacitus' Agricola which is contained in the Codex Aesinas . The Codex Aesinas is a composite work produced in the 15th century, which is based on a now-lost 9th century work, the Codex Hersfeldensis , which contained portions of the Agricola . The interpretation of "trackless wastes" is based on material thought to derive from the 9th century codex, with an original Latin in avia primum transgressus ("first crossing into
1155-557: The Galloway Hydro Power scheme was begun in 1929. Since then, electricity generation has been a significant industry. More recently wind turbines have been installed at a number of locations on the watershed, and a large offshore wind-power plant is planned, increasing Galloway's 'green energy' production. It is thought that aspects of the Barsalloch Fort site in Galloway date to the Mesolithic period . A number of sites date to
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#17328448099151210-729: The River Nith . Traditionally it has been described as stretching from "the braes of Glenapp to the Nith". The valleys of three rivers, the Urr Water , the Water of Ken and River Dee , and the Cree, all running north–south, provide much of the good arable land , although there is also some arable land on the coast. Generally however the landscape is rugged and much of the soil is shallow. The generally south slope and southern coast make for mild and wet climate, and there
1265-676: The Stuart dynasty in Britain and Ireland. James , the Stuart monarch of both Scotland and England, heavily policed the activities of the riding clans of the nearby Scottish Borders , leading to a large number of Borderers emigrating or being transported to Ireland or to the American colonies. The Plantation of Ulster began around this time. Attempts by the Stuarts to impose royal absolutism , as well as theological disputes over episcopacy, ultimately triggered
1320-454: The council area of Dumfries and Galloway . A native or inhabitant of Galloway is called a Gallovidian. The region takes its name from the Gall-Gàidheil , or "stranger Gaels", a people of mixed Gaelic and Norse descent who seem to have settled here in the 10th century. Galloway is bounded by sea to the west and south, the Galloway Hills to the north, and the River Nith to the east;
1375-521: The history of Ireland was the Norman invasion of Ireland by English or Anglo-Norman adventurers in 12th century Gaelic Ireland . In 1166, the once powerful King of Leinster, Dermot MacMurrough (d. 1171), was forced from Ireland by his rivals. With the consent of Henry, Mac Murchada sought the aid of Henry's vassals in Wales and England. Through his daughter Aoife MacMurrough ( fl. 1189), Mac Murchada gained
1430-583: The "Galloway flail", a variant of the agriculturally-derived melee weapon . Galloway's agricultural economy was indirectly affected by the 17th-century Plantation of Ulster. Peasants in Galloway had, dating back to the Middle Ages, traditionally practiced a mixture of dairy-focused pastoral transhumance and intensive agriculture, with pockets of arable land being intensively cultivated by some peasants, while others migrated between upland and lowland pastures with their herds. Landowners such as Sir John Murray,
1485-571: The 17th-century Bishops' Wars in Scotland, which saw the appearance of the Covenanters as a social, political, and military force. The Covenanters began as participants in conventicles , which were unsanctioned secret religious gatherings that often took place outdoors, or in barns or granaries. The Covenanter movement was particularly popular in the southwest of Scotland. Covenanters had skirmishes with government troops in Galloway, some of which featured
1540-681: The English, made the men of the isles act all the more quickly, and with the wind in the northwest they immediately sailed about thirty ships full of warriors into the harbour of the Liffey ". With the conquest of Norse-Gaelic Dublin, and the ongoing entrenchment of the English in Ireland, the Crovan dynasty found themselves surrounded by a potentially threatening, rising power in the Irish Sea zone. The dynasty did not take long to realign itself with this new power, in
1595-468: The Gaelic system of tanistry . In the ensuing Galloway revolt of 1234–1235 , an army of Galwegian rebels ambushed Alexander's royal army and nearly inflicted a defeat before relief forces arrived to support the king. The rebels retreated to Ireland, and Alexander left Walter Comyn, Lord of Badenoch to subdue Galloway; Comyn sacked its abbeys before fleeing when faced with the return of the rebels. The rebellion
1650-708: The Grim , Earl of Douglas . In 1369, he received the part of Galloway east of the River Cree , where he appointed a steward to administer the area, which became known as the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright . The following year, he acquired the part of Galloway west of the Cree, which continued to be administered by the king's sheriff, and so became known as the Shire of Wigtown . The two parts of Galloway thereafter were administered separately, becoming separate counties . The High Medieval period saw
1705-463: The Isles. The Chronicle of Mann specifies that de Courcy's massive force was further strengthened by Rögnvaldr with one hundred ships. Together the two laid siege to what the chronicle describes as "the castle of Rath", before being beaten back with the arrival of Walter de Lacy (d. 1241), Hugh's elder brother. The expedition is also recorded in the Annals of Loch Cé , which state that de Courcy brought
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1760-761: The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Frédéric de Courcy (1796–1862), French dramatist, poet and chansonnier Henri Roussel de Courcy (1827–1887), French divisional general Jim de Courcy (1927–2000), Australian cricketer John de Courcy (1150–1219), Anglo-Norman knight who arrived in Ireland in 1176 William de Courcy (disambiguation) , various people DeCourcey/De Courcey Jamie de Courcey (fl. 1990s–2020s), English actor Matt DeCourcey (born 1983), Canadian Liberal politician Roger De Courcey (born 1944), British ventriloquist and artists' agent See also [ edit ] Château de Courcy , ruined castle in
1815-660: The Neolithic; these include the Drumtroddan standing stones , the Torhousekie stone circle , and the Cairnholy chambered cairn. There is also evidence of one of the earliest pit-fall traps in Europe which was discovered near Glenluce , Wigtownshire . The Iron Age is where prehistoric archaeological remains and recorded history overlap for Galloway. Galloway's Iron Age sites are similar to
1870-500: The Norman defenders, and that he was himself captured and beheaded . The French text specifically states that there was Manx involvement in the assault. In Gerald's version of the events, Affreca's father supplied thirty ships to an unsuccessful later-attempt at ousting the Normans from Dublin. In the words of Gerald, "their fear of the threat of English domination, inspired by the successes of
1925-488: The border between Kirkcudbrightshire and Wigtownshire is marked by the River Cree . The definition has, however, fluctuated greatly in size over history. A hardy breed of black, hornless cattle named Galloway cattle is native to the region, in addition to the more distinctive Belted Galloway or "Beltie". Galloway comprises the part of Scotland lying southwards from the Southern Upland watershed and westward from
1980-507: The candidates for the Scottish Crown. Consequently, Scotland's Wars of Independence were disproportionately fought in Galloway. There were a large number of new Gaelic placenames being coined post 1320 (e.g. Balmaclellan ), because Galloway retained a substantial Gaelic speaking population for several centuries more. Following the Wars of Independence, Galloway became the fief of Archibald
2035-543: The century after Agricola's campaign, Ptolemy's work is a Roman perspective on Britain following the conquest, and not necessarily a reflection of pre-Roman social or ethnic groups. Ptolemy listed two peoples as inhabitants of the area around Galloway: the Novantae in the west (associated with Wigtownshire, Kirkcudbrightshire, and southern Ayrshire) and the Selgovae in the east (primarily associated with modern-day Dumfriesshire). It
2090-530: The commune of Courcy in the south of the Calvados département of France De Courcy Island , one of the Gulf Islands of the coast of southwestern British Columbia, Canada Courcy (disambiguation) [REDACTED] Surname list This page lists people with the surname DeCourcy . If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding
2145-705: The context of both the vacuum left by Northumbria being filled by the resurgent Cumbric Britons and the influx of the Norse into the Irish Sea , including settlement in the Isle of Man and in the now English region of western Cumbria immediately south of Galloway. If it had not been for Fergus of Galloway who established himself in Galloway in the mid-twelfth century, the region would rapidly have been absorbed by Scotland. This did not happen because Fergus, his sons, grandsons and great-grandson Alan, Lord of Galloway , shifted their allegiance between Scottish and English kings. During
2200-457: The discovery of such sites eliciting antiquarian interest. For example, the Black Loch of Myrton site (which likely dates to around the 5th century BC) was discovered due to loch-draining activities in the area of the Maxwell family estate during the 19th century. The site received the attention of a local antiquarian, Sir Herbert Maxwell , who conducted a basic excavation. Initially thought to be
2255-477: The earl of Annandale , received large land grants in Ulster which were only suitable for pasture. In order for their tenants in Ireland to pay rent, an export market had to be created, which was soon sanctioned by the Scottish Privy Council, for Irish cattle to be exported to England via Galloway. Some landowners used the cattle trade in the 17th century as a way to grow their landholdings, as the system of
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2310-456: The forces of Mac Murchada and de Clare marched on Dublin, which was then successfully stormed by de Clare's men. According to the near contemporary Expugnatio Hibernica by Gerald of Wales (d. 1220x23), the leadership of the Dubliners managed to escape the carnage with their belongings, and sailed away into the Isles. While many of the Dubliners may never have returned, Gerald's account and
2365-494: The form of a dynastic marriage between Affreca and one of the most powerful of the incoming Englishmen— John de Courcy (d. c. 1219). Nothing is known of de Courcy's early life. He arrived in Ireland in 1176, with Henry's deputy in Ireland, William fitz Audelin (d. before 1198), and was a member of the English garrison of Dublin. According to the Gerald, de Courcy led an invasion of Ulaid in 1177 (an area roughly encompassing what
2420-449: The hands of the family of its last abbot, Edward Maxwell. Following the death of the pre-Reformation Bishop of Galloway in 1575, there were disputes over who would be bishop, and the seat was vacant for a considerable period of time in the late 16th century due to opposition to episcopacy in Scotland. The Anglo-Scottish Union of the Crowns took place in 1603, leading to the supremacy of
2475-650: The last recorded speaker. In modern times, Stranraer was a major ferry port, but the company have now moved to Cairnryan . Galloway has been the setting of a number of novels, including Walter Scott 's Guy Mannering . Other novels include the historical fiction trilogy by Liz Curtis Higgs, Thorn in My Heart , Fair is the Rose , and Whence Came a Prince . Richard Hannay flees London to lie low in Galloway in John Buchan 's novel The Thirty-nine Steps . Five Red Herrings ,
2530-416: The legendary King Arthur , and may also have been the caput of the sub-Roman Brythonic kingdom of Rheged . Rerigonium 's exact position is uncertain except that it was 'on Loch Ryan ', close to modern day Stranraer ; it is possible that it is the modern settlement of Dunragit ( Dun Rheged ). According to tradition, before the end of Roman rule in Britain , St. Ninian established
2585-409: The peninsula of Ards , where John had previously given lands to his family priory, St Andrew of Stogursey . Galloway Galloway ( Scottish Gaelic : Gall-Ghàidhealaibh [ˈkal̪ˠaɣəl̪ˠu] ; Scots : Gallowa ; Latin : Gallovidia ) is a region in southwestern Scotland comprising the historic counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire . It is administered as part of
2640-442: The person's given name (s) to the link. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=DeCourcy&oldid=1185164322 " Category : Surnames Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata All set index articles Affreca de Courcy Affreca de Courcy or Affrica Guðrøðardóttir was a late 12th-/early 13th century noblewoman. She
2695-407: The relatively low occurrence of rotary querns at sites in the area. Roughly contemporary with the Rispain Camp site, a cluster of roundhouses at Dunragit (dating to the early centuries AD) was revealed to contain examples of native (i.e. non-Roman) pottery. Certain households in Galloway seem to have taken social prominence later in the Iron Age. Lead items appear; isotope analysis of goods at
2750-479: The rest of Scotland. Its distinctive type sites consist of crannogs , promontory forts, and duns . Galloway has a preponderance of crannog-type sites compared to certain other regions of Scotland. This is due largely to the region's geography favouring lochs (or now-former lochs), as well as a bias toward higher survival rates of undisturbed sites available for archaeological investigation due to loch-draining taking place later in Galloway than in other regions, with
2805-487: The sea." While many surviving sites represent sporadically-occupied locations or individual households, there are also examples of multiple-household settlements. One of these is the Rispain Camp site near Whithorn, which contained a form of bread wheat unique amongst Iron Age sites in Galloway. This is a possible indication that Rispain Camp had different agricultural practices than elsewhere in Galloway, especially given
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#17328448099152860-538: The trackless wastes") having been corrupted into annonave prima transgressus , which is grammatically incorrect in Latin. The interpretation that this passage refers to Galloway is based on contextual information, as the work later refers to "the part of Britain that faces Ireland", which is seen as referring to southwestern Scotland. In the 2nd century, the Alexandrian geographer Ptolemy produced his Geographia , which
2915-496: Was eventually ended with the return of royal forces. The result was a partition of Galloway, serving to fragment it administratively, though some ecclesiastical (the bishopric) and judicial (the office of Justiciar of Galloway ) offices survived further into the High Medieval period and beyond. Alan's eldest daughter, Derbhorgail (Latinized as Dervorguilla), married John de Balliol , and their son (also John ) became one of
2970-575: Was the daughter of Godred Olafsson , King of the Isles , a member of the Crovan dynasty . In the late 12th century she married John de Courcy . Affrica is noted for religious patronage in northern Ireland. Affreca was the daughter of Godred Olafsson ( Old Norse : Guðrøðr Óláfsson , a member of the Crovan dynasty. Godred ruled the Kingdom of the Isles . She is not to be confused with her grandmother Affrica of Galloway , Queen of Man A significant era in
3025-468: Was written c. AD 150 . This work included Britain. No surviving copies of the Geographia exist which are older than the 13th century, creating the possibility that details may have been lost or distorted. Ptolemy credited much of his work to a now-lost atlas by Marinus of Tyre , a previous geographer whose work is thought to have been created around AD 114. Though it would have been written within
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