Let me share with you the fascinating history of your family, the Dunlop. Your family name is associated with the lands of Dunlop, located in the former district of Cunningham in Ayrshire, Scotland. The name itself may originate from ‘dun lub,’ meaning ‘fort at the bend.’ The first recorded mention of the name dates back to around 1260 when Dominus Willelmus de Dunlop appeared as a witness in a deed involving the Burgh of Irvine. The Dunlop lands were initially held by the de Ross family, and there is a tradition suggesting that the Dunlops were ‘servitours’ of this noble family. The name also appears on the 1296 Ragman Roll, which listed Scottish nobles who submitted to Edward I of England.

Constantyn Dunlop of that Ilk, who passed away in 1505, seems to have been summoned to Parliament as a minor baron in the late fifteenth century. The Dunlop name frequently appears in the charters of other notable Dumfries and Ayrshire families of that era. Constantyn’s daughter, Janet, married James Stewart, Sheriff of Bute, who was a descendant of King Robert II. Moving to the seventeenth century, James Dunlop of Dunlop aligned himself with the Presbyterian faction in the Scottish Church and was implicated in the Pentland Rising of 1667. As a result, he faced imprisonment and heavy fines. His son, Alexander, sought refuge from religious persecution by emigrating to North America, where he was appointed Sheriff of South Carolina in 1685. Alexander’s son, John, elevated the Dunlop lands to a barony in 1688.

John Dunlop, the son and successor of the aforementioned John, fought for the Hanoverians during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1754. He had an impressive family, fathering seven sons and six daughters with his wife, Frances Ann Wallace of Craigie. One of their sons, Sir Thomas, succeeded his grandfather and took on the name Wallace of Craigie. Another son, James, assumed control of Dunlop in 1784. During the early nineteenth century, the family’s fortunes reached their peak as they continued to rise through advantageous marriages. For instance, John, the General’s son, married Harriet Primrose, daughter of the Earl of Roseberry, and was granted a Baronetcy in 1838. Sir James Dunlop of Dunlop, the second Baronet, passed away in 1858, bringing an end to the title. Another branch of the family became prominent ship owners and merchants in Glasgow. Sir Thomas Dunlop from this branch was awarded a baronetcy in 1916. He served as Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant of Glasgow from 1914 to 1917 and received decorations from several other countries. Additionally, Marion Wallace Dunlop gained prominence as a suffragist and was an associate and supporter of Emmeline Pankhurst.

Your family, the Dunlop, boasts a rich and diverse history with notable figures who played significant roles in politics, society, and activism.