Let me share with you the fascinating history of your family, the Glas, passed down through generations. The name is more commonly spelled ‘Glass’ and is believed to derive from the Gaelic adjective ‘glas,’ meaning ‘grey.’ It may also be a shortened form of MacGillieglais, signifying ‘son of the grey lad.’ In the Lyon registers, your family is recorded as ‘Glas of that Ilk,’ indicating their prominence. Notably, the Glass of Ascog family on the Isle of Bute has been recognized as a notable lineage since the fifteenth century. Historical records reveal a grant of land to Alexander Glas in 1506, further establishing the family’s presence. Alexander Nisbet, an esteemed heraldist, also mentions the family of Glass of Sauchie, suggesting their relation to the chiefly family due to the similarity of their heraldry. This lineage enjoyed prosperity in various locations, including Elgin, Perth, and Stirling, during the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries.

One notable figure in your family’s history is Reverend Alexander Glas, possibly from the Sauchie branch. He gained fame as the founder of the religious sect known as the ‘Glassites.’ His teachings challenged the established Church of Scotland, advocating that every gathering of Christians constituted its own church. As a result, he was expelled from the Church of Scotland. Despite his expulsion, he wrote controversial pamphlets that gained wide readership after their publication in 1762. Another noteworthy figure emerged in the late twentieth century, Pastor Jack Glass, a Glasgow-born preacher recognized for his fervent evangelical campaigns and his criticism of perceived immorality in the arts. He passed away in 2004, leaving a mark on the evangelical Christian community.

Additionally, there is a captivating story of an unfortunate member of your family, John Glas, a master mariner, during the eighteenth century. Initially trained in the medical profession, John Glas later became the captain of a merchant vessel involved in trade with Brazil. He embarked on a venture to establish a new settlement on the African coast, which unfortunately failed. Subsequently, he was imprisoned by Spanish authorities but was ultimately released due to the intervention of the British government. In 1765, while returning to England with his wife and daughter, tragedy struck. The crew mutinied near the coast of Ireland, resulting in the murder of Captain Glas and the heart-wrenching act of throwing his wife and daughter overboard. The mutineers attempted to disguise their crime by falsely claiming a shipwreck, but their guilt was revealed, leading to their execution in October 1765.