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A people of the Scottish/English Borderlands known as the Strathclyde Britons were the first to use the name Gersten. It is derived from Grier, a pet form of the given name Gregory, which means watchful. 1 2
"The Griersons of Lag, Dumfriesshire, claim descent from Gilbert, second son of Malcolm, dominus de MacGregor, who is said to have died in 1374, but, says Col. Fergusson, 'there is no evidence or foundation for the story commonly current that this family was an offshoot of the Highland family of MacGregor.' " 3
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gersten research. Another 321 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1232, 1250, 1408, 1411, 1429, 1451, 1502, 1526, 1547, 1557, 1564, 1590, 1608, 1623, 1654, 1655, 1657, 1671, 1677, 1704, 1709, 1711, 1733 and 1760 are included under the topic Early Gersten History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the era before dictionaries, there were no rules governing the spelling or translation of names or any other words. Consequently, there are an enormous number of spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names. Gersten has appeared as Grierson, Greson, Greyson, Grayson, Greirson and others.
Notable amongst the family at this time was John Grierson or Grisson (died 1564?), a Scottish Dominican who is believed to have been from the family of Grierson of Lag in Dumfriesshire. 4
Sir Robert Grierson of Lag (1657-1733), was 1st Baronet of Baronets of Lag & Rockhall, Dumfriesshire. He was "persecutor of the covenanters, was descended from an old Dumfriesshire family which claimed as an ancestor the highland chief Malcolm, lord of Macgregor, the friend and ally of Robert Bruce. The lands of Lag are said to have been bestowed on Gilbert Grierson by Henry, earl of...
Another 96 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gersten Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The freedom, opportunity, and land of the North American colonies beckoned. There, Scots found a place where they were generally free from persecution and where they could go on to become important players in the birth of new nations. Some fought in the American War of Independence, while others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these Scottish settlers have been able to recover their lost national heritage in the last century through highland games and Clan societies in North America. Among them: William Grayson who settled in Wilmington N.C. in 1804; James Grierson settled in New Jersey in 1685; John and Jane Grierson settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1774..