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The Pringles of Stichill
 The current head of the Stitchill branch of the Pringles is:
Lt-Gen Sir Steuart Robert Pringle, KBC, 10th Baronet; who was born in 1928, and succeeded his father, Squadron Leader Sir Norman Hamilton Pringle in 1961. Sir Steuart was formerly the Commandant General of the Royal Marines.
The Pringles of Stitchell are sprung from the Hoppringles of Craiglatch and Newhall, Selkirkshire, believed to have been very old cadets of the house of Smailholm. In the crown rentals of Ettrick Forest for 1485 and 1490, the lands of Craiglatch are mentioned as having been in the possession of William Hoppringle and Alexander, his son. William Pringle of Craiglatch, also designed of Whittoun, Roxburghshire, had a charter of the lands of Hut, on the river Kale, in that county, in 1492, and crown tacks of Craiglatch in 1485 and 1490. His great- grandson, Alexander, was retoured in 1539. In 1587, Alexander's son, George Pringle of Craiglatch, obtained a charter of his Ettrick Forest lands. For the crime of march-treason he and his eldest son, George, incurred the forfeiture of the lands of Craiglatch. March-treason included several species of offences peculiar to the border, such as holding communication with the English, and aiding them in their depredations on the Scottish side, as well as breaking border truce. The penalties for this crime were very severe. In 'The Lay of the Last Minstrel,' the herald of the English warden lords thus begins his address to the widowed Lady of Buccleuch, on their appearance before the walls of Branksome Tower:
"It irks, high dame, my noble lords,
'Gainst ladye fair to draw their swords
But yet they may not tamely see,
All through the western wardenry,
Your law-contemning kinsmen ride,
And burn and spoil the Border side,
We claim from thee William of Deloraine
That he may suffer march-treason pain,"
Of the forfeited lands of Craiglatch, Sir James Pringle of Smailholm obtained a gift, and he restored them to the family in 1601, in the person of George Pringle of Newhall, elder son of George Pringle, the son, above mentioned. In consequence, however, of the burdens incurred in their misfortunes, one-half, called the Knows, was alienated in 1617 to James Pringle of Whytbank, and the other half, called Newhall, became, from that time, the family designation. The first George Pringle had, besides George, his heir, another son, Robert, ancestor of the Stitchell family.
This Robert Pringle, first designed of Bartingbush, acquired the lands of Templehall, Berwickshire, and various other properties, he purchased, in 1628, from Sir John Gordon of Lochinvar, (first viscount of Kenmure,) the estate of Stitchill, Roxburghshire, and was subsequently designated of Stitchill. He died in 1649. His eldest son, John, predeceased him, leaving two sons, Robert, the first baronet of Stitchill, and Walter, of Graycrook, advocate, who is mentioned in Wodrow's History as having ably pleaded for the Covenanters taken at Bothwell Bridge, when put upon their trial in 1679. His uncle, Walter Pringle of Greenknowe, a zealous Covenanter, suffered many hardships and persecutions. His Memoirs were published at Edinburgh in 1723, 8vo. He married Janet, second daughter of James Pringle of Torwoodlee. The ruins of Greenknowe tower, Berwickshire, his residence, are still remaining.
Sir Robert Pringle of Stitchill succeeded his grandfather in 1649, and in 1667, on the death of Robert Pringle of Newhall, he inherited the possessions of the elder branch of the family. He was created a baronet in 1683. By his wife, Margaret, daughter of Sir John Hope, a lord of session, with the title of Lord Craighall, he had, with other children, (19 in all,) 1. John, second baronet; 2. Sir Walter Pringle of Lochton, admitted advocate, 10th December 1687, constituted a lord of session, as Lord Newhall, 6th June, 1718, at the same time appointed a lord of justiciary, and knighted. He died 14th December 1736, when his funeral was attended, as a mark of great respect, by the other judges, in their robes of office. The faculty of advocates also met on the occasion, when an elegant eulogium on his lordship's character, written by Sir Robert Dundas of Arniston, then dean of faculty, was ordered to be engrossed in their minutes, expressive of the high esteem in which he had been held by that learned body. An epitaph on Lord Newhall by Hamilton of Bangour is printed in the works of that poet. 3. The Right Hon. Robert Pringle, a distinguished statesman, who, May 18, 1718, was appointed secretary at war, an office which he held till 24th December following. 4. Thomas Pringle, writer to the signet, from whom descended the Pringles of Edgefield and the Pringles of Weens. His son, Robert Pringle of Edgefield, passed advocate 4th July 1724, and in 1748 was appointed sheriff-depute of Banffshire. Admitted a lord of session, 20th November 1754, he took the title of Lord Edgefield; and died 8th April 1784
Sir John Pringle of Stitchell, second baronet, married Magdalen, daughter of Sir William Gilbert Elliot of Stobbs, baronet, and had four sons and two daughters. The sons were, 1. Sir Robert, third baronet. 2. Gilbert, an officer of dragoons, who married Margaret, only daughter and heiress of John Pringle of Torsonce. 3. Walter, advocate and sheriff of Roxburghshire, who succeeded to Torsonce on his brother's death, and died unmarried; and 4. Sir John Pringle, the celebrated physician.
The eldest son, Sir Robert Pringle, third baronet of Stitchell, married Katherine, eldest daughter of James Pringle of Torwoodlee, and died at the age of 88. His son, Sir James, fourth baronet, served many years as an officer in the army, first in the fusileers, and afterwards in the 59th regiment, which he commanded. Subsequently he was colonel of the Southern fencibles, and for a short time commanded the Roxburghshire yeomanry cavalry, after that corps was raised in 1797. He was master of works for Scotland, and represented Berwickshire in four parliaments. He died in 1809. By his wife, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Norman Macleod of Macleod, he had, with three daughters, three sons, namely, 1. Robert, younger of Stitchell, who predeceased his father. 2. John, fifth baronet. 3. Norman, major of the 21st North British fusileers, and afterwards British consul at Stockholm. He had purchased Torsonce from his father, which he afterwards sold.
Sir John Pringle, fifth baronet of Stitchell and Newhall, born in 1784, served for ten years in the 12th light dragoons. He married, first, his cousin, Emilia Anne, 2d daughter of General Norman Macleod of Macleod, and had 3 sons and 5 daughters; and, 2dly, Lady Elizabeth Maitland Campbell, daughter of the 1st marquis of Breadalbane, issue, 2 daughters, the elder of whom, Mary Gavin, married in 1861, Robert, 2d son of George, 10th earl of Haddington. Heir, James, his eldest son by the first marriage. His 2d son, Norman, a cadet in the royal engineers at Woolwich, was accidentally drowned in the Thames. Sir John is vice-lieutenant of Roxburghshire, and a deputy-lieutenant of Berwickshire.
Map of Stichill (Multimap.com)
Map of Craiglatch & Newhall (Multimap.com)
For more information contact:
James Bruce Pringle (who is the second son of the second son of the eighth baronet of Stichill, and first cousin to the tenth baronet of Stichill. He can be contacted via E-mail: jpaltd (at) gotadsl (dot) co (dot) uk.)
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