A., State Physician and Historygrapher to Lis majesty, Kiag Cliarles the Second, in Scotland, and gent to hi3 brother Sir Gerard Irvine, Bart., of Castle Irvijie in the kingdom of Ireland, in the year lij60." From this manuscript it appears tliat the oldest branch of the family styled the '"Irvines of Bonshaw," v»-ere seltlud on the banks of the river Eshe, wuere they continued for many successive generations -with varying fortunes. From this stock are descended the English and Irish Irvines. ainong the latter having been the Ut. Hon. General Sir .John Irvine, Commander-in-chief of his majesty's forces in Ireland in the j'car 1779.

A very early offshoot of this parent stock \vere the "Iri'ines of Drurn." The eldest son of the house of Bonshaw, William, having been knighted by King Robert Bruce in the j-ear 1206, and for long and faithful services in the field, having been endowed with the lands of Drum on the river Dee in Aberdeenshire, ■which are to tl.ii^ day in possession of his descendants. The castle of Drum is about ten miles from the city of Aberdeen, and is now inhabited by Alexander Irvine, Esq., the lineal descendant of the abo%'e Sir William. Sir William Irvine of Drum married the daughter of Sir Robert Keith, Knight, Lord JIarshall of Scotland, and of ilargaret Hay, daughter of Gilbert Hay, Lord Hay, first Constable of that fainily. The manuscript referred to observes, that. "The idng gave him the lands of the forest of Drum, and he himself hadng canicd a private coat of arms whilst he was concealed under the name of the Earl of Carrick ; he likewise gave him that, -s^ith permisiion for him and Ms descendants forever, to bear it as their armorial bearing, with this motto, '■'sub sole, subumhra ri'rens, alluding to the family's great fidelity to him in his troubles.