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Harold engaged in battle with each other, the Duke moved into position and defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings.  With the help of Norse descendants, the Duke became William the Conqueror, ending a long period of Viking rule.

             Historians believe that the Irwyns, the Picts, and other groups living in Scotland, repelled an invasion force of the Roman Army from England at a period of time when Rome ruled the world.  On the border between England and Scotland the clans held their ground in charge after charge by the Roman soldiers, and eventually, the Scots practically annihilated two entire Legions of Romans.  Many flat stones have been found in that area with names of Romans scratched on them, faced down. 

             The Scots later became a more aggressive fighting force, after developing a new and terrifying weapon, the long bow.   The weapon itself was useless without the physical capabilities and training to use it, because the strength of the bow was such that the arms alone of a strong man could not bend it.  A great deal of time was required to develop the technique of using the entire body weight and strength to send an arrow capable of piercing the mailed shirt, breeches and saddle of an armored soldier, and pin him to the side of his horse.

             For a period of several hundred years, Scotland was probably the only nation in the world not controlled by a centralized form of government.  Each area covering a few square miles was ruled by a Lord or Chieftain and was called a tribal area.  Each tribe kept a small trained army for protection against the English.  Because of their warlike nature, when there were no outside enemies to fight, which was seldom, tribal wars would break out among them.  For the youth of Scotland, war games were their occupation.  The advent of the Long-Bow required much strenuous training and a long period of time to master it.  A young boy's training began with a smaller bow, and gradually built up.  Under their tribal laws, six weeks every summer were spent in marauding expeditions and during this period, they had to exist off of the land.  The clans were led by a Chief or Chieftain, which after some indefinite time became a Knight.  This was the beginning of a period in history when Knights became popular, even with Kings. 

             During this time, in southeastern Scotland, a fortress and tower were erected near the Kirtle River, which came to be known as the Bonshaw Tower.  Although early records of this area are few, it is believed that the lands were given as a dowry in the marriage between Duncan Eryvine ( Erinvine ? ) of Eskdale and the heiress of an ancient British royal family named Coel Hen.   The original wooden tower and fortress were probably built about 900 A.D. but were sacked and burned more than once and rebuilt, eventually in stone.   It is clear that a clan of Irvings defended this area for many years. 
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             The tower survives to this day, rising about 52 feet above the ground and still holds the original clan bell, whose urgent peal once summoned hundreds of Irving clansmen to the aid of their chief.

             Scotland was invaded time and time again over a period of several hundred years primarily by the English, with little success.  They would usually gain control over territory that had been occupied by two or three clans, but seldom did they take any prisoners or livestock.  The Scots would vanish into the hills with their families and possessions, where the English weighted down with their armor, could not follow.  Then, when least expected, the Scottish warriors would make a sudden swift-footed charge with javelin, sword, and warhorn down hillside of glynn demoralizing their opponents, while the men with the Long-Bows would be moving into position on either side.  This particular invasion would thus end.  This type of living went on for many years, until the tenth and eleventh centuries, when King David brought about change.  He was the great-grandson of Crynin Erwine.

             Crynin Erwine (or Ervine as spelled in the British Museum) was Rector of a Parish called Dull.  He married Beatrix, daughter of King Malcolm.  Crynin and Beatrix Ervine were the parents of Duncan, who married Sybilla.  King Malcolm selected his grandson, Duncan, to succeed him as King of Scotland.  This was the King Duncan murdered by his cousin Macbeth, in his ruthless endeavor to gain for himself the throne of Scotland.  Some years later, Malcolm III, son of former King Duncan and Sybilla, attacked and destroyed Macbeth, after which he ruled from 1057 until 1093 A.D.  Thus, Crynin Erwine became the ancestor of all Scottish Kings thereafter.

            Some of these Scottish kings carried the Irwyne name.  Alexander III, who ruled from 1249 to 1286, was the last.  He and his wife Margaret had two sons who died young, and a daughter Margaret Irwyne, who married Eric the Red, King of Norway.  With an expedition party, they discovered a frigid island, and named it Greenland.  Remnants of Eric's house, artifacts pertaining to Christianity, and parts of a church built for Margaret have been found.  Eric and Margaret had one daughter Margaret, called "The Maid of Norway", who became heir to the Scottish throne upon the death of her grandfather, Alexander III.  But she died at the age of 8.

             Holmes-Corey, Ltd., records, "One of the earliest written accounts of the ERWIN name, written in Latin, was in the Domesday Book of 1086.  The Domesday Book was one of the most celebrated acts of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy."  This book contained a description and valuation of the lands of England, and statements of the income of every man.  We find the ERWIN name in the "MANORIAL ROLLS", so-called because King Edward I had decreed that all manorial property should be maintained on record.  It seems that the ERWIN name assumed its present form after the invasion of the Normans in 1066.  However, different spellings of the same original surname are a common occurrence.  Dictionaries of surnames indicate spelling variations of ERWIN to be ERVIN, IRWIN, AND IRVING.  In earlier times, it was also spelled IRWYN and IRWINE.   It is a well-known fact that literacy was generally lacking among most people living at this time and formal spelling was practically unknown.
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             Consequently, over the many years that man has been able to document his existence, more than 200 variations in spelling and pronunciation of this and other similar surnames have appeared in the record and among the people.  The list below contains most of these, but whether they are all actually simple variations of the ERWIN surname, or whether some are evolutions of other surnames is impossible to substantiate.

 

Airwin               Arewine              Arvinge                Arvon                 Arwine

Arwen               Curwing              Curwings             deHerwine         deHirewine

deIrevigne         deIruwyn            deIrwin                deIrwyn              deOrvin

deYrewyne       D’Orvin               Earven                 Earwein              Earwen

Earwin              Earwing               Eirryn                  Eirven                  Eirvin

Eirving              Eirvyn                  Eirwin                  Eorvin                 Eorwine

Erbine               Erenvine              Erenwine             Erevein                Erevin

Erevine              Erewynis             Erin                     Erin-Feine           Erinfeiner

Erin-Veine         Erinvine               Eriven                 Erivin                   Eriveen

Ernwine             Eruini                  Ervan                  Erven                   Ervening

Ervens               Ervien                 Ervin                   Ervine                  Erving

Ervinge              Ervinne               Ervion                 Erwin                   Erwine

Erwing               Erwinn              Erwinne               Erwinski               Erwinss

Erwyn                Erwyne             Eryvine                Eryvyne                Eryvino

Eryvinus             Erywen               Eurini                  Eurwings              Herwynd

Hierewine           Hirevigne          Hirewine              Hurven                 Iarwin

Ieriven                Iervine              Irevigne               Irewin                   Irewing

Irewyn                Irewyne            Irin                      Irn                        Irrein

Irrewin                Irrewine            Irrewing              Irrewings              Irruein

Irruen                  Irruin                Irruings                Irruwin                 Irruwing

Irruwingus           Irruwyng           Irrwin                  Irrwing                 Irrwynnis

Iruewin               Iruiin                 Iruin                   Iruine                    Iruing

Iruvine                Iruwyn              Iruwyne              Iruyn                    Iruyne

Irvane                 Irvein                Irveing                 Irven                    Irvene

Irveyn                 Irvin                   Irvine                  Irvinee                  Irving

Irvings                 Irvinge              Irrin                    Irvinee                  Irviney

Irvinn                  Irvins                Irvinus                 Irvon                    Irvun

Irvyerins              Irvying              Irvyn                   Irwan                   Irwain

Irwane                Irwanes            Irwwen               Irwein                  Irweing

Irwenis                Irwien               Irwin                   Irwine                  Irwing

Irwings                Irwingh             Irwingus              Irwins                   Irwinn

Irwirn                  Irwon               Irwyn                  Irwyne                  Irwyng

Irwynn                Irwynnis             Irynagio               Oerin                   Oeryn

Oerwyn              Oervine              Orwin                 Orruein                 Ourine

Ouron                 Ourren             Owyrn                 Uirvine                  Uirwin

Urewens              Urewing           Urowine              Uruin                    Urven

Urvens                Urvin                Urvine                 Urwain                  Urwaine

Urwan                 Urwen              Urwenn               Urwens                  Urwin

Urwine                Urwing             Urwins                Urwung                   Urwyng

Vervine               Vrowing           Verwayn             Vruing                    Vruving

Vrvin                   Vrwaine           Vrwan                 Vrvynn                   Vrwayn

Vrwayne             Vrwen              Vrwin                  Vrwine                   Vrwing

Veryne                Yirwing            Yivewing             Yrewing                  Yrein

Yrwen                 Yrwens            Yrvin                   Yrwin                     Yrwing

Yrwyne

 

            A branch of the Erwin family acquired a considerable estate in the 14th century.   This was the result of events which began in 1296 when King John I of Scotland, who was hated by his subjects,  abdicated the throne and fled into exile.  Immediately, King Edward I of England gathered an army and invaded Scotland, raping and pillaging the land, whereupon the Scotch rose up to oppose him.  They soon found a champion in Robert deBrus, who amassed a small army, asserted his claim to the Scottish throne, and attempted to drive Edward from Scottish soil.  Although he was able to ambush Edward’s troops on at least one occasion, Robert was defeated and in 1298 was forced to flee whereupon he sought refuge and support at Bonshaw Tower.  Its chief, Irvine of Bonshaw, hid Robert deBrus in the tower for a period of time and later, in a secret cave along the Kirtle River.  Subsequently, Robert gathered more supporters and eventually left Bonshaw to continue his crusade against Edward, taking a son named William Irving of Bonshaw with him.

             In 1306, Robert deBrus was successful in driving Edward back toward England and he ascended to the throne of Scotland, although Edward continued to make war against him for a number of years.   After many battles, Robert finally defeated Edward’s army in 1314 at Bannockburn, and brought to a halt the English invasions.   As a reward for his assistance, Irvine of Bonshaw was given lands and Alexander deIrwyn (believed to be the father of William Irving) was given a portion of Drum Park, located in Aberdeen.  Then, in 1323, William Irving, now known as William de Irwyn, was granted a free barony by charter from the King in  the Royal forest of Drum, which included a fortress built more than a century earlier.   William de Irwyn now became the first Laird (Lord) Drum, and the fortress and the estate remained in the hands of the Irwyns (today known as the Irvines) for the next 653 years.

             Drum Castle, one of the most beautiful castles in Scotland, is located about 10 miles from the center of Aberdeen and the barony is still active, today being held by the current Laird Drum, Charles Francis Irvine.
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             Certainly the Irwyn name has left a lasting impression on the Scottish people.  Near the mouth of the river Irwine, in the Firth of Clyde, is the City of Irwine, an industrial center in Ayrshire, Scotland.  But it also is apparent that Erwins were living in many areas of Europe during the Middle Ages.  Johanner Erwin Von Stimbath, born in Stimbath, Baden, Germany was the architect of the Cathedral at Strasburg.  He died in 1318, when the cathedral was half finished.  His son, John Erwin, completed the structure.  Samuel Pepys (English History) described in his diary (begun in 1660) how "..on Aug. 17, 1666, up and betimes with Captain Erwin down by water to Woolwich...back with Captain Erwin, discoursing about the East Indys, where he hath been often."

             According to McDowell's Book of the Irwins, "...members of the scotch Ervine clan for political and religious reasons left Scotland and settled in Ireland."  Although we cannot document exactly when and how they arrived, it is known that they existed in Ulster Province of Northern Ireland by the year 1700 A.D.  At least one branch of the family made the move about 1612.  Many of these were descended from a colony of Scotch Presbyterians and while there were some intermarriages between the Scotch and the Irish Catholics, for the most part the two groups kept apart.  It is evident that the Scotch became firmly established in this area and prospered, putting to use things that had been learned in Scotland.  Sir John Erwin (1728-1788) even became Governor of Gibralter (Ireland), Commander-in-Chief of Ireland, and a favorite with George III of England.  But eventually, their flourishing manufactories of linen and woolen goods aroused the jealousy of English merchants and by the close of the 17th century their industry was crippled by adverse legislation.

            Adding to their economic woes, religious persecution came in the early years of the eighteenth century.  They were forbidden to have schools, marriages performed by their clergy were declared illegal, and they were deprived of the right to hold office.  These persecutions led to emigration to America.  Between 1730 and 1770, a half million of them came to this country.  By the time of the American Revolution, about 1/6 of the total population of the colonies were Scotch-Irish.

             Early Erwin emigrants to America include George Erwin, entering the continent in 1640 to New Norfolk Co., Virginia (Greer's List of early emigrants from England to Virginia), and Dr. John Irvine, who located in Liberty Co, Georgia about 1765, and was the founder of the Georgia Medical Society.  Their daughter Anne Irvine, born Jan 14, 1770, married Captain James Bullock, the eldest son of Archibald Bullock, President of Georgia, and were the parents of James Bullock Jr., who was the father of Martha Bullock, mother of President Theodore Roosevelt.  It is said that the Scotch Erevine clan had as descendants in the U.S.A., President Andrew Jackson, President Benjamin Harrison, Washington Irving, the author, and General Robert Irwin of the Revolutionary War.
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             The Abridged Compendium of American Genealogy, published in 1925 by A.N. Marquis & Company of Chicago lists a Samuel Erwin at Falls of Schuykill.  The record states that he was the father of Jane Erwin, who married Allan MacLean, and their son Allan was born in 1746.  This would place Samuel in America at a very early time in its history.  But there is no record of any male descendants of Samuel carrying the Erwin name.

             About 1767, the Joseph Irwin family, including sons Nathaniel, William, Arthur, John, Hugh, and Alexander, migrated from Ulster Province to North America, where they located first in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and later moved on to other areas of the country.  One of these Irwins, Arthur, spelled his name with an E.  Arthur remained in Bucks County, accumulating land along the Delaware River.  Arthur Erwin was a soldier in the Revolution, a Colonel in 1778, under General Putnam of the Bucks County Militia.  Colonel Erwin's plantation was a few miles above where General Washington made his crossing of the Delaware, and some of the boats were furnished by Colonel Erwin and were manned by his slaves and tenants.  On May 25, 1791, Colonel Erwin was assassinated at the home of Colonel Samuel McAfee in Lucerne County, Penn.  The patriarch of the family, Joseph, after a rich and varied life which included trips abroad and numerous profitable enterprises, died about 1803, and is buried at Erwinna, Penn.

             Colonel Erwin had a son John who was captured in the Revolutionary War, on Nov 16, 1776, and spent nearly 5 years in a British prison ship in New York harbor.  Although he died in 1782, only a short time after being released, he obviously spent time in New York state prior to the birth of John Spears.  But it is not known whether or not he married or had any children.