Raulston Family Index

The intent of this "Descendants of Clarence M. Raulston" website is described below.

RAULSTON

ARMS: Argent, on a bend azure three acorns in seed or [gold].

CREST: A falcon proper looking to the sinister at a sun-in-splendour, or [gold].

MOTTO: Fide et Marte [1) by faith or by war, 2) by fidelity or military service]

In heraldic art, the colors denote characteristics of the bearer:

Argent (an ancient Gaelic term for silver)-denotes sincerity and peace.

Azure (an old French word for blue) - implies loyalty and truth.

Or (a very ancient Gaelic word for gold) - denotes justice and elevation of the mind. In heraldic art, the charges on the shield denote characteristics of the bearer:

Bend -The bend is the major charge on this coat-of-arms. It is one of the nine Honourable Ordinaries. These are among the oldest charges found in heraldry. It is thought by some authorities that these were derived from the bands of supports on the shields of the Crusaders in the 11th-12th centuries. When drawn, the ordinaries must occupy one-third of the shield except when there are more than one per shield. In the case of the bend, it is a bar running from the upper left to the lower right corner of the shield. The bend denotes power, domination, dignity and authority.

Acorns - The acorn is the fruit of the oak tree. Trees, leaves, fruits, and flowers are very often found in heraldic art. They are generally drawn to resemble the natural item even if the colors do not match. The symbolic meaning of the acorn is liberality, felicity and peace. In the Raulston Coat-Of-Arms, it is not painted in natural colors but in gold.

This Coat-Of-Arms is on record in an old Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is said to have been awarded the family in the twelfth century.

We are following the generations of Clarence Raulston, Sr. We want our generation and coming generations to remain close to their relatives - and their roots in the Dimple Community in North Central Red River County about six miles North of Clarksville, Texas on SH 37. We're telling tales, and we'd love to include yours! We want your comments to help improve the site. We want it user friendly, informative, and current. Keep us posted as we endeavor to do so!

C. M. Raulston, Jr. - I wrote a book in 1973, The Raulstons of Red River County (Texas) and my research took me to Renfrewshire. The beginning of the book starts: ... In the Beginning ... On the roster of the old Scottish Clans, in the year 1147, the Raulstons are mentioned with those who rose out of Ayrshire. They are called the "Raulstons of that Ilk" and were the descendants of the MacDuff Thanes or Earls of Fife, one of whom had a son, Ralph, who obtained a grant of lands in Renfrewshire. Legend has it that this son called his lands after himself - Ralph's towne - and that his sons continuing on the same estate, wrote themselves De Ralphs-towne which by softened pronunciation became Raulston.

The Roulstones, Raulstons, Ralstons were originally Scotch Presbyterians. They fled from Scotland during the persecution of members of their faith and settled in the north of Ireland. From that time they married maids of Erin and in the veins of their sons danced a new capacity for dreaming. To America they brought yet another tale of the significance of their name. They said that it was acquired in battle when their clan, whose original name was Love, rolled stones down a Scottish hill on their enemies and from that time bore the name Rolle-stone, modified to Raulstone.

From the lands or barony of Raulston near Paisley, Renfrewshire, Crawford says Ralph, a younger son of one of the Earls of Fife, obtained a grant of land from the High Steward, but Nisbet says this is not favored by their arms for they do not carry the lion rampant, the arms of the old Earls of Fife, but three acorns on a bend, intimating they are of the same stock with those of the surname Muirhead. The first of the family recorded is said to be Nicholas de Ralstoun, who witnessed the donation of Fulton by Sir Anthony Lombard to the monks of Paisley in 1272. Thomas de Raulfestone of Lanarkshire rendered homage in 1296 and Jacobus de Raulyston, witnessed the election of an Abbott of Paisley, 1346. John Raleston of Raliston of that ilk was one of the arbiters in a dispute between the Burgh of Renfrew and the Abbott of Paisley in 1488. Robert Ralston was clerk to the Bishop of Caithness in 1504. Hendrie Ralstoun witnessed letters of reversion in 1519 and Hugh de Ralston of Ralston was killed in the battle of Pinkie 1547. The estate of Ralston was sold by the family in 1705 to the Earl of Dundonald. William Ralston Shedden Ralston (1828-1889) was a distinguished Russian scholar and folklorist. Railstoune 1550, Ralfahstoun 1440, Rallstoun 1684, Ralstoune 1656, Raylston (of that ilk).

After the family estates in Scotland were sold the family moved to the vicinity of Londonderry, Ireland. John Roulstone, born in Scotland in 1653, came to America prior to 1676. He served in King Phillips War under Captain Wadsworth and died in Boston in 1717. One son moved via Pennsylvania to Augusta County, Virginia, about 1710. Before coming to America, John and his father, John, Sr. were in the business of hauling cargo and passengers between Plymouth, England and Boston Colony.

Matthew Roulstone (we are not connected to Matthew) moved from Virginia to Tennessee in the late 1700s. He settled on the French Broad River in Jefferson County near Knoxville. His last Will and Testament was the first such document to be filed for record in the State of Tennessee. At about the time that Matthew moved to Tennessee his cousin, George Raulstone, settled in Knoxville. George published the Knoxville Gazette, the first newspaper to be published in Tennessee.

Matthew had four sons, Samuel, William, Moses, and James. I proved that we were not descended from Samuel, William and James. However, I could not disprove Moses. In about 1840 I found a William M. and Fannie Raulston living in Cannon County, Tennessee and an older female was living with them at that time. Their oldest daughter was born in Tennessee in 1841 and when they came to Texas in about 1849 or 1850, they brought with them five daughters. The youngest of those daughters was Mary, born Tennessee 1848. The first child born to them in Texas was Julia born 1850. Those are facts. From those two dates, you know about when they came to Texas.

Robert Raulston left County Down, Ireland, in 1765 and settled in Octororo, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Robert Ralston, Jr., first to sign his name Ralston, was born in Pennsylvania in 1768. He served in the War of 1812 under General Robert Crooks and later under General Harrison. He settled in Ashland County, Ohio, in 1814. Robert Ralston III was born in Ohio. He had four sons: William C. Ralston was born January 12, 1826; Samuel Woodburn Ralston was born in 1832, Andrew Jackson Ralston in 1833, and Alpheus Ralston in 1835. The wife of Robert Ralston III was Mary Chapman Ralston. She was from Virginia.

William Chapman Ralston settled in San Francisco in 1854. He became a political leader and wizard of finance. Many things have been written about him. Two books of interest are: "The Man Who Built San Francisco" by Julian Dana, The Macmillan Co., New York, 1936; "Ralston's Ring" by George D. Lyman, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1945.

Hew Ralston built the castle in 1551 - died there in 1613. This castle was the family seat for over 400 years. (Picture contributed by MARK MCDAID in April 2009. Thanks, Mark!

RALSTON Estates, Renfrewshire

"The ancient barony of Ralston in Renfrewshire consisted of Auldtown, Hullhead, Barshaw, Whitehaugh, Byres, Honeybog, Pennylee, Maylee, Auldhall and Ralston-Wood. These properties were sold by Gavin Ralston of that Ilk in 1704 to John, Earl of Dundonald, who conferred them on his daughter, Lady Anne Cochrane, when she married James, the fifth Duke of Hamilton. Their son sold Ralston in 1755 to William MacDowal of Castle-Semple, an eminent Glasgow merchant and one of the founders of the Ship Bank there. His son, William of Garthland and Castle-Semple, sold Ralston in 1800 to William Orr, son of a Paisley manufacturer who with his brother had made a fortune in the manufacture of linens in Ireland where they had introduced and brought to perfection the art of printing linens. Three years earlier he had acquired from the Earl of Glasgow, part of the lands of Ingliston, on which he built an elegant manor house. Upon his purchase of Ralston he merged all of his estate into one which he called Ralston and the house became the Mansion of Ralston. In 1840 James Richardson, a Glasgow merchant, secured it. His son, Thomas, enlarged the mansion and increased the size of the estate.

"Today there is an area called Ralston on the east side of Paisley." As you drive east on A737 toward Glasgow, you will pass through it. The Ralston Golf Club is located just south of the highway east of Paisley. It once was part of Ralston estates.

"William Patrick of Roughwood, the grandson of Jean Ralston, aunt of the last Ralston of that Ilk, purchased the property in 1833. After sixty-two years Woodside-Ralston was back in the hands of a family member. Upon William's death his nephew, Robert William Cochran Patrick, a member of Parliament for North Ayrshire, was heir. It seems to be through Mr. Patrick's interest in his maternal lineage that much of the information of this family is available.

"Woodside-Ralston and Auchingown near Beith in Ayrshire were sold by the last Gavin Ralston of that Ilk in 1771 to Dame Jean Stirling of Auchyle, wife of the Honorable James Erskin of Alva, Lord Barjoy of Session and later one of the Senators of the College of Justice under the title Lord Alva. The residence served as their summer home until their death at which time her cousin, General Alexander Graham Stirling of Duchrae and Auchyle was heir."

"It may have been in the 1880's that the estate was once more lost to the family. We visited there in 1982 to find the building in good condition and occupied by a retired army officer and his family." Woodside is located just outside Beith, past the cemetery to the north-west on King's Road.

Though Wikipedia is not the most accurate source on the web, go here for more information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralston. I am still searching for the person that e-mailed me, that resides in the Ralston castle. I hope he will e-mail me again!

Ralston, an estate in Abbey parish, Renfrewshire, 1¾ mile E of Paisley From an early period down to the beginning of the 18th century it belonged to a family of its own name, originally called Ralphston from their ancestor Ralph; and in 1800, with some exception, it was acquired by William Orr, Esq., who had previously purchased from the Earl of Glasgow a part of the adjacent estate of Ingliston, and who erected there a handsome mansion called Ralston House.—Ord. Sur., sh. 30, 1866.