After the armed gathering at Chitterflat as part of the Pentland Hills uprising in 1666 both Mure of Caldwell and his neighbour and possible relation the "Gudeman of Little Caldwell" (or otherwise "Caldwell of that Ilk") were attainted in 1668 for treason as rebels and fled the country for Holland.

General Tam Dalziel was given the properties of both families.

After some time and the diligent pleadings by his wife Mure was pardoned and restored into favour and his estates.

For whatever reason Caldwell did not do so well and I think he emigrated to the USA.

It is more than possible that there is a descendent in the USA who is currently "Caldwell of that Ilk" and doesn't know it. This must be a spur to ardent Caldwell researchers! Find the chief!

Conventional wisdom is that the line died out but even so there surely must be an inheritance path to a current logical chief of our "clan".

I am the first son of the second son of the 13th child (many sons) of the second son of the first son. Not much hope for me

The line of Castle Caldwell is also supposed to have died out in Canada but I have seen a picture of a tombstone in a Church at Bolton Ontario that quite clearly shows the arms of the Castle Caldwell family and the names on the stone are not known to the researchers of the Castle Caldwell family line. It is more than likely that there are descendents of this family line about in Canada to this day.

Both families had matriculated coats of arms that are there for some enterprising family to lay claim to.

As for the property forfeit in 1688 - the Mures got theirs back - probably a little late for the current Caldwell of that Ilk - but then I am not a constitutional lawyer

Tom

Worth a smile anyway ...