Hi all you Caldwells, thought that you might find this interesting if you are still wondering about the truth of the French connection. I've just finished a very long read, quite a few hundred pages, some in latin and the rest in middle ages scots dialect, all in the "Registerum Secreti Sigilli Regum Scotorum" or "The Privy Seal" of Kings James IV and V, and Mary Queen of Scots, from 1488 to 1548. Of the times that the caldwell name is found not once was it near Annan and the Solway, in fact it doesn't appear in the whole of Dumfriesshire. It appears once near Aberdeen as the land of Caldwellis and once in the Orkneys in a place called Caldale, the rest of the time it is all in Ayrshire and small part of west renfrew near the ayrshire border.
Here they are:-
a. d. 1505 Robert Caldwell near Maybole, in trouble with the law.
1517 Archibald Caldwell in Cuningham Ayrshire
1518 William and Martyne Caldwell put to the horne (outlawed)
1531 Land of Caldwellis near Aberdeen
1528 William Caldwell son of David Caldwell of Wester Caldwell (so they were still in part of the family estate) Alexander Caldwell of Hoilehouse.
1533 Thomas Caldwell in Annelhill (Annanhill is in my tree)
1536 John Caldwell of Lothormoss (Lochirmoss)
1541 Andro Drummond given title to land of Wester Caldwell on death of David Caldwell, his son Constantyne Caldwell being outside the law.
1544 Schir James Caldwell with William, Earl of Glencairn accused of treasonably taking and holding the Castle and Steeple of Glasgow against Mary Queen of Scots
1544 Martyne Caldwell fugitive at the horne (outlawed) for the slaughter of John Kennedy of Culzen
1545 John Kyle pardoned for the killing of the above Martyne Caldwell
1545 Constantyne Caldwell of Nether Caldwell
1547 Thomas Caldwell residing in Thornelybank alias Chalmerhouse (near Annanhill)
1548 Domini Jacobi Caldwell minister in Kilmaurs
1550 lands of Caldale in Orkney.
So I rest my case the Caldwells definitely did not originate in France.
David Caldwell Manitoba