Our Ancestral Heritage & Heraldic Story

The Rintoul’s Story

We have started to trace the origin of the Rintoul family, this is Tish’s family tree on her mother’s side

We will update this part of our site as we go or when we have enough information to add.

We have been working on the make up of the heraldic shield and coat of arms which is as follows.

The Rintoul Coat of Arms is recorded in Thomas Robson's "The British Herald" which was published in 1830. The arms are described in heraldic language like this:

Shield: Argent three eagles displayed gules. (White with three red eagles with their wings spread)
Crest: An elm tree proper. (An elm tree drawn in natural colours)
Motto: Facta non Verba (Latin for "Actions, Not Words")

Note that the mantling on the shield in the Rintoul Coat of Arms is red and white. These are the Rintoul family colours. This website is written in red and white to reflect those colours.

The Rintoul family has never formally registered this Coat of Arms in Scotland, England or Canada. Strictly speaking, under both Scottish and Canadian law, a Coat of Arms is formally granted by the Crown to a specific person and their direct decendants, not to everyone with the same surname.

The Rintoul Coat of Arms was adopted informally centuries ago by the Rintoul family and has no legal status. Even so, it has become a common practice to use this Coat of Arms informally to represent the surname.

In our story so far we have researched back to 1671.

Alexander Rintowall born 1675 in Tillicootyy, Clackmannanshire, , Scotland I’m not sure of his trade at that time but  he met Janet Melvin Aged 35 and married her on the 29th Dec in 1710 at  Alloa, Ayrshire. She bore him two children both boys Alexander born 1708 (out of wedlock) and William born two years later in 1710 (Pictured right Tilli chapel and family graves)

William Rintoul born 1710 continued to live in the area were he met his wife Margret Bowie from Alloa, Clackmannanshire  and on the 8th February 1734 married her. They had a large family of six, Catherine the eldest born 1736, followed by the first of the Alexander boys born 1738 he died in 1739, Janet was born in 1741 followed by David born 4th March 1742 the second of the Alexander boys 27th November 1747 and lived until 1789 and finally Robert R in 1748 and he died in 1822. (Pictured right Alloa harbour circa 19th century)

Alexander Rintoul born 27th November 1747 also stayed in the area working and met his spouse Mary Thompson and married her on the 4th May 1771 in Alloa. she bore him three children Euphan in 1771, William 1774 and Alec 1843  . Alexander lived to a ripe old age of 92 and died in 1839 and was interned in Alloa.

Alec Rintoul born 1843 in Alloa (pictured here as an older man) The head of a family of eight Alec continued to work in Scotland as a gardener and at 27 married Elizabeth Haigg two years his junior Elizabeth gave birth to seven children between 1870 and 1889,  Janet in 1871, Chistina 1875, Elizabeth 1876, David 1877, Thomas 1879. At this point Alec up sticks and moved the family to Devon where James Webster was born in 1883 and John William in 1889.
The family group pictured right John William the youngest in the center between father Alec and mother Elizabeth.  James seated on the right Janet seated on the left next to Lizzie standing with Thomas Christina and David to the right behind James.

James Webster Rintoul born 1883 in June  (pictured here as a younger man) resided in  Devon, James did not follow in his fathers footsteps to become a gardener but instead took his apprenticeship in property becoming an Estate Agent working in Torquay where he met Ada Lillian Foy and married her in July 1911 in Williton Somerset. Ada gave him three daughters Marjorie (Aunt Fan) Foy born 1916, Muriel and Nancy Ada born 1915  (Patricia’s mother,)  James continued to live in Torquay until his death in the first quarter of 1957.

Nancy Ada Rintoul was born 11th Aug 1915 at 47 Morgan Avenue Torquay (pictured here to the right), grew up in Torbay where she met her husband to be Lesley George Skedgel. They married during the war years 1940 and after the war finished  he went into the Estate agents business following introductions from his father-in-law James Rintoul. Nancy made home and bore four children Patricia in 1946  Michael (who died shortly after birth),  Anthony and  Maureen.
Nancy died 25th Feb 2008 at Roseville Rest Home. Les died 4th July 1992

Patricia Muriel born in Sept 1946 married Nicholas Farr in September 1969 they now have two children and three grand children