Origin of the Caldwell Name  
 
For an extremely good and in depth look at the facts
surrounding this story, see John Caldwell and the History of the Caldwell name.  

Click here to learn about variations in spelling

    Before the name Caldwell came into existence, our ancestors were part of two groups of people living in Italy who called themselves the Albigenses and Waldenses. Both of these groups were Protestant in their beliefs and are mentioned often in historical accounts. At this time (i.e.. early 1200s), those of Protestant belief were being subjected to heavy persecution by the Roman Catholic Church. Eventually, because of these persecutions, they were forced over the mountainous border that separates Italy from France and settled in a small village called Toulon, near the foot of Mt. Aud (also called Mt. Arid in some accounts). It was here that three brothers, John, Alexander, and Oliver, were born.
    They spent all of their boyhood days in Toulon, and as they became young men, began what became known as the Cold Well Estate. The estate itself gained its' name from a much frequented and well known watering place located within its' boundaries. As was customary during this time, the three brothers became known as John, Alexander and Oliver of Cold Well. Later, the "of" was dropped and they were referred to as the Cold Well brothers.
 
    [The above account seems to suggest that the Caldwell name had its' beginning in France. However, two independent research firms (Halberts, in Bath, Ohio and The Historical Research Center, Inc. headquarters in Deerfield Beach, Florida) indicate that the name seems to be original to Scotland. Additionally, if Cold Well had been added as a surname in France, one would reasonably expect that it would have remained in the French form (i.e.. using French words for cold well, not English). This same account, itself, which above seems to suggest a French origin, refers later in this narrative to the beginning of the Caldwell family on an estate in Scotland, not France. Finally, a close reading of the above does not require the conclusion that the estate was actually in France. I believe the three brothers grew up in France, but established their estate (and thereby gained their surname) after relocating in Scotland.  Research performed by the Historical Research Center indicates that the name Caldwell, derives from the Old English words of "Ceald Wielle" meaning, literally, cold spring or stream.]

    But persecution began to mount here in France under the reign of Francis the First, a Catholic sympathizer. Again, they were forced to leave their homes. This time they traveled by way of Lisbon, Spain to an eventual new home in Scotland. It is from this start of the Caldwell name that all Caldwell's, both in Europe and America, appear to be descendant [there seems to some room for doubt for such a claim, as discussed below]. This portion of their lives is dealt with in more detail later in this sketch.     According to the aforementioned report, Hugh Caldwell once described a silver cup he had seen which had been engraved with a pictorial history of these three brothers. He had been in conversation with two other men who were of the Caldwell family(2) and relates the following:

     As will be noted, all of these representations were taken from history, during the lives of the three brothers.

    According to the narrative thus given us, after being forced to leave their homes in France these three brothers were found as sailors on the Mediterranean Sea, manning three cruisers (the three ships on the silver cup) and apparently became rather rich and powerful sea merchants.
    The three brothers were originally and apparently aligned with the Barbarossa brothers, generally considered pirates of much note at the time. The Barbarossa's were of Algerian birth and became the dominant power (perhaps with the Turks) in the Mediterranean for 20 or more years after driving the Spanish from Algeria. The name "Barbarossa" is a European one meaning "red beard" which the leader of these brothers (Khaii-ed-Din by his Algerian name who died in 1546; his brothers' name was Arouj) apparently had. (The Encyclopedia Britannica and The World Book Encyclopedia, 1994). The term Barbary pirates will, no doubt be familiar to many readers of this story. None-the-less, these pirates were themselves defeated by the Governor of Aran when he made a massive effort to end the dominance of the Barbarossa's. John, Alexander and Oliver escaped with out being captured by the Aranian Governor and returned to Toulon for a short time.

[One of our visitors (Karen--see Guestbook entry) offers the following very plausible alternate narrative: "I personally do not believe our christian ancestors were in anyway associated with these Muslum Turks who used Christian slaves to row their ships. The brothers became well known in 1504 when they captured two of the Pope's Galleys. These ships were almost ten times the size of the pirate ships, so it was a great fete! . . . The Barbarosas' were African pirates who probably came upon the Caldwell brothers and perhaps a band of pirates that they belonged to. My personal guess is that it was the Barbarous brothers who defeated the Caldwell fleet." Thanks, Karen, for the input!]

    John, Alexander and Oliver, however, put their years of experience on the sea to good use and amassed a naval fleet of their own, one rivaling the defeated Barbarossa's in force. Now, however, Spanish Merchants hired John, Alexander and Oliver to do away with the remaining pirates on the Mediterranean. Though hired by the Spanish, King Francis I of France was so pleased with their success, that he rewarded the brothers, as well, to the tune of $20,000-a substantial sum of money in that day!
    They then determined from that time forward to abandon the high seas and returned to their home in Mr. Aud, France. But on their return there, they found France now in a state of turmoil as a result of the persecutions suffered by the Huguenots and Piedmontees, as the Protestants in France were called. They, being protestant themselves, returned at once to Spain.

        [This is quite a "romantic" and fun story with very little direct evidence as to its' authenticity other than the included references to valid dates and historical events.  However, the story seems to be fairly consistent and persistent as it comes from several different branches of the family.  It is likely that there is much of truth in the account as well as a healthy sprinkling of fantasy to spice it up a bit.  There are some discrepancies in some of what is here related.
    The above recount and the reference to King James I in the paragraph below, would both indicate a time frame of early to mid-1500s.  However, a number of records have been found which attest to the existence of a number of individuals with the Caldwell name as early as the first part of the 14th century (i.e.. 1300s), two hundred years before that indicated in this narrative.  Further examination of this apparent discrepancy is included below]

    From Spain, they took a merchant ship bound for the coast of Scotland. They landed at a place called Solway Firth. And, finding the country (Scotland) in peace under the Protestant reign of King James VI (approx. 1567 -1603 who then became King James I, King of England 1603-1625), they determined to settle there. After finding a large land holder, he being a wealthy bishop of the place they purchased from him a large estate [another source names that Bishop as Bishop Douglas with the clarification that they did not simply purchase some land from him, but, rather, purchased his entire estate. Also, variations in this history usually refer to King James I and never mention James VI. There was a King James I of Scotland who ruled from 1406 until his murder in 1437. However, he was largely an "absentee" monarch having been captured by the French in the year of his coronation and being held until 1424. Also, other events and people refered in the story (the Barbarossa brothers, for example),do not coincide with the rule of this king.], and sent back to their native land for other relatives and friends and in a few years became numerous and prosperous. But, in order to acquire full title to this land, it was necessary that they should gain the consent and signature of the King to their purchase. This they did. But the King, upon signing their titles, imposed the following condition; that the three brothers should, when the King required it, each send a son with a troop of twenty men to aid in the wars of the King. And these should be men of sound mind and able bodies, fit for service.

    [This, then, would also have been the estate with the cold well or spring located on it.  However, it may well be that John, Alexander and Oliver were not the first from that estate to be referred to as coming from Cold Well.  One William de Caldwell is recorded with a fee (i.e.. a "fee" was usually an inherited estate of land) in 1342.  The "de" was a popular preposition used as surnames began common usage and could be read as "at" or "of the" with in a name.  Those prepositions were later dropped, in most cases, or, for some, became part of the surname (i.e.. At-wood).
    It became a matter of significant pride for one to be called by their Christian or given name with a reference to the land from which they came, added to it.  Land owners as well as anyone associated with that land or area often did so, as a way of differentiating themselves from others with the same given name.  That the land here in question with the cold well or spring existed prior to the arrival of our three brothers would be understood and unquestioned (i.e. they did not create the land nor the spring).  That others may have added the descriptive of "Cold Well" to their names before the time of our three brothers would certainly be a possiblity and is, in fact, indicated by the apparent existence of individuals with that name years before John, Alexander and Oliver. None-the-less, it would remain within the realm of possibility that the Caldwell name, as an inherited surname began with the three brothers.  It is not apparent when the usage of surnames evolved from being only a differentiation used at the descretion of isolated individuals, to that of an inherited surname passed from parents to children. In addition, it was not an uncommon practice, apparently, for clerks of that time period to arbitrarily add a descriptive addition to the given name of a vassal (ie. one who had been given some rights to portions of land owned by a superior Lord), for example, in order to identify them from others with the same given name, but totally without the vassals knowledge. It is possible, for example, that the William de Caldwell mentioned above was such a vassal and never knew that he would ever become known as anything except plain old William.]

    Thus we find our forefathers peacefully settled in Scotland, under the most favorable circumstances in life, both in wealth and in talent. Their descendants have borne the favored name of Caldwell, through fourteen generations in Scotland, England, Ireland, and America. Shortly thereafter, part of the family migrated across the Highlands of Scotland. It was nearly one hundred years prior to the time of Oliver Cromwell (who will be discussed later in this report) that they went northward from Solway Firth, through Scotland, mingling with these people as they traveled.
    The people of Scotland were adherents of John Knox, the Scotch reformer and many of them became part of his "Presbyterian" belief. They were among the covenanters of Scotland and the seceders of Ireland and, through several generations in Scotland, they became Scottish Highlanders. Passing over from the highlands of Scotland into the north of Ireland, they became Scotch-Irish. They, however, never mingled with the native Irish of Ireland. The Irish were of the Celtic race and had inhabited the island from time immemorial and were converted to the Roman Catholic faith by St. Patrick. But in the north of Ireland were Picts and Scots who were converted Protestants and Presbyterians and the two races were ever at antipathy with each other, socially and religiously. Consequently, they were always a separate and distinct people and have kept it so.
    Some of these ancestors or ours lived in the north of Ireland, near a lake called Yon. The great-grandfather of the original writer of this report (Thomas H. Caldwell) brought with him from that lake, a resin hone made from hickory wood which was formed into stone, by the action of the lake, which petrifies wood into stone in seven years. The lake contains a very fine emery sand which enters into the pores of the wood and petrifies it. This relic he brought to America with him and it was handed down until it came into possession of R. A. Caldwell, brother of Thomas H. Caldwell. But it was lost during the Civil War of 1861. This hone was greatly prized and greatly lamented when lost.
    From the north, they migrated to the south of Ireland, through Wales and from thence to America(4). The Caldwell family in Scotland and Ireland was probably very numerous because we find that after fourteen generations of nearly continuous emigration to America, Oliver Caldwell (in company with other family members) comes to America, as well, leaving behind still more Caldwell's in Ireland.
    Several well known historical figures play an important role in our history. Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), Protector of England from 1653 to 1658, was of our family through his grandmother, Ann of Cauldwell. He brought over from Scotland a large host of his kindred of the Cauldwell family and gave them positions of honor and trust during his lease of power at the head of the English nation.
    From the north of Ireland, one of the young men who still retained the old family name from which he had descended, Alexander Caldwell, emigrated south in the days of Cromwell and joined the "Friends" under Cromwell with other Caldwell families in their schemes of ambition in attaining places of honor and trust under the government of the Cromwell's.
    But after Cromwell's death and the restoration of the monarchy under Charles II of England, they were banished, and this portion of the family also fled to America, forming colonies, one in Virginia, one in New Jersey, one in New York, and one in Philadelphia. Our historian writes thus;
     "Joseph, John, Andrew and David of Cauldwell, went with Oliver Cromwell to Ireland, of which he was Lord Governor, after he was promoted to the Protectorship of England. They remained in his interest in Ireland, until the restoration of the crown under Charles II, when John, David and Andrew fled to America. Joseph died in Ireland, Daniel continued there; but several of his children emigrated to America and helped form colonies at James River, Rhode Island and Philadelphia."
    Before coming over, however, he (Alexander) confided to a family relative of the same name who had come from the old estate of Solway Firth, of the defeat of the Caldwell family and determined to make her his bride. Her name was Mary of Cauldwell, a distant relative but too distant to form a barrier to a closer union. After a short acquaintance and a shorter courtship, they were married in Wales and the family emigrated to America with one brother of the groom (David) and two brothers of the bride, John and Andrew, both young men. They landed at Philadelphia and formed a colony, but poverty had overtaken the Caldwell family at the time of their emigration to America and instead of the wealth and honor with which they were surrounded in the palmy days of the Cromwell's they had now become exiles and had been hunted throughout England for their lives, which made it necessary for them to go into self-banishment for personal safety. These were dark days for the Caldwell families, and they had to sell themselves to the ship master to gain their passage over to America. The ship master in turn had to hire them out to service in Philadelphia to such as he could find, to pay their passage. This service, however, they accomplished with faithfulness and hearty good will, without a murmur, and when accomplished were glad to call themselves "free men of America." And this freedom they ever afterwards maintained at the point of the sword and the mouth of the cannon and when kings and tyrants from the "mother country" sent armies to America to again subject them to vassalage, their breasts were bare to the conflict and, like Cromwell, their relative and preceptor, their war cry was "down with the tyrants." They fought through the war of the revolution in the cause of liberty.
    So we learn that the Caldwell families from the old estate in Scotland, know as the Cauldwell Estate, are numerous in America. Not only was Oliver Cromwell and many other members of the Revolution in England (of which he was head and leader) members of our family, but also Queen Elizabeth(5) of England is of the same family. Thomas H. Caldwell tells us that his mother, Mrs. Elenor Caldwell once had in her possession a gold chain that belonged to Queen Elizabeth, and had been handed down through many generations but was lost during Mrs. Caldwell's lifetime. She was much grieved over the circumstance, of course. Our ancestors were descendants of Alexander Cauldwell; Oliver Cromwell, a descendant of Oliver, the younger brother; and John Caldwell Calhoun of South Carolina from the eldest brother, John.
    Although our friends at the time of landing in Scotland were probably not religious, yet being raised up by Protestant parentage gave them partiality to that form of doctrine and church policy taught by John Knox, the great Scottish reformer. And settling among the Scottish people, a people preeminently religious and of the strictest order of faith, Presbyterianism, they were not long in falling in with the sentiments and religious views of their new neighbors. They no doubt also found their future partners for life among the daughters of that clime, reared and brought up within the pale of the church and deeply imbued with the principles and doctrines of the Presbyterian church. Thus the new generations became so thoroughly Presbyterian that in successive ages they have shown their attachment to the Presbyterian all their settlements, wherever they have gone. And ministers of the gospel, elders, deacons and numerous church members have been among their later descendants.
    Our forefathers personally were men of stately mien and large physique and possessed of bright, open and intelligent countenances; were of dark skin, deep penetrating eyes, high rolling, smooth foreheads, were affable and genial in their manners, friendly and accommodating in their disposition and were disposed to be talkative and generous to a fault. Although naturally of dark complexion, in mingling with the "blue-eyed belles of Scotland" through thirteen generations, the younger generations have shown many instances of the fair hair and blues eyes of the mother's family. Thus the blue eyes and the black eyes appear in almost every family.
 
 
 

    The information contained in the above historical sketch of the Caldwell family is based upon the memory and records which certain members of the family had many years ago. These records and histories were handed down and eventually came into the hands of John Caldwell Calhoun(1), Vice President of the United States.  He had them in his possession the remainder of his life. Then, in 1852, after his death, E. N. Rogers of Franklin, Tennessee (another relative) transmitted these records and documents to the Tennessee Nashville Banner for publication, and for the first time, these records were made public. A copy of the paper found its' way to Montgomery City, Montgomery County, Missouri, and to a Mr. J. Caldwell of Montgomery City. He, in turn, loaned it to Newton Gamble Caldwell who then loaned a copy to Thomas H. Caldwell. From this paper, Thomas H. Caldwell, wrote an historical sketch of the Caldwell family. It is from that sketch specifically that this present sketch was taken, much of it word for word.
    I also have another rendition of this story from a second source which includes the following reference:

            "Account of Elsie Chapline Pheby Cross, in Journal of American History."
 
    I have also completed a fair amount of historical research aimed at events referred to in this narrative and have modified portions of it in an attempt to improve the accuracy of the story as much as possible. A third rendition of this story (of which I have a copy) includes several historical documents containing purportedly official accounts of these and other related events. This third rendition and seemingly most "official" of the three, is on file at the Family History Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  That document is very extensive and appears to be fairly old itself, and I considered it to be the most accurate and complete account of the beginning of the Caldwell family.
    A fourth rendition of the story contains some supporting reference to specific dates and people apparently obtained from English records. 
And, finally, a fifth rendition was recently brought to my attention by one of our visitors and can be found in the book, "Kentuck: A History of the State", by Battle, Perrin and Kniffin, 4th edition, 1887. All five accounts have been used to compile this current, and hopefully reasonably accurate,  narrative.

 
 
For information on the beginnings of surnames, go to  Kindred Konnections .
 
 

1. John Caldwell Calhoun's mother's maiden name was Caldwell. He received the information referred to from J. C. Caldwell (a clerk in one of the government departments in Washington, D.C.). I. C. Caldwell had been given these records by Hugh Caldwell of Botetout County, Virginia. John also received other records apparently from friends of Scottish and Irish descent.

2. Oliver Caldwell, late of Ireland and a man known only as Mr. Caldwell, late of Solway Firth, Scotland.

3. The "Cauldwell" spelling reflects the broad Scottish pronunciation of "cold". Later, in England, it became Coldwell and finally the current spelling Caldwell. The reported engraving on the bottom of the cup, "Alexander Cauldwell of Mt. Aud , France is curious. It may simply be a reflection of Alexander's close felt ties to the place where he spent his youth.

4. The first emigration to America by members of the Caldwell family was probably made in about 1715.

5. Elizabeth was Queen from 1558 to 1603.  This claim has not been substantiated.

Note: Text within brackets [] has been added for clarification by Michael R. Caldwell