How the Family Migrated
Peeblesshire: The earliest references to the family are in the area of Drummelzier in Peebles. Roger de Twydyn, the son of Fynlaw, was granted the Barony of Drummelzier by Robert the Bruce on 12th June, 1325. The family owned the castles of Drummelzier, Oliver and Tinnes at various periods. The published histories of the Borders give many details of the Tweedie family and the feuding in which they were involved.
The family were prominent in the county till the middle of the 19th century with properties at Oliver, Rachan and Hearthstanes. There are few Tweedies in the area now.
Glasgow &; Edinburgh: The name is relatively common in these cities. The family would have naturally migrated toward the metropolis in the search for employment. Rev. William King Tweedie of the Tolbooth in Edinburgh wrote a number of books in the 19th century and his father John was a famous botanist.
Cumberland: The family came to the county around 1770. In 1785 Robert Tweedie married Isabella Johnson at Hutton in the Forest. The family probably drifted southward from Dumfries. The name Tweddle is very common here and may also be a derivative of Tweedie. The family of the author lived in Cumberland until 1921.
Liverpool &; Lancashire: The name is also spelt Tweedley in this area. Part of the natural migration toward the cities, Liverpool was the main port of emigration for the family, and branches are now found in the USA, Australia and New Zealand.
Worcestershire: Roger Twiddy born 1557 at Himbleton was the grandson of the Tweedys of Essex. Several generations can be traced in this area.
Cornwall: The family came to Truro in Cornwall from London in 1770. They were prominent Quakers in the town and owned the Truro Bank. William (1766-1854) was chairman of the Railway Company and a founder of the Royal Institute of Cornwall. A picture of him hangs in Truro museum.
Northumberland &; Durham: The area where the name is most common in England and where the spelling is usually Tweedy.
Norfolk The name has mostly been changed to Twiddy in this area, but it has been proved that they came by sea from Tyneside and settled in the area around 1600.
Essex: George Twedye is recorded in 1558 as being from the family of Drummelzier. His great-grandson Richard (1516-1574) has a brass in Stock church. The family can be traced in the area for a number of generations.
Kent: The family is descended from the Tweedies of Quarter, Peeblesshire. Michael Tweedie came to Rolvenden, Kent, when he married Frances Forbes in 1826. The family has produced a number of prominent military persons. Michael Forbes Tweedie was a keen historian of the family and his history published in 1902 is an important source of information.
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