William Irvine (soldier)
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates
William (Thomas) Irvine (c. 1260–1333) (also known as William de Irwin/Irwyn or Alexander I) was a Scots soldier born in Dumfriesshire in Scotland.<ref name=observer>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His father was William de Irwyn of Wodehouse, Laird of Bonshaw Tower.<ref name = geni>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Armour bearer
William was the armour bearer and aide to Robert the Bruce.<ref name=irvine>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Irvines<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> had been close allies of de Bruce during his wars with England. During one such time de Bruce made flight with a few aides, riding hard and exhaustingly. At one point they had to rest and de Bruce took sleep under a holly tree while William de Irwyn kept guard. From this story grows the Irwyns of Drum Castle's coat of arms with the holly.<ref name="observer"/> At the Battle of Bannockburn (where the Scots won) in June 1314 William fought alongside de Bruce.<ref name = Drum>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Recognition
For his services to de Bruce, William de Irwyn was granted land north of Aberdeen in 1323. He was given Template:Convert of Comyn land, which included the Royal Forest of Oaks and Drum Castle, thus William became the first Laird of Drum.<ref name="observer"/> The Irvines would retain the land for over 650 years until it was handed over to the National Trust for Scotland.<ref name="observer"/>
William was Keeper of the Rolls for Scotland from 1328 to 1331. He last appears in the record in a charter of King David II of Scotland of 1332 granting him the lands of Whiterigg and Redmyres.<ref name = Forbes>Template:Cite book</ref>
Family
William de Irwyn would marry (before 1317) a granddaughter of de Bruce, Marotte Bernard the daughter of Robert Douglas, Earl of Buchan.<ref name="observer"/> Marotte died in 1335. They had at least one child William (Thomas) Irwyn, 2nd Laird of Drum.<ref name="observer"/> The Christian name of the next 12 earls of Drum was Alexander.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Irvine">Template:Cite book</ref>