Dumfriesshire Tod and Todd Families

Jan 2026

Richard McMurtry

                                                                    Source File: Dumfriesshire Tod and Todd Families

                                           Website File: Dumfries.htm

Dumfriesshire is an interesting Scottish county for Tod and Todd research because:

1.  It is one of the principal counties that contributed to migration to Ireland in the 1600s.  However, none of the Dumfriesshire families (one from Glencairn and one from Moffatt) that have had DNA testing has shown kin in the counties of Ulster (Northern Ireland).  Perhaps testing of more families would yield a connection to Northern Ireland families.
2. In the 1990s, a family historian of the family of William Todd died 1820 Horry County SC erroneously concluded that this William Todd was the same person as the William Tod born 1745 in Moffat, Dumfriesshire son of Thomas Tod and Margaret Bald.    This error has spread across the internet in dozens if not hundreds of family trees.    In truth, however, male DNA from the Horry County Todd families matches families with an English origin including the family of John Todd b 1734 in Scarborough, Yorkshire.

Of the 257 parish register entries for Tod and Todd family members, 72 were in Moffatt, 70 in Glencairn and the rest scattered amongst the parishes of Dumfries, Holywood, Langholm, Kirkpatrick Juta, Kirkmichael, Dryfesdale, Annan, and Canonbie.  However, there is no evidence of a continuous occupation of the Tods or Todds in the parishes outside of Moffat and Glencairn.

Whether it would be worthwhile to get additional samples from unrelated branches in Glencairn is uncertain, but not a high priority.

Notable Families

1.  James Tod 1709-1772 md 1732 Mary Aitchison:  This family was the subject of a book written by Colin Perry in 2009.   Two male DNA samples from this family were obtained and they matched each other.
2. Robert Tod who married Janet Hislop in 1717 was identified in 1720 as a “portioner” in Craigieburn, a mile of so east of Moffat, meaning he had inherited property there. By 1731, he was identified as a Vintner of Moffat.   His son Thomas born 1724 is most likely the Thomas Todd a merchant who married Isobel Johnstone in 1748 and at the birth of their son Robert in 1749 is identified as “merchant in Moffat”.     The other Thomas Tod who married Margaret Bald in 1745 lived in Bobsbeck and Califeran, a few miles NE of Moffat and no occupation is identified on their marriage or records of birth of their children.  He is therefore less likely that Thomas md Isobel Johnston to be the son of Robert Tod.   Hence the William Tod b 1745 son of Thomas and Margaret Bald is not likely the grandson of Robert Tod md Janet Hislop.
3. John Tod born 1788 Glencairn, Dumfriesshire d 1849 Penpont, Dumfriesshire (son of John Tod 1749-1830.)  This family converted to Mormonism and came to Utah about 1849.

Family Detail

1. Link to Colin Perry’s book: Tod Family of Moffat
2. DNA Lineages of Dumfriesshire Tod/Todds

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3.   More Dumfriesshire Tod/Todd Trees
4. Map of Dumfriesshire Parishes