William de Carruthers was the first Carruthers mentioned in recorded history when he made a donation to the Abbey of Newbattle during the Reign of Alexander II (1215-1245). It was actually his great-grandson, Thomas Carruthers, who was the 1st Laird of Mouswald, having received the charter for Mouswald around 1320.

For his earlier support of Robert the Bruce, Thomas Carruthers had received a charter for all the lands of "Musfald et de Appiltretwayt cum pertinenciis".  This Thomas also received in the same year, a charter of half of all the lands, with pertinents, which belonged to "Robert de Applingdene in valle Anandie", due to his marriage to one of Robert de Applynden's daughters, Joan.  These lands formed the kernel of what was to become just 4 generations later, the 1st Carruthers Barony - Mouswald, which is located just a few miles south of Dumfries. 

With Edward Balliol ceding the land  of Dumfries to Edward III after the defeat at Halidon Hill, Thomas Carruthers accepted an office under Edward III of England and relocated there, leaving his Mouswald land to his next oldest brother, William, now 2nd Lord Mouswald.  Thomas is assumed to be the founder of the Carruthers family in England, where the family appeared at an early date in Cumberland, Northumberland, Durham, and Yorkshire. 

William's great-great-grandson John, the 6th Laird of Mouswald, became the 1st Baron Mouswald. This John was also at one time the Captain of Lochmaben Castle.

Included in the genealogy chart below are the 1st generations of Carruthers from William de Carruthers, down through the end of the Mouswald line at generation 13 with Janet and Marion Carruthers. Here the Mouswald family became extinct in the male lineage and the Mouswald estates were lost.  The Holmains line from William de Carruthers is shown on this chart through George Carruthers, the 6th Laird of Holmains and 2nd Baron Holmains. Additional Holmains genealogy can be found on the Holmains page. Also included is the genealogy from John, 5th Laird of Holmains and 1st Baron Holmains, to the 4 brothers who came to America and settled in Pennsylvania. Descendants from this line can be found on the Pennsylvania page.

Therefore, on this one genealogy chart, you can track the beginning of the Carruthers family, through the generations that first came to America.

More extesive descriptions of the Mouswald Carruthers family will be added after descriptions have been added for the other estates.