Sir Hugh de Paduinan
He kept the serfs and tenants already living on the land and brought in more. Evidence suggests they were loyal to him and respected him because he treated them fairly. He built their homes close to the castle so that when the English attacked they could take refuge inside the castle. This group of homes became known as Hugh's town, which eventually became the village called Houston. References to the origin of Houston generally ascribe it to Hugh's + tun, which was the word of the time that described an enclosure or place of safety.
While Hugh was a Scottish Baron, this didn't mean he was of nobility like a Baron would be in England. A Scottish Baron was just someone at the top of the feudal chain. He would have been called Lord or Laird because he owned the land. Both Sir Hugh and his descendants often arise as signatories of deeds, particularly pertaining to Scottish churches. He is believed to have married a Scottish chieftain's daughter, and his heir was son Reginald. When it became necessary to take on a surname, his son just took on the name of the town. And that was how the Houston family was born. Hugh's Town --> Houstoun-->Houston The main village in the area still bears the name Houston. Battle of Hattin He died in 1189 in the Holy Land, possibly amongst the Templars who were killed at the Battle of Hattin. His descendants remained the Lairds of Houston until 1740, where the lands were sold to Alexander Speirs of Elderslie, a Glasgow Tobacco Lord.
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