The Story of Scotia Founder, Alexander Lindsay Glen

Besides being descended from the noble Lindsay clan, Alexander Lindsay Glen is most famous for having founded Scotia -- not to be confused with the Canadian Province, though. Originally, he did call his land Nova Scotia, meaning ‘New Scotland’, but the village was later simply called Scotia. The village lies actually lies within the town of Glenville, which as you may have guessed by now was also named after Alexander. It’s no wonder he decided to name the area surrounding his new home after his beloved homeland. After all, he was a Highlander at heart, even long after leaving, as most Scottish expatriates tend to be. Alexander was born near Inverness sometime in the early 17th century. As we mentioned, he was a relative of Clan Lindsay, which were one of the most illustrious clans during this time, having held the Earldom of Crawford, among other peerages. During the mid 17th century, Alexander found himself in some political trouble and fled Scotland with his wife. After passing through Holland, they eventually came to New Amsterdam.

Fun fact: Did you know that New Amsterdam was actually a Dutch settlement in the Southern tip of Manhattan? All of New York City was actually called the New Netherlands in the 17th century, but despite this, more Scots than Alexander were traveling over to the Big Apple during this time. Can you see where we’re going, here?

Having made the trek to New Amsterdam, Alexander became employed by the Dutch West India Company at Fort Nassau, which was actually the very first Dutch settlement in all of North America. The Swedish West India Company was a rival of the Dutch during this time in this area, with both vying for control over the same water trade route. As a result, Alexander was unable to settle there, which we assume would’ve been most convenient for him, but then of course, we wouldn’t have this story to tell, would we? Eventually, he moved to the area of Gravesend on Long Island and then in 1658, he acquired lands quite close to Schenectady, having received title from the Mohawks. He received a patent for the land in 1664 and, of course, has evolved to become the well known village of Scotia today.

As if leaving behind an entire village inspired by Scotland wasn’t enough, the Glen-Sanders House of the 18th century is another item of historical significance that visitors to this area have the opportunity to experience. The house was built in 1713 by Captain Johannes Glen, the youngest son of Alexander. While this, of course, isn’t Alexander’s original house, his son actually used much of the original stone of the 1658 building. What is so significant about this house is that it is the longest recorded family occupancy in the area, and one of the longest occupancies in all of the United States, with the Glen-Sanders family having owned it for 266 years by the time it was 1924. Over the years, the house was rather protected from violence because of the cordial relationship between the family and the Mohawks, which meant that the house was often safe from destruction and could instead experience expansion. However, we’ve found that a large stone addition to the house had been torn down at some point, with it having acted as a slave quarters from 1713 until the abolishment of slavery in New York State in 1827. Just next to the site of the original House, today lies Glen Sanders Mansion, an exclusive wedding and events venue on the banks of the Mohawk river.

Alexander Lindsay Glen’s influence lives on today not just in Scotia, but in the Capital District Youth Pipe Band. Originally called the Scotia-Glenville Pipe Band, the Band actually wears the Lindsay tartan and the Lindsay clan crest to honour Scotia’s founder. You can read more about the band here.

In another nod to Alexander and the Scottish community within the area, "The Tartan" is the bagpipe-playing mascot of the Scotia-Glenville school district. Coming up soon on the blog, Emily will be sharing the story behind "The Tartan".