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The spelling of the name varies all over the place. At a time when most people couldn't read, a town or church clerk making a wedding or birth entry would guess at the spelling because the couple might not even know for sure.
As late as the mid-1800s in Lanarkshire there are three birth entries for the same couple. The husband's name came out as John Sumervale, John Sommervale and John Somorval, and the wife's name was listed as Mary Girdewood, Mary Gridwood and Mary Girdwood. Strange that these happen to be the same names as the people you are asking about from a century earlier - but they were fairly common names.
Incidentally all the entries are to register the birth of a daughter Margaret - in 1735, 1741, and 1746. Apparently the first two died and the same name was given to the next girl.
Cowthally was the name of the castle in Carnwath owned by the Lord Somerville family for several hundred years. It was sold out of the family in 1603 and shortly afterwards was torn down.
Since the castle and main lands were usually passed on to the oldest son, younger sons would live elsewhere - and we are probably descended from younger sons, since the line of Lord Somerville ended in the early 1870's.
I have written a looseleaf history of the Somervilles (mainly for my children and grandchildren) with pictures, maps etc that includes many stories of the early family.
Peter Somerville
petersomer@cs.com
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