CLAN INDEX Scotland
Links
Bio
Contact
Home | CLAN MOTTO : LEARN TO SUFFER | The Duncans are descended from the
ancient Earls of Atholl. Their name comes from Donnachadh
Reamhar, Duncan the Fat, who led the clan at Bannockburn
in 1314. Adam Duncan of Lundie was the son of a Royalist
during the Jacobite rebellion of 1745 and joined the navy
in 1746. He became commander of the North Sea Fleet in
1795 and managed to blockade the Dutch coast for two
years. He won a brilliant victory in 1797 at the Battle
of Camperdown and was created Viscount Duncan of
Camperdown by George IV in 1880.
|
| CLAN MOTTO : WITH STRENGTH AND RIGHT | The Elliots were originally a Borders
family. The chief branch were the Redheugh Elliots but
eventually the Stobs branch inherited the Redheugh lands.
One of them, Gilbert Elliot of Stobs, known as 'Gibbie wi'
the gowden garters' was convicted of high treason in 1645
for plotting against the Catholic Duke of York. However,
the Protestant King William of Orange later made him Lord
Minto. General George Augustus Elliot defended Gibraltar
against the Spanish and French between 1779 and 1783 and
was made Baron Gibraltar.
|
| CLAN MOTTO : BY FIDELITY AND FORTITUDE | The Farquharsons are Celts and their
founder was Farquhar, son of Alexander Shaw of
Rothiermurchus. They are important members of the Clan
Chattan. One Farquharson, Finlay Mor, carried the royal
standard at the Battle of Pinkie, where he was killed in
1547. Anne Farquharson, wife of the Mackintosh chief, was
known as Colonel Anne or 'La Belle Rebelle' after raising
her clan while her husband was fighting for the
Government and later ambushing men sent to capture Prince
Charles.
|
| CLAN MOTTO : SWEETER AFTER DIFFICULTIES |
The various branches of the Fergusson
clan are probably descended from different ancestors who
were all called Fergus. The Fergussons of Craigdarroch
are descended from a 12th-century Fergus who founded the
Abbey of Dundrennan. The Fergussons of Kilkerran trace
their ancestry to John, Son of Fergus, who lived at the
time of Bannockburn. Other Fergussons claim that they are
descended from Fergus Mor MacErc, a king of Argyll. The
Perth Fergussons are the principal Highland branch.
|
| CLAN MOTTO : GRACE ME GUIDE | The story goes that the first Forbes
was a man called Oconochar, who made his home in the 'Braes
o' Forbes' after killing the fierce bear that lived there.
In any case we know of a John of Forbes who had lands in
Forbes in the 13th century. The Forbes clan became
Protestants, supporting the Government during the
Jacobean risings. Duncan Forbes, Laird of Culloden,
convinced many clans not to join Prince Charles. His
family still aided their Catholic relatives, hiding
Alexander Forbes, 4th Lord of Pitsligo, after the Battle
of Culloden.
|
| CLAN MOTTO : I AM READY | The Frasers were a Norman family from
La Fraseliere in France and a Simon Fraser had lands at
Keith in 1160. Another Simon Fraser beat the English
three times in one day in 1302 at Rosslyn. Captured, he
was executed in London. Alexander Fraser married Robert
the Bruce's sister after Bannockburn and the Frasers of
Lovat are descended from his brother Simon. Their chiefs
are always known as Macshimi, the son of Simon.
Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat was executed in 1747 after
Culloden, the last peer to be beheaded.
|
| CLAN MOTTO : REMAINING | The Gordons were an Anglo-Norman family
and had lands in Berwickshire by the 12th century. Adam
of Gordon was a follower of John, the Red Comyn, but when
Robert the Bruce killed John, he joined Robert rather
than fight him. Robert made him ambassador to the Pope in
1320 and gave him the old Macduff lands at Strathbogie in
Aberdeenshire, where Huntly Castle is situated. The power
of the Gordons grew until, by the 16th and 17th centuries,
the Gordon chief had become known as the 'The Cock o' the
North'.
|
| CLAN MOTTO : DO NOT FORGET | An Anglo-Norman family, the Grahams
lived at Grey Home, mentioned in the Domesday Book until
David I gave William Graham lands at Abercorn and
Dunkieth. Sir John Graham of Dundaff, the 'right hand' of
William Wallace, was killed at Falkirk in 1298, while
John Graham of Claverhouse, known as 'Bonnie Dundee', was
killed in the Pass of Killiecrankie leading the fight
against William of Orange for James VII. In 1782, the
then Marquis of Graham convinced Parliament to repeal the
1747 Act forbidding the wearing of Highland dress.
|
| CLAN MOTTO : STAND FAST | The name Grant comes from the French grand,
or 'big'. The Norman Sir William Le Grand married an
Inverness-shire heiress and by 1258 Sir Lawrence le Grand
was Sheriff of Inverness. In 1483, Sir Iain Grant married
the heiress of the Glencairies and different branches of
the Grant family come from their two sons. In 1820, the
Grant chief called out his clan by sending round the
fiery cross - the last time this was ever done - to
defend his brother, A tory candidate in the election, who
was being threatened by supporters of the Whig candidate.
|
| CLAN MOTTO : EITHER PEACE OR WAR | The Gunns were a warlike family from
the north of Scotland who where probably of Pictish
origin. A long feud began when Keith of Acergill forced a
Gunn to marry him and she killed herself. In 1464, the
Gunns agreed to a fight with the Keiths to end the feud.
There were to be twelve horses on either side, but the
Keiths arrived with two men on each horse, killing George
Gunn, the chief, and his men A century later George's
grandon killed 12 Keiths in revenge.
|
Click "Back" for the Clan Index Page.
