The Scottish Clans

Motto: Decori decus addit avito (He adds honour to that of his ancestors)
Badge: Red Rose
Lands: Alloa
Origin of Name: Placename, Renfrewshire

Septs of the Clan:

Associated Names (with spelling variations):

History

Erskine is an area on the south of the River Clyde, ten miles west of Glasgow. The name is believed to be ancient British for ‘green rising ground’.

In the early 13th century, during the reign of Alexander II, the first man to take the name as his own was Henry of Erskine, owner of the Barony of Erskine. The family were supporters of Robert the Bruce, and were related to him through the marriage of John of Erskine’s eldest daughter to Thomas Bruce, King Robert’s brother. Success for Bruce brought rewards for Erskine.

David II made Sir Robert of Erskine the Constable and Keeper of the Castle of Stirling. This royal office is still held by the present clan chief today, whose duties include greeting the monarch at the castle gates.

When Alexander, Earl of Mar, died in 1435, Sir Robert Erskine claimed the title. The King, however, withdrew the earldom in 1457, stating that it could only belong to a royal Stewart. After ten years Sir Robert was created the first Lord Erskine.

The 4th Lord Erskine was close to James IV, and after they fell together at Flodden, his son became the guardian of the young James V. The responsibility of custody over young monarchs was given to the Erskines for five generations. Mary, Queen of Scots had been in the care of the 5th Lord Erskine, and following his death, she showed her valuation by restoring to his son, the 6th Lord Erskine, the earldom of Mar.

Scottish nobility has an embarrassing record for changing religion and political views for ignoble reasons. Even amidst such agile company, however, the 6th Earl of Mar earned himself the nickname ‘Bobbing John’. Initially supporting the Union and the Hanovarians, he travelled to London in 1714, expecting the post of Secretary of State for Scotland. When he was not offered the job, however, he turned into a Jacobite and raised an army of over ten thousand for James VIII.

The force was not used to its potential and during the inconclusive Battle of Sheriffmuir on 13th November 1715, Mar fled Scotland for Saint Germains, France, whereupon he betrayed his Jacobite associates. His behaviour lost his line the Earldom, which was not restored until 1824.

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Motto:
Origin of Tartan:

Septs of the Clan:

Associated Names (with spelling variations):

History

The family who took the name Elphinstone may have originated from the lands of Airth in Stirlingshire. They were called de Erths and erected a castle nearby and through marriage inherited lands near Tranent in East Lothian. These lands came to be known as Elphinstone. Deeds dating from 1235 from this area bear the name ‘de Elfinstun’ and grants dating from 1250 record the name John de Elphinstone as a witness.

Sir John de Elfinstun married Margaret of Seton who was a niece of Robert the Bruce.

William Elfinstun was appointed Bishop of Aberdeen in 1484, later Lord High Chancellor of Scotland. In 1494 he was honored by Pope Alexander VI for founding the university in Aberdeen. He designed Kings College which was completed in 1500 and left funds for the building of a bridge across the Dee. He moved to Edinburgh after the battle of Flodden in 1513 to assist with the rebuilding but died shortly afterwards. The terrible battle had not only taken the life of the king James IV but also William’s cousin, Sir Alexander Elphinston, First Lord Elphinstone.

The second Lord, was killed at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547. The fourth Lord Elphinstone was a judge of the Supreme Court of Scotland and later Lord High Treasurer and the eleventh Lord became lieutenant governor of Edinburgh Castle.

George Keith Elphinstone, A younger brother of the eleventh lord followed a naval career where he served on vessels that protected British shipping on Americas eastern seaboard. He also served with distinction in actions at the Cape of Good Hope and rose to the rank of Admiral and later Viscount. He became Baron Keith of Banheath.

His nephew William George Keith Elphinstone, fought at the battle of Waterloo. He was later commander in chief of the Bengal army, where he ran into trouble leading the Afghan campaign in 1841. He was to be court martialled but died before the trial could begin. The 13th Lord had better fortune in asia as Governor of Madras.

The present chief is the 19th Lord Elphinstone.

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Scottish Tartan postcard Clan Grant crest motto plaid US $2.50 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Thursday Jul-29-2010 19:55:47 PDT   | Watch this Item

Scottish Tartan postcard Clan MacNeil crest motto plaid US $2.50 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Thursday Jul-29-2010 19:59:17 PDT   | Watch this Item

Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia by Georg... US $37.95 Auction Ends: Thursday Jul-29-2010 23:12:39 PDT   | Watch this Item

RARE SCOTTISH CLAN SALTIRE SCOTLAND FLAG OVAL CUFFLINKS US $6.99 Auction Ends: Friday Jul-30-2010 1:56:05 PDT   | Watch this Item

MacRAE Scottish Clan Costume -- 1899 Print US $19.99 Auction Ends: Friday Jul-30-2010 2:46:53 PDT   | Watch this Item

DRUMMOND Scottish Clan Costume -- 1899 Print US $19.99 Auction Ends: Friday Jul-30-2010 2:49:05 PDT   | Watch this Item

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COLQUHON Scottish Clan Costume -- 1899 Print US $19.99 Auction Ends: Friday Jul-30-2010 3:03:08 PDT   | Watch this Item

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Motto: Fortiter et recte (Boldly and rightly)
Badge: White hawthorn
Lands: Borders
Origin of Name: Hewbrew, Elias

Septs of the Clan:

Associated Names (with spelling variations):

History

With early written records concerned mostly with which family was owning which huge land area or marrying with which other nobility, the medieval history of most Scottish people is unaccounted for. Nonetheless it is surprising that when the Eliotts were apparently first written of in the late fifteenth century they were already an established clan with a chief. The missing information was perhaps among the ashes of the old Stobs castle, which burned in 1712.

The early history of the Eliotts, Ellots before the insertion of the ‘i’ in the 1650s, survived by verbal tradition. In the time of Robert the Bruce, the Ellots, who had lived in the north at the foot of Glenshie, uprooted and moved to Teviotdale in the Borders. This unusual move was undertaken in order to support and protect Bruce’s illegitimate son Robert, who had become the new Lord of Liddesdale. The previous Lord, William de Soulis, was serving life imprisonment for treason.

For certain, Robert Ellot of Redheugh was the clan’s tenth chief in 1476, and the thirteenth chief, Robert, died at Flodden with James IV in 1513. In 1565, Scott of Buccleuch executed four of his Ellot neighbours for cattle rustling.

Sir Gilbert Elliot of Stobs became Baronet of Nova Scotia in 1666 and for a time, until 1932, the chiefs lived in America.

Elliot Clan items on eBay right now…

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McIAN print Scottish Tartan Clan MAC DONALD of GARAGACH US $12.95 Auction Ends: Thursday Jul-29-2010 16:53:44 PDT   | Watch this Item

1958 Scottish CLAN BRUCE Kilt PIPER Bagpipes Dewar's Ad US $9.99 Auction Ends: Thursday Jul-29-2010 19:45:09 PDT   | Watch this Item

Scottish Tartan postcard Clan Grant crest motto plaid US $2.50 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Thursday Jul-29-2010 19:55:47 PDT   | Watch this Item

Scottish Tartan postcard Clan MacNeil crest motto plaid US $2.50 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Thursday Jul-29-2010 19:59:17 PDT   | Watch this Item

Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia by Georg... US $37.95 Auction Ends: Thursday Jul-29-2010 23:12:39 PDT   | Watch this Item

RARE SCOTTISH CLAN SALTIRE SCOTLAND FLAG OVAL CUFFLINKS US $6.99 Auction Ends: Friday Jul-30-2010 1:56:05 PDT   | Watch this Item

MacRAE Scottish Clan Costume -- 1899 Print US $19.99 Auction Ends: Friday Jul-30-2010 2:46:53 PDT   | Watch this Item

DRUMMOND Scottish Clan Costume -- 1899 Print US $19.99 Auction Ends: Friday Jul-30-2010 2:49:05 PDT   | Watch this Item

MacDUFF Scottish Clan Costume -- 1899 Print US $19.99 Auction Ends: Friday Jul-30-2010 2:53:47 PDT   | Watch this Item