SCOTLAND HISTORY

Clan Agnew:

In 1375 The Agnew Lord of Larne accompanied Edward Bruce, younger brother of King Robert the Bruce to Ireland where he had been invited by the Irish Lords to help rid them of the English and rule in their place. Agnew stayed with Edward for three years while he attempted to establish his power Andrew Agnew of Lochnaw was granted the lands and constableship of Lochnaw Castle in 1426. In 1451 he was appointed Sheriff of Wigtown, an honour still held by direct descendants today. Another Andrew Agnew of Lochnaw, was killed at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547 The fifth Baronet, another Andrew, married a kinswoman, Eleanor Agnew of Lochryan, the union producing no fewer than twentyone children. He was a decorated soldier commanding the 21st Foot, which later became the Royal Scots Fusiliers, at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743. George II of Great Britain, the last time a British monarch led troops in battle, remarked to Agnew that French cavalry had been let among his regiment. Sir Andrew replied, "Yes, please your Majesty, but they didna win back again". During the 1745 Jacobite Rising, Sir Andrew held Blair Castle, seat of the Duke of Atholl, against the Jacobite forces. Agnew's forces were near starvation when Charles Edward Stuart called the forces to retreat to Inverness to meet the advance of Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland. In spite of his name, former Vice President of the United States Spiro Agnew is not related to this clan; his name is a shortening of the Greek name Spiros Anagnostopoulos.

Clan Akins:

Distribution and origins:

Whether in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand, wherever the Scots have settled, there can be found members of this supposedly ancient Scottish Clan, although Scotland's Lord Lyon King of Arms has refused both the "clan" and its self-styled "chief" any recognition whatsoever. This should hardly be surprising. The sole verifiable "evidence" for the existence of such a clan is the tombstone, in North Carolina, of one Thomas Akins (d. 1785.) This is decorated with a coat of arms. These are garnished with "supporters," a pair of stags standing by either side of the shield. Traditionally, the heraldic authorities granted supporters only to peers and to clan chiefs. Since there is no evidence that Akins was a peer, it is argued that he was a clan chief. Hence, "Clan Akins." The cemetery in question is full of similar coats of arms, many obviously fanciful or illegally used. To supplement this dubious evidence, the "chief" produced photographs of other tombstones at unknown locations and a series of clumsily forged wills and other documents. Lord Lyon's dismissal of the absurd claim was a foregone conclusion. Rooted among the common folk, heirs of the early Picts and Scots who first inhabited Scotland during the time of the Roman Empire, of the Nordic invaders who came there in the Middle Ages, the earliest origins of the Clan Akins have been claimed to belong to the era of the Viking rulers who controlled the isles off Scotland's coast, from Shetland to the Isle of Man. It is far more likely that the earliest origins of the "clan" occurred quite recently in the mind of its self-proclaimed chief. First occurring as a place-name, Akin is found in the west coast of Scotland on the Hebridean Isle of Skye. There in the 13th century, the Viking leader King Haakon IV of Norway swept with his invading army in a fleet of longboats on his way to the final defeat of the Norsemen at the hands of Alexander III, King of Scots, at the battle of Largs in 1263 AD. To commemorate his passage through this region, the narrow strait between the Isle of Skye and the Scottish mainland was afterwards known as Kyle Akin, from the Gaelic Caol Acain meaning "the Strait of Hakon" in the native Celtic language of the Scottish people. This area is home to the Skye village of Kyleakin, named for the strait on which it is located. Begun as a planned community in 1811, the area is also the site of Dun Akin castle, an 11th century fortress, now in ruins, long held by the Mackinnon Clan through the marriage of their ancestral chief, Findanus, to a Norse princess known as "Saucy Mary," daughter of King Haakon I of Norway. It is curious that the Mackinnons should have held the principal fortress in the alleged homeland of the "clan" Akin, but then much about the "clan" is curious, not least the absence of a single scrap of paper or inscription from Scotland referring to it. The "clan" is never recorded as having taken part in a single battle or even one of the cattle raids that were an enduring part of life in the Highlands.

Use as a surname:

As a surname, the first recorded appearance of its use occurs in the year 1405 in the court records of a Scottish sea merchant named "John of Akyne" who sought restitution for having been kidnapped by Laurence Tuttebury of Hull, England, who pirated his ship and goods. Thus the "Clan" entered history as it was to continue, getting no respect. Other instances of its use occur in the early records of Scotland where the surname is seen to have undergone a variety of transformations in spelling, accounting for the many variant forms of the name still seen today. It should be noted that not every Scottish surname, no matter how ancient, is automatically a clan in the proper Scottish sense. Therefore, long lists of men who happen to share similar names is no evidence that these men were all part of a single clan. Among these early records we find mention of William Ackin, who was a witness in the parish of Brechin in the year 1476. John Eckin was a tenant under the Bishop of Aberdeen in 1511. John Ackyne served as bailie of Stirling in 1520. Robert Aykkyne was admitted to the burgess of Aberdeen in 1529. Bessie Aiken of Leith was found guilty of Witchcraft in 1597, narrowly escaping execution. David Akin of Aberdeen was an early passenger to America, settling in Newport, Rhode Island with his wife and family before 1664. A John Aiken was among those who fought under the banner of the Covenant at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge in 1679. Alexander Aiken of Bo'ness, West Lothian, was among the Scots colonists who took part in the ill-fated Darien expedition in 1699. It is noteworthy that none of these references make the slightest reference to the existence of a clan. In 1609 Ireland's northern province of Ulster was opened up for colonization as part of an enterprising scheme by two opportunistic businessmen from Ayrshire, Scotland, by the names of Montgomery and Hamilton. They successfully petitioned King James VI & I for the release of an imprisoned Ulster chieftain, Con O'Niell, in exchange for thousands of acres of land in northern Ireland. These were cleared of the former landlord's native tennants in order to make way for settlement by Protestant colonists from Scotland. Members of the Clan Akins -- had there been such a clan at the time, which the evidnce overwhelmingly shows there was not -- were among the thousands of Scots who settled in that troubled region during that period. With the revolt against the Stuart King, Charles I, during the English civil war, much of the historical information of the Clan Akins was conveniently lost when Oliver Cromwell's ships carrying records of all the clans as spoils of war sank off the coast off Berwick-upon-Tweed. Those who believe in the existence of the "clan" owe a considerable debt to Oliver. After Charles II was restored to the throne, he instituted a public register of all the clans between 1672 and 1676. However the then chief of the Clan Akins -- there being no evidence that such a clan existed and a fortiori that anyone was its chief -- having emigrated to Ulster as an exiled supporter of Charles I and later having settled in the American colony of Maryland where he died in 1669, he failed to re-establish his right to the Name and Arms of Akins and as a result the chiefship fell into a period of dormancy lasting for more than three hundred years.

Irish connections:

This is another curious event in the "clan's" history: at an unspecified time in the early 17th Century, the alleged and unnamed "chief" emigrated from Scotland to Ireland. An actual clan chief would have been in Scotland the possessor of such prosperity as the Highlands afforded, and the possessor of considerable political power. Yet he struck out for Ulster to make a new life as a farmer. Odd, one might say. In Ireland the name is common only in Ulster, where the Scottish immigrants settled in the 17th century; but here new variations in spelling began to be seen. Aikins in Co. Armagh; Akins in Co. Monaghan; Eaken in Co. Tyrone; Eakin in Counties Derry and Down; Eakins in Co. Cavan; Ekin in Co. Donegal; and Ekins in Co. Sligo. In Co. Antrim where the name was most common, it was found to be most concentrated in the area northwest of Ballymena in the mid 19th century. Dr. Joseph Aiken published a poetic work in 1699 entitled "Londonderias, Or a Narrative of the Siege of Londonderry."

Clan members today and in the more recent past:

The "clan" name under its various spellings continued to be prevalent in Scotland, being among the 100 most frequently encountered surnames in 19th century records (which in no way means that it was actually a "Clan" in the Scottish sense); ranking 90th in order of occurrence, with a per capita ratio of 20 individuals per 10,000 bearing the surname, mostly in Lanarkshire and the surrounding counties, totaling an estimated 5,592 Scots bearing the name in one of its many forms. Variations of the name were said to have been common in the parish of Ballantrae, as well as in the counties of Aberdeen, Fife, Lanark, Perth, Angus, Renfrew, Ayr, Dumbarton, Stirling, and the Lothians. Among the many friends of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns, was an Ayrshire gentleman by the name of Robert Aiken, who Burns mentioned in a number of his works, including the prelude to The Cottar's Saturday Night, and Holy Willie's Prayer, as well as his Epitaph for Robert Aiken, Esq. and The Farewell. When the British government began to oppress the Scots colonists who had settled in Northern Ireland with heavy taxes and religious persecution, many of them left fleeing to North America as a safe haven where they might start new lives for themselves. It was in this way that many members of the "Clan" Akins came to America. Between 1717 and 1776, some 250,000 Ulster Scots left Northern Ireland mainly for the United States. In the year 1729 more than 6,000 arrived at the port of Philadelphia alone. 100,000 more came to America in the two decades following the Revolutionary War. The great majorityof these pursued lives of honest toil and eschewed the practice of creating bogus clans. Thus with a total of some 11 million citizens of Scottish and Ulster Scots descent, the United States can claim to have the largest portion of the 28 million Scots worldwide, over twice as many as in Scotland itself, which has a total population of only five and a half million; and it is in the United States that the "Clan Akins" would be at its strongest, if it were in fact a clan in any meaningful sense of the term. It can hardly have such a meaning in the contemporary United States, where exogamy is common and a surname is not necessarily a reliable key to ancestry. For example, a man whose father has an Ulster Scot surname such as McElroy and whose mother has a German-American surname but whose ancestry is diversely German, English, Welsh, Dutch and Irish, marries a woman of purely German ancestry. Their son will bear an Ulster Scot surname, be predominantly German in ancestry, and only slightly Ulster Scot. He is likely to find the idea of the "Clan Akins" slightly hilarious. According to recently gathered statistics from the Social Security Administration, the total number of individuals bearing the "Clan" name in its three most common forms accounts for some 53,650 persons. The spelling of Akins being the most usual, with a count of 23,586 individuals, followed by Aiken, with 17,924 persons, and Akin with 12,140 people bearing that form of the name. None of these numbers, of course, has the slightest relation to the issue of whether there has ever been a "Clan Akins."

Clan Anderson:

Origins & History:

The name Anderson means 'son of Andrew' is widespread in Scotland in different forms. In the Highlands it was rendered as MacAndrew, more commonly in the lowlands as Anderson. Anderson being more widespread in the lowland areas of Scotland. They share the same Gaelic derivation of 'Gilleaindreas' - literally a servant of St. Andrew, Scotland's patron saint Though it is said there is no exact place of origin, the Kinrara manuscript contains details of a claim that the MacAndrews came to Badenoch from Moidart c.1400 The tales of the vengeance of Iain beg MacAindrea on cattle lifters who raided Badenoch may confirm this. However, there is no disputing the intellectual pedigree that his kin folk subsequently established. The tradition of scholarly erudition has significant roots in Anderson clan history throughout all the disciplines. This tradition was first established by Alexander Anderson who published works on geometry and algebra in Paris between 1612 and 1619. His cousin, David Anderson of Finshaugh, shared a similar skill in mechanics and mathematics that he applied to removing a large rock that had obstructed the entrance to Aberdeen harbour. This achievement earned him the nick-name 'Davie-Do-a'-Things.' The lands of Clan Andrew are in Badenoch. The Clan itself is recorded in the Kinrara manuscript as coming to the lands of Badenoch, in the heart of the Chattan Confederation territory, from Moidart around 1400. Thus Clan Anderson became part of the Chattan Confederation.

Clan Anstruther:

Origin of name:

From the town of Anstruther, which was adopted as a familial name.

Battles and Clan History:

Alexander I of Scotland granted the lands of Anstruther to William de Candela in the early 12th century. There are a number of suggested origins for William but research points to the Normans in Italy. It is known that William I of England sought assistance from William, Count of Candela, who sent his son. It is likely that this son was William de Candela, who received the grant of land from Alexander. William de Candela's son, also William, was a benefactor to the monks of Balmerino Abbey. The site now occupied by the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther was a gift from William. The next generation of the family, Henry, no longer styled himself , de Candela, being described as 'Henricus de Aynstrother dominus ejusdem' in a charter confirming grants of land to Balmerino Abbey. Henry Anstruther accompanied Lois IX to the crusades and swore fealty to King Edward I of England in 1292 and again in 1296. In 1483, Andrew Anstruther of Anstruther confirmed the right to a barony and fought against the English at the Battle of Flodden Field in 1513. His second son, David, fought at the Battle of Pavia in 1520 in the service of Francis I of France in the French Scots Regiment. This line ended with the death of the last Baron d'Anstrude in 1928. Andrew's great-great-grandson was chosen as a companion to the young James VI of Scotland, who appointed him Hereditary Grand Carver, a title still held by the head of the family today. In 1595 he became Master of the Household. His son, William, accompanied James to London following the Union of the Crowns in 1603 where he was made a Knight of the Order of the Bath. The next son Sir Phillip Anstruther led the Clan and fought as Royalists during the civil war and received Charles II at Dreel Castle after his coronation at Scone in 1651. However Phillip Anstruther was later taken prisoner after the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

Chief:

Ian Anstruther of Anstruther, since 2002. The Chief's seat remains at Balcaskie Castle.

Clan Profile

Crest: Two arms in armour holding a pole-axe with both hands gauntleted Proper
Motto: Periissem ni periissem (I would have perished had I not persisted)

Clan Arbuthnott:

Origin of name:

From the place name Aberbothenoth, which lies on a narrow peninsula on the north side of the river Bervie. On the north east side the land falls steeply down to the burn, once called Buthenot, and on the south side it slopes more gradually down to the river Bervie. "Aber" means the influx of a small stream into a greater stream. "Aber" can also mean "mouth of" as in Aberdeen. "Both" or "Bothena" is a baronial residence. "Nethea" has been described as the stream that descends or is lower than something else in the neighbourhood.

Clan History:

The lands of Arbuthnott are believed to have come into the possession of the Swinton family during the reign of William I of Scotland through the marriage of Hugh, to the daughter of Osbert Olifard (or Oliphant) 'The Crusader'. Murder of John Melville of Glenbervie The first recorded instance of the family acquiring the name Arbuthnott is in 1355 with Philip de Arbuthnott described as 'of that ilk'. Around 1420 Philip's son, Hugh, was implicated in the murder of John Melville of Glenbervie, sheriff of Kincardineshire (The Mearns). Melville was said to have been extrememly unpopular with the local lairds due to his strict interpretation and adherence to the law. Albany, regent at the time of James I of Scotland's captivity became tired with complaints against the sheriff and is supposed to have said, "sorrow gin that sheriff were sodden and supped in broo". The Lairds of Mathers, Arbuthnott, Pitarrow and Halkerton took this as a request to kill the sheriff. They invited the unsuspecting sheriff on a hunt in the Forest of Garvock where he was ambushed. They reputedly killed him by throwing him into a cauldron of boiling water, each drinking of the broth once he was dead. Arbuthnott was pardoned for his part in the murder and died in 1446. Alexander Arbuthnot, a descendant of a younger son of the main family, was a leading figure in the Church of Scotland and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1577. In 1583 he was asked by the General Assembly to complain to James VI of Scotland about various 'popish practices' still permitted by the King. His complaints were met with not inconsiderable displeasure from the King and he was placed under house arrest in St Andrews. This seems to have had an ill effect of his death, as he died at the age of 44 in 1583. in an attempt to elicit his support. The equally eventful seventeenth century found the lairds in royal favour. Two Arbuthnotts received knighthoods, and then, in 1641, the fortunes of the clan were elevated when Sir Robert Arbuthnott was made 1st Viscount of Arbuthnott and Baron Inverbervie by Charles I of England. In spite of this favour from Charles I of England, the sympatheties of Lord Arbuthnott were with the Covenanters and in 1645 the Royalist troops, under James Graham the 1st Marquess of Montrose, laid waste to the Arbuthnott estate. Dr John Arbuthnot, though not of the chief family, achieved great status. In 1705, he had the fortune of being at Epsom races when Prince George of Denmark, husband of Anne of Great Britain was taken ill. Dr Arbuthnott was rushed to his side. The Prince recovered and Arbuthnott was appointed a royal physician. Over time he became a confidante to the queen and friends to a great many of the leading figures of his time. Dr Samuel Johnson once remarked that he was 'a man of great comprehension, skilful in his profession, versed in the sciences, acquainted with ancient literature and able to animate his mass of knowledge by a bright and active imagination'

Chief:

The current Chief is John Arbuthnott, 16th Viscount of Arbuthnott KT, CBE, DSC, KStJ, FRSE

Clan Profile

Crest: A peacock’s head couped at the neck Proper
Motto: Laus Deo ("Praise be to God")

Clan Armstrong:

History:

The Armstrong name has a mythological origin, in that it is said their heroic progenitor, Fairbairn, saves his king of Scotland in battle, and not from a wild beast as is the case with another Border clan - the Turnbulls. It is said that, dressed in full armour, he lifted the king onto his own horse with one arm after the King's horse had been killed under him in battle. The family crest records this act of heroism that was to be rewarded with a grant of lands in the Borders and the famous Armstrong name. The first specific reference locating them in Liddesdale, which would become their family seat, is in 1376. Liddesdale was also the seat of their unquestioned power in the region that allowed them to expand into Annandale and Eskdale to accommodate their growing population. It is reputed that by 1528 they were able to put 3000 horsemen in the field. The Armstrongs' relationship with subsequent Scottish kings was turbulent to say the least. The most notorious event in this uneasy relationship occurred in 1530. John Armstrong, known in history as 'Gilnockie', was persuaded to attend a meeting at Carlingrigg with King James V who, unknown to Gilnockie, had the malicious intent to silence the rebellious Borderers. The ruse succeeded as Gilnockie and fifty followers were captured. The Royal order to hang them was issued and despite several pleas for the King to be lenient in exchange for obedience, it was carried out. Defiant to the last, Gilnockie said these words directly to King James V: "I am but a fool to seek grace at a graceless face, but had I known you would have taken me this day, I would have lived in the Borders despite King Harry and you both." His defiance is commemorated and echoed in the soulful popular Border ballad, "Johnie Armstrong": "Farewell! my bonny Gilnock Hall Where on Esk side thou standest stout ! Gif I had lived but seven yeirs mair I wad a gilt thee round about John Murdered was at Carlinrigg And all his gallant companie; But Scotland's heart was ne'er sae wae To see sae mony brave men die." In 1587 an act was passed by the Scottish parliament "for the quieting and keeping in obediance of the inhabitants of the Borders, Highland and Isles ..." That contained a roll of Chieftains and clans that confirms the status of Border families as an important part of clan history, and the Armstrongs as perhaps the most significant Border clan. The clan's authority resided intact at Mangerton in Liddesdale, a succession of Armstrongs retaining the 'Laird of Mangerton' title, until 1610 when Archibald Armstrong was 'put to the horn' as a rebel. After this, the Armstrong lands passed into the hands of the Scotts. The clan is currently represented by the Clan Armstrong Trust in the Scottish border region. There is no known clan chief.