125-658: The Clan Ruthven ( / ˈ r ɪ v ən / ) is a Lowland Scottish clan . The Ruthven lands in Perthshire , Scotland take their name from the Scottish Gaelic , Ruadhainn which means Dun uplands . The clan chief's family are of Norse origin. They first settled in East Lothian but by the end of the twelfth century they were in Perthshire. Between 1188 and 1199, Swein is recorded as giving lands that included Tibbermore to
250-541: A "clan" in legislation of the Scottish Parliament in 1384. Many clans have often claimed mythological founders that reinforced their status and gave a romantic and glorified notion of their origins. Most powerful clans gave themselves origins based on Irish mythology . For example, there have been claims that the Clan Donald were descended from either Conn , a second-century king of Ulster , or Cuchulainn ,
375-410: A chief's lands would, over time, adopt the clan surname. A chief could add to his clan by adopting other families, and also had the legal right to outlaw anyone from his clan, including members of his own family. Today, anyone who has the chief's surname is automatically considered to be a member of the chief's clan. Also, anyone who offers allegiance to a chief becomes a member of the chief's clan, unless
500-471: A clan has is left up to the clan itself. Confusingly, sept names can be shared by more than one clan, and it may be up to the individual to use his or her family history or genealogy to find the correct clan with which they are associated. Several clan societies have been granted coats of arms. In such cases, these arms are differenced from the chief's, much like a clan armiger . Former Lord Lyon Thomas Innes of Learney stated that such societies, according to
625-460: A commercial landlord, letting land to the highest bidder, was a clear breach of the principle of dùthchas . The Jacobite rising of 1745 used to be described as the pivotal event in the demise in clanship. There is no doubt that the aftermath of the uprising saw savage punitive expeditions against clans that had supported the Jacobites, and legislative attempts to demolish clan culture. However,
750-549: A daughter, Mary. The latter entered the service of Queen Henrietta Maria and married the Dutch painter Anthony van Dyck , who painted several portraits of her; after Van Dyck's death, she married Sir Richard Pryse, 1st Baronet of Gogerddan . Patrick died in poverty in a cell in the King's Bench in 1652, being buried as "Lord Ruthven". His son, also named Patrick, presented a petition to Oliver Cromwell in 1656, in which, after reciting that
875-417: A forgery, but despite this, the designs are still highly regarded and they continue to serve their purpose to identify the clan in question. A sign of allegiance to the clan chief is the wearing of a crest badge. The crest badge suitable for a clansman or clanswoman consists of the chief's heraldic crest encircled with a strap and buckle and which contains the chief's heraldic motto or slogan . Although it
1000-448: A large quantity of money at Gowrie House in Perth, and urged James to interrogate the man himself. The king initially hesitated but ultimately agreed to ride to Perth after the hunt ended. Alexander Ruthven dispatched a servant, Henderson, to inform his brother that the king would be arriving at Gowrie House later in the day. Alexander then urged the king to lose no time, demanding that he keep
1125-805: A legally recognised group, but does not differentiate between families and clans as it recognises both terms as being interchangeable. Clans or families thought to have had a chief in the past but not currently recognised by the Lord Lyon are listed at armigerous clans . Tartans were traditionally associated with the Highland Clans and following the end of the Dress Act of 1746 banning tartans from being worn by men and boys, "district then clan tartans" have been an important part of Scottish clans. Almost all Scottish clans have more than one tartan attributed to their surname. Although there are no rules on who can or cannot wear
1250-551: A month, until the marshal of the town Sir John Carey helped them travel to Durham and Cambridge. William Ruthven died in France prior to 1622. After the 1603 accession of James to the English throne, it was reported that one of the brothers was captured at an inn at Kirkby Malzeard near Ripon , by Francis Wandesford who had seen him three years earlier at Durham. Wandesford delivered him to Sir William Ingleby of Ripley Castle . It
1375-421: A more politically accomplished or belligerent relative. There were not many disputes over succession after the 16th century and, by the 17th century, the setting aside of the male heir was a rarity. This was governed and restricted by the law of Entail , which prevented estates from being divided up amongst female heirs and therefore also prevented the loss of clan territories. The main legal process used within
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#17328524435301500-468: A particular tartan, and it is possible for anyone to create a tartan and name it almost any name they wish, the only person with the authority to make a clan's tartan "official" is the chief. In some cases, following such recognition from the clan chief, the clan tartan is recorded and registered by the Lord Lyon. Once approved by the Lord Lyon, after recommendation by the Advisory Committee on Tartan,
1625-406: A pole and used as a standard . Clans which are connected historically, or that occupied lands in the same general area, may share the same clan badge. According to popular lore, clan badges were used by Scottish clans as a form of identification in battle. However, the badges attributed to clans today can be completely unsuitable for even modern clan gatherings. Clan badges are commonly referred to as
1750-452: A primary sense of 'children' or 'offspring'. About 30% of Scottish families are attached to a clan. As noted above, the word clan is derived from the Gaelic word clann . However, the need for proved descent from a common ancestor related to the chiefly house is too restrictive. Clans developed a territory based on the native men who came to accept the authority of the dominant group in
1875-583: A range of measures on clan chiefs, designed to integrate them into the Scottish landed classes. Whilst there is debate over their practical effect, they were an influential force on clan elites in the long term. The Statutes obliged clan chiefs to reside in Edinburgh for a large part of the year, and have their heirs educated in the English-speaking Lowlands. Lengthy periods in Edinburgh were costly. Since
2000-488: A rare component of society. Historian T. M. Devine describes "the displacement of this class as one of the clearest demonstrations of the death of the old Gaelic society." Many tacksmen, as well as the wealthier farmers (who were tired of repeated rent increases) chose to emigrate. This could be taken as resistance to the changes in the Highland agricultural economy, as the introduction of agricultural improvement gave rise to
2125-483: A regular part of the social scene. The most notable clan event of recent times was The Gathering 2009 in Edinburgh, which attracted at least 47,000 participants from around the world. It is a common misconception that every person who bears a clan's name is a lineal descendant of the chiefs. Many clansmen, although not related to the chief, took the chief's surname as their own either to show solidarity or to obtain basic protection or for much needed sustenance. Most of
2250-567: A reward for supporting Robert the Bruce against the English. However they came into a feud with the Ruthvens who often disputed the authority of the Charterises. The Ruthvens held considerable sway over Perth from their Huntingtower Castle . In 1544, Patrick, Lord Ruthven, was elected as Provost of Perth but at the intervention of Cardinal Beaton, Ruthven was deprived of the office and Charteris of Kinfauns
2375-537: Is alleged that John practiced Black magic . In 1600, he and his brother Alexander were murdered in their town house in Perth. This became known as the "Gowrie Conspiracy". The Ruthven brothers were declared by Parliament to be traitors although there is little evidence, if anything, of what they were planning. The Ruthven name was decreed out of existence in Scotland, with all members of the family required to choose new surnames. In 1651, Sir Thomas Ruthven, who descended from
2500-406: Is common to speak of "clan crests", there is no such thing. In Scotland (and indeed all of UK) only individuals, not clans, possess a heraldic coat of arms . Even though any clansmen and clanswomen may purchase crest badges and wear them to show their allegiance to his or her clan, the heraldic crest and motto always belong to the chief alone. In principle, these badges should only be used with
2625-738: Is therefore quite correct to talk of the MacDonald family or the Stirling clan ." The idea that Highlanders should be listed as clans while the Lowlanders should be termed as families was merely a 19th-century convention. Although Gaelic has been supplanted by English in the Scottish Lowlands for nearly six hundred years, it is acceptable to refer to Lowland families, such as the Douglases as "clans". The Lowland Clan MacDuff are described specifically as
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#17328524435302750-410: Is uncertain. Ruthven had meantime spread news below that the king had taken horse and ridden away, and the royal retinue were seeking their horses to follow him. Alexander, on re-entering the turret, attempted to bind James's hands. A struggle ensued, in the course of which the king was seen at the window by some of his followers below in the street, who also heard him cry "treason" and call for help to
2875-628: The Forfeiture of the Earl of Gowrie Act 1600 (c. 1) to be forfeited and their family name and honours extinct. The corpses of the Earl and his brother were hanged and quartered at the Mercat Cross in Edinburgh on 19 November 1600. Their heads were put on spikes at Edinburgh's Old Tolbooth and their arms and legs upon spikes at various locations around Perth. Another act, the Name of Ruthven Act 1600 (c. 2)
3000-616: The Clan Mackenzie were prepared to play off territorial disputes within and among clans to expand their own land and influence. Feuding on the western seaboard was conducted with such intensity that the Clan MacLeod and the Clan MacDonald on the Isle of Skye were reputedly reduced to eating dogs and cats in the 1590s. Feuding was further compounded by the involvement of Scottish clans in
3125-633: The Clan Sweeney , Clan Lamont , Clan MacLea , Clan MacLachlan and Clan MacNeill , can trace their ancestry back to the fifth century Niall of the Nine Hostages , High King of Ireland. However, in reality, the progenitors of clans can rarely be authenticated further back than the 11th century, and a continuity of lineage in most cases cannot be found until the 13th or 14th centuries. The emergence of clans had more to do with political turmoil than ethnicity. The Scottish Crown's conquest of Argyll and
3250-492: The Heritable Jurisdictions Act which extinguished the right of chiefs to hold courts and transferred this role to the judiciary. The traditional loyalties of clansmen were probably unaffected by this. There is also doubt about any real effect from the banning of Highland dress (which was repealed in 1782 anyway). The Highland Clearances saw further actions by clan chiefs to raise more money from their lands. In
3375-586: The Highland clearances . The loss of this middle tier of Highland society represented not only a flight of capital from Gaeldom, but also a loss of entrepreneurial energy. The first major step in the clearances was the decision of the Dukes of Argyll to put tacks (or leases) of farms and townships up for auction. This began with Campbell property in Kintyre in the 1710s and spread after 1737 to all their holdings. This action as
3500-648: The Jacobite risings was the result of their remoteness, and the feudal clan system which required tenants to provide military service. Historian Frank McLynn identifies seven primary drivers in Jacobitism, support for the Stuarts being the least important; a large percentage of Jacobite support in 1745 Rising came from Lowlanders who opposed the 1707 Union , and members of the Scottish Episcopal Church . In 1745,
3625-472: The Law of Arms , are considered an "indeterminate cadet". Scottish clanship contained two complementary but distinct concepts of heritage. These were firstly the collective heritage of the clan, known as their dùthchas , which was their prescriptive right to settle in the territories in which the chiefs and leading gentry of the clan customarily provided protection. This concept was where all clansmen recognised
3750-598: The Outer Hebrides from the Norsemen in the 13th century, which followed on from the pacification of the Mormaer of Moray and the northern rebellions of the 12th and 13th centuries, created the opportunity for war lords to impose their dominance over local families who accepted their protection. These warrior chiefs can largely be categorized as Celtic ; however, their origins range from Gaelic to Norse-Gaelic and British . By
3875-641: The Wars of the Three Kingdoms , bringing both Colonel Frances Ruthven and Major General John Ruthven into service with him. Sir Thomas Ruthven, 1st Lord Ruthven of Freeland (d. 1673), on whom Charles II of England bestowed the title of Lord Ruthven of Freeland in 1651. His son was David Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven of Freeland. Clan Chief : (Patrick Leo) Brer Hore-Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie , Viscount Ruthven of Canberra , and Baron Ruthven of Gowrie , and Baron Gowrie of Canberra , Commonwealth of Australia , Chief of
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4000-408: The early modern period the concept of oighreachd was favoured. This shift reflected the importance of Scots law in shaping the structure of clanship in that the fine were awarded charters and the continuity of heritable succession was secured. The heir to the chief was known as the tainistear and was usually the direct male heir. However, in some cases the direct heir was set aside for
4125-698: The tribalism that was found in Ancient Europe or the one that is still found in the Middle East and among aboriginal groups in Australasia, Africa, and the Americas. During the 1638 to 1651 Wars of the Three Kingdoms , all sides were 'Royalist', in the sense of a shared belief monarchy was divinely inspired. The choice of whether to support Charles I, or the Covenanter government, was largely driven by disputes within
4250-484: The "Ruthven Raid" or Raid of Ruthven . The king was detained for ten months and, when he was finally released, he appeared forgiving but Gowrie was later arrested in 1584 and beheaded for treason. In 1586, the Ruthven estates were restored to William's son, James Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie . However, James Ruthven died just two years later aged thirteen and was succeeded by his brother, John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie . It
4375-485: The 14th century, there had been further influx of kindreds whose ethnicity ranged from Norman or Anglo-Norman and Flemish , such as the Clan Cameron , Clan Fraser , Clan Menzies , Clan Chisholm and Clan Grant . During the Wars of Scottish Independence , feudal tenures were introduced by Robert the Bruce , to harness and control the prowess of clans by the award of charters for land in order to gain support in
4500-562: The 17th century, this had declined and most reiving was known as sprèidh , where smaller numbers of men raided the adjoining Lowlands and the livestock taken usually being recoverable on payment of tascal (information money) and guarantee of no prosecution. Some clans, such as the Clan MacFarlane and the Clan Farquharson , offered the Lowlanders protection against such raids, on terms not dissimilar to blackmail . An act of
4625-401: The 18th century, in an effort to increase the income from their estates, clan chiefs started to restrict the ability of tacksmen to sublet. This meant more of the rent paid by those actually farming the land went to the landowner. The result, though, was the removal of this layer of clan society. In a process that accelerated from the 1770s onward, by the early 19th century the tacksman had become
4750-455: The Bruce appointed Sir William Ruthven to be sheriff of the royal burgh, which was then called St Johnston . A descendant of Sir William Ruthven, Sir William Ruthven of Balkernoch, spent three years as a hostage in England for the ransom of James I of Scotland . This William Ruthven was a substantial nobleman. His income was stated to be about four hundred merks annually, which was about £100 at
4875-534: The Church of Scotland. This was supported by many chiefs since it suited the hierarchical clan structure and encouraged obedience to authority. Both Charles and his brother James VII used Highland levies, known as the "Highland Host", to control Campbell-dominated areas in the South-West and suppress the 1685 Argyll's Rising . By 1680, it is estimated there were fewer than 16,000 Catholics in Scotland , confined to parts of
5000-464: The Earl of Mar. Ruthven pretended not to hear these cries, but kept asking what was the matter. Lennox, Mar and most of the other lords and gentlemen ran up the main staircase to help the king, but were stopped by the locked door, which they spent some time trying to batter down. John Ramsay (afterwards the Earl of Holdernesse ), noticing a small, dark stairway leading directly to the inner chamber adjoining
5125-526: The Earl was loyal to the Protestant religion and the English queen. Gowrie would be able to give Cecil useful information regarding potential feared "alterations" in the political state of Scotland. In London he was received very favourably by Queen Elizabeth and her ministers. In February 1600 he encountered William Stewart of Houston in a long gallery or passage in Holyrood Palace . Stewart had arrested
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5250-494: The Gowrie conspiracy on the evidence of certain letters produced by a notary, George Sprot, who swore they had been written by Logan to Gowrie and others. These letters, which are still in existence, were in fact forged by Sprot in imitation of Logan's handwriting; but the researches of Andrew Lang have shown cause for suspecting that the most important of them was either copied by Sprot from a genuine original by Logan, or that it embodied
5375-490: The Highlands were a largely non-cash economy, this meant they shifted towards commercial exploitation of their lands, rather than managing them as part of a social system. The costs of living away from their clan lands contributed to the chronic indebtedness that was increasingly common for Highland landowners, eventually leading to the sale of many of the great Highland estates in the late 18th and early 19th century. During
5500-520: The Highlands, others also show Lowland clans or families. Territorial areas and allegiances changed over time, and there are also differing decisions on which (smaller) clans and families should be omitted (some alternative online sources are listed in the External links section below). This list of clans contains clans registered with the Lord Lyon Court . The Lord Lyon Court defines a clan or family as
5625-497: The House of Ruthven near Perth was renamed as Huntingtower . Some suspicion had fallen on Anne of Denmark , and some courtiers would be removed from her household after the birth of her child ( Prince Charles ). Despite her protests, her enemy, Sir Thomas Erskine , would be made captain of the royal guard. Ruthven's two younger brothers, William and Patrick, fled to England.The brothers went to Berwick-upon-Tweed and lived in hiding for
5750-405: The King's life to avenge his father's death. Most modern research, in the light of materials inaccessible or overlooked until the 20th century, points to the conclusion that there was a conspiracy by Ruthven and his brother to kidnap the king. If this is true, it follows that the second theory, that James went to Gowrie House to specifically kill the Ruthvens, is invalid and that his own account of
5875-570: The Lord Advocate (Attorney General) writing in 1680, said: "By the term 'chief' we call the representative of the family from the word chef or head and in the Irish [Gaelic] with us the chief of the family is called the head of the clan". In summarizing this material, Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw Bt wrote: "So it can be seen that all along the words chief or head and clan or family are interchangeable. It
6000-583: The Lord Lyon , which regulates Scottish heraldry and coats of arms . Most clans have their own tartan patterns, usually dating from the 19th century, which members may incorporate into kilts or other clothing. The modern image of clans, each with their own tartan and specific land, was promulgated by the Scottish author Sir Walter Scott after influence by others. Historically, tartan designs were associated with Lowland and Highland districts whose weavers tended to produce cloth patterns favoured in those districts. By process of social evolution, it followed that
6125-421: The Lord Lyon as the rightful heir to the undifferenced arms of the ancestor of the clan of which the claimant seeks to be recognized as chief. A chief of a clan is the only person who is entitled to bear the undifferenced arms of the ancestral founder of the clan. The clan is considered to be the chief's heritable estate and the chief's Seal of Arms is the seal of the clan as a "noble corporation". Under Scots law,
6250-603: The Lowlands increased. This gave an advantage in speaking English, as the "language of work". It was found that when the Gaelic Schools Society started teaching basic literacy in Gaelic in the early decades of the 19th century, there was an increase in literacy in English. This paradox may be explained by the annual report of the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge (SSPCK) in 1829, which stated: "so ignorant are
6375-466: The Market Cross of Edinburgh for foreknowledge of the conspiracy on 12 August 1608. On 7 August 1600, James's Privy Council of Scotland ordered that the corpses of Gowrie and his brother should remain unburied until further decisions were made over the matter, and that no person with the name of Ruthven should approach within ten miles of the court. Orders were also sent for the apprehension of
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#17328524435306500-524: The Master for an immoral purpose" before adding, "This is pure guess-work for which there is no proof". To understand the relative probabilities of these hypotheses, regard must be paid to the condition of Scotland in 1600. Although the evidence on these points, and on every circumstance connected with the event itself, has been examined by historians of the Gowrie conspiracy, the mystery has never been entirely dispelled. The two most recent studies subscribe to
6625-449: The Monks of Scone. Swein's grandson was Sir Walter Ruthven who was the first to adopt the name Ruthven. Sir Walter Ruthven swore fealty to Edward I of England in 1291 and 1296. However, in 1297, he had led thirty men to help William Wallace at the siege of Perth. Ruthven was also with Christopher Seaton when Jedburgh was reclaimed from the English. In 1313, Perth was recaptured and Robert
6750-554: The Name and Arms of Ruthen, in succession to Grey Hore-Ruthven , who died 24 September 2021. Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from Scottish Gaelic clann , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred' ) is a kinship group among the Scottish people . Clans give a sense of shared heritage and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure recognised by the Court of
6875-429: The Ruthven family. James gave some colour to this belief, which has not been entirely abandoned, by the relentless severity with which he pursued the two younger, and unquestionably innocent, brothers of the earl. A more tangible motive for mutual discontent is to be found in the fact that the king was Gowrie's debtor to the extent of no less than £80,000 representing a sum of £48,063 due to his father while treasurer, with
7000-467: The Scottish Parliament of 1597 talks of the "Chiftanis and chieffis of all clannis ... duelland in the hielands or bordouris". It has been argued that this vague phrase describes Borders families as clans. The act goes on to list the various Lowland families, including the Maxwells , Johnstones , Carruthers , Turnbulls, and other famous Border Reivers ' names. Further, Sir George MacKenzie of Rosehaugh,
7125-592: The Scottish elite. In 1639, Covenanter politician Argyll , head of Clan Campbell , was given a commission of 'fire and sword', which he used to seize MacDonald territories in Lochaber , and those held by Clan Ogilvy in Angus . As a result, both clans supported Montrose's Royalist campaign of 1644–1645 , in hopes of regaining them. When Charles II regained the throne in 1660, the Rescissory Act 1661 restored bishops to
7250-666: The Scottish king; and it is probable that he had also relations with the rebellious Bothwell. He travelled to Italy in 1597 with his tutor, William Rhynd, and they enrolled at the University of Padua in April. On his way home in 1599 he remained for some months at Geneva with the reformer Theodore Beza . At Paris , he made acquaintance with the English ambassador, Henry Neville , who reported him to Robert Cecil as devoted to Elizabeth's service on 27 February 1599. Neville wrote that Ruthven would like to kiss Queen Elizabeth's hand, and said
7375-640: The Western Highlands and the Hebrides. Many Highland estates were no longer owned by clan chiefs, but landlords of both the new and old type encouraged the emigration of destitute tenants to Canada and, later, to Australia. The clearances were followed by a period of even greater emigration, which continued (with a brief lull for the First World War) up to the start of the Great Depression . Most of
7500-455: The actual attack and deaths of the Ruthvens are known, the circumstances by which that sequence of events came about remain a mystery. Ruthven had reason to seek vengeance on James VI as he had executed his father in response to the Ruthven Raid , which in turn was inspired by high debts of the King to the Ruthven family. Getting rid of the family got rid of the debts, especially if the family
7625-616: The anti-clan legislation was repealed by the end of the eighteenth century as the Jacobite threat subsided, with the Dress Act restricting kilt wearing being repealed in 1782. There was soon a process of the rehabilitation of highland culture. By the nineteenth century, tartan had largely been abandoned by the ordinary people of the region, although preserved in the Highland regiments in the British army, which poor highlanders joined in large numbers until
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#17328524435307750-464: The aristocracy and Gaelic-speaking clans in the Highlands and Islands . When James was deposed in the November 1688 Glorious Revolution , choice of sides was largely opportunistic. The Presbyterian Macleans backed the Jacobites to regain territories in Mull lost to the Campbells in the 1670s; the Catholic Keppoch MacDonalds tried to sack the pro-Jacobite town of Inverness, and were bought off only after Dundee intervened. Highland involvement in
7875-444: The arms borne by a clan chief are granted or otherwise recognised by the Lord Lyon as an officer of the Crown, thus conferring royal recognition to the entire clan. Clans with recognised chiefs are therefore considered a noble community under Scots law . A group without a chief recognised by the Sovereign, through the Lord Lyon, has no official standing under Scottish law. Claimants to the title of chief are expected to be recognised by
8000-407: The attack, and the king survived. John Ruthven was the second son of William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie , and his wife Dorothea Stewart . His brother James, the 2nd Earl, died in 1586, therefore John succeeded his brother as the Earl of Gowrie while still a child. The Ruthven family had a history of treason. Like his father and grandfather before him, Ruthven attached himself to the party of
8125-404: The authority to the chiefs and leading gentry as landed proprietors, who owned the land in their own right, rather than just as trustees for the clan. From the beginning of Scottish clanship, the clan warrior elite, who were known as the ‘fine’, strove to be landowners as well as territorial war lords. The concept of dùthchas mentioned above held precedence in the Middle Ages ; however, by
8250-416: The chief as a mark of personal allegiance by the family when their head died, usually in the form of their best cow or horse. Although calps were banned by Parliament in 1617, manrent continued covertly to pay for protection. The marriage alliance reinforced links with neighboring clans as well as with families within the territory of the clan. The marriage alliance was also a commercial contract involving
8375-406: The chief decides not to accept that person's allegiance. Clan membership goes through the surname. Children who take their father's surname are part of their father's clan and not their mother's. However, there have been several cases where a descendant through the maternal line has changed their surname in order to claim the chiefship of a clan, such as the late chief of the Clan MacLeod who
8500-476: The chief is recognised as the head of the clan and serves as the lawful representative of the clan community. Historically, a clan was made up of everyone who lived on the chief's territory, or on territory of those who owed allegiance to the said chief. Through time, with the constant changes of "clan boundaries", migration or regime changes, clans would be made up of large numbers of members who were unrelated and who bore different surnames. Often, those living on
8625-471: The choice was rarely simple; Donald Cameron of Lochiel committed himself only after he was provided "security for the full value of his estate should the rising prove abortive," while MacLeod and Sleat helped Charles escape after Culloden. In 1493, James IV confiscated the Lordship of the Isles from the MacDonalds. This destabilised the region, while links between the Scottish MacDonalds and Irish MacDonnells meant unrest in one country often spilled into
8750-420: The clan tartan is then recorded in the Lyon Court Books. In at least one instance a clan tartan appears in the heraldry of a clan chief and the Lord Lyon considers it to be the "proper" tartan of the clan. Originally, there appears to have been no association of tartans with specific clans; instead, highland tartans were produced to various designs by local weavers and any identification was purely regional, but
8875-433: The clans to settle criminal and civil disputes was known as arbitration , in which the aggrieved and allegedly offending sides put their cases to a panel that was drawn from the leading gentry and was overseen by the clan chief. There was no appeal against the decision made by the panel, which was usually recorded in the local royal or burgh court. Fosterage and manrent were the most important forms of social bonding in
9000-435: The clans. In the case of fosterage, the chief's children would be brought up by a favored member of the leading clan gentry and in turn their children would be favored by members of the clan. In the case of manrent, this was a bond contracted by the heads of families looking to the chief for territorial protection, though not living on the estates of the clan elite. These bonds were reinforced by calps , death duties paid to
9125-420: The clans/families prominent in a particular district would wear the tartan of that district, and it was but a short step for that community to become identified by it. Many clans have their own clan chief ; those that do not are known as armigerous clans . Clans generally identify with geographical areas originally controlled by their founders, sometimes with an ancestral castle and clan gatherings, which form
9250-553: The droving of cattle to the Lowlands for sale, taking a minor share of the payments made to the clan nobility, the fine . They had the important military role of mobilizing the Clan Host , both when required for warfare and more commonly as a large turnout of followers for weddings and funerals, and traditionally, in August, for hunts which included sports for the followers, the predecessors of
9375-486: The earl's brothers William and Patrick, but they fled to England. The bodies of Gowrie and his brother Robert were disembowelled and preserved by one James Melville, who, however, was paid for his services, not by the magistrates of Perth, but by the Privy Council; and on 30 October they were sent to Edinburgh to be produced at the bar of Parliament. On 15 November, the estates of the Ruthvens were discerned by Parliament via
9500-458: The earl's father in 1584. The earl made to move out of Stewart's way then reconsidered at the urging of his servant Thomas Kinrosser. Stewart noted this and complained to the king as an offence to his long service and dignity, warning that Gowrie was a threat to the court. Gowrie was told about this, and said "Aquila non captat muscas", meaning the eagle does not catch flies, that Stewart was beneath his attention. The "Gowrie conspiracy" resulted in
9625-415: The earl's heir on Edinburgh High Street in 1552. In 1556, Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven , and his son, William, were among the co-conspirators of Lord Darnley when Mary, Queen of Scot's favorite David Rizzio was killed in her presence at Holyrood Palace . Both Ruthvens fled to England when abandoned by Darnley. William returned and succeeded to the family title having received a royal pardon. He
9750-501: The emphasis of historians now is on the conversion of chiefs into landlords in a slow transition over a long period. The successive Jacobite rebellions, in the view of T.M. Devine, simply paused the process of change whilst the military aspects of clans regained temporary importance; the apparent surge in social change after the '45 was merely a process of catching up with the financial pressures that gave rise to landlordism. The various pieces of legislation that followed Culloden included
9875-631: The end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. The international craze for tartan, and for idealising a romanticised Highlands, was set off by the Ossian cycle published by James Macpherson (1736–96). Macpherson claimed to have found poetry written by the ancient bard Ossian, and published translations that acquired international popularity. Highland aristocrats set up Highland Societies in Edinburgh (1784) and other centres including London (1788). The image of
10000-516: The exchange of livestock, money, and land through payments in which the bride was known as the tocher and the groom was known as the dowry . Clan gatherings are a unique feature of Scottish clan culture, where members of a clan convene to celebrate their shared heritage, participate in Highland Games , and discuss clan business. These events serve as a focal point for clan members and help in preserving historical and cultural landmarks, as well as
10125-412: The first phase of clearance, when agricultural improvement was introduced, many of the peasant farmers were evicted and resettled in newly created crofting communities, usually in coastal areas. The small size of the crofts were intended to force the tenants to work in other industries, such as fishing or the kelp industry. With a shortage of work, the numbers of Highlanders who became seasonal migrants to
10250-497: The followers of the clan were tenants, who supplied labour to the clan leaders. Contrary to popular belief, the ordinary clansmen rarely had any blood tie of kinship with the clan chiefs, but they sometimes took the chief's surname as their own when surnames came into common use in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Thus, by the eighteenth century the myth had arisen that the whole clan was descended from one ancestor, perhaps relying on Scottish Gaelic clann originally having
10375-531: The idea of a clan-specific tartan gained currency in the late 18th century and in 1815 the Highland Society of London began the naming of clan-specific tartans. Many clan tartans derive from a 19th-century hoax known as the Vestiarium Scoticum . The Vestiarium was composed by the " Sobieski Stuarts ", who passed it off as a reproduction of an ancient manuscript of clan tartans. It has since been proven
10500-408: The interest at 10% per annum for the succeeding years. With this sum the old Earl of Gowrie, when treasurer, was forced to burden himself in order to meet the current expenses of the government. It was probably his inability to meet the obligations incurred by his father that had compelled the young earl to remain abroad; and on his return he presented a petition to the court of session, stating that he
10625-413: The kidnap theory. W. F. Arbuckle's study of 1957 favours the kidnapping that went wrong, while Maurice Lee proposes that James went to Gowrie House believing Ruthven was a conduit for political intelligence from London (that the pot of gold was a flimsy cover story), and when he arrived with an unexpectedly large retinue, Alexander realised that a successful kidnapping was not possible and attempted to take
10750-455: The killing of the earl and his brother by attendants of King James at Gowrie House , Perth. Gowrie House stood just inside Perth's town wall, next to the River Tay on the site now occupied by Perth Sheriff Court at the junction of Canal Street and Tay Street. The Gowrie conspiracy or Gowrie Plot was a series of events unfolding on 5 August 1600. It is shrouded in mystery. Although the facts of
10875-402: The king to neglect, were persuaded, but with great difficulty, to accept James's account of the occurrence. He voluntarily submitted himself to cross-examination by one of their number. The ministers' belief, and that of their partisans, no doubt influenced by political hostility toward James, was that the king had invented the story of a conspiracy by Gowrie to cover his own design to extirpate
11000-462: The king to the custody of Henderson, he left the turret—ostensibly to consult with his brother—and locked the door behind him. While Alexander was absent the king questioned Henderson, who professed ignorance of any plot and of the purpose for which he had been placed in the turret. At James's request, Henderson opened one of the windows and was about to open the other when Alexander returned. Whether or not Alexander had actually been to see his brother
11125-553: The law. After the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the incidents of feuding between clans declined considerably. The last "clan" feud that led to a battle and which was not part of a civil war was the Battle of Mulroy , which took place on 4 August 1688. Cattle raiding, known as "reiving" , had been normal practice prior to the 17th century. It was also known as creach , where young men took livestock from neighbouring clans. By
11250-702: The legendary hero of Ulster . Whilst their political enemies the Clan Campbell have claimed as their progenitor Diarmaid the Boar , who was rooted in the Fingalian or Fenian Cycle . In contrast, the Clans Grant , Mackinnon and Gregor claimed ancestry from the Siol Alpin family, who descend from Alpin , father of Kenneth MacAlpin , who united the Scottish kingdom in 843. Only one confederation of clans, which included
11375-421: The majority of clan leaders advised Prince Charles to return to France, including MacDonald of Sleat and Norman MacLeod . By arriving without French military support, they felt Charles failed to keep his commitments, while it is also suggested Sleat and MacLeod were vulnerable to government sanctions due to their involvement in illegally selling tenants into indentured servitude . Enough were persuaded, but
11500-417: The matter secret from his courtiers, and that he bring as small a retinue as possible to Gowrie House. James, in the company of ten to fifteen retainers, arrived at Gowrie House around one o'clock in the afternoon. Despite having received word earlier that the king would be arriving, Ruthven had made no preparations, thus giving the impression of having been taken by surprise. After a small meal, for which he
11625-399: The modern Highland games . Where the oighreachd (land owned by the clan elite or fine ) did not match the common heritage of the dùthchas (the collective territory of the clan) this led to territorial disputes and warfare. The fine resented their clansmen paying rent to other landlords. Some clans used disputes to expand their territories. Most notably, the Clan Campbell and
11750-580: The most Gaelic part of Ireland, the Plantation of Ulster tried to ensure stability in Western Scotland by importing Scots and English Protestants. This process was often supported by the original owners; in 1607 Sir Randall MacDonnell settled 300 Presbyterian Scots families on his land in Antrim. This ended the Irish practice of using Highland gallowglass , or mercenaries. The 1609 Statutes of Iona imposed
11875-591: The national cause against the English . For example, the Clan MacDonald were elevated above the Clan MacDougall , two clans who shared a common descent from a great Norse-Gaelic warlord named Somerled of the 12th century. Clanship was thus not only a strong tie of local kinship but also of feudalism to the Scottish Crown. It is this feudal component, reinforced by Scots law, that separates Scottish clanship from
12000-407: The natural environment of Scotland. Clan affiliations aren't solely based on ancestry; people with no Scottish lineage can also be affiliated with a clan, commonly known as "Clan Friends." Rents from those living within the clan estate were collected by the tacksmen . These lesser gentry acted as estate managers, allocating the runrig strips of land, lending seed-corn and tools and arranging
12125-498: The occurrence, in spite of the glaring improbabilities which it involved, was substantially true. The events at Gowrie House caused intense excitement throughout Scotland. The investigation of the circumstances was also followed with much interest in England where all the details were reported to Elizabeth's ministers. The ministers of the Kirk, whose influence in Scotland was too extensive for
12250-586: The original clan symbol. However, Thomas Innes of Learney claimed the heraldic flags of clan chiefs would have been the earliest means of identifying Scottish clans in battle or at large gatherings. John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie (c. 1577 – 5 August 1600), was a Scottish nobleman who died in mysterious circumstances, referred to as the "Gowrie Conspiracy", in which he and/or his brother Alexander were attempting to kill or kidnap King James VI of Scotland for unknown purposes. The king's retinue killed both brothers during
12375-412: The original markers were merely specific plants worn in bonnets or hung from a pole or spear. Clan badges are another means of showing one's allegiance to a Scottish clan. These badges, sometimes called plant badges, consist of a sprig of a particular plant. They are usually worn in a bonnet behind the Scottish crest badge; they can also be attached at the shoulder of a lady's tartan sash , or be tied to
12500-475: The other. James VI took various measures to deal with the resulting instability, including the 1587 'Slaughter under trust' law, later used in the 1692 Glencoe Massacre . To prevent endemic feuding, it required disputes to be settled by the Crown, specifically murder committed in 'cold-blood', once articles of surrender had been agreed, or hospitality accepted. Its first recorded use was in 1588, when Lachlan Maclean
12625-585: The parents that it is difficult to convince them that it can be any benefit to their children to learn Gaelic, though they are all anxious ... to have them taught English". The second phase of the Highland clearances affected overpopulated crofting communities which were no longer able to support themselves due to famine and/or collapse of the industries on which they relied. "Assisted passages" were provided to destitute tenants by landlords who found this cheaper than continued cycles of famine relief to those in substantial rent arrears. This applied particularly to
12750-472: The permission of the clan chief; and the Lyon Court has intervened in cases where permission has been withheld. Scottish crest badges, much like clan-specific tartans , do not have a long history, and owe much to Victorian era romanticism , having only been worn on the bonnet since the 19th century. The concept of a clan badge or form of identification may have some validity, as it is commonly stated that
12875-403: The personal authority of the chiefs and leading gentry as trustees for their clan. The second concept was the wider acceptance of the granting of charters by the Crown and other powerful landowners to the chiefs, chieftains and lairds which defined the estate settled by their clan. This was known as their oighreachd and gave a different emphasis to the clan chief's authority in that it gave
13000-651: The reforming preachers, who procured his election in 1592 as Provost of Perth , a post that was almost hereditary in the Ruthven family. He was educated at the grammar school of Perth and the University of Edinburgh , where he was in the summer of 1593, about the time when his mother, and his sister the Countess of Atholl, aided the Earl of Bothwell in forcing himself, sword in hand, into the king's bedchamber in Holyrood Palace . A few months later Ruthven joined with earls of Atholl and Montrose in offering to serve Queen Elizabeth I of England , then almost openly hostile to
13125-478: The romantic highlands was further popularised by the works of Walter Scott . His "staging" of the royal visit of King George IV to Scotland in 1822 and the King's wearing of tartan, resulted in a massive upsurge in demand for kilts and tartans that could not be met by the Scottish linen industry. The designation of individual clan tartans was largely defined in this period and they became a major symbol of Scottish identity. This "Highlandism", by which all of Scotland
13250-624: The second Lord Ruthven, partly restored the family's reputation when he was raised in the peerage as Lord Ruthven of Freeland. Patrick Ruthven, 1st Earl of Brentford (c. 1573–1651), was a collateral descendant of Sir William Ruthven, 1st Lord Ruthven . He fought and negotiated on behalf of Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden , King of Sweden , during the Thirty Years' War . In Germany, he fought alongside his nephews, Colonel Frances Ruthven and Major General John Ruthven . Patrick Ruthven, 1st Earl of Brentford also fought on behalf of King Charles I during
13375-403: The staircase after Erskine and Herries, followed by Cranstoun. In the melée he was also killed. Some commotion was caused in the town by the noise of these proceedings but it quickly subsided, though the king did not deem it safe to return to Falkland Palace for some hours. A number of scenarios have been proposed to explain the events: Additionally, it has been suggested that Anne of Denmark
13500-401: The substance of such a letter. If this is correct, it would appear that the conveyance of the king to Fast Castle , Logan's impregnable fortress on the coast of Berwickshire , was part of the plot; and it supplies, in all events, an additional piece of evidence to prove the genuineness of the Gowrie conspiracy. Robert Logan died before May 1608 the last of his line; George Sprot was hanged at
13625-401: The time. In 1488, his great-grandson was created a Lord of Parliament with the title Lord Ruthven, by James III of Scotland . He married twice and his sons by his first wife were granted a letter of legitimization in 1480. The eldest of the sons was William, Master of Ruthven, who was killed at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. The Charterises of Kinfauns are said to have received their lands as
13750-469: The turret, ran up it and the door was then unlocked by Henderson. There he found the king struggling with Alexander. Drawing his dagger, Ramsay wounded Alexander, who was then pushed down the stairway past the king. Thomas Erskine, summoned by Ramsay, now followed up the small stairs with Dr Hugh Herries , and the two killed Alexander with their swords. John Ruthven, entering the courtyard with his stabler Thomas Cranstoun and seeing his brother's body, rushed up
13875-460: The vicinity. A clan also included a large group of loosely related septs – dependent families – all of whom looked to the clan chief as their head and their protector. According to the former Lord Lyon, Sir Thomas Innes of Learney , a clan is a community that is distinguished by heraldry and recognised by the Sovereign . Learney considered clans to be a "noble incorporation" because
14000-582: The wars between the Irish Gaels and the English Tudor monarchy in the 16th century. Within these clans, there evolved a military caste of members of the lesser gentry who were purely warriors and not managers, and who migrated seasonally to Ireland to fight as mercenaries. There was heavy feuding between the clans during the civil wars of the 1640s; however, by this time, the chiefs and leading gentry preferred increasingly to settle local disputes by recourse to
14125-517: Was actually Gowrie's servant, Henderson. Alexander immediately put on his hat and, drawing Henderson's dagger, presented it to the king's breast with threats of instant death if James opened a window or called for help. An allusion by Alexander to the execution of his father, the 1st Earl of Gowrie, drew from James a reproof of Alexander's ingratitude for various benefits conferred on his family. Alexander then uncovered his head, declaring that James's life should be safe if he remained quiet; then, committing
14250-473: Was among the people who conducted the queen to Lochleven Castle , where she was forced to abdicate. Ruthven was also the Treasurer of Scotland during the king's minority and in 1581 was created William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie . In 1582, Ruthven, now the Earl of Gowrie , abducted James VI of Scotland in order to remove him from the influence of the Earl of Lennox and Earl of Arran . This became known as
14375-519: Was appointed instead. The city refused to acknowledge Charteris and barred the gates against him. Charteris along with Lord Gray and the Clan Leslie then attacked the town. However, they were repulsed by the Ruthvens, who were assisted by the Clan Moncreiffe . As a result, Ruthven remained Provost of Perth until 1584, when William Ruthven, Earl of Gowrie was executed. John Charteris had been killed by
14500-450: Was born John Wolridge-Gordon and changed his name to the maiden name of his maternal grandmother in order to claim the chiefship of the MacLeods. Today, clans may have lists of septs . Septs are surnames, families or clans that historically, currently or for whatever reason the chief chooses, are associated with that clan. There is no official list of clan septs, and the decision of what septs
14625-413: Was complicit in the plot. Proponents of the theory that James and Alexander struggled following amorous advances from the king include George Payne Rainsford James , Andrew Bisset , Archibald L. Goodall, and William Roughead . Arbuckle comments, "There is not the slightest hint of this in any of the contemporary evidence". In a footnote, Willson mentions the possibility "that the King retired with
14750-526: Was further passed abolishing the name of Ruthven, ordering that the house wherein the tragedy happened should be levelled to the ground, and decreeing that the barony of Ruthven should henceforth be known as the barony of Huntingtower. In a letter of November 1600, the Patrick Gray, 6th Lord Gray described the aftermath of the Gowrie Conspiracy. The Ruthven family were ordered to change their surname, and
14875-476: Was identified with the culture of the Highlands, was cemented by Queen Victoria 's interest in the country, her adoption of Balmoral Castle as a major royal retreat from and her interest in "tartenry". The revival of interest, and demand for clan ancestry, has led to the production of lists and maps covering the whole of Scotland giving clan names and showing territories, sometimes with the appropriate tartans . While some lists and clan maps confine their area to
15000-463: Was kept waiting an hour, King James, forbidding most of his retainers to follow him, went with Alexander up the main staircase and passed through two chambers and two doors, both of which Ruthven locked behind them, into a turret-room at the angle of the house, with windows looking on the courtyard and the street. Here James expected to find the mysterious prisoner with the foreign gold, but was instead threatened with bodily harm. He found an armed man, who
15125-610: Was prosecuted for the murder of his new stepfather, John MacDonald, and 17 other members of the MacDonald wedding party. Other measures had limited impact; imposing financial sureties on landowners for the good behaviour of their tenants often failed, as many were not regarded as the clan chief. The 1603 Union of the Crowns coincided with the end of the Anglo-Irish Nine Years' War , followed by land confiscations in 1608 . Previously
15250-455: Was residing, about 14 miles (23 km) from Perth. As he set out, accompanied by Ludovic Stewart (the Duke of Lennox), John Erskine (the Earl of Mar), Thomas Erskine (the Earl of Kellie, first cousin to John) and others, he was approached by twenty-year-old Alexander Ruthven , a younger brother of John Ruthven. Alexander advised the king that he and his brother had detained a foreigner carrying
15375-419: Was stripped of all ownership for reason of "treason". Rumours circulated that Anne of Denmark was involved in the Gowrie Conspiracy, and it was said that a letter had been found from her to the Earl of Gowrie, urging him to visit the royal court and enclosing the gift of a valuable bracelet. On 5 August 1600, King James VI of Scotland rose early to hunt around the neighbourhood of Falkland Palace , where he
15500-674: Was thought that Patrick Ruthven was captured in London in June 1603, but the mayor Robert Lee discovered this was a case of mistaken identity. Later Patrick was captured and imprisoned for nineteen years in the Tower of London . After his release in August 1622, Patrick Ruthven resided first at Cambridge and afterwards in Somersetshire, being granted a small pension by the crown. He married Elizabeth Woodford, widow of Lord Gerrard , by whom he had two sons and
15625-421: Was unfit to pay any more to his creditors than he had done already, and asking to be relieved of these royal debts. In answer to his application he on 20 June 1600 obtained a protection from debt for a year. Great efforts were made by the government to prove the complicity of others in the plot. One noted and dissolute conspirator, Sir Robert Logan of Restalrig , was posthumously convicted of having been privy to
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