The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

APPEND.] OF SCOTLAND 377
commonly called the " "
Wolf of Badenoch of these the ;
principal
family was that of Stewart of Garth, descended from James
Stewart, one of the Wolfe of Badenoch's natural sons, who
obtained a footing in Atholl by marrying the daughter and
heiress of Menzies of Fothergill, or Fortingall, and from this
family almost all the other Atholl Stewarts proceed.
The Balquidder Stewarts are entirely composed of the
illegitimate branches of the Albany family. The principal
families were those of Ardvorlich, Glenbucky, and others.
Menzies.
The original name of this family was Meyners, and they
appear to be of Lowland origin. Their arms and the resemblance
of name distinctly point them out to be a branch of the English
family of Manners, and consequently their Norman origin is
undoubted. They appear, however, to have obtained a footing
in Atholl at a very early period, although it is not now possible
to ascertain by what means the acquisition was obtained.
Robert de Meyners grants a charter of the lands of Culdares in
Fortingall to Matthew de Moncrief as early as the reign of
Alexander II. His son Alexander de Meyners was certainly in
possession of the lands of Weem, Aberfeldie, and Glendochart,
in Atholl, besides his original possessions of Durrisdeer in
Nithsdale. He was succeeded in the estates of Weem,
Aberfeldie and Durisdeer, by his eldest son Robert, while his
younger son, Thomas, obtained the lands of Fothergill.
From the eldest son the present family of Menzies of Menzies
is descended ; but the family of Menzies of Fothergill became
extinct in the third generation, and the property was transferred
to the family of Stewart in consequence of the marriage of
James Stewart, natural son of the Wolfe of Badenoch, with the
heiress.
Fraser.
Of the Norman origin of the family of the Frasers it is
impossible for a moment to entertain any doubt. They appear
during the first few generations uniformly in that quarter of
Scotland which is south of the Firths of Forth and Clyde ; and
they possessed at a very early period
counties of East Lothian and of Tweeddale ;
extensive estates in the
besides this, the