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A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

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OF THE SUB-ORDINARIES.<br />

One <strong>of</strong> this family was. Master <strong>of</strong> the Household to King James IV. and pretended<br />

that his progenitor was the eldest son <strong>of</strong> Dairsie, and took to himself the estate <strong>of</strong><br />

Kalcomy, because it held <strong>of</strong> the King, preferred it to Dairsie, which held <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Bishop <strong>of</strong> St Andrews ; but both <strong>of</strong> these families are now extinct.<br />

CAKUTHERS or CARUTHERS, gules, two cheverons ingrailed between three flowerde-luces<br />

or. The chief <strong>of</strong> this name is Carruthers <strong>of</strong> Holmains in Annandale,<br />

who carries the same and for ; crest, a seraphim volant, proper ; with the motto,<br />

Promptus fc? fidelis. They have all along continued faithful to the Royal Family<br />

and country, as our historians tell us; when Robert, the High Steward, (afterwards<br />

king) took the field against Edward Baliol, for his sovereign and uncle King David<br />

II. Among those that early joinly him, was William Carruthers <strong>of</strong> Holmains,<br />

who, as they say, with his friends and followers, creeped out <strong>of</strong> their holes, having<br />

always withstood the government <strong>of</strong> the English, and continued firm in their allegiance<br />

to their Kings. There is a charter <strong>of</strong> King James III. <strong>of</strong> the lands <strong>of</strong> Torry,<br />

with the patronage <strong>of</strong> St Mary's Kirk <strong>of</strong> Torry, within the shire <strong>of</strong> Dumfries, granted<br />

to Thomas Carruthers <strong>of</strong> Holmains, for his special services in expelling the<br />

king's rebels and English out <strong>of</strong> the country : The words <strong>of</strong> the charter are these,<br />

"<br />

Dedisse dilecto nostro familiari Thomie Carruthers, pro suo fideli servitio nobis<br />

"<br />

prius<br />

ac novissime impenso in nostri regni defensione in bello & conflictu contra<br />

" Alexandrum Stewart, & Jacobum Douglass & alios regni rebelles, veteres<br />

"<br />

Anglos hostes, qui regnum nostrum hostiliter armis invaserunt." This charter<br />

is dated at Edinburgh the 25th <strong>of</strong> July 1484, and to be seen in the register in the<br />

lower Parliament House. This family was also eminently loyal to Queen Mary, as<br />

in Crawfurd's Memoirs <strong>of</strong> that Queen ; and the family continues still in a lineal<br />

descent.<br />

The surname <strong>of</strong> PAXTON, argent, two cheverons sable, between three mullets<br />

placed in yde gules; (aliter) azure, on a cheveron argent, five garbs sable. Pout's<br />

Manuscript. And there also,<br />

The name <strong>of</strong> GARDEN <strong>of</strong> that Ilk, argent, two cheverons ingrailed gules.<br />

GARDEN <strong>of</strong> Barrowfield, argent, a boar's head erased sable, between three mul-<br />

lets gules.<br />

GARDEN <strong>of</strong> Leys, argent, a boar's head erased sable, betwixt three cross croslets<br />

fitched gules.<br />

PEARSON <strong>of</strong> Balmadies, argent, two swords cheveron-ways azure, piercing a<br />

man's heart in chief, proper, and in base, a cinquefoil <strong>of</strong> the second ; crest, a<br />

dove holding an olive branch in her beak, proper : motto, Dum spiro spero* Lyon<br />

Register.<br />

PEARSON <strong>of</strong> Kippenross has the swords or daggers otherways, viz. argent, two<br />

swords or daggers issuing from the dexter and sinister chief points, their points<br />

downward, and conjoined in base, piercing a man's heart, proper, and a cinquefoil<br />

sable in the collar point ; crest, a tower, proper : motto, Rather die than<br />

disloyal.<br />

L- R.<br />

CHAP. XVIII.<br />

OF THE SUB-ORDINARIES.<br />

FIGURES in armories are either proper or natural ; the first have their name<br />

from the Science <strong>of</strong> <strong>Heraldry</strong>, and in general are commonly called the ordinaries<br />

; which again are distinguished into honourable ordinaries and sub-ordinaries.<br />

I have fully treated <strong>of</strong> the first, being nine in number, and I proceed now<br />

to the sub-ordinaries, so called, not upon the account that they are not so honour-<br />

able as the former, for all figures in armories are equally honourable, data paritate<br />

gestantium, as heralds speak ; but because the sub-ordinaries give place, and cede<br />

the principal point <strong>of</strong> the shield to the honourable ordinaries, when in one field to-<br />

gether; neither do they claim a proper and fixed place in the field, as the honourable<br />

ordinaries do : As also, because their names are more derived from nature, and<br />

other arts, than from this honourable science, though not altogether so free from<br />

armorial terms, as the natural figures, such as lions, bears, eagles, &c. So that the

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