A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

OF CELESTIAL FIGURES, &c. 241
OUPHANT of Langton, descended of a third son of the Lord Oliphant, gules, a
cheveron crenelle, between three crescents argent ; crest, the sun in his glory,
proper : motto, Hinc illuminabimur * Lyon Register.
OLIPHANT of Prinles, descended of Oliphant of Oldcairn, gules, a saltier between
three crescents, one in chief, and two in the flanks argent ; crest, a hand pointing
to the clouds, proper : motto, Hope and not rue. L. R.
OLIPHANT of Culquhair, gules, a cinquefoil slipped, between three crescents
argent ; crest, a proboscide or elephant's trunk, proper. Lyon Register.
EDMONSTONE of that Ilk, now designed of Ednam, or, three crescents gules ; supported
by two camels, proper ; and for crest, a camel's head and neck. Workman's
Manuscript.
The first of this family is said to have been one ADMUNDUS, who came with
Queen Margaret to Scotland, and to have got from King Malcolm III. some lands
near Edinburgh, called after him Admunstoun, or Edmistoun, which became the
surname of the family. In the reign, of Alexander III. I find Henry de Edmunston
mentioned in a charter (in the Earl of Haddington's Collections) of William de
Craigmillar, son of Henry de Craigmillar, to the church of Dunfermline, of the
date 1253, concerning a toft of land, which Henry de Edmunston held of Henry de
Craigmillar, in austriali parte qua due it de villa de Noddriff, ad Ecclesiam de Libbertoun.
John de Edmiston gets a charter of the crownership of Edinburgh, from King
David II. and he or his son, John Edmonstone, gets a charter from King Robert II.
of the barony of Ednam, mentioning him to be married to Isabel Countess of
Douglas, (relict of James Earl of Douglas, killed at the battle of Otterburn) a
daughter of that King's, as also a charter of the thanedom of Boyn, the 24th year
of his reign. The son of this marriage was David de Edmistoun, who is witness in
a charter of Robert Duke of Albany, to his son John Earl of Buchan, wherein
David is designed, Nepos noster dilectus. And King II. James gives a new charter
of the thanedom of Boyne and the lands of Tulliallan to James Edmonstone of that
Ilk, and his spouse Janet Napier, daughter of Alexander Napier of Merchiston,
dated at Stirling the first of February 1456. It seems they had no male issue, but
two daughters, who got the lands of Boyne and Tulliallan. The eldest, Elizabeth,
married Blackadder of that Ilk; the second was married to Walter Ogilvie, a younger
son of Findlater, of which two in their proper places ; and the lands of Ednam
went to the next heir-male, from whom is descended the present laird of Ednam,
who carries the foresaid arms.
EDMONSTONE of Duntreath, or, three crescents gules, with an annulet in the centre,
so illuminated in the house of Falahall, which, with the lands of Fala, belonged
to Ednam.
Mr JAMES EDMONSTONE of Newton, or, three crescents gules, in caur, an annulet
of the second, surmounted of a mullet of the first, for a brotherly difference :
motto, Be hardy, Lyon Register.
JOHN EDMONSTONE of Bellewen-Edmonstone, now of Broik, descended of a second
son of the family of Duntreath, carries or, three crescents gules, an annulet surmounted
of a crescent in the centre of the second ; crest, a hand drawing a semi-
circle with a compass, proper : motto, Gauge and measure. Lyon Register.
CATHCART, an ancient family, who took their surname from their lands of that
name in Renfrewshire : The chief is the Lord Cathcart, who carries azure, three
cross croslets fitched, issuing out of as many crescents, argent ; supporters, two
parrots, proper ; crest, a hand issuing out of a wreath, holding up
a crescent
argent : with the motto, I hope to speed. See Plate of Achievements.
It is said that, of old, they carried only crescents, and that after one of the
family had been in the wars in the Holy Land, added the cross croslets. As for
the antiquity of the name and family, Raynaldus de Kethcert, so writ of old, is
witness in a charter of Allan, filhis IValteri Dapifer, in the year 1178. Ranulphus
de Catbcart is also witness in a charter of this Allan Dapifer, progenitor of the
Stewarts, for which see Sir James Dalrymple's Collections. Dominus Alanus de
Cathcart, Dominus ejusdem, anno 1387,
in the reign of Robert II. obtained the
baronies of Sundrum and Auchincruive in Kyle, in right of his wife, sister and one
of the 6o-heirs of Sir Duncan Wallace of Sundrum. Sir Allan Cathcart of that