A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

- 4 2. OF CELESTIAL FIGURES,
Ilk was dignified with the honour of Lord Cathcart, by King James II. 1447, of
whom is descended the present Allan, Lord Cathcart, who carries the above arms.
And of late the family has been in use to quarter the arms of Wallace of Sundrum
with their own, being gules, a lion rampant argent, as in Mr Crawfurd's Peerage.
See Plate of Achievements.
CATHCART of Carleton, being of an eldest son of a second marriage of John Lord
Cathcart, and his lady, a daughter of Douglas of Drumlanrig (now Duke of
Queensberry) in the reign of King James V. carried the arms of the Lord Cath-
:art, as above, with a man's heart in the centre for his difference, being a figure of
the arms of Douglas. Font's Manuscript.
CATHCART of Carbiston, another son of John Lord Cathcart, and Margaret
Douglas, daughter to Sir William Douglas of Drumlanrig, ancestor to the present
Duke of Queensberry, carries azure, three cross croslets fache, issuing out of as
many crescents argent, two and one ; and in the collar point a man's heart ensigned
with an imperial crown, proper, as a maternal difference, from other descendants
of the family of Cathcart, and adorned with the crest and motto of the Lord
Cathcart abovementioned. For which see Plate of Achievements.
The first of this family was David Cachcart of Duchray, which lands he got
from his father
John' Lord Cathcart about 200 years since : He married Agnes,
daughter of Sir George Crawfurd of Liffnoris, by whom he had Allan Cathcart,
his son and heir, in the time of Queen Mary ; who added to his paternal estate the
barony of Carbiston, by marrying Janet, daughter and heir of William Cathcart of
Carbiston, an old cadet of the family of Cathcart, as far back as the time of King
Robert III. from whom is lineally descended the present James Cathcart of Car-
biston, who married Magdalen, eldest daughter of Sir James Rochead of Inner-
leith, baronet. By her he had the present Colonel James Cathcart, and Captain
in the late
Thomas Cathcart, a brave youth, who was unluckily killed in Spain
wars.
There have been several sons of this family, who have been eminent abroad in
the wars of France and Germany ; and particularly, one James Cathcart, a younger
son of William Cathcart of Carbiston, and of his wife Janet, one of the daughters
and co-heirs of Sir Robert Fairly of that Ilk in the county of Ayr, who went to
Germany, and, for his merit, was advanced to honourable offices, by which he acquired
a considerable fortune. He married the only daughter and heir of Balthasar
Schemet Schemet-Felt, Chancellor to the Duke of Deux-Ponts in Germany.
He was made one of the Gentlemen of his Bed-Chamber, Master of the Horse,
and one of his Counsellors ; in which offices he continued till his death, and was
solemnly interred in the great church of Heidelberg,
where a noble monument
was erected over him, with his arms ; which last I have seen on his seals, affixed
to his missive-letters to his cousin, the present Laird of Carbiston, whereupon were
two oval shields accolle ; that on the right hand contained the arms of Carbiston,
as above, but the heart was not ensigned with an imperial crown ;
and that on the
left had a deer springing, the arms of his wife ; and both those oval shields accolle,
were under a large coronet. Their grandson, William de Cutbcart, is one of the
Gentlemen of the Bed-Chamber to Prince Palatine and Duke of Deux-Ponts, and
enjoys his grandfather's estate near Deux-Ponts.
The name of HUMMEL, argent, a bend between two crescents gules. Font's
Manuscript.
MELVILLE Earl of MELVILLE carries
CRAIGIE, of whom before.
crescents, as do the name of CRAIG and
KINCRAIGIE, sable, a fesse ermine, between three crescents argent.
KIRKALDY, gules, a cheveron argent, between two stars in chief, and a crescent
or, in base. Font's Manuscript.
There was an old family of this name designed of Inchture, which ended in an
heiress, Marjory Kirkaldy, who was married to Reginald Kinnaird. He got with
her the lands of Inchture, which were confirmed to her by a charter of Robert III.
1399, of which marriage descended the Lord Kinnaird.
The next principal family of the name was KIRKALDY of Grange, in the shire of
Fife, gules, a cheveron between three stars in chief, and a crescent in base or ;