A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

OF MAN AND HIS PARTS IN ARMS
Hands are frequent in arms, as signs of valour, and symbols of faith and m
when expanded, and the palm seen, they are said to he p/ilwc.
ROBERT ADAIR of Kinhilt, parted per bend dexter, or and argent, three d;
hands pa/me, and erected, 2 and i gules, fig. 30; crest, a man's head couped and
bloody, proper : motto, Loyil ait mart. New Register.
Those of this name in Scotland are
originally descended fn.m the Fit
'
now Earls of I>esmond in Ireland, and take their name from tint barony ot Adaiiin
that earldom : It is said they carry for crest a bloody head, for kiii
Carey of Dunskey, a proscribed rebel in Scotland.
It is to be observed in bla/.on, when we say he carries three figures, that they are
situate two in chief and one in base, without naming their situation : But it other-
<
situate, it must be told in the blazon how, us in pale, in bend, and
att.;r the position of the ordinaries ; when we say pule-ways, bend-ways, a;al fesse-
ivays, those do not relate to the situation, but to the position of the figure-.
erect, diagonal, or horizontal.
AGNEW of Lochnaw, as in Sir George Mackenzie's Heraldry, argent, three
sinister hands couped, and erect in pale, 2 and r gules. But more properly we
would say, urgent, three sinister hands couped pale-ways, and not in
pale, which
supposes them to be above one another. For this family see page 162.
The M'DONALDS, as a part of their armorial bearings, have a dexter hand couped,
fesse-ways, proper, holding a cross croslet fttcbe sable, upon the account, it is said,
thut one of their progenitors assisted St Patrick to propagate the Christian faith
in Ireland, and to reduce the barbarous people there to civility and Christianity,
and then their ensign was the hand holding a cross croslet fitched.
The Clan CHATTAN, Clan URRICH, and MACPHERSONS, have in their "arms a right
hand couped gules, holding a dagger pale-ways as a badge of their faithfulness and
loyalty to King Robert the Bruce, in killing of a great man of the name of Cummin
his enemy.
The M*!NTOSHES, since they married the heiress of the chief of the Macphersons,
as also the Farquharsons, as descended of the M'Intoshes, have the same hand and
dagger in their arms.
HARDIE of Cargarse, gules, a dexter hand fesse-ways, holding a dagger argent,
point downward, between two mullets (/. e. spur-rowels) or. The first of this
name, says Sir George Mackenzie, in his Manuscript, was a Frenchman, who waited
upon John, King of France, when prisoner in England with King David II. of
Scotland. King Edward III. of England, coming to visit them, ordered his cupbearer
to fill a glass of wine to the most worthy: He it gave to his own King; upon
which the French King's servant gave him a box on the ear. His King reproved
him, saying, Tout bardie ; upon which he got the name of Hartlie; and coming to
Scotland with King David Bruce, by that King's charters got the lands of Cargarse.
His posterity lost these lands of late ; and several branches of the family
of the name of Hardie are vassals and tenants to the Duke of Gordon.
NEILSON of Craigo, argent, three left hands bend sinister-ways, couped gitles,
2 and I. The first of this family was, William, filius Nigelli, so designed in a
charter which he got from King Robert I. of the lands of Craigo ; which I saw
in the hands of Major John Neilson.
NEILSONT ot Craigcaftie, argent, three left hands bend sinister-ways, two in chief,
and one in base, holding a dagger azure ; as by Mr Thomas Crawfurd's blazons.
Of late, Gilbert Neilson of Craigcaffie has matriculated his bearing in our New
Register, thus, parted per cheveron, argent and or; in chief, two sinister hands
couped, and erect gules, and, in base a dagger, point downward, proper, fig. 31.;
crest, a dexter hand holding a lance erect, proper : motto, His rcgi servitium.
ALEXANDER NEILSON of Maxwood, descended of Craigcaftie, carries the same
with Craigcaftie, with a man's heart, proper, in the coeur point, for difference; and,
his crest, a dexter hand holding a dagger, proper : motto,
I'irtute & I'otis.
Ibidem.
The surname of STEVEN, argent, on a cheveron between two crescents in chief',
and a sinister hand couped in base, gules, two mullets of the field. Ogilvy's Ma-
nuscript.