A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

OF FOUR-FOOTED BEASTS.
There is one Alexander de Fife witness in a charter of King Alexander III. the
thirteenth year of his reign, to Richard de Moravia, brother to Gilbert, Bishop of
Caithness, penes
Doni. de Kinnaird.
Our Scots Highland Senachies will have the Farquharsons, and others of the
late surnames, to be descended of Shaw, a son of MacdufF, one of the Earls of
Fife.
The principal family of the name is FARQUHARSON of Invercauld, who carries,,
quarterly, first and fourth or, a lion rampant gules, as descended of Macduff Earl
of Fife ; second and third argent, a fir tree growing out of a mount, in base, seeded
proper (upon the account his country abounds with such trees) on a chief gules
the banner of Scotland displayed, (upon the account one of his progenitors, Fin-
lay More, was killed at the battle of Pinkie, holding the royal banner) and a canton
dexter pf the first, charged with a dagger, point downward, to perpetuate the
action of his progenitors of Rothiemurcus, who joined with the Macphersons in de-
feating and killing Cumin of Strathbogie, enemy to King Robert the Brace ;
(which figure upon the same account is carried by the Macphersons) and, for crest,
a lion issuing out of a wreath gulfs and or, holding a sword in his right paw, pro-
per, hiked and pommelled or ; supporters, two wild cats, proper : motto, Fide ist
fortitudine. As the abstract of his arms from the Lyon Oilice. And there,
The name of Farquhar, ROBERT FARQUHAR of Gillmyr's-croft, argent, a lion
rampant sable, armed and langued or, between three sinister hands, two and one,
couped pale-ways gules ; crest, a dexter hand couped as the former : motto, Sto,
cado, fide & arinis.
FARQUHAR of Manie, quarterly, first argent, a lion rampant sable, armed or,
and langued gules; second, azure, a sinister hand in pale, couped argent; third or,
a galley with masts and tackling sable ; fourth, argent, an oak tree vert; and, for
a brotherly difference in the middle fesse point, a crescent gules ; crest, a star
argent issuing out of a cloud, proper : motto, Vertitur in diem. New Register.
Many other Highland families carry lions and hands couped, and lymphads, as
the M'Lauchlans, M'Conells, M'Downies, and M'Cowans, Finlays and M'Jandes,
as branches of the M'Donalds, Macphersons, and Macintoshes, being of the tribe of
the Clan-chatt, whom I forbear here to mention ; their descents being uncertain,
their arms unfixed, and their names mutable patronimics.
The surname of CRICHTON, argent, a lion rampant azure. This surname is
among the first surnames mentioned by our historians in the reign of Malcolm III.
I have seen the charter of erection of the abbacy of Holyroodhouse by King
David I. in the archives of the town of Edinburgh, to which Thurstanus de Creich-
ton is a witness. There have been several great families of this name. The prin
cipal, as I suppose, was Crichton of that Ilk, in the shire of Edinburgh; and from
it
originally the surname. John de Creichton is frequently a witness in the charters
of King Robert the Bruce; and William de Creichton, Dominus is
ejusdem, witness in
a charter of Alexander Lindsay of Ormiston, of the lands of'Ormiston, to Janet
Lindsay his daughter, and her spouse, John Cockburn ; which charter is confirmed
by King David II. the 2pth year of his reign : For which see the Earl of Hacl-
dington's Collections.
From this Sir William de Creichton of that Ilk was descended Sir William Crich-
ton, Chancellor of Scotland, in the minority of King James II. who was then de-
signed Lord Crichton, and who carried/quarterly, first and fourth argent, a lien
to show a ma-
ramp-ant azure ; second and tiiird argent, a saltier and chief azure,
ternal descent from the heiress of Boyes, Lord Boycs, as some say. His son, Sir
James Crichton, married Mary Dunbar, as before, daughter to James Earl of
Murray, and got with her the lands of Frendraught. He was', by King James II. made
Earl of Murray ; but, for fear of the Douglasses, resigned the same in the King's
hands again, who bestowed it upon the Douglas; of whom before. His son, George
Crichton, was made Earl of Caithness and Admiral of Scotland ; but he enjoyed
that dignity but a short time, dying without issue. His brother William was Laird
of Frendraught, and carried the foresaid quartered arms, and, by way of surtout,
or, three cushions within a double tressure, counter-flowered with flower-de-luces
gules, as descended of the Dunbars Earls of Murray, as did his successors; they
are thus illuminated amongst the Barons' Arms in the House of Falahall, 1604.