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A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

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316<br />

OF FOUR-FOOTED BEASTS.<br />

on a bend azure, three boars' heads erased <strong>of</strong> the first, so illuminated in the housi<strong>of</strong><br />

Falahall, and blazoned in Font's MS.<br />

FRENCH <strong>of</strong> Thornydikes in the Merse, which lies near to the lands <strong>of</strong> Gordon,<br />

carried almost the same arms with them, viz.. azure, a cheveron between three<br />

boars' heads erased or. I have seen a principal charter <strong>of</strong> George Dunbar Earl <strong>of</strong><br />

March, Lord Annandale, granted to Robert French <strong>of</strong> Thornydikes, upon his<br />

resignation <strong>of</strong> these lands in the hands <strong>of</strong> that Earl, for a new charter to himself<br />

and his wife, Elizabeth French, and to their heirs. Their son Adam French gets<br />

a new charter to himself and his spouse, Janet Rule, and their heirs, <strong>of</strong> the<br />

lands <strong>of</strong> Thornydikes, in the reign <strong>of</strong> Robert the III. ; and King James the I.<br />

grants a charter <strong>of</strong> Confirmation <strong>of</strong> these rights, 1433, and the same year Robert<br />

French is served heir to his father Adam ; which evidents are in the custody <strong>of</strong><br />

David French <strong>of</strong> Frenchland, lineal representer <strong>of</strong> French <strong>of</strong> Thornydikes, who<br />

carries the same arms.<br />

There are other families in the Merse, <strong>of</strong> a good old standing, <strong>of</strong> the surname <strong>of</strong><br />

TROTTER, some <strong>of</strong> whom carry a crescent and stars, and others, boars' heads, as<br />

TROTTER <strong>of</strong> Prentanan and Quickwood, an old family <strong>of</strong> the name, who, by their<br />

ancient seals and paintings, carried urgent, a crescent gules, and, on a chief<br />

azure, three stars <strong>of</strong> the first ; and for crest, a horsd trotting, proper, as relative<br />

to the name ; with the motto, Festina lente. Of whom is descended Mr<br />

Alexander Trotter, Minister at Edrom in the Merse. See Plate <strong>of</strong> Achievements.<br />

In our New Register I find HENRY TROTTER <strong>of</strong> Mortonhall, heritor also <strong>of</strong> the<br />

barony <strong>of</strong> Charterhall, where<strong>of</strong> Fogohill and Fogomill are parts and pendicles,<br />

having in the late Lyon's time taken out his arms, on the 2pth <strong>of</strong> June 1676,<br />

between three<br />

which are now thus ; quarterly, first and fourth argent, a fesse gules,<br />

stars in chief sable, and a crescent in base azure, as his paternal coat for Trotter<br />

<strong>of</strong> Mortonhall : But I think they should have said, for Trotter <strong>of</strong> Prentanan<br />

and Quickwood, being the same with theirs, as before, second and third argent, a<br />

cheveron gules, between three boars' heads cooped sable, for Trotter <strong>of</strong> Charterhall ;<br />

crest, a man holding a horse, proper, furnished : gules mctto, In promptu. In the<br />

same Register we have the arms <strong>of</strong> Mr George Trotter <strong>of</strong> Charterhall in the<br />

Merse, argent, a cheveron gules, between three boars' heads sable, langued and<br />

armed <strong>of</strong> the second, registrate 1669, and the cheveron is charged with a mullet.<br />

WILLIAM TROTTER, representer <strong>of</strong> the family <strong>of</strong> Catchelraw, argent, a cheveron<br />

gules, between three boars' heads couped sable ; crest, a horse passant or trotting.<br />

L. R.<br />

The name <strong>of</strong> HOG has been anciently in the Merse, and carried argent, three<br />

boars' heads erased azure, armed or ;<br />

as in Font's MS. and in the New Register.<br />

Sir ROGER HOG <strong>of</strong> Harcarse, who was one <strong>of</strong> the Senators <strong>of</strong> the College <strong>of</strong><br />

Justice, carries the vires.<br />

same; and for cre*st, an oak tree, proper: motto, Dot gloria<br />

The name <strong>of</strong> ROCHEAD there, argent, on a fesse azure, a boar's head erased, between<br />

two mullets <strong>of</strong> the field ; the same is carried by ROCIIEAD <strong>of</strong> Craigleith ;<br />

and for crest, a man's head couped in pr<strong>of</strong>ile, proper: motto, Fide & virtutc.<br />

N. R. And there,<br />

ROCIIEAD <strong>of</strong> Whitsomhill argent, a savage-head erased, distilling drops <strong>of</strong> blood,<br />

proper, between three combs azure ; crest, a : savage-arm erect, proper motto,<br />

Pro patria.<br />

In many other shires <strong>of</strong> the kingdom there are other ancient and honourable<br />

families who have boars' heads for their armorial figures, which betoken no descent<br />

nor dependence one upon another, as the Elphinstones, Abercrombies and others,<br />

<strong>of</strong> whom before : I shall mention here those <strong>of</strong> the surnames <strong>of</strong> Cochran, Rollo<br />

and Lockhart.<br />

The most eminent family <strong>of</strong> the riame <strong>of</strong> COCHRAN is that <strong>of</strong> the Earl <strong>of</strong> Dun-<br />

donald's, whose achievement is, argent, a cheveron gules, between three boars'<br />

heads erased azure ; crest, a horse passant argent; with the motto, Virtute $3 la-<br />

bore; supported by two greyhounds, proper, collared and leashed gules. This family<br />

is <strong>of</strong> good antiquity in the shire <strong>of</strong> Renfrew, where the barony <strong>of</strong> Cochran<br />

lies, from which is the surname.

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