A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

36& OF VEGETABLES.
at the battle of the Largs, in the reign of King Alexander III. under the command
of Alexander Seneschal High Steward of Scotland, got from him the lands of
Whiteford, near Paisley, in the shire of Renfrew ; whether these lands gave name
to him, or he to them, I cannot determine. There is a tradition in that country,
that one of the heads of the family, who stood firm for his country in the time of
King Robert the Bruce, against the English usurpation, surprised a party of the
English, who lay encamped on the opposite side of the river Cart, by a stratagem
of putting great quantities of sheaves of wheat and other corns into the water ;
and, to perpetuate that signal overthrow he gave them, they carry
the wheat
sheaves : However, whether this be true or not, they were reputed a good family
both in Renfrew and Lanark shires, where they had opulent estates. There is a
progress of writs of this family, of its antiquity and greatness, in the hands of the
Earl of Dundonald, who now possesses the estate of Whiteford. By our registers,
John Whiteford of that Ilk, in the reign of King Robert III. resigns his estate of
Whiteford in favours of Patrick his son and apparent heir, which was confirmed
by King James I. in the year 1431 ; Patrick was succeeded by his son John, and
he again by his son Qiiintin Whiteford of that Ilk, who was seised in these lands
1507; he was succeeded by Adam his son, who was served heir to his father in these
lands 1 5 19; which Adam was the father of another John, who married Margaret, daughter
of Robert Lord Sempill ; he died without isssue, and was succeeded by his brother
Adam, of whom mention is made in Spottiswood's History, in the reign of King
James VI. He, in the year 1576, married Mary, daughter of Sir James Somerville
of Camnethan, and by her had John his successor in the lands of Whiteford
and Milton ; he married Elizabeth, daughter to Sir Patrick Houston of that Ilk,
but had no issue, and was succeeded by his brother John, who was the predecessor
of Sir John Whiteford of Milton, who died since the year 1689, without issue, and
the principal stem of the family ended in him.
The eldest branch of this family is WHITEFORD of Blairquhan, in the shire of
Ayr, descended of a younger son of Whiteford of that Ilk and Milton; who took
up his residence in the shire of Ayr with his brother, who was Abbot of Crossragwell
in the reign of King James IV. The family of Blairquhan continues in the
above shire, in a good condition, and are designed Heritable Crowners of the Jurisdiction
of Carrick, as by their charters ; they have matched with honourable fa-
milies, as with Blair of that Ilk, Kennedy of Ardmillan, Kennedy of Drumnellan,
Cathcart of Genoch, Inglis of Sheell, and a second time with Blair of that Ilk ;
and the present Sir Adam Whiteford of Blairquhan married Margaret, the only
daughter of Allan Lord Cathcart. Blairquhan carries, argent,
a bend betwixt two
cottises sable, with a garb in chief of the last ; crest, a pigeon, proper, on the top
of a garb : motto, D'en haut.
Doctor. WALTER WHITEFORD, a younger son of Adam Whiteford of Milton,
abovementioned, was first Sub-Dean of Glasgow, Parson of Monkland and Calder,
then Parson of Moffat, and afterwards Bishop of Brechin ; he married a daughter
of Sir John Carmichael of that Ilk, by whom he had Colonel Walter Whiteford, a
brave gentleman, who was forced for his loyalty to fly to Holland, where he killed
Dorislaus, a Dutch lawyer, who drew up the wicked indictment against King
Charles I. He carried argent, on a bend between two cottises sable, accompanied
with two garbs gules, three cross patees argent ; crest, a garb gules, banded or :
motto, Ubique aut nusquam. The three crosses patee, (being of the form of these
as in the
that adorn the Scots crown) were added by King Charles II.'s orders,
L. R. His son is now Rector of the Scots College at Paris.
The name of LAWSON, argent, a saltier azure, and on a chief gules, three garbs
or. P. MS,
Others of the name, as in Balfour's and Workman's Manuscripts, parted per pale
argent and sable, an ode counter-changed, and on a chief gules, three garbs or.
LAWSON of Boghall, argent, a saltier and chief sable, on the last three garbs or.
W. MS.
I have seen the armorial seal of Mr Richard Lawson of Cairnmuir, appended to
a charter of his, with the consent of his wife, Janet Elphinstone, to their son Richard
Lawson, the 1 8th of March 1507; on the husband's seal was a saltier and chief,
on. the last three garbs; and on the wife's,, a cheveron between three boars' heads.