Clan Farquharson
Encyclopedia
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Clan Farquharson of Invercauld is a Highland
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
Scottish clan
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
. The clan hails from Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
and is a member of the Chattan Confederation
Chattan Confederation
Clan Chattan or the Chattan Confederation is a confederation of 16 Scottish clans who joined for mutual defence or blood bonds. Its leader was the chief of Clan Mackintosh.-Origins:The origin of the name Chattan is disputed...
.
Origins
Farquhar - from the Gaelic 'fear' and 'char' meaning 'dear one'. In modern Scottish Gaelic, the surname is written "MacFhearchair".The clan derives its name from Farquhar Shaw, 4th son of Alexander "Ciar" Mackintosh of Rothiemurchus, 5th Chief of the Clan Shaw
Clan Shaw
Clan Shaw of Tordarroch is a Scottish clan. It is one of the member clans of the Chattan Confederation, who were led by the chiefs of Clan Mackintosh.-History:-Earliest Roots:...
, who settled in the Braes of Mar, the source of the River Dee
River Dee, Aberdeenshire
The River Dee is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through Strathdee to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen...
. His descendants took the name Farquharson.
16th century and Anglo-Scottish Wars
Farquhar Shaw's son married Isobel Stewart, heiress of Invercauld, however, it was their son, Finlay Mor who has become known as the first real Farquharson. He was killed during the Battle of Pinkie in 1547, aged 60, while performing the duty of the King's Standard Bearer. This was part of the Anglo-Scottish WarsAnglo-Scottish Wars
The Anglo-Scottish Wars were a series of wars fought between England and Scotland during the sixteenth century.After the Wars of Scottish Independence, England and Scotland had fought several times during the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In most cases, one country had attempted to...
.
His nine sons ensured that the clan became numerous and influential. In 1595 the clan entered a bond of manrent
Manrent
Manrent refers to a Scottish mid 15th century to the early 17th century type of contract, usually military in nature and involving Scottish clans...
with the Clan MacKintosh
Clan MacKintosh
Clan Mackintosh is a Scottish clan from Inverness with strong Jacobite ties. The Mackintoshes were also chiefs of the Chattan Confederation.-Origins:...
, so also associating themselves with the Chattan Confederation
Chattan Confederation
Clan Chattan or the Chattan Confederation is a confederation of 16 Scottish clans who joined for mutual defence or blood bonds. Its leader was the chief of Clan Mackintosh.-Origins:The origin of the name Chattan is disputed...
.
At the end of the sixteenth century the Erskines attempted to reclaim the Earldom of Mar. Jon Erskine, who styled himself Earl of Mar, built Braemar Castle
Braemar Castle
Braemar Castle is situated near the village of Braemar in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is a possession of the chief of Clan Farquharson and is leased to a local charitable foundation. It is open to the public.-History:...
in 1628 to defend himself against the claims of the Farquharsons. The castle passed into the hands of the Farquharsons and remains the clan seat to this day.
17th century, clan conflicts and Civil War
In 1673 a skirmish took place between the Clan Farquharson and the Clan MacThomasClan MacThomas
Clan MacThomas is a Highland Scottish clan from the Glens of Eastern Perthshire. The clan takes its name from Thomaidh Mor , who was the great-grandson of the William Mackintosh, 8th chief of the Clan Chattan...
. Of the six sons born from the clan MacThomas chief John and Robert, the eldest and fourth eldest respectively were killed in a skirmish at Drumgley on 28 January 1673. The feud was as a result of the MacThomases allowing their cattle to pasture on the Farquharson's land. After the skirmish the MacThomases were fined, there was a crippling lawsuit made against them. After the chiefs death which followed the remaining sons were forced to sell their lands.
The Farquharsons were staunch supporters of the House of Stuart
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...
and in 1689, John Farquharson of Inverey declared for John Graham of Claverhouse, Bonnie Dundee. He burned Braemar Castle
Braemar Castle
Braemar Castle is situated near the village of Braemar in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is a possession of the chief of Clan Farquharson and is leased to a local charitable foundation. It is open to the public.-History:...
and was a source of irritation to the government until his death in 1698.
18th century and Jacobite uprisings
During the 1715 Rebellion, John Farquharson of Invercauld supported the Chattan ConfederationChattan Confederation
Clan Chattan or the Chattan Confederation is a confederation of 16 Scottish clans who joined for mutual defence or blood bonds. Its leader was the chief of Clan Mackintosh.-Origins:The origin of the name Chattan is disputed...
and was a colonel of the regiment in support of James Francis Edward Stuart
James Francis Edward Stuart
James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales was the son of the deposed James II of England...
.
In 1745 the strength of the Clan Farquharson was estimated as 500 by Forbes of Culloden
Clan Forbes
Clan Forbes is a Lowland Scottish clan from Aberdeenshire, Scotland.-Origins:Concerning the origin of this Scottish clan, John of Forbes, the first upon record, seems to have been a man of importance in the time of William the Lion, and was the father of Fergus, from whom the clan are descended....
. In 1745 the Clan Farquharson are believed to have supported Lord Lewis Gordon during his victory at the Battle of Inverurie (1745)
Battle of Inverurie (1745)
For the battle of the same name during the Wars of Scottish Independence see: Battle of Inverurie .The second Battle of Inverurie took place on 23 December 1745 and was part of the second major Jacobite rising in Scotland.-Background:...
. Also during the 1745 Jacobite Rising
Jacobite rising
The Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in Great Britain and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746. The uprisings were aimed at returning James VII of Scotland and II of England, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne after he was deposed by...
, Angus, the chief of Clan MacKintosh, was a serving member of the British Black Watch
Black Watch
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....
. While he was away on duty his wife, Lady Anne Mackintosh, daughter of Invercauld was a supporter of Charles Edward Stuart
Charles Edward Stuart
Prince Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie or The Young Pretender was the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of Great Britain , and Ireland...
and ensured that 350 members of the Clan Chattan Regiment fought at the Battle of Culloden
Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...
on the side of the Jacobites. During her husband's absence, she successfully rallied the Clan Mackintosh to their Chattan allies including Clan Farquharson. Angus was captured at the Battle of Prestonpans
Battle of Prestonpans
The Battle of Prestonpans was the first significant conflict in the Jacobite Rising of 1745. The battle took place at 4 am on 21 September 1745. The Jacobite army loyal to James Francis Edward Stuart and led by his son Charles Edward Stuart defeated the government army loyal to the Hanoverian...
and was paroled to his wife. She famously greeted him with the words, "Your servant, captain" to which he replied, "your servant, colonel" thereby giving her the nickname Colonel Anne.
Modern clan
The ChiefScottish clan chief
The Scottish Gaelic word clann means children. In early times, and possibly even today, clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the Scottish clan. From its perceived founder a clan takes its name. The clan chief is the representative of this founder, and...
of Clan Farquharson is Alwyne Arthur Compton Farquharson of Invercauld, Chief of the Name and Arms of Farquharson, 16th Baron of Invercauld and Omnalprie, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
; as recognised by Lord Lyon King of Arms
Lord Lyon King of Arms
The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest...
. Captain Alwyne Arthur Compton Farquharson of Invercauld was by Lyon Court in 1949 confirmed MacFionnlaidh. He served with distinction as a Captain in the Royal Scots Greys during World War Two. He resides at Invercauld Castle in Braemar on Royal Deeside.
Castles
- Inverey Castle was the seat of the chief of Clan Farquharson.
- Braemar CastleBraemar CastleBraemar Castle is situated near the village of Braemar in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is a possession of the chief of Clan Farquharson and is leased to a local charitable foundation. It is open to the public.-History:...
was attacked and burned by John Farquharson, the Black Colonel of Inverey in 1689, killing John ErskineClan Erskine-Origins of the Name:The surname Erskine is derived from the name of Erskine, an area to the south of the River Clyde and ten miles to the west of Glasgow...
. The castle was left in ruins until 1748 when it was leased to the government by the Clan Farquharson. - Invercauld House is the seat of the current chief of Clan Farquharson, Captain Alwyn Compton Farquharson.
Clan Profile
- Crest: On a chapeau Gules furred Ermine, a demi-lion Gules holding in his dexter paw a sword Proper.
- Motto: Fide et Fortitudine ("Fidelity and Fortitude") and (On compartment) I force nae freen, I fear nae foe.
There are several tartans attributed to the name Farquharson.