As we head towards our gathering in Annan in August, the question is, why do Scottish arms and especially those of a chief remain important and jealously guarded. To understand this and why we had two petitioners to bear the Chief’s arms we need to look back in time and the reason why arms and heraldry began.A piece from the Heraldry Society may help us understand.
From earliest times people have wanted – and often needed – to identify themselves by a personal sign or device. Their first efforts – seen as impressions in the seals on early documents – grew with the addition of further graphical representations of their owner or his family. Eventually the symbols migrated to battlefield shields and from there to the surcoats of men in armour, from which we may derive the term ‘coat of arms’.It is thought that troubadours (strolling minstrels) formed the first body of messengers for the monarch. They couriered small items, relayed orders and ‘heralded’ the king’s arrival. Landowners too had a use for them. Land acquired by marriage or by grant of the monarch could be scattered about the country and the services of these travelling messengers – soon to be called ‘heralds’ – was essential.As they became known to one another, the heralds amassed an encyclopaedic knowledge of their masters’ signs and devices. With duplication almost inevitable, it would prove useful. It was in everyone’s interest to achieve unique identification and, initially at an informal local level, the heralds’ persuasion brought about changes and an attempt at regulation. Their knowledge of the craft was respected, sought after– and eventually termed ‘heraldry’.Impetus was given to the development of heraldry by the 12th century Crusades particularly the Third Crusade in 1189, by which time heraldry had ‘broken out’ all over Europe. The earliest shields had been simple affairs in one or two colours and, later sported geometric shapes in a contrasting colour. With the arrival of the graphical image – animate and inanimate objects in all their potential varieties – the Herald must have struggled to maintain even a semblance of order.Their reward came in 1484 when Richard III founded the College of Arms and they were incorporated by royal charter (thety were reincorporated in 1555 ed). In the following century, with a set of ground rules formulated and disputes to be settled, they began the ‘Visitations’: a series of tours in which they visited families to record their arms or grant new ones (or if deemed unworthy refuse them ed). The latter task has been the prerogative of the Heralds ever since, now ably represented by Her Majesty’s College of Arms in London, the Court of Lord Lyon (established in Edinburgh in 1532 ed), and the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland in Dublin (originally 1552 but re-established in 1943 ed).
Scottish Arms
As such, arms granted in Scotland under the auspices of the Lord Lyon are seen universally and heraldically as a form of personal property and according to the National Records of Scotland,a Scottish Government Agency in which the Lord Lyon’s Offices sit:Coats of Arms in Scotland can only belong to one person at a time. There is no single Coat of Arms which all people of the same name can use – often miscalled a “family Coat of Arms”. As Coats of Arms originated in order to identify a person it is clear that it would not be practical if more than one person could use exactly the same design. Arms descend to the heir in each generation of the person to whom they were originally granted and other descendants who bear the same surname may apply for a slightly different version of the Arms to be recorded in the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland. In Scotland the shields of unrelated people with the same surname may bear similarities as the design will be based on the shield of the clan chief, the head of the family.
In this, case it is normal for arms of another family member to differentiate their arms if granted by the Lord Lyon from the Chiefly arms of that name, if they exist, by at least two differences.Lineage of the ChiefIf the senior line is still live, as was the case with Holmains, only that one individual confirmed as chief of a clan or family by the Lord Lyon, may legally bear the arms of the chiefly line. This confirmation is only carried out after intensive analysis of the proofs presented with the petition to bear those arms. It is interesting to note as an example of a cadet line ie Carruthers of Dorm0nt, who still sit on the ancestral Carruthers lands, came off William the third son of the first Holmains Chief, John 5th of Holmains and 1st Baron. John’s eldest son and heir, also called John was killed at the Battle of Solway Firth in 1542 and his second son George became heir and 6th of Holmains. The Dormont arms reflect their cadet status by carrying chevronelles rather than chevrons and a gold border to differentiate themselves from the chiefly arms and indicate that they are a cadet line of Holmains. This we understand is an accepted fact by that branch of the family.
The Arms of Carruthers
The arms of Carruthers (the shield is the main part of the arms), i.e. of our Chief, reflect and represent our history through visual interpretation and offer an identity that allowed us to be recognised, as alluded to above, on and off the field of battle. Its use is only available with permission other than that of the Chief’s family. To use it without permision is simply no different from simple identity to condone it is even worse.
The Carruthers Chief’s arms consist of two chevrons engrailed between three fleurs de lis in gold on a red shield. Blazoned: Gules, two chevrons engrailed between three fleurs de lys OrThese are the arms registered in 1672 (Lyons Act), by John Carruthers 9th of Holmains and 5th Baron. They distinguish us from all other families and clans in Scotland and should not be tampered with. This is the same for the chiefly crest; the seraphim volant proper, which if representing Carruthers on a Clan/Family badge should always be represented with an angelic face in the centre. This crest has remained unchanged for hundreds of years.
On the confirmation of the current chief in 2019, supporters of two fallow deer bucks rampant were granted, they sit on a compartment of heath representing the lands of Annandale which is strewn with gorse in flower, the clan/family plant of Carruthers.
Importance of the Chiefs arms
Appreciating there have been false claims of Carruthers Chief’s in the past, both in Scotland and abroad and Carruthers of Denbie in the 1800’s and Pat E Carruthers currently in the US, springs to mind, it was important to us that whoever was finally and legally confirmed had the genealogical evidence to back it up. This is a situation that requires much research and hardwork and therefore doesn’t happen overnight.
In 2017, for the right to bear the Carruthers Chiefs arms, there were two contenders with petitions presented to the Lord Lyon. They were placed roughly a few weeks or so apart. Based on the proofs and documentation of genealogy accompanying these petitions, which go back hundreds of years, one individual’s rights clearly superseded the other, which again was augmented at the two hearings of the Lyon Court.
But why were they both keen to be confirmed?
The bearing of those arms sets the stage for a chief to take his rightful place in our family, as such it carries its own importance and recognition. A Letters Patent via the office of the Lord Lyon is issued on behalf of the Monarch, and carries its own high esteem. Through that chief, the clan or family is raised out of armigerous status to become officially recognised as a ‘Noble Incorporation’ in Scots law. It is also and just as important a way of anchoring the Name from wherever we may hail, to Scotland through well substantiated Scottish and border history. This process follows many other Scottish clans and families who, through auspices of the Lord Lyon to have had a Chief of the Name and Arms confirmed have gone before us.
What was the drive to achieve this?
Appreciating the amount of work and effort involved, we are asked what spurred us on and kept us focused. Well pride and a deep love for our name, our history and Scotland and having a chief confirmed went a long way to ensure that for us this remained the case. But also to defend who and what we are as an ancient Scottish Border Family from Dumfriesshire.
Sadly there are a set of unscrupulous individuals in the US, a business (LLC) who constantly try to highjack our name and change our history for their own ends. Some of these claims are seriously bizarre and are all hidden behind the misuse of the Chief’s shield in an attempt to give them credibility with the uninfomed (see above). This was part of what drove us on as although they knew that we were following the official route for a Scottish family to be recognised, they deliberatly chose to ignore it and so the fun began.
In an attempt for them to try to ensure some level of authenticity, claims that we in part or as a whole, were ever part of them or supported them are totally false and can be clarified and confirmed by those on their board at the time who left them because of their actions. It was therefore time to ensure that the name Carruthers would be preserved with respect, based on evidence rather than conjecture. For that reason and through a lot of homework, we sought to ensure that we remained solidly anchored to our ancestral home in the old West March of Scotland by, in part locating the senior of our family and having them recognised and confirmed as Chief of our Name and Arms.
Through these efforts we will remain recognised as an ancient Scottish border name from Annandale, augmented by the rich tapestry which is proven Scottish and border history and we are unwilling to allow the unscrupulous take that away from us.
Therefore we feel that:
- having a Chief confirmed.
- having them proudly and legally bear our chiefly arms.
- having him inaugurated on our ancestral lands.
- having our own registered tartan.
- having commissioners in 6 regions of the world.
makes a strong statement that Carruthers has taken its rightful place in Scottish society and will continue to play their part as a Scottish Border clan and family whose origins go back in time to Annandale, Dumfriesshire worldwide and we refuse to let anyone cuckold us out of that.
Promptus et fidelis
