A big thanks to Gary Carruthers in Australia, former Regional Commissioner and Senior family genealogist, who brought this piece to our attention. This blog is written with regards Carruthers of Denbie and a claim to the Chiefship of Carruthers in the early 1800’s. The claim is just as important in its action ie wrongly claimed, as the history behind the cadet line of Denbie’s right to make that claim.
A Scottish Chief has an important role to play in the recognition and reputation of a Clan or Family. It is through them and if their petition is granted, that the ‘name’ is brought from armigerous (without chief) status to attain official recognistion under the auspices of the Lord Lyon.
On behalf of The Sovereign, the Lord Lyon King of Arms exercises the Royal
Prerogative committed to him by the Acts of 1672 cap. 47 and 1867 30 & 31 Vict.
Cap. 17, to grant Arms and therefore it is through his office that an individual is confirmed. And by Letters Patent issued by the Lord Lyon, to bear the chiefly arms of that name, i.e. Carruthers’ and as such the clan are considered a noble community under Scots law.
All statements made in Petitions to the Lord Lyon must be accompanied by legal proof, which shouldbe either original or certified copies of Certificates of Birth, in the long form giving parents’ names, and Certificates of Marriage for statements of parentage and ancestry.
Dalton Church – Scotland:
To the memory of Lt Col John Carruthers of Denbie, Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of Peace for the County of Dumfries who after an absence of 18 years in the honourable East India Companies Bengal Army returned to Denbie in 1800 and died there on the 26th July 1832 aged 82 years and of Mary Irving his wife, daughter of Doctor James Irving, Surgeon Royal Navy of Wysdby Dumfriesshire who died at Denbie on the 7th Sept 1832 aged 82 years.
Also of John Hetherington Carruthers of Denbie retired Surgeon Royal Navy grandson of the above who died at Denbie on the 3rd Nov 1887 aged 83 years and his sister Mary Irving Hetherington who died at Ben Gala New South Wales, July 1895 aged 81 years , wife of John Hudson Keys of Lowrie and (Killingogin) Fermanagh Ireland and (Bengalla Muswellbrook) New South Wales who died 14th July 1887 aged 76 years.
It seems that the information, local or otherwise was not well researched, and although a prominent and highly respected figure in Dumfriesshire in his day, John could not have claimed the chiefship. Again this shows that the concept of a misclaim as Chief of the family was not a new idea, but one that had gone back many generations.
What is interesting is that like many Carruthers, John went to India, some served in the East India Company, some in the civil service of the British Raj and some served in the British Forces in India. In fact the current Chief’s own grandfather would have been in India as a full Colonel serving with the British Army in India, but not at the same time. However, the families of Holmains and Denbie would have more than likely have known one another, although 1823 was only 14 years after the death of John 12th of Holmains, when the chiefship went into its dormancy. So one has to guess that over that time period the 5th of Denbie jumped into what he deemed incorrectly to be a void in the position.
Carruthers of Denbie
So who and what was the cadet line of Denbie and where did they originate:
George Carruthers was the second son of John 7th of Holmains, he received a charter of lands from his brother John 8th of Holmains, of Over Denbie in 1660. Originally it seems there were two Denbie estates: Over Denbie and Nether Denbie, both having different origins. Nether Denbie, passed to the Carruthers of Dormont a cadet line of Holmains, but it originally belonged to the Griersons where it began its life in part as Meikle Dalton. From there it is was passed to the Lindsey family and from them to Dormont, and is listed as an ‘appendage’ of that house.
Over Denbie on the other hand belonged to Holmains from around 1510, and the Laird of Holmains infelt the lands of Denbie in to his brother George of Denbie/Over Denbie. After some internal family strife changes over parcels of lands the lands of over Denbie were returned to Holmains. John 9th of Holmains, who registered the Carruthers Chiefly arms in 1672 along with every other Scottish Armiger/Chief/Noble, transferred to his brother William the lands which led to him being named William Carruthers 1st of Denbie.
Returning to Lt Col John Carruthers, 5th of Denbie, his son and heir John died in 1779 overseas, while his others sons; George, William, and Thomas, all died without issue (DSP decessit sine prole). The line carried on through the daughter Louisa until the estate was sold by her grandson Richard Hetherington Carruthers to Murray of Murraythwaite. It is also interesting to note that John Carruthers, 2nd of Denbie and William’s son, was a member of the Scottish Parliament from 1705-1707. On 16 January 1707 as a Commissioner representing Lochmaben, he voted along with 69 others against the ratification of the Treaty (Articles) of Union, as such against bringing Scotland under the governance of Westminster as part of the new state of Great Britain.
With this in mind, Lt Col John Carruthers, 5th of Denbie, being a cadet line from Holmains, which have been chiefs since the demise and extinction of Mouswald in 1548, could not have been Chief of our family nor legally recognised as such, any more than our American cousin Pat E Carruthers can be.
Promptus et Fidelis
