The Chief

Arms of the Chief of CARRUTHERS

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Dr. Simon Peter Carruthers of Holmains, Chief of Clan Carruthers was confirmed in August 2019 by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, through the right to bear the hereditary Chiefly Arms of CARRUTHERS.

In a decision issued on 19th August 2019, and published on 9th September 2019, the Lord Lyon found Dr. Carruthers “entitled to be recognised in the name, style and title of:

’Simon Peter Carruthers of Holmains, Chief of the Name and Arms of Carruthers’

and maintained, ratified and confirmed the undifferenced Chiefly Arms of Carruthers of Holmains originally matriculated after the Lyons Act, c. 1672”.

(The Lord Lyon’s Decision can be found here in full)

This decision followed 10 years of research by the Society, nearly 20 months of analysis of the petitioner’s proofs by the Lord Lyon and included two hearings of the Lyon Court in Edinburgh.  The hearings were held on March 2019, at which Dr. Carruthers was represented by Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw, Bt, QC. Based on the Lord Lyons decision, on 16 November 2019, supporters were granted to the Chiefs Arms by the Lord Lyon.

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INAUGURATION

On 24th of August 2024, in our ancestral home of Annandale, Simon Peter Carruthers of Holmains received his Letters Patent from Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw Bt, Albany Herald Extraordinary representing the Lord Lyon King of Arms of Scotland, on behalf of the Sovereign. He mentioned the Chief’s lineage being 22^nd of his line and his legal right to bear the chiefly arms. He also mentioned the 1587 Act of the Suppression of Unruly Clans in which Carruthers are named, and that history had shown Carruthers had had chiefs going back at least to the 11th century. He reiterated the importance that a Chief brings to the official recognition of any clan, both in Scotland and overseas. Sir Crispin Agnew finished with his best wishes and congratulations to both the Chief and all of our name.

This completed his process of acceptance as Chief. His Inauguration was conducted by Dr George Carruthers FSA Scot, Shennachie on behalf of the Clan and Family of Carruthers. Oaths were taken by the Chief and given by the Shennachie representing the Carruthers Elders and Stewards and the nearly 100 members of the Clan present, all who responded and offered their fealty to the Chief.  They came from the local area, other parts of the UK, Africa, Australia, Canada, Europe and the USA. Blessings were given by the Inauguration Chaplin the Rev’s John Pickles, Minister of the parishes of Annan, Brydekirk, Dalton and Hightae and greetings were received from the other chiefs present.

The procedure was followed by the Shennachie presenting the Chief with his symbols of office: A family bible, embossed with his arms, a Balmoral bonnet with the three eagle feathers of a chief, a gold ring with his arms upon it and finally a Cromach.

Proudly wearing his three feathers, oaths were taken. Firstly, an oath by the Chief to his clan to preserve, protect and defend the name of Carruthers to the best of his ability.  Secondly an oath of fealty and loyalty to the Chief by the Shennachie on behalf of all the elders and stewards of Carruthers. Finally, the oath from the clan to the Chief, who loudly pledged fealty and loyalty and a willingness to honour the traditions of their name.

Following ancient custom and in line with the Chief’s faith, the Inauguration Chaplain, the Reverend John Pickles, minister of the Church of Scotland for the parishes Annan, Brydekirk, Dalton and Hightae, gave readings from Psalms and the Gospel of St Luke and offered his blessing to the Chief and his clan. The Chief was greeted by other chiefs present.

The clan and family of Carruthers has now legally completed in its journey for official status, which began in 2007 by the current Shennachie, Dr George Carruthers. The Clan Carruthers Society—International, authorised by the Chief to represent his clan and family, was founded on a Royal Charter to Holmains dated 1755

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Carruthers Clan/ Family Tartan:

Registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans (STR 11700)

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CLAN CHIEF

Dr Peter Carruthers of Holmains

Chief of the Name and Arms of Carruthers, 22nd of the line

Dr Simon Peter Carruthers of Holmains, Chief of the Name and Arms of Carruthers.

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Who is our chief?

The Chief’s grandfather was Col. Nigel L Carruthers, 2x great grandson of John the 12^th, last Chief of Carruthers, before it went dormant.  Nigel served as an officer in the British Army in India and his great uncle, Nigel’s brother was the world-renowned explorer, Alexander Douglas Carruthers.

Peter’s father had began training as an engineer in Kilmarnock, Scotland but when war broke out, he volunteered. He was an officer in the Royal Marine Commandos during the Second World War (1939-1946) and was reputedly the first to lead his men on shore in the repatriation of Hong Kong. Having been involved in other campaigns during the war, happily his final command as an officer was just as Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945.

His mother, Molly had lived in Burma with her British expat parents and to escape the Japanese invasion of that country in 1942, took the treacherous Naga trail, also called the Road of Death.  They were accompanied by many other civilians and some remnants of the British forces. This was not an easy route out of Burma into India, and they were continually hounded by the Japanese who were after total annihilation of civilians and troops alike. Although helped by the Naga people along the way they still suffered with fatigue, disease and starvation, as such many brave souls didn’t survive to tell the tale. Thankfully Molly did and more importantly made it home and met Charles.

Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Col Nigel Carruthers of the British Army in India, and many family members before him, as expats they moved back to India after the war in 1948 to work for a British tea company. Coming back to the UK for a brief period, Charles and Molly Carruthers were married in St Jude’s Church, South Kensington in London in 1951, before returning to India. It was here that their only child Simon Peter was born.

Feeling they didn’t want to bring their child up in a foreign land, Charles and Molly returned home to the UK with their new son, now 6 months old. Dr Carruthers known as Peter, spent both his childhood and his informative years in Britain, where he was educated up to doctorate level.

The family of Holmains:of Holmains L-R: Asher Carruthers (younger of Holmains), Madam Judith Carruthers, Dr Peter Carruthers of Holmains, Abigail Carruthers (daughter). Taken at the inauguration of Buchanan 2022 and resplendent in the Carruthers tartan.

Peter, as an agricultural scientist who has a background in agricultural research and education, rural policy and environmental education with further qualifications in management and theology. For many years he was on the staff of the Centre for Agricultural Strategy at the University of Reading. Subsequently he was Managing Director of an independent consultancy organisation providing contract research in agriculture, environment and rural affairs, while working with other organisations within the public and third sectors in the development of values-centred strategy and leadership.

Currently, he is Director of a Christian charity that supports the rural church. He is a co-founder and former Chairman of Farm Crisis Network (now the Farming Community Network) in the UK, is a member of the Royal Society of Biology, and now retired from academia was an Honorary University Fellow at the University of Exeter and an Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Worcester.

Above; Peter Carruthers of Holmains (centre), with a few of the other Chiefs at the Inauguration of the Chief of Clan Buchanan, overseen by the Lord Lyon, October 2022. 

Peter is quoted as saying; “The Carruthers are a unique and special family.  There are many more of us in Scotland, the UK, and around the globe, than people realise! And over the centuries, we have had many distinguished family members, some known and some unsung, who have served their countries and contributed to human flourishing and the common good. It is therefore a great privilege and a sober responsibility, to have inherited the position of Chief of Carruthers, and I will do my best to lead and serve the family in our future together.”

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The Carruthers Arms are the recognized Arms of the Chief of the Clan and Family Carruthers.

Scottish Arms belong to an individual not a family and can only be used with permission of the owner.

They are registered to their name and only they can bear the Arms. 

The blazon of the Carruthers Chief’s Arms is: ‘Gules two chevrons engrailed betwixt three fleur de-lis Or;

Above the Shield is placed a helm befitting his degree with a mantling Gules doubled Argent, and on a wreath of the liveries is set for crest a seraphim volent Proper and in escrol over the same Motto “PROMPTUS ET FIDELIS’ and on a compartment of heathland strewn with gorse bushes in flower (Ulex europaeus), two fallow bucks rampant Proper.

Clan Carruthers Society—International is founded on a Royal Charter to Holmains, 1755

http://www.clancarrutherssociety.org 

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Genealogy of the Chief