A man called Thoraldus de Strivelyn is believed to have started Clan Stirling. He was granted lands in Cadder by David I in 1147, and his descendent, Sir Alexander de Strivelyn, fifth Laird of Cadder, was recorded to have died in 1304. John de Strivelyn, Alexander’s son, was chief of the Stirling clan and at […]
Variations of the surname found in public records are: Litle, Littell, Litill, Littill, Lytil, Lytle, and Lyttille. Little, believed to be a descriptive surname meaning small. Found as Parvus in Latin documents, and Petit in French. During the reign of William the Lion Hugo Parvus was clericus regis for the King, whilst, possibly the same […]
Innes was a barony consisting of all the land along the shore between the River Lossie and the River Spey in Morayshire. A charter for these lands was given to Berowald, described as Flandrensis, by Malcolm IV in 1154. Berowald’s grandson, Sir Walter, took Innes as his name and the charter was confirmed by Alexander […]
The name MacNab comes from the Gaelic Mac an Abu, meaning “the son of abbot”. This suggests, very strongly, that the founder of the Clan MacNab belonged to the clerical profession. It is believed that he was the Abbot of Glendochart. During the 13th and 14th centuries, the MacNabs were a relatively large clan. They, […]
Paisley is a name of local origin, coming from the town of the same name in Renfrewshire. William Passeleue, or Passelaw, witnessed charters, sometime between 1179 and 1190, by William the Lion, and circa 1202, as William Passelewe, he was witness to a charter by Alan filius Walteri. This William may have been the same […]
Forbes is a parish in the Aberdeenshire area. A reliable tradition tells that the ‘Braes o’ Forbes’ were once uninhabitable because of bears living in the area. Oconachar, founder of the clan, killed the bears and claimed the land as ‘first occupier’. The present chief still holds part of the Lordship of these Forbes lands. […]
The surname Spalding has a territorial origin, coming from the town of the same name in Lincolnshire, England. The first of this surname recorded in Scotland is believed to be Radulphus de Spalding who, in 1225, was witness to the signing of a charter of the mill of Caterline in Kincardineshire. In, or around, 1294, […]
It is thought that this name derives from the lands named Cleland or Kneland in Dalziel, Lanarkshire. There were many branches of the family that lived in Lanarkshire. The first of the name on record is Alexander Kneland of that Ilk. He married Margaret, who was sister of the independence leader and patriot William Wallace. […]
The family claims descent from the Herons of Chipchase in who are recorded in Northumberland in the 11th century. Walterus de Hayroun was clerk to William the Lion between 1178 – 80. Roger Heron, a charter witness in 1321, appears in a writ by Roger Corbet of Langton in 1330 as Roger Hayron, and Thomas […]
Clan Duff originated from the Royal Scoto-Pictish line, of which Queen Gruoch stood as its senior representative. She and her second husband, MacBeth, would be immortalised by William Shakespeare in literature. Her son succeeded the throne but was murdered in 1058, whereby Malcolm Canmore won the throne. His son Aedh, married Margaret of Moray, the […]
