Farquharson

Farquharson

Clan Farquharson of Invercauld, Aberdeenshire, Scotland; descended from Donald Farquharson, eldest son of Farquhar, Chamberlain of Mar, temp. King Robert II, and who was the fourth son of Alexander Cier or Shaw Macduff of Rothiemurcus, a scion of the Marmaors of Fife. Donald’s son Donald, married Isobel Stewart, heiress of Invercauld, and their son Finla (or Findla, or MacFionlaigh) Mor, was killed at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547. He had nine sons from two marriages which created nine branches of the clan at Craigniety, Monaltrie, Whitehouse, Finzean, Allanquoich, Inverey, Tullochcoy, Broughdearg, and Archriachan. These branches, especially the Farquharsons of Finzean, and other closely related families like Hardie, MacCardney, MacCuaigh, Grassick, Riach, Brebner, Coutts, McKirryher, and Mackerracher contest the leadership of the clan with Invercauld. In 1595, they joined the confederation of Clan Chattan under the leadership of the Mackintoshes. The clan fought a feudal war with the Erskines in the 16th century and during the English Civil War, they were staunch Royalists. There was infighting when John Farquharson of Inverey (died 1698) declared for James II of England and VII of Scotland, while the clan leadership supported Queen Anne. However during the rising of 1715, they followed Clan Chattan supporting the Stuarts against the German Hanovarian rulers of the realm. On the march through England, John Farquharson of Invercauld was taken prisoner at Preston and held in Marshalsea Prison for ten months. The clan also fought at Culloden and Francis Farquharson of Monaltrie, the Baron Ban was captured and condemned but was reprieved on his day of execution. Anne, daughter of Invercauld married Angus, Chief of the Mackintosh Clan who fought for the Hanovarians, while she urged the urged the Mackintosh Clan to fight for the Jacobite cause, herself taking the rank of colonel. She was imprisoned at Inverness after Culloden, but was released after six weeks. Her father John, has succeeded his brother, William as chief, who died unmarried in 1694.

Arms: Quarterly, 1st and 4th, or, a lion rampant gules, armed and langued azure (for Farquhar Shaw, descended from MacDuff, Earl of Fife). 2nd and 3rd, argent, a fir tree growing out of a mount in base vert, fructed proper, on a chief gules, the royal banner of Scotland displayed or, and a canton of the first charged with a dexter hand couped at the wrist fessways holding a dagger point downwards of the third.

Crest: On a chapeau gules, furred ermine, a demi-lion gules, holding in his dexter paw a sword proper.

Motto: Fide et Fortitudine lion (By fidelity and fortitude).

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