The Clan Farquharson |
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Clan Farquharson, of Celtic origin, derives
from Farquhar, fourth son of Alexander Ciar, 3rd Shaw
of Rothiemurchus. A grant of arms made by Lord Lyon
in 1697 stated that John Farquharson of Invercauld
was lawfully descended of Shaw son of MacDuff, Thane
of Fife whose successors had the name Shaw until
Farquhar Shaw, son to Shaw of Rothiemerchus, Chief of
the whole name came to be called Farquharson. Thus
the Farquharsons branched from Clan Shaw. Farquhar,
who lived in the reign of James III, settled in the
Braes of Mar and was appointed baillie or hereditary
Chamberlain thereof.
It was Donald Farquharson, 4th Chief, who married Isobel Stewart, heiress of Invercauld and their son Finlay Mor, 1st of the House of Farquharson of Invercauld, and 5th Chief, who gave to the Farquharson Chiefs their style MacFionnlaidh (siol Fhionnlaidh or descendents of Finlay). At the age of 60, Finlay Mor accompanied the Earl of Huntly to the Battle of Pinkie in 1547 as the Royal Standard Bearer. As the army descended toward the sea he was killed by a cannon ball fired from one of the enemy ships. His body lies interred in the church yard of Inveresk. The place is known to this day as the "Lang Highlandman's Grave." His widow, Beatrix Garden, also has a claim to remembrance having been an outstanding performer on the little harp or clasach. Queen Mary presented one of these instruments to her and this instrument is now preserved in the National Museum of Antiquities as one of two surviving examples of the musical instrument which Celtic Scotland shared with Ireland before the music of the bagpipe had achieved its full popularity and sophistication. The Farquharsons having moved onto their Deeside inheritance became vassels of the Earldom of Mar. In the early 17th century they were able to purchase feu charters to their lands and after the attainder of the Earl of Mar, who led the Jacobite rising of 1715, they held these directly of the Crown. Today the Castle of Braemar, which was built in 1628 by James Erskin, Earl of Mar, is owned by Captain Alwyne A. C. Farquharson.
Farquharson Clan links Braemar Castle links |
Clan
Farquharson were among the most loyal and faithful
adherents to the House of Stewart and throughout
all the struggles on its behalf constantly acted in
accordance with their motto, "Fide et Fortitudine".
They fought under Montrose in 1644 and formed part
of the Scottish army under Charles II at Worcester
in 1651. They joined forces under the Viscount of
Dundee in 1689 for James VII. At the outbreak of
rebellion in 1715 against the Act of Union they
were the first to muster at the summons of the Earl
of Mar in the cause of James VIII. At this time
John Farquharson of Invercauld with four officers
and one hundred and forty men joined the Clan
Chattan regiment, of which he was
Lieutenant-Colonel, accompanying it to England.
When first threatened the Farquharsons marched out
of Preston to Ribble-bridge to attack the English
army but were ordered to rejoin the main body. At
the subsequent Battle of Sheriffmuir the Scottish
army was defeated at Preston and John Farquharson
was taken prisoner and held for ten months in the
Marchalsea prison in London. In 1745 the
Farquharsons joined Prince Charles and formed two
battalions, one under Francis Farquharson of
Monaltrie, "the Baron Ban", with 300 men and the
other under Farquharson of Balmoral. In the Battle
of Culloden, April 16, 1746 they occupied the
centre of the line of battle with Clan Chattan
along with the Camerons, MacLeans and MacLachlans.
John Farquharson of
Invercauld, 9th Chief, died in 1750 and was
succeeded by his son James, 10th Chief, a Captain
of Foot in the Hanoverian Army, who died in 1805.
His only surviving child Catherine, by virtue of
the Lyon Court Decree, 1815, assigning the chief
arms and supporters, was head of the ventral or
"stem" family of Farquharson of Invercauld and so
was Chief of the Clan. She married captain James
Ross, Royal Navy, who took the name Farquharson.
She was succeeded by her son, James, who was
succeeded by Alexander Haldane Farquharson of
Invercauld, who died in 1936. His daughter, Mrs.
Myrtle Farquharson of Invercauld was confirmed
Chief by Lyon Court Decree on December 3, 1936.
She, unfortunately, was killed in an air-raid in
1940. The succession then passed to her nephew the
present and 16th Chief of Clan Farquharson. Captain
Alwyne Arthur Compton Farquharson of Invercauld was
by Lyon Court in 1949 confirmed MacFionnlaidh. He
served with distinction as a Captain in the Royal
Scots Greys during World War Two. He resides at
Invercauld Castle in Braemar on Royal Deeside. The
Farquharson estate covers about 200,000 acres of
forest and moor in the Grampian region in
Aberdeenshire.
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