Features: Scottish Clan Early Genealogy - Clan Farquharson

Motto: Fide et Fortitudine (By Faith and Fortitude)
Historic Seat: Invercauld House
District: Royal Deeside
Associated Surnames: Barrie, Bowman, Brebner, Christie, Coutts, Findlay, Findlayson, Finlay, Finlayson, Greusach, Hardie, Hardy, Kerracher, MacCaig, MacCartney, MacEarachar, MacFarquhar, MacHardie, MacHardy, MacKerchar, MacKerracher, MacKindlay, MacKinlay, Reoch, Riach, Tawse
Associated Tartans:

Early Farquharson Genealogy and History:
(Excerpt from "The Scottish Clans and Their Tartans", James Grant, 1906)

The origin and descent of this tribe are given thus in Buchanan's Rise of the Clans: "Farquharson, a numerous clan on the banks of the Dee, who trace their origin from the German Catti, or Clan Chattan¹. MacDuff, Thane of Fife, their Phylarch,² had an ancestor named Sheagh or Shaw MacDuff, second son of Constantine, third Earl of Fife. This Sheagh was captain under Malcolm IV in the expedition against the Murrays in the province of Moray in 1163. For his valour Malcolm made him Governor of Inverness, and gave him the lands of Peaty and Brachley, with the forest of Stratherin, which belonged to the rebels. The country people gave him the name of MacIntosh, or Thanes-son, which continued to his progeny, yet some of them claimed the name of Shaw. One of them was Shaw of Rothiemurchus, whose offspring settled in Strathdee, and were named Farquharson."

From Farquhard Shaw, he adds, are descended the Farquharsons of Invercauld, Inverey, Monaltrie, etc. The former of these is the chief of his name.

Findlay Mòr Farquharson of Invercauld, bearer of the Royal Standard, was slain at Pinkie³ in 1547. By his wife Beatrix Gordon he left a son, John, who carried on the line of the family; and from his brother David of Monaltrie's three sons, the families of Allanacoich, Inverey, and Finzean are descended.

In 1641 Farquharson of Invercauld (who bore a prominent part in the Scottish civil wars of the period) was ordered by Parliament to levy a body of armed men to secure Angus and the Mearns, etc. (Balf. Annales), and four years after he was serving at the head of his clan in the battles of Montrose. His kinsman, James of Inverey, in 1649, for having failed to attend a summons of the Committee of Estates in 1647, was fined £4000, and in his seventy-third year was thrown into the Tolbooth of Edinburgh, where he was kept "till, afraid to perish in so horrible a den, he at length succeeded in attracting some charitable attention from the Estates."

In 1696 John Farquharson entailed his estate of Invercauld and other lands in the shire of Aberdeen. The fighting force of the clan in 1745 was estimated at 500 men by Forbes of Culloden, who says their Gaelic patronymic is Ianla. In that year Monaltrie was "out" with his chief, and in a letter of Lord Lewis Gordon is referred to as commanding "The Aboyne Batallion." In 1704 their strength was 700 men.

In 1748 the Laird of Invercauld gave the Government a ninety-nine years' lease of the Castle of Braemar as a military station; but it has long since ceased to be occupied by troops.

"No place that I have seen in Scotland," says Dr Stoddart, "is more characteristically adapted to the residence of a Highland chief than Invercauld. It stands on a rising ground not far removed from the bank of the Dee, which glides silently and majestically through the valley, all around are vast birch woods and firs, of which Mr Farquharson has planted incredible numbers."

The Laird of 1748 died in 1750, and was succeeded by his son James, who died in 1806, and left a daughter, Catharine, who married Captain James Ross, R.N.⁴, who took the name of Farquharson. Their great-grandson is the present Alexander Farquharson of Invercauld.

(End excerpt)

Next page: Clan Ferguson

Footnotes:

¹ Clan Chattan: Clan Chattan is a unique Highland clan confederation whose past and present members include Clan Davidson, Farquharson, MacBean, MacGillivray, MacIntyre, Mackintosh, MacLean, MacPhail, MacPherson, MacQueen, MacThomas, and Shaw. Read more about Clan Chattan at Wikipedia.

² Phylarch.: Greek title meaning ruler of a tribe

³ The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh (1547): The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh was fought on 10 September 1547 on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland. It was the last pitched battle between Scottish and English armies, and was a defeat for Scotland. Read more about the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh at Wikipedia.

⁴ R.N.: Royal Navy