Scottish clan
A Scottish clan (from Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared identity and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure recognis ...
.Way, George and Squire, Romily. (1994). ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs). pp. 310 - 311.
History
Origins
The Ruthven lands in
Perthshire
Perthshire ( locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the nor ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...
take their name from the
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well a ...
, ''Ruadhainn'' which means ''Dun uplands''. The clan chief's family are of
Norse
Norse is a demonym for Norsemen, a medieval North Germanic ethnolinguistic group ancestral to modern Scandinavians, defined as speakers of Old Norse from about the 9th to the 13th centuries.
Norse may also refer to:
Culture and religion
* Nor ...
origin. They first settled in
East Lothian
East Lothian (; sco, East Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921.
In 1975, the hi ...
but by the end of the twelfth century they were in Perthshire.
Between 1188 and 1199, Swein is recorded as giving lands that included Tibbermore to the Monks of Scone. Swein's grandson was Sir Walter Ruthven who was the first to adopt the name Ruthven.
Wars of Scottish Independence
Sir Walter Ruthven swore fealty to
Edward I of England
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Duchy of Aquitaine, Aquitaine and D ...
in 1291 and 1296. However, in 1297, he had led thirty men to help William Wallace at the siege of Perth. Ruthven was also with Christopher Seaton when
Jedburgh
Jedburgh (; gd, Deadard; sco, Jeddart or ) is a town and former royal burgh in the Scottish Borders and the traditional county town of the historic county of Roxburghshire, the name of which was randomly chosen for Operation Jedburgh in s ...
was reclaimed from the English. In 1313, Perth was recaptured and
Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventuall ...
appointed Sir William Ruthven to be sheriff of the royal burgh, which was then called
St Johnston
St Johnston, officially Saint Johnstown ( ga, Baile Suingean), is a village, townland, and an electoral division in County Donegal, Ireland. It is in the Laggan district of East Donegal on the left bank of the River Foyle. It is in the civil pa ...
.
15th and 16th centuries
A descendant of Sir William Ruthven, Sir William Ruthven of Balkernoch, spent three years as a hostage in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
for the ransom of
James I of Scotland
James I (late July 139421 February 1437) was King of Scots from 1406 until his assassination in 1437. The youngest of three sons, he was born in Dunfermline Abbey to King Robert III and Annabella Drummond. His older brother David, Duke of R ...
. This William Ruthven was a substantial nobleman. His income was stated to be about four hundred merks annually, which was about £100 at the time. In 1488, his great-grandson was created a Lord of Parliament with the title Lord Ruthven, by
James III of Scotland
James III (10 July 1451/May 1452 – 11 June 1488) was King of Scots from 1460 until his death at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488. He inherited the throne as a child following the death of his father, King James II, at the siege of Roxburg ...
. He married twice and his sons by his first wife were granted a letter of legitimization in 1480. The eldest of the sons was William, Master of Ruthven, who was killed at the
Battle of Flodden
The Battle of Flodden, Flodden Field, or occasionally Branxton, (Brainston Moor) was a battle fought on 9 September 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, resulting in an English ...
in 1513.
Feud with Clan Charteris
The Charterises of Kinfauns are said to have received their lands as a reward for supporting Robert the Bruce against the English.Way, George and Squire, Romily. ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs). Published in 1994. Pages 100 - 101. However they came into a feud with the Ruthvens who often disputed the authority of the Charterises. The Ruthvens held considerable sway over Perth from their Huntingtower Castle. In 1544, Patrick, Lord Ruthven, was elected as
Provost of Perth The is a list of provosts of Perth. Perth is a city in Scotland, and the role of provost is similar to that of a mayor in many other countries.
History
The Merchant Guild of Perth was chartered in 1210, and the post of provost may have originat ...
but at the intervention of Cardinal Beaton, Ruthven was deprived of the office and Charteris of Kinfauns was appointed instead. The city refused to acknowledge Charteris and barred the gates against him. Charteris along with Lord Gray and the Clan Leslie then attacked the town. However, they were repulsed by the Ruthvens, who were assisted by the Clan Moncreiffe. As a result, Ruthven remained Provost of Perth until 1584, when William Ruthven, Earl of Gowrie was executed. John Charteris had been killed by the earl's heir on Edinburgh High Street in 1552.
James VI of Scotland
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until h ...
in order to remove him from the influence of the Earl of Lennox and
Earl of Arran Earl of Arran may refer to:
*Earl of Arran (Scotland), a title in the Peerage of Scotland
*Earl of Arran (Ireland), a title in the Peerage of Ireland
*, a steamship 1860–1871
See also
*
*Earl of Arran and Cambridge
Duke of Hamilton is a t ...
. This became known as the "Ruthven Raid" or Raid of Ruthven. The king was detained for ten months and, when he was finally released, he appeared forgiving but Gowrie was later arrested in 1584 and beheaded for treason.
Gowrie Conspiracy
In 1586, the Ruthven estates were restored to William's son,
James Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie
Earl of Gowrie is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Scotland and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, both times for members of the Ruthven family. It takes its name from Gowrie, a historical region and ancient p ...
. However, James Ruthven died just two years later aged thirteen and was succeeded by his brother, John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie. It is alleged that John practiced
Black magic
Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 1 ...
. In 1600, he and his brother Alexander were murdered in their town house in Perth. This became known as the "Gowrie Conspiracy". The Ruthven brothers were declared by Parliament to be traitors although there is little evidence, if anything, of what they were planning. The Ruthven name was decreed out of existence in Scotland, with all members of the family required to choose new surnames.
17th century, Thirty Years' War and Civil War
In 1651, Sir Thomas Ruthven, who descended from the second Lord Ruthven, partly restored the family's reputation when he was raised in the peerage as Lord Ruthven of Freeland.Patrick Ruthven, 1st Earl of Brentford (c. 1573–1651), was a collateral descendant of Sir William Ruthven, 1st Lord Ruthven. He fought and negotiated on behalf of
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Gustavus Adolphus (9 December N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December15946 November Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 16 November] 1632), also known in English as G ...
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battl ...
. In Germany, he fought alongside his nephews, Colonel Frances Ruthven and Major General John Ruthven.
Patrick Ruthven, 1st Earl of Brentford also fought on behalf of King Charles I during the
Wars of the Three Kingdoms
The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were a series of related conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, then separate entities united in a pers ...
, bringing both Colonel Frances Ruthven and Major General John Ruthven into service with him.
Sir Thomas Ruthven, 1st Lord Ruthven of Freeland (d. 1673), on whom Charles II of England bestowed the title of Lord Ruthven of Freeland in 1651. His son was David Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven of Freeland.
18th to 20th century
*David Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven of Freeland, died unmarried in April, 1701. The title of Baroness Ruthven was assumed by his sister:
* Jean (d. 1722), although according to some authorities the peerage had become extinct. It was, however, assumed in 1722 by:
* William Cunynghame of Cunynghamhead (d. 1722) William was Lady Jean's nephew, her closest heir. William died in October of 1722 without an heir and was succeeded by his niece Lady Isobel:
* Isobel (d. 1732), wife of James Johnson, who took the name of Ruthven on succeeding to the family estates; and their son:
* James Ruthven (d. 1783), took the title and was allowed to vote at the elections of Scots representative peers. In 1853 the barony again descended to a female:
* Mary Elizabeth Thornton (c. 1784–1864), the wife of Walter Hore (d. 1878). She and her husband took the name of Hore-Ruthven, and the Ruthven arms, and their grandson:
* Walter James Hore-Ruthven (b. 1838), became the 8th baron in 1864. His second son:
* Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie (1872–1955), through meritorious service (including as
Governor-General of Australia
The governor-general of Australia is the representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in Australia.Clan Chief: (Patrick Leo) Brer Hore-Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie,
Viscount Ruthven of Canberra
Earl of Gowrie is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Scotland and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, both times for members of the Ruthven family. It takes its name from Gowrie, a historical region and ancient ...
Baron Gowrie
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...
of Canberra, Commonwealth of Australia, Chief of the Name and Arms of Ruthen, in succession to Grey Hore-Ruthven, who died 24 September 2021.http://www.burkes-peerage.net/familyhomepage.aspx?FID=0&FN=GOWRIE burkes-peerage
Dirleton Castle
Dirleton Castle is a medieval fortress in the village of Dirleton, East Lothian, Scotland. It lies around west of North Berwick, and around east of Edinburgh. The oldest parts of the castle date to the 13th century, and it was abandoned by ...
Scone Palace
Scone Palace is a Category A- listed historic house near the village of Scone and the city of Perth, Scotland. Built in red sandstone with a castellated roof, it is an example of the Gothic Revival style in Scotland.
Scone was originally the ...
*Gowrie House
*Freeland House (now the main School House of Strathallan School)
*Trochrie Castle
File:Huntingtower_Castle,_near_Perth.jpg, Huntingtower Castle
File:Scone_Palace.jpg, Scone Palace
* ''The Ruthven Correspondence'', edited with introduction by
William D. Macray
William Dunn Macray (1826–1916) was an English librarian, cleric and historian.
Macray was ordained and graduated MA. He was a Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, and worked at the Bodleian Library from 1845 to 1905. He received the degree D ...
J. H. Round
(John) Horace Round (22 February 1854 – 24 June 1928) was an historian and genealogist of the English medieval period. He translated the portion of Domesday Book (1086) covering Essex into English. As an expert in the history of the British ...
, "The Barony of Ruthven of Freeland", in Joseph Foster's ''Collectanea Genealogica'' (1881–85)
*
Robert Douglas of Glenbervie
Sir Robert Douglas of Glenbervie, 6th Baronet (1694 – 24 April 1770) was a notable genealogist responsible for one of the major works on Scottish families, ''The Baronage of Scotland''.
Works
No substantive Scottish peerage had appeared since ...