Clan Cheyne is a
Scottish clan
A Scottish clan (from Goidelic languages, 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 ...
.
[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
The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs (SCSC) is the organisation that represents the Chiefs of many prominent Scottish Clans and Families. It describes itself as "the definitive and authoritative body for information on the Scottish Clan System ...
). pp. 371 - 372. The clan is officially recognized by the
Lord Lyon King of Arms
The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grant ...
, however as the clan does not currently have a chief recognized by the
Court of the Lord Lyon
The Court of the Lord Lyon (the Lyon Court) is a standing court of law, based in New Register House in Edinburgh, which regulates heraldry in Scotland. The Lyon Court maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All A ...
, it is therefore considered an
Armigerous clan
An armigerous clan (from armiger) is a Scottish clan, family or name which is registered with the Court of the Lord Lyon and once had a chief who bore undifferenced arms, but does not have a chief currently recognised as such by Lyon Court. Befor ...
.
The surname Cheyne is also recognized as a
sept
A sept is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used in both Scotland and Ireland, where it may be translated as ''sliocht'', meaning "progeny" or "seed", which may indicate the descendants of a person ( ...
of the
Clan Sutherland
Clan Sutherland is a Highland Scottish clan whose traditional territory is the shire of Sutherland in the far north of Scotland. The chief of the clan was also the powerful Earl of Sutherland, however in the early 16th century this title passed ...
, and is accepted as such by the Clan Sutherland Society in Scotland.
History
Origins of the name
According to the ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encycleopdia'' the surname Cheyne is of ''great antiquity'' and is believed to have been of either
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
or
French origin.
The name apparently means ''Oak Plantation''.
According to the historian George Fraser Black, some early clerics confused the word for "oak" with that of "dog" and in error they styled the name ''Canis''.
Origins of the clan
In 1158, Ricardus de Chanai witnessed a gift to the Hospital of St Peter of
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
.
However, the earliest record of the name in
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 the ...
is that of William de Chense who witnessed a charter by
William the Lion
William the Lion, sometimes styled William I and also known by the nickname Garbh, "the Rough"''Uilleam Garbh''; e.g. Annals of Ulster, s.a. 1214.6; Annals of Loch Cé, s.a. 1213.10. ( 1142 – 4 December 1214), reigned as King of Scots from 11 ...
in about 1200.
From 1267 to 1269
Sir Reginald le Chain was
Great Chamberlain of Scotland.
He held the lands of
Inverugie
Inverugie ( gd, Inbhir Ùigidh) is a small village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, to the northwest of Peterhead
Peterhead (; gd, Ceann Phàdraig, sco, Peterheid ) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement ...
as well as immense estates in
Caithness
Caithness ( gd, Gallaibh ; sco, Caitnes; non, Katanes) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland.
Caithness has a land boundary with the historic county of Sutherland to the west and is otherwise bounded by ...
.
Wars of Scottish Independence
In 1320, a later
Sir Reginald signed the
Declaration of Arbroath
The Declaration of Arbroath ( la, Declaratio Arbroathis; sco, Declaration o Aiberbrothock; gd, Tiomnadh Bhruis) is the name usually given to a letter, dated 6 April 1320 at Arbroath, written by Scottish barons and addressed to Pope John ...
.
14th-century
Historian
William Anderson William Anderson may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* William Anderson (artist) (1757–1837), painter of marine and historical paintings
* William Anderson (theatre) (1868–1940), Australian stage entrepreneur
* William Anderson (1911–1986), ...
stated that
Sir Reginald le Chain who died in 1350 (or 1345) was survived by two daughters.
However, as he was renowned as a mighty hunter throughout the land, he longed for a male heir to succeed to his estates, but his wife gave birth to two daughters which Reginald had killed, or at least he thought he had killed.
The story goes that as the years passed and no male heir was born, that he saw two young ladies at a festival who far outshined the rest in beauty and accomplishment.
He expressed admiration for them to his wife and the cruel fate which had caused to him to order the death of his two daughters, which had they lived would have been about the same age as the two beauties.
His wife then introduced him to the two girls, confessing her justifiable disobedience that they were actually his own two daughters.
Sir Reginald Cheyne then acknowledged them as heirs to his lands of Esslemont, which had become the principal seat of the family through marriage to the heiress of the Marshall of Esslemont.
Marjory, one of the two daughters of Reignald Cheyne married
Nicholas Sutherland, 1st of Duffus
Nicholas Sutherland, 1st of Duffus was a Scottish noble who was seated at Duffus Castle, near Elgin, Moray, Scotland in the 14th and 15th centuries.
History
Nicholas Sutherland was the second son of Kenneth de Moravia, 4th Earl of Sutherland, ...
, a branch of the
Clan Sutherland
Clan Sutherland is a Highland Scottish clan whose traditional territory is the shire of Sutherland in the far north of Scotland. The chief of the clan was also the powerful Earl of Sutherland, however in the early 16th century this title passed ...
, and as such the surname Cheyne is regarded as
sept
A sept is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used in both Scotland and Ireland, where it may be translated as ''sliocht'', meaning "progeny" or "seed", which may indicate the descendants of a person ( ...
of the Clan Sutherland.
16th-century
The Cheyne's
Esslemont Castle
Esslemont Castle is a ruined tower house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located on the A920 west of Ellon and is designated a scheduled ancient monument.
Etymology
The name ''Esslemont'' may be of Brittonic origin and originate with the t ...
was destroyed in the aftermath of a feud with the
Clan Hay
Clan Hay (Scottish Gaelic: ''Garadh or MacGaradh'') is a Scottish clan of the Grampian region of Scotland that has played an important part in the history and politics of the country. Members of the clan are to be found in most parts of Scotland ...
.
Esslemont Castle
medievalbritain. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
Later clansmen
Sir William Cheyne (d.1932) was a distinguished surgeon and bacteriologist who was a pioneer of antiseptic surgical methods in Britain.
Castles
Castles that have belonged to the Clan Cheyne have included amongst others:
*Inverugie Castle
Inverugie Castle or Cheyne's Tower is the ruins of a motte-and-bailey castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is a scheduled ancient monument.
Location
Inverugie Castle is located from Peterhead on the north-east coast. The ruins are a smal ...
, in Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...
, was held by the Cheynes from the thirteenth century or earlier.[Coventry, Martin. (2008). ''Castles of the Clans: The Strongholds and Seats of 750 Scottish Families and Clans''. pp.99 - 100. .]
*Esslemont Castle
Esslemont Castle is a ruined tower house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located on the A920 west of Ellon and is designated a scheduled ancient monument.
Etymology
The name ''Esslemont'' may be of Brittonic origin and originate with the t ...
, Aberdeenshire, was held by the Cheynes until 1625.
*Pitfitchie Castle, Aberdeenshire.
*Ackergill Tower
Ackergill Tower (or Ackergill Castle) is located on the coast of Sinclair's Bay, about 4 km north of Wick, Caithness, in northern Scotland. It was built in the early 16th century, and is a category A listed building. The building is a five ...
, Caithness
Caithness ( gd, Gallaibh ; sco, Caitnes; non, Katanes) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland.
Caithness has a land boundary with the historic county of Sutherland to the west and is otherwise bounded by ...
, held by the Cheynes until passing to the Clan Keith
Clan Keith is a Scottish Highlands, Highland and Scottish Lowlands, Lowland Scottish clan, whose Chief historically held the hereditary title of Marischal, then Great Marischal, then Earl Marischal of Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland.Way, George an ...
in 1350.
* Berriedale Castle, Berriedale, Highland
Berriedale ( gd, Bearghdal) is a small estate village on the northern east coast of Caithness, Scotland, on the A9 road between Helmsdale and Lybster, close to the boundary between Caithness and Sutherland. It is sheltered from the North Sea. T ...
, Caithness, held by the Cheynes but later passed to the Clan Sutherland
Clan Sutherland is a Highland Scottish clan whose traditional territory is the shire of Sutherland in the far north of Scotland. The chief of the clan was also the powerful Earl of Sutherland, however in the early 16th century this title passed ...
.
* Straloch Castle, New Machar, Aberdeenshire.
References
See also
*Scottish clan
A Scottish clan (from Goidelic languages, 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 ...
*Armigerous clan
An armigerous clan (from armiger) is a Scottish clan, family or name which is registered with the Court of the Lord Lyon and once had a chief who bore undifferenced arms, but does not have a chief currently recognised as such by Lyon Court. Befor ...
*Reginald Cheyne
Reginald le Chen or Cheyne (died 1293) was the Chamberlain of Scotland from 1267 to 1269. He was the Baron of Inverugie.
Reginald was the son of Bernard le Chen of Inverugie and succeeded his father upon his father's death. His brother was Henr ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheyne
Armigerous clans
Scottish clans