Clan Home (pronounced and sometimes spelt Hume) is a
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 recognise ...
.
[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 168 – 169.] It held immense power for much of the
Middle Ages and dominated the eastern
Scottish Borders. It produced no fewer than eight
Wardens of the Eastern March – more than any other family.
History
Origins of the clan
The Home family descends in the male-line from
Cospatric I (died after 1073), the Anglo-Celtic
Earl of Northumbria. His descendant William de Home (son of Sir Patrick de Greenlaw, the second son of
Cospatric III, Earl of Lothian), adopted the surname following his acquisition of the lands of
Home in Berwickshire in the early 13th century, through his marriage to his second cousin Ada (the daughter of
Patrick I, Earl of Dunbar).
William's arms featured the silver lion of Dunbar but with a green field instead of a red field, in reference to his lands of Greenlaw.
In the 14th century, William's descendant Sir Thomas Home married Nichola, heiress to the Pepdies of
Dunglass
Dunglass is a hamlet in East Lothian, Scotland, lying east of the Lammermuir Hills on the North Sea coast, within the parish of Oldhamstocks. It has a 15th-century collegiate church, now in the care of Historic Scotland. Dunglass is the birthplac ...
.
From this marriage the Homes acquired the lands of Dunglass (where they built the
Collegiate Church of Dunglass, still extant today), and also began quartering their arms with those of Pepdie, being three green "papingoes" or parrots in a silver field.
This is one of the earliest examples of quartering in Scottish heraldry.
Sir Thomas and Nicola had two sons.
The first, Alexander, succeeded to the chieftaincy of the family, while the second, David, founded the family's principle cadet branch, the Homes of
Wedderburn.
15th century
In 1402, Sir Alexander Home of that Ilk and of Dunglass was captured at the
Battle of Homildon.
Later he followed the
Earl of Douglas to
France but was killed in battle in 1424.
Most of the principal cadet branches of the clan are descended from his three sons.
In 1473 his great-grandson was made
Great Chamberlain of Scotland and
Warden of the Marches
The Lord Warden of the Marches was an office in the governments of Scotland and England. The holders were responsible for the security of the border between the two nations, and often took part in military action. They were also responsible, al ...
, and also created a Lord of Parliament under the title
Lord Home
Earl of Home ( ) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1605 for Alexander Home of that Ilk, 6th Lord Home. The Earl of Home holds, among others, the subsidiary titles of Lord Home (created 1473), and Lord Dunglass (1605), in ...
.
He joined
Prince James' rebellion against his father
King James III
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 Roxburgh ...
, and had a commanding role in the
Battle of Sauchieburn
The Battle of Sauchieburn was fought on 11 June 1488, at the side of Sauchie Burn, a stream about south of Stirling, Scotland. The battle was fought between the followers of King James III of Scotland and a large group of rebellious Scottish ...
which resulted in the death of the king.
16th century
In 1513, the 3rd Lord Home and his followers formed part of the army levied by King James IV to invade
England.
Lord Home led the vanguard of Scottish knights 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 ...
, and while he was fortunate enough to escape the slaughter many of his family and supporters did not.
Home was later appointed as one of the counsellors to the
Queen Regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state ''pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy, ...
.
However the fortunes of the Homes suffered when the
regency
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state ''pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy, ...
was transferred to the
Duke of Albany.
Lord Home was arrested for treason after being accused of conspiring with the English and he and his brother were executed in October 1516.
Their heads were then displayed on
Edinburgh Tolbooth.
The title and estates were later restored to another brother, George Home.
On several occasions George Home led Border spearmen against the English.
However he was thrown from his horse and died from his injuries on the eve of the
Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
The Battle of Pinkie, also known as the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh ( , ), took place on 10 September 1547 on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland. The last pitched battle between Scotland and England before the Union of the Cro ...
in 1547.
The Home's lands were occupied by the English, however Lord Home's son, the fifth Lord, retook them in 1549.
He also supported the
Scottish Reformation and sat in the Parliament of 1560 that the passed Protestant Confession of Faith.
During the politics of
Mary, Queen of Scots, the Homes, like many others, shifted their allegiance more than once.
Lord Home had supported the marriage of the
Earl of Bothwell
Earl of Bothwell was a title that was created twice in the Peerage of Scotland. It was first created for Patrick Hepburn in 1488, and was forfeited in 1567. Subsequently, the earldom was re-created for the 4th Earl's nephew and heir of line, F ...
to Mary but he later led his men at the
Battle of Langside
The Battle of Langside was fought on 13 May 1568 between forces loyal to Mary, Queen of Scots, and forces acting in the name of her infant son James VI. Mary’s short period of personal rule ended in 1567 in recrimination, intrigue, and disast ...
against the queen.
Then in 1573 he was arrested and convicted of treason against the young
James VI of Scotland.
He was released from
Edinburgh Castle only after his health had failed, dying a few days later.
His son,
Alexander, the sixth Lord Home, was devoted to James VI and was several times ambassador to France.
17th century and civil war
When James VI of Scotland travelled to England to take possession of his new kingdom in 1603 as James I of England, he stopped at
Dunglass Castle and Lord Home accompanied him to
London.
Home was raised to the title of
Earl of Home in March 1605.
The third Earl of Home was a staunch supporter of
King Charles I.
In 1648 he was colonel of the Berwickshire Regiment of Foot.
In 1650 when
Oliver Cromwell invaded Scotland he made a point of seizing Home's castle which was then garrisoned by Parliament's troops.
18th century and Jacobite risings
The Homes also changed sides during the Jacobite risings of the eighteenth century.
During the
Jacobite rising of 1715
The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( gd, Bliadhna Sheumais ;
or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland for the exiled Stuarts.
At Braemar, Aberdeenshire, ...
, the seventh Earl of Home was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle.
His brother James Home of Ayton had his estates confiscated for his part in the rebellion.
During the
Jacobite rising of 1745 the eighth Earl of Home joined British government forces under
Sir John Cope at
Dunbar
Dunbar () is a town on the North Sea coast in East Lothian in the south-east of Scotland, approximately east of Edinburgh and from the English border north of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Dunbar is a former royal burgh, and gave its name to an ...
.
He later fought at the
Battle of Prestonpans
The Battle of Prestonpans, also known as the Battle of Gladsmuir, was fought on 21 September 1745, near Prestonpans, in East Lothian, the first significant engagement of the Jacobite rising of 1745.
Jacobite forces, led by the Stuart exile ...
.
The earl rose to the rank of Lieutenant General and was appointed
Governor of Gibraltar where he died in 1761.
Henry Home, Lord Kames was a distinguished eighteenth century lawyer who published several important works on
Scots law which are still highly regarded.
David Hume was perhaps the most highly regarded British philosopher of the eighteenth century.
20th century
The Home family came to prominence in the twentieth century when the fourteenth earl,
Alec Douglas-Home
Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel (; 2 July 1903 – 9 October 1995), styled as Lord Dunglass between 1918 and 1951 and being The 14th Earl of Home from 1951 till 1963, was a British Conservative politician who se ...
, disclaimed his hereditary peerage to become
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
However the peerage title may be revived by his heirs.
The Prime Minister's brother was
William Douglas-Home who was a distinguished author and playwright.
Chief
The current chief is the Right Honourable Michael, 16th Earl and Lord of Home, Lord of Dunglass, and Baron Douglas.
The previous clan chief was his father, the 15th Earl, better known as
David Douglas-Home.
Castles and houses
*
Hume Castle
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, location = Hume, Berwickshire, Scotland
, image = Hume Castle - geograph.org.uk - 812984.jpg
, image_size =
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was the original seat of the chief of Clan Home, the
Earl of Home.
*
The Hirsel
The Hirsel is a Category A Listed stately home near Coldstream, Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders council area. It has been a seat of the Earls of Home since 1611, and the principal seat following the destruction of Hume Castle during the mi ...
is the current seat of the Earls of Home.
*
Marchmont House, Berwickshire
*
Fast Castle
Fast Castle is the ruined remains of a coastal fortress in Berwickshire, south-east Scotland, in the Scottish Borders. It lies north west of the village of Coldingham, and just outside the St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve, run by the Natio ...
, Berwickshire
*
Wedderburn Castle
Wedderburn Castle, near Duns, Berwickshire, in the Scottish Borders, is an 18th-century country house that is now used as a wedding and events venue. The house is a Category A listed building and the grounds are included in the Inventory of G ...
, Berwickshire, is the seat of the senior cadet branch, Home of Wedderburn
*
Paxton House, Berwickshire
*
Hutton Castle
Hutton Castle is located in the Scottish Borders, overlooking the Whiteadder Water. It stands southeast of Chirnside and west of Berwick-on-Tweed. It has also been known as Hatton Hall and Hutton Hall.
History
Originally a property of the Ho ...
, Berwickshire
*
Ayton Castle, Berwickshire
*
Moray House
The Moray House School of Education and Sport ('Moray House') is a school within the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science at the University of Edinburgh. It is based in historic buildings on the Holyrood Campus, located between the C ...
, Edinburgh, was built by the
Countess of Home in the 1620s.
*
Dunglass Castle, East Lothian
*
Manderston
Manderston House, Duns, Berwickshire, Scotland, is the home of The Rt Hon. The 4th Baron Palmer. It was completely rebuilt between 1901 and 1903 and has sumptuous interiors with a silver-plated staircase. The proprietor, Sir James Miller ...
, Berwickshire
*
Blackadder House, Berwickshire
*
Kimmerghame House
Kimmerghame House is a 19th-century mansion in the Scottish Borders, located south-east of Duns by the Blackadder Water. It is the seat of the Swintons of Kimmerghame, a branch of the Lowland Clan Swinton. The house was designed in the Scotti ...
, Berwickshire
*
Redbraes Castle
Marchmont House lies on the east side of the small village of Greenlaw, and near to a church in Polwarth in Berwickshire, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It is about five miles (8 km) south west of Duns, about west of Berwick-upo ...
, Berwickshire
*
Bassendean House, Berwickshire
Military Association
A British Army unit – The
40th Regiment Royal Artillery
40th Regiment Royal Artillery – The Lowland Gunners – was a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It supported 19 Light Brigade in the field artillery role. It was structured into Fire Support Teams equipped with MSTAR, and th ...
(40 Regt RA) – had a longstanding association with Clan Home. Until entering suspended animation as part of the 2010 SDSR, 40 Regt RA (The Lowland Gunners) bore the Home tartan on a number of dress items. Every Officer and Soldier wore a Home Tartan rank slide; Officers wore Home Tartan trews with dinner jackets often in lieu of
Mess Dress
Mess dress uniform is the most formal (or semi-formal, depending on the country) type of uniforms used by military personnel, police personnel, and other uniformed services members. It frequently consists of a mess jacket, trousers, white ...
(unofficially referred to as 'Lowland Order') and the Regimental Pipes and Drums also wore Home tartan kilts, trews and other accoutrements. After moving from
Topcliffe, North Yorkshire
Topcliffe is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. The village is situated on the River Swale, on the A167 road and close to the A168. It is about south-west of Thirsk and south of the county to ...
, England to
Thiepval Barracks
Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn, County Antrim, is the headquarters of the British Army in Northern Ireland and its 38th (Irish) Brigade.
History
The barracks were built in 1940. They are named after the village of Thiepval in Northern France, an i ...
in Lisburn, Northern Ireland as part of an Army wide rebasing plan in 2009, the regiment renamed its purpose-built technical accommodation 'Home Lines', formally opened by General Sir
Timothy Granville-Chapman in 2010 at a ceremony attended by senior members of Clan Home. Additionally, the Commanding Officer's designated residence was named 'Home House', the naming of which caused some perplexity years later amongst those unaware of the correct pronunciation and the relationship between the regiment and the clan! Following the demise of 40 Regt RA, some of the Home linkages were taken forward to the Royal Artillery's other Scottish regiment,
19th Regiment Royal Artillery
19th Regiment Royal Artillery – The Scottish Gunners (until 2012 The Highland Gunners) – is a Scottish regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently supports 12 Mechanised Brigade in the armoured field artillery role. Th ...
where they are carried on today.
See also
*
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 recognise ...
*
Home baronets
*
Earl of Home
References
*Paul, James Balfour (ed.). (1904–14). ''
The Scots Peerage Founded on . . . Sir Robert Douglas’s Peerage of Scotland'', 9 volumes.
External links
Official Clan Home Association website
{{Scottish clans
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