The Clan Henderson (''Clann Eanruig'') 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. 166 - 167. The clan's historical seat is at

Fordell Castle Fordell Castle is a restored 16th-century tower house, located north-west of Dalgety Bay and east of Dunfermline, in Fife, Scotland. Parts of the castle date from before 1566, though most dates from 1580 or later. The chapel was rebuilt in 16 ...

Dalgety Bay Dalgety Bay () is a coastal town and parish in Fife, Scotland. According to Fife Council, the town is home to , making this the eighth-largest place in Fife. The civil parish has a population of 10,777 (in 2011).Census of Scotland 2011, Table KS ...

Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...

. The current clan chief is Alistair Henderson of Fordell.

History

Origins

There are multiple origins for the Scottish

patrynomic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, al ...

surname of Henderson, meaning "son of Henry" or "son of Hendry", with three being the most well-known. The Hendersons who lived in the

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders ( sco, the Mairches, 'the Marches'; gd, Crìochan na h-Alba) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, West Lothi ...

were often found in the variant of Henryson. Although these Hendersons were not a significant power in the Borders they were still classed as a riding clan. Henryson was a common name in the 14th century and beyond. Notable documented individuals include: 1373-1377, William Henryeson was chamberlain of

Lochmaben Castle Lochmaben Castle is a ruined castle in the town of Lochmaben, the feudal Lordship of Annandale, and the united county of Dumfries and Galloway. It was built by Edward I in the 14th century replacing an earlier motte and bailey castle, and lat ...

; John Henryson was burgess of

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

c. 1387-1395; James Henryson was burned as a heretic in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

in 1407. There were also Hendersons who were

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 ( ...

s of the

Clan MacDonald of Glencoe The MacDonalds of Glencoe, also known as Clann Iain Abrach, was a Highland Scottish clan and a branch of the larger Clan Donald. They were named after Glen Coe. the MacDonalds of Glen Coe (or MacIains as they were more specifically known) hav ...

and septs of the

Clan Gunn Clan Gunn ( gd, Na Guinnich) is a Highland Scottish clan associated with lands in northeastern Scotland, including Caithness, Sutherland and, arguably, the Orkney Isles. Clan Gunn is one of the oldest Scottish Clans, being descended from the No ...

in the far north of the country. There is no known connection between the Hendersons of Clan Gunn and Clan MacDonald or the Hendersons of the Scottish Borders.

16th century

The clan spread from

Dumfrieshire Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries or Shire of Dumfries (''Siorrachd Dhùn Phris'' in Gaelic) is a historic county and registration county in southern Scotland. The Dumfries lieutenancy area covers a similar area to the historic county. ...

Liddesdale Liddesdale, the valley of the Liddel Water, in the Roxburghshire, County of Roxburgh, southern Scotland, extends in a south-westerly direction from the vicinity of Peel Fell to the River Esk, Dumfries and Galloway, River Esk, a distance of . The ...

, however they do not appear in the list of border clans that were named by Parliament in 1594, when it was attempting to suppress the

Border Reivers Border reivers were Cattle raiding, raiders along the Anglo-Scottish border from the late 13th century to the beginning of the 17th century. They included both Scotland, Scottish and England, English people, and they raided the entire border ...

. From the Dumfrieshire family of Hendersons descended James Henderson or Henryson who became

Lord Advocate , body = , insignia = Crest of the Kingdom of Scotland.svg , insigniasize = 110px , image = File:Official Portrait of Dorothy Bain QC.png , incumbent = Dorothy Bain KC , incumbentsince = 22 June 2021 , appointer = Monarch on the advice ...

in about 1494.Laing, David (1865) '' The Poems and Fables of Robert Henryson'' at xlvi-xlvii, xxxvii-xl (Appendix No. 1: List of Persons of the Name of Henryson, from the Middle of the Fourteenth to the End of the Fifteenth Century). He was later appointed to the Bench. From 1510-1512, he acquired lands in Fordell,

including the original tower of

. Fordell became the designation of the Lowland Henderson chiefs and it is from them that the present chiefs are descended. He 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.

17th century and civil war

One of the most prominent of the Clan Henderson was Alexander Henderson of Fordell who was born in about 1583. He was educated at the

University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

where he became a Master of Arts and a Professor of Philosophy before 1611. He later became the minister of the parish of

Leuchars Leuchars (pronounced or ; gd, Luachar "rushes") is a small town and parish near the north-east coast of Fife in Scotland. The civil parish has a population of 5,754 (in 2011) Census of Scotland 2011, Table KS101SC – Usually Resident Populat ...

and was violently opposed to

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

's attempts to reform the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

. He was especially opposed to the new prayer book and travelled to

where he presented a petition to the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

, stating that the book had not received the sanction of the

General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body.''An Introduction to Practice and Procedure in the Church of Scotland'' by A. Gordon McGillivray ...

or the Parliament. Henderson and Johnston of Warriston together drafted the

National Covenant The National Covenant () was an agreement signed by many people of Scotland during 1638, opposing the proposed reforms of the Church of Scotland (also known as ''The Kirk'') by King Charles I. The king's efforts to impose changes on the church i ...

which was first sworn and subscribed in

Greyfriars Kirk Greyfriars Kirk ( gd, Eaglais nam Manach Liath) is a parish church of the Church of Scotland, located in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is surrounded by Greyfriars Kirkyard. Greyfriars traces its origin to the south-west parish of Edi ...

in Edinburgh. Henderson was unanimously elected moderator of the General Assembly in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

in 1638 and was therefore at the forefront of church politics during the troubled reign of Charles I. Henderson was also responsible for drafting the

Solemn League and Covenant The Solemn League and Covenant was an agreement between the Scottish Covenanters and the leaders of the English Parliamentarians in 1643 during the First English Civil War, a theatre of conflict in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. On 17 August 1 ...

in 1643. When the king sundered himself to the Scottish army it was to Henderson that he sent to discuss with his disaffected subjects. Henderson met with the king but failed in his attempts to make him accede to the Church's demands. Henderson died due to ill health in August 1646 and was buried in Greyfriars church yard, the scene of his greatest triumph and where there is a monument to him. Meanwhile,

John Henderson, 5th of Fordell Sir John Henderson, 5th of Fordell (1605–1650), was a Scottish soldier and mercenary, distinguished as a Cavalier in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Born 3 November 1605 in Fordell, Fife. He was a distinguished soldier, who had been enslave ...

fought as a staunch royalist for the king during the Scottish Civil War.

Hendersons of Glencoe

The Hendersons of

Glen Coe Glen Coe ( gd, Gleann Comhann ) is a glen of volcanic origins, in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies in the north of the county of Argyll, close to the border with the historic province of Lochaber, within the modern council area of Highland ...

, in the Highlands, take the English version of their name from the Gaelic ''MacEanruig'', claiming descent from a

Pictish Pictish is the extinct language, extinct Brittonic language spoken by the Picts, the people of eastern and northern Scotland from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages. Virtually no direct attestations of Pictish remain, short of a limited num ...

prince, Eanruig Mor Mac Righ Neachtain, or ''big Henry son of King Neachtain''. Neachtain (

Nechtan mac Der-Ilei Nechtan mac Der-Ilei or Nechtan mac Dargarto (Old Irish ''Nechtan mac Der-Ilei'' or ''Nechtan mac Dargarto'') (before 686–732) was king of the Picts 706–724 and 728–729. He succeeded his brother Bridei in 706. He is associated with significa ...

) is said to have reigned between 700 and 724. It is not known when the Hendersons came to Glen Coe but it is said Dougall MacHenry, the last of their chiefs in the direct line, fathered an heiress, who according to tradition had a son by her lover

Aonghus Óg of Islay Aonghus Óg Mac Domhnaill (died 1314 × 1318/ 1330), or Angus Og MacDonald, was a fourteenth-century Scottish magnate and chief of Clann Domhnaill. He was a younger son of Aonghus Mór mac Domhnaill, Lord of Islay. After the latter's apparent ...

, and that their son was Ian (John) Fraoch. Ian Fraoch's son was Iain Abrach whose patronymic was MacIain and that became the designation of the chiefs of the MacDonalds of Glencoe. The Hendersons were the hereditary pipers and armor-bearers of the chiefs of the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe. The

Henderson Stone The Henderson Stone (''Clach Eanruig'' in Scottish Gaelic) is a granite boulder in a field in the Glencoe, Highland, Glencoe (Carnoch) area of Scotland. ''Clach Eanruig'' is translated alternatively as Henderson Stone or Henry's Stone.Glencoe area. Historic tradition in the area includes two separate stories involving the Henderson Stone and a warning from a Campbell soldier of the impending massacre of 1692. One version of the story involves a soldier speaking a warning to the stone, in the presence of a local resident: "Great stone in the Glen, though you have every right to be there, if you knew what was to happen tonight you would not stay there on any account." The other version involves a Campbell piper playing a song at the stone, meant as a warning to the residents. Tradition has it that the local who heard the cryptic message escaped, but was unable to warn many others. In 1692 when the

Massacre of Glencoe The Massacre of Glencoe ( gd, Murt Ghlinne Comhann) took place in Glen Coe in the Highlands of Scotland on 13 February 1692. An estimated 30 members and associates of Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by Scottish government forces, alleged ...

took place, it is said that the chief's personal attendant and piper, Big Henderson of the Chanters, was among those killed.

Hendersons of Caithness

Another group of Hendersons originated 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 ...

in the far north of the

Scottish Highlands The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Sco ...

. In the late 15th century, a family difference led Henry Gunn, youngest son of the

chief, to branch off, forming the Henderson family line in Caithness.

Chief

The

Chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

of Clan Henderson is Alistair Donald Henderson of Fordell, an

environmental engineer Environmental engineering is a professional engineering discipline that encompasses broad scientific topics like chemistry, biology, ecology, geology, hydraulics, hydrology, microbiology, and mathematics to create solutions that will protect and a ...

specialising in air pollution control who lives in

Brisbane, Queensland Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The Chief is recognised by

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 ...

, and is a member of the

Clan Castles

which is about one mile north of

Inverkeithing Inverkeithing ( ; gd, Inbhir Chèitinn) is a port town and parish, in Fife, Scotland, on the Firth of Forth. A town of ancient origin, Inverkeithing was given royal burgh status during the reign of Malcolm IV in the 12th century. It was an impo ...

was held by the Hendersons for over 300 years. It is not known when the original castle structure was constructed, but the main entrance tower is believed to date from the 1400s. James Henderson, 3rd of Fordell, started to extend the castle in 1566. The castle burned in 1568. During the Civil War of the seventeenth century the castle was sacked by the forces of

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

after the

Battle of Inverkeithing The Battle of Inverkeithing was fought on 20 July 1651 between an English army under John Lambert and a Scottish army led by James Holborne as part of an English invasion of Scotland. The battle was fought near the isthmus of the Ferry Pe ...

in 1651, after which troops were garrisoned at the castle and mill. The castle later passed by marriage to the Duncans of Camperdown. *Otterston Tower is close to Fordell, about two miles west of Aberdour. It is an L-plan tower house although a mansion was later added and remodelled. It was held by the Hendersons in the early sixteenth century and it was they who built the tower, however it had passed to the Mowbrays of Barnbougle by 1589. *Broomhill House to the south of Edinburgh was held by the Hendersons between 1508 and 1648. However a castle followed by a mansion have since been demolished. The lands later passed to the Bairds of Newbyth and then to the Trotters of Mortonhall. Otterston Castle, Fife in 1850

Tartan

The Henderson/MacKendrick tartan is found i
modernancientweathered
an

colors, and there are also Henderso
dress
an
dance
tartans.

Septs

Septs A sept is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish clan, Scottish or List of Irish clans, Irish family. The term is used in both Scotland and Ireland, where it may be translated as ''sliocht'', meaning "progeny" or "seed", which may ind ...

and surname variations of the Clan Henderson include: Gaelic variations: *MacEanrig / Eanrig *MacEnrig / Enrig *MacIanruig / Ianruig *MacIanrig / Ianrig *MacInrig / Inrig *MacCanruig / Canruig *MacCanrig / Canrig Latin variations: *(filius) Henrici *Henrisoun / Henrisone Anglicised variations: *(Mac) Anrig / Andrig / An(d)rigson *(Mac) Enrig / Endrig / Endrigson *(Mac) Henrig / Hendrig / Hendrigson *(Mac) Kenrig / Kendrig / Kendrigson *(Mac) Kanrig / Kandrig / Kandrigson *(Mac) Canrig / Candrig / Candrigson *(Mac) Anri(c)k / Andri(c)k / An(d)ri(c)kson *(Mac) Enri(c)k / Endri(c)k / En(d)ri(c)kson *(Mac) Henri(c)k / Hendri(c)k / Hen(d)ri(c)kson *(Mac) Kenri(c)k / Kendri(c)k / Ken(d)ri(c)kson *(Mac) Kanri(c)k / Kandri(c)k / Kan(d)ri(c)kson *(Mac) Canri(c)k / Candri(c)k / Can(d)ri(c)kson *(Mac) Anry / Andry / An(d)ryson *(Mac) Henry / Hendry / Hen(d)ryson / Hen(d)rysoun *(Mac) Kenry / Kendry / Ken(d)ryson *(Mac) Anrie / Andrie / An(d)rieson *(Mac) Henrie / Hendrie / Hen(d)rieson / Hen(d)riesoun *(Mac) Kenrie / Kendrie / Ken(d)rieson *(Mac) Anree / Andree / An(d)reeson *(Mac) Henree / Hendree / Hen(d)reeson *(Mac) Kenree / Kendree / Ken(d)reeson *End(h)erson *Henderson *Hendron *Hendren *Henders *Hendry *Henerson The surname spelling variations arose from regional pronunciation differences, and sometimes perversely creative spelling.See Chalmers, George, (1824) "Preface" t
''Robene and Makyne, and the Testament of Cresseid, by Robert Henryson''
p. xi n.12 ("In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the name was variously written, Henrison, Henrisoun, Henryson, Hendrison, and Henderson, which last became the established form"). Some individuals used multiple surname spellings, and sometimes different surname forms. For example, a traveling Henderson might use the surname MacEanruig in the

, Henderson in the

Lowlands Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of p ...

, McHenry in

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...

, and Henry 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 b ...

Notes and references

External links

The Hendersons, Clan Henderson, or clann Eanruig

Clan Henderson at the Standing Council of Scottish ChiefsThe Clan Henderson Society
{{Scottish clans