The Clan Heron was a lowland Scottish clan. One branch of the clan were

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 ...

who made a living by rustling cattle along the Anglo-Scottish border. Another branch were a landed family with their seat in Kirkcudbright.

Origins of the Clan

The Clan claims descent from the Herons of

Chipchase Castle Chipchase Castle is a 17th-century Jacobean mansion incorporating a substantial 14th-century pele tower, which stands north of Hadrian's Wall, near Wark on Tyne, between Bellingham and Hexham in Northumberland, England. It is a Scheduled Anc ...

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...

, in the English Middle-march. In a survey made of the Border in 1522, it was reported that: "Chipchase was the most convenient house for the keeper of Tynedale" and the Herons were described as "A hot tempered race, regularly in trouble with the authorities". It is known that they had feuds with Clan Tate and Clan Kerr. The name Heron is from the name ''de Heron'', a habitational name from

Heron The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus ...

near

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...

in Normandy. The progenitor of the clan, Tihel de Heron, was a Norman who arrived in England with William the Conqueror in 1066 and is found on the

Battle Abbey Roll The Battle Abbey Roll is a commemorative list, lost since at least the 16th century, of the companions of William the Conqueror, which had been erected or affixed as a memorial within Battle Abbey, Hastings, founded ''ex-voto'' by Duke William o ...

and the Falaise Roll. He was granted land in Essex and his descendants spread to Northumberland, Hertfordshire, Scotland and Ireland.

History

The Clan Heron was one of the lesser Border reiving clans, a people who practised raiding and cattle rustling along the Anglo-Scottish border. However one of the clan's branches were a landed family with their seat in Kirkcudbrightshire. Members of the clan held many positions of power on the borders and throughout Scotland and England. Walter Heron was the clerk to

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 ...

. William Heron was the keeper of

Bamburgh Castle Bamburgh Castle is a castle on the northeast coast of England, by the village of Bamburgh in Northumberland. It is a Grade I listed building. The site was originally the location of a Celtic Brittonic fort known as ''Din Guarie'' and may have ...

in 1248; the keeper of

Scarborough Castle Scarborough Castle is a former medieval Royal fortress situated on a rocky promontory overlooking the North Sea and Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. The site of the castle, encompassing the Iron Age settlement, Roman signal station, an Ang ...

in 1255; and the Sheriff of Northumberland between 1246 and 1247. Chipchase Castle in the English Middle-march was held by the Heron family for almost 300 years. The Herons also owned Ford Castle in Northumberland. In 1300, Gerald Heron fought on the side of

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 eventual ...

, and he was awarded the rich lands of Kirroughtree where a branch of the clan resided for 400 years. The clan was in possession of Kirroughtree until 1889 (when John Heron-Maxwell sold Kirroughtree to Major Arthur Armitage.) A border lord, Sir Gerard Heron, put one thousand men in the saddle to attack

William Wallace Sir William Wallace ( gd, Uilleam Uallas, ; Norman French: ; 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence. Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army a ...

after he captured Kinclaven Castle. Roger Heron was a charter witness in 1321 in Langton, Berwick.''The Oxford Dictionary of Family names in Britain and Ireland'', Patrick Hanks, Richard Coates, Peter McClure Like other Border families, many Herons were transported to the

Ulster Plantation The Plantation of Ulster ( gle, Plandáil Uladh; Ulster-Scots: ''Plantin o Ulstèr'') was the organised colonisation (''plantation'') of Ulstera province of Irelandby people from Great Britain during the reign of King James I. Most of the sett ...

during James's "pacification" of the Borders.

References

{{scottish clans Border Reivers