Clan Napier is a Lowland

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 recognised ...

.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 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 ...

). Published in 1994. pp. 288–289.

History

Origins of the clan

Traditional origins

Traditionally the Napiers are descended from the ancient

Earls of Lennox The Earl or Mormaer of Lennox was the ruler of the region of the Lennox in western Scotland. It was first created in the 12th century for David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon and later held by the Stewart dynasty. Ancient earls The first ea ...

who were one of the

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...

royal families of

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 ...

and

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

. One theory holds that a " naperer" is "a person in charge of table linen in a royal or manor house" and that the original Napiers must have been "naperers" as an office for the royal household. However, there is not much evidence for this title being used in Scotland. Another origin for the name is that one of the knights of the Earl of Lennox, possibly a younger son of the earl, distinguished himself in battle in support of

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 ...

. After the victory the king singled him out praising his valour by saying "nae peer". In 1625, Sir Archibald Napier of Merchiston, the first Lord Napier, presented an affidavit to the College of Heralds, in which he described this origin of the name Napier, as having been bestowed by the king (probably Alexander II) on one Donald Lennox in recognition for acts of bravery. He states:

Recorded origins

The first certain reference to the name Napier is in a charter of Malcolm, Earl of Lennox some time before 1290, in which he granted lands to John de Naper in Kilmahew and

Dunbartonshire Dunbartonshire ( gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Breatann) or the County of Dumbarton is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Dunbartonshire borders Pe ...

. The Napiers held the lands at Kilmahew for eighteen generations until 1820.

15th century and clan conflicts

The first Lord of Merchiston was Alexander Napier who was a prominent merchant in

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 ...

. He amassed a fortune and became

Provost of Edinburgh The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Edinburgh is the convener of the City of Edinburgh local authority, who is elected by the city council and serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the entire city, ex officio the ...

. He obtained a charter for the lands of Merchiston in 1436. His son was Sir Alexander Napier, who also became Provost of Edinburgh and rose to high royal favour. He was wounded rescuing the widow 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 ...

and her second husband, Sir James Stewart, who had been captured by rebels. In 1440 Napier was honoured by

James II of Scotland James II (16 October 1430 – 3 August 1460) was King of Scots from 1437 until his death in 1460. The eldest surviving son of James I of Scotland, he succeeded to the Scottish throne at the age of six, following the assassination of his father. ...

by being made Comptroller of the Royal Household and was later also made Vice Admiral of Scotland in 1461. His son was John Napier who was also the son-in-law of the Earl of Lennox who was executed in 1444. John did not press the family's claim to the earldom and was killed at 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 Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinbur ...

in 1488.

16th century and Anglo-Scottish Wars

John Napier's heir, Alexander, and also his grandson were both killed in 1513 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 ...

. Another Napier heir was killed at 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.

17th century and Civil War

The most famous of the name was

John Napier John Napier of Merchiston (; 1 February 1550 – 4 April 1617), nicknamed Marvellous Merchiston, was a Scottish landowner known as a mathematician, physicist, and astronomer. He was the 8th Laird of Merchiston. His Latinized name was Ioan ...

the seventeenth Laird of Merchiston who developed the system of

Logarithm In mathematics, the logarithm is the inverse function to exponentiation. That means the logarithm of a number to the base is the exponent to which must be raised, to produce . For example, since , the ''logarithm base'' 10 ...

. In 1617 he was succeeded by his son,

Archibald Napier, 1st Lord Napier Archibald Napier, 1st Lord Napier, the 9th Laird Napier of Merchiston (c. 1576 – November 1645), was a Scottish politician and judge. In 1627 he was created Lord Napier of Merchiston and Baronet of Nova Scotia. Biography Archibald Napier was th ...

who accompanied

James VI and I 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 ...

to claim his new throne in England. Napier married the daughter of the fourth

Earl of Montrose Montrose may refer to: Places Scotland * Montrose, Angus (the original after which all others ultimately named or derived) ** Montrose Academy, the secondary school in Montrose Australia *Montrose, Queensland (Southern Downs Region), a locality i ...

and sister of

James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose (1612 – 21 May 1650) was a Scottish nobleman, poet and soldier, lord lieutenant and later viceroy and captain general of Scotland. Montrose initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three ...

. As the brother-in-law of the king's captain the Napiers supported the king throughout the Scottish Civil War. Lord Napier died in 1645 and his only son,

Archibald Napier, 2nd Lord Napier Archibald Napier, 2nd Lord Napier (c. 1625–1660) was a Scottish peer and the grandson of John Napier of Merchiston. Biography Archibald Napier was a nephew of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose and supported him in his Royalist endeavours. ...

, was forced into exile and died in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

in 1660.

Archibald Napier, 3rd Lord Napier Archibald Napier, 3rd Lord Napier (died 1683) was a Scottish peer. Family Archibald Napier was a member of the Napier family of Merchiston, Scotland, and was the great-grandson of John Napier, the inventor of logarithms. He was the son of A ...

petitioned to the Crown for a new patent to the barony and extended the succession to female heirs. The title passed to the only child of his eldest sister,

Thomas Nicolson, 4th Lord Napier Thomas Nicholson of Carnock, 4th Lord Napier (14 January 1669 – 9 June 1688) was a Scottish peer. Family Thomas Nicholson of Carnock was the son of Jean Napier (sister to Archibald Napier, 3rd Lord Napier) and her husband Sir Thomas Nicolson, 3 ...

. The title then passed to his aunt, Margaret Napier, wife of John Brisbane who was Secretary to the Admiralty in the reign of

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of England, Scotland and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest surviving child o ...

. She was succeeded by her grandson,

Francis Napier, 6th Lord Napier Francis Napier, 6th Lord Napier ( Scott) ( – 1773) was a Peerage of Scotland, Scottish peer. Early life Born Francis Scott , he was the son of Sir William Scott, 2nd Baronet of Thirlestane, and Elizabeth Napier, Mistress of Napier. Career Upon ...

, who was originally Francis Scott but adopted the name and arms of Napier.

Napoleonic Wars

Three grandsons of the sixth Lord Napier served throughout the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fre ...

. General Sir Charles Napier conquered

Sind Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

, which is now part of

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

and his statue can still be seen in

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson comm ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Castles

Merchiston Tower, Napier University - geograph

* Kilmahew Castle, Cardross, Dunbartonshire, is the ancestral home of the Napiers of Kilmahew. It is now a ruin. *

Merchiston Tower Merchiston Tower, also known as Merchiston Castle, was probably built by Alexander Napier (2nd Laird of Merchiston), Alexander Napier, the 2nd Laird of Merchiston around 1454. It serves as the seat for Clan Napier. It was the home of John Napier ...

, Edinburgh, is the ancestral home of the Napiers of Merchiston. It is the centre of the Merchiston Campus of Napier University. *Other castles built or owned by the Napiers include Culcreuch Castle (Fintry, Stirlingshire) and

Lauriston Castle Lauriston Castle is a 16th-century tower house with 19th-century extensions overlooking the Firth of Forth, in Edinburgh, Scotland. It lies on Cramond Road South, between Cramond, Davidson's Mains, and Silverknowes. The substantial grounds, L ...

(Edinburgh).

Clan chief

The current chief of the clan is the Right Honourable Francis David Charles Napier, 15th Lord Napier, 6th Baron Ettrick, and 12th Baronet of Nova Scotia.

Heraldry

The Clan Napier does not possess a coat of arms. In Scotland it is primarily individuals that are granted coats of arms. The arms of the Clan Chief, or to give him his full title, Chief of the Name and Arms of Napier are: Quarterly, 1st & 4th,

Argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to ...

, a

saltire A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross, like the shape of the letter X in Roman type. The word comes from the Middle French ''sautoir'', Medieval Latin ''saltatori ...

engrailed cantoned of four roses

Gules In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple). In engraving, it is sometimes depict ...

, barbed

Vert Vert or Verts may refer to: * Vert (heraldry), the colour green in heraldry * Vert (music producer) (born 1972), pseudonym of Adam Butler, an English music producer * Vert (river), in southern France * Vert (sport), a competition in extreme versi ...

; 2nd & 3rd, Or, on a bend Azure, a mullet pierced between two

crescent A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself. In Hinduism, Lord Shiva is often shown wearing a crescent moon on his ...

s of the Field, within a double tressure flory counterflory of the Second (see article on

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known bran ...

). The chief of the clan is the only person permitted to use these arms. The original arms of Napier (as seen in the picture of John Napier on this page) were: Argent, a saltire engrailed between four roses gules, barbed vert. These arms bear striking similarity to the arms of the

Clan Lennox Clan Lennox is a Lowland Scottish clan.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. 192 - 193. The ...

(see origin of the clan, above, for explanation). The arms of the current chief are the Napier arms quartered with a differenced version of the Scott coat of arms, added when the Napier family absorbed the Scott Baronetcy of Thirlestane (see Lord Napier).

Trivia

The

Western Australia Police Pipe Band The Western Australia Police Pipe Band (WAPOL) is an Australian competitive pipe band organization based in Perth, Western Australia associated with the Western Australia Police The Western Australia Police Force, colloquially WAPOL, pro ...

, a Pipe band based 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 ...

, Australia, has worn the Napier

tartan Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...

since 1966. The

University of Queensland , mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work , established = , endowment = A$224.3 million , budget = A$2.1 billion , type = Public research university , chancellor = Peter Varghese , vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry , city = B ...

Pipe Band at Emmanuel College, a pipe Band based in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...