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{{short description|Lowland Scottish clan}}
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{{Infobox Clan
{{About|the Scottish clan||Swinton (disambiguation)}}
|image badge =Swintonbadge.gif
{{lead too short|date=November 2015}}
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|clan name =Clan Swinton of that Ilk
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
|chiefs crest =On a boar's head erased fessways erased Or, armed Argent, langued Gules
{{Use British English|date=July 2015}}
|chiefs motto =J'Espere, Je Pense
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{{Infobox clan
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|region =[[Scottish Lowlands|Lowlands]]
| image badge = Clan member crest badge - Clan Swinton.svg
|district =[[Berwickshire]]
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| clan name = Clan Swinton
|origins =Anglo-Saxon
| chiefs crest = A boar chained to a tree<ref name=nisbet>{{cite book |last=Nisbet |first=Alexander |title=A System of Heraldry |location=Edinburgh |publisher=Blackwood |date=1816 |volume=1 |page=315 |url=https://archive.org/details/systemofheraldry01nisbuoft/page/315}}</ref>
|image arms =Swintoncrest.jpg
| chiefs motto = ''J'espere'' ("I hope")<ref name=nisbet/>
|chiefs name = Rolfe William Swinton 36th of that Ilk<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swintonfamilysociety.org/web%20charts%20Jan%202005/Swint%20Ch.01-3/SWINTON_Ch01F-1_Sh2.pdf|title=www.swintonfamilysociety.org swinton tree|format=PDF}}</ref>
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| region = [[Scottish Lowlands|Lowlands]]
|chiefs title =Numerous Title Possibilities - Feudal Baron, Lord of Parliament, Laird
|seat =[[Swinton, Berwickshire]]
| district = [[Berwickshire]]
| image arms = Swinton of that Ilk arms.svg
|historic seat =[[Bamburgh Castle]]
| chiefs name = Rolfe William Swinton of that Ilk<ref name="ScotClans">[http://www.scotclans.com/scottish-clans/clan-swinton/ Clan Swinton Profile] scotclans.com. Retrieved 15 December 2013.</ref>
| chiefs title = [[Chief of the Name and Arms]] of Swinton.<ref>[http://www.burkes-peerage.net/familyhomepage.aspx?FID=0&FN=SWINTONOFTHATILK burkes-peerage]</ref>
| seat = New York, United States.<ref name="Coventry">Coventry, Martin. (2008). ''Castles of the Clans: The Strongholds and Seats of 750 Scottish Families and Clans''. pp. 565–566. {{ISBN|978-1-899874-36-1}}.</ref>
| historic seat = Swinton House, Berwickshire<ref name="Coventry"/>
}}
}}
'''Clan Swinton''' is a [[Scottish clan]] of the [[Scottish Lowlands]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton">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. 334–335.</ref>


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==History==
'''Clan Swinton''' is a Lowland [[Scottish clan]]. The clan has held the Barony's of Swinton and Cranshaws. The latter is now seperated from the clan. The family is commonly thought to have Feudal Barony status with numerous charters confirming this.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.electricscotland.com/HISTORY/nation/swinton.htm}}</ref> Indeed, Mr. James Anderson, the compiler of the Diplomata Scotiae, in his ''Historical Essay of the Independency of the crown of Scotland'', says that among the many charters of Scots families in the chartulary of Durham, there are two original ones of David I., to the proprietor of Swinton, wherein he is termed Miles, and was to "''hold his lands as freely as any of the king’s barons''".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.electricscotland.com/HISTORY/nation/swinton.htm}}</ref> However, this having been said, the status of the family is still unclear with some sources granting Baronial Status, others grating Lord of Parliament status and finally some granting Laird status.


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===Origins of the clan===


The Swinton chiefs are likely to have been of [[Anglo-Saxon]] origin, possibly descended from the prominent nobles of the kingdom of [[Northumbria]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> The kingdom of Northumberland straddled the modern day border between Scotland and [[England]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> According to tradition the name was acquired for their bravery in clearing the country of [[wild boar]], with the family arms alluding to this legend.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> However, the name is more likely to have been of territorial origin: the village of Swinewood in the county of [[Berwickshire]] was granted by [[Edgar, King of Scotland]], son of [[Malcolm III of Scotland]] to [[Coldingham Priory]] in 1098 following the [[Norman Conquest]] of England to the south .<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/>
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==History==
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===Origins===


In around 1136/7, Ernulf de Swinton received one of the first private charters recorded in Scotland which confirmed his property from [[David I of Scotland]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> This is one of two original charters of David kept in the [[cartulary]] of Durham, both to Ernulf, wherein he is told to "''hold his lands as freely as any of the king’s barons''", and importantly is termed ''Miles'' in both, making him the first recorded instance of a Scottish [[Knight]].<ref>Anderson, James. (1705). ''An historical essay showing that the Crown of Scotland is imperial and independent''.</ref>
The Swintons appear to be of [[Anglo-Saxons|Saxon]] origin, descended from the nobles who were prominent in the ancient Kingdom of [[Northumberland]] which straddled the present day border between [[England]] and [[Scotland]]. Ancestry can be traced back to [[Eadulf I of Bernicia]] who accepted [[Alfred the Great]] as overlord in 886 making the family one of the oldest in both England and Scotland.


Of note, the charters reference Ernulf's father (Udard), grandfather (Liulf) and great-grandfather ([[Eadulf Rus|Eadulf]]) as holding the land before him.<ref>Misc.Ch. 564. & 565, Cartulary of Durham, http://reed.dur.ac.uk/xtf/view?docId=ead/dcd/dcdmisch.xml</ref> [[Eadulf Rus|Eadulf]] is believed to have been granted the land by his cousin [[Malcolm III of Scotland]] in return for military support against [[Macbeth, King of Scotland|Macbeth]]. This, according to 20th century historian [[James Lees-Milne]], would make [[Eadulf Rus|Eadulf]] the first subject of [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]] whose land ownership could be proved, and means the Swinton Family would by this hypothesis be one of only five (see [[Arden family]], [[Berkeley family]], [[Grindlay family]], [[Wentworth family]]) that could trace its unbroken land ownership and lineage to before the [[Norman conquest of England|Norman Conquest]], making it one of the oldest landed families in Britain.<ref>Burke, Sir Bernard. A Genealogical & Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain & Ireland, 18th Edition, Volume 1</ref><ref name=":122">{{cite book |last=Greenlee |first=Ralph Stebbins |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=puDIDwAAQBAJ&q=genealogy+of+greenlee&pg=PA1 |title=Genealogy of the Greenlee Families in America, Scotland, Ireland and England. |publisher=Privately Printed |year=1908}}</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=PsccAAAAMAAJ Sir Bernard Burke: ''A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Colonial Gentry'': Vol.I: ''Wentworth of Vaucluse'': pp.95-97]</ref>
They are said to have acquired the name Swinton for their bravery and clearing the area of [[Wild Boar]]. The chief's coat of arms and the clan crest allude to this legend. Although the name is thought more likely to be of a territorial origin. The village of Swinewood in the county of [[Berwick]] was granted by a charter from Edgar, son of King [[Malcolm III of Scotland]], to Liulf of Bamburgh Coldingham Priory in 1098. Liulf's family was that of the [[Earl of Northumberland|Earls of Northumberland]] from whom also came the [[Clan Dunbar]]. Liulf's grandson Ernulf is said to be the first instance of a Scottish knight, and was succeeded by Cospatric(k). It is "practically certain"<ref name="Fraser">{{citation | url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?as_brr=0&id=mHwTAAAAIAAJ&q=hugo+son&pgis=1 | page=72 | title=Papers from the collection of Sir William Fraser | first1=William | last1=Fraser | first2=James Robert | last2=Nicolson Macphail | publisher=Scottish History Society | year=1924}}</ref> that Cospatrick was the father of Hugo (Hugh) de Swinton, who was also the ancestor of the [[Clan Arbuthnott]]. Hugo acquired the lands of Arbuthnott from Walter Oliphant about 1150, tradition has it that Hugo's mother was an Oliphant.<ref name="Fraser" />


[[File:Baronswinton.jpg|thumb|upright|The Bookplate of Sir John Swinton, titled 'Baron of Swinton'<ref name="Heraldry">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xSeEWjQCTIAC&q=bookplate+swinton&pg=PA506| title=A Complete Guide to Heraldry | isbn=978-1-60239-001-0 | author1=Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles | date=2007-05-01| publisher=Skyhorse Publishing }}</ref>]]
The Swintons’ possession of their lands was confirmed by a charter of the Prior of Coldingham in the reign of [[William the Lion]]. Edulph de Swinton received a charter, one of the first recorded in Scotland, confirming his property at Swinton from David I around 1140.

The clan has held the Baronies of Swinton and [[Cranshaws]]. The latter is now separated from the clan. The family holds [[Scottish feudal barony|Feudal Barony]] status with numerous charters confirming this.<ref name="Electricscotland">[http://www.electricscotland.com/HISTORY/nation/swinton.htm The Scottish Nation – Swinton] electricscotland.com. Retrieved 17 March 2014.</ref>


===Wars of Scottish Independence===
===Wars of Scottish Independence===


Henry de Swinton appears on the [[Ragman Rolls]] as one of the nobility swearing fealty to King [[Edward I of England]] in 1296. He was joined in this by his brother, William, priest of the church of Swinton. However later the Swintons would support [[Robert I of Scotland|Robert the Bruce]] during the [[Wars of Scottish Independence]]. Sir John Swinton, great-grandson of Henry, was a distinguished soldier and statesman in the reigns of [[Robert II of Scotland]] and [[Robert III of Scotland]]. He was a commander at the [[Battle of Otterburn]] in July 1388 when the Scots won the day and defeated the English, although their leader, the [[James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas|Earl of Douglas]], was slain. Sir John Swinton was later killed leading the clan at the [[Battle of Humbleton Hill]] also known as Homildon Hill in 1402.
In 1296 Henry de Swinton and his brother, William, priest of the church of Swinton, appear on the [[Ragman Rolls]] swearing fealty to [[Edward I of England]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> Henry's great-grandson was [[Sir John Swinton, 14th of that Ilk|Sir John Swinton]] who was a distinguished soldier and statesman during the reigns of [[Robert II of Scotland]] and [[Robert III of Scotland]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> In 1388 he was a commander at the [[Battle of Otterburn]] where the Scots were victorious.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> His second wife was [[Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar]] but they had no children.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> His third wife was Princess Margaret who bore him a son, [[Sir John Swinton, 15th of that Ilk]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/>


===15th century and Hundred Years' War===
===France, Hundred Years War===


Swinton’s second wife was the [[Earl of Douglas|Countess of Douglas]] and [[Earl of Mar|Mar]], but they had no offspring. His third wife was Princess Margaret, who bore Swinton a son, later Sir John Swinton of Swinton, reckoned to be the fifteenth Lord of the name. During the [[Hundred Years' War]] he was a doughty warrior who fought and led the Clan Swinton at the [[Battle of Baugé]] against the English in [[France]] in 1421, where the French-Scottish forces were victorious. Although the credit for this is claimed by others, he is said to have been the knight who slew the [[Duke of Clarence]], brother of King [[Henry V of England]]. The incident appears in Sir Walter Scott’s poem, ‘The Lay of the Last Minstrel’. However Sir John Swinton was killed when the Clan Swinton fought at the [[Battle of Verneuil]] in France in 1424.
[[Sir John Swinton, 15th of that Ilk]] was a warrior who fought at the [[Battle of Baugé]] in France and is credited with killing the [[Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence|Duke of Clarence]], brother of [[Henry V of England]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> The incident appears in a poem by [[Walter Scott|Sir Walter Scott]], ''The Lay of the Last Minstrel''.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> However Swinton was later killed in 1424 at the [[Battle of Verneuil]] in France.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/>


===Modern history===
===16th century and Mary Queen of Scots===


Sir John Swinton was among the band of Scottish barons who signed the bond of protection of the infant King [[James VI of Scotland]] in 1567 against the [[Earl of Bothwell]] on his marriage to the child’s mother, [[Mary, Queen of Scots]].
In 1567 Sir John Swinton was one of the Scottish barons who signed the bond of protection of the infant [[James VI of Scotland]] against the [[Earl of Bothwell]] on his marriage to the child's mother, [[Mary, Queen of Scots]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/>


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In 1640 Sir Alexander Swinton, the 22nd chief, became sheriff of [[Berwickshire]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> He died in 1652 but left six sons and five daughters.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> His second son was another [[Alexander Swinton]] who was appointed to the Supreme Court of Scotland in 1688 and took the title Lord Mersington.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/>
===17th century and Civil War===


The eldest son, [[John Swinton (died 1679)|John]], was colonel for the regiment of Berwickshire, and in 1651 he was taken prisoner at the [[Battle of Worcester]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> His brother, Robert, died attempting to carry off [[Oliver Cromwell]]'s standard.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> In 1655 John was appointed by the Lord Protector to the Council of State he established to assist in ruling Scotland.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> He was said to have been Cromwell's most trusted man in Scotland and his involvement with Cromwell led to his being tried for treason in 1661.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> He escaped execution but his estates were forfeited and he was imprisoned for six years.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> He was succeeded by his son, Alexander in 1679 but he died without issue.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/>
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In 1640 Sir Alexander Swinton, the 22nd chief, became sheriff of [[Berwickshire]]. He died in 1652, leaving six sons and five daughters. His second son, Alexander, was appointed to the Supreme Court of Scotland in 1688, taking the title, ‘Lord Mersington’.
The Swintons supported the Royalists during the Civil War. The eldest son, John, was colonel for the regiment of Berwickshire, and at the [[Battle of Worcester]] in 1651, he was taken prisoner, and his brother, Robert, died in an attempt to carry off [[Oliver Cromwell]]’s standard.


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Alexander's brother, Sir John, succeeded as the twenty-fifth Laird of Swinton.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> After a successful career as a merchant in [[Holland]] he returned to Scotland in the wake of the [[Glorious Revolution]] of 1688 which brought [[William III of England|William of Orange]] to the throne with his wife, Queen Mary.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/>
John was later appointed by the Lord Protector to the Council of State he established to assist in ruling Scotland in 1655. His involvement with Cromwell led to his being tried for treason in 1661, and although he escaped the block, his estates were forfeited and he was imprisoned for six years. He died in 1679 and was succeeded by his son, Alexander, who later died without issue.


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Swinton sat in both the Scottish Parliament and, later, in the British, at Westminster.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> He was appointed as the President of the Committee for Trade in Scotland.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> John Swinton, the twenty-seventh Laird, became a member of the Supreme Court in 1782, taking the title Lord Swinton.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/>
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Alexander’s brother, Sir John, succeeded as the twenty-fifth Laird of Swinton who, after a successful career as a merchant in [[Holland]], returned to Scotland in the wake of the [[Glorious Revolution]] of 1688 which brought [[William III of England|William of Orange]] to the throne with his wife, Queen Mary.


The modern Swintons have produced some notable public figures. Captain [[George Swinton]], descended from the [[Kimmerghame House, Berwickshire|Swintons of Kimmerghame]], a cadet of the chiefly house, was [[Lord Lyon King of Arms]], and Secretary to the [[Order of the Thistle]] from 1926 to 1929,<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Swinton"/> [[Ernest Dunlop Swinton|Major-General Sir Ernest Dunlop Swinton]] was the author of ''[[The Defence of Duffer's Drift]]'' and was one of the driving forces behind early [[tank]] development and training in [[World War I|WWI]]. [[Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton]] is regarded by many as the father of modern television.<ref name=Electricscotland /> A prominent member of the family is the actress [[Tilda Swinton]], who is a great-granddaughter of Captain George Swinton.
===18th century===


==Clan Chief==
[[Image:Swintontownhall.jpg|thumb|upright|Swinton Town Hall, Berwickshire]]


The chief of Clan Swinton is Rolfe William Swinton, 36th [[of that Ilk]].<ref name="ScotClans"/> His son, Maxim Jasper Swinton, is in line to be the 37th of that Ilk.
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His father’s forfeiture was rescinded, and Swinton sat in both the Scottish Parliament and, later, in the British, at Westminster. John Swinton of that Ilk, the twenty-seventh Laird, became a member of the Supreme Court in 1782, taking the title, ‘Lord Swinton’.


===Modern history===
==Clan Castles==


*Swinton House in [[Swinton, Scottish Borders|Swinton]], [[Berwickshire]] is a classical mansion dating from 1800.<ref name="Coventry"/> However it stands on the site of a castle that was destroyed by fire in 1797.<ref name="Coventry"/> The lands had been held by the Swintons since the time of Malcolm Canmore ([[Malcolm III of Scotland]]) in the eleventh century.<ref name="Coventry"/> The property had passed to the [[Clan Macnab]] by the nineteenth century.<ref name="Coventry"/> The chiefly Swintons now live in New York, USA.<ref name="Coventry"/>
[[Image:Kimmerghameswinton.jpg|thumb|upright|Kimmerghame House before the fire]]
*[[Cranshaws Castle]] was held by the Swintons from 1400 to 1702.<ref name="Coventry"/>
The modern Swintons have produced some very notable characters. Captain George Swinton, descended from the Swintons of Kimmerghame, a cadet of the chiefly house, was [[Lord Lyon]], [[King of Arms]], and Secretary to the [[Order of the Thistle]] from 1926 to 1929. Major-General Sir [[Ernest Dunlop Swinton|Ernest Dunlop Swinton]] was the mind behind the [[Tank]]. [[Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton]] formulated the ideas for the modern form of [[Television]]. Sir [[Samuel Swinton Jacob]] was a key architect on many of India's buildings. Major-General Sir John Swinton, who still resides at Kimmerghame, is the Lord Lieutenant of Berwickshire, and father of the actress [[Tilda Swinton]]. The present chief is a Canadian currently living in [[London]], Rolfe William Swinton 36th of that Ilk<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swintonfamilysociety.org/web%20charts%20Jan%202005/Swint%20Ch.01-3/SWINTON_Ch01F-1_Sh2.pdf|title=www.swintonfamilysociety.org swinton tree|format=PDF}}</ref>
*[[Kimmerghame House]] and estate was bought by Archibald Swinton on his return from India serving under [[Robert Clive|Clive]], along with [[Manderston House]] (though this was later sold in favour of Kimmerghame) in the second half of the eighteenth century. A new house was commissioned by the family and built by [[David Bryce]] in 1851, although it was badly damaged by fire in 1938 and only partially rebuilt.<ref name="Coventry"/> Until 2018, the [[laird]] was Major-General [[John Swinton (British Army officer)|Sir John Swinton]], a former [[Lord Lieutenant of Berwickshire]] and the father of the actress [[Tilda Swinton]].

*Little Swinton near [[Coldstream]], site of a castle once held by the Swintons but destroyed by the English in 1482.<ref name="Coventry"/>
==See also==
*Mersington Tower near [[Greenlaw]], site of a castle originally held by the [[Clan Kerr]] and then by the Swintons.<ref name="Coventry"/> It was burned by the English in 1545.<ref name="Coventry"/> Alexander Swinton, Lord Mersington was amongst those who led an attack on the [[Holyrood Palace|Chapel Royal]] at Holyrood during a Protestant riot in 1688.<ref name="Coventry"/>
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*[[Scottish clan]]
*Stevenson near [[Peebles]], site of a tower house originally held by the Swintons but passed by marriage to the [[Clan Sinclair]] in the seventeenth century.<ref name="Coventry"/>
*[[Swinton]]
*[[Alan Archibald Campbell Swinton]]
*[[Ernest Dunlop Swinton]]
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*[[George Swinton]]
*[[Samuel Swinton Jacob]]
*[[Tilda Swinton]]


==Notes and references==
==Notes and references==
Line 72: Line 72:


==External links==
==External links==
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070319211927/http://www.myclan.com/clans/Swinton_133/default.php My Clan – Swinton]
*[http://www.swintonfamilysociety.org/index.html www.swintonfamilysociety.org] - Swinton family Society
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* [http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/stoz/swinton2.htm Electric Scotland – Swinton]
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*[http://www.myclan.com/clans/Swinton_133/default.php http://www.myclan.com/clans/Swinton_133/default.php]
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*[http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/stoz/swinton2.htm http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/stoz/swinton2.htm]


{{Scottish clans}}
{{Scottish clans}}


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[[Category:Clan Swinton| ]]
[[Category:Scottish clans|Swinton]]
[[Category:Scottish clans|Swinton]]
[[Category:Boars in heraldry]]

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[[Category:Scottish Lowlands]]
[[pl:Swinton (ród)]]

Latest revision as of 01:31, 21 March 2024

This article is about the Scottish clan. For other uses, see Swinton (disambiguation).

Clan Swinton
Crest: A boar chained to a tree[1]
MottoJ'espere ("I hope")[1]
Profile
RegionLowlands
DistrictBerwickshire
Chief
Rolfe William Swinton of that Ilk[2]
Chief of the Name and Arms of Swinton.[3]
SeatNew York, United States.[4]
Historic seatSwinton House, Berwickshire[4]

Clan Swinton is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands.[5]

History[edit]

Origins of the clan[edit]

The Swinton chiefs are likely to have been of Anglo-Saxon origin, possibly descended from the prominent nobles of the kingdom of Northumbria.[5] The kingdom of Northumberland straddled the modern day border between Scotland and England.[5] According to tradition the name was acquired for their bravery in clearing the country of wild boar, with the family arms alluding to this legend.[5] However, the name is more likely to have been of territorial origin: the village of Swinewood in the county of Berwickshire was granted by Edgar, King of Scotland, son of Malcolm III of Scotland to Coldingham Priory in 1098 following the Norman Conquest of England to the south .[5]

In around 1136/7, Ernulf de Swinton received one of the first private charters recorded in Scotland which confirmed his property from David I of Scotland.[5] This is one of two original charters of David kept in the cartulary of Durham, both to Ernulf, wherein he is told to "hold his lands as freely as any of the king’s barons", and importantly is termed Miles in both, making him the first recorded instance of a Scottish Knight.[6]

Of note, the charters reference Ernulf's father (Udard), grandfather (Liulf) and great-grandfather (Eadulf) as holding the land before him.[7] Eadulf is believed to have been granted the land by his cousin Malcolm III of Scotland in return for military support against Macbeth. This, according to 20th century historian James Lees-Milne, would make Eadulf the first subject of Scotland whose land ownership could be proved, and means the Swinton Family would by this hypothesis be one of only five (see Arden family, Berkeley family, Grindlay family, Wentworth family) that could trace its unbroken land ownership and lineage to before the Norman Conquest, making it one of the oldest landed families in Britain.[8][9][10]

The Bookplate of Sir John Swinton, titled 'Baron of Swinton'[11]

The clan has held the Baronies of Swinton and Cranshaws. The latter is now separated from the clan. The family holds Feudal Barony status with numerous charters confirming this.[12]

Wars of Scottish Independence[edit]

In 1296 Henry de Swinton and his brother, William, priest of the church of Swinton, appear on the Ragman Rolls swearing fealty to Edward I of England.[5] Henry's great-grandson was Sir John Swinton who was a distinguished soldier and statesman during the reigns of Robert II of Scotland and Robert III of Scotland.[5] In 1388 he was a commander at the Battle of Otterburn where the Scots were victorious.[5] His second wife was Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar but they had no children.[5] His third wife was Princess Margaret who bore him a son, Sir John Swinton, 15th of that Ilk.[5]

France, Hundred Years War[edit]

Sir John Swinton, 15th of that Ilk was a warrior who fought at the Battle of Baugé in France and is credited with killing the Duke of Clarence, brother of Henry V of England.[5] The incident appears in a poem by Sir Walter Scott, The Lay of the Last Minstrel.[5] However Swinton was later killed in 1424 at the Battle of Verneuil in France.[5]

Modern history[edit]

In 1567 Sir John Swinton was one of the Scottish barons who signed the bond of protection of the infant James VI of Scotland against the Earl of Bothwell on his marriage to the child's mother, Mary, Queen of Scots.[5]

In 1640 Sir Alexander Swinton, the 22nd chief, became sheriff of Berwickshire.[5] He died in 1652 but left six sons and five daughters.[5] His second son was another Alexander Swinton who was appointed to the Supreme Court of Scotland in 1688 and took the title Lord Mersington.[5]

The eldest son, John, was colonel for the regiment of Berwickshire, and in 1651 he was taken prisoner at the Battle of Worcester.[5] His brother, Robert, died attempting to carry off Oliver Cromwell's standard.[5] In 1655 John was appointed by the Lord Protector to the Council of State he established to assist in ruling Scotland.[5] He was said to have been Cromwell's most trusted man in Scotland and his involvement with Cromwell led to his being tried for treason in 1661.[5] He escaped execution but his estates were forfeited and he was imprisoned for six years.[5] He was succeeded by his son, Alexander in 1679 but he died without issue.[5]

Alexander's brother, Sir John, succeeded as the twenty-fifth Laird of Swinton.[5] After a successful career as a merchant in Holland he returned to Scotland in the wake of the Glorious Revolution of 1688 which brought William of Orange to the throne with his wife, Queen Mary.[5]

Swinton sat in both the Scottish Parliament and, later, in the British, at Westminster.[5] He was appointed as the President of the Committee for Trade in Scotland.[5] John Swinton, the twenty-seventh Laird, became a member of the Supreme Court in 1782, taking the title Lord Swinton.[5]

The modern Swintons have produced some notable public figures. Captain George Swinton, descended from the Swintons of Kimmerghame, a cadet of the chiefly house, was Lord Lyon King of Arms, and Secretary to the Order of the Thistle from 1926 to 1929,[5] Major-General Sir Ernest Dunlop Swinton was the author of The Defence of Duffer's Drift and was one of the driving forces behind early tank development and training in WWI. Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton is regarded by many as the father of modern television.[12] A prominent member of the family is the actress Tilda Swinton, who is a great-granddaughter of Captain George Swinton.

Clan Chief[edit]

The chief of Clan Swinton is Rolfe William Swinton, 36th of that Ilk.[2] His son, Maxim Jasper Swinton, is in line to be the 37th of that Ilk.

Clan Castles[edit]

  • Swinton House in Swinton, Berwickshire is a classical mansion dating from 1800.[4] However it stands on the site of a castle that was destroyed by fire in 1797.[4] The lands had been held by the Swintons since the time of Malcolm Canmore (Malcolm III of Scotland) in the eleventh century.[4] The property had passed to the Clan Macnab by the nineteenth century.[4] The chiefly Swintons now live in New York, USA.[4]
  • Cranshaws Castle was held by the Swintons from 1400 to 1702.[4]
  • Kimmerghame House and estate was bought by Archibald Swinton on his return from India serving under Clive, along with Manderston House (though this was later sold in favour of Kimmerghame) in the second half of the eighteenth century. A new house was commissioned by the family and built by David Bryce in 1851, although it was badly damaged by fire in 1938 and only partially rebuilt.[4] Until 2018, the laird was Major-General Sir John Swinton, a former Lord Lieutenant of Berwickshire and the father of the actress Tilda Swinton.
  • Little Swinton near Coldstream, site of a castle once held by the Swintons but destroyed by the English in 1482.[4]
  • Mersington Tower near Greenlaw, site of a castle originally held by the Clan Kerr and then by the Swintons.[4] It was burned by the English in 1545.[4] Alexander Swinton, Lord Mersington was amongst those who led an attack on the Chapel Royal at Holyrood during a Protestant riot in 1688.[4]
  • Stevenson near Peebles, site of a tower house originally held by the Swintons but passed by marriage to the Clan Sinclair in the seventeenth century.[4]

Notes and references[edit]

  1. ^ a b Nisbet, Alexander (1816). A System of Heraldry. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: Blackwood. p. 315.
  2. ^ a b Clan Swinton Profile scotclans.com. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  3. ^ burkes-peerage
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Coventry, Martin. (2008). Castles of the Clans: The Strongholds and Seats of 750 Scottish Families and Clans. pp. 565–566. ISBN 978-1-899874-36-1.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad 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. 334–335.
  6. ^ Anderson, James. (1705). An historical essay showing that the Crown of Scotland is imperial and independent.
  7. ^ Misc.Ch. 564. & 565, Cartulary of Durham, http://reed.dur.ac.uk/xtf/view?docId=ead/dcd/dcdmisch.xml
  8. ^ Burke, Sir Bernard. A Genealogical & Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain & Ireland, 18th Edition, Volume 1
  9. ^ Greenlee, Ralph Stebbins (1908). Genealogy of the Greenlee Families in America, Scotland, Ireland and England. Privately Printed.
  10. ^ Sir Bernard Burke: A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Colonial Gentry: Vol.I: Wentworth of Vaucluse: pp.95-97
  11. ^ Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1 May 2007). A Complete Guide to Heraldry. Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN 978-1-60239-001-0.
  12. ^ a b The Scottish Nation – Swinton electricscotland.com. Retrieved 17 March 2014.

External links[edit]

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