Clan Swinton
| Clan Swinton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Motto | J'espere (I Hope)[1] |
| Profile | |
| Region | Lowlands |
| District | Berwickshire |
| Chief | |
 | |
| Rolfe William Swinton[1] | |
| Chief of the Name and Arms of Swinton.[2] | |
| Seat | New York, USA. |
| Historic seat | Swinton, Berwickshire |
Clan Swinton is a Lowland Scottish clan.[3]
History
Origins of the clan
The Swinton chiefs seem to be of Saxon origin and descended from the prominent nobles of the kingdom of Northumberland.[3] The kingdom of Northumberland straddled the modern day border between Scotland and England.[3] 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.[3] 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 and the Swintons' possession of their lands was confirmed by a charter of Coldingham Priory during the reign of William the Lion.[3]
In around 1140, Edulph de Swinton received one of the first charters recorded in Scotland which confirmed his property from David I of Scotland.[3]
Title
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.[5] 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".[5] Indeed, Sir John Swinton of that Ilk, sitting in the Parliaments of both Scotland and Great Britain, is witnessed without fail in the list of Barons attesting certain documents.[6]
Wars of Scottish Independence
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.[3] 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.[3] In 1388 he was a commander at the Battle of Otterburn where the Scots were victorious.[3] His second wife was Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar but they had no children.[3] His third wife was Princess Margaret who bore him a son, Sir John Swinton, 15th of that Ilk.[3]
France, Hundred Years' War
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.[3] The incident appears in a poem by Sir Walter Scott, The Lay of the Last Minstrel.[3] However Swinton was later killed at the Battle of Verneuil in 1424 France.[3]
16th century and 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.[3]
17th century and Civil War
In 1640 Sir Alexander Swinton, the 22nd chief, became sheriff of Berwickshire.[3] He died in 1652 but left six sons and five daughters.[3] His second son was another Alexander Swinton who was appointed to the Supreme Court of Scotland in 1688 and took the title ‘Lord Mersington’.[3]
The eldest son, John, was colonel for the regiment of Berwickshire, and in 1651 he was taken prisoner at the Battle of Worcester.[3] His brother, Robert, died attempting to carry off Oliver Cromwell’s standard.[3] In 1655 John was appointed by the Lord Protector to the Council of State he established to assist in ruling Scotland.[3] 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.[3] He escaped execution but his estates were forfeited and he was imprisoned for six years.[3] He is, by some, regarded as the founder of Quakerism.[5] He was succeeded by his son, Alexander in 1679 but he died without issue.[3]
Alexander’s brother, Sir John, succeeded as the twenty-fifth Laird of Swinton.[3] 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.[3]
18th century
Swinton sat in both the Scottish Parliament and, later, in the British, at Westminster.[3] He was appointed as the President of the Committee for Trade in Scotland.[3] John Swinton, the twenty-seventh Laird, became a member of the Supreme Court in 1782, taking the title, ‘Lord Swinton’.[3]
Modern history
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,[3] Major-General Sir Ernest Dunlop Swinton was the mind behind the Tank and Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton is regarded by many as the father of modern television.[5]
Clan Chief
The chief of Clan Swinton is Rolfe William Swinton, 36th of that Ilk.[1]
Notes and references
- ^ a b c d Clan Swinton Profile scotclans.com. Retrieved 15 December, 2013.
- ^ burkes-peerage
- ^ 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. 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 334 - 335.
- ^ Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (2007-05-01). A Complete Guide to Heraldry. ISBN 978-1-60239-001-0.
- ^ a b c d The Scottish Nation - Swinton electricscotland.com. Retrieved 17 March, 2014.
- ^ Records of the Parliament of Scotland to 1707
