Article
Scott
Motto: Amo (I love)
The surname Scott is one of the twelve commonest in Scotland where is has a long association with the Border region as well as being found frequently in the northern counties of England. The name as we know it today is Old English and originally meant ‘an Irishman’, the name obviously came into English from the Latin, brought by the Roman occupation, Scotus was the Latin name for Ireland. The Scotii tribe on spreading into Scotland gave their name to it and so Scott must have been settlers from beyond the Forth. There will of course be many families of the name in that area, each having no connection except that they were regarded as Scots by the southern neighbours.
The first of this name to be recorded in Scotland was Uchtred filius Scot who appeared as a witness in an inquisition of Earl David c.1124. His son, Richard, called Richard le Scot was living in 1158. He is said to have two sons, Richard, Richard le Scot de Murthochston, and Michael. From Richard stemmed the Buccleuch family and Sir Michael was the progenitor of the Scotts of Balwearie and Ancrum. Sir Michael possessed large estates in Fifeshire including the lands of Ceres that he acquired from Margaret whom he married.
Richard married Alicia, daughter of Henry de Molla from whom he received lands in Roxburghshire in the reign of Alexander II. His heir William had two sons, Walter and Richard who both swore fealty to Edward I of England in 1296. Walter of Scotstoun was the elder and his descendants remained the senior line until they died out some fifty years later. Richard married the heiress of Murthochston in Lanarkshire and assumed into his arms ‘the bond of Murdiestoun’. He later became ranger of the Etterick Forest which brought him the lands of Ranhiburn in the county of Selkirk later known as the Buccleuch estates.
Richard died in 1320 and his son Sir Michael was a staunch supporter of Bruce and later David II. He was killed at the Battle of Durham in 1346. He left two sons, Robert who added Scotstoun to the estates of Buccleuch and John from whom descended the ancient cadet House of Synton in the counties of Selkirk and Roxburgh from whom descended the Scotts of Harden and the Lords Polwarth.
The powerful position of the Scotts continued and was maintained in the borders due to numerous cadet houses of the name and their large land acquisitions. The Synton race produced the house of Harden. That line died out in 1770 and the estates devolved to Walter Scott of Highchester who married Mary Countess of Buccleuch. Other branches of the Scotts include: the Scotts of Ancrum, Thirlestane, Tushielaw, Raeburn, Mallery, Duninald, Benholme, Logie, Brotherton, Scotstarvet, and Hassendean. The famed poet and novelist Walter Scott, was descended from the Harden branch.
Choose from one of the Scott tartans listed below:
