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Clan Bannatyne (Tartans, Crest) and The Story Behind

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Bannatyne

Clan Crest: A demi-griffin, in his dexter paw a sword erect, Proper

Clan Motto: Nec Cito Nec Tarde (Neither fast nor slow)

Origin of Tartan: There is no Bannatyne Tartan Registered. The Campbell tartan is the most relevant.

Origin of Name: The name Bennachtain derives from an unknown location.

Lands: New Lanark, Bute, Arran

Region: Lowlands

Historic Seat: Corra Castle - historic seat, now ruinous. And Kames Castle on Bute

Clan Chief: None, armigerous clan

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Clan Bannatyne History

The Bute (and later Arran) Bannatynes (Kames) and the Larnarkshire (Corhouse) Bannatynes are the two main branches of the Bannatynes. The connection between these two branches is hazy. It's best to treat them as distinct families.

Clan Campbell's Bute Bannatynes are a sept.

The name Bannatyne is derived from the place name Bennachtain, but the exact location is unknown. The name was spelled Benachtyne, Bannachtyne, and other variations.

Many mediaeval manuscripts contain the earliest references to this name. Early examples include a William de Bennothine, who witnessed a grant to the Hospital of Soltre by David Olifard between 1153 and 1177. Between 1278 and 1294, Nicolas de Benothyne witnessed a charter by William de Moravia in favor of the same hospital. Sir Richard of Bannochtine of the Corhouse, who flourished, called himself 'Bannachty' at times, and his son is known as Sir John Bannatyne. This spelling was used until Charles II's reign.

Bannatyne of Kames

Walter the High Steward granted a charter to Gilbert, son of Gilbert of the threepenny lands of Kylmacolmac in the middle of the island in 1318 for the service of one archer in the army and attendance at three courts in Bute. Cainys, now Kames, was taken over by the Bannatynes. Kames is a small village in Argyll and Bute on the Cowal peninsula.

In the reign of Alexander III, Gilbert Bannatyne of Kames flourished, and his grandson John Bannatyne was laird and keeper of Rothesay Castle for the Stewarts in 1334.

The Bannatynes were most likely rulers and governors of Rothesay before there was a Town Council or a Royal Burgh. There is no written evidence to support the popular belief that the land was granted to the Bannatynes by Robert the Bruce in exchange for service at Bannockburn. Nonetheless, the Bannatynes were a powerful family who enjoyed royal favor. This is visible in the village of Port Bannatyne, about three miles from Rothesay.

The Bannatynes can be traced as being in possession of Kames as early as the fourteenth century, when it is assumed that Kames castle, a single tower that was long the family's residence, was built. Gilbert, son of Gilbert, received Kames Castle through a charter from King Alexander III. Bannatyne of Kames was the leader of the Bute Bannatynes.

Feud between Spence and Bannatyne

Land was divided between the estates of Kames and Wester Kames, and it passed from one to the other at times and was shared at others. Spens of Wester Kames, Bannatyne of Kames, and the Stuarts of Bute were the most powerful landowners.

Hector Bannatyne of Kames, representing the landowners of Bute, and Matthew Spence, representing the landowners of Rothesay, were among those who signed the National Covenant in 1638.

A tumulus (earthen mound) was removed while constructing a road, and many human bones were discovered mixed in with the stones. Tradition holds that this is the final resting place of one of the Wester Kames Spences who was killed in a battle with the Bannatynes of Easter Kames. He was buried there, and a cairn was built over him.

In 1547, the then-head of the family signed a mutual bond with Stuart of Bute in which each agreed to support the other against all comers except the King and the Earl of Argyll. Bannatyne had previously bound himself to the Earl in a Bond of Manrent in 1538.

Bannatyne had been having trouble getting some of his Cowal tenants to pay their rents, so two days later he went over to Auchincrossan in Cowal with one of the Spences and two other Bannatynes as witnesses. He ordered the tenants to pay their past-due rents or leave. They chose to ignore him. Six weeks later, he returned and threw three pieces of furniture out of each house, but the tenants refused to leave. He then returned and drove out all of their cattle on his own. Encouraged by young Lamont of Inveryne, the tenants drove the laird's cattle out and drove their own back in. Bannatyne, enraged, complained to Argyle that he was not providing the promised assistance. Argyle then summoned Inveryne to court in Dunoon, and the case was transferred to Kyle's Sheriff. Unfortunately, there is no written record of the court's findings, but they were presumably favorable to Bannatyne, as the family is known to have owned the lands in question from before 1475 until 1623.

They appear to have followed the Campbell Chiefs loyally from then on, with Bannatyne of Kames acting as a Campbell chieftain in all but name.

The Campbell connection to this name is limited to the Bannatynes of Bute and, later, Arran. Not all Bannatynes are related in the same way.

Arran now has a larger Bannatyne population than Bute.

Bannatynes of Corhouse

This is the most ancient branch of Bannatynes. The Bannatynes of Corhouse, of Newtyle, descended from the former; James Bannatyne of Newhall, son of the laird of Newtyle, Forfarshire, appointed a lord of session 14th February, 1626; died 1636; of Cainys, now Kames, in the Island of Bute; and of Kelly, founded by a second son of that family.

Castle Corra

Corra Castle is a fortified farmhouse built by the Bannatyne family in the 15th century. The Corehouse Estate now owns it.

It is unknown whether there is a Bannatyne connection to the Bonnytin estate in Ayrshire.

The Ballantynes of Peebles were pivotal in the development of the Scottish tweed trade in 1829, after becoming very important in the Scottish wool trade in the eighteenth century.

Possible link to the Earls of Lennox

Bannatyne is described as 'Chief of the MacAmelynes' in the 1547 Bond - a scribe's botched attempt at a name that sounds much more Gaelic in character and may reflect the true origin of this kindred. This name's derivation could be Amhalghaidh, which is sometimes spelled Aulay. Allan of Faslane's great-grandfather was Alwin, 2nd Earl of Lennox's son of the same name.

Prior to 1672, Bannatyne of Kames' arms were gules a chevron argent between three mullets or. At first glance, there appears to be no connection with the arms of the Earls of Lennox (argent a saltire between four roses gules), but a Bannatyne has used the arms of argent a chevron between four mullets gules on occasion. A chevron is the bottom part of a saltire and was used by Lecky of that Ilk (argent a chevron between three roses gules), whose ancestor was also a son of Alwyn, 2nd Earl of Lennox. Mullets (five-pointed stars) are not roses, but the shield as a whole appears to have a possible connection to a heraldic eye. A connection between the Bannatynes of Kames and the Earls of Lennox may be worth investigating further.

Clan Bannatyne Places & People

People of Clan Bannatyne

George Bannatyne (1545–1608)

Angus-born Edinburgh merchant and burgess best known as a collector of Scottish poems. He compiled an impressive anthology of contemporary Scots poetry that spanned eight hundred folio pages and was divided into five parts.

The Bannatyne Manuscript is regarded as one of the most important sources of Middle Scottish literature. Many works by Henryson, Dunbar, Lyndsay, Alexander Scott, and Alexander Montgomerie are included.

The National Library of Scotland now owns it.

Richard Bannatyne is a British politician (died 1605)

Scottish clergyman and scribe who worked as John Knox's secretary.

Sir William Macleod Bannatyne FRSE (1743–1833)

Advocate, judge, antiquarian, and historian from Scotland. Roderick Macleod's son and Isabel Bannatyne of Kames' daughter. On the death of Lord Swinton in 1765, he became an advocate, was promoted to the bench, and became Lord Bannatyne when he inherited his mother's estates on the Isle of Bute. He was in charge of greatly expanding Kames Castle on the island near Port Bannatyne, but he sold it to the Hamiltons in 1812.

Bernadine moved to Edinburgh and died in the Canongate's Whiteford House. The structure is now a residence for retired veterans.

Clan Bannatyne Locations

Corra Castle in Lanarkshire was once a Bannatyne stronghold and was built in the 1500s. The castle is now deserted and in ruins.

Clan Bannatyne Tartans

Bannatyne has no registered tartan, but as a sept of Clan Campbell, they are permitted to wear the Campbell tartans.

Campbell the Elder

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Campbell Dress

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Campbell Contemporary

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Campbell had been through a lot.

Clan Bannatyne Crest & Coats of Arms

Clan Bannatyne Coat of Arms

Worn by everyone with the same name and ancestry

Description of the Crest:

Proper is a demi-griffin with a sword erect in his dexter paw.

Coats of Arms of Clan Bannatyne

A word about Coats of Arms:

A coat of arms is granted to an individual under Scottish heraldic law (with the exception of civic or corporate arms). There are no such things as "family coats of arms." Personal weapons are depicted below (with the above exceptions). Only the person who has been granted these weapons has the right to use them.