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Clan Allardice (Tartans, Crest) and The Story Behind

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Allardice

Clan Crest: A demi-savage holding in the dexter hand a scymitar, all Proper

Clan Motto: In The Defence Of The Distressed

Region: Lowlands

Historic Seat: Allardyce Castle, Kincardinshire

Clan Chief: Richard Christopher Barclay Allardice of Allardice

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Clan Allardice History

Allardyce and Allardes are two spelling variations of the name. The name derives from the old barony of Allardice in the parish of Arbuthnott, Kinkardineshire. The recipient of a charter from William the Lion of the lands of Alrethis took his name from the area. It is thought to have gotten its name from the Middle English "aller" (Old English pre-7th Century "alor"), alder, and an uncertain second element, thought to be the Gaelic "deas", south (facing). "It is not a common name, but all who bear it believe that they are descended from the old family who lived for so long on the banks of the Bervie Water."

The first recorded spelling of the family name is that of Alexander de Allyrdas in the "Episcopal Register of Aberdeen" in 1294, during the reign of John Balliol, Ruler of Scotland, 1292 - 1296. Alexander de Allyrdas, who witnessed a charter of the lands of Glack around 1294, is most likely the same Alisaundre de Allerdashe of the county of Kinkardyn who rendered homage in 1296. In the same year, Walter de Allerdas also paid tribute.

The Castle of Allardice is located one mile north-west of Bervie. The L-plan tower house of the Allardice family was built at the end of the 16th century on a terrace surrounded on three sides by a deep river meander. When the castle was passed down through marriage to the Barclays of Urie in the late 18th century, it was converted into a farmhouse. It was damaged by fire in the 1970s but was restored by William Cowie, an Aberdeen architect, who still lives there. The castle was most likely built for John Allardyce (d. c.1606), who married the daughter of the 3rd Earl Marischal. Sir John Allardice (1641-76), his great-great-grandson, married the sister and co-heir of the 8th Earl of Menteith and 2nd Earl of Airth, establishing a family claim to these earldoms and tracing the family lineage back to King Robert II of Scotland. Although the claim was well known in the 18th century, it was not pursued until the 19th century, primarily because Sir George Allardyce left the family in debt and the funds to fight the claim were not readily available. The cost of proceedings also hampered three unsuccessful claims made by later generations in the House of Lords between 1834 and 1907.

Sir George Allardyce (1672-1709), an MP and Master of the Mint in Scotland in the early 18th century, expanded the castle around 1695. His grandson, James Allardice, died in 1765, leaving an only daughter and heir, who carried the Allardice name and estates into that family through her marriage to Robert Barclay. Her son, Capt. Robert Barclay-Allardice (1779-1854), became known as "the celebrated pedestrian" for various feats of endurance walking in the early nineteenth century. He was the one who first pursued the family's claim to the Scottish earldoms in 1834. Margaret Barclay-Allardice (1816-1903), his daughter and heir, was apparently born prior to her parents' marriage, but was legitimated by it under Scottish law. She settled in America and sold the Barclay and Allardice family estates at Ury and Allardice in 1854, but this did not prevent her from pursuing the earldom claim in 1870. She married twice and took back her maiden name after both of her husbands died. Her elder son, Robert Barclay-Allardice (b. 1841), who made money as a stockbroker in New York and retired to Cornwall, made a final attempt to claim the earldoms in 1907. In 1909, he married his housemaid, Beatrice Jeffrey, and soon after they had a daughter, the last member of the family to live in England. He was declared bankrupt in 1910, and although he was still alive in 1914, it is likely that he died soon after, most likely abroad, as no record of his death has been found in the UK.

Clan Allardice People & Places

People of Clan Allardice

Robert Barclay-Allardice, Capt (1779-1854)

Robert Barclay Allardice, 6th Laird of Ury (1779-1854). Captain Barclay, also known as the celebrated pedestrian, was a notable Scottish walker of the early nineteenth century.

Clan Allardice Locations

The Castle of Allardice

Allardice Castle, near Inverbervie in Aberdeenshire, was built in 1542 as the seat of the Barons of Allardice, a family first mentioned in a charter in 1197. The castle has undergone numerous renovations over the centuries.

Clan Allardice Tartans

Because there is no Allardice Tartan registered, they can wear the Graham of Montrose tartans because they are considered a sept of Clan Graham.

Graham on Montrose Historic

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Graham of Montrose Contemporary

Clan Allardice Crest & Coats of Arms

Clan Allardice Coat of Arms

Worn by everyone with the same name and ancestry

Description of the Crest:

A demi-savage wielding a scymitar in his dexter hand, all Proper

Coats of Arms of Clan Allardice

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.

Arms: Argent, a fess waved gules between three erased boar's heads sable. (A silver/white shield with a wavy red band running through three black boars' heads)

On March 12, 2007, Lord Lyon granted the Chief of the Allardice Family his official coat of arms. (These are Chief Richard's personal arms.)

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Mrs Margaret Barclay Allardice quartered and matriculated this crest in 1883 as follows:

Quarterly, 1 and 4, argent, a fesse wavy gules between three erased sable boars' heads, the second armed and langued (for Allardice of Allardice); 2. Azure, a chevron and three crosses patee agent (for Barclay of Ury); 3. Quarterly i. and ii. argent on a chief sable, three escallops or ii. and iii. or, a fesse cheqy azure and argent, in chief a chevronel gules, a chevronel gules, a chevronel (for Graham, Earls of Menteith and Airth). Mantling is gules with argent doubled. Crests - on the dexter side, a naked man from the middle, in his dexter hand a scimitar all proper; and in an escroll over the same this Motto, "In defence of the distressed" (for Allardice), and on the sinister side, a Bishop's mitre or; and in an escroll over the same this Motto, "In cruce spero" (for Barclay). Light blue livery with white facings.

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