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Clan Cumming (Tartans, Crest) and The Story Behind

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Cumming

Gaelic Name: Cuimean

Clan Crest: A lion rampant, Or, in his dexter paw a dagger, Proper

Clan Motto: Courage

Origin of Name: Placename, Flanders

Clan Badge: Cumin plant

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Cumming Clan History

When William the Conqueror arrived in England, he brought with him a companion named Robert of Comyn, who was named after Comines in Flanders and whom he made Earl of Northumberland in 1069. When David I came to Scotland, his grandson Richard accompanied him and was appointed Chancellor of Scotland in 1133.

It's worth noting how quickly the Comyns established themselves and their power. They settled in Badenoch, where the clan's chiefs were known as Lords of Badenoch and ruled from the impregnable Lochindorb island castle.

A recreation of Lochindorb Castle, which was built in the 13th century by the Cummings. The castle was constructed in the middle of Lochindorb on what is now thought to be a man-made island.

Richard married Hexstilda of Tynedale, King Donald Ban's granddaughter. Through marriage, their son William became Earl of Buchan, and his son from a previous marriage became Earl of Menteith and Lord of Badenoch.

When King David I's line died out in 1286, the Comyns were the most powerful family in Scotland, with two claims to the vacant throne. In 1292, however, King John took the throne. He was the grandson of David's great-granddaughter Devorguilla and John Balliol, the founder of Balliol College in Oxford and another of Scotland's most powerful men.

When King John was deposed, the Balliols fled to England, and the most powerful man in the country was once again a Comyn. Devorguilla's grandson, known as 'The Red Comyn,' ruled with complete self-interest, fighting for Scotland at times and England at others.

Because he represented the legitimate royal line, Robert the Bruce stabbed him to death in 1306 in the Church of the Minorite Friars in Dumfries. Following the War of Independence, Bruce became King the following month, and the Comyns were destroyed and powerless by 1308.

The Red Comyn's only son, John, was killed at Bannockburn while attempting to avenge his father. Sir Robert, John's uncle, was also murdered in that Dumfries church in 1306. He was not Devorguilla's descendant, and his descendants were not as persecuted as their cousins. This branch acquired Altyre in Moray, and it has remained the clan's chief seat to this day, using the spelling Cumming.

Clan Cumming Places & People

Clan Cumming Individuals

John Comyn II (died c.1302)

The son of John 'the Red' of Badenoch and Tynedale, 'The Black Comyn' was born. When Margaret, Maid of Norway died in 1290, the Comyn family was at the pinnacle of their power. There were 13 claims to her throne, and Comyn was one of the 'competitors' based on Donald Ban's descent.

Eleanor, John Balliol's sister, married him, and in 1295 he worked with his brother in law to renew the 'Auld Alliance' with France. This brought Edward I across the border in 1296, and Comyn assisted Balliol by providing refuge in Badenoch. Balliol, on the other hand, abdicated, and Comyn found himself a prisoner in England.

When the Earl of Buchan was in distress in 1297, Comyn was released to assist him. Instead, for a time, both men banded together to support William Wallace.

John Comyn III (circa 1274 – December 10, 1306)

While his father was dubbed 'the Black Comyn,' John Comyn junior was dubbed 'the Red Comyn' after his grandfather. He was released from the Tower of London, like his father, to fight for Edward I, this time against the French, only to ask for their assistance in removing Edward from Scotland. He returned to Scotland and started fighting for William Wallace.

Between 1298 and 1304, he served as one of Scotland's guardians, and at a time when the country's leaders pretended that their own self-interest was the best for the country, Comyn was despised by his colleagues.

In 1304 he accepted a generous deal from Edward and became a member of his 'Scottish Council'. Two years later, on February 10, in the Franciscan priory Church of the Minorite Friars, he was challenged by Robert the Bruce, whom he nearly strangled in an argument in 1299. Bruce stabbed him to death at the altar (pictured above) either because he refused to support Robert or because he threatened to expose his intentions.

Mr. Angus Cumming

Angus Cumming was a Strathspey native, and as an accomplished fiddler, he performed many Strathspey reels, most notably the 'Scottish Snap,' a short-long, long-short note form.

He believed that the Strathspey reel style had been 'preserved in the greatest purity' in his own country. He published 'A Collection of Old Strathspeys, or Old Highland Reels' in 1780.

Alan Cumming (born January 27, 1965)

Alan Cumming is a stage, film, and television actor, as well as an activist, singer, and writer. Cumming, who was born in Aberfeldy, Perthshire, began his stage career in the 1980s, performing in theatres across Scotland at the same time he began working on television. Alan Cumming has received both an Olivier and a Tony Award for his work in theatre. He currently resides in New York and holds dual British and American citizenship.

Cumming Tartans

Cumming tartan was first recorded as 'Cumming' in 1850. However, it had existed prior to that, and was even recorded under the name MacAuley as early as 1831. Despite the fact that the two tartans are now distinct.

Cumming Contemporary

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Ancient Cumming Hunting

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Modern Cumming Hunting

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Weathered Cumming Hunting

Clan Cumming Crest & Coats of Arms

Cumming Clan Crest

Worn by everyone with the same name and ancestry

Description of the Crest:

A roaring lion, Proper has a dagger in his dexter paw.

Coats of Arms of Clan Cumming

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). A 'family coat of arms' does not exist. With the exceptions noted above, the arms depicted below are personal arms. Only the person who has been granted these weapons has the right to use them.