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Clan Lockhart (Tartans, Crest) and The Story Behind

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Lockhart

Clan Crest: On a chapeau Gules furred Ermine a boar’s head erased Argent, langued Gules

Clan Motto: Corda Serrata Pando (I open locked hearts)

Lands: Lanarkshire

Historic Seat: Lee Castle

Clan Chief: Angus Hew Lockhart of the Lee

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Lockhart Clan History

The Clan Lockhart arrived in Scotland with the waves of Normans following the Norman invasion of England in 1066. The Lockharts settled in Lanark and Ayrshire, where the towns of Symington and Stevenson bear witness to Simon and Steven Locard's past influence. The precise date when the Lee lands came into the family is unknown, but 1272 is widely accepted.

In the wars against the English, Symon (Second of Lee) gained fame for himself and his family by fighting alongside King Robert the Bruce and was knighted for his loyal service. Simon Lockhart the 2nd of Lee accompanied 'Good Sir James Douglas' of the Clan Douglas on the crusades in 1330, when he took the heart of Robert the Bruce. Simon Lockhart was the one who carried the key to the casket containing the heart. After James Douglas was killed in Spain, Simon rescued the casket and heart and returned them to Scotland. According to legend, the arms of a 'heart within a fetterlock' gave rise to the name in its current form.

During the 14th century crusades, the Lockharts brought back a valuable heirloom that has been treasured ever since. The "Lee Penny" is its name. Sir Simon Lockhart captured a Moorish Emir at the Battle of Teba in Spain and received an amulet or stone with healing powers from the man's mother as part of his ransom. Sir Simon was told by the Prince's mother that the stone was a sovereign remedy for bleeding and fever, the bite of a mad dog, and sickness in horses and cattle. The stone is dark red and triangular in shape, and it was later set in a silver coin, which has now been identified as a four penny piece from King Edward IV's reign. The Lee Penny is housed in a gold snuffbox that Maria Theresa, Empress of Austria, gave to her general Count James Lockhart in 1789. The Lee Penny's fame spread throughout Scotland and Northern England, and there are numerous documented instances when it was used with apparent success.

The 7th Laird was knighted by King James IV of Scotland, and the 8th Laird was involved in a forgery case in the 16th century. His son, Alan, 9th Laird, was sentenced to the block for the murders of David and Ralph Weir on separate occasions, and they were seen to be in constant feud with this family at the time. His sentence was commuted, and he was granted'remission' in 1541.

Sir George Lockhart (1630-1689) was the second son of Sir James Lockhart, Lord Lee, Lord Justice Clerk and one of Edinburgh's most famous advocates. In 1685, he was appointed Lord President of the Court of Session, and he represented Lanarkshire in both the English and Scottish Parliaments. His knighthood was bestowed in 1663, and he acquired the Carnwath and Dryden estates in 1681. Chiesly of Kersewell and Dalry, a disgruntled litigant, murdered him on his way home from church on Easter Sunday.

George Lockhart, Second of Carnwath (1673-1732) was a devout Jacobite who served as the exiled King James's Principal Agent following the 1715 Rising. He was one of the Commissioners for the Treaty of Union and the sole opponent. He was one of the first agricultural improvers. He married Euphemia Montgomery, the ninth Earl of Eglinton's daughter, and they had fourteen children. He was killed in the course of a duel.

Count James Lockhart, Nineteenth of Lee (1727-1790) was The Hunting Laird's second son and married three times. He had two daughters and two sons from these marriages; his son Charles succeeded him. Because he was the second son, finding work in Britain was difficult; he had expressed an interest in the army since he was a child. According to his brief biography in "Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Osterrich," his thirst for action and inclination for warfare led him to military service at a very young age; as a young man, he was a soldier in Persia under Shah Nadir. He joined the Austrian army after many years of adventures in various countries. At the end of the War of Austrian Succession, James joined Maria Theresa of Austria's army as a low-ranking soldier. By the time of his death in 1790, he had earned a reputation for bravery, and on 17th March 1782, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, the grandson of Maria Theresa, created him a Count of The Holy Roman Empire, with the title Count Lockhart-Wishart of Lee & Carnwath. When his brother George died young, he inherited Lee & Carnwath. He kept a close eye and interest in the Estate, but he spent the majority of his time in the service of the Austrian Royal Family, for whom he was highly regarded.

Angus H. Lockhart of the Lee is the current Chief of Clan Lockhart.

Lockhart Places & People

Clan Lockhart Individuals

Carnwath's Sir George Lockhart

Sir George Lockhart of Lee, also known as Lockhart of Carnwath, (1673-1731)

Scottish spy, author, and politician. Lockhart, a member of the Scottish Parliament for the city of Edinburgh, was appointed a commissioner for arranging the union with England in 1705. He continued to represent Edinburgh, and later the Wigtown burghs, after the union. His sympathies were with the Jacobites, whom he kept informed of all the union negotiations; in 1713, he took part in an abortive repeal movement.

Lockart provided intelligence that revealed extensive bribery of Scottish parliamentarians prior to the Treaty of Union, giving rise to the famous Robert Burns line: "bought and sold for English gold." He made public a list of bribes paid by the British Treasury.

He was deeply involved in the 1715 rising, assisting with preparations in Carnwath and Dryden, his Edinburgh residence. He was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle, but probably, through the favour of John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, he was released without being brought to trial; but his brother Philip was taken prisoner at the Battle of Preston and condemned to be shot, the sentence being executed on the 2nd December 1715. After his release, Lockhart became a secret agent of the Pretender; however, his correspondence with the prince was intercepted by the government in 1727, forcing him to flee to Durham, England, until he was able to flee further afield. Argyll's influence was again used in Lockhart's favor, and he was allowed to return to Scotland in 1728, where he lived in retirement until his death in a duel on December 17, 1731.

Lockhart Tartans

Lockhart Historic

Lockhart Contemporary

The tartans listed below are also appropriate:

Ross the Elder

Ross Contemporary

Ross Goes Archaeological

Modern Ross Hunting

Lockhart Crest & Coats of Arms

Clan Lockhart Crest

Crest: A boar's head erased Argent, langued Gules, on a chapeau Gules furred Ermine.

Coats of Arms of Lockhart:

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.