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Clan Lyon (Tartans, Crest) and The Story Behind

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Lyon

Clan Crest: Within a Garland of bay leaves, a Lady from the middle, richly attired, holding in her dexter hand a thistle, all Proper

Clan Motto: In Te Domine Speravi (In thee o Lord have I put my trust)

Region: Lowlands

Historic Seat: Glamis Castle, Angus

Clan Chief: The Rt. Hon. The Earl Of Strathmore and Kinghorn

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Lyon Clan History

There are two schools of thought about the origin of the Scottish surname Lyon. Sir Iain Moncreiffe of that ilk, possibly the greatest herald genealogist, believed his ancestors were of Celtic origin and descended from a younger son of the Lamonts. However, it is now widely accepted that the Lyons of Scotland are descended from the de Leons of Normandy in northwestern France. De Leon came to Scotland to aid Edgar, son of Malcolm III, in his battle against his uncle, Donald Bane, who sought the throne at the end of the 11th century. Edgar defeated Bane, and in exchange for his support, de Leon received lands in Perthshire, which should not be confused with Glen Lyon.

In 1105, a Roger de Leonne witnessed Edgar's charter to Dunfermline Abbey.

Sir John Lyon, known as the White Lyon because of his fair complexion, was given the thanage of Glamis by Robert II in 1372. Sir John was held in such high regard that he was considered suitable to marry Princess Johanna, the king's daughter, in 1376. The following year, he was appointed Chamberlain of Scotland, a position he held until his death. With his marriage to Johanna, he acquired the lands of Tannadice in Angus, as well as an illustrious lineage for his children. Sir James Lindsay of Crawford killed him during a quarrel near Menmuir in Angus on November 4, 1382.

The family has descended in a direct line from Sir John Lyon and Princess Johanna to the present day, as their crest suggests. Sir John's only son, also named John, succeeded him and inherited his titles and lands. John strengthened royal ties by marrying Robert II's granddaughter. Patrick, Sir John's son, was created Lord Glamis in 1445 and went on to become a Privy Councillor and Master of the Royal Household.

Another John, the sixth Lord Glamis, is said to have been an argumentative person with a short temper. John married Janet Douglas, the granddaughter of Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus. James V despised the Douglas Earl and all who bore the Douglas surname. Lady Glamis was accused of witchcraft after Sir John Lyon died, and despite a strong and courageous defense, her fate was already sealed. Lady Glamis was burned at the stake on Castle Hill in Edinburgh on December 3, 1540.

The eighth Lord Glamis, Marquis of Montrose, close friend of John Lyon, 2nd Earl John Lyon, withdrew his allegiance to Mary, Queen of Scots, and chose to serve the Regents Moray and Lennox instead. His son Patrick, the ninth Lord, was captain of the Royal Guard and one of James VI's Privy Councillors, and he was made Chancellor of Scotland and Keeper of the Great Seal for life. In 1606 Patrick Lyon was created Earl of Kinghorne, Viscount Lyon, and Baron Glamis.

John, the second Earl, was a close friend of James Graham, Marquess of Montrose, and supported him when he signed the National Covenant in 1638, and even assisted Montrose in his first campaigns in defense of the Covenant. Lyon's beliefs and principles, however, prevented him from following his great friend when the Marquess broke with the Scots Parliament to fight for Charles I's Royalist army during the Civil War. However, his financial support for the Covenant Army nearly bankrupted Lyon.

When the second Earl died, his son Patrick inherited not only the title of third Earl of Kinghorne, but also the debts accumulated by his father. Patrick, on the other hand, spent years expertly managing his estates and managed to pay off the debts, and later he built on Glamis Castle, making it noticeably larger. In 1677, he was given a new title and became the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Viscount Lyon, Baron Glamis, Tannadyce, Sidlaw, and Strathdichtie. Patrick passed away in 1695. His son John served on the Privy Council, but he was a staunch opponent of the 1707 Treaty of Union between Scotland and England.

In 1712, John's son, also John, was appointed 4th Earl. He was a Jacobite who fought in the Battle of Sheriffmuir during the 1715 rising. Tullibardine's regiment lost John in battle while defending his regiment's colors. James VII's son, James Francis Edward Stuart, the Old Pretender, was entertained at Glamis a year later, in 1716. A different king's son, but a much less welcome one, was entertained there 30 years later. On his way north to Culloden, the Duke of Cumberland stopped at the castle. According to legend, the bed he had used was destroyed after he left.

A sword and watch belonging to the Old Pretender, as well as an intriguing tartan coat worn by him, are among the Jacobite relics now preserved at Glamis Castle.

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne's youngest daughter, was born in 1900. She was later referred to as Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Margaret, Elizabeth's youngest daughter, was born at Glamis Castle in 1930.

Clan Lyon's current Chief is Simon Bowes-Lyon, 19th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne.

Lyon Places & People

People of the Lyon Clan

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon is an actress.

Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was born in 1900 and died in 2002.

From 1936 until King George VI's death in 1952, she was Queen Consort. Following the death of her husband, she became known as Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, in reference to her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. She was known as the Duchess of York prior to her accession to the throne, from 1923 to 1936.

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was the fourth daughter and ninth child of Lord Glamis Claude George Bowes-Lyon (later 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne) and Nina Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck. She grew up at St Paul's Walden and Glamis Castle, the Earl's ancestral home in Glamis, Angus, Scotland.

Elizabeth was Ireland's last Queen and Empress of India. Elizabeth was famous as Queen Consort for her role in providing moral support to the British public during World War II, so much so that Adolf Hitler referred to her as "the most dangerous woman in Europe." She was a consistently popular member of the British Royal Family in her later years, when other members of the family were receiving low levels of public approval.

Lyon Tartans

Tartan of Lyon

This name is associated with the following tartans:

Campbell the Elder

Campbell Contemporary

Campbell had been through a lot.

Ancient Campbell Dress

Modern Campbell Dress

Farquharson Historic

Farquharson Contemporary

Weathered by Farquharson

MacAulay Historic

The MacAulay Modern

Ancient MacAulay Hunting

Ancient MacLaren

MacLaren Contemporary

Weathered by MacLaren

Lyon Crest & Coats of Arms

Lyon Family Crest

Within a garland of bay leaves, a Lady from the middle, richly attired, holding a thistle in her dexter hand, all Proper.

Coats of Arms of Lyon:

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.