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Clan Pollock (Tartans, Crest) and The Story Behind

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Pollock

Clan Crest: A boar passant shot through with a dart, Proper

Clan Motto: Audacter Et Strenue (Boldly and readily or Boldly and strongly)

Historic Seat: Historically, Pollock Castle

Clan Chief: None, armigerous clan

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Pollock Clan History

The surname Pollock, also spelled Pollok, has a territorial origin. It was taken by Peter, the eldest son of Fulbert, or Fulburt, who was granted Upper Pollock in Renfrewshire and went on to derive his surname from the lands. The lands were given to him between 1150 and 1153, during the reign of David I, as a thank you for his father's service to Scotland, particularly at the Battle of the Standard in 1138.

Pollock is one of Scotland's oldest recorded surnames.

The church of Pulloc was given as a gift to the monastery of Paisley by Peter between 1177 and 1199, though other sources claim it occurred in 1163. Jocelyn, the bishop of Glasgow, confirmed this gift. During the previous dates (1177-99), Peter was a witness to a charter of his brother Helias, or Helyas, of Perthic (now Partick) to their house at some point.

Peter de Pollok, or Pulloc, also owned lands in Moray and was a witness to King William's charter granting the lands of Burgin (now Burgie) to Kinlos Abbey, circa 1172-1178. Between 1187 and 1199, Peter appears as a witness to three other charters by William the Lion in the same chartulary.

Between 1165 and 1199, Peter's brother, Robert, appears as a charter witness on a number of occasions. However, the name Pollock is never associated with him.

Around 1200, both Robert and Peter appear as witnesses to another charter, and Peter is simply referred to as "Petrus fratre ejusdem."

Muriel, lady of Rothes, Peter de Polloc's daughter, married Walter Morthach in 1220, and they had a daughter together named Eva Morthach, lady of Rothes.

Muriel de Polloc gave the land of Inuerorkel to the house or hospital that was built beside the Spe (Spey) bridge for the reception of travelers between 1224 and 1242.

Muriel de Rothes' gift of the Rothes church to the church of Moray in 1235 was later confirmed by her daughter, Eva Morthach, domina de Rothes, in 1242, or possibly earlier. Robert de Pollok and his son Adam were among the witnesses to the confirmation.

Thomas de Polloc witnessed a document concerning the lands of Cnoc in Renfrewshire in 1234.

During the reign of Alexander II, Robert de Polloc, son of Robert and grandson of Fulbert, began to pay the monastery in Paisley twelve pennies per year from the rents of his lands, expecting spiritual benefits from the Cluniac Order's pious execises. Peres de Pollok of Lanarkshire and Johan Pollok of Forfarshire both pledged allegiance to Edward I of England by signing the Ragman Roll in 1296. The steward of Arbroath Abbey in 1299, John Pollok, is the same person as the John de Pollok who was sheriff of Forfar and was sent from Aberdeen, along with others, to Montrose to arrest and return a vessel of the bishop of Aberdeen. In 1453, Scottish merchant John Pulloc was granted safe passage through England. The de Polluc family's main line vanished during the War of Succession, "an era of remarkable changes in families and property." The place name is spelled Pook on Pont's map of Renfrewshire, and it is pronounced that way in common speech. Nile Pook was a servant to the bishop in Aberdeen in 1549. On the 13th of May, 1568, just a few miles from Pollock Castle, John Pollock of Pollock fought on the losing side of Mary I, and as a result, he lost some of his lands. The name was changed to Polk in the United States, and the eleventh president of the United States, James Knox Polk, was the great-great grandson of Robert Polk, or Pollok, who emigrated to the American colonies from Ayrshire.

Pollock Places & People

Soon to come

Pollock Tartans

Tartan Pollock Tartan

Pollock is associated with the tartans listed below:

Maxwell Contemporary

Maxwell's Hunt

Pollock Crest & Coats of Arms

Clan Pollock Crest

Crest Description: A dart shot through a boar passant, Proper.

Coats of Arms of Pollock

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.