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Clan Whitelaw (Tartans, Crest) and The Story Behind

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Whitelaw

Clan Crest: A crescent

Clan Motto: Gradatim Plena (Full by degrees)

Origin of Name: Territorial, derived from the same-named lands in the Borders

Region: Lowlands

Clan Chief: None, armigerous clan

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Whitelaw Clan History

The surname Whitelaw, also seen as Whytelaw and Whytlaw, is of territorial origin, coming from the lands of Whitelaw, in the parish of Morebattle. There was also the barony of Whitelaw in the parish of Bowden in Roxburghshire.

In 1296, John de Wytelowe of the county of Edneburk signed the Ragman Roll, along with many other Scottish nobles, pledging allegiance to England's Edward I. His seal featured a seved-leaved flower as well as his name, S' Joh's de Vitlav. John was also a descendant of the Whitelaws of Dunbar.

There is a record of a John Whitelaw de eodem serving as a juror on an inquest concerning the boundaries of the lands of Gladmor in 1430.

Archibald de Quhitelaw was mentioned as the archdeacon on St. Andrews' 'infra partes Laudonie' in 1470, and he is mentioned again between 1486 and 1488, but as Archibald Quhitelaw and Quhitlau. Archibald was also an eminent prelate and King James III's (1460-1488) secretary of state.

Scotland's King, James III

Patrick Quhitlaw was listed as a 'feufarmer' of Pettindreich in 1560, and a Bartholomew Quhytlaw was in possession of an instrument of sasine of land in Paxtoun in 1578.

Margaret Quhytlaw de eodem was accepted as the heir of Patrick Quhytlaw de eodem in 1586. Other spellings of Whitelaw include Quhitelau, Quhyetlaw, Quhytelaw, Whitlau, Whitlawe, Whytlaw, and Qwhytlawe.

Whitelaw Places & People

Whitelaw Locations:

Alderstone House - passed to the Whitelaw in the twentieth century

Fenton Tower in East Lothian was passed down through marriage but forfeited in 1587.

Whitelaw Individuals:

1st Viscount Whitelaw William Whitelaw (1918-1999)

Whitelaw was born in 1918 in Nairn. When he was a baby, his father was killed in the war. He was educated at Cambridge and joined the Scots Guards at the outbreak of WWII, serving with the armoured division in Normandy, Holland, and Germany, rising to the rank of Major and earning the Military Cross. In 1946, he left the army to manage the family estates.

Whitelaw pursued a political career and ran unsuccessfully for parliament in East Dunbartonshire as a Conservative. He later became an MP for Penrith in 1955, where he served for 28 years. In 1964, he was appointed opposition chief whip, and in 1970, Edward Heath promoted him to Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons. During a particularly turbulent period in Northern Ireland, he was the first Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. After the Conservatives were defeated in the 1974 election, Whitelaw was named deputy leader of the opposition. When Heath was forced to call a leadership election in 1975, Whitelaw refused to run, allowing Margaret Thatcher to take her place.

After Thatcher won the next election, Whitelaw became Home Secretary, architect of the 'Short Sharp Shock' approach to law and order, which caused widespread unrest in the inner cities and did little to stem the tide of lawlessness and increasing IRA activity.

Whitelaw was created a peer in 1983 and appointed Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Lords, positions he held until 1987, when he was forced to resign due to a stroke. Without Whitelaw to hold her back, Thatcher became more confrontational, which almost certainly led to her downfall in 1990.

Whitelaw was made a Knight of the Thistle in 1990 and died of natural causes in 1999 at the age of 81.

Whitelaw Tartans

Whitelaw has no tartan; the most appropriate tartan is Ayrshire District:

The Ayrshire tartan was created at the request of the Clan Boyd and Clan Cunningham Societies for Ayrshire families who did not have clan affiliations. The colors stand for

The rising sun's gold

The land's green

The coast's brown

The color of the sea

The setting sun's red

G/8 Y4 G32 DT16 B40 R4 B/8 Threadcount

Mediumweight options are available.

Tartan of Ayrshire District

Tartan name: Ayrshire

Dr. Philip D Smith designed it. F.S.T.S

Date: 1988

Whitelaw Crest & Coats of Arms

Clan Whitelaw Crest

A crescent is the description of the crest.

Coats of Arms of Whitelaw

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.