Blair

Clan Crest: A stag lodged, Proper

Clan Motto: Amo Probos (Love the Virtuou

Historic Seat: Blair, Ayrshire

Clan Chief: None, armigerous clan

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Clan Blair History

Blair is derived from the Gaelic 'Blar,' which means open space or field, and can thus be found in many different place names throughout Scotland. It was originally spelled 'Blare,' but that spelling has long since died out.

Although many people bear the surname Blair, it is widely assumed that the name refers to two distinct clans, one from Ayrshire - the Blairs of Blair - and the other from Perthshire - the Blairs of Balthayock.

BLAIRS FROM BLAIR

Timothy Pont refers to the records of the Monastery of Kilwinning in 1608. According to these records, King William I of Scots (1165 - 1214) bestowed the title Barony of Blair on Jean Francois (John Francis) of Normandy. Along with the title, he would have been granted land, giving the family considerable power. It is believed that John Francis de Blair's grandson, William de Blair, married one of King John of England's daughters. Sir Bryce de Blair, his successor, was a close supporter of Sir William Wallace but was executed during the Barns of Ayr massacre in 1296.

Roger de Blair, Sir Bryce's nephew, was knighted by Robert the Bruce after fighting alongside him at Bannockburn in 1314.Following that, the clan rose to prominence in the region, marrying many well-aligned and prosperous people until 1732, when the original line of descent ended with the death of William Blair of Blair.

Blair Castle (now Blair House) was the Blairs of Blair's seat and is located in northern Ayrshire. It began as a wooden structure near the end of the 12th century, but by 1201, it had been replaced by a stone Norman Keep with a moat and drawbridge. Blair House still contains this Norman structure.

THE BALTHAYOCK BLAIRS

The Blairs of Balthayock are descended from Stephen de Blair, who owned land in what is now Blairgowrie in the 12th century. This same Stephen de Blare/Blair is mentioned as a witness to a charter granted by an Abbot of the monastery of Arbroath on land at Balgillo (in Angus). Alexander de Blair, probably Stephens' son, was another Blair of Balthayock who witnessed a charter in 1214. He married Ela, the daughter of Hugh de Nyden, and thus acquired the lands of Cults in Fife, which had been held by the Blairs for several generations. Alexander's son, William de Blair, was knighted by King Alexander II of Scots and appointed Steward of Fife in 1235.

Further information about the Blairs of Balthayock can be found in Jack Blair's book 'The Blairs of Balthayock and Their Cadets' (available from the Clan Blair Society).

For many years, the two families fought over who should be Chief. In 1658, King James VI declared that "the eldest male of either of the two Families would have precedence over the younger to the Chieftainship."

Although this statement implies links between the two families, there are no records of marriages between Ayrshire and Perthshire, and given the differences in the two coats of arms, the two families are likely of different origins.

Clan Blair Places & People

John Blair (c1300)

John Blair was a Benedictine monk who served as Sir William Wallace's Chaplain and Comrade in Arms during his governorship of Scotland. He also wrote about Wallace's life.

John Blair (d. 1782)

John was born and raised in Edinburgh, but left when he was young to work as an usher at a school in Hedge Lane, London.

'The Chronology and History of the World, from the Creation to the Year of Christ 1753,' he published in 1754. It was reprinted three times: in 1756, 1768, and 1814. Willoughby Rosse revised and expanded it for Bohn's "Scientific Library" in 1856. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1755.

He was appointed as chaplain to Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha and mathematical tutor to Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany in 1757. He was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1761.

Blair, Robert (1748-1828)

Robert Blair was the University of Edinburgh's first Regius Professor of Astronomy (1785). He developed the aplanatic lens and coined the term. This was an important step toward reducing aberration in optical systems. He also experimented with hollow lenses filled with various solutions.

Clan Blair Tartans

Blair tartan is a simple but effective modern family tartan. The Scottish Tartan Society obtained the threadcount from a hand-colored tartan strip in James Mackinlay's collection from the 1920s and 1930s.

The term'modern' refers to the color shade, which is usually darker.

Threadcount G/12 R6 G48 K36 B48 R6 B/12

Blair Contemporary

Clan Blair Crest & Coats of Arms

Clan Blair Coat of Arms

Worn by everyone with the same name and ancestry

Description of the Crest:

Proper, a stag lodged

Coats of Arms of Clan Blair

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.