Pitcairn Hunting Clan Collection

I. Introduction

In the wild and windswept annals of Scotland’s history, the Pitcairn Hunting Clan emerges as a vivid strand, its legacy entwined with the rugged spirit of the Highlands and the ancient lineage of Clan Ogilvy. Not a standalone clan with a chief’s banner aloft, but a sept of the Ogilvys, the Pitcairns of the Hunting tartan bear a name steeped in Fife’s soil and enriched by their alliance with one of Angus’s noble houses. From medieval lairds to Jacobite warriors, their story is a haunting melody of loyalty, valor, and the enduring pulse of Scotland’s past.

II. Origins of the Pitcairn Hunting Clan

The name Pitcairn whispers of ancient origins, rooted in the lands of Pitcairn in Fife’s Parish of Leslie—a Pictish or Gaelic echo meaning "the cairn by the hollow" or "stone of the pit." The family’s earliest traces appear in the 13th century, with William de Petkaran serving as a juror in Dunfermline before 1249, and John de Petcarn granted Innernethie in 1250 by Sir Hugh de Abernethy. As a sept of Clan Ogilvy, the Pitcairns tied their fate to this powerful Angus lineage, their name evolving into the "Pitcairn Hunting" branch through association with the Ogilvy’s Hunting tartan—a vibrant weave of green, blue, and red that speaks to their shared heritage. This union reflects the fluidity of Scotland’s clan system, where families like the Pitcairns found strength in alliance.

III. Historical Evolution of the Pitcairn Hunting Clan

A. Medieval Foundations in Fife

The Pitcairns’ tale begins in Fife, where they rose as lairds in a land of royal burghs and fertile fields. Pieres de Pectarne’s oath in the Ragman Roll of 1296, swearing fealty to Edward I, marks their early pragmatism amid English dominance. Their holdings in Leslie and beyond laid a foundation of influence, a stepping stone to their later ties with the Ogilvys of Angus, whose power stretched from Airlie to the Grampians. This Lowland root nourished their growth, even as their story turned northward.

B. Alliance with Clan Ogilvy

As a sept of Clan Ogilvy, the Pitcairns embraced the martial and noble traditions of their overlords. The Ogilvys, staunch supporters of the Scottish crown, drew the Pitcairns into their orbit during the 15th and 16th centuries, a time of clan feuds and royal strife. At Flodden in 1513, Andrew Pitcairn and seven sons fell alongside countless Scots, their sacrifice a blood-soaked bond with the Ogilvy legacy. This alliance deepened their identity, the Hunting tartan a badge of shared valor and kinship in Angus’s glens.

C. Jacobite Fervor and Decline

The Pitcairn Hunting Clan’s fortunes crested in the 17th and 18th centuries, only to crash against the rocks of Jacobite rebellion. Loyal to the Stuart cause in 1715 and 1745, they suffered alongside the Ogilvys as estates were forfeited and titles stripped. Major John Pitcairn (1722–1775), a Royal Marine born of this lineage, carried their martial spirit to Lexington in 1775, firing the first shot of the American Revolution—a distant echo of their Scottish roots. Their decline in Scotland birthed a global legacy, with Pitcairn Island, sighted by John’s son Robert in 1767, bearing their name in the Pacific’s vast silence.

IV. Pitcairn Hunting Clan Crest and Motto

A. Crest Symbolism

The Pitcairn crest, a moon in her complement proper, shines with serene resilience—a full moon symbolizing wholeness and clarity. As a sept, they share in the Ogilvy crest—a lady affrontée vested in red, crowned with an antique coronet—blending their lunar emblem with the noble grace of their allies. Together, these symbols evoke a family steadfast in purpose, their light undimmed by hardship.

B. Clan Motto

The Pitcairn motto, "Plena refulget" ("The full moon shines"), pairs with their crest, a poetic testament to endurance and illumination. While the Ogilvys bear "A fin" ("To the end"), the Pitcairns’ lunar refrain speaks to their own journey—a quiet vow to shine through Scotland’s darkest hours, from Flodden’s fields to Culloden’s aftermath.

V. Pitcairn Hunting Clan Tartan

The Pitcairn Hunting Clan claims the Hunting Ogilvy tartan, a striking pattern of forest green, navy blue, and crimson red, accented with yellow and white. Registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans, it reflects the Ogilvy’s Highland heritage and the Pitcairns’ adoption of this vibrant weave as a sept. Worn by descendants, it binds them to Angus’s hills, a fabric of loyalty and unity that threads their history to the present.

VI. Prominent Figures of the Pitcairn Hunting Clan

A. Major John Pitcairn (1722–1775)

Born of Fife’s Pitcairn stock and tied to the Ogilvy sphere, Major John Pitcairn rose as a Royal Marine, his command at Lexington in 1775 igniting the American Revolution. Respected by foes and felled at Bunker Hill, he carried the clan’s martial fire across the Atlantic, his life a bridge between Scotland’s past and a new world’s dawn.

B. David Pitcairn of that Ilk (fl. 1499–1513)

David Pitcairn, laird in the late 15th century, led his kin into the fray at Flodden, where he and his sons perished in 1513. His sacrifice, woven into the Ogilvy tapestry, marks the clan’s devotion to Scotland’s cause, their blood a crimson thread in the Hunting tartan’s weave.

VII. Conclusion

From the ancient hollows of Fife to the Angus glens and beyond, the Pitcairn Hunting Clan spins a tale of loyalty and loss, their name a moonlit echo in Scotland’s vast chorus. As a sept of Clan Ogilvy, they donned the Hunting tartan and bore the weight of Flodden and Jacobite dreams, their light undimmed by exile or defeat. Figures like John and David Pitcairn illuminate their path—a journey from lairds to global wanderers. In Scotland’s grand tapestry, the Pitcairn Hunting Clan glows as a steadfast strand, their full moon shining through the mists of time.