Clan Sutherland

Sutherland is a highland Scottish clan originating in the North of Scotland in the district of Sutherland. The clan was thought to have been started by a Flemish nobleman known as Freskin. It is possible that Freskin was a warlord employed by the Norman Kings during the Norman conquest of Scotland, to pacify its subjects. Freskin’s grandson Hugh de Moravia was granted land in the district of Sutherland which translates into land to the south. Hugh’s children began to adopt the surname.

The motto of the Sutherland clan is Sans Peur meaning without fear. The crest of the clan features a cat-a-mountian salient proper.

When the 18th Earl of Sutherland died in 1766 he had no male heir. A legal battle ensued over the succession of the title between his daughter Elizabeth and George Sutherland of Forse, who was in the direct male line of the original Earls of Sutherland. The case was heard by the house of Lords and in 1771 they decided in favor of Elizabeth.

The families living in Clan Sutherland’s territory were particularly hard hit by the Highland Clearances. The Duke of Sutherland at the time decided that the interior of Sutherland was better suited to sheep farming rather than human occupation. Thousands of members of the Sutherland Clan were evicted from their lands and many settled in the United States, Canada and Australia.

The historic seat of the clan is the Dunrobin Castle located in Golspie, Scotland. The house and grounds of the castle are open to the public. A clan room in the castle has been set aside for a repository for the history of the clan. The Sutherland still retain private residences within the castle walls.

The Clan Sutherland society was founded in 1897 and reconstituted in 1977 is headquartered in Dunrobin Castle. The society plans world wide gatherings and events. Currently the Society claims members from 13 countries.

Further Reading:

Clan Feud: MacKay vs. Sutherland