Abercromby Clan Crest
|
|
CREST: A flacon rising belled Proper MOTTO: Petit Alta TRANSLATION: He seeks high deeds VARIATIONS: Abercrombie TARTAN: Blue and black ground, Green forms double check, White lines through Green. |
| The Abercromby family has a rich history rooted in the parish of Abercromby in the Kingdom of Fife, Scotland. The first recorded mention of the name can be found in the Ragman Roll of 1296, where William de Abercromby paid homage to King Edward I of England for his lands in Fife. The senior line of the family died out in the seventeenth century, and the representation of the line passed on to the Abercromby of Birkenbog in Banffshire. | |
|
Purchase @ Redbubble |
|
| Throughout the centuries, the Abercrombys were involved in religious disputes. In 1362, Alexander Abercromby received a grant of lands from the Bishop of Aberdeen, confirmed by the Earl of Mar. Robert Abercromby, born in 1534, was a Jesuit priest who opposed the Scottish Reformation and is credited with converting Queen Anne to Catholicism before her death. He was eventually forced into exile when a reward was offered for his capture. In 1637, Alexander Abercromby of Birkenbog was created a Baronet of Nova Scotia, but he became a Covenanter opposing King Charles I’s attempts to impose an Episcopal Church in Scotland.
David Abercromby was another Jesuit who studied abroad and returned to Scotland to oppose the Protestant faith. However, he was converted to Protestantism and published a tract against papal power in 1682. Patrick Abercromby, third son of the Laird of Fetterneir, graduated from the University of St Andrews in 1685 and established a high reputation as a doctor, eventually becoming the personal physician to James VII. His brother, Francis, was also favored by the royal court, being raised to the peerage as Lord Glassford. A younger son of the first Baronet of Birkenbog succeeded to the estates at Tullibody in Clackmannanshire and produced two notable generals and a High Court judge. Sir Ralph Abercromby, born in 1734, was considered one of the greatest military reformers and is credited with restructuring the army that ultimately defeated Napoleon. Sir Ralph served in the Seven Years’ War, was appointed commander-in-chief of British forces in the West Indies in 1795, and achieved success in capturing the Spanish island of Trinidad. His most famous campaign was in Egypt, where he led the troops who defeated the French in the Battle of Alexandria. He died of wounds sustained in the battle, and his widow was created a peeress as Baroness Abercromby of Aboukir and Tullibody in recognition of his contributions. Sir Ralph’s younger brother, Sir Robert Abercromby, was also a general, a Knight of the Order of the Bath, and commander-in-chief of the British forces in India. He later served as governor of Edinburgh Castle for nearly thirty years. Sir Ralph’s three sons also achieved high rank, with his eldest son succeeding to the title of Lord Abercromby, his second son becoming a general, and his third son, James Abercromby, becoming speaker of the House of Commons and being raised to the peerage as Lord Dunfermline. Although the peerage titles are now extinct, the Birkenbog branch of the Abercromby family continues to thrive. |
|
Citations:
- Descriptive catalogue of the clan tartans and family tartans of Scotland with a brief note on their antiquity: also roll of the landlords and Baillies of lands in the Highlands and isles, A.D. 1587: roll of the clans; badges of the clans, John Catto and Company, King Street, Toronto, Canada
- Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia”, by Collins, HarperCollins Publishers 1994