Bissett Clan Crest
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CREST: The trunk of an oak tree sprouting afresh Proper MOTTO: Abscisa virescit TRANSLATION: That torn down re-grows VARIATIONS: Bisset |
| Clan Bissett is a Scottish clan with a rich and storied history, tracing its roots back to the Norman invasion of Scotland in the 12th century. The name is believed to have originated in Normandy and was brought to Scotland when William the Lion returned from captivity in England, accompanied by young noblemen seeking fortune in the country. Among these noblemen were the Bisseys, who quickly established themselves in Scotland and gained land in Morayshire. | |
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| The power of the Bissett family continued to grow over the next few centuries, and they played important roles in several events in Scottish history. For example, Thomas de Bissat was a witness to a charter of Alexander III to Paisley Abbey, while several members of the family were prominent lawyers, including Habakkuk Bisset, a writer to the Signet during the reign of James IV, and Peter Bisset, a Professor of Canon Law at the University of Bologna in Italy.
However, the rising fortunes of the Bissett family were overshadowed by an act of personal vengeance in 1242. At a tournament held in Haddington, Walter Byset, Lord of Aboyne, was defeated by the youthful Earl of Atholl. In a fit of anger, Walter is alleged to have murdered the earl while he slept and set fire to his house to conceal the crime. Walter and his nephew John fled to Ireland and later to England, but the feud reportedly followed them, as a pardon was later granted to the son of the Earl of Atholl for slaying some Bysets in Ireland. Despite these setbacks, the Bissett family continued to thrive and the principal line of the family is now considered to be that of Lessendrum in Aberdeenshire. The name Bissett still flourishes there and in Moray, and the clan continues to have a rich and proud history. |
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