Ruthven vs. Oliphant

The feud between Clan Oliphant and Clan Ruthven appears to have begun in 1562 with the killing of James Roise by individuals connected to Lord Oliphant.  The perpetrators of this killing included Peter Oliphant of Turingis, John Oliphant and Lawrence Oliphant along with eight other of their Clansmen.  James Roise was the son of Thomas Roise of Maitland who was a high ranking member of clan Ruthven.  Up to this point the Ruthven Clan held considerable sway over the actions and decisions of the Olphiants, this killing may have been a reaction to an evolving dynamic between these two Clans.

The Ruthven’s responded to James’ murder by gathering their men on the lands of Lord Laurence Oliphant, where they captured several men employed by the Lord and laid siege to Duplene, the stronghold of the Oliphant family.  The intent of the siege was to capture Laurence Oliphant and harm him or bring him to justice. The Master of Oliphant, a prominent member of the Oliphant Clan, in an attempt to reconcile the tensions between the two clans offered himself up as a prisoner to Lord Ruthven, it is unclear if Ruthven took the Oliphant’s up on the offer but it did not appear to dampen the feud.

In 1580 the feud between the two clans intensified when Lord Oliphant conspired with other Scottish Nobles to overthrow the Regent of Scotland, James Douglas, the 4th Earl of Morton, in support of Mary Queen of Scots.  This brought the clans into direct conflict as the Ruthven’s were strong supporters of Regent Morton and enjoyed influence within the Scottish Government due to this relationship.  Lord Oliphant’s plot to overthrow the regent was discovered before it could take place, Lord Oliphant was arrested and imprisoned in Castle Stirling where he eventually passed away. Ironically, in 1582, the Ruthven’s themselves, discontent with Morton’s influence and power, were directly responsible for the capture and ousting of Regent Morton from power.

The next major event that soured the relationship between these two clans was the Gowrie Conspiracy of 1600.  The Gowrie Conspiracy was an attempt by John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie and his brother Alexander Ruthven, at the Gowrie House in Perth Scotland, to capture and imprison King James VI of Scotland, due to their discontent with the Scottish monarchy.  It was alleged that Clan Oliphant led by John Oliphant of Bachilton were co-conspirators and had knowledge of the plot.  After the plot failed, the Oliphants turned on the Ruthvens and denied having any involvement .  These conflicting stories created a further divide between these two clans and led to many of the Ruthvens being executed and having their estates forfeited to the crown, while the Oliphants faced no consequences.  This caused animosity between the two families that led to further feuding and hostility in the early 17th century.

The feud between these rival clans petered out throughout the 17th century.  After the execution of the Earl of Gowrie in 1600 the Ruthvens lost much of their power and influence and became a much less powerful Clan.  The Oliphants met with similar circumstances due to financial difficulties that caused them to lose their own ancestral lands and intern they also became less prominent players in Scottish society.