Clan Carruthers


Clan Carruthers is a Lowland Scottish clan of the Scottish Borders headed by their Chief, Simon Peter Carruthers of Holmains and is recognised as such by the Lord Lyon King of Arms.
A Clan Chief of Carruthers was confirmed after over 12 years of research and investigation by the official representatives of Carruthers internationally; Clan Carruthers Society International.
The Society, based in Scotland with regional representatives worldwide, took the official and legal route through the auspices of the Lord Lyon King of Arms in Edinburgh. After 20 months of analysis of the petitioned evidence and proofs, on the 19 August 2019, and after over 200 years, a Chief was confirmed by the Lord Lyon.
This takes Clan Carruthers from armigerous status to attaining legal recognition and thus becoming a 'Noble Incorporation' in Scots law. Carruthers is now an officially recognised Scottish clan internationally with all that that entails.>

History

Origins

The surname of Carruthers arose in Dumfriesshire and it appears to allude to the ancient British fort called Caer Rydderch or Rythyr. The historian George Fraser Black asserted that this means fort of Rydderch, with Ryderch appearing to be a form of personal name.
In the thirteenth century the chiefly family of Carruthers of Carruthers rose to become stewards of Annandale under the Clan Bruce. The historian George Fraser Black writes of Nigel de Karruthers, a cleric who was also Rector of Ruthwell in 1380, and rose to become Canon of Glasgow Cathedral in 1351. He was also named as chancellor to Robert, High Steward of Scotland in 1344. At around the same time, 1320 the chiefly family of Carruthers acquired the lands of Musfald.

16th century

The Carruthers of Mouswald line came to an end with Sir Simon Carruthers, 10th of Mouswald who was killed in 1548 during a border raid, and his daughters were placed under the guardianship of the Clan Douglas.
The Carruthers of Howmains line, however, continued to prosper and in 1542 their lands were erected into a free barony. John Carruthers of Howmains was indicted, along with Edward Irvine of Bonshaw, for an assault on Kirkpatrick of Closeburn in 1563, as well as for slaying several other persons. In 1587 the Clan Carruthers was included on the roll of "unruly clans" in the West Marches.

18th century to modern period

The Carruthers estate of Howmains was lost in 1772 when a financial disaster overwhelmed the family. However, a younger son of the family acquired the estate of Dormont in Dumfrieshsire, and the family still holds it to the present day. However, as proven descendants of Holmains line exist, it is from this line the current chief has been confirmed
A notable member of the clan was Colonel Francis Carruthers who served in Egypt and in the Boer War. From 1915 to 1919 he was assistant director at the War Office. He was also a brigadier in the Royal Company of Archers as well as being Lord Lieutenant of Dumfries.
The current Chief of Clan Carruthers was confirmed on 19 August 2019 by the Lord Lyon.

Armorial History

The changes to the arms and crest from the first Arms of Mouswald through to Holmains and Dormont to the present day show some important changes.

Ancient Recorded Arms of Carruthers of Carruthers

1) Or, two chevrons engrailed Sable,
2) Or two chevrons engrailed Azure

Recorded Arms Carruthers of Mouswald

3) Gules, a chevron between three fleur de lys Or and finally,
4) Gules, a chevron between three fleur de lys Argent.
The first two bore a striking resemblance to another family of the time, the McClennans and the latter two the Brownes/Brouns of Carsluith and Coulston. The suspicion is that the second shield was wrongly recorded by the herald William Pont as an error in describing the colour of the chevrons as Azure rather than Sable, as in blazon #1. The Arms of Sir Simon are considered to have been used by the family prior to his blazon being recorded.

Recorded Arms of Carruthers of Holmains

The heraldic turmoil of some five centuries was finally brought to order with the passing of what is known as the Lyon Act of 1672 which required that the Scottish King of Arms, the Lord Lyon, and his heralds to keep a permanent ‘Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland’.
The heralds were given a year to record in the new register all arms of those entitled to bear arms and to grant or matriculate new arms to those found “virtuous and well deserving”. The then Chief of the clan, John Carruthers 9th of Holmains rationalised and merged the Carruthers arms in 1672 and finalised the colours on the Chiefs arms to red and gold. These combined the ancient arms of Carruthers and the arms of the last Mouswald Chief, Simon Carruthers, to reflect those that are recognisable as the arms of the Carruthers Chief today.
The Holmains Arms recorded in the Register, are therefore the principal and chiefly arms of the name Carruthers, currently borne by Dr Simon Carruthers of Holmains, Chief of the Name and Arms of Carruthers:
They are blazoned; Gules, two chevrons engrailed between three fleur de lys Or,
They remain the personal and visual signature of the Chief and cannot be used without his permission.

Matriculation of Arms

As is the case of all petitions for arms from whatever family/clan, any subsequent arms granted to a Carruthers after Holmains require two distinct differences on the shield from that of the arms of the chief.
This is reflected by Carruthers of Dormont who, on registering their own arms in 1913, added a gold border around the Holmains arms. As the second difference they also used chevronels engrailed rather than the larger chevrons, while keeping the Seraphim volant proper as their crest and the clan chiefs motto of Prompts et Fidelis - Ready and Faithful.
The last Carruthers Armiger granted Arms was registered in 2017. They followed the differences of Dormont to chevronels rather than chevrons but replaced the Fleur d-lis in the bass with a pheon, as their second difference.
The crest of these arms continues with angelic theme; the Archangel Michael pinning the beast proper with the motto individualised as; Non Sto Solus - I do not stand alone.
These arms are Blazoned: Gules, two chevronels engrailed between in chief two fleurs-de-lys and in base a pheon Or.

Carruthers Crests

To date all registered Carruthers arms have maintained an angelic figure as their crest. When reproducing the seraphim from the Chiefs crest, a face is always depicted on the seraphim along with the six wings. This mirrors the pictorial reproductions by both religious and heraldic artists through the ages when depicting a Seraphim Proper.

Chief of Carruthers

The House of Mouswald and their chiefship ceased in 1548 with the death of the then Chief, Sir Simon Carruthers 10th of Mouswald, 6th Baron. The chiefship was then passed to the House of Holmains also a Barony. The last recorded Carruthers Chief was John Carruthers, 12th of Holmains and 8th Baron, who passed in 1809.
The line of Holmains has continued as the Chiefly line of Carruthers to the present day and it is from this House that a Chief of the Name and Arms of Carruthers was confirmed.
On the 19 August 2019, after full analysis of the evidence presented and deliberation of the same, the Lord Lyon confirmed Dr Simon Peter Carruthers of Holmains, Chief of the Name and Arms of Carruthers.

Carruthers Chief, Armigers and the Clan

CHIEF
•The Chief wears three feathers on his crest sitting within a circlet on which is inscribed his motto.
ARMIGERS
An Armiger, and the heir to the chiefship will wear one feather on his crest, sitting within a circlet on which is inscribed their personal motto or that of the Chief. All Armigers below are living.
1) James Andrew Carruthers of Dormont. -recognised by the Society as a Chieftain of the clan.
Blazon: Gules, two chevronelles engrailed between three fleur d-lis bordered Or.
Crest: Seraphim Volant Proper.
Motto: Promptus et Fidelis.
2) Dr George Carruthers FSA Scot.
Blazon: Gules, two chevronelles engrailed, between two fleur d-lis in chief and a pheon in base Or.
Crest: St Michael pinning the Beast Proper.
Motto: Non Sto Solus.
3) Mr Gary John Carruthers of Australia.
Blazon: Gules two chevronels engrailed between two fleur d-lis in chief and a bell Or in base, all within a bordure quarterly of the Second and First charged in 1 and 4 with a crescent and 2 and 3 with a mullet counter-changed.
Crest: An angel Proper holding to its breast a fleur d-lis Or,
Motto: Promptus et Fidelis
This list will be updated as new armigers matriculate arms. Armigers are entitled to wear their own crest in a criclet, rather than belt and buckle, upon which their motto is engraved).
The arms of an individual remain the visual signature and property of that person in law or his proven descendants. They cannot be used without permission. Carruthers like all Scottish clans and families do not have ‘family’ arms.
CLANSMEN/WOMEN
Members of the clan who do not have their own arms, will wear the Chiefs crest encircled by a belt and buckle on which is inscribed the motto of the Chief. In the case of Carruthers; Crest: a Seraphim Volent Proper (Carruthers depictions of the seraph/Seraphim follows both heraldic and religious tradition in having a face on the crest.
Motto: Promptus et Fidelis-ready and faithful

Tartan

Historically recognised as a clan in their own right, albeit armigerous from 1809 until 2019, Carruthers are mentioned as one of the 17 lowland ‘clannis’ in the 1587 Act of the Scottish Parliament of Unruly Clans. Since the demise of their last Chief in the 1890s, Carruthers have been considered as a sept of the family Bruce. As such they have been permitted to use their tartan. The Bruce tartan however, irrelevant of description eg modern, ancient, hunting or otherwise are registered and patented to that family and as such the rights of ownership belong solely to them.
As a Border Reiver, Carruthers never wore kilts but trews, which were far more conducive to riding on fast, sturdy horses. There was never any tartan officially registered to the name Carruthers until 2017.
With a move towards Carruthers Clan status through the confirmation of a Chief and in order to differentiate and individualise the name, Dr George Carruthers FSA Scot from Fife had a tartan designed based on the Bruce sett and thread count.
The design was made to reflect and respect the close links with the family Bruce, the blood spilt by their Reiver ancestors in defence of family and country and also to distinguish Carruthers as a distinct border reiver clan in their own right.
The tartan was registered with the Scottish Tartan Register STR 11700, for the use by all named Carruthers or its derivatives and has since been designated by the Chief as the official Carruthers Tartan.
In January 2020, the designated category of the tartan was officially recognised and registered by the Scottish Register of Tartans as the Clan/Family tartan of Carruthers.
The Carruthers red tartan is currently woven by the House of Edgar in Perth, Scotland and is the official Tartan of Clan Carruthers,. It is also available in Canada and the US through McPhail Kiltmakers in British Columbia.

Clan Carruthers Society International

The Clan Carruthers Society International was founded in January 2017 and is officially recognised by the Chief of Carruthers as representing the worldwide Carruthers family. It is non-commercial, apolitical and non-partisan and is open to any member of the international Carruthers family and derivatives of that name. The Society is based in the United Kingdom, but is represented by an international Executive Council.
The Society, headquartered in Scotland, has representatives in Australia, Canada, Europe and the United States of America, the latter being a registered 5013 organisation.
It can be found at:www.clancarrutherssociety.org

Clan Society Badge

The Clan Society’s badge is the Seraphim Volant, being the crest of the chief, encircled by a belt and buckle on which is inscribed the motto of the Chief: Promptus et Fidelis. The Seraphim, as is the case in heraldic and religious depictions, has a face. Wearing of a clan crest shows a declaration of fealty and support for the Chief of Carruthers.

Society Function

The Society is non-commercial, apolitical and non-partisan and is open to any member of the international Carruthers family and derivatives of that name. The society, based in the United Kingdom is represented by an international Executive Council.
After more than 12 years, the Society were successful in their efforts to have Carruthers accepted as an official clan in their own right. This was achieved by supporting a petitioner to the Lyon Court in Edinburgh and led to the confirmation of a Dr Simon Peter Carruthers of Holmains, Chief of the Name and Arms of Carruthers in 19 Aug 2019.