Clan Carruthers

The surname of Carruthers arose in Dumfriesshire and it appears to allude to the ancient British fort called Caer Rydderch or Rythyr.[3] The historian George Fraser Black asserted that this means fort of Rydderch, with Ryderch appearing to be a form of personal name.[3]

In the thirteenth century the chiefly family of Carruthers of Carruthers rose to become stewards of Annandale under the Clan Bruce.[3] 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.[3] He was also named as chancellor to Robert, High Steward of Scotland in 1344.[3] At around the same time, 1320 the chiefly family of Carruthers acquired the lands of Musfald (now called Mouswald).[3]

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,[3] and his daughters were placed under the guardianship of the Clan Douglas.[2]

The Carruthers of Howmains line, however, continued to prosper and in 1542 their lands were erected into a free barony.[3] John Carruthers of Howmains was indicted, along with Edward Irvine of Bonshaw (chief of Clan Irvine), for an assault on Kirkpatrick of Closeburn (chief of Clan Kirkpatrick) in 1563, as well as for slaying several other persons.[3] In 1587 the Clan Carruthers was included on the roll of "unruly clans" in the West Marches.[3]

The Carruthers estate of Howmains was lost in 1772 when a financial disaster overwhelmed the family.[3] However, a younger son of the family acquired the estate of Dormont in Dumfrieshsire, and the family still holds it to the present day.[3] However, as proven descendants of Holmains line exist, it is from this line the current chief has been confirmed [5]

A notable member of the clan was Colonel Francis Carruthers who served in Egypt and in the Boer War.[3] From 1915 to 1919 he was assistant director at the War Office.[3] He was also a brigadier in the Royal Company of Archers (the monarch's body guard in Scotland) as well as being Lord Lieutenant of Dumfries.[3]

The current Chief of Clan Carruthers was confirmed on 19 August 2019 by the Lord Lyon.[5]

1) Or (gold), two chevrons engrailed Sable (black),

2) Or (gold) two chevrons engrailed Azure (blue) [6] [7]

3) Gules (red), a chevron between three fleur de lys Or (gold) and finally,

4) Gules (red), a chevron between three fleur de lys Argent (silver). [8] [9]

The first two (classed as the Ancient Arms) 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 (2) 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. [10] [11]

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 (Gules) red and (Or) 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 (red), two chevrons engrailed between three fleur de lys Or (gold),

They remain the personal and visual signature of the Chief and cannot be used without his permission. [12] [13]

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 (to represent the lang spear used by the Reivers), 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.[14] [15]

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 . [16] [17]

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.

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.[24]