Gray Clan
Gray Clan Crest: An anchor
Gray Clan Motto: Anchor, Fast Anchor.
Gray Clan Crest
Gray Clan History:
Fulbert de Gray was Great Chamberlain to Robert, Duke of Normandy, and owned lands in Picardy. There is a tradition that his daughter Arlotta was the mother of William the Conqueror and that the family arrived in England in 1066 with the Norman Conquest.
The name first appears in Scotland in 1248 and Henry Gray of Fife rendered homage to Edward I in 1296, but, like many other established families of the time, followed Robert the Bruce when the timing was right. It was Sir Andrew Gray who scaled the rock of Edinburgh Castle to recapture it from the English in 1312, and he was rewarded with lands at Longforgan in Perthshire. In 1377, the lands of Fowlis also passed to the Gray family through marriage to a daughter of the powerful de Maule family, and in 1444, Sir Andrew's descendant, also Sir Andrew, and a loyal supporter of James I and II, was created 1st Lord Gray.
Thereafter the Grays remained close to the ruling House of Stewart. Patrick, son of the 2nd Lord Gray, was a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to James II. The 3rd Lord Gray was Lord Justice General of Scotland in 1506. Patrick, 5th Lord Gray, was taken prisoner at the Battle of Solway Moss in 1542 and ransomed for £500 sterling, a princely sum at the time. Patrick, 6th Lord Gray, was caught up in the intrigues surrounding the fall of Mary Queen of Scots and although tried for treason, was released and exiled. Andrew, 7th Lord Gray, followed the Marquis of Montrose. In 1639, he resigned his honours to obtain a new patent in favour of his daughter Ann who had married her kinsman William Gray, younger of Pittendrum. William was killed in a dual with the Earl of Southesk in 1660 and the title passed to the earls of Moray, but on the death of the 14th Earl of Moray passed to his niece who became Baroness Gray in her own right.
David Gray (1838-61), born in Kirkintilloch, was a prominent Scottish poet.
Places of Interest:
Huntly Castle, Longforgan, Perthshire was built in 1452 for Lord Gray of Foulis.
Broughty Castle, Dundee, Perthshire. Five storey tower built by Lord Gray of Foulis in 1490. Owned by Historic Scotland.
Surname distribution in Scotland: The Gray name is widespread throughout all areas of Scotland with particularly high concentrations in Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Caithness, Shetland (Zetland), Perth and Kinross, Stirlingshire, Lanarkshire and the Borders.
Clan Gray Tartans
Clan Gray Septs
Gray is considered a sept of the larger Clan Sutherland.
Gray Armorial Bearings
GRAY, Lord Gray
Gules, a lion rampant, within a bordure engrailed, Argent.
GRAY, Lord Gray
Clan Gray History
The name derives possibly from the town of Gray in Haute-Saone, France. The first of the name in Scotland is Hugo de Gray in 1248, who was a witness in a charter by Walter de Lundin. John Gray, mayor of Berwick, witnessed a gift of land to the Hospital of Soltre between 1250-66.
Henry Grey of Fife rendered homage in 1296, and Huwe Grey, the juror on an inquest, also rendered homage.
John Gray was Provost of Crail in 1327, William dictus Gray witnessed a charter by Muriel, widow of Sir William de Roe (1333-63).
John Gray of Broxmouth had a charter of the lands of Craigy in le Mernys in 1357, and Ibbote Gray leased the land of Molyne in 1376.
Robert I
Many Scottish families, including the Grays, succumbed to the power of Edward I of England and pledged allegiance by signing the Ragman Rolls. They, however, changed their allegiance and went on to follow Robert the Bruce in the quest for Scottish independence. Sir Andrew Gray’s services to the Scottish crown saw him being rewarded with land grants, which included Longforgan in Tayside.
Lord Lyon, in 1950, barred those with double-barrelled names from the chiefship of clans. Angus Diarmid Ian Campbell-Gray, the 22nd Lord Gray had been chief of Clan Gray at the time.
The name is now relatively common across Scotland.
Clan Gray Gallery
Clan Gray [Pinterest Board]
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