Clan Bissett
Encyclopedia
Clan Bissett is a Scottish clan
of Anglo-Norman
origin. It does not have a clan chief recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms
, therefore the clan has no standing under Scots Law
. Clan Bissett is considered an armigerous clan
, meaning that it is considered to have had at one time a chief who possessed the chiefly arms
, however no one at present is in possession of such arms.
as a companion of William the Conqueror's in the Norman conquest of England
in 1066 preserved at Battle Abbey
. The Byset's settled in Nottinghamshire
and Derbyshire
in England
. King Malcolm IV having subdued Moray
and Inverness
, gave lands to the crown's supporters and the Barony of The Aird was gifted to Henricus de Byset (Henry Byset) in c.1170. Another Byset settled in Upsettington, Berwickshire
.
, Muir of Ord
and Struy
area. The family was also gifted the title Lord Lovat
.
. John Byset
, Lord of Aird
founded Beauly Priory
at Beauly
, for the Valliscaulian Order
of the Roman Catholic Church
in 1230. It appears that Aboyne Castle
, Beauly Castle, Beaufort Castle
and Erchless Castle
were constructed in the early 13th century by the Bysets.
Walter Byset and John Byset were accused of the murder of Patrick
, Earl of Atholl
, at Haddington
, East Lothian
in 1242. It would appear that Walter was accompanying the Queen at the time and could not have started the fire. Walter and John sought the protection of King Alexander II and were expelled from Scotland and were forfeited of their lands and peerage. John Byset the son of John Byset was reinstated with the lands and titles of his father and uncle. Walter Byset and John Byset were able to flee to Ireland and later gain an audience with King Henry III of England
, who happened to have been saved by Margaret Byset, a relative of Walter and John, from an assassination atttempt. As a result of the King Henry III rode with his army to towards Scotland and was met at Newcastle
by King Alexander II and his army and after talks they signed the Treaty of Newcastle
on 14 Ausgust 1244.
21st Century
North Wales
Welsh/Gaelic artist Santino Cara is a Bisset
Bissette Caernarfon
Llandudno
the artist has also painted under the name Bizet and has illustrated under the name Brother Wolf. Most renowned for a painting of the famous Welsh Gospel Translator William Morgan
with a painting entitled 'Ein Gwaredwr a William Morgan (Our Saviour and William Morgan) and his most recent work '1400' a painting of the famous Welsh Prince Owain Glyndwr
Owen Glendower William Shakespeare
Henry IV
.
: Abscissa Virescit - English
That torn down re-grows)
Crest: The trunk of an oak tree sprouting afresh Proper.
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
of Anglo-Norman
Anglo-Norman
The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. A small number of Normans were already settled in England prior to the conquest...
origin. It does not have a clan chief recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms
Lord Lyon King of Arms
The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest...
, therefore the clan has no standing under Scots Law
Scots law
Scots law is the legal system of Scotland. It is considered a hybrid or mixed legal system as it traces its roots to a number of different historical sources. With English law and Northern Irish law it forms the legal system of the United Kingdom; it shares with the two other systems some...
. Clan Bissett is considered an armigerous clan
Armigerous clan
An armigerous clan is a Scottish clan, family or name which is registered with the Court of the Lord Lyon and once had a chief who bore undifferenced arms, but does not have a chief currently recognized as such by Lyon Court...
, meaning that it is considered to have had at one time a chief who possessed the chiefly arms
Undifferenced arms
Undifferenced arms are coats of arms which have no marks distinguishing the bearer by birth order or family position. In the Scottish and English heraldic traditions, these plain coats of arms are legal property transmitted from father to eldest male heir, and are used only by one person at any...
, however no one at present is in possession of such arms.
Origins
The first reputed record is that of Byseg [recte, Byset], recorded on the Battle Abbey RollBattle Abbey Roll
The Battle Abbey Roll is supposed to have been a list, lost since at least the 16th.c., of the Companions of William the Conqueror, which had been erected or affixed as a memorial within Battle Abbey, Hastings, founded by William ex-voto on the spot of the slaying of Harold in the Battle of...
as a companion of William the Conqueror's in the Norman conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
in 1066 preserved at Battle Abbey
Battle Abbey
Battle Abbey is a partially ruined abbey complex in the small town of Battle in East Sussex, England. The abbey was built on the scene of the Battle of Hastings and dedicated to St...
. The Byset's settled in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
and Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. King Malcolm IV having subdued Moray
Moray
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :...
and Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
, gave lands to the crown's supporters and the Barony of The Aird was gifted to Henricus de Byset (Henry Byset) in c.1170. Another Byset settled in Upsettington, Berwickshire
Berwickshire
Berwickshire or the County of Berwick is a registration county, a committee area of the Scottish Borders Council, and a lieutenancy area of Scotland, on the border with England. The town after which it is named—Berwick-upon-Tweed—was lost by Scotland to England in 1482...
.
12th century
The Bysets appear to consolidate the lands granted to them with the beginnings of construction of a number of castle fortifications in the BeaulyBeauly
Beauly is a town of the Scottish county of Inverness-shire, on the River Beauly, 10 miles west of Inverness by the Far North railway line. Its population was 855 in 1901...
, Muir of Ord
Muir of Ord
Muir of Ord is a village in Highland, Scotland. It is situated near the western boundary of the Black Isle, about 20 km west of the city of Inverness, and 10 km south of Dingwall...
and Struy
Struy
Struy is a small village at the northern end of Strathglass, about 15 km south-west of Beauly in the Highland council area of Scotland.The confluence of the River Farrar and the River Glass is a short distance to the east of Struy, here the rivers join to become the River Beauly. The River Farrar...
area. The family was also gifted the title Lord Lovat
Lord Lovat
Lord Lovat is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1458 for Hugh Fraser. The title descended in a direct line for nine sequential generations until the death of the ninth Lord in 1696. He was succeeded by his great-uncle, the tenth Lord...
.
13th century
Henry Byset was appointed constable of the royal castle known as Edradour Castle, on the northern shores of Beauly FirthBeauly Firth
The Beauly Firth is a firth in northern Scotland. It is effectively a continuation of the Moray Firth westward, and is bounded at one end by Beauly and at the other by Inverness . The Kessock Ferry has crossed at the eastern end since the 15th Century...
. John Byset
John Byset
John Byset the Elder, Lord of the Aird was a Scottish or Scoto-Irish nobleman who is the progenitor of the Bissett family of the Glens of Antrim in Northeast Ireland or Ulster. Born in Scotland, a significant portion of what is known of his life is probably legendary and the certain details are...
, Lord of Aird
Aird, Inverness
The Aird is an area of the County of Inverness, to the west of the City of Inverness. It is situated to the south of the River Beauly and the Beauly Firth, and to the north of Glenurquhart and the northern end of Loch Ness....
founded Beauly Priory
Beauly Priory
Beauly Priory was a Valliscaulian monastic community located at "Insula de Achenbady", now Beauly, Inverness-shire. It was probably founded in 1230. It is not known for certain who the founder was, different sources giving Alexander II of Scotland, John Byset, and both...
at Beauly
Beauly
Beauly is a town of the Scottish county of Inverness-shire, on the River Beauly, 10 miles west of Inverness by the Far North railway line. Its population was 855 in 1901...
, for the Valliscaulian Order
Valliscaulian Order
The Valliscaulian Order was a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church, so named after "Vallis Caulium", or "Val-des-Choux", its first monastery, in Burgundy...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in 1230. It appears that Aboyne Castle
Aboyne Castle
Aboyne Castle is a 13th century castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland north of the town of Aboyne...
, Beauly Castle, Beaufort Castle
Beaufort Castle, Scotland
Beaufort Castle is a castle in northern Scotland, near Beauly. It is the traditional seat of the chiefs of the Clan Fraser.-History:The original castle was built by the Byset family. The castle came into the hands of the Fraser's in the late 13th century...
and Erchless Castle
Erchless Castle
Erchless Castle is an L-plan castle in northern Scotland, near Struy, Highland. The castle is located at the foot of Strathglass by the River Glass and River Farrar. Built in the 13th century by the Bissetts, it became into the hands of the Chisholms the 15th century, via the marriage of Alexander...
were constructed in the early 13th century by the Bysets.
Walter Byset and John Byset were accused of the murder of Patrick
Padraig, Earl of Atholl
Padraig or Patrick of Atholl was Mormaer of Atholl, from 1236/7 until 1241. The Chronicle of Melrose tells us that while he was lodging in Haddington, East Lothian, his enemies, "most wicked men," torched his lodging, killing both him and his two unknown companions...
, Earl of Atholl
Earl of Atholl
The Mormaer of Earl of Atholl refers to a medieval comital lordship straddling the highland province of Atholl , now in northern Perthshire. Atholl is a special Mormaerdom, because a King of Atholl is reported from the Pictish period. The only other two Pictish kingdoms to be known from...
, at Haddington
Haddington, East Lothian
The Royal Burgh of Haddington is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the main administrative, cultural and geographical centre for East Lothian, which was known officially as Haddingtonshire before 1921. It lies about east of Edinburgh. The name Haddington is Anglo-Saxon, dating from the 6th...
, East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
in 1242. It would appear that Walter was accompanying the Queen at the time and could not have started the fire. Walter and John sought the protection of King Alexander II and were expelled from Scotland and were forfeited of their lands and peerage. John Byset the son of John Byset was reinstated with the lands and titles of his father and uncle. Walter Byset and John Byset were able to flee to Ireland and later gain an audience with King Henry III of England
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
, who happened to have been saved by Margaret Byset, a relative of Walter and John, from an assassination atttempt. As a result of the King Henry III rode with his army to towards Scotland and was met at Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
by King Alexander II and his army and after talks they signed the Treaty of Newcastle
Treaty of Newcastle (1244)
The Treaty of Newcastle was a treaty signed between King Henry III of England and King Alexander II of Scotland on 14 August 1244.The armies of England and Scotland were enroute to enagage in combat after disputes concerning the exact position of the border could not be resolved...
on 14 Ausgust 1244.
21st Century
North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
Welsh/Gaelic artist Santino Cara is a Bisset
Bisset
Bisset is a surname of Scottish origin. At the time of the British Census of 1881, its relative frequency was highest in Kincardineshire , followed by Aberdeenshire, Fife, Perthshire, Ross-shire, Linlithgowshire, Haddingtonshire, Forfarshire, Edinburghshire and Elginshire...
Bissette Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
Llandudno
Llandudno
Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
the artist has also painted under the name Bizet and has illustrated under the name Brother Wolf. Most renowned for a painting of the famous Welsh Gospel Translator William Morgan
William Morgan
-Australia:* William Morgan , Premier of South Australia, 1878–1881-England:* William Morgan , town clerk in Birmingham, England...
with a painting entitled 'Ein Gwaredwr a William Morgan (Our Saviour and William Morgan) and his most recent work '1400' a painting of the famous Welsh Prince Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
Owen Glendower William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
Henry IV
Henry IV
Henry IV may refer to:* Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor , King of The Romans and Holy Roman Emperor* Henry IV, Duke of Brabant * Henry IV Probus , Duke of Wrocław* Heinrich IV Dusemer von Arfberg Henry IV may refer to:* Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1050–1106), King of The Romans and Holy Roman...
.
Clan profile
Motto: (LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
: Abscissa Virescit - English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
That torn down re-grows)
Crest: The trunk of an oak tree sprouting afresh Proper.
Peerages
- Barony of The Aird
- Barony of Lessendrum
- Lord LovatLord LovatLord Lovat is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1458 for Hugh Fraser. The title descended in a direct line for nine sequential generations until the death of the ninth Lord in 1696. He was succeeded by his great-uncle, the tenth Lord...
- Lord Aboyne
- Lord Beauly
- Lord Beaufort
- Lord of the Glynns
Castles
- Aboyne CastleAboyne CastleAboyne Castle is a 13th century castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland north of the town of Aboyne...
, AboyneAboyneAboyne is a village on the edge of the Highlands in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on the River Dee, approximately west of Aberdeen. It has a rugby club, which plays on The Green and also has a swimming pool, a golf course with 18 holes, all-weather tennis courts, and a bowling green...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... - Edradour Castle, Black IsleBlack IsleThe Black Isle is an eastern area of the Highland local government council area of Scotland, within the county of Ross and Cromarty. The name nearly always includes the article "the"....
, Scotland - Beauly Castle, BeaulyBeaulyBeauly is a town of the Scottish county of Inverness-shire, on the River Beauly, 10 miles west of Inverness by the Far North railway line. Its population was 855 in 1901...
, Scotland - Beaufort CastleBeaufort Castle, ScotlandBeaufort Castle is a castle in northern Scotland, near Beauly. It is the traditional seat of the chiefs of the Clan Fraser.-History:The original castle was built by the Byset family. The castle came into the hands of the Fraser's in the late 13th century...
, Beauly, Scotland - Erchless CastleErchless CastleErchless Castle is an L-plan castle in northern Scotland, near Struy, Highland. The castle is located at the foot of Strathglass by the River Glass and River Farrar. Built in the 13th century by the Bissetts, it became into the hands of the Chisholms the 15th century, via the marriage of Alexander...
, Struy, Scotland - Glenarm CastleGlenarm CastleGlenarm Castle, Glenarm, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, is the ancestral home of the Earls of Antrim.There has been a castle at Glenarm since the 13th century, and it is at the heart of one of Northern Ireland’s oldest estates....
, GlenarmGlenarmGlenarm is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies on the North Channel coast north of the town of Larne and the village of Ballygalley, and south of the village of Carnlough. It had a population of 582 people in the 2001 Census. Glenarm takes it name from the glen in which it lies,...
, Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west... - Red Bay CastleRed Bay CastleRed Bay Castle is situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on a headland projecting into the sea north of Glenariff situated on the road to Cushendall.-History:...
, GlenariffWaterfoot, County AntrimWaterfoot is a small village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is in the parishes of Ardclinis and Layd, within the barony of Glenarm Lower. The 2001 Census recorded a population of 504 inhabitants....
, Northern Ireland