Clan Ogilvy
Encyclopedia
Origins of the clan
The Ogilvys are one of the most distinguished families in ScotlandScotland
Scotland 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...
and take their name from Gillebride the second son of Gille Chriosd, Celtic Earl of Angus
Earl of Angus
The Mormaer or Earl of Angus was the ruler of the medieval Scottish province of Angus. The title, in the Peerage of Scotland, is currently held by the Duke of Hamilton.-Mormaers:...
. The name means 'descendant of Gillebride', and is one of the rather few Scottish names to feature the 'O so common in Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
names.
Patrick de Olgilvy appears on the Ragman Roll swearing fealty to King Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
in 1296.
Wars of Scottish Independence
However Patrick's two sons supported King Robert I of ScotlandRobert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
during the Wars of Scottish Independence
Wars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....
. The Ogilvy lands are found in Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
where the Ogilvy family were made hereditary sheriffs in the 14th and 15th centuries.
15th century & clan conflicts
In the 15th century the Tower of Airlie was built as the castle of the Chief of the Ogilvies. In 1394 a clan battle took place between Clan RobertsonClan Robertson
Clan Donnachaidh , also known as Clan Robertson, is one of the oldest of all Scottish clans.-Origins:There are two main theories as to the origins of the Clan Donnachaidh:...
and the Clan Ogilvy, during a cattle raid on Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
. Sir Walter Ogilvy was slain at this battle, though his son became the Earl of Mar
Earl of Mar
The Mormaer or Earl of Mar is a title that has been created seven times, all in the Peerage of Scotland. The first creation of the earldom was originally the provincial ruler of the province of Mar in north-eastern Scotland...
who commanded the Duke of Albany
Duke of Albany
Duke of Albany is a peerage title that has occasionally been bestowed on the younger sons in the Scottish, and later the British, royal family, particularly in the Houses of Stuart and Hanover....
's forces at the Battle of Harlaw
Battle of Harlaw
The Battle of Harlaw was a Scottish clan battle fought on 24 July 1411 just north of Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. It was one of a series of battles fought during the Middle Ages between the barons of northeast Scotland against those from the west coast....
in 1411.
The Clan Ogilvy, supported by men from the Clan Oliphant
Clan Oliphant
-Origins of the clan:The earliest record of the name was Osbernus Olifardus circa 1046 in Normandy.The first known Oliphant landholding was in England at Lilleford in Northampton by the family of David Olifard, who is commonly held to be the progenitor of the clan...
, Clan Seton
Clan Seton
Clan Seton is a Scottish clan which does not currently have a chief, therefore it is considered an Armigerous clan.-Origins of the Clan:The name Seton is believed to be derived from the village of Sai in Normandy although other explanations have been suggested, such as from Tranent meaning "a sea...
, Clan Gordon
Clan Gordon
Clan Gordon, also known as the House of Gordon, is a Scottish clan. The chief of the clan was the powerful Earl of Huntly, now also Marquess of Huntly.-Origins:...
and by the Clan Forbes
Clan Forbes
Clan Forbes is a Lowland Scottish clan from Aberdeenshire, Scotland.-Origins:Concerning the origin of this Scottish clan, John of Forbes, the first upon record, seems to have been a man of importance in the time of William the Lion, and was the father of Fergus, from whom the clan are descended....
of Pitsligo fought at the Battle of Arbroath
Battle of Arbroath
The Battle of Arbroath was fought on January 24, 1445 at Arbroath in Scotland. It was between rivals claimants to the post of Baillie of the Regality....
on 24 January 1445. Their enemy was the Master of Crawford and his Clan Lindsay
Clan Lindsay
-Origins of the Clan:There is currently no known proven path pertaining to the origin of the Clan Lindsay. However, several possible theories have been advanced over the years. First is the theory proposed in 1769 by biographer/historian, Richard Rolt, in which he claimed that the Lindsays were...
.
During the fifteenth century the Clan Lindsay
Clan Lindsay
-Origins of the Clan:There is currently no known proven path pertaining to the origin of the Clan Lindsay. However, several possible theories have been advanced over the years. First is the theory proposed in 1769 by biographer/historian, Richard Rolt, in which he claimed that the Lindsays were...
lost much of their land due to feuding with the Clan Ogilvy. Chief Alexander Lindsay, the 4th Earl of Crawford, also known as the Tiger Earl and Earl Beardie was badly defeated by the Clan Ogilvy and the Clan Gordon
Clan Gordon
Clan Gordon, also known as the House of Gordon, is a Scottish clan. The chief of the clan was the powerful Earl of Huntly, now also Marquess of Huntly.-Origins:...
under the Earl of Huntly at the Battle of Brechin
Battle of Brechin
The Battle of Brechin was fought on 18 May 1452 during the reign of James II of Scotland, about two and a half miles north north east of Brechin....
in 1452.
16th century & Anglo-Scottish wars
In the 16th century, during the Anglo-Scottish WarsAnglo-Scottish Wars
The Anglo-Scottish Wars were a series of wars fought between England and Scotland during the sixteenth century.After the Wars of Scottish Independence, England and Scotland had fought several times during the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In most cases, one country had attempted to...
against the English the Clan Ogilvy fought at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland on 10 September 1547, was part of the War of the Rough Wooing. It was the last pitched battle between Scottish and English armies, and is seen as the first modern battle in the British Isles...
in 1547 where the Chief's 4th eldest son called James was killed.
17th century & Civil War
During the Civil War the Clan Ogilvy supported the Royalist cause. They fought under James Graham, 1st Marquess of MontroseJames Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
and fought with him at the Battle of Inverlochy (1645)
Battle of Inverlochy (1645)
The Battle of Inverlochy was a battle of the Scottish Civil War in which Montrose routed the pursuing forces of the Marquess of Argyll....
, the Battle of Kilsyth
Battle of Kilsyth
The Battle of Kilsyth was an engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms which took place on 15 August 1645 at Kilsyth. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the battle was another victory for Royalist forces over the Covenanters, and marked the end of William Baillie's pursuit of the...
and Battle of Philiphaugh
Battle of Philiphaugh
The Battle of Philiphaugh was fought on 13 September 1645 during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms near Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. The Royalist army of the Marquess of Montrose was destroyed by the Covenanter army of Sir David Leslie, restoring the power of the Committee of Estates.-Prelude:When...
in 1648 where James Ogilvy 2nd Earl of Airlie
Earl of Airlie
Earl of Airlie is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created on 2 April 1639 for James Ogilvy, 7th Lord Ogilvy of Airlie, along with the title Lord Ogilvy of Alith and Lintrathen...
was captured. The Earl was imprisoned in St Andrews Castle
St Andrews Castle
St Andrew's Castle is a picturesque ruin located in the coastal Royal Burgh of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. The castle sits on a rocky promontory overlooking a small beach called Castle Sands and the adjoining North Sea. There has been a castle standing at the site since the times of Bishop Roger...
but escaped one night before the day of his execution, disguised in his sister's clothes. The 'Bonnie Hoose o' Airlie' was destroyed in the Civil War by the Clan Campbell
Clan Campbell
Clan Campbell is a Highland Scottish clan. Historically one of the largest, most powerful and most successful of the Highland clans, their lands were in Argyll and the chief of the clan became the Earl and later Duke of Argyll.-Origins:...
and this tragic incident is described in a ballad from the time.
18th century & Jacobite Uprisings
The Ogilvy clan supported the Jacobite Uprisings in 1715 to 1716 and 1745 to 1746. A regiment from the Ogilvy Clan Lord Ogilvy's Regiment fought at the Battle of CullodenBattle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...
in 1746. After their defeat, the chief of the Ogilvy Clan escaped to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and entered royal service there and founded le régiment d'Ogilvie . At this time the title of Earl of Airlie
Earl of Airlie
Earl of Airlie is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created on 2 April 1639 for James Ogilvy, 7th Lord Ogilvy of Airlie, along with the title Lord Ogilvy of Alith and Lintrathen...
was lost and not restored by parliament until 1896.
The clan today
David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of AirlieDavid Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie
David George Coke Patrick Ogilvy, 8th Earl of Airlie, KT, GCVO, PC, JP is the eldest son of David Ogilvy, 7th Earl of Airlie and Lady Alexandra Coke. His younger brother was Sir Angus Ogilvy, the husband of HRH Princess Alexandra of Kent.Born in London, Lord Airlie was educated at Eton, and...
is the present chief of the Ogilvie clan serves as Lord Chamberlain to the Queen. Royal links were also reinforced when Angus Ogilvy
Angus Ogilvy
Sir Angus James Bruce Ogilvy, was a British businessman best known as the husband of Princess Alexandra of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II....
, the brother of the chief, married HRH Princess Alexandra of Kent
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy is the youngest granddaughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. She is the widow of Sir Angus Ogilvy...
. There are many people of the Ogilvy/Ogilvie family living in various places all over the world, such as Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Castles
- Auchindoun CastleAuchindoun CastleAuchindoun Castle is a 15th century L-Plan tower castle located in Auchindoun near Dufftown in the Moray region of Scotland.While there is evidence of prehistoric, probably Pictish earthworks in the grounds of the castle, the remains most visible today are of the castle constructed in the mid 15th...
was acquired by the Ogilvys in 1489. - Airlie CastleAirlie CastleAirlie Castle is a mansion house near the junction of the Isla and Melgund rivers, 9 kilometres west of Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland. A castle was built on the site in c. 1432 and was burnt out in 1640, with a mansion house being built incorporating and on top of some of the ruins in c. 1792–93 and...
, Airlie, AngusAirlie, AngusAirlie is a civil parish in the Scottish council area of Angus. It is the seat of the Earl of Airlie, and the location of Airlie Castle. It comprises Craigton of Airlie, Baitland of Airlie and Kirkton of Airlie...
was home of the Ogilvy Earls of AirlieEarl of AirlieEarl of Airlie is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created on 2 April 1639 for James Ogilvy, 7th Lord Ogilvy of Airlie, along with the title Lord Ogilvy of Alith and Lintrathen...
. - Cortachy CastleCortachy CastleCortachy Castle is a castellated mansion House at Cortachy, Angus, Scotland, some four miles north of Kirriemuir. The present building dates from the 15th century, preceded by an earlier structure that was owned by the Earls of Strathearn. It was acquired by the Ogilvies in 1473 and substantively...
. - Banff CastleBanff CastleBanff Castle is a ruined former royal castle located near Banff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.-History:Built as a motte and bailey castle in the 12th century and held by the Comyns, Earl of Buchan. The castle was visited by King Edward I of England in 1296 and also in 1298 after defeating William...
.
See also
- OgilvieOgilvieOgilvie is a surname with origins in the Barony of Ogilvy in Angus, Scotland. See Clan OgilvyOgilvie may refer to:-People:*Albert Ogilvie , Premier of Tasmania in the 1930s*Alec Ogilvie , pioneer British aviator...
, for a list of notable Ogilvies - OgilvyOgilvyOgilvy is a name of people and fictional characters, as well as a Scottish clan . It may also refer to:In other uses:*Ogilvy , department store in Montreal, Canada*Ogilvy & Mather, advertising agency...
, for a list of notable Ogilvys - Scottish clanScottish clanScottish 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...