| Clan Stirling | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Crest: Issuing out of an antique coronet Or a hart's head couped Azure | |||
| Motto | Gang Forward[1] | ||
| Profile | |||
| Region | Lowlands | ||
| District | East DunbartonshireStirlingshirePerthshire | ||
| Chief | |||
 | |||
| Francis Stirling of Cadder[1] | |||
| Chief of the Name and Arms of Stirling | |||
| Seat | Oakley Street, London SW3 | ||
| Historic seat | Cadder House | ||
| |||
| |||
Clan Stirling is aScottish clan of theScottish Lowlands.[2]
The Scottish town ofStirling andStirling Castle lie at the crossroads of Scotland and this could account for the derivation of the name which meansplace of strife.[2]
Appearing in a charter ofDavid I of Scotland in around 1147 is Thoraldus who held the lands ofCadder.[2] His descendant was Alexander de Strivelyn, fifth Laird of Cadder who died in 1304.[2]
During theWars of Scottish Independence Alexander's heir, Sir John de Strivelyn, was killed at theBattle of Halidon Hill in 1333.[2]
The grandson of Sir John de Strivelyn was Sir William who had two sons.[2] The succession passed through his eldest son, also called William, for four generations.[2] After this it passed to a grandson of the second son, Sir John de Strivelyn, third Laird of Cragernard.[2] Sir John was the governor of the royalDumbarton Castle and sheriff ofDumbartonshire.[2]James I of Scotland appointed him as Comptroller of the Royal Household and armour bearer.[2] He was knighted in 1430.[2] His son, William, acquired from theEarl of Lennox the lands ofGlorat.[2] William also heldDumbarton Castle and this appointment passed to his son, George, who defended it for the Crown between 1534 and 1547.[2] George fought at theBattle of Pinkie Cleugh and died of wounds received there.[2]
In 1581 Malcom Kincaid ofClan Kincaid was killed by a Stirling of Glovat (Glorat).[3]
George's great grandson was Sir Mungo Stirling of Glorat who was a staunch supporter ofCharles I.[2] In recognition of his bravery Charles knighted Sir Mungo.[2] Sir Mungo's son was George Stirling who was created aBaronet of Nova Scotia in 1666.[2]
The Stirlings of Keir had acquired the lands of Keir inPerthshire in the mid 15th century when Prince James, son ofJames II of Scotland rebelled against his father and Sir William Stirling of Keir was one of his supporters.[2] Sir William Stirling's descendant, Sir Archibald Stirling of Keir was a prominent lawyer who supported the king during theScottish Civil War and on theRestoration of the monarchy in 1660.[2] The Stirling of Garden branch of the clan descend from this Sir Archibald Stirling.[2] He was also appointed to the Supreme Court with the title Lord Garden.[2] His third son,James Stirling (1692 – 1770), was a prominent mathematician.
During both theJacobite rising of 1715 and theJacobite rising of 1745 the Stirling Lairds of Keir fought for the Stuarts.[2] James Stirling of Keir was tried for high treason after the "Gathering ofBrig o' Turk" in support of James Stuart'sabortive invasion of 1708, but acquitted.[4] His estates were forfeited for his part in the rising of 1715 but they were later restored.[2]
Walter Stirling of Faskine served in theRoyal Navy and was appointed commander-in-chief of the fleet byGeorge III of Great Britain.[2] The Stirling of Faksine branch of the clan claimed descent from a nephew ofWilliam the Lion but they were in fact a collateral branch of the Stirlings of Cadder.[2]
James Stirling of Drumpellier fought in the war against America in 1812 and was later madeGovernor of Western Australia.[2]
The Stirling family's historic connection withDumbarton Castle continued into the twentieth century when in 1927 Sir George Stirling of Glorat was appointed keeper of the castle.[2] Stirling of Garden wasLord Lieutenant of Stirling and Falkirk (until 2005).[2]
SirDavid Stirling of the Stirling ofKeir branch of the clan was the founder of the British special forces regiment, theSpecial Air Service during World War II, alongside his brotherBill Stirling of Kier.[5]
The current chief of Clan Stirling is Francis Stirling of Cadder, Chief of the Name and Arms of Stirling.[1]
Spelling variations[6] of the name Stirling include (among others):
Staereling, Stairline, Stairling, Starlin, Starling, Stairlink, Sterline, Sterling, Sterlink, Sterlline, Sterlling, Sterllink, Steuline, Steuling, Steulink, Stewline, Stewling, Stewlink, Stirine, Stiring, Stirink, Stirline, Stirling, Stirlink, Strifelan, Strifeland, Strifelane, Strifelant, Strifelen, Strifelend, Strifelent, Strifelind, Strifelint, Strifelyn, Strifelynd, Striffelan, Striffeland, Striffelane, Striffelant, Striffelen, Striffelend, Striffelent, Striffelind, Striffelint, Striffelyn, Striffelynd, Strivelan, Striveland, Strivelane, Strivelant, Strivelen, Strivelend, Strivelent, Strivelind, Strivelint, Strivelyn, Strivelynd, Sturline, Sturling, Sturlink, Styrline, Styrling, Styrlink.
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)