| Clan Nicolson | |
|---|---|
| MacNeacail[1] | |
 | |
| Motto | Generositate (By generosity)[1] |
| Profile | |
| Plant badge | Sprig of juniper[1] |
| Chief | |
 | |
| Adam Nicolson, 5th Baron Carnock | |
| 5th Baron Carnock | |
Clan Nicolson is a LowlandScottish clan. The clan claims descent from anEdinburgh lawyer who lived in the 16th century and from a distinguished line of Aberdeen merchants who preceded him. During the mid-1980sDavid Nicolson, 4th Baron Carnock was recognised by theLord Lyon King of Arms as thechief of Clan Nicolson. Around the same time, a Nicolson who claimed descent from the Highland clan of "Nicolsons" historically centred onSkye, petitioned the Lord Lyon King of Arms to be recognised as chief of his own clan. The Lord Lyon King of Arms accepted this man's petition on the condition he took the surnameMacNeacail. In consequence there are two Scottish clans with similar names—the lowland Clan Nicolson and the highlandClan MacNeacail.
ThesurnameNicolson means "son ofNicol". Thepersonal nameNicol meaning "victory people". The surname is shared by two Scottish clans—the lowland Clan Nicolson and the unrelatedClan MacNeacail of Skye. This is because in late 17th century members ofClan MacNeacail began toAnglicise theirGaelic name toNicolson.[2]
According to the heraldry of the Clan Nicolson and theClan MacNeacail the two clans are linked: The chiefs of both clans have a gold shield with birds of prey, withfalcons for the Nicolsons andhawks for the MacNeacails.[3] However, there is little genealogical evidence to support a link between the chiefs of the two clans.[3] The InScottish Gaelic,Nic signifiesdaughter.[3] The Norse raided all around the coast ofScotland as well as the north ofEngland, and the name Nicolson can also be found throughoutTyneside andYorkshire in England.[3]
During theScottish–Norwegian War, the last Norse king who invaded Scotland,Haakon IV of Norway, sent an advance party under Anders Nicolassen who was his foster brother and one of his chief barons, to plunder theIsle of Bute before joining the main Norse fleet off the coast ofLargs.[3] In the ensuingBattle of Largs, the Norsemen were defeated but there is a persistent tradition that Anders Nicolassen settled in Scotland after he had been sent as an envoy fromNorway to conclude theTreaty of Perth.[3] The treaty finally ceded Norwegian sovereignty of the isles over to the king of Scotland.[3]
Thechiefly line of Clan Nicolson claims descent from James Nicolson, an Edinburgh lawyer who died around 1580.[3] His ancestors had been burgesses of Aberdeen in the 15th century. He had two sons, John andJames.[3] James entered the Church and becameModerator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1595.[3] By 1606 he was appointedBishop of Dunkeld, though died in 1607.[3] James's older brother, John, acquired the lands of Lasswade from Sinclair of Dryden in 1592.[3] In 1629, his son was created aBaronet in Nova Scotia asNicolson of that Ilk and Lasswade.[3] His titled was succeeded by his grandson who became a Commissioner of Parliament forEdinburgh in 1672.[3]
The direct male line however died out by 1826, and the titles were claimed by a descendant of the branch descending from Nicolson Bishop of Dunkeld.[3]
The titleBaron of Carnock passed to another cousin Major General Sir William Nicolson, who was an only son of George Nicolson of Tarviston. The general saw service in theAmericas,India,Ireland andMauritius. He died in 1820 to be succeeded by his son, Admiral Sir Frederick Nicolson. In 1879, the admiral's eldest son, Frederick, was killed fighting theZulus, so the title was passed to the second son,Arthur, in 1899.[3] In June 1916 Arthur was createdBaron Carnock of Carnock.[4]
In the 1980s,David Nicolson, 4th Baron Carnock petitioned the Lord Lyon King of Arms to be recognised as the chief of Clan Nicolson, in virtue of his ancestor—John Nicolson of that Ilk, 1st Baronet of Lasswade (d. 1651). At around the same time another Nicolson was in the process of putting forward a petition to become chief of the Highland Nicolsons.[5] In 1985, after matriculating arms, David Nicolson, 4th Baron Carnock was recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms as chief of the nameNicolson. The position of chief of clan Nicolson is currently vacant,[6] although Adam Nicolson, 5th Lord Carnock, could legitimately claim it.[citation needed]
Today members of Clan Nicolson may show allegiance to their clan and chief by wearing aScottish crest badge. This badge contains the chief'sheraldic crest andheraldic motto. The motto which appears on the crest badge isGENEROSITATE, which translates fromLatin either as "by generosity" or "by inheritance", or a combination of the two. The crest itself isa lion issuantOr armed and languedGules.[7] The heraldic elements with the crest badge are derived from the Arms of Nicolson of that Ilk. These arms areblazonedOr threefalcons' headserasedGules armedArgent.[8] Note that the arms of the chiefs of the clansNicolson andMacNeacail are very similar. In fact, the arms of the MacNeacail chief are subordinate to those borne by the Nicolson chief.[9]
