Clan Dewar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Clan Dewar is a Lowland Scottish clan who settled near Edinburgh. Legend has it that they won their lands after killing a wolf which had terrorised the area.
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[edit] History
Dewars were also recorded as Septs of Clan Menzies and Clan MacNab.
[edit] Origins of the Clan
The infamous Ragman Rolls includes the record of the first known people by the name Dewar where Thomas and Piers de Deware both having swore fealty to King Edward I of England.
[edit] Wars of Scottish Independence
During the Wars of Scottish Independence the Clan Dewar are known to have supported King Robert the Bruce. The Clan Dewar were carriers of and custodians of the Staff of St Fillan. St Fillan was a Celtic saint who died in 777 AD. This famous relic was carried by the Dewars at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Despite changing hands over the centuries the relic has been tracked down and is now in the Museum of Antiques in Edinburgh.
[edit] 15th Century
Later in 1497 a charter of lands was granted to William Dewar. There were also mentions of Dewars in Stirling around 1483. From this branch rose the Dewar of Cambuskenneth line.
[edit] 18th Century
In 1710 John Dewar the son of Patrick Dewar of Cambuskenneth was fined £50 for causing 'blood and riot'.
William Dewar of this line sold his lands in Dewar and moved to Carrington. It is from this family line that the present Chief descends.
The Dewars were commercially successful and purchased the Barony and estate of Vogrie in 1719. David Dewar of Vogrie was Postmaster General of Leith and Endinburgh.
[edit] 19th Century
The Vorgrie estates were extremely fruitful and a flourishing coal mine was sited there in the mid 19th century as well as Scotland's first gun powder mill.
The Mansion house of Vogrie was built by Alexander, sixth Laird, although the estate has shrunk from 2,000 to around 250 acres the house still stands and the estates are now open to the public as Vogrie Country Park
[edit] 20th Century
The name Dewar is synonymous with whisky and this was due in no small part by the efforts of John Dewar. Born in 1856 he transformed the business and the industry and was created Baron Forteviot of Dupplin In 1917.
[edit] Clan Chief
The present chief of Clan dewar was recognised by the Lord Lyon in 1990 thus allowing the Clan to be recognised as an official Scottish clan with chief rather than an Armigerous clan without a chief.
