Hail to the Chief of Clan Scott

[JonathanB]

I notice the lack of hyphens. I thought that may be the explanation.

Incidentally, haven't the Scott and Buccleuch titles passed through the female line, Ann(e?) Scott being the sole heiress and being married off to James, son of Charles II and Lucy Walters, who adopted the name of James Scott?

Whittakers has a list of family names of peers with the relevant title, and the Duke appears under M for MDS, not S.

[EagleJCS]

I notice the lack of hyphens. I thought that may be the explanation.

Incidentally, haven't the Scott and Buccleuch titles passed through the female line, Ann(e?) Scott being the sole heiress and being married off to James, son of Charles II and Lucy Walters, who adopted the name of James Scott?

Whittakers has a list of family names of peers with the relevant title, and the Duke appears under M for MDS, not S.

Yes, Anne Scott (maybe Anna) succeeded to the title Countess of Buccleuch on her sister's death in 1661. When she married James, Duke of Monmouth (a.k.a. James Crofts or James Fitzroy, illegitimate but recognized son of Charles II and his mistress Lucy Walters) in 1663, they were created the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch. He took the surname Scott when they married. She was created Duchess in her own right (largely due to her wealth and property holdings), and was thus unaffected by James' attainder in 1685.

From what I understand of titles, etc., Buccleuch is a "Scott title", as you put it. 'Buccleuch' is simply the way one refers to a Duke (by his title), just as one would refer to 'Montrose' or 'Argyll'. It's not the family name (though some members of Clan Scott do have the surname Buccleuch or variants - Buckalew, etc.).

'Scott of Buccleuch' is the senior line of Clan Scott. The cadet branches are (from the Clan Scott Society FAQ): 'Scotts of Harden, Scotts of Balwearie, Scotts of Raeburn, Scotts of Thirlestane, Scotts of Tynedale, Scotts of Ancrum, Scotts of Synton, and Scotts of Scotstarvet, Goudilands, Gala, Melby, Malleny, Dunninald, and many more'. BTW, Lord Polwarth is a Scott of Harden, so not all "Scott titles" belong to Scott of Buccleuch.

Again, from what I've read in the Clan Scott Society newsletter, the late 9th Duke preferred the surname Scott to the full 'MDS', and that is what the family now use, though on their legal paperwork they may still have the 'MDS' name.

[JonathanB]

From Walter Scott's The Lay of the Last Minstrel:

"The way was long, the wind was cold,
The Minstrel was infirm and old;
His wither'd cheek, and tresses gray,
Seem'd to have known a better day;

...The Duchess * marked his weary pace,
His timid mien, and reverend face,
And bade her page the menials tell,
That they should tend the old man well:
For she had known adversity,
Though born in such a high degree;
In pride of power, in beauty's bloom,
Had wept o'er Monmouth's bloody tomb!"

And the minstrel sings his song:

Nine-and-twenty knights of fame
Hung their shields in Branksome-Hall,
Nine-and-twenty squires of name
Brought them their steeds to bower from stall;
Nine-and-twenty yeomen tall
Waited, duteous, on them all;
They were all knights of mettle true,
Kinsmen to the bold Buccleuch.

* ie the widowed Anne Scot.

[IsaacW]

This is an interesting thread as when I as a student in Scotland, I stayed in the Duke's old Buccleuch estate of Dalkeith House. On Sundays I went to the old family Kirk, St. Nicolas Buccleuch.