Blair history

[rveaks73]

Anyone have any info on the Clan Blair history? cant really find much on the internet.

[Jock Scot]

Hello there. I must confess that I know very little about the Blair family history other than there are two distinct families. One from Perthshire in the Highlands and one from the Lowlands from Dumfries-shire or Ayrshire, I think. I am sure if you google the name something will come up.

[Jock Scot]

Dual post. Post deleted. Sorry.

[Steve Ashton]

There is a very common misconception that "just because your last name is Scottish or that your people came from Scotland that you are somehow automatically part of a Clan".

The truth is - The Clan system was a Highland thing. The Highlands are generally the NW part of Scotland. The vast majority of the population of Scots live in the Lowlands. Almost all the major population centers and cities are in the Lowlands.

The Blair family are from near the West coast, SW of Glasgow. Blair Castle is in Ayrshire. This would mean that most Blair's would not have traditionally thought of themselves as members of a Highland Clan.

Today however, there are Tartans for everyone and everything.
If there is a Tartan for your last name great. But Tartan tells the world "Who am I, Where do I come from, How did I get here." You should pick a Tartan that suits who you are.

The only way to tell exactly what Tartan is 'right' for you, you need to do your genealogy. Find out with a paper trail where in Scotland your people came from.
If you look at a map of Scotland that shows the Clans you can see that it is regional. A valley may be under the control of a Clan or have ties to a Clan but not everyone living in that valley would have the same last name.
And like with Blair, you can find people with the Blair last name living all over the country. You need to find where your particular people came from.

[Luke MacGillie]

I have corresponded with the folks at Blair Castle, and found them to be quite nice. In their collection they have some rather rare documents regarding the 42nd RHR's service in North America during the late 1750's. The Archivist I spoke with was very keen on learning the type of information that I was looking for, then spent quite a bit of time pulling only the info that I needed, and making copies of the documents. They then only charged me for the copies.

All that being said, If your search leads you to Blair Castle, I cant recommend them high enough for their support of research.

[Jock Scot]

Are there two Blair castles? I am not sure but the, perhaps, more well known Blair Castle in the wee town of Blair Atholl, is in Perthshire and is the seat of the Chief of Clan Murray, the Duke of Atholl. I have no idea if there is a connection to the Blairs.

[Luke MacGillie]

Are there two Blair castles? I am not sure but the, perhaps, more well known Blair Castle is in Perthshire and is the seat of the Chief of Clan Murray, the Duke of Atholl. I have no idea if there is a connection to the Blairs.

Not that I know of, and I have no idea if there is any connection, I kinda assumed that there was based on your earlier post

The place I corresponded with was the place in Perthshire

[Jock Scot]

Actually Luke, I have just done a quick Google and there is a Blair Castle in Ayrshire. I learn something new every day! Having the same place names is not uncommon in the UK so it can be a bit confusing!

[ThistleDown]

The castle in Perthshire was formerly known as Blair 'in' Athol, blar from the Gaelic for a field. I am sure there were families with the surname Blair or Blare in Perthshire, but none were attached to the Murrays.

[ctbuchanan]

Recorded as de Blare, Blare, Blayr, and the more popular Blair, this famous Scottish surname is locational. It probably originates from Blair House in Ayrshire, although the area of Mount Blair in the former county of Forfarshire in the far North East is also a possibility, as are the various Blair villages in Perthshire and Dunfermline. In all cases the derivation is from the pre 9th century Gaelic word "blar", meaning a field or plain but more specifically a battlefield! The surname is well recorded in the records of Scotland from the early 13th century with examples including Brice de Blar and Alexander del Blair who witnessed an agreement between the burgh of Irvine and Brice de Eglunstone in 1205. The the recording of one William of Blare who witnessed a charter by Malcolm, seventh Earl of Fife, is probably Sir William de Blar, the seneschal of Fife, recorded in 1235. Thomas of Blayr, given as being a merchant of Rodyok, had a safe conduct pass to travel to England in 1460. The surname is also very numerous in the province of Ulster, Ireland. Among the many recordings of the surname from in the early surviving church registers is that of the marriage of Bryce Blair and Jonet Mowatt on April 1st 1669, at Edinburgh, Midlothian. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Stephen de Blare, which was dated 1204 - 1211, a charter witness, during the reign of King William "The Lion" of Scotland, 1165 - 1214. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Read more: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/blair#ixzz4hNG8NwSF