| Clan Nesbitt or Nisbet | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Motto | I Byd It (I endure) [1] | ||
| Slogan | "A Nisbet" | ||
| Profile | |||
| Region | Borders | ||
| District | Berwickshire | ||
| Plant badge | Oak | ||
| Chief | |||
 | |||
| Mark Nesbitt of that Ilk [1] | |||
| Baron of West Nesbitt, Chief of Clan Nesbitt | |||
| Historic seat | Nisbet House | ||
| |||
Clan Nesbitt (or Clan Nisbet) is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Borders that is recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. [2]
The surname Nesbitt is derived from the barony and lands near Edrom in Berwickshire. [2] The lands are likely to have been named after a geographical feature such as a nose-shaped hill or nose-shaped bend. [2] In clan circles the name is best known through the work of Alexander Nisbet (1657–1725), who was one of the greatest authorities on Scottish heraldry. [2] Alexander Nisbet established his connection to the chiefly line of the clan and he is regarded as authoritative on the pedigree of his own family. [2] He stated that the lands of Nesbit were of ancient denomination for, in the reign of King Edgar, son of Malcolm Canmore, in whose reign surnames came first to be hereditary, they were donated to the monks of Dunfermline to pray for the soul of his father, and for the health of his own. [2]
The historian George Fraser Black listed William de Nesbite as a witness to a charter by Patrick, Earl of Dunbar to Coldingham Priory in about 1160. [2] From 1219 to 1240 Thomas Nisbet was Prior of Coldingham. [2]
In 1296 Philip de Nesbit appears on the Ragman Rolls submitting to Edward I of England. [2] Also appearing on the rolls are James, John and Adam Nisbet. [2] It is likely that Adam was the Nisbet of that Ilk who received a charter from Robert the Bruce for the land of Knocklies with the feudal obligation of providing one knight for the king's army. [2] Adam or possibly his son of the same name continued in royal favour, distinguishing himself in defending the Scottish Borders in the service of David II of Scotland. [2]
Adam was succeeded by Philip Nisbet, who appears in important charters of the Earls of Dunbar. [2] Philip was succeeded by his son Adam. [2] Adam's great-grandson was another Philip Nisbet who married a daughter of Haldane of Gleneagles and their heir was Alexander Nesbit. [2]
Alexander Nesbit was a royalist who was devoted to Charles I of England. [2] Nesbit was appointed sheriff of Berwickshire, however when the king's policies led to military confrontation with his Scottish and English subjects, Nesbit and his sons joined the king's standard at Oxford. [2] Nesbit's eldest son, Philip, was abroad when the civil war broke out but when he returned he was knighted and given command of a regiment. [2] Philip Nesbit was lieutenant governor of Newark-on-Trent during the Siege of Newark that was carried out by General David Leslie, Lord Newark. [2] When Nesbit left Newark he became an officer for James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose. [2] Montrose was surprised by a strong force of Covenanter cavalry at the Battle of Philiphaugh where Philip Nesbit was captured. [2] He was then executed at Glasgow on 28 October 1646. [2] Two of Philip's brothers, Alexander and Robert, were also killed during the Scottish Civil War. [2] The youngest brother, Adam, survived and he was the father of the heraldic writer, Alexander Nisbet. [2]
Alexander Nisbet initially trained as a lawyer but soon acquired a passion for history and heraldry. [2] In 1702 he published his first work, an essay on cadency. [2] His great work was System of Heraldry which was published in 1722 with more editions following in 1742, 1804 and 1816. [2] Nisbet died in 1725. [2]
Related branches of the Nisbet family became established at Dean in Edinburgh, Dirleton in East Lothian, Greenholm in Ayrshire, and Carfin and Cairnhill in Renfrewshire. In the 17th century, many Nisbets went to Ireland and, often via Ireland, to North America.
According to the Scottish Tartans Society the Nesbett tartan is identical to the Mackintosh, and similar to the Dunbar sett, which both appear in the Vestiarium Scoticum . There is however no historical link between the Nisbetts and Clan Mackintosh to explain why the tartan is based upon that Mackintoshes. [3] The Vestiarium was a Victorian era forgery, first published in 1842 by the Sobieski Stuarts. Even though it has since been proven forgery, the Vestiarium is still the basis of many of today's clan tartans.
The clan was chiefless for four centuries following the loss of the Nesbitt lands during the Civil War. In 1994 the Lord Lyon recognised Robert Anthony Ellis Nesbitt as Chief of the Name and Arms of Nesbitt (or Nisbet). [2] After his death in 2000, his son Mark Nesbitt (born 1961) became Chief and Baron of West Nesbitt. [4]
Nesbitt, Nesbit, Nisbet, Nisbett, Nisbeth (Sweden and Denmark), Naisbitt, Nezbeth
The Nesbitt/Nisbet Society was founded in 1980 by Prof John A. Nesbitt, of Iowa. The British Isles branch was founded in 1983, the North American branch in 1985, and the Australian branch in 1986. Each branch also serves neighbouring regions, and all three work closely together. Total membership is 400+ families. Each branch organises gatherings, those in the British Isles usually held in locations with historic family associations; those in North America in association with one of the well-known Highland Games. Membership is open to all, whether descended from or related to N/Ns, or interested in the family.
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Clan MacLeod is a Highland Scottish clan associated with the Isle of Skye. There are two main branches of the clan: the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan, known in Gaelic as Sìol Tormoid and the Clan MacLeod of Lewis Assynt and Raasay, known in Gaelic as Sìol Torcaill. Both branches claim descent from Leòd, a Norse-Gael who lived in the 13th century.
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Clan Ramsay is a Lowland Scottish clan.
The Battle of Nesbit Moor was a small but significant clash between Scottish and English forces in the borders area north of the River Tweed. Specifically this clash took place on the Kimmerghame Estate in a field now named Slaughter Field. The estate is in the possession of the Swinton Family.
Nisbet could refer to:
Alexander Nisbet was a Scottish lawyer and antiquarian. He is remembered for his works on heraldry which are considered to be some of the most complete and authoritative produced in the UK.
Dirleton Castle is a medieval fortress in the village of Dirleton, East Lothian, Scotland. It lies around 2 miles (3.2 km) west of North Berwick, and around 19 miles (31 km) east of Edinburgh. The oldest parts of the castle date to the 13th century, and it was abandoned by the end of the 17th century.
The Vestiarium Scoticum is a book which was first published in 1842 by William Tait of Edinburgh in a limited edition. John Telfer Dunbar, in his seminal work History of Highland Dress, referred to it as "probably the most controversial costume book ever written".
Nisbet House is a 17th-century mansion in the Scottish Borders. It is located on the north side of the Blackadder Water, 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) south of Duns, in the Merse, a low-lying part of the former county of Berwickshire. It was built in about 1630 by Sir Alexander Nisbet, ancestor of the heraldic authority Alexander Nisbet (1657–1725). Architectural evidence suggests that the building incorporates, at its eastern end, a square pele tower that was the former house. The house is protected as a category A listed building.
Clan Home is a Scottish clan. It held immense power for much of the Middle Ages and dominated the eastern Scottish Borders. It produced no fewer than eight Wardens of the Eastern March – more than any other family.
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Clan Marjoribanks is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands.
Clan MacAulay, also spelt Macaulay or Macauley is a Scottish clan. The clan was historically centred on the lands of Ardincaple, which are today consumed by the little village of Rhu and burgh of Helensburgh in Argyll and Bute. The MacAulays of Ardincaple were located mainly in the traditional county of Dunbartonshire, which straddles the "Highland Line" between the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands. Clan MacAulay has been considered a "Highland clan" by writers and has been linked by various historians to the original Earls of Lennox and in later times to Clan Gregor. The MacAulays of Ardincaple, like Clan Gregor and several other clans, have traditionally been considered one of the seven clans which make up Siol Alpin. This group of clans were said to have claimed descent from Cináed mac Ailpín, King of the Picts, from whom later kings of Scotland traced their descent. The chiefs of Clan MacAulay were styled Laird of Ardincaple.
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Nisbet is a surname. Alternate spellings include Nisbett, Nesbit, and Nesbitt. Notable people with the surname include:
Clan Crawford is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands. The clan is of Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon origin. There was in the early 18th century a mistaken belief that the clan had Norman origins. While historically recognised as a clan by the Court of the Lord Lyon, it is now an armigerous clan as it no longer has a chief. The last chief was Hugh Ronald George Craufurd, who sold his land and moved to Canada in 1904. He died in Calgary in 1942, leaving no male heirs.
Clan Fenton is a Scottish clan. It does not have a clan chief recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms therefore the clan has no standing under Scots Law. Clan Fenton is considered an armigerous clan, meaning that it is considered to have had at one time a chief who possessed the chiefly arms, however no one at present is in possession of such arms. the arms of Fenton of that Ilk are blazoned as: Gules, a bend engrailed Argent.
