A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

1 66 OF THE CHEVERON.
of King James III.
the Lord Home.
who had only one daughter, Nicolas Ker, who was married to
LORD Charles KER, Director of his Majesty's Chancery in Scotland, carries the
same as the present Marquis his brother,
motto, A Deo lumen.
with a suitable difference, crest the same;
third son to William Earl
KER. of Abbot-rule, son to Charles Ker of Abbot-rule,
of Lothian, carries the same with, the present Marquis of Lothian, but places, for
difference, in the centre, an unicorn's head erased proper ; crest, the sun rising out
of a cloud, proper : motto, J'avance. As in the Plate of Achievements.
The surname of BALFOUR ; argent, on a cheveron sable, an otter's head erased
of the first. Sir James Balfour, in his Blazons, says, Balfour of that Ilk, of old, car-
ried argent, a cheveron betwixt three otters' heads erased sable. The lands of,
Balfour or Ball-or, on the water of Or in Fife, gave name to the ancient heritors of
these lands, and their descent is reckoned from the reign of King Duncan* See
Sir Robert Sibbald's History of Fife. Ingillramus de Balfour is a witness in a charter
of Alexander II. to the Monastry of Aberbrothick. In the parliament holden
at Ayr, is 1315, Michael de Balfour, Sheriff of Fife, and David de Balfour, whose
seals of arms are appended in taihieing the crown, and there were then several
heritors of that name in Fife. In the reign of Robert II. Sir John Balfour of that
Ilk died without male issue, leaving a daughter and heiress, who was married to
Robert Bethune, who got with her the barony of Balfour, their issue retained the
name of Bethune, but were designed of Balfour ; of whom afterwards.
The next family was BALFOUR of Balgarvie ; King II. James gave to Sir John
Balfour of Balgarvie the lands of Burleigh, from which he and his posterity were
designed, who carried argent a cheveron sable, charged with an otter's head erased
of the field, and in base a rose gules. Balfour's Manuscript. The family continued
till the reign of King James VI. that Sir James Balfour of Mountquhanny, Clerk
Register, married Margaret Balfour, heiress of Burleigh.
MOUNTQUHANNY carried argent, a cheveron sable, charged with an otter's head
erased of the first, and in base a saltier couped of the second ; Balfour's Manuscript.
Their son, Sir Michael Balfour of Burleigh and Balgarvie, was created
Lord Burleigh, at Whitehall, by King James VI. July 16. 1607. He was then
ambassador for that king to the Dukes of Tuscany and Loraine, and married a daugh-
ter of Lundie of that Ilk, and had with her but one daughter, Margaret, his heir,
Baroness of Burleigh. She married Robert Arnot of Fernie, who took upon him
, the name and arms of Balfour, and, in her right, was Lord Burleigh. Of him is
descended the present Lord Burleigh, who carries argent on a cheveron sable, an ot-
ter's head erased of the first, supported on the dexter by an otter seiant, proper ;
and on the sinister by a swan, proper ; and for crest, a lady standing on a rock
holding in her right hand an otter's head, and in her left, a swan's head : motto
Omne solurn forti patria* Some illuminated books represent the woman as a Mermaid.
BALFOUR of Grange, descended of the family of Mountquhanny, argent, on a
chever.on sable, an otter's head erased of the first ; crest, a castle argent, on the
embankment, a woman attired gules, holding in her hand an otter's head: motto,
.Nil teinere. Lyon Register.
Mr DAVID BALFOUR of Grange, (says Dr Sibbald) is representative of the an-
cient family of Mountquhanny, who has a charter from King William the Lion.
BALFOUR of Denmill, or, on a cheveron sable , accompanied with three cinquefoils
vfrt, an otter's head erased of the field. Sir Robert Sibbald, in his fore-mentioned.
History of Fife, tell us, that King James II. in the fourth year of his reign, gave
the lands of Denmill to his beloved and familiar servant, James Balfour, son to Sir
John Balfour of Balgarvie. From this James Balfour wa^ lineally descended Sir
ja-nes Balfour of Denmill, Lyon King at Arms, in the reign of i[c \va
King Charles I.
r > a curious antiquary, and knowing in Heraldry, whose blazons I mention
frequently in this treatise.
; S i- DAVID BALFOUR of Forret, a younger son of Sir Michael Balfour of Den-
;ni!l, and one of the Senators of the College of Justice, or, on a cheveron sable,
rfxt f/.vo. trefoil; in chief vert, and a lion rampant in base gules, an otter's-