proofs of nobility for British expatriates - Hepburn
Nathaniel Taylor
to solicit commentary on what purports to be a charter of James VI/I,
attesting nobility of a Scotsman in Pomerania, Captain Daniel Hepburn,
"legitimate son of the late Alexander Hepburn," resident at that time in
the duchy of Stettin - Pomerania (the document is addressed partly to
Phillip II, Duke of Stettin & Pomerania from 1606 to 1618). Hepburn
having been the subject of calumnies against his ancestry, King James
wishes all to know that "quondam Alexandrum Hepburnum ex legitimo
matrimonio et generosis parentibus ortum fuisse, et ex nobilibus
familiis tam a paterno quam materno genere descendisse." The document
goes on to specify that Alexander Hepburn was son of one John Hepburn,
"virum vere nobilem et bonarum omnium artium studiosum," and that John
Hepburn was "nepos" of the late Patrick Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, Lord
of Hailes, and Admiral of Scotland.
This reminds me, frankly, of the alleged document by Ulster King of Arms
for the Irish Sutton in Spain who was father of the first Spanish Conde
de Clonard -- we discussed that here while back.
I've put a pdf of the document with a little commentary on my blog at:
http://nltaylor.net/sketchbook/archives/150
My basic question: are such documents ever authentic? Is this Hepburn -
Pomeranian 'Hebron' descent at all verifiable?
Nat Taylor
a genealogist's sketchbook:
http://www.nltaylor.net/sketchbook/
M.Sjostrom
In 1500s and 1600s, a great many Scots who were militarily competent, officers and so, emigrated from 'poor' Scotland to continent, Finland, Sweden, various german states etc. Officers fairly often were from scots noble families, younger sons without inheritance to speak of, but with a training in swordsmanship and things to do with cavalry.
In Sweden and Germany, it was important whether a military was noble or commoner. Nobility in those places generally belonged to all agnates, and not only to the primogeniture. But the scots titles were inherited only by primogeniture. Other agnates in scotland inherited only the armigerous quality of the family. Quite naturally, the situation came to be interpreted that usually an armigerous quality of Scotland was enough for to be of nobility in those continental societies.
Really a lot of Scottish officers in Swedish service got along as noblemen on basis of such.
I seem to remember a number of citations or mentions in, for example, the Elgenstierna books, that this or that Scot was naturalized as Sweish nobleman on basis of being of noble family from Scotland. and I seem to recall a number of mentions that some of those presented letters or certificates from Scotland as proofs of such. One family I have looked in more detail: Robert Lichtone, lord of Tervajoki, Äyräpää etc in Finland, became ultimately naturalized as baron in the nobility of Sweden, after having produced a lot of writtren evidence from Scotland, showing him to be laird of Ulishaven, a holding which seems to have been created as a Scots (non-parliament) barony in 1400s. Robert Lichtone was baron of 'Ullishavin' in the swedish nobility. Some time afterwards, king Charles XI of Sweden, Grand Duke of Finland, created him Count in nobility of Sweden.
There have been grave doubts about some of those Scots genealogies presented by 1600s scots nobles to the Swedish House of Knights and Nobility in Stockholm, and there preserved. Some of those genealogies, seize quartiers, appear, on critical comparison with today scots genealogical research, to hold water only as to parents and possibly grandparents of the person in 1600s, but earliest quartiers of them (such as, great-great-grandparents) seem like a muddkle in some cases, even impossible on face of what is known about so-named scots families.
This is not to say that a few of such genealogies may hold water.
It indicates that some seize quartiers genealogies, which evidently were produced and preserved in 1600s, were possibly hastily gobbled together, perhaps in great need of showing 16 armigerous roots and not historical material to get them right.
I seem to recall that Hepburn was not the only to get a James VI letter in support of his nobility. That a few cases of scotmsmen settled in Swedish service, got such royal recognitions too. To Sweden, a king's affirmation was enough - if it were not true as to the inherited nobility, at least it represented a royal grant of nobility, and such nobleman can be naturalized. After all, swedish kings of 1600s created perhaps a thousand new noble families out from commoners during 1600s. Sweden, if any, accepted fully the so-called 'briefadel'.
For example the nobility of James Spens, 1.Friherre af Orreholmen, was certified by king James VI, as was nobility of the daughters of 'baron' James Nevoy of Methie, ladies of Marby. King James VI knighted at least one son-in-law (Johannes Skytte), and Charles I knighted seemingly three Skytte grandsons, of baron Nevoy, mentioning the noble scottish antecedents of the mother of the boys.
On the other hand, one could not expect a certificate from the king to all and sundry scots, probably a most active portion of them bothered to ask the king and received such.
Nathaniel Taylor
"M.Sjostrom" <qs...@yahoo.com> wrote:
You are right in that such a scenario and document are not inherently
implausible, given with the number of well-born Scots who certainly went
abroad in the 16th century. But I would like to be able to find other
such documents transcribed fully (or, better yet, originals) since I do
not doubt that there were abundant means and motive to forge or
exaggerate such credentials especially in lands were nobility on both
paternal and maternal sides was important--let alone seize quartiers.
Would the king really have supplied such credentials over his own seal?
I would greatly appreciate any citations to (or copies) of similar
documents from James VI or any previous or later monarch. Where can one
find citation to or discussion of such a document for the Friherre of
Orreholmen? Letters patent conferring knighthood might be a good basis
for comparison, but the present (Hepburn) text grants nothing--it is
merely a bona fide attesation of facts.
James Dempster
<nlta...@nltaylor.net> wrote:
>You are right in that such a scenario and document are not inherently
>implausible, given with the number of well-born Scots who certainly went
>abroad in the 16th century. But I would like to be able to find other
>such documents transcribed fully (or, better yet, originals) since I do
>not doubt that there were abundant means and motive to forge or
>exaggerate such credentials especially in lands were nobility on both
>paternal and maternal sides was important--let alone seize quartiers.
>Would the king really have supplied such credentials over his own seal?
>I would greatly appreciate any citations to (or copies) of similar
>documents from James VI or any previous or later monarch. Where can one
>find citation to or discussion of such a document for the Friherre of
>Orreholmen? Letters patent conferring knighthood might be a good basis
>for comparison, but the present (Hepburn) text grants nothing--it is
>merely a bona fide attesation of facts.
>
The original of the document transcribed below can be seen as an
illustration in Innes of Learney, Thomas "Scots Heraldry", Edinburgh
1956 p108 and AFAIK is considered authentic.
Testimonial of Arms of Katherine Forbes in Elsinore 1561
To all and sindry quhome it afferis to quhayis knawlege thir presentis
sall cum greting in God euirlasting We Schir Robert Forman of
Lathie knycht Lyoune King of Armes in the realme of Scotland hawand
consideratioun of the requeist maid to ws be ane honourable gentilman
Maister Doncane Forbes of Monymusk in the name of Katerine Forbes
dochter to vmquhyle Williame Forbes induellar in the town of
Elchinuwir within the realme of Denmark Schawand that the said
vmquhile Williame fader to the said Katerine ves gentilman borne and
discendit lynalie of the honourable houses of Petslego bot quhat armes
sche aucht and suld beir sche is vncertane Thairfour hes requirit
ws to assigne to hir the saidis armes mettill and cullour thairof as
appertenis ws of our office to do We hawand consideratioun that
thar is sindry gentill men landit beand of that surname of Forbes
within this realme berand armes with differens aither fra vthir
Oure attentik Registaris bukis of Armes beand sersit and ryplie auisit
with be ws findis the said vmquhile Williame fader to the said
Katerine lenalie discendit of the said honourable howss of Petslego
and sche aucht and suld beir the armes of the samyn in all tymes
cuming as fallowis Azur thre beirhedis siluir mussalit sable with
ane freis of the heidis in the middis as is heir vnder depaintit
without reproche of ony persoune quhilk we tak vpone ws be this our
testimonial subscriuit with our hand our sele of office is hingin
heirto At Edinburght the third day of Junij the yeir of God jm, vc,
thre scoir and ane yeir
The text below, under the great seal of Charles II is considered one
of the worst examples of a faked pedigree. I don't mean that the
document is a fake but that the information in it is false. This is a
transcript of a transcript in Illustrations of the Topography &
Antiquities of the Shires of Aberdeen & Banff, Spalding Club,
Aberdeen, 1857 iii 86 which can be sourced online at
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=RB4dAAAAMAAJ
Litera prosapiae Domini Joannis Orchardtoun
Carolus Dei gratia etc. Vniversis et singulis augustissimis ac
serenissimis monarchis imperatoribus regibus fratribus nostris
charissimis....presertim vero potentissimo ac serenissimo principi
Carolo eadem gratia Suecorum Gothorum Vandalorumque Regi et Principi
hereditario etc. fratri necnon consanguineo nostro charissimo ac bono
amico Cum debita officiorum commendatione perpetuam felicitatem ac
salutem ab eo qui omnium credentium est salus:... Quum... dilectus
noster subditus Dominus Joannes Orchardtonus in exercitum sub
auspicijs serenissimi Suedorum Regis vigilum prefectus supplex a nobis
postulasset vt que de ipsius natalibus et prosapia vel hominum memoria
vel antiquissimis regni Scotie monumentis constarent publico nostro
diplomate testata faceremus: Nos tam honeste petitioni faventes opera
et fide Guilelmi comitis de Glencarne... nostri in regno Wscotiae
cancellarij tota re explorata de ipsius natalibus et majoribus hoc
publicum testimonium deferimus: Natus est antedictus Dominus Joannes
Orchardtoune vigilum prefectus ex legitimo matrimonii thoro parentibus
et majoribus vtrinque in hoc regno nobilitate et virtute primarijs
patre domino Andrea Orchartoune Orchardtounij comarcho in vicecomitatu
nostro Aberdonensu matre domina Elisabetha Robertsona illius conjuge
legitima: Fuit autem Andreas Orchartoune Orchartounij comarchus filius
legitimus domini Joannis Orchartonij Orchartounij comarchi ex illius
conjuge Elisabetha Auchinlecka que filia legitima domini Georgij
Auchinlecki Pitrichie ex antiquissima Balmanee baronum familia oriundi
in vicecomitatu nostro Perthensi baronis in suprema Scotorum curia
senatoris amplissimi ex illius conjuge domina Anna Reeta domini Jacobi
Retti Halgreene baronis filia legitima Et hic quoque dominus Joannes
Orchartoune Orchartounij comarchus domini Joannis Orchartounij vigilum
prefecti avus filius fuit legitimus domini Jacobi Orchardtounij
Orchartonij comarchi ex domina Joanna Strauchana que parentes habuit
dominum Guilelmum Strauchaun Monboddo comarchum ex antiquissima
Strachanorum Thorntounij baronum in vicecomitatu nostro Kincardiensi
familia recta linea oriundum opibus honore potentia et avita rerum
gestarum gloria imprimis refulgente matrem Margaretam Ramseam filiam
legitimam Domini Jacobi Ramsei Belmeine baronis necnon equitis aurati
Quum et hic dominus Jacobus Orchartoun Orchartounij comarchus domini
Joannis Orchartounij vigilum prefecti proavus filius fuit legitimus
domini Roberti Orchartoune Orchartounij comarchi ex domina Joanna
Allerdessa filia legitima amplissimi viri domini Jacobi Allerdessij
Allerdessiae in predicto Kincardiensi vicecominatu nostro comarchi
summa integritate spectati Que Orchartounij familia pristinae
nobilitatis honorem intactum hucusque conservavit et in plurimas
propagata familias splendissimas hodie superstites virtute et honore
conspicuas multis seculis floruit: Certum domina Elisabetha Robertsona
dimini Joannis Orchartounij vigilum prefecti mater parentes habuit
dominum Georgium Robertsone Auchtermouchtie baronie orientalis partis
in vicecomitatu nostro Fifensi hereditarium possessorem et dominam
Margaretam Pringellam filiam legitimam domini Gulielmi Pringelli Casus
Gallovidani in vicecomitatu nostro Selkirkensi baronis ex illius
conjuge domina Dorothea Mura filia legitima domini Alexandri Muri
Calvalae baronis: Fuit autem dominus Georgius Robertsonus orientalis
Auchtermouchtie baronie partia hereditarius possessor domini Joannis
Orchartounij vigilum prefecti avus maternus filius legitimus domini
Patricij Robertsoni orientalis Auchtermuchtie baroniae partris
hereditarij possessoris ex ejus conjuge domina Joanna Gibba que filia
fuit legitima domini Joannis Gibbi egregia fide commendati Kinmouthij
in predicto vicecomitatu nostro Fifensi comarchi Qui dominus Patricius
Robertsonus... filius fuit legitimus domini Jacobi Robertsoni
Auchtermouchtie orientalis baronie possessoris hereditarij ex illius
conjuge legitima domina Elisabetha Ramsea que filia fuit domini Jacobi
Ramsei Ardbeckiae in vicecomitatu nostro Forfarensi baronis [minime]
obscuri ex clarissima Dalhousie Comitum familia oriunda Qui dominus
Jacobus Robertsonus ... filius fuit legitimus domini Alexandri
Robertsoni baronie Auchtermouchtiae orientalis partis possessoris
hereditarij ex illius conjuge domina Joanna Scotta Domini Gulielmi
Scott Balviriae equitis aurati Qui dominus Alexander Robertsonus recta
linea ex clarissima Robertsonorum Struanae baronum familia
oriundusquorum posteri in vicesimo nobilitatis ordine vetustissimi
stemmatis claritatem hodie etiamnum tuentur necnon constanti virtutis
studio illustris familiae nobilitatem hactenus decorarunt et
amplifacaruntAtque hos vniversos domini Joannis Orchartounij vigilum
prefecti majores in vtraque serie recensitos legitimis nuptiis
progenitos fuisse testimur Nec paucos eorum publicis honoribus domi
militi[aeque] summa cum laude defunctos esse reliquos preclaram vitae
honestae famam ad posteros transmisisse Que omnia et singula de Domini
Joannis Orchartounij vigilum prefecti majoribus et prosapia ante
memorata vel publicorum regni monumentorum authoritate vel hominum
gravissimorum adhuc superstitium fide comprobata vobis vniversis et
singulis tanquam vera et authentica hoc nostro diplomate nota et
etstata facimus ipsumque adeo vt virum et antiqua sanguinis nobilitate
et eximia majorum virtute preclarum majorem in modum vobis commendamus
magnopere rogantes vt que illustribus illius natalibus nec non
proprijs meritis debentur eidem haud gravate deferatis In quo quidem
officio civibus vestris simili commendatione fretis paria libenter
faciemus et retribuere spondemus Datum sub magno nostro sigillo regni
nostri Scotiae Edenburgi sexto die mensis Augusti anno Domini
millesimo sexcentesimo sexagesimo tertio et anno regni nostri decimo
quinto.
Hope this helps
James
James Dempster
You know you've had a good night
when you wake up
and someone's outlining you in chalk.
Frhr.v.Recum
> There have been grave doubts about some of those Scots genealogies
> presented by 1600s scots nobles to the Swedish House of Knights and
> Nobility in Stockholm, and there preserved. Some of those
> genealogies, seize quartiers, appear, on critical comparison with
> today scots genealogical research, to hold water only as to parents
> and possibly grandparents of the person in 1600s, but earliest
> quartiers of them (such as, great-great-grandparents) seem like a
> muddkle in some cases, even impossible on face of what is known about
> so-named scots families. This is not to say that a few of such
> genealogies may hold water.
>
Owning and seriously working through Elgenstierna (coat-of-arms-wise)
I realized that a lot of German and Dutch and also some French "noble"
origins mentioned there can not be found anywhere else, i.e. my Database
(see below).
I have created tables of European
a) nobility references (480.000 entries)
b) arms (184.000 entries)
and since I own all these books I am able to check immediately.
My guess is that Swedish authorities were - like the Prussian at that
time - often unable to really check anything of foreign origin and
relied on papers presented.
FvR
M.Sjostrom
I had personally not encountered, as far as I can remember, a seize quartiers certified by a king of Scotland, James VI or other.
I would think that such certification of so many little genealogical details, if ever happened, was exceptional and rare.
What I somehow remember, are mentions of sort of introductions made by a king of Scotland, iirc saying that a person is of born nobility, and perhaps mentioning (approx) one prominent ancestor or relative of the person. That Hepburn text looks like much like that sort of content, written in express intention of certifying the nobility.
Those seize quartiers, or other sorts of pedigrees, when from Scotland, generally came in form of a bunch of documents, or as a report of a genealogist. The Lichtoun case I mentioned, he had a priest in scotland working for him, collecting written evidence, and writing up a genealogy. I think that was a comparatively carefully done thing - and it has proved well in comparisons.
Another Scots family had taken in signed affidavits from a number of living kinsmen in Scotland, certifying that a person was their relative and what the signator had heard of his detailed ancestry as it coincided with his own.
Some other Scots family simply presented a sort of genealogical report written by someone in Scotland, and there iirc looked to be lots of mistakes and confusions. Or falsification of parentages.
There were several sorts of cases, for example:
* in one type, a scotsman had won an ennoblement from the Swedish king. Their nobility would then not be affected at all, whatever the result of their genealogy in Scotland. But still they left a detailed genealogy to the Swedish House of Knights and Nobility, and used those names like name-droppers, presumably in order to look like old nobles. With that they won social prestige and such.
* Another case type was a noble family seeking naturalization. They showed a parentage in attested scottish nobility, and on basis of it may have been granted naturalization as noblemen. It did not require seize quartiers - a father of establishedly noble family, and preferably also a noble mother, may suffice.
Seize quartiers were, as far as I understand, more often for winning social prestige than necessity for getting recognition as nobles.
Some large ancestral genealogies were, no doubt, false in content.
The Swedish HOuse of K & N did practically no double-checks of foreign genealogical info. The nobility itself usually did not depend on that, instead it was a prestige thing mostly, and also other families are known to have embellished their earlier pedigrees with historically unattested roots in the same 1600s and 1700s genealogies then given to that House's collections.
The Swedish House simply relied on foreign certifications of genealogies. Occasionally (although firtunately not often) it even allowed pedigrees based on an ennobled's own memories.
Occasionally, as to scots families, there are attestations made by other scots of the era living in sweden and having their own nobility too, giving information about what they knew of their kinsmen, other scots.
In some cases, this may have meant a network of scots to vouch for each other an embellished pedigree, or producs of faulty memory added by wishful thinking. (Let's think: two cavalry officers from Scotland get ennobled. They know, because their gramma or so has told in guys' childhood, that they are in one way second cousins, another way third cousins. They do not remember precisely how it was, but they have both some partly different reminiscences of names in pedigrees and talked about in family circkle. They togethjer gobble something up from such, in order to have mutually consistent pedigrees. Guess the result in regard to historical truth...)
Some material in internet may lead to who were well-known scottish emigrants:
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/sweden/16-1.htm
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/sweden/17-1.htm
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/sweden/17-2.htm
James Spens was a diplomat, at times in British service, at other times in Swedish. I think my reminiscence of James VI certifying his nobility is some mention or other simply in correspondence, possibly in some introduction of him to Swedes. IIRC James also knighted him, and Sweden granted a barony. His correspondence is published somewhere (I think usually mentioned as Jacob or Jacobus Spensius). Also he is frequently mentioned in published correspondence of Axel Oxenstierna.
If you look where all those correspondences are published, possibly there's that and such 'certificate'.
Alex Maxwell Findlater
330; there is also one for Crawfourd of Federate, of which I have seen
a copy, but not a transcription. There is a small booklet call Birth-
briefs of Aberdeen 1637-1705, including the Coutts one. It must have
over 60, as the text is 30 pages and there are on average just over 2
to a page. These were given for merchants, who went abroad and
presumably had been successful. The most probable reason for needing
a birth-brief would I expect have been either marriage or taxation.
There is some indication of the ages of the individuals and most seem
to have gone to Poland. They are from the Aberdeen Propinquity Books
and so it must have been a fairly standard practice. Alphabetically
listed, the first is William Abercrombie, who left Aberdeen about 15
years ago, then being about 16, dated 1663, so he would be over 30.
The next is Alexander Aidie, left about 33 years ago, and his parents
are both "late", so perhaps aged 50 or so, dated 1670. There is no
statement of nobilty, but all the families mentioned are gentry
families. The Crawfurd one is decorated with the arms of the four
grandparents and I seem to remember having seen an Innes one much the
same.
In the time of Charles II there are a number of birth-briefs issued
under the great seal, often with long pedigrees, which are not so much
correct, as surprisingly correct, by which I mean that perhaps a
generation is skipped, so a wife of an older generation is listed
instead. I would expect that they were at the time considered to be
accurate, rather than legal fictions.
For these later ones you just have to page through the Register of the
Great Seal, until you come to them, but it is transcribed up to 1668.
Alex Maxwell Findlater
the thread. I would be very interested to know of the whereabouts of
this and if possible have a transcription, as I am working on this
family at present.
Thank you in advance. My email address is maxwellfindlater at hotmail
com .......(as abbreviated on the profile).