The Jardine Clan

CHIEF of the CLAN: Sir Alec.M.Jardine of Applegarth , B.t.
 

CLAN SEAT:    Little Dyke, Dalton, Lockerbie, Scotland.
 

CREST of the CLAN:       A spur rowel of six points.
 

MOTTO of the CLAN:      Cave Adsum (Beware I am here).
 

BADGE:   Sprig of Apple Blossom.
 

SEPTS of the CLAN:       There are a number of septs most with variations of the Clan surname.
 

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CLAN.

The Jardine Clan is a member of the Standing Order of Scottish Chiefs.

The first record of the name was one du Jardan who came over to England with William the Conqueror in 1066, so the Jardines like many Scottish Clans as the Bruces, Grants, Frasers, Stewarts, Johnstons, and Grahams were of Norman origin. The name is first encountered in Scotland prior to 1153in charters to the Abbey of Arbroath where Umfredus du Jardin appears as a witness. Humphrey du Jardin witnessed a charter by Robert Bruce to the Abbey of Arbroath around 1178. So they were established in Angus in the 12th century.

The Normans were invited into Scotland first by Queen Margaret the wife of Malcolm 111 (Canmore) who had a liking for things Norman and Anglo-Norman; and this practice was followed by Queen Margaret's sons when they became kings of Scotland.

King David 1 (1124-1153) of Scotland recognised the strategical importance of Annandale Dumfriesshire as the natural route between Scotland and England, and was keen to use it as a border zone. Two castles were to become the gateway, Annandale and Lochmaben. Robert Bruce was one of the senior Anglo-Normans in David l's entourage and was granted 200,000 acres of land in Annandale by David. So to make certain of loyalties Bruce brought in his own kind Anglo-Norman knights and ruled over a close-knit body from the castles. It is interesting to note that a grandson of this Robert Bruce was born in Lochmaben castle and he was Robert 1 king of Scotland (Robert the Bruce).

The Anglo-Norman knights brought in to Annandale were Johnstons, Jardines, Maxwells, Kirkpatricks, and Crosbies, and became known as the knights of Annandale. They parcelled out the land amongst themselves and settled down and soon took on the flavour of their surrounds and became Scots loyal to Robert Bruce Lord of Annandale.

The area the Jardines became established in was west of Dumfries between Lochmaben and Lockerbie, and their eldest known residence still standing is Spedlin's Castle a Border tower on the Annan River built in the 13th Century and added to in the 15th. The Clan became essentially a Border Clan with all the associations which this implied.

When requirement became law that Scottish people had to have surnames in common with other clans, people adopted the name of their chief, some to a greater extent than others.

The Jardines were for centuries active in defending the Borders, an area that saw continual mayhem and devastation until the 17th century. They supported William Wallace, Robert the Bruce and Mary Queen of Scots until her marriage to Bothwell, when they declared their allegiance to the infant King James V.

There were a number of prominent Jardines down through the centuries apart from the Chiefs. The name could appear in various forms. Patrick de Gardinus was chaplain to the Bishop of Glasgow at the beginning of the 13th century.

Another variant is found on the Ragman Roll of Nobles when Scottish nobles were forced to pledge fealty to Edward 1 of England (the Hammer of the Scots) in 1296, Sir Humprey de Gardino is entered on the roll. On a small portion of this Roll, still preserved in the Record Office London, are still attached 13 seals of which one is the seal of Humprey de Gardino, with traces of Saltire Chief and Stars and the following S.DOMINI HVFRLDI DE GARD1N.
 

1297 Sir Humprey de Gardino is said to have fought with William Wallace at the Battle of Stirling Bridge on. September 11.

1298 Sir Humprey de Gardino fought against Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk on July 22

1304 William de Gardyne petitions for the return of his lands in Cumberland which had been forfeited.

1326 Sir William de Gardino was taken prisoner at the Battle of Nevilles Cross. 1329 Sir William de Gardino witnesses at Annandale a Charter granted by Thomas Randoph Earl of Moray

1333 Sir Humprey de Jardyne killed at the Battle of Dornock, Dumfriesshire fighting for the Scots. Slain 23 March

1336 William de Gardino holds lands at Kirk Andres in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright.

1345 William de Gardino has 2 Charters granted by King David 11 of Hartsyde and Wardell.

1361 Sir Humprey Gardyng witnesses 2 Charters of Holmains. In it is styled DOMINUS DE APILGARTH.

1432-1453 Willehimus Gardyng DOMINUS DE APILGARTH is one of the hostages to England for the debts of James 1.

1476 Sir William Jardyn was Rector of the parish of Apilgrath.

1477 Sir Alexander Jardine fled to France with the Duke of Albany.

1520 Humprey Jardine married Elizabeth daughter of Lord John Maxwell (who fell at Flodden on 9.9.1513).

1524 Jardine and Maxwells raid into Cumberland causing much mayhem and taking many prisoners.

1525 Lord Wharton with a large force of English over ran Annandale and forced the Clans and Barons to serve the King of England, Jardine of Applegirth was to supply 242 of his followers.

1526 Jardines and other Border Clans with the help of French gold and auxiliaries drove the English back, the ferocity and devastation of which had hitherto been unheard of

1560 Alexander Jardine was defender of Tantallon Castle; he was taken prisoner at the Battle of Sack.

1571 John Graham of Canonby who burnt his corn, killed 2 men, stole 80 of his cattle and kidnapped Jardine's brother attacked Jardine of Applegirth.

1593 Jardine fought on the side of the Johnstones against the Maxwells at the Battle Dryfe Sands Dumfriesshire. This battle was the culmination of a long feud between the Johnstones and the Maxwells. Fought on December 6 it was the last of the Border Clan battles and one of the bloodiest family fights on British soil. It took place in Jardine territory in and around Lockerbie, the Maxwells were ambushed and cut to pieces with about 700 killed, the Johnstone losses were also high.

The Jardines were involved in the constant mayhem that was the lot of the Borders for centuries if it was not national battles taking place it was across the border raiding or Clan Feuds. Once James VI became King of England as well as Scotland he dealt harshly with the Borderers. There were many evictions, executions and imprisonments. Once peace did come the area produced many people of talent, invention, industry and pioneers. Some Jardines of note were.

1672 Alexander Jardine created Baronet of Nova Scotia

1718 John Jardine an eminent clergyman and one of the intellectual and literary elite of Edinburgh in the mid 18th century, he helped launch the critical journal " The Edinburgh Review" and was appointed Dean of the Order of the Thistle and a royal chaplain.

1776 James Jardine a brilliant mathematician, he tutored at Edinburgh University for some years and is commemorated there by the Jardine Mathematics bursary. In 1806 he transferred his energies to civil engineering and soon rose to the top of that profession. He did much to change the face of Edinburgh and change the ways of the city. He was responsible for the Crawley water project which brought fresh clean water to the city. This put Scotland and Edinburgh in particular at the forefront in the design of public water supplies. He completed the union canal and the Dalkeith railway and the natural drainage of the meadows. He advised on the planning and building of many of the city’s prominent buildings.

1818 Henry Jardine an Edinburgh lawyer, an intellectual and academic was made Deputy Kings Remembrance in Exchequer for Scotland. He was present with Sir Walter Scott when the honours of Scotland were rediscovered on February 5. He was knighted in 1852 and later made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

1840 William Jardine a surgeon with the East India Company established the Jardine Matheson Company in Hong Kong and was active in the opium wars.
The Jardine Company grew to dominate trade in the Far East.

1864 Jardines were early pioneers in Queensland Australia. Brothers Frank and Alec drove a herd of cattle (250) from Bowen to the tip of Cape York a distance of 1600 klms taking 8 months. They established a cattle station called Lockerbie after their home area in Scotland. They have a river, the Jardine River, named after them, also a National Park at the top of Cape York. 

1873 Frank Jardine married a Samoan Princess Sara the niece of Moliatooa King of Samoa.

1841 The ship Lord Auckland arrived in Nelson New Zealand commanded by Captain Jardine with emigrants from Britain.

1862 Thomas and James Jardine arrived in Port Chalmers on the Jura from Dumfriesshire Scotland and these Jardines went on to be well known in farming in Otago. D.G.Jardine farmed the Remarkables Station and was a talented artist, author and active in community affairs and sports in the Queenstown area.

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