[1686/4/65]¹

Warrant

Warrant for a bore brieve to Charles Colbert, marquis of Seignelay²

Whereas in all ages diverse men come of noble and honest families in our nation have, by letters, arms and other creditable employments, raised and comfortably seated themselves amongst strangers, and have, by their valour and virtuous achievements, given their country honour and vindicated their own birth from being base or mean, yet nevertheless, that this might be more clear and authentic to them with whom they live, and contract affinity, it is the laudable custom of this (as it is of all other civilized nations) to give letters under the great seal attesting the honour of their birth and blood, so that neither malice nor misrepresentation should be able to sully the lustre of either. And whereas amongst many others, there is now flourishing in France a noble and illustrious family of Colbert, and we knowing by clear evidence, ancient writings, friendly letters and other correspondence kept with the ancestors of that old family, and by the constant tradition of our forefathers, that that nobleman is descended from Scotland and, therefore, that we may recover to our ancient nation the glory that may arise to it from the splendour and virtue of that great progeny, and honour to ourselves, who are all near kinsmen thereto, and most of us chiefs whereof it is descended, do publicly attest and truly assert, to all whom these may concern, especially most humbly to our sacred sovereign and to his estates now convened in parliament, that Edward Colbert (who gave very early, first lustre to this family in France, and was the seventh progenitor in a right line to the illustrious and noble lord Lord Charles Edward Colbert, marquis of Seignelay, secretary of state to the most serene French king and superintendent of all his maritime affairs) was born lawfully in lawful matrimony of illustrious parents of the Scots nation, and which derive their pedigree from several illustrious and noble families for many ages, for Edward Cuthbert was son to Edward Cuthbert, a son of Castlehill, and to his spouse Margaret Lindsay, he was grandchild to George Cuthbert, baron of Castlehill, begot on his wife Mary Ross, he was great grandchild to master James Cuthbert, baron of Castlehill and to his spouse Joan Fraser, he was great, great grandchild to Mr George Cuthbert of Cuthbert, baron of Castlehill and to his spouse Catherine Dunbar, he was great, great, great grandchild to Mr James Cuthbert, baron of Castlehill and to his spouse Lady Elizabeth Lyon, daughter to the illustrious lord baron of Glamis, who in a right and masculine line descended of the lord baron of Glamis, who was son-in-law and lord high chancellor to Robert II, king of the Scots, their successor now is [Patrick Lyon], earl of Strathmore and Kinghorn, and is chief of his name, and all these Cuthberts were king's barons of Castlehill, and were diverse times, either by their fellow barons of Inverness-shire, or by the city of Inverness, chosen commissioners (as being men most qualified for that duty) and sent to the parliaments of the kingdom, and now in this parliament John Cuthbert, baron of Drakies, descended in a right line from the noble barons of Castlehill, is commissioner for the city of Inverness. This family had its first rise from the south of Scotland where St Cuthbert abode most, for they were his kinsmen, and from his name took their surname, the English that came from Youtland³ pronounce it Cuthbert, the Scots Culbert and French soften it into Colbert, and for the great valour they showed in the battle of Harlaw, to the serpent azure (which they earned in their coat of arms) a fess gules as a perpetual monument of their honour was added, his grandmother Marjory Rose was the daughter of Master Hugh Rose, king's baron of Kilravock, and of his wife Marie MacDonald; Master Hugh Rose was son to Mr David Rose and to his spouse Elizabeth Scrimgeour, daughter to Mr Thomas Scrimgeour, baron of Glastre, constable of Dundee and heritable standard bearer to his majesty, his posterity were earls of Dundee and chiefs of his ancient name, and of his spouse Isobel Grant, daughter to the baron of Grant, chief of his numerous family; David Rose was son to Mr Robert Rose, king's baron of Kilravock, in a right line, he descended of the earls of Ross, chiefs of their name,⁴ and to his spouse Margaret Caddell, daughter to the baron of Caddell, heritable sheriff of the sheriffdom of Nairn and chief of his family; Margaret MacDonald was daughter to Aeneas MacDonald, baron of Glengarry, predecessor to the most loyal, the late illustrious lord baron MacDonald, and to his spouse Margaret MacLeod, daughter to Roderick MacLeod, king's baron of the Isle of Harris, and to his spouse Joan MacKenzie, daughter to the illustrious [Kenneth MacKenzie], lord MacKenzie, king's baron of Kintail and chief of his name, his lineal successor is now [Kenneth MacKenzie], earl of Seaforth; Aeneas MacDonald was son to Dunach, baron of Glengarry, and to his spouse Catherine MacLean, daughter to MacLean, king's baron of Duart in Mull, and chief of his name; Joan Fraser, spouse to James Cuthbert, was daughter to Simeon Fraser, king's baron of Foyers, and to his spouse Isobel MacIntosh, daughter to the king's baron of MacIntosh, chief of his clan (who in a right line descended of the great MacDuff, earl of Fife) and of his wife Elizabeth Maitland, daughter to the king's baron of Lethington, now they are earls (but very lately were dukes) of Lauderdale, chief of their name; Simeon Fraser was son to John Fraser of Foyers, who in a right line was descended of the most illustrious Lord Fraser of Lovat, and of his wife Euphan Carnegie, daughter to the lord baron of Carnegie, chief of his name, his successors are now earls of Southesk and Northesk; Catherine Dunbar, spouse to George Cuthbert, was daughter to John Dunbar, king's baron of Tarbat, sheriff of Murrisland, who in a right line descended of the earls of March and Dunbar, and to his spouse Catherine Murray, daughter to the lord baron of Tullibardine, his successor is now [John Murray], earl of Tullibardine and marquis of Atholl, and keeper of his majesty's privy seal, chief of his numerous name, thus far for the father's side. Marie Lindsay, spouse to Edward Cuthbert, was daughter to John Lindsay, king's baron of Edzell, and to his wife Margaret Irvine; John Lindsay was son to John [Lindsay], earl of Crawford, chief of his name, and to his spouse Lady Mary Gordon; John, the earl, was son to Lord Alexander Lindsay, lord baron of Glenesk, and to his spouse Lady Joan Graham; Lord Alexander was son to John, lord baron of Glenesk and to his spouse Lady Catherine Fleming, daughter to the illustrious Lord Fleming of Biggar, his successor is now earl of Wigtown, and chief of his name; Lady Mary Gordon was daughter to George [Gordon], earl of Huntly, lord high chancellor of Scotland, and to his spouse Lady Joan Stewart, fifth daughter to James I, king of Scots, and to his queen Lady Joan Seymour,⁵ daughter to the duke⁶ of Somerset in England, who was third son to John of Gaunt, John of Gaunt was fourth son to the most serene prince Edward III, king of England; James I, king of Scots was son to Robert III, king of Scots, and to his most serene lady Queen Annabella Drummond, daughter to the illustrious baron [Sir John Drummond] of Stobhall, to whom now succeeds in a right line James [Drummond], lord baron of Drummond and earl of Perth, chief of his most noble and numerous tribe, and lord high chancellor of Scotland; to George Gordon, the chancellor, was father to Alexander, earl of Huntly and to his mother he had Euphan Crichton, daughter to the baron of Frendraught, whose successor is now a lord viscount; Lady Joan Graham, wife to Alexander Lindsay, was daughter to the illustrious [William], lord Graham, baron of Mugdock, whose successors are now marquises of Montrose, chiefs of their most famous name, and to his spouse Joan Campbell, daughter to the illustrious lord baron of Glenorchy, his successor now is [John Campbell], earl of Breadalbane; Margaret Irvine, wife to John, baron of Glenesk, was daughter to Sir Alexander Irvine, king's baron of Drum, and to his spouse Lady Elizabeth Keith, Alexander Irvine was likewise son to Alexander Irvine and to his spouse Lady Marjory Forbes; Alexander Irvine of Drum was son to Sir Alexander, baron of Drum, chief of his name, and to his wife Lady Marjory Hay, daughter to the earl of Erroll, lord high constable of Scotland and chief of his noble name; Lady Marjory Forbes was daughter to the most illustrious Lord Forbes, chief of his name, and to his spouse Lady Marjory Douglas, daughter to the most illustrious earl of Douglas, chief of his valiant family, his successor now is [James Douglas], marquis of Douglas; Lady Elizabeth Keith was daughter to John, lord Keith, earl Marischal of Scotland, and chief of his name, and his spouse Lady Christian Seton; the earl of Marischal was son to John, lord marischal of Scotland and to his spouse Lady Margaret Ogilvy, daughter to the illustrious lord baron of Ogilvy, chief of his family, his successor is [James Ogilvy], earl of Airlie; and Lady Christian Seton was daughter to the illustrious George, lord baron of Seton, chief of his loyal family, his lineal successor is now [George Seton], earl of Winton, and to his spouse Lady Janet Lindsay, daughter to the illustrious lord baron of Lindsay, his successor is now [William Lindsay], earl of Crawford-Lindsay. And all which persons were joined in lawful wedlock and came of undefiled beds, and are descended of most noble and illustrious families, and have been famous by the splendour of their birth and virtues, and have been for their valour and loyalty to their king and country honoured with many great offices and titles by our princes, beyond all memory, and have together with the same delivered their blood, pure and entire without spot or stain, to their posterity, and are still admirers and followers of their forefathers' virtues, all these matters above we know to be most true; and therefore most humbly beseech his majesty, and the right honourable the estates met in this parliament, that they would be pleased, by their act, to command the directors of his majesty's chancellery to make and write a bore brieve to pass his majesty's great seal, according to the tenor of the details above, whereby that illustrious and most noble family of Colbert may be restored to us their friends, and to their own native country, and that envious and malignant fame may be silenced and posterity better informed, and that no doubt or debate may arise concerning these our letters of attestation, we have put thereto our subscriptions manual, freely and unanimously as follows.