Clan Clark History and Origin

From the rugged Highlands of Lochaber and the misty plateaus of Badenoch to the refined libraries of Midlothian, the surnames Clark and Clerk carry a deep, multifaceted legacy in Scottish history. Far from being a simple family tree descending from a single patriarch, the story of Clan Clark is a tapestry of independent occupational beginnings, heroic wartime alliances, legendary intellectual achievements, and stark tragic dramas.

This guide explores the rich history, symbols, and territories of the Scottish Clarks.

The Origin & Name Meaning

The surname Clark (including Clerk, Clarke, Clerke, and Clarkson) is occupational in origin, rooted in the Latin word clericus. In the early medieval period, this term denoted a member of a minor religious order, a scribe, a scholar, or a secretary. Because the Christian Church held a virtual monopoly on literacy in medieval Britain, anyone who could read, write, or draft legal charters was designated a "clerk".

As early administrative structures expanded, minor clergy were permitted to marry, allowing the name to become a hereditary designation.

Early Lowland and Border Records

Deeply embedded in Anglo-Saxon culture, the name spread throughout the British Isles and appeared in early written records of Scotland:

• 1174–1178: Roger clericus is documented holding land under Kelso Abbey in Roxburghshire, marking the earliest recorded bearer of the name in Scotland.
• 1246: Thomas clericus is appointed to determine the boundary lines of West Fedale in Perthshire.
• 1249: James the clerk serves as a witness to a land charter in Dumfriesshire.
• 1281: Alan clericus appears as a charter witness in Aberdeen.
• 1296: No fewer than nine distinct individuals named "le clerk" render homage to King Edward I of England in the infamous Ragman Rolls.

By 1400, the name was a fixed surname, with John Clerc possessing an Edinburgh tenement and Adam Clark recorded as a burgess of Dundee in 1406.

The Highland Translation: Mac a' Chlèirich

In the Gaelic-speaking Highlands, the name took the patronymic form Mac a' Chlèirich (or Mac a' Chlerich), meaning "son of the clerk". Operating as "men-of-business" and scribes to regional chiefs, these families gradually anglicized their name to McCleary, MacChlery, Clarkson, Clerk, and Clark.

Rise to Power & Key Alliances

Arising independently across Scotland, the Clarks did not expand under a single chief. Instead, they integrated into the Highland clan system as recognized septs (allied families) or grew as a powerful Lowland merchant dynasty.

The Highland Alliances

In the Highlands, families of Clarks swore allegiance to major parent clans:

• Clan Cameron: In Lochaber, the Clarkes became a respected sept of Clan Cameron under the chiefs of Lochiel, serving as hereditary scribes, farmers, and warriors.
• Clan Chattan / Clan MacPherson: In Badenoch, the relationship with Clan MacPherson (Mac a' Phearsoin, "sons of the parson") was cemented by a shared ecclesiastical heritage. The Clan MacPherson Association rejects the term "sept," classifying these lines as "Cousins" or "Associated Families" under the chief of Cluny.
• Clan Mackintosh: In the northeast, the Clarks trace their descent to Gillemichael vic Chleric, personal servant of Malcolm, 10th Chief of Mackintosh, in the 15th century.

Pivotal Battles and Royal Support

While the sources do not record independent Clark participation at the Battle of Bannockburn, they were heavily involved in major conflicts through their allied clans:

• Loyalty to Mary, Queen of Scots: In the Lowlands, the Clerks of Penicuik descended from John Clerk of Killiehuntly (1511–1574) of Badenoch. A loyal supporter of Mary, Queen of Scots, John opposed his feudal superior, the Duke of Gordon, and had to flee Badenoch in 1568, abandoning his estates.
• The Covenanting Troubles: In 1679, Sir John Clerk was created the 1st Baronet of Penicuik by Charles II, who granted him a baronetcy for his loyalty during the Covenanting troubles.
• The Jacobite Risings (1689–1746): Under the Cameron banner, Clark warriors fought at the Battle of Mulroy (1688) and charged at Culloden (1746). Aligned with Clan MacPherson, others served in the Jacobite rearguard, saving many retreating lives.

Feuds and the Darker History

Scottish history is rife with bloody rivalries, lawlessness, and tragic betrayals, and the history of the Clarks contains some of the most dramatic episodes in the annals of the country.

The Great Highland Feud: Cameron vs. Chattan

Highland Clarks were embroiled in the long feud between Clan Cameron and the Chattan Confederation. This culminated in the Battle of Invernahavon (1370) and the legendary Battle of the North Inch (1396), a judicial combat watched by King Robert III.

The Lawless Lowland Raid of 1595

Before the Clerks acquired the estate of Penicuik, the original Lowland lairds of the barony, the Penycukes of that Ilk, were notorious lawbreakers. On September 6, 1595, Andro Penycuke led a raid on the house of Michaell Archibald in Cukin. His gang broke into the house, threatened Archibald's family, stole gear, and brutally assaulted a servant. They then rode to Penycuke to burn the town. Denounced as a rebel, Andro's lawless behavior ran the family into debt, forcing the sale of the barony.

The Brutal Clearance of the Isle of Ulva

The darkest chapter in the history of the name occurred in the Inner Hebrides. In 1835, Francis William Clark, a wealthy Lowland lawyer and landowner from Argyll, purchased the historic island of Ulva for £29,500. Initially, the island boasted a thriving population of 604 people across sixteen villages, supported by a booming kelp-burning industry.

However, when the kelp market collapsed and the Great Potato Famine struck, Clark viewed his tenants as an economic liability. He carried out a brutal and systematic series of forced evictions (the Highland Clearances), tearing down homes and reducing the population from 570 in 1841 to a mere 70 residents by 1861. The destitute evicted families were forced onto emigrant ships bound for North America and Australia, while the final, desperate survivors were left without shelter at the desolate row of low stone cottages known as "Starvation Terrace" on Ardglass Point.

This dark legacy of depopulation was only reversed in June 2018, when the local community initiated a historic community buyout of the island for £4.4 million, securing the land for future generations.

Clan Castles & Territories

Over the centuries, families of Clarks and Clerks established significant strongholds across the Scottish landscape, from majestic Lowland estates to ruined Hebridean villages.

Penicuik Estate & Penicuik House

Located in Midlothian, just ten miles south of Edinburgh, the Penicuik Estate has been the ancestral seat of the Clerk family since 1654, when the international merchant John Clerk purchased the barony. John resided at Newbiggin House, a fortified mansion on the estate.

His grandson, Sir John Clerk, the 2nd Baronet (known as "the Baron"), transformed the property into a masterpiece of the Scottish Enlightenment, creating the "Designed Landscape" that survives today. He hollowed out the Hurley Cave (a forty-meter tunnel cut through solid rock to a quiet pond) and planted more than 600,000 trees.

In 1761, Sir James Clerk, the 3rd Baronet, demolished Newbiggin House and erected Penicuik House, a spectacular Palladian-style mansion aligned with the prehistoric Gowk Stone. He also built a grand stable block featuring an accurate scale replica of Arthur's O'on, Scotland's only known Roman temple.

Tragically, in 1899, a devastating fire destroyed the entire interior of the mansion. Refusing to yield, Lady Aymée Clerk converted the grand stable block into the family's new home, which remains the estate's central residence today.

Cluny Castle

Situated in Strathspey near Newtonmore, Cluny Castle was the historic stronghold of Clan MacPherson (with whom the Badenoch Clarks are allied). The original 14th-century castle was razed to the ground by the Duke of Cumberland's troops after the 1745 Jacobite Rising. The present castle is a beautiful 19th-century mansion built on the site of the ancient stronghold.

Ulva House

Located on the Isle of Ulva, Ulva House was constructed in 1850 by the notorious Francis William Clark as an impressive modern seat near the ruined, abandoned home of the last MacQuarrie clan chief. It was later rebuilt in the 1950s by Leslie Grahame-Thomson.

Symbols & Identifiers

The heraldic symbols and identifiers of the Clarks are rich with historical meaning, reflecting both Lowland feudal duties and Highland pride.

• The Lowland Clerk Crest: A demi-man winding (blowing) a hunting horn proper.
• The Lowland Family Motto: "Free for a Blast". This unique motto stems from a legendary royal hunt under King Robert the Bruce. As a condition of their land tenure, the Clerks of Penicuik were bound to a feudal obligation (redendo): whenever the reigning monarch came to hunt on Edinburgh's Burgh Muir, the laird of Penicuik was required to sit upon the "Buckstane" (a boundary stone) and blow three distinct blasts on a hunting horn.
• The Lowland Secondary Motto: Amat victoria curam ("Victory loves care").
• The Highland Cameron Sept Motto: Aonaibh ri cheile ("Unite" or "Let us unite").
• The Highland MacPherson Sept Motto: Touch not the cat bot a glove ("Touch not the cat without a glove").
• The Highland Sept Plant Badge: White Heather (worn in bonnets to identify themselves in battle).
• Alternative Clark Crests and Mottos:
  • Type 1: A red anchor entwined with a golden rope (Motto: "Sure and Steadfast").
  • Type 2: A demi-lion wielding a battle-axe (Motto: "In Deo speravi" - "In God have I trusted").
  • Type 3: A clergy's cross on a rampant lion on a St Andrew's Cross (Motto: "Per scribus pro Deus et Caledonia" - "Through scribes for God and Scotland").
• Tartan History: Historically, there is no single "ancient" Clark tartan. In 1819, Wilsons of Bannockburn designed a dark-hued fashion tartan called "Priest" (comprising black, lavender, and light blue). In 1831, James Logan published a distorted version of this sett in The Scottish Gael, calling it "Breacan na'n Clerach" ("Tartan of the Clergy") and mistakenly rendering the lavender as white. This resulted in two distinct, registered modern tartans: the Clergy tartan (featuring light blue lines, traditionally reserved for ordained ministers) and the Clark family tartan (featuring crisp white lines, worn by family descendants).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Clark a Highland or a Lowland clan?

The surname Clark is primarily an occupational name that arose independently throughout both the Lowlands and Highlands. While a highly prominent Lowland dynasty established the Barony of Penicuik, groups of Clarks were formally integrated as septs (or "Associated Families") of Highland clans such as Clan Cameron and Clan Chattan.

What is the meaning of the Clark family motto, "Free for a Blast"?

This motto refers to a historic feudal obligation where the Clerks of Penicuik were required to climb onto the Buckstane and wind three blasts of a hunting horn whenever the reigning monarch went hunting on Edinburgh's Burgh Muir.

Who are some of the most famous figures in the history of Clan Clark?

The family boasts several world-changing figures, including the legendary double Formula One World Champion racing driver Jim Clark OBE, the pioneering 19th-century physicist James Clerk Maxwell, and the renowned naval tactician John Clerk of Eldin.

Can anyone wear the Clark or Clergy tartan?

Yes, while there are no legal restrictions, traditional etiquette dictates that the Clergy tartan (featuring light blue lines) is reserved for ordained ministers, while the Clark family tartan (featuring white lines) is intended for descendants of the family.

References

• Arthur, J. W. (2024). 3 The Early Clerks of Penicuik - Brilliant Lives. 2nd Edition. John Donald.
• Black, G. (1946). Surnames of Scotland. New York Public Library.
• Gray, J. M. (1889). Notes on the Art Treasures at Penicuik House Midlothian. Edinburgh.
• Newsome, M. A. C. (2005). Clergy Tartan. Matthew A. C. Newsome.
• Way, G., & Squire, R. (1994). Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia. HarperCollins.