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{{Short description|Lowland Scottish clan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox clan
|clan name=Clan Charteris
|image badge= Clan member crest badge - Clan Charteris.svg
|chiefs crest= A dexter hand holding up a dagger paleways Proper.
|chiefs motto=This is our Charter<ref name="ScotClans">[http://www.scotclans.com/scottish-clans/clan-charteris/ Clan Charteris Profile] scotclans.com. Retrieved 24 November 2013.</ref>
|chiefs slogan=
|war cry=
|region=[[Scottish Lowlands]]
|district=
|gaelic names=
|image arms= Arms of Charteris-Wemyss, Earls of Wemyss and March.svg
|plant badge=
|animal=
|pipe music=
|chiefs name=[[James Charteris, 13th Earl of Wemyss|The Right Honourable James Charteris]]
|chiefs title=[[Earl of Wemyss and March]]
|chiefs gaelic title=
|seat= [[Gosford House]], [[East Lothian]]
|historic seat=
|septs=
|branches=Charteris of Dumfries<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/><br>Charteris of Kinfauns<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/>
|Allied clans=
|Rival clans=[[Clan Kirkpatrick]]<br>[[Clan Douglas]]<br>[[Clan Ruthven]]

|last chiefs name=
|date of death of last chief=
|commander=
}}
'''Clan Charteris''' is a [[Scottish clan]] of the [[Scottish Lowlands]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris">{{cite book |last1=Way |first1=George of Plean |last2=Squire |first2=Romilly of Rubislaw |authorlink2=Romilly Squire of Rubislaw |authorlink1=George Way of Plean |year=1994 |title=Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia |location=[[Glasgow]] |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] (for the [[Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs]]) |isbn=0-00-470547-5 |pages=100–101}}</ref>

==History==

===Origins of the Name===

The claimed origin of the name Charteris is that it is from the city of [[Chartres]] in [[France]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/>

===Origins of the Clan===

William, a son of the Lord Chartres, is said to have come over with the [[Norman conquest of England]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> William's son or grandson came to [[Scotland]] with the retinue of [[David I of Scotland]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> An early reference to the name is found in a charter of around 1174 to [[Kelso Abbey]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> In this charter the name appears written in [[Latin]] as ''de Carnoto''.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/>

A charter dated 1266 gives evidence of four generations of Charterises: Robert de Carnoto, a knight who is said to be the son of Thomas, who was the son of another Thomas, who was the son of Walther.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> In 1280 Sir Thomas de Charteris was appointed [[Lord Chancellor of Scotland]] by [[Alexander III of Scotland]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/>

===Wars of Scottish Independence===

In 1296 Andrew de Charteris rendered homage to [[Edward I of England]] and appears on the [[Ragman Rolls]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> However, he soon took up the fight for Scottish independence. As a result, his estates were forfeited to [[John Balliol]], who was the English-sponsored King of Scotland.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> Andrew's son, William Charteris, was a supporter of [[Robert the Bruce]] and was with Bruce when [[John III Comyn, Lord of Badenoch|Comyn]] was killed at Dumfries in 1306.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> Sir Thomas Charteris was a faithful supporter of the Scottish Crown and was appointed ambassador to England.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> He was appointed as Lord High Chancellor of Scotland in 1342 by [[David II of Scotland]] and was killed at the [[Battle of Neville's Cross|Battle of Durham]] in 1346.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/>

===16th century and clan conflicts===

In 1526 a feud arose with the [[Clan Kirkpatrick]] (Kilpatrick).<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> It is recorded in Pitcairn's ''Criminal Trials of Scotland'' that John Charteris of Amisfield, along with his brother and two sons, were charged with the murder of Roger Kilpatrick, son of Alexander Kilpatrick in March 1526.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/>

In 1530 a more notable dispute took place, when Sir Robert Charteris, the eight Laird, fought a [[duel]] with Sir James Douglas of Drumlanrig, which has been described as one of the last great chivalric contests.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> The king himself watched the duel which was fought with such fury that Charteris's sword was broken and the king had to send his men to part the combatants.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/>

Another branch of the clan were the Charterises of Kinfauns, who disputed the chiefship with their cousins of Dumfriesshire.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> The Charterises of Kinfauns are said to have received their lands as a reward for supporting Robert the Bruce against the English.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> However, they came into a feud with the [[Clan Ruthven]] who often disputed the authority of the Charterises.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> The Ruthvens held considerable sway over Perth from their [[Huntingtower Castle]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> In 1544 Patrick, Lord Ruthven was elected as [[Provost of Perth]] but at the intervention of Cardinal Beaton, Ruthven was deprived of the office and Charteris of Kinfauns was appointed instead.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> The city refused to acknowledge Charteris and barred the gates against him.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> Charteris along with Lord Gray and the [[Clan Leslie]] then attacked the town. However, they were repulsed by the Ruthvens, who were assisted by the Moncreiffs.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> As a result, Ruthven remained Provost of Perth until 1584, when William Ruthven, Earl of Gowrie was executed.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> John Charteris had been killed by the earl's heir on Edinburgh High Street in 1552.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/>

===17th century and civil war===

Sir John Charteris of Amsfield was appointed one of the Commissioners of Parliament to confirm the [[Treaty of Ripon]] in 1641.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> John supported the [[Covenanter|National Covenant]] but did not rise against the king.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> As a result, he was imprisoned in [[Edinburgh]] in 1643 but was released in March 1645.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> He afterwards joined the forces of [[James Graham, 1st Marquis of Montrose]] and was with the royal forces when they were surprised at the [[Battle of Philiphaugh]] in September 1645.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> John's brother, Captain Alexander Charteris was one of Montrose's staff and was with him on his ill-fated campaign in [[Caithness]] in 1650.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> Alexander Charteris was captured with Montrose and was executed by ''[[Maiden (beheading)|the Maiden]]'' in Edinburgh on 21 June 1650.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> The family estates then passed through an heiress to Thomas Hogg, who later assumed the name of Charteris.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/>

===18th and 19th centuries===

Colonel [[Francis Charteris (rake)|Francis Charteris]] who was the male representative of the family, bought lands near Haddington, which he renamed Amsfield to recall his ancestor's family seat in [[Nithsdale]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris" /> He left an only daughter, Janet, who married the [[Earl of Wemyss]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> Their second son was [[Francis Wemyss-Charteris|Francis Wemyss]] who later assumed the name Charteris.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/> The Charteris estates near Haddington have since been sold, although [[Gosford House]] is still the seat of the Earl of Wemyss and March, chief of the name and arms of Charteris.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.Charteris"/>

==Chief==

Since 2008, the family's chief has been [[James Charteris, 13th Earl of Wemyss|The Right Honourable James Donald Charteris, Earl of Wemyss and March, Viscount of Peebles, Lord Wemyss of Elcho, Lord Elcho and Methil, Lord Douglas of Neidpath, Lyne and Munard]].

==See also==

*[[Scottish clan]]
*[[Earl of Wemyss]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/atoc/charteris2.html http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/atoc/charteris2.html]

{{Scottish clans}}

[[Category:Clan Charteris| ]]
[[Category:Scottish clans|Charteris]]
[[Category:Scottish Lowlands]]

Clan Charteris - Revision history

imported>MostEpic at 05:44, 25 January 2023