What does the surname Erskine mean?
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From the lands of Erskine in Renfrewshire, just south of the River Clyde, held by Henry de Erskine in the reign of Alexander II. The family takes its name from the lands of Erskine in Renfrewshire.
Where does the Erskine family come from?
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The Erskine family is rooted in Glasgow & Strathclyde and Stirling & the Forth Valley, in Scotland. Within that, the name was particularly concentrated in Renfrewshire and Stirling. The atlas page for the name records the historical territory it has held over the centuries.
Is Erskine a Scotland surname?
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Yes, Erskine is a Scotland surname. Its editorial home in this atlas is Scotland, where the historical territory and family record of the name are concentrated.
How old is the Erskine surname?
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The family takes its name from the lands of Erskine in Renfrewshire. European hereditary surnames crystallised broadly between the 12th and 14th centuries, and the Erskine name took its modern form within that long settlement.
What is the Erskine family known for?
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Earls of Mar, and 'Bobbing John', who led the '15. The family takes its name from the lands of Erskine in Renfrewshire.
What is the Erskine motto?
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The motto of the Erskine family is "Je Pense Plus", which translates as "I think more". Family mottoes were registered with the chief of the name and carried on the heraldic arms and battle-banners.
What does "Je Pense Plus" mean in English?
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"Je Pense Plus" is the motto of the Erskine family. In English it means "I think more". The phrase is typically rendered in Latin, though some Highland families carry their motto in Gaelic and some Norman lines in Old French.
Who is the most famous Erskine?
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The best-known bearer of the Erskine name is John Erskine, 'Bobbing John', leader of the 1715 Jacobite Rising. Their life and connection to the family are profiled in full on the dedicated champion page.
What stories are told about the Erskine family?
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The Erskine family is associated with Bobbing John raises the standard at Braemar. Each story has its own page on this site with the full account, the date, the location, and the other families involved.
What is the story of Bobbing John raises the standard at Braemar?
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On the morning of the sixth of September 1715, in the Braes of Mar above the head of the Dee, John Erskine, sixth or twenty-third Earl of Mar (the regnal numbering depends on which catalogue), formerly Secretary of State for Scotland under Anne, formerly Tory loyalist under George I, and now suddenly the leader of a Jacobite rising, raised the standard of King James VIII of Scotland (James Francis Edward Stuart, the Old Pretender) on a hillside above his ancestral hunting-lodge at Invercauld. The flag had been brought up from London by the Earl of Linlithgow's daughter sewn into the lining of her riding-cloak. The event is dated to 1715.
Where is the Erskine surname found today?
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Scotland is the primary historical home of the Erskine surname. In the modern era, the name is also borne across the wider diaspora, particularly in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where families carry the line of descent from the same Scotland origin recorded on this page.
What does the Clan Rising page for the Erskine family cover?
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The Clan Rising page for the Erskine family covers the meaning of the surname, the historical geography of the name, the family motto, famous bearers of the name, traditional stories and the seat of the head of the family. Each section is linked to the underlying atlas of Scotland so the name can be read in the geography that shaped it.
Who is the head of the Erskine family today?
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The seat for the head of the Erskine family is currently vacant on this register. Clan Rising is rebuilding the chief and family structure for the modern era, and the family page allows readers to claim the seat or pledge to the name.