New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-02
A GREAT SCOTTISH HOUSE.
THE CALI. FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION
OF THE LINDSAY CLAN.


REAL. AND BUFFER CLANS.
Lindsay IS not uncommon name IN the
United States O country many Of the most emil
nent and successful citizens Of which are the
descendants OF Scottish forebears. Indeed there
are Lindsays by the hundreds and the tho"-
sands In most Of the large cities OF North Amer
tca and to them an appeal has just gone 'oi'h
from the chiefs Of the illustrious ihshiaho
house of Lindsay to signelize the present year
the sixteth OF the reign of Queen victoria ol
scotland-by the reconstruction OF the once
famous Clan Of Lindsay. The appeal is in the
shape OF circular bearing the signatures OF
the Earl OF Crawford and Bacarres; OF his son.
the Master of Lindsay, commonly known as
y,ord Balcarres: OF the Earl Of Lindsay OF Sir
Coutts Lindsay and of the gallant LORD want
age. 1t has been addressed to all the known
Scott,sh-A American associations. as well as to
such bearers OF the name of Lindsay as happen
IN have retained their associations with Scot
land The circular invites ali Lindsays to place
therselves In communication with the chieftatns
wboso s,cnat,Ires appear at the foot Of the docu-
n,ent. Mt the same time imparting any informa-
ton which they may possess concerning thelr
lineage and ancestry. the idea being that most
Of them are either descendants Of the med!@Vai
Ia,rds OF Lindsay or else Of the retainers OF
the latter.
For with the Highland clans In the Middle
Ages the followers and dependents or chel
especially those born on his lands were wont
20 assume not only his tartan. his badge aha
his warcry but also his very name hetalners'
no matter OF what degree, nor "hether 'Ne9 sat
above or below the salt, were regarded as mem
bers OF the family OF the laird-as his chilore"
Indeed the word "clan" is the Gaelic transla-
ton for children" Of common parent anu
on the understanding that most OF the Lindsays
An various parts Of tho world derive their ORIGIN
tf not from tho noble family of Lindsay ITSELF
ct srv rate from some Of It's old-time retain
or. Il "a proposed 70 organize them once more
,nto n clan banded together no longer FOR war
forc on the Southron. but for mutual help ana
assistance-in one word, into sort or benent
society. each member Of which would nave
right TO wear the Lindsay tartan ana the Limo
say badge and to feel that, II In America, ne
was not without kinsfolk in the grand ola
Land O. Cakes"
TH1 MARK OF THE L1NDsAYs.
Perhaps It may be Of assistance to those OF the
Iindsays IN the United States who have no
records in their ancestry, and who are conse-
ouently In doubt as to their relationship to the
lairds Of Lindsay. to know that the members OF
the noble house Of that ilk since the days or the
Norman Conquest have been distinguished LOT
their sandy hair-soro people call 1t carrot.y-
lust in the sane way that the Douglases OF
Scotland, OF Germany, OF Scandinavia ana OF
Austria are all noted for the swarthiness OF their
complexion and for the raven hue OF their haiF'
whence the name Of BLACK Douglas Ana IL
NAV encourage tho Lindsays this side Of the
Atlantic, moreover TO learn that there are no
UNPLEASANT sayings or proverbs connected with
IVhp
lam Gor6on Cumming was branded by means
Of the Cranky Croft scandal followed by the
baccarat trial as a card cheat-there are many
who believe him to have been iDnocently con-
dcrlned-the old Gaelic saying was recalled ac-
cordinS 10 which "while there's leaf In tho
wood, thereTl be treachery in the Cummings
In the same way every bearer OF the name OF
Mackenzie labors under the tradition TO the
effect that mo Mackenzie Is ever gracious IN
I'll he IS fed" To the predatory instincts OF tho
NIacFarlane's tribute is borne by the proverp
While there IS forest in Kintale. Macfar-
lane will never be without cattle in his fold"
Every true-blooded Macleod should have de-
fected extremties, in order TO live up to the
nickname OF which their elan was once so
proud, namely, the MacLeods OF the handy
logs" In the same way the Campbes are
noted for their CROOKED mouths and for their
"black mouths" and it IS added that there
was never a Campbell without guile" few
other classifcations OF clan characteristics
the dirty Dalryrnples" the windy Murrays"
the Idiot MacQueens." the SLOW Mackintoshes"
while the MacCalums renowned north Of
Castle Stirling as ''the descendants Of the sixty
fools" The MacGregors feel themselves under
q certain amount Of obligation to live up to the
tradition that "there was ne'er a boor of the
MacGregors.'' The only classification to be
found with regard to the name of Lindsay Is
the occasional reference made in the Scottish
records to the flight Lindsays" But whether
this has regard to the hue of their hair or to the
flghtiness Of their conduct is not clear.
HOUSE KNOWN IN HISTORY.
The Lindsays are ono Of the grandest houses
IN the history OF Scotland. and there are few
names that are 10 be found so frequently and
figuring so prominently on every page Of the
glorious annals of Queen Victorias northern
kingdom, 1t Is claimed that they Of Scan
dinavlan rather than Gaelic origin, and that
they are descended from the same stock as tho
dukes OF Normandy, who, after the battle Of
Hastings In 1856. became kings Of England
They were for Il long tlmo tho feudal lords OF
the now glorifed Hamiltons. and frequently In
ternarrled with the royal houses of Stuart
and OF Bruce, while among the foreign sover-
egn houses that include Lairds of Lindsay
among their ancestors IS the royal dynasty OF
Bourbon and the imperial house OF Hapsburg
SO great was the grandeur Of the Lords Of Lind
say IN the fifteenth century that when It's chief
the fifth Earl Of Crawford. Lord High Admiral
and Lord High Justiciary OF Scotland. was Gre
ated Duke Of Montrosc by King James. he re-
Trained from assuming the title. considering It
20 be beneath his dignity. example which
was followed by his Immediate SUCCESSORS. al
ne Oft no dan ri n i'm
the fukedom in question. which nearly two hun
6red years later was conferred on the head Of
the House OF Graham
OF course there is no great Scotch house the
annals OF which are not stained with blood,