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Lord Herdmanston facts for kids

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Arms of Lord Sinclair
This is the coat of arms for the Lord Herdmanston family. It was recorded a long time ago, in the 1300s.
Blason Henri Ier Sinclair
This is another version of the Herdmanston coat of arms, recorded in the 1800s.

The title of Lord Herdmanston was a special noble rank in Scotland. It was held by members of the Sinclair or St Clair family. This title was part of the Peerage of Scotland, which is a list of important noble families and their ranks.

The Story of Herdmanston

The land called Herdmanston is located in East Lothian, Scotland. The Sinclair family has owned this land since the 1100s. The first Sinclair to get these lands was Henry St Clair. He received them from Richard de Morville, who was a powerful official in Scotland at the time.

It's not fully clear if the Sinclairs of Herdmanston were related to other famous Sinclair families. For example, there were the Sinclair Barons of Roslin, the Lords Sinclair, and the Earls of Caithness. Some historians think they might have been connected. They point out that William St. Clair (who died in 1297) was a sheriff in the same area as Herdmanston. This might suggest a family link. Also, the name "William" was common in the Herdmanston family.

However, other historians believe that William St Clair of Roslin was probably not related to the Herdmanston Sinclairs. It's a bit of a mystery!

Family Records and Coats of Arms

The history of the Sinclair family of Herdmanston has been written down by several important people. These include James Balfour Paul in his book The Scots Peerage. Also, Bernard Burke wrote about them in his Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary. An 18th-century expert on coats of arms, Alexander Nisbet, also recorded them.

The coat of arms for the Sinclair of Herdmanston family looks a lot like the one for the Lord Sinclair family. A coat of arms is like a special symbol or logo for a family. The main difference between the two Sinclair coats of arms is the color of the cross. For Lord Sinclair, the cross was blue. For Herdmanston, it was changed to black.

Who Were the Lords of Herdmanston?

A historian named Roland Saint-Clair listed the Lords of Herdmanston in the late 1800s. Here are some of the people who held this title:

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