Clan Aiton
Clan Aiton (Aiton Tartan)
Motto: Decerptae Dabunt Odorum (Roses plucked will give sweet smell)
Region: Lowlands
Historic Seat: Ayton, Berwickshire
1. Clan Aiton History
There is a strong connection between the name Aytoun and the ancient Ayton lands, which are located in Berwickshire beside the River Eye. In approximately 1170, Steffan, son of Swan de CEitun, gave the Priory of Coldingham a charter containing the lands of Wytefeld. This was a momentous gesture.
Prominent witnesses such as Dolfinus de eit' and HeI de eitun, who occur in charters authored by Waltheus, earl of Dunbar, approximately in 1166, provide additional evidence for this lineage.
Mark of Aytoune, a merchant from Leith, a busy port outside Edinburgh, was granted safe conduct for his trading expeditions in England in 1440.
In the ecclesiastical sphere, the family's influence was evident in the appointment of Andrew Athone as rector of Spot in 1527. In addition, Dunmur's Andrew Athoun made his mark in 1549 as a witness.
The de Home family became the stewards of the Ayton lands in the fifteenth century, and they remained so until 1716, when a rebellion threatened to forfeit them.
The Aytoun legacy, meanwhile, was still thriving in the nearby region of Fife. The Aytouns of Inchdairnie are a distinguished family whose history can be traced back through the pages of Scottish history to their acquisition of the Over Pittadie lands by John Aytoun in the fourteenth century.
Ayton Castle, Scottish Borders
2. Clan Aiton Tartans
The Aiton tartan can be specially woven upon request, but it is not easily accessible in standard weave. Please get in touch with us if you're interested. Since Aiton is a sept within Clan Home, Aitons are permitted to don their tartans. The tartans for Home and Hume are readily available in a range of weights. Please get in touch with us if you would like more details.
Aiton Tartan
Home Ancient
Home Modern
3. Clan Aiton Crest & Coats of Arms
3.1 Clan Aiton Crest
Worn by all of the name and ancestry
Crest Description:
A hand pulling a rose, Proper
(A number of famous Aitons were botanists with links to Kew Gardens and the Royal Horticultural Society)
3.2 Clan Aiton Coats of Arms
A note on Coats of Arms:
According to Scottish heraldic law, a coat of arms is granted to an individual, with the exception of civic or corporate arms. The concept of a "family coat of arms" does not exist. The arms depicted below are personal and exclusive to the individual to whom they were granted, except in cases of civic or corporate arms. Only the individual bestowed with these arms possesses the right to use them.
AYTON OF THAT ILK
The shield bears a silver background, with a red cross engrailed positioned between four red roses.
AYTON OF DUNMURE
Quarterly:
1st and 4th: A chevron between two stars in chief and a crescent in base.
2nd: A cross engrailed between four roses (Ayton).
3rd: An anchor (seal of the time of James V).
AYTON OF INCHDARNIE, JOHN
On a silver background, a red cross engrailed is positioned between four red roses. A silver crescent is added as a distinguishing mark.
AYTON OF KINALDY, JOHN ARGENT
A red cross engrailed is situated amid four red roses, all enclosed within a red bordure.
AYTON OF KIPPO, SIR JOHN
On a silver background, a red cross engrailed is depicted, with a baton adorned by a lion passant guardant in gold positioned atop it, between four red roses.
4. Clan Aiton People & Places
4.1 Clan Aiton Places
Aiton estates are located in the Scottish Borders region.
Ayton, Scottish Borders
4.2 Clan Aiton People
4.2.1 William Aiton (1731-1793)
Scottish botanist William Aiton was born not far from Hamilton. After starting out as a gardener, he traveled to London in 1754 and was hired as the Chelsea Physic Garden's assistant superintendent.
His enthusiasm and good taste soon brought him to Kew Gardens in 1759, where he rose to the prestigious post of director, which he dutifully held until his death.
With the publication of "Hortus Kewensis," a thorough catalog describing the wide variety of plants growing within Kew's lush boundaries, in 1789, Aiton established a long-lasting botanical legacy.
His final resting place is located close to St. Anne's Church in Kew, which is a testament to his ongoing contribution to Scottish botany and the fact that his memory lives on even today.
4.2.2 William Townsend Aiton (1766 – 1849)
He decided to become a botanist, following in the footsteps of his father William Aiton. In 1810, he published an expanded edition of Hortus Kewensis, building on his father's horticultural contributions.
5. Associated Names
Aiton is a sept of Clan Home / Hume. So wear these tartans.