Clan Baird
Clan Baird (Baird Tartan)
Gaelic Name: Mac a’bhaird
Crest: A gryphon’s head erased, Proper
Motto: Dominus Fecit (The Lord made)
Origin of Name: Place name, Lanarkshire
Lands: Auchmeddan, Aberdeenshire
Clan Chief: None, armigerous clan
1. Clan Baird History
The well-known narrative of a clan saga, such as Baird and Turnbull, is the old tale of a clan member saving the King through sheer force. Indeed, it is the same story that gave rise to the Baird family.
According to legend, William the Lion needed help from the first Baird to fight off a wild boar that was threatening to kill the King. This tale is reminiscent of Clan Campbell's origins as well, as they too had to face a terrifying boar.
The origins of the Baird clan can be traced back to the thirteenth century in the Lanarkshire region, particularly in the vicinity of the charming village of Biggar. Yes, in the early 1300s, King Robert the Bruce gave Richard Baird lands in Lanarkshire, specifically at Meikle and Little Kyp.
Here and there are stories of Fergus Debard, John Bard, and Robert Bard groveling before Edward I of England. They did come from the Kyp side of the family. However, as time passed, the main Baird line arrived at the Aberdeenshire estates of Auchmedden.
Well, but then a marriage occurred that caused destiny to change course. Their dominance over the region was further strengthened by their union with the powerful Earls Marischal of Scotland, the Keiths.
And now, a little prophecy thrown in, straight from Thomas the Rhymer's own mouth. He predicted that "there shall be an eagle in the craig while there is a Baird in Auchmedden." People in that area claim that two eagles nested on the crags close to Auchmedden before the Earls of Aberdeen acquired the land.
However, as fate would have it, the eagles returned to their roost when a Baird girl married the Earl of Aberdeen's heir. And so the prophecy came to pass through the Gordons that came after them.
THE MYSTERY OF THE BAIRD CLAN CREST
There is no doubting that Baird is a bit of a mystery.
As you can see, the wild boar appears on the crests and arms of a good number of Baird families throughout Scotland. The worst part is that there is some ambiguity surrounding this symbol.
To the best of my knowledge, the Baird coat of arms does not include a boar until approximately 450 years after the event. Not a single Baird could be found in 1330 when the armorial rolls were being sorted. Not until the 1670s did Auchmedden's Bairds decide to register their arms and take official measures.
Thank God, Sir James Baird of Auchmedden got those Arms duly registered under the Act of 1672. William Baird of Auchmedden, his great-grandson, received them from him further down the line.
Although William Baird was considered a local celebrity and possibly even a potential Chief, the Lyon Court had a different opinion. He never received their formal approval.
This is where things become hazy. No one has taken up the mantle of keeping the Arms of Auchmedden flying high since William Baird 7th of Auchmedden shuffled off this mortal coil back in 1775/7. The chiefs' line has broken, and it appears that there is little clarity ahead, akin to a misty morning in the Highlands.
There have been rumors floating around lately; some claim the king was scared by a boar, while others believe it was a bear. However, there isn't even the slightest bit of proof to support these tales.
You have some variation in the crests. Boars, eagles, and griffins are all mixed together.
Although the Auchmedden Bairds are said to wear a griffin's head, if you visit the Clan Baird Society Worldwide website, an eagle's head is prominently displayed. That, I believe, is due to the eagle yarn that the Auchmedden Bairds were tied to.
In conclusion, Baird might have three clan crests. However, the most people who are nodding in agreement is with the line "gryphon's head erased, Proper." The head of the boar? Well, from what I can tell, that appears to be more legend than anything else.
2. Clan Baird Tartans
The Baird Tartan, which was first recorded in 1906 by Johnston, most likely originated around the same time. It is also likely that this is when the sample from the Highland Society of London came from.
Nevertheless, unlike most contemporary tartan renditions, the triple stripes in both of these references are rendered in red as opposed to purple.
Baird Ancient
Baird Modern
3. Clan Baird Crest & Coats of Arms
3.1 Clan Baird Crest
Worn by all of the name and ancestry
Crest Description:
A gryphon’s head erased, Proper
3.2 Clan Baird Coat of Arms
A note on Coats of Arms:
A person is awarded a coat of arms under Scottish heraldic law; civic or corporate arms are not granted. This law does not recognize the idea of a "family coat of arms." With the exceptions mentioned above, the arms pictured below belong to the person who received them. The only person authorized to possess these weapons is legally permitted to do so.
BAIRD of Auchmedden
Gules, a boar passant, Or.
4. Clan Baird Places & People
4.1 Clan Baird People
4.1.1 John Baird (d. 1689)
William Baird received this title from a post-revolutionary regime judge who held both a baronetcy and the title of Lord Newbyth. David, William's second son, went on to become one of the leading generals during the Napoleonic Wars.
4.1.2 John Logie Baird (1888-1946)
This young man, who was raised in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, started the television revolution. He attended Glasgow University for his education. Imagine this: he launched the first-ever television broadcast from an attic back in 1926.
He didn't stop there, either. Nope, he continued to push the envelope until his death in 1946. Oh, and let's not forget his greatest accomplishment, which was beaming the first television signal from Europe to the United States in the same year, 1926. What a true pioneer he was.
5. Associated Names
History and kinship bind the NeSmiths and the Bairds together. Recent DNA testing reveals a strong genetic connection between the NeSmiths and Baird lines, pointing to a common ancestor between the two families.