The Website for Cromarty & Cromartie Cousins Around the World.

Those of us who bear the name ‘Cromarty’, or 'Cromartie' are fortunate in many respects. First, it is an unusual name, and so relatively easy to trace through historical and genealogical records. Second, we can claim association with both mainland Scotland and Orkney, making our history doubly interesting. Third, as best as can be ascertained, we all descend from the one man, and so, we are all related. Finally, we can claim association with Clan Urquhart, a fine Clan with a long and fascinating history.

The name ‘Cromarty’ has traditionally been a Sept (family name) associated with Clan MacKenzie. This is probably because the Chief of that Clan is known as the Earl of Cromartie, a title first bestowed on Sir George MacKenzie in 1703. However, it is important to distinguish between the title and the name.

There seems to be no significance between the spelling as Cromarty or Cromartie. The latter mainly occurs in North America.

The name first appears in Orkney around 1450 when a John Cromarty purchased land on the Orkney island of South Ronaldsay, and named his farm ‘Garay’, (possible later changed to 'Cara')(photo). A second major line established itself at Kirbister (photo), South Walls, on the island of Hoy, in 1601.

There has been much speculation about the originations of the name. Our best understanding of this is provided by the noted Orcadian historian, J. Storer Clouston, who in the mid 1920s undertook an investigation of Orkney Headstones. Fortunately one of the families he chose to study was ‘Cromarty’. In a paper presented to the Orkney Antiquarian Society in 1928, Mr Clouston discusses three Cromarty headstones. (photo) Only one is dated – 1648 - but all are believed to be from the same period. All three stones show the three boars heads, which also appear on the Urquhart arms. Mr Clouston writes:

Figs. 28, 29 & 30 are all Cromarty coats and they provide a good illustration of how much it is sometimes possible to learn from these old arms.

Fig. 28 is on the tombstone of Katherine Cromarty, spouse of Donald Polson, skipper, who died in 1648. It has her initials alone, and is another example of two coats conjoined per fess. Above are three boars heads and below, a stag, apparently 'at gaze'. i.e. with its head turned to face the spectator.

Fig. 29 has lost all trace of initials and inscription, but is obviously Cromarty also, and of about the same period. The arms are the same, except that the division line has been made too high so that there seems to be a 'chief' with the three heads on it; and that the stag is evidently 'springing' (although handicapped by the loss of both forelegs. I may add that it might be argued that in 28 the line is too low and should really mark a chief. It will be observed however that the necks have been made grotesquely long to fill the space which indicates that the division line is in its correct position and this is confirmed by the next coat.

Fig. 30 shows the arms on the tombstone of E.E. "ane honest woman", spouse of Thomas Cromarty in Hoxa. By a curious oversight her name has been omitted, but that the arms were not hers, but her husband's appears from the presence of his initials above. I kniow of no case where a husband belonging to a family who bore arms , put up his wife's arms only , with his own initials. As this entirely accords with the evidence of Fig. 28 we see that the Cromarty arms were three boards heads placed 2 and 1 (though rearranged in the conjoint shield).

Here we get a ray of light on the problem of who these Orkney Cromartys really were. Obviously they came from Cromarty, but the name is never found there; in fact it is only found in Orkney and (in the year 1500) in Caithness.(*1, *2) We only know that they were a family of good position when they first appeared in the far north, who had evidently dropped their original surname and taken the name of the place whence they came. Now, the one family who reigned as lords and hereditary sheriffs of the then small district of Cromarty were the Urquharts of Cromarty, and their arms were three boars heads. That the Cromartys were originally Urquharts seems to follow as at least a highly probable inference.

As to the lower coat in Fig. 28 & 29, the stag is only found in Orkney in the Clouston arms which would imply a marriage with a Clouston presumably an heiress. Here we have actual documentary confirmation.

In 1585 a whole collection of Cromartys combined to sell a parcel of land in Clouston, proving such a marriage a generation or two previously.(*3) Thus the two coats are accounted for, one borne by the Cromartys descended from that marriage and the other either by those not descended who preferred the original arms.

So much seems fairly certain, but it is possible to make a further very probable inference. Easily the leading family of Cromarty in the 16th and early 17th century were the Cromartys of Cara, who acquired Cara by marriage with the heiress Christian Cara and this marriage is the one obviously most likely to be commemorated in the arms. Hitherto these Caras have been a mystery. It was not a true surname, as it is very rarely found, and vanished early and completely, but simply one of innumerable Orkney temporary designations given from land. The real name would now seem to have been Clouston, and the parcel of land in Stenness to have been only part of the heiress' estate."

*1 This is not strictly correct as my own ancestors were in Wick by 1881 and are recorded in the census of that year.

*2 A footnote at this point in the paper says:

Orig. Paroch., Caithness; disposition by King James IV to John Cromarty, son and heir of deceased Hutcheon C. of Brabsterdorran, of the dues of Brabsterdorran, which had been in the king's hands for five years, since decease of H.C., by reason of non-entry of heir.

*3 Savedale Deeds. These Cromartys were sons and grandsons of the deceased Thomas C. in Kirbister in Walls, and they were a branch of the Cromartys of Cara is shown by a wadset (a kind of pledge or mortgage) by Magnus C. of Cara between 1601 and 1616, of lands in Kirbister. Probably this T.C. was identical with the third son of John C. of Cara, who was grandfather of Magnus C. and Christian Cara. (see pedigree in REO). Their Walls property was not included in the estate divided in 1563. Evidently only the lands in S. Ronaldsay were dealt with then; all the assessors being local men.

(Note from Susan: I have not been able to find an existing copy of the Savedale Deeds. There was a place called Savedale, near Stenness.)

J. Storer Clouston was a highly reputable and well-published historian whose research into and writings about his native Orkney remain the most authoritative documents available on early Orcadian history. There is a memorial stone in his honour in St. Magnus’ Church in Kirkwall, Orkney’s capital. I believe his conclusions are a fair and reasonable assessment of the true origins of the Cromarty name.

It is a long Orcadian tradition to give people the surname of the place from whence they came and many Orcadian surname reflect this. John Cromarty was most likely John Urquhart who, when he arrived in Orkney, was renamed in accordance with Orkney tradition. If this is the case, then all Cromartys descend from him, and so, no matter how distant, we are all related. To me this is a very significant and exciting aspect of our family history.

Cromarty is a small town at the far end of the ‘Black Isle’ a fertile and beautiful region east of Inverness. Although not actually an island, it is surrounded by the Cromarty and Moray Firths which provide a milder climate enabling the ‘Isle’ to appears ‘Black’ against the surrounding snow-covered landscape. Cromarty remains today the finest example of an 18^th century European town.

So, we Cromartys all seem to be related and have associations with mainland Scotland and the Orkney islands. Today we have family members scattered throughout the world - in Australia and New Zealand, the United States and Canada, England and Norway.

This site contains information about the various branches divided into the regions where their descendents now live. I have also included a Links section which gives links to the town, Orkney and Clan Urquhart as well as to Cromartys who have interesting websites.

I hope to eventually have sufficient information to prepare four sets of documents to be placed in the following locations and maintained as new data becomes available. There will be one set at each of the following locations:

* The Clan Urquhart archives in the United States.

* The Cromarty Courthouse Museum in the Town of Cromarty, Scotland.

* The Orkney Antiquarian Society.

* The Australian offices of The Scots Heritage Society.

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