Clan Ramsay

The Ramsay’s have, from the earliest period down to the present day, been noted for their courage and military skill, and that ‘stubborn hardihood’ which may be broken but will not bend. They took a prominent part in the protracted struggle for the liberty and independence of their country against ‘our auld enemies of England,’ and laid down their lives for Scotland’s cause on many a bloody field.The Ramsays are of Anglo-Norman origin. Simon de Ramseie came to Scotland with David I, who granted him lands in Lothian. From Simon descended the Ramsay's of Dalhousie. Clan Ramsay of Dalhousie goes back to at least 1296, when William de Ramsay first appears. He later fought for Robert the Bruce, and was a signatory of the declaration of Arbroath in 1320. This letter to the Pope asserted the independence of Scotland. One of the most famous members of the family was Alexander Ramsay, William's son, who defended Dunbar against the English. A dramatized version of his life can be found in the novel "The Flower of Chivalry" (his nickname) by Nigel Trantor. The Earldom of Dalhousie was conferred upon the Ramsays by Charles I. In later years, the Family produced many well-known soldiers, including the 10th Earl, Marquess. In 1849 he became the Governor-General of India. The current chief of the clan is the Earl of Dalhousie, who lives in Brechin, Angus. The Ramsay's of Bamff, in Perthshire, are in the line of a Neis de Ramsay, who lived in the 13th century. The motto is "Ora et Labora" (pray and work).