Scottish Surnames

LAIDLAW, William (1780-1845) of Blackhouse, Selkirk. Poet and general adviser to Sir Walter Scott. He wrote a number of lyrics and ballads.

LAING
Long, tall.

Laing, Alexander Gordon (1793-1826) of Edinburgh. Explorer of Western Africa. Was sent to explore the source of the Niger River, which he found. Believed to be the first European to have reached the ancient city of Tombouctou (Timbuktu). Was murdered after leaving Timbuktu.

Laing, David (1793-1878) of Edinburgh. Antiquary. From 1837 he was Librarian to the Signet Library.

Laing, Malcolm (1762-1818) of Orkney. Historian. He it was who completed Henry's History of Great Britain (1793) and in 1802 pub-lished his own History of Scotland (1603-1701).

Laing, Ronald David (1927-) of Glasgow. Psychoanalyst. His work involved research into schizophrenia and into the way the family affects the mental states of its individual members.

Laing, Samuel (1780-1868) of Orkney. Traveller and writer in Nor-way, Sweden, Russia, France, etc.

Laing, W. J. Scott (1914-) of Edinburgh ? One time Chief, Sales Section UN Secretariat. Was Consul, New York (1950) and Consul-General (Commercial), New York (1954). LAIRD, John, (1805-74) of Greenock. Shipbuilder. One of the earliest constructors of iron vessels.

LAIRD
The lord of the manor.

Laird, John, (1887-1946) of Kincardineshire. Philosopher. Professor at Dalhousie, Nova Scotia (1912), Belfast (1913-24) and Aberdeen (1924-26).

Laird, Macgregor (1808-61) of Greenock. Explorer, shipbuilder and merchant. Helped to open up the Niger River. Sought to undermine the slave trade in West Africa by promoting legitimate commerce.

LAM
Lame.

LAMOND
Originally MacLaman; descended from Laumanus filius Malcolmi, in the thirteenth century.

Lamond, Fredric (1868-1948) of Glasgow. Pianist and composer. Made his debut at Berlin in 1885. He excelled in playing Beethoven.

LAMONT, Johann von (1805-79) of Inverey, Braemar. Astronomer. Appointed Director of Bogenhausen Observatory in 1835, and in 1852 became Prof. of Astronomy at Munich.

LANDSBOROUGH, William (1825-) of Stevenston, Ayrshire. Ex-plorer, who with John McDouall Stuart, was first to cross Australia in 1861-62.

LANG, Andrew, (1844-1912) of Selkirk. Scholar and writer of poetry, fiction, fairy tales, folklore and translations from classics. Published A History of Scotland (1900-07).

LANG, Cosmo Gordon, Baron Lang of Lambeth (1864-1945) of Fyvie. Anglican Prelate. Archbishop of York (1909-28) and Archbishop of Canterbury (1928-42).

LAPWORTH, Arthur (1892-1941) of Galashiels. Organic chemist. Remembered for his enunciation of the electronic theory of organic clinical reactions in 1920. Appointed to the Chair of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry in 1922. Elected FRS. LARGE, Eddie (1942-) of Glasgow. Impressionist and comedian. Best known as the duo 'Little and Large' after he teamed up with Syd Little of Manchester.

LAUDER
Local: from the town of Lauder in Berwickshire. The family are descended from Robert Lauder, a follower of Sir William Wallace.

Lauder, Sir Harry (Maclennan) (1870-1950) of Portobello. Comedian, singer and composer. 'Roamin in the Gloamin', 'Tobermory', 'A Wee Doch an' Doris', 'The Lass of Killiecrankie' and 'I Love a Lassie' are some of his best remembered.

Lauder, Sir Thomas Dick (1784-1848) of Haddington. Novelist and Journalist. Best known for The Wolf of Badenoch (1827) and his Account of the Great Floods in Morayshire (1829).

LAURIE, John (1897-1980) of Dumfries. Character actor on stage and screen. Popular member of Dad's Army series on TV.

LAURIE, Sir John E. (1897-) Major-General. Commanded the 6th Bn. Seaforth Hrs. (1918-19), and 2nd Seaforth Hrs. (1934-38), the Tientsin Area British troops in China (1939-40), No. 157 Infantry Bde., France (1940) and 52nd Lowland Div. (1941-42).

LAURIE, Sir Peter (1778-1861) of Haddington. Son of a farmer who became Lord Mayor of London in 1832.

LAWRIE
Crafty.

LAW
A hill - also an abbreviation of Lawrence.

Law, Andrew Bonar (1858-1923), born in Canada of Scottish descent. Became Prime Minister of Great Britain (1922-23).

Law, John (1671-1729) of Edinburgh. Financier. Originator of the 'Mississippi scheme'. Having killed a man in a duel, he fled to Holland in 1697, where he studied banking. In 1700 he unsuccessfully proposed a system of paper currency.

LAWRENCE
Flourishing.

LAWSON
The son of Law or Lawrence.

LEASK, Sir Henry (1913-). Lieut.-General. GOC Scotland and Governor of Edinburgh Castle (1969-).

LEASK, Kenneth (1896-) of Birsay, Orkney. Air Vice-Marshal. Senior Engineering Staff Officer, HQ RAF India (1933-34) and HQ ADGB Bomber Commd. (1934-40). Director-General Engineering, Air Ministry (1947-49).

LECKIE, Robert, educ. Glasgow. Air Marshal. Director of Flying Ops., Canadian Air Board (1920), Commander (RAF) on HMS Hermes and Courageous aircraft carriers (1925-29). Director of Training, Air Ministry (1935-38) and Chief of Staff RCAF (1944).

LEE, James Paris (1831-1904) of Hawick. Watchmaker. Invented the remarkably efficient bolt action and magazine of the Lee-Metford (later Lee-Enfield) rifle about 1890.

LEE, Robert (1804-68) of Tweedsmouth. Divine and Reformationist. His introduction of a harmonica (1863) and an organ (1865) and standing during the singing of hymns, brought bitter attacks upon him.

LEES
Meadows, fields.

LEGGE, James (1815-97) of Huntly. Missionary and Chinese scholar. Took charge of the Anglo-Chinese College, Malacca (1839-42), then laboured 30 years in Hong Kong. In 1876 he became Professor of Chinese at Oxford. He won a world-wide reputation through his translations of the Chinese classics.

LEISHMAN, Sir William B. (1896-1926) of Glasgow. Bacteriologist. Professor of Pathology in the Army Medical Coll. (1923). He discovered an effective vaccine for innoculation against typhoid, and was first to discover the parasite of the disease kalaazar.

LEITCH, Archibald (1878-1931) of Bute. Physician and bacteriologist. Remembered mainly for his work on cancer research in Middlesex Hosp.

LEITCH, Isabella, of Peterhead. Director, Commonwealth Bureau of Animal Nutrition (1940-60). Produced several publications on genetics, physiology and nutrition.

LEITCH, William Leighton (1804-83) of Glasgow. Watercolour painter. Was drawing master to Queen Victoria and the Royal Family for 22 years.

LEITH
Local: from the town of Leith in Edinburgh. The family are descended from William Leith, temp. David Bruce.

Leith, Sir James (1763-1816) of Aberdeenshire. Lieut.-General. Distinguished himself at Corunna, Busaco, Badajoz and Salamanca.

LENNON, Gordon, (1911-) of Aberdeen. Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Univ. of Australia, Perth, (1967). Visiting professor to Iraq, Turkey, South Africa and Uganda (1958) and Iran (1959).

LENNOX
Local: from the district or county of Lennox, now Dumbarton. Egrith, a Saxon noble, who died in 1064, was the ancestor of Alwin Mac Arkyll, who was created Earl of Lennox, temp. Malcolm IV, and was the founder of the family of Lennox.

LESLIE
Local: from the Castle of Leslyn in Hungary. The family are descended from Barthlomew Leslyn or Leslie, son of Walter de Leslyn, a Hungarian noble, who in the year 1068, came to Scotland in the company of Margaret, wife of Malcolm Canmore. In crossing a river swollen by floods, the queen was thrown from her horse, and in danger of being drowned, when Leslyn plunging into the stream seized hold of her girdle, and as he brought her with difficulty towards the bank, she frequently exclaimed "grip fast," and afterwards desired that he should retain the words as his motto. He married the sister of Malcolm Canmore, and was by that monarch made Governor of Edinburgh Castle, Lord Leslie and Earl of Ross.

Leslie, Alexander, Lord Belgonie, 1st Earl ofLeven (c.1580-1661) of Cupar-Angus. General. Won much distinction in 30 years in the armies of Charles II and Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. Made Field Mar-shal of Sweden in 1636. Returned to Scotland in 1638 to serve with the Covenanters. He also distinguished himself at Marston Moor for Charles I.

Leslie, David, Lord Newark (1601-82) of Fifeshire. General who also served with distinction with Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. He returned to Scotland about 1643 to aid the Covenanters.

Leslie or Lesley, John (1527-96), son of the Rector of Kingussie. Was confidential friend of Mary, Queen of Scots, who made him her Ambassador to Queen Elizabeth of England. He became Vicar-General of the diocese of Rouen in 1579.

Leslie, Sir John (1766-1832) of Largo, Fifeshire. Mathematician, Natural Philosopher and Inventor. Travelled as a tutor in USA and the Continent. Invented a Differential Thermometer, Hygrometer, Photometer, Pyrometer, Atometer and Althriscope. His researches appeared in 1804 in his Experimental Inquiry into the Nature and Properties of Heat. In 1810 he successfully applied the absorbent powers of sulphuric acid to freeze water under the receiver of the airpump. This is the first recorded achievement of artificial congelation.

Leslie, Walter (1606-67). General and diplomat. Served with distinction in Germany against the Swedes.

LEYDEN, Dr John Casper (1775-1811) of Denholm, Roxburghshire. Poet and Orientalist. Studied medicine, was licensed as a preacher in 1798. Went to India (1803) as Asst. Surgeon at Madras. Travelled widely in the East. Acquired 45 languages and translated the Gospels into five of them.

LICKPRIVICK
Local: from the Castle of Lickprivick parish of Kilbride, Lanarkshire. The Castle was from time immemorial possessed by the family of Lickprivick of that ilk. The family made a considerable figure long before the time of Robert Bruce; one of the descendants was printer to James VI. To this ancient family was granted the heritable title of Sergeantry and Coronership in the Lordship of Kilbride; the charter is dated 1397, and was renewed by James I, James IV, and James VI.

LIDDEL
Local: from the river Liddel.

LIDDELL, Eric H. (1902-45) born in China, son of a Scottish mission-ary. Athlete and missionary to China. Gold medal winner at the 1924 Olympic games in Paris where he created a new quarter mile world record. Became known as the 'Flying Scotsman'.

LILLIE
The arms of the family are azure, three lilies argent, whence probably the name.

LIND, James (1716-94) of Edinburgh. Physician. His work towards the cure and prevention of scurvy, induced the Admiralty in 1795 to issue the order that the Navy should be supplied with fresh citrus fruit and lemon juice, and that it should be taken daily. His A Treatise of Scurvy (1753) was, and is, a classic of medical literature, and won him an international reputation.

LINDSAY
Local: from the manor of Lindsay in Essex. The family settled in Scotland, temp. Malcolm Canmore.

Lindsay, Alexander Dunlop. 1st Baron Lindsay of Birker (1879-1952) of Glasgow. Scholar and lecturer. In 1949 was appointed head of the new Univ. Coll. of North Staffordshire. Vice-Chancellor of Oxford (1935-38).

Lindsay, Sir David (sometimes Lyndsay) (1490-1550) of the Mount of Fife. Poet and Lyon King-of-Arms. A favourite of King James V of Scotland. His longest poem 'The Monarchic', giving an account of the rise and fall of Syria, Persia, Greece and Rome, ends with an attack on the Church of Rome.

Lindsay, Edward S. (1905-) of Fife. Major-General, Controller of Munitions, Min. of Supply (1961). Principal Staff Officer to High Commissioner, Malaya (1954-56)

Lindsay, James Bowman (1799-1862) of Carmyllie, nr. Arbroath. Teacher, scientist and inventor of the first electric light bulb by carbon filament in a glass tube from which air had been extracted by a vacuum pump (1834-35) some 44 years ahead of Swan and Edison. He never patented his invention and made nothing from it.

Lindsay, John Mauric (1918-) of Glasgow. Poet and critic. In 1946 he edited the anthology Modern Scottish Poetry (1920-45).

LINKLATER, Eric (1899-1974) of Dounby, Orkney. Novelist and playwright. Was for a time after the Great War, a journalist in Bombay. A prolific writer. His filmed works incl. Poet's Pub, Private Angelo and Laxdale Hall. He was awarded the Carnegie medal for The Wind on the Moon. Altogether he published over 70 books, plays and pamphlets.

LINTON
Local: from the parish of Linton in Roxburghshire.

Linton, Hercules, of Inverbervie. Designer of the famous tea clipper 'Cutty Sark'.

LIPTON, Sir Thomas Johnstone, (1815-1931) of Glasgow. Businessman and philanthropist. Tea trader, chain store operator and yacht racer.

LITHGOW, William (1582-C.1650) of Lanark. Traveller and writer. In 1612 set out on foot from Paris to Palestine and Egypt. His second tramp (1614-16) led him through North Africa from Tunis to Fez and home via Hungary and Poland. In his last journey (1619-21) to Spain via Ireland he was seized as a spy at Malaga and tortured. He claimed to have tramped 36,000 miles in 19 years.

LIVINGSTONE
Local: from the barony of Livingstone in West Lothian. The family are descended from Livingus, a Hungarian, who accompanied Margaret, wife of Malcolm Canmore, to Scotland.

Livingstone, David (1813-73) of Blantyre. Explorer and missionary in Africa. Discovered the Zambesi River, Victoria Falls, lakes Nyasa, Shirwa, Mweru, and Bangweulu. Buried in Westminster Abbey.

LOCH
A lake.

LOCKHART
The name was originally Locard. The family are descended from Sir Simon Locard of Lee, in Lanarkshire, who, in 1329, accompanied Lord James Douglas with the heart of Robert Bruce to Palestine, from this circum-stance he changed his name to Lockheart, as it was formerly spelled, and took for his arms a human heart proper, within a padlock sable, and for a motto, " Corda serata pando," which signifies "Lay open the locked hearts."

Lockhart, John Gibson (1794-1854) of Wishaw, Lanarkshire. Biographer and novelist. His Life of Sir Walter Scott (1837-38) is now a classic, and regarded as one of the greatest biographies in the language.

Lockhart, Sir Robert Hamilton Bruce (1887-1970) of Anstruther, Fife. Author and journalist. Between 1911 and 1917 was British Vice-Consul, then Consul in Moscow. His books incl. Memoirs of a British Agent, Retreat from Glory, Comes the Reckoning and My Europe.

Lockhart, William Ewert (1846-1900) of Annan. Subject painter. Painted the Jubilee celebrations in Westminster (1887). Was popular too as a portrait painter. Elected FRS in 1878.

LOGAN
An inclosed plain. The family are descended from Sir Robert Logan, who in 1329, accompanied Lord James Douglas with the heart of Robert Bruce to Palestine, and thus caused the addition of a human heart to the armorial bearings of his descendants.

Logan, James (Jimmy), (1928-) of Glasgow. Actor/comedian. Appeared in many TV variety shows including his own TV series (1959-61). London Palladium (1969-70).

Logan, John (1748-98) of Sontra, Midlothian. Poet and minister. His works included A Review of the Principal Charges against Warren Hastings (1788) and View of Ancient History (1788-93). His ballad 'Braes of Yarrow' was particularly beautiful.

Logan, Sir William Edmund (1798-1875) of Montreal, Canada. Grandson of James Logan of Stirling. Geologist and surveyor. Directed the Canadian Geological Survey (1842-71) and surveyed some 1,000,000 square miles of Lower Canada.

LONGMUIR, Harry (1923-) of Glasgow. Journalist. Voted Journalist of the Year in 1975.

LORIMER
A bridle maker.

Lorimer, James (1818-90) of Perthshire. Jurist and writer. He was an eminent authority on International Law. The Institutes of the Law of Nations was his most important book.

Lorimer, Sir Robert Stodart (1864-1929) of Edinburgh. Architect. His Scottish War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle and the Thistle Chapel in St Giles brought him international recognition.

LOUDOUN
Local: from the barony of Loudoun in Ayrshire. The family are descended from Lambrinus, who received a grant of the barony, temp. David I, and from which his son James took the name of Loudoun.

Loudon, John Claudius (1783-1843) of Cambuslang. Horticultural writer and landscape gardener. He designed the Birmingham Botanic Gardens in 1828. The cemeteries at Southampton and Bath were also from his designs. His publications inc. Encyclopaedia of Gardening (1822), Encyclopaedia of Agriculture (1823) and Encyclopaedia of Plants (1829).

LOVAT
Local: from the village of Lovat in Invernesshire.

LOW, Archibald Montgomery (1886-1956). Physicist and inventor, educated at Skerry's Coll., Glasgow. His numerous inventions incl. a system of radio signalling, a television system (1914), electrical rocket control (1917), a coal fuel engine, radio torpedo control gear, the vibrometer and audiometer. Was president of the British Institute of Engineering Technology and of the Institute of Patentees.

LOW, Sir Francis (1893-) of Aberdeenshire. Editor of the Evening News of India (1922), News Editor Times of India (1925) and Editor (1932-48). President of Bombay YMCA (1943-48).

LOWE, Peter (c. 1550-1612). Scottish surgeon. Studied and practised in France. In 1596 he published A Discourse of the Whole Art of Chyrurgerie-one of the best works of the period on this subject. He founded the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow in 1599.

LOVAT, (Simon C. J. Fraser) 17th Baron (1911-). Distinguished him-self as a Brigadier in the Commandos in 1943. Under-Sec, of State for Foreign Affairs (1945-).

LUCAS, Raleigh B. (1914-) of Edinburgh. Professor of Oral Pathology, Univ. of London (1954-). Consultant pathologist, Royal Dental Hosp. of London (1950-54).

LULU, (Marie McDonald Mclauchlin Lawrie) of Lennoxtown, Stir-lingshire. Actress and singer. Had her own several very successful series with the BBC. Is very popular in America.

LUMSDEN
Local: from the lands of Lumsden in Berwickshire. The family are supposed to descend from the Stewarts Earls of Angus.

LYALL, William C. (1921-) of Kelty. Consul-General, Genoa (1969-).

LYELL, Sir Charles (1797-1875) of Kinnordy, near Kirriemuir. Geologist. His Principals of Geology (1830-33) may be ranked with Darwin's Origin of Species, among the books which exercised the most powerful influence on scientific thought in the nineteenth century. It denied the necessity of stupendous convulsions, and taught that the greatest geological changes may have been produced by forces still at work. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.

LYLE
An island. The family are descended from Badulphus de Insula, temp. William the Conqueror.

Lyle, Alexander (Sandy) (1958-). Golfer with an international reputation.

LYNDSAY or Lindsay, Sir David (c. 1486-1555) of near Coupar. Poet and artist. Went on Embassies to the Netherlands, France, England and Denmark. His poems, often coarse, are full of humour and knowledge of the world, and were said to have done more for the Reformation in Scotland than all the sermons of Knox.

LYNEDOCH, Thomas Graham, 1st Baron (1748-1843) of Balgowan. In 1793 he raised the 99th Reg. of Foot and served at Quiberon and Minorca (1798), besieged Valetta (1800), was at Corruna and Welcheren (1807), defeated the French at Barrosa (1911), Captured Tolosa (1813) and Sabastian, and in Holland conquered at Marxem.

LYON
Originally de Leonne. The family came into England with the Conqueror. Sir Roger de Lyon settled in Scotland in 1098, where he received a grant of lands in Perthshire, which he called Glen Lyon. Afterwards John de Lyon obtained from David II a grant of the baronies of Forteviot and Fergundeny in Perthshire and Drumgawan in Aberdeenshire; his son, Sir John Lyon, was Secretary to Robert II, whose youngest daughter, Lady Jane Stewart, he married, and was created Lord Glamis, made Great Chamberlain, and Lord Chancellor of Scotland, and received grants of the Thanedom of Glamis in Forfarshire, and of the Barony of Kinghorn in Fifeshire, and was authorized to surround his arms with a double tressure in honor of his alliance with the royal family.

LYTE, Henry Francis (1793-1847) ofEdnam, Roxburghshire. Poet and hymn writer. 'Abide with me' being his best known hymn.

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