~ Scottish Names - the Clans and Families ~

 Clan Rose      ~ ~ ~ ~          

~ ~ ~ The Rose Clan is a Member Clan of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs.

A Norman Family originally, Clan Rose has no connection with the ancient Celtic Ross Family. The name derives from Ros, near Caen in Normandy. This was a fief of Bishop Odo de Ros, brother of William of Nornandy. (Odo was famous for being very warlike, and for the tapestry named after his Bishop's See of Bayeux).

The Family settled originally in Wiltshire and Dorset after the Norman Conquest, as did two other Families with whom they had strong connections - the de Boscos and the de Bissets. but they all disappeared from the records there, to reappear in the Moray Firth area in mid-thirteenth century.

The de Bisset family owned the lands of Kilravock, around Nairn. Elizabeth de Bisset married Andrew de Bosco and their daughter Marie married Hugo (Hugh) de Ros, in around 1290. They settled in Kilravock, and Castle Kilravock - built around 1460- has remained the family's home, and the seat of the Clan Chief, ever since. It has become also a Christian Guest House in the present day.

The Clan has had an interesting past; the Barons of Kilravock supported Independence for Scotland, and captured Invernairn Castle for Bruce in 1306; the Family lost all its writs and charters when the Wolf of Badenoch burned Elgin Cathedral. Unruly and threatening neighbours loomed on all sides over many years, and feuds & alliances were common. 

Mary, Queen of Scots, stayed at Kilravock, and some of her subsequent letters to the Black Baron (as the incumbent Chieftain was known) are kept in a museum at the Castle. Her son, James Vl, became very fond of the Baron "and ordered that he remove not his hat in the Royal presence".

Then, despite supporting the reformation and opposing the religious policies of Charles l, the 13th Baron took part in an expedition led by the Duke of Hamilton to rescue Charles, after he had been handed over to Parliament by the Scots army. However, at the Jacobite rising - the '15 - the Roses supported the Government.          Then, whilst still on that side, they entertained  Bonnie Prince Charlie on the eve of the Battle of Culloden at Kilravock  - while the Duke of Cumberland was in residence at the Roses' town house at Nairn.

There's a lot more history, in between and since, and you will find informative, instructive and interesting details in the following websites"...

... www.rosefamilyassociation.com  Among other services, it offers to help your genealogical research - thus: "Include name of the earliest known Rose, dates (or approximate dates), and locations where they lived. Every effort will be made to try to assist. No charge for answering inqueries."

...  http://users.eastlink.ca/~grose/roseclan.html  Quote from the site: "The Rose Clan is unique among Scottish Clans. Since its formation the Chief of the Clan has always been passed down in succession from father to son. Mirroring the succession rights of royal families. And the name of the first born is normally Hugh Rose. Only twice in its history, as at present, there was no male heir and was passed down to the oldest daughter who has always been named Elizabeth."

  The current Clan Chief is Miss Elizabeth Rose of Kilravock  

SEPTS include Baron, Barron,Geddes, Ross 

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