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| Oliphant Branches |
| The Oliphant Clan, although not numerous when compared with many other Clans, became quite widely spread, due to the wealth, power and influence of the early Clan Chiefs. Many Oliphants received titles with the lands that they owned, from the far South in Roxburghshire, to the far north in Caithness. Below is a list of the most prestigious branches of Clan Oliphant, in order of seniority. |
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| This is the most famous branch of Oliphants and they descend from William Oliphant of Newton a son of Colin Oliphant and a grandson of Laurence, 2nd Lord Oliphant. William purchased from the Oliphants of Gask, Carpow, Balgony and Cary the lands of Gask (and others surrounding,) which were granted to the Clan by King Robert I, after the wars of independence. The Oliphants of Gask took on a leadership position in the Clan after the fall of the Lords Oliphant. They were heavily involved in the Jacobite risings (the eldest son of the 6th Laird of Gask (named Laurence, like his father) was aide-de-camp to Bonnie Prince Charlie) and the family lost title and land because of it. Of this branch is the Jacobite poet Carolina Oliphant, who was the daughter of Laurence, 7th Laird, and Margaret, daughter of Robertson of Struan. Both the 8th and 9th Lords Oliphant nominated their landed Gask cousin as heir, if and when their own line failed. William Oliphant, 5th son of Charles Oliphant of Langton assumed the title of 11th Lord Oliphant as the nearest male to the Lords Oliphant, being descended from the 3rd Lord, but this was outwith the terms of its creation and the peerage was already extinct. With the death of William the chiefship descended to the Gask branch. The first Clan Oliphant Chief from the Gask Branch being Laurence, 6th Laird of Gask. After Culloden, the lands were forfeited to the crown, later to be purchased by Laurence Oliphant of Condie, his brother in law, who fronted up a consortium including Ebenezer Oliphant, an Edinburgh goldsmith (see a mug and a canteen by Ebenezer) which bought Gask in his name and reinstated the 6th Lairds son, Laurence VII to Gask. The chiefship was left by James, last male line Laird of Gask, to his heir male (see Clan Chiefs) but the title Oliphant of Gask passed through the sister of Laurence IX and James X, to the Kington family, who changed their name to Kington-Oliphant and Kington-Blair-Oliphant, and continue to hold the name and the title Oliphant of Gask to this day, although the estates were sold in the late 19th or early 20th century. The line of the Laird's of Gask, being the Chieftains of this branch, are as follows: 1. William Oliphant of Newton (son of Colin, Master of Oliphant) 2. Laurence Oliphant (son of William) 3. Laurence (I) Oliphant of Gask (son of Laurence Oliphant) 4. Sir Laurence (II) Oliphant of Gask (son of Laurence I) 5. George Oliphant (III) of Gask (son of Laurence II) 6. William Oliphant (IV) of Gask (son of Laurence II) 7. James (V) Oliphant of Gask (son of Patrick Oliphant of Williamstoun, grandson of Sir Laurence II) 8. Laurence (VI) Oliphant of Gask (son of James V) 9. Laurence (VII) Oliphant of Gask (son of Laurence VI) 10. Laurence (VIII) Oliphant of Gask (son of Laurence VII) 11. ? 12. James (X) Oliphant of Gask (son of Laurence (VII) 13. Thomas Laurence (XI) Kington-Oliphant of Gask (grandson of Laurence VII, through his daughter Margaret) 14. Philip Oliphant (XII) Kington-Blair-Oliphant (brother of Thomas XI) 15. Philip Laurence (XIII) Kington-Blair-Oliphant of Gask (son of Philip XII) 16. Philip James (XIV) Kington-Blair-Oliphant of Gask (son of Philip XIII) 17. Laurence (XV) Kington Blair Oliphant of Gask (son of Philip XIV) The current Chieftain of the Gask branch is Laurence Philip Kington Blair Oliphant of Ardblair and Gask (see Links for more information). |
| Oliphants of Condie |
| The Oliphants of Condie are the next most senior branch of the Oliphant Clan. The Condie name comes from the lands of Condie in Forgandenny Perthshire. William Oliphant of Newton, son of Colin Master of Oliphant (son of John, 2nd Lord Oliphant, the then chief of the Oliphant Clan,) had Laurence and Alexander, the progenitors of the Gask and Condie branches respectively. Alexander Oliphant became Albany Herald and one of his sons, Laurence, purchased the lands of Condie in 1601 from Matthew, son of Robert Colvill, 1st of Cleish, taking the name Laurence Oliphant of Condie. Another of Alexander's sons was also subsequently Albany Herald. Other notable Oliphants of the Condie branch include a Lord Chief Justice (c. 1840) of Ceylon Sir Anthony Oliphant (see the ceylon tea in his name); his son the author, traveller, politician Laurence Oliphant - who is venerated in Israel and whose home is now a museum and which has appeared on an Israeli stamp. General Sir Laurence "Bully" Oliphant (General Officer Commanding London;) one time chairman of the Honourable East India Company and latterly Queen Victoria's Equerry to the Muharajah Duleep Singh; Col. James Oliphant; Composer Thomas Oliphant; Rear Admiral Laurence Oliphant and British Ambassador to Belgium and Plenipotentiary to Luxemburg during WWII Sir Lancelot Oliphant KCMG CB. Line of the Oliphants of Condie 1. Laurence (I) Oliphant of Condie (son of Alexander Oliphant) 2. Laurence (II) Oliphant of Condie (son of Laurence I) 3. Laurence (III) Oliphant of Condie (son of Laurence II) 4. Laurence (IV) Oliphant of Condie (son of Laurence III) 5. Laurence (V) Oliphant of Condie (son of Laurence IV) 6. Laurence (VI) Oliphant of Condie (son of Laurence V) 7. Ebenezer (VII) Oliphant of Condie (son of Laurence VI) 8. Laurence (VIII) Oliphant of Condie (son of Ebenezer VII) 9. General Sir Laurence James (IX) Oliphant of Condie (son of Laurence VIII) 10. Henry Gerard Laurence (X) Oliphant of Condie (son of Sir Laurence IX) 11. Ralph Henry Hood (XI) Oliphant of Condie (son of Henry Gerard Laurence X) 12. Richard Eric Laurence (XII) Oliphant of Condie (3x great grandson of Ebenezer VII) The current Chieftain of the Condie branch is Richard Oliphant of Condie (for more information see Links) |
| Oliphants of Rossie |
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| The Oliphants of Rossie, another branch of the Clan situated in Perthshire, was a sub-branch of the Oliphants of Condie. Thomas Oliphant, brother of Laurence, 1st of Condie and son of Alexander Oliphant, Albany Herald, owned the lands of Rossie, thus taking the name Oliphant of Rossie. The Rossie branch has produced many important figures in Scotland's history, a postmaster general among them. Lieutenant James Stuart Oliphant distinguished himself in the British Indian Army, falling in India in 1863 during the Indian expeditions. He was the son of Robert Oliphant Esq. of Rossie. Another notable Oliphant of the Rossie line was Betty Oliphant, who is credited with founding the Royal Ballet School of Canada. Last but by no means least is Jane Oliphant who married John Hope, 2nd Earl of Hopeton, from whom the current Marquess of Linlithgow is descended. Her portrait by Gainsborough hangs in the dining room at Hopeton house. Line of the Oliphants of Rossie is as follows: 1) Thomas I Oliphant of Rossie (son of Laurence I Oliphant of Condie) 2) Robert II Oliphant of Rossie (grandson of Thomas I) 3) Robert III Oliphant of Rossie (son of Robert II) 4) James Stuart IV Oliphant of Rossie (son of Robert III) 5) Robert V Oliphant of Rossie (son of James Stuart IV) 6) Thomas Truman VI Oliphant of Rossie (son of Robert V) 7) Stuart VII Oliphant of Rossie (son of Thomas Truman VI) 8) John Ninian VIII Oliphant of Rossie (son of Thomas Truman VI) 9) Lolette IX Oliphant of Rossie (dau. of John Ninian VIII) 10) John Philip X Oliphant of Rossie (son of Lolette IX) The line continues to this day, the current chieftain being John Philip X Oliphant, Baron of Rossie (for more information see Links) |
| The Oliphants of Kellie, now possibly an extinct barony, was one of the earliest offshoots from the Chiefly line (arguably, because of its antiquity, the Kellie line have a seniority out of the normal perception of chronology.) Thomas Oliphant was a son of Sir John (I) Oliphant of Aberdalgie, the then Chief. Sir Walter (IV) Oliphant received the lands of Kellie from a cousin, Helen Maxwell Lady Kellie. These lands were held by the Chiefly line until they were transferred to Thomas Oliphant, 1st of the House of Kellie. The line continued for many generations, even after the land was granted back to the Lord's Oliphant (3rd Lord) in 1562, until the title passed through the sale of Kellie to the Erskine Clan, now Earls of Mar and Kellie. Notable Oliphants of the Kellie branch include author Margaret Oliphant, and her husband, Francis Wilson Oliphant, who was an artist who designed and worked with stained glass (Ely Cathedral has good examples of his work.) There are cadet branches of the Oliphants of Kellie, including the Oliphants of Prinlaws, Murdocarnie (also known as Hillcarnie) Pittotter, Banclero, Prinlaws, Kilmarone, Hattonhill, Over Kellie, Kellie Mills, Freeland and Forgandenny. Descendants of this branch definitely exist and it would be great to be able to map them properly. Very little research has been done of the Kellie Oliphants in order to create a 'big picture' of this ancient branch. What is exciting is that many people have done personal research on a narrow focus and it would be wonderful to combine the efforts of these clan members as it would greatly accelerate a complete Kellie family tree. Line of the Oliphants of Kellie: 1. Sir Walter Oliphant (son of Sir Walter Olifard and Elizabeth Bruce) 2. Sir William Oliphant of Kellie (son of Walter 1) 3. John Oliphant (son of Sir William 2) 4. Walter Oliphant of Kellie (son of John 3) 5. Sir John Oliphant of Kellie (son of Walter 4) 6. Sir Alexander Oliphant of Kellie (son of John 5) 7. Peter Oliphant of Kelliemill and Kellie (grandson of Walter 4) 8. John Oliphant (son of Peter 7) |
| Oliphants of Kellie |
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| Carolina Oliphant (Lady Nairn) |
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| Laurence, 7th Laird of Gask |
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| Laurence P. Kington Blair Oliphant, current Chieftain of the Oliphants of Gask |
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| Laurence (VIII)Oliphant of Condie |
| Sir Laurence (IX) "Bully" Oliphant of Condie |
| The Oliphants of Berriedale take their name from the lands of Berriedale in Caithness. The progenitor of this branch was Sir William Oliphant (firstly styled of Duffus, but much more frequently of Berriedale,) son of Laurence, 1st Lord Oliphant. This Laurence bought the hand of Christian Sutherland, the heiress of Duffus for his second son William. A court case followed, with the heir male of the Duffus Sutherlands disputing the legitimacy of Christian Sutherlands claim to the land. The long case ended in 1507 with Christian and William recieving the lands in Caithness, but having no claim to lands in Moray, or the title of Duffus. Through Sir William's marriage to the heiress of Alexander Sutherland of Duffus this branch came into a quarter of the lands of Caithness. Sir William died circa 1508, leaving his son George as heir. This son died in April of 1511, and was succeeded by his brother Charles, who was slain circa 1516 by Clan Sutherland, who still disputed the Oliphant claim to the land. The third son of Sir William, Andrew, succeeded his brother, and had a contract of marriage with a daughter of John, Earl of Caithness dated 16 July 1520. Through this union, he produced no male heir, and having only 3 daughters, ceded the lands in Caithness to his Chief, Laurence, 3rd Lord Oliphant (being the only Oliphant powerful enough to defend the lands.) The lands were held by the clan for more than a century, until eventually sold to the Sinclair Earls of Caithness by the Fifth Lord Oliphant in 1606. Many Oliphants still live in Caithness, undoubtedly descendants of the Berriedale branch. The line of the Oliphants of Berriedale are as follows:: 1. Sir William Oliphant of Berriedale (son of Laurence, 1st Lord Oliphant) 2. George Oliphant of Berriedale (son of Sir William) 3. Charles Oliphant of Berriedale (son of Sir William) 4. Andrew Oliphant of Berriedale (son of Sir William) |
| The Oliphants of Berriedale |
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| Other notable Oliphants, whose branch is not known for certain, include Samuel Duncan Oliphant, a General in the US Civil War, and Sir Mark Laurence Elwin Oliphant, a famous Australian physicist who was on Rutherfordss team which split the atom. |
| Margaret Oliphant |
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| Oliphants of Gask, Carpow, Balgony and Cary |
| It is important that the reader does not confuse this branch with the later but much more famous branch of the Oliphants of Gask. By comparison this branch is a "red herring", however, they are part of the Clan's history and therefore merit inclusion. In the scheme of things, they were the last branch to come from the Lords Oliphant (thus making them the most senior,) but they lasted for only 4 generations or so and therefore are of no major significance. They descend from the 3rd son of Laurence 4th Lord Oliphant. The lands of Carpow, Balgony and Cary are on the borders of Perthshire and Fife, near Aberneth. These lands feature in other branches of the Clan as well. The line of the first branch of the Oliphants of Gask, Carpow, Balgony and Cary: 1) William I Oliphant of Gask (son of Laurence 4th Lord Oliphant) 2) William II Oliphant of Gask and Balgony (son of William I) 3) William III Oliphant of Pitlochie (son of William II) 4) John IV Oliphant of Carpow and Cary (son of William II) 5) John V Oliphant of Cary (son of John IV) 6) John VI Oliphant of Cary (son of John VI) It is not known if John Oliphant of Cary had any children, but it seems that the line died with him. |
| Oliphants of Turin, Drimmie and Langton |
| This branch like many others is now extinct in the male line. However, they are certainly worthy of mention for a number of reasons. First of all, when the Lords Oliphant became extinct, the most senior Oliphant was William, of this branch. He claimed the peerage and voted at the Election of Peers but never assumed the title. He was of great age and died in 1751, only three years after the 10th Lord Oliphant. In reality (but unknown to him,) the peerage could not pass to him because of the terms of the patent. He was certainly the senior member of the Clan and therefore Chief, but that was all. Secondly, Margaret (Williams niece,) married the 7th Earl of Strathmore (the family of the late Queen Mother.) However she died within 6 months and did not give the Earl an heir, nor is there a portrait of her at Glamis Castle. Finally, William's eldest brother James was underkeeper of the King's Wardrobe (which was more a position of honour than service as it may seem.) The line of the Oliphants of Turin, Drimmie and Langton: 1) Peter I Oliphant of Turin (son of Laurence 3rd Lord Oliphant) 2) Peter II Oliphant of (Over) Turin (son of Peter I) 3) Patrick III Oliphant of (Over) Turin (son of Peter I) 4) Peter IV Oliphant of (Over) Turin (son of Patrick III) 5) Laurence V Oliphant (son of Patrick III) 6) Peter VI Oliphant (son of Laurencer V) 7) Patrick VII Oliphant (son of Patrick III) 8) James VIII Oliphant (grandson of Patrick III) 9) Charles IX Oliphant of Langton (grandson of Patrick III) 10) James X Oliphant of Langton (son of Charles IX) 11) Alexander XI Oliphant of Langton (son of James X) 12) William XII Oliphant of Langton (son of Alexander XI) The family proves quite hard to follow as there were many children of each generation, without reference to wills, certificates, etc. it is difficult to find the direct line of descent. What is known is that with so many sons it is extraordinary that the line failed so quickly. With the death of William XII, the Chiefly seniority passed to the Gask Oliphants. |
| Oliphants of Gask |
| Oliphants of Kinneddar |
| This branch is also descended from a younger son of the Oliphants of Condie. The eldest son of the 1st Oliphant of Condie infuriated his father by marrying the daughter of Sir James Blackadder of Tulliallan and so his father, rather than leave everything to his eldest son, bought three of his other sons estates and the fifth he established as a burgess in Burntisland. Little is now known about the Oliphants of Kinneddar other than their pedigree and the fact that they were still in residence at Kinneddar (also known as Over Kinneddar) as recently as 100 years ago. At the time, Gask, Condie, Rossie and Kinneddar were all still in Oliphant ownership, although now none of them are. Wills are registered and no doubt somewhere there must be heirs to the Kinneddar line. We unfortunately have no access (as yet) to the stories, portraits, relics and no doubt fascinating heritage of this branch of the Clan. Line of the Oliphants of Kinneddar: 1) James I Oliphant of Kinneddar (son of Laurence 1st Oliphant of Condie) 2) David II Oliphant of Kinneddar (son of James I) 3) James III Oliphant of Kinneddar (son of David II) 4) Patrick IV Oliphant of Kinneddar (son of James III) 5) Laurence V Oliphant of Kinneddar (son of Patrick IV) 6) Patrick VI Oliphant of Kinneddar (son of Laurence V) 7) Laurence VII Oliphant of Kinneddar (son of Patrick VI) 8) Patrick VIII Oliphant of Kinneddar (son of Patrick VI) Patrick was the youngest of three sons and had no heirs, although he had 3 sisters. The male line almost certainly continues from siblings of earlier male (Laurence V, for example, had 3 younger brothers.) |
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| Oliphants of Ardchalzie and Bachilton (1st dynasty) |
| The likelihood of Oliphants of this branch still being alive is high, however they drop off the records after the last Laird sold his land to another branch of the family (who are mentioned here under.) Like the Oliphants of Kellie, this branch suffers from being so ancient that they are 'lost in the mist' so to speak. We know the names of the heir in each generation, but rarely the names of their younger siblings. The only notable member of the family that we know of is Robert Oliphant. He was alive in 1588 and in 1600 received a passport from Queen Elizabeth I of England to go and search the Mediterranean for the luckless Masters of Oliphant and Morton (see Middle Ages). Robert Oliphant was also arrested for his part in the Raid of Ruthven (which occurred in 1582/84) and had his possessions confiscated. It was not until 1611 that these were returned. This branch also owned a property known as Ardargie which was passed through various branches of the Clan. This land is currently being redeveloped by the present owners, which is unfortunate for all Oliphants. Line of the Oliphants of Ardchalzie and Bachilton 1) James I Oliphant of Ardchalzie (son of Sir John Oliphant of Aberdalgie) 2) Walter II Oliphant of Ardchalzie (son of James I) 3) Thomas III Oliphant of Ardchalzie (son of Walter II) 4) George IV Oliphant of Bachilton (son of Thomas III) 5) George V Oliphant of Bachilton (son of George IV) |
| Oliphants of Hazelside |
| Descended from Malcolm Oliphant, a brother of Thomas Oliphant of Dron (progenitor of the Kellie Oliphants) and a son of Sir John Oliphant of Aberdalgie. Malcolm was the ancestor of the Oliphants in Ayrshire, about whom almost nothing is known. Perhaps relevant is that the great Scottish poet Robbie Burns grew up on a farm in Ayrshire named "Mount Oliphant." The direct line is unknown although it is known that there was one. |
| Oliphants of Bachilton (2nd dynasty) and Clashbeny |
| This branch is significant for a number of reasons. One being that 3 daughters of this branch married Kinlochs, and it was partly because of this alliance that has the Kinlochs as a sept of the Oliphants today. The last of this house styled himself as Lord Oliphant after the death of William Oliphant of Langton. However as with the Langtons, the terms of the patent precluded anybody who was not 'heir male to the body' of Patrick, 6th Lord Oliphant, ensuring that the peerage had become extinct with Francis, the 10th Lord Oliphant. The Oliphants of Clashbeny were descended from a younger son of John IV Oliphant of Bachilton (below.) Line of the Oliphants of Bachilton 1) James I Oliphant of Bachilton 2) Thomas II Oliphant of Freeland (son of James I) 3) Laurence III Oliphant of Williamstoun (son of Thomas II) 4) John IV Oliphant of Bachilton (son of Laurence III) 5) Laurence V Oliphant of Bachilton (son of John IV) 6) Patrick VI Oliphant of Bachilton (son of Laurence V) 7) Patrick VII Oliphant of Bachilton (son of Patrick VI) 8) David VIII Oliphant of Bachilton (grandson of Laurence V) |
| Oliphants of Newton |
| This family produced some of the most colourful members, along with some of the most eminent. The most notable was undoubtedly the first. Sir William Oliphant, Lord Advocate for Scotland, was responsible for introducing the system whereby defendants are cross-examined in court (used around the world today.) Previously the practise had been to read a signed confession, obtained (often under torture,) prior to trial. Sir William's son Sir James was also a prominent lawyer. He was created one of the early Nova Scotian baronets, but fell from grace after the murder of his gardener. Cockayne describes Sir James as "grandson of Thomas of Freeland." James had a brother, William who was imprisoned for his debts. James had a son, also named James, who killed his mother after finding her in bed with a priest, and was forced to flee to Ireland. Sir George, another of Sir James' sons, had a warrant issued against him for his imprisonment also. Newton was sold and became known in later years as Newton of Condie and then as just Condie, when it became the seat of the Condie branch until the house was destroyed by fire in 1863 and the estate subsequently sold. Line of Oliphants of Newton: 1) Sir William I Oliphant of Newton (son of Thomas Oliphant of Freeland) 2) Sir James II Oliphant of Newton (son of Sir William I) 3) Sir George III Oliphant of Newton (son of Sir James II) Here the brilliant and wild Oliphants of Newton ended. |
| Oliphants of Culteuchar (Culquhir) |
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| This branch of the family originally lived in what is now referred to as Rossie House. During their tenure, it was smaller, but their dated armorial stones still remain there. They moved to another estate nearby in the Ochills. As a point of interest, the name Ninian (a rare one, and vitually unknown in North America,) is a Scottish name (Ringean in Gaelic) from the first Apostle of Christianity in Scotland, St. Ninian. Line of the Oliphants of Culteuchar 1) William I Oliphant of Easter Hillhouse 2) Ninian II Oliphant of Easter Hillhouse (son of William I) 3) Ninian III Oliphant of Culteuchar (son of Ninian II) 4) Ninian IV Oliphant of Culteuchar (son of Ninian III) 5) Ninian V Oliphant of Culteuchar (son of Ninian IV) 6) John VI Oliphant of Culteuchar (son of Ninian IV) 7) William VII Oliphant of Culteuchar (son of Ninian IV) 8) David VIII Oliphant of Culteuchar (son of William VII) Because David VIII had no children, the nearest heir male to the Oliphants of Culteuchar was the Oliphant of Pitkaithley (below.) |
| Oliphants of Pitkaithley |
| The house of Pitkaithley has undergone both physical and name changes (it is now known as Drumonie House.) However it is still there and has several name and date stones set into the building. These stones relate to the last member of the house. Line of the Oliphants of Pitkaithley: 1) Laurence I Oliphant of Pitkaithley (probably son of Ninian III of Culteuchar) 2) Laurence II Oliphant of Pitkaithley (son of Laurence I) 3) Laurence III Oliphant of Pitkaithley (son of Laurence II) |
| Olyphants of Carpow and Bachilton (3rd dynasty) |
| One of the most exceptional aspects about this branch is that they not only still exist but that they can clearly trace their descent although they no longer reside in Scotland and have not held lands there since the 18th Century. However, there are or recently were a significant number of then and the senior member should definitely be a chieftain in his own right. This branch now mainly resides in the United States, and have for hundreds of years spelt their name with a 'y' viz Olyphant, which is a dead giveaway of those of this branch. They, like the Pitkaithley Oliphants are descended from the same father as Ninian IV Oliphant of Culteuchar. This branch at times has been immensely rich, specifically from sugar plantations in Jamaica. A daughter of this branch married Lord Elibank, whose family still carry a quartering of the Oliphant shield in theirs (Bachilton passed out of Oliphant hands to the Elibanks.) One of their number also styled himself 13th Lord Oliphant but, as explained above, the peerage had become extinct with the death of the 10th Lord. Although there is a large contingent of this branch in America, who are descended from David, fourth son of John III (below,) the third son of this John was Laurence who had 7 children and of whom nothing is known. It is more than probable that he also has descendants to this day. Line of the Olyphants of Carpow and Bachilton: 1) William I Oliphant of Carpow (probably the son of Ninian III Oliphant of Culteuchar) 2) John II Oliphant of Carpow (son of William I) 3) John III Oliphant of Carpow (son of John II) 4) John IV Oliphant of Bachilton (son of John III) 5) John V Oliphant of Bachilton (grandson of John IV) 6) John VI Oliphant of Bachilton (son of John IV) 7) ? That this branch has a male heir is certain, and exactly who is this heir, is something to be found. |
| Betty Oliphant |