As noted in a previous post, on 6th March 1965, a “Mistress Helen MacAuslane of Caldenoch” was “Officially-Recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms in matriculating from them arms”. Thanks to the members of the Scottish Indexes group on Facebook we were able to connect her to the rest of the family.

Now, thanks to to the Office of the Lord Lyon King of Arms, we have a copy of the arms that she matriculated. The family information in the document conforms with our previous research and also reveals that her father had matriculated Arms in 1945.

The submission also records, as noted elsewhere, that this particular branch of the McAusland family were descended from Alexander Stewart, 4th of Ballachulish, a descendant of the Royal House of Stewart.

The summary of her submission reads as follows:

“Mistress HELEN MACAUSLANE OF CALDENOCH, residing in Glasgow, having by petition unto the Lord Lyon King of Arms date 31st March 1965. SHEWN:

THAT she, the Petitioner, who was born in Glasgow 28th November 1912, and who married Henry William, eldest son of Walter Frederick Davis,is the eldest daughter of Peter MacAuslane, Esquire, and his wife (married at Glasgow, 25th February 1910) Helen (died at Frachadil House, Calgary, in the Isle of Mull, where she is buried), youngest daughter of Andrew McGeorge, Edinburgh,

THAT the petitioner’s said father, who died at Glasgow 28th November 1955, leaving as male issue an old son, John, who died at Glasgow unmarried on 8th December 1963, had recorded of date 5th June 1945 his Ensigns Armorial in the Public Register of All Arms & Bearings in Scotland (Vol. 35, Folio 42) his descent being there in set forth videlicit,

THAT he (the present petitioner’s father) born on 27th August 1886, was the eldest son of John McAuslane, needle maker in Glasgow, and his wife (married 4th January 1886) Mary, daughter of Thomas Murdison, Dyer in Glasgow, and his wife Agnes Kirkwood;

WHICH said John MacAuslane, born at Bonhill, Alexandria, Dunbartonshire 1862, and died in Glasgow 23rd December 1934, was the eldest son of Peter McAuslane, Calico Printer in Glasgow, and his wife Rose Williamson;

WHICH said Peter McAuslane, born circa 1820 and died 11th November 1876, was the eldest son (a younger son, born circa 1827, the Reverend Alexander McAuslane, DD, later of Washington, U.S.A., had a son James McAuslane, born at Dunfermline 1854, who recorded Arms – Or, a lion rampant Sable, a chief chequy Azure and Argent, in the said Public Register of date 26th October 1891) of Peter McAuslane (or McAuslan), Calico Printer in Glasgow and his wife Mary who died aged 76 years on 21st November 1876, daughter of Malcolm McCallum and his wife Mary, daughter of John McColl, and his spouse Isabella Stewart, who, according to family records, was daughter of Alexander Stewart, 4th Laird of Ballachelish;

WHICH said Peter McAuslan, born 1796 and died at Glasgow 31st July 1876 was the son of Peter McAusland, Calico Printer, and his wife Elizabeth Glen, (who afterwards became Mrs Martin);

WHICH said Peter McAusland was the son of Peter McAuslan, Prestalloch, Glen Douglas, in the parish of Luss, who by family tradition, was the son of Humphrey McAuslan of Prestalloch, who was the son of Alexander McAuslan of Prestalloch, and that the family of McAuslan had owned Caldenoch (which comprised Prestalloch, Innerquhonlanes and Craigfad) from time immemorial as appears from the Sasine registered 26th May 1664 in the General Register of Sasines, and numerous other entries in that and the Particular Register of Sasines for Argyll and also other Public Documents and from the Luss Charters.

AND the Petitioner, as elder daughter and now heraldic heiress, having prayed that her father’s foresaid Ensigns Armorial might be matriculated by progress in her own name, The Lord Lyon King at Arms, by Interlocutor of date 6th April 1965 Granted Warrant to the Lyon Clerk to matriculate by Progress in the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland in name of the Petitioner as Mistress Helen McAuslane of Caldenoch, spouse of Henry William Davis, the following Ensigns Armorial, videlicit:

Or, a lion rampant Sable, a chief enarched chequy Azure and Argent. Above the shield, which is of lozenge form, upon a Wreath of Liveries, is set for Crest a dexter hand charged with a bezant holding up a ducal coronet, within two laurel branches displayed orleways proper and in an Escrol over this same this motto AUDACES JUVO.

Matriculated the 6th day of April 1965.
N.A.R. Lairson,
Rothesay Herald
Lyon Clerk & Keeper of the Records.

The McAuslands of Prestalloch

The 1694 Hearth Tax records for Luss parish make reference to an “Allexander McCauslane of Caldenah” (i.e. Baron McAusland) and then a “John McCauslan in prestilach and his son“.

Allexander mccauslane of Caldenah — 1
John mccauslan in prestilach & his son –2
[–] in Caldenah — 2

The last Baron McAusland, presumably the Alexander noted above in the Hearth Tax Rolls, was said to have mortgaged his lands in 1672 and 1692. He appears to have had no surviving sons and his heir, a daughter named Janet, who married a Duncan Campbell, finally sold the McAusland barony to the Colquhouns of Luss.

On 01 June 1698, a John McAusland in Prestilloch and his wife Marie McFarlane had a son, Dougall baptised in Luss and is seems likely that he was the same John McCauslan of Prestilach who was mentioned in the 1694 Hearth Tax Records. The couple may have had other older children as the Luss OPRs only start in 1698.

Although documentary evidence has yet to be found, It seems possible that the Dougall McAusland who was baptised in 1698, or possibly one of his brothers, was the father of the Alexander McAuslan of Prestalloch mentioned in the submission above.

It is still unclear exactly how the McAuslans of Prestalloch connect to the McAusland Barons of Caldenoch, however it seems likely that John McCauslan in Prestilach was a close relative of the last Baron, possibly a younger brother, nephew or cousin.

The Lord Lyon King of Arms

The Lord Lyon King of Arms is the head of the Lyon Court and is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland. The holder is responsible for regulating heraldry, issuing new grants of arms to people or organisations.

He also acts as judge of the world’s oldest daily functioning heraldic court, the Court of the Lord Lyon, which maintains the register of grants of arms.

Originally the duties of the Heralds did not relate to armory or the control of the use of Arms in Scotland. The duties of the Lord Lyon and the other Heralds were more ambassadorial in nature and these functions remain, although much changed, in the ceremonial duties undertaken today.

The Officers of the Court are the Lord Lyon King of Arms and the Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records, both appointed by the Sovereign on the recommendation of the First Minister. There is also the Lyon Macer who appears on judicial occasions bearing the mace of the Court.

The organisation of the office of the Lord Lyon is regulated by a number of Acts of Parliament, the most important being an Act of 1672 which established the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland and an Act of 1867 which made alterations to the regulation of the Office.

The current Lord Lyon King of Arms, Dr Joseph Morrow was appointed to office in 2014. He previously served as the Queen’s Commissioner for the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland.