Is the name 'Harding' Scottish?

[sporranlegionaire]

You're right, of course, Gilmore. I wouldn't be happy just guessing what might, or might not, be the case. I shall have to work on this one. Meanwhile, I have some 'universals' to enjoy anyway. And thanks for the link.

[gilmore]

You're right, of course, Gilmore. I wouldn't be happy just guessing what might, or might not, be the case. I shall have to work on this one. Meanwhile, I have some 'universals' to enjoy anyway. And thanks for the link.

Yes, it is an interesting site, though I don't know how directly helpful it is to anyone.

Many years ago my father was looking through a book of clans with lists of septs and found our surname listed under a clan whose septs included many names that are not at all uncommon. One of my nephews bought an expensive kilt in that clan's tartan, and another had the clan crest tattooed on his back. Subsequently, we discovered that it is extremely unlikely that we have any connection whatsoever with that clan. However, we do with others.

It seems that some clans organizations list as many common names and their variants as they can in order to increase the size of their memberships. And of course the kilt, tartan and accessories merchants will seldom discourage anyone from spending money. IME it pays to be careful since the decisions we make can influence others to their later regret.

[MacWage]

Off the TOP of my head (ie-> NOT LOOKED UP)

IF the family IS Scottish, you might want to look into the Hardin family. The name has enough grammatical similarity to be possible.
NOT saying it IS, but that it COULD BE.

[gilmore]

Off the TOP of my head (ie-> NOT LOOKED UP)

IF the family IS Scottish, you might want to look into the Hardin family. The name has enough grammatical similarity to be possible.
NOT saying it IS, but that it COULD BE.

According to Surname Profiler

http://www.spatial-literacy.org/UCLnames/default.aspx

both Hardin and Harden are English names, not at all Scots.

[MacWage]

According to Surname Profiler

http://www.spatial-literacy.org/UCLnames/default.aspx

both Hardin and Harden are English names, not at all Scots.

I was thinking about Mark Hardin, Baron of Calenknowles, who is on the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs and on the Scottish Armiger council (whatever its official name is). He married a girl from my hometown, lived in Atlanta, and now lives somewhere in the Carolina mountains.
I was not sure of the family origins (I NEVER looked it up).

[gilmore]

I was thinking about Mark Hardin, Baron of Calenknowles, who is on the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs and on the Scottish Armiger council (whatever its official name is). He married a girl from my hometown, lived in Atlanta, and now lives somewhere in the Carolina mountains.
I was not sure of the family origins (I NEVER looked it up).

There is no such person listed as a member of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs. See http://www.clanchiefs.org/members.html

[Cawdorian]

I was thinking about Mark Hardin, Baron of Calenknowles, who is on the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs and on the Scottish Armiger council (whatever its official name is). He married a girl from my hometown, lived in Atlanta, and now lives somewhere in the Carolina mountains.
I was not sure of the family origins (I NEVER looked it up).

I know Mark, I believe his last name is spelled Harden, his title was recognized within the last year or so by Lord Lyon's Court. There was a special mention and recognition of his attainment of the title at an event I attended a few months ago.

[gilmore]

I was thinking about Mark Hardin, Baron of Calenknowles, who is on the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs and on the Scottish Armiger council (whatever its official name is). He married a girl from my hometown, lived in Atlanta, and now lives somewhere in the Carolina mountains.
I was not sure of the family origins (I NEVER looked it up).

Properly speaking, the person mentioned is not a baron, but the holder of a feudal barony. There is a vast difference.

A baron is the holder of a rank, the lowest, in the peerage of the United Kingdom. The holder of a feudal barony is the owner of a hereditable entitlement, much, much lower in social standing, that does nothing more than allow him to be called the holder of a feudal barony. Our own Hamish also purports to be part owner of a feudal barony.

Feudal baronies are a curious anomaly left over from the previous method of owning land in Scotland. Some land owners, called lairds, NOT lords, held their land directly from the king in medieval times (and a few from greater landholders.) In short, in the Middle Ages they were what landlords were called in Scotland. They also had the right to be called to parliament when it was convened.

All that has changed. The feudal parliament of Scotland has not been summoned in several hundred years. (The current parliament of devolved Scotland is something else entirely.) When land that was a feudal barony was sold, the holding of the feudal barony went with it. In fact owning the caput, which could be as small as the hearth of the main house, constituted owning a feudal barony. A market evolved in which those whose families had owned them for years sold them to those who wished to be known as lairds or holders of feudal baronies. In fact, it is still going on. See http://www.baronytitles.com/forsale/ where anyone can buy his very own feudal barony. One such person is a Chinese-American dentist or doctor living in Florida. Another is a Lars Lindberg, a Norwegian, who recently petitioned Lord Lyon for the grant of a coat of arms and was refused, the reasoning being that the mere holding of a feudal barony by a non-Scot is not sufficient for even granting arms. See http://www.baronytitles.com/forsale/...g-hearing.html

(There are also companies that will sell you an English lordship of a manor, should you have more money than sense.)

The Abolition of Feudal Tenures Act of 2000 standardized the way land is owned in Scotland, made it uniform, and abolished any connection that the holder of a feudal barony has with the land. See http://www.scotland.gov.uk/deleted/l...10/afs2-01.htm

The reason given for not abolishing the holding of feudal baronies was that since they can be traded on the open market, their owners would have the right to re imbursement from the government. So now they are just free floating pieces of paper, the ownership of which are not even recorded or established by law anywhere.

For a thorough discussion of this issue, see

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.t...eudal+baronies

and

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.t...ttish+baronies

[fluter]

You're right, of course, Gilmore. I wouldn't be happy just guessing what might, or might not, be the case. I shall have to work on this one. Meanwhile, I have some 'universals' to enjoy anyway. And thanks for the link.

Obviously, go with what you're comfortable wearing.

If you like one of the district tartans and/or have any sentimental feeling about the corresponding area, go for it. My closest personal connection to Nova Scotia is probably some distant cousins, plus its huge place in Scottish history; but one day I'll be wearing the Nova Scotia tartan. A good excuse for a second Sport Kilt, come to think of it!

Then, the beauty of genealogy is that if you can search N generations, you have 2-to-the-Nth-power ancestors. You're certain to find something interesting.

I have been admiring the Colquhoun tartan and was rationalizing that one of my myriad Gregg cousins must have married a Calhoun at some point. WELL what I once knew but had forgotten was a Calhoun in direct line, a GGGgrandmother. Plus others in other lines, and I think 2 of them were first cousins giving us a double dose of Calhoun.

My old info on the Greggs stopped at water's edge; but someone has taken the line across to Ulster and beyond; though i have not verified the link. So one day I may actually have a clue about where in Scotland that line came from, as opposed to where MacGregors in general hung out.