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Arms of the Balfours of Balfour

The House of Balfour or Clan Balfour, is a lowland family from Fife in Scotland. Long without a Chief, it is considered an Armigerous Clan.

Etymology of the name

There are three proposed etymologies for the origin of the name:

1. Baile (Scottish Gaelic: town, [fortified] village, farm) + fo (Scottish Gaelic: under, beneath, at the foot of) + Ore (river name, derived from the Indo-European root er-¹ - to move, set in motion [oldest form of *h₁er] and cognate with other hydronyms such as 'Arno' [Tuscany], 'Aare' [Switzerland and Germany], 'Auray' [France] and more.)
2. Baile + fuar (Scottish Gaelic: cold)
3. Baile + (a’) phùir (Scottish Gaelic mutation of feur: pasture)

Given the family's early connection with land around the River Ore and the early use of 'Strathore', the first etymology seems most likely. The latter two etymologies could describe any number of places in Scotland, and yet the name is limited to Fife and locations associated with the family.

Origins (1034 - c. 1375)

Balfour House, Markinch, Fife

David, Cardinal Bethune of Balfour

In his work History of Fife, Robert Sibbald explains that the family of Balfour possessed these lands as early as the reign of King Duncan I (reigned 1034-1040) and assumed from them their name. The first of the family in Scotland was Siward, supposed to have come from Northumberland, in the reign of that monarch. His son, Osulf, who lived in the time of Malcolm Canmore, was the father of Siward, to whom King Edgar gave the valley of Orr, that is, Strathore and May, "pro capite Ottar Dani." Siward’s son, Octred, witnessed a charter of David the First about 1141. He was the father of Sir Michael Balfour, who had two sons. William, the eldest, was the ancestor of the Balfours of Balfour. About the year 1196 Sir Michael de Balfour obtained a charter from William the Lion, dated at Forfar.

In 1229, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Alexander the Second, his son, Sir lngelramus de Balfour, sheriff of Fife, was witness to a charter of confirmation by that monarch to the monastery of Aberbrothock, of a mortification to them by Philip de Moubray, ‘De uno plenario tofto in Innerkeithing.’

His son Henry was witness to another confirmation by the same monarch to that monastery of a donation by Malcolm earl of Angus, ‘De terris in territorio de Kermuir.’

He was the father of John de Balfour, who, with many of the barons of Fifeshire, fell at the sack of Berwick by Edward the First, 80th March, 1296.

His son, Sir Duncan de Balfour, adhered to the fortunes of Sir William Wallace, and was slain 12th June 1298 at the battle of Blackironside, where the English, under Sir Aymer de Valence, earl of Pembroke, were defeated with great slaughter.

Amongst others present at the parliament held at Cambuskenneth, 6th November 1314, were David de Balfour and Malcolm de Balfour, as their seals are appended to the general sentence by that parliament of forfeiture of all the rebels. In the parliament held at Ayr in 1315 were Sir Michael de Balfour, sheriff of Fife, and David de Balfour; their seals are appended to the act of that parliament for settling the crown.

Sir Michael died in 1344, and in 1375, the fifth year of the reign of Robert the Second. his eldest son and successor, Sir John Balfour of Balfour died, leaving an only daughter, Margaret/Janet (born circa 1315), who married Sir Robert de Bethune, ‘familiaris regis Roberti,’ as he was styled. From them the Bethunes of Balfour, together with the ownership of the oldest family lands at Balfour descended. Several of the other Fife heritors of the name of Bethune (also spelled Beaton), as the Bethunes of Bandon, of Tarvet, of Blebo, of Clatto, of Craigfudie, and of Kingask, were also descended from them. Of the most remarkable personages belonging to the Bethunes of Balfour were James Bethune of Balfour, archbishop of Glasgow and chancellor of Scotland, along with his nephew, David, Cardinal Bethune of Balfour. In the house of Balfour were original portraits of Cardinal Bethune, and of Mary Bethune (celebrated for her beauty), one of Mary, Queen of Scots' four Marys.

c. 1375 onwards

With the death of Sir John Balfour of Balfour and the subsequent inheritance of the core lands at Balfour by the Bethunes, the Balfours of Mountquhanny became the genealogically senior branch of the family.

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