Cummings Tartan
Branches:
Cumming of Altyre, Cumming of Inverallochy
Arms:
Quarterly, 1st & 4th, Azure, three garbs Or (Cumming); 2nd & 3rd,
Argent, three bends Sable, each charged with as many roses of the
Field (Penrose); overall, in an escutcheon Argent, is placed the
Arms, Crest, Motto and Supporters of Gordon of Gordonston.
Badge:
A lion rampant Or, in his dexter paw a dagger Proper.Motto:
Courage Tartans: Comyn, Comyn (hunting).
Septs:
Buchan, Cheyne, Chiene, Common, Commons, Cummin, Cummings,
Cumyn, Farquharson,MacNiven, Niven, Russell.
The name Comyn (or Cumming) is of Norman origin, derived from
Comines near Lisle on the French/Belgian border.
Robert de Comyn came to England with William the
Conquerer in 1066 and was given lands in Northumberland.
His grandson was later given land in Roxburghshire by King David I. His nephew, Richard de Comyn, married a grand-
daughterof King Duncan I. Through carefull alliances and beneficial marriages the Comyn held three earldoms by the 13th
century; Monteith, Mentieth and Atholl and Buchan.
When Alexander III died there were 2 Comyns on the council of six Gurdians of Scotland; Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan
and "Black" John Comyn, Lord of Badenoch.
After the death of the "Maid of Norway" there were six claimants to the Scottish throne including the 2 Comyns and John
Balliol, brother-in law to the Black Comyn. Edward I, King of England was asked to choose a successor and chose John Balliol.
This of course started the Wars of Independence with claimants changing alliances to each other and to Scotland and
England on a regular basis.
In 1306, Robert the Bruce, grandson of an original claimant to the throne, invited his enemy, the Red Comyn (son of the Black
Comyn) to the church of the Grey Friars in Dumfries to negotiate an alliance between them. A quarrel erupted and in the melee
the Bruce stabbed and killed the Red Comyn for which Bruce was later excommunicated. The Red Comyn's son was later killed
at Bannockburn fighting for the English. The lands of the Comyns of Badenoch were forfeited after Bannockburn and
distributed to allies of Bruce, the Hays, Keiths and Douglasses.
The Cummings (as the name came to be spelt) of Altyre were recognised as the chiefly line. Sir Alexander Cumming of Altyre was
created a baronet in 1802. The present chief, the 23rd, Sir Alasdair Cumming, lives at Blairs House, Altyre, Forres in Morayshire
2 Richard Cummings 1800 -1848
2 John Cummings 1800 -1830
2 Anna Michau Cummings 1815 - 1903
2 Susanna Michaux Cummings 1820 - 1869
2 Joanna Cathleen Cummings 1822 - 1897
2 William Cummings 1804 -1880
2 Joseph Tarpley Cummings, Sr 1824 - 1880
2 Elizabeth Franklin Cummings 1825 - 1902
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