Lockhart
In early times this name was spelt 'Locard' or 'Lokart'. Like so
many Scottish families, the Locards came from England where they
were among those dispossessed of their lands by William the
Conqueror.
There were Lockards near Penrith in the twelfth
century and later in Annandale, where the town of Lockerbie is said
to be named after them. The family finally settled in Ayrshire and
Lanarkshire, where they have held lands for over seven hundred
years.
The earliest paper in the family archives is a
charter of 1323 whereby Sir Symon Locard bound himself and his heirs
to pay out the lands of Lee. Symon, the second of Lee, fought
alongside Robert the Bruce in the struggle to free Scotland from
English domination. Later knighted, Sir Symon was among the knights,
led by Sir James Douglas, who took Bruce's heart on Crusade in 1329.
The heart was carried in a casket, of which Sir Symon carried a key.
To commemorate the honour done to the family, their name was
changed from Locard to Lockheart, later becoming Lockhart. As well
as a new name, the family gained a precious heirloom on the Crusade:
the mysterious charm known as the Lee Penny.
The Lockhart family had close associations with the
Keith family of Galston.
It was William Keith who brought Bruce's heart back to Scotland.
Sir Walter
Scott used the story of its acquisition by the family as a basis for
his novel, 'The Talisman'. Sir Syman captured a Moorish amir in the
battle in Spain, and received an amulet or stone with healing powers
as part of his ransom. The amulet was later set in a silver coin
which has been identified as a fourpenny piece of the reign of
Edward IV. The coin is kept in a gold snuffbox which was a gift from
Maria Theresa, Empress of Austria. Such was the belief in the
amulet's powers that a descendant of Sir Symon, Sir James Lockhart
of Lee, was charged with sorcery, an offence which could carry the
death penalty. The case was later dismissed.
Although the
family seat, Lee Castle, has been sold, the estates are still owned
and managed by the present head of the family, Angus Lockhart of
Lee.
Motto: Cordo serata pando: I open locked hearts.
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| Heart
in Locket - supposedly under the corpse of Sir James |
To celebrate the
Octocentenary of Symington Parish Church in 1960, eight
beautiful tapestry cushions for the Elder’s Stalls were
gifted, the work of a former elder, Mr. J. Percival Agnew.
The tapestries depict coats-of-arms of local and historical
interest, and industries of Ayrshire. One Elder Stall
cushion is a tapestry coat-of-arms of Simon Loccard. |
Lee Castle gates |
Milton Lockhart gatehouse |
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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