The Clan History

The Dunbar family descend from Gospatrick, grandson of Crinan the Thane and Seneschal of the Isles and nephew to King Duncan I who became Earl of Northumberland after his father. In 1072 this title was deprived of him by William the Conqueror and he fled to Scotland, where he was granted the lands and earldom of Dunbar by Malcolm III thus becoming Earl of Dunbar. Patrick, the 8th Earl of Dunbar was also called Earl of March. He was one of the competitors for the crown of Scotland but withdrew his claim and swore allegiance to Edward I, his son also swore fealty to Edward II, however he later signed the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320 for Scottish independence. He had married the daughter of Bruce's friend Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, the famous "Black Agnes". It was she who successfully defended the Castle of Dunbar in 1338 against the English troops. The Earldom of Moray devolved on herself and her sister, ultimately the estates of Moray and Dunbar passed to Isobel's children, also Dunbars. The Earldom of March and Dunbar devolved onto George and his brother John became Earl of Moray. The Earldom of Dunbar was forfeited in 1435 by James I who regarded it as a powerful threat so the title came to an end. John, Earl of Moray had married Marjorie, daughter of King Robert II and had two sons, Thomas who married the heiress of Frendraught and James who became 4th Earl and was the last of the male line. When he was murdered in 1429 the earldom passed down through his daughters and the son, Sir Alexander of Westfield from his second marriage became the 1st Baron of Mochrum in 1694, ancestor to the hereditary Sheriffs of Moray. The Dunbars prospered in Moray despite their feud with the Innes and many other cadet branches were founded; the Baronets of Durn, of Northfield and of Hempriggs in Caithness. Gavin Dunbar of the Mochrum family was appointed Archbishop of Glasgow and Lord Chancellor of Scotland in the reign of James V, while his exact namesake of the Westfield family was Bishop of Aberdeen and uncle to another Gavin Dunbar, tutor of the young James V. Sir Jean Ivor Dunbar was the 13th Baronet of Mochrum and hereditary Chief of the Clan Dunbar, and after his death in 1993, the title passed to his son, and now Sir James Michael Dunbar, 14th Baronet of Mochrum, is the new Chief of the Clan. He is also a full Colonel in the U.S.

Motto: "Honour is the prize of honesty".
Badge: A white horses head.
Septs: Clugston, Corbett, Dunbar, Dundas, Edgar, Grey, Heryng, Home, Knox, Nisbett, Peddie, Strickland, Washington, Wedderburn
Names associated with the clan: DUNBARRE DUNBAR DUMBARE DUMBAR DOUNBARE ABERLADY