District of Lennox

The name LENNOX, as a place name, derives from Levan-ach meaning" Leven pastureland" or as it is known today The Vale of Leven. From this district sprang the early Celtic Earldom of Lennox which was very extensive and included the whole of Dunbartonshire and large parts of Renfrewshire, Stirlingshire and Perthshire. Today the District of Lennox centres around the village of Lennoxtown (Stirlingshire), a mere eight miles north of the centre of Glasgow, in the Hills of Lennox which are part of the Campsie Fells. Opinions differ regarding the first Earl of Lennox; some say it was Alwyn, son of Arkyll who received lands from King Malcolm III (Canmore) 1057-1093 while others claim that the title was conferred by William I (The Lion) 1165-1214 upon his brother David. However from that point forward it is well documented that the Earls of Lennox were among the most powerful in the land. Malcolm, the 5th Earl, supported Robert the Bruce 1306-1329 in the struggle for Scottish independence and further Earls continued to support the Stewart monarchy and indeed the families became linked when a grand-daughter married into the Stewarts of Darnley. The Earldom of Lennox and the Dukedom of Darnley were held conjointly and a later Lord Henry Darnley became the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots and their son became James I of Scotland and VI of England at the Union of the Crowns in 1603. Today there is no Clan Chief but there is a Clan Lennox , c/o E.J.H.Lennox, Pools Farm, Downton on the Rock, Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 2HU.
TARTAN: The tartan illustrated here is taken from one of two known copies of a portrait (now lost) of The Countess of Lennox, mother of Lord Henry, which dates it at pre 1600. The presence of two shades of red in such an old tartan is unusual when one considers that nearly all dyes came from vegetable matter and consequently the range of colours was limited.

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