 The name
Home is of territorial origin deriving from the lands of Home in Berwickshire. These lands
were acquired through Ada, daughter of Patrick, fifth Earl of Dunbar, by his wife Ada,
natural daughter of William the Lion. Ada married Courtenay and he obtained those lands
from her father. Courtenay died without issue and she then married her cousin William, who
took her name. Sir Thomas de Home, in the reign of Robert III married Nichola Pepdie
heiress of Dunglass and hence acquired those lands in Berwickshire. He had three sons;
Alexander who carried the principal name, David the first of Wedderburn, ancestor of the
Earls of Marchmont and Patrick Home of Rathburn. Alexander Home was created Lord Home in
1473. Alexander, 6th Lord Home was a great favourite of King James I of England and VI of
Scotland, and was created 1st Earl of Home and Dunglass in 1605. Through marriage to the
heiress of the Douglas fortunes the family acquired the lands of Douglas, Bothwell and
others in A ngus. However the chief of Home could not also be the chief of the Douglases,
hence in 1875 the 11th Earl was created Baron Douglas. The seat of the Earls of Home is at
the Hirsel at Coldstream Berwickshire where the 14th Earl lives. In 1963 he renouonced his
title in order to become the British Prime Minister, being returned later to the House of
Lords as Lord Home of the Hirsel.
Thanks
to James Pringle Weavers for the
following information HOME: This name, usually pronounced HUME, is found in Berwickshire as a place and personal name. It has been used in both spellings, frequently relating to the same person, and apart from family preference, is now considered one and the same. The earliest record is of Aldan de Home (1172-78), whose descendant, Sir Alexander, fought beside the Earl of Douglas at Homildon Hill in 1402, and died with him at Verneuil in 1424. From his younger sons came the cadet families of Tyninghame, Ninewells and Spott, while the senior line was continued by his grandson, Sir Alexander, who founded the Collegiate church of Dunglass about 1450. He was created 1st Lord Home in 1473 and was greatly instrumental in the defeat of James III at Sauchieburn in 1488. The 3rd Lord survived the disaster of Flodden in 1513, where so many Homes fell, only to be executed for treason in 1516 at the instigation of the treacherous Regent Albany. The 6th Lord became Earl of Home in 1605, but on the death of his son without issue in 1633, the titles passed to Sir James Home of Coldingknowes who became 3rd Earl. In this time also, the Earldom of Dunbar was re-created for George Home of Spott but expired with his death. In 1832 the future 11th Earl of Home married the sister and co-heiress of Lord Douglas and the name Douglas-Home was taken. Their great-grandson, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, born in 1903, entered politics, became an M.P. in 1931 and was secretary to Neville Chamberlain during the latter's ill-fated negotiations with Adolf Hitler just prior to the start of the second World War. He succeeded to the Peerage 1951 as 14th Earl of Home and served with distinction as Foreign Secretary from 1960 to 63. When Harold Macmillan resigned as Prime Minister in 1963 Sir Alec renounced his Peerage in order to become eligible for the Premiership and was duly elected. After the Conservative defeat by the Labour Party in 1964 he was leader of the Opposition until he was succeeded by Edward Heath, under whom he again became Foreign Secretary for a further four years. When he retired from politics he dropped the Douglas part of the name and was created a Life Peer in 1974 as Lord Home of the Hirsel. He was recognised as Clan Chief at this time. His son, David, became the 15th Earl of Home. Among the Senior cadets were the Homes of Wedderburn, of whom the sons of Sir David, 3rd in that line, were known as the 'Seven Spears of Wedderburn'. From those descended the houses of Manderston, Blackadder, Simprin and Broomhouse, and later, the eminent families of Polwarth and Marchmont. |
