Clan finally has its chief... after 337 years
THE CLAN Buchanan has its first chief in more than 337 years following over a decade of genealogical research.
John Michael Baillie-Hamilton Buchanan has assumed the chiefship which was last held by his ancestral kinsman John Buchanan, until his death without a male heir in 1681. It follows 14 years of research by genealogist Hugh Peskett, who studied lineage back to 1370 and established references in 300 documents from around the world to verify the claim to the chiefship of Clan Buchanan. The clan said the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court which regulates Scottish heraldry, has now formally upheld a petition for Mr Buchanan to assume the chiefship.
Mr Buchanan, who is now known as The Buchanan, said: “I am honoured and proud that my claim to the chiefship of Clan Buchanan has been upheld by Lord Lyon.
“There has not been a chief for a very long time – over 337 years – but there is a thriving community of Buchanan clansmen, clanswomen and septs around the world.
“I look forward to meeting members of the clan, committing myself to clan matters in Scotland and attending some of the popular clan functions that take place overseas.
“My family has been acknowledged as leaders of one of the principal clan septs, the Buchanans of Leny and Arnprior, for many years but we have also believed that we had a good case for the overall chiefship. It has been a long journey to prove our lineage.
“We first approached the Lyon Court informally over 20 years ago and it has taken decades of genealogical research to back up our claim – I am indebted to Hugh Peskett, my fellow Buchanan clansman, for his meticulous research and enduring tenacity.”
The new chief is manager of Cambusmore Estate near Callander and has four children with wife Paula. While the Clan Buchanan can be traced back to 1010 AD in Scotland, it has several million members across Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Jamaica.