.jpg)
|
|
|
Clan Hay is a Scottish clan, associated with the regions of Perth and Aberdeen, which has played an important part in the history and politics of Scotland.
La Haye, Normandy, France (Placename).
The Clan Hay descends from the Norman family of de la Haye. The First Hay to arrive in Scotland was William de lay Haye, who befriended King Malcolm IV and was made the 1st Baron of Erroll in 1178. Over the centuries, Hay influence in Scotland increased.
during the Wars of Scottish Independence, Sir Gilbert Hay, the 5th Lord Erroll, was an ally of Robert the Bruce and he and the Clan Hay participated in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. For his service, he was made the Lord High Constable of Scotland, a title the Clan Hay continues to hold to this day, which gives them ceremonial precendece in Scotland ahead of anyone aside from the royal family.
The Chieftan of the Clan Hay, known as the MacGaraidh Mor, was traditionally the Commander of the Royal Bodyguard, and this fact caused numerous Hay chieftans to die in battle while protecting their king. The 6th Earl of Erroll was killed leading the Clan Hay at the Battle of Neville's Cross in 1346.
During the Anglo-Scottish Wars the Clan Hay suffered very heavy casualties in the Battle of Flodden in 1513. Another Hay, also named Sir Gilbert, was a Scottish knight who fought for Joan of Arc during the Hundred Years' War.
Following the Reformation, the Hays remained loyal to Catholicism and thus were allies to Mary, Queen of Scots, who appointed George Hay, the 7th Earl of Erroll, Lord Lieutenant of all central Scotland. Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll, was involved in a conspiracy with King Philip II of Spain, to overthrow Queen Elizabeth of England, convert King James VI to Catholicism and thus make Britain a Catholic stronghold. With the defeat of the Spanish Armada, however, the conspiracy came to nothing.
Following the Act of Union in 1707, the Hays were sympathetic to the Jacobite cause. The ruins of their fortress of Slains Castle, on the northeast coast of Scotland, was a frequest meeting place for Jacobite conspirators. In 1745, the Clan Hay supported Bonnie Prince Charlie and assisted in financing his rebellion.
With the collapse of Jacobotism, the Hays became loyal British subjects, and many Hays were involved in expanding the British Empire.
Most of Wikipedia's text and many of its images are licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (CC BY-SA)
