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Dempster
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James Dempster
Arms: Gules, a sword in bend point upward Argent, hilted and pommelled Or surmounted by a fess of the third charged with a lion passant of the first.
Crest: A savage's head Proper wreathed about the temples Gules and Or
Motto: Keep Aye A Calm Sough
Grant: Court of the Lord Lyon, 7th November 2005, Lyon Register, Volume 86, folio 45.
My family claims descent from the Dempsters of Auchterless in Aberdeenshire. However, the arms are of an indeterminate cadet because no connection can be proved between my earliest known ancestor John Dempster (born c1681) and my supposed ancestor, James Dempster (born c1592, alive in 1615) son of James Dempster younger of Auchterless. I descend from many younger sons so to keep the arms simple they were granted to the descendants of my grandfather of whom I am the heir male.
According to Mackenzie of Rosehaugh and Nisbet, the plain arms of the Dempsters, Gules a sword in bend point upwards Argent hilted and pomelled Or surmounted by a fess of the last, have a canting explanation. The sword is a Justiciary Sword and the fess is the bar of the court.
This fits in with the Dempster origin. In this, Alan, the founder of the family, was Malcolm Canmore's bastard who, for loyalty during the revolt of the Thane of Lochaber, received the 'Jus Gladii' the office of Judex (Anglicised as Dempster) and all the land between the rivers North Esk and South Esk. Much of this seems to be lifted from Holinshed's History in which Banquo and Macbeth put down such a revolt, presenting the rebel leader's head to King Duncan.
However, seals show the Dempsters of Careston (which lands are between the two Esks and who were Heritable Dempsters of the Scots Parliament) bore a lion rampant only, whilst the Auchterless branch bore the arms with the fess as a quartering in 2nd & 3rd. I believe, but can't prove, that the plain arms should be Or a lion rampant Gules armed and langued Azure debruised by a baton Sable. Unfortunately Lyon Register and various rolls put the lion in 2nd and 3rd and it is usually attributed to Abernethy.
In terms of the differencing, since the arms have a remainder to the descendants of my grandfather, allusions to my mother or me would be inappropriate. I wanted to incorporate the lion somehow and having it passant on the fess means the tinctures are maintained.
The crest refers both to the origin legend and to the Ragman Roll seal of an early Dempster, Andrew 'le Jugger'. Andrew's seal shows a man's head within tracery.
The motto is the first line of the poem 'Advice to the sit-siccars' by Charles 'Hamewith' Murray. A literal translation could be 'always keep a calm breath' but figuratively it is 'don't get worked up'. Friends have suggested a more modern Scots version, namely 'Keep the heid' which is rather appropriate given the crest.
I would like to thank many forumeers for their advice and suggestions and for helping me to 'keep aye a calm sough.' Special thanks go to Denis Towner for his spirited rendition.
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