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geodeticman · 07-12-2006, 02:11 AM

John,

Thank you for the novel and interesting thread on heritage. Interesting thing: No matter what site I check into Scottish heritage with, I get some rather startlingy different results. I do very much apreciate the link, I am adding it to my heritage list.

The one thing they agree on it seems, for the Scottish variant on Dunbar versus British ( I am a Scot) is the family motto: impromptu, which in Latin means readiness, and quite often the coat of arms: most frequent is the horse head with a lot of leather tack.

This website you linked got the impromptu, no horse coat of arms, and the history is always fascinatingly different. Most cite the rather famous Robert The Bruce Dunbar, for whom my grandfather from Nova Scotia is named after, and my uncle. My father (rest his soul) William Russel Dunbar, is named after a great fighting Scot.

The results of a paid and exhaustive research by my Uncle (no expense was spared, and was considered definitive enough that a local historical society of Anglo-Saxon's (WASPS's !) in New Jersey stamped its approval and it became a softcover book ( or treatise).

Apparently, and I hope of some interest (versus all the above preface of mine) is the fact that the suffic "bar" i.e Dun(bar) means in Gaelic "illegitimate son of" - a Dunn clan member.

Seems a chambermaid or something listened to a Lightfoot-like troubadoor named Dunn outside the Dunn castle windows, and was romanced enough to bear his child, who became the first Dunn "barred" (yes, as in bar none, and to be barred from..) as a bas**rd child of the Dunn's.

This formeth the Dunbar clan, and Dunnabar, who built the Dunbar castle on the Craggy coast of Scotland's east side, something like 30 - 60 miles east of Edinburgh. It is said in John Muir's many biographies that he grew up playing as a boy in the ruins later of the Dunbar castle.

At some point a tiff broke out, no doubt over the meaning of the word "chauvinistic" in the troubador's song legacy (hehe) and the TOWN of Dunbar made war on the Dunbar's (go figure) and thru them out. They (Dunbar's) moved 20 or so miles west back towards Edinburgh, and to this day..... more Dunbars live in the newly-formed town of Dunbarton than do live in Dunbar proper.

They have over 7 tartains - for hunting, dress, everyday yuppy casual, corporate casual for fridays, work grubby's ( for throwing logs and 800 pound rocks, etc.)and the plaid they wore once a year where the QUEEN OF ENGLAND would call all Scottish clan leaders to meet in London at the palace. This still takes place, I am told, and all attendess wear a tartain of their own woven specifically for this event to this day.

Well, any more would be gross excess, but one last note - not only are Dunbars a long line of bas**rds, but also it was fine (hence the banning from Dunbar war) a long line decending from horse thieves, despite the std. joke of same.

Thanks John for another erudite and informative thread. Hope u get to feelin better.

"geo" Steve Dunbar

[ July 12, 2006, 02:59: Message edited by: geodeticman ]

07-12-2006, 02:11 AM	#8
geodeticman Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Colorado Rockies- Rampart Range Posts: 261	John, Thank you for the novel and interesting thread on heritage. Interesting thing: No matter what site I check into Scottish heritage with, I get some rather startlingy different results. I do very much apreciate the link, I am adding it to my heritage list. The one thing they agree on it seems, for the Scottish variant on Dunbar versus British ( I am a Scot) is the family motto: impromptu, which in Latin means readiness, and quite often the coat of arms: most frequent is the horse head with a lot of leather tack. This website you linked got the impromptu, no horse coat of arms, and the history is always fascinatingly different. Most cite the rather famous Robert The Bruce Dunbar, for whom my grandfather from Nova Scotia is named after, and my uncle. My father (rest his soul) William Russel Dunbar, is named after a great fighting Scot. The results of a paid and exhaustive research by my Uncle (no expense was spared, and was considered definitive enough that a local historical society of Anglo-Saxon's (WASPS's !) in New Jersey stamped its approval and it became a softcover book ( or treatise). Apparently, and I hope of some interest (versus all the above preface of mine) is the fact that the suffic "bar" i.e Dun(bar) means in Gaelic "illegitimate son of" - a Dunn clan member. Seems a chambermaid or something listened to a Lightfoot-like troubadoor named Dunn outside the Dunn castle windows, and was romanced enough to bear his child, who became the first Dunn "barred" (yes, as in bar none, and to be barred from..) as a basrd child of the Dunn's. This formeth the Dunbar clan, and Dunnabar, who built the Dunbar castle on the Craggy coast of Scotland's east side, something like 30 - 60 miles east of Edinburgh. It is said in John Muir's many biographies that he grew up playing as a boy in the ruins later of the Dunbar castle. At some point a tiff broke out, no doubt over the meaning of the word "chauvinistic" in the troubador's song legacy (hehe) and the TOWN of Dunbar made war on the Dunbar's (go figure) and thru them out. They (Dunbar's) moved 20 or so miles west back towards Edinburgh, and to this day..... more Dunbars live in the newly-formed town of Dunbarton than do live in Dunbar proper. They have over 7 tartains - for hunting, dress, everyday yuppy casual, corporate casual for fridays, work grubby's ( for throwing logs and 800 pound rocks, etc.)and the plaid they wore once a year where the QUEEN OF ENGLAND would call all Scottish clan leaders to meet in London at the palace. This still takes place, I am told, and all attendess wear a tartain of their own woven specifically for this event to this day. Well, any more would be gross excess, but one last note - not only are Dunbars a long line of basrds, but also it was fine (hence the banning from Dunbar war) a long line decending from horse thieves, despite the std. joke of same. Thanks John for another erudite and informative thread. Hope u get to feelin better. "geo" Steve Dunbar [ July 12, 2006, 02:59: Message edited by: geodeticman ]