Traditionally the Napiers are descended from the ancient Earls of Lennox who were one of the Celtic royal families of Scotland and Ireland.[2] One theory holds that a "naperer" is "a person in charge of table linen in a royal or manor house" and that the original Napiers must have been "naperers" as an office for the royal household.[2] However, there is not much evidence for this title being used in Scotland.[2] Another origin for the name is that one of the knights of the Earl of Lennox, possibly a younger son of the earl, distinguished himself in battle in support of William the Lion.[2] After the victory the king singled him out praising his valour by saying "nae peer".[2]
In 1625, Sir Archibald Napier of Merchiston, the first Lord Napier, presented an affidavit to the College of Heralds, in which he described this origin of the name Napier, as having been bestowed by the king (probably Alexander II) on one Donald Lennox in recognition for acts of bravery. He states:
This battle went hard with the Scots, for the enemy, pressing furiously upon them, forced them to lose ground, until at last they fell to flat running away, which being perceived by Donald, he pulled his father's standard from the bearer thereof, and valiantly encountering the foe, being well followed by the Earl of Lenox's men, he repulsed the enemy, and changed the fortune of the day, whereby a great victory was got. After the battle as the manor is everyone advancing and setting forth his own acts the King said unto them "Ye have all done well but there is one amongst you who hath Na peer," and calling Donald into his presence he commanded him in regard of his worthy service and in augmentation of his honour to change his name from Lenox to Napier, and gave him the lands of Gosford and lands in Fife and made him his own servant, which discourse is confirmed by sundry of my old evidencies and testimonies wherein we are called Lenox alias Napier.[3]
Recorded origins
The first certain reference to the name Napier is in a charter of Malcolm, Earl of Lennox some time before 1290, in which he granted lands to John de Naper in Kilmahew and Dunbartonshire.[2] The Napiers held the lands at Kilmahew for eighteen generations until 1820.[2]
15th century and clan conflicts
The first Lord of Merchiston was Alexander Napier who was a prominent merchant in Edinburgh.[2] He amassed a fortune and became Provost of Edinburgh.[2] He obtained a charter for the lands of Merchiston in 1436.[2] His son was Sir Alexander Napier, who also became Provost of Edinburgh and rose to high royal favour.[2] He was wounded rescuing the widow of James I of Scotland and her second husband, Sir James Stewart, who had been captured by rebels.[2] In 1440 Napier was honoured by James II of Scotland by being made Comptroller of the Royal Household and was later also made Vice Admiral of Scotland in 1461.[2] His son was John Napier who was also the son-in-law of the Earl of Lennox who was executed in 1444.[2] John did not press the family's claim to the earldom and was killed at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488.[2]
16th century and Anglo-Scottish Wars
John Napier, 8th Laird of Merchiston, inventor of logarithms
The Clan Napier does not possess a coat of arms. In Scotland it is primarily individuals that are granted coats of arms. The arms of the Clan Chief, or to give him his full title, Chief of the Name and Arms of Napier are: Quarterly, 1st & 4th, Argent, a saltire engrailed cantoned of four roses Gules, barbed Vert; 2nd & 3rd, Or, on a bendAzure, a mullet pierced between two crescents of the Field, within a double tressure flory counterflory of the Second (see article on heraldry). The chief of the clan is the only person permitted to use these arms.
The original arms of Napier (as seen in the picture of John Napier on this page) were: Argent, a saltire engrailed between four roses gules, barbed vert. These arms bear striking similarity to the arms of the Clan Lennox (see origin of the clan, above, for explanation). The arms of the current chief are the Napier arms quartered with a differenced version of the Scott coat of arms, added when the Napier family absorbed the Scott Baronetcy of Thirlestane (see Lord Napier).
