Clan Baillie: A Legacy of Lamington, Boar Crests and Stars
Introduction
Clan Baillie is a historic Lowland Scottish clan associated with Lothian, Lanarkshire, Lamington, Polkemmet, Jerviswood, Dochfour and other important branches across Scotland.
Unlike the great Highland war clans of the north and west, Clan Baillie’s story is shaped by landholding, royal charters, law, public service, estate families, tartan identity and heraldry. The name itself is usually understood to come from the French word baillie, meaning bailiff or steward, a person entrusted with authority, management and responsibility.
The clan motto is:
“Quid Clarius Astris”
“What is brighter than the stars?”
This article explores the history, people, heritage, tartans, crest, motto, ancestral lands and modern legacy of Clan Baillie.
Chapter I: Origins of Clan Baillie
The origins of Clan Baillie are generally linked to the old French word baillie, meaning a bailiff, steward or official with legal and administrative duties. This makes the name occupational in origin, connected with authority, estate management and public responsibility.
There is also an old tradition that the Baillies were connected to the House of Balliol, and that the family altered its name after the Balliol kings fell from favour in Scotland. However, clan references note that this tradition is not securely proven, and the occupational origin from baillie is generally the safer explanation.
One of the earliest recorded figures was William de Bailli of Hoperig, who appears in records from 1311–1312 as a jury member at an inquest concerning forfeited lands in Lothian. He was later knighted by David II of Scotland in 1357 and received a royal charter for the barony and lands of Lamington in 1368.
From this early line developed several important branches of the Baillie name, including Baillies of Carphin, Polkemmet, Provan, Jerviswood, Dochfour, Dunain and others.
Chapter II: Clan Territory and Ancestral Lands
Clan Baillie’s historic lands and branches are strongly associated with Lowland Scotland, especially:
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Lothian
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Lamington, South Lanarkshire
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Polkemmet
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Jerviswood
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Provan
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Dochfour
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Dunain
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Carphin
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Hoperig / Hoprig
The historic seat most closely associated with the early rise of the family is:
Lamington
William de Bailli’s acquisition of Lamington gave the family a major territorial base in Lanarkshire. Clan references list historic seats including Hoprig, Penston and Lamington, while later branches developed in other parts of Scotland.
Clan Baillie therefore belongs to the Scottish Lowland world of royal charters, landholding, law, family branches and public service. Its story is not primarily one of Highland raiding or island warfare. It is the story of a family whose power grew through office, land, legal authority and estate identity.
Chapter III: Important People of Clan Baillie
William de Bailli of Hoperig
William de Bailli of Hoperig is one of the earliest major figures in Clan Baillie history. He appears in Scottish records in 1311–1312, was knighted by David II in 1357, and received the lands and barony of Lamington in 1368.
His rise helped establish the Baillies as a significant Lowland Scottish family.
Sir William Baillie of Provand
Sir William Baillie of Provand became an important legal figure in 16th-century Scotland. He was called to the Bench in 1566, took the judicial title Lord Provand, and served as Lord President of the Court of Session.
His career reflects one of the major themes of Baillie history: service through law, governance and public authority.
The Baillies of Jerviswood
The Baillies of Jerviswood became one of the important branches of the name. Jerviswood is especially significant in later Scottish political and religious history, with the family associated with Covenanting and resistance traditions.
The Baillies of Polkemmet
The Baillies of Polkemmet are important in tartan history. The most commonly worn Baillie tartan was designed in 1937 by A. W. Geddes of William Anderson, Edinburgh, for the Baillies of Polkemmet.
The Baillies of Dochfour and Dunain
The branches of Dochfour and Dunain connect the Baillie name with the north of Scotland. Clan references also associate the Baillie tartan tradition with the Baillie Fencibles, raised in 1794 by Colonel John Baillie of Dunain.
Chapter IV: Castles, Strongholds and Historic Sites
Lamington
Lamington is one of the key historic sites of Clan Baillie. The royal charter of 1368 made Lamington central to the rise of the Baillie family in Lanarkshire.
It represents the clan’s emergence as a recognised landholding family.
Hoprig / Hoperig
Hoperig, or Hoprig, is linked to the early recorded figure William de Bailli of Hoperig. It marks the early Lothian connection of the name before the rise of Lamington as a major family base.
Polkemmet
Polkemmet became associated with one of the important Baillie branches and with the design of the commonly worn Baillie tartan in the 20th century.
Jerviswood
Jerviswood is another important Baillie branch site. It connects the name with later religious, political and family history in Scotland.
Dochfour and Dunain
The Baillies of Dochfour and Dunain show the spread of the family into northern Scotland. These branches helped give the name a wider geographical reach beyond its Lowland origins.
Chapter V: Battles, Wars and Clan Events
Clan Baillie is not mainly remembered as a large Highland battlefield clan. Its history is more strongly connected with landholding, law, estate branches, royal service and political life.
The Royal Charter of Lamington — 1368
The granting of the lands and barony of Lamington to William de Bailli in 1368 was one of the defining moments in the clan’s early history. It gave the family a recognised territorial base and helped establish its Lowland identity.
The Baillies and Scottish Law
The Baillie name became strongly associated with legal and administrative service. Sir William Baillie of Provand’s role as Lord President of the Court of Session shows how the family participated in Scotland’s legal institutions.
The Baillie Fencibles — 1794
The Baillie tartan tradition is linked in some sources to the Baillie Fencibles, raised as the Inverness-shire Regiment in 1794 by Colonel John Baillie of Dunain.
This gives the clan story a military element, but one connected to later regimented service rather than medieval clan warfare.
Lowland Public Service and Branch Identity
Across the centuries, the Baillie story was shaped by branches such as Polkemmet, Jerviswood, Provan, Dochfour and Dunain. These branches helped carry the name through legal, political, landed and military history.
Chapter VI: Clan Crest, Motto and Badge
Clan Crest
The Baillie crest is commonly described as:
A boar’s head erased, proper
The boar is a strong heraldic symbol. It suggests courage, determination, ferocity and nobility. The boar’s head appears in several Scottish clan traditions as a sign of strength and readiness.
Clan Motto
The clan motto is:
“Quid Clarius Astris”
This means:
“What is brighter than the stars?”
It is one of the more poetic Scottish clan mottos. It suggests aspiration, honour, brilliance and noble purpose.
Clan Badge
Some clan references list the Baillie badge as:
A boar’s head erased, proper
This is the same image used for the crest, making the boar’s head the dominant visual emblem of Clan Baillie.
For accuracy, the strongest Baillie symbols are:
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The boar’s head crest
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The motto “Quid Clarius Astris”
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The Baillie tartans
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The historic lands of Lamington
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The branches of Polkemmet, Jerviswood, Provan, Dochfour and Dunain
Chapter VII: Clan Tartans
Clan Baillie has several tartans recorded or associated with the name.
Baillie Highland Society Tartan
The Baillie Highland Society tartan is listed by the Scottish Register of Tartans.
This tartan preserves an older formal tartan tradition connected with the Baillie name.
Baillie of Polkemmet Tartan
The Baillie of Polkemmet tartan is also listed by the Scottish Register of Tartans.
The commonly worn Baillie tartan was designed by A. W. Geddes of William Anderson, Edinburgh, in 1937 for the Baillies of Polkemmet. It was based on the MacKenzie tartan, with three fine white lines on the green replacing a single stripe.
Baillie Dress Tartan
The Baillie Dress tartan is also recorded by the Scottish Register of Tartans.
Dress tartans are often brighter or lighter in appearance and are commonly used for formal or ceremonial wear.
Baillie Red Tartan
A red sett was also produced for the Baillies around the same period as the Polkemmet design.
For modern Baillie descendants, these tartans represent:
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Lowland Scottish identity
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Lamington heritage
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Polkemmet branch history
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The boar’s head emblem
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The motto “What is brighter than the stars?”
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Family pride and diaspora connection
Chapter VIII: Heritage, Identity and Clan Traditions
Clan Baillie represents a proud Lowland form of Scottish clan identity.
Its story includes:
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A name meaning bailiff or steward
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Early records in Lothian
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The barony of Lamington
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The boar’s head crest
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The motto “Quid Clarius Astris”
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Branches at Polkemmet, Provan, Jerviswood, Dochfour and Dunain
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Legal and public service
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Military association through the Baillie Fencibles
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Officially recorded tartans
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Modern armigerous clan status
Associated spellings and forms include:
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Baillie
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Bailie
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Bailey
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Baylie
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Bayley
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Bayly
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Bailley
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Baly
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Ballye
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Bayllie
These variations reflect centuries of Scots spelling changes, regional pronunciation and migration.
Chapter IX: Clan Baillie Today
Today, Clan Baillie is recognised as a Scottish clan, but it is generally described as armigerous, meaning it does not currently have a chief recognised by the Court of the Lord Lyon.
Modern Clan Baillie identity can be found through:
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Family history research
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Tartan wearing
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Scottish heritage events
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Genealogy projects
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Lowland clan studies
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Interest in Lamington and Polkemmet
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Diaspora families across the world
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Heraldry and armorial traditions
Although Clan Baillie does not have the same popular battlefield image as some Highland clans, its history is deeply Scottish. It speaks of land, service, law, honour, family branches and endurance.
The clan stands today as a symbol of stewardship, aspiration, Lowland roots, public service and family pride.
Chapter X: Legacy of Clan Baillie
The story of Clan Baillie begins with a name meaning bailiff or steward, and grows into a Scottish clan tradition of land, law, service and identity.
From William de Bailli of Hoperig to the lands of Lamington, from legal figures such as Sir William Baillie of Provand to the branches of Polkemmet, Jerviswood, Dochfour and Dunain, the Baillie name has carried weight across Scottish history.
Its crest, the boar’s head, speaks of courage and determination.
Its motto asks:
Quid Clarius Astris — What is brighter than the stars?
That phrase gives Clan Baillie a sense of aspiration and honour. It points upward, toward excellence, memory and noble purpose.
From Lowland Scotland to descendants across the world, Clan Baillie continues to carry its history forward.
Its legacy is written in tartan, heraldry, legal tradition, estate history and the pride of those who still honour the name.
Tartan Time Machine Closing Paragraph
At Tartan Time Machine, we bring Scotland’s past into the present by exploring the clans, castles, battles, kirkyards, legends and forgotten stories that shaped the nation.
Clan Baillie is one chapter in that greater story — a story of Lamington lands, boar crests, tartans, stewardship, stars, Lowland heritage and Scottish family pride.
Discover more Scottish history, clan stories, castle features and heritage content at:
www.tartantimemachine.com