Scottish feudal barony of MacDuff

Heraldic Baronial Chapeau
Arms of Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife and 7th Baron of MacDuff

The Feudal Barony of MacDuff is a Scottish Feudal Barony in Macduff, Scotland, contained mostly within the boundaries of the Town of Macduff, in the Banff and Buchan area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland.[1] Clan MacDuff traces origins to the historic, Lowland, Scottish Duff Clan.[2] William Shakespeare's MacBeth has always played a role in the legend of Clan MacDuff, as few can determine the line between The Duff Family history and historical fiction.[3] This ambiguity worked to the benefit of future MacDuff Barons, who were able to prove they were descended from the first Duff to receive a charter in Northeast Scotland.[4] In 1404 David Duff received the charter, in Aberdeenshire, from Robert III of Scotland.[4] In 1759, William Duff was granted the historic Celtic Title of “Fife”, further tying the Duffs of Northeast Scotland, with their ancient Lowland ancestors - the original Earls of Fife from the 11th century.[5] William Duff had five sons - the eldest, James, would become the 2nd Earl Fife and the 1st Baron of MacDuff.[6] James invested heavily in the village of Doune, or “Down”, across the River Deveron from Banff. He built a harbor there in 1760, which quickly became more successful than the harbor at neighboring Banff, which had been established much earlier.[7] In 1783 a charter was granted by King George III, changing the name from Doune to Macduff in his favor and, although a lesser title than Earl, bestowing on him the dignity of the 1st Baron of Macduff.[6]

Barons of MacDuff

James Duff, 2nd Earl Fife, 1st Baron of MacDuff [6]

James Duff, 2nd Earl Fife, 1st Baron of MacDuff, 1729–1809

Born: 1729

Died: 1809

Preceded by: N/A

Succeeded by: Alexander Duff

Seat: Duff House

Alexander Duff, 3rd Earl Fife, 2nd Baron of MacDuff[8]

Born: 1731

Died: 1811

Preceded by: James Duff

Succeeded by: James Duff

Seat: Duff House

James Duff, 4th Earl Fife, 3rd Baron of MacDuff[8]

Born: 1776

Died: 1857

Preceded by: Alexander Duff

Succeeded by: James Duff

Seat: Duff House

James Duff, 5th Earl Fife, 4th Baron of MacDuff[6][8]

Born: 1814

Died: 1857

Preceded by: James Duff

Succeeded by: Alexander Duff

Seat: Duff House

Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife, 5th Baron of MacDuff[9]

Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife, 5th Baron of MacDuff with his wife, Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife, 1849–1912

Born: 1849

Died: 1912

Preceded by: James Duff

Succeeded by: Lady Alexandra Duff

Seat: Mar Lodge

Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife, 6th Baroness of MacDuff[10]

Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife, 6th Baroness of MacDuff, 1891–1959

Born: 1891

Died: 1959

Preceded by: Alexander Duff

Succeeded by: Alexander Ramsay of Mar

Seat: Mar Lodge

Alexander Ramsay of Mar, 7th Baron of MacDuff[8][11]

Alexander Ramsay of Mar, 7th Baron of MacDuff, 1919-2000

Born: 1919

Died: 2000

Preceded by: Lady Alexandra Duff

Succeeded by: James Mark Domesek

Seat: Mar Lodge

James Mark Domesek, 8th Baron of MacDuff[12][13]

Born: unknown

Died: unknown

Preceded by: Alexander Ramsay of Mar

Succeeded by: Eric Cotton Dexter

Eric Cotton Dexter, 9th Baron of MacDuff[14]

Born: 1971

Died: N/A

Preceded by: James Mark Domesek

Succeeded by: N/A

J.C. Dexter, Younger of MacDuff

Born: 2000

Died N/A

Heir Apparent to the Barony of MacDuff

Duff House - Historic Seat of the 1st-4th Barons of MacDuff
Mar Lodge - Historic Seat of the 5th-7th Barons of MacDuff
The main MacDuff tartan

References

  1. ^ Charter to James, Earl of Fife For Uniting and Erecting the Lands of Down and others therein mentioned into a Barony As also erecting the Village of Down now to be called the Village of MacDuff into a Burgh of Barony. National Records of Scotland. 1783.
  2. ^ Way, George, Squire, Romily (1998). Collins Scottish Clan and Family Encyclopedia. Harper Collins. pp. 419–420.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Tayler, Alistair and, Henrietta Tayler (1914). The Book of Duffs. W. Brown. p. 212.
  4. ^ a b Anderson, William (1864). The Scottish Nation: or the Surnames, Families, Literature and Honours, and Biographical History of the People of Scotland. Google Books: A. Fullerton & Company. p. 212.
  5. ^ Cokayne, George Edward (1889). Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct, Or Dormant; Volume 2. William Pollard & Co. p. 462.
  6. ^ a b c d Fife, James Duff, 2nd Earl of 1729-1809, Henrietta Tayler, and Alistair Norwich Tayler (1925). Lord Fife and his factor: being the correspondence of James, Second Lord Fife, 1729-1809. Heinemann. pp. 149–159, 226.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Smiles, Samuel (1877). Life of a Scotch Naturalist, 4th Edition. J. Murray. p. 129.
  8. ^ a b c d Mosley, Charles (2003). Burke's Peerage Baronetage & Knightage: Clan Chiefs, Scottish Feudal Barons, 107th Edition, Volumes I-III. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage and Gentry LLC. pp. I., 1021, 1759.
  9. ^ Pine, L.G. (1972). The New Extinct Peerage 1884-1971: Containing Extinct, Abeyant, Dormant and Suspended Peerages With Genealogies and Arms. London, UK: Heraldry Today. p. 124.
  10. ^ Eilers, Marlene A. (1987). Queen Victoria's Descendants. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co. p. 176.
  11. ^ The General Register of Sasines, Book 1001, Folio 70. Edinburgh, UK: Public Records Office, Register House. 1982. p. 76.
  12. ^ The General Register of Sasines, Fiche 52, Frame 33. Banff UK: Counties of Caithness, Moray and Aberdeen. 2002. p. 40.
  13. ^ The General Register of Sasines, Fiche 98, Frame 41. Banff, UK: County of Banff. 2004. pp. 11–13.
  14. ^ Scottish Barony Register, Vol.5, Folio 44-46. Edinburgh, UK. 2021. pp. 44–46.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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