A Scottish clan. Not to be confused with a Quake clan, a Half-Life clan, or any other sort of clan... although those are good clans too.
History: Exact dates are not known, but the first generally confirmed evidence of a Clan Lindsay member's existence dates back to the early 12th century, when Walter da Lindeseia sat as a member of Prince David's council in Cumbria along with other Norman knights. When the prince became King of Scotland, Walter was granted Ercildoune, followed by Luffness and Crawford.
Some famous Lindsays in Scottish history include:
- David Lyndsay, Lord Lyon, King at Arms -- a playwright and poet of the Reformation
- Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie -- writer of the History of Scotland
- Lady Anne Lindsay, daughter of the 5th Earl of Balcarres -- writer of "Auld Robin Gray", one of the finest and most favorite of Scottish ballads
- Rev. David Lindsay, minister of Leith -- became Bishop of Ross in 1600
- Patrick Lyndsay, Archbishop of Glascow
- David Lindsay, Bishop of Edinburgh -- crowned Charles I at Holyrood in 1633
- James Bowman Lindsay -- a weaver, electrician and philologist, patented a wireless system of telegraphy in 1854; Marconi credits him as being his true predecessor
- Robert Lindsay, cousin to the 26th Earl -- the first recipient of the Victoria Cross
- Lord Crawford, current chief of the family (as of this writing) -- 29th holder of the title and 40th feudal lord of Crawford
Septs: Lord Lyon, Lord Crawford, and the Clan Lindsay Society of Scotland recognize no septs for the Lindsays. However, the US association recognizes and welcomes the following septs: Buyers / Byers, Cobb, Crawford, Deuchar / Deuchars, Downie, Fotheringham, Rhind / Rhynd, Summers, and Sumner. These families have a geographical association with the Lindsay family, rather than a geneological one.
In addition, Clan Lindsay Association USA recognizes the family name Affleck as the hereditary armor-bearers to the earls of Crawford. (Personal side-note: I've always liked the idea that I could technically walk up to Ben Affleck and say, "Hey, you, get over here and bear my armor!")
Motto: The clan motto is "Endure Fort" in Latin, which translated means "Endure with strength".
Crest: The clan crest is a swan rising from a ducal crown (because, at one time, a Lindsay was a Duke). The Coat of Arms and older crest versions depict this as an attacking swan; the newest crest version shows a peaceful swan. The swan indicates that the Earls of Crawford are decended from the "Swan Knight". The crest and Coat of Arms both bear the clan motto. While any clan member is allowed to use the crest, the Coat of Arms is reserved for Lord Crawford and those he has granted usage to.
Tartan: The Lindsay tartan is green and burgundy, and is one of the three most popular tartans in the world, along with the Stewart and Black Watch tartans. Very often, if you see something generically referred to as a "tartan" pattern, it will be the Lindsay tartan.
Attribution: this information was primarily obtained, condensed and paraphrased from the web site of Clan Lindsay Association USA, easily the most comprehensive and incredible resource for clan information I've found. You can check them out at www.clanlindsayusa.org.