From Ravens to Greyhounds--the story of the Houston Coat of Arms

My 25th great grandfather was from the village of Padinan near Lanarkshire, east of Kilpeter.  Because people didn't have surnames, he was known as Sir Hugo of Padinan or Hugh of Padinan.  In 1153 he was granted Barony in Strathgryfe.  Strathgryfe means valley of the rapid river because it was where the Clyde River and the Strathgryfe River met.  Baldwin de Bigger (see note 1) granted Hugh the deeds to the land.

Hugh did something unusual with this land.  In a time when the only thing certain was violent upheavals, he decided to build a castle.    He built his castle on the sloping hill.  It was rated by historians as one of the strongest in all of Lanarkshire (see note 2).  He looked over his land and said

"This is my realm--on this spot 

I shall build my castle!"

How the castle looks today.

He kept the serfs and tenants already living on the land and brought in more.  Evidence suggests they were loyal to him and respected him because he treated them fairly.  He built their homes close to the castle so that when the English attacked they could take refuge inside the castle.  This group of homes became known as Hugh's town, which eventually became the village called Houston.

While Hugh was a Scottish Baron, this didn't mean he was of nobility like a Baron would be in England.  A Scottish Baron was just someone at the top of the feudal chain.  He would have been called Lord or Laird because he owned the land.  

Around 1160 the king of Scotland, Malcom IV found himself and his army in trouble.  Hugh came to the rescue.

He lifted the young king from the clutches of his enemy and took him to safety.  The grateful king knighted his rescuer who was then known as Sir Hugh.  Because of this, the king ordered that his coat of arms be changed to include two greyhounds surrounding the ravens on both sides with a winged hourglass showing the sands almost gone.  Above is a ribbon with the words "In Tempore" meaning arrived in time (see note 3).

Does this mean that our family should always be on time?  I hope not!

To find out what happened to the Houston clan, click here.  

Note 1: Baldwin the Bigger was possibly his father-in-law and was the Count of Flanders and the 1st King Sheriff of Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Scotland   

Note 2: Lanarkshire later became known as Renfrewshire.

Note 3: Most of the information for this story was written by Cleburne Huston and can be found in the book, "The Ancestors and Descendants of James Houston and Margaret Crawford," pages 32-34.

This post features:

Hugh de Pad'inan (1133-1189)

my 25th great grandfather

me-->Ruth Rasmussen Buchanan-->Alice Houston Rasmussen-->John Cooper Houston-->James Houston, Jr.-->James Houston, Sr.-->John Houston-->John Houston-->Gavin Houston-->William Houston-->Patrick Houston IV-->Ludovic Houston-->Sir John Houston--> Sir Patrick Houston III of that Ilk-->Sir John Houstoun II-->Knight Patrick Houstoun II-->Peter Houstoun-->John Houstoun I-->Patrick Houstoun I-->John de Houstoun-->John de Houstoun-->Robert de Houstoun-->Sir de Houstoun-->Finlay de Houstoun-->Sir de Houstoun of Houstoun Castle-->Sir Alexander Houstoun-->Hugh de Houstoun-->Reginald de Houstoun-->Hugh De Pad'inan