Parenteel van David Falconer of Halkerton

William went to Groningen to study. His parents did not approve of his marriage to Maria Rembertina, and they refused to countenance or assist him or his family, undoubtedly motivating him to remain in Holland the rest of his life. He and his children had now become thoroughly Dutch. He lived in a house on Oosterstraat in Groningen, as did his father-in-law and brother-in-law Anton Adriaan van Iddekinge.

The deeds of John Keith are reflected in arms of Kintore. (Note the depiction of crown, sword and sceptre, occupying two quarters of the shield, with Keith in the other quarters.) This attractive blazon passed next, along with the titles, to John´s son, William, 2nd Earl of Kintore, who married Katherine, daughter of David Viscount of Stirmont. William had two sons, John (who succeeded as 3rd Earl) and William, and two daughters, Lady Katherine (who married David Falconer of Newton, later Lord Halkerton) and Lady Jean.
A name derived from the office of falconer, one who breeds or trains falcons or hawks for sport. Many great houses would have maintained their own falconer, and the principal family claimed to be falconers to the king. Nisbet lists the first recording of this name to be Ranulph, son of Walter, falconer to William the Lion around 1200. The falconer received from his king lands in the Mearns which were then named Hawkerton, being another reference to his office. Robert Falconer de Halkertoun is shown on the Ragman Roll swearing allegiance to Edward I of England in 1296. The family prospered and lands were obtained at Newton and Balendro. They achieved particular prominence in the seventeenth century when Sir David Falconer of Newton was appointed Lord President of the Court of Session in Edinburgh in 1682. Sir Alexander Falconer of Halkertoun was also appointed a judge of the Court of Session and took the title of ´Lord Halkertoun´. He was raised to the peerage as Baron Falconer of Halkertoun in 1647. The family also saw military service. The Honourable William Falconer was killed at the Battle of Quebec in 1759. Adrian, eighth Lord Falconer, succeeded his cousin George Keith, as Earl Marischal, and the title of ´Falconer´ is now borne as a subsidiary title of the Earls of Kintore.

Meaning ´the falconer´, an occupational name. Variants Falcon, Falken, Falkner, Faulkner. The keeper of his Lords and Ladys falcon. This name is of Anglo-Saxon descent spreading to the Celtic countries of Ireland, Scotland and Wales in early times and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts throughout the above islands. Examples of such are a Richard le Fauconer, Huntshire, and a Walter le Fauconer, who were recorded in the ´Hundred Rolls´, England, in the year 1273 and a Geoffrey Fauconer, was recorded in the ´Poll Tax´, of the West riding of Yorkshire, in the year 1379. In Scotland a Matheus the Falconer is one of the witnesses by a charter to Earl David, in the year 1202, and a William the Falconer was granted lands to the Kirk of Maringtun, in the year 1200. In ireland the name is found predominately in Ulster being introduced there centuries ago.

Other Scottish kings, particularly Malcolms III and IV, Alexanders II and III, and King Robert the Bruce, favoured Forfar and the hunting areas around the town. This is reflected in place names such as ‘Hawkerstown’, now spelt ‘Halkerton’, and the hunting area, Kingsmuir, which seems to have stretched from Halkerton to Dunnichen in the east. Several monarchs loved to enjoy the sport to be had on the 70 royal estates, which stretched from the Carse of Gowrie in the south to the Mearns in the north.

Scotland in historic times was covered by vast stretches of wooded forests. Many of these forests were destroyed by removal of many oak trees for lumber, farming and the introduction of Caviot Sheep. The employment of Gamekeepers was associated with these great forests. The book "Lands of the Lindsays" identified these forests of old: Deer Forest, Kilgerry Forest, Montrethmont Forest, Alyth Forest, Plater Forest, and Kinblethmont.


Bronnen: http://keithclan.com/kintore.htm    http://woodcarversguild.com/Coats%20of%20Arms/Falcon.html    http://www.geocities.com/forfartown/forfarhistory.html

Upon Antony Adriaan´s marriage, his father gave the house and lands of Inglishmaldie, with an annual income of £100. On 23 April1766, he released to his brothers and sisters his interest in the estates in Holland of Lord Halkerton and Rembt van Iddekinge, and went to Scotland, so that his children would be British subjects by virtue of their place of birth, a necessary step to ensure his right to inherit the title and lands of the Earl of Kintore*. Arriving in August 1766, at Inglismaldie, he soon began improving his estates. His lands included Halkerton, Powburg, Burnton, Inglismaldie, Newton, one third of Balmakelly, Canterland, Smiddyhill, Shiels, Barnhill, Collardoe, Glensaugh, Glenfarquhar, Corsbitte, Drumhendry, Capoch, all in Kincardineshire and Dunlappie in Augus. The value of his father´s lands in Scotland, about 1770, was about £9.836.

* Antony Adriaan became the 5th Earl of Kintore. The title Earl of Kintore was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1677 for Sir John Keith, along with the title of Lord Keith of Inverurie and Keith Hall. At the death of William, the fourth Earl, in 1761 the earldom became dormant as no-one could prove a claim to it. In 1778, it was decided that the earldom should pass to Anthony Adrian Falconer, Lord Falconer of Halkerton, who changed his surname to Keith-Falconer. The Lordship of Falconer of Halkerton and the Earldom of Kintore remained united until 1966, when, at the death of the tenth Earl, the Lordship became dormant. For the Keith Clan "history" see: http://hometown.aol.com/clankeith1/history.htm

Alexander and his brother William were sent to Scotland at the beginning of 1770, in order to learn the language and customs of Scotland, indicating how thoroughly Dutch they were. They attended school in St. Andrews and at Perth Academy. In 1775 Alexander returned to Holland, where he intended to begin a mercantile carrier. it seems doubtful that he was successful in this objective, but he did secure a post as master of artillery at Groningen. In the 1790´s, he suffered from financial insolvency, and in 1799 it was ordered that furniture of his be sold in order to pay off debts amounting to 2151 Caroly guilders. He lived on Hardingestraat at the time of the birth of his first child, then by 1789 the family lived on Turfstraat.