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Sgian Dubh
From the thirteenth century, Spensa, or Dispensa, was a name used to describe royal officials and is thought to derive from the old French, 'despense', which was used to describe a custodian of an office within the monastic system. By the beginning of the fifteenth century, the Spens had established themselves as a family of great prominence; entitling John Spens of Lathallan to be seated in the Parliament called by James I in 1434. He was to marry Isabel Wemyss and they had three sons together, the youngest of which, Patrick, was a member of the Guard of Scots Archers whom were sent to France by James II in 1450. His descendants were the family 'Spens-Destinot de Lanere, later known as the 'Garde Ecossaise', who were the protectors and bodyguards of the French kings until the revolution of 1789. Their second son, Thomas, entered the Church and rose to high office. He was appointed Bishop of Galloway and would later become Lord Privy Seal. Thomas was also created bishopric of Aberdeen, and regarded by many to be a clever and sharp negotiator, he was sent in 1451 as an ambassador to negotiate a truce with England. He died in Edinburgh in 1480. David Spens of Wormieston, a loyal subject of Mary, Queen of Scots, was one of the instigators in the attempt to kidnap Lennox at Stirling in 1571, and was given the task of personally taking the regent to hold as hostage. One story goes that Spens followed his orders so literally, that when conspirers tried to kill the regent, Spens threw himself in front of a pistol shot aimed at Lennox. Sadly, when Lennox's men returned to rescue him, they killed Spens despite the regent's attempts to have them spare his life.
Septs of the Clan: Duff, Fife, Fyfe, Spence, Spens, Wemyss. |
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