Let me share with you the fascinating history of your family name, Allardice. It is not a very common name, but those who bear it hold firm in their belief of their descent from the ancient family that settled on the banks of the Bervie water. The ancestral barony of Allardice, sometimes known as ‘Alrethes,’ is located in Kincardineshire near the parish of Arbuthnott. According to George Black, the renowned historian, William the Lion granted a charter to the family, bestowing upon them the lands of Allrethis. Since then, the family name has been derived from these lands. Thomas Allardice of that Ilk received additional lands from David II. It is likely that Alexander de Allyrdas, who witnessed a charter for the lands of Glack in 1294, is the same person as Alisaundre de Allerdashe from the county of Kinkardyn who paid homage in 1296. In the late sixteenth century, the family constructed Allardice Castle, which stands in excellent condition to this day, although it is no longer in the possession of your family. Sir John Allardice of that Ilk, who Anderson describes as the ‘chief of that ancient family,’ married Mary, sister of the Earl of Menteith, in 1662. Sir George Allardyce, an esteemed Member of Parliament and Master of the Mint in Scotland, undertook an expansion of Allardice Castle around 1695.

This lineage came to an end when the last heir of Allardice, Sarah Anne Allardice, married Robert Barclay of Urie, the Member of Parliament for Kincardineshire, in 1776. Robert Barclay, also known as Captain Barclay, gained fame for his remarkable physical strength and fitness, which he showcased through long-distance walking challenges, often for wagers. Their granddaughter, Margaret Barclay Allardice, claimed, by virtue of her Allardice lineage, the Earldoms of Strathearn, Monteith, and Airth as the last descendant of Prince David, son of Robert II. However, her claim was unsuccessful. In July 1883, she obtained royal permission to assume the name and arms of Barclay-Allardice. Their son, Robert Barclay Allardice, pursued a career as a stockbroker in New York and retired to Cornwall. He was the final family member to assert the claim to the earldoms. David Stuart Barclay Allardice, who passed away in 1915, settled in the United States. His second son, Elliot Richie Barclay Allardice, worked as a civil engineer and played a significant role in the development of the water supply system in Boston, Massachusetts. Their son, Carleton, worked as a hotel manager and became the father of Richard Christopher Barclay Allardice of Allardice. In 2007, Richard Christopher Barclay Allardice was officially recognized by the Lord Lyon as the Chief of the Name and Arms of Allardice. The current heir to the chiefship is his son, Christopher.