Moncreiffes on the Net Clan Moncreiffe Discussion Area Clan Moncreiffe Contacts

• Crest: Issuing from a crest coronet Or, a demi-lion rampant Gules, armed and langued Azure
• Badges: 1st, the head and shouldders of a bearded man Proper in armour with conical Celtic helm Sable banded Or, including his dexter arm and hand sustaining paleways the upper shaft portion of a lance Gules with spearhead Argent;
  2nd, (for the promaeval fort, the Moredun, otherwise Carnac, of Moncreiffe or Monadh Craoibhe) a chaplet of oad-leaves Proper, fructed of six acorns Or, and within it a shoot of mistletoe fructed Proper.
• Arms: Argent, a lion rampany Gules, armed and langued Azure, a chief Ermine
• Tartan: Moncreiffe
• Motto:Sur esperance (Upon hope)
• Plant Badge: Oak
• Branches: Moncrieff of Brandiran, Moncrieffe of Easter Moncreiffe, Moncrieff of Kinmouth, Scott Moncrieff

The name Moncreiffe comes from the barony of Moncreiffe in Perthshire. The family name is taken from the Gaelic "Monadh Croibhe" which means "Hill of the sacred bough". The plant badge of the Clan Moncreiffe being oak, it is presumed that oak is the sacred tree.

The three main lines of the family descended from the eighth Laird of Moncreiffe. The Moncreiffes of Moncreiffe are the chiefly line, the principal cadets are the Lords Moncreiff of Tulliebole and Moncrieffe of Bandirran. The Scott-Moncreiffs and the Moncreiffs of Kimmoth descended from Moncrieff of Bandirran.

Three noble French families were established when one Moncreiffe family joined the Scots Guard of Archers of the Kings of France in the sixteenth century.

The sixth Laird, Malcolm Moncreiffe of the Ilk, was a member of the council of James II. When he died in 1465, his son became the seventh Laird.

Sir John Moncreiffe, the twelfth Laird, was sheriff of Perthshire and became Baronet of Nova Scotia in 1626.

In 1685 a second Moncreiffe baronetcy was created when Thomas, the fourteenth Laird, was created a baronet by James VII.

Sir Iain Moncreiffe was chief until his death in 1985. Sir Iain gave definitions for terms such as Chief and the Clan system and contributed a wealth of knowledge during his reign. From 1985 to her death in the spring of 1998, Sir Iain's aunt, Elizabeth Moncreiffe held the title of chief. In 1998, the Honorable Peregrine Moncreiffe of that Ilk assumed the title of chief.