MacInnes of Rickerby Coat of Arms

"unmatriculated"

"The origin of the alternative MacInnes Coat of Arms is much clearer. These were the Coat of Arms used by the Reverend John McInnes (1689-1777) of Crathie church and later used by the MacInneses of Rickerby. These arms show on the shield a twin tower castle - a sailing galley - a gyronny of eight - and a wild boar's head as the Crest. The boar's head clearly alludes to the Dalriadic kings - the sons of Erc. Angus, Fergus and Loarn. It is to this Angus, buried on Iona, that the MacInneses claim descent. The boar on the royal fort of Dunadd seems to lend some credence to the symbol. The castle is said to be for Kinlochaline. The twin tower castle is rare in Scottish heraldry and seems to be peculiar to the MacInneses. The sailing galley is common to sea-going clans and the gyronny of eight shows a common ancestry with the Campbells. Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, the late Lord Lyon, said that these arms were consistent with the history of the Clan MacInnes. These arms were never matriculated. The family of Hugh McInnes of Carradale, Sheep Bailey to the Duke of Argyll, did matriculate arms and followed the general pattern of the Reverend John's Arms but added three ram's head in the shield and placed a bow and arrow in the boar's hooves. A plaid of MacInnes tartan (Onich) was placed on the boar's shoulder. The family of Murdock MacInnes of Skye who sailed to Nova Scotia on the Hector in 1820 and set up a farm at Malagawatch in Canada dropped the three ram's heads and the boar's head. They substituted the boar holding the bow and arrow with an arm clad in MacInnes tartan (Onich) holding a bow. The Lord Lyon has no jurisdiction on clan tartans unless a tartan appears on a Coat of Arms. Hence the reason why the green hunting MacInnes tartan (Onich) is often referred to as the only "proper" MacInnes tartan. It is the Crest of the Murdock MacInnes family Coat of Arms - "the arm holding a bow" which has been adopted - without good cause - by the Council of Chiefs for the MacInnes clansman's badges and souvenirs. Previously the insignia was the "Thistle and the Bee" and the "Boar's Head". "