Archibald Buchanan of Drumhead

The Arms: 
Or, a lion rampant Sable, holding in his dexter paw an arrow, and in his sinister paw a bow all Proper, within a double tressure counterflowered of the second.

The Crest: 
A sinister hand holding a bent bow Or.

The Motto: 
‘Par Sit Fortuna Labori’ ( Let the success be equal to the labour ).

The arms are recorded in Lyon Register Volume 1, Page 255 date uncertain, suggested between 1676 -1693.

The Buchanans of Drumhead are cadets of Drummakill, and are descended from William Buchanan, younger son or brother of Robert Buchanan, second of Drummakill.

Robert Buchanan, fourth of Blairhennachra ( Drumhead ) had two daughters who succeeded as co-heiresses: (1) Janet, (2) Isobel. Janet died, and by 1665 Isobel was the only remaining daughter of Robert Buchanan.

Janet married in October 1647 Archibald Buchanan lawful son of Robert Buchanan of Glenmaqueine in Ireland. Archibald died in 1681 leaving by Isobel (1) Archibald, (2) Rebecca, (3) Elizabeth, ( it is worth noting that Elizabeth married Walter Buchanan of Balfunnyng who was the elder brother of John Buchanan of Little Croy, Gt. Grandfather 7 times removed of Claude Askel Buchanan ). Archibald was sixth of Drumhead and married Janet Anderson, by whom he had four sons and three daughters.

The eldest son Archibald succeeded to Drumhead and married in 1720 Janet Buchanan daughter of Buchanan of Bankell, and had by her four sons and five daughters.

The eldest son who was again Archibald was born 5th August 1723, and is too late to be the Archibald who matriculated the arms as they were recorded between 1676 and 1693.

We must return to Archibald sixth of Drumhead who served heir to his father in 1682, or perhaps back further to Archibald, son of Robert Buchanan of Glenmaqueine. Either of these gentlemen could be the correct person who matriculated the arms as depicted.

The male line in this family failed in 1789 when Archibald of Drumhead died unmarried. By a deed executed between Archibald and his sisters, the second sons of his sisters were required to bear the name and arms of Buchanan of Drumhead. Arising out of this requirement we have the family of Buchanan-Dunlop. ( see Henry Donald Buchanan-Dunlop L.R. 20/19 21 January 1909 ).