John Buchanan of Leny, Arnprior and Auchleshie

John Buchanan d. 1817

These were the arms of the current chief's great, great, great, great grandfather. They were superseded by the 1953 arms of the chief's grandfather and, subsequently, by the current chief's arms.

The Arms: 
Quarterly, first and fourth, Or, a lion rampant Gules, within a double tressure flory counterflory Sable (Buchanan); second and third, Sable, a chevron Argent between three bear‘s heads couped of the second, muzzled Gules (Leny).

The Crest: 
A sword erect in pale Proper hilted and pommelled Or.

The Mottoes:
Above the crest: ‘Virtute Gladii Pari’ ( Equal to the sword in valour )
Below the shield: ‘Nobilis Est Ira Leonis’ ( The wrath of the lion is noble )

The Buchanans of Achleshie and Arnprior are Cadets of Leny. The bearer of these arms is recorded in Lyon Register as the representative of the ancient families of Leny and Arnprior and was the third son of Duncan Buchanan of Achleshie who by his wife Grizel Robertson had three sons. The eldest Alexander, was involved in the `45 rebellion where he was captured, but on account of his extreme youth was acquitted. He died unmarried. The second son Walter died unmarried, leaving John, the third son to inherit the estate.

John Buchanan of Achleshie and Arnprior succeeded his brother, and in 1758, when the forfeited estates were restored, received Strathyre which was part of the estate of his cousin, Buchanan of Arnprior, that had been forfeited on his attainder in 1746, he being the heir male of the family of Arnprior. Since that time this branch of the family has been designated of Arnprior.

He married about 1771-2 a daughter of Patrick Edmonstone of Newton and died in 1817 leaving three sons: (1) Alexander, of Arnprior whose son also Alexander, had a daughter Catherine Elizabeth Grace Buchanan, who in 1869 married John Baillie-Hamilton, who assumed the surname of Buchanan before Baillie-Hamilton, (2) Thomas who acquired Powis, (3) James who died unmarried.

It should be noted that these arms appear in ‘Armorial Families’ in the name of Thomas Alexander Buchanan, late Captain H.M. Indian Army, born 26 March 1842, being the eldest son of the late John Buchanan of Powis by his wife Harriet Nimmo.

The arms are recorded in Lyon Register Volume 2, Page 50, 18 August 1810.