Clan Bisset (Bisset Tartan)

1. About Clan Bisset (Bisset Tartan)

2. Clan Bisset History (Bisset Tartan)

Henricus Byset, a witness to a William the Lion charter issued before to 1198, is the first person with this name to be mentioned in Scottish history.

His son, John Byset, was a witness to a charter signed by Henry de Graham in 1204 and was granted estates in the north by the king.

A Paisley charter was seen by Thomas de Bessat in 1204 and a yar super Leven was witnessed by William Bisseth in Alexander II's confirmation in 1224.

In 1226, Walter Biset attested to a charter by Alexander II relating to the collection of tolls at the Cross of Shettlestone, and in Brechin, in 1232, Walter Byseth and William Byset attested to a charter by Alexander II to Gylandris.

Following a Tournament that year in Haddington, the family's fortunes abruptly declined in 1242. The young Earl of Atholl badly outclassed Walter Byset, the lord of Aboyne.

By setting fire to the residence where the Earl was sleeping, Walter exacted retribution and killed him.

The bishop of Aberdeen excommunicated Walter and his nephew John Byset and banished them from the realm.
When Walter Biset passed away in 1251, his manor of Ulvington was found confiscated.

Alan, Earl of Atholl and Thomas's son, was pardoned for killing some of John Biset in Ireland the following year (1252)—likely as a continuation of the family rivalry.

When the bishop of Moray sought a judgment that three persons, Robert, Nevin, and Donald, were the natives and leige-men of the bishop, the church of Moray, and his land in 1364, Walter Buset of Lessendrum served as the replacement sheriff of Banff and presided over the court there.

Thomas Byssate had a tenement in Glasgow in 1486, while Jacobus Besat served as prior of St. Andrews in 1395.

Moray and Aberdeenshire still have a sizable Bisset population. The Lessendrum estate in Aberdeenshire was as the family's primary residence from the 13th century until 1981.

3. Clan Bisset Tartans

One of the first tartans created by the Scottish Tartans Society was the Bisset one. It belonged to a Mrs. E. Bisset. They desired that the colors stand for:

The shield of Bisset is blue and white.

The axe's woodchips gave off a yellow tint.

portraying the motto with black

Red represents the 'everlasting flame'

for the young, untouched growth, green

R/18 G36 K12 K6 Y6 G12 A6 W/6 Thread count

Bisset Tartan

The Bisset clan, which is a sept of these clans, can don the following tartans because the Bisset tartan is a unique weaving and not readily available:

Fraser Modern

Grant Modern

MacDonald Modern

4. Clan Bisset Crest & Coats of Arms

4.1 Clan Bisset Crest

Worn by all of the name and ancestry

4.2 Clan Bisset Coat of Arms

Note on Coats of Arms: A coat of arms is given to an individual under Scottish heraldic law (with the exception of civic or corporate arms). A 'family coat of arms' does not exist.

With the exclusions listed above, the weapons depicted below are personal weapons. The only person authorized to use these weapons is the grantee.

5. Clan Bisset Places & People

5.1 Charles Bisset (1717-1791)

Medical professional and military engineer Charles Bisset. He attended Edinburgh University to study medicine, and in 1740 he joined Admiral Vernon's fleet as a surgeon at the Military Hospital in Jamaica.

In 1745, he made his way back to England, and a year later, he joined the 42nd Highlanders as an Ensign.

In the course of the Wars of the Austrian Succession, he was tasked with compiling a report on the developments of the siege of Bergen-op-Zoom, a town that is today located in southern Holland and was assaulted by the French.

The siege culminated with the killing of the holding garrison.

Charles later worked as a doctor in Skelton, Yorkshire, after rising to the rank of "Engineer Extraordinary" in the Engineer Brigade.

He wrote numerous books on medical and fortification-related topics.

5.2 James Bisset (1762 – 1832)

The son of a trader who had experienced financial difficulty, James Bisset was born in Perth. He had his initial education at Perth Academy and then, at the age of 13, moved to Birmingham to live with his older brother, a more successful merchant.

He started as an apprentice japanner (the practice of ornamental painting on a black enamel base) at the age of 15 and later transitioned to painting miniatures. Due to his great success, he was able to advance socially and wed the local landowner's daughter.

In order to construct Birmingham's first art gallery, Bisset's business expanded to include the production of medals and the sale of fine art, and he was able to relocate to a spacious home on New Street.

Lord Nelson was one of several famous people who patronized the gallery. He moved to Leamington Spa after selling two expensive Canaletto paintings.

As a major participant in Birmingham's cultural and business life, a member of the Birmingham Book Club, and a poet, Bisset was well-known.

His 1800 Poetic survey round Birmingham, a "grand tour" of Birmingham trades at the period of the city's revolutionary industrial boom, is his most famous piece of writing. It is written in heroic verse.