Clan Montgomery
Clan Montgomery (also called Montgomerie) is a Scottish Lowland clan. They trace their origins to Norman Roger de Montgomery and, together with the FitzAlans, moved to Scotland in the 12th century. The surname was connected to lands in Wales and Normandy, and the earliest Montgomeries in Scotland settled at Eaglesham in Renfrewshire. The family rises to prominence in the 14th century, helped by a dynastic marriage that brought them the Eglinton estates.
The clan’s chief today is Hugh Archibald William Montgomerie, the 19th Earl of Eglinton and 7th Earl of Winton. Their seat is Balhomie in Perthshire, with Eglinton Castle as their historic home. Important branches include the Earls of Eglinton and Montgomery of Giffen. The Montgomeries have been allied with the Seton family and have rivalries with clans such as the Cunninghams and the Boyds.
Key moments in clan history include:
- The 14th–15th centuries, when the family rose in prominence through marriage and land acquisitions, including the Eglinton estates.
- 1388: Sir John Montgomery was a hero at the Battle of Otterburn, capturing Henry Percy.
- A long-running feud with Clan Cunningham in the 16th century, during which Eglinton Castle was burned and retaliations occurred.
- 1568: At the Battle of Langside, the 2nd Earl of Eglinton supported Mary, Queen of Scots; he was later imprisoned for treason and then released.
- Early 1600s: Conflicts with Clan MacAlister and other border troubles, followed by marriages that linked Montgomeries to other Highland and Lowland families.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, many Montgomeries served abroad in European armies. In Scotland, they supported the government during the Jacobite uprisings. In 1757, Archibald Montgomerie, the 11th Earl, raised the British 77th Regiment of Foot, which helped build Fort Pitt—an early site that would become Pittsburgh, USA.
In America, General Richard Montgomery fought for the Continental Army in the Invasion of Quebec. He helped capture Montreal but was killed during the 1775 assault on Quebec City; several places in the United States are named Montgomery in his honor.
Perhaps the most famous Montgomery is Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, known as "Monty," a key British commander in World War II. From 1942 he led the Eighth Army at El Alamein, then directed campaigns in Sicily, Italy, and the Allied advance into northwest Europe, including D-Day to the end of the war. He accepted the German surrender at Lüneburg Heath in May 1945.
A branch of the Montgomeries settled in Ulster, Ireland, in the early 17th century, and the line produced the title Viscount Montgomery (of Alamein) for Bernard Montgomery later in history.
Today, the clan has deep roots in Scotland and a widespread legacy in the British armed forces and in places named Montgomery around the world.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 07:54 (CET).