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Along the border between Scotland and England flows a river from which a lot of woolens get their name - the Tweed. Just north of the river in Berwickshire is the ancient home of Clan Home (always pronounced Hume).
This gridiron between Scotland and England was the site of many battles, and during certain periods, almost constant raids between the two countries. Because of its position, the Humes became "peacemakers," above local family quarrels and as wardens of the eastern marches, it was their duty to suppress the lawless elements in a lawless land.
The family of Home itself has its roots far back in the lineage of the royal families of Scotland and England. Malcom II, King of Scotland(A.D.1005-1034), had one child, Bethoc, who married Crinan, Lay Abbott of Dunkeld. To this union were born two children: Duncan, King of Scotland(A.D.1034-1040), and Maldred, who married Aldgatha, daughter of Uchtred, and grandaughter of King Ethelred of England.
Egbert was the first King of United England (A.D.827-828). His second son, Alfred, known in history as Alfred the Great, was later King of England. Egbert was a direct ancestor of Ethelred the Unready, King of England (A.D.968-1013). In the year 1002, he married Emma, the sister of Richard, Duke of Normandy, a lady who was known as the "Flower 0f Normandy."
Egbert was the last of the six early Saxon kings. Elgiva, the fifth child of Etherlred, married Uchtred, Prine of Northumberland. Their daughter, Aldgatha, married Maldred and Aldgatha had a son, Cospatrick, Earl of Northumberland, who fought at the Battle of Hastings. His grandson, Cospatrick III-William, married Ada, daughter of King William, the Lion of Scotland. She brought with her to the marriage, as her estate, the lands of "Ihom" or Home.
From this family have descended leaders in every field, from politics and medicine to literature and the arts. "Their status level," says Nigel Tranter in his book,Portrait of the Border Country, "was like the Grand Army of Mexico, always more generals than privates...they were all lairds. In this they were different from the true clans, Highland and Lowland, where the chiefly element was upheld by a great substructure of clansmen in peace as in war."
Thus, we see a resounding list of Home lairdships in the merse of Berwickshire: Homes of Wedderburn, Polwarth, Marchmont, Manderston, Blackadder, Ninewalls, etc. Also many sept names are linked with those of Home. They are Ayton, Buncle, Bunkle, Eaton, Greenlaw, Greenlea, Greenlee, Greenlease, Halliburton, Holm, Holmes, Holns, Hulme, Kello, Kelloe, Kellow, Killo, Landale, Landels, Landles, Landless, Machy, Mack, Nesbitt, Nisbet, Shume, Wedderbourne and Wedderburn, to name a few.
Until his death on October 9, 1995, the Chief of the present Clan Home was Lord Home of the Hirsel who lived near Coldstream, Scotland. He was the former Prime Minister of Great Britain, and upon his death, his eldest son, David Douglas-Home, became the 15th Earl of Home and, thus, Chief of Clan Home.