Clan Arbuthnott

Origin of name The name Arbuthnott is of territorial origin from the lands of the same name in the county of Kincardineshire. Alexander Arbuthnot, a descendant of a younger son of the main family, was a leading figure in the Church of Scotland and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1577. 17th and 18th centuries Sir Robert Arbuthnott, the direct descendant of the Laird of Arbuthnott who had been involved in the murder of sheriff Melville, was elevated in the peerage as Viscount of Arbuthnott and Baron Inverbervie by Charles I of England. emigrated to India and joined Indian firm Lautour & Co, which was the origin of the banking business that came to bear his surname first in India and then later in London: Arbuthnot & Co. After having established a Trusted Name and gathering Deposits from at least 6000 creditors the Firm engaged in speculation through its London correspondent P. Macfadyen & Co operated by Arbuthnot's partner Patrick Macfadyen, whose firm was effectively Arbuthnot's London branch. The Indian bank crashed spectacularly in 1906. It was reported in the Hindu newspaper that "the consequences of this sudden and disastrous failure mean the ruin of many hundreds of families in southern India". At the time Arbuthnot & Co was the most popular bank in Madras. There is a small lane of about 100 meters abutting into the Beach Road of Chennai (then Madras) called Arbuthnot Lane. The successor bank in London continues under the name 'Arbuthnot Latham'. The previous clan chief was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (1945) and was appointed Knight of the Thistle and Commander of the Order of the British Empire. In Scotland he headed the Venerable Order of Saint John. The present Viscount of Arbuthnott and chief of Clan Arbuthnott succeeded to the position on his father's death in 2012. ==Chief==