Camelot International > Historic Roots
Napier
The name of Napier is of English descent, but the Scottish Napiers
are claimed to have come from the ancient Earls of Lennox, and indeed,
the name Napier, is recorded in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, under John
de Napier.
John de Napier helped to defend Stirling Castle in 1303, and one of
his descendants, William, was governor of Edinburgh Castle in 1402.
William's son became Provost of Edinburgh in 1437, and his son held
posts including that of Ambassador to England in 1461.
Archibald Napier of Merchiston procured lands of Gartness, Rusky and
more in 1509. His son Alexander, was slain at the Battle of Flodden
and Alexander's son, was killed at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547.
John Napier, born in 1550, was the discoverer of logarithms and to
this day is noted as being a great mathematician.
When the Napier line became extinct with the death of Archibald, 3rd
Lord Napier, still a batchelor, it passed through the female line to
the Scotts of Thirlestane.
Francis, 5th Lord Napier, was the grandfather of Admiral Sir Charles
Napier, a great British Naval Commander.
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