Scotjewelry.com

"Remember the people from whence you came"

The Menzies Clan Crest is a savage's head and the proud Menzies clan motto, “Vil God I Zal’’ meaning (Will God I Shall).

The great Clan Menzies descend from a powerful Norman family, from the region of Mesnieres, near Rouen, in France. The family crossed the English Channel after William I's conquest of England in 1066, and were invited to settle in Scotland where they quickly bonded their allegiance to the Scottish Crown. Indeed, by 1240 Sir Robert de Mesnieres held the esteemed position of Chamberlain of Scotland, and held land in Aberfeldy and Nithsdale. Robert's son and grandson gained further prestige for the Clan through their alliance with the Celtic earls of Atholl, ensuring that the Menzies became the supreme Clan in Strathray. Clan Menzies consolidated their power through their loyalty to the great Robert the Bruce, and through their consistent valour during the wars for Scotland's independence in the early 14th Century.

The Clan fought beside Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, the crowning glory of the campaign where the Scots triumphed and drove the English overlords from the land. The Menzies resolute support for the Scottish Crown met with rich rewards, gaining lowland territory in the shires of Dumfries and Lanark, and expanding into the north-east of Scotland. Clan Menzies continued their tradition of fealty to the Scottish Crown down through the centuries. Sir Robert de Mingues was granted the barony of Menzies, Perthshire in 1487, an honour which was escalated to a Lordship by James IV in 1510.

The great mansion house of Castle Menzies was built in the 16th Century to replace an earlier castle that had been destroyed by fire, and still stands today as a monument to the strength and vitality of the Clan Menzies. This castle has been restored, and now acts as the Clan Menzies museum and Clan centre. This Castle was used to entertain Bonnie Prince Charlie during his 18th Century attempt to claim his birthright to the British throne.

The Menzies raised a regiment to support the young prince in his ill-fated 1745 campaign, for which the Clan paid dearly after the final carnage of the Battle of Culloden. In the aftermath of the Charlie's defeat, some of the Menzies Perthshire estates were attacked and devastated by the veangeful Hanoverian troops. 

The chief of the Clan, Menzies of Menzies, resides in Dalkeith, Western Australia.