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The family surname of Stark is derived from that of Muirhead of Lachop, who are derived from Muirhead of that ilk of Bothwell and can be authenticated to the 6th century. As now prepared and authenticated, the pedigree begins in Muirhead of that ilk of Bothwell 1100 descending by Primogeniture until in the reign of Robert II. of Scotland 1347 Muirhead etc. was created Laird of Lachop.
Following the same rule in 1480 John Muirhead III son of the then Laird of Lachop by reason of his bravery was named John Stark, Stark in ancient Gallic meaning strength, and was given the estate of Killermont. The name then appears as John Stark of Killermont. This act of bravery inspired the name change is accounted by Sir George Mackenzie's actual words:
"Stark beareth azur a chevron argt. between three acorns in chief or. and a bulls head erased of ye 2nd. in base. These of ye name are descended of one John Muirhead, 2nd. son of ye Laird of lachop, who at hunting one day in ye forest of Cumbernauld seeing King James ye 4 in hazard of his life by a bull hottly w'th ye hounds, stept in betwixt ye King and ye bull and griping ye bull by ye horns, and by his strenth almost wrung ye head from him, for which he was called Stark and his posteritie after him, and bears ye rugged Bull's Head in theire armes. Ye old sword of ye family has on it Stark alias Muirhead."
Other tradition accounts for the migration of the Stark name from Germany to Scotland in 1495 when the Dutchess of Burgundy widow of Charles the Bald, sent a large body of German soldiers under General Martin Swart to join the invasion of England in the support of the claim of one of the Pretenders to the throne of Henry VII. The invaders were defeated on the Plain of Stoke, and those who survived fled to Scotland and were protected by the Scottish king. Among the German soldiers were men named Stark, who remained in Scotland after this disastrous campaign, and are supposed to be the ancestors of the family from which General John Stark descended.
Stark Family Crest |
