The Fergusson crest features a bee on a thistle on a chapeau (hat) lined with ermine. It dates, minus the cap, to just before 1722 and was registered with the Lyon Office by Sir John Fergusson of Kilkerran.


The Fergusson Arms shown in Nisbet's System of Heraldry of 1722


Obviously, the thistle is a symbol of Scotland, and had been for many centuries before this crest was created, but there’s a little more to the symbolism here with the bee. This is unlocked by the motto, ‘Dulcius ex asperis’ meaning ‘sweeter through difficulties’, essentially meaning the victory is sweeter having been won despite adversity. There is possibly a bit of punning here with the ‘asperis’ possibly playing on ‘apis’, which is Latin for bee. But what this therefore shows is the bee getting the sweeter pollen through working past the thorns of the thistle.


This emblem was probably chosen to reference the Kilkerran Fergusson’s difficulties in the previous century, when they suffered considerably during the Civil Wars for supporting King Charles I, Sir John’s grandfather of the same name became bankrupt and had his estates confiscated by Cromwell. However, after the Restoration he was gratefully favoured by Charles II and was able to rebuild the family fortunes.


Sir John Fergusson of Kilkerran, who was granted the arms with this crest, was a highly able lawyer, who rose to become Lord of Session in 1735, becoming Lord Kilkerran. He died in 1759.


The addition of the chapeau is a more recent addition to the crest, our old Carrick version of the crest didn’t have it, so it’s been introduced since the 1960s.




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