Surname: Wardrope

This distinguished name with spellings which include: Wardrobe, Wardrope, Wardroper,  Wardrupp, Wardrop, and Whatrup, is Anglo-Scottish. It was formerly a status or  locational surname for a keeper of a royal or noble wardrobe, or a person who lived  near the Wardrobe, a street in the ancient city of London. The component elements are  the Old French "warder" or "garder", meaning to watch, plus "robe", a garment;  hence, "garderobe", and "warderobe". It is interesting to note that the wardrope was  a repository not only for articles of dress, but also for items of furniture, and for  foreign spices and confections. The surname is first recorded in Scotland in the  early 13th Century, and other early recordings include Joscelin de la Warderob(e), in  the Curia Regis Rolls of Berkshire, in the year 1219, and Thomas de Garderoba, in the  Curia Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, in 1286. On September 17th 1676,  Winifred Wardrobe, was christened at St. Andrew by the Wardrobe, London, and on  December 30th 1759 Robert Wardrope and Elizabeth Barton were married at St. Dunstan's  church, Stepney, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to  be that of Robertus de Warderob, who witnesses a charter by Margaret, countess of  Buchan, which was dated circa 1210, Register of the Abbey of Arbroath, during the  reign of King William, "The Lion of Scotland", 1165 - 1214. Surnames became necessary  when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax.  Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often  leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surname Carruthers

Carruthers is a placeneme in Dumfriesshire which is said to derive from the Brittonic  word "caer" meaning "fort" (as in Caerlaverock castle, not far away) and the personal  name Ruther (originally Rhythr or Rydderch). It has been suggested that this comes  from King Roderc mentioned by St Adamnan. Locally, the name was  pronounced "Cridders".

 

In the 13th century, the family rose to be the hereditary stewards of Annandale under  the Bruces. Nigel de Karruthers became Rector at nearby Ruthwell (see Ruthwell  Cross ) and rose to become Canon of Glasgow Cathedral in 1351 and was chancellor to  Robert, Steward of Scotland (progenitor of the Stewart monarchs).

A John Carruthers was keeper of Lochmaben Castle (pictured here) in 1446. This castle  was at one time owned by the Bruces and may be where Robert the Bruce was born.

In the 16th century, the Carruthers were included in the list of unruly clans in the  West Marches in 1587 by King James VI. Lands were acquired in Mouswald but this line  ended when Simon Carruthers was killed in a border raid and the lands passed to the  Douglases of Drumlanrig with the marriage of the Carruthers heiress.

The Carruthers of Howmains continued however, until the estate was lost in 1772 when  financial disaster struck. But a younger son of the last laird acquired the estate of  Dormont in Dumfriesshire which is still held by his descendants.

The surname is now mainly found in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Carruthers is a member of  the Armigerous Clans and Families of Scotland ie it has a recognised coat of arms.

The Carruthers clan motto is "Promptus et fidelis" which means "Ready and faithful".