Adam Keith O'Connor

Emigró con su familia desde Escocia, asentándose en la hacienda de Tiliviche, donde fundó el cementerio británico (lugar donde está enterrada gran aprte de los primeros miembros de la familia y personajes como Santiago Humberstone, amigo de la familia).

Tiliviche fue administrado por Adam Keith O'Connor, escocés con título de ingeniero agrónomo. A cargo de una Oficina salitrera y añorando su especialidad, Adam se encargó del lugar y realizó importantes mejoras. Hasta el siglo pasado, sus descendientes cuidaban y administraban el lugarejo.

El Linaje de Keith, por siglos Earlmarechals (condestables) de Escocia, fue fundado en el siglo XII, cuando el primer Keith llegó como guerrero desde el Sacro Imperio, durante OTTON II, luego de ser expulsados de su hogar en el principado de Hesse tras alguna revolución.

En premio a sus servicios, luego de liquidar al general danés Camus, Robert De Kieth recibió la Barony de Keith en East Lothian de manos del Rey de Escocia Malcolm II, quién también le otorgó la dignidad Earlmarshal.

"The battle was fought at Barry, seven miles from Dundee, where an obelisk, called Camus' stone, still preserves the memory of the victory, and it is said the king, dipping his three fingers in the blood of the general, stroked them along the field of the Scotch champion's shield, to whom, besides the landed estate before mentioned, he gave the dignity of Great Marshal of Scotland"

The name Keith is said to be derived from the Gaelic Gaoth, wind, pronounced somewhat similarly to Keith. The old village and kirk are called Arkeith, which may be a corruption of the Gaelic Ard Gaoth, signifying 'high wind,' which corresponds to its locality, which is peculiarly exposed to gusts of wind. In some old charters, Keith is written Gith, which still more resembles Gaith. I think the name is derived from the Welsh Caeth, a place surrounded, shut up, inclosed, a deep hollow, a strait. The root of the word is the Welsh Cau, to close, to shut up.

Beginnings of the Keith Name

The manner in which KEITH ended up a surname comes to us not precisely as a history, but rather in a mix of fact and legend. The facts reveal that the name was long associated with several places in early Scotland, before it became attached to a person. Best known of these places is the island of Inchkeith. Another was the district of Keith, in East Lothian, half of which was held by a baron, in the time of King David I, designating his estate as "Keith Hervei". This baron had a son who was first to hold the title of "King's Marischal", under Malcom IV, after which Keiths held the title of Marischal by inheritance for about 700 years. And it is the son who was first to appear in documents under signature styled as a surname, "Herveus de Keith". (The town of Keith, shown on maps of Scotland, was founded years after the name had been established as a surname, and no connection is claimed with the family of Keith.)

Just how the particular family got to be owners of the estate, and thus "of Keith", must be extrapolated from enticing tales which hopscotch along the line dividing fact from legend. These tales, however, are persistent, and have been accepted by some old authorities. Consequently, you and I need not be shy about claiming a certain truth abides therein, flattering though they be to our clan.

The mentioned tales speak of a young warrior, named Robert, whose exploits in 1010 AD attracted notice of Malcom II, Scottish king in that time. Said to be of a northern tribe, the Catti, Robert was participating in a series of skirmishes against Danish raiders, who were lead by a reputed giant called Camus. The Scots managed to gain the upper hand in a battle at Barry, and Robert's bunch was among those who pursued remnants of the Danish force retreating toward Murray. Within a few miles, the Catti overtook their quarry, and here Robert is credited with felling Camus "in a single duel".

At news of the "giant's" demise, King Malcom traveled to the site for a look-see. He was apparently much impressed. Anxious to reward the day's hero, Malcom had Robert brought forward. It is reported that the king then dipped his fingers in the blood of Camus, "and therewith drew three perpendicular strokes on the upper part of Robert's shield", gave him some estates, and made the boy a knight. The red stripes have ever since been central to coats of arms borne in the family of Keith. (See "Notes on Heraldry", "Keith, Great Marischals of Scotland", and "Understanding the "Coat of Arms", in this web site.)

As a "crest", that part of the coat of arms borne by the Earls Marischal, appears a "hart" (mature European red deer) head, having ten tines. This crest, enclosed in a belt, is shown at the beginning of this page. The belted crest may be displayed by descendants in a Keith line, to signify that we are of the Clan..."cadet" to lines of the Earl or of a sept family.

A second theory about the origin of "Keith" is also widely chronicled, and deserves comment for consideration. This second theory claims that the tribal name, Catti, in time and by usage in the Scottish tongue, came to be "softened" in its pronunciation. The ultimate version of such linguistic evolution culminates in "Keith" as we know it.

The Catti: tribe of the Keiths

There are numerous tales of how the Catti tribe came to dwell in Scotland, of how they got that name, and of their origins. A serious student of this matter will explore them all. For our purposes, however, I relate only the bits of several tales, which appear the most colorful and often reported of the bunch.

Story goes that the Catti originated in Hesse (part of Germany), that they were a waring tribe who would not surrender to the Romans, when the legions began advancing north on the continent. Faced with eventual extermination in that quarter, the Catti made their way to what is now Holland. Here they remained for some decades, until Germanticus scourged the region, in about 10 AD, and became known for leveling any settlement which showed a sign of resistance. Neighboring tribes knew that the Catti would elect to fight, and ultimately would risk doom for all. These neighbors had resolved to lay down before Germanticus, and by necessity arranged a deal, whereby the Catti were persuaded to depart the area -- intending to resettle, perhaps further west and along Europe's coast or in Scandinavia. The tribe was provided with two boats, and thus made their way to the North Sea. After some time at sail, these two boats became seperated in a storm. One eventually made landfall in the north of Scotland, and settled among the Picts of that region known as Caithness. The other boat was accounted for in other sets of legends.

Once in Scotland--or, rather, in the land later given that name-- the Catti shared a region associated with the people called Picts. Perhaps owing the fact that Picts had no written language, their early history and the first few centuries of Catti residence in their midst is not a matter of reliable record. It is said that these folks ceremonially painted their bodies, that they had a rich spoken language, and produced some of the more intricate stone carving done in Scotland. Pictish relics, especially those from the early days of christianity, are quite remarkable. In any case, scarce notations in writings by Roman conquorers of the island's southern parts, and by the people known as Scots, make up the only records one may consult in these matters. And this record about Pict and Catti is pretty shabby. However, based upon what is recorded, many cultural features and fighting methods associated with both Pict and Catti are illustrated in the popular movie, "Braveheart".

Keith History

In 1010, at the Battle of Barrie, the Danish General Camus was despatched to Valhalla by a Chatti warrior. Malcolm II pushed his hand into Camus and drew three bloody fingers down the warrior's shield. "Camus Slayer" or "Marbhachair Chamuis" became his name. In 1018 Malcolm won Lothian in the Battle of Chathem and let the lands of Keth to Camus Slayer. His descendants took the area's name as their own. The Keiths remember their progenitor with three lines down the chief's coat of arms.

In 1150 a Norman called Hervey won the hand of the Keth heiress and the lands were given to them in a charter by David I. In a charter of 1176, Hervey's son was named "Marischal of the King of Scots". This position made the King's safety and regalia his responsibility and was later to become hereditary.

Sir Robert de Keth was a close friend of Robert the Bruce and was given Halforest by him in 1308. The Marischal built himself a castle in the forest. His greatest hour was at the Battle of Bannockburn where he commanded the small cavalry of ponies against England's Shire horses and still managed to scatter their archers.

Marriage brought the Keiths huge land acquisition such as estates at Inverugie, Buchan and Kincardine.

Despite their immense properties they are not remembered as neighbourly, continually encroaching upon the lands of others like the Gunns. The families' long feuding brought out the worst in the Keiths, such as the slaughter at Helen Gunn's wedding, followed by her abduction and suicide. Another infamous moment was the treachery at the Chapel of St Tears in 1464, where they betrayed the trust of the Gunns and slaughtered again.

In 1458 the 3rd Lord Keith was created Earl Marischal.

The 5th Earl was the richest nobleman in Scotland.

While the 7th Earl was imprisoned by the English the Keiths dutifully hid the Scottish crown jewels and other regalia across their lands until the Restoration.

Fleeing after the failed Rising of 1715, the 9th earl and his brother James, their lands forfeited, went to Europe and made the Keith name famous across the world. The Earl became the closest friend of Frederick the Great, while his brother became his mightiest Field-Marshal. The Earl received the Black Eagle, the highest Prussian order. James was given the Russian Imperial Order of St Andrew by the Tsarina.

The present Earl lives at Keith Hall in Aberdeenshire.