Napier family

Arms- Quarterly: 1st & 4th, arg., a saltier, engrailed, between four roses, gu., the roses barbed vert, for Napier of Merchistoun; 2nd, az., a lion, rampant, arg., crowned, or, for MacDowall of Garthland; 3rd, arg., a fesse, az., voided, of the field, between three demi-lions, crowned, gu., for Milliken.
Crests- 1st, an arm, grasping an eagle's leg, ppr., for Napier; 2nd, a demi-lion, rampant, gu., holding in his dexter forepaw a dagger, or, for Milliken.
Supporters- Two eagles, with their wings closed, ppr.
Mottoes- "Sans tache"; "Regarde bien"
Seat- Milliken, Johnstone, Renfrewshire
Club- Army and Navy

My mother's maiden name was Muriel Evelyn Mary Kellett McComb. Kellett is a family name from 3 generations earlier: an earlier ancestor was Captain Robert John Napier Kellett (1797-1853).

The Napier name indicates a connection with that family, about which my mother used to speak. The Clan web-site is a good source of information on this clan. According to the Kellett entry in Burke's peerage, Robert's grandfather was Colonel Napier of Culreuch & Milliken. He is mentioned in Kilbarchan - A Parish History by the Rev. Robert D. MacKenzie, B.D. published in 1902 (see references below) in a section on Milliken, an historical family connected with Kilbarchan. It states that a certain James Milliken had a daughter Jean who married Colonel William Napier of Culcreuch, Stirlingshire and had a son Robert John Milliken Napier, born 1765, and a daughter Jean Macdowall Napier, born 1771. [The parish records confirm baptism dates of 8 May 1765 and 18 March 1771.] It further states that The Napiers of Culcreuch were descended from Robert Napier, son of John Napier [1550-1617], of Merchiston, Edinburgh, the inventor of logarithms, and his second wife, Agnes Chisholm of Cromlix. It appears that Robert was born in Edinburgh in 1582 and died in 1665. The Napier of Merchistoun family is also mentioned in Burke's peerage.

Jean (otherwise Jane) Macdowall Napier married William Augustus Kellett, brother of the first Baronet Kellett, on 12^th August 1790. Their son, among other issue, was Robert John Napier Kellett - see above. Robert had a son and 3 daughters, one of whom was Jemima Hunter Kellett.

One of the trustees for Jemima's trust fund, set up in her marriage contract when she married Elias Henriquez Melhado, was Sir Robert John Milliken Napier, the 9th baronet, whose house is here. This is presumably because of the family connection: he was also the CO of her husband's army unit, the Renfrew Militia, later the 4th Battalion of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's).

The additional Milliken name was taken on by an earlier Robert John Napier when he took over the Milliken estate, in compliance with the will of his maternal grandfather, James Milliken.

References
Bibiography: see Clan Napier site
Biography of John Napier: see Electric Scotland site
Biography of John Napier: see St. Andrews University site
Descendants of John Napier: see Napier entry in Family database
Kilbarchan - A Parish History by the Rev. Robert D. MacKenzie, B.D. : book available on CD-ROM from Archive CD Books (Renfrewshire section)

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