Blazon of Arms:
Crest: On a wreath, an eagle displayed proper.
Shield: Quarterly, 1st and 4th, argent, on a chief azure an imperial crown or, in base a thistle vert flowered gules; 2nd and 3rd, counterquartered; 1st and 4th, argent, a bend azure; 2nd and 3rd, argent, a human heart proper, imperially crowned gules, on a chief azure three mullets of the field.
Supporters: Two savages wreathed round the loins and temples with oak leaves, holding in the exterior hands clubs all proper.
Motto: SPERO MELIORA
SOURCE, NOTES AND CREDITS: Illustration for background and the caption’s text adapted for the entry from the Wikipedia article along with considerable annotations from John H. Gaylor for which we thank him.
The title stands as a rare exception to the typical rule that Scottish peerages cannot be transferred and must be inherited. It is the only Scottish peerage title that might be alienated from the bloodline, enabling it to be transferred or passed on to heirs who are not direct descendants. However, its legal status remains unclear, as it has not yet been examined or adjudicated by the courts.
Sir James Sandilands, Lord St John of Torphichen, otherwise known as Lord Torphichen (c. 1511–1579). His title is in the Peerage of Scotland and was more or less was assumed into existence on 24 January 1564 by Mary Queen of Scots in 1564 for Sir James to whom she was related.
Sir James Sandilands had served as Preceptor to the Knights Hospitaller of St. John in Scotland. On 24 Jan 1564, he received a charter from Mary Queen of Scots that erected his former military benefice into a temporal estate with remainder to his heirs and assigns whatsoever, after he had resigned the entire Torphichen Preceptory in West Lothian to the Crown. This marks him as the “inaugural Lord Torphichen”.
The newly established lordship encompassed several baronies, including Torphichen, Liston, Balintrode, Tankerton, Denny, Marycoulter, Stenhope, Galtna, and others. These lands were situated across various shires, such as Edinburgh, Peebles, Linlithgow, Stirling, Lanark, and Kincardine, among others. The assumed lordship was officially designated as the Barony and Lordship of Torphichen, complete with the dignities and privileges associated with being a Lord of Parliament.
Following him, all subsequent lords were descendants of the second Lord Torphichen. Notably, the second Lord’s great-grandson, who became the seventh Lord, was a fervent advocate for the union with England. His lineage continued to play a significant role in Scottish politics, with his grandson, the ninth Lord, and great-great-grandson, the twelfth Lord, both serving as Scottish representative peers in the House of Lords.
The first Lord was succeeded by his great-nephew, James Sandilands, who held the title of Baron of Calder, making James Sandilands the second Lord. Following this succession, the Lordship of Parliament of Torphichen was officially conjoined with the Barony of Calder, and both titles descended down the line.
As of 2017, the title is held by the 15th Lord, James Andrew Douglas Sandilands (b. 1946) who succeeded his father in 1975. He is Chief of Clan Sandilands.
The family seat is Calder House, near Mid Calder, West Lothian.
The artwork is an interpretation of John Hamilton Gaylor.
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