Arms: Parted per fess Or and Azure, a lymphad Or, sails furled, oars in action stacking all Proper, flag and pennon flying Gules; in dexter canton a dexter hand fessways couped holding a dagger erect; in sinister canton a cross crosslet fitchée Gules.
SOURCES, NOTES & CREDITS: Illustration for background BLG of GB, the Kingdom of Scotland, 19th Ed, 2001, page 963. Sources for text: BLG of GB, the Kingdom of Scotland, 19th Ed, 2001, page 963; Clan MacPherson website and the Wikipedia article on Sir William MacPherson of Cluny
Sir William Alan Macpherson of Cluny and Blairgowrie, TD, born 1 April 1926 he died on the 14 February 2021 age 94. He was the 27th hereditary chief of the Clan Macpherson of Cluny (Cluny-Macpherson)
He was educated at Summer Fields, Oxford; Wellington College, Berkshire; and Trinity College, Oxford. During the period 1944-1947, Sir William served as a Captain in the Scots Guards, Lt. Col. 21st Special Air Service Regiment (Territorial Army) 1962-1965. He served as the Honorary Colonel of the 21st SAS since 1983-1991. Brigadier, The Queen’s Bodyguard for Scotland, Royal Company of Archers 1989.
William was appointed a Judge of the High Court of England and Wales (Queen’s Bench Division) in 1983. On June 10th, 1983 he was Knighted by the Queen ( as a Knight Batchelor ) From 1984 he served as Presiding Judge of the Northern Circuit until his retirement in April 1996. Before his appointment as a judge, Sir William was a Queen’s Counsel practicing in London and abroad.
In 1997, Macpherson was appointed head of the inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence. The inquiry was published in February 1999 and became known as The Stephen Lawrence Report. The 350-page report, in which Macpherson made over 70 recommendations, has been called “one of the most important moments in the modern history of criminal justice in Britain”.
In 1962 Sir William married Sheila McDonald Brodie. They have three children: Annie, the late Alan Thomas (younger of Cluny) and James Brodie (Tanistair of the House of Cluny-Macpherson). The family’s home is Newton Castle, Blairgowrie, Perthshire. This has been the home of the Macphersons since 1787.
The Artwork is an interpretation by John Hamilton Gaylor
2021 0217
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