The Graham crest is one of the more unique in Scottish heraldry. Here we have a falcon killing a stork, with the French motto ‘Ne Oublie’ – do not forget. Unfortunately, the exact event the falcon and stork are referring to has, it seems, been forgotten.

Through the thirteenth and fourteenth century the Grahams favoured escallops and boars’ heads for their seals and shields. Robert Graham of Kinpoint used a stag’s head as a crest in 1433, while a Walter Graham used a hound’s head. But at the same time the second earl of Montrose used a peacock’s head as his crest, so we see the introduction of birds at least by this time.

In the 1560s Workman Manuscript, the Graham earl of Montrose crest had now shifted from peacock to a stork’s head. We also see for the first time the motto ‘Non Oblie’. Interestingly, the supporters were recorded as a belled falcon and a stork. But they are not yet attacking each other in the crest. A couple of decades later we see the falcon’s head as the earl’s crest, the third bird recorded but still with falcon and stork supporters (see R.R. Stoddart, Scottish Arms being a Collection of Armorial Bearings 1370-1678).

By the 1680s the Marquess of Montrose’s crest had evolved into its current form of falcon killing a heron. The supporters had become two storks. No comment is made by MacKenzie or Nisbett on what on earth all this represented.

So the birds seem to have been getting along fine until about 1600, then by 1680s they were brawling. But as we know the ‘don’t forget’ motto pre-date the bird fight, so we’re not necessarily being told to remember why the birds are fighting.

James Coats 1725 Dictionary of Heraldry says a stork represents a son, and the duties of a son to his parents, including love, honour, obedience and aid. Coats doesn’t mention herons or falcons unfortunately. Broadly Herons represented wisdom and piety. Falcons were associated with nobility and chivalry, although it’s difficult to see that being represented here.

So this one remains a mystery for the moment. Feel free to send us a line if you have a good idea!

MKP 25 July 2025


Our older Carrick version of the Graham Crest