The Famous Faces of Clan Lindsay

Much of Clan Lindsay’s nobility is traced back to Sir David Lindsay. He was alive during the late 16th to mid 17th centuries and was actually the very 1st Lord Lindsay of Balcarres. He was also knighted, an honour which helps him stand out in history as one of Scotland’s more exceptional early modern figures. Sir David’s son, Alexander, is also to be revered as 2nd Lord Balcarres and 1st Earl of Balcarres. As you can tell, the Lindsays were thriving in early modern Scotland and we can imagine that they continued to thrive throughout the centuries as the chief of Clan Lindsay still holds these titles today!

Moving a bit further down the line is Colin Lindsay, who was actually the second son of the Alexander Lindsay we mentioned above. When his older brother Charles died at age 12, Colin became the next Earl. This is quite an important Lindsay because he was very well connected to the Duke of York who would, of course, become King James II. Colin Lindsay fought with him at the 1672 Battle of Solebay and as a result of his demonstrated trustworthiness, was later appointed a commissioner of the treasury and made Lord Lieutenant of Fife by the King.

Moving on to a more modern Lindsay – Kara Lindsay is from Rochester, NY (woohoo, NY!) and is a well known Broadway actress. She’s starred in Newsies, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and Wicked on Broadway. One fun fact is that I actually saw her perform as Glinda in Wicked! Another more Scottish fun fact is that she graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, which was established by famous Scot, Andrew Carnegie. Kara has also played roles off-broadway, such as Laura Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie (the 2019 musical) and the beloved Mary Poppins in, you guessed it…Mary Poppins! We look forward to seeing what she does next!

Howard Lindsay was actually the stage name of Herman Nelke, but he’s so impressive that we had to include him anyway. He is most well known as an American theatrical producer, playwright, and librettist, particularly as part of the writing duo Lindsay and Crouse. You might recognise the duo’s most famous writing collaboration with Rodgers and Hammerstein, The Sound of Music. Under his stage name, Howard Lindsay brought distinction and honour to the clan name by winning a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1946, a Special Tony Award in 1959, and a Tony Award for Best Musical in 1960. Bonus points to Howard for also hailing from New York, home of our brand new US base.

This Lindsay is one of the most versatile and accomplished Lindsays on our list! In fact, it’s hard to name all of her incredible talents and achievements, but we’ll give it our best shot. Rachel Lindsay is an American attorney, TV host, sports team owner, and popular media personality. You’re likely to recognise her as both a contestant on the 21st season of The Bachelor and as the lead on the 13th season of The Bachelorette. If you’re familiar with either of those franchises at all, you’ll know that it is in an incredible turn of events that Rachel Lindsay is actually married to the winner of the Bachelorette, Bryan Abasolo!

Finally, arguably the most exciting and romantic Lindsay of the month, Margaret Lindsay Ramsay was an incredible 18th century female Scottish rebel – just a few of my favourite things. Though she was alive during the 18th century and she was a member of Clan Lindsay, known Jacobites, her rebellious history isn’t what you think. In actuality, Margaret shocked her family in March of 1752 when she married the artist Allan Ramsay at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh without her parents’ knowledge or consent. Her marriage was controversial for her family because Ramsay had already been married, with a child to support, leaving less financial security for their daughter. However, their marriage was a long-lasting and very happy one, so we applaud this Lindsay for following her heart. *cue romantic Scottish ballad*