Chief of the Name & Arms of Irving of Bonshaw

Mr Rupert C Irving, eldest son of Captain R.A.S. Irving (RN), is by Interlocutor confirmed by the Lord Lyon King of Arms as Chief of the Name and Arms of Irving of Bonshaw and is 20th Clan Chief of this ancient Scots Border Clan.

I am writing these few paragraphs by way of introduction and to provide some background.

In March 2021, the Lord Lyon King of Arms in Scotland confirmed the succession to my father as Chief of the Name & Arms of Irving of Bonshaw and Clan Chief, as direct descendant of William Irving of Bonshaw upon whom the honour was first conferred in the 1670s.

I was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, educated in England and spent a lot of my earlier life in Europe and the Middle East.  In my professional life, I have over 25 years in management consulting and prior to this, I spent 15 years with two companies, working in client facing roles internationally and market broking appointments in the Lloyd’s of London and London International Insurance Markets.

I believe that to be recognised as Chief of the Name & Arms of a Scottish Clan and Clan Chief by the Court of the Lord Lyon carries with it a certain responsibility that still has relevance in today’s digitally driven environment.  The role of Clan Chief evolves over time and today there is a particular focus as the guardian or keeper of each Clan’s history, its roots and above all else its unique identity.

I am immensely proud to be part of this ancient Border Clan as I am sure you are too and as Clan Chief, one of my first messages is that going forward it is important we should work together, as after all, we are all on the same side.

I am easily contactable so please send me an email in the first instance and if you have any questions, please ask and I will get back to you.

I am looking forward to meeting as many members of the Clan as possible and hopefully we will meet in person in the not too distant future.

Rupert Irving of Bonshaw
Chief of the Name and Arms