Fairhead History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Fairhead was first found in Midlothian, where they held a family seat on the English/Scottish border. The name was first recorded in Scotland in Fairholm now called Farme. The old lands of Farme are now included in the town of Rutherglen.

Ancient records of the family are scarce, so we must look to 17th century records that include: Jemet Fairum who was married in Edinburgh in 1604, Marion Fairholm who appears in Overtoun of Quodquen, 1621, and three more of the name are in record in Lanark.

So as to underscore the many spellings of the name, we draw the readers attention to Charles Ferm, Ferme, Farholme, or Fairholm (1566-1617), Principal of Fraserburgh University, who "was born in Edinburgh of obscure parentage. His name is spelled in divers ways; he signs himself 'Carolus Pharum' (after 1588), and 'Chairlis Ferm' (21 Feb. 1605). Calderwood spells the name 'Farholme.' Adamson latinises it 'Fermæus.' In 1596 and again in 1597 'Mr. Charles Fairme' was called to the proposed second charge at Haddington, but he preferred his college work. On 12 Sept. 1598 'Mr. Charles Ferume' preached in the High Kirk of Edinburgh, later in the same year he was reported as 'gane to the north parts.' He accepted the charge of Philorth, Aberdeenshire, incorporated in 1613 under the name of Fraserburgh, the intention of the patron, Sir Alexander Fraser (d. 1623), being that Ferm should be the head of a university which he was proposing to establish." 1

John Fairholm, (died 1646) was merchant burgess of Edinburgh and a few years later, John Ferholme was merchant burgess there in 1655. We must presume that the latter was presumably son of the former. George Fairholme was a tanner at the West Port of Edinburgh in 1653. Fairholm of Craigiehall was an old family in West Lothian. 2