: Caldwell wasn't ever a clan, itself, but would have
: belonged to another clan.

: It's kind of interesting, really. My father had always
: said that we were from Clan Stewart, but I've found
: some conflicting information.

: In Gaelic, the word "clann" means family or
: children, although it's undetermined if the origins of
: of the clan was Celtic, Norse, or Norman. It's
: interesting to note that "Bruce" comes from
: Brix, which is a Normandy place name.

: Anyway, Walter Fitzalan, 1st High Stewart of Scotland,
: was the founder of the Paisley Abbey, and won the
: battle of Renfrew in the mid-1100s.

: He had a descendant, Walter Fitzalan, who changed his
: name to Stewart in honor of his family's position and
: was married to a/the daughter of King Robert the
: Bruce.

: About that same time was a Walter Fitz-Gilbert. Sir
: Walter Fitz-Gilbert of Hameldone, Northumbria, was an
: English knight said to be of Norman descent.

: Fitz-Gilbert joined King Robert the Bruce in the battle
: at Bannockburn and was rewarded with lands in
: Renfrewshire, the Lothians, and Cadzow in South
: Lanarkshire which would be named Hamilton.

: Sir Walter's son, Sir David, Duke of Hamilton, was
: captured at the Battle of Durham by the English along
: with David II, son of King Robert. They were both
: later ransomed.

: Now, David II's sister, Marjory, had married Walter
: (Fitzalan) Stewart and had a son would would become
: King Robert II.

: So, back to clans.

: It could be said that Caldwell, by residence of Paisley
: in Renfrewshire were Clan Stewart.

: Here's where it gets interesting;

: In England, the Royal keeper of all the clan stuff
: (sorry, can't remember the title), lists Caldwell as a
: member of Clan Hamilton.

: After the War of 1745, any Scot not affiliated with a
: Clan was lumped into Clan Stewart. This wouldn't
: really apply to Uster-Scot Caldwells, or those coming
: to America prior to 1745.

: So, is it Stewart or Hamilton? I'd guess that it would
: bepend upon when someone started counting.

:
The Caldwell's are Lowlanders so by definition are not part of the Clan system. Many important lowland families adopted their own tartans. tartans are recognised as part of scotish "togetherness" and I suppose it is nice to have a tartan to be associated with.
The early Stewarts were granted great swathes of land in Renfrew and in Kyle (Ayrshire) - areas in which Caldwell's originated. The de Moreville family also are supposed to have been connected with early Caldwell's also. The de Morevilles passed through heiresses to Montgomery's eventually. So I agree that Stewart is a good choice from location and association. The Caldwell's did not seem to have as much association with the Montgomery family later on and for later times the More family is more likely. The More family have their own tartan. Other choices by location and association are: Cochrane and Wallace. Both families caome from the same area and seem to have Caldwell connections.