Lockharts of Lee

Sir Simon Locard, 2nd of Lee, is said to have accompanied Sir James Douglas on his expedition to the East with the heart of Robert the Bruce, which relic, according to Froissart, Locard brought home from Spain when Douglas fell in battle against the Moors at the Battle of Teba, and buried in Melrose Abbey.

This incident was the origin of the "man's heart within a fetterlock" borne on the Lockhart shield, which in turn perhaps led to the altered spelling of the surname.

[citation needed] William Dunbar in his Lament for the Makaris mourns Schir Mungo Lokert of the Le among a roll call of mainly fifteenth century poets.

Lord Lee's eldest son, Sir William Lockhart of Lee (1621–1675), after fighting on the king's side in the English Civil War, attached himself to Oliver Cromwell, whose niece he married, and by whom he was appointed commissioner for the administration of justice in Scotland in 1652, and English ambassador at the French court in 1656, where he greatly distinguished himself by his successful diplomacy.

The family occupied Lee Castle, and owned extensive property in the area including the nearby Tower of Hallbar, until 2004 when it was sold to an American businessman.