Macfarlane's Lantern No

MacFarlane’s Lantern Newsletter of the Clan MacFarlane Society, Australia, Inc. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No.123 September 2012 Website: http://www.clanmacfarlane.org.au The Scots and their Kirk (Part One) By Malcolm Lobban The Abbey & Nunnery, Iona, Argyllshire. The practice of creating Christian names in honour of saints has a long history in Scotland, and is a good indication that Scots were an evangelised nation from an early period in history. It was a common trait especially among Gaels. It is also apparent that those names prefixed with ‘ Gille’ (servant) and ‘Maol’ (tonsured one) are among the earliest examples, many of which are found in our oldest written records. In most cases they serve well in identifying persons of native stock from among the numerous incomers, whose names came to dominate later charters after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is therefore reasonable to suggest that those clans, identified by such patronymics, may have remote origins, and were among the oldest inhabitants of Celtic Scotland. During the Dark Ages (5th to 10th century), when the Celtic missionaries made their appearance in the Highlands and Islands, the natives were probably organised into several small septs, each zealously guarding its territory. Evidence of their acceptance of the Christian faith appears with the practice of naming their children in honour of saints. It is likely that the tribal chiefs would be the first converts. Indeed, this was possibly the only way in which the common folk could display their dedication and professed faith. Later, the more wealthy members of society would donate land and give other material tribute to one or other of the many religious sites being established throughout the land. The earliest of the ecclesiastical personal names are those dedicated to Christ and the Biblical saints. Examples are Gilchrist (servant of Christ); Gillies (servant of Jesus); Gilmour (servant of Mary); Gilmichael (servant of St. Michael); and Gillean (to St. John). Later, after many of the Celtic missionaries had been canonised they, too, became a focus of adoration, resulting in names like Gilbride (St. Bridget); Gillespie (servant of the bishop); Malcolm (tonsured servant of St. Columba); Gilfillan (to St. Fillan); and Gilfinnan (to St. Finnan). Next Page 1 Kirk: Cont. from Page 1 England, by way of the Abbey of Lindisfarne, According the Venerable Bede (circa AD 730) the Northumbria, and even down as far as the River southern Picts were evangelised by the elusive Saint Thames. Ninian, a native Briton who studied in Rome. On the death of Columba, Saint Augustine had Certainly it would appear that Galloway was been sent from Rome by Pope Gregory to establish introduced to Christianity from the early part of the Roman ideology in England. Gradually this new 5th century. form of Christianity moved northwards. It soon In the north-west, the task fell to Saint Columba became apparent, that although the Celtic and Roman during the 6th century, who founded his church on churches both worshipped the same God, there were the island of Iona. He is accredited with the fundamental differences in their ritualistic approach conversion of Brude MacMaelchon, king of the to this. A major argument arose over the actual date northern Picts (circa 555-584). Columba had twelve of Easter, and since neither side would yield, there monks with him, and soon there were some thirty were periods when Easter was celebrated twice in churches dedicated to Cholum Chille (Columba of one year. However, the matter was finally resolved the Churches), as he came to be known throughout at the Synod of Whitby (circa AD 640) where the Highlands and Islands. Roman rites prevailed. Among the earliest evangelists was Saint Further conflict arose from the style of tonsure to Maelrubha (c.642-722) who founded his church at be adopted throughout the Church. The Celtic system Applecross, wester Ross-shire. Like Columba, he favoured the tonsure of Saint John, by shaving all the was of the Irish aristocracy, claiming descent via the hair in front of a line drawn over the head from ear to Ui Neill, from the mysterious Celtic chief known as ear. The Roman version, however, preferred most of “Niall of the Nine Hostages”. It has been claimed the head to be shaved clean, permitting only a circle that Maelrubha was martyred at the hands of Danish of hair to grow around the crown; this was called the raiders somewhere on the Black Isle, near Urquhart Saint Peter tonsure. Church. However, during the medieval period During the 8th century, King Nechtan of the Picts Applecross was the centre of a ‘privileged’ girth, settled for the Roman creed, which greatly isolated stretching in a radius of six miles. In Gaelic, the Iona from other religious centres. However, by the place is called A Chomraich (The Sanctuary). year 716 Iona had also accepted Roman dogma. Saint Comgan (Cowan), along with his widowed Throughout the 8th and 9th centuries, almost all the sister Saint Kentigerna and her son Saint Fillan churches in Scotland suffered greatly from frequent worked around Lochalsh and Glenelg. Comgan was incursions by Norse invaders. Many of the religious a prince of Leinster who gave up his royal relics and literary works were either stolen or inheritance in favour of missionary work in the West removed to Ireland for safety. It was during this Highlands. His headquarters would seem to have period that the Scottish church fell out of step with been the Lochalsh area, which for a time was known the rest of Christendom. Many of the religious as Cille Chomhghan (Kilchoan) parish, being now houses became secularised and controlled by Culdee identified with the modern Kirkton of Lochalsh. communities (old Greek, cele de = servant of God). Nearby are other place-names associated with the A particular aspect of this was the non-observance of three saints. Killilan, traditionally linked to Saint celibacy among the priesthood. Fillan. Meanwhile, Saint Kentigerna, who is better It was not until the time of King Malcolm III known for her association with the island of (Canmore), when his queen, the English Margaret Inchcailloch (Nuns’ Isle), Loch Lomond, is said to (later canonised), re-established Roman observance. be remembered in the place-name Chill-Chaointeart She introduced Benedictine monks into Dunfermline, (Kilkinterne) in Glenshiel. which sparked off a period of monastic foundations Yet another two ancient clerics deserve mention. in Scotland. They are Saint Donan, whose presence is com- By 1100, the system of district parishes began to memorated at Eilean Donan on which stands the take shape. The Culdee clerics were gradually being famous castle of that name, and Saint Duthac, whose replaced by the Augustinian order, which introduced name is recalled in Loch Duich ( Dubhthaich) and control by a hierarchy termed Canons Regular. Kilduich in Kintail. All of the foregoing founded During the reign of King David I ~ who did more churches which, until the time of the Reformation, than any other Scots king to extend feudalism came under the jurisdiction of the ancient bishopric throughout Scotland ~ other religious orders, of Ross. including Cistercians, were being encouraged to The Columban monks appear to have held sway for settle. Cistercian monks were skilful agriculturists, the better part of 300 years. Their sphere of influence and their monasteries are usually located on well- was widespread, and even stretched into areas of cultivated lands. (Continued Page 9 ). 2 McFarlane (Third son, above) for special mention Colin Dawson McFarlane (photo below). (More on his descendants) Mary Hamilton Mc- In this issue we look at the family of Old Farlane , born 1915 at Colin’s third son John Muir McFarlane Cowell, SA, was the (1852-1887) who married Sarah Eliz. Close elder of the two. She trained as a nurse in John Muir McFarlane Adelaide and with the (photo left) was born in outbreak of WWII she Strathalbyn, SA, where he volunteered to serve as had his own saddler an army nursing sister. business. He was a She was posted to the prominent citizen in the ill-fated hospital ship district and served as ‘Centaur’, which was town mayor from 1881 to sunk without warning 1883. by a Japanese navy Tragically, however, due submarine off the coast to financial problems he of Queensland in May developed an alcoholic 1943. Of the 332 persons on board, only 64 survived, problem which resulted in his committing suicide by and Mary was one of the eleven out of twelve army cutting his own throat. nurses who perished. John and Sarah had four sons: Percy Muir McF . Although the incident took place around 0400hrs in (1880-1946); Herbert Buchanan McF . (1881- the morning of the 14 th , the ship was well lit and 1936); John Clyde McF . (1883-1943); and Colin clearly marked as a hospital ship. The sinking caused Dawson McF. (1885-1965). international disgust and was listed as an official war First son , Percy M. (aka Peter) became a Trooper crime. in the 4 th South Australian Imperial Bushmen, eventually rising to Brigadier. He served in the South African wars and in WWI and was wounded at Gallipoli. He appears to have been a career soldier and never married. He retired at the outbreak of WWII, but was permitted to travel to France with the BEF as an observer, and was the first Aussie soldier to do so. Second son , Herbert B. (aka Buckie) served as a Staff Captain in the 4 th Australian Light Horse Brigade, he married Annette May Western, by whom he had a son John Bent McFarlane (1926-1990) in Cowell, SA. Hospital Ship Centaur photo Wikipedia Third son , John C. married Mabel May Hyde and John Norman Muir McFarlane , pictured with they had two children (discussed later).

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