sign in sign up
<<
Home , Clan Gregor

Clan MACGREGOR

ARMS Argent, a sword in bend dexter Azure, and an oak tree eradicated in bend sinister Proper, the former supporting on its point in dexter chief canton an antique crown Gules A lion’s head erased Proper, crowned with an antique crown Or MOTTO ‘S rioghal mo dhream (My race is royal) On Compartment E’en do and spare nocht SUPPORTERS Dexter, a unicorn Argent crowned and horned Or; sinister, a deer Proper tyned Azure STANDARD Azure, a St Andrew’s Cross Argent in the hoist and of two tracts Argent and Azure, upon which is depicted the Crest three times along with the Motto

The Clan Gregor held lands in Glenstrae, Glenlochy and Glenorchy. Sir Ian Moncieffe believed that they descended from the ancient Celtic royal family through the heredity Abbots of Glendochart, a descent which may be proclaimed in the motto, ‘Royal is my race’. There is no evidence to support the tradition that Gregor was the son of Kenneth Macalpin. He may have been Griogair, son of Dungal, who is said to have been a co-ruler of Alba, the kingdom north of Central , between AD 879 and 889. Most modern historians agree that the first certain chief was Gregor ‘of the golden bridles’. Gregor’s son, Iain Camm, One-eye, succeeded as the second chief sometime prior to 1390. granted the barony of Lock Awe, which included much of the Macgregor lands, to the chief of the Campbells. In common with many royal gifts of the time, it was left to the recipient to work out how he would take possession of it. The Campbells had already built the stout Castle of Kilchurn, which controlled the gateway to the western Highlands. They harried the Macgregors, who were force to retire deeper into their lands until they were largely restricted to Glenstrae. Iain of Glenstrae, the second of his house to be called ‘the Black’, died in 1519 with no direct heirs. The Campbells supported the succession of Eian, who was married to daughter of Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy. Eian’s son, Alistair, fought the English at the in 1547 but died shortly thereafter. In 1660 Colin Campbell of Glenorchy, who had bought the superiority from his kinsman, , refused to recognize the claim of Gregor Roy Macgregor to the estates. For ten years Gregor waged war against the Campbells. He had little choice but to become an outlaw, raiding cattle and sheltering in the high glens. In 1570 the Campbells captured and killed him. His son, Alistair, claimed the chiefship, but was unable to stem the tide of persecution which was to be the fate of the ‘Children of the Mist’. John Drummond, the king’s forester, was murdered after hanging some Macgregors for poaching. The chief took responsibility for the act, and was condemned by the Privy Council. In April 1603 James VI issued an edict proclaiming the name of Macgregor ‘altogidder abolisheed’, meaning that those who bore the name must renounce it or suffer death. Macgregor, along with eleven of his chieftains, was hanged at ’s Mercat Cross in January 1604. Clan Gregor was scattered, many taking other names, such as Murray or Grant. They were hunted like animals, flushed out of the heather by bloodhounds. Despite their savage treatment, the Macgregors actually fought for the king during the civil war. When the Earl of Glencairn attempted a rising against the Commonwealth in 1651, he was joined by two hundred of the clan. In recognition of this, Charles II repealed the proscription of the name, but this was promptly re-imposed when William of Orange deposed Charles’s brother, James II It was at this time that the legendary Macgregor came to prominence. Born in 1671, a younger son of Macgregor of Glengyle, he was force to assume his mother’s name of Campbell. His adventures have been immortalized and romanticized by Sir ’s novel Rob Roy, but there is little doubt that he was a thorn in the government’s flesh until his death in 1734. When the Stuart flag was raised in 1715, he attached himself to the Jacobite cause, although acted largely independently. After the indecisive , he set out plundering at will. In one raid he put into panic, causing the castle to open fire with its cannon. He is buried in the churchyard at Balquhidder. The persecution of Clan Gregor ended in 1774, when the laws against them were repealed. In order to restore their clan pride, it was necessary to re-establish the chiefs. A petition subscribed by eight hundred and twenty-six

Visit our website at www.scotsoflou.com page 1 of 3 Macgregors declared General John Murray of Lanrick to be the proper and true chief. He was, in fact a Macgregor, being a descendent of Duncan Macgregor of Ardchoille who died in 1552. The general had served extensively in India before being created a baronet in July 1795. His son, Sir Evan, was also a general and later Governor of Dominica. He married a daughter of the fourth Duke of , for whom he built the House of Edinchip, until recently the home of the present chief. Sir Evan played a prominent part in the 1822 visit of George IV to Scotland, where he and his clansmen guarded the honors of Scotland. He proposed the toast to the ‘chief of chief’s at the royal banquet in Edinburgh. The father of the present chief, Sir Malcolm Macgregor, served in the navy during the First World War, being decorated not only by his own country, but also by France.

Taken from “ & Family Encyclopedia”, by Collins, HarperCollins Publishers 1994

Clan MAC GREGOR

ALDOWIE,-Y GREER MAC CAVELL MAC KEARY ALDOWNIE, -Y GREG(G)SON MAC CAVILL MAC KINVEIL ARROWSMITH GREGARACH MAC CHOITER MAC KINVELL BEALLI ,-Y GREGOR MAC CONDIE,-Y MAC KNEE BLACK GREGORSON MAC CONIE,-Y MAC KNITH BOWER(S) GREGORY MAC CREESH MAC LEISTER BOWMAKER GREIG MAC CROUDER MAC LESTER CAIRD GREIGSON MAC CROUTHER MAC LIVER CALLENDAR GREWER, -AR MAC CROWDER MAC NAE CARDNEY,-IE GREYSON MAC CROWTHER MAC NAY COCHERT GRIER MAC CRUD(D)EN,-IN MAC NEA COCHERT GRIERSON MAC CUAIL MAC NEACE COMRIE GRIGG ,-OR MAC CURRIE,-Y MAC NEAK CONNACHIE,-Y GRUER MAC DEWAR MAC NECE CONNACHIE,-Y HWITE MAC DEWY MAC NEE(S) CROWTHER KING MAC DONACHIE,-Y MAC NEECE CUMRAY LACK(E)Y,-IE MAC ELDUIE MAC NEESE DAUGHERTY,-IE LANDLASS MAC FETTER(S) MAC NEICE DEB(B)ER(S) LANDLESS MAC GEACH MAC NEISH DENNISON LECKIE,-Y MAC GREGOR MAC NEISH DENSON LOCKIE,-Y MAC GREIGOR MAC NESS DEVER(S) MAC ADAM MAC GREW MAC NEY DOCHART MAC AINISH,-ICH MAC GREWAR, -ER MAC NEZER DOCHARTY, - IE MAC ALDEWY MAC GRIGOR MAC NIE DOCHERT MAC ALDOWNIE MAC GROUTHER MAC NIECE DOCHERTIE,-Y MAC ALDUIE MAC GRUDER MAC NISH DOCKRAY MAC ANGUS MAC GRUE MAC NOCAIRD DOGGARP, -ERD MAC ANIFF MAC GRUER MAC NUCTOR DOUCHERTY,-IE MAC ANISH,-ICH MAC GRUTHER,-AR MAC PEAT (E) DOUGHERTY,-IE MAC ANSH MAC ILDEWIE,-Y MAC PEETERS DOWIE MAC ANUFF MAC ILDOWNIE, -Y MAC PERTIE, - Y DUINEMATH MAC ARA MAC ILDUFF MAC PETER ( S ) FLEDG(E)CARE MAC AREE MAC ILDUIE MAC PETIE;-Y FLETCHER MAC ARI MAC ILDUY MAC PETRIE,-Y GAIR MAC ARRA MAC INDEWAR MAC PHEETERS GEAR MAC CAINISH MAC INNES MAC PHETRES GLENDOCHART MAC CANCE MAC INSTALKER MAC REW GRAYSON MAC CARA MAC INVAL MAC RIGH GREEG MAC CARVILLE MAC INVALLOCH MAC RUDER

Visit our website at www.scotsoflou.com page 2 of 3 MAC STAY NEESON PEAT STOLCARE MAC STEA NEILSON PEET STRANGE(R) MAC TEETER(S) NEISH PERTIE,-RY STRINGER MAC WHYTE NEISON PETER(S) TEETER(S) MACHAR NELSON PETERKIN WALKER MACHIR NICE PETERSON WELIVER MAGREW NISH PITTERKIN WHITE MALLACH,-K NUCATOR PUDROCH,-K WHYTE MALLAGH ORR SKINNER MALLOCH,-K PATULLO STALKER

Clan genealogists:

Mrs. Paul C. Gregg Genealogist American Clan Gregor Society 9800 Pinebrake Court Pensacola, FL 32514 (904) 479-4604 email: [email protected] Home Page: http://acgs.thecapitalscot.com

Inez Gregory Booth Genealogist Clan Gregor Society P.O. Box 393 Stone Mountain, GA 30083 email: [email protected] Home Page: http://www.clangregor.org

Ian G. McGregor President and Genealogist Clan Gregor Society of Canada 4086 Blue Grass Court Mississauga, Ontario Canada L5C 3Y4 (905) 897-2024 email: [email protected]

Clan Gregor Society (Scotland) Home Page: http://www.clangregor.com/macgregor

This clan information sheet has been prepared by The Scottish Society of Louisville, Inc. PO Box 32248 Louisville, KY 40232-2248

Visit our website at www.scotsoflou.com page 3 of 3