Index to Invereshie Book Divided into parts as they were typed Part Title Part Title 1 The Macphersons 42 Notes on the Names of Clan Chattan 2 Genealogies of the McPhersons 43 Clan Chattan 3 Sliochd Kynich 44 Genealogies of the Highland Clans 4 Sliochd Iain 45 The Clan Chattan 5 Sliochd Gilliosa 46 The Combatants of the Inch of Perth 6 Of the Macphersons called clanirigillicattan 47 Origin of Clan Chattan 7 Macpherson Genealogies 48 The Roll of Names 8 Macpherson of Pitmean 49 In the Days of Barbarism 9 Macpherson of Invereshie 50 Contract of Friendship 1673 10 Macpherson of Dalraddie 51 The Clan Chattan 11 Macpherson of Phoness 52 The Clan Chattan 12 Macpherson of Brin 53 Gordon of Glenbucket Affair 13 Macpherson of Strathmashie 54 James Macpherson of Invernahaven 14 Macpherson of Breakachie 55 The Forest of Gaick 15 Macpherson of Essich 56 Call-Ghachaig 16 The Clan Farson’s Band 1591 57 Le Calum-Dubh 17 1689 58 Captain Gillios Bhailechrodhain 18 1628 59 Oran 19 Letter of Sundry Highland Lairds 60 Malcolm Macpherson of Phoness 20 Vindication 61 Macphersons of Phoness (contd) 21 Extracts from Scots Magazine 62 It is not everyday a Macintosh holds a court 22 Inscriptions on Tombstones 63 A Ridiculous Prophecy 23 Subscribers to Gaelic Songs 64 The Battle of Invernahavon 24 Subscribers to Duncan Ban’s Poems 1790 65 The Battle of Invernahavon No 2 25 Subscribers to Turner’s Collection 66 The Battle of Invernahavon No 3 26 Subscribers to Mrs Grant’s Poems 1803 67 The Battle of Invernahavon (in Gaelic) 27 Subscribers to Alex McKay’s Gaelic Poems 1821 68 The Battle of Invernahavon No 4 28 Subscribers to McCallum’s Ossian 1816 69 The Macnivens and the Cave of Raitts 29 Macpherson Cases from the Court of Session 70 An Account of the Macintoshes & Macphersons 30 Macphersons of Sleat 71 Macpherson (by Lauchlan Shaw) 31 Macphersons of Phoness 72 Clan Chattan 32 Macintosh of that Ilk 73 The Battle of Invernahavon No 5 33 Note (on a page of its own) 74 The Battle of the Inch 34 Farquharson of Invercauld 75 A Creagh 35 Farquharson of Finzean 76 Act of Proscription 36 Descent of Coriacalich 77 Clan Chattanis Bond 1543 37 Shaw Mor Coriacalich 78 The Clan Farson’s Bond 1591 38 Untitled 79 Vindication of the Macphersons 1699 39 From Shaw’s Memorials of the Clan Shaw 80 The Rentaill of the Lordship of Huntlye 40 Errors in Douglas’s Baronage 81 Borlums Minute of 28th August 1637 41 The Origin of the Shaws 82 The Final (Written) Page of the Invereshie Book Shelagh Macpherson-Noble 30th December 2009 ‘The Invereshie Book’ A Clan Treasure The book, to which we have given the above title in recognition of our debt to the transcribers, as well as for ease of reference, had its origin some fifty years ago, when two members of the Invereshie family undertook the considerable and difficult task of copying out some hundreds of manuscript pages, many of them being in Gaelic and many others having Gaelic names and old Scots legal terminology. In form the book, which was almost certainly specially made for its purpose, resembles a very large old-fashioned office ledger, bound in light brown suede leather with a 2 ½ inch red leather band on the spine with the title, ‘MACPHERSONS, ETC’ tooled in gold with a pattern design above and below. In size it is 15 ½ “by 11”by 3 ¾” thick and weighs 14 pounds. The pages, of exceptionally strong, thick paper are numbered 1 to 956, of which 403 are written up. The items are not in chronological order, are not indexed, and have few cross references. The items vary from one page to 104 pages each, the most extensive being the clan genealogies, from which many clansmen will be able to extend their knowledge of their ancestry. The following extract from page 404 shows, among other things, how essential it is that we should trace the descendants of Alexander, Banker and one-time Provost of Kingussie. “The preceding pages were copied by Mary Macpherson Grant, wife of 4th Bart. and by G. B. Macpherson Grant, 2nd son of 3rd Bart. The original belonged to Alex Mcpherson, Banker, Kingussie, who left it to his sister, who lent it to above G.B.M.G. – who after copying about 180 pages returned the original to the Banker’s sister. Almost immediately she died and the original went to the children of the Banker, who lived in England and from whom G.B.M.G. could never get the book to complete, as he never could trace their whereabouts. There would be some 200/400 pages still to copy out. This would be about 1913 or so.” An additional note: “From Tom Macpherson M.P. (Now Lord Macpherson of Drumochter). This Book – together with several bundles of papers and notes – was given to me in 1946 by Alastair Macpherson Grant to be put with our other Clan Records and papers in custody of Clan Macpherson Association.” Signed: Tom Macpherson 3rd February 1949 Part 1 – THE MACPHERSONS The name of a Scottish Highland Clan, commonly called the Clan Chattan, famed for Antiquity and Valour. They draw their original from the Chatti or Catti, the ancient inhabitants of Hepia and Thuringin in Germany, whence they were expelled by the Hermoudures, with the assistance of the Romans, in the reign of the Emperor Tiberius. Cattorum Castillum, one of the Landgrave of His’s Palaces, and Cattorum Milibaeci, or Catzenellebogen, which is one of the family’s titles, do still preserve the memory of the ancient Catti; who being forced to leave their country, came lower down upon the Rhine into Battavia, now Holland, where Catwick, etc still bears their name; thence a colony of them came for Scotland, and landing in the north of that kingdom were kindly received by the King of Scots, who gave them that part of the country where they landed, which from then was called Caithness, i.e. the Cattis Corner. Being settled here, they did many eminent services against the Picts, and other enemies of the Scots, till the time of King Alpinus, when the chief of the Catti, called Gilly Cattan Moir, ie. The Great, for his extraordinary conduct and valour, being married to a sister of Brudus, King of the Picts, he was in a straight how to behave betwixt both kings, who, in a little time after, fell out, and as the best expedient resolves upon a neutrality. In the reign of Kennethus II who also had war with the Picts, this Gilly Cattan Moir, amongst others of the Scottish nobility, was summoned to attend the King’s Standard, he excused himself, by reason of his age, but to evidence his loyalty, tho’ allied to the Picts, he sent one of his sons, with half of his clan to join the Scots, which did not a little contribute to that fatal blow, that issued in the utter ruine of the Picts. Most of the Clan Chattan, with their valiant leader falling in the battle, the old man died for grief and the remaining part were, by the advice of their enemies, prosecuted as favourers of the Picts, expelled Caithness and, with much ado, obtained leave to settle in Lochaber, where they remain to this day; and the son of the captain of the clan who fell in the battle against the Picts, was in consideration of his father’s merit, created Knight Marshal, from whom the illustrious family of Keith, now Great Earl- Marshal of Scotland, are said to be descended. The chief of those who settled in Lochaber, was, in a little time after, made hereditary steward of that country, and the family, for some ages, had a standing commission from the Crown, to suppress rebellions, by virtue of which, they ruined the family of the Cummins, one of the greatest in the kingdom, but engaged in an incurable rebellion in the time of Bruce. Muirach McGilly Chattan, called Albanach abroad, where he travelled, because of his country, was 2nd son to Dermand McGilly Cattan, chief of the clan, and for his extraordinary piety had a church preferment, and was made Prior of Kinguishy. Celibacy having not then obtained amongst the Scottish clergy, he married the Thane of Calder’s daughter, by whom he had Dougal Ovir or The Swarthy, his eldest son afterwards Captain of the Clan, Evan-Bane or The Fair, from whom comes Clunie McPherson, Niel Cromb or The Stooping Smith, so called from this round shoulders, and the curious works which he made in iron and brass, from whom comes the family of Breakoe-Smith, and others; Farchard Gilly-brae, so called from the swiftness and expedition, of whom are the family of the McGillivrayes of Dunma-Glash, on the river The Invereshie Book Part 1 - The Mcphersons of Nairn; and David Dow, or The Black, from whom are descended the Davidsons of Invernahavine. These and some others were all Muirach’s sons, and besides their petty nick-names from complexions or temper, and the patronymies derived by their posterity, from their several septs, they were always called Clan Wirich, in memory of their father and Clan Pherson or McPherson from his office. This Muirach’s eldest brother dying, he succeeded as Chief of the Clan, and having settled his affairs, left his oldest son, Dougal Ovir, above named, in possession of the estate and went in pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and arriving there on the 3rd of May, he kept that day ever after, and bound his family in a curse to do the like, which they observe to this day.