TH E CLAN MACNAB A S H O RT SK E T C H J O H N M C N A B C A L L A N DE I? of tbe C lan PU B L ISH E D B " T H E C L A N M A C N A B A SSOC IA T I ON 1 SOUT H C H A RL OT T E ST RE E T E DIN B R H 3 , U G P RE FA C E . IN these days when so mu ch interest is taken in the revival of all f e e e and n e emen of the matters o a C ltic charact r, a cl ar co cis stat t n nn n ut history of the Clan M ac ab ca ot b e co sidere d o of place . T his v olume is the outcome of the decision of the Clan M acnab ‘ A n one of mee n M r. n M N ab of ssociatio at its ti gs , to ask Joh n Callander to undertake the task of writi g a history of the Clan . A complete and exhau stive history is n ot possible until the re organisation of the Clan by the A ssociation has made the collection of mate rials for that purpose easier than at pre sent. A ny attempt at compiling a more complete an d exhaustive history n e uen een e e e e me en the mem e has co s q tly b d f rr d to a lat r ti , wh b rs the n can m e e un e u the me um of the of Cla or asily it , thro gh di A n in n n u e . M e n e u ssociatio , attai i g that p rpos a whil , sho ld this b e me n en d m n e m e work a a s to that , its issio is larg ly acco plish d . If due n e n b e ven the e en n of ff co sid ratio gi to pr s t positio a airs, the m the l m e e b e en wisdo of i it d scop of this work will appar t. S n e th e em n e F n n and the u m i c igratio of Chi f ra cis to Ca ada, lti ate u e m e ue the n n ot n n m fail r of his al iss , Cla has k ow who to look to the e e e and m one u e an d n e as h r ditary Chi f, fro ca s a oth r, par ’ ticularly through the Clan s activ e participation in the dynastic and other trouble s which hav e from time to time disturbe d the peace the S t n n its mem e ve n me n of cot ish atio , b rs ha for a lo g ti bee e e and e n i n e e an d the ex en v scatt r d far wid , its orga isat o d stroy d , t si e n n e e e the e t its e ve e la ds, which o c w r prop r y of Chi fs, ha pass d — n the n n e n ee e e n ot the ex e n e i to ha ds of stra g rs i d d, w r it for ist c the n en u un I nchb uie an n on the ve of a ci t b rial gro d at , isla d ri r Dochart the e n the on e ime exte n ve , g ographical positio of at t si territory of the M acnab s would probably b e u nkn own to a large n - nu mber of the Cla smen of to day . P F RE ACE . A m n e e the n A n m the v o gst oth r obj cts, Cla ssociatio ai s at re ival of the u of the of the n and e n st dy history Cla , alr ady, tha ks to the n ne of the M u of B e ne f e are ff e ki d ss arq is r adalba , aciliti s a ord d me m e the A nnu G e n v e and e to its b rs at al ath ri gs , to isit plac s obj cts m of interest to the . T e e n o em m e e his book, as alr ady stat d, is att pt at a co pl t history, b ut it is hoped that it may assist in furthe ring the aims of the n and e n in the e the e e n men A ssociatio , awak h arts of scatt r d Cla s the feeling that th ey are de scende d from those who in their day i e the n me of M n and e worth ly bor a ac ab , as warriors had a shar in the making of the history of Scotlan d . R . A . A B H IST O R" O F T H E C L A N M A C N . T H E Clan Macnab is acknowledged by all H ighland historians and genealogists to be of very great antiquity , b u t unfortunately , its origin , like that of many others B of our Scottish aronial Houses , is lost in the mists of the by gone centuries . There are several reasons to explain why this unsatisfactory state of affairs should exist . The Public Records of the country through stress of time - and war have not been over well preserved , and many valuable documents were destroyed when the monas te rie s were overthrown at the time of the Reformation . To give in detail the various accounts of the early genealogy of the M acnab s would be entirely beyond the scope of this epitome of the history of the Clan . In the 8th century St . Fillan founded the Strathfillan . monastery of , and became its first abbot From this centre he preached Christianity to sur rounding tribes , and founded other ecclesiastical houses Gle ndo chart in and Strathearn . In course of time the ancestor of the M acnab s ’ became Abbot of St . Fillan s Church . U nder the f was s o Celtic system the o fice of abbot hereditary, there may have been several abbots in the family, but e ev ntually there came one abbot in particular, who founded the Clan and who se descendants became lay abbots . This abbot "ourished in the reign of King William the Lion , and held extensive possessions in Breadalbane and Strathearn , and was joined with the 2 Earl of Athole in the management of Argyllshire . The Act entrusting him with the rule over the rebellious f C lare mathane amilies of that district is named , and is to be found among the Scots Acts of Parliament in the time of King William . H e was succeeded by his son who was known as M ac- c u - aéa h or son and eir of the abbot , the a designation common to all Macnab chiefs . H is descendants had become a strong and numerous clan before the time of Alexander I I I . I n 1 2 9 7 the Western Clans (of Perthshire and Argyllshire) , under the leadership of Wallace , defeated ‘ and exterminated the Anglo I rish Army of M Fadye an whilst advancing to seize Argyllshire for Edward I . of England . 1 06 M acnab s I n 3 the and their followers , along with M acnau hto ns the g , joined the Macdougalls of Lorn in their attack on the Bruce . The two parties met Dalri h " at g , near Tyndrum , and in the con ict which M acnab s ensued , the , under their stalwart chief, Angus Mor, are said to have displayed great prowess and ferocity . I t was in this battle that the celebrated brooch of Lorn was lost by the Bruce . Barbour ’ " M ak n speaks of Bruce s assailants as y Dorsers , and , if such they were , then they were followers of - Macnab , as they were the hereditary door keepers ’ ill n a s . of St . F Church The Lorn tradition varies ’ somewhat from Barbour s account ; but , strange to say , there was also a Macnab tradition which agreed ’ with Barbour s version , and there was a Macnab brooch which was said to have been won from the d Bruce . The tradition that is generally accepte as correct is , that Bruce was suddenly attacked by three powerful followers of Macnab . The King despatched t wo of his Opponents , and hurled the third backward ; but the man in falling seized the King ’ s mantle or e plaid , and to save hims lf the King was obliged to abandon his garment , and with it the brooch which secured it . I t was a moment for haste , too , for u Angus Mor was coming up in hot purs it, and had he and the Bruce met in mortal combat , it is probable that Scottish history would have been changed . For e Angus was hercul an in stature and strength , and in swordsmanship he ranked with Wallace .