Iain Dhee MacGregor (1370 - 1415)

Born 1370 in Stronmelochane, Glenstrae, Scotland

Ancestors

Died 1415 at about age 45 in Stronmelochane, Glenstrae, Scotland

Biography

McChaim MacGregor is a member of Clan MacGregor.

Iain Dhee MacGregor

born in 1370. (Stronmelochane, Glenstrae, Scotland)

Died in 1415. (Stronmelochane, Glenstrae, Scotland)

Who are the MacGregor's: Clan Gregor, or Clan MacGregor, is a Highland Scottish clan. Outlawed for nearly two hundred years after losing their lands in a long power struggle with the Clan Campbell, the Clan Gregor claims descent from Constantin and wife and cousin Malvina , first son of Doungallas and wife Spontana (daughter of a High King of Ireland) and grandson of Giric, the third son of Alpín mac Echdach, the father of Kenneth MacAlpin, the first King of Scotland, a descent which is proclaimed in the motto, 'S Rioghal Mo Dhream, translated as Royal is my Race. ^[1]

Origins of Clan Gregor: The surname MacGregor is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic Mac Griogair meaning "son of Griogar". The personal name Griogar is a Gaelic form of the personal name Gregory. ^[2]

The Clan Gregor is believed to have originated in Scotland during the 800s. The MacGregor's suggest that they take their name from Gregor (derived from the Latin 'Gregorius' and the Late-Greek 'Gregorios' which means "Alert, Watchful, or Vigilant"). Gregor is said to be a son of the Scottish king Alpin II Mac Eochaidh and younger brother of Kenneth MacAlpin, the now famous Scottish king who first united Scotland in A.D. 843. Alpin II was the son of Eochaidh VI 'the Poisonous,' High King of Scots, by his marriage to his cousin, the Pictish Princess Royal, and thus had claims to the Scottish and Pictish Thrones.

Alpin was defeated and allegedly beheaded in his attempt to gain the Pictish Throne. His son, Kenneth, was successful, taking advantage of Viking harassment of the Picts from the east. While there is no surviving concrete record of a younger 'Prince Gregor', the Gregg Family website claims that an ancient Latin record of the Alpinian family mentions a Gregor who was a commander in the army of Kenneth Mac Alpin. Kenneth had a least one other known brother, Donald, who succeeded him as king of Scots. Unfortunately, most of the early public records of Scotland were destroyed by order of the English King Edward Plantagenet, during his occupation of Scotland at the end of the 13th century.

A Victorian era, romanticised depiction of a member of the clan by R. R. McIan, from The Clans of the Scottish Highlands, published in 1845. It was not unusual for the Mac Alpin kings to give Latin or Scandinavian names to their sons. Typical examples are Constantine, named after the famous Roman Emperor, and Indulf, named after a Viking leader. Gregor would probably have been named after the famous Pope Gregory 'the Great' (Gregorius).

The Y-chromosomal data supports the Alpinian royal claim as the hierarchical family Y-DNA is consistent with that of the other clans claiming similar descent. The data supports descent from the Dalriadic kings. Historians have suggested the clan descends from Griogair, son of Dungal, who is said to have been a co-ruler of Alba, an area of north central Scotland, between AD 879 and 889. The Y-DNA data does not support this second contention.^[3][4]

In very early times the land on both sides of Glen Lyon as far south as Loch Awe, belonged to the MacGregor Clan, and there is every likelihood that the clansmen had a Keep of some kind on the site of Meggernie Castle, as this would command the whole district. The MacGregors claimed to be descended from Alpin, King of Scots, and were sometimes known by the cognomen of Clan Alpin or Mac Alpin. Their motto to this day asserts a lofty origin, as the Gaelic S’rioghal Mo Dhream signifies, "My Race is Royal." The statement has been made that a MacGregor chief built the Castle of Coalchuirn (sometimes spelled Kilchurn) on Loch Awe, but this is not well founded. The clan suffered misfortune at the hands of their two neighbours, the Campbells of Argyll and the Stewarts of Cardney. The MacGregors had been vassals of the Earl of Ross in the time of Alexander II., who reigned from 1214 till 1249, and the Earl bestowed upon them the lands of Glenorchay, at the head of Loch Awe which they had chosen as a residence, and which became their headquarters. The clan became a powerful one, and took a prominent share in the Battle of Bannockburn. But David II., the son of Robert Bruce, forgot his obligation to the Clan Gregor, and deprived them of Glenorchay, which he gave to the branch of the Campbells that had settled at Loch Awe, and the dispossessed clansmen had to retire to the Muir of Rannoch. The policy of the Campbells had long been one of lawless acquisition, and they drove the MacGregors out of Glen Lyon and seized upon their property.^[5]

The Clan Gregor held lands in Glen Orchy, Glenlochy and Glenstrae. According to Iain Moncreiffe the MacGregors were descended from an ancient Celtic royal family, through the Abbots of Glendochart. This is alluded to in the clan's motto: "Royal is my race". There is a tradition that Gregor was the son of Kenneth MacAlpin, which is supported by the Scottish historian, William Forbes Skene, but there is no evidence to support this tradition. It is possible that he might have been Griogair, son of Dungal, who was allegedly co-ruler of Alba.

Most modern historians have agreed that the first chief of Clan Gregor was Gregor of the golden bridles. His son was Iain Camm One eye, who succeeded as the second chief sometime before 1390.

The barony of Loch Awe which included much of the MacGregor lands was granted to the chief of Clan Campbell by Robert the Bruce. The Campbells had already built Kilchurn Castle which controlled the gateway to the western Highlands and they harried the MacGregors who were forced to retire deeper into their lands until they were restricted to Glenstrae.

16th century and clan conflicts

Iain of Glenstrae died in 1519 with no direct heirs. He was the second of his house to be called the Black. The succession of Eian was supported by the Campbells and he married a daughter of Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy. In 1547 Eian's son, Alistair, fought against the English at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh but died shortly after.

Colin Campbell refused to recognise the claim of Gregor Roy MacGregor to the estates and for ten years Gregor waged a war against the Campbells. He was an outlaw who raided cattle and sheltered in the high glens. However in 1570 he was captured and killed by the Campbells. The chiefship was claimed by his son, Alistair, but he was unable to stem the Campbell's persecution of the MacGregors who became known as the Children of the Mist.

John Drummond, of Clan Drummond was the king's forester and he was murdered after hanging some MacGregors for poaching. The chief took responsibility for the murder and it was condemned by the Privy Council.

17th century, clan conflicts and civil war

In 1603 Alasdair MacGregor marched into Colquhoun territory with a force of over four hundred men. The chief of Clan Colquhoun had been granted a royal commission to suppress the MacGregors. Colquhoun assembled a force of five hundred foot and three hundred horse and advanced to Glen Fruin to repel the Highland raiders.[4] MacGregor split his force in two and while the main MacGregor force and the Colquhouns engaged in combat the second MacGregor force attacked the Colquhouns from the rear. The Colquhouns were driven into the Moss of Auchingaich where their cavalry was useless and over two hundred Colquhouns were killed.[4] At the end of the eighteenth century the chiefs of the two clans met and shook hands on the very site of the former slaughter.

James VI of Scotland issued an edict in April 1603 that proclaimed the name of MacGregor as altogidder abolisheed. This meant that anyone who bore the name must renounce it or suffer death. In 1604 MacGregor and eleven of his chieftains were hanged at Mercat Cross, Edinburgh. As a result the Clan Gregor was scattered with many taking other names such as Murray or Grant. They were hunted like animals and flushed out of the heather by bloodhounds.

An Edinburgh burgess, Robert Birrel, who kept a diary of events at the time, described the episode thus:

"[MacGregor] wes convoyit to Berwick be the Gaird to conforme to the Earl's promese: for he promesit to put him out of Scottis grund. Swa [so] he keipit ane Hieland-manis promes; in respect he sent the Gaird to convoy him out of Scottis grund: But thai were not directit to pairt with him, but to fetche him bak agane! The 18 Januar, at evine [evening], he come agane to Edinburghe; and upone the 20-day he wes hangit at the Croce, and xj [eleven] of his freindis and name, upon ane gallous: Himself being Chieff, he wes hangit his awin hicht aboune the rest of hes freindis."

An Act of the Scottish Parliament from 1617 stated (translated into modern English): "It was ordained that the name of MacGregor should be abolished and that the whole persons of that name should renounce their name and take some other name and that they nor none of their name and that they nor none of their posterity should call themselves Gregor or MacGregor under pain of death .... that any person or persons of the said clan who has already renounced their names or hereafter shall renounce their names or if any of their children or posterity shall at any time hereafter assume or take to themselves the name of Gregor or MacGregor .... that every such person or persons assuming or taking to themselves the said name .... shall incurr the pain of death which pain shall be executed upon them without favour."

Despite the savage treatment of the MacGregors they actually fought for the king during the Scottish Civil War. Two hundred men of the Clan Gregor fought for the Earl of Glencairn in what was known as Glencairn's rising, against the Commonwealth. In recognition of this Charles II of England repealed the proscription of the name but William of Orange reimposed it when Charle's brother James VII was deposed.

18th century and Jacobite risings

Rob Roy MacGregor was born in 1671, a younger son of MacGregor of Glengyle. However he had been forced to assume his mother's surname of Campbell. The adventures of Rob Roy MacGregor have been immortalised and romanticised by Sir Walter Scott in his novel Rob Roy. Rob Roy was undoubtedly a thorn in the flesh of the government until he died in 1734. He supported the Jacobite cause in 1715 and after the Battle of Sheriffmuir he set out plundering at will. In one such raid on Dunbarton, the town was put into panic and Dunbarton Castle was forced to open fire with its cannon. He also led the Clan Gregor at the Battle of Glen Shiel in 1719. He is buried in Balquhidder churchyard.

During the 1745 to 1746 uprising some of the Clan Gregor who were under the Duke of Perth fought as Jacobites at the Battle of Prestonpans in 1745. The Clan Gregor were amongst the Jacobite force that was defeated at the Battle of Littleferry in 1746 in Sutherland, and therefore missed the Battle of Culloden that took place the next day.

Persecution of the MacGregors did not end until 1774 when the laws against them were repealed

19th century and restored clan

To restore pride in the clan the chiefs needed to be re-established. Eight hundred and twenty six MacGregors subscribed to a petition declaring General John Murray of Lanrick to be the true chief. Murray was in fact a MacGregor who was descended from Duncan MacGregor of Ardchoille who had died in 1552. His son was Sir Evan who played a part in the visit of George IV to Scotland in 1822, where he and his clansmen guarded the honours of Scotland. ^[6][7][8][9]

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Sources

1. ↑ http://genealogy.euweb.cz/brit/macalpine.html
2. ↑ McGregor Name Meaning and History". Ancestry.com
3. ↑ "MacGregor information from Electric Scotland"
4. ↑ MacGregor history from ScotsClans.com"
5. ↑ http://www.electricscotland.com/history/castles/meggernie.htm?
6. ↑ http://www.thefullwiki.org/Clan_Gregor
7. ↑ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pfwilson/d0003/g0000389.html#I00249
8. ↑ Way, George and Squire, Romily. Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia
9. ↑ Reserved for future Sources and References Ron Gragg, Friday, January 24, 2014. Replace this citation if there is another source.

• http://www.thepeerage.com/p50407.htm#i504062

See also:

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