Clan MacTavish

Clan Name	Crest Badge	Crest	Lands	Tartan Dress Ancient	Tartan Hunting Ancient
CLAN MACTAVISH

MacTavish History Origins

Tavis, Tavis or Taus is considered, and accepted in multiple sources, as the progenitor, epytom and founder of Clan MacTavish. However, this is incorrect. The MacTavish consider themselves much older than the traditional stories of Argyllshire, promulgated by the old seannachies, and newer writers still insist upon the old stories, when none have looked beyond those traditional stories for any possible alternate origin. Such a beginning is found in the old Irish annals and the old writ, Ceart Ui Neill, out of Donegal, Ireland. The MacTavishes come from the Cenel nDuach a branch of the Cenel Conaill, descended from the Pictish Kings of Ros Guill and Irguill, now part of Donegal, and also from Dal-araidhe, now part of Antrim and Down. The Greek (Roman)historian, mapmaker and mathmetician, Ptolemy, mentions the tribe under the name of Ouenniknoi (Windukatii), and the lineage is tracable in such texts as the Irish Annuls of Ulster and Four Masters.

The clan can be traced back to the 12th Century where it was based around Dunrardarie in Argyll. the MacTavish clan was also known as 'The Children of the Mist', an acronym more commonly attributed to the clan MacGregor.

It is all too common to find documentation like that of Alastair Campbell of Airds whom in 2000, wrote a more probable candidate for the ancestor of the clan, rather than the possibly mythological Taus Coir, is the historical Sir Thomas Cambel. Earlier in the 1970s, W. D. H. Sellar was also of the same opinion about Thomas.

It is commonly held that Clan MacTavish descends from Taus (Tavis) Coir, son of Colin Mael Maith and a daughter of Suibhne Ruadh (Sween the Red of Castle Sween). Nothing certain is known of Taus Coir other than he is listed in traditional genealogies. The 17th century genealogy Ane Accompt of the Genealogie of the Campbells, randomly and inexplicably traces Colin Mael Maith back to the mythological King Arthur. Furthermore this record conveniently references Colin Mael Maith having one legitimate son and two illegitimate sons. The Accompt states the legitimate son as "Gillespic" or "Archibald", ancestor of Clan Campbell and the two illegitimate sons are "Taius Coir" and "Iver", ancestors of the MacTavishes and Clan MacIver.

It can be difficult to find accurate information about the history of Clan MacTavish. This is a result of the clan being ancient and the fact that history is written or rewritten by those in power whom often must go to great lengths in order to establish or strengthen their position.

The ancient and unbroken chiefly line of MacTavishes are styled 'MacTavish of Dunardry' (the Gaelic Dun-ArdRigh means "fort or castle of the High King"). It is unknown who built the castle of Dunardry, or even when it was built. The castle is marked on a 1634 Timothy Pont map. By 1686 it must have been in the possession of the Earls of Argyll. It was renovated in 1704 by Duncan MacTavish, and according to the 19th-century historian G.D. Mathews, it seems likely it was later owned by the MacTavishes. Today nothing exists of the site, as it lies beneath the Crinan Canal.

The name MacTavish is derived from the phoenetic pronunciation of MacTamhais which means "Son of Tammais" (Son of Thomas). It is likely that this changed in the 17th century as English became a more common language in Scotland than native Gaelic. Many other forms of the name manifest including Thompson, MacOmish and MacCombie

In 1292 his name is recorded on a list of landowners in the sheriffdom of Kintyre. In 1296 he signed the Ragman Roll as 'Thomas Cambel among king's tenants in Perthshire'. The next year he was released from his imprisonment in the Tower of London. In 1308 he signed his name on a letter to the King of France. He was possibly dead by 1324, when his probable son, Duncan, was granted lands in Argyl for services rendered. In 1355, Duncan is listed as among 'the Barons of Argyll' at an inquest in Inverleckan, under the name of "Duncanus MacThamais".

During the Rebellion of 1745 the clan was sympathetic to the Jacobite cause. he were also great friends to the nearby Campbells of Achnabreack but had uneasy relationship with neighbouring Campbell of Argyll. The Duke of Argyll betrayed Dugald MacTavish, son of Archibald the Clan Chief and he was imprisoned in Dumbarton for his alegiance to Prince Charles Edward Stuart.

During the bloody aftermath of Culloden many MacTavishes changed their name to Thompson to avoid the persecution perpretrated on the highland clans, some of these later claimed to be a sept of Clan Campbell which has led to confusion. Dugald's son and Heir, Lachlan MacTavish succeeded his father in 1775, but by 1785, was forced to sell Dunardry by public auction. although Lachlan had registered his Arms in 1793 and was intending to buy back Dunardry he died in 1796 and in a few generations the line of the Chief was lost. This was only reinstated in 1997 after the Lord Lyon had traced the chiefly line.

See Also:

• Clan MacTavish Web Site