From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Clan MacDonell of Glengarry
Clan MacDonell of Glengarry
MacDonell of Glengarry
Crest badge
Motto: Cragan an Fhithich (The rock of the raven).
Profile
Region Scottish Highlands
District Ross
Pipe music Glengarry Foot Stomp.
Chief
Aeneas Ranald Euan MacDonell, 23rd Chief of Chief of
Macdonell of Glengarry
Historic seat Strome Castle
Invergarry Castle
Clan tartan. Illustration by R. R. McIan from James Logan’s The
Clans of the Scottish Highlands, published in 1845.
Clan MacDonell of Glengarry is a branch of Clan Donald
taking its name from Glen Garry where the river Garry
runs eastwards through Loch Garry to join the Great Glen Lord of the Isles, 6th chief of Clan Donald and Amie mac
about 16 miles (25 km) north of Fort William. The princi- Ruari the heiress to the chiefship of Clan Macruari.
pal families descended from the house of Glengarry were The two distant relatives, John of Islay and Amie
the McDonells of Barrisdale, in Knoydart, Greenfield, and MacRuairi both descend from Ranald (d.1207), son of
Lundie. King Somerled. They married and their son Ranald
(d.1386) became chief of Clanranald. Ranald was also ex-
pected to succeed his father, John of Islay as chief of Clan
History Donald. However John of Islay later married Margaret
Stewart, the daughter of Robert II of Scotland. They had
Origins of the clan a son called Donald who became the next chief of Clan
The MacDonells of Glengarry claim descent from Donald, Donald.
one of the five sons of Ranald (d.1386), chief of Clan- Ranald (d.1386) had five sons. One of these five, Alan
ranald. The parents of Ranald (d.1386) were John of Islay, (d.1430) succeeded him as chief. Another of the five sons,
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Clan MacDonell of Glengarry
Donald (d.1420) became chief of the MacDonells of Glen- erful clan they once were. In course of time that kindly
garry. [2] tenancy, or occupation on condition of rendering certain
services, was changed into a regular rent payment, and
16th century and clan conflicts Balmacara and the other Matheson properties passed
Glengarry first played an independent part in the politics from the hands of the chiefs of that name for ever. The
of Clan Donald when in 1539 the Macdonald chief re- family was afterwards represented by the Mathesons of
ceived a feudal charter from the Scottish crown. Glengar- Bennetsfield.
ry chose to follow Donald Gorm of Sleat in an attempt By 1581 the MacDonells of Glengarry controlled ex-
to reclaim Lordship of the Isles which collapsed with a tensive territory and became involved in feuding and
failed assault on Eilean Donan Castle in which Donald battles with Clan Mackenzie which led to them burning a
died. Along with other chiefs, Glengarry was tricked into church and the trapped congregation while the Glengar-
attending on King James V of Scotland at Portree where ry piper marched round the building playing a tune still
they were captured and imprisoned in Edinburgh until called Kilchrist after the name of the place.
the King died in 1542.
In 1544 the MacDonells of Glengarry fought against 17th century and the Civil War
the Clan Fraser at the Battle of the Shirts. The Battle of Morar was fought on 1602 between the Clan
In 1545 Alexander MacRanald of Glengarry and North MacDonell of Glengarry and the Clan Mackenzie.[2]
Morar was one of the lords and barons of the Isles who Donald, 8th of Glengarry, reportedly lived for more
pledged allegiance to the king of England. than a hundred years and was clan chief for over seventy
In a bond of manrent, dated 1571, between Angus years. In 1627 he succeeded in obtaining a charter under
MacAlester of Glengarry and Clan Grant, Glengarry the Great Seal to make his lands a free barony. In 1649
makes an exception in favour "of ye auctoritie of our sover- he failed to appear before the Privy Council in Edinburgh
ane and his Chief of Clanranald only ". This is held by Clan- to answer charges of harbouring fugitives from the Isles,
ranald of Moydart as an acknowledgment by Glengarry of and was denounced as a rebel.
the Captain of Clanranald as his chief.[1] In the Wars of the Three Kingdoms Glengarry sup-
By the middle of the 16th century the Clan Matheson ported the Royalist side. Aeneas the 9th Chief was out
had greatly diminished in size and influence, and John with James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose in 1645
Matheson’s son Dougal possessed no more than a third and followed King Charles II to his final defeat at the
of the ancient Matheson property on Lochalsh. Even that Battle of Worcester in 1651. For his pains he had his
property he was in danger of losing by engaging in a dan- new house of Invergarry burned by General George Mon-
gerous feud on his own account with ’Clan MacDonell of ck and his lands forfeited by Oliver Cromwell, but had
Glengarry. This powerful chief had established himself them returned at the Restoration, gaining the title of
on the shores of Loch Carron at hand, and he presently Lord MacDonell and Aross and chiefship of Clanranald
seized Matheson and threw him into prison, where he and the whole of Clan Donald. As he died without issue
died. This incident brought about the final ruin of the his peerage became extinct.
Clan Matheson as a powerful clan.
With a view to avenge his father’s death, and recover Jacobite Risings
his lost territory; Dougal Matheson’s son, Murdoch Buid- The clans under Glengarry took the Jacobite side in the
he Matheson, relinquished all his remaining property, Jacobite Risings. In 1689 Alastair Dubh Macranald com-
excepting the farms of Balmacara and Fernaig, to the manded the clan at the Battle of Killiecrankie.
chief of the Clan MacKenzie of Kintail, in return for the In the 1715 rising Glengarry attended the pretended
services of an armed force with which to attack the Clan "grand hunting match" at Braemar arranged by the John
MacDonell of Glengarry. The lands thus handed over Erskine, 23rd Earl of Mar and followed him to fight at the
were never recovered from the MacDonells. Neither Battle of Sheriffmuir.
Matheson’s generalship or the force given to him by Clan The fighting force of the Clan MacDonell of Glengarry
MacKenzie seems to have been enough to the task of is given as 500 men in 1745.[3]
forcing terms upon MacDonells of Glengarry. The 13th chief was on his way from France to join the
Later Murdoch Matheson’s son, Ruari, the next Clan Jacobite Rising of 1745 when he was captured by an Eng-
Matheson chief, had more satisfaction, when, as part of lish frigate and imprisoned in the Tower of London until
the following of the Clan MacKenzie chief in 1602, he set 1747.
out to punish the MacDonells of Glengarry. On this oc- However, six hundred of the Macdonells of Glengarry
casion Glengarry’s stronghold of Strome Castle, on Loch joined Prince Charles under the command of MacDonell
Carron, was stormed and destroyed. By this time the of Lochgarry and were involved in many of the battles in-
Mathesons appear to have been merely the "kindly ten- cluding the Highbridge Skirmish which was the first en-
ants" of the Clan MacKenzie compared to the more pow- gagement between Government and Jacobite troops dur-
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Clan MacDonell of Glengarry
ing the uprising of 1745 to 1746. The Macdonells of Glen- clansmen were forced from the land by increasing rents
garry also fought at the Clifton Moor Skirmish and Battle and evictions, with the great majority forced to go to Bri-
of Prestonpans in 1745 where they were victorious. The tish North America in part of what was later known as
following year they also fought at the Battle of Falkirk the Highland Clearances.
(1746), and the Battle of Culloden.
Bishop Alexander Macdonell
Colonel Ranaldson MacDonell of Glen- Main article: Bishop Alexander Macdonell
garry In contrast to Alexander Ranaldson MacDonell of Glen-
garry, his contemporary Alexander Macdonell became a
Roman Catholic priest whose missionary duty in Brae
Lochaber led him to help his displaced clansmen. First
he tried getting them employment in the Lowlands, then
in 1794 he organised formation of the Glengarry Fencible
regiment under the command of Alexander Ranaldson,
with Father Macdonell appointed chaplain. When the
regiment was disbanded Father Macdonell appealed to
the government to grant its members land in Upper
Canada but this was not realized until much later. He
himself came to Upper Canada Glengarry County in 1804
and in 1826 was elevated to Bishop of Regiopolis Kingston
Castles
• Invergarry Castle which is situated on the Raven’s
Rock was the seat of the Chief of Clan MacDonell of
Glengarry.
• Strome Castle was also owned by the MacDonells of
Glengarry until 1602.
Chiefs
Main articles: Chiefs of Clan MacDonell of Glengarry and
Lord MacDonell
• The current chief of the Clan MacDonell of Glengarry
is Aeneas Ranald Euan MacDonell, 23rd Chief of Chief
of Macdonell of Glengarry.[4]
Portrait by Henry Raeburn of Alexander Ranaldson MacDonell
of Glengarry in 1812.
See also
• Clan Donald
Main article: Alexander Ranaldson MacDonell of Glengar- • Scottish clan
ry
Alexander Ranaldson MacDonell was the personality Notes and references
whose character and behaviour gave Walter Scott the
model for the haughty and flamboyant Highland chief- [1] Mackenzie (1881), p. 307; p. 308.
tain Fergus MacIvor in the pioneering historical novel [2] ’Conflicts of the Clans’ published in 1764 by the
Waverley of 1814. As was customary for the chief of a Foulis press, written from a manuscript wrote in
clan, he was often called simply "Glengarry." In June 1815 the reign of James VI of Scotland. [1]
he formed his own Society of True Highlanders in bitter [3] "The Scottish Clans and Their Tartans”. W. & A. K.
opposition to the Celtic Society of Edinburgh. During the Johnston Limited. Edinburgh and London. 1886.
visit of King George IV to Scotland he arrogantly made Page 44.
several unauthorised appearances, to the annoyance of [4] MACDONELL OF GLENGARRY, CHIEF OF
Walter Scott and the other organisers. MACDONELL OF GLENGARRY Retrieved on
Under his authority timber was felled for sale, the September 18, 2007
cleared land was leased to sheep farmers and many of his
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Clan MacDonell of Glengarry
• Clans and Tartans - Collins Pocket Reference, George Way Mackenzie. http://www.archive.org/details/
of Plean and Romilly Squire, Harper Collins, Glasgow historyofmacdona00mackuoft.
1995 ISBN 0-00-470810-5
• The King’s Jaunt, John Prebble, Birlinn Limited,
Edinburgh 2000, ISBN 1-84158-068-6
External links
• Mackenzie, Alexander (1881). History of the • http://www.clandonald-heritage.com
Macdonalds and Lords of the Isles; with genealogies of the • The Glengarry Branch of the Macdonalds
principal families of the name. Inverness: A. & W. • Clan MacDonell of Glengarry
• [3]
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Clan_MacDonell_of_Glengarry&oldid=452027834"
Categories:
• Clan Donald
• Scottish clans
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