Clan Gregor or Clan MacGregor is a Highland Scottish clan. The clan's most
famous member is the legendary Rob Roy MacGregor of the late 17th and early
18th centuries. History
= Origins of the clan= 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. 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. 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: 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 Charles'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. Some of the Clan Gregor were among 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. After the
rising of 1745 - 1746, when the MacGregors were returning home, no-one
ventured to interfere with them when they strode across Atholl, with their
flying colours they strode passed Finlairg Castle where according to one
source the Clan Campbell militia "durst not move more than pussies", and the
MacGregors defying in broad day light the out posts which Lord Campbell of
Glenorchy had established in the passes. The MacGregors flaunted their weapons
and returned to their old cattle-stealing ways, only being tamed
over the course of time by the Commissioners of the Annexed Estates
from 1755. 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.
Clan chief The current chief of Clan Gregor is Sir
Malcolm Gregor Charles MacGregor of MacGregor, 7th Bt, of Lanrick and
Balquhidder, 24th Chief of Clan Gregor. His Gaelic designation is An
t-Ailpeanach, a name which bears testimony to the clan's traditional
descent from Siol Alpin. Clan profile
Crest badge: The crest badge suitable for members of Clan Gregor to wear
consists of the chief's heraldic crest and slogan. The chief's crest is: a
lion's head erased Proper, crowned with an antique crown Or. The chief's slogan
within the crest badge is 'S RIOGHAL MO DHREAM, which translates from Scottish
Gaelic to "Royal is my race." Plant badge: The clan badge or plant
badge of Clan Gregor is Scots Pine. Signet and Seal in Iowa
Descendants of Rob Roy MacGregor settled around McGregor, Iowa, and in 1849 it
was reported that the original MacGregor seal and signet was owned by Alex
McGregor of Iowa. The Scottish Gaelic clan seal was inscribed, "Triogal Ma
Dh'ream/ Een dhn bait spair nocht", which was interpreted as "I am of royal
descent/ Slay and spare not". The signet was a bloodstone from Loch Lomond, and
was sketched by William Williams. Tartans
Many tartans are associated with the name MacGregor. However, only the
following are recognised as "clan tartans" by the current chief of Clan
Gregor : Septs
The following table lists clan names and sept names recognised by the Clan Gregor
Society. The society states that people who bear the following surnames, or who
descend from a woman with one of the following surnames, is eligible for
membership. The prefixes M', Mc and Mac are considered interchangeable, and
other spelling variations are also omitted from this list.
The following names are documented aliases of MacGregor from the
proscription. Membership is available for individuals who can show evidence of
descent or a family tradition of MacGregor connection.
The following names are traditional aliases of MacGregor with little
documented evidence. Membership is available for individuals who can show
evidence of descent or a family tradition of MacGregor connection.
The following names are other clan names that are known to have been used by the
MacGregors. People with the names from this list are properly the domain of
other Clan and Family societies, however the MacGregor clan welcomes enquiries
from persons bearing these names who can show their descent from a MacGregor who
adopted the name as an alias. See also
Siol Alpin, clans traditionally thought to descend from Alpin.
Battle of Glen Fruin, the famous battle with Clan Colquhoun.
Robert Roy MacGregor, the historical Rob Roy.
Notes References
External links Clan Gregor Society
American Clan Gregor Society German Clan Gregor Society