Clan Gregor,
Clan McGregor,
Clan MacGregor or
Clan M'Gregor is a
HighlandThe Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
Scottish clanScottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
. It is the most senior clan of
Siol AlpinSiol Alpin, , is a family of seven Scottish clans that were thought to have been able to trace their descent from Alpin, supposed father of Cináed mac Ailpín, King of the Picts, of whom the Scots tradition considered the first King of Scots...
, translated as (Seed of Alpin) referring to King Kenneth I, descending from the ancient Kings of the
PictsThe Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
and
Dál RiataDál Riata was a Gaelic overkingdom on the western coast of Scotland with some territory on the northeast coast of Ireland...
. Outlawed for nearly two hundred years after a long power struggle with the
Clan CampbellClan Campbell is a Highland Scottish clan. Historically one of the largest, most powerful and most successful of the Highland clans, their lands were in Argyll and the chief of the clan became the Earl and later Duke of Argyll.-Origins:...
, 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 IrelandThe High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...
) and grandson of Giric, the third son of
Alpín mac EchdachAlpín mac Eochaid may refer to two persons. The first person is a presumed king of Dál Riata in the late 730s. The second is the father of Kenneth MacAlpin...
, the father of Kenneth MacAlpin, the first King of
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, a descent which is proclaimed in the motto,
'S Rioghal Mo Dhream, translated as
Royal is my Race.
Origins
The surname
MacGregor-People:* Alasdair Alpin MacGregor , writer and photographer* Andrew MacGregor, WWI flying ace* Chummy MacGregor , jazz pianist and songwriter* Clark MacGregor , U.S. politician...
is an
AnglicisationAnglicisation, or anglicization , is the process of converting verbal or written elements of any other language into a form that is more comprehensible to an English speaker, or, more generally, of altering something such that it becomes English in form or character.The term most often refers to...
of the Gaelic
Mac Griogair meaning "son of
Griogar". The
personal nameA personal name is the proper name identifying an individual person, and today usually comprises a given name bestowed at birth or at a young age plus a surname. It is nearly universal for a human to have a name; except in rare cases, for example feral children growing up in isolation, or infants...
Griogar is a Gaelic form of the personal name
Gregory.
The Clan Gregor is believed to have originated in Scotland during the 9th century. The MacGregors 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 identified as a son of the Scottish king
Alpin II Mac EochaidhAlpín mac Eochaid may refer to two persons. The first person is a presumed king of Dál Riata in the late 730s. The second is the father of Kenneth MacAlpin...
and younger brother of Kenneth MacAlpin, the 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 as 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.
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).
On the other hand, Dr William Skene found a rare Medieaval Gaelic manuscript in the library of the Faculty of Advocates in Edinburgh, which traces the male line of the Mac Gregor chiefs to King Ferchar II 'the Tall', a 7th-century Scottish king of Dalriada, this would make the Mac Gregor chiefs a branch of the Cinel Labhran - the Labhran line of the original Scottish royal house, as opposed to the Cinel Gabran (King Alpin's family). Both families are male-line branches of the same Celtic royal house. If Skene's doument is correct then the present Chief's ancestor would have been a cousin (or son) of King MacBeth, and a member of his extended family. Recent research by Gerald Mckinnon, clan sennachie of Clan Fionguin (Mackinnon) has revealed a tombstone found in the royal cemetry on the holy island of Iona by the Royal Commission for Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. This tombstone lists at least five Mackinnon chiefs buried there and exactly corresponds with the Mackinnon pedigree given in Dr. Skene's Gaelic manuscript. This discovery appears to confirm the descent of the Mackinnon, MacGregor and Macquarrie chiefs from Prince Ferchar Og, a younger son or grandson of King Ferchar II "Fada". Gerald Mckinnon's research further suggests that the chiefs of these three clans may even be descended from King MacBeth himself.
Latin charter records from the Registry of St. Andrew's Priory dating from the early 12th century record "Cormac filli Macbeath" as a charter witness about the year 1100-07. Jacqueli Finley claims that MacBeth left young sons at the time of his death from mortal wounds sustained at the
Battle of LumphananThe Battle of Lumphanan was fought on 15 August 1057, between Macbeth, King of Scotland, and Máel Coluim mac Donnchada, the future King Malcolm III. Macbeth was killed, having drawn his retreating forces north to make a last stand. According to tradition, the battle took place near the Peel of...
, 1057. Under Celtic Brehon Law, these princes were too young to take the Scottish throne,and were passed over in favour of their cousin, Lulach, who was then in his 30s. Lulach was crowned and enthroned at Scone (earliest surviving records of a Scottish coronation), but was killed six/seven months later by "the Saxon invaders" who placed Mael-Colum "Caenmor" on the Scottish throne (
Malcolm IIIMáel Coluim mac Donnchada , was King of Scots...
). Gerald suggests that Mac Beth's sons may have fled to Ulster in Ireland, where they were educated and at least one entered the Celtic church, later returning to Scotland under the protection of the Church. At least one of these sons may have married - Celtic canon permitted the marriage of priests - and the chiefs of at least three clans may be descended from Cormac, Bishop of Dunkeld, grandson, or great-grandson of MacBeth. If Gerald Mckinnon's research is accurate then the traditional Alpinian descent of the MacGregor chiefs is discredited - at least in the male line, though the MacGregor chiefs are still descended from the Scots kings via King MacBeth or one of his cousins. Furthermore, surviving evidence suggests that MacBeth's mother was a MacAlpin princess, possibly the daughter of King
Cinnaedh (Kenneth) IICináed mac Maíl Coluim was King of Scots...
(reigned 971-995), so his descendants could then claim to represent King Alpin in the female line, since Jacqueli Finley claims that King Alpin's family became extinct in the male line at the death of King
Mael-colm IIMáel Coluim mac Cináeda , was King of the Scots from 1005 until his death...
in 1034.
The Y-chromosomal data supports the Dalriadic Scottish 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 Scottish kings, ancestors of the kings of united Scotland, but is not yet clear as to which branch or Cinel the Mac Gregor chiefs descend from. Further DNA research and analysis will eventually establish whether the Mac Gregors are descended from King Alpin's line (Cinel Gabran), or King MacBeth's line (Cinel Labhran). Alternatively, historians have suggested the clan descends from a Pictish king Griogair, son of Dungal, who is said to have been a co-ruler of
AlbaAlba is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is cognate to Alba in Irish and Nalbin in Manx, the two other Goidelic Insular Celtic languages, as well as similar words in the Brythonic Insular Celtic languages of Cornish and Welsh also meaning Scotland.- Etymology :The term first appears in...
, an area of north central Scotland, between AD 879 and 889. However The Y-DNA data does not support this second contention.
Wars of Scottish Independence
By tradition in the 14th century during the
Wars of Scottish IndependenceThe Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....
the Clan Gregor fought at the
Battle of BannockburnThe Battle of Bannockburn was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence...
under chief Malcolm MacGregor. However most historians agree that the first certain Chief was Gregor "of the Golden Bridles." Gregor's son, Iain Camm ("of the One-Eye") succeeded as the second Chief sometime prior to 1390.
The MacGregors suffered a reversal of fortune when the Scottish king, Robert the Bruce, granted the barony of
Loch AweLoch Awe is a large body of water in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It has also given its name to a village on its banks, variously known as Loch Awe, or Lochawe. There are islands within the loch such as Innis Chonnell and Inishail.- The loch :It is the third largest freshwater loch in Scotland with...
, which included much of the MacGregor lands, to the chief of
Clan CampbellClan Campbell is a Highland Scottish clan. Historically one of the largest, most powerful and most successful of the Highland clans, their lands were in Argyll and the chief of the clan became the Earl and later Duke of Argyll.-Origins:...
. The Campbells ejected the unfortunate MacGregors from these lands, forcing them to retire deeper into their lands until they were largely restricted to Glenstrae.
http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/m/macgreg2.html The MacGregors fought the Campbells for decades and were eventually dispossessed of their lands. Reduced to the status of outlaws, they rustled cattle and poached deer to survive. They became so proficient at these endeavours other clans would pay them not to steal their cattle as they exhausted other means of stopping them.
The taking of
Castle GrantCastle Grant stands a mile north of Grantown-on-Spey and was the former seat of the Clan Grant chiefs of Strathspey in Moray.-History:The original tower was built in the 14th century by the Clan Comyn of Badenoch. Originally a Comyn Clan stronghold, clan traditions tell us that the castle was taken...
in the 14th century; Originally a Clan Comyn stronghold,
Clan Grant-Origins:The Grants are one of the clans of Siol Alpin, and descend from the 9th century Kenneth MacAlpin, King of Scots; and also of Norse origin, from settlers who are the descents of Haakon inn Riki Sigurdarsson , Jarl of Hladr, Protector of Norway ,-Origins:The Grants are one of the clans of...
traditions tell us that the castle was taken from the Comyns by a combined force of the Grants and MacGregors. The Clan Grant and Clan Gregor stormed the castle and in the process slew the Comyn Chief – and kept the Chief's skull as a trophy of this victory. The skull of the Comyn was taken as a macabre trophy and was kept in
Castle GrantCastle Grant stands a mile north of Grantown-on-Spey and was the former seat of the Clan Grant chiefs of Strathspey in Moray.-History:The original tower was built in the 14th century by the Clan Comyn of Badenoch. Originally a Comyn Clan stronghold, clan traditions tell us that the castle was taken...
and became an heirloom of the
Clan Grant-Origins:The Grants are one of the clans of Siol Alpin, and descend from the 9th century Kenneth MacAlpin, King of Scots; and also of Norse origin, from settlers who are the descents of Haakon inn Riki Sigurdarsson , Jarl of Hladr, Protector of Norway ,-Origins:The Grants are one of the clans of...
. (In the late Lord Strathspey's book on the Clan, he mentions that the top of the cranium was hinged, and that he saw documents kept in it.) Clan tradition predicts grave things if the skull ever leaves the hands of the family – prophesying that the Clan would lose its lands in Strathspey.
16th century and clan conflicts
Iain of Glenstrae died in 1519 with no direct heirs. This plunged the Clan Gregor into disarray as the powerful Campbells meddled with succession and asserted claim to the last remaining MacGregor lands. In 1560, the Campbells dispossessed Gregor Roy MacGregor, who waged war against the Campbells for ten years before being captured and killed. His son, Alistair, claimed the MacGregor chiefship but was utterly unable to stem the tide of persecution which was to be fate of the "Children of the Mist."
Argyle and his
Clan CampbellClan Campbell is a Highland Scottish clan. Historically one of the largest, most powerful and most successful of the Highland clans, their lands were in Argyll and the chief of the clan became the Earl and later Duke of Argyll.-Origins:...
henchmen were given the task of hunting down the MacGregors. About sixty of the clan made a brave stand at Bentoik against a party of two-hundred chosen men belonging to the
Clan CameronClan Cameron is a West Highland Scottish clan, with one main branch Lochiel, and numerous cadet branches. The Clan Cameron lands are in Lochaber and within their lands is the mountain Ben Nevis which is the highest mountain in the British Isles. The chief of the clan is customarily referred to as...
,
Clan MacNabClan Macnab is a Highland Scottish clan.-History:Clan Macnab is often said to have been a branch of the Clan Macdonald. However a bond of manrent exists to say that the Clan Macnab was an ally of the Clan Mackinnon and the Clan Gregor...
, and Clan Ronald, under command of Robert Campbell, son of the Laird of Glen Orchy. In this battle, Duncan Aberach, one of the Chieftains of the Clan Gregor, his son Duncan, and seven other MacGregors were killed. But although they made a brave resistance, and killed many of their pursuers, the MacGregors, after many skirmishes and great losses, were at last overcome.
During the
Anglo-Scottish WarsThe Anglo-Scottish Wars were a series of wars fought between England and Scotland during the sixteenth century.After the Wars of Scottish Independence, England and Scotland had fought several times during the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In most cases, one country had attempted to...
the Clan Gregor fought against the English at the
Battle of Pinkie CleughThe Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland on 10 September 1547, was part of the War of the Rough Wooing. It was the last pitched battle between Scottish and English armies, and is seen as the first modern battle in the British Isles...
1547.
In 1558 a deadly feud took place between the
Clan MacLarenClan MacLaren is a Highland Scottish clan.-History:-Origins:The origins of the clan are uncertain, but by tradition the MacLarens are descended from Loarn mac Eirc of Dál Riata, who landed in & settled Argyll in 503 A.D. The clan name is supposedly derived from Lorn ; these variations are all...
and the Clan Gregor when the MacGregors were accused of killing 18 MacLarens men along with their whole families and taking possession of their farms. This incident was not investigated until 1604 when the MacGregors were on trial for slaughtering many men of the
Clan ColquhounClan Colquhoun is a Highland Scottish clan.The clan motto shown above in the crest best translates to "if I can."-Origins of the clan:In the 13th century Maol Domhnaich, Earl of Lennox granted the lands of Colquhoun, located in Dunbartonshire, to Humphry de Kilpatrick...
. However the MacGregors were cleared of doing anything against the Clan MacLaren.
In 1589 Patrick, 3rd Lord Drummond, of
Clan DrummondClan Drummond is a Scottish clan deriving its name from the parish of Drymen, in what was western Stirlingshire. Legend gives Maurice of Hungary as founder of the clan...
, appointed his deputy kinsmen, John Drummond of Drummond-Ernoch, Royal Forester of Glenartney. It was in this post that he cut off the ears of MacGregors he had caught poaching. In revenge the MacGregors attacked Drummond and cut off his head. They then proceeded to John's sisters residence, burst in, and demanded bread and cheese. The MacGregors then unwrapped John's head and crammed its mouth full. However soon afterwards a Major Stewart hunted down the MacGregors and hanged them.
17th century and clan conflicts
The
Battle of Glen FruinThe Battle of Glen Fruin was fought on February 7, 1603 between the Clan Gregor and its allies on one side, and the Clan Colquhoun and its allies on the other...
took place in 1603 where the MacGregors were victorious, defeating five hundred
Clan ColquhounClan Colquhoun is a Highland Scottish clan.The clan motto shown above in the crest best translates to "if I can."-Origins of the clan:In the 13th century Maol Domhnaich, Earl of Lennox granted the lands of Colquhoun, located in Dunbartonshire, to Humphry de Kilpatrick...
men, three hundred of whom were on horseback, by four hundred MacGregor men at Glen Fruin. Over two hundred of the Colquhoun men were lost when the MacGregors, who had split into two parties, attacked from front and rear and forced the horsemen onto the soft ground of the Moss of Auchingaich. It meant the proscription of the Clan Gregor. It wasn’t until the 18th century that the enmity between the clans was laid to rest when, at Glen Fruin on the site of the massacre, the chiefs of the Clan Gregor and Colquhoun met and shook hands.
The MacGregors were formally banished in 1603 by King
James VIJames VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
who made it a capital offence to bear the MacGregor name. From this period comes the Clan Gregor's most famous historical figure, Rob Roy.
The dispossessed MacGregors rustled cattle and poached deer to survive. When John Drummond, the king’s forester, was murdered after hanging MacGregors for poaching, the chief of the Clan Gregor, Alistair of Glen Strae was condemned by the Privy Council. In April 1603, King James VI issued an edict proclaiming the name of MacGregor ‘altogidder abolisheed’, meaning that those who bore the name must renounce it or suffer death.
Alistair MacGregor of Glen Strae was then captured, having sought protection from the Chief of the Campbells to go to London to beg clemence from James the VI, who had recently claimed the English throne. The Campbells gave him safe passage to the borders, but arranged in advance for soldiers to capture him on the English side, and return him to Edinburgh to stand trial. He, along with eleven of his chieftains, was hanged at Edinburgh’s Mercat Cross, or, alternatively in the Edinburgh Tollbooth, the site of which is now marked by the Heart of Midlothian. He was hung one ell higher than his relatives, to distinguish his rank. in January 1604. Clan Gregor was scattered, many taking other names, such as Murray, King, or Grant. They were hunted like animals, flushed out of the heather by bloodhounds. Persecution of the MacGregors continued until 1774 when they were permitted to be reestablished.
An Act of the Scottish Parliament from 1617 stated (translated into modern English):
The
Clan MacThomasClan MacThomas is a Highland Scottish clan from the Glens of Eastern Perthshire. The clan takes its name from Thomaidh Mor , who was the great-grandson of the William Mackintosh, 8th chief of the Clan Chattan...
spent much of their time breeding cattle and fighting off those who tried to rustle them. One of these incidents in 1606 is remembered as the Battle of Cairnwell. A force of around 200 men from the Clan Gregor and some Catarans made off with around 2,700 of the MacThomases cattle. The MacThomases eventually caught up with their enemies and defeated them but not before they had butchered most of the MacThomases cattle out of pure spite. This caused much financial damage to the MacThomases with some of the clansmen being completely ruined.
The
Earl of GlencairnThe title of Earl of Glencairn was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1488 for the first Lord Kilmaurs .On the death of the fifteenth earl in 1796, there existing no original Letters Patent of the creation nor a given remainder in the various confirmations in title of previous earls the title...
was in Rannoch in 1653 looking for support for
Charles IICharles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
. He raised the Clan Gregor from the Isle of Rannoch. He would have no difficulty recruiting them because one of their opponents was the Earl of Argyll, a Campbell, one of their hereditary enemies. Alexander, the 12th chief of the
Clan RobertsonClan Donnachaidh , also known as Clan Robertson, is one of the oldest of all Scottish clans.-Origins:There are two main theories as to the origins of the Clan Donnachaidh:...
led his men from Fea Corrie. Both forces met above Annat and marched up the old path to
Loch GarryLoch Garry, , is 25 km north of Fort William, Lochaber, Scotland, and is 11 km long and 50 m deep. It is fed by waters from Loch Quoich 10 km upstream on the River Garry, and drains into Loch Oich in the Great Glen just 5 km downstream...
. History informs us that the leaders quarrelled so much amongst themselves that General George Monck, an English Parliamentarian, had little difficulty in winning the ensuing
Battle of DalnaspidalThe Battle of Dalnaspidal was a battle during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and one of the last engagements of the Scottish Civil War, bringing an end to the Royalist rising of 1651 to 1654....
.
18th century and Jacobite uprisings
In the 18th century during the early Jacobite Uprisings men from the Clan Gregor fought at the
Battle of Glen ShielThe Battle of Glen Shiel was a battle in Glen Shiel, in the West Highlands of Scotland on 10 June 1719, between British government troops and an alliance of Jacobites and Spaniards, resulting in a victory for the government forces. It was the last close engagement of British and foreign troops on...
in 1719 led by
Robert Roy MacGregorRobert Roy MacGregor , usually known simply as Rob Roy or alternately Red MacGregor, was a famous Scottish folk hero and outlaw of the early 18th century, who is sometimes known as the Scottish Robin Hood. Rob Roy is anglicised from the Scottish Gaelic Raibeart Ruadh, or Red Robert...
who was wounded.
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 PrestonpansThe Battle of Prestonpans was the first significant conflict in the Jacobite Rising of 1745. The battle took place at 4 am on 21 September 1745. The Jacobite army loyal to James Francis Edward Stuart and led by his son Charles Edward Stuart defeated the government army loyal to the Hanoverian...
in 1715 and the
Battle of CullodenThe Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...
in 1746. Most of the MacGregor fighting men missed Culloden as they were with their Chief, Gregor Ghlun Dubh (Black Knee) in Sutherland tracking the Hanoverian troops there. Persecution of the MacGregors did not end until 1774.
Clan profile
Crest badge
The
crest badgeA Scottish crest badge is a heraldic badge worn to show allegiance to an individual or membership in a specific Scottish clan. Crest badges are commonly called clan crests, but this is a misnomer; there is no such thing as a collective clan crest, just as there is no such thing as a clan coat of...
suitable for members of Clan Gregor to wear consists of the chief's heraldic crest and
sloganA slogan is used in Scottish heraldry as a heraldic motto or a secondary motto. It usually appears above the crest on a coat of arms, though sometimes it appears as a secondary motto beneath the shield...
. The chief's crest is:
a lion's head erased Proper, crowned with an antique crown OrIn heraldry, Or is the tincture of gold and, together with argent , belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". In engravings and line drawings, it may be represented using a field of evenly spaced dots...
. The chief's slogan within the crest badge is S RIOGHAL MO DHREAM
, which translates from Scottish Gaelic as "my blood is royal".
Chief
The current chief of Clan Gregor is Sir Malcolm Gregor Charles Mac Gregor of Mac Gregor, 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 AlpinSiol Alpin, , is a family of seven Scottish clans that were thought to have been able to trace their descent from Alpin, supposed father of Cináed mac Ailpín, King of the Picts, of whom the Scots tradition considered the first King of Scots...
.
Full chief list.
Signet and Seal in Iowa
Descendants of Rob Roy MacGregor settled around
McGregor, IowaMcGregor is a city in Clayton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 871 at the 2000 census. McGregor is located on the Mississippi River across from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Pike's Peak State Park is located just south of the city...
, 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 bloodstoneThe mineral heliotrope, also known as bloodstone, is a form of chalcedony . The "classic" bloodstone is green chalcedony with red inclusions of iron oxide or red jasper...
from Loch LomondLoch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. The lake contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the lake itself is smaller than many Irish...
, and was sketched by William Williams.
Tartan
Many tartans are associated with the name MacGregor. However, only the following are recognised as "clan tartans" by the current chief of Clan Gregor :
| Tartan image |
Notes |
 |
MacGregor Red and Green. A specimen of this tartan appears in the Cockburn Collection, dating from about 1810–1820, now in the Mitchell library in Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. It is one of the tartans labelled in Cockburn's handwriting in 1815. It is titled as MacGregor Murray Tartan by Wilson in the Key pattern book of 1819. James Logan titled it simply as MacGregor in 1831. |
_tartan.png) |
MacGregor Red and Black, also known as Rob Roy Macgregor. This is one the most primitive setts of tartan. According to tartan scholar Donald C. Stewart, it is probably the oldest "MacGregor" tartan, however it was only adopted by MacGregors at a relatively late date. A specimen of this tartan exists in the collection of the Highland Society of London The Highland Society of London is a charity registered in England, with "the view of establishing and supporting schools in the Highlands and in the Northern parts of Great Britain, for relieving distressed Highlanders at a distance from their native homes, for preserving the antiquities and...
. This piece is signed by, and bears the Seal of Arms of Sir John MacGregor Murray of MacGregor. This and other specimens of tartan kept in the collection were collected during 1815–1816, and are now kept in the Museum of Scotland, in EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. The clan chief states that any MacGregor may wear this tartan. |
 |
MacGregor of Cardney. This is a quite modern tartan, dating from about 1920. It has sometimes been called a hunting tartan. The current clan chief states that this tartan should only be worn by the Cardney MacGregors. |
_tartan.png) |
MacGregor of Glengyle, also known as MacGregor of Deeside. A specimen of this tartan dates from about 1750. The clan chief states that the Glengyle branch of the clan, or MacGregors from Deeside For Strathdee in Scotland see River Dee, AberdeenshireDeeside is the name given to the predominantly industrial conurbation of towns and villages that lie on, or near the River Dee in Chester. These include, Connah's Quay, Mancot, Pentre, Shotton, Queensferry, Sealand, Broughton, Hawarden,...
, are entitled to wear this tartan. |
 |
MacGregor Green. This is a dance tartan. The chief has approved this tartan only for Highland dancers The term Highland dance or Highland dancing is used today to refer to a style of athletic solo dancing which developed in the Gaelic Highlands of Scotland...
who compete, or who have competed in competitions at Highland gamesHighland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &(-è_çà in Scotland and other countries as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Certain...
. The chief states that MacGregors who are not highland dancers should not wear this tartan. |
Septs
The following table lists clan names and
septA sept is an English word for a division of a family, especially a division of a clan. The word might have its origin from Latin saeptum "enclosure, fold", or it can be an alteration of sect.The term is found in both Ireland and Scotland...
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.
| Alpin |
Fletcher |
Greer |
Gregg |
Gragg |
| Gregor |
Gregorson |
Gregory |
Gregson |
Greig |
| Grewer |
Grier |
Grierson |
Grigg(s) |
Grigor |
| Gruer |
Hubberd |
King |
Lawrence |
MacAdam |
| Macaldowie |
MacAlpin |
Macara |
Macaree |
MacChoiter |
| McGehee |
MacConachie |
MacCrowther |
MacEan |
MacEwin |
| MacGregor |
MacGrigor |
MacGrowther |
MacGruder |
Macilduy |
| MacLeister |
MacLiver |
MacNee |
MacNeice |
MacNeish |
| MacNie |
MacPeter(s) |
MacPetrie |
Magruder |
Malloch |
| Neish |
Patullo/Pittillow |
Peter(s) |
Petrie |
Roy |
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.
| Bain |
Bowie |
Dunn |
Leckie |
Stevenson |
| Beachley |
Coleman |
Lakie |
Lockie |
White |
| Black |
Comrie |
Landless |
Mor |
Willox |
| Bowers |
Dochart |
Lawrence |
Skinner |
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.
| Argyl |
Crowther |
Guiness |
MacGrew |
Shankland |
| Arrowsmith |
Denison |
Kirkwood |
Macnocaird |
Stringer |
| Begland |
Docherty |
Leishman |
Macnucator |
Tainsh |
| Bowmaker |
Dorward |
MacAndrew |
Nelson |
Telfer |
| Brewer |
Dowie |
MacAngus |
Neilson |
Telford |
| Caird |
Fisher |
MacCanish |
Nucator |
Tossach |
| Callander |
Gair |
MacGeach |
Orr |
Walker |
| Clark |
Goodsir |
Macgehee |
Paterson |
Weliver |
| Craigdallie |
Grayson |
Macghee |
Peat |
| Crerar |
Gudger |
MacGill |
Peterson |
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.
| Balfour |
Ferguson |
Livingston |
MacInnes |
Murray |
| Buchannan |
Gordon |
MacAlastair |
MacNeil |
Ramsay |
| Campbell |
Graham |
MacDonald |
MacLaren |
Robertson |
| Cunningham |
Grant |
MacDougal |
MacNicol |
Sinclair |
| Douglas |
Hay |
MacEwan |
MacPherson |
Stewart |
| Drummond |
Johnson |
MacFarlane |
MacWilliams |
Stirling |
| Erskine |
Johnston |
MacIan |
Menzies |
Wilson |
See also
- Siol Alpin
Siol Alpin, , is a family of seven Scottish clans that were thought to have been able to trace their descent from Alpin, supposed father of Cináed mac Ailpín, King of the Picts, of whom the Scots tradition considered the first King of Scots...
, clans traditionally thought to descend from Alpin.
- Battle of Glen Fruin
The Battle of Glen Fruin was fought on February 7, 1603 between the Clan Gregor and its allies on one side, and the Clan Colquhoun and its allies on the other...
, the famous battle with Clan Colquhoun.
- Robert Roy MacGregor
Robert Roy MacGregor , usually known simply as Rob Roy or alternately Red MacGregor, was a famous Scottish folk hero and outlaw of the early 18th century, who is sometimes known as the Scottish Robin Hood. Rob Roy is anglicised from the Scottish Gaelic Raibeart Ruadh, or Red Robert...
, the historical Rob Roy.
External links