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Besides those who bore the Chief's name there are a number of Septs (minor
bodies) dependent on each clan and, though bearing different names, they must be
reckoned as clansmen.
THE origin of the Clan Septs, and their names may
be traced to a variety of causes, the principal of these being the following
:--
1. Those of the blood of the Clan who, in order that they might be better
distinguished from others of similar names, adopted, or received, various
cognomens or nicknames.
2. Those who, though unconnected by blood with the Clan, had become bound to
it by bonds of manrent; or being a small, or broken clan, became attached to it
for protection.
Until comparatively recent times it was quite common in
the Highlands for individuals to possess two surnames, one being the clan name
while the other was a by-name. It can be easily seen that, especially after the
abolition of the Clan System, and the scattering all over the world of the
clansmen, many by-names were finally adopted by the Highlanders. The MacLeods,
both Siol Thormaid and Siol Torquil, do not differ in this respect from other
clans of the Scottish Highlands.
Mr. Frank Adam, a noted authuority,
gives the following names (with varying spellings) as Septs of the MacLeods.
They are here printed in alphabetical order, those of the Siol Tormod (MacLeods
of Harris and Skye) being distinguished by an H, and those of the Siol Torquil
(MacLeod of Lewis) by an L.
BEATON, BETHUNE, BETON, (of
Skye).
Mr Adam tells us that "Tradition says the Beatons (of
Skye) were descendants of one Beath who came from Ireland in the train of Lady
O'Neil, who married Angus 0g of the Isles, the friend of Robert the Bruce." But
the Rev. Thomas Whyte in his "Beatons of Skye," states they came of a Fifeshire
family--the Bethunes of Pictochy, and Capeldray--and that one, Peter Bethune, a
renowned physician, was invited by MacLead and McDonald to settle in Skye. Dr.
Peter accepted the invitation, married a daughter of Clanranald, and had many
descendants. Some adhered to the MacLeods, some to the McDonalds; so, Beatons of
Skye may be septs of the MacLeods, or of the MacDonalds. Several members of this
family made a considerable name for themselves as physicians in the Isles and on
the mainland. There is a good article on the Beatons in Mr. MacGregor's "Over
the Sea to Skye."--H
CALLUM, MACCALLUM, MALCOLM,
MALCOLMSON.
"Callum" and "Malcolm" are the same, the first being
the Gaelic and the other the English form of the name. The name pertains to the
MacLeads of Raasay.
The first Chief of the Raasay family was born about
the beginning of the sixteenth century. He was the second son of Callum (or
Malcolm), ninth Chief of the Siol Torquil, and was also named Callum. His father
gave him the Island of Raasay, off Skye, and Gairloch on the mainland, as a
patrimony. His race became known as Mac-Gille-Callum; hence, Callums,
MacCallums, Malcolms, Malcolmsons. (On the failure of the Chiefs of the House of
Lewis the Heads of the MacLeods of Raasay became Chiefs of the Siol Torquil).--
L
LEWIS, MACLEWIS.
Buchanan gives the Lewises as
being at sept of the Siol Torquil, and adds, "some of which are in the shire of
Stirling."--L
MACCASKILL, MACASKILL.
There are
various accounts of these clansmen. Oric says they are descended from Askill, a
King of Dublin. A rather fanciful one is that the name carries from the Gaelic
"Cath-Gille" (Battle-Man), which name was bestowed by the MacLeods on one who
was a leader in a great fight with the Frasers. The best authorities consider
them to have been, originally, Norsemen -- the Norse name being "Asketill" or
"Ansketill."
Mr. Adams says they were a sept of the Siol Torquil, that
they had their main habitat in the Lewis, and were captains of the chief's
galleys. Unfortunately, we have no records of these Lewis clansmen.
The
MacCaskills however were also connected with the Siol Tormod, and we frequently
find the name mentioned in the history of that branch of the clan.
The
first mentioned was a William MacCaskili, foster-brother to Malcolm, third Chief
of the Siol Tormod (early 14th century). He was Keeper of Dunvegan Castle, and a
noted warrior--he who is said to have been named "Cath-Gille." And tradition has
it that for generations the MacCaskills were lieutenants to the Chiefs of the
Siol Tormod, both by sea and hand; and held large territorial possessions in
reward for their services.--L and H
MACAULAYS of
Lewis.
According to one tradition the first MacAulay was a
natural son of Olaf the Black, King of Man; hence the name MacOlaf, or MacAulay.
Another tradition says he was a rather turbulent Norseman named Olver Rosta who,
according to the Sagas, was driven out of the Orkneys by Swein Ashliefson and
found his way to the Lewis, where he became the progenitor of the MacAulays
there.--L
MACCORQUODALE, MACCORKINDALE.
"Are forms
of 'Mac-Torquil.' Tradition gives them a more ancient origin than the MacLeods.
The name of Torquil is of Scandinavian origin and signifies 'Thor's kettle, or
cauldron.' They are supposed to have owned at one time the whole northern shore
of Loch Awe, from Avich to Ard-an-aiseig. Their association with the Siol
Torquil, or MacLeads of Lewis, is, therefore, not clear, altlhough they are
given by most authorities as a sept of that
clan."--L
MAC-CLURE.
The name MacClure is derived
from the Gaelic "Mhic-Gille-Leabbam." meaning son of the servant of the book;
or, in other words, son of the tutor.
The name is mentioned in Scottish
records in an entry in the Stirling Kirk Session book, dated 1604, where
reference is made to one Robert MacClure, piper to the Laird of Buchanan.
Tradition says that this Robert MacClure was a son of Tormod Mac-Gille-Leabhar
of Kingsburgh, son of Donald, the guardian or tutor of his nephew Tormod, the
eleventh Chief of MacLeod, both of whom were murdered in 1557 by the lain Dubh,
the usurping 12th Chief. Robert MacClure was granted the lands of Glenboig, near
Balfron, by Buchanan, and his descendants lived there until the middle of the
last century, when they emigrated to Ireland, and where they are still
represented.
There are many of the name of MacClure still in Skye,
particularly in the Sleat district, who are surmised to be actual descendants of
the above mentioned Tormod of Kingsburgh, through other sons who adopted their
father's by-name.
In Boswell's "Tour of the Hebrides with Dr. Johnson,"
appears the following passage: "Captain MacClure, whom we found here (at the
house of Macquarrie of Ulval), was of Scotch extraction, and properly a MacLeod,
being descended of some of the MacLeods who went with Sir Norman of Bernera to
the Battle of Worcester, and after the defeat of the Royalists fled to Ireland;
and, to conceal themselves, took a different name." There is a considerable
number of the name in Northern Ireland.--H
MAC-CRIMMON.
The origin of the MacCrimmons is not truly known, they are variously
stated to be of Bardic, Irish, Norse, and Italian origin. The Bannatyne
manuscript tells us they were land owners in the Harris islands before the
advent of Leod ; but that on Leod inheriting the superiority of the land they
became vassals, or septs, of Leod's clan. It is certainly true that from
unrecorded times they have been clansmen of the MacLeods, and, as everybody
knows, became the celebrated and hereditary pipers of the MacLeod Chiefs.
Several MacCrimmon pipers became attached to other families, but all claimed
clanship with the famous pipers of Dunvegan.--H
MACRAILD, MACRAILT,
MACHAROLD.
The Macrailds, or MacHarolds were "nativi" of some of
the earliest possessions of the Soil Thormaid. Leod the progenitor of the clan,
married a daughter of Macraild Armuin, whose seat was where now stands Dunvegan
Castle. Clan history tells us that with his wife Leod obtained possession of the
lands of Dunvegan, Minginish, Bracadale, Lyndale, Trotternish, etc. in the Isle
of Skye. It is said that there are still families of the name of Macraild living
on the MacLeod estates.--H
MACCUAIG, MACCAIG.
The
name MacCuaig, or MacCaig, is given as being derived from the Gaelic word
"Cuthaig," a cuckoo, and here is the story: In early days it was thought to be
lucky to name a new born child after the first living thing seen. Consequently
when a son was born to a MacLeod clansman, the happy father, wishing his son to
be fortunate went out of the house to look around. The first living thing he saw
was a cuckoo, hence the child was named "Cuthaig," and his descendants are all
MacCuaigs or MacCaigs-- We hope they are all fortunate.--H [However, see the
Alick Morrison Article below. JA]
NICOL, MACNICOL,
NICOLSON.
The Nicols are traditionally descended from one
Mackrycul ("r" in the Gaelic having been pronounced like an "n"), a mainland
Chief. The Mackryculs appear to have occupied Assynt in Sutherland, and the
adjacent territory of Coigeach, in Cromarty.
The family of the Chief
became extinct in the male line, and his daughter, and heiress, having married
Torquil MacLeod of the Lewis, he, in her right, became lord of the Machrycul
country. In the time of King David II. of Scotland, Torquil MacLeod obtained a
Crown Charter of Assynt, which land he subsequently bestowed on a younger son of
his own, from whom descend the MacLeads of Assynt.
A number of the
Nicolsons are said to have crossed to the islands (Lewis and Skye), where they
are believed to have retained an independence for a time, under a Head (or
Chief) who had his residence on the margin of Loch Scorribreac, near
Portree.
The Bannatyne manuscript, however, says the Lewis Nicolsons were
originally MacNaughtons, a powerful tribe of the Lewis, and a branch of the
MacNaughtons of Argyll, who changed their names to Nicolson, or Clan Vic
Naichal. Their power and estates terminated in Margaret, who was heiress of the
name; she married MacLeod of the Lewis and the MacNaughton country fell to the
MacLeods. A branch of these MacNaughtons occupied Waternish, in Skye, for some
time. (Waternish belonged to MacLeod of the
Lewis).--L
NORMAN
"Norman" is simply an Anglicised form of
Tormod.--H
TOLMIE
Tolmie is really a Skye name, and belongs
to a distinguished Skye family; but Mr. Adams puts it down as a sept of the
Lewis MacLeod; probably through the MacLeods of Raasay with whom they appear to
have been connected. In the account of a clan conflict off Raasay in the year
1611, between the MacLeads of Raasay and the MacKenzies, mention is made of one
John Tolmach, near cousin to the Laird of Raasay. The name is derived from the
Gaelic "Tulm" a hillock, probably the name of the place where the family lived.
Their proper designation might be MacLeods of TuIm--L
In concluding this
summary of the Septs of MacLeod, both of Harris and Lewis, the writer wishes to
record his indebtedness to Mr. Frank Adam's authoritative work, "The Clans,
Septs & Regiments of the Scottish Highlands," published by Messrs W. &
A. K. Johnston, Ltd., Edinburgh and London, from which much of the information
given in this artide is derived.
Donald N. MacKinnon
Septs of the
MacLeods
[From Alick M. Morrison, Glasgow, "Septs of
the MacLeods,"; The Clan MacLeod Magazine, 1938, p. 128.]
HUGHSON, HUTCHEONSON, HUTCHESON, HUTCHINSON, HUTCHISON, MACHUCHEON,
MACHUGH, MACHUTCHEON.
As Septs of the MacLeods are descendants
from the MacLeods of Assynt (Siol Torquil) through Hucheon, son of Angus Mor,
third of Assynt. The MacDonalds also acknowledge these names as Septs, descended
from Hugh, or Huistein, MacDonald of Sleat.
The
MACCUAIGS.
The origin of the name MacCuaig as given [above] is
entirely wrong.
In the first place it was not the custom of the
Highlanders to take names from the names of birds or beasts; but from Scripture,
Church Officials, Saints, Kings, Notable Tradesmen, Characteristic distinctions,
Personal Christian names, etc. Secondly, I cannot conceive how any sensible
MacLeod clansman would choose a name for his son from the first living thing he
(the father) saw after his son's birth. This living thing might be, according to
the Highlander's superstitions concerning certain animals, even more unlucky
than a cuckoo -- a bird which is not always welcome at first to be seen or
heard. Surely the said clansman had some relations, or a nobler source from
which to get a name for his son. And, in the third place, the Gaelic name Cuthag
is feminine; if, therefore, this clansman was a Gaelic-speaking man he would not
give his son the name of a female.
The name MacCuaig is a variation of
MacDhubhaig. In the Gaelic pronunciation MacDhubbaig is the same as MacCuaig;
only the C in the later is more stressed, hence to a Gaelic speaker the change
of spelling is easily understood.
The correct origin of the surname
MacCuaig is as follows: A certain kinsman of the MacLeod of Dunvegan was known
by the name "Dubhag," a word derived from the Gaelic "dubh;" (black) and the
diminutive suffix "ag," meaning "little, or small." Now this man may have
acquired that name through having a little black spot, or mole, on some part of
his body; or he may have been a man who had black hair and beard, and under the
common stature. Any one of these characteristics would naturally give the name
Dubhag, that is "Blackie" -- the little black one.
Some time in the early
clan period Dubhag MacLeod landed in a bay on the south-eastern part of the
island of Islay. This bay was called, and is called to this day, "Leodamus"
after him; that is "Leod,"; and "Camus" (Gaelic for "bay"). --The village of
Port Ellen is now built around the bay. There is a hill not far distant from the
head of the bay called Doire Dhubhaig, that is "Dubhag's Grove,"; where Dubhag
probably took up his quarters. In the course of time his descendants
(MacDhubhaig, or MacCuaig) multiplied and spread over the south-east portion of
the island, until emigration to the colonies began, when most of this sept went,
chiefly, to Canada, where they reverted to the surname of the Chief
(MacLeod).
There is a place in the island of Mull called "Doire Dhubhaig"
where Dubhag may have resided for a brief period, but few, if any, of the
surname MacCuaig are known to have been there. [The surname MacCaig is not the
same as MacCuaig.]
Alick M.Morrison, Glasgow
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