Clan MacDonnell of Glengarry

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Clan MacDonell of Glengarry is a Scottish clan, sometimes considered 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 about 16 miles (25 km) north of Fort William. The principal families descended from the house of Glengarry were the McDonnells of Barrisdale, in Knoydart, Greenfield, and Lundie.

Contents

1 Origin of the Name
2 Gaelic Names
3 Motto
4 Slogan
5 Pipe Music
6 Tartans
7 Plant Badge
8 Clan Seat
9 History

9.1 Jacobite Risings
9.2 Colonel Alasdair Ranaldson MacDonell of Glengarry
9.3 Bishop Alexander MacDonell

10 References
11 External links

Origin of the Name

Gaelic Names

Motto

Creagan an Fhithich (The rock of the raven)

Slogan

Pipe Music

Glengarry Foot Stomp

Tartans

Plant Badge

Clan Seat

Invergarry; later Glengarry County, Canada.

History

The Glengarry clan claims descent from Donald, one of the five sons of Ranald who himself was the son of a 14th century Lord of the Isles. Glengarry first played an independent part in the politics of Clan Donald when in 1539 the Macdonald chief received a feudal charter from the Scottish crown. Glengarry chose to follow Donald Gorm of Sleat in an attempt to reclaim Lordship of the Isles which collapsed with a failed assault on Eilean Donan Castle in which Donald died. Along with other chiefs, Glengarry was tricked into attending on King James V of Scotland at Portree where they were captured and imprisoned in Edinburgh until the King died in 1542.

In 1545 Alexander MacRanald of Glengarry and North Morar was one of the lords and barons of the Isles who pledged allegiance to the king of England. By 1581 they controlled extensive territory and became involved in feuding and battles with Clan Mackenzie which led to them burning a church and the trapped congregation while the Glengarry piper marched round the building playing a tune still called Kilchrist after the name of the place. Donald, 8th of Glengarry, reportedly lived for more than a hundred years and was clan chief for over seventy years. In 1649 he failed to appear before the Privy Council in Edinburgh to answer charges of harbouring fugitives from the Isles, and was denounced as a rebel, but in 1627 succeeded in obtaining a charter under the Great Seal to make his lands a free barony.

In the Wars of the Three Kingdoms Glengarry supported the Royalist side. Aeneas the 9th Chief was out with Montrose in 1645 and followed King Charles II to his final defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651. For his pains he had his new house of Invergarry burned by General George Monck and his lands forfeited by Oliver Cromwell, but had them returned at the Restoration, gaining the title of Lord MacDonell and Aross and chiefship of Clanranald and the whole Clandonald. As he died without issue his peerage became extinct.

Jacobite Risings

The clans under Glengarry took the Jacobite side in the Jacobite Risings. In 1689 Alastair Dubh MacRanald commanded the clan at the Battle of Killiecrankie. In the 1715 rising Glengarry attended the pretended "grand hunting match" at Braemar arranged by the Earl of Mar and followed him to fight at the Battle of Sheriffmuir.

The 13th chief was on his way from France to join the 1745 rebellion when he was captured by an English frigate and imprisoned in the Tower of London until 1747. However, six hundred of the McDonells of Glengarry joined Prince Charles under the command of MacDonell of Lochgarry and were at the battles of Prestonpans, Falkirk, and Culloden.

Colonel Alasdair Ranaldson MacDonell of Glengarry

Alasdair Ranaldson MacDonell was the personality whose character and behaviour gave Walter Scott the model for the haughty and flamboyant Highland chieftain Fergus Mac-Ivor in the pioneering historical novel Waverley of 1810. As was customary for the chieftain of a clan, he was often called simply "Glengarry". In June 1815 he formed his own Society of True Highlanders in bitter opposition to the Celtic Society of Edinburgh. During the visit of King George IV to Scotland he arrogantly made several unauthorised appearances, to the annoyance of Walter Scott and the other organisers.

Under his authority timber was felled for sale, the cleared land was leased to sheep farmers and many of his clansmen were forced from the land by increasing rents and evictions, with the great majority forced to go to British North America in part of what was later known as the Highland Clearances.

Bishop Alexander MacDonell

In contrast to Alasdair Ranaldson, his contemporary Alasdair MacDonell became a Roman Catholic priest whose missionary duty in 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 Alasdair Ranaldson, with Father MacDonell appointed chaplain. When the regiment was disbanded Father MacDonell appealed to the government to grant its members a tract of land in Canada, and went with them in 1802, later becoming Bishop of Upper Canada.

References

Clans and Tartans - Collins Pocket Reference, George Way of Plean and Romilly Squire, Harper Collins, Glasgow 1995 ISBN 0-00-470810-5
The King's Jaunt, John Prebble, Birlinn Limited, Edinburgh 2000, ISBN 1-84158-068-6

External links

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