Clan Gregor, also known as Clan MacGregor, () is a

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...

Scottish clan that claims an origin in the early 9th century. The clan's most famous member is Rob Roy MacGregor of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The Clan is also known to have been among the first families of Scotland to begin playing the

bagpipes Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, No ...

in the early 17th century.

History

Origins of the clan

The Clan Gregor held lands in Glen Orchy, Glenlochy and Glenstrae. According to

Iain Moncreiffe Sir Rupert Iain Kay Moncreiffe of that Ilk, 11th Baronet (9 April 1919 – 27 February 1985), Chief of Clan Moncreiffe, was a British Officer of Arms and genealogist. Biography Moncreiffe was the son of Lieutenant-Commander Gerald Moncreif ...

the MacGregors were descended from an ancient

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...

royal family, through the Abbots of Glendochart. This is alluded to in the clan's motto: "Royal is my race". There is also a tradition that Gregor was the brother of Kenneth MacAlpin. Though there is little evidence to support this tradition, it is supported by the Scottish historian, William Skene. It is possible that the eponymous Gregor from whom the family derives may have been Griogair, son of Dungal, who was allegedly co-ruler of

Alba ''Alba'' ( , ) is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is also, in English language historiography, used to refer to the polity of Picts and Scottish people, Scots united in the ninth century as the Kingdom of Alba, until it developed i ...

. Most modern historians agree 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 Loch Awe (Scottish Gaelic: ''Loch Obha'') is a large body of freshwater in Argyll and Bute, Scottish Highlands. 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 ...

which included much of the MacGregor lands was granted to the chief of Clan Campbell by

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...

. 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 The Battle of Pinkie, also known as the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh ( , ), took place on 10 September 1547 on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland. The last pitched battle between Scotland and England before the Union of the Cro ...

but died shortly after. Colin Campbell refused to recognize 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 murdered by the Campbells. The chiefship was claimed by his son, Alistair, but he was unable to stem the Campbell's persecution of his kinsmen, who over time became known as the ''Children of the Mist,'' a name associated with the MacGregors due to the extent of their losses. Additionally, John Drummond, of Clan Drummond was the king's forester and was subsequently killed after hanging a number of MacGregors for poaching. The chief took responsibility for the killing and it was condemned by the Privy Council.

17th century, clan conflicts and civil war

In response to the execution of two MacGregor clansmen in the year 1603, Alasdair MacGregor marched into Colquhoun territory with a force of over four hundred men.Way, George and Squire, Romily. ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs). Published in 1994. pp. 108–109. The chief of Clan Colquhoun, in response, 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, in an act of good will, the chiefs of the two clans met and shook hands on the very site of the former slaughter. In April 1603

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...

issued an edict 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 The Mercat Cross of Edinburgh is a market cross, the structure that marks the market square of the market town of Edinburgh. It stands in Parliament Square next to St Giles' Cathedral, facing the High Street in the Old Town of Edinburgh. Descr ...

. 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 __NOTOC__ Burgess may refer to: People and fictional characters * Burgess (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Burgess (given name), a list of people Places * Burgess, Michigan, an unincorporated community * Burgess, Missouri, U ...

, Robert Birrel, who kept a diary of events at the time, described the episode thus, An Act of the Scottish Parliament from 1617 stated (translated into modern English):

Clan Lamont Clan Lamont (; gd, Clann Laomainn ) is a Highland Scottish clan. The clan is said to descend from Ánrothán Ua Néill, an Irish prince of the O'Neill dynasty, and through him Niall Noigíallach, High King of Ireland. Clan Ewen of Otter, C ...

Cowal Cowal ( gd, Còmhghall) is a peninsula in Argyll and Bute, in the west of Scotland, that extends into the Firth of Clyde. The northern part of the peninsula is covered by the Argyll Forest Park managed by Forestry and Land Scotland. The Arrochar ...

defied this and provided aid and refuge for fleeing MacGregors in their lands in the wake of the persecution. Despite the savage treatment of the MacGregors, they had nevertheless fought for the king during the Scottish Civil War. Two hundred men of the Clan Gregor fought for the

Earl of Glencairn Earl of Glencairn was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1488 for Alexander Cunningham, 1st Lord Kilmaurs (created 1450). The name was taken from the parish of Glencairn in Dumfriesshire so named for the Cairn Waters which run ...

in what was known as Glencairn's rising, against the Commonwealth. In recognition of this,

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of England, Scotland and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest surviving child of ...

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, given the circumstances, he had been forced to assume his mother's surname of Campbell). The adventures of Rob Roy MacGregor have been immortalized and romanticized by

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...

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 Dumbarton, the town was put into panic and

Dumbarton Castle Dumbarton Castle ( gd, Dùn Breatainn, ; ) has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It sits on a volcanic plug of basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high and overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton. History Dumba ...

was forced to open fire with its cannon. He also led Clan Gregor at the Battle of Glen Shiel in 1719. He is buried in Balquhidder churchyard. During the 1745 uprising, some of Clan Gregor fought at the Battle of Prestonpans with the Jacobite army under the Duke of Perth. Some of Clan Gregor were among the Jacobite force that was defeated at the

Battle of Littleferry The Battle of Littleferry (also known as the Skirmish at Golspie) took place during the 1745 Jacobite rising, Jacobite rising in 1746, just before the Battle of Culloden. Scottish forces loyal to the British-Hanoverian Government defeated a Sco ...

in 1746 in Sutherland, and therefore missed the

Battle of Culloden The Battle of Culloden (; gd, Blàr Chùil Lodair) was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force under Prince Wi ...

that took place the next day and which they would have been too late. After the rising, 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 Finlarig Castle is an early 17th-century castle standing on a mound on a peninsula between the River Lochay and Loch Tay, just over north of Killin in Stirling (formerly in Perthshire), Scotland. Built in 1629 by Duncan Campbell of Glenorchy, ' ...

where according to one source the Clan Campbell militia "durst not move more than pussies", and the MacGregors defying in broad daylight the outposts which Lord Campbell of Glenorchy had established in the passes. 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 George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

in 1822, where he and his clansmen were given the tremendous honour of guarding the

Honours of Scotland The Honours of Scotland (, gd, Seudan a' Chrùin Albannaich), informally known as the Scottish Crown Jewels, are the regalia that were worn by Scottish monarchs at their coronation. Kept in the Crown Room in Edinburgh Castle, they date from the ...

, better known as the Scottish Regalia and the oldest set of crown jewels in the British Isles.

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 Crest or CREST may refer to: Buildings *The Crest (Huntington, New York), a historic house in Suffolk County, New York *"The Crest", an alternate name for 63 Wall Street, in Manhattan, New York *Crest Castle (Château Du Crest), Jussy, Switzerla ...

and

slogan A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a clan, political slogan, political, Advertising slogan, commercial, religious, and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose, with the goal of persuading members of the publi ...

. 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 (), which translates from

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

to "Royal is my race". *Plant badge: The

clan badge A clan badge, sometimes called a plant badge, is a badge or emblem, usually a sprig of a specific plant, that is used to identify a member of a particular Scottish clan. They are usually worn affixed to the bonnet behind the Scottish crest badge ...

or plant badge of Clan Gregor is Scots pine.

Signet and seal in Iowa

Descendants of Rob Roy MacGregor settled around

McGregor, Iowa McGregor is a city in Clayton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 742 at the time of the 2020 census. McGregor is located on the Mississippi River across from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Pike's Peak State Park is located just south ...

, and in 1849, it was reported that the original MacGregor seal and

signet Signet may refer to: *Signet, Kenya, A subsidiary of the Kenyan Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), specifically set up to broadcast and distribute the DTT signals * Signet ring, a ring with a seal set into it, typically by leaving an impression in sea ...

was owned by Alex McGregor of Iowa. The

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 Bloodstone may refer to: *Heliotrope (mineral) or bloodstone, a form of chalcedony Film * ''Bloodstone'' (1988 film), an Indian-American action/comedy film *'' Bloodstone: Subspecies II'', a 1993 horror film * Bloodstone: An Epic Dwarven Tale, ano ...

from

Loch Lomond Loch Lomond (; gd, Loch Laomainn - 'Lake of the Elms'Richens, R. J. (1984) ''Elm'', Cambridge University Press.) is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Ce ...

, and was sketched by William Williams. (The "E'en do but spair nocht" bit is Scots.)

Tartans

Many tartans are associated with the name ''MacGregor''. However, only the following are recognized as "

clan tartan Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...

s" by the current chief of Clan Gregor:

Septs

The following table lists clan names and sept names recognized 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 *Graig *Gregor *Gregorson *Gregory *Gregson *Greig *Grewer *Grier * Grierson *Grigg(s) *Grigor *Gruer *Hubberd *King *Lawrence *MacAdam *Macaldowie , , 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 Neish is a name of Scottish origin. Clan Neish (or MacNeish) is a sept of either Clan Gregor or Clan Innes. People with the name *Arthur Charles Neish, late Canadian plant biologist and Fellow of the Royal Society of London *Bruce Neish, former ...

*Patullo/Pittillow *Peter *Petrie *Gragg 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 *Beachley *Black *Bowers *Bowie *Coleman *Comrie *Dochart *Dunn *Lakie *Landless *Lawrence *Leckie *Lockie *Mor *Roy *Skinner *White *Whyte *Willox 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 *Arrowsmith *Begland *Brewer *Caird *Callander *Clark *Craigdallie *Crerar *Crowther *Denison *Docherty *Dorward *Dowie *Fisher *Gair *Goodsir *Grayson *Gudger *Guinness *Kirkwood *Leishman *MacAndrew *MacAngus *MacCanish *MacGeach *Macgehee *Macghee *MacGill *MacGrew *Macnocaird *Macnucator *Nelson *Neilson *Nucator *Orr *Paterson *Peat *Peet *Peterson *Shankland *Stringer *Tainsh *Telfer *Telford *Tossach *Walker *Weliver 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 inquiries from persons bearing these names who can show their descent from a MacGregor who adopted the name as an alias. *Balfour *Buchannan *Campbell *Cunningham *Donald *Dougal *Douglas *Drummond *Erskine *Ferguson *Gordon *Graham *Grant *Hay *Johnson *Johnston *Livingston *MacAlastair *MacDonald *MacDougal *MacEwan *MacFarlane *MacIan *MacInnes *MacLaren *MacNeil *MacNicol *MacPherson *Menzies *Murray *Ramsay *Stewart *Stirling *Williams *Wilson

Notes

References

External links

Clan Gregor Society

American Clan Gregor Society
{{Scottish clans

Gregor Gregor is a masculine given name. Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People * Gregor Abel (born 1949), Scottish footballer * Gregor Adlercreutz (1898–1944), Swedish equestrian * Gregor Aichinger (c. 1565–1628), Germ ...