The history of the Bissett family in Ireland can be studied independently from that of the originally identical family in Scotland, because of their unique experience following their arrival in

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...

in the early or mid-13th century. Here, while still remaining involved in Scottish affairs, the Bissetts would establish themselves as the Lords of the

Glens of Antrim The Glens of Antrim,Logainm.ie
(

Gaelicised Gaelicisation, or Gaelicization, is the act or process of making something Gaelic, or gaining characteristics of the ''Gaels'', a sub-branch of celticisation. The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group, traditionally viewed as having spread from Ire ...

of all the so-called

Anglo-Norman Anglo-Norman may refer to: *Anglo-Normans, the medieval ruling class in England following the Norman conquest of 1066 * Anglo-Norman language **Anglo-Norman literature * Anglo-Norman England, or Norman England, the period in English history from 10 ...

families in Ireland. The heads of the leading branch of the family soon adopted the Gaelic lineage style Mac Eoin Bissett (of the Glens), by which they are known in the Irish annals, and which translates as "Son/Descendant of

John Byset John Byset the Elder, Lord of the Aird (died 1257) was a Scoto-Norman nobleman who is the progenitor of the Bissett family of the Glens of Antrim in medieval northeastern Ireland, present-day Northern Ireland. Biography Born in Scotland, certain ...

", after a prominent ancestor born in Scotland. In a number of English and Anglo-Norman sources the same head of the family is referred to as the Baron Bissett, also with variants. This family style or title eventually split, in a manner, to provide both the modern

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...

surname Mac Eoin, anglicised McKeon/ McKeown, and the surname Bissett itself (in Ireland), the latter not easily distinguishable from the typically Scottish

Bisset Bisset is a surname of Scottish origin. History Sir Thomas Gray in his Scalacronica states that William the Lion in 1174, on his return from captivity in Falaise and in England, brought back young Englishmen of family to seek their fortune i ...

, for which the doubling of the final -t-, the typical practice in Ireland from the 16th century, has become more common in modern times. In the

Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...

Bissett is usually written Bised (Biseid).

From Scotland to Ulster

Precisely when

arrived with his family from Scotland is unknown, but he appears in the (surviving) English documents relating to Ireland in 1245, when

Henry III of England Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272), also known as Henry of Winchester, was King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine from 1216 until his death in 1272. The son of King John and Isabella of Angoulême, Henry a ...

orders 50 marks to be given out of the treasury to him as a gift. Byset's activities from then on can only be guessed from the short description of his career in Ireland offered by the terse Annals of Ulster, reporting his death twelve years later in 1257. This entry at least proves that he had established himself prominently in the region with fire and sword: Murlough bay

The Gaidhil in this context are the Gaelic Irish of Ulster and perhaps beyond. Whether he purchased his lands himself (one tradition) or was granted them by the English Crown (another) is also unknown, and his relationship with the leading English and other Scottish magnates of the region was probably complex. The first

Earl of Ulster The title of Earl of Ulster has been created six times in the Peerage of Ireland and twice in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since 1928, the title has been held by the Duke of Gloucester and is used as a courtesy title by the Duke's elde ...

(1st creation), Hugh de Lacy, was dead by 1242/3 and his authority, namely the Earldom of Ulster, over the eastern quarter of the modern province of Ulster, this region being then called Ulidia, was incomplete. It is possible that the Bissetts aided de Lacy against his Scottish rival

Donnchad, Earl of Carrick Donnchadh (; Latin: Duncanus; English: Duncan) was a Gall-Gaidhil prince and Scottish magnate in what is now south-western Scotland, whose career stretched from the last quarter of the 12th century until his death in 1250. His father, Gille-Br ...

and received some of the latter's lands for their assistance, but while attractive no account of such a thing is preserved. Following de Lacy's death, Brian Ua Néill rose to become the most powerful king in all the north of Ireland and in the 1250s was busy smashing the young earldom to pieces, killing many of the English (presumably Scots also) and destroying their castles, and the Bissetts may have been among the sufferers. However, the report of John Byset's death in 1257 shows that the family were viable and may have found themselves possibly even the most prominent British family remaining in Ulidia for a period, since no others are mentioned in the annals. O'Neill was elected High King of Ireland in 1258 by the O'Conors and O'Briens but his death only two years later in the Battle of Druim Dearg came too soon for a major Gaelic overlordship to be established and

Walter de Burgh Walter de Burgh, 1st Earl of Ulster, 2nd Lord of Connaught (; ; 1230 – 28 July 1271) also spelt Burke or Bourke, was an Irish peer from the House of Burgh. Biography De Burgh was the second son of Richard Mór de Burgh, 1st Lord of Conna ...

, the

Lord of Connacht Lord of Connaught (Connacht) was a title used by several Norman barons in Ireland. Granted to William de Burgh, the lordship was claimed by his son, Richard Mór de Burgh, 1st Baron of Connaught, Richard Mor de Burgh, and his descendants. Conques ...

, was created Earl of Ulster four years after the conflict to preserve England's interests there. Possibly the Bissetts were forced to become his subordinates, but it has been argued that theirs was understood to be, in any case, a palatine lordship from its creation, whenever that may have been.

Bruce Wars

The historian Archie Duncan has suggested that

Edward Bruce Edward Bruce, Earl of Carrick ( Norman French: ; mga, Edubard a Briuis; Modern Scottish Gaelic: gd, Eideard or ; – 14 October 1318), was a younger brother of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots. He supported his brother in the 1306–1314 st ...

may have spent some time as a youth with the Bissetts,Duncan, p. 105 and it was to Rathlin Castle that

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 ...

and his followers retired in 1305/6 after suffering losses in Scotland. Despite the decrees of

Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vas ...

, they were reportedly welcomed by the owner Sir Hugh Byset, usually presumed to be a son of the Mac Eoin, and at this time Rathlin Island belonged to the Lordship of the Glens. It was also here that Robert Bruce may have begun planning to re-conquer Scotland, and later Sir Hugh's manor of

Glenarm Glenarm () is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies on the North Channel coast north of the town of Larne and the village of Ballygalley, and south of the village of Carnlough. It is situated in the civil parish of Tickmacreva ...

is where his brother Edward arrived after their victory in the Battle of Bannockburn.''The Description and Present State of Ulster'', p. 155, note (Hore) Parliament sent summonses to a total of five Byset magnates when hearing news of the invasion, their names being John, Hubert, William, and two named Hugh, one presumably Sir Hugh Byset, and the John Byset possibly being the Mac Eoin gone into rebellion to fight on the side of the Scots (for whom see below). The 19th century scholar Herbert Hore suggested the Bysets may actually have inspired Edward Bruce to later invade Ireland. Since no pedigree of the Irish Bissetts survives, precise relationships can only be guessed and the politics in and of the lordship are unclear. However, Hugh Byset was among the most prominent magnates in the greater region because

Aonghus Óg of Islay Aonghus Óg Mac Domhnaill (died 1314 × 1318/ 1330), or Angus Og MacDonald, was a fourteenth-century Scottish magnate and chief of Clann Domhnaill. He was a younger son of Aonghus Mór mac Domhnaill, Lord of Islay. After the latter's apparent ...

mentions him in a 1301 letter to Edward I as his compatriot, the pair "awaiting the royal commands." MacDonald's personal loyalty in practice to the English king is uncertain, perhaps complicating the matter, but Byset's is much more clearly established, because he is recorded a number of times, from the late 1290s, in the Anglo-Norman documents, being commanded to fight against the English king's enemies in Scotland, most notably Robert Bruce, the treasury (Crown) paying Byset's expenses for mustering his forces and equipping fleets to go against the Scots, and also sending supplies. When Edward Bruce invaded Ireland in 1315, Hugh Byset and the heads of several other families, Norman and Gaelic, joined Sir Thomas de Mandeville in opposing him. In fact where Bruce landed, Olderfleet Castle, was quite possibly owned by the Bissett family, but no account is preserved of what if anything this may, if true, have had to do with strategic decisions made by either side. In any event, their mixed Norman-Irish force, importantly lacking the immediate support of the otherwise occupied Earl of Ulster, Richard Óg de Burgh (who was mustering an army from his domains in

Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Del ...

), was defeated by one led by Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, and the Scottish army then proceeded south to

Carrickfergus Carrickfergus ( , meaning " Fergus' rock") is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It sits on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,998 at the 2011 Census. It is County Antrim's oldest ...

. The engagement is recalled by

John Barbour John Barbour may refer to: * John Barbour (poet) (1316–1395), Scottish poet * John Barbour (MP for New Shoreham), MP for New Shoreham 1368-1382 * John Barbour (footballer) (1890–1916), Scottish footballer * John S. Barbour (1790–1855), U. ...

, who greatly exaggerates the size of the Irish army to be defeated, in his famous epic poem ''

The Brus ''The Brus'', also known as ''The Bruce'', is a long narrative poem, in Early Scots, of just under 14,000 octosyllabic lines composed by John Barbour which gives a historic and chivalric account of the actions of Robert the Bruce and Sir Jame ...

'':

There were, however, members of the family on both sides. A ''Johannes Bisset'', who may very well have been the Mac Eoin gone to Scotland in rebellion and now returning, is listed in ''Pembridge's Annals'' and ''Grace's Annals'', both

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

compilations, as one of the eight Scottish lords accompanying Bruce in the invasion of Ulster. According to these Johannes/John Bisset was a leader in the force defeating de Mandeville and his kinsman Hugh Byset, Logan and the Savages above, was evidently with the Scots when later opposed by the armies of Richard Óg de Burgh and Edmund Butler, and was still with Bruce when victorious against Roger Mortimer in the Battle of Kells. Bisset then appears to have died in February the next year (1316), the cause and exact date now unknown. Hugh Byset was still active fighting for the other side. On

All Saints' Day All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the church, whether they are kn ...

(1 November, the Irish

Samhain Samhain ( , , , ; gv, Sauin ) is a Gaelic festival on 1 NovemberÓ hÓgáin, Dáithí. ''Myth Legend and Romance: An Encyclopaedia of the Irish Folk Tradition''. Prentice Hall Press, 1991. p. 402. Quote: "The basic Irish division of the year ...

) in 1316 John Logan and he inflicted a defeat on an army of Scots, killing one hundred in heavy armour and two hundred in regular. In ''The Brus'', John Barbour reports the Bissetts, presumably led by Sir Hugh, again with de Mandeville, Logan, the Savages, altogether with the

de Clare The House of Clare was a prominent Anglo-Norman noble house that held at various times the earldoms of Pembroke, Hertford and Gloucester in England and Wales, as well as playing a prominent role in the Norman invasion of Ireland. They were de ...

s, FitzGeralds, Butlers and others, in an alliance defeated by Bruce's army, but the account is confused, location unspecified, and receives no support from the annals and other reliable sources, making it unlikely to have occurred as reported by the poet if such an encounter took place at all. Despite his support of the English Crown Hugh Byset's lands,

and Rathlin Island, were declared forfeit by the same government. Why is uncertain, but a (perhaps confused) report made to Edward II in September 1315 that "Bisset-men and Logans" had aided Bruce's arrival may have contributed, as might any report of his earlier welcome of Robert Bruce to Rathlin, and the role in the conflict of Sir Hugh's relation John. Whether anything was carried out is unknown, and in any event the collapse of the Earldom of Ulster less than two decades later in 1333 was the beginning of the end of direct English authority in the region for a long period, leaving the Bissetts surrounded by several increasingly influential Gaelic powers. But five years later in 1338 the situation remained uncertain, and to Byset's aid came his powerful friend

John of Islay :''This article refers to John I, Lord of the Isles; for John II, see John of Islay, Earl of Ross'' John of Islay (or John MacDonald) ( gd, Eòin Mac Dòmhnuill or gd, Iain mac Aonghais Mac Dhòmhnuill) (died 1386) was the Lord of the Isles ( ...

, the Lord of the Isles, who in May of that year petitioned Edward III to restore to Byset certain lands in "Glynarvie" which had come into the king's possession from the forfeiture of Richard de Mandeville, with Edward III agreeing to grant them to Byset, taking into account either his or John of Islay's previous service in driving out the Crown's enemies (the language of the document leaving it unclear which). Notably John of Islay describes Sir Hugh as his kinsman, as he also may be described less than two weeks later at the beginning of June, when the Crown grants a certain "John Byset of Rachryn" protection out of regard for his kinsman the Lord of the Isles.

Mac Eoin and the O'Neills

The first certain contact of the Bissetts with the O'Neill dynasty is recorded in 1287, when Richard Óg de Burgh involved the short-lived

Earldom of Ulster The Earldom of Ulster was an Anglo-Norman lordship in northern medieval Ireland, established by John de Courcy from the conquest of the province of Ulaid in eastern Ulster. It was the most important Anglo-Norman lordship in the north of Ireland ...

, to which the Bissetts still belonged at this time, in an O'Neill succession dispute. But since this is also the earliest known occurrence of the Gaelic lineage or princely style Mac Eoin, only a few decades after the arrival of the family in Ulster, the Bissetts have already culturally assimilated to a notable degree: There are no surviving mentions of the Mac Eoin Bissetts in the Irish sources for nearly another century. The Earldom of Ulster, already weakened by the Bruce invasion, collapsed following the assassination of William Donn de Burgh in 1333. It is unknown what role the Bissetts might have played in this, but half a century later in 1383 they are found probably allied with the O'Neills against the remnants of the earldom, which were led by the Savage family.Nicholls, p. 388 In that year Niall Mór Ó Néill, King of Ulster launched a massive assault against the remaining English in the north of Ireland, burning their towns and laying waste their territories, and following one engagement Seinicin Finn Bissett, a son of the Mac Eoin, is found dispatching the wounded Raibilin Savage, opponent of Aodh Óg Ó Néill in the battle. Bissett is himself slain by Savage's people in revenge for this. That the Bissetts were now formally allied to the O'Neills may be supported by several notices in 1387 of the death of one Sabia O'Neill (Sadhbh inghen Aodha Uí Néill), wife of the Mac Eoin Bissett, in which she is praised as "the choice woman of the descendants of Niall of the Nine Hostages in her time" and "a lady that far surpassed all the ladies of the Clanna Neill, in all good parts requisite for the character of a noble matron". All entries describe her as the daughter of one Aodh Ó Néill but who this might be is uncertain. The 19th century genealogist John O'Hart preserved the tradition that Aodh Reamhar Ó Néill, King of Ulster and

King of Tyrone This article lists the rulers of Tyrone (Irish: ''Tír Eoghain'') from 1185 to 1616. They are listed from their date of accession to date of death, unless otherwise stated. Prior to this, the ruling dynasty - the Cenél nEógain - were most of th ...

(died 1364), also called Aodh Mór, and the father Niall Mór above, also had four daughters but does not give their names nor whom they married. Further evidence of Bissett support for the Ulster Gaels against the English has possibly been found. A certain "MacGion" reported on the Gaelic side in a conflict in 1403 is suggested by the historian

Kenneth Nicholls Kenneth W. Nicholls, Irish academic and historian, is a widely respected Irish historian. Nicholls came to national and international prominence as the author of ''Gaelic and Gaelicised Ireland in the Middle Ages'', first published in 1972, ...

to be "none other than heMac Eoin Bisset".

Englyshe rebelles

The following belongs to a section of the preliminary list created in 1515, before the

Tudor conquest of Ireland The Tudor conquest (or reconquest) of Ireland took place under the Tudor dynasty, which held the Kingdom of England during the 16th century. Following a failed rebellion against the crown by Silken Thomas, the Earl of Kildare, in the 1530s, ...

, for

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

of the leading families of Ireland, both of Gaelic and other lineage, who were not under English control. These were the strongest families of whom his officials had knowledge. First the Gaelic families are listed, and then the Norman families who have gone Gaelic: Ulster Early 16th Century

Later on in the same document Ulster is discussed again. This time there are four Anglo-Norman families mentioned: A similar list, of contemporary or slightly later date, made itself into the circa 1540 compilation known as the Book of Howth. The editors of the manuscript note that the list is in a different hand from the surrounding text: The reference in both to ''Captains'' is very important. This was the English term for those families who enjoyed effectively total

sovereignty Sovereignty is the defining authority within individual consciousness, social construct, or territory. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within the state, as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the perso ...

within their territories, even if these might not be extensive. In describing the Gaelic Captains in the beginning of the first document, the officials report that "... some callyth themselffes Kynges, some Kynges Peyres, in their langage, some Prynceis (

Flatha {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022 A flaith ( Irish) or flath (Modern Scottish Gaelic), plural flatha, in the Gaelic world, could refer to any member in general of a powerful family enjoying a high degree of sovereignty, and so is also sometimes tr ...

), some Dukes, some Archedukes... and obeyeth to no other temperall person... and hath imperiall jurysdyction in his rome ealm.." Gaelic Ireland is described as a patchwork of various overkingdoms,

petty kingdom A petty kingdom is a kingdom described as minor or "petty" (from the French 'petit' meaning small) by contrast to an empire or unified kingdom that either preceded or succeeded it (e.g. the numerous kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England unified into ...

s, and other territories with limited to no national overlordship, although some might be practised at the provincial level, for example by the O'Neills in the case of Ulster. The Bissetts and these other "English" families were those who had become like the Gaelic Irish, adopting their concepts of sovereignty, manners and styles. This was sometimes referred to as becoming ''

more Irish than the Irish themselves "More Irish than the Irish themselves" ( ga, Níos Gaelaí ná na Gaeil féin, la, Hiberniores Hibernis ipsis) is a phrase used in Irish historiography to describe a phenomenon of cultural assimilation in late medieval Norman Ireland. History ...

'', although the extent of Gaelicization varied by family. Some families were later brought back, and others not. We never get to find out in the case of the Bissetts because they have apparently gone under by the time the Kingdom of Ireland is proclaimed and Henry begins receiving the submission of the princes.

Lordship lost

The Battle of Knockavoe in 1522 as described in the

Annals of Connacht The ''Annals of Connacht'' (), covering the years 1224 to 1544, are drawn from a manuscript compiled in the 15th and 16th centuries by at least three scribes, all believed to be members of the Clan Ó Duibhgeannáin. The early sections, commenci ...

Glenariff, County Antrim, Ireland, 1890s

Above is the final report of an activity of the Mac Eoin Bissett family in the Irish and English sources, and it is assumed that not long after, the MacDonnells, newly of Antrim and the former friends and allies of the Bissetts, somehow managed to dispossess them of the Lordship of the Glens. Only ten years previously the Bissett lordship was weakened by the invasion of Gerald Mór FitzGerald into the region, who after entering the O'Neill

Clandeboye Clandeboye or Clannaboy (from Irish ''Clann Aodha Buí'', "family of Hugh the Blond") was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, comprising what is now south County Antrim, north County Down, and the barony of Loughinsholin, Northern Ireland. The entity ...

lordship and taking the castle of

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

marched through into Bissett territory, where he destroyed the Mac Eoin's castle and plundered much of the Glens and surrounding countryside. This misfortune was itself preceded by another, although not of the same magnitude, in 1495, when the O'Donnells of

Tyrconnell Tyrconnell (), also spelled Tirconnell, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Donegal, which has sometimes been called ''County Tyrconnell''. At times it also included parts of County Fermanagh, Cou ...

to the west, the leading rivals of the O'Neills, made a small stealthy raid on the Mac Eoin's personal estates, and according to the

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Flood myt ...

succeeded in capturing him, his praiseworthy wife, steeds and hound, who were all considered to be the finest in the area, as well as an amount of his personal fortune. This not always completely reliable compilation, being the work of biased Tyrconnell scholars, claims this was caused by the Mac Eoin's refusal to give up his fine steed to Conn O'Donnell after it has been requested. The actual extent of the damage is uncertain and the event is reported in no other source. In the annals it is clear that FitzGerald's invasion seventeen years later involved far greater forces.

Margery Byset and the MacDonnells

The MacDonnell claim to the Glens of Antrim dated from the marriage of

Margery Byset Margery Byset (Bisset, Bissett; also Marjery, Margaret, Marie) was an Irish noblewoman belonging to the Bissett family whose marriage to John Mór Tanister MacDonnell in 1399 laid the basis for the Clan Donald claim to the Glens of Antrim, the l ...

, a daughter of the Mac Eoin, to John Mór MacDonnell, the second son of

John of Islay, Lord of the Isles :''This article refers to John I, Lord of the Isles; for John II, see John of Islay, Earl of Ross'' John of Islay (or John MacDonald) ( gd, Eòin Mac Dòmhnuill or gd, Iain mac Aonghais Mac Dhòmhnuill) (died 1386) was the Lord of the Isles (1 ...

, in the 1390s. From the date of this marriage, or soon after, he and their descendants, the

Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg, also known as Clan Donald South, ''Clan Iain Mor, Clan MacDonald of Islay and Kintyre, MacDonalds of the Glens (Antrim)'' and sometimes referred to as ''MacDonnells'', is a Scottish clan and a branch of Clan Donald. ...

, considered the Lordship of the Glens to be theirs and styled themselves lords of "Dunnyveg and the Glens", first found being styled so in a document dating to 1403. However the male line of the Bissetts was certainly "far from extinct," and whatever gains made by the MacDonnells are uncertain. Bissett hostility to the MacDonnells may in fact have produced an alliance between the latter and the Savage family, and the war-making, on the side of the Ulster Gaels, against the English of Ulster, including the Savages, by a certain MacGion, likely the Mac Eoin Bissett, in 1403 may be associated with MacDonnell's new style as recognised by Henry IV. Also notable is that a member of the Savage family, the seneschal of Ulster Richard Savage, had the wardship of Margery, as well as her sister Elizabeth, following the late Mac Eoin's death, and this included some control over whatever for certain their actual inheritances may have been,''The Description and Present State of Ulster'', p. 156, note (Hore) but it is unknown what exactly this may have had to do with the marriage to MacDonnell or if any possible alliance may have been influential. Elizabeth I Steven Van Der Meulen

In the opinion of W. F. T. Butler the MacDonnell claim was of doubtful legality, while according to George Hill they did not establish a permanent (or any) presence in the Glens until Alexander Carragh in the early 16th century, who is noticed campaigning in the Irish annals in the 1520s. He was a strong leader with a large following, and it is in this decade the Bissetts appear to lose control of their lordship following the Battle of Knockavoe. One of Alexander Carragh's sons, the celebrated Sorley Boy, was finally allowed by

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...

in 1560 to be a tenant of the lands he claimed "by inheritance," but the MacDonnells continued to struggle to gain a foothold because of Ulster's leading prince, Shane O'Neill, who continually harassed them. In 1573, six years after O'Neill's death, Sorley Boy (re-)petitioned, and this time for "a portion of the Glynns claimed by him by inheritance from the M ssetts", with the government thinking it a good idea to grant because they could use him against the Irish who were still refusing to submit. However, he himself soon became involved in a major conflict with the English, and ended up settling in

The Route ''The Route'' is a Ugandan film directed by Jayant Maru, based on a screenplay he wrote. It is about human trafficking in Uganda. Cast * Sharon Detoro as Samantha * Thomas Kayondo as Sam * Edlyn Sabrina as Sabrina * Felix Bwanika as Mr. Ny ...

, the old MacQuillan lordship to the west of the Glens, while a younger brother, Donnell Gorme MacDonnell, swore fealty to Elizabeth in 1584 for "so much of the Glynns in Ulster as were the lands of Myssett, otherwise Bissett", agreeing to pay what yearly rents the Lord Deputy

Henry Sidney Sir Henry Sidney (20 July 1529 – 5 May 1586), Lord Deputy of Ireland, was the eldest son of Sir William Sidney of Penshurst, a prominent politician and courtier during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI, from both of whom he receive ...

decided, this being 60 beeves (

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...

). Uncertain is the actual extent of the territory being granted at this moment and the size of the lordship certainly varied over time. But less than two years later, and shortly before Elizabeth and James VI of Scotland agreed in the 1586 Treaty of Berwick that the MacDonnells would finally have the right to stay in Ireland, the Lord Deputy granted the lordship, the yearly rents again being 60 beeves, to Angus MacDonnell of Dunnyveg, another relative of Sorley Boy, with all its castles and "Myssett alias Byssett's lands" save Olderfleet Castle (by this time of uncertain origin to the parties involved), this to become the property of the Queen.

1586 description

This same year Sir Henry Bagenal, in his ''Description and Present State of Ulster'', describes the Glynns as they were understood then as being: The Glynns contain seven baronies, these being Larn, Park,

(the seat of the lordship), Redbaye, Lade,

Cary Cary may refer to: Places ;United States * Cary, Illinois, part of the Chicago metropolitan area * Cary, Indiana, part of the Indianapolis metropolitan area * Cary, Miami County, Indiana * Cary, Maine * Cary, Mississippi * Cary, North Carolina ...

, and Mowbray, with Rathlin Island counted as an additional half barony, and they were understood to be: Uncertain is whether Irish and English attempts to drive out the MacDonnells in the 16th century are meant, or if their "quiet possession" of the territory refers to the period of over a century before this when the lordship or most of it remained in the possession of the Bissett family.

Alternative view

In the minority is the scholar Simon Kingston, who has recently argued, using an ''absence of evidence is not

evidence of absence Evidence of absence is evidence of any kind that suggests something is missing or that it does not exist. What counts as evidence of absence has been a subject of debate between scientists and philosophers. It is often distinguished from absence ...

'' approach, that the MacDonnells did in fact gain the upper hand to become dominant in the Glens following the marriage of Margery Byset to John Mór MacDonnell. His approach disregards the lack of a MacDonnell presence in the Irish sources and English ones covering Irish affairs in favour of assuming the accuracy of the MacDonnell claims and styles prior to the 1520s. What is unknown is whether the Bissetts ever recognised the nominal

overlordship An overlord in the English feudal system was a lord of a manor who had subinfeudated a particular manor, estate or fee, to a tenant. The tenant thenceforth owed to the overlord one of a variety of services, usually military service or se ...

of the much more powerful Scottish dynasty still based in the Western Isles, a different species of submission from giving up their lordship itself. If so then the MacDonnell claims could be understood differently, but remain unverifiable.

finds Bissett acceptance of the MacDonnell intrusion unlikely and military retaliation probable. Glenarm Castle

Earldom of Antrim

The MacDonnells were still pressing their claim based on their "inheritance" and descent from Margery and the Baron (Mac Eoin) Bissett into the 17th century. After Randal MacDonnell, a son of Sorley Boy, received a grant for both the Glynns and the Route in 1603, he was created Viscount Dunluce in 1618 and soon after that 1st

Earl of Antrim Earl of Antrim is a title that has been created twice, both times in the Peerage of Ireland and both times for members of the MacDonnell family, originally of Scottish origins. History The MacDonells of Antrim descended from Sorley Boy MacDo ...

in 1620. In the 11th year of Elizabeth's reign an

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...

officially vested the "Baron Bissett's land" in the Crown of England, and in 1617–8 the MacDonnells' claim to it as "heirs unto Bissett" remained of importance, with the new Viscount Dunluce's pedigree even provided for the record: Domhnall Ballach, the son of John Mór and Margery, spent some time under the protection of the O'Neills in Ireland after fleeing Scotland following conflicts with

James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) *James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) *James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu *James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...

, but he returned to his seat on Islay in 1437 and is not recorded in possession of any part of the Glens from that time or at his death in 1476 in contemporary Irish or English sources. His son John Mor (II) MacDonnell (executed 1499), the 3rd Lord of Dunnyveg, also lived his life in Scotland, but his son was the Alexander Carragh already discussed, evidently responsible for completely ousting the Bissetts in the Glens in the 1520s or not long after.

Descendants

The Earldom of Antrim, although much reduced, still exists today and in the possession of descendants, the Earls of Antrim and Viscounts Dunluce, of the Lady Margery and the Mac Eoin Bissetts. Their Gaelic title has also been revived in a fashion recently by another MacDonnell descendant, who styles himself MacDonnell of the Glens and received recognition from the Irish government (until courtesy recognition of

Chiefs of the Name The Chief of the Name, or in older English usage Captain of his Nation, is the recognised head of a family or clan (''fine'' in Irish and Scottish Gaelic). The term has sometimes been used as a title in Ireland and Scotland. In Ireland In Eliz ...

was ceased in 2003). A certain ghost by the name of Ann Bissett was in the 19th century and may still be known to inhabit

Glenarm Castle Glenarm Castle, Glenarm, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, is the ancestral home of the Earl of Antrim. History There has been a castle at Glenarm since the 13th century, where it resides at the heart of one of Northern Ireland's oldest estates. ...

and its grounds, where she will not appear to MacDonnells, only to others, because of the bitter later history of their families.

A Greek family?

While a pedigree of the Irish Bissetts probably does not survive,

Duald Mac Firbis Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh (), also known as Dubhaltach Óg mac Giolla Íosa Mór mac Dubhaltach Mór Mac Fhirbhisigh, Duald Mac Firbis, Dudly Ferbisie, and Dualdus Firbissius (fl. 1643 – January 1671) was an Irish scribe, translator, historia ...

, in his ''

Leabhar na nGenealach ''Leabhar na nGenealach'' ("Book of Genealogies") is a massive genealogical collection written mainly in the years 1649 to 1650, at the college-house of St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church, Galway, by Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh. He continued to add ...

'', tells us in his pedigree of the MacDonnells the following: The passage goes on to state incorrectly that the MacDonnells had by 1649 been in possession of the Glens of Antrim for 227 years, but above we are provided with our only surviving mention of what was a tradition current in Ireland some period of time before the mid-17th century. Duald Mac Firbis reported pedigrees and traditions as he found them and so it is not his own speculation. Without offering an opinion on this claim of Greek origins, John O'Donovan wondered if this should really mean (to Scotland with)

William the Lion William the Lion, sometimes styled William I and also known by the nickname Garbh, "the Rough"''Uilleam Garbh''; e.g. Annals of Ulster, s.a. 1214.6; Annals of Loch Cé, s.a. 1213.10. ( 1142 – 4 December 1214), reigned as King of Scots from 11 ...

, it being the well known case that the Scottish king brought a number of

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

families with him to Scotland, from 1174, following his captivity in England. In fact the first known Byset in Scotland, Henricus Byset, witnessed a charter by William circa 1198.James Cairney (1989),
Clans and Families of Ireland and Scotland
', p. 143 But this is not of the most importance, as the family are typically classed as Norman in any case, even if their origins beyond that grouping are uncertain. Edmund Chisholm-Batten took the Irish tradition seriously and offered some possibilities, first noting the similarity of the arms of the Byzantine Greek family named ''Dassiotes'' to those of the Bissetts.Chisholm-Batten, p. 300 Alternatively, noting an instance of the name being spelled ''Buset'' in 1294, he suggests the family name ''Βυσσητòς'', from the word for "fine linen", ''Βυσσoς''.

Notes

References

Medieval and Early Modern

;Irish annals * * * * * ;Latin annals * ''Annales Hiberniae (Grace's Annals)'', James Grace of Kilkenny (1537–1539), ed. & tr. Richard Butler (1842). Dublin: The Irish Archaeological Society
edition
an

available from CELT. * ''Annales Hibernie ab anno Christi 1162 usque ad annum 1370 (Pembridge's Annals)'', John Pembridge (1331–1343), ed. John T. Gilbert (1884–1886). London: Longmans

available from CELT. ;Norman and English documents * '' The Battle Abbey Roll'', ed. Catherine Powlett, Duchess of Cleveland (1889).
The Battle Abbey Roll, with some account of the Norman Lineages, Vol. I
'. London: John Murray. *
The Book of Howth
'. Compiled from earlier and contemporary sources, circa 1540. Printed in ''Calendar of the Carew Manuscripts''. 1871. Eds. by J. S. Brewer & William Bullen. * ''Calendar of the Carew Manuscripts''
1515–15741575–15881603–1624Vol. 6
Eds. J. S. Brewer & William Bullen. London: Longmans, Green, Reader, & Dyer. * ''Calendar of Documents, Relating to Ireland''
1171–12511252–12841293–13011302–1307
Eds. H. S. Sweetman & Gustavus Frederick Handcock. London: Longman's & Co.; Trübner & Co. * ''Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edward III, Vol. IV'', 1338–1340. Deputy Keeper of the Records. London: For Her Majesty's Stationery Office by Eyre and Spottiswoode. 1898

* ''Calendar of the State Papers, Relating to Ireland''
1509–15731574–15851586 – July 1588
Ed. Hans Claude Hamilton. London: Longman's & Co.; Trübner & Co. *
The Description of Ireland 1598
', ed. Edmund Hogan. Dublin: M. H. Gill & Son. 1878
alt
*
The Description and Present State of Ulster
' by Sir

Henry Bagenal Sir Henry Bagenal PC (c. 1556 – 14 August 1598) was marshal of the Royal Irish Army during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Life He was the eldest son of Nicholas Bagenal and Eleanor Griffith, daughter of Sir Edward Griffith of Penrhyn. His b ...

(1586), ed. with notes and commentary by H. F. Hore. ''Ulster Journal of Archaeology II''. 1854. pp. 137–60. *
State Papers, Henry the Eighth, Vol. II, Part. III
'. His Majesty's Commission. 1834. ;Irish genealogical *

, ''

''. Ireland. 1650. * John O'Hart,
Irish Pedigrees
'. Dublin: James Duffy and Co. 5th edition, 1892. ;Scottish sources *

, ''

'' (1375), ed.

Walter William Skeat Walter William Skeat, (21 November 18356 October 1912) was a British philologist and Anglican deacon. The pre-eminent British philologist of his time, he was instrumental in developing the English language as a higher education subject in th ...

(1894).
The Bruce; or, The Book of the Most Excellent and Noble Prince, Robert de Broyss, King of Scots, Volume II
'. Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons for The Scottish Text Society. ;Other * ''Description of England and Ireland under the Restoration'', Albert Jouvain (Paris, 1672), ed. & tr. C. Litton Falkiner (1904). London: Longmans, Green, and Co

available from CELT.

Modern

* A., L. L., "Glenarm Castle and its Ghost. Some Old Recollections", in ''The Ulster Journal of Archaeology, Vol. XVII, 2nd ser., No. 1/4''. Ulster Archaeological Society. 1911/1912. pp. 9–15
JSTOR
* Butler, W. F. T.,
Confiscation in Irish History
'. Dublin: The Talbot Press. 2nd edition, 1918. * Chisholm-Batten, Edmund,
The Charters of the Priory of Beauly with Notices of the Priories of Pluscardine and Ardchattan and of the Family of the Founder John Byset
'. London: Houlston & Sons. 1877
alt
* Curley, Walter J.P., ''Vanishing Kingdoms: The Irish Chiefs and their Families''. Dublin: Lilliput Press. 2004. * Duffy, Seán, "The Lords of Galloway, Earls of Carrick, and the Bissetts of the Glens: Scottish settlement in thirteenth-century Ulster", in David Edwards (ed.), ''Regions and Rulers in Ireland, 1100–1650: Essays for Kenneth Nicholls''.

Four Courts The Four Courts ( ga, Na Ceithre Cúirteanna) is Ireland's most prominent courts building, located on Inns Quay in Dublin. The Four Courts is the principal seat of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the High Court and the Dublin Circui ...

. 2003/4. pp. 37–50. * Duncan, A. A. M., "The Scots' Invasion of Ireland, 1315", in R.R. Davies (ed.), ''The British Isles, 1100–1500''. Edinburgh: J. Donald. 1988. pp. 100–17. * Ellis, Peter Berresford, ''Erin's Blood Royal: The Gaelic Noble Dynasties of Ireland''. Palgrave. Revised edition, 2002. * Fittis, Robert Scott,
Romantic Narratives from Scottish History and Tradition
'. Paisley: Alexander Gardner. 1903. * Frame, Robin, "Power and Society in the Lordship of Ireland 1272–1377", in ''Past & Present, Vol. 76''.

OUP Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

on behalf of The Past and Present Society. 1977. pp. 3–33
Oxford JournalsJSTOR
* H., J. W., "The Earldom and Barons of Ulster", in
The Ulster Journal of Archaeology, Vol. I, 1st ser.
'. Belfast: Archer & Sons. 1853. pp. 38–42
altJSTOR
* Hill, George, "Chiefs of the Antrim MacDonnells prior to Sorley Boy", in
The Ulster Journal of Archaeology, Vol. VII, 1st ser.
'. Belfast: Archer & Sons. 1859. pp. 247–59. * Hill, George,
An Historical Account of the MacDonnells of Antrim: Including Notices of some other Septs, Irish and Scottish
'. Belfast: Archer & Sons. 1873
alt
* Hore, Herbert F., "The Bruces in Ireland", in the
Ulster Journal of Archaeology, Vol. V, 1st ser.
'. Belfast: Archer & Sons. 1857. pp. 1–12
altJSTOR
* Kingston, Simon, ''Ulster and the Isles in the Fifteenth Century: The Lordship of the Clann Domhnaill of Antrim''.

. 2004. * MacDonald, Angus, and Archibald MacDonald,
The Clan Donald, Vol. I
'. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company. 1896. * McDonnell, H., "Glenarm Friary and the Bissets", in ''The Glynns, XV'' (1987): 34–49. * Nicholls, K. W., "Anglo-French Ireland and after", in ''

Peritia ''Peritia'' is an annual peer-reviewed academic journal covering Celtic and Insular medieval studies in the context of the European Middle Ages and European medieval studies in general. It is published by the Medieval Academy of Ireland. History ...

1'' (1982): 370–403
BREPOLS
* Reeves, William,
Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor, and Dromore
'. Dublin: Hodges and Smith. 1847. * Savage-Armstrong, George Francis,
The Ancient and Noble Family of the Savages of the Ards
'. London: Marcus Ward & Co. 1888
altrevised & expanded (1906)
{{Refend

External links

History of Glenarm Castle

Irish noble families Normans in Ireland Surnames of Irish origin Scottish clans Clan Bissett