Clan Makgill
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Clan Makgill is a Lowland
Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from Goidelic languages, Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared identity and descent to members, and in modern times have an official ...
.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 The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs (SCSC) is the organisation that represents the Chiefs of many prominent Scottish Clans and Families. It describes itself as "the definitive and authoritative body for information on the Scottish Clan System ...
). Published in 1994. Pages 262 - 263.


History


Origins of the clan

The historian George Fraser Black suggested in his work ''Surnames of Scotland'' that the surname Makgill is derived from ''Mac an ghoill'' which means ''son of the lowlander'' or ''son of the stranger''. The name was established in
Galloway Galloway ( ; sco, Gallowa; la, Gallovidia) is a region in southwestern Scotland comprising the historic counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. It is administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway. A native or i ...
before the thirteenth century. In 1231 Maurice Macgeil witnessed a charter of Maldouen, Earl of Lennox to the church of St Thomas the Martyr of
Arbroath Arbroath () or Aberbrothock ( gd, Obar Bhrothaig ) is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus, Scotland, with a population of 23,902. It lies on the North Sea coast some ENE of Dundee and SSW of Aberdeen. The ...
.


16th and 17th centuries

During the reign of
James V of Scotland James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of James IV of Sco ...
, James Makgill, a descendant of the Galloway family was a prominent
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
merchant and later became
Provost of Edinburgh The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Edinburgh is the convener of the City of Edinburgh local authority, who is elected by City_of_Edinburgh_Council, the city council and serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the e ...
. He supported the reformed religion and the eldest of his two sons, Sir James Makgill, purchased the estate of Nether Rankeillour in
Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
. James studied law at Edinburgh and was recognised as an able scholar. He became a member of the
College of Justice The College of Justice includes the Supreme Courts of Scotland, and its associated bodies. The constituent bodies of the national supreme courts are the Court of Session, the High Court of Justiciary, the Office of the Accountant of Court, an ...
in June 1554, and in August of the same year he became a Lord of Session. James Makgill bought the estate of Nether Rankeillour and took the judicial title "Lord Rankeillor". He became a friend and supporter of the religious reformer,
John Knox John Knox ( gd, Iain Cnocc) (born – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgat ...
. In 1561 when
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...
returned to
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from widowhood in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, Makgill became one of her Privy Councillors. However he was also heavily implicated in the murder of the queen's secretary
David Rizzio David Rizzio ( ; it, Davide Rizzio ; – 9 March 1566) or Riccio ( , ) was an Italian courtier, born in Pancalieri close to Turin, a descendant of an ancient and noble family still living in Piedmont, the Riccio Counts di San Paolo e Solbrito ...
and as a result was deprived of his judicial rank and was forced to flee from Edinburgh. He was later pardoned but was ordered to stay north of the
River Tay The River Tay ( gd, Tatha, ; probably from the conjectured Brythonic ''Tausa'', possibly meaning 'silent one' or 'strong one' or, simply, 'flowing') is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in Great Britain. The Tay originates ...
. In December 1567, through the influence of the
Regent Moray James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (c. 1531 – 23 January 1570) was a member of the House of Stewart as the illegitimate son of King James V of Scotland. A supporter of his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots, he was the regent of Scotland for his ...
, Makgill was restored to his offices. He later attended as one of the regent's commissioners who attended the regent on his journey to
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
to present accusations of the queen who was then in exile. He was also later an ambassador to the court of
Elizabeth I of England 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 1571 and 1572, however while he was absent his house in Edinburgh was attacked by supporters of Queen Mary and his wife was killed. He died in 1579 and was succeeded by his younger brother who held the lands of Cranston-Riddell and who had been appointed to the Court of Session in 1582. He took the title "Lord Cranston-Riddell" and was succeeded in 1594 by his son, David, who followed him onto the Bench. He was succeeded by yet another David, the third Laird of Cranston-Riddell, who died in 1619 without male issue. His brother was James Makgill who in 1627 was created a
Baronet of Nova Scotia This is a list of baronetcies in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia. These were first created in 1624, and were replaced by the Baronetage of Great Britain in 1707. This page lists baronetcies, whether extant, extinct, dormant (D), unproven (U), ...
. He was appointed a Lord of Session in 1629 and in 1651 was elevated to the peerage as
Viscount of Oxfuird Viscount of Oxfuird is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1651 for Sir James Makgill, 1st Baronet, along with the subsidiary title of Lord Makgill of Cousland, also in the Peerage of Scotland, with remainder to his "heirs mal ...
. He died in 1663 and was succeeded by his son, Robert Makgill, second Viscount Oxfuird.


18th century and disputed chiefship

Robert Makgill, second Viscount Oxfuird had a son named Thomas who died in 1701, five years before his father, Robert and left no issue. William Maitland son of Christian Makgill, daughter of the second viscount then claimed the viscountcy but this was challenged in 1734 by James Makgill of Nether-Rankeillor who was sixth in descent from Lord Rankeillor. The House of Lords refused to accept the claim of either James Makgill or Christian Makgill's son, William Maitland. As a result, the title became dormant although Christian's younger sister, Henrietta, later assumed the title of Viscountess of Oxfuird but without establishing the legal right to the title and she died in 1758 without issue. The Nether-Rankeillor estates later passed through an heiress to Frederick Maitland, sixth son of the
Earl of Lauderdale Earl of Lauderdale is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. The current holder of the title is Ian Maitland, 18th Earl of Lauderdale. The title was created in 1624 for John Maitland, 2nd Lord Maitland of Thirlestane, Berwickshire. The second Ear ...
. The family then assumed the surname Maitland Makgill. Later David Maitland Makgill became heir to the Crichton viscountcy of Frendraught and styled himself Maitland Makgill Crichton. It was a member of this family who established the right to the chiefship of the
Clan Crichton Clan Crichton is a Lowland Scottish clan that historically ruled Dumfries. History Origins of the clan One of the earliest baronies around Edinburgh was formed from the lands of '' Kreitton'' and is mentioned in charters of the early 12th cen ...
in 1980 and abandoned his additional surnames as required by the
Lord Lyon King of Arms The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grant ...
. In 1986 his kinsman, George Hubbard Makgill was recognised as the thirteenth
Viscount of Oxfuird Viscount of Oxfuird is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1651 for Sir James Makgill, 1st Baronet, along with the subsidiary title of Lord Makgill of Cousland, also in the Peerage of Scotland, with remainder to his "heirs mal ...
and chief of Clan Makgill.


Clan chief

The current Chief of Clan Makgill is Ian Arthur Alexander Makgill, 14th
Viscount of Oxfuird Viscount of Oxfuird is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1651 for Sir James Makgill, 1st Baronet, along with the subsidiary title of Lord Makgill of Cousland, also in the Peerage of Scotland, with remainder to his "heirs mal ...
.


References


See also

*
Viscount of Oxfuird Viscount of Oxfuird is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1651 for Sir James Makgill, 1st Baronet, along with the subsidiary title of Lord Makgill of Cousland, also in the Peerage of Scotland, with remainder to his "heirs mal ...
*
Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from Goidelic languages, Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared identity and descent to members, and in modern times have an official ...
{{Scottish clans Makgill