|
Genealogy of The Clan Gregor - 7 - Descendants of Donnchadh mor in Roro |
| Back to 2 - The immediate descendants of Gregor, the founder of the Clan Iain dubh nan lann - or is it Donnchadh mor ? b.~1360 | | | |
|
|||||||||||||
| Note, there is significant doubt about the identity of Gregor, son of Duncan, on this page. There is an obit for Gregor duncanbegson at Morinch (Morenish on Loch Tay) in 1503. I have assumed this man to be the ancestor of Roro. Therefore John Malloch Eoin malach MacUisdean would be his first cousin. Among the papers of John MacGregor WS at GD50/89 is a manuscript table of the descent of the Balhaldies family beginning with Duncan beg (died 1478 in Roro) and his brother Hugh Uisdean who died at Ardeonaig in 1505. However, a Gregor Duncanson is also in the obits, having died at Roro in 1515 - see this page After some debate, I have placed him as a grandson of the Vicar at Fortingall with the Duncansons and Charlissons. However, it is the latter whom Innerhaddon takes as the ancestor of Roro. |
|
[1] Obit: 1477. Feb. 17. Death of Duncan Beg MacGregor at Roro
[3]
Obit: 1522 Oct. Death of Patrick Duncanbegson in Morinche. [4] Obit: 1524. Feb. 9. Death of John Malloch McHustone at Tullichcamin; he was buried at Killin [5] Obit: 1503, September 10 Death of Gregor Duncanbegson, at Morinch [8] 1507, 4th July. Preceptum Remissionis Nigelli McAne Moil, ane McFinlason et Johannis McLeache pro receptatione Patricii Duncanbegsone et Johannis Dow sui fratis &a Apud, Perth, 4th July 1507 (Privy Seal, iv. 113). [9] According to the account of the MacGregors of Learagan from a Memoir by Colonel Hugh MacGregor :- “Duncan MacGregor, younger son of Gregor MacGregor of Roro (commonly called Donnacha dubh Liomhanach), from his having come from Glenlyon, got possession of Learagan, in Rannoch, from a tribe called Tavish, that resided there about the year 1480. His estate consisted of eleven merks of land, extending from Aldcheardie to the Clachghlas near the east end of Loch Rannoch. His brother Alexander went to Rannoch about the same time, and after a hard fought battle, with a tribe called Clann- ‘il bhuidh (Stewart) defeated them and took possession in Dunan. His Estate consisted of the Twelve merks of land, by the west of the river Ericht, the middle division of Slismine, or north side of Loch Rannoch having been then, as well for several generations before the sons of Roro came to Rannoch, possessed by the MacGregors of Ardlaraich. The descendants of Donnacha-dubh liomhanach, occupied Learagan either as proprietors or as tenants, from the above mentioned period till 1792 when the present system of sheep farming caused their removal. Duncan married a daughter of McPherson of Noelmore, in Badenoch by whom he had several children and was succeeded by his eldest son Malcolm MacGregor called Callum Glas or the pale faced Malcolm.” . |
| Donnchadh Beag is the first identifiable member of Clann Donnchaidh Lìobhunnaich on record, but is not necessarily to be regarded as its eponym, for the epithet he bears makes it probable that he was the son of a Donnchadh Mór who might equally be identified with Donnchadh Lìobhunnach. Donnchadh Mór - if such there was - must have flourished in the latter part of the first half of the fifteenth century, and we would need to assume that he established himself in Glen Lyon within that period. It might be objected that he has left no trace in the surviving contemporary records, scanty though they are. But what does seem to favour his identification with Donnchadh Lìobhunnaich is the fact that, as we shall see, Niall Breac, Uisdean amd Uilleam, with whom the Fearnan, Ardeonaig and Rannoch branches of Clam Donnchaidh Lìobhunnaich seem to have respectively originated, were more likely to have been brothers of Donnchadh Beag than his sons. Hence the most attractive (though tentative) reconstruction, for which parallels could readily be adduced, would equate Donnchadh Lìobhunnach with Donnchadh Mór, father of Donnchadh Beag, Niall Breac, Uisdean and Uilleam from whom the branches at Roro, Fearnan, Ardeonaig and Rannoch derived respectively. |
| The Roro kindred, described as a “house and branch” in its own right in a document of late 1566 or early 1567, was the most important component of Clann Donnchaidh Lìobhunnaich, which makes it likely that Donnchadh Beag was the eldest son of Donnchadh Mór. After Donnchadh Beag’s death in 1478 his descendants continued to occupy Roro while expanding into other parts of Glen Lyon and into Loch Tayside. Possibly a son of Donnchadh Beag was Eoin mac Dhonnchaidh, who was already leasing the eastern part of Eddergoll near Balloch c.1480, and who died at Balloch in 1492. The MacGregor chief Eoin Dubh had a residence at Balloch and it may be that Eoin was its keeper. He does not appear to have had any progeny, for by the mid-sixteenth century Balloch was occupied by a different MacGregor lineage. Definitely sons of Donnchadh Beag were Griogair and Pàdraig, who died in 1503 and 1522 respectively at Morenish in Deas-fhaire - probably Wester Morenish, since we know that Pàdraig’s son Alasdair Odhar held it in tack of Menzies of Weem. [Chron. BDL, 10 September 1503; Chron. Fortingall, October 1522. Pàdraig is mentioned in a precept of remission in 1507, along with his brother Eoin Dubh.. The latter may be the John Dow Makgregour Duncansone on record in 1531 along with Donnchadh MacGregor his brother in Morenish, but is apparently not to be identified with the Johannes Dow Duncansoun on record in Glen Lochay in 1528 This lineage came to an end with Alasdair Odhar (d.155l), and by the later sixteenth century Wester Morenish was held by a scion of the MacGregor ruling family. |