Genealogy of The Clan Gregor - 79, Descendants of Colonel Alexander (Napier Ruskie)

[1] https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/MacGregor-1122

[2] According to General Stewart of Garth, Ewan mac Iain Oaig Sir John Macgregors father made a runaway marriage with a Daughter of the family of MacDonald isle of Sky he was a Drover and made her believe he was proprietor of Balquhidder and a very well built house she saw when coming home she thought to be her own - But all that awaited her was a miserable cottage in the braes of Balquhidder and a Farm of one fourth of a Plough sometime thereafter they went to Inverchagerney in Strathfillan where they had a like possession of one fourth of a plough. Inverchagerney in Strathfillan Once belonging to Campbell of Lochdochard now to MacNab of Macnab from that place to Crianlarach Ewan Murray went to keep the Change house in Lochdochard estate where he resided for a long time from thence to the Inn at Lochearnhead where they lost all their property by fire from Lochearnhead to Down & Sir James Cohan of Luss procured him an Ensigncy in the Scotch Hollanders Sir James was reckoned a protector of the MacGregors at that time then the Grants & MacGregors were thought Brothers by this marriage with Mary MacDonald Ewan had four sons
It is possible that Ewen was married twice, there is a marriage firstly of Heugh McGrigor in November 1727 to an indecipherable name, assumed from two subsequent births to be Margaret Fergusson. The births of John to Ewen McGrigor & Mart. Ferg. on 19/11/1728 and Alexander to Ewen McGrigor and Ferguson on 29/8/1732
If this was in fact Evan at all, t has to be presumed that Margaret died because a marriage to Janet McGrigor (? MacDonald dtr of Balconie in Skye) may have been recorded on 8/12/1734. The children of this marriage were John 29/5/1736; Duncan 27/1/1738; Margaret 9/11/1739; and Robert 8/2/1742
There is no trace of a marriage between Ewan and Janet MacDonald in the OPR. However, the Sleat OPR did not begin until 1813
Stewart of Garth stated that Evan had made a runaway marriage with a daughter of the family of MacDonald isle of Sky. If the couple did elope without the consent of her parents, it might be possible that the minister of Balquhidder recorded her maiden surname as McGriogor in 1734, not as McDonald. The subsequent births are all recorded as Janet McGrigor. There is no trace of a marriage to Janet MacDonald, daughter of Sleat, as claimed in Amelia, page 395.
Although the Balquhidder OPR goes back to 1696, the Skye records began very late, Portree in 1800 and Sleat in 1813.
Sir Malcolm says that his records show that Sir John’s mother was Janet Macdonald of Balcomie, part of the Sleat branch.

A ceremonial sword which appears to have been made for General Alexander is in currently in the possession of Sir Malcolm MacGregor.
The arms of MacGregor are quartered with that of MacDonald of Sleat, which appears to confirm the descent of Janet MacDonald from the Sleat family.
The sword is inscribed - O chath-bhuidhinn Rìoghail Ghaidheal(l)aich Dhùn Èideann, mar chomharra air am mòr mheas dan cead ceannard.
The inscription in Gaelic can be translated as "To the noble Alexander MacGregor Murray from the Royal Highland Battalion (cath-bhuidheann) of Edinburgh, as a mark of their great respect for their first commander."

Alexander Murray was born on 27 November 1778, the second but only surviving son of Colonel Alexander Murray (1746–1822), an officer in the Royal Clan Alpin Fencibles, and his first wife Frances, daughter of Major Edmund Pascall. From 1822 Alexander Murray, along with his cousin John, took the name Murray MacGregor.

The children recorded in the OPR of this marriage were John 29/5/1736; "D" which was interpreted as Duncan in 27/1/1738, but may have been "P"; Margaret 9/11/1739; and Robert 8/2/1742. It is possible that the missing Alexander may have been born january 1741
The later genealogy in Amelia, includes Peter - (Patrick) - he cannot be found in the OPR, but Duncan in 1738 is not subsequently mentioned. As the actual record of Duncan's baptism on 27/1/1738 is very indistinct the name could be Patrick/Peter.

[3] The date 10/4/1745 for the birth of John comes from http://www.thepeerage.com/p50419.htm#i504183
I searched for this date in the OPR without success. In Balquhidder OPR for this period John was recorded on 29/5/1736 to Ewen & Janet McGrigor.

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Murray_Macgregor
and https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/MacGregor-1122
He was presented with a ceremonial sword when he retired from the army with the inscription
O chath-bhuidhinn Rìoghail Ghaidheal(l)aich Dhùn Èideann, mar chomharra air am mòr mheas dan cead ceannard. Meaning - From the Royal Highland Battalion ? (cath-bhuidheann) of Edinburgh, as a mark of their great respect for their first commander
Alexander Murray was born on 27 November 1778, the second but only surviving son of Colonel Alexander Murray (1746–1822) of Napier Ruskie, an officer in the Royal Clan Alpin Fencibles, and his first wife Frances, daughter of Major Edmund Pascall
The elder Alexander served in Keith's Highlanders in Germany in 1762 and was then an Ensign in the 77th Regiment and then the 50th Foot until 1772. He joined the East India Company Army in 1772 as an Ensign, served in the Siege of Tanjore in 1773 and in the First Rohilla War (in St George's Battle, 1774). He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1778, served in the campaign against the Rajah of Benares in 1781 and was promoted to Brevet Captain in 1782, Captain in 1784, Local Major in 1782, Local Lieutenant-Colonel in 1783 and Local Colonel in 1785; he was Commander in Chief at British Bencoolen from 1782 to 1785 and, after eight years of furlough, resigned in 1793. He commanded the Royal Clan Alpine Fencibles from 1798.
The younger Alexander Murray was commissioned as a Captain in the 90th Perthshire Volunteers in 1796 and served in the regiment until 1800, when he moved to the Royal Clan Alpin Fencibles, of which his father was Colonel. He was given the rank of Major. After the Fencibles disbanded two years later, he transferred to the 67th Regiment and then in 1808 became Lieutenant-Colonel of the 1st Battalion of the 6th Regiment. He was with it when it carried out the Walcheren Expedition in 1809. In 1812, he became Lieutenant-Colonel in the 4th Ceylon Regiment and was promoted to the rank of Colonel in the Army in 1814. He was placed on the half-pay list two years later and promoted to Major-General in 1825
In 1810 Murray married Lady Charlotte Anne Sinclair, daughter of James Sinclair, 12th Earl of Caithness. They had seven children:
Captain Alexander Nugent Murray Macgregor (died 1844), an officer in the Bengal Army, who married Eleanor, daughter of one Captain Hopper.
Caithness Evan Edmund Murray Macgregor (died 1834).
Colonel John Murray Macgregor (1819–1891), who married Mary Barbara, daughter of John Featherstone of Blackhall and Newbus Grange; his daughter Charlotte married Major-General John Elpinstone (died 1877).
Major-General Evan Murray Macgregor (1822–1885) served in the cavalry in the East India Company's Army and the British Indian Army and was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1866, Brevet Colonel in 1871 and on retirement was granted the honorary rank of Major-General in 1875. He married Sophie Mary Ann (died 1885), daughter of Charles Frederick Collier, inspector-general in the Indian Army, and had six children; he retired to Hobart, Tasmania, where he and his wife died.
Jane Helen Campbell Murray Macgregor (died 1860), who married Colonel Alex Boyd Kerr, an officer in the Madras Rifles.
Frances Grace Hay Murray Macgregor, who married Major-General Edward Every Miller (died 1877) and whose eldest daughter Charlotte (died 1880) married Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Paul Haines, the Commander-in-Chief, India.
Charlotte Murray Macgregor (died 1850), who had married James Alexander Cruikshank of Langley Park (died 1849), and died childless.
Murray had added the surname Macgregor to Murray in 1822.[3] He died on 20 August 1827. His widow died on 7 April 1854.

[5] Edinburgh Commissary Court TT 25/6/1823 CC8/8/149
Colonel Alexander MacGregor Murray residing at Napier Ruskie
Inventory ; General Disposition ; 20/5/1823 Settlement SC70/1/29