Clan MacQuarrie
Encyclopedia
Clan MacQuarrie is a Highland
Scottish clan
, associated with the islands of Ulva
, Staffa
and the Isle of Mull
, which are all located in the Scottish Inner Hebrides
. The last chief of Clan MacQuarrie died in 1818 and since the clan does not have a current Chief recognized by Lord Lyon it can be viewed as an Armigerous clan
. The family papers of the clan were lost to a fire in 1688, and consequently much of early clan tradition that exists is considered suspect. According to the nineteenth century historian William F. Skene, Clan MacQuarrie is one of the seven clans of Siol Alpin
, as the manuscript of 1450 gives the clan's descent from Guaire or Godrey, brother of Fingon (supposed ancestor of Clan MacKinnon
) and Anrias (supposed ancestor of Clan Gregor). The clans of Siol Alpin claim a descent from Alpín
, the father of Cináed mac Ailpín of whom popular tradition describes as the first King of Scots.
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Clan MacQuarrie is first found in possession of the island of Ulva
in the Scottish Inner Hebrides
, and as a result was dependent on the Lords of the Isles. The first record of Clan MacQuarrie is of the chief John Macquarrie of Ulva, who died in 1473. John's son, Dunslaff, was the chief of the clan during the forfeiture of the Lord of the Isles
, after which the MacQuarries gained some independence, though a minor clan surrounded by more powerful ones. Following the fall of the Lordship of the Isles the clan followed Maclean of Dowart, and with the Macleans
, the MacQuarries supported Domhnall Dubh
's quest for the Lordship of the Isles at the beginning of the sixteenth century. In 1504 MacGorry of Ullowaa, along with other chiefs, was summoned to answer for aiding in Donald Dubh's failed rebellion. The following chief, Dunslaff's son John, was one of the chiefs denounced in 1504, for treasonous correspondence with the King of England.
The clan suffered grievously at the Battle of Inverkeithing
on July 20, 1651, as they supported the Scots forces in aid of Charles II of England
against an English Parliamentarian army led by John Lambert
. In the battle the Scots were decisively defeated by the well disciplined New Model Army
of the English, and amongst the slain was Allan Macquarrie of Ulva, chief of Clan MacQuarrie, and most of his followers.
The last chief of Clan MacQuarrie, was Lachlan Macquarrie of Ulva. MacQuarrie was head of the clan when Samuel Johnson
and James Boswell
visited Ulva in 1773. Debts to creditors forced the last chief to sell off his lands and in 1778, at the age of 63, he joined the British Army
. The chief then served in the American Revolutionary War
, and died at the age of 103 in 1818, with the title Lord Lynedoch.
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
Scottish clan
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
, associated with the islands of Ulva
Ulva
Ulva is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, off the west coast of Mull. It is separated from Mull by a narrow strait, and connected to the neighbouring island of Gometra by a bridge. Much of the island is formed from Tertiary basalt rocks, which is formed into columns in places.Ulva has...
, Staffa
Staffa
Staffa from the Old Norse for stave or pillar island, is an island of the Inner Hebrides in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The Vikings gave it this name as its columnar basalt reminded them of their houses, which were built from vertically placed tree-logs....
and the Isle of Mull
Isle of Mull
The Isle of Mull or simply Mull is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute....
, which are all located in the Scottish Inner Hebrides
Inner Hebrides
The Inner Hebrides is an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which enjoy a mild oceanic climate. There are 36 inhabited islands and a further 43 uninhabited Inner Hebrides with an area greater than...
. The last chief of Clan MacQuarrie died in 1818 and since the clan does not have a current Chief recognized by Lord Lyon it can be viewed as an Armigerous clan
Armigerous clan
An armigerous clan is a Scottish clan, family or name which is registered with the Court of the Lord Lyon and once had a chief who bore undifferenced arms, but does not have a chief currently recognized as such by Lyon Court...
. The family papers of the clan were lost to a fire in 1688, and consequently much of early clan tradition that exists is considered suspect. According to the nineteenth century historian William F. Skene, Clan MacQuarrie is one of the seven clans of Siol Alpin
Siol Alpin
Siol Alpin, , is a family of seven Scottish clans that were thought to have been able to trace their descent from Alpin, supposed father of Cináed mac Ailpín, King of the Picts, of whom the Scots tradition considered the first King of Scots...
, as the manuscript of 1450 gives the clan's descent from Guaire or Godrey, brother of Fingon (supposed ancestor of Clan MacKinnon
Clan MacKinnon
Clan Mackinnon or Clan Fingon is a Highland Scottish clan associated with the islands of Mull and Skye, in the Inner Hebrides.Popular tradition gives the clan a Dalriadic Gaelic origin. The 19th century historian W. F. Skene named the clan as one of the seven clans of Siol Alpin - who according to...
) and Anrias (supposed ancestor of Clan Gregor). The clans of Siol Alpin claim a descent from Alpín
Alpin
Alpin may refer to:*Alpin , a weekly supplement of Prothom Alo, a Bangladeshi newspaper*Alpín mac Echdach, two kings of the same name - one the father of Cináed mac Ailpín, the other a king of Dál Riata...
, the father of Cináed mac Ailpín of whom popular tradition describes as the first King of Scots.
History
Ulva
Ulva is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, off the west coast of Mull. It is separated from Mull by a narrow strait, and connected to the neighbouring island of Gometra by a bridge. Much of the island is formed from Tertiary basalt rocks, which is formed into columns in places.Ulva has...
in the Scottish Inner Hebrides
Inner Hebrides
The Inner Hebrides is an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which enjoy a mild oceanic climate. There are 36 inhabited islands and a further 43 uninhabited Inner Hebrides with an area greater than...
, and as a result was dependent on the Lords of the Isles. The first record of Clan MacQuarrie is of the chief John Macquarrie of Ulva, who died in 1473. John's son, Dunslaff, was the chief of the clan during the forfeiture of the Lord of the Isles
Lord of the Isles
The designation Lord of the Isles is today a title of Scottish nobility with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It emerged from a series of hybrid Viking/Gaelic rulers of the west coast and islands of Scotland in the Middle Ages, who wielded sea-power with fleets of...
, after which the MacQuarries gained some independence, though a minor clan surrounded by more powerful ones. Following the fall of the Lordship of the Isles the clan followed Maclean of Dowart, and with the Macleans
Clan MacLean
Clan Maclean is a Highland Scottish clan. They are one of the oldest clans in the Highlands and owned large tracts of land in Argyll as well as the Inner Hebrides. Many early MacLeans became famous for their honour, strength and courage in battle. They were involved in many clan skirmishes with...
, the MacQuarries supported Domhnall Dubh
Domhnall Dubh
Domhnall Dubh was a Scottish nobleman. He was the son of Aonghas Óg, chief of Clan Donald , and claimant to the Lordship of the Isles, which had been held by his grandfather John of Islay, Earl of Ross ....
's quest for the Lordship of the Isles at the beginning of the sixteenth century. In 1504 MacGorry of Ullowaa, along with other chiefs, was summoned to answer for aiding in Donald Dubh's failed rebellion. The following chief, Dunslaff's son John, was one of the chiefs denounced in 1504, for treasonous correspondence with the King of England.
The clan suffered grievously at the Battle of Inverkeithing
Battle of Inverkeithing
The Battle of Inverkeithing was a battle of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It was fought on 20 July 1651 between an English Parliamentarian army under John Lambert and a Scottish Covenanter army acting on behalf of Charles II, led by Sir John Brown of Fordell. Lambert's force was a seaborne...
on July 20, 1651, as they supported the Scots forces in aid of Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
against an English Parliamentarian army led by John Lambert
John Lambert
John Lambert may refer to:*John Lambert , English Protestant martyred during the reign of Henry VIII*John Lambert , Parliamentary general in the English Civil War...
. In the battle the Scots were decisively defeated by the well disciplined New Model Army
New Model Army
The New Model Army of England was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, and was disbanded in 1660 after the Restoration...
of the English, and amongst the slain was Allan Macquarrie of Ulva, chief of Clan MacQuarrie, and most of his followers.
The last chief of Clan MacQuarrie, was Lachlan Macquarrie of Ulva. MacQuarrie was head of the clan when Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
and James Boswell
James Boswell
James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck was a lawyer, diarist, and author born in Edinburgh, Scotland; he is best known for the biography he wrote of one of his contemporaries, the English literary figure Samuel Johnson....
visited Ulva in 1773. Debts to creditors forced the last chief to sell off his lands and in 1778, at the age of 63, he joined the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. The chief then served in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, and died at the age of 103 in 1818, with the title Lord Lynedoch.