Clan Cumming

Clan Chief:           The 23rd Clan Chief is Sir Alistair Gordon Cumming, Bart. 

Gaelic Name:       Cuimean

Origin of name:    From the town of Comines near the France/Belgian

                          border.

Clan Crest:            A Lion rampant, in his dexter paw a dagger.

Clan Motto:           Courage.

Lands:                    Altyre, Moray, Scotland.

For centuries

Clan Cumming was one of the most powerful families in Scotland, bound closely to the monarchy and controlling large estates throughout the land. Known also as the Comyns, the Clan are decended from a Norman knight, Robert de Comyn, who fought alongside William I in his conquest of England. In reward for his valour, he was made Earl of Northumberland in 1069. His grandson, Richard Comyn, was invited to Scotland by David I, who made him Chancellor and granted him land in Roxburghshire. By the 13th Century the Comyns exerted great power, holding the three earldoms of Menteith, Angus and Buchan, and the Lordship of Badenoch. The Comyns had a double claim to the throne, through their bloodline’s link to the Celtic King Duncan, and by the marriage of the Black Comyn into the Balliol family. The Balliol claim to the Scottish throne was upheld with John Balliol being crowned King of Scotland in 1292.

When Balliol abdicated in 1296, Scotland was without a king, and there were many contenders for the throne. With the infamous English monarch Edward I as overlord of Scotland, it was a time of great pressure and politics for all those who wished to rise to fill the empty crown. The strongest claimants were Red Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, and Robert the Bruce, Earl of Carrick. Each was a man of ambition, and the two nobles developed an enmity as they vied to become King. In 1306, as the drive for Scottish independence gained momentum, Bruce attempted to win Comyn over to his side. The pair met in the church at Dumfries, but there was to be no reconciliation between two men of such calibre. An argument developed, and in the heat of the conflict, Bruce stabbed the Red Comyn to death. For such a heinous crime, Bruce was excommunicated, but Bruce still had himself crowned King. Robert the Bruce succeeded in his claim and went on to defeat the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. The fruits of Bruce’s victory, were not tasted by the Cummings. Bruce had his old enemies outlawed and confiscated their estates, thus breaking one of the most powerful families in Scotland.

The Clan Cumming are of tenacious blood, and other branches of the Clan continued to flourish throughout the centuries. The old spelling of Clan Comyn changed through time to Clan Cumming, although there are still several variations on the name.

The 23rd Chief of the Clan Cumming is Sir Alistair Gordon Cumming of Lochtervandich and Auchry, Baronet of of Altyre and Gordonstoun.

The Clan crest is of a lion rampant with a dagger in his right paw and the proud Cumming clan motto reads "Courage"

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Clan MacGregor

Clan Chief:           Sir Malcolm Gregor Charles MacGregor

Origin of Name:   From Gregor, third son of Alpin, King of Scots.

Gaelic Name:       MacGrioghair

Clan Crest:           A lion’s head wearing an antique crown  

Clan Motto:          S rioghal mo dhream (My race is Royal).

Lands:                  Argyll and Perthshire

To the west and north of Loch Lomond, amidst some of the most wild and beautiful countryside in Scotland, encompassing Glenlyon, Glenorchy, Glenstrae and Glengyle, lies the ancient homeland of the MacGregors. The Clan is also known as McGregor, "Mac" being Gaelic for "son of" and the "Mc" prefix being an abbreviation of this. The Clan descends from King Alpin, who reigned in the ninth century and this is reflected in their motto - ‘S Rioghal Mo Dhream, - Gaelic for "Royal Is My Race". The MacGregors were both famed and feared for their fighting abilities and fierce warlike nature and were forever defending their lands against larger clans, especially the Campbells. When the Campbells gained possession of a good part of the lands by legal manipulation, the MacGregors began the long war to retrieve their land. The Clan carried out guerrilla campaigns in the mountains, earning them the nickname of "Children of the Mist."Their aggressive conduct eventually brought them the displeasure of King James V1 and in 1603 he ordered a military expedition to enter their lands and punish the MacGregors. This commission was given to a force of several hundred of the Colquhoun Clan who were allies of the Campbells. Alerted to this situation, the MacGregors secretly crossed Loch Lomond and routed the Colquhouns in Glen Fruin, slaughtering a great number of them and driving off their livestock. The King immediately outlawed the whole of the Clan and a number of measures were passed against the Clan. These included, prohibiting anyone from bearing the name of MacGregor, freedom from prosecution for anyone who killed a MacGregor and severe penalties for those who sheltered MacGregors. The Chief and several of his followers were executed and high rewards put on the heads of his Clansmen.

The fierce reputation of the MacGregors ensured that few people were eager to try to earn these rewards. The proscription of the MacGregor name was not finally lifted until 1775 and it is a tribute to their endurance and indomitable spirit that the MacGregor name still exists.

In 1959, Brigadier Sir Gregor MacGregor, 6th Bt, of Lanrick and Balquhidder, became 23rd Chief of Clan Gregor, he was also a Grand Master Mason of Scotland . He had a very distinguished military career. Of his immediate ancestors, five died in battle, four were beheaded, twenty two were hanged, three were assassinated and one escaped from the violence to America in 17th century, - where he was killed in a battle with Indians. Other notables of the Clan were no strangers to danger. Rob Roy MacGregor, who became an outlaw & folk hero in Scotland, had an action studded life but, strangely enough, died in his old age, peacefully in bed. Simon Bolivar’s main fighting General in his liberation of South America was Gregor MacGregor and another Clansman in the 18th century became "Father of the Russian Navy".

The current chief of Clan Gregor is Major Sir Malcolm MacGregor of MacGregor, 7th BT, of Lanrick and Balquhidder, 24th Chief of Clan Gregor. He is a renowned landscape photographer.

The Gregor Clan Crest carries a lion’s head wearing an antique crown and the proud Gregor Clan motto, " ‘S rioghal mo dhream" meaning (My race is Royal).

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Clan McIntyre

Clan Chief:            James                     McIntyre of Glencoe, who lives in the USA.

Origin of Name:    According to oral tradition, Somerled, King of Argyll,

                          made Maurice Wright the first Clan Chief.

Gaelic Name:        Mac an-T-Saoir means (son of the Wright carpenter).

Clan Crest:           A dexter hand holding a dirk

Clan Motto:           Per ardua (Through difficulties)

Lands:                     Kintyre, Glencoe and Badenoch

Near to the town of Oban on the west coast of Scotland is the beautiful Glen Noe, on the side of Loch Etiveside.  It was here, around 1360, that the Macintyres, after ariving from the Western Isles where they were closely associated with the MacDonald clan, established their territory.  These lands were held on tenure from the Campbells of Glenorchy for an annual tribute to be paid-in sumertime- of a snowball and a white calf. This was easier than it sounds, at Glen Noe backs onto the mountain of Ben Cruachan which reaches 3,700ft. in height and was often capped in snow.

The Clan bred white cattle so the white calf presented no problem to them.  It was the MacIntyres themselves who graciously offered to pay financial recompense rather than the original arrangement and the Campbells readily accepted.  This then became a rent and the cost was increased to such a level that the MacIntyres were forced to leave their lands.  Thus in 1783 one of the three sons of the Chief, James MacIntyre, emigrated to Canada and by 1808 their estates had been sold.  Many of this branch of the Clan then emigrated to America.  By 1792 the Chief had died in America and his descendants were said to live in Fulton, New York.  In 1921 the Chief of the Clan was an American businessman.The MacIntyres are famed for their musical talents and were readily sought after by other Clans for their piping skills.  They were hereditary pipers to MacDonald of Clanranald and to the Menzies chiefs.  Famous piping tunes and dirges were written by John MacIntyre and are still played to this day.  Duncan Ban MacIntyre who was born in Glenorchy in 1724 had the distinction of being Scotland's finest, and last, poet to write in the tradition of Gaelic nature poetry.  Imprisoned for sometime in 1746 for writing a poem against the government, he died in Edinburgh in 1812 and a memorial was erected to him in Greyfriars Churchyard, Edinburgh.

The most well known of the Clan resides in New Zealand, he is the Rt. Hon. Duncan MacIntyre who held a number of senior government posts and was Deputy Prime Minister during the 1980s. Although the Clan is now spread throughout the World, all should be aware of their roots and in the words of the old Gaelic proverb,  "Remember the People from whence you came".

In 1991 Lord Lyon recognised James MacIntyre as the Chief of Clan MacIntyre of Glencoe. He resides in the United States of America. 

The Clan MacIntyre crest is a hand holding a dirk and the proud MacIntyre clan motto, "Per ardua" meaning (Through difficulties).

Our Scottish Heritage is the common bond that unites our MacIntyre family name forever.



Septs/Spelling Variations of MACINTYRE CLAN
MACINTIRE of MACINTYRE CLAN    MACKINTYRE of MACINTYRE CLAN    MACTEAR of MACINTYRE CLAN    MACTIER of MACINTYRE CLAN    MACTIRE of MACINTYRE CLAN    TYRE of MACINTYRE CLAN    WRIGHT of MACINTYRE CLAN   MCKINTYRE of MACINTYRE CLAN    MCINTYRE of MACINTYRE CLAN    MCINTIRE of MACINTYRE CLAN    MCTEAR of MACINTYRE CLAN    MCTIER of MACINTYRE CLAN    MCTIRE of MACINTYRE 

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Clan Innes

Clan Chief:             No current chief, is an armigerous clan

Last Chief:           Sir James Innes, 6th Baronet, died 19th July 1823.

Origin of Name:     Innis is the Gaelic name for meadow or island.

Gaelic Name:         Mac Aonghuis (son of Angus)

Clan Crest:             A Boar's head

Clan Motto:            Be Traist

Lands:                     Morayshire

A Flemish nobleman by the name of Berowald was granted the land known as Innes (being all the land along the seashore between Spey and Lossie) by Malcolm IV in 1160. The land ownership was later confirmed in a charter by Alexander II in 1226, to Berowald's grandson, Walter, who first assumed the surname of Innes.

A century later, Sir Alexander Innes (son of “Good Sir Robert” 8th Laird of Innes) married Janet the heiress of the thane of Aberchirder, and thus could lay claim to the lands of her family, further expanding the Clan Innes lands. Their son Walter Innes became the chief of Clan Innes and held the position for 42 years. Further along, the son of Walter Innes, “Ill Sir Robert” became the 11th Laird of Innes and also formed the Greyfriars of Elgin. His son Sir James followed as leader and was succeeded by his son Alexander Innes.

In 1579 the Privy Council decided to recognize Clan Innes as an official Clan, and thus the family became a clan of the form it is today.

The succession of Lairds continued to this day, with the Innes Clan expanding in both size and prestige along the way. Some of the accomplishments in that time have included the building of Innes House, the construction of Coxton Tower, the appointment of Robert Innes of Blairton to lord Drpute of the Register of Arms and Bearings in Scotland, and also Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, was Lord Lyon, King of arms from 1945 to 1969, his son Sir Malcolm Innes of Edingight, became Lord Lyon, King of Arms,and keeper of the Scottish Heraldry from 1981 until 2001.

There has always been a presence of Innes Clan members in the academic society of Scotland, with the most prominent of such, being Father Thomas Innes author of “Critical Essay on the Ancient Inhabitants of Northern Parts of Britain or Scotland”; Father Lewis Innes who was the Principal of the Scots College in Paris which played a large role in keeping and preserving many historic Scottish documents; and also Cosmo Innes who was the Sheriff of Moray in 1840 and a Professor of Edinburgh University, he also played a role in the preservation of Scottish historical documents. 

The Clan Innes crest is a boar's head and the proud Innes clan motto reads "Be traist" this simple message can be both an inspiration to you in everyday life, and a reminder of the ancestry and history behind every Innes Clan member. 

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Clan Lamont

Clan Chief:           Father Peter Lamont, 29th Chief of Clan Lamont,

                         Marayong, New South Wales Australia.

Origin of Name:   Norse, Lawman

Gaelic Name:       MacLaomainn

Clan Crest:          Right hand cut off at the wrist 

Clan Motto:         Ne parcas nec spernas (Neither spare nor dispose)

Lands:                   Argyll and Cowal

Clan Lamont is one of the most ancient Clans in Scotland, tracing its genealogy back as far as the 6th Century to the first Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. The Clan Lamont flourished through the centuries, marrying into the finest Viking families, which produced a strong Celtic-Norse bloodline. The name Lamont derives from the Norse "lagman" meaning a lawman or judge, an honoured position reserved for only the wisest of men. The earliest recorded Lamont chief is Ferchar, who lived amid the glorious splendour of the Holy Loch in 1200. It was Ferchar’s grandson, Lauman, who founded the Clan stronghold of Toward Castle at Inveryne, which is situated on the banks of Loch Fyne. Lauman headed the senior line of heriditary judges in Cowal in the mid 13th Century, nobly presiding over the many conflicts which arose in such a turbulent age.

Clan Lamonts’ influence increased down through the years by careful alliances with the most mighty Clans in Scotland. Lamonts married into the powerful Clan Donald of the Isles during the 14th and 15th Centuries, which led to the Clan Lamont expanding into the Isle of Bute. While the Clan remained firmly entrenched in Cowal, Lamonts also settled in Galloway, Ayrshire, and Fife. Clan Lamont was also favoured by the House of Stewart, who for centuries had neighboured the Lamonts on the Firth of Clyde, before they ascended to the throne. The Lamonts supported the royalist forces during the 17th Century Civil War, standing steadfast for the birthright of their Stewart king, Charles I. The Clan Lamont paid a hefty price for their loyalty, as the royalist fortunes took a turn for the worse. The infamous Clan Campbell, longtime enemies of the Lamonts, overran the Lamont territory, capturing the castles of Ascog and Toward through treacherous promises. Sir James Lamont, deeply concerned for the welfare of his people, agreed to surrender Toward Castle in return for assurances that the Clansfolk would remain unharmed. Upon taking the castle, the Campbells imprisoned the chief in terrible conditions for five long years, and executed scores of Lamonts in a display of extreme cruelty. This dark deed is remembered to the present day and a monument in memory of the dead was erected by the Clan Lamont Society in 1906.

The Clan Lamont is renowned for its contributions to Scottish culture and science. The Lamonts boast the oldest example of the ancient Celtic harp, the clarsach, which dates back to the 15th Century. This traditional musical instrument can still be viewed by the public at the Royal Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Lamonts have been just as outstanding in Scottish literature as they have been in music. The late Reverend Donald Lamont was the most prominent writer of Gaelic prose in Scotland until he passed away in 1958. However, the Lamonts’ cultural endowments were not limited to the bonnie shores of Scotland. The eminent Bavarian scientist Johann von Lamont was actually John Lamont, born in 1805, the brilliant son of a Braemar forester.

In 1893 the Clan Chief sold all the remaining clan lands excepting Knockdow and left for Australia. The 28th Chief of Clan Lamont resides in Australia, he is Rev. Father Peter Lamont, Marayong, New South Wales.

The Clan Lamont crest shows a right hand cut off at the wrist and the proud Lamont clan motto reads "Ne parcas nec spernas" meaning "Neither spare nor dispose"

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MACLAREN CLAN HISTORY

Clan Chief:           Donald MacLaren of MacLaren and Achleskine. 

Origin of Name:   Gaelic, Mac Labhrainn (Son of Laurence)

Gaelic Name:       Mac Labhrainn

Clan Crest:           A crowned lion’s head, between two branches of laurel.

Clan Motto:        Creag-an-Tuirc (The boar's rock)

Lands:                   Perthshire

The Kingdom of the Scots was established by Erc who landed in Argyll in 503A.D. and it is from his son and successor, Loarn, that the Mclarens, like their kinsmen the Earls of Strathearn, are descended. The homeland of the Clan is centred in the picturesque village of Balquhidder on the banks of loch Voil, to the east of Loch Lomond. That the Mclarens were regarded as a very warlike clan was understandable. Their lands surrounded by the avaricious Campbells and the wild and lawless MacGregors, the Mclarens had to be warriors in order to survive and hold their lands.

In one incident in 1558, the MacGregors of Glendochart surprised the Clan and massacred 18 Mclaren households at Balquhidder. The constant defence of their lands developed a military nature and by the 15th century many Clansmen became soldiers of fortune in the armies of European monarchs. In the 17th century, many Mclarens joined the army of the King of Sweden and helped him in his great successes against the Germans and Austrians. For their services on the battlefields, a number of the Clan were granted lands in Sweden and ennobled there. Colonel 'Johan Laurin' (the Swedish spelling), became Provost of East Gotland in Sweden and was created Baron Lagergren and died in 1673. Another 'John Lauren' became a Swedish baron in 1678 and 'Magnus Laurin' became Count Lagerstrome in 1691.

The Clan also took part in the wars of Scotland in support of the Stuart Kings and in the Jacobite uprisings of 1715 and 1745, suffering badly in the Battle of Culloden. After this battle their leader, Donald of Invernenty was captured but made a dramatic escape before reaching England. Sir Walter Scott wrote of this incident in his novel 'Redgauntlet' Not all of the Clan's achievements were in the military field. 
The remarkable Colin MacLaurin, who was born in 1698, entered Glasgow University when he was 12 years old and became Professor of Mathematics at Marischal College aged 19 and when 27 years old became Professor of Mathematics at Edinburgh University. The Clan has also produced Members of Parliament and Judges and at least one British Baron. A group of MacLaurins (another spelling of the name) who emigrated to North Carolina in 1789 founded the town of Laurinburg. 
Donald MacLaren of MacLaren and Achleskine is the current Clan Chief. 

The MacLaren Clan Crest is a crowned lion’s head between two branches of laurel from a wreath at either side and the proud MacLaren motto and rallying cry is "Creag-an-Tuirc" which means 'The Boars Rock', a prominent landmark of their homelands.

Our Scottish Heritage is the common bond that unites our MacLaren family name forever.

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