Clan Donald Magazine No11 (1987) Online
The MacDonells of Lochgarry
This prominent family is descended from
Ranald MacDonell, 10th of Glengarry and 2nd of Scotus. Ranald, with
the concurrence of Alexander, his eldest son and heir apparent
granted under sasine, dated 16th December, 1696, the five penny
lands of Sandaig in Knoydart to John, his "second lawful son now in
life.... following on precept of sasine contained in the contract of
wadset, dated 22nd November, 1693, between Ronald and Alexander of
Glengarrie and the said John McDonell" [Scottish Record Office, Gen.
Reg. of Sasines 3/71 (318-321)]. Neither John MacDonell of Sandaig
nor his sons, Donald and Angus, signed the address to George I, the
Elector of Hanover, in 1714. John died in 1725 when he was succeeded
as 2nd of Sandaig, by his elder son.
Donald, 2nd of Sandaig was a man of great talent and was appointed
by his cousin german and Chief, John MacDonell of Glengarry, Factor
of the Glengarry estates, a position which he held from 1733 until
1744. Due to his immense business acumen Donald obtained from
Glengarry in wadset, the lands of Abertarff, Ardochy, Ballachean,
Badantoig, Cullachy, Glenlee and Wester Aberchalder. In 1736 he
obtained the lands of Innerhadden in Perthshire, in feu, from James,
Duke of Athole and in 1738 agreed, with Allan Stewart, wadsetter of
Innerhadden to make an excambion of the purchases they had each
recently made from Athole. Stewart gave up his right to Drumachine
and Drumchaisteal to Donald while the latter relinquished his right
to Innerhadden in favour of Stewart, and the Duke granted each of
them new feu rights. Donald continued to acquire more property in
Perthshire, comprising the lands of Dalnafhraoich, Dalanlongart,
Dalantiruaine, Dalnacardoch, Dalnaspidal, Dalnamein, Pitcastle and
Tomnakildonach, and assumed the designation "of Lochgarry" from Loch
Garry, in Perthshire, described in The New Statistical Account of
Scotland as "situated in Drumuachdar (Drumochter) and very near the
boundary-line of the counties of Perth and Inverness... It is
surrounded by very high hills, and thus appears to be as it were in
a den, - hence the etymology of the name. Garaidh is a common Gaelic
word, signifying a den. The lake is about six miles in circumference
and., abounds in large and excellent trout." Another source,
however, states that the name of this Loch Garry, which must not be
confused with its namesake in Inverness-shire on the Glengarry
estates, was originally rendered Goirid, Anglicised as gorrie,
meaning short, applying to a small loch or widening of the river in
front of a knoll on which Lochgarry House stood.
In 1737, Donald married Isobel, second daughter of John Gordon of
Glenbucket ("Old Glenbucket"), whose elder sister, Helen, had
married John MacDonell of Glengarry in 1728. He became actively
engaged in the Watch for the prevention of cattle lifting and
depredations in the Highlands and requested the Duke of Athole to
use his influence to procure for him a lieutenancy in the Army.
Although a staunch Jacobite, Lochgarry could not at that time have
foreseen the events which were to take place a few years later in
1745-46. Commissary Bisset wrote on 14th June, 1742 to his master,
the Duke of Athole that
"Shiandeck (Sandaig)
hath behaved exceedingly well in our wath (watch). Since he sett
out the same, about three weeks agoe, there hath not since that
time a six pence worth stole out of any part of Athole, altho'
no less than fourteen severall herdships were driven from the
braes of Angus and Mearns through the Forrests of Marre (Marr)
and Badenoch to Rannoch and Lochaber. Shiandeck haveing given a
cerrtificate that he'll seize all of them that will daur pass or
repass through any of the hills of Atholl..."
In 1744 Glengarry, Keppoch and Lochiel
drew up and signed an agreement for the prevention of thefts and
depredations by some of their dependents and among the deputes
appointed by Glengarry were Donald MacDonell of Lochgarry and his
brother Angus MacDonell of Greenfield.
Donald at last obtained his desired commission in June 1745 when he
was gazetted Lieutenant in the Highland regiment then raised under
the command of the Earl of Loudon but the arrival in Scotland of
Prince Charles Edward Stuart was to put an end to Lochgarry's
aspirations for advancement in the British Army. His Memorial to
Young Glengarry, written after the failure of the Jacobite Rising of
1745-46 gives a clear view of the events from a Glengarry point of
view and it is considered not inappropriate to quote therefrom in
this article.
After the Prince had landed on the Scottish mainland, Keppoch and
Lochiel held a meeting with Lochgarry and Glenbucket, Angus,
Glengarry's second son having gone to call on Robertson of Struan
whose niece he had married. Those Chiefs informed Lochgarry that if
"Glengarie's men
wou'd not join, they would return to the Prince and plainly tell
him that their joining wou'd only expose his Royll person with
any men they could make."
Lochgarry knew the intentions of
Alexander [Alasdair Ruadh, or Red(haired) Alexander], Glengarry's
eldest son, who was then in France serving as an officer in the
French Army, which were that his
"people shou'd be
ready to receive His Royll Hs. at Laggan Achedroom (Achadrom)
and conduct his Royll person to the castle of Innergarie..."
At their meeting they received
information that three companies of Government troops were to march
from Inverness to Fort William and another three companies from
Ruthven Barracks in Badenoch were to escort provisions to Fort
Augustus. Lochgarry undertook to attack the party going to Fort
Augustus and lay in ambush with a party of Glengarry men for three
days at the top of the Corryarrick Pass. The expected companies
failed to appear but Lochgarry had the consolation of taking
prisoner one, Captain Sweetenham, officer commanding at Ruthven
Barracks, who passed by on 14th August (old style), on his way to
Fort William where his services as an engineer were required.
Lochgarry handed over his prisoner to Glenbucket, his father-in-law,
who delivered him to the Prince. Lochgarry relates:
"Upon the 19th
Augt. the Royll standard was set up in Glenfinnan. On the
26th... his R.Hs. with Clanranald, Lochiel's and Keppoch's men,
came to Laggan Auchentroom (Achadrom) Yr. brother (i.e. Angus),
who had met H.R.Hs. at Ratlich, came up to me at Laggan where I
had all the Glengary men, conveen'd. H.R.Hs. arrived there at 8
o'clock at night, where I had the happiness to kiss his hand,
and then marched with him to the Castle of Innergarie and had
the command of his guard that night. That same day young Scotus
and young and old Barrisdales arrived at Auchendroom (Achadrom)
with your Cnoidart (Knoydart) and Morar men, who made a very
handsome appearance before the Prince, being compleatly armed,
and most of them had targes".
Lochgarry was
appointed a member of the seventeen man council formed by the Prince
after the victory over Sir John Cope's army at Prestonpans and
during the march south into England Lochgarry assumed the command of
the Glengarry Regiment in the absence of Glengarry's second son,
Angus, who had returned with Barrisdale to the North in search of
further recruits. The retreat from Derby began on Black Friday, 6th
December, 1745 and is described by Lochgarry thus:
"Lord George
Murray, who always had the rear, chose our regiment for the
rearguard, tho' it was not our turn. When we came to Kendal, we
had accounts of the enemy's being close in our rear; and our
regiment having...likewise the charge of the artillery... the
rear could not reach Chap (Shap) that night, (17th December)...
Lord George took up our quarters in a little village, where we
rested that night on our arms, without throwing a stitch of
cloaths, as we were sure the enemy was very near us. Next
day.... for want of proper horses the artillery was very
fashious, and a last load with cannon shot happening to break on
the road, upon Lord George's giving a hearty dram to the men,
they carried some one, some two, some three of the shot, with
all their arms and accoutrements... All this day the enemy's
horse were in our rear, but made no attack. This night we came
to Chap, and after placing our guards and sentinelles, Lord
George, the other gentlemen, and I, took up our quarters about 8
o'clock at night. Some of the enemy's horse had come up and
attacked our guards, which occasion'd our being the second night
under arms... About half way to Penrith we saw at some distance,
the numbers of about 5 or 600 horse, whom we took to be part of
our own army; but upon coming near us they made a form to attack
us. There were militia sent to interrupt our march; but by a
detachment sent to attack them giving them a smart fire, which
kill'd two or three of them, they were routed, and fled,... so
we marched on until we came to Clifton, within two short miles
of Penrith, where the Prince and his army lay. Here Lord George
gott account that some of the enemy were come to the house of
Lowtherhall, about a mile's distance on our left. He desired me
to ask the men (as he knew they were fatigued) if they were
willing to attack that house. They answer'd me that they were
most willing. Upon which we marched and surrounded the house,
and only found in it one officer, with a footman of the Duke of
Cumberland's whom he had sent before to take up quarters for
him. Upon our return to Clifton, we perceived the enemy to the
number of about 3000 horse, advance by this time within lA of a
mile of Clifton. Cluny and his McPhersons, to about the number
of 300 men, happened to be at this village, Lord George ordered
them on one post on the side of the road, and our regiment (500
strong) on another on the other side. It was then about nightset,
when the enemy, being all horse, dismounted - I can't condescend
on their number (Lord George says 500), being then dark - and
attack'd the McPhersons, who received them, and after a close
fire for some time on both sides, the enemy were repulsed. Upon
this they sent a stronger body to attack us both, which came
directly upon us, and it being then quite dark.....we only heard
the noise of their boots, and could plainly discern their yellow
belts. We first received their full fire, which did us little
damage. We immediately gave them ours, and then attacked them
sword in hand, and obliged them to retreat with a considerable
loss... We brot all the artillery safe, and lost very few men at
the attack at Clifton. I received a small wound there myself in
the knee, and no other gentleman touched..."
Lochgarry again took
over the command of the Glengarry Regiment after the accidental
death of its Colonel, Angus, Glengarry's second son, on 20th
January, 1746, the nominal commmand then passing to James (later of
Glenmeddle), Glengarry's third son, a mere boy. Regarding the Battle
of Culloden, Lochgarry says:
"The McDonells
had the left that day, the Prince having agreed to give the
right to Lord George and his Atholmen. Upon which Clanronald,
Keppoch, and I spoke to his R.Hs. upon the subject, and he
begg'd he wou'd allow us our former right, but he intreated us
for his sake we wou'd not dispute it, as he had already agreed
to give it to Lord George and his Atholmen; and I heard H.R.Hs.
say that he resented it much, and he shou'd never doe the like
if he had occasion for it. Your Regt. that I had the honr. to
command at this battle was about 500 strong, and that same day
your people of Glenmorrison were on their march to join us, on
the other side of Lochness".
Lochgarry's brother,
Angus of Greenfield, was wounded in the battle but escaped.
When the Jacobites assembled as planned at Glenmallie, to attempt to
continue the war, their force was only about one third of the
expected number, being about 400 men of which one half were
Lochiel's and the remainder provided mainly by Lochgarry and
Barrisdale. According to Murray of Broughton, Lochgarry proposed to
lie in wait with six or seven of his best marksmen to ambush
Cumberland on the road between Fort Augustus and Fort William and
that he would probably have succeeded had not he - Murray -
prevented him from so doing. Lochgarry makes no mention of this in
his Narrative. After seeing that his men had been paid, he left,
promising to return within a few days and at the same time to,
observe Loudon's movements; but he was unable to keep either promise
as Loudon was already marching through Glengarry with the intention
of entrapping the force with Lochiel and Barrisdale.
Lochgarry was among the last to hold out and offer resistance
against the Hanoverian Government forces. He with about a dozen
trusted followers set themselves with determination to defend his
cattle in Glen Cia-aig, near the east end of Loch Arkaig, where they
had been driven for safety. "There were three different attacks made
on me, as the enemy knew where I skulked; I faced them fairly every
time and beat them off, by which they lost severalls killed and
wounded, this was but a small affair, but the only blood drawn from
the enemy after the Battle o' Culloden" wrote Lochgarry. His
exploits are given in more detail by Patrick Grant, leader of the
celebrated Men of Glenmoriston thus:
"Some time after
the battle of Culloden (about the beginning of June) some
bickerings happened between some parties of redcoats and
Lochgary who had along with him about a dozen stout, resolute
fellows, taking care of his cattle, that in Glenkiaig, Lochgary,
and his said attendants killed three redcoats in defending his
own cattle, and that about eight days thereafter they killed,
much about the same place, eight redcoats more, and chased the
party to the distance of some miles, Lochgary, finding such
difficulty in preserving his own cattle, sold them afterwards to
Clunes Cameron."
Lochgarry soon after
joined the Prince in his wanderings on the mainland. Ever an
optimist he offered to have the Glengarry men ready within forty
eight hours and to attack and surprise the garrison at Fort
Augustus, which was about 800 strong, in his efforts to persuade the
Prince to agree to renew the campaign and might well have succeeded
but for the fact that neither Locheil nor Cluny considered it
possible on account of the strength of the enemy in the country and
it was instead decided that the best course would be to find the
most expedient means of going over to France and on 19th September,
1746 he embarked with the Prince and other Jacobite gentlemen. The
Prince procured for him a lieutenant-colonelcy in the French service
and a pension of 3000 livres. His wife and numerous young family,
after the burning of Lochgarry House and the devastation of their
property by the Butcher's soldiers, made their home at Cullachy, of
which property Lochgarry had been wadsetter since 1738, although
Alasdair Ruadh, 13th of Glengarry, later unsuccessfully pleaded to
the Government that this wadset had been redeemed, until they were
eventually able to join him in France.
Lochgarry returned to Scotland again and again, in spite of being
attainted, risking his life in his efforts to whip up enthusiasm
among the clans for another rising in favour of the House of Stuart,
a hope which, alas, was never to be realised. When, with Dr.
Archibald Cameron, he visited Scotland in 1753 in connection with
the Elibank Plot, he narrowly escaped capture and returned to
France. According to family tradition, when he heard that his eldest
son John had agreed to return to Britain and join the British Army,
he is said to have followed him to Calais and after failing to
persuade him to change his mind, pronounced the following curse:
"My curse on any
of my race who puts his foot again on British shore; my double
curse on he, who of my race may submit to the Guelph (i.e. the
House of Hanover) and my deadliest curse on he who may try again
to regain Lochgarry!"
He then threw his
dirk after his son, and turned his back for ever on him he had loved
the best.
Some time after the disbandment of the Scots Brigade in French
service Lochgarry, who was Lieutenant-Colonel of Ogilvie's Regiment,
took sevice with Portugal. The Prince sent his congratulations to
his most loyal adherent. Alexander, his second son, who held a
commission in his father's regiment also joined the Portuguese Army.
Donald, 2nd of Sandaig and Lochgarry died at Paris. His elder son
John had obtained a commission in Ogilvie's Regiment in 1747 but, as
stated above, he decided to return to Britain about 1754 and
probably with the help of his Chief, Alasdair Ruadh, obtained a
commission in the British Army. On 18th May, 1757, "Captain John
MacDonell, of General Frazer's regiment" before leaving for America
made Glengarry his "factor and attorney, and executor and legatee".
John, Younger of Lochgarry, served with Frazer's Highlanders under
Wolfe and was wounded at Quebec in 1759, fighting against his former
allies, the French. He had attained the rank of Major in his
regiment, when Lord MacDonald of Slate raised the 76th (MacDonald's)
Highlanders in 1777 and Lochgarry, which by the death of his father
he had now become, was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel-Commandant of
the new regiment. Before he could take up his appointment, however,
he was taken prisoner on board ship for America, a strange
coincidence reminscent of an incident, in November 1745, in which
his late Chief and benefactor had met a similar fate. The family
estates were restored to Colonel John, 3rd of Lochgarry, in 1784 and
he had a fine modern house built on the site of the old one which
had been destroyed in 1746 but the effects of the Curse began to be
felt. His fine health began to fail and strange occurences in the
house such as the ringing of bells, knocking at the door by unseen
hands and glimpses of a shadowy figure, thought, perhaps to be the
ghost of his father come to haunt him, played so much upon his
nerves that he was forced to shut it up and take up residence in
London where he died, unmarried on 5th October 1760.
The second son, Alexander, 4th o
Lochgarry entered the Portuguese service in 1764, becoming Captain
in 1780, Colonel in 1794 and Lieutenant-General in 1796, from which
time he held office in the Royal Palace. He was naturalised as a
Portuguese subject in 1808. He married firstly, an Irish lady,
Elizabeth Archbold, by whom he had one son, Archibald John, who
entered the 3rd Regiment of Foot as Ensign and became
Lieutenant-Colonel of the 113th Regiment. He married Sarah, daughter
of James Reynolds, Birmingham, with issue, three daughters and died
in 1798. Alexander married secondly, Dona Maria Jose Jorge da Costa,
daughter of the Count of Soure by whom he had one son, Anthony
Maria. General Alexander MacDonell of Lochgarry died in 1812, after
which his widow came to Scotland with her son, who succeeded to
Lochgarry.
The new laird, who had been nominated a page of honour in the
Portuguese Royal Palace, in recognition of his noble ancestry,
inherited a royal pension which had been conferred on his mother in
1802. After taking possession of Lochgarry, Anthony Maria entered
the British Army as an Ensign in the 35th Regiment and fought at
Waterloo for which he received a medal. He later became a Captain in
the 10th Hussars and in 1828 sold what remained of the Lochgarry
Estate back to the Athole Family, a portion having, in 1788, been
sold to the Duke of Athole for �4870 by his uncle, Colonel John
MacDonell, 3rd of Lochgarry. It was said that the Curse laid by his
grandfather on any who returned to Lochgarry continued to haunt the
family. Captain Anthony MacDonell, 5th of Lochgarry married, in
1820, Cassandra Eliza MacDonald, daughter of Major Ross Darby by
whom he had a son, Alexander Anthony and two daughters who died
unmarried. He died at Kew in April, 1831 at the age of 33 and was
succeeded by his son.
Alexander Anthony, 6th of Lochgarry was born at Perth on 1 lth
January, 1822 and entered the Indian Army in 1840. He was an Ensign
in the 40th Bengal Native Infantry in 1841 and in 1842 received the
Kandahar Medal. He was promoted Captain in 1852, Major in 1859,
Lieutenant-Colonel in 1862, and Colonel in 1867. He married in 1852,
Margaret Jane, eldest daughter of Lachlan MacLean of Rum by his wife
Isabella, daughter of Captain MacKenzie of Hartfield, by whom he
had:- 1. Arthur Anthony; 2. Henry Edward; 3. Sophia Adelaide
Hastings and 4. Flora Lindsay, who married, in 1882, David George
Ritchie, Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford, later Professor of Logic
at the University of St. Andrews, with issue, Flora Aitken. Colonel
Alexander MacDonell died at Mussouri, India, on 4th June, 1870 when
he was succeeded by his elder son.
Arthur Anthony MacDonell, 7th of Lochgarry was born in India in 1854
and educated at Gottingen where he also attended the University. He
matriculated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, in 1876, gaining a
classical exhibition there and three scholarships in the University,
for German, Sanskrit and Chinese. He graduated with classical
honours in 1880 and was appointed Taylorian Teacher of German at the
University. He was appointed Deputy Professor of Sanskrit in 1888
and Boden Professor of Sanskrit in 1899. In 1883 he became Ph.D. in
the University of Leipzig. He edited various Sanskrit texts, wrote a
Sanskrit grammar, compiled a Sanskrit dictionary, published a work
on Vedic Mythology and a history of Sanskrit. He is said to have
visited Lochgarry in 1920 for the purpose of testing the validity of
the Curse and to have attempted to spend the night on the site of
the old house but due to the disturbance in the form of knocking on
non-existent doors, ringing of non-existent bells and a general
feeling of unease he was obliged to abandon the site before dawn. He
married, in 1890, Mary Louise, youngest daughter of William Lowson
of Balthayoch, Perthshire, by whom he had: 1. Alastair Somerled,
born in 1893, who died young; 2. Flora Lindsay, born in 1891 and 3.
Mona Isobel, born in 1895. Professor Arthur MacDonell died in 1930,
when he was succeeded in the representation of the family by his
brother.
Henry Edward MacDonell, 8th of Lochgarry was born in London in 1864
and was educated at the Military Academy, Dresden, and the Oxford
Military College. He emigrated to Canada where he became associated
with the Canadian Pacific Railway. He settled in Nelson, British
Columbia and married in 1886, Ethel, daughter of Colonel Taylor,
Winnipeg, Manitoba, by whom he had: 1. Flora, who died in 1894 and
2. John Alexander, his successor.
John Alexander MacDonell, 9th of Lochgarry was born in 1901 and
entered the Royal Military College of Canada. He served with the
Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II, taking part in several
missions over France and was Officer Commanding at Torquay Air Base
attaining the rank of Group Captain. He was Manager and Secretary of
St. James Club, a men's food and beverage club in Montreal, from
about 1950 until 1969. He was elected Joint-President of the Clan
Donald Society of Canada on its formation in Toronto in 1961. He
married Marjory Parlow of Ottawa, Ontario, by whom he had, Ian
Allan, his successor.
Ian Allan MacDonell, 10th of Lochgarry was born in Montreal in 1932
and graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada and McGill
University. He served for a short time with the Canadian Black Watch
and in 1959 qualified as a Chartered Accountant, in which year he
moved to San Francisco to take up a post as a Certified Public
Accountant. He later moved to Sacramento where he took up an
appointment with a prominent accounting, financial and data
processing firm. He married Jill Booth of Tilton, New Hampshire,
U.S.A. by whom he has:- 1. John Booth, born in 1961 at San
Francisco, California; 2. James Taylor, born in 1964 at Sacramento,
California; 3. Katharine Sue, born in 1967 at Sacramento,
California; 4. Lucinda Ann, born in 1971 at Lake Tahoe, California.
The future of this renowned family would therefore appear to be
assured. N.H.M.
1. Captain Anthony
Maria MacDonell, 5th of Lochgarry.
2. Colonel Alexander Anthony MacDonell, 6th of Lochgarry.
3. Professor Arthur Anthony MacDonell, 7th of Lochgarry.
4. Group Captain John Alexander MacDonell, 9th of Lochgarry.
5. Ian Allan MacDonell, 10th of Lochgarry.
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