© Gary Scherubel, 1996

Castle Tioram is situated near Acharacle, on the shore of Loch Moidart, on an unclassified road off the A861, West of Fort William.

http://www.tioram.org.uk/

http://www.castles.org/Chatelaine/TIORAM.HTM

http://libby.withnall.com/castles/tioram.htm

McCreary is an Irish patronymic name anglicized from the Gaelic Mac Ruaidhrí, from the given name Ruaidhrí (anglicized Rory). Other versions are McCrary, McCreery, McCririe, McCrory.

Rev. P. Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames. A standard work likely to be found in any genealogy library. Originally published 1923. Special Revised Edition 1992, Irish Genealogical Foundation, Kansas City.

p. 403. MacRUIDHRÍ. Obsolete anglicized spelling M'Rierie; modern anglicized spellings MacReery, MacCreery, MacCreary. A dialectal variant of MacRuaidhrí.

p. 403. MacRUAIDHRÍ. Obsolete anglicized spellings M'Rury, M'Roory, M'Rowry. Son of Ruaidhrí anglicized Rory, Roderick, and Roger. The name of 1) a family who were anciently chiefs of Tellach Ainbhith & Muinntear Birn, in County Tyrone [Ulster] and erenaghs of Ballynascreen, in County Derry [Ulster]; 2) Scoto-Irish family of the same stock as the MacDonnells, who came over to Ireland as gallowglasses about the middle of the 14th century.

P. Hanks and F. Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames, 1988, Oxford University Press.

p. 357: McCREERY = MacRuidhrí (from Ruaidhrí).

p. 458. RORY Scots & Irish. Anglicized form of the Gaelic personal name Ruaidhrí, originally composed of Celtic elements meaning 'red' (also 'powerful, mighty') and 'rule'. Variants: Rorie, Roger. Patronymics: Rorison, McRo(o)ry, McRury, McCrory, McGrory, McCreery.

C.S. Sims, The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. Originally published Philadelphia, 1862. Copyright 1964 by Ch. E. Tuttle and published by Avenel Books, a division of Crown Publishers.

p. 77. MacRORIE The son of Roderick [should say Rory]. The family are descended from Roderick, grandson of Somerled, Thane of Argyll.

The [Scots-] Irish McCrearys, descendants of Randal MacRory, lived in county Tyrone, Province of Ulster, Ireland.⁷

Conn-Ceud Chathach, or Conn of the Battles, Conn of a Hundred Fights, the hundredth "Ard Righ," or supreme King of Ireland.

b. ?

d. >157, Tara

Eochaid Duibhlein (four generations later?)

b. ?

m. Aileach, daughter of the King of Alba

d. ?

(Their three sons all bore the name of Cholla - Colla Uais, Colla Meann and Colla da Crich). ¹

Colla Uais, or Cairsall (sat on Irish Throne, but abdicated to Muredach Tirech) ¹

Colla Meann, or Aodh

Colla da Crich, or Muredach

The three Collas went to Scotland to obtain the assistance of their kindred to place Colla Uais on the Irish throne, and with their help placed him there, but he was compelled to give way to a relative, Muredach Tirech, who had a better title to the sovereignty. The three brothers then returned to Scotland, where they obtained extensive settlements and founded the Clan Cholla.¹

b. ?

d. >502

(sons, Fergus, Lorn and Angus)

Fergus Mor MacErc, founded in Argyllshire the Kingdom of Dalriada in Albany ¹

b. ? Ireland?

d. 501

(sons, Domangart, and Godfruich)

Domangart, King of Dalriada (progenitor of Kenneth MacAlpin).

b. ?

d. ?

Godfruich, or Godfrey, Toshach or Ruler of the Isles (progenitor of Somerled).

b. ?

d. ?

Gilledomnan (driven from the Isles by the Scandinavians, and died in Ireland, where he had taken refuge).¹

b. ?

d. ?

(son, Gillebride)

Gillebride (had gone to Ireland with his father, obtained the help of the Irish of the Clan Cholla, and, landing in Argyll, made a gallant attempt to expel the invaders. The Norsemen proved too strong, and Gillebride was compelled to hide in the woods and caves of Morven).¹

b. ?

d. ?

(son, Somerled)

Somerled, Rex Insularum, Thane of Argyll, Righ Innesegall, Lord of the Kingdom of Man and the Isles (In 1135 he helped David I [of Scotland] expel the Norse from [the isles of] Arran and Bute)⁴.

b. ~1113 Morven, Argyll, Scotland

m. <1140 Ragnhildis, daughter of Olave the Red, Norse King of Man and the Isles

d. 1164 Renfrew, Scotland, in battle with King Malcolm IV of Scotland (murdered by nephew Maurice MacNeill¹ ). Somerled is the legendary builder of Castle Tioram.²

(sons, Dugall, Ranald, and Angus)

Dugall, Lord of Lorne (progenitor of Clan MacDugall)

b. ?

d. ~1207

Ranald, Lord of the Isles

b. ~1141

d. 1207

(three sons, Donald, Ruari, Alasdair)

Angus, Lord of Bute & Arran

b. ?

d. 1210

Donald of Islay (progenitor of Clan Donald) Ruari (progenitor of Clan Ruari)

b. ? b. ?

d. 1269 d. ?

(two sons, Dugall and Alan)

Angus Mor MacDonald Dugall MacRuari

b. ? b. ?

d. ? d. ? without male issue

(When Alexander III of Scotland determined to (In 1259 Prince Aed O'Connor of Connaught, son of King

oppose the nominal suzerainty of Norway over Feidhlim married a princess, daughter of Dubhgall

the Hebrides, Angus Mor and his uncle, Ruari, MacRory King of the Hebrides. As part of her dowry she

fought with him at the Battle of Largs in 1263.) ³ brought with her a force of 160 Galloglas.)

(sons, Angus Og, Ian)

Angus Og Alan MacRuari, Lord of Garmoran

b. ? b. ?

d. ? d. ?

(came to the aid of Robert the Bruce, and led his (daughter Christina and bastard son Ruari)

clansmen at Bannockburn in 1314. The king

rewarded his friend with extensive grants of land

in the Islands and west Highlands.) ³

(son, John)

John MacDonald "the Good" of Islay, chief of Clan Donald, Lord of the Isles

b. ?

m. June 1337, Amie MacRuari (see below), second marriage in 1350 to Margaret Stewart, daughter of Robert II

d. ?

(sons by Amie: John, Ranald, and Gorrie)

(son by Margaret: Donald of Harlaw, Alister Currach)

Donald of Harlaw, Lord of the Isles (fought at the battle of Harlaw in 1411 to secure the MacDonald claim to the earldom of Ross. The battle was indecisive but Donald’s losses were heavy and he withdrew from the campaign.)³

b. ?

m. The only daughter of the Countess of Ross ⁵

d. 1423

(son, Alexander)

Alexander, Lord of the Isles, Earl of Ross, Justiciar of Scotland

b. ?

d. 1448

(sons, John, Uisdein or Hugh)

John, Lord of the Isles, Earl of Ross (rebelled against the Scottish Crown and declared his independence. After a long stormy life, during which the Earldom of Ross was annexed to the crown, and the Lordship of the Isles forfeited, John died without legitimate issue.⁵ John entered into the Treaty of Ardtornish with Henry VII of England in 1462, agreeing to accept the English king as overlord once James IV had been defeated. James, with customary decisiveness, acted swiftly, invading the isles the following year and ultimately stripping John of all his titles.³ )

b. ?

d. 1498

Christina MacRuari (Where Robert the Bruce spent the months after his defeat at Methven in June 1306, until his return to mainland Carrick in February 1307, is one of the mysteries of history. Fordoun, reasonably accurate usually and writing at the end of the same century, declares that he survived by God’s mercy and the help of Christina of the Isles.) ²

b. ?

m. Donald of Mar (younger brother of the Earl of Mar, whose sister Isabel of Mar was Robert the Bruce’s first wife).

d. ?

Ruari (in 1309 King Robert I "Robert the Bruce" made a complicated grant of land (including the lands of Garmoran) to Ruari MacAlan, ‘bastard brother and leader of the vassals of Christina, the daughter and heiress of Alan MacRuari of the North Isles’.) ⁸

b.

d. 1325 ?, forfeited for treason (he supported Edward Balliol) ? ⁶

(son, Ranald, daughter Amie)

Ranald (succeeded to the chiefship of Clan MacRuari (the last of the male line). In 1343 he was pardoned of his father’s treason and confirmed in his posessions and title by David II of Scotland). ⁶

b. ?

d. 1346, Elcho, assassinated by William, earl of Ross

b. ?

m. June 1337, John MacDonald "the Good" of Islay, chief of Clan Donald. Their marriage (being cousins) had been the subject of a papal dispensation. John assumed the title of Lord of the Isles by uniting his lands with those of Clan Ruari after his brother-in-law was assassinated.

d. ?

(John had three sons by Amie: John, Ranald, and Gorrie. He afterwards unjustly divorced her ⁴ and married Margaret Stewart, daughter of Robert, High Stewart of Scotland (afterwards Robert II) by whom he had a further three sons. After his father-in-law became king, he obtained a royal charter to the MacRuari lands with succession to the sons of his second marriage). 6

b. ?

d. <1386

Ranald (Placated for his rightful heir to the chiefship of Clan Donald by the charter [in 1346] for the lands of Moidart by his father John, Lord of the Isles, and confirmed by Robert II in 1373 ^9,10 to be held by the Lord of the Isles and his heirs. Ranald’s heirs established their position in the island-chain Benbecula to Eigg, also in their other grant from John, that rugged mainland tract from Moidart to Knoydart that Prince Charlie [Charles Edward Stewart] came to know so intimately among the faithful Clanranald [during the Jacobite rebellion of 1745].)⁴

b. ?

d. 1386, Castle Tioram in Moidart (the principal seat of Garmoran)

(five sons, including Alan and Donald)

Gorrie, or Godfrey (on 7 July 1389 Godfrey was granted a charter as Lord of Garmoran or "Garbhchrioch", which included the extensive lands of Moidart, Arasaig, South Morar and Eilean Shona).⁹ (Gregory also includes the lands of Knoidart in the make-up of the Lordship.) ⁸ (Godfrey resisted the disposition of his mother's land, and on his brother Ranald's death Godfrey disposessed his nephews. Clan Ruari destroyed itself in feuds between Siol Gorrie and Clan Ranald.) ⁶

b. ?

d. ?

(son, Alexander)

Alan, II chief of Clanranald Donald (progenitor of Clan MacDonell of Glengarry)

b. ? b. ?

d. 1419, Castle Tioram in Moidart m. Donald’s second wife was a daughter of Fraser of Lovat

d. ? (two sons by his second wife, Angus and Alister)

(sons, Roderick, Allan) d. ?

Roderick, III chief of Clanranald Angus

b. ? b. ?

d. 1481 d. ?

(son, Allan)

Allan MacRuari (IV chief of the Clanranald, was one of the principal supporters of Angus, the young Lord of the Isles, at the battle of Bloody Bay, and he likewise followed Alexander of Lochalsh, nephew of the Lord of the Isles, in his invasion of Ross and Cromarty in 1491, when he received a large portion of the booty taken on the occasion. In 1495, on the second expedition of James IV to the Isles, Allan MacRuari was one of the chiefs who made their submission.)

b. ?

m. Florence, daughter of MacIan of Ardnamurchan

d. 1509, tried, convicted, and executed, in presence of the king at Blair Athol, but for what crime is not known.

(sons, Ranald Bane Allanson, Alexander Allanson, Ranald Oig, Angus Reoch)

Ranald Bane Allanson, V chief of Clanranald (obtained a charter of the lands of Moidart and Arisaig, Dec. 14, 1540.)

b. ?

m. ? a daughter of Lord Lovat

d. 1541

(son, Ranald Galda, or "the stranger", from his being fostered by his mother's relations, the Frasers.)

During the 1400's there were long running feuds between the various branches of Clan Donald. The Clanranald had been engaged in feuds regarding the lands of Garmoran and Uist; first, with the Siol Gorrie, or race of Godfrey, eldest brother of Ranald, the founder of the tribe, and afterwards with the Macdonalds or Clanhuistein of Sleat. It was not till 1506 that they succeeded in acquiring a legal title to the disputed lands. John, eldest son of Hugh of Sleat, having no issue, made over all his estates to the Clanranald, including the lands occupied by them. Archibald, or Gillespock, Dubh, natural brother of John, having slain Donald Gallach and another of John's brothers, endeavoured to seize the lands of Sleat, but was expelled from the North Isles by Ranald Bane Allanson of Moidart, eldest son of the chief of Clanranald.

Ranald Galda, VI chief of Clanranald (was assasinated by his father’s brother, Alexander, who then took for himself the chiefship of Clanranald and the lands and power it involved. Ranald’s sons gave up their claims to the chiefship and founded their own families. Ranald, the eldest son, founded the MacDonalds of Borish and his brother Allan founded the MacDonalds of Morar.)

b. ?

d. 1520 ?

(sons, Ranald and Allan)

Alexander Allanson, VII chief of Clanranald, in 1519, "Captain of the Clan Rannald"

b. ?

d. <1530

(sons, John MacAlester, Farquhar, Angus, and a daughter)

John MacAlester, "Moidartach", VIII chief of Clanranald, Captain of Clanranald

b. ?

d. 1584

(On 11 February 1531/2 James V granted a charter to John Makalester of Casteltirrim [Tioram] of the lands that had pertained to Alan Makrory, his grandfather, and his predecessors in heritage of old. This charter narrated that it clearly appeared that these lands had been possessed by them past memory of man 'and that the charters and evidents thereof are lost and destroyed by war and disorders in that region (provincia)'. GD201/1/1; RMS 3, no. 1131. A facsimile said to be of this charter is actually of the precept following on it for infefting John in the lands (GD201/1/2), elsewhere mistakenly called a precept of clare constat.¹¹)

(son, Allan, John Oig)

(On the death of Ranald Bane [Allanson], the 5th chief, the clan, opposing his son Ranald's claim, elected his cousin John of Moidart as chief.) ⁵

The clan was resolved to defeat Ranald Galda’s right to succeed, in consequence of his relations, the Frasers, having joined the Earl of Huntly, lieutenant of the north, against the Macdonalds, and chose the next heir to the estate as their chief, captain of Clanranald. Lovat, apprised of the intentions of the clan against his grandchild before their scheme was ripe for execution, marched to Castletirrim, and, by the assistance of the Frasers, placed Ranald Galda in possession of lands. The Clanranald, assisted by the Macdonalds of Keppoch and the Clan Cameron, had laid waste and plundered the districts of Abertarf and Stratherrick, belonging to Lovat, and the lands of Urquhart and Glenmoriston, the property of the Grants. The Earl of Huntly, the king's lieutenant in the north, was obliged to raise a numerous force to drive them back and put an end to their ravages. He penetrated as far as Inverlochy in Lochaber, and then returned to his own territories.

(Fraser of Lovat supported Ranald, and John of Moidart, with Clanranald, was assisted by the MacDonells of Keppoch and the Clan Cameron in the struggle that followed. The campaign ended in the famous battle [Kinloch- lochy] of Blar-ne-Leine (field of the shirts) in 1544, so called because owing to the heat of the day, the combatants removed their upper garments to enable them to fight more fiercely. The Frasers were signally defeated and John of Moidart retained the chiefship and possessions of Clan Ranald.) ⁵

On the return of Huntly with an army, into Lochaber, John Moidartach fled to the Isles, where he remained for some time.

(The Queen regent pardoned John and his supporters in 1555.) ⁵

Allan, IX chief of Clanranald

b. ?

d. 1593

(sons, Angus, Donald, Ranald, John)

John Oig (founded the MacDonalds of Glenaladale)

b. ?

d. ?

Angus, X chief of Clanranald (his brother Donald succeeded him when he died shortly after succeeding his father and before having any sons.)

b. ?

d. 1595?

Donald MacAllan, XI chief of Clanranald

b. ?

d. 1617

(son, John)

Ranald (founded the MacDonalds of Benbecula)

b. ?

d. ?

John (founded the MacDonalds of Kinlochmoidart)

b. ?

d. ?

John, XII chief of Clanranald
b. ?

d. 1670

(son, Donald)

Donald, XIII chief of Clanranald
b. ?

d. 1686

(sons, Allan, Ranald, and daughter, Janet)

Allan, XIV chief of Clanranald (when only a boy of fourteen years of age he led 500 of his men under Dundee at the battle of Killiecrankie in 1690 in support of King James VII. He was forced into exile in France where he served in the French army for a short time. In September of 1715 he was one of the first to join the Jacobite cause. He was created Lord Clanranald by the grateful James VII.)
b. 1676

m. ? Penelope MacKenzie

d. 1715, leading the Clanranald regiment at the battle of Sheriffmuir.

When Allan and his followers marched off to join the rebellion in 1715, he ordered Castle Tioram burned to discourage any attack by the Clan Campbell.

Ranald, XV of Clanranald (he also supported the Stuart cause and went into exile in France after the end of the 1715 rising.)

b. ?
d. Paris, 1725, leaving no heirs. The captaincy of Clanranald was given to Donald MacDonald, of Benbecula.

After the death of both the rebellion and Allan, Captain of Clanranald, on the field of Sherriffmuir, the lands and estates of Clanranald passed to Ranald, his brother and heir. Ranald was attained as a rebel and the Clanranald estates were forfeited to the Crown. In 1723 the Commissioners and Trustees for Forfeited Estates sold the estates of Ranald MacDonald to a Mr Alexander MacKenzie, a principal clerk of the Court of Session. In 1724 a charter was issued for the sale of the estates, which were described as ‘the barony of Castle Tirim,’ the first occasion that the lands were called a barony. The sale price was £1,500 and the land was held from the Crown in free blench

(free blench or blenche-ferme was a type of feudal tenure where the landholder held the land from a superior, in this case the Crown, for a nominal sum or service which was paid or carried out only on request.) for a penny a year if asked. ¹²

Mr Alexander MacKenzie appears to have been a relation of Penelope MacKenzie, wife of Allan, Captain of Clanranald, and his purchase of the Clanranald estates was on behalf of Penelope, who wanted the return of the lands to Clanranald. In 1727 the lands were given over by MacKenzie to Donald MacDonald, elder of Benbecula, the husband of Janet, sister to Allan and Ranald of Clanranald. ^{12, 13}

The MacDonalds of Clanranald found an outlet for their warlike spirit by serving under the Marquess of Montrose in the 17th century… in the '45, Clanranald was very closely associated with the rising. It was on Clanranald land that Prince Charles raised his standard, and after Clanranald supporting him throughout all his campaign, it was in Clanranald territory in Benbecula and Uist that the Prince took refuge before embarking for France. ⁵

The Scots-Irish Galloglas (from http://users.aol.com/niadhnask/gallohist.html)

The first recorded arrival of the Galloglas was in 1259. Prince Aed O'Connor of Connaught, son of King Feidhlim married a princess, daughter of Dubhgall MacRory King of the Hebrides. As part of her dowry she brought with her a force of 160 Galloglas. Galloglas came for the most part from Inse Ghall (The Hebrides); they were Gaelic speaking Scots inbred with Vikings. Because of their Viking blood they earned the name Gall (foreign) and Óglaigh (a warrior) ["óg" meaning young and "laigh" from "Laoch" meaning a hero], so a Galloglas was a foreign warrior. The Scots themselves were Irish, mainly the Dal Riata from Northern Ireland who had traveled to Western Scotland and Hebrides. Initially they had gone to aid the Celtic people there - the Tuatha Cruithne tribes, such as the Caledonii and Maecatae, against the attempted Roman insertions. The Romans eventually gave up on invasion and built Hadrian's Wall. Their soldiers nicknamed the Celts of Alba "picti" because of their practice of painting and tattooing their bodies. The annals of Ulster records such Alba Celts living in Ireland as late as 809 AD. The Scots dressed and spoke the same language as their Ulster brothers for many years. Intermarriage was encouraged and some families maintained land on both islands.

In 1247 when Maoileachlainn O'Donnell, son of Domnhall Mór died defending the Kingdom against Anglo-Norman adventurers at the battle of Ballyshannon, MacSomhairle, King of Argyll, died fighting at his side.

A number of Galloglas families became established in Ireland primarily with the Kings of Ulster (O'Neill and O'Donnell). Galloglas was a hereditary occupation passed with family septs from father to sun. The initial settlements were in Ulster.

• MacSúibhne (MacSweeney)
• MacDomhnaill (MacDonnell/MacDowell)
• MacSíothaigh (MacSheehy)
• MacDubhgaill (MacDougall)
• MacCaba (MacCabe)
• MacRuari (MacRory)

11 The Clan Donald, by A & A Macdonald, 3 volumes. Inverness 1895-1904.