Clan MacNeil
Clan MacNeil | |||
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Plant badge Dryas | | ||
Chief | |||
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Roderick Wilson Macneil of Barra | |||
The Macneil of Barra, Chief of Clan Niall and 27th of Barra, Baron of Barra | |||
Historic seat | Kisimul Castle | ||
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Clan MacNeil, also known in Scotland as Clan Niall, is a highland Scottish clan of Irish origin. According to their early genealogies and some sources they're descended from Eógan mac Néill and Niall of the Nine Hostages. The clan is particularly associated with the Outer Hebridean island of Barra. The early history of Clan MacNeil is obscure. However, despite this the clan claims to descend from the legendary Irish King Niall of the Nine Hostages, who is counted as the 1st Clan Chief, the current Clan Chief being the 47th. The clan itself takes its name from a Niall who lived in the 13th or early 14th century and who belonged to the same dynastic family of Cowal and Knapdale as the ancestors of the Lamonts, MacEwens of Otter, Maclachlans, and the MacSweens. While the clan is centred in Barra in the Outer Hebrides, there is a branch of the clan in Argyll (McNeill/MacNeill) that some historians have speculated was more senior in line, or possibly even unrelated. However, according to Scots law, the current chief of Clan MacNeil is the chief of all MacNeil(l)s.[1][2]
History
Origins
MacNeils of Barra
Despite the long held belief that the McNeil (MacNeil, McNeill, MacNeill) are descended from the legendary Irish king/prince - recent DNA tests have shown that they are actually descended from Vikings with often no Irish blood at all.[3]
Traditional origin
The MacNeils of Barra claim descent from a prince of the
An opposing theory, proposed by Nicholas Maclean Bristol, is that there is reason to believe that they descend from Neill Maclean who appears on Exchequer Rolls at a time when
History
The earliest contemporary record of the Macneils of Barra is only in 1427, when Giolla Adhamhnáin Mac Néill (typically anglicised as Gilleonan Macneil) received a charter of Barra and Boisdale, from the Lord of the Isles, following the forfeiture of the previous Lordships of Uist and Garmoran, earlier that year.[1]
Gilleonan's namesake, reckoned the twelfth chief, was one of the island lords who were tricked into meeting
In 1579 the Bishop of the Isles made a complaint of molestation against the MacNeil chief of Barra.[6] His son, the next chief, was denounced as a rebel by the Privy Council so many times that he was described as a "hereditary outlaw" and was known as the Turbulent or Ruari the Tatar.[6] He has also been described as the last of the Viking raiders as he often raided from his Kisimul Castle.[6] The king eventually arranged for his loyal vassals to extirpate and root out the chief of Clan MacNeil, whose own nephews captured him and placed him in chains.[6]
During the Scottish Civil War of the 17th century the chief of Clan MacNeil, Neil Og, was appointed as Colonel of the Horse by Charles II of England and fought at the Battle of Worcester in 1651.[6] His grandson was Roderick Dhu the Black who received a Crown charter for all of the lands of Barra to be erected into a free barony.[6] Roderick also led his clan at the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689.[6] He also supported the Jacobite rising of 1715 and as a result his two sons, Roderick and James, went into exile in France.[6] Upon their father's death they returned but for his Jacobite sympathies, Roderick was consigned to a prison ship, the Royal Sovereign.[6] He was then taken to London and not released until July 1747.[6]
The clan prospered until the twenty-first chief, General Roderick Macneil, was forced to sell Barra in 1838.[6]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8e/Castle_Sween_%28north-west%29.jpg/280px-Castle_Sween_%28north-west%29.jpg)
McNeills of Argyll (in Taynish, Gigha and Colonsay)
The origins of the Argyll MacNeills is also obscure. In the late 15th century, one MacNeill is recorded as the keeper of
The chief of the Gigha MacNeills at this time was Neill MacNeill, who was killed in about 1530. His only daughter inherited his lands and handed them over to her illegitimate brother, Neill. According to historian
In 1553, this Neill sold the island to James MacDonald of Islay. Neill died without issue, and the next in line to the chiefship was another Neil, who obtained the lands of Taynish. His descendant Hector MacNeill of Taynish purchased Gigha in 1590. With the power of the Campbells growing and spreading out into the Inner Hebrides, the influence of the McNeills of Gigha decreased.[11] At about this time the MacNeils on more remote island of Barra, far removed of Campbell power, began to grow in prominence and for a long time since have been regarded as Chief of the Clan and Name.[12] Descending from this branch were the MacNeils of Colonsay who obtained Colonsay in 1700 and owned it until 1904 when it was sold by the heirs of Major General Sir John Carstairs McNeill.[12] According to Moncreiffe, there is reason to believe that historically this branch was superior to the current chiefs of the Clan MacNeil.[12] There is even a school of thought that there is no relation at all between this branch of McNeills to that of Barra.[1] However, according to a 1962 decree by the Lord Lyon, the chiefs of MacNeil of Barra are chiefs of the whole name of MacNeil by Scots law[1] until such time as the MacNeils of Colonsay acquire a Chief of their own. The last Clan Chief of the Clan McNeill of Colonsay was Alexander Malcolm McNeill who was born in New Zealand in 1899 and Matriculated his Arms in 1972. He held the title until his death in 1988. His son John Duncan McNeill became Head of the Clan on his father's death but did not apply to matriculate his own Arms. Duncan's eldest daughter, Deborah Jane McNeill, has petitioned the Lord Lyon to become the next Clan Chief of the Clan McNeill of Colonsay.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Kisimul_Castle.jpg/250px-Kisimul_Castle.jpg)
Modern Clan Macneil
The 18th and 19th centuries saw severe hardship to Clan MacNeil clansfolk. During this era there was mass clearance from Barra to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. During the chiefship of Colonel Roderick (c.1755–1822) Barra suffered its first mass clearances. Ironically the chief described himself as a melieuratier (an "improver"). When Roderick died in 1863 the chiefship passed to a cousin (descendant of Gilleonan) who had emigrated during the mass emigrations to Canada in 1802.
Robert Lister MacNeil was born in 1889. An American citizen and a trained architect, he succeeded the chiefship of Clan MacNeil in 1915. In 1937 he was able to purchase Barra and the ruinous
Regarding the ascent of the 45th chief (Robert Lister Macneil), The Arms of the Scottish Bishoprics (1917) states:
"In 1914 Roderick Ambrose MacNeil, Chief of the MacNeils of Barra, died in the United States of America, being still a British citizen, leaving two sons. Paul Humphrey MacNeil, the elder son, in his father's lifetime renounced his allegiance to the British Crown and became an American citizen; in consequence of this his father in 1913 nominated his second son, Robert Lister MacNeil, the petitioner, to succeed him as Chief of the Clan, and assigned to him the arms pertaining to the Chief. Robert Lister MacNeil therefore petitioned the Lyon King to grant him the arms recorded by General Roderick MacNeil in 1824, which were borne by his (the petitioner's father), Roderick Ambrose MacNeil."[21]
Clan Symbols
Crest Badges
Clan members who wish to show their allegiance to a particular clan and chief can wear a
Though not a clan in its own right, MacNeil(l)s who consider themselves of the Colonsay "branch" have used the following crest badge to distinguish themselves from the Barra "branch". This crest badge contains the crest: an armoured dexter arm with dagger; and the motto: vincere aut mori (also written as vincere vel mori), which translates from Latin as "conquer or die".[23]
Clan Badge
Another symbol used by clan members is a however this clan badge may actually be attributed to the McNeills of Gigha, a branch of Clan MacNeil. Trefoil has also been attributed to the Lamonts, another clan in Argyl. The Lamonts and MacNeils/McNeills both claim descent from the same O'Neill who settled in Scotland in the Middle Ages.
Tartan
There have been several tartans associated with the name MacNeil / MacNeill. However, in 1997 the chief of Clan MacNeil directed members of the clan that there were only two tartans that he recognised as "clan tartans".[26] These were: MacNeil of Barra and MacNeil of Colonsay. The MacNeil of Barra tartan has been the standard MacNeil of Barra tartan for over a century.[26]
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MacNeil of Barra tartan. Has been the standard MacNeil tartan for over a century.[26]
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McNeill/MacNeill of Colonsay tartan. One of the two official clan tartans of Clan MacNeil.[26]
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MacNeil tartan, as published in the Vestiarium Scoticum in 1842.[27] The tartan is not recognised as a "clan tartan" by the current chief.[citation needed]
Coat of arms
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a6/MacNeil_COA.png/250px-MacNeil_COA.png)
In Scotland, all coats of arms belong to a single person. The coat of arms typically attributed to Clan MacNeil belongs solely to the current chief of the clan. A depiction of the coat of arms is painted in the Great Hall of Kisimul Castle in Castlebay, Barra, Scotland.
This coat of arms is divided into quarters:
- Upper Left: King of Scotland)
- Upper Right: Castle in the water (symbolizing Kisimul Castle in Castlebay)
- Lower Left: 3-masted ship (Representing either the seafaring nature of the clan or the migration of the clan from the Ulster, Ireland to Barra, Scotland
- Lower Right: Red Hand of Ulster surrounded by nine shackles representing Niall of the Nine Hostages
Surrounding the Coat of Arms [1]:
- Crest: a Rock (same as on the clan badge)
- Chapeau: Red velvet cap lined with ermine, symbolic of a Baron
- Helm: Height of the Helmet is determined by rank
- Mantle: Fabric surrounding the Arms
- Supporters: Two lions rampant
- Compartment: The base of the Arms, made of Dryas flowers (the clan badge)
Distribution
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Mac_Neil.jpg/250px-Mac_Neil.jpg)
The topic of who is a MacNeil can be a complicated one. By convention, anyone descended from a member of Clan MacNeil can claim membership. Because of the history of slavery in the United States and the Caribbean, however, many African-Americans may bear a MacNeil surname. Because it was not uncommon for a female slave to bear her slave-master's child, several African-American MacNeils may have legitimate descent from a MacNeil, however such descent can rarely be proven, and most African-American MacNeils remain uninvolved with clan activities and do not claim descent from the clan. Generally speaking, Caucasians with MacNeil surnames number between 40,000 and 80,000 worldwide.
In England, Wales, and the Isle of Man
source: UK National Statistics Database 2002[28]
- McNeil: 3,522 (rank:2262)
- McNeill: 4,212 (rank:1909)
- MacNeil: 314 (rank:15845)
- MacNeill: 286 (rank:16904)
Sizable populations also exist in Scotland, Ireland, Canada, France, Australia, and New Zealand
In the United States
- McNeil: 33,239 (rank:961) (source: 2000 US Census[29])
- McNeill: 22,383 (rank:1387) (source: 1990 US Census[30])
- McNeal: 8,928 (rank:1723) (source: 2010 US Census[31])
- MacNeil: 2,487 (rank:8716) (source: 1990 US Census[30])
- McNiel: (rank:14781) (source: 2010 US Census[32]
- McNeilly: (rank:16430) (source: 1990 US Census[33])
- MacNeill: (rank:28690) (source: 1990 US Census[33])
- MacNeal: 540 (rank:36525) (source: 2010 US Census[31])
- McNeillie: 107 (Rank:181724) (source: 2020 US Census[31])
Chiefs of Clan MacNeil
Current chief: Roderick "Rory" Wilson MacNeil of Barra, The MacNeil of Barra, Chief of Clan Niall and 27th of Barra, Baron of Barra.
The
# | Name | Notes | Year of death |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Niall Noigíallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages)
|
High King of Ireland also a member of the Connachta dynasty and ancestor of the Uí Néill dynastic family. Married to Rignach | 405 |
2 | Eógan mac Néill | King of Aileach and Prince of Ulster, also the ancestor of the Tír Eógain in the 5th century. Married to Indorb Fionn 'the White'[citation needed ]
|
465 |
3 | Muiredach mac Eógain | King of Aileach and Prince of Ulster. Married to Eirc[citation needed] | 480 |
4 | Muirchertach mac Muiredaig
|
High King of Ireland in 487, King of Aileach. Married to Duaibhseach[citation needed] | |
5 | Domnall mac Muirchertaig
|
High King of Ireland in 559, King of Aileach | 561 |
6 | Áed Uaridnach | High King of Ireland 599, King of Aileach | 607 |
7 | Máel Fithrich mac Áedo) | King of Aileach, Prince of Ulster | 626–630 |
8 | Máel Dúin mac Máele Fithrich | King of Aileach, Prince of Ulster. Married to Cacht[citation needed] | 706 |
9 | Fergal mac Máele Dúin | High King of Ireland 709, King of Aileach. Married to Athiocht[citation needed] | 718 |
10 | Niall Frossach | High King of Ireland 759, King of Aileach. Married to Eithne[citation needed] | 773 |
11 | Áed Oirdnide mac Néill
|
High King of Ireland 793, King of Aileach. Married to Maebh[citation needed] | 818 |
12 | Niall Caille mac Áeda
|
High King of Ireland 832, King of Aileach and Ulster. Married to Gormfhlaith Macdonell[citation needed] | 845 |
13 | Aed Finliath
|
High King of Ireland 861, King of Aileach and Ulster. Married to Máel Muire, daughter of Kenneth MacAlpin, King of Scots[citation needed] | 878 |
14 | Niall Glúndub | High King of Ireland 878, King of Aileach and Ulster. Married to Gormflaith[citation needed] | 916 |
15 | Muirceartach na Cochall Croiceann (Muirchertach mac Néill) | High King of Ireland 937, King of Aileach and Ulster | 943 |
16 | Domnall ua Néill | High King of Ireland 954, King of Aileach and Ulster | 978 |
17 | Muirceartach na Midhe | Prince of Ulster and Tyrone | 975 |
18 | Flaithbertach Ua Néill | King of Aileach and Ulster and Prince of Tyrone | |
19 | Aodh Athlamh | King of Aileach and Ulster and Prince of Tyrone | |
20 | Aodh Aonrachan | King of Aileach, Prince of Aileach and Argyll, resigned kingship to brother Domhnall in 1033 | aft 1047 |
21 | Niall of the Castle | Prince of Argyll and the Norse Council of the Isles. Began construction of Kisimul Castle | |
22 | Aodh | Prince of the Norse Council of the Isles | aft 1090 |
23 | Donald | Prince of the Norse Council of the Isles | |
24 | Muirceartach | Prince of the Norse Council of the Isles | |
25 | Niall | Prince of the Norse Council of the Isles | aft 1263 |
26 | Niall Og | Received first charter for Barra from Robert the Bruce[35] | aft 1314 |
27 | Muirceartach | ||
28 | Roderick | Married Marjory, daughter of Donald of Islay, Lord of the Isles. Roderick witnessed a charter whereby Donald conveyed lands to Hector Maclean of Duart in 1409. | aft 1409 |
29 | Gilleonan Roderick Muchard Macneil | Received first recorded charter for Barra from Alexander, Lord of the Isles in 1427.[35] Married to Fynvola (Flora) MacLeod, daughter of Iain Borb MacLeod (6th chief of Clan MacLeod).[citation needed] | aft 1427 |
30 | Roderick | ||
31 | Gilleonan | aft 1495 | |
32 | Gilleonan | ||
33 | Gilleonan | aft 1578 | |
34 | Roderick Og | Married to Mary MacLeod, the 10th chief and first female chief of Clan MacLeod | |
35 | Roderick "the Turbulent" | Married to a woman from Clan MacLean of Dowart (Duart) and later to a woman named Marion MacDonald. The children from both of these marriages fought over the title of chief of Clan MacNeil[35] | aft 1601 |
36 | Niall Og | Married to Margaret MacLean[citation needed] | aft 1651 |
37 | Gilleonan | Married to Catherine MacDonald[citation needed] | |
38 | Roderick Dhu | Baron of Barra. Married to Isobel (Isabella) MacLeod[citation needed] | 1715 |
39 | Roderick "Dove of the West" | Baron of Barra. Married to Alice MacLeod[citation needed] | 1763 |
40 | Roderick "the Gentle" | Baron of Barra. Married to Jean Cameron.[36] | 1822 |
41 | Roderick "the General" | Baron of Barra, lost the Barony and Estate of Barra in 1838. Married to Isabella Brownlow[citation needed] When he died, the chiefship passed to his first cousin (Great-great grandson of Roderick Dhu) who had emigrated during the mass emigrations to Canada in 1802.[12] | 1863 |
42 | Donald McGougan Macneil | Baron of Barra | 1880 |
43 | Iain Macneil | Baron of Barra | 1893 |
44 | Roderick Ambrose MacNeil | Baron of Barra. Bequeathed the title of chief upon his second son, Robert Lister[21] | 1914 |
45 | Robert Lister MacNeil (Photo) | Baron of Barra. An American, bought the Barra estate in 1937 and restored Kisimul Castle before his death. | 1970 |
46 | Ian Roderick MacNeil (Photo) | Baron of Barra. An American-born, Harvard-educated law professor. Gifted | 2010 |
47 | Roderick "Rory" Wilson MacNeil | Baron of Barra. Married to Sau Ming Kwan of Hong Kong.[39] | |
48 |
See also
- McNeil
- McNeill
- MacNeil
- MacNeill
- McNeal
- MacNeal
- MacNeille
- Victory or Death
- McNeil (surname)
- The Barra MacNeils
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs website: "The History of the clan" Retrieved on 2008-03-13
- ^ Septs and Related Families Page Archived 28 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2008-03-13 There are more than one thousand possible spellings of the name MacNeil.
- ^ "Macneil clan shocked as DNA checks force rewrite of history". 16 January 2015.
- ^ Sellar, David. "Family Origins in Cowal and Knapdale" Archived 26 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 2008-03-13
- ^ A Closer Look at West Highland Heraldry Archived 5 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 2008-03-13
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Way, George and Squire, Romily. Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs). Published in 1994. Pages 254 - 255.
- ^ Ronald Black, "1467 MS: The MacNeils", West Highland Notes & Queries, ser. 4, no. 6 (Feb. 2018), p. 11
- ^ Skene, William F. (1902), Macbain, Alexander (ed.), The Highlanders of Scotland, Stirling: Eneas Mackay, pp. 248–250
- ^ Ronald Black, "1467 MS: The MacNeils", West Highland Notes & Queries, ser. 4, no. 6 (Feb. 2018), p. 19
- ISBN 978-0-585-06064-4
- ^ Anderson, William (1878), The Scottish Nation; or, The Surnames, Families, Literature, Honours, and Biographical History of the People of Scotland, vol. 3, Edinburgh: A. Fullarton & Co., pp. 55–57
- ^ a b c d e Moncreiffe of that Ilk, pp. 81–84.
- ^ a b c Gibson, pp. 103–107.
- ^ The Clan MacNeil Archived 7 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 2008-03-13
- ^ Scots Law News Archived 26 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 2008-03-04
- ^ "Clan chief gives his lands to the people Historic day for crofters as MacNeil hands over 9000 acres on Barra". The Herald. Glasgow. 6 September 2003. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
- ^ a b Estate of Barra Archived 1 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 2008-03-04
- ^ MACNEIL OF BARRA, CHIEF OF MACNEIL OF BARRA Archived 3 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 2008-03-12
- ^ The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs website. (link to website Archived 1 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine) Retrieved on 2008-03-04
- ^ Clan MacNeil in Canada Archived 1 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 2007-06-27
- ^ a b Lyon, W. T. (7 May 2018). "The arms of the Scottish bishoprics". Selkirk : The Scottish Chronicle Offices. Archived from the original on 1 February 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2018 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Way, George; Squire, Romilly (2000), pp. 224–225.
- ^ a b The Badges of Clan MacNeil Archived 7 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2007-06-27
- ^ Adam; Innes of Learney (1970), pp. 541–543.
- ^ Mackenzie (1884), p. 536.
- ^ a b c d Tartans and Badges Pages Archived 19 October 2004 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 2008-03-13
- ^ Scotland's Forged Tartans, p.36-37
- ^ "Surnames of England and Wales". www.taliesin-arlein.net. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- ^ "Genealogy - Frequently Occurring Surnames from Census 2000". www.census.gov. Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ a b "Most Popular Last Names in the United States (rank 1001-2000)". mongabay.com. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- ^ a b c "Genealogy Data: Frequently Occurring Surnames from Census 2000 - U.S. Census Bureau". Archived from the original on 18 August 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ "Frequently Occurring Surnames from the 2010 Census". www.census.gov. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ a b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 October 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2006.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Castle in the Sea, p.136-139
- ^ a b c Clan Macneil history Archived 13 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine electricscotland.com. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
- ^ Memoir of Colonel John Cameron by Rev. Archibald Clerk
- ^ "Obituary: Ian MacNeil, Clan chief and lawyer - the Scotsman". Archived from the original on 5 March 2010. Retrieved 28 February 2010.
- ^ "Prof Ian Roderick MacNeil : Obituary - Announcements". announce.jpress.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ burkes peerage Archived 3 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Scottish Chiefs Index Archived 7 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, MACNEIL OF BARRA, CHIEF OF MACNEIL OF BARRA
References
- Adam, Frank; Innes of Learney, Thomas (1970). The Clans, Septs & Regiments of the Scottish Highlands (8th ed.). Edinburgh: Johnston and Bacon.
- Gibson, John G. Old and New World Highland Bagpiping. MacGill-Queen's University Press, 2002. ISBN 0-7735-2291-3.
- Mackenzie, Alexander (ed.) (1884). The Celtic Magazine; a monthly periodical devoted to the literature, history, antiquities, folk lore, traditions, and the social and material interests of the Celt at home and abroad. Vol. 9. Inverness: A. & W. Mackenzie.
{{cite book}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - Moncreiffe of that Ilk, Iain. The Highland Clans. London: Barrie & Rockliff, 1967.
- ISBN 0-00-472501-8.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Clan MacNeil Association of America
- Clan MacNeil in Canada
- Clan MacNeil Net
- Iain MacNeil – Daily Telegraph obituary