Clan MacAulay
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Clan MacAulay (, ), also spelt Macaulay or Macauley is a
Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from Scottish Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared heritage and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure r ...
. The clan was historically centred on the lands of Ardincaple, which are today consumed by the little village of
Rhu Rhu (; ) is a village and historic parish on the east shore of the Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The traditional spelling of its name was ''Row'', but it was changed in the 1920s so that outsiders would pronounce it correctly. The ...
and
burgh A burgh ( ) is an Autonomy, autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots language, Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I of Scotland, King David I created ...
of
Helensburgh Helensburgh ( ; ) is a town on the north side of the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, situated at the mouth of the Gareloch. Historically in Dunbartonshire, it became part of Argyll and Bute following local government reorganisation in 1996. Histo ...
in
Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute (; , ) is one of 32 unitary authority, unitary council areas of Scotland, council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod ...
. The MacAulays of Ardincaple were located mainly in the traditional county of
Dunbartonshire Dunbartonshire () or the County of Dumbarton is a Shires of Scotland, historic county, lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Dunbar ...
, which straddles the "Highland Line" between the
Scottish Highlands The Highlands (; , ) is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Scottish Lowlands, Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Scots language, Lowland Scots language replaced Scottish Gae ...
and
Lowlands Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of a ...
. Clan MacAulay has been considered a "Highland clan" by writers and has been linked by various historians to the original Earls of Lennox and in later times to
Clan Gregor Clan Gregor, also known as Clan MacGregor, is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan that claims an origin in the early 9th century. The clan's most famous member is Rob Roy MacGregor of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The clan ...
. The MacAulays of Ardincaple, like Clan Gregor and several other clans, have traditionally been considered one of the seven clans which make up
Siol Alpin Siol Alpin (from Gaelic, Sìol Ailpein: Seed of Alpin) is a family of seven Scottish clans traditionally claiming descent from Alpin, father of Cináed mac Ailpín, King of the Picts, of whom the Scots tradition considered the first King of Scot ...
. This group of clans were said to have claimed descent from
Cináed mac Ailpín Kenneth MacAlpin (; ; 810 – 13 February 858) or Kenneth I was King of Dál Riada (841–850), and King of the Picts (848–858), of likely Gaelic origin. According to the traditional account, he inherited the throne of Dál Riada from his ...
,
King of the Picts The list of kings of the Picts is based on the Pictish Chronicle king lists. These are late documents and do not record the dates when the kings reigned. The various surviving lists disagree in places as to the names of kings, and the lengths ...
, from whom later kings of Scotland traced their descent. The chiefs of Clan MacAulay were styled ''Laird of Ardincaple''. Clan MacAulay dates, with certainty, to the 16th century. The clan was engaged in several feuds with neighbouring clans. However, the clan's fortunes declined in the 17th and 18th centuries. After the decline and fall of Clan MacAulay, which ended with the death of Aulay MacAulay in the mid-18th century, the clan became dormant. With the revival of interest in Scottish clans in the 20th century a movement was organised to revive Clan MacAulay. The modern organisation strove to unite the three unrelated groups of MacAulays, and all who bore the surname ''MacAulay'', under one clan and chief. In 2002, the clan appointed a potential chief of Clan MacAulay, but his petition for formal recognition was denied by the
Lord Lyon King of Arms The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officer of State, Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scotland, Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry i ...
. The Lord Lyon ruled that the petitioner did not meet two criteria: anyone without a blood link to a past chief must be
Clan Commander The Scottish Gaelic word means children. In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (''ceannard ci ...
for ten years before being considered for recognition, and that the chiefship in question was of the MacAulays of Ardincaple and not of all MacAulays. To date, Clan MacAulay does not have a chief recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, and therefore can be considered an
Armigerous clan An armigerous clan (from armiger) 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 recognised as such by Lyon Court. Be ...
. There are many different families of MacAulays from both Ireland and Scotland which are not related and are considered to have no historical connection with Clan MacAulay. These include the Scottish Macaulays from the Western Isles (the Macaulays of Lewis and possibly the MacAulays of
Uist Uist is a group of six islands that are part of the Outer Hebridean Archipelago, which is part of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. North Uist and South Uist ( or ; ) are two of the islands and are linked by causeways running via the isles of Ben ...
). Irish families of MacAulays with no connection with Clan MacAulay are the McAuleys of
County Offaly County Offaly (; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is named after the Ancient Ireland, ancient Kingdom of Uí ...
and
County Westmeath County Westmeath (; or simply ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It formed part of the historic Kingdom of ...
, the McAuleys in
Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
(
County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of and had a population of 63,585 as of 2021. Enniskillen is the ...
), and the "MacAuleys of the Glens" (
County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, County Antrim, Antrim, ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, located within the historic Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the c ...
). The "MacAuleys of the Glens", however, have been thought to have been originally Scottish.


Origins

Clan MacAulay, or the family of the MacAulays of Ardincaple, is first recorded within the lands of
Dunbartonshire Dunbartonshire () or the County of Dumbarton is a Shires of Scotland, historic county, lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Dunbar ...
, which was controlled in the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
by the
mormaer In early medieval Scotland, a mormaer was the Gaelic name for a regional or provincial ruler, theoretically second only to the King of Scots, and the senior of a '' Toísech'' (chieftain). Mormaers were equivalent to English earls or Continenta ...
s (earls) of Lennox. Within the kindred of the mormaers, forms of the
Gaelic Gaelic (pronounced for Irish Gaelic and for Scots Gaelic) is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". It may refer to: Languages * Gaelic languages or Goidelic languages, a linguistic group that is one of the two branches of the Insul ...
given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...
''Amhlaíbh'' were used by family members; and today the
patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (more specifically an avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. It is the male equivalent of a matronymic. Patronymics are used, b ...
form of this name can be
Anglicised Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...
as ''MacAulay''. One such ''Amhlaíbh'' was a younger son of
Ailín II, Earl of Lennox Mormaer Ailín II of Lennox (also known as Ailean or Alwyn) was the son of Mormaer Ailín I, and ruled Lennox from somewhere in the beginning of the 13th century until his death in 1217. Unlike many other Scottish Mormaers, he played little role ...
. This Amhlaíbh was the subject of a
lay Lay or LAY may refer to: Places *Lay Range, a subrange of mountains in British Columbia, Canada * Lay, Loire, a French commune *Lay (river), France * Lay, Iran, a village * Lay, Kansas, United States, an unincorporated community * Lay Dam, Alaba ...
attributed to the poet
Muireadhach Albanach Ó Dálaigh Muireadhach Albanach Ó Dálaigh ("Scottish Muireadhach"); (c''.''1180–c''.''1250) was a Gaels, Gaelic poet and crusader and member of the Ó Dálaigh bardic family. Early career Muireadhach was born at Derrywarragh Island, Derryvarra, Co. Mea ...
in which Muireadhach's Lennox property was named ''Ard nan Each''. The Gaelic ''àrd'' means "high"; and ''each'' means "horse". Amhlaíbh and his descendants were the lords of
Faslane His Majesty's Naval Base, Clyde (HMNB Clyde; also HMS ''Neptune''), primarily sited at Faslane on the Gare Loch, is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Devonport and HMNB Portsmouth). It ...
and an extensive tract of land along the
Gare Loch The Gare Loch or Gareloch () is an open sea loch in Argyll and Bute in the west of Scotland, and it bears a similar name to the village of Gairloch in the north west Highlands. The loch is well used for sailing, recreational boating, list of ...
. The
seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but may also refer to concentrations of power in a wider sense (i.e " seat (legal entity)"). See disambiguation. Types of seat The ...
of Clan MacAulay was located at Ardincaple, which is situated on the shores of the Gare Loch in what is now the village of
Rhu Rhu (; ) is a village and historic parish on the east shore of the Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The traditional spelling of its name was ''Row'', but it was changed in the 1920s so that outsiders would pronounce it correctly. The ...
and town of
Helensburgh Helensburgh ( ; ) is a town on the north side of the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, situated at the mouth of the Gareloch. Historically in Dunbartonshire, it became part of Argyll and Bute following local government reorganisation in 1996. Histo ...
. The place-name ''Ardincaple'' has been stated to be derived the Gaelic form of "cape of the horses" and "height of the horses". According to William Charles Maughan writing at the end of the 19th century, the Ardincaple estate had two main residences, one at Ardincaple, the other to the north at Faslane. Maughan stated that the site of the castle of Faslane could be distinguished, at the time of his writing, "by a small mound near the murmuring
burn A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ionizing radiation (such as sunburn, caused by ultraviolet radiation). Most burns are due to heat from hot fluids (called scalding), soli ...
which flows into the bay". Geoffrey Stell's census of mottes in Scotland lists only four in
Dunbartonshire Dunbartonshire () or the County of Dumbarton is a Shires of Scotland, historic county, lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Dunbar ...
; one of which is Faslane (), another listed as a "possible" is at Shandon (); Shandon being located between site of Faslane and the town of Helensburgh. Maughan wrote that at Faslane there stood an
oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...
tree at place called in
Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...
''Cnoch-na-Cullah'' (English: "knoll of the cock"). According to legend, when a cock crowed beneath the branches of the old oak upon the
knoll In geography, knoll is another term for a knowe or hillock, a small, low, round natural hill or mound. Knoll may also refer to: Places * Knoll Camp, site of an Iron Age hill fort Hampshire, England, United Kingdom * Knoll Lake, Leonard Canyon, ...
, a member of Clan MacAulay was about to die. The actual ancestry of Clan MacAulay is uncertain. The recorded chiefs of the clan were the
laird Laird () is a Scottish word for minor lord (or landlord) and is a designation that applies to an owner of a large, long-established Scotland, Scottish estate. In the traditional Scottish order of precedence, a laird ranked below a Baronage of ...
s of Ardincaple and styled with the
territorial designation In the United Kingdom, a territorial designation follows modern Peerages in the United Kingdom, peerage titles, linking them to a specific place or places. It is also an integral part of all baronetcies. Within Scotland, a territorial designation ...
: ''of Ardincaple''. The early 18th century Scottish heraldist
Alexander Nisbet Alexander Nisbet (bapt. 23 March 1657; died 7 Dec. 1725) was a Scottish lawyer and antiquarian. He is remembered for his works on heraldry, which are considered to be some of the most complete and authoritative produced in the UK. Life Nisb ...
claimed the clan descended from Morice de Arncappel who was listed in the
Ragman Rolls The Ragman Rolls are the collection of instruments by which the nobility and gentry of Scotland subscribed allegiance to King Edward I of England, during the time between the Conference of Norham in May 1291 and the final award in favour of Ball ...
as swearing homage to
Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...
in 1296. According to Nisbet, "Maurice de Arncaple is the ancestor of the Lairds of Ardincaple in Dumbartonshire, who were designed Ardincaples
of that Ilk "Of that Ilk", otherwise known as "Chief of that Bluid", is a term used in the Scottish nobility to denote a clan chieftain in some Scottish clans. The term '' of that ilk'' means "of the same ame, and is used to avoid repetition in a person's ti ...
, till King James V.'s time, that Alexander, then the head of the family, took a fancy and called himself Alexander Macaulay of Ardincaple, from a predecessor of his own of the name of Aulay, to humour a patronymical designation, as being more agreeable to the head of a clan than the designation of Ardincaple of that Ilk". Nisbet 1816: p. 36. Later the 18th century
antiquary An antiquarian or antiquary () is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artefacts, archaeological and historic sit ...
(and chief of Clan MacFarlane) Walter MacFarlane stated that the MacAulays of Ardincaple derived their name from an Aulay MacAulay of that Ilk, who lived during the reign of James III (reigned 1440–1488). According to George Fraser Black, the territorial designation ''Ardincaple'' did not become an ordinary surname until the 15th century. Black 1946: pp. 28–29. Several men with the surname ''Ardincaple'' or styled ''of Ardincaple'' are recorded in the Mediaeval Scottish records. Johannes de Ardenagappill was a charter witness in Lennox in about 1364. Arthur de Ardincapel witnessed a charter by
Donnchadh, Earl of Lennox Donnchadh of Lennox was the Mormaer of Lennox from 1385 to 1425. He was a son of Baltar mac Amlaimh and Margaret, daughter of Domhnall, Earl of Lennox. When Domhnall of Lennox died in 1365, Donnchadh's mother Margaret became ruler of Lennox. I ...
in about 1390. In 1489, a remission was granted to Robert Arnegapill for his part in the holding of
Dumbarton Castle Dumbarton Castle (, ; ) has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It sits on a volcanic plug of basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high and overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton. History Dumbarton Rock was forme ...
against the king of Scots. Later in 1513, Aulay Arngapill of that Ilk is mentioned in records. Later in 1529, an escheat of goods of Awlane Ardincapill of that Ilk is recorded. According to the 19th-century historian Joseph Irving, an early laird of Ardincaple was Alexander de Ardincaple, who in 1473, served on the inquest of the
Earl of Menteith The Mormaer or Earl of Menteith was the ruler of the province of Menteith in the Middle Ages. The first mormaer is usually regarded as Gille Críst (or Gilchrist), simply because he is the earliest on record. The title was held in a continuou ...
. Irving 1879, 2: pp. 294–302. Another laird, Aulay de Ardincaple, was invested on a precept from
John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox ( 1490 – 4 September 1526) was a prominent Scottish nobleman. He was the son of Matthew Stewart, 2nd Earl of Lennox, and his wife Lady Elizabeth Hamilton, daughter of James Hamilton, 1st Lord Hamilton, and Ma ...
, in the lands of Faslane adjoining Ardincaple in 1518. Aulay and his wife, Katherine Cunningham, had
sasine Sasine in Scots law is the delivery of Feudalism, feudal property, typically land. Feudal property means immovable property, and includes everything that naturally goes with the property. For land, that would include such things as buildings, tre ...
of the lands of Ardincaple in 1525. Several historians have stated that the first Laird of Ardincaple to take the surname '' MacAulay'' was Alexander de Ardincaple, son of this Aulay de Ardincaple. Anderson 1862: pp. 709–710. Alexander lived during the reign of
James V James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV a ...
(reigned 1513–1542). There is record in 1536 of an Awla McAwla of Ardencapill; Black 1946: pp. 37, 455. another Awla McAwla was clerk of the watch of Queen Mary's guard in 1566.


History

During the 15th and 15th centuries in west
Dumbartonshire Dunbartonshire () or the County of Dumbarton is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Dunbartonshire borders Perthshire to the north, Stirling ...
, the clans MacFarlane, MacAulay, and
Colquhoun Colquhoun ( ) is a surname of Scotland, Scottish origin. The "l" is typically silent per developments in the Phonological history of Scots, Scots language. Phonetically, MacOlquhoun is similar to McElhone, MacElhone/MacIlhone and therefore Colquhou ...
raided and plundered each other's lands and combined to sweep the lowlands of its flocks and herds. Other clans—among them the MacGregors, Campbells, Camerons and Buchanans—invaded the district later. In July 1567, after
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...
, was forced to abdicate the Scottish throne in favour of her infant son,
James James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...
, Walter MacAulay of Ardincaple was one of the signators of the bond to protect the young prince. "The Laird of M'Cawla of Ardincaple" appears in the General Band of 1587 as a principal vassal of the
Duke of Lennox The title Duke of Lennox has been created several times in the peerage of Scotland, for Clan Stewart of Darnley. The dukedom, named for the district of Lennox in Dumbarton Dumbarton (; , or ; or , meaning 'fort of the Britons (histo ...
. In 1594, the "M'Cawlis" appear in the Roll of Broken Clans.


Feud with clans Buchanan and Galbraith

During the 16th century members of Clan MacAulay were in conflict with members of clans Buchanan and Galbraith. On 1 August 1590, Walter MacAulay, son of Allan MacAulay of Durling, was killed on the "Highway and street of Dunbarton" in a clash against a contingent of Buchanans, who were led by Thomas Buchanan, Sheriff Depute of Dunbarton. Also wounded in the encounter was Walter's brother, Duncan MacAulay, who was wounded through the "''harn pan''" (brain); John dhu MacGregor, who was wounded behind his shoulder blade so that "''his lights and entrails might be seen''" (lungs); James Colquhoun, who was wounded in the "''wamb''" (stomach); and others including a MacAulay, Miller, and MacGibbon. When a complaint was registered on 29 September, the defenders failed to appear and were " put to the horn" (denounced as rebels). MacGregor 1898, 1: pp. 230–231. On 6 October 1590, Thomas Buchanan of Blairlusk, John Buchanan, his son John Buchanan Burgess of Dunbarton, and others were formally charged in
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
with the murder of Walter MacAulay. The accused were ordered to appear before the Justice at Edinburgh on 21 December 1590. The case was then deferred to March and again the accused failed to appear. The following May saw the
Bond of Manrent Bond or bonds may refer to: Common meanings * Bond (finance), a type of debt security * Bail bond, a commercial third-party guarantor of surety bonds in the United States * Fidelity bond, a type of insurance policy for employers * Chemical bond ...
between MacAulay of Ardincaple and MacGregor of Glenstrae, in which both chiefs swore to assist each other, their "kin and friends in all their honest actions against whatsoever person or persons the Kings Majesty being only excepted". In spring of 1593, Robert Galbraith, Laird of Culcreuch, purchased a
Commission of Justiciary {{not to be confused, Justiciar A commission of justiciary was a method of law enforcement employed in Scotland, in particular in the 16th and 17th centuries. In an era when the practical reach of central government was limited, the issuing auth ...
(or a " Letter of Fire and Sword" used to legally attack and destroy another clan) to pursue Clan Gregor and "their ressetters and assisters". The MacAulays and Colquhouns were suspicious of Galbraith's real intentions and on 3 May 1593, the chiefs of the two clans complained to the Privy Council that Galbraith of Culcreuch had only purchased the commission under counsel from George Buchanan, and that Galbraith had no intentions of actually harassing the MacGregors. It seemed more likely that the Galbraiths, allied with the Buchanans, would direct their vengeance against the MacAulays and Colquhouns under the guise of hunting and clearing Clan Gregor from the Lennox. MacGregor 1898, 1: p. 234. To complicate matters, the Laird of Ardincaple had married the Laird of Culcreuch's widowed mother against his consent and Galbraith had "''gevin vp kindnes, and denunceit his euill-will to him with solempne vowis of revenge''" (given up kindness, and denounced his evil will to MacAulay with solemn vows of revenge). Due to the influence of the Duke of Lennox, the Letter of Fire and Sword were taken from the Galbraiths and Buchanans. Ardincaple had however been sparing of the entire truth. No mention was made of the bond of manrent between him and the MacGregor chief. According to Ronald Williams, it is unlikely the Privy Council was aware of this bond between. Even so, the Privy Council required securities of Ardincaple not to assist Clan Gregor. Williams 1998: pp. 49–50.


''Siol Alpin'': MacGregors and MacAulays

Around the end of the 16th century Clan Gregor were in constant disputes and were at times outlawed. In order to strengthen its position the clan proceeded to enter in alliances with clans who were reputed to share a common ancestry. One such alliance was concluded on 6 July 1571 between James Macgregor of that Ilk and Luchlin Mackinnon of Strathardill. Another such alliance was formalised twenty years later while the MacGregors were outlawed, on 27 May 1591 with Clan MacAulay. This formal agreement, known as a Bond of Manrent, was between
Aulay MacAulay of Ardincaple Sir Aulay MacAulay of Ardincaple (died 1617) was a Scottish laird, knight, Scottish clan chief, clan chief, and a Commissioner, shire commissioner. He was the son and heir of Walter MacAulay Ardincaple, who was the laird of Ardincaple and chief ...
and Alasdair MacGregor of Glenstrae. In the bond, Ardincaple acknowledged Glenstrae as his chief, and of being a cadet of the House of MacGregor, and therefore promised to pay the MacGregor chief his ''calp''. The giving of ''calp'', a tribute of cattle or the best eighth of a part of goods to a superior lord or chief, was a significant custom in Gaelic society. The contract between Ardincaple and Glenstrae gave the MacGregors some temporary relief from the Buchanans and Galbraiths. Prior to this contract, Ardincaple does not appear to have been involved with Clan Gregor in any way. According to Irving, even though the Ardincaple was at feud with the Buchanans it is unclear how such an alliance would benefit his own clan. Irving wrote that Ardincaple must have known that any connection with Clan Gregor "would end (as it actually did) in a manner most disastrous to all connected with the turbulent Macgregors". Irving 1879, 1: pp. 199–201. According to the 19th-century historian
William Forbes Skene William Forbes Skene Writer to the Signet, WS FRSE Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, FSA(Scot) Doctor of Civil Law, DCL Legum Doctor, LLD (7 June 1809 – 29 August 1892), was a Scotland, Scottish lawyer, historian and antiquary. He co-found ...
, the contract is evidence of an ancestral connection between clans Gregor and MacAulay. Within the bond, both Ardincaple and Glenstrae stated that they were offshoots of the same family: "Alexander M'Gregor of Glenstray on the ane part and Awly M'Cawley of Ardingapill on the other part understanding ourselfs and our name to be M'Calppins of auld and to be our just and trew surname". Skene was of the opinion that the MacAulays did not descend from the Mediaeval earls of Lennox, and further concluded that Clan MacAulay was a member of
Siol Alpin Siol Alpin (from Gaelic, Sìol Ailpein: Seed of Alpin) is a family of seven Scottish clans traditionally claiming descent from Alpin, father of Cináed mac Ailpín, King of the Picts, of whom the Scots tradition considered the first King of Scot ...
– a group of clans which could claim descent from
Kenneth MacAlpin Kenneth MacAlpin (; ; 810 – 13 February 858) or Kenneth I was King of Dál Riada (841–850), and King of the Picts (848–858), of likely Gaelic origin. According to the traditional account, he inherited the throne of Dál Riada from his fa ...
(''Cináed mac Ailpín'') whom Scots considered to be their first
king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
. Later historians have shown that such bonds were used by the MacGregors to secure allegiances with weaker clans, and that such a bond was may have been forced upon the MacAulays by the more powerful MacGregors. Following the Battle of Glen Fruin, between Clan Gregor and Clan Colquhoun in February 1603, there was much public outcry against the rebellious MacGregors. By an Act of the Privy Council, on 3 April 1603, it was made an offence to bear the name '' MacGregor'', or to give and shelter to a MacGregor. The Earl of Argyll, who was responsible to the Privy Council for the actions of the MacGregors, was entrusted to bring the force of the law against this lawless clan. Being deeply suspicious of Ardincaple's dealings with Glenstrae, one of Argyll's first moves was to bring acts against Ardincaple. Irving 1879, 1: p. 212. On 17 March 1603, Aulay MacAulay of Ardincaple and his sureties were ordered to appear and answer for aiding, supplying, and intercommuning with Alasdair MacGregor of Glenstrae and other MacGregors. He was also to answer for not "rising ye fray" and pursuing the outlawed clan Gregor in the Lennox. Ardincaple was accused of bringing the MacGregor "thevis and rebells" to the Colquhoun lands of
Luss Luss (, 'herb') is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, on the west bank of Loch Lomond. The village is within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. History Historically in the County of Dunbarton, its original name is ''Clacha ...
and for their part in stealing from the Colquhouns of Luss. MacGregor 1898, 1: p. 309. Again the influence of the Duke of Lennox saved Ardincaple and his clan from the same fate as Glenstrae and his. On 7 April 1603,
James VI James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...
wrote from Berwick to the Justice General and his deputies, declaring Ardincaple to be innocent of the alleged crimes and that he was to accompany the king to England with the Duke of Lennox. By the time the King's letter was received, Ardincaple had already left the Lennox district as part of the Duke of Lennox's train, which accompanied James VI on his way to England to be declared King
James I of England James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 unti ...
. The outlawed Glenstrae was finally apprehended by Argyll on 18 January 1604 after almost a year in hiding. and brought to Edinburgh to stand trial. The illiterate Glenstrae consented to give a preliminary statement which was titled a 'confession' and convicted him out of his own mouth. Within his 'confession', Glenstrae accused Argyll of trying to persuade him to kill the chief of the MacAulays: "I Confess, before God, that he did all his craftie diligence to intyse me to slay and destroy the Laird Ardinkaippill, Mckallay, for ony ganes kyndness or freindschip that he mycht do or gif me. The quhilk I did refuis, in respect of my faithfull promeis maid to Mckallay of befor".


Argyll's feud with Ardincaple

Archibald Campbell, 7th Earl of Argyll Archibald may refer to: People and characters *Archibald (name), a masculine given name and a surname * Archibald (musician) (1916–1973), American R&B pianist * Archibald, a character from the animated TV show '' Archibald the Koala'' Other us ...
pursued a violent feud with Aulay MacAulay of Ardincaple during the late 16th and early 17th century. Argyll's lieutenants in the area were Duncan Campbell, Captain of Carrick and Neil Campbell of Lochgoilhead, who led raids into Ardincaple's lands attempting to slay the MacAulay chief. The Campbells of Carrick were seated at
Carrick Castle Carrick Castle is a 14th-century tower house on the west shore of Loch Goil on the Cowal, Cowal Peninsula, in Argyll and Bute, west of Scotland. It is located between Cuilmuich and Carrick, south of Lochgoilhead. The castle stands on a rocky ...
on the shores of
Loch Goil Loch Goil; () is a small sea loch forming part of the coast of the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The sea loch is entirely within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. It is an arm of Loch Long. The village of Lochg ...
(about northwest of Ardincaple). In 1598, Duncan Campbell the Captain of Carrick, registered a bond of 300
merks The merk () is a long-obsolete Scotland, Scottish silver coin. Originally the same word as a Mark (currency), money mark of silver, the merk was in circulation at the end of the 16th century and in the 17th century. It was originally valued at 1 ...
for each of his men in
Rosneath Rosneath () is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It sits on the western shore of the Gare Loch, northwest of the tip of the Rosneath Peninsula. It is about by road from the village of Kilcreggan, which is sited on the southern shore ...
to keep from harming Ardincaple. At the same time, Robert Sempill of Foulwood registered a bond of 2,000 merks for Campbell of Carrick to not harm Ardincaple and his followers. The following year, Lennox legally evicted Donald Campbell of Drongie and several of his followers from the lands of Mamoir, Mambeg, and Forlancarry along the banks of the Gare Loch. The Campbells of Drongie were close supporters of the Campbells of Carrick, and in retaliation a combined force of Campbells of Carrick and Drongie assembled at Rosneath (on opposite shore of the Gare Loch from Ardincaple) and laid waste to the duke's new acquisitions. When the case was presented to the Privy Council on 17 May 1600, both Campbell of Carrick and Campbell of Drongie were denounced as rebels. Ewart; Baker; ''et al''. 1998: pp. 937–1016. On 25 November 1600, evidence was brought forth to the Privy Council of an attempt on Ardincaple's life on 24 September 1600. The evidence pointed to the Captain of Carrick's men coming at night to Ardincaple and attacking followers of the laird and killing one, Malcolm Galbraith. A second attempt Ardincaple's life was carried out at night as he was staying at Nether Greenock. Ardincaple, Patrick Dennestoun (one of Ardincaple's servants), and Archibald Connel were all shot in the encounter. Again the Privy Council denounced the Captain of Carrick and his men as rebels. At the end of November 1600, the Captain of Carrick and 100 followers invaded the lands of Ardincaple armed with "hagbuts, pistolets, bows, darlochs and habershons". The force hid in the woods of Ardincaple for one night, taking several prisoners before fleeing. In the morning, a rider making towards the house of Ardincaple was presumed to be Ardincaple himself and nearly killed, before he was identified as a ''Campbell'' and
servitor In certain university, universities (including some Colleges of the University of Oxford, colleges of University of Oxford and the University of Edinburgh), a servitor was an undergraduate student who received free accommodation (and some free mea ...
to the Earl of Argyll. Carrick's force, for fear of being pursued by men of the district, left the area after destroying houses, hamstringing animals, and making off with livestock belonging to other tenants of the duke. In the process the Carrick men "spuilyeit the houssis of John Dow McAula in Garelocheid and Patrik McCaula in Aldonit". For their actions, the participating Campbells were again denounced as rebels. As stated before, Alasdair MacGregor of Glenstrae claimed in his confession that Argyll had attempted to convince him to slay Ardincaple. A record in ''The Treasurer's Books'', dated November 1602, record one such instance: "Item, to Patrik M'Omeis, messinger, passand of
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
e, with Lettres to charge Ard Earle of Argyle to compeir personallie befoir the Counsall, the xvj day of December nixt, to ansuer to sic things as salbe inquirit at him, tuiching his lying at await for the Laird of Ardincapill, vpone set purpois to have slain him, xvj li". Irving 1879, 1: p. 216.


After 1600

After the episode at Glen Fruin between clans Gregor and Colquhoun in 1603, western
Dumbartonshire Dunbartonshire () or the County of Dumbarton is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Dunbartonshire borders Perthshire to the north, Stirling ...
slowly became more "settled" or peaceful. The MacGregors ceased to exist as a clan and the resident clans of MacAulay, MacFarlane, and Buchanan became less powerful as their lands slowly passed into the hands of strangers. In 1614, Angus Og MacDonald of Dunyvaig seized
Dunyvaig Castle Dunyvaig Castle (, Anglicised ''Fort of the galleys'', also known as ''Dunnyveg'') is located on the south side of Islay, in Argyll, Scotland, on the shore of Lagavulin Bay, from Port Ellen. The castle was once a naval base of the Lord of the I ...
, which had been held by the
Bishop of the Isles The Bishop of the Isles or Bishop of Sodor was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of the Isles (or Sodor), one of Scotland's thirteen medieval bishoprics. The bishopric, encompassing both the Hebrides and Mann, probably traces its origins as ...
. Sir Aulay MacAulay of Ardincaple, with twenty of his men, accompanied the Bishop to
Islay Islay ( ; , ) is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Known as "The Queen of the Hebrides", it lies in Argyll and Bute just south west of Jura, Scotland, Jura and around north of the Northern Irish coast. The island's cap ...
to demand the surrender of the castle. On 26 March 1639,
Covenanters Covenanters were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. It originated in disputes with James VI and his son ...
captured
Dumbarton Castle Dumbarton Castle (, ; ) has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It sits on a volcanic plug of basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high and overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton. History Dumbarton Rock was forme ...
to prevent it from being used as a Royalist base in the event of an invasion from Ireland. Campbell of Airds 2002: p. 200. Once secured, the
Earl of Argyll Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ''countess'' is used. The titl ...
placed Walter MacAulay, Laird of Ardincaple, as keeper of the castle with a garrison of forty men. In 1648, the parish of Row (modern
Rhu Rhu (; ) is a village and historic parish on the east shore of the Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The traditional spelling of its name was ''Row'', but it was changed in the 1920s so that outsiders would pronounce it correctly. The ...
) was created at the instigation of Aulay MacAulay, Laird of Ardincaple, who wanted to separate from the parish of
Rosneath Rosneath () is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It sits on the western shore of the Gare Loch, northwest of the tip of the Rosneath Peninsula. It is about by road from the village of Kilcreggan, which is sited on the southern shore ...
on the opposite side of the Gare Loch. He built the first parish
kirk Kirk is a Scottish and former Northern English word meaning 'church'. The term ''the Kirk'' is often used informally to refer specifically to the Church of Scotland, the Scottish national church that developed from the 16th-century Reformation ...
a year later and provided land for the kirk, minster's
manse A manse () is a clergy house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and other Christian traditions. Ultimately derived from the Latin ''mansus'', "dwelling", from '' ...
, and garden. Irving 1879, 2: pp. 288–294. The
Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution, also known as the Revolution of 1688, was the deposition of James II and VII, James II and VII in November 1688. He was replaced by his daughter Mary II, Mary II and her Dutch husband, William III of Orange ...
of 1688 saw the overthrow of the Roman Catholic,
James II of England James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) was King of England and Monarchy of Ireland, Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II of England, Charles II, on 6 February 1 ...
, in favour of the Protestant,
William III of Orange William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 1650 – 8 March 1702), also known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from 167 ...
. Though most of the English accepted William,
Jacobites A Jacobite is a follower of someone named Jacob or James, from the Latin ''Jācōbus''. Jacobite or Jacobitism may refer to: Religion * Arminianism, the theology of Jacobus Arminius * Jacobites, followers of Saint Jacob Baradaeus (died 578). Ch ...
within Ireland and Scotland opposed him in favour of the deposed James. In 1689, the Earl of Argyll's offer to raise a regiment of 600 men in aid of William was accepted. Holden 1906: pp. 27–40. Argyll's regiment was to consist of 10 companies of about 60 men each. That same year, Archibald MacAulay of Ardincaple raised a company of
fencibles The Fencibles (from the word ''defencible'') were British regiments raised in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and in the colonies for defence against the threat of invasion during the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence, the Fren ...
in aid of William. Maclauchlan; Wilson 1875: p. 265. William and his wife Mary were crowned King and Queen of Scotland as William II and
Mary II Mary II (30 April 1662 – 28 December 1694) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England, List of Scottish monarchs, Scotland, and Monarchy of Ireland, Ireland with her husband, King William III and II, from 1689 until her death in 1694. Sh ...
on 5 November 1689. In 1690, "Ardencaple's Company" within the Earl of Argyll's Regiment was commanded by Captain Archibald MacAulay of Ardencaple, Lieutenant John Lindsay, and Ensign Robert MacAulay "Anshent" (ancient). Later in 1694, Archibald's younger brother, Robert, is listed as Captain Robert MacAulay in the
Earl of Argyll's Regiment of Foot Argyll's Regiment of Foot was a Scottish infantry regiment formed in April 1689 to suppress Jacobite opposition in the Highlands. In February 1692 it took part in the Glencoe Massacre, moved to Brentford near London in May then to Flanders in ea ...
. Even after the revolution had succeeded there was still a fear of invasion in Dumbartonshire by adherents to the expelled Jacobite king. Local parishes were required to muster their men. An example of the size of one particular muster around 1693 is as follows: in Kilmaronock, fifty men and ten guns; in Gleneagles, seventy-four men and three-score swords; in Luss, seventy men "with arms conforme"; in Cardross, one hundred men and thirty stand of arms; and in Rhu, there were eighty-men and fifty-six firelocks. At first the individual parishes selected their own officers, but at general musters they were divided into two companies—one containing those above Leven, and those living below in the other. At a shire mustering at
Kilpatrick Kilpatrick is surname of Irish and Scottish origin, a variant of a name Kirkpatrick. It may refer to: People *Bill Kilpatrick, rugby league footballer of the 1920s and 1930s for Other Nationalities, and Oldham *Carl Kilpatrick, professional baske ...
in 1696, MacAulay of Ardincaple was selected as Captain of the company above Leven, with Noble of Ferme, Lieutenant, and Dugald MacFarlane of Tullibintall, Ensign. Irving 1879, 1: pp. 281–284. At the beginning of the 18th century, a group of MacAulays migrated to the former counties of
Caithness Caithness (; ; ) is a Shires of Scotland, historic county, registration county and Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area of Scotland. There are two towns, being Wick, Caithness, Wick, which was the county town, and Thurso. The count ...
and
Sutherland Sutherland () is a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. The name dates from the Scandinavian Scotland, Viking era when t ...
. William Buchanan of Auchmar's 18th-century account of the surname ''MacAulay'' stated that a group of MacAulays in Caithness claimed to descend from the MacAulays of Ardincaple.


In Ireland

During the early 17th century, Clan MacAulay was involved in the
Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster (; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster Scots: ) was the organised Settler colonialism, colonisation (''Plantation (settlement or colony), plantation'') of Ulstera Provinces of Ireland, province of Irelandby people from Great ...
, as
James VI James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...
began colonising regions of Ireland with English and Scottish settlers. Several MacAulays were transplanted from Scotland to Ulster during this era. One such region was the precinct of Portlough (within the barony of Raphoe, in
County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county of the Republic of Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is the northernmost county of Ireland. The county mostly borders Northern Ireland, sharing only a small b ...
) which comprised . In 1610,
Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox and 1st Duke of Richmond (29 September 157416 February 1624) was a Scotland, Scottish nobleman and a second cousin of King James VI and I. He was involved in court theatre and the Plantation of Ulster in ...
was allotted of land within the precinct. There were eight other allotments; one of which was of to Alexander MacAulay of Durling, gentleman. The king appointed various commissioners to visit the landlords to whom the allotments were made in order to take account of their progress. In July 1611, on such inspection was made in the precinct of Portlough. The report stated of the duke's allotment: "Duke of Lennox, chief undertaker of 2000 acres. Sir Aulant Aula, Knight, his agent, resident, with some British families; no preparation for building, save some timber trees felled and squared". For the allotment to Alexander MacAulay of Durling, the report stated: "Alexander McAula of Durlinge; 1000 acres; appeared not, nothing done". In 1619, Nicholas Pynnar surveyed the undertakers and recorded of the Duke of Lennox's portion: "3000 acres, Duke of Lennox: a very strong castle, built of lime and stone, but no freeholders. The well inhabited and full of people". For the MacAulay portion the report stated: "1000 acres, Alexander McAula: stone house and
bawn A bawn is the defensive wall surrounding an Irish tower house. It is the anglicised version of the Irish word ''bábhún'' (sometimes spelt ''badhún''), possibly meaning "cattle-stronghold" or "cattle-enclosure".See alternative traditional s ...
; 2 freeholders, 9 lessees; able to produce 30 men with arms". Later, Alexander MacAulay of Durling, also known as 'Alexander MacAulay, alias Stewart', sold his allotment to Alexander Stewart. According to Hill, Alexander Stewart was the ancestor of the Stewart
Marquesses of Londonderry Marquess of Londonderry, of the County of Londonderry ( ), is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. History The title was created in 1816 for Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Londonderry. He had earlier represented County Down in the Irish House of ...
. Alexander MacAulay of Durling also succeeded Sir Aulay Macaulay as Laird of Ardincaple and chief of Clan MacAulay. A branch of the MacAulays of Ardincaple settled in
County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, County Antrim, Antrim, ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, located within the historic Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the c ...
, with the leading member of the family owning the
Glenarm Glenarm () is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies on the North Channel coast north of the town of Larne and the village of Ballygalley, and south of the village of Carnlough. It is situated in the civil parish of Tickmac ...
estate for some time until it passed to the MacDougalls in 1758.


Fall of the clan and loss of Ardincaple

The power of Clan MacAulay and the fortune of the Lairds of Ardincaple diminished from the 17th century into the 18th century. Successive lairds were forced to divide and sell, piece by piece, the lands once governed by the clan. As the laird's resources dried up, their lands fell into decay, and the once expansive lands of Ardincaple shrank to only a few farms. Argyll 1887: pp. 367–373. By the early 1750s, even the roof of
Ardincaple Castle Ardencaple Castle, also known as Ardincaple Castle, and sometimes referred to as Ardencaple Castle Light, is a listed building, situated about from Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Today, all that remains of the castle is a tower, perch ...
, seat of the clan chief, had fallen in. The overall condition of the castle had deteriorated to such an extent that the next laird was forced to abandon it and live in nearby Laggarie. The bulk of the Ardincaple estate ultimately passed into the hands of
John Campbell, 4th Duke of Argyll General John Campbell, 4th Duke of Argyll, KT, PC ( – 9 November 1770) was a Scottish military officer, Whig politician and peer who sat in the British House of Commons from 1713 to 1761. Early life John Campbell was born , the son of Jo ...
. Cook; Cook 2004: pp. 181–182. The last chief of the MacAulays, Aulay MacAulay, died at High Laggarie (now encompassed by the tiny village of
Rhu Rhu (; ) is a village and historic parish on the east shore of the Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The traditional spelling of its name was ''Row'', but it was changed in the 1920s so that outsiders would pronounce it correctly. The ...
) landless and without an heir to succeed as chief in about 1767. In 1794,
Lord Frederick Campbell Lord Frederick Campbell (20 June 1729 – 8 June 1816) was a British politician. He was Lord Clerk Register of Scotland, 1768–1816; Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow Burghs (1761–1780) and for Argyllshire (1780–1799). Biography ...
(brother of John, 5th Duke of Argyll) supervised the draining of the marsh and bog-ridden former lands of the Lairds of Ardincaple. The poor state of the lands of Ardincaple before that year is illustrated in the statement by George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll: that much of the land could not bear the weight of a cow, and local men of the time remembered when horses would be lost in the bogholes prevalent in the area.


Modern era: clan associations

Since the death of the last chief, in the 18th century, the MacAulays of Ardincaple have ceased to exist as a clan. There is currently no clan chief, and no member of the clan has been granted the
undifferenced arms In heraldry, cadency is any systematic way to distinguish Coat of arms, arms displayed by Lineal descendant, descendants of the holder of a coat of arms when those family members have not been granted arms in their own right. Cadency is necessa ...
of the MacAulays of Ardincaple. However, with a revival of Scottish interest in the 20th century several MacAulays unsuccessfully attempted to prove a
genealogical Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...
link to the last chief, and a movement was organised to revive the clan. In 1997 Iain McMillan MacAulay was made interim leader, or
clan commander The Scottish Gaelic word means children. In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (''ceannard ci ...
. Later in 1998, during its first assembly, the organisation's objectives were determined: to unite three unrelated groups of MacAulays under one chief – Clan MacAulay (the MacAulays of Ardincaple), the Macaulays of Lewis, and the Macaulays of
Wester Ross Wester Ross () is an area of the Northwest Highlands of Scotland in the council area of Highland. The area is loosely defined, and has never been used as a formal administrative region in its own right, but is generally regarded as lying to th ...
; this new chief would then, in effect, be chief of ''all'' MacAulays. In 1999 MacAulay intended to petition the Lord Lyon King of Arms to be recognised as chief but was challenged by Iain Davidson MacAulay, originally a native of Helensburgh who claimed a direct bloodline to the chiefs of the clan. In 2001, an ''ad hoc''
derbhfine The derbfine ( ; , from 'real' + 'group of persons of the same family or kindred', thus literally 'true kin'electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language s.vderbḟine/ref>) was a term for patrilineal groups and power structures defined in the fi ...
took place at
Tulloch Castle Tulloch Castle is located in the town of Dingwall in the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. It dates at least to the late 14th century as the birthplace of Mariota Leslie, daughter of Euphemia I, countess of Ross. Mariota was the wife o ...
,
Dingwall Dingwall (, ) is a town and a royal burgh in the Highland (council area), Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,491. It was an east-coast harbour that now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north ...
in
Easter Ross Easter Ross () is a loosely defined area in the east of Ross, Highland, Scotland. The name is used in the constituency name Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, which is the name of both a British House of Commons constituency and a Scotti ...
with the intention of nominating a person to petition
Lyon Court The Court of the Lord Lyon, or Lyon Court, is a standing court of law, based in New Register House in Edinburgh, which regulates heraldry in Scotland. The Lyon Court maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All ...
to become a recognised
clan chief The Scottish Gaelic word means children. In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (''ceannard ci ...
. Prior to the derbhfine
Ross Herald Ross Herald of Arms Extraordinary is a Scottish herald of arms Extraordinary of the Court of the Lord Lyon. The office is however held in Extraordinary after the retirement of the last holder in Ordinary. The title of the office is derived fro ...
wrote to six armigers and ten landowners supplied by the Clan MacAulay Association, who would be involved in the voting. The derbhfine, which was supervised by Ross Herald, took place in front of 50 clan members, and the voting was carried out by only 11 members. The derbhfine ruled that Iain McMillan MacAulay, then an 80-year-old armiger, should lead the clan. After being nominated as leader, MacAulay then petitioned the Lord Lyon King of Arms for the right to receive the
undifferenced arms In heraldry, cadency is any systematic way to distinguish Coat of arms, arms displayed by Lineal descendant, descendants of the holder of a coat of arms when those family members have not been granted arms in their own right. Cadency is necessa ...
of the last chief of Clan MacAulay, legally making him clan chief. Later in 2002, the
Robin Blair Robin Orr Blair, CVO, WS (born 1 January 1940), former Lord Lyon King of Arms of Scotland, is a retired solicitor, and was a partner with Dundas & Wilson CS and later with Turcan Connell. From 1988 until his appointment as Lord Lyon, he held ...
, the Lord Lyon King of Arms rejected MacAulay's petition. He ruled that a petitioner without a genealogical link to a past chief would have to rule as Commander of the Clan for ten years before being considered for recognition as a chief. Following this, ''
The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact (newspaper), compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until ...
'' reported that the reasoning behind his ruling was that recognising MacAulay as chief would discourage any further research into finding a blood link to the chiefs of the clan. And that such research was unnecessary. The Lord Lyon also stated, that with no historical evidence linking the Macaulays of Lewis and Clan MacAulay (the MacAulays of Ardincaple), "there does not seem to be any firm basis for considering the present Petition other than in the context of the Ardincaple MacAulays alone." Later in 2002, clan members then decided on a democratic process to select a clan chief. It was decided that a potential chief would have to be elected by all clan members for a duration of five years at a time, before being re-elected again. At the time it was also debated over whether a potential chief should have to be a resident in Scotland, however a decision on this could not be agreed upon. Following Iain McMillan MacAulay's death in 2003 his son, Diarmid Iain MacAulay, was elected by members as chief. According to the website of the "Clan MacAulay Association in Scotland", there was a "clan gathering" held in
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
during the Homecoming Scotland 2009 festivities, which took place from 25–26 July 2009. On 7 August 2011, the Clan MacAulay Association elected Hector MacAulay as "Chief of the Clan MacAulay Association", at the association's AGM. A "Clan MacAulay International Gathering" took place in August 2011, in
Carnlough Carnlough ( ; ) is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is situated in Mid and East Antrim district, as well the historic Barony (Ireland), barony of Glenarm Lower, and the Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parishes of Ardclinis and T ...
,
County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, County Antrim, Antrim, ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, located within the historic Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the c ...
, Northern Ireland. The event was the first such gathering outwith Scotland. The Cln Gathering in Crieff was held in 2013. There was then an International Clan Gathering of the Clan MacAulay in Oban in 2015. The Clan Gathering of 2017 took place again in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and was attend by nearly 200 from throughout the world. The next Clan Gathering will take place in Aviemore, Scotland from 5 to 8 September 2019. See the clan website for details - www.clanmacaulay.org.uk


Unrelated Irish MacAuleys

Today some of the McAuleys (and other various spellings of the name) living in
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
and the Republic of Ireland descend from Clan MacAulay (of Ardincaple). However, there are several different clans or septs of native Irish which bear exactly the same and similar names that are unrelated and have no connection at all with Clan MacAulay (of Ardincaple). MacLysaght 1957: pp. 50–51. The Mac Amhalghaidh sept originating from lands in
County Offaly County Offaly (; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is named after the Ancient Ireland, ancient Kingdom of Uí ...
and
County Westmeath County Westmeath (; or simply ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It formed part of the historic Kingdom of ...
derive its name from the
Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic (, Ogham, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ; ; or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic languages, Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive written texts. It was used from 600 to 900. The ...
name ''Amhalgaidh'' (just as Clan MacAulay). The sept is considered to be of native Irish origin, descending from
Niall of the Nine Hostages Niall Noígíallach (; Old Irish "having nine hostages"), or Niall of the Nine Hostages, was a legendary, semi-historical Irish king who was the ancestor of the Uí Néill dynasties that dominated Ireland from the 6th to the 10th centuries. ...
. The chiefs of the sept are recorded in the Irish annals as "chiefs of Calry"; their lands were known in
Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The Roman symbol of Britannia (a female per ...
times as "MacGawleys Country". The Mac Amhlaoibh sept from
County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of and had a population of 63,585 as of 2021. Enniskillen is the ...
in
Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
derive its name from ''Amhlaoibh'', a Gaelic personal name derived from the
Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
names ''Áleifr'' and ''Óláfr''. he sept traces its descent from Amlaíb (d.1306), younger son of the first Maguire king of Fermanagh—Donn Óc (c.1286–1302). Duffy 2005: p. 312. The family was one of the junior septs that dispossessed other non-Maguire families in the area of the Maguire lordship. In consequence of their military actions the family left its mark on the area in the name of the
barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...
of ''Clanawley'' in County Fermanagh. The Mac Amhlaoibh sept of
County Cork County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...
are a branch of the MacCarthys. Today many members of the sept bear names like ''MacAuliffe'' which is usually found within County Cork and hardly ever found outside of
Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
. The chiefs of the sept resided at Castle MacAuliffe which was located near Newmarket, County Cork. The territory of the sept was described in 1612 as "Clan Auliffe". The " MacAuleys of the Glens" are thought to be of Scottish descent. Located in the
Glens of Antrim The Glens of Antrim ( Irish: ''Glinnte Aontroma''), known locally as simply The Glens, is a region of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It comprises nine glens, that radiate from the Antrim Plateau to the coast. The Glens are an area of outstand ...
, the MacAuleys were allies of the MacDonnells in the 16th century. The MacDonnells held parts of
Clannaboy Clandeboye or Clannaboy ( Irish ''Clann Aodha Buí'', "family of Hugh the Blond") was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, comprising what is now south County Antrim, north County Down, and the barony of Loughinsholin. The entity was relatively late in ...
while the MacAuleys, MacGills, and MacAllisters occupied the northeast coast of Antrim. On the plain of Bun-na-mairgie, near Ballycastle, the MacDonnells (led by
Sorley Boy MacDonnell Somhairle Buíodh MacDonnell (Scottish Gaelic: ''Somhairle Buidhe Mac Domhnaill''), known as Sorley Boy MacDonnell, whose last name was also given as MacDonald (c. 1505 – 1590), was a Gaelic chief, the son of Alexander Carragh MacDonnell, ...
) fought the MacQuillans. Before the battle, the MacQuillans appealed to the O'Neills of Lower Claneboy and to the MacAuleys and MacPhoils of the middle Glens of Antrim for assistance against the MacDonnells. The two small clans (the MacAuleys and MacPhoils) were two days late to the battle; when they arrived, they were only spectators to a battle which was near its climax. Sorley Boy MacDonnell then rode out to the chief of the MacAuleys and persuaded him to join his ranks, as did the MacPhoils. Their combined force then drove the MacQuillans to the banks of the river Aura, where they were finally defeated and the chief of the MacQuillans slain in what is known as the
Battle of Aura The Battle of Aura (Battle of Slieve-na-Aura), was fought in the middle of the sixteenth century between the MacDonnells, led by Sorley Boy MacDonnell, against the Clan McQuillan, McQuillans and O'Neill dynasty, O'Neills, in which the MacQuilla ...
. Festivities lasted for several days after the battle and a
cairn A cairn is a human-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the (plural ). Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehistory, t ...
, called "Coslin Sorley Boy", was raised on the mountain Trostan.


Clan profile

*Etymology of the name: The clan has been thought by some people to descend from the family of the earls of Lennox. Within the family, the personal name ''Amhlaibh'' was given to several individuals. In the mid 20th century, George Fraser Black stated that the clan's surname '' MacAulay'' (and its numerous variations) originated from the Gaelic
patronymic name A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (more specifically an avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. It is the male equivalent of a matronymic. Patronymics are used, ...
''Mac Amhalghaidh'' (meaning "son of ''Amalghaidh / Amhalghadh''"). The
Old Gaelic Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic (, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ; ; or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive written texts. It was used from 600 to 900. The main contemporary texts a ...
personal name ''Amalghaidh'' / ''Amhalghadh'', pronounced almost like "Aulay" or "Owley", is of uncertain meaning. *Clan member's crest badge: In most cases, crest badges are made up of a clan chief's
heraldic crest A crest is a component of a heraldic display, consisting of the device borne on top of the helm. Originating in the decorative sculptures worn by knights in tournaments and, to a lesser extent, battles, crests became solely pictorial after t ...
and
heraldic motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organization. Mot ...
. However, in the case of Clan MacAulay, no
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
of a chief of the clan has ever been matriculated by the
Lord Lyon King of Arms The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officer of State, Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scotland, Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry i ...
, the head of the
heraldic authority A heraldic authority is defined as an office or institution which has been established by a reigning monarch or a government to deal with heraldry in the country concerned. It does not include private societies or enterprises which design and/or r ...
in Scotland. The crest badge appropriate for a clan member contains the crest: ''a boot couped at the ankle and theron a spur
proper Proper may refer to: Mathematics * Proper map, in topology, a property of continuous function between topological spaces, if inverse images of compact subsets are compact * Proper morphism, in algebraic geometry, an analogue of a proper map for ...
''; and the motto: ''dulce periculum'' (translation from
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
: "danger is sweet"). Way of Plean 2000: p. 164. In 1608, Sir Aulay MacAulay of Ardincaple was a
Shire Commissioner A commissioner was a legislator appointed or elected to represent a royal burgh or shire in the Parliament of Scotland and the associated Convention of the Estates. Member of Parliament (MP) and Deputy are equivalent terms in other countri ...
for Dumbartonshire (prior to the
Acts of Union 1707 The Acts of Union refer to two acts of Parliament, one by the Parliament of Scotland in March 1707, followed shortly thereafter by an equivalent act of the Parliament of England. They put into effect the international Treaty of Union agree ...
, a ''Shire Commissioner'' was the equivalent of the English office of Member of Parliament). Sir Aulay was one of two commissioners who were tasked with regulating the price of boots and shoes. *Clan badge: There have been two clan badges (or plant badges) attributed to Clan MacAulay:
cranberry Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus ''Oxycoccus'' of the genus ''Vaccinium''. Cranberries are low, creeping shrubs or vines up to long and in height; they have slender stems that are not th ...
and
scots pine ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US), Baltic pine, or European red pine is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-gr ...
. Both clans MacAulay and MacFarlane have been attributed with a badge of cranberry. Clan MacFarlane, also a west-Dumbartonshire clan, claims a descent from Alwyn II, Earl of Lennox. The badge of scots pine has been attributed to all seven clans of ''
Siol Alpin Siol Alpin (from Gaelic, Sìol Ailpein: Seed of Alpin) is a family of seven Scottish clans traditionally claiming descent from Alpin, father of Cináed mac Ailpín, King of the Picts, of whom the Scots tradition considered the first King of Scot ...
'':
Clan Grant Clan Grant is a Highland Scottish clan, with one main branch, Grant of Grant, and several cadet branches, such as Grant of Glenmoriston. History Origins The Chiefs of Clan Grant descended from Normans who arrived in Scotland during the medie ...
, Clan Gregor, Clan MacAulay,
Clan Macfie Clan Macfie is a Highlands Scottish Clan. Since 1981, the clan has been officially registered with the Court of the Lord Lyon, which is the heraldic authority of Scotland. The clan is considered an armigerous clan because even though the ...
,
Clan Mackinnon Clan MacKinnon ( ) is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan from the islands of Isle of Mull, Mull and Skye, in the Inner Hebrides. Popular tradition gives the clan a Dal Riada, Dalriadic Gaelic origin. The 19th-century historian W. F. S ...
,
Clan Macnab Clan Macnab is a Highland Scottish clan. History Origins of the clan Traditional origins The name Macnab is derived from the Scottish Gaelic ''Mac An Aba'', which means ''child of the abbot''.Way, George and Squire, Romily. ''Collins Scottish ...
, and
Clan MacQuarrie Clan MacQuarrie (also Quarrie, MacQuarie, McQueary, McQuary, MacQuaire, Macquarie) is an ancient Highland Scottish clan which owned the islands of Ulva, Staffa and Gometra as well as large tracts of land on the Isle of Mull, which are all ...
.


Heraldry

No coat of arms of a chief of the clan has ever been matriculated by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. Adam; Innes of Learney 1970: p. 517. Even so, in the 19th century, several
heraldist Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and genealo ...
s listed different arms for the MacAulays of Ardincaple. The 19th century
Ulster King of Arms Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is the provincial King of Arms at the College of Arms with jurisdiction over England north of the Trent and Northern Ireland. The two offices of Norroy and Ulster were formerly separate. Norroy King of Arms is th ...
,
Sir John Bernard Burke Sir John Bernard Burke, (5 January 1814 – 12 December 1892) was a British genealogist and Ulster King of Arms, who helped publish ''Burke's Peerage''. Personal life Burke, of Irish descent, was born at London and was educated in London and ...
listed the (undated) arms of "Macaulay (Ardincaple, co. Argyll)",
blazoned In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...
: ''
gules In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple). Gules is portrayed in heraldic hatch ...
two arrows in
saltire A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a Heraldry, heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross. The word comes from the Middle French , Medieval Latin ("stirrup"). From its use as field sign, the saltire cam ...
argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...
surmounted of a
fess In heraldry, a fess or fesse (from Middle English ', Old French ', and -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... ', and charge on a coat of arms">Latin ' ...
chequy In heraldry, variations of the field are any of a number of ways that a field (or a charge) may be covered with a pattern, rather than a flat tincture or a simple division of the field. Patterning with ordinaries and subordinaries The diminut ...
of the second and first between three buckles Or''. Burke 1884: p. 635. The 19th century heraldist Robert Riddle Stodart published an undated
facsimile A facsimile (from Latin ''fac simile'', "to make alike") is a copy or reproduction of an old book, manuscript, map, art print, or other item of historical value that is as true to the original source as possible. It differs from other forms of r ...
of a different coat of arms of "Mc: aula of Arncapelle" (which is also pictured above within the article). The
seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...
of Aulay Macaulay of Ardincaple, in 1593 bore: ''a fess chequy and in
chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boat ...
a buckle''. Fraser 1869: p. 114. An early
grant of arms A grant of arms or a governmental issuance of arms is an instrument issued by a lawful authority, such as an officer of arms or State Herald, which confers on a person and his or her descendants the right to bear a particular coat of arms or a ...
, to a member of the clan and descendant of the MacAulays of Ardincaple, was that of George M'Alla,
merchant A merchant is a person who trades in goods produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Merchants have been known for as long as humans have engaged in trade and commerce. Merchants and merchant networks operated i ...
of
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
. His coat of arms was registered by Lyon Court in 1672 and is blazoned: ''gules, two arrows in saltire argent surmounted of a fess checquy of the second and first between three buckles or, a
bordure In heraldry, a bordure is a band of contrasting tincture forming a border around the edge of a shield, traditionally one-sixth as wide as the shield itself. It is sometimes reckoned as an ordinary and sometimes as a subordinary. A bordure encl ...
indented of the last''; crest: ''a boot couped at the ankle thereon a spur all proper''; motto: ''dulce periculum''. Stodart 1881, 2: pp. 410–411. The celebrated 19th-century historian
Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay, (; 25 October 1800 – 28 December 1859) was an English historian, poet, and Whig politician, who served as the Secretary at War between 1839 and 1841, and as the Paymaster General between 184 ...
was granted (English) arms that alluded to those of the MacAulays of Ardincaple. This was despite his having no connection at all with Clan MacAulay; he was descended from the unrelated Macaulays of Lewis. File:Seal (elements) of Aulay MacAulay of Ardincaple.svg, File:Arms of MacAulay of Ardincaple (Stodart).svg, File:Arms of MacAulay of Ardincaple.svg, File:Arms of George M'Alla.svg, File:Arms of Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay.svg, According to Stodart, the fess checquy and buckles, prominent in 'MacAulay heraldry', are derived from the arms of the Stewarts. The basic Stewart coat of arms is blazoned: ''Or, a fess chequy
azure Azure may refer to: Color * Azure (color), a hue of blue ** Azure (heraldry) ** Shades of azure, shades and variations Arts and media * ''Azure'' (Art Farmer and Fritz Pauer album), 1987 * Azure (Gary Peacock and Marilyn Crispell album), 2013 * ...
and argent''. The buckles used in 'Stewart heraldry' are ultimately derived from the
canting arms Canting arms are heraldry, heraldic bearings that represent the bearer's name (or, less often, some attribute or function) in a visual pun or rebus. The expression derives from the latin ''cantare'' (to sing). French heralds used the term (), ...
of Alexander Boncle (d. by 1300), blazoned: ''gules, three buckles Or''. Boncle's daughter (who in time became his heiress) married Sir John Stewart (d. 1298), younger son of
Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland Alexander Stewart (c. 1210 – 1282), known as Alexander of Dundonald, was a Scottish magnate who in 1241 succeeded his father as hereditary High Steward of Scotland. Origins He was the son of Walter Stewart, 3rd High Steward of Scotland. Car ...
. Together the couple founded the 'Bonkyl' Stewart branch of the clan, and their descendants tended to use the 'Bonkyl' buckles as their heraldic differencing. One of the couple's sons, Sir Allan Stewart of Dreghorn (d. 1333), founded the Stewart of Darnley branch of the clan, which in time became the earls and dukes of Lennox. McAndrew 1996: p. 201. File:Arms of Stewart.svg, File:Arms of Alexander Boncle.svg,


Tartan

There have been several published tartans associated with the surname ''MacAulay''.


Associated families

One of the 'official' Clan Campbell
sept A sept () is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used both in Scotland and in Ireland, where it may be translated as Irish , meaning "progeny" or "seed", and may indicate the descendants of a person ...
s is ''MacPhedran''—a name derived from ''MacPheaderain'', meaning "son of little ''Peader''". The Gaelic '' Peadar'' is a
cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical effects on both the s ...
of the English ''
Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...
''; and both are forms of the
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
''Petros'', meaning "stone", "rock". William Buchanan of Auchmar's 18th-century account of the surname ''MacAulay'' states that the original member of this sept was a MacAulay. Buchanan of Auchmar 1820: pp. 119–120. This sept dwelt in the lands of Sonachan, on
Loch Awe Loch Awe (Scottish Gaelic: ''Loch Obha''; also sometimes anglicised as Lochawe, Lochaw, or Lochow) is a large body of freshwater in Argyll and Bute, Scottish Highlands. It has also given its name to a village on its banks, variously known as Lo ...
, in what is largely Clan Campbell territory. The earliest account of the sept is in 1439, when Domenicus M'Federan was granted confirmation for the lands of Sonachan by Sir Duncan Campbell of Lochawe. Campbell of Airds 2000: pp. 254–255. According to
David Sellar William David Hamilton Sellar (27 February 1941 – 26 January 2019) was a legal historian who served as Lord Lyon King of Arms from 2008 to 2014. Sellar studied history at University of Oxford, Oxford University graduating as Bachelor of Arts ...
, the MacArthurs of Darleith descend from the MacAulays of Ardincaple. Darleith is located quite close to the old MacAulay seat at Ardincaple, about .


In popular culture

A fictional "M'Aulay" clan appeared in
Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...
's 1819 novel, ''
A Legend of Montrose ''A Legend of Montrose'' is an historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, set in Scotland in the 1640s during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It forms, along with '' The Bride of Lammermoor'', the 3rd series of Scott's '' Tales of My Landlord''. The ...
'', which was set during the
James Graham, 5th Earl of Montrose James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose (1612 – 21 May 1650) was a Scottish nobleman, poet, soldier and later viceroy and captain general of Scotland. Montrose initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequ ...
's Highland campaign against the
Covenanters Covenanters were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. It originated in disputes with James VI and his son ...
in 1644. One of the main characters within the novel is Allan M'Aulay, a member of Montrose's army, and the younger brother to Angus, the clan's chief. Within the novel, Allan M'Aulay feuds with the MacEaghs, who are also known as the "children of the mist". Historically, the term "children of the mist" referred to the line of MacGregors who were disinherited in the 16th century. The character of Allan M'Aulay was based upon the historical James Stewart of Ardvorlich, sometimes called the "Mad Major". Moncreiffe of that Ilk 1967: p. 54. In Africa During the late 1800s Murdoch Macaulay arrived in Zimbabwe where he had a son (Simon Mack Macaullay) with a black shona woman. His son had 11 grand children and many grand children. After the birth of his son Mr Macaulay diliberatly mis-spelt his surname on his sons birth certificate and spelt it as Macaullay. As a result, his son was not entitled to his estate when Murdoch Macaulay died in the 1950s. Murdoch had built a large estate and even owned a gold mine in the Chinhiyi region of Zimbabwe. Today there are as many as 100 Macaullays in Zimbabwe.


See also

*
Ardencaple Castle Ardencaple Castle, also known as Ardincaple Castle, and sometimes referred to as Ardencaple Castle Light, is a listed building, situated about from Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Today, all that remains of the castle is a tower, perch ...
, once the seat of the chiefs of Clan MacAulay *
Siol Alpin Siol Alpin (from Gaelic, Sìol Ailpein: Seed of Alpin) is a family of seven Scottish clans traditionally claiming descent from Alpin, father of Cináed mac Ailpín, King of the Picts, of whom the Scots tradition considered the first King of Scot ...
, the seven clans which were once thought to have a common descent from Alpin, father of Kenneth MacAlpin *
Macaulay of Lewis The Macaulay family of Uig in Lewis, known in Scottish Gaelic as ''Clann mhic Amhlaigh'', were a small family located around Uig on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. There is no connection between the Macaulays of Lewis and C ...
, the clan of Macaulays on the Isle of Lewis who have no relation with Clan MacAulay


Notes


Footnotes


References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links

;Clan association/societies *https://web.archive.org/web/20050404175307/http://clanmacaulay.org.uk/Index.html – Clan MacAulay Association in Scotland *http://www.macaulay.org/ – USA Clan Macaulay Website {{DEFAULTSORT:Macaulay Armigerous clans Scottish clans