Clan MacEacharn () were a group of families who occupied lands in the

Kintyre Kintyre (, ) is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The peninsula stretches about , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to East Loch Tarbert, Argyll, East and West Loch Tarbert, Argyll, West Loch Tarbert in t ...

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 ...

, and

Morvern Morvern ( ; "the sea-gap"), historically also spelt Morven, is a peninsula and traditional district in the Highlands, on the west coast of Scotland. It lies south of the districts of Ardgour and Sunart, and is bounded on the north by Loch Su ...

regions of

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

as well as island areas such as

Mull Mull may refer to: Places *Isle of Mull, a Scottish island in the Inner Hebrides ** Sound of Mull, between the Isle of Mull and the rest of Scotland * Mount Mull, Antarctica * Mull Hill, Isle of Man * Mull, Arkansas, a place along Arkansas Highwa ...

and

Tiree Tiree (; , ) is the most westerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The low-lying island, southwest of Coll, has an area of and a population of around 650. The land is highly fertile, and crofting, alongside tourism, and fishing are ...

. They are traditionally known as one of the oldest Western Highland family names. The history of the Kintyre branch and its sub branches are well known, however the histories of the Islay and Morvern branches and the island branches is obscure.

Origins of Clan MacEacharn

The MacEacharns are known as ''Sìol Eachairn''.The Highlanders of Scotland: their origin, history and antiquities - William F Skeene FSA Scott "The Seed of the Horse Lord". They are a

clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...

with other

s branching from them.Celtic Review Number 8 1913 Edinburgh: William Hodge and Co The clan has no

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, only branch families known under different

names. The traditional seat of the MacEacharns was Killelan Estate in Southern

. Killelan translates as "the church of

St Fillan Saint Fillan, Filan, Phillan, Fáelán (Old Irish) or Faolán (modern Gaeilge & Gàidhlig) is the name of an eighth century monk from Munster, who having studied at Taghmon Abbey, traveled to Scotland and settled at Strath Fillan. Name The n ...

". Saint Fillan's mother was Saint Kentigerna. Saint Kentigerna was a

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

princess. Her father was King

Cellach Cualann Cellach Cualann mac Gerthidi (died 715) was the last king of Leinster from the Uí Máil dynasty. Cellach's byname is derived from the land of ''Cualu'' which lay around Glendalough. Cellach's father was not king of Leinster; his second cousin ...

. Along with her brother Saint Comgan and her son Fillan she traveled to Scotland in the late 7th century AD. The early 20th century scholar Rev. A.M. Sinclair noted that the genealogy of the MacEacherns was given in the ''

Collectanea de Rebus Albanicis The ''Collectanea de Rebus Albanicis'' was written by members of the Iona Club of Edinburgh in the 19th century. It contains a transcription and translation of the MS 1467 (then known as ''MS 1450''). The Iona Club was founded in 1833 by histor ...

'' as "Andrew, son of Colin, son of Macrath, son of Gilchrist, son of Macrath, son of Marceartach, son of Cormac, son of Seth, son of Ferchar, son of Finlay, son of Nichol, son of Maine, son of Murdoch, son of Ectigern, who was called In Gamor". Sinclair speculated that the "In Gamor" may stand for ''an gainnear'', meaning "the archer"; though also noted that it could also stand for ''an ceannair'', meaning "the driver". Sinclair stated that Macrath, son of Ectigern had three sons—Gilchrist, Dugall, and Ranald. Gilchrist succeeded his father in Kintyre and was succeeded by his own son, Macrath, who was in turn succeeded by his son, Colin. Colin was in turn succeeded by his son, Andrew, who was chief of the clan in 1385. Sinclair also stated that Colin of Kilellan, a descendant of Andrew, was chief in the year 1493. Sinclair disagreed with the claimed ancestry of the Clan Dugall Craignish and stated further that in the House of Argyll and the Collateral Branches of the

Clan Campbell Clan Campbell ( ) is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland clans. The Clan Campbell lands are in Argyll and within their lands lies Ben Cruachan. The chief of the clan be ...

. , we are told that the MacCouls of Craignish are descended from Dugall Campbell, third son of

Sir Archibald Gillespic Campbell ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part of ...

. This statement is groundless, and contrary to known historic facts. MacCoul is a shortened form of ''Mac Dhughaill'' or MacDougall. MacCoul of Craignish means simply MacDougall of Craignish. There were two clan Dougalls in Scotland, the

Clan MacDougall Clan MacDougall is a Highland Scottish clan, historically based in and around Argyll. The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in Scotland, issuing new grants of coats of arms, and serving as ...

s of Lorn, who were descended from Dugall, son of

Somerled Somerled (died 1164), known in Middle Irish as Somairle, Somhairle, and Somhairlidh, and in Old Norse as Sumarliði , was a mid-12th-century Norse-Gaelic lord who, through marital alliance and military conquest, rose in prominence to create the ...

of the Isles, and the Clan Dugall Craignish, who were descended from Dugall, son of Macrath, son of Ectigern. MacCoul is simply a contracted form of MacDougall. Both names are the same in Gaelic, ''Mac Dhughaill''. The

is not registered with the

Court of the Lord Lyon 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 ...

and as such is not officially recognised as a clan.

''Siol Eachairn''

''Siol Eachairn'' was written by Rev. Dugald MacEchern in 1933. ''Siol Eachairn'' draws upon the original research published 30 years prior by Rev A. Maclean Sinclair. The document outlines the known theories on the origins of the people and the name; it then goes on to give 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 ...

account of the three main branches of the family. These being the three sons of a man who is named ''Ectigern'' and who it appears died in the mid 12th century. Ectigern, the progenitor of Siol Eachairn had three sons. These being Gilchrist (Gilles) the eldest, Dugal, and Ranald being the youngest. *Gilchrist settled in South

and was seated at Kilellan Estate. Gilchrist is the first

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 ...

of Clan MacEacharn *Dugal stayed in Lorne and was seated at

Craignish Craignish (Scottish Gaelic, ''Creiginis'') is a peninsula in Argyll and Bute, on the west coast of Scotland. It lies around south of Oban, and north-west of Lochgilphead. The peninsula is around long, and is aligned along a north-east to ...

. Dugal was the first Chief of Clan Dugall Craignish *Ranald stayed in Lorne and his ancestors became known as

Clan Malcolm The Clan Malcolm, also known as the Clan MacCallum, is a Highland Scottish clan.Way, George and Squire, Romily. (1994). ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The Standing Counc ...

or the MacCallums of Poltalloch

Origins of the name MacEacharn

The name is known to have originated in Ireland as Ectigern, meaning Horse Lord. The name is mentioned nineteen times in either the

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' () or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' () are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Genesis flood narrative, Deluge, dated as 2,242 Anno Mundi, years after crea ...

, the

Annals of Tigernach The ''Annals of Tigernach'' (Abbreviation, abbr. AT, ) are chronicles probably originating in Clonmacnoise, Ireland. The language is a mixture of Latin language, Latin and Old Irish, Old and Middle Irish. Many of the pre-historic entries come f ...

or the

Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' () are annals of History of Ireland, medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luin� ...

and is first mentioned in 760AD in the

. The name is also written in Latin as MACHEACHYRNA as it is on the MacEacharn Cross at Kilkerran Some of the many spellings of the name are '' MacEacharn''; ''MacEachran''; ''MacEchern''; '' MacEachern'', '' McEachern''; ''MacEchron''; ''McEchron''; ''MacEachron''; ''McEachron''; ''McEathron''; ''Macharn''; ''MacEacharin''; ''MacEachthighearna''; ''MacEachairn''. Names such as the Scottish Gaelic '' MacEachainn'', and the Anglicised forms ''MacEachen'', and '' MacEachin'', are similar but not related names. Also reference Alexander MacBain, M.A., LL.D "Etymology of the Principal Gaelic national names, personal names, surnames : to which is added a disquisition on Ptolemy's Geography of Scotland" The name is translated from Old Irish to mean in English Son of the Horse Lord. The original spelling of the name in Old Irish is Ectigern.

Clans associated with Clan MacEacharn

Clan MacEacharn was associated with

Clan MacInnes Clan MacInnes is a Scottish clan originally from the western highlands of Scotland. Origin The origin of the name "MacInnes" is an anglicized form of Gaelic ''Mac Aonghuis'', a patronymic from the personal name ''Aonghus'', one of the most ...

, the MacMasters and the MacGillivrays in an alliance known as Siol Gillebride (The Seed of the Servant of Saint Bride) under the leadership of the Hebridean warrior

, son of Gille Bride, son of Gille Adomnan. In the mid 14th century, the last chief of Clan MacInnes was killed, along with his sons, by order of

John of Islay John of Islay (or John MacDonald) ( or ) (died 1386) was the lord of the Isles (1336–1386) and chief of Clan Donald. In 1336, he styled himself ''Dominus Insularum'' ('Lord of the Isles'), although this was not the first ever recorded instan ...

, Lord of the Isles. Some of the Clan MacInnes took refuge with the Clan Dugall Craignish, who by this time were known as

Campbell of Craignish The Campbells of Craignish (''Mac Dúbhghaill Creaginnis'' in the Scottish Gaelic or ''Gàidhlig'') form one of the oldest branches of the ancient and powerful Clan Campbell in Scotland. They claim descent from Dugald Campbell, the second son o ...

. The Chief of Clan MacEacharn held a place on the Council of the

Lords of the Isles Lord of the Isles or King of the Isles ( or ; ) is a title of nobility in the Baronage of Scotland with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It began with Somerled in the 12th century and thereafter the title was ...

as a freeholder. Freeholders were not descended paternally from

Clan Donald Clan Donald, also known as Clan MacDonald or Clan McDonald ( ), is a Highland Scottish clan and one of the largest Scottish clans. Historically the chiefs of the Clan Donald held the title of Lord of the Isles until 1493 and two of those chiefs a ...

. The eighth Chief of

Iain of Dunollie married Christina MacDougall daughter of the fourth chief of Clan Dugall Craignish. After twenty years they produced one son, Dougall, who became ninth chief of

. Alan MacCoul MacDougall of the MacCouls of Clan Dugall Craignish was the illegitimate kinsman of John MacDougall of Dunollie, 11th Chief of

.This paternal association may indicate that Clan Dugall Craignish and

are paternally related.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clan Maceacharn MacEacharn