Clan MacQuarrie (also Quarrie, MacQuarie, McQueary, McQuary, MacQuaire, Macquarie) is an ancient

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...

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 ...

which owned the islands of

Ulva Ulva (; ) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, off the west coast of Mull. It is separated from Mull by a narrow strait, and connected to the neighbouring island of Gometra by a bridge. Much of the island is formed from Cen ...

, Staffa and Gometra as well as large tracts of land on the Isle of Mull, which are all located in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. Clan MacQuarrie (''

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 ...

'' for: son of Guaire) is one of the seven Siol Alpin clans descended from the Kings of the

Picts The Picts were a group of peoples in what is now Scotland north of the Firth of Forth, in the Scotland in the early Middle Ages, Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and details of their culture can be gleaned from early medieval texts and Pic ...

and

Dál Riata Dál Riata or Dál Riada (also Dalriada) () was a Gaels, Gaelic Monarchy, kingdom that encompassed the Inner Hebrides, western seaboard of Scotland and north-eastern Ireland, on each side of the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North ...

. Clan MacQuarrie is one of the four oldest Highland clans and can trace its ancestry to 9th century Kenneth MacAlpine, the first King of Scots. A 1450 manuscript describes the descent of Clan MacQuarrie from their namesake progenitor ''Guaire'' (''Scottish Gaelic'' for: noble), brother of ''Fingon'' (ancestor of Clan MacKinnon) and ''Anrias'' (ancestor of Clan Gregor). They were fierce fighters in the Wars of Scottish Independence and fought in support of King

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...

at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

History

Clan MacQuarrie is first found in possession of the island of

in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, and followed 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 ...

. The first record of Clan MacQuarrie is of the chief John Macquarrie of Ulva, who died in 1473.Maclauchlan & Wilson & Keltie, pp. 262-265 John's son, Dunslaff, was the chief of the clan during the forfeiture of the Lord of the Isles, after which the MacQuarries gained independence as a small, respected clan surrounded by a powerful ally in Clan MacLean.Skene, vol. 2, pp. 263-264. Following the fall of the Lordship of the Isles the clan followed Maclean of Dowart, and with the Macleans, the MacQuarries supported Domhnall Dubh's quest for the Lordship of the Isles at the beginning of the 16th century. In 1504 MacGorry of Ullowaa, along with other chiefs, was summoned to answer for aiding in Domhnall Dubh's failed rebellion. The clan suffered grievously at the Battle of Inverkeithing on 20 July 1651, where they fought on the side of

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651 and King of England, Scotland, and King of Ireland, Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest su ...

against an English Parliamentarian army led by John Lambert. During the battle many Scots deserted, and the remaining Scots were decisively defeated by the well-disciplined New Model Army of the English. Amongst the slain were Allan Macquarrie of Ulva, chief of Clan MacQuarrie, and most of his followers. Clan MacQuarrie currently does not have a chief. The last chief of Clan MacQuarrie was Lauchlan Macquarrie of Ulva. MacQuarrie was head of the clan when Samuel Johnson and

James Boswell James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck (; 29 October 1740 ( N.S.) – 19 May 1795), was a Scottish biographer, diarist, and lawyer, born in Edinburgh. He is best known for his biography of the English writer Samuel Johnson, '' Life of Samuel ...

visited Ulva in 1773. Debts to creditors forced the last chief to sell off his lands; and in 1778, at the age of 63, he joined the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

. The chief then served in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, and died at the age of 103 on 14 January 1818.Smibert gives Lachlan Macquarrie's age on joining the Army as 62, and his date of death 1817 aged 102. Maclauchlan & Wilson & Keltie give his age on joining the Army at 63, and his date of death as 1818, aged 103. The last chief and his wife Alice Maclean, daughter of Donald Maclean, 5th Laird of Torloisk, Isle of Mull, had eight children - four sons and four daughters. Three of his sons joined the British Army and died without issue; the only one to have children was his third son Donald, who was born around 1745. In July 1761, Donald was commissioned as one of the junior Ensigns in the Fencible Men of Argyllshire. After discharge from the army he moved to Liverpool, and on 28 October 1790 married Martha Lea at St Nicholas Church,

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

. They had one daughter, as recorded in a manuscript genealogy found amongst the papers of Lt. Colonel Charles MacQuarrie. It was compiled during the lifetime of the last Chief and because of certain births that are mentioned it was written sometime between 28 March 1816 and 14 January 1818. It states that Donald "''follows the seafaring business and has one daughter who is married, in Liverpool, to the master of a trading vessel, who is employed in the foreign trade''." Furthermore, the Liverpool Directory for the year 1818 describes Donald as "''a Mariner, of 13 Ansdell Street, Liverpool''." The above-mentioned daughter, and thus granddaughter of Lauchlan MacQuarrie the XVI and last Chief of the clan, was called Agnes MacQuarrie and she was married on 28 January 1816 at Holy Trinity Church, Liverpool, to Captain William Danson, Master of the ''Frances'', a ship named after his mother, and later Master of the ''Thisbe of Liverpool''. A record of their marriage was published in the Monthly Magazine Vol. 41, 1816 - "''Capt. William Danson of

Workington Workington is a coastal town and civil parish in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. The town is at the mouth of the River Derwent on the west coast, south-west of Carlisle and north-east of Whitehaven. At the 2021 census the ...

to Miss McQuarrie of Liverpool''". On 6 April 1824, the ''Thisbe of Liverpool'' was reported to have sailed from Liverpool to Quebec, but it never arrived. The wreck of the ''Thisbe'' was reported in the

Montreal Gazette ''The Gazette'', also known as the ''Montreal Gazette'', is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper which is owned by Postmedia Network. It is published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the only English-language daily newspape ...

on 24 Sep 1824: "A Jolly Boat with ''Thisbe of Liverpool'' on the stern, was picked up by the ''Margaret Ann'', arrived at Miramichi, in longitude 36. The boat was bottom up. This vessel, it is stated sailed from Liverpool in April last with a very valuable cargo for Montreal and has not since been heard of." Captain William Danson, his wife Agnes, née MacQuarrie, and four of their children perished on this journey, but their daughter Thisbe Danson (who was born at sea and named after the ship) survived and had issue, with descendants living today in the UK (Lancashire & Cumbria) and Pennsylvania, USA. Donald MacQuarrie of Ansdell Street was buried in Liverpool on 10 June 1821 aged 75, and his wife Martha on 16 December 1827 aged 71. A large portion of the ancient patrimonial property was repurchased by Major-General

Lachlan Macquarie Major-general (United Kingdom), Major General Lachlan Macquarie, Companion of the Order of the Bath, CB (; ; 31 January 1762 – 1 July 1824) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Scotland. Macquarie served as the fifth Gove ...

, brother of Lt. Colonel Charles MacQuarrie (see above) and Governor of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

, and from whom Port Macquarie and Macquarie Island in the South Pacific derive their names. On 16 July 1804 both Lachlan MacQuarrie, the last Chief of the Clan, and his son Donald were present at the "christening" of Jarvisfield, the estate belonging to Major General Lauchlan Macquarie on the Isle of Mull. Governor Lachlan's mother and the last Chief were half-cousins. They both shared Lachlan MacQuarrie, the XIV Chief, as grandfather, but descended from different wives. Today, the clan MacQuarrie is very much alive with an active society of global members. Since nobody has claimed to be the next Chief for almost 200 years now, the chiefdom has lain dormant. The current heir is a descendant of Thisbe Danson. The Coat of Arms belonging to the Chief of the MacQuarries of Ulva is on display at

Macquarie University Macquarie University ( ) is a Public university, public research university in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the Sydney metropolitan area. ...

in honour of Lachlan Macquarie.

Military members

All of the following notes are taken from: ''Lachlan MacQuarrie XVI of Ulva'', with notes on some Clansmen in India. By R. W. Munro, printed for private circulation, MCMXLIV. * Archibald MacQuarrie, 86th Regiment (fl. 1802). A commission in the 86th Regt. was obtained for Archibald MacQuarrie (of Lagan-Ulva) by Major-General Lachlan MacQuarrie (see below). * Charles MacQuarrie, 77th Regiment (fl.1796). Commissioned on 16 Jan. 1792 as Ensign in 77 Regt., in which Major-General Lachlan Macquarrie (see below) was then a Captain, but does not appear to have joined for some time after his appointment. Removed on 10 Jan. 1796 to 99th Regt. * Major-General

CB (1762-1824), 5th Governor of

and considered "The Father of Australia."

Notable members

* Ralph McQuarrie (June 13, 1929 – March 3, 2012) Academy Award-winning American conceptual designer and illustrator who designed the original Star Wars trilogy. * Sir Albert McQuarrie (January 1, 1918 - 13 January 2016) Conservative Member of Parliament for East Aberdeenshire 1979 - 1983. Banff and Buchan 1983 - 1987. Freeman City of Gibraltar 1982; Knight Batchelor 1987 * American filmmaker, Academy Award-winning screenwriter and director Christopher McQuarrie (born October 25, 1968).

English spelling variants

As the MacQuarrie surname is very ancient and of

origin, a precisely accurate translation to the English language is impossible. Due to

anglicisation 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 ...

and migration over eleven centuries many variants of the name MacQuarrie have been promulgated. Individuals and families with the following established spelling variants are members of clan MacQuarrie: MacQuarrie, MacQuarie, Crarie, Crary, MacQuary, MacQuarry, McQuarrie, McQuarie, McQuary, McQuarry, McQueary, McQuerry, M'Quarrie, M'Quarie, M'Quary, M'Quarry, MacQuery, MacQuore, MacQuorie, MacQuorrie, MacQewry, McQuery, McQuore, McQuorie, McQuorrie, McQewry, M'Query, M'Quore, M'Quorie, M'Quorrie, M'Qewry, MacQuire, McQuire, MacQuaire, MacQuairie, MacQuhirrie, McQuharrie, McQuhurrie, McQuhore, McQuhorre, MacQuhirr, M'Quhoire, M'Quhury, M'Quhurrie, M'Quhurie, M'Quhyrry, M'Quhirrich, M'Qwhyrrcht, Makquhurrie, Makquhory, Makquharry, Makquhary, Makquharie, Makquyre, Makquoyrie, Quarry, MacWharrie, MacWharrey, Wharrey, M'Worich, M'Warie, M'Vorich, Makwidy, Wharrie, M'Coirry, M'Corry, Corry, McCwerie, McCrary, McCreary, Makcory, Makcorry, Makcurre, M'Rore, MacGuaidhre, MacGuarie, MacGorrie, MacGorry, McGorre, McGorry, McGory, M'Goyre, M'Gourie, M'Gowry, M'Geir, Gorey, MacGurrie, MacGurr, Gurr, MacGuaire, MacGuire, MacGuire, MacGwyer, MacGwier, MacGyver, McGuaire, McGuire, McGwyer, McGwire, M'Guaire, M'Guire, M'Guire, M'Gwyer, M'Guire, Maguire, MacGeir, and Querry.

Notes

References

*Maclauchlan, Thomas & Wilson, John & Keltie, John Scott. ''A History of the Scottish Highlands, Highland Clans and Highland Regiments''. Edinburgh and London: A. Fullarton & Co., 1875. * Skene, William Forbes. ''The Highlanders of Scotland, Their Origin, History, And Antiquities''. London: John Murray, 1837. *Smibert, Thomas. ''The Clans of the Highlands of Scotland''. Edinburgh: James Hogg. 1850. *David Dobson ''The Scottish Surnames of Colonial America''.

External links

Official website for the Clan MacQuarrie Society
Macquarie University Lachlan and Elizabeth Macquarie Room website:

{{DEFAULTSORT:MacQuarrie Armigerous clans Scottish clans