Vol: 2
Issue; 2
Date; Apr. 2009
THE ARM AND CROWN
Clan MacQuarrie
Teaghlach, how is everyone, hope that all is well and you all
made it through the winter ok. We here in New Hampshire did ok; a lot of snow
more then last year and last year set a record for Concord, NH. But winter is
far from over here so the final numbers wont be in until May. We still have
plenty of winter left. So there will be some flooding when it all melts. Just a
quick note on dues, those that joined in Feb and Mar, April last year the dues
are as they say are due. Please get them in as soon as possible. I sent out a
note about planting trees in Scotland. Not everyone replied but some of those
that did would (tied 3 yes 3 no,) rather we did not send any money for this
project. There is plenty of time if you want to submit your vote, or those that
did if you want to change. I should say that those that said no have real good
reasons and alternate ideas. I will look into those and put them out to the
membership.
The clan archives are growing thanks in part to Elma Perry a
descendant of “Big Lauchie”. She has provided a family tree of her MacQuarrie
branch plus copies of photos of some of the early MacQuarries and both copies
and originals of family letters, news articles and other material. Thanks Elma.
Folks have also been sending obits when they come across them. Thanks for that
as well. Please keep the material coming in.
What is happening around the clan? Tom McQuarrie has been
busy setting up the DNA project he will be the project administrator. There will
be a link and other information on the clan web site about this. It is hoped
that the membership and the e-mail group will all take part. The database that I
have been working on thanks to your input with family trees now has over 5300
individuals plus text. However, I have about 500-800 strays that don’t fit in
yet including my own line (bummer). But with careful research one day it is
hoped that everyone will connect. That can only happen if the membership
provides their branch when they join or send along any new material that they
gather after that. Thanks again to Tom I have been working with Ian Phillips who
maintains the Mull Genealogy site and we plan to merge our database in with his.
As some of the information that we have has come from his site he will have to
remove any duplicates before he puts it together so you may not see it until
early summer or later. The contact that I had for the Lyon Court has changed
e-mail I guess as they have come back address unknown so I will have to start
over on that to see what steps should to be taken to get official recognition as
a Clan Society. I will of course keep everyone posted on that.
FAMOUS MACQUARRIE’S;
Does everyone know this McQ?
MACQUARRIE STORIES
This was hard this time, as I have found so many stories to share. This story
goes back a few years to about 1580 or 90.
Taken from “History of the MacKenzies” by Alexander MacKenzie;
www.fullbooks.com/History-Of-The-Mackenzies4.html
It seems that there was trouble between the Mackenzie’s and the MacDonald’s and
this event is revenge for what had happened earlier: Some time before this
Alexander MacGorrie and Ranald MacRory, sons of Glengarry's uncles murdered in
1580 in Lochcarron, having arrived at maturity, and being brave and intrepid
fellows, determined to revenge upon Mackenzie the death of their parents. With
this object they went to Appelcross, where lived one of the murderers, John Og,
son of Angus, MacEachainn, surrounded his house, and set fire to it, burning to
death himself and his whole family. Kintail sought redress from Glengarry, who,
while he did not absolutely refuse, did not grant it or punish the wrong-doers;
and encouraged by Glengarry's eldest son, Angus, who had now attained his
majority, the cousins, taking advantage of the absence of Mackenzie, who had
gone on a visit to France, continued their depredations and insolence wherever
they found opportunity: (This did not stop the troubles, fighting and revenge
continued) Alexander MacGorrie and Ranald MacRory made an incursion to the
district of Kenlochewe, and there meeting some women and children who had fled
from Lochcarron with their cattle, he attacked them
unexpectedly, killed several of the defenseless women, all the male children,
slaughtered and took away many of the cattle, and "houghed" all they were not
able to carry along with them. (The mayhem continued) In the following autumn,
Alexander MacGorrie made a voyage to Applecross in a great galley, contrary to
the advice of all his friends, who
looked upon that place as a sanctuary, which all Highlanders had hitherto
respected as the property of the Church. Notwithstanding that many took refuge
in it in the past, he was the first man who ever pursued a fugitive to the
place, "but," says our authority, "it fared no better with him or he rested, but
be being informed that some Kintail men, whom he thought no sin to kill
anywhere," bad taken refuge there with their cattle, he determined to kill them,
but on his arrival he found only two poor fellows, tending their cows. These he
murdered, slaughtered all the cows, and took away as many of them as his boat
would carry.( the story goes on) A few days after this, Glengarry combined with
the Clan Alain of
Moydart (whose chief was at the time captain of Clan Ranald's men), the Clan Ian
Uidhir, and several others of the Macdonalds, who gathered together amongst them
thirty-seven birlinns with the intention of sailing to Lochbroom, and on their
return to burn and harry the whole of the Mackenzie territories on the west
coast. Coming to an arm of the sea on the east side of Kyleakin called Loch na
Beist, opposite Lochalsh, they sent Alexander MacGorrie forward with eighty men
in a large galley to examine the coast in advance of the main body. They first
landed on Applecross, in the same spot where MacGorrie had previously killed the
two Kintail men. Kenneth was at the time on a visit to Mackenzie of Gairloch, at
his house on Island Rory in Loch-Maree, and hearing of Glengarry's approach and
the object of his visit, he ordered all his coasts to be placed in readiness,
and sent Alexander Mackenzie of Achilty with sixteen men and eight oarsmen, in
an eight oared galley belonging to John Tolmach Macleod, son of Rory, son of
Allan Macleod, who still possessed a small portion of Gairloch, to watch the
enemy and examine the coast as far as Kylerhea. John Tolmach himself accompanied
them, in charge of the galley. On their way south they landed by the merest
chance at Applecross, on the north side of the point at which MacGorrie landed,
where they noticed a woman gathering shellfish on the shore, and who no sooner
saw them than she came forward and informed them that a great galley had landed
in the morning on the other side of the promontory. This they at once suspected
to contain an advanced scout of the enemy, and, ordering their boat round the
point, in charge of the oarsmen, they took the shortest cut across the neck of
land, and, when half way along, they met one of Macdonald's sentries lying sound
asleep on the ground. He was soon sent to his long rest; and the Mackenzies
blowing up a set of bagpipes found lying beside him, rushed towards the
Macdonalds, who, suddenly surprised and alarmed by the sound of the Piob mhor,
and thinking a strong force was falling down upon them, fled to their boat,
except MacGorrie, who, when he left it, swore a great oath that he would never
return with his back to the enemy; but finding it impossible single-handed to
resist, he retired a little, closely followed by the Mackenzies who furiously
attacked him. He was now forced to draw aside to a rock, against which he placed
his back, and fought right manfully, defending himself with extraordinary
intrepidity, receiving the enemy's arrows in his targe. He was ultimately
wounded by an arrow which struck him under the belt, yet no one dared to
approach him; but John Dubh Mac Choinnich Mhic Mhurchaidh noticing his amazing
agility, observing that his party had arrived with the boat, and fearing they
would lose Glengarry's galley unless they at once pursued it, went round to the
back of the rock against which the brave Macdonald stood, carrying a great
boulder, which he dropped straight on to MacGorrie's head, instantly killing
him. Thus died the most skilful and best chieftain - had he possessed equal
wisdom and discretion - then alive among the Macdonalds of Glengarry.
LITTLE KNOWN MACQUARRIE FACTS
The following fact are taken from, ”The MacQuarrie Name in History”,
Ancestry.com, 2007
World War I 1914-1918= 59 MacQuarrie draft registrants, most registering in
Massachusetts, most common birth year 1892 for these men.
1920-90 MacQuarrie households of which 24% owned a home; 83%of the individuals
were literate
World War II 1939-1945= 31 MacQuarrie soldiers joined the Army
Today most MacQuarrie families live in Massachusetts and California
Most common ports for MacQuarrie immigrants’
New York = 196, Boston =72, Seattle= 27,Tacoma= 19, Port Angeles=17
The most common MacQuarrie birthday in 1870’s was Friday, and the most common
month for those years was June.
In 1880 Massachusetts was the most populous state, with 1,783,000,and only 1
MacQuarrie household is listed and that was in Suffolk County. In 1920 there
were 40 MacQuarrie households in Massachusetts
The most common cause of death for MacQuarrie deaths from 1850 to 1880 was
Cynanche Tracheate.
RESEARCH NOTES
Finding burial records can be difficult. Death (burial) registers were proposed
in 1574, with lists of the deceased to be given to the Court of Session
annually. This was because the salaries of the Lords of the Session were raised
by levies on the estates of those who died. Since the Lords of the Session used
people other than clergy to obtain names of the deceased, the clergy had no
incentive or requirement to keep burial registers, and in many parishes they
were no kept until much later. (See Discovering Your Scottish Ancestors, Linda
Jones & Paul Milner, 2002, page 159 for more on this subject.)
That’s it for now
Cuimhnich air na daoine o'n d'thŕinig thu
"Remember the people from whom you came"