Clan Henderson/MacEanruig | |||
---|---|---|---|
Mac Eanruig [1] | |||
Motto | Sola virtus nobilitat (Virtue alone ennobles) [1] | ||
War cry | The Hendersons are here! | ||
Profile | |||
Region | Lowlands & Highlands | ||
District | Scottish Borders, Glen Coe, [1] & Caithness [1] | ||
Plant badge | Cotton grass [1] | ||
Chief | |||
Alistair Donald Henderson of Fordell [1] | |||
Historic seat | Fordell Castle [2] | ||
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The Clan Henderson (Clann Eanruig) also known as House of Henderson is a Scottish clan. [3] The clan's historical seat is at Fordell Castle in Dalgety Bay, Fife. The current clan chief is Alistair Henderson of Fordell.
There are multiple origins for the Scottish patrynomic surname of Henderson, meaning "son of Henry" or "son of Hendry", with three being the most well-known. [3] The Hendersons who lived in the Scottish Borders were often found in the variant of Henryson. [3] Although these Hendersons were not a significant power in the Borders they were still classed as a riding clan. [3] Henryson was a common name in the 14th century and beyond. [4] Notable documented individuals include: 1373-1377, William Henryeson was chamberlain of Lochmaben Castle; [3] [4] John Henryson was burgess of Edinburgh c. 1387-1395. [4]
There were also Hendersons who were septs of the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe and septs of the Clan Gunn in the far north of the country. [3] There is no known connection between the Hendersons of Clan Gunn and Clan MacDonald or the Hendersons of the Scottish Borders. [3]
The clan spread from Dumfrieshire to Liddesdale, however they do not appear in the list of border clans that were named by Parliament in 1594, when it was attempting to suppress the Border Reivers. [3] From the Dumfrieshire family of Hendersons descended James Henderson or Henryson who became Lord Advocate in about 1494. [3] [4] He was later appointed to the Bench. [3] From 1510-1512, he acquired lands in Fordell, Fife including the original tower of Fordell Castle. [3] Fordell became the designation of the Lowland Henderson chiefs and it is from them that the present chiefs are descended. [3] He was killed at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. [3]
One of the most prominent of the Clan Henderson was Alexander Henderson of Fordell who was born in about 1583. [3] He was educated at the University of St Andrews where he became a Master of Arts and a Professor of Philosophy before 1611. [3] He later became the minister of the parish of Leuchars and was violently opposed to Charles I's attempts to reform the Church of Scotland. [3] He was especially opposed to the new prayer book and travelled to Edinburgh where he presented a petition to the Privy Council, stating that the book had not received the sanction of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland or the Parliament. [3] Henderson and Johnston of Warriston together drafted the National Covenant which was first sworn and subscribed in Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh. [3] Henderson was unanimously elected moderator of the General Assembly in Glasgow in 1638 and was therefore at the forefront of church politics during the troubled reign of Charles I. [3] Henderson was also responsible for drafting the Solemn League and Covenant in 1643. [3] When the king sundered himself to the Scottish army it was to Henderson that he sent to discuss with his disaffected subjects. [3] Henderson met with the king but failed in his attempts to make him accede to the Church's demands. [3] Henderson died due to ill health in August 1646 and was buried in Greyfriars church yard, the scene of his greatest triumph and where there is a monument to him. [3]
Meanwhile, John Henderson, 5th of Fordell fought as a staunch royalist for the king during the Scottish Civil War. [5] [6]
The Hendersons of Glen Coe, in the Highlands, take the English version of their name from the Gaelic MacEanruig, claiming descent from a Pictish prince, Eanruig Mor Mac Righ Neachtain, or big Henry son of King Neachtain. Neachtain (Nechtan mac Der-Ilei) is said to have reigned between 700 and 724. [3] It is not known when the Hendersons came to Glen Coe but it is said Dougall MacHenry, the last of their chiefs in the direct line, fathered an heiress, who according to tradition had a son by her lover Aonghus Óg of Islay, and that their son was Ian (John) Fraoch. [3] [7] Ian Fraoch's son was Iain Abrach whose patronymic was MacIain and that became the designation of the chiefs of the MacDonalds of Glencoe. [3] The Hendersons were the hereditary pipers and armor-bearers of the chiefs of the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe. [3] [8]
The Henderson Stone -- Clach Eanruig in Gaelic—is a granite boulder in a field a little south of Carnach in the Glencoe area. [9] [10] Historic tradition in the area includes two separate stories involving the Henderson Stone and a warning from a Campbell soldier of the impending massacre of 1692. One version of the story involves a soldier speaking a warning to the stone, in the presence of a local resident: "Great stone in the Glen, though you have every right to be there, if you knew what was to happen tonight you would not stay there on any account." [11] The other version involves a Campbell piper playing a song at the stone, meant as a warning to the residents. [12] Tradition has it that the local who heard the cryptic message escaped, but was unable to warn many others. [13]
In 1692 when the Massacre of Glencoe took place, it is said that the chief's personal attendant and piper, Big Henderson of the Chanters, was among those killed. [3]
Another group of Hendersons originated in Caithness in the far north of the Scottish Highlands. [3] In the late 15th century, a family difference led Henry Gunn, youngest son of the Clan Gunn chief, to branch off, forming the Henderson family line in Caithness. [14]
The Chief of Clan Henderson is Alistair Donald Henderson of Fordell, an environmental engineer specialising in air pollution control who lives in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The Chief is recognised by Lord Lyon, King of Arms, and is a member of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs. [15]
Septs and surname variations of the Clan Henderson include:
Gaelic variations:
Latin variations:
Anglicised variations:
The surname spelling variations arose from regional pronunciation differences, and sometimes perversely creative spelling. [19] Some individuals used multiple surname spellings, and sometimes different surname forms. For example, a traveling Henderson might use the surname MacEanruig in the Scottish Highlands, Henderson in the Lowlands, McHenry in Ulster, and Henry in England.
Sir John Digby, the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, had seized Newark on behalf of Charles I in late 1642. He was assisted by Sir John Henderson, a Scottish soldier, who it was felt would bring military expertise to the Royalists cause. Henderson was appointed Governor of Newark.
The Governor's House, Newark: this building was where the governors of the town lived and worked Colonel Sir John Henderson 1642-3, Colonel Sir Richard Byron, 1643-4, Colonel Sir Richard Willys 1644-5 and Colonel John Lord Belasyse, 1645-6.
Glencoe or Glencoe Village is the main settlement in Glen Coe in the Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands. It lies at the north-west end of the glen, on the southern bank of the River Coe where it enters Loch Leven.
The Massacre of Glencoe took place in Glen Coe in the Highlands of Scotland on 13 February 1692. An estimated 30 members and associates of Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by Scottish government forces, allegedly for failing to pledge allegiance to the new monarchs, William III and Mary II.
Lochaber is a name applied to a part of the Scottish Highlands. Historically, it was a provincial lordship consisting of the parishes of Kilmallie and Kilmonivaig. Lochaber once extended from the Northern shore of Loch Leven, a district called Nether Lochaber, to beyond Spean Bridge and Roybridge, which area is known as Brae Lochaber or Braigh Loch Abar in Gaelic. For local government purposes, the name was used for one of the landward districts of Inverness-shire from 1930 to 1975, and then for one of the districts of the Highland region from 1975 to 1996. Since 1996 the Highland Council has had a Lochaber area committee.
Clan MacLeod is a Highland Scottish clan associated with the Isle of Skye. There are two main branches of the clan: the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan, known in Gaelic as Sìol Tormoid and the Clan MacLeod of Lewis Assynt and Raasay, known in Gaelic as Sìol Torcaill. Both branches claim descent from Leòd, a Norse-Gael who lived in the 13th century.
Clan Donald, also known as Clan MacDonald, is a Highland Scottish clan and one of the largest Scottish clans. The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of coats of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, recognises under Scottish law the High Chief of Clan Donald. Historically the chiefs of the Clan Donald held the title of Lord of the Isles until 1493 and two of those chiefs also held the title of Earl of Ross until 1476. Queen Mary of Denmark is member of Clan Donald.
Clan Mackenzie is a Scottish clan, traditionally associated with Kintail and lands in Ross-shire in the Scottish Highlands. Traditional genealogies trace the ancestors of the Mackenzie chiefs to the 12th century. However, the earliest Mackenzie chief recorded by contemporary evidence is Alexander Mackenzie of Kintail who died some time after 1471. Traditionally, during the Wars of Scottish Independence, the Mackenzies supported Robert the Bruce, but feuded with the Earls of Ross in the latter part of the 14th century. During the 15th and 16th-centuries the Mackenzies feuded with the neighboring clans of Munro and MacDonald. In the 17th century the Mackenzie chief was made Earl of Seaforth in the peerage of Scotland. During the Scottish Civil War of the 17th century the Mackenzies largely supported the Royalists. During the Jacobite rising of 1715 the chief and clan of Mackenzie supported the Jacobite cause. However, during the Jacobite rising of 1745 the clan was divided with the chief, Kenneth Mackenzie, Lord Fortrose, supporting the British-Hanoverian Government and his relative, George Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Cromartie, supporting the Jacobites.
Clan Maclaine of Lochbuie is a Scottish Clan that inhabited lands on the southern end of the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides of the western Scottish Highlands. "Maclaine" is an alternate spelling for "MacLean." Clan Maclaine of Lochbuie and Clan Maclean of Duart are two separate clans. However, the two clans share a strong family connection. The 26th clan chief is Lorne Gillean Ian Maclaine of Lochbuie, Baron of Moy. The clan is recognised by both the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs and the Lord Lyon.
Clan Gunn is a Highland Scottish clan associated with lands in northeastern Scotland, including Caithness, Sutherland and, arguably, the Orkney Isles. Clan Gunn is one of the oldest Scottish Clans, being descended from the Norse Jarls of Orkney and the Pictish Mormaers of Caithness.
Clan Macnaghten, Scottish Gaelic: MacNeachdain, is a Scottish clan.
Henderson is a surname of Scottish origin. The name is derived from patronymic form of the name Henry and Hendry, which is a Scottish form of Henry. It means "Son of Hendry" and "Son of Henry". In Scottish Gaelic it is rendered MacEanraig (masculine), and NicEanraig (feminine).
Clan MacIntyre (McIntyre) is a Highland Scottish clan. The name MacIntyre, means "son of the carpenter.” It is most commonly said to descend from Maurice Mac Neil a nephew of Somerled, the great 12th century leader of the Scottish Gaels. Through an ingenious strategy, Maurice secured the marriage of Somerled to the daughter of the King of Mann and the Isles, thus greatly increasing Somerled's territories. At an unknown date the clan journeyed from the Hebrides to the Scottish mainland where the chiefs established their home at Glen Noe, in Ardchattan Parish, on the east side of Loch Etive.
The MacDonalds of Glencoe, also known as Clann Iain Abrach, is a Highland Scottish clan and a branch of the larger Clan Donald. Named after Glen Coe, the MacDonalds lived there from the early 14th century, until the glen was largely abandoned during the Highland Clearances of the late 18th century.
John of Islay was the lord of the Isles (1336–1386) and chief of Clan Donald. In 1336, he styled himself Dominus Insularum, although this was not the first ever recorded instance of the title in use. Some modern historians nevertheless count John as the first of the later medieval lords of the Isles, although this rather broad Latin style corresponds roughly with the older Gaelic title Rí Innse Gall, in use since the Viking Age. For instance, the even more similar Latin title dominus de Inchegal, applied to Raghnall Mac Somhairle in the mid-12th century. In fact John is actually styled Rí Innsi Gall or King of the Isles shortly after his death in a contemporary entry in the Irish Annals of Ulster. Clan Donald considers the title "Lord of the Isles" to have been in use at least since Angus Mor Macdonald, who died in 1293, and the title "King of the Isles" in use since Somerled, the Norse-Gael who forged the Kingdom of the Isles in the 12th century.
Clan Matheson is a Highland Scottish clan.
Fordell Castle is a restored 16th-century tower house, located 1.25 miles (2.01 km) north-west of Dalgety Bay and 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Dunfermline, in Fife, Scotland. Parts of the castle date from before 1566, though most dates from 1580 or later. The chapel was rebuilt in 1650. The interior of the castle was substantially renovated in the 1960s, with additional major renovations to the castle interiors and chapel in the early 2000s. The estate is in private ownership and not available for public tour.
This is a list of islands called Eilean Fraoch or Fraoch Eilean, which provides an index for islands in Scotland with this and similar names. Literally meaning "heather island" in Scottish Gaelic, it is a common Scottish island name. It may also represent the forename "Fraoch" from Gaelic mythology.
Fraoch Eilean/Ejlean is a small island situated at the northern end of Loch Awe, a freshwater lake in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is notable for being the site of a medieval royal castle, now ruined, which was given into the keeping of Clan Macnaghten by Alexander III in 1267.
Clan Munro is a Highland Scottish clan. Historically the clan was based in Easter Ross in the Scottish Highlands. Traditional origins of the clan give its founder as Donald Munro who came from the north of Ireland and settled in Scotland in the eleventh century, though its true founder may have lived much later. It is also a strong tradition that the Munro chiefs supported Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence. The first proven clan chief on record however is Robert de Munro who died in 1369; his father is mentioned but not named in a number of charters. The clan chiefs originally held land principally at Findon on the Black Isle but exchanged it in 1350 for Estirfowlys. Robert's son Hugh who died in 1425 was the first of the family to be styled "of Foulis", despite which clan genealogies describe him as 9th baron.
The Henderson Stone is a granite boulder in a field in the Glencoe (Carnoch) area of Scotland. Clach Eanruig is translated alternatively as Henderson Stone or Henry's Stone.
William Mackintosh, 13th of Mackintosh was the chief of the Clan Mackintosh, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands. He was also chief of the confederation of clans that was known as the Clan Chattan.