Duncan MacDuff

  General Notes:

THE ANCESTRAL CLAN: Sir Robert Sibbald, Fife's earliest and most resp ected historian, says that our 1st Earl of Fife (Duncan MacDuff) hada son who called himself (in Gaelic) "Maktosich", means "Son of the Than e" and his name came on down as Mackintosh. "Thane" or leader was an earlier title for the 1st Earl of Fife before he was made Earl by Kin g Malcolm III. This is the MacDuff immortalized by Shakespeare in hi s "Tragedy of MacBeth".

The word "duff" is gaelic for "swarthy". We assume in ancient days, b efore King Duff, that his ancestors may have been of Greek or Spanishd escent, having migrated through these lands. The ancient Celts camein to Scotia in 464 and mixed with the Picts (who were a physically fair , red-haired race).

In agreement with Sibald is Sir Thomas Innes of Learney (who was LordL yon, King of Arms for Scotland), who, in his book on the Tartans of th e Clans, published 1950, page 212, says the founder of Clan Mackintos h was a younger son of MacDuff, "ancestors of the Earls of Fife". Thi s son settled in Moray, sayes Innes (the parish lying north of Perthsh ire). He was the Clan's s1st Chief. Please note that the rampant redl ion of the Fifle Earls is quartered on the Mackintosh Arms, leaving n o doubt about the MacDuff/Mackintosh connection.

The birthdates of both this son and his father are lost in the shadow s of antiquity, but we do know that Malcolm III became King of Scots i n 1057. We estimate he may have been about 30 at the time. MacDuff (t he "Thane", later 1st Earl) gave Malcolm needed help at this time andw as probably a little older or born about 1015. The younger son who fo rmed the Clan and whose descendants took the surname Mackintosh was li kely born about 1055.

Though our progenitors, Duncan (6th Earl of Fife) and Ada (half-siste r of Malcolm IV) were "lowlanders" and had no Clan affiliation, they h ad more than a casual interest in the young Clan Macintosh, as possibl y a son (or grandson or two) who had settled on the Perthshire lands 1 190/1225, joined the Clan, adding the "Mac" or "son of" to their namea ccording to Clan custom.

To help preserve the record of the Roster remaining, as it was in thel atter half of the 18th century, we list here the "Septs" of the ClanMa ckintosh:

Adamson Higgison MacFall MacTavish
Ayson Hosick MacFail MacThomas
CASH Hossack MacFauld MacVail
Clark Leary MacGlashan Nairn
Clarke Macandrew MacGlashen Nevison
Clarkson Macartney MacHardie Niven
Clerk Macay MacHardy Noble
Combe MACCAISH Mackeggie Paul
Combie MacCardney Mackieson Ripley
Crearer MacCartney Mackillicam Ritchie
Dallas MACCASH Mackintosh Sivewright
Doles Maccause Maclear Tarrell
Eason Macchlery MacLeary Taweson
Easson MacClair Maclehose Tawse
Eggie MacCleary Maclerie Thom
Eggo MacColm MacNevin Thoms
Elder MacComas MacNiven Tosh
Esson MacCombe Macomie Toshach
Glennie MacCombich Macomish
Hardie MacCombie MacPhail
Hardy MacComie Macritchie
Heggie MacConchie MacTause

Duncan married.