IV Malcom

  General Notes:

Uncle of Ada (Cash Matriach). (Refer to Notes for Ada)

Christmas, 1160: The recorded itinery of Malcolm IV shows him at Per th at this time. He ascended the throne at the age of 12 and is now 1 9, with this year greatly increasing his stature both as a man and asK ing of Scots. He has defeated Somerlad (the Argyle rebel), who waspl otting with MacHeth to unseat the King, by force of arms.

Malcolm led his forces against Fergus, Lord of Galloway (who was ambit ious and contemputuous of the "Boy king of Scotland") and was twice re pulsed. He made a third effort, overcome his enemies and forced themt o ask for peace. Fergus submitted his son, Uchtred, to Malcolm as aho stage, then entered the abbey of Holyrood as a monk.

Somerlad is at this Christmas gathering to give his young King a renew ed pledge of allegiance. The spirit of the gathering is one of relaxa tion, or satisfaction, and looking forward to better times -- a gather ing tinged with gaiety.

At this gathering, the down charter for Duncan, 6th Earl of Fife, andA da, half-sister of Malcolm, was witnessed and signed. Malcolm placed a woman of his close bloodline (Ada) in this marriage and the politica l significance lay beneath the marriage where the young King was assur ing himself of the complete future loyalty of Fife to his crown. By t his marriage, Ada became Countess of Fife. The term in the charter wa s "nepto" means "niece", but Malcolm's siblings were not old enough t o have a daughter of 17 years.

In a Paris Museum, you will find a Genealogy which takes David I and h is son, Earl Henry, father of Malcolm IV and Ada, back through the anc ient Celtic Kings of Ireland, well beyond 1000 B. C. opening the way t o a previous era in Spain, Greece and Egypt ... beyond which lies thef ormation of the Celtic race in the Himalaya's.

CLAN MACDONALD
As with most families, there were migrations of some of the Strathbra n families, as two of them seem to have settled in the western isles,a bout 80 miles west and north. We find them in the MacDonald Roster.

This Clan descends from Donald, grandson of Somerlad (who tried to def eat King Malcolm IV) in the 12th century. It may be the oldest of th e Clans. This Clan was of the Isles that lie along the west coast ofS cotland: Lorn or Lorne; Mull; Jura; Kintyre; Islay; Bute, and part o f Arran. Somerlad in ancient times had been King of the Isles, and wa s of Norse origin. Clan MacDonald was in the thick of the battle of C ulloden, but no record remains of their position or who led them.

The MacDonald Tartan is of a dark background of green and black, withs mall red squares, somewhat more somber than Mackintosh, which is brigh t with large red squares, intersected by blue, green and black lines.

The Macdonald Roster:
Beath Isles MacCrutcheon Macilvride
Beaton Kellie Mac Daniell Macilwraith
Bethune Kelly MacDonald MacKellachie
Donald Kinnell Macdrain MacKellaig
Donaldson Mac a' Challies MacEachern MacKinnell
Galbraith MacBride MacEachran MacLardie
Gorrie MACCAISHE MacElfrish MacLardy
Gowan MacCall MacElheran MacLarty
Hawthorn MACCASH MacGorrie MacLaverty
Hewison MacCeallaich MacGorry MacLellan
Houston MacColdrum MacHugh MacLeverty
Howison MacColl MacHutchen MacMurdo
Hughson MacConnell Macilleriach Mac O' Shannaig
Hutcheonson MacCooish Macilreach MacQuisten
Hutchinson MacCuish Macilrevie MacQuistan
Hutchison MacCutchem Macilriach MacRaith
MacRorie MacWhannell O'Shannachan
MacRory May O'Shannaig
MacRuer Murdoch Pitullich
MacRury O'Drain Shannon
MacShannachan O'May Sporran
MacSporran O'Shaig Train
Whannell