'Macgregor01'Index links to: Lead / Letter
Families covered: Macgregor of Breackly (Breachdsliabh), Macgregor of Glenorchy, Macgregor of Glenstrae, Macgregor of Macgregor
[This page was revised significantly on 19.06.09.]

                               
(1) Like many other families, the Macgregors have long claimed to have royal roots. Since at least the 16th century, descent was claimed from Alpin whose eldest son, Kenneth, was ancestor of later Kings of Scotland. This is why the 'Gregarach' (members of the Macgregor family) sometimes call their clan 'Clan Alpin'. However, BPGS2001 & BP2003 admit that there "are now no reliable records of the clan before 1390". One would hope that at least the later generations of those old pedigrees which took the family back before that time would be supported by the records which are available after that time but, sadly, such is not the case. We presume that the pedigree produced by Sir Robert Douglas (published in 'The Baronage of Scotland' 28 years after his death), which provides a descent from Alpin, reports the ancient claims made for this family. Unfortunately, it is not almost impossible to reconcile that pedigree with what is reported by BPGS2001 & BP2003. Indeed, it is so difficult that we suspect that many of the names & relationships in Douglas's pedigree were made up, possibly back in the 16th century, to support erroneous claims for the chieftainship. However, whilst we must give precedence to the latest reports, we do not want to lose sight of what Douglas reported, not least because it has been so much referred to by other sources. We provide Douglas's pedigree in the lower section below but, to distinguish it from what was reported by BPGS2001 & BP2003, we show that in italics. There is overlap betweeen the two pedigrees so we draw attention to particular people who feature in both versions.
(2) It is noted that Douglas uses 'John' where relevant whilst BPGS2001 & BP2003 use 'Iain'. BPGS2001 & BP2003 both start with ...
Aidh of Glenorchy (a c1150)
1. Giolla Faolain
  A. Duncan a Straileach
  i. Duncan
  a. Malcolm the Lame a Malcolm the Lame (d 1374) was shown by Douglas, see #1# below
  (1) Duncan
  (A) Gregor 'of Golden Bridles', 1st Chief
  This Gregor is identified as "the true name-father of the clan" and so is designated as the 1st Chief. As shown below, Douglas identified a Gregor some 300 years earlier as the name-father.
  (i) Iain (Cam = one-eyed) Macgregor of Glenorchy, 2nd Chief (d 19.04.1390)
  (a) Iain (dubh = black) Macgregor of Glenorchy, 3rd Chief (d 1415)
  m. Dervogill Maclachlan (d 1424, dau of Ewen Maclachlan)
  ((1)) Malcolm Macgregor, 4th Chief (d 20.04.1440)
  m. Mary
((A)) Patrick Macgregor of Glenstrae, 5th Chief (d 28.04.1461)
  ((i)) Iain (dubh = black) Macgregor of Glenstrae, 6th Chief (d 24.05.1519)
  m. Marion Stewart (a 1522)
  ((a)) Malcolm Macgregor (dvp 22.06.1498)
(b) Gregor (aluin = handsome) Macgregor (d 1415) see #2# below
  ((1)) Iain Macgregor
  ((A)) Macolm Macgregor (a 1463)
  ((B)) Gregor Macgregor of Auchinchallane
  ((i)) Patrick Macgregor of Auchinchallane (d 09.07.1518)
  ((a)) Gregor Macgregor of Auchinchallane (d 06.03.1547) see #3# below
  From Gregor onwards, Douglas is broadly consistent with what is now reported by BPGS2001 & BP2003 so we no longer need to show the pedigree separately.
  ((2)) Duncan Macgregor
  ((A)) Duncan Macgregor (d 17.02.1477/8) ancestor of MacGregors of Roro in Glenylon
  ((3)) Dugall (ciar = dusky) Macgregor probably father of ...
  ((A)) Alasdair Macgregor
  ((i)) Evan Macgregor
  ((a)) Iain Macgregor, 7th Chief (d 1528)
  m. Helen Campbell

 

 

See the note at the top of the page.
Gregor MacAlpin of Glenurchy (d 1040)
m. _ Campbell (dau of _ Campbell of Lochow)
1. Sir John Macgregor of Glenorchy or Glenurchy (d c1113)
  m. "an English lady of great beauty"
  A. Sir Malcolm Macgregor 'of the castles' of Glenurchy (d c1164)
  m. Marjory (youngest dau of William, nephew of the King)
  i. William Macgregor of Macgregor
  m. _ Lindsay
  a. Gregor Macgregor of Macgregor
  m. Marion (dau of Gilchrist)
  (1) Malcolm 'the lame' Macgregor (d 1374) see #1# above
  m. Mary Maclpin (dau of Malise Macalpin of Finnich)
  (A) Gregor 'Aulin' Macgregor (d c1413) see #2# above
  m. Iric Maclpin (dau of Malcolm Macalpin (son of Malise), cousin)
  (i) Malcolm Macgregor (d unm 1420)
  (ii) John Macgregor of Breachdsliabh 'of that ilk' (d 1461)
  m. _ (dau of laird of Machlauchlan)
(a) Malcolm Macgregor (a 1488)
  m1. _ Macintosh
  ((1)) James Macgregor of that ilk (a 1571)
  ((A)) Alexander Macgregor of that ilk (dspl 1602)
  partner unknown
  ((i)) Gregor Macgregor 'the bastard'
  m. More Macgregor (dau of Gregor Macgregor of Macgregor) ## see here ##
  ((a)) Ewan/Hugh Macgregor
  ((b)) ?? Macgregor
  (((1))) Malcolm Macgregor
  (((A))) Gregor Macgregor
  (((2))) ?? Macgregor
  (((A))) Archibald Macgregor of Kilmannan
  ((B)) John Macgregor (d Glenfroon)
  ((2))+ "several daughters"
m2. Helen Campbell (dau of Sir Colin Campbell of Glenurchy, of family of Lochow, m2. _ Stewart of Balindoran)
  ((3)) son (d infant)
  (b) Gregor Macgregor of Breachdsliabh or Breackly, later of Glenurchy = Gregor Macgregor of Auchinchallane see #3# above
  m. Finvola or Flora Macarthur (dau of _ Macarthur of Strachur by dau of Campbell of Argyle)
  (c) John Macgregor
  (d) Margaret Macgregor
  m. Lauchlan More Macguarie (chief of Macguarie)
  (iii) Gregor Macgregor (4th son) ancestor of families of Macgregor of Roro and Gregory
  (iv)+ other issue - Gillespie/Archibald (had issue), Dougal (had issue)
  (B) Gilbert MacGregor or Gregorson or Grierson, 1st of Lag (a 1410)
  We have yet to see how modern researchers into the Grierson family view this connection now that the 'traditional' view of the relevant generations of the Macgregor family has been so much revised.
  m. Janet Glendinning (dau of Sir Simon Glendinning or Glendonwyn of Parton)
  (C) "several daughters"
  b.+ other issue - Alpin (d after 1289, Bishop of Dunblane), daughter
  Douglas reports the following connections which will be investigated further in due course.
  ii. Gregor More, Sheriff of Inverness (a 1214) ancestor of Grants
  iii. Achaius ancestor of Mackays
  B. Gregor or Gregory, Abbot of Dunkeld (d c1169) ancestor of MacNabs (sons of the abbot) BUT SEE HERE
2. Gregor Macgregor (priest)

Main source(s):
(1) For upper section (uploaded 19.06.09) : BPGS2001 (Macgregor of Macgregor), BP2003 (Macgregor of Macgregor)
(2) For lower section (uploaded 06.12.04) : Douglas's 'Baronage of Scotland' (1798, Macgregor of Macgregor)
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