The Clan MacLea is a Highland Scottish clan, which was traditionally located in the district of Lorn in Argyll, Scotland,[1] and is seated on the Isle of Lismore. There is a tradition of some MacLeas Anglicizing their names to Livingstone, thus the Clan Livingstone Society's website also refers to clan as the Highland Livingstones.[1] The current chief of Clan MacLea was recognized by Lord Lyon as the "Coarb of Saint Moluag" and the "Hereditable Keeper of the Great Staff of Saint Moluag."
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Origins
Origin of the names MacLea and Livingstone
There are several origins for the surname MacLea, MacLay and etc. It is thought possible the name is an Anglicization of Mac an Léigh (Scottish Gaelic), meaning son of the physician.[2] Though the theory adopted by Clan MacLea enthusiasts is that the name is derived from the patronymic Mac Dhunnshleibhe, meaning son of Donn Sléibhe (son of + the brown haired, or chieftan + of the mountain).[2] In 1910 Niall Campbell, 10th Duke of Argyll maintained that the surname MacLea evolved from the name Maconlea, which was originally Mac Dhunnshleibhe. By the eighteenth century the standard form of the name had become MacLea, MacLeay, McClay, etc. The surname Livingstone/Livingston is a habitual name derived from Levingston (Middle English), which is located in West Lothian, Scotland. Levingston was named after Leving who appears in the early twelfth century in the charters of David I of Scotland.[2][3] This Leving was the progenitor of the powerful aristocratic Livingston family. There are multiple theories of the origin of Leving (Anglo-Saxon, Fleming, Frank, Norman, and even Hungarian). In the mid seventeenth century James Livingston of Skirling, who was of a branch of these Lowland Livingstons, was granted a nineteen year lease of the Bishoprics of Argyll and the Isles.[4] Sometime before 1648, James Livingston seems to have stayed at Achanduin Castle on Lismore, and it is thought that around this time that the surname Livingstone would have been adopted by MacLeas on the island.[4]
Descent from Dunshleibe
The Duke of Argyll wrote that it was possible that the eponymic progenitor of all the MacDunsleves, (MacLeas, highland Livingstones. etc.), of Lismore may be Dunshleibe son of Aedh Alain.[4] Aed Alain was the son of the Irish prince Anrothan, who traditionally was to have married a Princess of Dál Riata, inheriting her lands of Cowal and Knapdale. Anrothan, in turn was son of Aodh O'Neill, King of the North of Ireland (r.1030-1033).[4] From this descent the MacDunsleves were ultimately descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages, High King of Ireland, who reigned in the fifth century. Dunshleibe is also thought to have been the common ancestor of the several clans in western Argyll including the Lamonts, the MacEwens, the MacLachlans, the MacNeils, and the MacSweens.[4]
Dunshleibe Ua Eochadha
An alternative theory is that the Coarbs of Saint Moluag were closely related to the rigdamnai or Royal Family of Ulster and that the use of the name Mac Duinnshleibhe was a proud reminder and declaration of that fact. see [1] According to Byrne the Ulaid rigdamnai alone used the name Mac Duinnshleibhe
- “ So for instance when after 1137 the Dál Fiatach kingship was confined to the descendants of Donn Sleibe Mac Eochada (slain in 1091), the rigdamnai set themselves apart from the rest of the family by using the name Mac Duinnshleibhe (Donleavy)." Francis John Byrne, Irish Kings and High-Kings page 128.
It seems as though Ruaidhri Mac Duinnsleibhe was the last king of Ulidia dying at the end of the twelfth century . Rory, son of Dunsleve, is number 54 on O'Hart's roll of the kings of Ulidia and described as "the last king of Ulidia, and its fifty-fourth king since the advent of St. Patrick to Ireland." In Irish Pedigrees – The Stem of the Dunlevy family, Princes of Ulidia, O'Hart says
- “Tuirmach Teamrach, the 81st Monarch of Ireland had a son named Fiach Fearmara, who was ancestor of the Kings of Argyle and Dalriada, in Scotland: this Fiach was also the ancestor of MacDunshleibe and O’Dunsleibhe, anglicised Dunlevy, Dunlief, Dunlop, Levingstone and Livingstone. …
- According to Dr O’Donovan descendants of this family (Cu-Uladh the son the last MacDunshleibe King of Ulidia), soon after the English invasion of Ireland, passed into Scotland, where they changed their name.”
Livingston, MacLeay DNA project
In 2003 a DNA project was established to compare the Y-DNA of males bearing the different variations of the surname Livinston. The project also aims to find a blood link between the so called Highland Livingstones and the Lowland Livinstons, and to investigate the various origins of names associated with MacLea / Livingston.[5] At present the strongest conclusion to be drawn so far is that, despite containing very many male lines, the clan seems to have no male line with the DNA signature associated with Ui Neill families in Ireland. Apparently many Irish families with "Mac Dunshleibhe" surnames do have such a DNA signature. Mac Dunshleibhe DNA.
Coarb of Saint Moluag
- See also: Saint Moluag
Saint Moluag was a Scottish missionary, and a contemporary of Saint Columba, who evangelized the Picts of Scotland in the sixth century. According to the Irish Annals, in 562 Saint Moluag beat Saint Columba in a race to the large Isle of Lismore. The nineteenth century historian William F. Skene claimed the Isle of Lismore was the sacred island of the Western Picts and the burial place of their kings whose capital was at Beregonium, across the water at Benderloch. The Coarb, or successor, of the saint was the hereditary keeper of his pastoral staff. The Great Staff of Saint Moluag, or Bachuil Mor is thought to be the sith century saints crozier or staff.[4] The Bachuil Mor is a plain wooden staff that is 10 feet, 2 inches long. There is evidence that the Bachuil Mor was at one time covered with plates of gilt copper of which some remain.[6] On December 21 1950 on the petition of Livingstone of Bachuil, the Lord Lyon King of Arms ruled that Livingstone was the Coarb of Saint Moluag. Livingstone's ancestor Iain McMolmore Vic Kevir appears in a charter of 1544 as "with keeping of the great staff of the blessed Moloc, as freely as the father, grandfather and great-grandfather and other predecessors of the said Iain."[4]
History
Battles
- Battle of Bealach na Broige. The Battle of Bealach na Broige was fought between various north-western highland clans from the lands of Ross, against the Earl of Ross and his followers. Though the date of the battle is obscure what is known is that the rising consisted of the "Clan-juer" (Clan Iver), "Clantalvigh" (Clan-t-aluigh, ie. Clan Aulay), and "Clan-leajwe" (Clan-leaive, ie. Clan Leay).[7] The Munroes and Dingwalls pursued and overtook the rising clans at Bealach na Broige, where a bitter battle unsued, fed by old feuds and animosities. In the end the MacIvers, MacAulays and MacLeays where almost utterly extinguished and the Munroes and Dingwalls won a hollow victory, having lost a great number of men including their chiefs.[7]
- Achnacree. 1557. The McLeays of Achnacree were almost wiped out, losing 80 men supporting the MacDougalls of Lorn against the Campbells of Inverawe in a clan battle. McLea Manuscript, Highland Papers, Vol. IV, 1296 to 1752, third Series, Scottish History Society, pp 94 to 103. [2]
- Dunaverty. 1647. Many of the clan MacLea seem to have been killed when they took the side of the MacDougalls against the Campbells of Inverawe, a conflict exemplified by the Dunaverty Massacre. Placed prominently at the top of the second column of a list of those massacred at Dunaverty, 1647, supporting the MacDougalls were these McLeas: Iain Mc Iain Vc ein dui alias Mc onlea, Dunsla M'ein Vc onlea and Iain M'onlea, his brother, (Highland Papers, II, p. 257).
- 1745 Several Livingstones/ Macleas fought in the Appin Regiment. Donald Livingstone, Bun-a-mhuilinn, Morvern, was of the Livingstones of Achnacree, Benderloch and was 18 when he fought at Culloden saving the Appin Standard see [3]
Clan profile
- Clan Chief: William Jervis Alastair Livingstone of Bachuil, Chief of the Highland Clan MacLea, Coarb of Saint Moluag, Hereditable Keeper of the Great Staff of St Moluag, Baron of the Bachuil ‘by the Grace of God’ Alasdair Mconlea na Maconlea agus Bachuil, Baran a’ Bhachuill.[8] Recognized and arms matriculated by Lord Lyon King of Arms in 2003.[8]
- Clan Crest: A demi-man representing the figure of Saint Moluag Proper, his head ensigned of a circle of glory Or, having about his shoulders a cloak Vert, holding in his dexter hand the Staff of Saint Moluag Proper and in his sinister hand a cross crosslet fitchée Azure, and in an Escrol over the same the Motto Cnoc Aingeil.[9]
- Clan Badge: The Flower of the Grass of Parnassus.[10]
- Clan Motto:
- Cnoc Aingeil, (Hill of Fire.) Refers to the Bronze Age burial mound behind Bachuil where the bodies of the kings of the Western Picts were cremated.
- Ni Mi E Ma's Urrain Dhomb, (I will do it if I can).[11] This is a play on words of the Lowland Livingston motto: Si Je Puis, (If I can).[12]
- Clan tartans:
- Clan Seat: Bachuil, Isle of Lismore, Argyll, Scotland. Bachuil is named after the Bachuil Mor or Great Staff of Saint Moluag. The clan is centred on the old abbey lands of Lismore and Appin.
- Pipe music:
- Fagail Liosmor - Leaving Lismore
- An t-Eilean Aluinn - The Beautiful Island
- Cadets of the Clan MacLea:
Trivia
According to The Oldest: A Fascinating List of Britain's Oldest Everything by Julian Calder and Alastair Bruce, the Baron of Bachuil is Britain's "oldest title."
See also
Notes
- ^ a b http://www.clanmclea.co.uk/Livingstone-MacLea.htm Retrieved on May 11, 2007
- ^ a b c http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/default.aspx?ln= Retrieved on May 10, 2007
- ^ http://www.livingstonalive.co.uk/history.shtml Retrieved on May 13, 2007
- ^ a b c d e f g The Highland Clans, p.117-119.
- ^ http://www.familytreedna.com/public/livingston_maclea_dna/ Retrieved on May 18, 2007
- ^ The Celtic Magazine, p.287.
- ^ a b "Traditions of the MacAulays of Lewis", p.381. "Sir Robert Gordon's Genealogie of the Earles of Southerland."
- ^ a b burkes-peerage.net Livingstone of Bachuil, Chief of MacLea Archived Copy from Mar 04 2006
- ^ http://www.clanmclea.co.uk/Livingstone_of_Bachuil_Clan_Crest.htm Retrieved on May 11, 2007
- ^ http://www.clanmclea.co.uk/Warrant.htm Retrieved on May 13, 2007
- ^ http://www.clanmclea.co.uk/Warrant.htm Retrieved on May 13, 2007
- ^ http://www.scotclans.com/clans/Livingstone/history.html Retrieved on May 13, 2007
- ^ http://www.clanmclea.co.uk/Tartans.htm Retrieved on May 11, 2007
- ^ http://www.clanmclea.co.uk/Dress.htm Retrieved on May 11, 2007
- ^ http://www.clanmclea.co.uk/Maclay.htm Retrieved on May 11, 2007
- ^ a b c d e http://www.clanmclea.co.uk/MacLea_Cadets.htm Retrieved on May 11, 2007
References
- Mackenzie, Alexander (editor). The Celtic Magazine, (vol.6). Inverness: A. & W. MacKenzie, 1881.
- Moncreiffe of that Ilk, Sir Ian. The Highland Clans. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1982. ISBN 0-517-546580.
- Stewart, Donald C. The Setts of the Scottish Tartans, with descriptive and historical notes. London: Shepheard-Walwyn, 1974. ISBN 0 85603 011 9.
- Thomas, Capt. F W L. "Traditions of the MacAulays of Lewis". Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 14 (1880).
