What happens when your line is Royal but illegitimate?

[Kelly d]

I will be gathering information to help answer this question. :head2:

[Kelly d]

Re: What happens when your line is Royal but illegitimate?

The Appin Stewarts



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Clan Chief: Andrew Francis Stewart of Lorn, Appin and Ardsheal, 17th of Appin & 12th of Ardsheal

Main Branches: Ardsheal, Achnacone, Fasnacloich, Invernahyle

Clan Badge: A unicorn's head, crined and armed.

Plant Badge: Darag (Oak)

Motto: Quhidder Well Zie (Whiter will ye)

War Cry: Creag an Sgairbh ("The Cormant's Rock")

Designation of the Chief: MacIain Stiubhairt na h-Appunn

Tartans: Stewart of Appin Red, Stewart of Appin Dress, Stewart of Appin Hunting, Stewart of Ardsheal, Stewart of Achnacone, Stewart Old (although not of Appin it is worn by the Chief)

Primary Adherents: MacColl, MacLeay, MacClay, Livingstone, MacGillemichael, McIlmichael, Carmichael, MacCombich, Combich, MacInnes, MacRobb, MacMichael

The Appin Stewarts, also known as “The Loyal Clan”, is the West Highland branch of the royal surname Stewart, descend from Sir James Stewart of Perston, 4th son of Sir John Stewart of Bonkyl, second son of Alexander, the 4th High Steward of Scotland. Sir James was the grandfather of John Stewart of Innermeath, who, through marriage to Isabell NicDougall (MacDougall) of Lorn, became the first Stewart Lord of Lorn. The Lordship of Lorn passed down for 2 more generations to Sir John Stewart, the third Stewart Lord of Lorn.

Tradition tell us that in 1445, while returning to his seat at Dunstaffnage castle from the great cattle tryst at Crieff, Sir John met and fell in love with the daughter of MacLaren of Ardvech. Although married, he began an affaire with his new love which one year later produced a son. He was christened Dugald and was to be the first Chief of the Stewarts of Appin.

After the death of his first wife, Sir John waited, for reasons we are unaware of today, for 5 years until setting up the marriage between himself and Dugald's mother, but it may have had something to do with the politics of the day. In 1463, Sir John set a wedding date and sent for Dugald and his mother to come to Dunstaffnage. Unknown to Sir John, there was a plot to kill the Lord of Lorn. It is not fully known, but it is thought to have been set up by the Lord of the Isles who was in a power struggle with the King of Scots, and who saw it as being in his best interest to neutralize this powerful and loyal representative of the King in the west highlands. The other plotters, which some feel included Colin Campbell, Lord Argyll, Sir John's son-in-law, were primarily represented by Alan MacCoul, the illegitimate grandson of an earlier MacDougall Chief. As the lightly armed wedding party made it's way from Dunstaffnage to the small chapel located approximately 180 yards from the castle walls, they were attacked by a superior force lead by Alan MacCoul. Although better armed, MacCoul's force was defeated, but not before mortally wounding Lord of Lorn. Sir John was rushed into the chapel and MacCoul and his henchmen ran into and occupied the deserted Dunstaffnage. With his last breath Sir John married Dugald's mother, legitimizing him and making him the de jure Lord of Lorn. After receiving the last rites, Sir John expired and a new chapter in west highland history was opened.


Castle Stalker
Photograph by Scottish Panoramic

Dugald gathered all the adherents of the Lord of Lorn and with the assistance of the MacLarens laid siege to Dunstaffnage, but to no avail. Unbeknownst to Dugald, Colin Campbell, Lord Argyll who seemed to have been involved in the plot, raised a group of MacFarlanes to aid MacCoul in his struggle against the de jure Lord of Lorn. MacCoul's men with the MacFarlanes met the men of Lorn and MacLaren in what was to be known as the battle of Leac a dotha. It was a fierce battle with both sides leaving the field with very heavy losses.

For the next few years Dugald, who had lost the tile of Lord of Lorn through the treachery of his uncle Walter Stewart and Lord Argyll, but had retained Appin and Lismore, consolidated his power and fortified the hunting lodge of castle Stalker on the Cormant's Rock in Loch Laich. He also ensured that the Campbells were in no doubt about his displeasure over the loss of the Lordship of Lorn by having the Campbell territory surrounding Appin regularly raided by our clan. Finally in 1468 in a bid to finally destroy the power of Appin, Colin Campbell and Walter Stewart, now recognized as the Lord of Lorn (but with no authority in Lorn) organized a massive raid against Dugald and our clan. Alan MacCoul was again involved and they met at what was to be know as the battle of Stalc. Though loosing many men, Dugald virtually destroyed the military strength of the MacFarlands (a destruction they were never to recover from) and personally killed Alan MacCoul, his father's murderer. The battle solidified Dugald's claim to Appin and the surrounding area which was formally granted to him by King James III on the 14th of April 1470. Our clan was born.

The major branches or "tacks", as they were known in the late 17th and into the 18th Century, of Appin stem from the sons of Alan Stewart, 3rd of Appin. Originally they comprised John, 1st of Strathgarry, Dugald, 1st of Achnacone, James, 1st of Fasnacloich and Alexander, 1st of Invernahyle. Ardshiel, the branch our Chief hails from, was given to John, 1st of Ardshiel by his father, John Stewart, 5th of Appin.

The Adherents or "septs" (a modern term) of Appin stem from families that lived in Lorn prior to the Stewarts gaining the Lordship and the clan coalescing. These were/are the MacColls, who descended from Black Solomon, son of Coll, son of the Lord of the Isles, The MacLeays or Livingstones (anglicized from MacLeay), who were reported to be on Lismore in 1130, but who's heritage is so old that know one really knows their beginnings, The MacGillemichaels, or their anglicized form "Carmichael", are also so old that we can only guess. It is know that they were present in Appin prior to the 13th century. The Combichs descended from a family nickname from north Appin and the MacRobbs were/are actually Stewarts, descending from Robert, son of Dugald, 1st of Appin. The MacInnes, originally from the area of Morvern, settled in the area in the early 15th century.

The clan fought in many major engagements including the Civil Wars of the 17th century and all the Jacobite Risings, ending with the battle of Culloden, where 92 of our clan were killed and 65 wounded out of a fighting force of approximately 300.

Today we are dispersed all round the globe, but but the clan is supported by a number of organizations, including The Appin Stewarts, The Stewart Society, The Friends of Appin (Australia) and, in part, the Appin Historical Society.

Our clan and Chief’s family experienced a grave loss with the passing of Lady Sibyl Anne Stewart, M.B.E. in 2007. Lady Stewart, or “Chibi”, as she was known to those close to her, was the wife of our former Chief and the mother of our current. Lady Stewart became the clan’s guiding light and although not born into the clan work diligently with many organizations and persons on behalf of us all and our collective history and future. She is and will continued to be missed beyond words.

For further information regarding our clan and other Stewarts please refer to:

The Stewart Society
http://www.stewartsociety.org/

Friends of Appin Society (Australia)
http://www.users.bigpond.com/livings...in_society.htm

For further information regarding Appin and the surrounding area please contact...

The Appin Historical Society
http://www.appinhistoricalsociety.co.uk/

If further information is needed one may always contact...

Eòin Òg MacIain Stewart
email: eoinstewart@comcast.net

http://www.electricscotland.com/webc...n_stewarts.htm

Our family legend goes something like this: Alexander (Sanders) Stewart served as the footman to Bonnie Prince Charlie. Lord Murray warns Sanders not to speak French to Argyl because Sanders is a servant to Lady Murray, bidding him a warning. Later in the accounting in the Lyon in Mourning, Argyl recognises Stewart. Stewart denies who he is. Stewart was captured and sent to Maryland as a White Slave. Stewart states, if they were to know the truth....I would have gone to the gallows with the rest.

Later on, we know the two brother Stewarts buy Sanders and set him free immediately to return to Scotland. Sanders went through Virginia, North and South Carolina before he found passage back to Scotland. This took him a year.

Sander's returns serving Lord Murray in the Indian Wars. He changed his name to Alexander Ochiltree. Now that I live in Great Britian, I know it is traditional for a man to take his Mother's maiden name or house. The Colvilles are associated and still own the Big House in Ochiltree, Scotland. It is a very strong circumstance for a family legend to state he was the half brother to BPC. Especially with the name change. The mita DNA for us is linked to a lady Colville of 350 years ago.

After reading this story provided by Electric Scotland, the McLean or the Isles connection again fits into the puzzle...a Stewart female, my great great grandmother married a McWilliams of Ft William. The Male or Ydna matches the McNeils/McDonalds of the Isles.

Our Ydna is put into the Black Subgroup under MacDonald of the Isles but the surnames attached to the Black Solomon is in the very same subgroup as our McWilliams.