Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 4, 1896

THE CELTIC MONTHLY.
14?
NOTES ON THE HIGHLAND CLANS,
their badges, slogans, music, &c.
By Fionx.
Clan Chattan — C'lann Chatain. — Continued.
IpjraiHE name Catan, or GiUe-Chatain, means
V^ the servant of St. Catan, which denotes
l.j^ "little cat," and the crest, motto and
armorial bearings of the clan bear evidence that
this was understood to be the meaning of the
name. Each orgamization admits as members
such as bear any of the following surnames : —
Cattanach, Clark, Crerar, Davidson, Farquharson,
Gillespie, Gillies, Gow, Macbean, Macbaiu,
Macgillivray, Mackintosh, Macphail, Maepher-
8on, Macqueen, Noble, Shaw. We shall refer
to these names, as they apjjear in the ordinary
alphabetical order, which we propose to follow.
CmSllOLM .SlOSALACH.
The Chisholms, strictly speaking, are not a
Highland clan, as the chief hailed from Rox-
burgh, where the estate of Ghisholm still retains
its ancient name. The first (if the de C/ns/io/nis
went north in the fourteenth century and became
Constable of Urquhart Castle. The chief is
called in Gaelic An Soisalac/i, and is the only
Highland chief entitled to have "The" prefixed
to his name. The badge of the clan, according
to some is Fearna, alder, according to others
Raineach — the fern. Salute — Failte an t-Siosal-
aieh — The Chishohn's Salute. Lament — Cumha
an t-Siosalaich — The Chisholm's Lament. Motto
— Vi ant virtutte — By virtue and valour.
Clark or Clerk — Cleireach.
The Clerks are a sept of the Clan Chattan.
They are of ecclesiastical origin. We have also
Mac a' ChUirich — which in the south takes the
form MacChlery.
The CoLi,)iinouNS— Clann a' CnOMPAiciL
Colquhoun is a place name.
In the reign of Alexander
IL Malduin, Earl of Lennox
grants charter of the lands
of Colchoim to Humphry
Kirkpatrick. He was the
first to bear the surname
Colquhoun. Sir Humphry
Colquhoun, twelfth Laird of
Luss, acquired the heritable
Coronorship of Dumbartonshire in L583. He
fought the bloody battle of Glenfruin against
the MacGregors in 1602, in which he was
defeated with the loss of 200 men, hence,
doubtless, the Lament of the clan, — Rnaig
Ghlinnfrw'n — The rout of Glenfruin.
Sir Humphry Colquhoun, XVIL of Luss,
married a daughter of Houston of that ilk, by
whom he had a daughter only, Annie, who iu
1702 marrieii James Grant of Pluscardine,
second son of Grant of that ilk ; and being
resolved that the young people should succeed
him in his whole estate and honours, in 1704 he
resigned his baronetcy to the Ci-own, and
obtained a new grant, to himself in life rent, to
his daughter and son-in-law in fee, providing
that their heir.s should adopt the name and arms
of Colquhoun, and that the estates of Grant and
Luss should never be conjoined. Sir Humphry
died in 1715, and was succeeded by James
Grant as Sir James Colquhoun ; buc his elder
brother dying without issue in 1719 he succeeded
to the estates of Grant, and resuming that name
was succeeded in the estates of Luss by his
second son. Sir Ludovick, who on the death of
his elder brother, unmarried, also succeeded to
the estates of Grant, and that of Luss went to
hLs younger brother, from whom the present
Laird of Luss is de.scended. The [)reseut Chief
of the Clan is Sir James Colquhoun, 12th Bart,
of Colquhoun and Luss, born 1844 — principal
seat, Rossdhu House, Luss.* Branches —
Tillyquhoun, Cam.stradden, Killermont, Gars-
cadden, Kennuoir, Kilmardenuy, Barnhill, Dun-
yelder. The Badge of the clan, according to
some, is the Sauch Tree or WilU>w~Sei/eac/i,
according to others, Braoileag nan con — Dogberry.
Gathering tune, Ceann na Drochaide bige — The
Head of the Little Bridge. March, Caismeachd
'yh/oinn a' Chompaich — The Colquhouns' March.
Motto, Si je puis — If I can. War-cry or Slogan,
Cnoc Ealacliain.
A Clan Society was formed a few years ago —
the Secretary is Mr. N. C. Colquhoun, 64 Couper
Street, Glasgow.
* For portrait and sketch of Chief see Celtic
MmMly, Vol. II. , page 61.
fTo bn continued).
Mb. James A. Ghisholm, of the Eastern Telegraph
Company, and a prominent member of the London
Caithness Association, has been appointed Assistant
Secretary of the Highland Society of London. There
were many applicants for the post.
The Blackie Memorial.— The sum already
subscribed for this deserving object is still far short
of the amount required, and an appeal is again made
to Highlanders to contribute. Subscriptions should
be sent to the Hon. Treasurer. Mi-. James MacDonald,
W.S., 21 Thistle Street, Edinburgh, or the Hon.
Secretary, Mr. George Macphail, W.S., Edinburgh.
"Manson." — A correspondent is anxious to learn
particulars as to the origin and history of this name.
It is common in Caithness, and doubtless Mr. Thomas
Sinclair, or some other Caithnessian learned in county
matters, will be able to supply the information desired.