Blair Collection > Celtic magazine > Volume 3

THE CELTIC MAGA2INE. 237
hereditary chief of the clan. In that opinion, as already stated, the Lyon
Clerk-DeiDute coincided. The thanks of the committee were recorded in
the report to Mr E. E. Stodart, of the Lyon Ofhce, for his courtesy in
making these inquiries. The Chairman having made a few remarks, the
nomination of the Chief of the Clan was made by Mr Macnaughton,
banker, Callander, in these terms : —
The meeting haviog considered the report of the committee and other information
laid before it, finds that the Chief of the Chan Macnaughton is Sir Francis Edmund
Macnaughten of Dundarave, Bushmills, Ireland— a lineal descendant of the ancient line
of chiefs of the clan, and otheiwise qualified to occupy the position of chief, and the
meeting confirms him in that position accordingly.
This was seconded by Mr Duncan G. Macnaughton, Stirling, and was
i unanimously agreed to. The nomination as vice-president of Mr Alex.
Macnaughton, 39 York Place, Edinburgh, who was the originat(jr of the
present movement, was also cordially accepted. It was resolved to defer
the appointment of a bard for the clan until the next meeting in 1879.
On the motion of Mr D. Macnaughton, Stoneheld, Blantyre, it was
unanimously resolved " That an Association be formed to be called ' The
Clan Macnaughton Association.' "
LITEEAEY EAi\fE ! — A paragraph under this heading appeared in
!our last issue, in which it was stated, on the authority of a biography
'of the late Mr Macphun, publisher, Glasgow, which appeared in
the Glasgow Highland Echo of 22d September 1877, and which has
never been contradicted, that " Macleod & Dewar's Dictionary was en-
tirely compiled by the ]\Iacfarlanes (father and son) ; and the late LIr
Maciiliun, for whom the work was got up, to secure the Dictionary a
literary status and rapid sale, offered ' Tormod Og' and Dr Dewar £100
each for the mere use of their names on the title-page ;" that they " ac-
;cepted the bribe, and robbed the Macfarlanes of their weU-merited reputa-
tion." We are now informed, on the best authority — " Tormod Og's "
eldest son, John iN". jSIacleod, Kirkcaldy — that the paragraph, in so far as
it refers to his famous father, has no foundation in fact. Mr Macleod
writes : — " Without any disparagement to the late Principal Dewar, I
know as a fact, and can testify along with others thereto, that nearly the
entire burden and labour of compiling the Dictionary fell on Dr Macleod ;
that it was compiled in the Manse of Campsie, where, also, the late
respected Mr P. Macfarlane took up his abode and residence, as his
amanuensis and corrector for the press." We have no hesitation in
accepting this statement as the actual facts of the case, and we much
regret having published the objectionable statement, founded on the false
information supplied by the iLcho, which, however, until it was repro-
duced by us, has never been contradicted by those interested. Though
sorry for having published what we are now informed, on such good
authority, is contrary to the facts, we are glad to be placed in a
position to clear, as far as we can, the fair fame of " Tormod Og " from
the charges unfortunately taken over by us from the Highland Echo.
The words "bribe" and "robbed" were, of course, only used in a
literary sense,