Series 1 > Loyall dissuasive

76
THE LOYALL DISSUASIVE
and wonder I did not tell you sooner.* There was, said he,
some ages before MTntosh married the heiress of the Clan-
chatton, a second brother of the family whose name was Muir-
ach preferred to place in Halie Kirk, according to the Dialect
of these times and made Prior1 or Parson of Kinguishie in
Badenoch. Shortly after his elder Brother the Chieff dying
without any heirs male, he was called from his Convent to the
Estate and following was married to a daughter of the Thane
of Calder’s by whom the short time she lived he had a
numerous issue.
That he was great grandfather to Dougal Daule the heir-
esse’s father, and that his posterity for ever after were called
Comurich from his name and Clanpherson in memory of his
office.
That the same Muirach, after his return from Palistine, to
which he had taken a Pilgrimage, upon his first wifes death,
was for his great worth and merite much to the honour of his
Countrie Elected King of Lynster in Ireland. And that the
Crown continued in his family for several generations, till
King Henry the second of England his time, who made a
total conquest of Ireland, in virtue of a Right granted to
him by one of Muirach’s posterity.
And by this means, said he, instead of one name they came
in time to have two M'Murich and M‘pherson as is said
above, and when M‘Intosh’s predecessor was married to a
Daughter of the family, tho’ he got the Estate, yet seeing he
did not take the name, the Quality and following devolved
in course upon the heir male, whom, said he pointing to
Clunie, That young gentleman and no other has the honour
to represent.
Thus far did both these great men agree about the Pedigree
and geneologie of the Clanchatton and our Plebeian heiress,
which in all its steps from the first Minnite that our Ancestors
left Germany, is as far superior to that of Thanes or any other
* How and when Clanchatton came to be McPherson.
1 I am not aware of any direct evidence as to there ever having been a priory
or abbey at Kingussie. The name ‘ abbey ’ is sometimes used of the ruins of the
old church now, and I find in 1600 the mill and ‘ Abbey Croft set ’ to Ingram
Scott.—Spalding Club Miscellany, vol. iv. p. 165.