This volume presents a detailed history of this Scottish noble lineage from the medieval Lords of the Isles to the mid–eighteenth century. Clan Donald is not the history of one clan, but of several important clans that descend from the old Kingdom of Macdonald. Each of these clans played its part in the history of Scotland until the fateful Battle of Culloden in 1746. Covering a period of six hundred years, the narrative begins with Somerled and the foundation of the Lordship of the Isles. It traces the narrative through the downfall of the Lordship in 1493 and the various branches that arose thereafter. The book then culminates in an overview of how the Celtic and Roman Churches were influenced by Clan Donald. Based on the original, three-volume edition of Clan Donald—first published between 1896 and 1904—this all-encompassing reference book is essential for members of the Clan as well as students of the Western Highlands and Isles.
“A brisk and accessible guide to a thousand years of reiving and rivalry in the Highlands.” —The Scotsman The story of the Highland clans of Scotland is famous, the names celebrated, and the deeds heroic. Having clung to ancient traditions of family, loyalty, and valor for centuries, the clans met the beginning of their end at the fateful Battle of Culloden in 1746. Alistair Moffat traces the history of the clans from their Celtic origins to the coming of the Romans; from Somerled the Viking to Robert the Bruce; from the great battles of Bannockburn and Flodden to Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite Risings; and from the Clearances to the present day. Moffat is an adept guide to the world of the clans, a world dominated by lineage, land, and community. These are stories of great leaders and famous battles, and of an extraordinary people, shaped by the unique traditions and landscape of the Scottish Highlands. It’s a story too about the pain of leaving, with the great emigrations to the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand that began after Culloden. Complete with a clan map and an alphabetical list of the clans of the Scottish Highlands, this is a must for anyone interested in the history of Scotland.
Ireland was one of the earliest countries to evolve a system of hereditary surnames. More than 4,000 Gaelic, Norman and Anglo-Irish surnames are listed in this book, giving a wealth of information on the background and location of Irish families. Edward MacLysaght was a leading authority on Irish names and family history. He served as Chief Herald and Genealogical Officer of the Irish Office of Arms. He was also Keeper of Manuscripts of the National Library of Ireland and was Chairman of the Manuscripts Commission. This book, which was first published in 1957 and now is in its sixth edition, is being reprinted for the fourth time and remains the definitive record of Irish surnames, their genealogy and their origins.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
'Something of a doubtful mist still hangs over these Highland traditions, nor can it be entirely dispelled by the most ingenious researches of modern criticism...' So wrote D.C.Stewart in the Preface to the first edition of The Setts of the Scottish Tartans published in 1950. His definitive work did much to remedy the situation, but subsequent further research made the need for a new book apparent. The author combines practical experience with a grasp of Highland social history in this book, which although aimed specifically at the amateur tartan-weaver, contains much of which will be of interest to students of either subject. The weaver is provided with precise hints on the special requirements of weaving tartan including threadcounts, accompanied by historical notes for 228 tartans, 142 of them illustrated in glowing colours which seem to reflect the lakes, sky, hills and valleys of Scotland. There are concise and informative articles on tartan pattern, colour, yarn, thread counts, yarn thicknesses and the actual weaving of the cloth. The basis of any tartan, as the author points out, is a simple two-colour check which may be varied by the addition of over-checks, bands and stripes in contrasting colours so arranged as to give a balanced and harmonious pattern.The author's interest in tartan brought him early into contact with the Scottish Tartans Society and with the late Donald C. Stewart with whom he collaborated over several years in a serious study of the subject, collaboration which resulted in the publication of a number of books, most recently his definitive work Tartan: The Highland Textile.His advice has been sought on the design of new tartans, notably the American Bicentennial, but his main interest is in the old ones. As one of the few specialist handweavers of tartan, he concentrated on making facsimiles and wove a reproduction of a pre-1745 plaid for the National Trust for Scotland's Centre at Culloden. In 1994 he handed his extensive archive, covering about one hundred years of serious tartan research, to the Highland Regional Archive for its preservation and for the benefit of future students.
