Donald Maclean , 1st of Ardgour

From 'The Clan Gillean,' 1899, by Alexander Maclean Sinclair:

DONALD, son of Lachlan Bronnach, Dòmhnall Mac Lachainn Bhronnaich, was the first Maclean of Ardgour. He was a bold, resolute, and active man. About 1432 he received the lands of Ardgour from Alexander, third Lord of the Isles. It is said that the Lord of the Isles was at the time displeased with Macmaster, who had been in possession of these lands, but had no legal claim to them. Donald invaded Ardgour, attacked Macmaster, and slew himself and his sons. It is true that the Lord of the Isles and Lachlan Bronnach were very good friends, and had been companions for some time in Tantallon Castle. At the same time it is just possible that the influence of the Earl of Mar had something to do with getting Ardgour for Lachlan's son.

Donald of Ardgour was married to a daughter of Ewen Cameron of Lochiel, son of Donald Dubh, and had three sons, Ewen, Neil Bàn, and John. He had also a natural son named Archibald. Ewen succeeded his father in Ardgour. Neil Bàn was the progenitor of the Macleans of Boreray. Archibald's descendants were known as Clann Eoghain an Fhraoich, or the children of Ewen of the heather


Linda Bennion, Maclean researcher in the US, wrote in October 2003, concerning the Macleans of Ardgour:

"Following is the presentation of the House of Ardgour by the Seneachie:

MACLEANS OF ARDGOUR - Family seat, Cuil House, near Corran, on the side of Lochlinnhe.
The founder of this branch of the clan was DONALD, son of Lachlan Broneach, chief of Maclean. He possessed himself of the estate of Ardgour by the extirpation of the Mac-Masters, who had been the former proprietors. The lands were confirmed to him by a grant from the Lord of the Isles, and subsequently by royal charter. He was married to Evere, daughter of Ewen-Mac-Allan Cameron of Lochiel, by whom he had three sons; viz. Ewen, who succeeded him, Neil Bane, predecessor of the family of Borreray in North Uist, and John Ruodh or Roy, predecessor of the Macleans of Treshnish. Donald, the first Maclean of Ardgour died at an advanced age, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Ewen.

EWEN, 2D MACLEAN OF ARDGOUR, from whom the family derived the patronymic of Clann-Ewen. Ewen was married to a daughter of Chisholm of Strath-Glass, by whom he had three sons: Allan, John, and Hector.

ALLAN, the 3d MACLEAN OF ARDGOUR, was married to a daughter of Mac-Ghlasrigh, laird of the braes of Lochaber, by whom he had, John.

JOHN, 4th MACLEAN OF ARDGOUR, married a daughter of M'Dugall of Lorn, by whom he had two sons, Allan and Ewen; he was married a second time to a daughter of the chief of Clanrannald, by whom he had also two sons, Charles and Lachlan. He had likewise two sons by a daughter of Mac-Iain of Ardnamurchan, whom he had taken upon the prospect of marriage if she pleased him; at the expiration of two years (the period of her "noviciate"), he sent her home to her father; but his offspring by her were reputed lawful children "because their mother was taken upon a prospect of marriage". To the eldest of these two sons, a reputed warrior of his day, and a constant follower of Sir Lachlan Mor, his father gave the lands of Inverscadell; but it does not appear that he left any issue to inherit his property, for those lands at his death became the property of his half-brother Charles, eldest son, by Clanrannald's daughter, of John the 4th laird. John was succeeded by his eldest son, Allan.

ALLAN, 5th MACLEAN OF ARDGOUR, who dying without legitimate issue was succeeded by his brother, EWEN.

EWEN, 6th MACLEAN OF ARDGOUR, was married to a daughter of Stuart of Appin, by whom he had two sons, Allan and John. Ewen, 6th laird of Ardgour, was killed at Scair in Mamore, Lochaber, in his boat; a party of Macdonalds having mistaken him for Cameron of Lochiel, for whom they lay in wait. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Allan.

ALLAN, 7th MACLEAN OF ARDGOUR, who being a child at the time of his father's death, the affairs of the estate were administered by Charles Mac-Allan, his uncle. The guardian was a man bold and aspiring, and did much to defraud Allan of his property. His purposes were however timely discovered, and his intentions frustrated. The young laird betook himself immediately to the assistance of his mother's relatives, the Stuarts of Appin, by whose aid Charles Mac-Allan was removed from the trust he had so much abused. It was, however, finally agreed to let him have the lands of Inverscadell and other farms, which were to descend to his posterity on condition of the payment of an annual charge of twenty-five merks or a "cuid-aoiche" (a night's entertainment), which was afterwards commuted for a sum of fifty merks yearly. {More details are given about the squabbles, but I'll omit them for now}. Allan was married to Catherine, daughter of Allan of Lochiel, chief of the Clan-Cameron, and had by her eleven sons: John Crubach, Hector, Allan, Charles, Donald, Lachlan Mor, Lachlan Oig, Ewen the elder, Ewen the younger, Archibald, and John the younger. The latter John and his brother Donald were killed at Inverkeithing. He had also three daughters: Mary, married to Charles MacLean, of Ardnacross; Marion, married to John MacLean, of Toteronald; and Christiana. The 7th laird of Ardgour lived to a great age, and at his death left to his heir a productive and an unburdened estate. He was succeeded by his eldest son, John Crubach.

JOHN CRUBACH, 8th MACLEAN OF ARDGOUR, was twice married; FIRST, to Anne, daughter of Campbell of Dunstaffnage, by whom he had Ewen, Lachlan, Donald, Allan, and Archibald - of Lachlan descended the family of Blaich; SECONDLY, to Marrion, daughter of Hector MacLean, laird of Torloisk (relict of Maclean of Coll), by whom he had one son, John. John Crubach lived to an advanced age, and was succeeded by his son, Ewen.

EWEN, 9th MACLEAN OF ARDGOUR, married Mary, daughter of Lachlan MacLean, of Lochbuy, by whom he had Allan, Donald, Charles, John, and Lachlan. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Allan.

ALLAN, 10th MACLEAN OF ARDGOUR - It would appear that the tenth laird of Ardgour was the most improvident of his race. By mis-management and extravagance he so sunk the estate, by mortgage and otherwise, that his affairs were looked upon for a time as little better than desperate. Under the judicious management, however, of his relatives, Hector MacLean of Coll and Donald MacLean of Torloisk, the estate was ultimately rescued from danger. He was married to Anne, daughter of Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel, by whom he had Donald, Ewen, John, Archibald, Allan, James, Isobelle, Margaret, and Mary. Isobelle was married to Donald MacLean, of Brolas; Margaret to Angus MacLean, of Kinlochaline; Mary to John, son of Charles MacLean of Inverscadell; Donald, the eldest son, died unmarried; Ewen, the next to him, died at sea on his way from Virginia where he was engaged in mercantile pursuits; Archibald also died unmarried; Allan emigrated to the colony of Georgia and died there; James was a lieutenant in Colonel Montgomery's Highlanders, a detachment of whom being sent from Nova Scotia to aid in the conquest of the island of Dominica, Lt. MacLean in charge of this detachment sailed in a small transport, without cannon. They were attacked by a privateer carrying 16 guns, on the 1st of June 1761. After a brave defence they succeeded in beating off the privateer, but with the loss of the gallant MacLean, one sergeant, and six men killed. Allan, 10th of Ardgour, several years before his death, resigned the possession of the estate to his son, John.

JOHN, 11th MACLEAN OF ARDGOUR, was married to Marjory, daughter of Allan Maclachlan of Corry, and had by her two sons: Hugh and Hector, and one daughter: Margaret. Hector and Margaret died young. His father survived John by several years: the latter died in 1738, and his father in November 1756, in the 88th year of his age, when his grandson, Hugh, succeeded to the estates.

HUGH, 12th MACLEAN OF ARDGOUR, married Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Alexander Houston of Jordan Hill, Esq., by whom he had issue his son and successor Alexander, and one daughter who was married to MacLean of Kingerloch.

ALEXANDER, 13th MACLEAN OF ARDGOUR, the present proprietor (of course, this was at the time of the Seneachie's work - 1838), was born in the year 1764. He entered the army as an ensign in the 2d battalion of the Royals, in 1780, and was promoted to a lieutenancy in the same corps, from which he afterwards exchanged into the 63d regiment. He subsequently attained to the rank of captain and major in the 8th regiment of Light Dragoons. Having quitted the regular service, he became a captain in the Hopetoun regiment of Fencibles. He served several years as major of the East Lothian yeomanry cavalry, and was subsequently appointed LTC of the third regimen of local militia of the county of Argyle, the command of which he held until the regiment was disbanded. In the year 1795 he married Lady Margaret Hope (who was born in 1772 and died in 1831), daughter of John, second Earl of Hopetoun, by Lady Elizabeth Leslie, daughter of Alexander, 5th Earl of Leven and Melville, and has had issue:
1)Hugh, who died in infancy.
2)John Hugh, educated for the Scotch bar, and author of a small work entitled "Fiar Prices and Produce Rents, 1825", published in that year. He died at Rome in 1826, unmarried.
3)Archibald, who entered the royal navy in 1810, on board the Pyramus, commanded by Captain Deans Dundas. He served as midshipman in the Endymion, commanded by Captain H. Hope, and was severely wounded by a gunshot, which passed through his left arm a few inches above the elbow. He was taken prisoner by the American privateer "The Prince of Neufchatel", a few months previous to the memorable capture of the American frigate "President" by the "Endymion". He afterwards served as Lt. in the Leander, Captain Sir Thomas Hardy, and in the Vigo, Captain Brown, from the year 1816 to 1821, when he was made commander into the Beaver, 10 guns; and on the 9th of September 1822 he was promoted to the rank of captain, and took the command of the Blossom, 26 guns, on the South American station, under Sir Thomas Hardy. His premature death was chiefly attributed to the above wound. He died at Edinburgh in 1832, unmarried.
4)Alexander, who entered the civil service of the Honourable East India Company, and is now collector of the Jaghire. He married, in 1833, Helen Jane, eldest daughter of the late Major-general Sir John Dalrymple, of North Berwick, Baronet, by whom he has two sons, Alexander Thomas and John Dalrymple.
5)Henry Dundas, who obtained his commission in the 3rd regiment of Foot Guards in 1815. He afterwards served as Lt. in the 90th regiment, and as captain in the 95th; and was promoted to a majority in the same regiment in 1832. He was for several years attached to the staff of the Right Honourable Sir Thomas Maitland (when lord high commissioner of the Ionian Islands), and afterwards of the Right Honourable Sir Frederick Adam. He was at different periods resident governor of Ithaca, Cephalonia, Santa Maura, and Zante. He is now senior major of the 95th regiment.
6)James Charles, who entered the mmilitary service of the Honourable East India Company in 1818, and was appointed to the 11th regiment of Native Infantry. He served as adjutant to Gardner's troop at Arracan, and was afterwards barrack-master of Fort William, Bengal. He married Jane, daughter of Major Thomas Hall, East India Company's service, and died of a fever in 1829, at Calcutta, leaving two daughters: Elizabeth Mary and Margaret Jane.
7)Charles Hope, of Balliol College, Oxford, M.A., was called to the English bar in 1829. He married, in August 1836, Caroline Elizabeth, youngest daughter of the late Charles Beckford Long, Esq., and has issue one daughter, Elizabeth Hope, born 15th September 1837. {There is quite a long write-up on Charles Hope at the end of the Seneachie's section on Ardgour}.
8)Elizabeth Margaret.
9)Charlotte Margaret, who died at Dourdeaux in 1824, unmarried.
10)Thomas, who entered the Honourable East India Company's service in the year 1825, and was appointed to the 39th regiment of Native Infantry at Madras. He acted as deptuy assistant adjutant general at the capture of Coorg. In 1832 he was appointed aide-de-camp to his Excellency Sir Frederick Adam, governor of Madras, and is now assitant adjutant general at Nagpore.
11)William, who entered the royal navy on board the Briton, Captain Sir Murray Maxwell, in 1823. He afterwards served in the Thetis and Southampton, and was promoted in 1830 to the rank of Lt. He served as Lt. in the Success, Calcutta, and Blonde. He is now Lt. on board Her Majesty's ship Britannia.
12)George, an officer in the Royal Artillery.
13)Robert, who died in Edinburgh in theyear 1835.
14)Peter, Lt. in the Royal Artillery.

The family of Ardgour, amidst all the storms that shook the power of the race of MacLean, maintained for centuries an independent standing, and, while many powerful houses in the Isles fell, fortunately steered clear of the hereditary and persevering enemies of the name. The house from age to age has produced men of distinguished reputation for loyalty to their kind and gallantry in defence of their country."

This ends the Seneachie's genealogical account of the House of Ardgour.

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