The Clan
This
buckled crest
is the insignia used by
members of Clan MacMillan
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The Origins of the Clan and Its Name
The
MacMillans are one of the oldest clans in Scotland, being descended from a
12th century
monk or lay priest called Gilchrist; a son of Cormac bishop of Dunkeld,
whose great-great-grandfather was the Scots king Macbeth.
The
collective name of his descendants,
the Clann an Mhaoil or “Children of the Tonsured
One”
comes from the Gaelic nickname that Gilchrist bore:
Maolan,
“The (little) Tonsured-One”
or An Gillemaol, “The Tonsured Servant (of God)”.
The two resulting surnames, MacMhaolain and MacGhillemhaoil, have been transcribed phonetically by Scots and English speaking people in over 190 different ways over the centuries; so there is no “correct” English version, though the majority of modern clan members use variations on the three most usual forms: Macmillan, MacMillan, McMillan (see Spellings page).
The
present chief's full title is MacMillan of
MacMillan and Knap, which reflects the fact that as well
as being the twenty third generation after Gilchrist Maolan,
George MacMillan is also the 12xGreat-Grandson of Alexander
MacMillan of Knap , the fifteenth century Constable of Castle
Sween and the man commemorated by the famous MacMillan Cross at Kilmory
Knap.
George is shown above standing beside his ancestor's monument in
Knapdale.
In addition to the Knap line, there were two other branches of the clan with their own chieftains: those in Galloway, headed by the McMillans of Brockloch and of the Holm of Dalquhairn, who probably branched off the main line sometime in the fourteenth century; and those in Lochaber, whose chieftains, the Macmillans of Murlagan, branched off from the Knapdale line sometime in the sixteenth century. Each of the main branches spawned others in neighbouring areas; such as Arran (from Knapdale); Ulster (from Galloway); Glen Urquhart & the Outer Hebrides (from Lochaber). For more details on all the above see the Clan History Page.
Castle Sween, Knapdale
A
Brief Introduction to Clan MacMillan
and
The Origins and Early History of the MacMillans and Related
Kindreds
both by Graeme M. Mackenzie are available from the Clan Centre;
see Products & Publications page
The
current complete clan history is:
Rev. Christopher W. McMullen, The MacMillan Endeavour, West
Virginia, 1990.
The few remaining copies of the present edition may be obtained from the
author at
7317 Lepreau Village Road, Lepreau, New Brunswick, Canada, E0G 2H0.
Availability
and prices on application.
A
revised edition is in preparation.
The
following work is available from Natural Heritage/Natural History Inc.,
Toronto, Canada (CAN$29.95) or The House of Lochar, Scotland (£18.99):
Graeme M. Mackenzie, "Origins of the Lochaber MacMillans"
in Rae Fleming (ed), Lochaber Emigrants to Glengarry, Toronto,
1994.
These
out of print historical works about the clan may be consulted in libraries
(or occasionally obtained through rare book dealers):
Hugh Macmillan, The Macmillans, London, 1901.
Somerled MacMillan, The MacMillans and their Septs, Glasgow,
1952.
Somerled MacMillan, Families of Knapdale, Paisley, 1960.
Somerled MacMillan, Bygone Lochaber, Paisley, 1971.
Somerled MacMillan also wrote a number of articles in the 1950s &
'60s
about the clan's history in The Clan MacMillan Magazine (of North
America).
Somerled MacMillan (left) late Bard & Historian of Clan MacMillan,
at Montreal in 1958 with the then chief, Sir Gordon MacMillan (centre),
for the founding of the Clan MacMillan Society of North America.
An International Kindred
There are
now probably more M’millans living outside Scotland than in it - and
especially in North America - which has caused the proliferation of Clan
MacMillan Societies, branches and family groups around the world; all
following in the footsteps of
The Clan MacMillan Society (of Scotland) which was founded in 1892.
Details of all these bodies can be found at Clan Organisation - Addresses and their officers' names and addresses are published annually in the Clan MacMillan International Magazine.
There are
regular International Gatherings of the clan: generally every two years in
North America (alternating between Canada and the USA); and every five or
six years in Scotland, usually at Finlaystone.
Many national and local societies also hold annual gatherings at which
guests from other societies - or clan members belonging to no societies at
the time - are always made very welcome. News of such events is published
in the various societies’ newsletters; while details of some - and
particularly of International Gatherings - also appear in the
International Magazine/Newsletter.
See the Clan Calendar pages of this
website.
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