Upon the death of Donald Gregory, his manuscripts were placed in the Society of Antiquaries MS. Collection. A selection of his material, as well as documents from other sources, comprises this first volume in the series originally published by the Scottish History Society. The contents include: A history of the MacDonalds, which has been attributed to Hugh Macdonald, a Skye seannachie, and believed to have been written after 1628. It covers roughly the years 1100 to 1500. Its value lies in its embodying and preserving the traditional beliefs current some three hundred years ago among the Skye MacDonalds with regard to the history of their race. * A short history of the McNaughtons or MacNachtanes. * A succinct account of the family of Calder, which has been attributed to Lauchlan Shaw (c1685-1777). The history begins with Donald, Thane of Calder, who was alive in 1295, and also gives an account of the family of Calder in the surname of Campbell. * The murder of the Laird of Calderin which John Campbell of Ardkinglass is accused of the deed. * A genealogy of the MaCras, which has been attributed to John MacRa, ordained a minister in 1667. [He] cannot be regarded as an authority of great weight. But he has certainly preserved...a good deal of tradition possibly quite well founded which would otherwise have been lost. * Papers relating to the MacLeans of Duart, 1670-1680. These documents set forth the different holdings of the Duart estates, and also numerous names of the tenantry... They also include detailed rentals and other materials which show the prestations due in Morvaren and Tiree as well as in Mull, and enable some idea to be formed of the value of stock and produce in the western isles at the close of the seventeenth century. The index lists people and places.
J. R. N. MacPhail, K.C.
ISBN: 9781556139963
101-M0996
