Rob Roy | Page 6

son of a
distinguished chief, named Duncan Abbarach, to whom Montrose
wrote letters as to his trusty and special friend, expressing his reliance
on his devoted loyalty, with an assurance, that when once his Majesty's
affairs were placed upon a permanent footing, the grievances of the
clan MacGregor should be redressed.
At a subsequent period of these melancholy times, we find the clan
Gregor claiming the immunities of other tribes, when summoned by the
Scottish Parliament to resist the invasion of the Commonwealth's army,
in 1651. On the last day of March in that year, a supplication to the
King and Parliament, from Calum MacCondachie Vich Euen, and Euen
MacCondachie Euen, in their own name, and that of the whole name of
MacGregor, set forth, that while, in obedience to the orders of

Parliament, enjoining all clans to come out in the present service under
their chieftains, for the defence of religion, king, and kingdoms, the
petitioners were drawing their men to guard the passes at the head of
the river Forth, they were interfered with by the Earl of Athole and the
Laird of Buchanan, who had required the attendance of many of the
clan Gregor upon their arrays. This interference was, doubtless, owing
to the change of name, which seems to have given rise to the claim of
the Earl of Athole and the Laird of Buchanan to muster the
MacGregors under their banners, as Murrays or Buchanans. It does not
appear that the petition of the MacGregors, to be permitted to come out
in a body, as other clans, received any answer. But upon the
Restoration, King Charles, in the first Scottish Parliament of his reign
(statute 1661, chap. 195), annulled the various acts against the clan
Gregor, and restored them to the full use of their family name, and the
other privileges of liege subjects, setting forth, as a reason for this
lenity, that those who were formerly designed MacGregors had, during
the late troubles, conducted themselves with such loyalty and affection
to his Majesty, as might justly wipe off all memory of former
miscarriages, and take away all marks of reproach for the same.
It is singular enough, that it seems to have aggravated the feelings of
the non-conforming Presbyterians, when the penalties which were most
unjustly imposed upon themselves were relaxed towards the poor
MacGregors;--so little are the best men, any more than the worst, able
to judge with impartiality of the same measures, as applied to
themselves, or to others. Upon the Restoration, an influence inimical to
this unfortunate clan, said to be the same with that which afterwards
dictated the massacre of Glencoe, occasioned the re-enaction of the
penal statutes against the MacGregors. There are no reasons given why
these highly penal acts should have been renewed; nor is it alleged that
the clan had been guilty of late irregularities. Indeed, there is some
reason to think that the clause was formed of set purpose, in a shape
which should elude observation; for, though containing conclusions
fatal to the rights of so many Scottish subjects, it is neither mentioned
in the title nor the rubric of the Act of Parliament in which it occurs,
and is thrown briefly in at the close of the statute 1693, chap. 61,
entitled, an Act for the Justiciary in the Highlands.

It does not, however, appear that after the Revolution the acts against
the clan were severely enforced; and in the latter half of the eighteenth
century, they were not enforced at all. Commissioners of supply were
named in Parliament by the proscribed title of MacGregor, and decrees
of courts of justice were pronounced, and legal deeds entered into,
under the same appellative. The MacGregors, however, while the laws
continued in the statute-book, still suffered under the deprivation of the
name which was their birthright, and some attempts were made for the
purpose of adopting another, MacAlpine or Grant being proposed as the
title of the whole clan in future. No agreement, however, could be
entered into; and the evil was submitted to as a matter of necessity,
until full redress was obtained from the British Parliament, by an act
abolishing for ever the penal statutes which had been so long imposed
upon this ancient race. This statute, well merited by the services of
many a gentleman of the clan in behalf of their King and country, was
passed, and the clan proceeded to act upon it with the same spirit of
ancient times, which had made them suffer severely under a deprivation
that would have been deemed of little consequence by a great part of
their fellow-subjects.
They entered into a deed recognising John Murray of Lanrick, Esq.
(afterwards Sir John MacGregor, Baronet), representative of the family
of Glencarnock, as lawfully descended from the ancient stock and