Of the McReynolds & Clan Donald: a change in the air?

[BoldHighlander]

To the MODs:
if you feel this thread should be moved to the Genealogy section then please feel free. Thanks.

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There is a situation brewing that I need to ask the rabbles opinion on how I should handle it, etc.

My connection to Clan Donald is thru the McReynolds/MacRanalds of Keppoch.
Recently, the Clan Donald USA genealogist contacted me saying that there was a "belief" that my ancestors were actually from the Clanranald branch, but all he's based this on is a "firm belief" that he, the USA Deputy High Commissioner (a MacReynold), & "our people in Scotland" have; yet thus far I've not been provided any documentation for this 'belief'.

As a historian I deal with documentation (primary or otherwise), anything less (including 'beliefs' w/o documentation) while interesting is considered suspect.

He has also alluded that there will be a "change" in their info concerning the McReynold /Clan Donald connection.

I have asked him, and Clan Donald USA not to amend the McReynolds/MacRanald Clan Donald connection without documentation to support it.

From what I gather the Clan Donald info is based upon a book that was written many years ago, and the clan genealogist has questions about the books notes (which he has yet to see).
While there are these questions about the McReynolds book & the information regarding our Keppoch connection, at this point it's the best we have (other than research info found in the LDS library etc). I know that one McReynolds researcher claims to have been researching the family for the past 40 years (all the way back to Keppoch) & is in the process of having his own book published about my ancestors.

Another researcher has this about my ancestor (John/Johne) who settled in Ulster & might give some clues on the family background:

KERR FAMILY CHRONICLES
© Christopher Earls Brennen

CHAPTER SIX
THE McREYNOLDS FAMILY

"MacRanald, McReynolds or other variants are patronymic forms of the name of Keppoch Macdonells. John M'Rynald was a tenant of Eddirallekach, Strogartnay in 1483 and Donald McRanald appears several times as a tenant in Kintyre in 1506. Since it is a short distance from the end of the Kintyre peninsula to the coast of County Antrim there have been movements of people between the two since long before historic times. The records show that the McReynolds family have lived in the area between Cookstown and Stewartstown for a very long time. For example, in the 1666 Hearth Money Roll, a Hugh McRannell is listed as resident in Ballynagowan, parish of Ballyclog. This may be Ballynargan which is just east of Kingsmill. However our earliest known probable ancestor is John McRannells (McReynolds) with whom we begin our extensive account of the McReynolds family. There is no doubt that our ancestor, Martha McReynolds, belonged to this family. However her precise connection is tantalizingly elusive. After extensive study I believe that she was the daughter of Thomas and Mary McReynolds as described below. However there must be some doubt about this until definitive proof becomes available.

John McRannells, it is said, was was a direct descendant of Alexander de Insulus, third son of John, Lord of the Isles, and his wife, Princess Margaret Stewart, the daughter of King Robert II of Scotland and great granddaughter of Robert Bruce. The records tell of the baptism of a son, Johne, of Johne McRannald and his wife Kathleen, whose maiden name was Mcilstalker. The baptism took place on Aug.11, 1672, in Inveraray and Glenaray, Argyllshire, and is recorded in the parochial register of the county of Argyll. Legend has it that that John could speak the Scotch language better than English. As a young man he enlisted in the British Army and was sent to Ireland where he is said to have participated in the defence of the city of Londonderry during the famous siege in 1689. A story is told that he gave one of his fellow defenders a beating for allowing a rat they could have eaten to escape. Later, he is said to have left the army and migrated to County Tyrone with his two younger brothers. They settled near Charlemont and Moy. In 1703 he married Mary Preston, born in 1683 the daughter of Thomas Preston. They made their residence at Cloghog, County Tyrone. It was the first McReynolds home in the area and was constructed shortly after their marriage. Fire gutted the building in the latter part of the last century but it was rebuilt and is still occupied by a descendant, Adeline McReynolds. John and Mary had three sons, James, Benjamin and Oliver listed below. Mary died on Jul.15, 1713, at the young age of 30 and there is a gravestone inscription about 15 feet from the front door of the Clonoe parish church which reads:
``Here lyeth the body of Mary Preston, wife of John McCrannels, who departed this life July 15, 1713, aged thirty years; also Thomas Preston who departed this life January 11, 1705, aged 78 years.''

After Mary's death John moved to the townland of Coash in the parish of Killyman. He was married for a second time on Jun.18, 1714, to a Quaker, Elizabeth Shepherd the daughter of Solomon Shepherd, at the Quaker meeting house at Grange near Moy. It is said that the Quaker Church and ``Old Grange House'' are still standing. Other marriages in the Quaker records from this period include those of Patrick, Susannah and James McRannell or McReynolds and they may have been John's close relatives. John and Elizabeth had four surviving children, Joseph, Elizabeth, James and Robert. John and Elizabeth lived about two miles from Dungannon. By this time John had accumulated considerable wealth having large farms and two mills, one in Killyman parish and the other in Clonoe parish. For some unknown reason the marriage failed and, in 1738, Elizabeth and her four children emigrated to the United States where they settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She died at an old age in the home of her son James in Appomattox County, Virginia. This American branch of the McReynolds family is described briefly in Appendix 6A. Perhaps because of his advanced age (he was 72) John remained in Ireland and lived with his children by his first wife. He died at a ripe old age at the home of a grandson in Stewartstown and is buried in Ballyclog parish cemetery."

So what is the rabbles opinion of this subject?
How would you approach it? Have I done the right thing?
Or am I making too much of it?
I feel I'm correct in asking for documentation of the Clanranald connection, and in asking that the info not be amended without proper documentation (I've mentioned that a note could be added that research is on-going & changes will be made if warranted).

At any rate I will wear my new forthcoming Macdonell of Keppoch kilt with pride

Any thoughts on the subject are welcomed.
Thanks in advance.

p.s. - I've also posted this question in the social group: Per Mare Per Terras.

[BoldHighlander]

Just received the following from the cousin who has conducted 40 yrs of research into the McReynold/MacRanald of Keppoch connection & is having his findings published:

Hello Terry,

Thanks for the note related to the McReynolds. Related to the McReynolds having ties to the Keppoch or not, the MacRanalds have been listed in old Scottish records, back to the 1400's as the Clan MacRanalds of Keppoch long before the name of MacDonald appears, after the MacRanalds left Scotland. Most all Scottish histories printed prior to the 1730's list the MacRanalds of Keppoch, no mention of MacDonald. When King James of England wanted a list of the true clans of Scotland, Keppoch was listed as Clan MacRanald of Keppoch and Lochaber. The McReynolds in Ulster has always said they were of the MacRanalds of Keppoch, long before there was an interest in genealogy.

The oldest McReynolds I've visited in Ulster was over 80 years old, 20 years ago and she always told me we were of the MacRanalds of Keppoch, according to her father years ago.

Our ancestor, Johne MacRanald of Scotland was an educated man who became a Protestant in Scotland and old family history and the old records mentioned above, has Keppoch as the MacRanalds of Keppoch and the MacRanalds converting to the new faith, Protestant, had to flee to Ulster, where Johne was later in the Siege of Derry for six months and later fought as an officer in Army of William of Orange and was back in Ulster by the late 1690's and owned much land and linen mills, I could have purchased Johne's Killyman farm about 18 years ago, but at the time it would have been a bit rough with small children moving to Ulster and with the troubles there at the time, my wife wasn't keen on the idea. I sincerely believe that the MacRanalds lost Keppoch/Lochaber when they fled to Ulster to the Roman Catholic MacDonalds, whose descendants still live in the area.

About 18 years ago, I contacted Savannah Jim who was the Chief of Genealogy then and enclosed copies of all my findings and never heard back from him and didn't returned my telephone calls. I heard he didn't like my findings.

I have been researching the McReynolds/MacRanalds for about 40 years, to include the McReynolds of the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia and to date, all McReynolds descend from Johne MacRanald/McReynolds except for one group in Chicago, Ill., they were the descendants of slaves of Joseph McReynolds of Blount Co., TN. and an old black McReynolds black man in Chicago told me his grandfather and his family were the slaves of Joseph McReynolds and they took the McReynolds name because Joseph McReynolds and his family were so good to the slaves.

I have seen many histories written and/or rewritten and not all the facts included, family histories and national histories and I'll have to stay with MacRanald of Keppoch being the orignal Clan and the MacDonalds took it about 200 years later, when our ancestors chose to become Protestants and went to Ulster.

Hope this helps in some way.

Cheers,

Capt. Lynn R. McR. Hawkins, Ret., FSA Scot


I forwarded the above to Clan Donald USA.

[BoldHighlander]

So what is the rabbles opinion of this subject?
How would you approach it? Have I done the right thing?
Or am I making too much of it?

I feel I'm correct in asking for documentation of the Clanranald connection, and in asking that the info not be amended without proper documentation (I've mentioned that a note could be added that research is on-going & changes will be made if warranted).

Another question to ponder:

if a change is made listing my McReynolds/MacRanalds as septs of Clanranald without documentation, should I continue as my cousin above convinced that they are of Keppoch until documentation states otherwise?

(I already know the answer, I'm just curious what the rabble thinks )

[xman]

Geez, I can't help you with any of that, but if it is true and you are Clanranald ... Welcome to the clan?

[macwilkin]

My question is: what does the High Council of Clan Donald, and specifically Clanranald and Keppoch have to say about it?

T.

[BoldHighlander]

My question is: what does the High Council of Clan Donald, and specifically Clanranald and Keppoch have to say about it?

T.

Good question Todd, and something I've been considering pursuing.

I've had email correspondence with Keppoch on numerous occasions* & I know he does considers 'us' as his kith & kin.

I was going to wait to see if I received a response from either of Clan Donald USA's High Commissioner or Deputy High Commissioner (to see what their position is), but I think your right, I should go straight to the head honchos

*All I have for contacts for the High Council is snail mail. If anyone knows of an email contact I'd appreciate a PM.

[BoldHighlander]

My question is: what does the High Council of Clan Donald, and specifically Clanranald and Keppoch have to say about it?

T.

I have just now emailed the High Council of Clan Donald, as well as Keppoch directly, explaining the situation and asking for an opinion on the matter.

I'll post whatever response I receive.

[macwilkin]

I've had email correspondence with Keppoch on numerous occasions* & I know he does considers 'us' as his kith & kin.

Seems to me that is your answer right there.

T.

[BoldHighlander]

I have to add that what I do find amusing in this whole affair is the CD USA genealogist told that the Deputy High Commissioner (himself a MacReynold) "pretty well agrees" with him on the subject, yet I can't help but note that in this photo taken at the Gathering last year (below), that the Deputy High Commissioner (far left) is wearing the only tartan I've ever seen him wearing:

MacDonald of Keppoch (Ancient)!!



(Just had to toss that one out there )

[BoldHighlander]

Seems to me that is your answer right there.

T.

Indeed, and still it was ignored
(I don't have the original correspondence w/ Keppoch).

So I'm hoping for something in writing I can present