Features: Scottish Clan Early Genealogy - Clan MacLaren

Motto: Creag an Tuirc (The boar's rock)
Historic Seat: Balquhidder
District: Strathearn
Associated Surnames: Lair, Lawrence, Lawrie, Lawson, Low, Lowson, MacFater, MacFeat, MacGrory, MacPatrick, MacPhater
Associated Tartans:

Early MacLaren Genealogy and History:
(Excerpt from "The Scottish Clans and Their Tartans", James Grant, 1906)

This tribe, sometimes called MacLaurin, occupied a narrow strip of country, extending from Lochearnhead, till they bordered on the MacGregors of Glengyle.

As the Clan Lauren they appear in the Roll of the Broken Clans in the Highlands and Isles in 1594, and are stimatised in the Act of Parliament as being among "the wickit thevis and lymmaris¹ of the clans;" but they figure in company with the Clan Donnachaidh, the Clan Chattan², and others, which certainly never could be "Broken Clans."

Notices of this clan are very scanty, and their name is better known in peace than war. One of the most eminent was Colin MacLaren or MacLauren, son of the Rev. John MacLurin, minister of Glendaruel, author of a Gaelic version of the Psalms. He was born at Kilmoden in 1698, and was educated by the Rev. Daniel MacLaurin, minister of Kilfinan. He graduated at the University of Glasgow in his fifteenth year, and rapidly attained high distrinction as a mathematician and writer. In 1745, when Professor of Mathematics at Edinburgh, having been active in making plans for the defence of the city against the Highlanders, he had to seek shelter in the city of York. The suffering he experienced by his journey there on horseback laid the foundation of the illness of which he died in 1746. He was buried at the Greyfriars Church.

John MacLaren, Lord Dreghorn, an eminent Senator of the College of Justice, was born at Edinburgh in 1743, and was raised to the Bench in 1787.

Another of the clan, Archibald MacLaren, a prolific dramatic writer of some merit, was born in the Highlands in 1755, and served in the American War under Generals Howe and Clinton as a private soldier. After producing two pieces at the Edinburgh Theatre with credit, "The Coup de Main" and the "Highland Drover," in both of which he acted with spirit, the year 1794 saw him a sergeant in the Dumbarton Highlanders. He fought at Vinegar Hill, and after his discharge strove to support himself by his pen. He closed a life of struggle in 1826 in London, leaving his family destitute, though a list of his works, one hundred in number, published at Edinburgh in 1835, evinced his industry and care.

(End excerpt)

Next page: Clan MacLean

Footnotes:

¹ wickit thevis and lymmaris: wicked thieves and scoundrels

² Clan Chattan: Clan Chattan is a unique Highland clan confederation whose past and present members include Clan Davidson, Farquharson, MacBean, MacGillivray, MacIntyre, Mackintosh, MacLean, MacPhail, MacPherson, MacQueen, MacThomas, and Shaw. Read more about Clan Chattan at Wikipedia.