Clan MacEwen is a Highland

Scottish Highlands

The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...

 Scottish clan

Scottish clan

Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...

. The clan does not have a chief recognized by Lord Lyon King of Arms

Lord Lyon King of Arms

The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest...

 and as such the clan can be considered an Armigerous clan

Armigerous clan

An armigerous clan is a Scottish clan, family or name which is registered with the Court of the Lord Lyon and once had a chief who bore undifferenced arms, but does not have a chief currently recognized as such by Lyon Court...

. The principal clan with the name MacEwen was Clan MacEwen of Otter that was centred on the shores of Loch Fyne

Loch Fyne

Loch Fyne is a sea loch on the west coast of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It extends inland from the Sound of Bute, making it the longest of the sea lochs...

 in Argyll

Argyll

Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...

. The MacEwens of Otter's traditional ancestry is entwined with several local clans such as Clan Lamont

Clan Lamont

Clan Lamont is a Highland Scottish clan. Clan Lamont claim descent from Lauman who lived in Cowal in 1238. Tradition gives this Lauman a descent from an Irish prince of the O'Neill dynasty, Ánrothán Ua Néill, son of Áed, son of Flaithbertach Ua Néill, King of Ailech and Cenél nEógain, died 1036...

, Clan Maclachlan

Clan MacLachlan

Clan Maclachlan, also known as Clan Lachlan, is a Highland Scottish clan that historically centred on the lands of Strathlachlan on Loch Fyne, Argyll on the west coast of Scotland...

, Clan MacNeil of Barra, and the MacSweens

Clan Sweeney

Clan Sweeney is an Irish clan of Scottish origin. The clan did not permanently settle in Ireland before the beginning of the 14th century, when they became Gallowglass soldiers for the O'Donnell dynasty of Tyrconnell...

, all claim descent from Anrothan O'Neill, who left Ireland for Kintyre

Kintyre

Kintyre is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The region stretches approximately 30 miles , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south, to East Loch Tarbert in the north...

 in the 11th century. All of these clans can claim a further descent from the legendary Niall Noigíallach, High King of Ireland

High King of Ireland

The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...

, who lived from the mid 4th century to early 5th century. In the 15th century the MacEwens of Otter lost their lands to the Campbells, and since then the line of chiefs has been untraced. The MacEwens were then known as a broken clan (landless) and followed Clan Campbell.

Origin

Clan MacEwen of Otter claims a descent from Donnsleibhe, who was said to be a descendant of an Irish prince of the O'Neill dynasty

O'Neill dynasty

The O'Neill dynasty is a group of families that have held prominent positions and titles throughout European history. The O'Neills take their name from Niall Glúndub, an early 10th century High King of Ireland from the Cenél nEógain...

 named Ánrothán Ua Néill, who left Ireland for Kintyre

Kintyre

Kintyre is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The region stretches approximately 30 miles , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south, to East Loch Tarbert in the north...

 in the 11th century. He was a son of Áed, son of Flaithbertach Ua Néill

Flaithbertach Ua Néill

Flaithbertach Ua Néill was king of Ailech, a kingdom of north-west Ireland. He abdicated in 1030 and undertook a pilgrimage to Rome, for which reason he was known as Flaithbertach an Trostáin...

, King of Ailech and Cenél nEógain

Cenél nEógain

Cenél nEóġain is the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Eógan mac Néill , son of Niall Noígiallach who founded the kingdom of Tír Eoghain in the 5th century...

, died 1036. There are several other Argyll clans which claim a descent from this prince—Clan Lamont

Clan Lamont

Clan Lamont is a Highland Scottish clan. Clan Lamont claim descent from Lauman who lived in Cowal in 1238. Tradition gives this Lauman a descent from an Irish prince of the O'Neill dynasty, Ánrothán Ua Néill, son of Áed, son of Flaithbertach Ua Néill, King of Ailech and Cenél nEógain, died 1036...

, Clan Maclachlan

Clan MacLachlan

Clan Maclachlan, also known as Clan Lachlan, is a Highland Scottish clan that historically centred on the lands of Strathlachlan on Loch Fyne, Argyll on the west coast of Scotland...

, Clan MacNeil of Barra, and also the MacSweens

Clan Sweeney

Clan Sweeney is an Irish clan of Scottish origin. The clan did not permanently settle in Ireland before the beginning of the 14th century, when they became Gallowglass soldiers for the O'Donnell dynasty of Tyrconnell...

 who left Scotland to settle in Ireland in the 14th century. From this descent, these clans claim a further decent from the legendary Niall Noigíallach, High King of Ireland

High King of Ireland

The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...

, who lived from the mid 4th century to early 5th century.

The only genealogy to survive, regarding Clan MacEwen of Otter, is the so-called MS 1467

MS 1467

MS 1467, earlier known as MS 1450, is a mediaeval Gaelic manuscript which contains numerous pedigrees for many prominent Scottish individuals and clans. Transcriptions of the genealogies within the text were first published in the early 19th century and have ever since been used by writers on the...

, now held in the National Library of Scotland

National Library of Scotland

The National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. It is based in a collection of buildings in Edinburgh city centre. The headquarters is on George IV Bridge, between the Old Town and the university quarter...

. The Gaelic manuscript was written in 1467 and contains the genealogies of many Scottish clans. Unfortunately for the MacEwens of Otter, today their genealogy within the manuscript is practically unreadable in places. The MS 1467 was uncovered by W.F. Skene

William Forbes Skene

William Forbes Skene , Scottish historian and antiquary, was the second son of Sir Walter Scott's friend, James Skene , of Rubislaw, near Aberdeen....

 in the early 19th century, who transcribed and translated it. The following is his translated transcription for the MacEwens of Otter:

Contradicting Skene's transcription (above), Niall Campbell, 10th Duke of Argyll

Niall Campbell, 10th Duke of Argyll

Niall Diarmid Campbell, 10th and 3rd Duke of Argyll was a Scottish peer and historian.-Background:Campbell was the son of Captain Lord Archibald Campbell, second son of George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll, and his wife Janey Sevilla Callander of Craigforth and Ardkinglas, daughter of James Henry...

 considered the MacEwens of Otter as a branch of the MacSweens, and thus descended from Dugald, son of Suibne (who is thought to have left his name to one of the oldest stone castles in Scotland—Castle Sween

Castle Sween

Castle Sween is located on the eastern shore of Loch Sween, in Knapdale, on the west coast of Argyll, Scotland. Castle Sween is thought to be one of the earliest stone castles built in Scotland, having been built sometime in the late twelfth century...

).

History

The chiefs of the clan lived at Otter, on Loch Fyne. Their castle was located on the rocky shore of the loch, near Kilfinan. In 1431–2, during the reign of James I of Scotland

James I of Scotland

James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...

, Sween MacEwen of Otter resigned the destination of the Barony of Otter to the heir of the chief of Clan Campbell, after which on Sweens death the barony passed into the hands of the Campbells. From that time on with the loss of their land the MacEwens as a broken clan were dependants on Clan Campbell. Since the death of Sween the line of chiefs of the MacEwens of Otter have been untraced. In an Act of Parliament

Act of Parliament

An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...

 of 1602 the MacEwens are listed beside the MacLachlans and McNeils, as vassals of the Earl of Argyll and answerable to him for their behaviour.

According to the 19th century historian James Logan, in General Wade's statement of the Highland forces engaged in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715, the Mac Ewens of the Isle of Skye were recorded with 150 men.

Modern clan symbolism

Crest badge
Today, members of Clan MacEwen are permitted to wear a crest badge

Scottish crest badge

A Scottish crest badge is a heraldic badge worn to show allegiance to an individual or membership in a specific Scottish clan. Crest badges are commonly called clan crests, but this is a misnomer; there is no such thing as a collective clan crest, just as there is no such thing as a clan coat of...

 which shows their allegiance to the clan. Crest badges are of relatively recent origin, and usually consist of strap an buckle surrounding the clan chief's heraldic crest and motto. However, in the case of Clan MacEwen, the crest badge is not derived from the arms of a previous chief of the clan. The crest badge suitable for a member of Clan MacEwen contains the Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 motto: REVIRESCO, meaning "I grow strong again"; and the crest of a trunk of an oak tree sprouting Proper. This modern crest badge is derived from the crest and motto that make up the Arms

Coat of arms

A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...

 of the McEwen Baronets

McEwen Baronets

The McEwen Baronetcy, of Marchmont in the County of Berwick, and Bardrochat in the County of Ayr, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 28 January 1953 for the Conservative politician John McEwen. He notably served as Under-Secretary of State for Scotland from 1939...

 (McEwen of Marchmont and Bardrocha). These McEwens held lands in Bardrochat in Carrick

Carrick, Scotland

Carrick is a former comital district of Scotland which today forms part of South Ayrshire.-History:The word Carrick comes from the Gaelic word Carraig, meaning rock or rocky place. Maybole was the historic capital of Carrick. The county was eventually combined into Ayrshire which was divided...

. The McEwen Baronets may not have any connection with Clan MacEwen of Otter.
Tartan
The history of Clan MacEwen is very much connected with Clan Campbell. In 1431-2 the lands of MacEwan of the Otter were annexed to the Campbells, and the clan was absorbed by Clan Campbell. Later in the 17th century, the chief of the Campbells, the Earl of Argyll, was made answerable for the actions of his vassal

Vassal

A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...

s which included the MacEwens. Perhaps not surprisingly the MacEwen tartan

Tartan

Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...

resembles that of the Campbells—in particular it similar to the Campbell of Loudon tartan (except for the red stripe).