Donald Gregory
Encyclopedia
Donald Gregory was a Scottish historian and antiquarian
, who published a valuable history of the Western Highlands
and Isles of Scotland
.
(1753–1821), a leading Scottish physician, by his second wife Isabella Macleod (1772–1847), and was one of no fewer than eleven children. His twin brother, William Gregory
, was a notable chemist. His grandfather, John Gregory
(1724–1773), was a notable physician and moralist and his grandfather’s grandfather, James Gregory (1638–1675) was a mathematician and astronomer. Gregory was accordingly born into Scottish academic purple.
in 1828 and sole secretary in 1830. He was also secretary to the Iona Club (devoted to the history, antiquities and early literature of the Scottish Highlands and publishers of the Collectanea de Rebus Albanicis), an honorary member of the Ossian
ic Society of Glasgow
and of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne
, and a member of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of the North at Copenhagen
.
In 1831, the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland published Gregory’s Historical Notices of the Clan Gregor, at the outset of which he noted that
Gregory’s attachment to contemporary documentary evidence was remarkable for his time. The Edinburgh Literary Journal described his work as “the first instance on record of a trustworthy history of a Highland clan resting upon contemporary evidence”.
In the year before his death, Gregory published his most substantial and famous work, a History of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland from AD 1493 to AD 1625. Nearly 170 years later, a historian of the same period commented that his views on Highland history “still command respect”.
In his preface, Gregory explained why he had chosen to focus only on the Western part of the Highlands, describing its separate development and observing:
He attributed his focus on the years between 1493 and 1625 to the sparseness of previous historical treatment of the period - describing it "as nearly as possible a perfect blank" - and added:
Gregory also found time to interest himself in such diverse matters as the skulls of ancient druids, the history of archery in Scotland, the history of Clan Chattan and the life of Bishop Carswell
.
He was called as an authority on historical manuscripts and a hand-writing expert by the pursuers who successfully alleged forgery in the Stirling Peerage Case
.
Gregory died at Edinburgh on 21 October 1836.
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
, who published a valuable history of the Western Highlands
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...
and Isles of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Origins
Gregory was a younger son of Dr James GregoryJames Gregory (physician)
James Gregory FRSE FRCPE was a Scottish physician and classicist.-Early life and education:He was the eldest son of John Gregory and Elizabeth Forbes , and was born in Aberdeen...
(1753–1821), a leading Scottish physician, by his second wife Isabella Macleod (1772–1847), and was one of no fewer than eleven children. His twin brother, William Gregory
William Gregory (chemist)
William Gregory was a Scottish physician who is probably best known today for his work in chemistry. He studied under and translated some of the works of Liebig, the noted German chemist. Gregory also had interests in mesmerism and phrenology.- External links :...
, was a notable chemist. His grandfather, John Gregory
John Gregory (moralist)
John Gregory , a.k.a. John Gregorie, was an eighteenth-century Scottish physician, medical writer and moralist....
(1724–1773), was a notable physician and moralist and his grandfather’s grandfather, James Gregory (1638–1675) was a mathematician and astronomer. Gregory was accordingly born into Scottish academic purple.
Career
Gregory became joint secretary to the Society of Antiquaries of ScotlandSociety of Antiquaries of Scotland
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the senior antiquarian body in Scotland, with its headquarters in the National Museum, Chambers Street, Edinburgh...
in 1828 and sole secretary in 1830. He was also secretary to the Iona Club (devoted to the history, antiquities and early literature of the Scottish Highlands and publishers of the Collectanea de Rebus Albanicis), an honorary member of the Ossian
Ossian
Ossian is the narrator and supposed author of a cycle of poems which the Scottish poet James Macpherson claimed to have translated from ancient sources in the Scots Gaelic. He is based on Oisín, son of Finn or Fionn mac Cumhaill, anglicised to Finn McCool, a character from Irish mythology...
ic Society of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne
Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne
The Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, the oldest provincial antiquarian society in England, was founded in 1813..It has had a long interest in the archaeology of the north-east of England, particularly of Hadrian's Wall, but also covering prehistoric and mediaeval periods, as well as...
, and a member of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of the North at Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
.
In 1831, the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland published Gregory’s Historical Notices of the Clan Gregor, at the outset of which he noted that
The total want of private papers and title-deeds connected with the different branches of this family … and the defective state of the earlier records of Scotland, in relation more especially to the Highlands, have made this investigation no easy task.
Gregory’s attachment to contemporary documentary evidence was remarkable for his time. The Edinburgh Literary Journal described his work as “the first instance on record of a trustworthy history of a Highland clan resting upon contemporary evidence”.
In the year before his death, Gregory published his most substantial and famous work, a History of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland from AD 1493 to AD 1625. Nearly 170 years later, a historian of the same period commented that his views on Highland history “still command respect”.
In his preface, Gregory explained why he had chosen to focus only on the Western part of the Highlands, describing its separate development and observing:
...during a great portion of the period I have endeavoured to illustrate, the Western Clans had a common object which frequently united them in hostility to the government. In this way, the measures employed at first for their coercion, and afterwards for their advancement in civilization, came naturally to be separate from those directed to the subjugation (if I may use the phrase) and improvement of the Eastern tribes.
He attributed his focus on the years between 1493 and 1625 to the sparseness of previous historical treatment of the period - describing it "as nearly as possible a perfect blank" - and added:
...when I discovered that our national records and other sources of authentic information were full of interesting and important matter bearing upon this portion of the history of the West Highlands and Isles, I no longer hesitated.
Gregory also found time to interest himself in such diverse matters as the skulls of ancient druids, the history of archery in Scotland, the history of Clan Chattan and the life of Bishop Carswell
Séon Carsuel
Séon Carsuel was a 16th-century Scottish prelate, humanist and Protestant reformer...
.
He was called as an authority on historical manuscripts and a hand-writing expert by the pursuers who successfully alleged forgery in the Stirling Peerage Case
Earl of Stirling
Earl of Stirling was a title in the Peerage of Scotland created on 14 June 1633, along with the titles Viscount Canada and Lord Alexander of Tullibody, for William Alexander, 1st Viscount Stirling. He had already been created Viscount of Stirling and Lord Alexander of Tullibody on 4 September 1630...
.
Gregory died at Edinburgh on 21 October 1836.
External links
- Donald Gregory, Historical notices of the clan Gregor (Edinburgh, 1831)
- Donald Gregory, History of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland (William Tait, Edinburgh, 1836)