Editing Clan MacNeil (section)

==History==

===Origins===

====MacNeils of Barra====

Despite the long held belief that the McNeil (MacNeil, McNeill, MacNeill) are descended from the legendary Irish king/prince - recent DNA tests have shown that they are actually descended from Vikings with often no Irish blood at all.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13197315.macneil-clan-shocked-dna-checks-force-rewrite-history | title=Macneil clan shocked as DNA checks force rewrite of history | date=16 January 2015 }}</ref>

=====Traditional origin=====
The MacNeils of Barra claim descent from a prince of the [[Uí Néill]] dynasty, Ánrothán Ua Néill, son of Áed, son of [[Flaithbertach Ua Néill]], [[King of Ailech]] and [[Cenél nEógain]], who died in 1036. Anrothan emigrated to Scotland in the 11th century. Through him the MacNeils of Barra also naturally claim descent from the legendary [[Niall of the Nine Hostages]]. Anrothan is claimed as ancestor of several clans in the Argyll vicinity: [[Clan Lamont]], [[Clan Maclachlan]], [[Clan MacEwen of Otter]], and also the Irish [[Clan Sweeney|Sweeneys]] (MacSween). If the MacNeils are indeed connected to Anrothan, then they appear to have been a junior branch of the family and were certainly overshadowed in the 13th century by the MacSweens, Lamonts and descendants of Gilchrist.<ref name="members.aol.com--sellar">{{cite web|author-link=David Sellar|last=Sellar|first=David|url=http://members.aol.com/Lochlan6/sellar.htm|title=Family Origins in Cowal and Knapdale|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070126093733/http://members.aol.com/Lochlan6/sellar.htm |archive-date=26 January 2007 |access-date=2008-03-13}}</ref>

An opposing theory, proposed by Nicholas Maclean Bristol, is that there is reason to believe that they descend from Neill Maclean who appears on Exchequer Rolls at a time when [[Tarbert Castle]] was being rebuilt by [[Robert the Bruce]].<ref name="heraldry-scotland.co.uk--westhigh">{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldry-scotland.co.uk/westhigh.html|title=A Closer Look at West Highland Heraldryurl-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605030214/http://www.heraldry-scotland.co.uk/westhigh.html |archive-date=5 June 2011|access-date=2008-03-13}}</ref> In 1252 Neil Macneil, fifth of Barra was described as a prince at a Council of the [[Lord of the Isles]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.MacNeil">{{cite encyclopedia|title=MacNeil|editor-last1=Way|editor-first1=George |editor-last2=Squire|editor-first2=Romily|encyclopedia=Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia|publisher=HarperCollins|location=Glasgow|date=1994|pages=254-255}}</ref> His son was Neil Og Macneil who is believed to have fought for Robert the Bruce at the [[Battle of Bannockburn]] in 1314.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.MacNeil"/> An alternate hypothesis is a descent from a [[Isle of Bute|Bute]] family in service to the [[Clan MacRuari]] and granted Barra by them after the conquest of Bute by Scotland.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Ronald|last=Black|title=1467 MS: The MacNeils|journal=West Highland Notes & Queries|volume=4|number=6|date=February 2018|page=11}}</ref>

=====History=====

The earliest contemporary record of the Macneils of Barra is only in 1427, when Giolla Adhamhnáin Mac Néill (typically anglicised as ''Gilleonan Macneil'') received a charter of Barra and [[Boisdale, South Uist|Boisdale]], from [[Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross|the Lord of the Isles]], following the forfeiture of the previous Lordships of Uist and [[Garmoran]], earlier that year.<ref name="vsecure.co.uk--clanfinder&id=Macneil"/>

Gilleonan's namesake, reckoned the twelfth chief, was one of the island lords who were tricked into meeting [[James V of Scotland]] at Portree, where they were promised safe conduct but instead were arrested and imprisoned.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.MacNeil"/> The MacNeil chief of Barra was not released until the king's death in 1542, when the Regent Moray wanted to use the island chiefs to counterbalance the growing power of the [[Clan Campbell]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.MacNeil"/> His son was amongst the chiefs who supported the last Lord of the Isles in his alliance with [[Henry VIII of England]] in 1545.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.MacNeil"/> The treaty they signed with the English as overlords proclaimed the ancient enmity between the chiefs of the isles and the kingdom of Scotland.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.MacNeil"/>

In 1579 the [[Bishop of the Isles]] made a complaint of molestation against the MacNeil chief of Barra.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.MacNeil"/> His son, the next chief, was denounced as a rebel by the Privy Council so many times that he was described as a "hereditary outlaw" and was known as ''the Turbulent'' or ''Ruari the Tatar''.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.MacNeil"/> He has also been described as the last of the Viking raiders as he often raided from his [[Kisimul Castle]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.MacNeil"/> The king eventually arranged for his loyal vassals to ''extirpate and root out'' the chief of Clan MacNeil, whose own nephews captured him and placed him in chains.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.MacNeil"/>

During the [[Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms|Scottish Civil War]] of the 17th century the chief of Clan MacNeil, Neil Og, was appointed as Colonel of the Horse by [[Charles II of England]] and fought at the [[Battle of Worcester]] in 1651.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.MacNeil"/> His grandson was Roderick Dhu ''the Black'' who received a Crown charter for all of the lands of Barra to be erected into a free barony.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.MacNeil"/> Roderick also led his clan at the [[Battle of Killiecrankie]] in 1689.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.MacNeil"/> He also supported the [[Jacobite rising of 1715]] and as a result his two sons, Roderick and James, went into exile in [[France]].<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.MacNeil"/> Upon their father's death they returned but for his Jacobite sympathies, Roderick was consigned to a prison ship, the ''[[HMS Royal Sovereign (1701)|Royal Sovereign]]''.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.MacNeil"/> He was then taken to [[London]] and not released until July 1747.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.MacNeil"/>

The clan prospered until the twenty-first chief, General [[Roderick Macneil]], was forced to sell Barra in 1838.<ref name="Clan.Encyclopedia.MacNeil"/>

[[File:Castle Sween (north-west).jpg|thumb|280px|left|[[Castle Sween]]. MacNeills from Argyll are thought to have been hereditary keepers of the castle in the 15th and 16th centuries ]]

====McNeills of Argyll (in Taynish, Gigha and Colonsay)====
[[File:Arms of McNeill of Ghiga.svg|thumb|Arms of the McNeills of Gigha.<ref>{{cite book |last= Burke |first= Bernard |author-link=Bernard Burke  |title= A genealogical and heraldic dictionary of the peerage and baronetage of the British Empire |date=1869|publisher=Harrison & sons|location=London |pages=646|url=https://archive.org/details/generalarmoryofe00burk/page/646/mode/2up?view=theater&q=Colonsay}}</ref>]]
The origins of the Argyll MacNeills is also obscure. In the late 15th century, one MacNeill is recorded as the keeper of [[Castle Sween]]. In the mid 16th century, a certain [[Torquil MacNeill]] was known as the "chief and principal of the clan and surname of Maknelis". The 19th century scholar [[W.F. Skene]] considered Torquil to be the last of the hereditary MacNeill keepers of the castle. Skene believed that after Torquil's demise, the hereditary office passed to the [[Clan MacMillan|MacMillans]]. During the time of Torquil, there are records of separate clans on Barra and Gigha. Skene did not consider Torquil to be a member of either of these clans, since both clans had chiefs of their own.<ref name="S1-248250">{{citation |last=Skene |first=William F. |author-link=William Forbes Skene |editor1-last=Macbain |editor1-first=Alexander |editor1-link=Alexander Macbain |title=The Highlanders of Scotland |year=1902 |location=Stirling |publisher=Eneas Mackay |url=https://archive.org/details/highlandersscot02skengoog |pages=248–250 }}</ref> A recent hypothesis make Torquil, son of Niall, living in 1440, the [[eponym]] of the clan, thus totally unrelated to the Barra MacNeils. His Norse name suggests his kindred were remnants of the lordship of [[Somerled]], along with the [[Clan McCorquodale]] and [[Clan MacIver]].<ref>{{Cite journal|first=Ronald|last=Black|title=1467 MS: The MacNeils|journal=West Highland Notes & Queries|volume=4|number=6|date=February 2018|page=19}}</ref>

The chief of the Gigha MacNeills at this time was Neill MacNeill, who was killed in about 1530. His only daughter inherited his lands and handed them over to her illegitimate brother, Neill. According to historian [[John Bannerman (historian)|John Bannerman]], while the lands of the chief passed to his daughter, the chiefship passed over to Torquil who was her [[second cousin]]. Bannerman considered it likely that when Torquil died, the chiefship passed to the illegitimate Neill.<ref>{{citation |last=Bannerman |first=John |author-link=John Bannerman (historian) |contribution=MacDuff of Fife |title=Medieval Scotland: Crown, Lordship and Community: Essays presented to G.W.S. Barrow |editor1-last=Grant |editor1-first=Alexander |editor2-last=Stringer |editor2-first=K.J. |publisher=[[Edinburgh University Press]] |year=1998 |location=Edinburgh |isbn=978-0-585-06064-4 |page=34 }}</ref>

In 1553, this Neill sold the island to James MacDonald of Islay. Neill died without issue, and the next in line to the chiefship was another Neil, who obtained the lands of Taynish. His descendant Hector MacNeill of Taynish purchased Gigha in 1590. With the power of the Campbells growing and spreading out into the Inner Hebrides, the influence of the McNeills of Gigha decreased.<ref name="A1-5557">{{citation |last=Anderson |first=William |title=The Scottish Nation; or, The Surnames, Families, Literature, Honours, and Biographical History of the People of Scotland |volume=3 |year=1878 |location=Edinburgh |publisher=A. Fullarton & Co. |url=https://archive.org/details/scottishnationor03ande |pages=55–57}}</ref> At about this time the MacNeils on more remote island of Barra, far removed of Campbell power, began to grow in prominence and for a long time since have been regarded as ''Chief of the Clan and Name''.<ref name="Moncreiffe--81–84"/> Descending from this branch were the MacNeils of Colonsay who obtained Colonsay in 1700 and owned it until 1904 when it was sold by the heirs of [[John McNeill (British Army officer)|Major General Sir John Carstairs McNeill]].<ref name="Moncreiffe--81–84"/> According to Moncreiffe, there is reason to believe that historically this branch was superior to the current chiefs of the Clan MacNeil.<ref name="Moncreiffe--81–84">{{cite book|author-link=Iain Moncreiffe of that Ilk|last=Moncreiffe of that Ilk|first=Iain|title=The Highland Clans|location=London|publisher=Barrie & Rockliff|date=1967|pages=81–84}}</ref> There is even a school of thought that there is no relation at all between this branch of McNeills to that of Barra.<ref name="vsecure.co.uk--clanfinder&id=Macneil"/> However, according to a 1962 decree by the Lord Lyon, the chiefs of MacNeil of Barra are chiefs of the whole name of MacNeil by [[Scots law]]<ref name="vsecure.co.uk--clanfinder&id=Macneil" /> until such time as the MacNeils of Colonsay acquire a Chief of their own. The last Clan Chief of the Clan McNeill of Colonsay was Alexander Malcolm McNeill who was born in New Zealand in 1899 and Matriculated his Arms in 1972. He held the title until his death in 1988. His son John Duncan McNeill became Head of the Clan on his father's death but did not apply to matriculate his own Arms. Duncan's eldest daughter, Deborah Jane McNeill, has petitioned the Lord Lyon to become the next Clan Chief of the Clan McNeill of Colonsay.

[[File:Kisimul Castle.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Kisimul Castle]] located in [[Castlebay]], [[Barra]] is the current seat of the Chief of Clan MacNeil.]]
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Scottish west coast clan map.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Scottish clan map showing the territory of the Clan MacNeil on the Isle of [[Barra]] which is on the far left of the map in the [[Outer Hebrides]]]] -->

===Modern Clan Macneil===

The 18th and 19th centuries saw severe hardship to Clan MacNeil clansfolk. During this era there was mass clearance from Barra to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. During the chiefship of Colonel Roderick (c.1755–1822) Barra suffered its first mass clearances. Ironically the chief described himself as a ''melieuratier'' (an "improver").<ref name="Gibson--103–104"/> One mass exodus of Barra folk was led by Gilleonan, elder son of the chief. This consisted of 370 Catholic Barra folk (about 75 families in total) who emigrated in August to [[Pictou]], Nova Scotia.<ref name="Gibson--103–104">{{cite book|last=Gibson|first=John G.|title=Old and New World Highland Bagpiping|publisher=MacGill-Queen's University Press|date=2002|isbn=0-7735-2291-3|pages=103–107}}</ref> In 1838, after going broke, Colonel Roderick's son and heir, [[Lieutenant General]] Roderick MacNeil of Barra, sold Barra to Colonel [[John Gordon (soldier)|Gordon]] of [[Cluny Castle|Cluny]].<ref name="Moncreiffe--81–84"/><ref name="Gibson--103–104"/> When Roderick died in 1863 the chiefship passed to a cousin (descendant of Gilleonan) who had emigrated during the mass emigrations to Canada in 1802.

Robert Lister MacNeil was born in 1889. An American citizen and a trained architect, he succeeded the chiefship of Clan MacNeil in 1915. In 1937 he was able to purchase Barra and the ruinous [[Kisimul Castle]] largely using the money from his second wife. Immediately he began work restoring the castle, aided in part by funds from a British Government grant. By his death in 1970 he had completed the restoration of the castle, ancient seat of the chiefs of the clan.<ref name="americanmcneil.com--briefhistory">{{cite web|url=http://www.americanmcneil.com/briefhistory.pdf|title=The Clan MacNeil|website=americanmcneil.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707132922/http://www.americanmcneil.com/briefhistory.pdf |archive-date=7 July 2011|access-date=2008-03-13}}</ref> In 2001 the castle was leased to [[Historic Scotland]] for one thousand years at the rent of £1 per year and a bottle of [[Talisker distillery|Talisker]] whisky.<ref name="law.ed.ac.uk--258">{{cite web|url=http://www.law.ed.ac.uk/sln/index.aspx?page=258|title=Scots Law News|publisher=University of Edinburgh Law School|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526142717/http://www.law.ed.ac.uk/sln/index.aspx?page=258 |archive-date=26 May 2011|access-date=2008-03-04}}</ref> In October 2004 the chief handed over 3,600 hectares, comprising almost all of his estate on Barra to [[Scottish Ministers]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12533071.clan-chief-gives-his-lands-to-the-people-historic-day-for-crofters-as-macneil-hands-over-9000-acres-on-barra/ |title=Clan chief gives his lands to the people Historic day for crofters as MacNeil hands over 9000 acres on Barra |work=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]] |location=Glasgow|date=6 September 2003 |access-date=16 December 2020}}</ref><ref name="isleofbarra.com--estate01">{{cite web|url=http://www.isleofbarra.com/estate01.html|title=Estate of Barra|publisher=Isle of Barra|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080301175153/http://www.isleofbarra.com/estate01.html |archive-date=1 March 2008|access-date=2008-03-04}}</ref> The current chief of Clan MacNeil is Roderick Wilson MacNeil of Barra, The MacNeil of Barra, Chief of Clan Niall and 26th of Barra, also Baron of Barra.<ref name="burkes-peerage.net--MACNEILOFBARRA">{{cite web|url=http://www.burkes-peerage.net/familyhomepage.aspx?FID=0&FN=MACNEILOFBARRA|title=MACNEIL OF BARRA, CHIEF OF MACNEIL OF BARRA|publisher=Burke's Peerage|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403032107/http://www.burkes-peerage.net/familyhomepage.aspx?FID=0&FN=MACNEILOFBARRA |archive-date=3 April 2012|access-date=2008-03-12}}</ref> The chief is a member of the [[Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs]].<ref name="clanchiefs.org--members">{{cite web|title=Homepage|publisher=[[Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs]]|url=http://www.clanchiefs.org/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201054413/http://www.clanchiefs.org/ |archive-date=1 February 2014|access-date=2008-03-04}}</ref> The current chief, while a [[United States citizen]], lives in [[Edinburgh]], Scotland.<ref name="sluagh">{{cite web|url=http://www.clanmacneilincanada.ca/sluagh.htm|title=Clan MacNeil in Canada|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701183654/http://www.clanmacneilincanada.ca/sluagh.htm |archive-date=1 July 2007|access-date=2007-06-27}}</ref>

Regarding the ascent of the 45th chief (Robert Lister Macneil), ''The Arms of the Scottish Bishoprics'' (1917) states:
<blockquote>"In 1914 Roderick Ambrose MacNeil, Chief of the MacNeils of Barra, died in the United States of America, being still a British citizen, leaving two sons. Paul Humphrey MacNeil, the elder son, in his father's lifetime renounced his allegiance to the British Crown and became an American citizen; in consequence of this his father in 1913 nominated his second son, Robert Lister MacNeil, the petitioner, to succeed him as Chief of the Clan, and assigned to him the arms pertaining to the Chief. Robert Lister MacNeil therefore petitioned the Lyon King to grant him the arms recorded by General Roderick MacNeil in 1824, which were borne by his (the petitioner's father), Roderick Ambrose MacNeil."<ref name="ia360931.us.archive.org">{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/armsofscottishbi00lyonrich|title=The arms of the Scottish bishoprics|first=W. T.|last=Lyon|date=7 May 2018|publisher=Selkirk : The Scottish Chronicle Offices|access-date=7 May 2018|via=Internet Archive|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150201225434/https://archive.org/details/armsofscottishbi00lyonrich|archive-date=1 February 2015}}</ref></blockquote>