Post by Eleanor MurrayDoes anyone know anything about someone called Gòndec MacGòndec, who
apparently became the "feudal lord of Glencoe" in 2011, and seems to
think the MacGòndecs are a Sept of the MacDonald's of Glencoe. He
appears in a list of Scottish feudal lordships created in Scotland
before 1707, which states that the lordship of Glencoe was created in
1350.
This is the only information I can find about the MacGòndec clan and
their Association, which is "a not-for-profit organization started in
2011 to promote and to share the pride and kinship of the MacGòndec
Sept of the MacDonald's of Glencoe. Membership is open to anyone who
is interested in Clan MacGòndec or the MacDonald of Glencoe name. The
association regularly attends Scottish Highland Games and Festivals
throughout the world."
According to the Lord Lyon's office, they do not hold a comprehensive
record of feudal lordships but can confirm that no-one has recorded
Arms where they claimed to be the holder of the lordship of Glencoe,
and they can find no mention of Glencoe listed in the Inquisit
Retornat Abreviatio or in the Great Seal Register. Of course, this
does not mean that there isn't a lordship of that name but merely that
it has not been traced by them. They have no knowledge of Clan
MacGondec and the Lord Lyon, an expert in West Highland surnames, does
not think that it is a Gaelic name.
Does anyone here know where the MacGòndecs might come from? Or if
there still is, or ever was, a feudal barony or earldom of Glencoe? It
does seem rather intriguing.
I think you are referring to the entry for Gòndec MacGòndec in a rather dubious Wiki article on “Scottish feudal lordship” at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_feudal_lordship
Another Wiki article about MacDonald of Glencoe, at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacDonald_of_Glencoe, includes the name in the form of Gondek as a sept of the clan(!). I have not checked who inserted this.
The name is not Gaelic, indeed it is not found in Scotland’s People at all in the form Gòndec or MacGòndec and there are apparently only three entries in each of the statutory registers of births, marriages and deaths for the name as Gondek.
It appears the surname is Polish. A coat of arms for the name is found at
http://www.gondek.net/gondek.htm and a brief attempt at outlining the origin of the name is at
http://www.gondek.net/gondekname.htm
Now, there is nothing wrong with a hypothetical Gondek, say, marrying a MacDonald and claiming an allegiance to the clan, nor to the offspring of such having an inheritance of a patch of land or cottage in the Glencoe area, but claiming to be a sept with so few or claiming to hold a non-existent lordship is something else.
I feel that we should not give much credence to fantasy. It is unfortunate that those who like to play those games seek to amend the recording of real history.
The more interesting aspect historically is was Glencoe ever a separate lordship or barony? The answer is no.
The history of Glencoe is also covered in in R C Paterson: "The Lords of the Isles", 2008; and John Prebble: "Glencoe", pp 23 et seq., describes the ownership, formerly a part of the lordship of Lorn (or Lorne) under the MacDougalls it passed to Angus Og of Isley and the MacDonalds starting with his son Ian Og nan Fraoch. The MacIains held the land of the Lords of the Isles to 1493. The king then distributed the MacDonald lands with the MacIains holding of the Stewarts of Appin who had the life-rent of Glencoe. During the minority of Mary Queen of Scots the earl of Argyll became feudal superior of Appin and thus gain control of Glencoe. The MacIain MacDonalds (Clan Iain Abrach), though local lairds, never held any lordship or barony in Glencoe, only the chieftainship of their family and a house at Carnoch.
You mention the lack of references in the Register of the Great Seal (RMS). Glencoe was been granted to Angus Og by Robert I (see "Acts of the Lords of the Isles 1336-1493", ed. Munroe and Munroe , pub. Scottish History Society, 1986, p 5-8, citing RMS, i, app. 2, 57)
Glencoe was included in the lands granted to John de Yle 12 June 1343 (See "Acts …", p 208, no A2, citing RRS, vi, 113; APS, xii, Supp. no 9).
All his lands were confirmed 4 July 1363 (see "Acts …", p 208, no A5, citing RMS, i, 156).
No lordship or barony is shown covering Glencoe other than the Lordship of the Isles in A Grant: "Baronies, lordships and earldoms in the early 15th century", in “Atlas of Scottish History to 1707”, ed. McNeill and MacQueen, 1996, pp 201-207.
The land is included in the re-grant of land including Glencoe to John, once Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles, when reinstated as a lord of Parliament with the new title of Lord of the Isles following his surrender of the Lordship and the Earldom of Ross.
See "Acts of the Lords of the Isles 1336-1493", ed. Munroe and Munroe , pub. Scottish History Society, 1986, lxxi; p 214, no A24 (RMS ii 1246). This is dated 15 Jul 1476, and the text can be found at p 253:
http://archive.org/stream/registrummagnisi02scot#page/252/
A full Latin text and translation are also available in "The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707", K.M. Brown et al eds (St Andrews, 2007-2012), A1476/7/1. [RPS, A1476/7/1]
http://www.rps.ac.uk/mss/A1476/7/1
A charter later followed the forfeiture of the Lordship of the Isles in 1493 and is to John MacLean of Lochbuie of various lands including the 53 merkland of Durror and Glencoe in the sheriffdom of Perth which were held by John from John once Lord of the Isels and now in the king’s hands by reason of forfeiture 22 March 1493/4. See "Acts of the Lords of the Isles 1336-1493", p 224, no A43, citing RMS, ii, 2201, which is at p 465:
http://archive.org/stream/registrummagnisi02scot#page/464/
I have not dug out all the references and links to later property transfers.
Much detail of the tenurial history of Glencoe is to be found in the chapter on Elanmunde (the name of the surrounding parish) in “Origines Parochiales Scotiae: vol. 2, pt. 1, Diocese of Argyle. Diocese of the Isles”, 1854, pp 170-175:
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GaE_AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA170
Incidentally, for over a decade in my youth I used to regularly visit Glencoe mountaineering and have probably first footed in the majority of the then houses in Glencoe and South Ballachulish.
Derek Howard
