Genealogy of The Clan Gregor - 2 -The immediate descendants of Gregor, the founder of the Clan

[0] From MS1467, Assumed to be the chief of the GlenOrchy ruling elite

[1] Obit: 1390 April 19. Death of John MacGregor of Glenurquhay.

[2] Obit: 1415. Death of John dhu McAnecham VcGregor at Stronmelochane;

[3] Obit: 1415. Death of Gregor McAnecham in Glenurquhay,

[4] Donnchadh Mor is not in the obits: Assumed here after consideration of his probable son Donnchadh beg in Roro
However, stories speak of Iain dubh nan lann - black john of the spears - being the first MacGregor in Glen Lyon, so perhaps my assumed Donnchadh mor did not exist

[5] The early offshoot of the ancestor of the Patricksons in Glen Lednock has been suggested from DNA evidence by Dr Neil MacGregor.
However, Gordon MacGregor's work traces rhe Glenlednock line back to a John son of Gregor who was granted the post of Mair of Crieff and Fowlis by the Earl of Strathearn near the end of the 14th century. Gordon suggests that a possible explanation might be that his father, Gregor, was an otherwise unknown second son of Gregor, the founder. rather than Gregor McAnecham in Glenurquhay. This raises a surprising question. Robert Bruce had granted the lands occupied by the kindred of Gregor to Colin Campbell for his aid during the Wars of Independence. David II repeated this grant. Yet, David's successor as King, Robert II, the first of the Stewarts appears to have favoured a MacGregor in an area a considerable distance from Loch Awe. The alternative view is that this "Gregor" was unrelated.

Dr Neil comments on this "The first documented de Comrie was Patrick 3rd son of Malice 6th Earl of Strathearn, who was granted the lands in 1297 by his father. He married Elizabeth de Kyngarth, daughter of Thomas de Kyngarth (Kyngarth is south west of Glasgow). It is this association that is likely to have led to the name of the property “Kingart or Kingarth” as it is called in different papers after that time. Patrick and Elizabeth had a son Thomas 2nd of de Comrie who gained title to the lands of Comrie in 1356 from his father. Thomas witnessed documents for Robert Stewart, Earl Palatine of Strathearn in 1362 which granted to Maurice de Drummond for Concraig and the offices of Steward, Coroner and forester of Strathearn in 1362 and 1372. (These charters were confirmed Patrick Graham, Earl of Strathearn in 1408). Thomas de Comrie appears to have either: lost title to the whole or part of his lands at this time; or the documentation was lost leading to the lack of knowledge about the events that occurred. Thomas appears to have had a son Gregor and a grandson John. Gregor de Comrie seems to have inherited the Mair of Crieff and Fowlis after 1372. His apparent son, John Gregorson de Comrie, was appointed Mair of the shires of Crieff and Fowlis in 1380 and rendered his account to the Royal exchequer (Exchequer Rolls, 1380). Unfortunately, there is also a gap in the documentation in the period 1380-1446, which precludes us from knowing what occurred in that period.

Gregor de Comrie was Mayor of Crieff before his son John Gregorson became the Mayor of Crieff in 1380 (Exchequer rolls 1380). This creates a significant doubt re Gordons contention that he or his family were McGregors. The first confirmed evidence of McGregors in the Loch Tay area was and Assize in 1436 at Killin but they probably arrived in 1406 when the Campbells gained the Fortingall parish position. The second wave of McGregor movement to Loch tay area was after 1474 when Campbell acquired the Ardeonaig estates after assassination of King James.
In the light of these comments, I have kept the otherwise unknown Gregor, as a brother of Eoin cam, but made him a "possible" ancestor of Padraig Chaoldich and Eoin Malloch. It appears more likely that their ancestor was a generation or two later.

[6] MacGregor, G. Red Book of Scotland, vol 6, p 261 claims that JOHN, SON OF GREGOR, was settled in upper Strathearn and had been appointed Mair of Crieff and Fowlis by 1380 when he submitted his accounts to the Exchequer. Ex. Rolls III. P.34 & 36. This MacGregor connection is doubtful (see Note 5 above)
Of this John, his appointment to that office coincides with the succession of Robert Stewart, afterwards King Robert II., to the Earldom of Strathearn and there is evidence proving Stewart to have resettled kinsmen and other persons of rank into Strathearn for the purpose of appointing them to positions of authority to better control and administer his lands in the wake of what had been a period of local unrest following the foreiture of the last of the Celtic Earls. One such appointment was made in favour of Maurice Drummond to whom Stewart granted the offices of Steward, Coroner and Forester of Strathearn, with the extensive lands annexed to those offices in and around Crieff in 1362, and the reference to John, son of Gregor, being headquartered at Fowlis is consistent with that being the known location of the croft and lands annexed to the office of Mair which are afterwards named the “mair’s” or “serjeant’s” croft and specifically referred to as lying to the west side of the Castleton at Fowlis. He was father of [John] who appears to have m. to the daughter and heiress of Thomas de Comrie, 2nd of that Ilk, and had issue.

[7] MacGregor, G. Red Book of Scotland, vol 6, p 263 - EWEN MALLOCH, was a witness with his father to a Sasine in favour of John de Comrie, as son and heir to his father Patrick de Comrie of that Ilk on 18 December 1455 (GD279/3.) and was father of :
1. Patrick Chaoldich,.
2. John Malloch, (see MacGregor of Culcrieff and Balhaldie).

[8] MacGregor, G. Red Book of Scotland, vol 6, p 246-247 - SIR JOHN DE GLENORCHY, who is named in a list of principal landowners of Argyllshire over which Alexander de Argyll was made sheriff by King John [Balliol], on 9 February 1293 ( Parliamentary register, 9th February 1293.) and was one of the commanders in the Scottish army at Dunbar where he was taken by the English and sent to Berhamsted Castle. He is listed as a prisoner there on 16 May 1296 (Cal. Docs. Scot. Vol. II. No. 742.) and on 5 March 1296/97, Edward I. granted allowances to he and his fellow prisoners, Sir William de la Haya, Sir Walter de Barclay, James Menteith, Lucas, son of Dovenald of Lennox, and John de Cluny. (Cal. Docs. Scot. Vol. II. No. 875.) On 30 July 1297, he gave an undertaking to Edward to give up his eldest son as hostage and to serve him beyond the seas. (Cal. Docs. Scot. Vol. II. No. 940.) He is not heard of after that date and appears to have either died in prison or else during foreign wars. He was succeeded by;
MARGARET DE GLENORCHY, is the next for whom there is evidence and was likely the daughter or granddaughter to the previous Sir John, and to whom the entire estate fell. She m. John Campbell, Earl of Atholl, eldest son of Sir Neil Campbell of Lochawe, by his second wife, Mary, sister to King Robert I., with whom, on her resignation, they had a conjunct charter under the Great Seal of David II. for her lands of Glenorchy. (Robertson’s Index.) She died without issue and he married secondly, to Joanna, daughter of Sir John Menteith of Rusky, (she was widow of Malise, 7th Earl of Strathearn, and after John Campbell’s death, she m. thirdly, to Maurice de Moray, 3rd of Drumsergard. She also survived that husband and m. fourthly, William, 4th Earl of Sutherland), and was ksp at the battle of Hallidon Hill on 19 July 1333, when his lands, including Glenorchy, reverted to his Chief, his brother, Sir Colin Campbell.