History of the Clan Mackay Society (1911 & 1806 Facsimile) - Searchable PDF & Surname Index | Scottish Highland & Reay Country Genealogy

Trace Your Clan Mackay & Reay Country Ancestors Across Scotland and the Global Highland Diaspora (1160–1911)

Originally compiled in 1911 by Honorary Secretary David N. Mackay (with historical chronology by Clan Historian Rev. Angus Mackay, M.A. of Westerdale and regimental notes by Lieut. Iain H. Mackay-Scobie), History of the Clan Mackay Society (Comunn Chlann Aoidh) is one of the rarest and most detailed primary sources for researchers tracing Mackay families and allied clan septs from their ancestral homelands in Strathnaver, Tongue, Farr, Durness, and Caithness to Glasgow, Edinburgh, England, Ireland, Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, India, and South Africa. Bound into the rear of this volume is the complete 1907 facsimile of the 1806 Glasgow edition of the Articles and Regulations of M’Kay’s Society—recording the earliest Highland clan benevolent society in southern Scotland, founded on 21st July 1806 on the eve of the Strathnaver Clearances.

What’s Inside This Enhanced Fairbairn’s Crests Digital Edition:

• Complete 84-Page Restored Archival Volume: Includes our newly written 4-page Fairbairn’s Crests Front Matter & Researcher’s Guide (Pages i–iv), all 72 historical text and portrait plate pages from the 1911 and 1806/1907 works, and our newly compiled 8-page Back-of-Book Alphabetical Surname, Sept & Parish Index (PDF pp. 77–84).
• Pure White (#FFFFFF) Archival Page Backgrounds & Artifact Removal: All 28 non-content scanner pages (dark cloth covers, National Library of Scotland barcode sheets, Internet Archive digitizer notices, and blank unprinted plate backs/flyleaves) and institutional ink stamps have been removed, and every historical page has been whitened to a crisp, pure white (#FFFFFF) background for effortless screen reading and home printing.
• Every-Word Searchable OCR Text Layer: Search instantly using Ctrl+F (Windows) or Cmd+F (Mac) across centuries of clan chronology, member directories, street addresses, and biographical sketches.
• 1806 Glasgow Founders & Managers Roll: Preserves the names and trades (weavers, inkle weavers, smiths, grocers, vintners, cloth glazers, plasterers, and pipers) of the 16 original Glasgow founders and managers of M’Kay’s Society (1806).
• 1910–1911 Worldwide Roll of Members, Associates & Obituaries: Documents over 320 named clansmen, clanswomen, and sept associates with exact residential addresses, manses, and colonial posts across Scotland, England, Ireland, Canada (Halifax, Summerside, Montreal, Ormston, Ottawa, Toronto, Brockville, Regina), the United States (New York, Brooklyn, Newport, Youngstown, Cleveland, Saginaw, Central City, Richmond), India, Siam, South Africa, Somaliland, Australia, and New Zealand, plus the 1906–1911 Clan Obituary and 12 historic portrait and relic plates.

Historical & Regional Overview

Known in Gaelic as Clann Aoidh and their northern homeland as Duthaich Mhic Aoidh (“the Mackay Country”), Clan Mackay held sway across northwest Sutherland and Caithness for centuries under the chiefs of Strathnaver and Lords Reay. This volume chronicles the clan’s key military and political milestones from the expulsion of the MacEths from Moray (1160) and the battles of Tuiteam Tarbach (1403), Dingwall (1411), Drum nan Coup (1432), Sandside Chase (1437), Tarbet Church (1486), Aldicharrish (1487), Flodden (1513), and Solway Moss (1542) to the thirty years’ continental campaigns of Sir Donald Mackay, 1st Lord Reay (1626–1628), General Hugh Mackay of Scourie at Killiecrankie (1689) and Steinkirk (1692), and the service of the 800-strong Reay Fencible Highland Regiment (1795–1802) at Tara Hill and Ballinamuck in Ireland.

Following the sale of the Reay estates and the Strathnaver Clearances (1815–1818), Mackay families established thriving communities across the Lowlands and overseas. Reconstituted at Glasgow and Edinburgh in 1888 through the leadership of John Mackay (editor of The Celtic Monthly) and George Mackay, the Clan Mackay Society preserved priceless clan heirlooms—including the ancient Bratach Bhan (White Banner), the regimental colours of the Reay Fencibles, and the 1752 snuff-box of Colin Campbell of Glenure (“The Red Fox” of Appin, husband of Janet Mackay of Bighouse)—while recording the exact residences and careers of hundreds of living clansmen and sept members on the eve of the First World War.

Surnames, Clan Septs & Families Indexed in This Volume:

Aberach, Aberigh-Mackay, Anderson, Anstruther, Aoidh, Arran, Bain, Begg, Benzies, Campbell, Carver, Chlann Aoidh, Cromartie, Cunningham, Dewar, Donn, Drummond, Farquhar, Fionn, Forbes, Forrest, Gilmour, Gordon, Haco (Haakon), Harradance, Harradence, Hay, Henry, Hope, Hoyden, Huntly, Inchcape, Kay-Abey, Keddie, Kellock, Künkele, Lake, Lang, Leith-Hay, Livingston-Aberigh, MacAoidh, Macbain, MacCay, MacCrie, Macdonald, MacDonald, M’Donald, MacEth, MacGhie, Macgregor, Macintosh, Macintyre, Mackay, MacKay, M’Kay, Mackay-Scobie, MacKee, M’Kee, Mackenzie, MacKenzie, Mackey, Mackie, Maclaren, Maclean, Macleod, MacPhail, Mescher, Middleton, Miller, Moffat, Moray, More, Morrison, Munro, Murray, Nairn, Neilson, Nelson, Noble, Paterson, Polson, Reay, Redman, Ross, Sage, Scobie, Seaforth, Shackleton, Slater, Smith, Stewart, Stiles, Sturgeon, Suberkrop, Suverkrop, Sutherland, Tait, Walter, Watson, Whyte, Young, Yule.

Parishes, Townships, Counties & Settlements Indexed:

Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Aberfeldy, Airdrie, Alderney, Aldicharrish, Alexandria, Amerley (Canterbury, N.Z.), Amsterdam, Appin, Arbroath, Ardgay, Ardshiel, Argyllshire, Arnhem, Assint (Assynt), Australia, Ava, Ayr, Ayrshire, Ballinamuck, Baltasound (Shetland), Balveny, Bangkok (Siam), Belfast, Bengal, Berbera (Somaliland), Bernera, Berwick-on-Tweed, Berwickshire, Bettyhill (Rhenevie), Bexhill-on-Sea, Bidston, Bighouse, Blair Atholl, Bombay, Bonar Bridge, Bournemouth, Bridge of Allan, Bridgeton, Bristol, Brockville (Ontario), Bromley (Kent), Bromfield (Shropshire), Brooklyn (New York), Buenos Aires, Caithness, Callander, Callart, Camberwell (Melbourne), Cambuslang, Campbeltown, Canada, Carnachy, Carolside, Carskey, Cawnpore (India), Central City (Colorado), Channel Islands, Chichester, Cleveland (Ohio), Clifton, Coleraine, Colinton, Cork, Corrichie, Craigton, Cramond, Creich, Crieff, Cromarty, Croydon, Dalkeith, Dalnashean, Darlington, Dennistoun, Dingwall, Doncaster, Dornoch, Doune, Drum nan Coup, Dublin, Dunbeath, Dunblane, Dundee, Dunrobin, Durness (Smoo), Duthaich ic Aoidh, Earlstoun, Easdale, Edinburgh, Egypt, Elgin, England, Farr, Fife, Flodden, Fort-Augustus, Frankfurt-on-Main, Fraserburgh, Gifford, Glasgow, Glenmoriston, Glenreasdale, Glenure, Govan, Govanhill, Grangemouth, Greenhead, Greenock, Haddington, The Hague, Halifax (Nova Scotia), Hallkirk (Halkirk), Hampstead, Helensburgh, Hereford, Hertfordshire, Hillhead, Hilversum, Holland, Holt Manor (Wiltshire), Hoylake, Huelva (Spain), Ibrox, India, Inveran, Inverness, Ireland, Islay, Jubblepore, Kaiapoi (N.Z.), Kellerberrin (W. Australia), Kemnay, Kendal, Killin, Kilmalcolm, Kilmarnock, Kinbrace, Kinlochbervie, Kinross, Kirkcaldy, Kirtomy, Knaresborough, Laidlawstiel, Lairg, Largs, Ledaig, Leeds, Leith, Lewisham, Liverpool, Loch Eriboll, Lochearnhead, Lochinver, London, Londonderry, Luing, Lybster, Mamore, Manchester, Marle, Mayfair, Melbourne, Melksham, Melness,iddlesbrough, Middlesex, Midlothian, Mombasa (Nigeria/E. Africa), Montreal (Quebec), Moray, Morningside, Motherwell, Muswell Hill, Netherlands, New Barnet, New Hebrides, New South Wales, New York, New Zealand, Newcastle, Newport (Rhode Island), Nottingham, Nova Scotia, Oban, Oldenburg, Ontario, Ormston (Quebec), Ottawa, Paisley, Paris, Partick, Perth, Perthshire, Peterborough, Pitlochrie, Pollokshaws, Pollokshields, Port Appin, Portree (Skye), Portrush, Portskerra, Prestonpans, Prince Edward Island, Putney, Quebec, Randfontein (South Africa), Reay, Reay Country, Regina (Saskatchewan), Richmond (Virginia), Ross-shire, Rothesay, Rutherglen, Saginaw (Michigan), Saskatchewan, Scotstoun, Seychelles, Shepster, Shetland, Shrewsbury, Siam, Skelmorlie, Skye, Smoo, Solway Moss, Somaliland, South Africa, South America, Southampton, Spain, St. Andrews, Steinkirk, Stirling, Stockholm, Stornoway, Strachur (Strachar), Strathnaver, Strathy, Summerside (P.E.I.), Sunderland, Sutherland, Sydney (N.S.W.), Syre, Talmine, Tara Hill, Tarbet Church, Thurso, Tongue, Toronto (Ontario), Torquay, Trowbridge, Tuiteam Tarbach, Tullow, Ullapool, Upper Burma, Urquhart, Virginia, Ware, Watford, Westerdale, Wick, Wiltshire, Worcester, York, Youngstown (Ohio).