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Clan MacLellan (Tartans, Crest) and The Story Behind

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MacLellan

Clan Crest: An arm supporting on the point of a sword, a Moor’s head

Clan Motto: Think On

Origin of Name: Gaelic, ‘Son of the Servant of St Filan’

Clan Chief: None, armigerous clan

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MacLellan Clan History

The name is derived from the Gaelic 'MacGillie Ffaolain,' which means "son of St Filan's servant." The name Filan is derived from the Celtic word 'faelchu,' which means "wolf." St Filan lived around 700, traveled extensively throughout Scotland, and built a church in Strathfillan.

The clan has a long history, having been mentioned in King Alexander's charter in 1217 and being associated with Galloway since 1273.

Maclellan of Bombie was a close friend of William Wallace, and after the defeat at Falkirk in 1298, he accompanied Wallace to France to enlist King Philip's assistance in their campaign against Edward I.

By the fifteenth century, the clan had grown in size and wealth. There are fourteen Maclellan Knights living in Galloway at the time.

Throughout their history, the clan has been royalist, with Sir Patrick Maclellan of Bombie being an early example. After forfeiting his estates to the Earl of Douglas, King James of Scotland restored them to him when his son, Sir William, killed a bandit who was terrorizing the area. The image on the MacLellan clan crest was inspired by this story: when William killed the bandit, he carried the head on the point of his sword to the king.

Sir Patrick Maclellan, Sheriff of Galloway, was imprisoned at Threave Castle in 1452 by William, eighth Earl of Douglas in order to persuade him to join a plot against the King. A Royal order was issued for his release, to which the Earl responded by assassinating Sir Patrick.

According to local legend, King James II ordered the construction of the canon 'Mons Meg' in order to defeat the castle and exact revenge on the Douglases.

After being knighted by James IV, Sir William Maclellan of Bombie accompanied the king on his disastrous invasion of England, dying at Flodden Field in 1513.

In 1526, Gordon of Lochinvar assassinated his son, Thomas Maclellan, at the door of St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh.

Sir William's great-great grandson, Sir Robert Maclellan, was a courtier to both King James IV and Charles I. In 1633, he was made Lord Kirkcudbright and supported the King during the Civil War. The third Lord Kirkcudbright, John Maclellan, was so zealous in his support for the King that the clan was eventually bankrupted, and the estate had to be sold after the death of the fourth Lord Kirkcudbright.

The title was passed down through various descendants until 1761, when it was reclaimed by James Maclellan and became dormant again when he died in 1832.

Clan members can be found all over the world, but particularly in Nova Scotia and the United States via Ulster.

MacLellan Places & People

People of Clan MacLellan

Patrick Maclellan of Bombie (d. c. 1450)

Sheriff of Galloway and staunch royalist, he turned down an invitation to join William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas, and the Earls of Ross, Crawford, and Ormond in an alliance against Scotland's young King James II.

Outraged by this opposition to his plot, the Earl of Douglas laid siege to Raeberry Castle (Maclellan's castle) and forcibly removed Sir Patrick Maclellan to the fortress of Threave Castle, where he was held prisoner.

Sir Patrick Grey, Maclellan's uncle, obtained a letter from the King demanding that the Earl of Douglas release his prisoner. Sir Patrick Grey delivered the message himself, but Douglas had already executed MacLellan, and Grey was fortunate to escape with his life.

Sir Patrick Grey avenged his nephew's death after dining with Douglas at the king's direct invitation in the palace at Stirling. When Douglas refused to abandon the alliance, James stabbed him in the neck, and the king's bodyguards completed the deed by throwing the earl out a window.

Lord Kirkcudbright, Robert Maclellan (d. 1641)

In 1607, he was appointed Provost of Kirkcudbright and was best known for his riotous (and violent) behavior. Robert was a direct descendant of the Laird of Bombie, Patrick Maclellan, who had been murdered by the 8th Earl of Douglas.

After an altercation in Kirkcudbright High Street, the young Robert was imprisoned in Blackness Castle. He was also imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle for shooting the Minister of the Church of Kirkcudbright's relative.

Despite this, Robert was appointed as a gentleman of the bedchamber to James VI of Scotland and Charles I of England, who elevated him to the rank of baronet and, later, to the peerage with the title Lord Kirkcudbright in 1633.

He was a zealous Presbyterian who was active in Covenanter affairs. Lord Kirkcudbright died without a male heir in 1641, so the title passed to his nephew, also named Thomas.

The 2nd Lord Kirkcudbright, Thomas Maclellan

Robert Maclellan, 1st Lord Kirkcudbright's nephew, was a Scottish nobleman.

Maclellan's support for the Covenanters ultimately led to his demise. In the parishes of Dunrod, Galtway, and Kirkcudbright, Thomas Maclellan was tasked with raising a feudal army. He was appointed Colonel of the South Regiment in 1640 and accompanied the Scottish army into England.

He was present at the Battle of Philiphaugh with his regiment, where their gallantry greatly contributed to the Scottish forces' victory. He became very popular among the troops as a result of his habit of always marching at the head of his regiment with a barrel of brandy, which he freely distributed to his followers on long marches and other important occasions.

Lord Kirkcudbright, John Maclellan, 3rd (died 1664)

Nobleman and royalist from Scotland. Maclellan, like his father Lord Kirkcudbright (whose titles he inherited in 1647), was a zealous Covenanter who raised levies for the king and used them in the raid on Whigamore in 1648.

Maclellan insisted on his vassals taking up arms in the King's cause, which resulted in the villages of Dunrod and Galtway being greatly depleted beginning in 1640. Lord Kirkcudbright and Major General James Holburn were appointed by the Committee of Estates as a deputation to meet with Oliver Cromwell at Seaton and accompany him to Edinburgh.

Lord Kirkcudbright's regiment, which had been sent to Ireland, was attacked by English Parliamentary forces on December 6th and nearly destroyed.

The lands to which this Lord Kirkcudbright succeeded were vast, but his loyalty in raising and providing forces during the English civil war, for which he, like so many other royalists, received no compensation, depleted his estate.

MacLellan Tartans

Ancient MacLellan

MacLellan Contemporary

MacLellan Crest & Coats of Arms

Clan MacLellan Crest

A Moor's head is supported by an arm on the point of a sword.

Coats of Arms of MacLellan

A word about Coats of Arms:

A coat of arms is granted to an individual under Scottish heraldic law (with the exception of civic or corporate arms). A 'family coat of arms' does not exist. With the exceptions noted above, the arms depicted below are personal arms. Only the person who has been granted these weapons has the right to use them.