Klanen Anderson

 Anderson Clan

The name Anderson (known as MacAndrew in the Highlands) is derived from "Son of Andrew". It is believed that many Andersons took the name from St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, and as such there is no definitive common clan ancestor. A large number of Andersons originated in Aberdeen and Elgin in the north west of the country, although the name has historically been found across Scotland.

The earliest records of the name are found in thirteenth-century records, however the first reference to the name as a clan was recorded as a coat of arms for an "Anderson of that Ilk" by Lord Lyon King of Arms in 1566. James Anderson of Sterheuch was made Carrick Pursuivant of Arms in the court of Lord Lyon in 1526, and many believe these individuals to be the same person. Promiment clan line in the past include Andersons of Dowhill, Stobcross, Inchyra and St Germain, Linkwood, Bourtie, Candacraig and Seton-Anderson of Mounie. By the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries there were several Andersons representing Scottish boroughs in parliament.

The Anderson tartan is unique in that it is made up of seven colours, while traditional tartans contain six or less. The clan motto is "Stand Sure" and the clan crest depicts an oak tree.

The clan Anderson are something of a mystery. They have an ancient, bonny, blue tartan, no chief and no place to call home.

For a family with a name so commonplace that it can be found in phone books from Stockholm to Auckland and Wisconsin to Warsaw, they have an elusive past and appear to have kept a low profile during times of war and struggle. Anderson is ninth in frequency of Scottish family surnames.

Most Andersons south of Aberdeen simply began to name themselves after Saint Andrew the patron saint of their country. In the north, they followed the tradition of taking the clan Chief’s name and became “son of Andrew”. In common with Scandinavian ways, the family tended to be footloose and to rely on first names. An Icelandic phone book today, for example, lists people not by their last name, but by their first name.

While arms were awarded to “Anderson of that Ilk” by the Lord Lyon in the 16th century, that family has never been identified. Sadly, as a result, there is no known clan Chief and the chieftanship has remained dormant. Yet from that point in time, when formal and legal recognition was given to the Andersons as an “honourable community”, a clan chief could have been there to represent that family in civic duties and on public occasions. Without the vital leadership, the Andersons have done what they have always been good at, keeping quiet in the background minding their own business – usually very successfully.

As one Anderson put it “we prospered while the bannock burned”. Thinkers rather than fighters, they have had the tendency to keep to themselves and not look for trouble. Their intellectual qualities have moved them towards words rather than wars.

The name Anderson means many things. One natural origin is from St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. Indeed it is his cross which features on the clan shield. In the Gaelic the clan name is Mac Ghillie Aindrais or Gilleandrais which translates as son of the servant of Andrew. A Ghillie is a servant. Or even simpler, MacAindrea which is straight forwardly translated as son of Andrew. Mac means son of, in Gaelic.

But a complicating factor is that the Ross Clan are known in Gaelic as Clann Andrais or Andrews Clan. It is easy to see how these various nomenclatures could be confused in any language. So whether followers of the saint or simply sons of Andrew or his servant, Anderson has many antecedents all of which could be correct.

Andersons or MacAndrews do appear to have a “cadet” sept of the Ross family. A sept is the Irish word for a division of a tribe. Cadet refers to important clansmen related by blood to the chief line but forming their own branch.

So while well connected within the Ross hierarchy, the Andersons had their own lineage, a vague allegiance to people of the same, or similar name, and a great facility for survival.

Following their Ross connections, the Andersons can claim ties to the Irish royal house of Tara.

The first recorded chief of the Rosses was one Fearchar Mac-an –t- Saigairt. He was the son of a priest. In the early days of the Celtic and the Roman church there were no celibacy laws. Fearchars’s father was the priest of Applecross Abbey on the north west coast of Scotland where they were hereditary abbots. They, in turn, were related to the O’Beolins of the Irish House of Tara who were the hereditary abbots of Duncliff and descended from Cairbre, son of King Naill of the Nine Hostages.

Applecross Abbey was founded by St Malrubha in 673. This Abbot of Bangor was also a descendant of the Irish King Naill. Interestingly, the Applecross lands were inherited by a woman at one point. This was common Pictish practice.

Leaping forward in time to 1215, Ferchar the first chief of the clan Ross backed Alexander II as King over those tribes in Scotland which were being moulded together into a nation. In the chronicles of Melrose it is recorded that “he cut off the heads of the king’s enemies”. He was created Earl of Ross in 1234 for his brave deeds and loyalty to the King. The successive Earl of Ross is noted for his bravery too – at the battle of Bannockburn in 1314 and at Halidon Hill 1333.

There is no mention of Andersons fighting alongside these Rosses. But without doubt there would be sons of Andrew and followers of the Saint Andrew in the Ross camp.

Large numbers of the Anderson clan can be found in the north-east of Scotland from around 1540. The most prominent family branches being the Andersons of Dowhill in Aberdeenshire, the Andersons of Western Ardbeck in Banffshire and the Andersons who were lairds of Candacraig in Strathdon, Aberdeenshire.

Dominated by the much more powerful families Farquharson, Forbes and Gordon, these fertile lands provided a living from farming for many people. Smallholdings abounded which enabled the Andersons to live independently but still enjoy the benefits of protection, patronage and trade by being an accepted part of the larger clan. When it suited, they could blend into the scenery.

In the words of a 20th century Anderson “My grandfather told my father, and he told me that our family had changed their name from Macgregor to Campbell and then to Anderson, when it was felt that a change was called for.”

Clan membership, as interpreted by families of the Highlands of Scotland, was a matter of convenience or expediency. It was something which was used and changed as politics or pragmatism dictated.

However, in the Borders where there are also strongholds of Andersons, a blood connection was the main requirement to claim clanship. Pockets thrive to this day in and around Denholm and at Tushielaw, a notable crossroads in the upper Ettrick which is complete with pub. In that hostelry, or any other in the Borders or the Highland homelands of the Clan there is a 50-50 chance that the man sitting alone in a corner, immersed in a book, is an Anderson.

But they didn’t always manage to stay out of trouble.

With their association with the Clan Chattan from around 1400, the Andersons or MacAndrew clan did draw blood. Prior to the 14th century, Clan Chattan were largely unheard of. It evolved into a confederation or alliance of various clans, the Andersons being one. As power waxed and waned among the different families so the relationships altered and protection was given or sought. The Clan Chattan were dominant over the Andersons. And through this allegiance the Andersons were to be found in the bloody brawl at the North Inch in Perth with the Clan Kay.

During King Robert III’s reign –1337 till 1406 – the Chattans and the Kays had many scores to settle. So a mighty battle was arranged to take place at the North Inch on the banks of the River Tay. Each clan selected 60 of their best warriors as their champions. Armed with bows, axes and swords they prepared to fight, watched by the King himself. Such an exceptional fight naturally brought huge crowds of common folk who took up vantage viewing positions from the safety of nearby high grounds.

Just before battle commenced, a man was found to be absent from the Chattan side. His place was taken by a smith from Perth called Henry Bow Anderson or Hal O’ the Wynd. The battle was bloody and furious. By the end of the hours of fighting all the warriors were dead or wounded. The only man unscathed was the late substitute, Hal.

Andersons again got into bad company in the Badenoch area of the Grampian Highlands. In the Kinara manuscript of 1676 it is written that ‘sick-like Donald MacGillandrish of the clan Andrish came out of Muidart.’ This describes a move from Moidart to Badenoch of the MacGillandrish clan centuries before. They held lands at Badenoch for generations and their descendants settled in Connage of Petty. Through Anglicisation, the Gaelic name was eventually changed to MacAndrew.

While they settled in Badenoch in Inverness-shire, they had to contend with an unsavoury neighbour, the ‘Wolf of Badenoch’. This unpleasant character collected a band of renegades, stole lands from the Bishop of Moray and in 1390 burned Elgin Cathedral. Following this he was ex-communicated. But the Wolf turned out to be Alexander, Earl of Buchan and a brother of King Robert III.

There is no way of identifying any Andersons who might have been directly involved in these forays, but a little gentle involvement in cattle rustling along the centuries would be in keeping with the times.

Cattle raids were commonplace in the Highlands for more than 300 years from the 14th century onwards. The authorities found it difficult to police the region because of the inaccessible nature of the land with the physical obstacles of mountains, lochs and rivers.


Thieves and killers

Life for people in those regions was hard. There was little fertile ground available for crops. The economy was based mainly on rearing black cattle. Hunting and fishing were vital for survival. But with the harsh climate during long winter months, food was often scarce. So people were driven to stealing cattle from their neighbours. Such raids would even extend as far as the lowlands.

Such cattle rustling expeditions went on as late as 1670. In that year a member of the Anderson Clan –‘Little’ John MacAndrew was involved in what was to be one of the last such raids recorded.

An expert bowman, Ian Beag, as Little John’s name is in Gaelic, was living in Dalnahtnich. He was a valued and dependable servant of William Mackintosh of Kellachie. One dark night a cattle thief called McDonnell of Achluach descended on the lands of Kilravock with his band of men. They drove away the cattle of the baron. When the alarm was raised they were quickly pursed by the tenants headed by Mackintosh accompanied by ‘Little’ John MacAndrew.

The story goes that the cattle thieves had settled for the night in a bothy on the heights of Strathdean. McAndrew shot an arrow into the hut and the McDonnel swiftly came out. He slipped and fell on a cow hide which had been placed at the door, hairy side down by the clever McAndrew. McAndrew’s next arrow found its mark on the prone frame of McDonnell, killing him instantly.

Alarmed by the commotion, the next man came running out of the hut, and also slipped on the smooth cow hide. He was killed by Mackintosh’s arrow. Then a shower of arrows cascaded into the bothy through the door, windows and thatch until every man of the Lochaber band of thieves was dead.

With the exception of a sleeping sentry, not a single man survived to carry the tale to Lochaber.