McCulloch

[CelticRadio]

Background: The family name McCulloch is one of the oldest in Galloway. It is of ancient Celtic origin and as such, the family can boast of a number of fanciful legends concerning its origin. According to one, the family is descended from Ulgric, the grandson of Owen Gallvus, king of the Cludienses, or Strathclyde Britons. Ulgric was killed leading the gallant but wild and undisciplined Gallovidians (natives of Galloway) in the van of King David's army at the Battle of the Standards in 1138. Ulgric and Douvenald were vice-sovereigns of Galloway, the McCullochs, Mackuloghs, or Culaghs holding sway over the lands of Ulgric, and the McDowalls over the lands of Douvenald. .

Variations: McCulloch.

More Info: http://heraldry.celticradio.net/search.php?id=118

Discussion of this family is welcomed.

[Mailagnas maqqas Dunaidonas]

I am familiar with the McCulloch family line, as one of my direct ancestors, Sir Godfrey McCulloch, was the last man to kiss the Iron Maiden in Scotland. It seems he shot a Gordon in the knee during a dispute over cattle, and Mr. Gordon bled to death. Sir Godfrey's widow went to Ireland for a few years, after which their sons emigrated to the colonies.

[Shamalama]

Why can't someone build me a time machine where I can go back and verify some of this?!?!



McCulloughs are said to be descended from Somerled through his second son Reginald Somerled was a leading figure in the western Highlands and islands of Scotland in 1130 A.D. when he defeated the Norse and became King of the Isles. His oldest son, Dougall, is the father of Clan MacDougall. From Reginald, his second son, not only did the McCulloughs come but also the mighty Clan Ranald (MacDonald). The MacDonalds descended from Donald, the oldest son of Reginald and the McCulloughs sprang from the seed of Ulgrie, King of the Strathclyde Britons.

Sir Alexander MacCulloch of Myretoun (c1440-1532) was knighted by 1488 and gifted the estate of Cardoness by James IV in 1509. A favourite of the King and his father before him, Sir Alex became the Keeper or Captain of the Palace of Linlithgow in 1505 and was the King’s Falconer. It is recorded that in 1504, James IV granted a charter to Sir Alexander elevating Myretoun Castle, his principal seat, into a Burgh of Barony. It was specially noted that this royal favour was done in recognition of the hospitality the King had received from the Knight of Myretoun on the occasion of him passing to and fro on royal pilgrimages to Whithorn on the coast. This intimacy also led to the King appointing Sir Alex as Sheriff of Wigtoun from 1498 to 1501, an important office in those days, the administrative and financial functions of which were more important than the judicial.

Sir Alexander is usually identified as the Cutlar (or Collard) McCulloch, whose exploits against the Isle of Man are such a feature of Galloway history. At the beginning of the 16th century, Thomas, Earl of Derby, a young, fiery warlike chief, was Lord, or rather, King of Man. In 1507, he made a furious descent upon the coast of Galloway, and nearly destroyed the town of Kircudbright. For several years afterwards, many of the houses in the burgh remained uninhabited and in ruins. But Cutler got revenge. He speedily equipped a predatory flotilla and, assembling his retainers, sailed over the Isle of Man, and repaid the visit with interest, carrying off everything which was “not too hot or heavy” for removal. Cutlar McCulloch returned again and again, to the point that terrified locals made it a habit to eat their meat first and finish with the soup so at least to make sure of something substantial before they were disturbed by the ubiquitous McCullochs. Their constant prayer in the 16th century was:

God keep the house and all within
From Cut McCulloch and from sin.

Or as it was sometimes rendered:

Keep me, my good corn, and my sheep and bullocks
From Satan, from Sin, and those thievish McCullochs.

Sir Alexander died peacefully in bed after a colorful and less than peaceful life, August 30, 1523. His son-in-law, also called Alexander McCulloch, was killed at Flodden.

-- then again --

One legend says that the family is descended from Ulgric, the grandson of Owen Gallvus, king of the Cludienses, or Strathclyde Britons. Ulgric was killed leading the gallant but wild and undisciplined Gallovidians (natives of Galloway) in the van of King David’s army at the Battle of the Standards in 1138. Ulgric and Douvenald were vice-sovereigns of Galloway, the McCullochs, Mackuloghs, or Culaghs holding sway over the lands of Ulgric, and the McDowalls over the lands of Douvenald.

Another legend states that the name McCulloch derives from a warrior of earlier lineage. Gwallawc or The Hawk of Battle, a Gallovidian chieftain of the sixth century, whose battles were celebrated by the ancient bards and is reputed, in local legend, to have be buried beneath the Standing Stones of Torhouse. His descendants thus took the name Mac-Gwallawc.

-- then again --

Still another legend says that the McCullochs took their name from a warrior who in the Crusades carried the device of a wild boar (which in Gaelic is cullach) on his shield and distinguished himself in the Holy Land with his gallantry and daring. On his return, William the Lion, in reward for Cullach’s martial prowess, granted him the lands of Myrton, Glassertoun, Killasser and Auchtnaucht. The grateful soldier adopted as his patronymic, the word cullach, his nom-de-guerre. His son Godfrey, named after Godfrey de Bouillon, the First King of Jerusalem and Knight Templar, was naturally styled Mac-Cullach. Although this story is the most plausible, it is probable that the king was merely confirming those lands in the name of the McCullochs as they are mentioned as being a prominent family in the area some 400 years before.

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We also have Lullach, the stepson of the infamous Macbeth and ruled for a few months as King of the Scots until killed by Malcolm III. He was the natural son of the Mormaer of Angus and was married to the daughter of the Mormaer of Moray. He had a son and daughter by this marriage and his son would have been styled “Mac-Lullach”. As Gordon McCulloch, a local historian from Paisley, Scotland, notes: “MacBeth was one of Scotland’s great Kings, regardless of the erroneous tragedy written by Shakespeare. After taking the Crown and deposing Duncan, he kept peace in the land for almost his entire reign of seventeen years (1040-1057). However, he married Duncan’s widow, Gruoch, possibly to reconcile Duncan’s supporters, and took into his house her son ‘Lullach’, known as ‘Lullach the Fool’. When Macbeth campaigned in Ireland, his point of departure from Scotland, was the Kirkcubright Coast. He and his forces spent years moving between the two lands on expeditions. It is alleged that Lullach married a local laird’s daughter and settled down. Indeed, after Macbeth’s death, opponents of Malcolm tried to regain the throne by summoning Lullach (as direct heir) northwards to be their figurehead. They failed and Lullach was killed by Duncan’s grandson, Malcolm Canmore, in 1058 at Essie in Strathbogie in the attempted coup … Pitullich is another old Scots name, but in no way related to McCulloch or McLullach. Indeed Mac or McCulloch is just the soft spoken border pronounciation of McLullach, the letter ‘L’ not being pronounced either by Lowlanders, or in the Gaelic.”

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Shamalama says that the mighty McCulloch/McCullough/Maccullaich line is the single heir to the distillery of The Glenlivet in the Highlands. Shamalama is simply waiting for them to realize this, give him lands and titles in the area, along with free whisky.