MACGREGOR, Duncan Ladassach of Ardchoille

Abt 1490 - 1552  (~ 62 years)

• Name	MACGREGOR, Duncan Ladassach
  Suffix	of Ardchoille
  Born	Abt 1490
  Gender	Male
  Died	16 Jun 1552	Killin, Perthshire, Scotland
  Person ID	I807	My Genealogy
  Last Modified	16 Sep 2023

  
  

  Father	MACGREGOR, Gregor Patrickson Tutor of Glen Strae,   b. Abt 1460
  Relationship	natural
  Family ID	F6738	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	CAMPBELL, Mary,   b. Isle of Islay, Argyll, Scotland
  Children	1. MACGREGOR, Gregor of Ardchoille1st Chief of Children of the Mist,   b. Abt 1520,   d. 16 Jun 1552, Killin, Perthshire, Scotland  (Age ~ 32 years)  [natural]   2. MACGREGOR, Patrick Dubh,   d. 3 Nov 1574, Balquhidder, Perthshire, Scotland  [natural]   3. MACGREGOR, Malcolm Ruadh (Roy),   d. 16 Jul 1552, Killin, Perthshire, Scotland  [natural]
  Last Modified	16 Sep 2023
  Family ID	F208	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  1 - The Campbells resorted to a campaign of treachery, murder, and annihilation of the Glenstrae line of Chiefs. They concentrated on three generations, which they hunted down and murdered. Duncan Ladasach 'the lordly' MacGregor of Ardchoille, Tutor of Glenstrae, and the rightful Chief, was the leader of all the most recalcitrant Gregarach of his time. After Glenstrae was lost to the clan, the Glenstrae line became known as the "House of Ladasach". They continued to form the Grand Chiefs of the clan even though the family was severely weakened and rendered ineffective by Campbell predation. Their position was held simply through the utmost respect and admiration held by all Gregarach, who never forgot the sacrifices made by this, the bravest of all Clan lines. 2 - Duncan, called Ladassach (or Laideus = lordly, bold, sten - old Gaelic) b c1490. The ringleader of all the most recalcitrant Gregarch of his time, doubtless as the righteous heir to the McGregor. Starved of land they nearly exterminated the clan McLaren and overran their lands in Balquhidder (1543-1558). In 1532 they slew the minister because of an argument with the McLarens about who should go into church first. These wild Gregarach were called The Children of the Mist. Duncan m Mary Campbell of Ardkinglass. Beheaded with his two sons by the Campbells in 1552. 3 - Duncan MacGregor, called Ladasach. He openly claimed to be chief of the Clan with legitimate titles to it. He disputed the 1488 Act of Council which had given the Campbells power to pursue and destroy the MacGregors. He claimed the Royal Proclamation was a farce given by James IV while still a minor and seized the leadership of the MacGregors. However, as we have seen previously, the MacGregors had one great misfortune — they had no one willing or able to stand out on their behalf or to tell their side of the story. So there was no alternative for Duncan but to try to take back his territory by the sword. His exploits of daring are typical of the MacGregor spirit throughout the whole of their troubled history. He and his wild men took refuge in Rannoch from where they plundered the country far and wide. Although the Campbells were their chief targets they had no chance of dislodging them. Their acts of violence struck terror into every heart but they did not have everything their own way. In 1513 he and his merry men were out on a raid when the Campbells surprised them and cut off their retreat to Rannoch. They were driven southwards where they were overwhelmed, and Campbell of Glen Orchy captured Ladasach and jailed him. He was chained like a wild beast in an underground pit at Finlarig waiting to be hauled up to be ‘heidit’. However, before Campbell could do this he was called up by James IV to march to Flodden. There he died with his king and ten thousand of his countrymen, and Duncan was saved. He did not mourn Campbell’s death; in fact he celebrated it by escaping. He made his way back to Rannoch in safety from where he was able to begin afresh his career of slaughter and rapine on those who had cheated him of his birth-right, and on others. Sometimes it was not Campbells that sought him out, for we find that his near neighbours, the Robertsons and Athollmen in 1531, having suffered from his plundering and violence, joined together and made concerted attacks on the Island fortress and also on their hideouts in the Blackwood, this relic of the Caledonian Forest of pre­history. Here they captured one of Ladasach’s Lieutenants, Alastair Dhu MacGregor. They dealt with him in the only way that Ladasach would understand. They ‘untopped’ him. However, some years later (1545) Duncan got his own back. He exacted a heavy toll from the Clan Donnachaidh in a furious fight at the east end of the loch. He captured the chief, Struan Robertson and carried him off. History does not record what happened to him. Probably Ladasach was satisfied with his victory and the resultant plunder and released the chief for the Robertsons were powerful neighbours to offend. For forty-two years Ladasach and his Children of the Mist terrorised the country. His exploits were full of daring as he stole from his enemies and filled the corries of Rannoch with plundered flocks and herds. Also, in keeping with the times, very few of his victims were spared from violent deaths. It was said of him that he: ‘lovit never justice not yet law’. In his last exploit he heard that a MacGregor has become a turncoat and joined Campbell of Glen Orchy. To Ladasach this was the most heinous of crimes and though he was a man of sixty-five he was determined to make the journey to show the defaulter the evil of his ways. Fortunately for him their intended victim was absent so Ladasach and his sons broke into his house and stole his money. It does not require much imagination to conjecture what punishment they would have meted out to the unfortunate turncoat, for the neighbour of this man on coming to the house to see what the intruders were doing had ‘his heid struck from his body’. This was their last crime because they were caught and on 16th June, 1552 they were beheaded by order of Colin Campbell of Glen Orchy, Campbell of Glen Lyon and Menzies of Rannoch 4 - DUNCAN Mac GREGOR OF ARDCHOILLE, called Lodasoch son of Gregor Patrickson; leader of all the most recalcitrant Gregarach of his time, doubtless as 'righteous heir to The MacGregor'; a feud with the MacLarens perhaps arose from MacGregor claims through a MacLaren heiress as their crests are similar and in 1532 the Gregarach slew the MacLaren Minister of Balquhidder, claiming the right to share with the MacLarens (descendants of a local Abbot) the privilege of being first to enter Balquhidder Church on Sundays; the Macgregors were desperate for land and in Easter Week 1543 DUNCAN led a surprise night attack on peaceful homesteads which, followed by another MacGregor onslaught in 1558, nearly exterminated the Clan Laren and overran their lands in Balquhidder; he was mentor of the young 8th Chief in the raid that captured Struan Robertson 1545, and in 1548 the Menzies chief inserted a special clause in leases forbidding lands to be sub-let to 'Duncan MacGregor MacPhadrig' (Ladasach's patronymics); he became Tutor of Glenstrae during the 9th Chief's minority c 1550 and killed Alasdair Orihar MacGregor of Morenish for acknowledging Campbell of Glenorchy as his chief: outlawed for murder 1551 and became a noted freebooter, 'Ardchoille' becoming the MacGregor slogan (war cry). He was captured and beheaded at Finlairg by Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy ('Grey Colin') 16 June 1552; m Mary Campbell of Ardkinglas. After DUNCAN's , Lodasach's execution his branch. of the Gregoiach led such wild and hunted lives in the misty mountains that they became known as MocEogh ('Sons of the Mist'). 5 - http://www.commentonline.co.uk/history/breadalbane/TraditionsofLochTay.htm Achlyne, which originally with Wester Ardchyle belonged to Donald La'dasach Macgregor, from which the MacGregors took their gathering call of Ardchyle, afterwards to the Campbells of Achlyne, who were the youngest branch of the family of Sir Robert Campbell of Glenorchy and of which the present Earl was the first cadet until the death of the late Earl of Breadalbane to whom he succeeded in the title and estate.