011e.duncan.html

THE YOUNGER OF THE TWO BROTHERS -- DUNCAN
      On the death of his brother, Andrew in 1666, Duncan became the 16th Chief of the Clan, a position he would hold for 56 years. Continuing his brother's policies, Duncan set out to increase the Clan's prestige and power. These were still troublesome times and would soon be even more so. Throughout the preceding decades the Gordons had continued to play their game of pitting one clan against another, and of late it was the Mackintoshes that had their favour. But in 1672, Duncan decided to end the dispute with the Mackintoshes regarding the leadership of Clan Chattan and applied to the Lord Lyon King of Arms to have his arms matriculated as "Laird of Clunie Macphersone, and the only true representer of the ancient and honourable familie of Clan Chattane."
      His request was granted in March of 1672 but some of the leading members of the other Sliochdan Clann Mhuirich -- Alexander of Pitmean and John of Invereshie -- objected to Privy Council regarding Cluny being responsible for their behaviour, and even refused to acknowledge his Chiefship declaring their loyalty to the Mackintosh. As might be expected, the Mackintosh seized this opportunity and persuaded the Lord Lyon to withdraw Cluny's matriculation as Chief of Clan Chattan. However, Duncan took little notice of this action and soon Pitmain and Invereshie were reconsidering their errancy.
      Duncan's position was strengthened in 1674 by yet another policy deviation by the Marquis of Huntly who addressed the disloyal Macphersons in a letter that wholeheartedly supported Cluny's position and denied that of the Mackintosh. A year earlier, Duncan had entered into a Bond of Friendship with Aeneas MacDonell of Keppoch, his nearest neighbour to the west. in which he takes the "burden upon himself for the whole name of Macpherson, and of some others, all called Old Clan Chattan, as chief and principal man thereof."
      In 1680 Duncan finally persuaded Huntly to exchange Grange for Cluny. Although obtaining a feu charter enhanced the position of the Macpherson chiefs within the feudal hierarchy, they had held duthchas right of ancient possession of Cluny since the early 15th century .
      Things continued to go Duncan's way when in 1688 he was able to rescue the Mackintosh after being defeated and taken prisoner during an ill-fated raid against the MacDonalds of Keppoch. The Mackintosh had obtained a commission of fire and sword against that clan and had summoned the other chiefs to assist him in this operation. Cluny refused to do so and Mackintosh proceeded to march down Loch Lagganside and Glenspean with a band of his own clansmen and some Government soldiers to attack the MacDonalds. Before doing so, he had written to the Earl of Perth complaining that the Macphersons had "after two citations disobeyed [his orders] most contemptuously . . ."
      On the night before the battle, the MacDonalds deployed at Mulroy, just over the crest of a hill that the Mackintoshes would have to climb to attack them. At dawn when the latter force had reached the half-way point, the MacDonalds charged down on them and obtained a complete victory. However, shortly afterward the pipes of the Macphersons were heard and Cluny's men poured down on the MacDonalds who were in no position to fight a fresh force. After a parlay, it was agreed that the Macphersons could escort the Mackintosh back to his home.

The Battle of Mulroy was the last purely clan battle to be fought in the Highlands. Had peace come at last? Unfortunately, no. Events had been taking place elsewhere that would soon expand catastrophically and engulf the Highlands to a much greater degree than the religious wars of four decades earlier. Before discussing the next stage of the Macpherson story, we need to consider the 'Glorious Revolution' that had begun in the south. This will be presented on Panel 12.