| Our family name MacCulloch has changed from its original spelling from when it was first recorded. There are many variant spellings of the name, but this is the original spelling, and when doing genealogy we have found it helps tremendously if you know the original spelling of your surname. Here is the story of our family’s origins going back to Scotland. Our family name we have now is one of the variations. It is McCollough. The MacCulloch’s of Myreton lived in southern Scotland overlooking Luce Bay. Myreton is in southwest Scotland along the coast. Across the bay from Myreton lies another MacCulloch region related to Ardwell. King Robert DeBruce of Scotland knighted Captain Cullo O’Neil and chose him to be his standard-barrer and Secretary of State around 1317. He gave Sir Cullo O’Neil lands in Lorn, Myreton, and Achawan which encompass Killerar and Ardwell in Gallaway. Sir Cullo O’Neil died in 1331 and left his estate of Myreton and other lands in Galloway to his eldest son Sir Godfrey, who assumed the surname of McCullo. MACCULLOCH: Three differing origins can be traced for the name in Scotland of whom the earliest would appear to be the lineages found in Galloway. The progenitor of this race is lost in antiquity and it is not until the 13th century that we have a positive record of the name. The first noted swore fealty to Edward I of England c.1296, and this lineage held the lands of Torhouse, Myreton and Ardwell in Galloway until, in 1682, Sir Godfrey MacCulloch, through imprudence, was obliged to sell his inheritance and live in reduced circumstances. Following a fatal fight over some cattle with a Gordon neighbor he fled the country for a time, but returned, only to be apprehended and executed in 1697. A family, of different origin, were established in Easter Ross by the 14th century, where they are first noted as followers of the Earl of Ross, de jure ‘Lord of the Isles’, on whose forfeiture in 1493 they aligned themselves with the Munros – in whose cause they almost suffered oblivion at the battle of ‘Druim-a-chait’. The family had considerable tenure of lands around Tain, of which town they held an almost hereditary post of Provost. Their principal designation ‘of Plaidis’ was held until John Macculloch, Provost of Tain, acquired the lands of Kindeace from Munro of Culnald in 1612, whereafter they became ‘of Kindeace’. Other lands held by the MacCullochs in Easter Ross included Piltoun, Mulderg and Easter Drumm, the latter coming into their possession in 1649. A third ‘clan’ of MacCullochs inhabited lands in the vicinity of Oban, and the island of Kerrara, on the West coast of Argyll, where MacCulloch of Colgin was long recognised as representer of his line who were said to be descended from a race of MacLulichs who had inhabited Benderloch under the patronage of the Macdougals. That various MacCullochs allied themselves with other clans is undoubted, but given their individual land holdings, they no doubt held themselves to be the equal of any. Apart from not having a chief, there is no recognized MacCulloch tartan so those looking for an appropriate tartan may choose from the following: MacDougall, Ross, Munro or even the District of Galloway. Be sure to check out our Family Crests page to see the crests for each main family name we have and even some tartans. |