Clan MacCowan of Stranith, was a Scottish clan which once occupied the River Nith in Dumfries and Galloway.
| Clan MacCowan of Stranith | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| MacEoghain (Son of Ewen/Owen) | |||
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| Motto | Reviresco (I grow strong again) | ||
| Profile | |||
| Region | Scottish Lowlands | ||
| District | Nithsdale, Dumfries and Galloway | ||
| Plant badge | Yew | ||
| Clan MacCowan of Stranith no longer has a chief, and is an armigerous clan | |||
| Captain (Ceann Cineail - Kenkynnol) | |||
| Last Chief | Donald Edzear(Edgar) | ||
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History
Clan MacCowan of Stranith was a numerous clan of the Scoto-Irish recorded in the middle of the 14th century when Donald Edzear acquired from David II of Scotland the captainship of the Clanmacgowin on the River Nith.[1] Galloway makes no distinction between the names McOwen, McEwen, McKeoune, McCowan, McGowan, etc., all of which are substantially the same.[2] McCowan is a old family name from the Kirkconnel area where Robert the Bruce had a company of McCowans in the upper Nith district.[3] The name here may indicate descent from Owen the Bald, king of the Strathclyde Britons, who was killed in 1018.[4] We should be satisfied that Bruce's company of MacCowans was the same as Edgar's Clanmacgowin.[5] The Edgars, who were Lords of Nithsdale and captains of Clanmagowin, became a sept of Clan Maxwell who resided in Maxwelltown on the River Nith. Clan Maxwell's motto is Reviresco, [6] as has become Nithsdale's motto. Reviresco was also a motto of Galloway MacEwens from a very early date.[7]
Other Possible Connections
There have been McEwyns recorded in Galloway since at least 1331, when Patrick McEwyn was Provost of Wigtown.[8] In 1408 Vedaste Grierson granted John M‘Lelane the lands of Armakewne [9] Armakewne was likely an ancient placename in Dumfries and Galloway named after a clan or person named MacEwne. According to tradition, MacEwens in Galloway fought alongside the Sheriff of Wigtown's clan, the Agnews of Lochnaw, against the Black Douglas in a feud over the Sheriffdom of Galloway in the middle of the fifteenth century.[10]
In 1550 Duncan McGowne was provost of Whithorn[11] MacGowans, from the lands of Skeoch in county Wigtown have a coat of arms with Ar. a lion ramp. gu. betw. three cinquefoils vert, on a chief of the last a boar's head couped betw. two fleurs-de-lis or. Crest: A thistle ppr. The Motto is different from Reviresco mentioned above, instead these McGowans motto is Juncta arma decori. [12]
See also
References
- ^ James Brown, "The History of Sanquhar, 1891", p. 41.
- ^ Patrick Dudgeon, "Macs in Galloway 1888" p. 23.
- ^ Hugh Lorimer, "A Corner of Old Strathclyde, Andrew Spence, 1952", p. 101.
- ^ George F. Black, "The Surnames of Scotland : Their Origin, Meaning and History, David II reigned Scotland from 1329 to 1371.", p. 505.
- ^ Beatrice McCowan, "LAND, FEUDALISM AND CLAN MCCOWAN"
- ^ http://www.maxwellsociety.com/history/heraldry.htm
- ^ R. S. T. MacEwen, 1904, Clan Ewen: Some records of its history, p18
- ^ Moncreiffe of that Ilk, Iain (1967). The Highland Clans. London: Barrie & Rocklif. pp. 99–100.
- ^ The Register of the Great Seal of Scotland: 1424-1513.
- ^ Agnew, Sir Andrew (1893). The Hereditary Sheriffs of Galloway.
- ^ Monreith Charters
- ^ https://coadb.com/surnames/mcgowan-arms.html
