Thomas Sinclair ‘History of the Clan Gunn’ Supplement, Seventh Instalment 13.1. 1903 (more on Clan Gunn Chief claims and history)
As usual I am providing a list of the key people and issues (in order of the article) in this Gunn Supplement so readers can work out if they need to work on these images; an Index of some sort always helps.
Review
I found this to be less interesting than the previous article. He does not like Dr Miller’s letter. Why? He reviews the history of ‘Chief descent’. He notes it came from Ireland and that Chiefs could be legitimate or illegitimate. Sinclair accepts Miller’s view of it for before 1715/1745. But after 1745 the Clan Gunn 'Chief' title (and others) becomes solely hereditary due to the power of the English. He notes that Hector Gunn ‘was rightful Chief of the Clan’ (which is very questionable as no Gunn Chief has been accepted by Lord Lyon.On the same basis Alexander Gunn Durness claimed the Gunn 'Chief' title.
In other words Sinclair says the Gunn Chief line is now strictly by legal inheritance, even though traditionally it was not. William Miller’s basic point, that there is no need for a Chief as ‘clans’ in the old sense no longer exist, is ignored.
Other key words / issues
· Gordons
· Mackays
· MacRob of Braemore
· MacIan (Johnson) Bregaul
· MacHamish Gunn of Kildonan
· Brehonism
· Rev. Donald Sage
· Gunns of Corrish line, of interest in a pre-1715/1745 way but no longer as ‘illegitimate’ (all of them?). ‘Corrish right may have been technically from the old Highland point of view correct’. See REVIEW above....
· Really important point; ‘Died October 10th 1819 at Edinburgh, Jane Gunn, wife of Daniel Hood, teacher, Canongate, second daughter of the late Hector Gunn, merchant Thurso. Hector was the legalised Chief as was also her brother, George Gunn, R.N., factor for the Sutherland estate.’ I had her down as married to William Mackay. Her sister was Mary Gunn who married Donald Sutherland. George Gunn ‘Chief’ 1789-1859 married Margaret Macdonald of Skeabost and they had Donald Gunn (Truro) c 1828, d. 1863, Hector Gunn (Elgin) c 1830-1874, Jessie Gunn c. 1832 who married Rev. Arthur Dixon of Truro and Margaret Gunn c 1834 who married Malcolm Charles Macready 1861.