Eoin (John) Mór MacAlpin

born about 950, is described in the ancient legends by the family bards, as a handsome man of gigantic stature and a very expert bow-man. He fought and fell as a commander under the banner of Malcolm II (King of Scotland 1005-1034), at the sanguinary battle of Monaghavard (or Monzievaird) in 1005, in which victory Malcolm won the crown by the defeat and death of his cousin Kenneth III (King of Scotland 997-1005). Eoin Mor married ALPNIA, daughter of Angus, great-grandson of Cianoth the youngest brother of Kenneth MacAlpin (King of Scotland 834-860).

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Sir John MacGregor, Lord of Glenurchy, a person of very good account in the reign of King Malcolm III., inter1057-1093, and because of his warlike achievements, was called ‘Shir Ian borb an Cath,’ ‘Sir John forward in battle.’ He married an English Lady of great beauty, who came to Scotland in the retinue of Princess, afterwards Queen Margaret. He died circa 1113, leaving two sons—

1. Malcolm who succeeded him.

2. Gregor or Gregory, who having been bred to the Church travelled to foreign parts for improvement, from whence having returned, he became Abbot of the Monastery of Dunkeld.8 Being a person of great piety and learning, and because of his father and grandfather’s services to King Malcolm, St David the King changed that monastery into a Cathedral Church, anno 1127, and promoted the Abbe or Abbot Gregory to the new see, of which the Bishop obtained an ample ratification from Pope Alexander III. as well as an apostolical protection9 to himself. He is witness to several Charters in the reign of King David and of Malcolm IV. From him the McNabs or the ‘Sons of the Abbot’ are undoubtedly descended. He lived to be the oldest Bishop of his time, and died circiter 1160.”

The notice of Bishop Gregory, to which reference is made, is thus given by Myln, who was a Canon of Dunkeld in the sixteenth century. The work is a Latin MS. of which there are several translations :— “Gregory, who was at that time Prior of the Convent, and afterwards a Privy Counsellor, was the first Bishop. It was by his interest that the lands of Auchtertoul and thirty prebends were granted to the Bishop and Chapter of Dunkeld, as is contained in King David’s Charter; Gregory procured in the strictest form, from Pope Alexander III., a protection for himself and his Church, in which writing all the possessions are reckoned which they held at that time. He sat in this see forty-two years, and died in the year 1169, which was the third year of the reign of King William.”

Information added by; HRH Prince Kieren de Muire Von Drakenberg