Gilbert MacDowall of Spotss

Gilbert of Spotss Macdowall (Ancestor of the Macdowalls of Machrimore)

http://leomcdowell.tripod.com/id31.htm

http://www.scotweb.co.uk/info/macdowall/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Macdowall

http://www.macdougall.org/macdowall.html

Brief History

MacDowalls of Galloway

   Our Society has a strong membership of McDowells who are anciently connected to us through "Prince" Fergus, Lord of Galloway, a contemporary ally of King Somerled of Argyll and the Isles. A younger son of Uchtred, second Lord of Galloway was Duegald the eponym of the MacDougalls of Galloway. The "w" in MacDowall is a Norman transliteration introduced under Edward I of England circa 1300 and the "e" is an Irish spelling.

    The MacDowalls (M'Dowells) of Galloway are the senior descendants in the male line of the princely house of Fergus (b.1096) first of the ancient Lords of Galloway who maintained native leadership by adopting Normanization under David 1. Fergus' successive heirs through Elizabeth (daughter of Henry 1 of England), were Uchtred, Roland (Constable of Scotland), and Alan (co-signatory of the Magna Charta) whose daughter Dervorgilla passed the lordship and heirship of the crown to her son John 1 (Baliol). Roland had a brother Duegald (k. 1185) from whom the MacDowalls are descended according to Garthland records, as a result of which they carry the undifferenced Arms of Galloway, the same Dalriadic lion used per pale by Somerled, or quartered by the MacDougall, except crowned in Galloway.

    John ("The Red ") Comyn of Badenoch was the grandson-in-law of Dervorgilla Lady of Galloway and Lord of Galloway by right of his mother. He was a leading contender for the crown of Scotland. He was murdered during a meeting in the Greyfriars Kirk at Dumfries in February 1306 by Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick, (afterwards Robert I King of Scots) in order to usurp the crown. The murder started blood feuds and civil war in which the Galloway MacDougalls were mortal foes of Robert I and close allies of the crowned Baliols of Galloway, of Alexander Comyn Earl of Buchan and of their fifth cousin Edward I of England. After several battles in which the Gallowegians followed their native leader Sir Dougal MacDougall (first translated " MacDowyl" by the English at that time), Sir Dougal was dispossessed by the Bruces. The next three generations changed sides several times until reinstated at Garthland in 1413 defenders of Scotland.

    The main branches of the family eventually included the MacDowalls of Garthland, the Makdougals of Makerston, the MacDoualls of Logan, the MacDoualls of Freugh, and the MacDowalls of Machrimore. The caput baroniae of Garthland near Stoneykirk, Wigtonshire, was sold to the Earl of Stair and a substitute estate was established in Renfrewshire at Lochwinnoch. Logan House and Gardens are extant under different ownership in Wigtonshire. The barony of Freugh belongs to the Marquess of Bute. Makerston on the Tweed in Roxburghshire belongs to Baron Biddulph, and Machermore castle is a seniors' residence at Newton Stewart, Kikcudbrightshire.

    The main migrations of the family name were to Ireland during the Plantations of Ulster, and then to America during the Irish potato famine as a result of which most members of the family now live in the United States.

    Today, Fergus Macdowall of Garthland is the Chief of the Name and Arms. The caput baroniae is at Garthland Mains on the Rhinns of Galloway. The present seat is at Barr Castle, Garthland, Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire.