Examine New Census Data Transcribed By State   

Descendants of Ruari (or Roderick)

  By David Lee Doll ddollhouse@aol.com

Generation No. 1

1.  RUARI (OR¹ RODERICK) was born Bef. 1190.

Notes for RUARI (OR RODERICK):

                                              PART ONE; DESCENDANCY TO  McCREADY

                                                                           BUTE

     On the map of Scotland, BUTE Island in the Firth of Clyde is a very insignificant spot; but in the Gazetteer of the Eastern Continent we find:  "Bute, an island of Scotland in the Firth of Clyde about twelve miles long and on average five miles in breadth, comprising 29,000 acres of rugged surface and separated from the Island of Arran by a narrow channel.  The northern part is mountainous but yields good pasture while the rest of the island bears corn and other products.  The air is healthy and the people live to great ages.  The chief town is Rothesay."

   The Isle of Bute before the Norwegian invasion of 808 was inhabited by a people called the Albanishe Tribes and who continued there throughout the 400 years of Viking occupation.  After the Western Islands became subject to Norway, they were governed by rulers sent from Norway with the titles of Kings, having their seat of government in the Isle of Man.  The last of these rulers over all the islands was King Olave (Olaf), who was murdered by his nephews in 1154.  His son, Godred succeeded him.

   Godred was opposed in his rule by his brother-in-law, Somerled, Lord of Argyll, who had married Ranyhildes, the daughter of Olave.  Somerled raised a rebellion against Godred, and, after several indecisive battles, the latter ceded to Somerled in 1156 all the southern isles except the Isle of Man.  Somerled styled himself "Lord of the Isles" and was also known as Somerled, Rex Insolarum.  A few years after he laid waste the Isle of Man and obtained the Western Islands.

   In 1164, Somerled declared war against King Malcolm of Scotland and with a fleet of 160 galleys from the isles sailed up the Clyde, landed his army near Renfrew, and threatened to make a conquest of Scotland.  In the first battle, however, Somerled was slain and his army dispersed with many killed or wounded.

   Reid says in The History of Bute; "Upon the death of Somerled, the kingdom of the Isles of Man reverted to Godred, whose descendants retained it until it was, long after, finally ceded to Scotland."

Those portions however, which had been settled upon the sons of Somerled appear to have been claimed by them.  DUGALD received Mull, Coll, Tiree, and Jura.  REGINALD got Islay and Kintire; and ANGUS obtained Bute, while Arran seems to have been a bone of contention between the latter two and is supposed by Mr. Gregory to have been the occasion of the deadly battle between them in 1192, mentioned in The Chronicles of Man.

   In 1210, ANGUS and his three sons were killed at Skye and REGINALD is thought to have claimed both Bute and Arran, as he then bestowed Bute, and perhaps Arran also upon RUARI (or RODERICK) whose descendants were called MACRUARI.

        Child of RUARI (OR RODERICK) is:

2.             i.   MACRUARI², b. Aft. 1210, Isle of Bute, SCOTLAND.

Generation No. 2

2.  MACRUARI² (RUARI (OR¹ RODERICK)) was born Aft. 1210 in Isle of Bute, SCOTLAND.

Notes for MACRUARI:

                                          PART TWO;  DESCENDANCY TO McCREADY

                                                                     MAKURERDY

     After 1210, and soon after the death of Angus, WALTER the STEWARD of RENFREWSHIRE, the son and heir of the High Steward of Scotland married JANE MacSOMERLED, a daughter of James, the son of Angus, and in her right claimed both the islands of Bute and Arran, but James finally ceded the islands to Scotland.

   Throughout all these former controversies, the MAKURERDYs retained their hold on the larger part of the Island of Bute, and in 1489, James IV leased it to them.

        Child of MACRUARI is:

3.             i.   THE CHIEFTAN MACKURERDY³ GILKRIST, b. Isle of Bute, SCOTLAND.

Generation No. 3

3.  THE CHIEFTAN MACKURERDY³ GILKRIST (MACRUARI², RUARI (OR¹ RODERICK)) was born in Isle of Bute, SCOTLAND.

Notes for THE CHIEFTAN MACKURERDY GILKRIST:

                                PART THREE;    leading to McCREADY DESCENDANCY

   Burke, in his Landed Gentry says, "The McKIRDYs were the principal possessors of the Island of Bute at a very early period; they belonged to the tribes who possessed the western islands of Scotland, long under the Crown of Sweden." 

   Subsequently, James IV, King of Scotland, in 1489 leased the Crown property in Bute, which in 1503 was embodied in one general charter, (written in Latin) of the 30th Parliament.  Certain portions of the Crown lands were, "assigned to 78 'feuars' to become theirs and their heirs' forever."  The feuars named MAKUREDY, MAKARARTY, McVARATHY, STEWARTs, etc., can be seen on the document at the archives in Edinburgh, Scotland.  The greater portion of the lands being assigned to 12 MacKUREDYs listed thereupon and consisting of the following properties:

   1.) "To GILKRIST MAKURERDY, half of Brothog and Beausayer, and the 22 shilling and three penny         land of Baron."

   2.) "To GILKRIST MAKURERDY, JR., the 11 shillings and five penny land of Baron."

   3.) "To FINLAY MAKURERDY, half of Langilculcreith and half of Kerrymanch and half of Stramanan."

   4.) "To JOHN MAKURERDY, half of Stramanan and half of Danallid."

   5.) "To DONALD MAKURERDY, two-thirds of Brigadill and Langilculcathla."

   6.) "To ALEXANDER MAKUREDY, half of Cowleing."

   The majority of the above properties descended to ROBERT MAKURERDY, the Baron of Garratchy.         

   There is no certainty as to which family of MAKURERDYs descended from the families of McKIRDYs.  There are traditions in many families that the McKIRDYs  descended from a chieftan named GILKRIST, who was supposed to have flourished about 1525; whether this was GILKRIST of BROTHOG, his son GILKRIST, or a son of one of the other MAKURERDYs mentioned in the general charter is unknown.

        Children of THE CHIEFTAN MACKURERDY GILKRIST are:

4.             i.   DONALD*⁴ MAKURERDY.

               ii.   GILKRIST MAKURERDY.

               iii.   FINLAY MAKURERDY.

              iv.   JOHN MAKURERDY.

Generation No. 4

4.  DONALD*⁴ MAKURERDY (THE CHIEFTAN MACKURERDY³ GILKRIST, MACRUARI², RUARI (OR¹ RODERICK)).

        Children of DONALD* MAKURERDY are:

5.             i.   DONALD⁵ MACKIRDY , JR., b. Abt. 1550, Isle of Bute, SCOTLAND; d. 1600, SCOTLAND.

6.            ii.   ALEXANDER MACKIRDY.

Generation No. 5

5.  DONALD⁵ MACKIRDY , JR. (DONALD*⁴ MAKURERDY, THE CHIEFTAN MACKURERDY³ GILKRIST, MACRUARI², RUARI (OR¹ RODERICK)) was born Abt. 1550 in Isle of Bute, SCOTLAND, and died 1600 in SCOTLAND.

More About DONALD MACKIRDY , JR.:

Fact 1: "Founder of the MacKIRDYS"

Fact 2: was first to change spelling from MAKURERDY

Fact 3: 1600, killed in a battle with a Cameron clan, along with his son, Fingal.

        Child of DONALD MACKIRDY , JR. is:

7.             i.   FINGAL⁶ MACKIRDY.

6.  ALEXANDER⁵ MACKIRDY (DONALD*⁴ MAKURERDY, THE CHIEFTAN MACKURERDY³ GILKRIST, MACRUARI², RUARI (OR¹ RODERICK)).

        Child of ALEXANDER MACKIRDY is:

8.             i.   ROBERT⁶ MACKIRDY.

Generation No. 6

7.  FINGAL⁶ MACKIRDY (DONALD⁵, DONALD*⁴ MAKURERDY, THE CHIEFTAN MACKURERDY³ GILKRIST, MACRUARI², RUARI (OR¹ RODERICK)).

        Child of FINGAL MACKIRDY is:

9.             i.   DONALD⁷ MACKIRDY, b. Abt. 1598, Isle of Bute, SCOTLAND.

8.  ROBERT⁶ MACKIRDY (ALEXANDER⁵, DONALD*⁴ MAKURERDY, THE CHIEFTAN MACKURERDY³ GILKRIST, MACRUARI², RUARI (OR¹ RODERICK)).

        Child of ROBERT MACKIRDY is:

10.           i.   ROBERT⁷ MACKIRDY , BARON OF GARRATCHY, d. Abt. 1750, Firth of Clyde, SCOTLAND.

Generation No. 7

9.  DONALD⁷ MACKIRDY (FINGAL⁶, DONALD⁵, DONALD*⁴ MAKURERDY, THE CHIEFTAN MACKURERDY³ GILKRIST, MACRUARI², RUARI (OR¹ RODERICK)) was born Abt. 1598 in Isle of Bute, SCOTLAND.  He married PEGGY CAMERON.

Notes for PEGGY CAMERON:

     In "Cameron's Family Notes & Reminiscences," William Cameron, in a letter to his cousin, Peggy, in 1660 in reguard to the persecuted Presbyterians says, "The inhabitants of the borders, being warriors by choice, husbandmen by necessity, either quitted the country or became shepards.  The elevation of religious sentiments began to decline but the familiarity and kindness which had long subsisted between the gentry and the peasantry cannot be obliterated.  While visiting my cousin Peggy, who married Donald MacKirdy, a rural Presbyterian on the banls of the Clyde, they portraided in lively and delicate colours the fears and hopes that agitated the breast of the rural Presbyterians, etc." 

   In another letter he says, "Many family ties have been broken as to religious sentiments and many of the persecuted have turned persecutor.  Of the six sons of Donald MacKirdy, three have seceded from the Presbyterian church but Alexander, Pethrick, and Daniel remain loyal."

   With the above evidence and certain traditions existing in many families, it is quite evident that Donald and Peggy MacKirdy were the grandparents of the five MacKirdy brothers who settled in Ireland.

More About PEGGY CAMERON:

Fact 1: great granddaughter of James IV.

        Children of DONALD MACKIRDY and PEGGY CAMERON are:

                i.   PETHRICK⁸ MACKIRDY.

More About PETHRICK MACKIRDY:

Fact 1: died unmarried.

               ii.   FINGAL MACKIRDY.

11.         iii.   DANIEL MACKIRDY, b. Buteshire, SCOTLAND; d. Buteshire, SCOTLAND.

              iv.   GILKRIST MACKIRDY, b. 1628; m. MISS BALLOCH.

12.          v.   ALEXANDER MACKIRDY, b. 1630, Buteshire, SCOTLAND.

              vi.   IRVEN MACKIRDY.

10.  ROBERT⁷ MACKIRDY , BARON OF GARRATCHY (ROBERT⁶, ALEXANDER⁵, DONALD*⁴ MAKURERDY, THE CHIEFTAN MACKURERDY³ GILKRIST, MACRUARI², RUARI (OR¹ RODERICK)) died Abt. 1750 in Firth of Clyde, SCOTLAND.  He married JEANET FRAZER.

Notes for ROBERT MACKIRDY , BARON OF GARRATCHY:

                                             PART FOUR;  DESCENDANCY TO McCREADY

     The Crown lands of Bute which the MacKIRDYs would have succeeded to in time were inherited by his widow but were taken from her by very unfair means:  Lord Bute's factor, on some pretense or other, claimed for advances made during the Baron's life and obtained from the widow a right to manage her large estates, getting possession of her husbands books and papers which were never returned; from that time the MacKIRDY properties had been held by lord bute's family as their own without any sati8sfactory account ever having been given. 

   The names of McCURDY, McCREADY, McCURRY, McQUADY and other similar names are generally believed to have descended from the MacKIRDY stock as research in many cases has proven.                                  

More About ROBERT MACKIRDY , BARON OF GARRATCHY:

Fact 1: most of feued lands descended to him.

Fact 2: Abt. 1750, drowned in Firth of Clyde while returning from Ireland visiting relatives.

Fact 3: was the last baron of the name and title. < /p>

        Children of ROBERT MACKIRDY and JEANET FRAZER are:

                i.   WILLIAM⁸ MACKIRDY.

More About WILLIAM MACKIRDY:

Fact 1: married but had no issue.

13.          ii.   JOHN MACKIRDY.

               iii.   (SEVERAL DAUGHTERS) MACKIRDY.

Generation No. 8

11.  DANIEL⁸ MACKIRDY (DONALD⁷, FINGAL⁶