Home | Gallery | Message Board |Contact

THE MACCRIMMON FAMILY From 1740 To 1936
by George C.B. Poulter 1936

Click here for the printable version of Book One 1936

---

ORIGIN

The MacCrimmon or Mhic Criomain family, which has been pre-eminent in the musical art of piping from a very early time, is variously stated to be of Bardic, Irish, Norse or Italian origin.  The MacCrimmons were protected by MacLeod of Harris,  but they do not appear to have been a regular sept of his clan, as they were free to travel all over Scotland and to enter the territory-even the homes- of other clans, and thus lived up to a MacCrimmon saying that "the piper is as the bard, for he has food and shelter from one moon to another."  Owing to the scarcity of registers and other documentary records, the MacCrimmons, in common with so many other families in the Western Isles have to rely on tradition for so much of their early history.  Dr. Malcolm MacCrimmon advances the view that his forefathers originated from druidical priests and bards, and in support of this he mentions their custom of wearing a light blue colour, that of the ancient bards, and- when engaged on any important composition- of neither eating, drinking nor sleeping until completion of their music. It is generally supposed that the MacCrimmons wore the MacLeod tartan as followers of the clan or because they inhabited MacLeod territory in Skye and Inverness; but there is a story that the chief of the MacLeods altered the yellow stripe to white in his tartan as worn by the MacCrimmons, thus giving them the present MacKenzie tartan.  The Celtic principle of tanistry (by which the right of succession did not lie in the individual but in the family to which he belonged) only prevailed in the Scottish Royal House until the eleventh century, but it appears to have existed among the MacCrimmons until the eighteenth century, as we learn that their best piper was always selected as head of the family- thus a brother or cousin of the last chief was sometimes chosen instead of his son.  Some authorities believe that the name is derived from the Gaelic Criomthan = wolf, and that the MacCrimmons originally came from Ireland.  Criomthan Nia Nair was High King of Ireland in A.D.360.  his successor, Niall of the Nine Hostages 379-405, was the great-great-grandfather of another and more famous Criomthan- Saint Columba (521-597).  The Rev. M MacLeod, M.A., F.S.A. Scot., states that Crimthan, Crimman and Crimmon are very old and common Gaelic names and are often found in Irish and Middle Irish MSS. St. Crummine, who was an Irish bishop and a disciple of Saint Patrick, founded Leccuine Abbey, Ireland in the fifth century.  Several families of Crimmin still live in the counties of Limerick and Cork.  The Gaelic word "crioman" may be translated as "a little bit".  most eminent philologists agree that this sept is of Scandinavian origin. Dr. Geo. Henderson, an authority on the Norse influence on Celtic Scotland, thought the name MacCruimein was derived from Rumun (from the Norse Hromundr, the "famed protector") which may be found among ancient Manx runic inscriptions.  Dr. Henderson pointed out that Romundr is fairly common in Norse, and he preferred that derivation to the old Gaelic Crimthann.  Moore, in his "Manx Names", states that Rumund appears to have taken the form of MacCrimmon in Gaelic.

According to Dr. Neil Ross the MacCrimmons owned the southern part of Harris, co. Inverness, in the first half of the twelfth century and were conquered by Paul Balkison a few years later.  There is a legend that members of the family came from Norway , settled in North Uist and South Harris and were taken by Leod to Dunvegan as his followers and bards.  Finally there is the belief, held by members of many branches of the MacCrimmons in Scotland and abroad, that they originated from the province of Cremona in the Plain of Lombardy- a land renowned for its violins and other musical instruments and as the home of a race of musicians and craftsmen.  Although it is now generally agreed that this legend is merely a theory propounded by Alex. Carmichael, a Customs and Revenue Officer in the Uists and St. Kilda, on observing something of a resemblance between the names of the Italian province and the Scottish family, it should be noted that Duncan MacCrimmon of Swordlan (born c. 1770) believed that the tribe originated from Italy.  Mr.Iain MacCrimmon of Sydney, N.S.W., a Skyeman by decent, has the tradition that MacLeod brought a musician from Cremona, and "whatever his surname may have been, it was entirely lost in Dunvegan, where the usual custom of calling men after the place they belonged to was adopted in his case."  The story among descendants of the original stock on the remote and now uninhabited isle of St. Kilda was that MacLeod visited Italy during the Crusades and returned to the Western Isles with the first MacCrimmon, whom he named Cremonach.  Mr Peter Boyd, who is descended from the MacSweens of Roag (collaterals of the MacCrimmons) through his mother, also knows of this tradition and many years ago in Skye he handled an ancient violin- apparently made in Cremona- and Dr. M. MacCrimmon also saw Cremona violins in Skye.

"Rory McCleud of Dunvegin" made a complaint to the Privy Council of king James VI in 1599 (Register of the privy Council of Scotland, Vol.6 pp.5 and 6) as follows:- "Duncane McGrymmen and Donald McGrymmen, his brother, haunting in Glenurquchy and Tullibardyne, have lately 'be some sinister moyane and wrangous informatioun'  procured a commission from his Majesty for arresting and intromitting with the goods of the complainer or any other of his clan or men; under colour whereof they have committed divers reiffs and robberies upon sundry of his kin and friends , and other good subjects repairing to open markets and fairs.  Thus in October last they violently reft from Dunacane McEan McGillichallum and Donald McKhucheon VcConeil VcFerquhair 24 fat kye in Glammis Market and œ120 from Johnne McFinla Doway. Neither Duncane nor Donald appearing the Lords declared the said letters or commission to have been 'wrongously procured and therefore to be null.'"  Within twenty-five years of that date the famous Rory Mor MacLeod had a Donald MacCrimmon as his piper; but the traditional line of descent shows the MacCrimmons as hereditary pipers to MacLeod long before then.

Finlay McGruman of Dal-na-Bo (the field of cows), Banffshire, was accused of killing Mr. Grant of Carron in 1635.  Finlay was the strongest and hardiest man in the district, and an armed force had to be sent to apprehend him.  McGruman held his pursuers at bay until he fell dead with many wounds.

In the sixteenth century we find the name in its present form in two of the MacLeod documents, and the following variations in spelling occur subsequently:

1614            MAC CRUINNEIN

1616            MAC CRIUMMEN

1626            MAC CRIMON

 

1664            MAC CRIMMON

1717            MAC CRUMEN

1815            MAC CRIMMON

The first of these may be found in the register of the Great Seal of 13 Jan. 1614 when the letters of remission were granted to many men, including "Donald MacCruinnen," a piper, for being concerned in the killing of john Sinclair of Stirkoak and Arthur Smith in May, 1612. "Donaldo MacCriummen," a piper was included in a remission dated 1616, granted to Donald MacKay (afterwards Lord Reay) for the killing of certain coiners during the arrest at Tongue.  In 1626 John MacFarlane of Arrochar was bound over for the good behaviour of his clan, which included a MacCrimmon.

II-MUSIC

The late Mr. Donald MacCrimmon of Portree had a tradition that the MacCrimmon canntaireachd or word music (the expression of notes by means of syllables) came from Italy.  The legend is that in the eleventh century Guido d'Arezzo, an Italian monk who is supposed to have originated staff notation, gave through the Irish monasteries the scale of letters  aeiou  or  uoiea  to the bards, from whom the pipers acquired it.  In 1826 Captain Neil MacLeod, who died in 1844 and knew Iain Dubh MacCrimmon and the elder Simon Fraser, wrote a remarkable "History of the MacCrimmons and the Great Pipe" but the edition was quickly suppressed because it contained opinions which were offensive to the clergy and other people of that time.  It is believed that only two copies were saved from destruction. Both went to Australia.  One belonging to Gesto's son Norman, who died at Melbourne c. 1847.  That copy is said to be in Canada at the present time.  The other volume was in the possession of Mr. Simon Fraser of Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia, a descendant of the hereditary pipers to the Lords Lovat, who died in 1934.  Mr. Fraser's paternal grandmother was a first cousin of Gesto, and his maternal grandfather was a son of the celebrated Charles MacArthur, hereditary piper to the MacDonalds of the Isles and a pupil of Padruig Og MacCrimmon.  The second copy of Gesto's book, which included a complete history of the MacCrimmon pipers, their "vocables" and scales, was left in Fraser's workshop at Benalla and accidentally destroyed by some children.  Gesto stated that the musical system recorded in his book had been brought from Italy by Padruig Og MacCrimmon in the 17th century.  The book also contained some extraordinary genealogical information, and gave the founder of the MacCrimmon family as a priest at Cremona, Italy, named Guiseppe Bruno , whose son Petrus Bruno was born at Cremona in 1475 and came to Ulster in 1510.  He took the name Cremon and on his marriage in Ireland to a daughter of the famous piping family of MacKinnon he further altered his surname to MacCrimmon to bring it nearer to that of his wife.  Petrus is credited with having invented sheantaireachd or the "pipers' language," which he derived from the Bible; and it is further stated that it was a code by which original copies of the scriptures were preserved from interference and alteration, the key being in genesis III. 24: "So he drove out the man: and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."  One of the important vocables is "tre" in various forms.  It is said that one method of interpretation of the MacCrimmon music has been handed down by chance through the illness of Mr. Simon Fraser, who became gravely ill as a baby in July 1853 and at the crisis his mother "threw up her hands and wailed the Lament for the Children in the vocables."  From that moment he began to recover, and Mrs. Fraser afterwards explained the strange singing to him on condition that he would divulge it for 50 years.  She was keenly interested in music and had obtained her knowledge of "coel mor" from her father Piper MacArthur.  Her husband and John MacGregor were also well versed in the "big music," as they were fellow pupils  of John MacCrimmon, son of Iain Dubh, in 1848.  The Rev. John Curwen (1816-1880) and Miss Mary Glover obtained some of their ideas for the "Tonic sol-fa" musical system from Piper John MacGregor.

Petrus Bruno is said to have had three sons (1) Padruig, who stayed in Ireland, (2) Angus, and (3) Findlay of the Plaid or Finlay a' Bhreacain, otherwise Fionnlagh na Plaide who was the father of Iain Odhar MacCrimmon.  If Findlay of the plaid gave the alarm which led to the fight at trumpan c. 1580, his son Iain Odhar must have lived at a later date than that generally ascribed to him by tradition.

II-IAIN ODHAR

IAIN ODHAR MACCRIMMON or John "the Dun", so called on account of his sallow complexion, was granted the district of Borreraig in Glendale, Skye, by the warrior Alasdair Crotach, Chief of MacLeod, early in the sixteenth century, according to tradition, but there is no record of a MacCrimmon tenant at Borreraig for at least another century.  On 11 March, 1528 Donald Gruamach of Sleat was compelled to compensate John MacAngus, Borreaig, for cattle etc.  In the judicial rental of the Barony of Duirinish of 1664 John MacLeod is given as the tenant of Borreraig.  Finlay of the Plaid is said to have lived in Galtrigall, and the 1664 Rental shows that Galtrigall (consisting of two penny-lands) was tenanted by "Patrick MacCrimmon, piper" at a rental of œ120 Scots, and with "cess,  "teinds," "horse-corn" and "hens" the rent amounted to œ151 16s Scots or œ12 13s sterling.  It is therefore suggested that Galtrigall was the original endowment of Iain Odhar and that it was not until the time of Padruig Og (c. 1700) that the piper's college was moved to the property vacated by John MacLeod.  Nothing now remains of the famous school of piping; but we learn from Angus MacKay that the thick walls of the principle hall and sleeping apartments existed as recently as a century ago.  The property was exempt from all feudal taxes so long as at least one member of the MacCrimmon family was suitably trained to become hereditary piper to MacLeod.

For upwards of two centuries a great number of students - even the hereditary pipers of other chiefs- came to learn the art of piobaireachd or to perfect themselves in at the MacCrimmon college.  The course lasted seven years and by the end of it pipers were expected to remember three hundred tunes, some of which took over a quarter of an hour to play, and it is said that many of the students spent twelve years in acquiring the piobaireachd alone.  In order to obtain the certificate of master of composition and theory of pipe music, a piper had to remember 196 tunes.  The MacCrimmons gave their pupils a diploma decorated with a picture of Dunvegan Castle, a seal, MacLeods galley and the date with the winner's name.  The last student to receive one was a Robertson.  In addition to maintaining this establishment as a centre for instruction in pipe music, Iain Odhar and his descendants were renowned as composers of ceol mor, and to them is generally ascribed the peculiar structure of piobaireachd- the classical music of the pipes.  Iain Odhar composed mal donn or " MacCrimmon's Sweetheart" in praise of the bag of his pipes.  The names of Iain's sons are not known for certain; but a Hector MacCrimmon signed a deed in 1590 on behalf of Isabella, wife of Sir Rory Mor, and a Sir john MacCrimmon (the prefix Sir denoting an amount of scholarship only) was one of the witnesses of a document signed at Inverness in the sixteenth century.<br>

A traditional line gives PADRUIG DONN as the son of Iain Odhar and Padruig Coagach and Donald Mor as the sons of Padruig Donn.  PADRUIG CAOGACH settled on the MacLeod estates in Inverness on receiving the appointment of piper to MacLeod in Glenelg, where his descendants live to this day.

DONALD MOR MACCRIMMON, son of Padruig Donn was born c.1570.  He is said to have returned to his kinsfolk in Ireland to be perfected as a piper and to have then composed the lament for the Earl of Antrim; but the lament probably dates from a later journey when he would have accompanied Sir Rory Mor's five hundred clansmen sent to assist red Hugh O'Donell, who was in rebellion against Queen Elizabeth about the year 1595.  He composed  MacDonald's Salute and Failte nan Leodach or MacLeods welcome to celebrate the reconciliation between the MacLeods and their MacDonald neighbours after the battle of Bencuillein early in the seventeenth century.  The following works have also been attributed to him "The Earl of Ross's March, 1600," "A fiery Revenge for Padruig Caogach," "Macintosh's Lament," " Rory MacLeod's Rowing Piobaireachd or Salute, and "MacLeod's Controversy, 1603."  The Rev. Dr. Ross adds "Welcome to Rory Mor" and "Salute to the Earl of Ross" to this list.  From 1620 to 1640 Donald Mor was hereditary piper to MacLeod.  He had a son:

IV-PADRUIG MOR

PADRUIG MOR MACCRIMMON was born c.1595.  He possessed remarkable technical skill and was generally regarded as one the most eminent composers of ceol mor.  According to Neil MacLeod's suppressed history of the MacCrimmons, Padruig Mor perfected a new system of canntaireachd on his return from Italy in the middle of the 17th century.  In addition to holding the office of piper to MacLeod from 1640 to 1670, he wrote a great many tunes, including "Cumha an aona Mhic," "Lament for Donald MacAngus of Glengarry (Donald of Lagan) 1645," "Lament for MacDonald of Glengarry," "Lament for Donald MacKay, Lord Reay, 1649" and possibly the "Lament for Hector Roy MacLean, 1651."  Either he or his father composed "Cumha ceann cinnidh nan Leodach" on the death of Sir Rory Mor in 1626.  sir Rory's wife, nee Isabella MacDonald of Glengarry, is said to have been lulled to sleep every night of her widowed life by the playing of this melody by its composer.  But Padruig's best known work is Cumha na Cloinne or "Lament for the Children," which he wrote when seven of his fine sons died of fever in one year.  At the time of the Civil Wars Padruig Mor left his native isle and joined the army of king Charles II.  He appears to have been treated as a man of considerable importance, as we find various accounts that he was received by the King outside Stirling, played before the  King when the two MacLeods were knighted, led the pipers as "patron in chief" on the march to Worcester in 1651, and was also received by his sovereign at Whitehall and Scone.  The first of these legends is that King Charles II, when reviewing the troops encamped outside Stirling, saw a group of about eighty pipers standing before an elderly man; he was told that this was MacCrimmon, the Prince of Pipers.  Calling up Padruig the King gave him his hand to kiss, and MacCrimmon there and then composed the famous tune Fhuaras pog o spog an Righ.  A contemporary document, known as the Wardlaw MS., gives a slightly different version of this story and describes the Prince of Pipers as john Macgurmen, the "Earl of Sutherland's domestick."   After the surrender of Perch, Padruig accompanied the King on the bold march into England, and in spite of advancing years he took part in the Battle of Worcester on 3 Sap., 1651, when the small Scottish force was defeated by Cromwell's army of thirty thousand men.  Padruig was taken prisoner, but he returned to Scotland later to resume his post at Dunvegan, which he held for another twenty years.  A surviving son of Padruig Mor was:

V-PADRUIG OG

PADRUIG OG MACCRIMMON, hereditary piper to MacLeod, was born c.1640.  His works include "Bein Eadarainn," "A'Bhoidheach," a lament for Mary MacLeod, the Skye poetess, who died c.1700.  On hearing a rumour of Padruig's death, afterwards discovered to be false, his celebrated pupil Iain Dall MacKay (1656-1754)composed "Cumha Phadruig Og MhicCriomain." Among the Dunvegan papers is a lease dated 1700 which shows that MacLeod added Galtrigall, a township adjoining Borreraig toward Dunvegan Head, to the possessions of the MacCrimmons in the time of Padruig Og; but it is certain that some of the MacCrimmons occupied the property long before then.  Padruig married twice and had at least one daughter and twenty strong and powerful sons.<br>

His sons included:

1. FARQUHAR MACCRIMMON, who died in the lifetime of his father.

2. ANGUS MACCRIMMON, a piper at Dunvegan who did not survive his father.

3. PETER MACCRIMMON, a MacLeod tenant of Struan in 1769.

4. JOHN MACCRIMMON, a piper.

5. MALCOLM MACCRIMMON of Borreraig, father of IAIN DUBH MACCRIMMON.

6. DONALD BAN MACCRIMMON of Borreraig, born c.1710.  According to a family tradition he was an ardent supporter of the Stewart cause and, just before the MacLeod clansmen were raised, he secretly composed a salute to hail the coming of prince Charles Edward.  the story of MacCrimmon's Lament is recorded in a manuscript which belonged to the late Mr. Brodie Innes of Forres and was published in the London Scottish Regimental Gazette of Apr. 1911. The MacCrimmon's remarkable gift of second sight was also possessed by Patrick MacCaskill, a farmer of Scandinavian descent and a friend of MacCrimmon.  On 16 Feb. 1746 he met Donald Ban, a tall and finely built man, in the street of Inverness a few hours before the latter's death at the Route of Moy.  As they parted MacCaskill saw the piper “all at once contracted to the bigness of a boy of five or six years old, and immediately, with the next look, resume his former size”.

Donald Ban, who was presumably a widower at the time of the Route of May, had a daughter who married a MACDONALD from the mainland.

7. DONALD DON MACCRIMMON of Lowerkill, Skye. There is a reference in the MacLeod accounts of 1768 "To help promised to Donald McCrimmon, piper."  Donald Don married Mrs. BEATON, widow of the brother of the Rev. William Beaton, a minister of Waterstein, and had issue:

1a. BESS MACCRIMMON (NIGHEAN DOMHUIL MHICCRIMAIN) of Coll, who was such an accomplished piper that she was able to deputise for her husband, and on one occasion it is related that she piped during a dinner at which the chief and other piping experts were present.  The chief did not suspect that she was playing for her husband, and remarked when dinner was over that "Duncan excelled himself today."  She died at Grisspoll, Coll in 1790, and was buried there.

She married DUNCAN RANKIN, one of the last of the great clan Duille, hereditary pipers to the MacLeans of Duart and later pipers to the MacLeans of Coll.  Dr. Samuel Johnson, the lexicographer, when on a visit to MacLean of Coll, referred to one of his family as follows "The bagpiper played regularly when dinner was served, whose person and dress made a good appearance; and he brought no disgrace on the family of Rankin, which has long supplied to the Laird of Coll with hereditary music."  Duncan came to Coll in 1762, died at his brother Neil's house in Cliad, Coll, in 1807 at the age of 85 and was buried in Coll.

2a. Angus MacCrimmon of Aird Vairnisdale, on the MacDonald of Skeabost estate.  It is not known if he had issue, but and ANGUS MACCRIMMON, who is said to have left Dunvegan for Greenock, was born in 1825.  This younger Angus was living at Greenock in 1848 and afterwards went to Liverpool, where he was appointed a head carpenter to the Liverpool Docks board.  He died 17 Jan. 1882 having had issue:

1. DANIEL MACCRIMMON of Liverpool, b. at Greenock, Scotland, 1 Apr. 1848, employed by Messrs. Lamport and Holt for 43 years and once saved a man from drowning by diving between two ships in the Mersey and rescuing him.  Mr. MacCrimmon changed his name to MACCRIMMAN following a dispute with his brother as to the correct spelling.  Married at St. Jude's Church ,Liverpool, and had:

i. WILLIAM MACCRIMMAN, of 33 Vanbrough Rd, Anfield, Liverpool 4, father of

1a. THOMAS MACCRIMMON b. Liverpool 1917.  Served in Royal Horse Artillery in North Africa and Crete 1939-45, captured in Crete 1941.  Married NELLIE daughter of  THOMAS and ELIZABETH WAINWRIGHT.  Died 1983.  Had Issue:

I THOMAS MCCRIMMON b. Liverpool 9 June 1948.  Married THELMA daughter of JOHN and GWENDOLYN WILKINSON of Stainton, Cumbria. Served in 1st. Bn Liverpool Scottish (Queens Own Highlanders) later V Coy. 51st Highland Volunteers.  Later served in the Royal Navy.  Father of ALASDAIR and NEIL McCRIMMON.

ii JEAN McCRIMMON b. March 1951. Married PETER JONES in Toronto Canada

iii SANDRA McCRIMMON b. Jan. 1954.  Married RICHARD ROTHERHAM in Toronto Canada.

II James MACCRIMMON of Liverpool, b.1852, d. 1892, m. at St. Nicholas's Church, Liverpool, and has:

i. JAMES ANGUS MACCRIMMON, father of JAMES MACCRIMMON.

ii. THOMAS STANWIX MACCRIMMON of 14 Weldon St., Walton, Liverpool, organ builder.

iii. WILLIAM MILNE MACCRIMMON father of WILLIAM MACCRIMMON.

iv. ALBERT EDWARD MACCRIMMON, who had (1)GEORGE ALBERT, (2) THOMAS STANWIX and (3) ARTHUR.

v.  JOHN ALEXANDER MACCRIMMON.

3a. KENNETH MACCRIMMON of Lowerkill, Glendale, Skye, 2nd son of Donald Don married MARIAN MACLEOD, a relative of the Rev. Wm. Beaton of Waterstein, and had issue:

1b. DONALD MACCRIMMON, b. at Lowerkill, Glendale, Skye. Piper at Dunvegan Castle for over 40 years.  Probably died in 1843. He had:

1c. KENNETH MACCRIMMON, who succeeded his father as piper at Dunvegan Castle and was employed there until MacLeod went abroad c. 1845.  He was the last MacCrimmon piper to MacLeod, and is referred to by the Rev. A. Clerk in the New Statistical Account of 1845.  He had a son:

1d. Piper DONALD MACCRIMMON of Renton. In 1910 he gave this version of the Cremona legend "An Italian boy was taken from Cremona to Dunvegan by the then MacLeod, and remained with him.  He was named Cremona."

2b. JOHN MACCRIMMON

 

3b  KENNETH MACCRIMMON

4b NORMAN MACCRIMMON, b. at Lowerkill, Skye, in 1806.  He became an excellent player of piobaireachd under the tuition of Capt. Neil MacLeod of Gesto.  At the age of 18 he appeared in a competition of the highland Society held in Edinburgh in 1824 as "from MacLeod's estate, Skye," but he played the wrong tune and was disqualified. Norman afterwards enlisted in the army as a piper, and served under a Captain MacCrimmon who gave him an ancestral set of bagpipes- which was destroyed a few years ago.  He afterwards joined the Navy, and served as a piper in the Ariadne from 16 Sept. 1840 to 26 Nov., 1841, and on his certificate of service he is described as one of the best pipers in Scotland.  In 1841 he was discharged at the Port of London and in 1842 he became piper in the Dalhousie.  His death took place at Trinidad British West Indies in 1846. Married JANET MUNRO, who was born in co. Ross and d. at Renton, co. Dunbarton . They had one son and one daughter.

1c. WILLIAM MUNRO MACCRIMMON of Alexandria, co. Dunbarton, and previously of Glasgow, Greenock and Renton, b. in Edinburgh in 1832.  He lived in Canada for a few years as a young man and served in a volunteer battalion of the Queens Own Canadian Highlanders.  His descendants have the Scandinavian tradition of origin.  He d. in 1919 aged 87, having married at Jamestown, co. Dunbarton, 12 July 1867, MARY MACINNES, who was born at Aros, Mull, in 1844, and d. at Alexandria in 1901.  They had:

1d. ANNABELLA MACCRIMMON, b. 1868.  Married in 1895 ALLAN CAMERON, of Alexandria, and has a daughter, MARY, b. 1897.

2d. NORMAN MACCRIMMON, b. 1870, d. 1880.

3d. JANET MUNRO MACCRIMMON, b. 1872. Unmarried.

4d. MARION MACCRIMMON, b. 1875. Married in 1914, JAMES FULTON, of Christchurch, New Zealand. No issue.

5d. WILLIAM ALLAN MACCRIMMON of Ohio, USA b. 1877, married 1912 ANNIE EDWARD. No Issue.

6d. JOHN MACCRIMMON, b. 1879. Died on war service R.A.F. 1917.  Married in 1915, HELEN MILNE. No issue.

7d. NORMAN MACCRIMMON of 9, River View, Bo'ness, West Lothian, b. at Alexandria 12 Jan., 1883.  Commenced post office work at Alexandria, and was subsequently appointed postmaster at Mauchline, Ayrshire, 1923-29, and Bo'ness from 1929. served in the Royal Engineers (Signals) during the Great War.  Married 4 July, 1914, MARGARET McKEAN, 2nd daughter of Thos. WILSON, farmer, of Kilmaronock,Co. Dunbarton, and Bury, Lancashire, and has:

 

1e. WILLIAM MUNRO MACCRIMMON, b. at Balloch, co. Dunbarton, 7 March, 1916.

 

2e. MARGARET WILSON MACCRIMMON, b. at Balloch 29 March, 1921.

 

2c. MARION MACCRIMMON, born c. 1835, d. at Balloch in 1893. Unmarried.

5b. ALEXANDER MACCRIMMON of Renton, b. at Lowerkill, Skye, c. 1810, employed at the Turkey Red Dye Works at Renton.  He was a piper and often accompanied his employers, the Stirlings of Dalquhurn, on their fishing excursions up the River Leven to Loch Lomond and played the pipes in the boat while they fished. Married MARY ANDERSON, died c. 1873, sister of Mrs. Mac Aulay, and had:

1c. MARTIN MACCRIMMON of Renton, b. at Dalquhurn, Renton, in 1836,.d. at Dunbarton in 1911.  Married at Renton, JANE, d. at Dunbarton in 1909, daughter of Duncan BROWN of Renton, and had one daughter who d. in her 6th year.

2c KATE MACCRIMMON, b. at Dalquhurn, Renton, in 1842. Died unmarried, at Renton 1907.

3c. NORMAN MACCRIMMON of the Turkey red Cloth Dye Works, Renton, b. at Dalquhurn , 1846, d. there 16 Dec. 1909. Married at Renton 1 Feb. 1867, CATHERINE, b. at Glasgow 1846, d. at Renton 1 Feb., 1912, daughter of Archibald BROWN of Renton and formerly of Luing, an island off the coast of Argyll, and had:

1d. CATHERINE MACCRIMMON, b. at Renton 4 Aug., 1868.  Married at Renton, 16 Sept. 1908, ALEXANDER BOYD of 71, Deanson Drive, Shawlands, Glasgow, son of Alexander Boyd of Bonhill, vale of Leven.  No issue.

2d ALEXANDER MACCRIMMON of 34, Alderman Road, Knightswood, Glasgow, b. at Renton 26 March, 1870. Married SARAH, daughter of John MACK of Dumbarton, and has:

1e. NORMAN MACCRIMMON, b. at Partick 30 march , 1909.

2e. MORAG MACCRIMMON, b. at Partick 12 Sept. 1915.

3d. ARCHIBALD MACCRIMMON, of Gateshead-on-Tyne. b. at Renton 9 Feb. 1872.  Served in the great war in France with the Royal Engineers 1916-1919.  Employed by Newcastle Corporation.  Married at Renton in 1895, MAY, daughter of john MACNEIL of Gartmore, and has:

1e. ELIZABETH MACCRIMMON of Gateshead-on-Tyne, b. at Renton 11 March, 1896.  During the Great War she served with the Q.M.A.A.C., and in the office of the A.A.G. (a) at G.H.Q. 3rd Echelon B.E.F.

2e. KATE MACCRIMMON of Gateshead-on-Tyne, an assistant schoolmistress, b.at Renton 10 Dec., 1897.

3e. NORMAN MACCRIMMON of Gateshead-on-Tyne, b. at Renton 21 Jan., 1900.  Served in the Great War in the 2nd Bn. Black Watch 1916-19.  Employed by the L.N.E Railway Co.

4e. JOHN MACCRIMMON of Gateshead-on-Tyne, cooper b. at Renton 13 Jan., 1902.

5e. ALEXANDER MACCRIMMON, of Gateshead-on-Tyne, b. there 10 Nov., 1905. An employee of the L.N.E.R.

4d. MARTIN MACCRIMMON, of Renton, b. there 26 Feb., 1874, d. at Glasgow in June, 1925. Married at Renton, HELEN daughter of John PAUL of Bonhill, and had a daughter CHRISTINA, b. at Alexandria  4 Aug. , 1922.

5d. MARY MACCRIMMON, b. at Renton 29 Jan.,1876. A governess at Bridge-of-Weir. Unmarried.

6d. CHRISTINA MACCRIMMON b. at Renton 4 Nov. 1878. Married at Gypsland, Victoria, Australia WILLIAM KILPATRICK of Victoria, and has KATHERINE, AGNES, MARY and CHRISTINA.

7d. MARION MACCRIMMON b.at Renton 1880, d. there in 1882.

8d. NEIL MACCRIMMON of Renton, b. there 23 Dec., 1883. Unmarried.

9d. NORMAN MACCRIMMON of Renton, b. there 29 May, 1885. Married at Renton, ANNIE, daughter of Dennis DELARGY, of Ireland, and has:

1e. ELIZABETH MACCRIMMON, b. at Renton 23 Feb., 1923.

2e. KATHERINE MACCRIMMON, b. at Renton 30 July, 1925.

3e ANNE MACCRIMMON , b. at Renton 5 Dec., 1926.

4e. NORMAN MACCRIMMON b. at Renton 16 Dec. 1930.

10D. MARGARET MACCRIMMON b. at Renton 1888, accidentally drowned in the River Leven at Renton in 1891.

4c. FLORA MACCRIMMON, b. at Dalquhurn, Renton 1857. d. 1927.  Married at Renton in Sept. 188- MARTIN MUNRO of Glasgow, who d. at Glasgow 12 Nov., 1919, son of Donald Munro of Minard, co. Argyll, and had three daughters b. at Glasgow, namely MARY (27 Jan., 1884), SARAH (9 Oct., 1885) and FLORA (24 Nov., 1888).

5c. ALEXANDER MACCRIMMON, b. at Dalquhurn, Renton in 1859, d. at Partick, Glasgow in 1917. Married at Glasgow, MARGARET PAISLEY, who d.s.p. in 1914.

6b. CHARLES MACCRIMMON