9/9/09
McNeill: Isle of Barra, Scotland: 1800’s: Nova Scotia and Americas
My dad’s side of the family is the MacNeil clan and the Berham clan, my grandfather and grandmother’s sides respectively. The MacNeil family originated about 1049 when a man supposedly descended from and Irish king named Niall, of the clan O’Niall, established himself as the first chief of the clan MacNeil (which means “son of Neil”) on the Isle of Barra, an island in Scotland (Kaiser). The family motto is Buaidh no Bas (pronounced using the International Phonetic Alphabet as [puəʝ n̪ˠo paʃ]) in Gaelic and “Vincere Vel Mori” in Latin, which means “conquer or die,” a rather intense family motto, if I do say so myself (Kaiser). A little on down the line, say, at the 41st chief, Roderick MacNeil, the clan rule was passed to some cousin who had apparently already come to the “New World.” Many MacNeil’s settled in Canada around Nova Scotia where their descendants still live today. This shifting of family rule occurred in the 1800’s after about eight centuries’ worth of MacNeil rule on Berra came to an end due to the selling of the island and Kisimul castle (Kaiser). This occurred around the same time as the Clearances, which forced many on Barra, including most MacNeil’s, to come to the Americas where many stayed despite some intentions of eventually moving back when things got better (Kaiser). There are no worries though, as about 100 years later, a descendant named Robert Lister MacNeil, an American citizen and the clan’s 42nd chief, bought back the castle and the island and spent the rest of his life restoring it (Kaiser).
Now, although I realize I had to look most of my information up on a website, I am still greatly interested in my family’s name and history, it’s just that most people that would know it are long dead and gone while the others unfortunately can’t remember. One of those members is my 102-year old great grandmother, Frances McNeill (who went to UNCG when it was still an all-women’s college),I contacted but from whom I was unable to gain any information about the MacNeil clan. I have, however, been able to piece together some tidbits from different relatives from our family gatherings and history. In Red Springs, where my dad grew up, the Highland Games were held every year and my family in and around the area would come together and celebrate our family’s history. The Highland Games are a gathering of Scottish descendants from many clans where native games such as feats of strength in a game where tossing a log is involved are played and the sound of beautifully and powerfully played bagpipes fills the air. The MacNeil family crest is that of a grand face of rock embossed in a circle with the family’s motto on it. Our tartan, or color/plaid, is a rich forest green, golden sunshine yellow, and a deep navy blue. The picture above is that of a wooden plaque of the family crest with the plaid as the background. All of this is on my dad’s father’s side of the family. My dad’s mother’s side is the Berham’s.
I was able to get in contact with my grandmother, who was able to tell me a little bit of the history of the Berhams. The knight who led the other knights to go kill the famous martyr Thomas Beckett was an ancestor of the Berhams and believed to have changed his name to Berham after being exiled for his murder. There is a story that during a revolution in Scotland, a McCauley, also a Berham ancestor, was part of the losing cause. Apparently, McCauley escaped in a whiskey barrel to head to America, where he was later picked up by sailors. Of course, McCauley did not plan on going back to Scotland any time soon. It is not known whether or not he had a family, but I am sure they were sorely missed and he intended for them to come with him if possible. A Berham ancestor gave the first track of land to the University of North Carolina. On my other grandfather’s side of the family, Eddinger, a man was the Dean of Education here at UNCG for a long while. My great-great grandfather on my Berham grandmother’s side was a preacher, but fell in love with a Cherokee woman. The church, of course, did not approve, so the two ran off together and got married. The two were, however, both Christian, a part of the family I am proud to say my sister and I still carry on.
All in all, I am Scottish (MacNeil), Irish (MacNeil), exiled from England (Berham), German (mom’s mother’s side of the family: Styer, and mom’s father’s side of the family: Eddinger), and 1/16 Cherokee (Berham). My family’s history (at least what we know of it and what I could piece together) is rich and ancient, and I am proud to carry on the names of each and every one of my forefathers. I hope to be able to pass on some of this information to my own children, despite not being able to carry on the family name when I get married, so that our history will stay alive and well long after I am dead and gone.
McNeill: Isle of Barra, Scotland: 1800’s: Nova Scotia and Americas
My dad’s side of the family is the MacNeil clan and the Berham clan, my grandfather and grandmother’s sides respectively. The MacNeil family originated about 1049 when a man supposedly descended from and Irish king named Niall, of the clan O’Niall, established himself as the first chief of the clan MacNeil (which means “son of Neil”) on the Isle of Barra, an island in Scotland (Kaiser). The family motto is Buaidh no Bas (pronounced using the International Phonetic Alphabet as [puəʝ n̪ˠo paʃ]) in Gaelic and “Vincere Vel Mori” in Latin, which means “conquer or die,” a rather intense family motto, if I do say so myself (Kaiser). A little on down the line, say, at the 41st chief, Roderick MacNeil, the clan rule was passed to some cousin who had apparently already come to the “New World.” Many MacNeil’s settled in Canada around Nova Scotia where their descendants still live today. This shifting of family rule occurred in the 1800’s after about eight centuries’ worth of MacNeil rule on Berra came to an end due to the selling of the island and Kisimul castle (Kaiser). This occurred around the same time as the Clearances, which forced many on Barra, including most MacNeil’s, to come to the Americas where many stayed despite some intentions of eventually moving back when things got better (Kaiser). There are no worries though, as about 100 years later, a descendant named Robert Lister MacNeil, an American citizen and the clan’s 42nd chief, bought back the castle and the island and spent the rest of his life restoring it (Kaiser).
Now, although I realize I had to look most of my information up on a website, I am still greatly interested in my family’s name and history, it’s just that most people that would know it are long dead and gone while the others unfortunately can’t remember. One of those members is my 102-year old great grandmother, Frances McNeill (who went to UNCG when it was still an all-women’s college),I contacted but from whom I was unable to gain any information about the MacNeil clan. I have, however, been able to piece together some tidbits from different relatives from our family gatherings and history. In Red Springs, where my dad grew up, the Highland Games were held every year and my family in and around the area would come together and celebrate our family’s history. The Highland Games are a gathering of Scottish descendants from many clans where native games such as feats of strength in a game where tossing a log is involved are played and the sound of beautifully and powerfully played bagpipes fills the air. The MacNeil family crest is that of a grand face of rock embossed in a circle with the family’s motto on it. Our tartan, or color/plaid, is a rich forest green, golden sunshine yellow, and a deep navy blue. The picture above is that of a wooden plaque of the family crest with the plaid as the background. All of this is on my dad’s father’s side of the family. My dad’s mother’s side is the Berham’s.
I was able to get in contact with my grandmother, who was able to tell me a little bit of the history of the Berhams. The knight who led the other knights to go kill the famous martyr Thomas Beckett was an ancestor of the Berhams and believed to have changed his name to Berham after being exiled for his murder. There is a story that during a revolution in Scotland, a McCauley, also a Berham ancestor, was part of the losing cause. Apparently, McCauley escaped in a whiskey barrel to head to America, where he was later picked up by sailors. Of course, McCauley did not plan on going back to Scotland any time soon. It is not known whether or not he had a family, but I am sure they were sorely missed and he intended for them to come with him if possible. A Berham ancestor gave the first track of land to the University of North Carolina. On my other grandfather’s side of the family, Eddinger, a man was the Dean of Education here at UNCG for a long while. My great-great grandfather on my Berham grandmother’s side was a preacher, but fell in love with a Cherokee woman. The church, of course, did not approve, so the two ran off together and got married. The two were, however, both Christian, a part of the family I am proud to say my sister and I still carry on.
All in all, I am Scottish (MacNeil), Irish (MacNeil), exiled from England (Berham), German (mom’s mother’s side of the family: Styer, and mom’s father’s side of the family: Eddinger), and 1/16 Cherokee (Berham). My family’s history (at least what we know of it and what I could piece together) is rich and ancient, and I am proud to carry on the names of each and every one of my forefathers. I hope to be able to pass on some of this information to my own children, despite not being able to carry on the family name when I get married, so that our history will stay alive and well long after I am dead and gone.
Work Cited
1. Kaiser, Charles R. “History Pages.” Clan MacNeil Net. 9 September 2009 http://www.clanmacneil.ca/history1.htm#45
