Every Scot is descended from Royalty.. Let's look at my line..Whose Lineage is it anyway?? The House of McDuff (Shaw, McIntosh)

Ahoyhoy

A friend stated/asked me jokingly..'.. Then YOU could be King of Scotland.. right?'

Erm.. no. hehe

My name is David Shaw.. I am descended from the Thanes (Earls) of Rothiemurchus.. lets trace that back.. The furthest I can get back is Ayrshire 1750 to John (could have been originally David) Shaw, an Episcopal Priest.. but this would have been for good reason, seeing my family supported the Jacobite Stewarts.. which is a longer story.


Now I have 'coloured' this story, but you will see why by the end, my additions make sense.

Sometime around 1500-1550 my ancestor's Father died, he was just a small child, his mother must have been beset with grief and confusion.. suddenly she was responsible for the entire clans wellbeing, our castle in Rothiemurchus and the surrounding lands and all the people on them.

She decided to marry another, that person was .. 'not nice' let's say. I imagine daily over many years from childhood.. the step-father saying to the child what he did to his mother at night. The Stepfather hated that the child wasn't his.

The lad was in his mid to late teens.. he was out with a friend and upon returning there he sees at the bottom of the hill, his favorite dog.. dead. killed.

Now being the young Thane, he would have had many many dogs, perhaps 20.. but out of 20 it was his favorite. Instantly he knew it was his stepfather! he ran to the castle and put his sword through his heart.

The crown was displeased with these actions, understandably, but besides that, he had created a lot of legal issues for the Estate & peoples of Rothiemurchus.

I know that temper.. I HAVE that temper, my family have that temper.. but imagine him.. day after day being chipped away at. I know I would have done exactly the same thing as my ancestor.

What happened?

The Crown confiscated his lands and title, we were disgraced.

We joined the Scottish military, as disgraced nobles do..
I would guess with hope of redignifying our name.

If you know Scottish History and tradition.. you know who the McDuffs are/were, the most Royal House behind the Scottish Monarchs, Coronator to the Kings and Queens of Alba. In this House are The McDuffs , The McIntoshes, The Shaws.

How can that be?

Firstly, you need to understand, that we are all 'McDuff'.. how did that come about? There was the McDuff Clan Chief:  'Shaw McDuff' who did not agree with the politics of the time and so broke away to create his own clan 'Shaw' Shaw meaning 'Wolf' in Gaelic. His name translated might mean, literally 'Wolf son of Black' or poetically 'The Hidden Wolf'. His younger brother taking his place as clan Chief and Thane (Earl) of Fife.

The same story with the McIntoshes (MacKintoshes) .. They are named after.. 'sons of the Chief' 'Mhic an Tòisich'.

The House of McDuff are descended from King Dubh. The Great Grandson of King Kenneth MacAlpin I of Alba.

Now back to more near modern times.. We had lost our lands and titles and were eager to get those back, many Shaws were also Catholic. Now.. the King knew who the Shaws were, cousins to the McDuffs, and The McDuffs had a long standing order with the Scottish Monarchy.. they were as 'Cousins to the Scottish Monarch' perpetually.. McDuffs; The Thanes (Earls) of Fife.
Edinburgh across the water being the capital.

(So when one of the cousins of his cousins caused such disgrace..disgrace is what was given back. As far as I am aware no prison sentence was needed.. due to bad feelings everywhere my ancestor went.. he was already in a prison of his peoples.)

Once we heard of the Jacobite succession a vast majority joined the side of the Contender, Bonnie Prince Charlie. Note I do not use the slur.. 'The Pretender'. He was and is.. the rightful heir to the Scottish Crown.

By the end as you know.. The Jacobite Rebellions failed. The English Army was hunting out Jacobites where ever they could be.

I cannot think of a better cover than a Protestant priest.

Who is going to accuse you?? no one!

There was much to-ing and fro-ing with the matter of Religion going forward.. I would guess once one generation found out it was a sham done to protect themselves from being killed the next generation would switch, the third generation getting in contact with the grandfather and being convinced to change back.. etc etc.

My line descends from there until my great great grandfather, who was the second born child and not the first as his predecessors were.

Daniel Shaw, my Great Great Grandfather. then David (oldest) Daniel (oldest) David (oldest) myself (oldest).

At present we have the Shaws of Ay as our clan Chiefs and they have done a good job.

Ohw I forgot to mention the very sad part of this.. the Saxe-Coburgs have let the Seat of the McDuffs go into disrepair. Our seat was sold to the magnate Carnegie around 1920.

The current ENGLISH monarch was not crowned by a McDuff.. which as a member of the House of McDuff.. I say makes her crowning invalid.

I actually think Queen Elizabeth is OK, I appreciate her work being peace with the commonwealth, but.. Scots, these people are not.

The two most Royal Houses in Scotland are the McDuffs and the McDonalds. Why didn't William or Harry marry from one of them? because: we're rockstars.

The whole reason to have a monarchy is maintain and protect political alliances.. and not ONE of the two grandchildren could marry from the House of McDuff or McDonald?? They are PAID to do a job. They aren't doing it.

I digress..

Not only would my line need to be reinstated & I to be the survivor of two branches.. Shaws would have to be selected over any remaining McDuffs and the McIntoshes.

It's a tall order to say the least.

---FIN--

I'll say this flatly..

Having a Scottish surname and being brought up in England.. doesn't make you Scottish. There is enough resentment towards nobility as it is.. without throwing a match upon petrol like that.

If you grow up here and mix with the other children.
If you attend University here.
Marry from here.
Rear your children here.
Live here your whole life.

Fair enough.

Too many are brought up in England.. ex-pats with no clue of Scottish Culture.
Speak Scots for flip sake!

Our Rothiemurchus lands were given to the Grants.. famous slavers of the time.. I saw in an article he sold those lands to the Scottish Government a couple of years ago.. for £11 million. The Shaws were however NOT slavers.